First of all, what is in elimination diet? An elimination diet is a diet in which you remove all potentially allergenic foods. The top eight allergenic foods are dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc), fish (bass, cod, flounder, etc), shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, etc), soy, and gluten. For an elimination diet, you remove all of these foods plus any others that you feel may be causing you health problems. You basically strip your diet down to the bare minimum of soups with fresh vegetables (non-nightshades, such as eggplants and tomatoes) and eat that for a few days. Then, you introduce one item at a time back into your diet and eat only that for three to four days and see how you feel. One by one, you add each food item back into your diet and notice any physical symptoms you may have.

The problem with the western approach to the elimination diet is that there is no consideration given to improving digestion. The process seems simple. For example, you strip your diet down for three days and then you introduce yourself to dairy for example. Well, dairy is hard to digest, so after having a liquid and easy to digest foods, you are bound to naturally have a tough time digesting dairy. It will be natural to feel an upset stomach after drinking a glass of milk or eating some cheese. The same applies to all of the potential allergenic foods because they are all heavy and hard to digest.

Here is my recommendation for doing an elimination diet:

1) Start by having a light diet for three days. Have only soups along with warm and cooked foods only. Nothing raw except for ripened fruits. Avoid all cold foods and drinks. Avoid leftovers, processed foods, fast foods, trans and saturated fats, and all foods with artificial ingredients or additives. If possible, have a vegetarian diet and eat your largest meal at lunchtime. Follow this diet for about 3 days at minimum.

2) While having a light diet, work on improving digestion. Drink hot water and use digestive spices in your cooking and in your teas. Some spices that improve digestion are ginger, cumin, black pepper, fennel, turmeric, and coriander. Lemon juice and honey in warm water is also a good tonic for cleansing the digestive tract.

3) During this time, it is important to eat at least three meals a day, so do not starve yourself. Staying hungry will not help with improving digestion.

4) Then, on day four, introduce your first food back into your diet. Whatever you do, do not over eat or stuff yourself. This will not help you when figuring out how you feel after consuming the food. Overeating will lead to all sorts of different symptoms that mimic the signs of food allergies, including constipation and nausea.
I suggest starting with dairy. Now, keep in mind that dairy is hard to digest. So, be sure to have some fresh ginger before your consumption of dairy to aid with digestion. Start with fresh cheeses or boiled milk. And then see how you feel for the next few days.

5) And then slowly, one by one, add everything back into your diet and consume all vegetarian foods before testing any meats. It is important to keep an eye on your digestion during this time, as your digestion is very sensitive. Continue to use spices, drink hot water, and have some fresh ginger before every meal.

6) Pay attention to how you feel and your digestion. If you are having a reaction, you will feel it within 72 hours and that is why you add only one food at a time every three days. Constipation, diarrhea, upset stomach, nausea, headaches, and fevers are just some of the symptoms of potential food allergies. And of course, during this time, if you feel that you need to seek medical attention and see your doctor, please do so. Important thing is to monitor how you feel before and after consuming each of the different foods.

Best of luck with your elimination diet!

- Varsha

The American culture is already very superficial and is all about the way you look. There are even face creams that are supposed to make your skin lighter in color, because supposedly, according to the media, dark skin is unattractive, however, this is a whole other topic for another time. Bridalplasty also sends the message about how who you are as an original is not good enough for your wedding. As a bride-to-be, I also want to look my best for my big day and we all have our flaws, but you know what, my fiancé loves me for me. We are getting married because we accept and love each other for who we are and Bridalplasty takes this sacred aspect away from the idea of sacred matrimony.

From an article from ABC News: “Under the American Society of Plastic Surgeons code of ethics, we’re technically prohibited from giving procedures away as a prize for a contest. It totally undermines the doctor-patient relationship,” says Dr. Gayle Gordillo, associate professor of plastic surgery at Ohio State University. “The ethical and social implications of this [show] are frightening.” I also agree that this show has way too many negative social, medical, and ethical implications.

All I am trying to say is that if people want to have plastic surgery, it should be their own personal choice and not promoted on national television. A show like Bridalplasty will make women and young girls think that they have to be super duper perfect and meet the model standards to get married, which is totally wrong and immoral. True beauty really does come from within and the whole concept of getting married is that your partner should find you to be beautiful just the way you are.

Also from ABC’s article, Dr. Michael McGuire, president-elect of the American Society for Plastic Surgeons’ code of ethics, says that, “the show is embarrassing to the field and the society frowns upon taking a “well-recognized specialty down into this level of entertainment,” he says that without an actual violation of the code, there is “nothing we can do about it.” The surgeon on the show has already screened and evaluated each of the girls and has approved them for all their surgeries and that is how Bridalplasty found their loophole.

There must be something that we can all do to keep Bridalplasty off the air. For now, all I can think of is to not watch it and therefore, giving it lower ratings. It should be as simple as that. If nobody watches the show, then it simply won’t have enough resources to continue. We should not allow the entertainment industry to sabotage women any further than what has already been done. Reality shows are one thing, but messing with other people’s bodies and health on national tv is a whole other thing that is just down right immoral. Let’s send the right message to women everywhere and not promote Bridalplasty.

Take care,

Varsha

I took a class on Physiology and Psychology of Stress a few quarters ago, and in that class, we worked with a few modalities for managing stress and anxiety. One of them was keeping a Gratitude Journal. My journal is the one pictured here and I created that specifically to use in this class. Our homework was to write in it everyday about something that we are grateful for in our lives. Mine started with expressing the more obvious ones, such as being grateful for all my loved ones, family, friends, having a job, my home, my Masters program, my professors, and my list continued. Then I began to realize that I was grateful for my computer, my cell phone, and even my water bottle and all the other “little” things I had in my life. I soon started to journal not only what I was thankful for, but also why.

In the process of having a Gratitude Journal, you realize that you have more to be grateful for than you realize. It’s very healing and it really does lift your spirits. As you journal about them, feel free to share some of your gratitude with those you are close to or feel comfortable sharing with. You can never go wrong in sharing your appreciation for someone or something. Gratitude journaling is also a great exercise when you feel stressed, anxious, and even depressed. I recommend that you begin and end each day by acknowledging something that you are grateful for. Gratitude is very nourishing for the heart, mind, and soul and with over time, gratitude will become a part of your life.

With that said, I thank you all for reading my health blog and I shall leave you today with this quote by Anthony Robbins: “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”

With love,

Varsha

Yes, I do pulse diagnosis and I work with a variety of health conditions. But I do not just treat symptoms…I work with the whole person. I am in alternative medicine and if you are simply looking for a cure or a magic pill, I am not your go-to person. When it comes to your health, there is no such thing as a miracle pill. Ayurveda will tell you the same thing along with all the other modalities of healing. For true healing to occur, it takes time, patience, and work. Healing is a journey and a process, and is not always about the pill.

We live in a world governed by Big Pharma that says that there is a pill for everything. The more reading you do, the more you will discover that Big Pharma is all about the money and not so much about healing. Don’t get me wrong, Big Pharma has helped to do some good as well, especially in cases of trauma, chronic diseases, and increasing life span, but they also do not have all the answers. The truth is that nobody has all the answers for every single problem. That is why people work together in teams to come up with solutions. Do not be afraid to get second opinions.

As a child, I was vaccinated with the BCG vaccine, which prevents Tuberculosis, also known as TB. Therefore, if you ever do a TB skin test, you will test positive because you already have the antibodies for it. As a teenager, I was given the skin test to be able to work at the hospital and therefore, I tested false positive. I went and got a chest x-ray and I was cleared to be negative for TB. However, I still had to visit my pediatrician. I went and saw her and she said that I needed to be put on a six-month medication program. I was recommended to take medication for a condition that I did not have! Where is the logic in that? My parents took me in for a second opinion in which the doctor said that I did not need to be medicated and that I should never ever take another skin test in my life. The nurse who administered the TB-skin test overlooked the fact that I had a BCG vaccine. For all of you out there with a BCG vaccine, keep in mind that you are to never take the skin test, which could potentially end up being fatal. You are to do the chest x-ray.

How does my tangent story relate to healing? Well, think about it. If my parents and I had blindly trusted the first doctor, I would have had to take medication with adverse side effects. I still remember hearing the doctor say that the side effects of the primary medication included kidney and liver failure so I would need additional drugs to balance the first drug. That’s scary. Healing also means to follow common sense. Get second opinions and do not blindly trust your health to just anybody. Do your research!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks, where I will share with you my meaning of healing and some different methods for healing, along with what true healing is really all about.

In the meantime, I ask all of you to explore what your meaning of healing is? How do you define healing?

Happy healing!

Varsha

On top of tea’s antimicrobial properties, research has shown that drinking tea helps with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It also encourages weight loss, lowers cholesterol, and brings about mental alertness. Tea is also an excellent antioxidant because it contains flavonoids. Tea can also be used to substitute the consumption of coffee.

Black Tea –
- Made with fermented tea leaves
- Has the highest caffeine content out of all the teas
- Is typically the base for many flavored teas, such as chai
- High in antioxidants
- Research shows that black tea protects lungs from damage due to smoking
- Reduces risk of stroke and heart disease. Helps in recovery from a heart attack
- Aids in blocking allergic reactions, improves skin, delays onset of diabetes, and slows the growth of tumors

Green Tea –
- Preserves many of the original qualities of the fresh leaf while enhancing and bringing out its effects through its making
- Made by cooking the leaves and then pressing them to release their moisture and then drying them out
- Research shows that green tea is an excellent antioxidant
- Prevents cancers of the bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal
- Helps with recovery from a hangover and burns fat
- Reduces risk of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, reduces risk of stroke, improves cholesterol, and prevents clogging of the arteries
- Counteracts oxidative stress on the brain

Herbal Tea –
- Made with various herbs, fruits, seeds, or roots that have been steeped in hot water
- Are lower in antioxidants than green and black teas
- Some types of herbal teas include, ginger, hibiscus, jasmine, rosehip, mint, chamomile, and Echinacea
- Research shows that herbal teas prevent and heal colds, bring restful sleep, lowers blood pressure, and helps with weight loss
- Chamomile tea prevents complications from diabetes, such as loss of vision, nerve, and kidney damage, and prevents the growth of cancer cells
- Echinacea tea fights off the common cold
- Hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure

Tea is best when consumed as a hot beverage and should be brewed for at least 3 to 5 minutes. Milk, lemon, and organic sugar may be added to the tea for taste. Various teas, especially herbal teas, give off therapeutic aromas. Here is a quote for you to sum up the benefits of tea: “If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you” ~ Gladstone, 1865.

Enjoy tea time!

Varsha

In traditions around the world, ginger is used therapeutically. Most health professionals recognize the amazing healing qualities found in ginger. According to Ayurveda, ginger pacifies both kapha and vata, and it increases pitta. Ginger’s most impressive quality is how it helps digestion. It is an excellent spice for digestion and cleansing the body of ama (undigested food in the body). Ginger is excellent for constipation, the heart, cholesterol, coughs and colds, improves circulation, headaches, relieves distention, is a blood purifier and its great for respiratory conditions. Really, these are just some conditions in which ginger is good for. In reality, you can use ginger for just about any ailment.

The bigger question here is how do you use it. For coughs and colds, a remedy I use widely is green tea with fresh ginger and lemon. You will find some immediate relief and you will find that your recovery time has been reduced by at least half. Drink it about 3 to 4 times a day at minimum. If you find that you don’t like green tea, simply having hot water with ginger and lemon will also do the trick. Green tea is high and anti-oxidants and that is one reason why I like to add green tea to this home remedy.

To increase digestion, have a slice of fresh ginger before meals. Ginger will stimulate the digestion and is also good for those who have a loss of appetite. To prevent bloating, have a glass of hot water with ginger during meals. Another great way to ensure that you are able to digest your meal is to cook with ginger. Ginger adds spice and flavor to meals.

Ginger can also be used for chronic arthritis. Take about 10 grams of freshly grated ginger and boil it in about 1 liter of water. Sip this warm infusion only during the day. This same remedy can be used for vata type of pain.

Let me know if you have any questions, but ginger is excellent for just about everyone. However, never apply any sort of ginger pastes to skin lesions and rashes and do not use in cases of severe bleeding and high fevers.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

There are many benefits of Savasana, such as reduced blood pressure, reduces stress, brings clarity to the mind, reduces anger and frustration, and allows the mind and body to calm down and relax. At the end, you should lie in Savasana for at least five to ten minutes. Ten minutes would be ideal.

This is a guided meditation to bring the attention inward to release stress and tension throughout the body after a yoga class. Lie down in the corpse pose, which means the legs are apart and relaxed and palms are to the sides facing up. Ideally, a teacher would take you through this guided meditation.

Here is the meditation, step by step, waiting about 20-30 seconds in between each new instruction:

1. Take nice deep inhalations and exhalations to keep your attention within the body. With every inhalation, you will find yourself to be in the moment.
2. Relax your feet
3. Relax your legs
4. Relax your hips
5. Relax your abdomen
6. Relax your back
7. Relax your chest
8. Relax your arms
9. Relax your shoulders
10. Relax your neck
11. Relax your facial muscles by slightly opening your mouth
12. Continue to breathe.
13. If you feel any aches, pains, or discomfort, gently ask your mind to focus upon the discomfort to relax it away and continue to breathe. (Wait about one minute before continuing).
14. Bring your attention back to the present moment and focus upon the third eye, in between the eyebrows, and continue to breathe. (Stay here for the rest of the meditation, at least one minute and if time permits, several minutes).
15. Take your time, but when you are ready to get up, stretch, and slowly get back up.

With this meditation, you are now ready to jump back into your activity.

Happy Meditating!

Varsha

Those who already have a yoga practice, that’s great and keep up the fantastic work. For those who are thinking about it, starting new, or have made a resolution to be regular with your practice, now is the time to start one. To begin a yoga practice at home requires self-dedication and commitment.

After having a busy day at work, the last thing anyone wants to do is get back up and stretch the body. The way to commit to practicing yoga daily is to make it a part of your routine. Yoga should become just as important as brushing your teeth. The simplest way to begin a home yoga practice is to begin with doing Suryanamaskar, or Sun Salutations. Sun Salutations are a series of postures that are designed to increase flexibility, tone, and strengthen the muscles. Start by doing at least one set a day and then each day, gradually build up the number of repetitions to about 5 or 10. To begin with, go at a comfortable pace, not too fast and not too slow.

Here is a Youtube video that lays out the most basic set of Sun Salutations, which is demonstrated by Dashama Each teacher may vary the set slightly by adding other postures or variations, but here is the most basic and simple form. Sun Salutations is also a great way to warm up and prepare for any exercise routine.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

1) Experience. How many years of experience does the teacher have teaching yoga? Does the teacher have experience working with what you are looking for? For example, if you have Multiple Sclerosis, does the teacher have experience working with MS patients?

2) Training. Where did the yoga teacher do his or her training? Who is their teacher? Are they certified by Yoga Alliance?

3) Practice. Does the teacher have his or her own practice? True yoga teachers will have their own practice outside of teaching. How often do they practice? What are their expectations from their students in regards to practicing outside of classes?

4) Personality. Is the teacher open? Does he or she speak loud enough? Are the instructions clear? Is the teacher approachable? Is he or she taking the time to listen to and meet your individual needs?

5) Ask for Recommendations. The best way to understand the teacher and their style is to ask their students for recommendations. Current, active students are the best source for a recommendation because they will tell you why they are taking the classes.

In order to enjoy and gain maximum benefit from a yoga practice, the style must resonate and so should the teacher. The student-teacher connection is very important for the experience and practice of yoga.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

Many of you have heard of “The Secret.” There is a book and a movie, so whether you read it or watch it, you will get the same message about the secret to life and happiness is using the law of attraction. So how does the law of attraction work? Its simple…all you have to do is think and believe. So when it comes to utilizing the law of attraction for your health, believe that you shall be well and you shall be well. Paramahansa Yogananda, who is an Indian Guru and the author of my all-time favorite book, “The Autobiography of a Yogi,” states, “I could show you that whatever your powerful mind believes very intensely would instantly come to pass.” That’s true. Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. Its like how when one thing goes wrong, everything goes wrong and when something goes right, everything goes right. As long as you focus on the positive, things will continue to go well.

The more positive outlook you have on life, you will be happier and are statistically known to have a healthier life. If you have a cold, focus on how great you will feel once you recover, rather than focusing on how terrible you are feeling and you will feel better sooner. Those who only focus on the illnesses they have tend to attract more and more sicknesses than those who focus upon their health in a positive light. Use the law of attraction to bring about radiant health. Use affirmations, such as “I am healthy and vibrant,” rather than, “I am sick.” Although there is a benefit in just saying it, there is a greater benefit when you believe that you are well rather than ill. They say, be careful with what you wish for, cause you never know, it just may come true. That my friend is the law of attraction. Use it wisely and really, the law of attraction is the secret to a happy, healthy life.

Health and happiness,

Varsha