I often get asked, “What is health?” or “What is my definition of health?” There is the common expression, “health is wealth.” That is true because as long as you have your health, you have everything. If you have your health, you can overcome any obstacle without any barriers. But here is where I differ. Health does not mean an absence of illness, disease, or imbalance. Health is flexibility. Health is the ability to cope with the imbalance you may have.

I would say that over 99% of the world has some sort of an imbalance. Some may have symptoms, but majority of the people do not have any obvious signs or symptoms. Of course we all want to feel good and feel healthy. But have you ever looked at those who are fighting against their illness, or optimistic cancer survivors? Or how about those who have some sort of disability, such as blindness? Have you seen how happy they are? Why are they so happy? Because they have accepted their imbalances and are happy with what they do have. They have a strong willpower to be able to effectively cope with their imbalance and still enjoy life. Many people begin to feel sorry for themselves when they “get sick,” and begin to say, “why me?” or “poor me.” Truth is that just because you catch a cold, have a headache, or even have cancer, does not mean that you are not healthy.

Health is how you feel. You may have a cold, or you may have cancer, but it is how you look at it. How do you treat yourself or what do you think of yourself? Health is how well you cope with your imbalance. You can be sick, but are you going to let it interfere with your life? No. Whatever imbalance you may have, face it with a smile and always be happy. Majority of the cure lies with how happy you are. It is your health and it is all about your perception. Do not let your weaknesses bring you down. Rather, show yourself how strong you are. Your health is in your hands.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

I often get asked, why drink milk? These days, even drinking milk has become a controversy. There was the time when “got milk?” was huge and today, there is supposed preliminary research that shows that milk has no nutritional value for anyone past childhood. I dispute the research because milk is one of the best forms of nutrition out there and it is for all ages. There is also strong evidence in favor of all age groups drinking milk from both Ayurveda and modern scientific studies.

There is no strong evidence in disputing the benefits of milk, because the research has been mainly done on lab animals, such as rats and rabbits. Biotechnology companies, such as Fonterra, have funded many of the research studies. Their research, done on rabbits found that drinking milk can lead to heart disease. But according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studies have shown that drinking milk can improve kidney functioning and reduce the risk of heart disease. In another study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ”Boosting calcium intake by drinking milk could reduce healthy adults’ chances of a debilitating bone break. Healthy men and women supplemented with 1,200 mg of calcium per day – the amount in four glasses of milk – reduced their risk of bone fractures by 72 percent.” These are just a couple of studies out of thousands that have been conducted over the years. And with that said, why wouldn’t you want to drink your milk?

Ayurveda has also laid out the countless benefits of drinking milk. Ojas, as you may already know is the finest product of digestion and it represents your immune system, strength, and vitality. Drinking milk promotes and enhances the Ojas. Milk directly nourishes the life forces and also nourishes all the tissues of the body. It increases strength, promotes life span, excellent for the eyes and intellect, reverses the aging process, heals wounds, and increases virility. Furthermore, milk is used for irritable bowel syndrome, excessive thirst, is good for hyperacidity, great for heart disorders, urinary tract problems, hemorrhoids, and bleeding tendencies. Milk is excellent for emaciation, anemia, and fatigue due to excess physical exertion. Milk can be hard to digest. Therefore, if you have trouble digesting milk, boil the milk with some fresh ginger and then drink it. Boiling the milk makes the milk lighter and easier to digest. The ginger will aid in the digestion of the milk.

There are many more benefits than what I have mentioned. Milk is one of the greatest nutritional drinks out there and it is recommended for everyone. Ayurveda continues to say that milk is the first drink of life and therefore, it should be continued throughout life. In a follow-up article, I will discuss the various types of milk and why cow’s milk is most highly recommended after infancy.

Health and Happiness,

Varsha

I recently drove from southern California to northern California. On my way, along interstate 5, I saw a couple farms with cows. I saw free grazing cows and then I saw cow confinements. The cow confinements had hundreds of cows in tiny stalls, where there was barely enough room for the cow to even take half a step forward. When driving by, it broke my heart to see those poor cows behind bars. My heart just dropped and felt as if injustice was being done. Whereas when I drove by the free cows, it brought a smile to my face and lifted my spirits. I ended up commenting to myself about how cute the cows are.

Cows provide to us one of the healthiest substances for our body…milk. When they provide us with so much nutrition, is it right to put cows behind bars? My answer is no. In order to mass produce milk, many farmers confine the cows and treat them inhumanely. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) “California’s dairy cows are crammed into huge lots, where they live covered in mud and their own feces for most of their miserable lives.”

My question to you is how can milk that comes from unhealthy cows actually be good for you. We have all heard someone in our lives say that food that is made with love always tastes good. Well, there is no love here…there is only sorrow, stress, and chemicals in this milk. That is why everyone should drink organic milk. Organic milk comes from free-range cows that are allowed to graze and feed upon fresh grass. Cows that produce organic milk are the happy cows that we like to smile at.

Although there are many companies out there that sell organic milk, one in particular that I use is Horizon Organic. Their dairy products are available all over the country in whole food grocery stores and local markets.

For more information on PETA and their efforts towards animal rights, please visit www.peta.org

PETA has also put together a site on information about cows, specifically in the state of California. Their website is www.unhappycows.com

For more information about Organic foods and products, please visit the Organic Consumers Association at www.organicconsumers.org

While doing my research for this article, I came across this site, which discusses USDA’s take on “grass-fed” cows. I thought that you might find this interesting.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_2002.cfm

Everyday, more and more people are going organic. So if you have not yet done so, please do join the organic movement and support not only natural, real food, but also support the ethical and moral treatment of animals. Remember, animals also have needs and feelings.

Varsha