Healthy Living Club

According to The American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States and other industrialized nations. A growing number of developing countries are also suffering from this killer disease. Therefore, it’s impossible to overstate the clearly pressing clinical and economic significance of CVD. It leads to premature death, loss of employment, income, and quality of life. Fortunately, advances in technology have often provided a lifeline to those stricken with cardiovascular disease.

But amidst all the modern technology lies an ancient approach to combating this deadly disorder as well as complications caused by living overweight. It’s non-invasive, inexpensive, and suitable for practically anyone. This ancient, time-tested method is now more popular than ever – approximately 15 million people in the USA alone practice it. What is it?

Yoga.

Yoga and Cardiovascular Disease

Kim E. Innes, MSPH, PhD from the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies conducted a systematic review  of published literature regarding the effects of yoga on specific anthropometric (body measurement) and physiologic indices of cardiovascular disease. This comprehensive study underscored the need for effective primary prevention efforts targeted at common risk factors.

Among these risk factors are those associated with the insulin resistance syndrome or IRS. IRS, also referred to as the metabolic syndrome, is a combination of metabolic disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Prominent features of IRS include insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidemia (lipid abnormalities), glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, and visceral adiposity, or common “belly fat”.

In addition to metabolic disorders, there are psychosocial factors that play a huge role in the development of both IRS and CVD. Most everyone has had experience with a “Type A” personality – those with character traits that lead to a high stress response to their environment. Generally speaking, psychosocial factors are those that affect a person both socially and psychologically. And there is a strong correlation between these factors and CVD.

It’s because of these facts that mind-body therapies such as yoga may have considerable potential with regards to the prevention and treatment of CVD. Yoga is an ancient mind-body discipline that has been used extensively in India for the management of chronic insulin resistant conditions. So the question is why shouldn’t yoga have equally positive results in the U.S. as well?

As it turns out, it does.

Yoga originated in India over 4000 years ago. In recent decades the practice of yoga has enjoyed rising popularity in Western industrialized countries. The most widely practiced forms are Hatha (or forceful) yoga, Raja (or classical) yoga, and Mantra yoga. Mantra yoga emphasizes the use of specific sounds or chants with the purpose of bringing about mental and spiritual transformation.

Both Hatha and Raja yoga emphasize specific postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), concentration, and meditation. In the Western world, Hatha yoga is the most commonly practiced.

The advantages of yoga run broad and deep. In the United States specifically, yoga is practiced to alleviate stress, improve health, and increase fitness. What makes it so attractive is the fact that yoga is economical, has no significant side effects, yet the lifestyle benefits are substantial. It’s safe, easy to learn and even the elderly or disabled can practice yoga.

But most importantly, there is growing evidence that suggests that yoga may reduce IRS related risk factors for CVD and may actually improve the prognosis of those suffering from cardiovascular disease. However, systematic review to support this evidence has been lacking.

But that’s all changed now. The study conducted by Innes critically reviews the published scientific literature regarding the effects of yoga on IRS-related indices of CVD risks. This article explains the methodology employed in the review, the substantial results, and the eye-opening conclusion.

Methodology

The first step was a systematic examination of the mounting evidence. A thorough research of published medical literature was conducted, focusing on English language articles published after 1970 and original studies specifically evaluating the effects of yoga on cardiovascular disease. These original studies reported outcome data and evaluated the effects of yoga intervention on the following:

1.Measures of insulin resistance
2.Lipid profiles
3.Weight loss and composition
4.Blood pressure and oxidative stress
5.Markers of sympathetic activation and cardiovagal function

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included if they met specific criteria. An RCT is a type of scientific experiment that involves the random allocation of different treatments to subjects.

Observed Effects of Yoga on Core Indices of the IRS

70 eligible studies were revealed with a majority (63%) of the identified studies published between 1990 and 2004.

51 published studies investigated the potential influence of yoga on insulin resistance, lipid profiles, weight loss and composition, and blood pressure. A detailed discussion of each follows.

Markers of Insulin Resistance

13 studies evaluated the effects of yoga on markers of insulin resistance. Insulin normally enables cells to take up and utilize the blood glucose from the blood stream. Insulin resistance, however, is a condition in which cells display “resistance” to insulin by failing to take up and utilize glucose for energy and metabolism.

• Most studies showed a significant improvement in insulin resistance following the practice of yoga. In these cases, yoga was practiced anywhere from 40 days to 12 months and incorporated yoga asanas, or positions.
   
• 7 of the 8 uncontrolled studies of healthy young adults, patients with type 2 diabetes, or hypertensions reported significant improvement.
   
• Controlled studies of healthy young adults reported reductions in fasting glucose.
   
• In a small RCT of diabetic British adults, a decline in both fasting glucose and glycohemoglobin was noted. Glycohemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that is formed when hemoglobin is exposed to high levels of glucose – a condition common in diabetic patients.

Overall, yoga practice was associated with 5.4% to 33.4% reduction in fasting glucose, 24.5% to 27.0% reductions in postprandial (after a meal) glucose, and 13.3% to 27.3 % reduction in glycohemoglobin.

Drop in on a yoga class anywhere in America, and chances are good that you’ll hear a melody wafting from a nearby boom box or stereo. Be it Sanskrit mantras, soft synthesizer textures, or even contemporary indie hits, music is often an integral part of yoga instruction in the West.

But Krishnamacharya, the father of modern yoga and teacher of B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, and T.K.V. Desikachar, did not hold trance dances for his students. “Even 15 years ago in the United States, you didn’t hear music in yoga class,” says Sharon Gannon, the cofounder of Jivamukti Yoga Center in Manhattan. Gannon and her partner, David Life, played a pioneering role in bringing music into the yoga studio. Musicians themselves (check out Neti-Neti by their group, Audio Letter), Gannon and Life helped foster the careers of Jai Uttal and Krishna Das, among others. They worked closely with musician Bill Laswell in creating his Asana series of albums and the Meta record label. Gannon says she and Life are merely applying bhakti yoga to asana practice, by introducing devotional chanting and live music in class.

“David and I studied yoga scriptures, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika in particular emphasizes music. It says the whole purpose behind hatha yoga is to purify the nadis (energy centers) so that you can hear the inner, primal sound current—the sound of Om. Listening to certain kinds of music can help you develop this capacity for hearing. And so the playing of music became part of the method of yoga that David and I teach.”

Aadil Palkhivala, a teacher who has practiced yoga since his childhood in India, thinks differently. For Purna Yoga—a method he synthesized from classically based traditions including Iyengar Yoga, Ayurveda, and the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and others—Palkhivala has chosen quiet. “There is a very big place for music in the world, but there is no place for music in yoga class,” he says.

“My teaching is designed to help the student find his or her own nature—the divinity within,” Palkhivala continues. “And that cannot be done while music is playing. Music becomes an impediment—a distraction. Many people need that distraction because they’re so caught up in their own minds. But I would ask, why are we so afraid of silence?”

Of course, silence is not what all yoga teachers are trying to avoid when they turn up the volume. “If you’re teaching yoga in a health club, music is a must,” says Beth Shaw, founder of YogaFit Training Systems Worldwide. “Music can help mask exterior sounds from weights, cardio machines, and people talking outside.”

Shaw has created several YogaFit CDs, compiling tracks by everyone from tribal trance dance innovators Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors to ambient electronic artists like The Essence and Solar Moon System. Most YogaFit CDs include tunes for warming up, working out, and cooling down so instructors don’t have to change CDs during class. Shaw says with CDs teachers can stop checking the clock: “When the music starts to slow, you know it’s time to cool down and do deep, relaxing stretches.”

Decisions about playing music are highly individualized. While it seems pretty certain that music during practice isn’t traditional, many contemporary teachers and students are trying to balance the classical wisdom of yoga with the realities of modern life. Fortunately, for those who do opt to play background tunes, there is an abundance of music recorded for yogis with Western ears.

Who said that Yoga is only for the body? Your face can also benefit from the practice with the latest discovery of Yoga enthusiasts: Yoga Facials.

A Yoga Facial is a great addition to the growing number of ways on how to look and feel younger naturally. It includes a series of face exercises based on Yoga tradition. A Yoga Facial can help tone, smoothen, and soothe the face. Some spas and Yoga institutions offer Yoga Facials but the good thing about this is that it can also be done at home.

You can start your Yoga Facials with palming, an exercise that involves rubbing the hands together briskly, to concentrate energy. Rub your palms together until they feel very warm then cup them over your closed eyes. Relax and feel as it relieves stress. Most people have at least a few tense muscles in their face and this exercise will help loosen and free them.

Another exercise is done by placing the index and middle fingers of both hands in the middle of your forehead. Then, rub your forehead by making small circles with your fingers. Move your fingers across your brow and to your temples.

Give importance to your eye socket and give it a massage. Take your index and middle fingers of both hands and place them on either side of your nose just below the bridge. Rub them up to the bridge and along your eyebrows.

These are only some of the Yoga Facials that you can do. You can also try gritting your teeth and opening your lips as wide as you can. Some spas also have a Yoga Facial that includes a lion pose, in which the mouth and eyes are opened as wide as possible while roaring and sticking the tongue out. In spas, they incorporate facial massages along with these exercises. Also, if you are really looking for more stress-relieving facial massage, opt for clay facial.

All of these facials relieve tension, improve circulation, and relax facial muscles. It will also help enhance the general condition of your skin in the long run. Include Yoga Facial in your regular Yoga session and you will surely have a healthy body from head to toe in no time.

Yoga has long been known as a great low impact exercise. Nowadays, many practitioners are also aware of the healing power of Yoga. Many doctors who explore alternative therapies even agree and recommend it as a treatment for various ailments.

Yoga has been shown to help relieve diseases such as chronic back pain, diabetes, stress, and fatigue. Apart from that, regular Yoga practice also helps develop and maintain the physical and emotional well being of a person.

In recent years, Yoga has been touted to provide relief for back pain sufferers. Since many asanas require bending and stretching, Yoga is ideal for building strength in the back muscles. It is also a great way to improve circulation in body areas that may otherwise never be stimulated.

With the help of a Yoga instructor, you can develop a program that best suits the needs of your physical condition. For instance, if you suffer from back pain, you can target the muscles in that area with specific asanas. The camel pose, cow pose, and locust pose have all been shown to help with back pain. Asthma patients can also benefit from the practice. Specifically, breathing exercises or pranayama can strengthen the lungs and increase the capacity.

People with terminal illnesses like cancer have also been shown to benefit from the healing powers of Yoga. Research suggests that cancer patients who are receiving treatment for cancer sleep better and are more relaxed. A recent Yoga Journal report also suggests that regular Yoga practice may help in reducing the risk of breast cancer among women. It helps regulate the production of hormones throughout the endocrine system and it also improves the immune system.

Yoga should be included in any holistic treatment program. Holistic medicine tells us that stress can be a major contributing factor in how our bodies prevent disease and heal themselves. Yoga has been proven to help reduce stress and detoxify the body.

Emotional well-being is an essential part of any recovery and Yoga can help with that as well. The practice has a calming effect on the body and if done properly, it can impact your state of mind and your ability to relax. Anyone diagnosed with a terminal illness or disease is destined to feel stress. Many doctors recommend Yoga not only to help relieve stress but also as a great way to exercise without overdoing it. It is a great low-impact exercise for people whose mobility is limited. Incorporating a regular program of Yoga into your treatment plan will help.

Even the slightest ailment can be helped relieved through the practice. If you have cramps in your leg, try a simple Yoga stretch to relax the muscles. Yoga stimulates muscle tissue, organs, and blood flow and many asanas can be modified so that they can be performed in a wide variety of situations. Many practitioners report not only a healthier body, but a general sense of peace and well-being after doing Yoga.

Your yoga teacher says a little ghee will help loosen up tight hamstrings, and your Ayurvedic physician recommends ghee for a host of ailments ranging from poor digestion to memory loss. But what is this liquid gold and how does it differ from regular butter?

Ayurveda places ghee, or clarified butter, at the top of the oily foods list, as it has the healing benefits of butter without the impurities (saturated fat, milk solids). The Susruta Samhita, an Ayurvedic classic, claims ghee is beneficial for the whole body, and recommends it as the ultimate remedy for problems stemming from the pitta dosha, such as inflammation.

Long a favorite of yoga practitioners, ghee lubricates the connective tissues and promotes flexibility, says Dr. Vasant Lad, director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Traditionally, the preparation has been used to promote memory, intelligence, quantity and quality of semen, and to enhance digestion. Modern science tells us that ghee also harbors phenolic antioxidants, which bolster the immune system.

Even better than ghee is aged ghee—up to 100 years—which treats alcoholism, epilepsy, fever, and vaginal pain, according to Ayurvedic physician Robert Svoboda. Medicated ghee (ghrita in Sanskrit), meanwhile, combines clarified butter with healing herbs. Ghee’s benefits extend to topical use as well. Ayurvedic beauty expert Pratima Raichur suggests it as a massage base to calm sensitive pitta-type skin. The Indian Materia Medica, a widely respected source book for Ayurvedic remedies, recommends ghee, sometimes mixed with honey, as an application for wounds, inflammation, and blisters.

You’ll find ghee at the health food store, but it’s easy to make. Place 1 to 2 pounds of butter in a saucepan on low heat. Melt until white curds separate and sink to the bottom. When a drop of water flicked into the pan boils immediately, the ghee is done. Discarding the curds and store in a jar. If kept out of contact with water, ghee needs no refrigeration. Take 2 teaspoons per day as a supplement, or simply use ghee in your cooking. Just remember that ghee is fat, and only a certain amount of total fat is necessary in the diet. If you use ghee, reduce your total fat intake proportionately.

The practice of Yoga does not only focus on physical postures to improve the body, but deals with all the aspects of our being and our lives. C.E., Patanjali who is considered the father of Modern Yoga compiled 195 aphorisms which are called the Yoga Sutra. In the Yoga Sutra, he described the eight aspects of a Yogic Lifestyle and called it the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The limbs are practical guides to a person’s personal development to achieve the harmony of the mind, the body and the spirit which leads to Samadhi or enlightenment.

• Yamas
  Yama is your attitude towards others and the world around you. There are five Yamas:
  1. Ahimsa or non-violence. This Yama does not only mean not doing harm to others in thought and in deed, but also to practice acts of kindness to other creatures and to one’s own self.
  2. Satya or truthfulness. Satya is the Yama that is about living a truthful life without doing harm to others. To practice Satya, one must think before he speaks and consider the consequence of his action. If the truth could harm others, it might be better to keep silent.
  3. Asteya or non-stealing. This Yama is not only concerned about the non-stealing of material objects but also the stealing of other’s ideas and other forms of possession. Using power for selfish motives or telling someone else about confidential information you had been entrusted with is against Asteya.
  4. Bramacharya or non-lust. Bramacharya means to move toward the essential truth or to achieve self-control, abstinence or moderation especially regarding to sexual activity. It is about not giving in to our ego’s excessive desires or taking nothing in excess.
  5. Aparigraha or non-possessiveness. This Yama is about living a life free from greed or taking only what is necessary and do not take advantage of someone or of a situation. It is about using our powers correctly and appropriately and not exploiting others.
• Niyamas
  Niyama is how you treat yourself or your attitude towards yourself. The following are the five Niyamas:
  1. Sauca or cleanliness. This Niyama is concerned on both the outer and inner cleanliness. The practice of pranayamas, asanas and Yogic cleansing practices to detoxify and cleanse the physical body are necessary to achieve inner cleanliness. The mind must also be kept clean or pure. Outer cleanliness, on the other hand, means to keep an clean environment or surroundings.
  2. Santosha or contentment. Santosha is to practice humility, modesty and finding contentment with what you have and who you are.
  3. Tapas or austerity. This Niyama refers to keeping the body in good condition. Tapas is practiced through disciplining the body, speech and mind like eating only when hungry and maintaining a good posture.
  4. Svadhyaya or study of the sacred text and of one’s self. This involved studying one’s self, self-inquiry and self-examination and other things that can help you get to know yourself more. As your knowledge about yourself grows deeper, so is your connection to the higher power and your union with all things.
  5. Isvarapranidhama or living with an awareness of the Divine. This Niyama encourages us to let go of our false sense of control and to connect to the Divine or that which gives us the sense of wholeness and sacredness.
• Asanas or Physical Poses
  The Asanas are designed to free our mind and body from tension and stress. It relaxes, rejuvenates, and energizes the body and aims to bring the body and the mind into a harmonious union. Asanas should be done with comfort, ease, alertness and steadiness, achieving a balance between ease and effort.
• Pranayama or Breathing Exercises
  Pranayama is the control of breath. The breath is regulated and controlled through the practice of breathing exercises. The duration of inhalation, retention, and exhalation of breath is regulated with the aim of strengthening and cleansing the nervous system and increasing a person’s source of life energy. Pranayama practice also makes the mind calmer and more focused.
• Prathayara or Withdrawal of the Senses
  This occurs during meditation, pranayama or asana wherein you are so focused and immersed on your Yoga, Meditation or Breathing Pose that you become unaware of outside situations. Your focus becomes inward and you are no longer distracted by outside events.
• Dharana or Concentration
  Dharana is training the mind to focus without any distraction. To achieve this, you can focus your mind into an object at a time. This can also serve as a preparation for meditation.
• Dhyana or Meditation
  Meditation is the practice by which there is constant observation of the mind. It means focusing the mind on one point, stilling the mind in order to perceive the Self. It is an uninterrupted flow of concentration aimed to heighten one’s awareness and oneness with the universe. It is also an important tool to achieve mental clarity and Health.
• Samadhi or Enlightenment
  This is the ultimate goal of the Eight Limbs of Yoga. It is characterized by the state of ecstasy and the feeling that you and the universe are one. It is a state of peace and completion, awareness and compassion with detachment.

When you hear the word “depression”, probably the first thing that will come to your mind is sadness. And yes, you thought right. Depression is a state of sadness. However, it is not to be confused with major depression, which is a mental condition characterized by a severe state of sadness or melancholy that has reached the point of hindering a person from functioning well socially.

While simple depression (or a depressed mood) may only last for a short time and can be treated easily, major depression can last for a longer time and treatment can vary from person to person. Major depression is also more dangerous because not only does it disrupt your social functions, but it has more serious symptoms such as:

• Being fatigued physically and mentally
• Change in appetite
• Feeling of intense fear or melancholy
• Irritability
• Loss of interest in usual activities
• Changes in sleeping patterns (e.g. insomnia, excessive sleep, or loss of REM sleep)
• Trouble in decision-making or in concentrating
• Feelings of guilt, hopelessness, or helplessness
• Delusions or hallucinations
• Recurring thoughts of suicide or death

Aside from major depression, there are other categories of depression:

• Dysthymia – This is a long-term depression that lasts for at least two years. Its symptoms are the same — but not as intense — as those of major depression, although people who suffer from Dysthymia are also prone to major depression.
• Bipolar Disorder – This is characterized by mood swings that go from depression to mania (extremely elevated mood) and vice versa.
• Postpartum Depression – This is experienced by a woman some time in the first two years after giving birth as a result of physical, mental, and emotional fatigue. This type of depression must be treated immediately as it deters the mother from being with her newborn baby.
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – Also known as winter depression, a person who has SAD possesses normal health condition throughout the year but suffers from depression during winter.

Of course, like other mental disorders, depression should be consulted to medical professionals. They will give you proper medication and treatment with regards to your personal condition. As a supplement to the treatment, you can choose to practice Yoga while in the process of recuperation. Yoga will help reduce stress, create a peaceful state of mind, and promote a positive outlook on life, which is a great weapon for fighting depression.

We all suffer from anxiety from time to time. It’s a state of worrying or fear where the reason is often unknown. While mild anxiety is pretty much normal, it can be harmful in its higher levels. Severe anxiety can lead to conditions like nausea, difficulty in breathing, palpitations, fatigue, restlessness, and even head and chest pains. It will also put your body and mind in an extreme state of stress.

Some of the most common anxiety disorders are:

• Panic disorder or panic attack – It is a sudden instigation of fear and discomfort accompanied by sweating, trembling, breathing difficulties, and dizziness. Panic attacks usually don’t last for more than 30 minutes.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – This is mainly brought about by negative past experiences that make one feel helpless or fearful. One who suffers from PTSD may also suffer from insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks of a particular event, and depression.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) – This is characterized by a repetition of thoughts (obsession) for things that have to do with a certain fear, like the fear of getting robbed, fear of acquiring a disease or fear of hurting other people. OCD sufferers often perform different tasks — some of which may seem abnormal to other people — to relieve them of their particular fears.
• Phobia – This is a strong, unrelenting, and even irrational fear of people, objects, situations, and other things. A phobia’s main symptom is the excessive and unreasonable desire to avoid the thing associated with the said fear.
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) – This is typified by extreme and irrepressible worry about common daily things such as one’s job, family, and health, and even more trivial things such as exams, clean clothing, and being on time for certain appointments.

Generally, anxiety can be treated by psychotherapy and some anti-anxiety medication. However, the process of recuperation can also be aided by Yoga practice. It will help you develop a stronger state of mind, thus overcoming your fears and preventing the dangers of anxiety. In dealing with anxiety, you should consider:

• practicing Asanas to maintain a healthy nervous system,
• Pranayama to gain better self-awareness and acquire a more peaceful state of mind, and
• Meditation for a stronger concentration and focus of the mind that can eventually lead you away from your fears.

Nonetheless, remember not to rely solely on Yoga to help you conquer your anxiety. Always seek the help of medical or psychological experts, and use the practice only as a complement to the treatment that they give you.

Mental Health is a concept that refers to the psychological and emotional well-being of a person. Being mentally healthy generally means that you are able to use your emotional capabilities to function well in society and go through everyday life with little or no difficulty. Some factors that can affect your mental health are your family life, social life, and life at work. Having negative experiences in any of the said areas can deteriorate the condition of your mental health.

Mental illnesses, on the other hand, refer to health-related conditions where a person’s mood or thinking affects his ability to work well or relate to other people. These can be classified into six categories:

1. Mood Disorders – These are characterized by feeling of hopelessness, changes in eating pattern, troubled sleep, chronic fatigue, and even thoughts of suicide and death. There are two major types of Mood Disorders:
   • Depression – a state of extreme sadness or melancholy that affects a person’s social functions
   • Bipolar Disorder – a mood disorder where a person alternates between states of depression and mania (very elevated mood)

   These symptoms or states are usually temporary, lasting for about a maximum of two weeks. If you experience them for more than two weeks, see a doctor immediately.

2. Anxiety Disorders – These include abnormal anxiety, phobias, and panic disorders that come unpredictably and disrupt our normal daily routines. Anxiety disorders are developed over a period of time.
3. Schizophrenia – This is characterized by distortions in a person’s perception of reality. A person with Schizophrenia manifests disordered thinking and usually experiences hallucinations. Of all other Mental Illnesses, this is considered as the most serious.
4. Eating Disorders – These are conditions that involve an obsession with food which ultimately leads to negative effects towards a person’s social life and daily activities. Eating disorders are caused by a lot of different factors ranging from genetics to media exposure.
5. Personality Disorders – These are characterized by abnormal and destructive thoughts, behavior, and emotional responses. People who suffer from personality disorders have a tendency to struggle in dealing with other people, mainly because of the rigidity or narrow-mindedness it brings about.
6. Organic Brain Disorders – These are often the result of physical brain injury or brain damage due to accidents. People with organic brain disorder often suffer from confusion and memory loss.

In an effort to stay healthy, you probably take strides to keep organs such as the lungs and heart in top form, through practices like pranayama and meditation. But it might pay to set your sights lower.

“Some 80 percent of all degenerative, chronic diseases have their origin in inefficient digestion, assimilation, or metabolism,” says Dr. Rama Kant Mishra, an Indian-born Ayurvedic physician who is currently director of research and product development at Maharishi Ayur-Ved Products International in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “If we are unable to properly digest and assimilate the food we eat, the body will not receive the nourishment it needs to maintain and regenerate itself. Moreover, digestive dysfunction creates ama, a toxic byproduct, which can wreak havoc on normal bodily functioning if allowed to accumulate over time.”

To strengthen the digestive fires, Ayurvedic physicians traditionally recommend a potent herbal mixture called triphala. A combination of amalaki, haritaki, and bibhitaki, triphala strengthens the digestive process, provides nutrients, and pushes out toxins from the body. With a mild laxative effect, it enhances the health of the gastrointestinal tract by rejuvenating the membrane lining of the intestines and by stimulating bile production. Triphala improves liver function, helps purify the blood, and removes accumulated toxins. It is also high in vitamin C and linoleic oil.

Triphala also helps address a wide range of disorders, from irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, constipation, and diarrhea, to anemia, eye disease, skin disorders, yeast infections, and problems related to the female cycle. According to Dr. Mishra, most anyone can benefit from taking triphala, although it is contraindicated for pregnant women, people with chronic liver conditions, and for those taking blood-thinning drugs. In rare cases, if a lot of ama has accumulated in the body, nausea or a skin rash may develop when you first begin taking triphala as impurities are pushed out. If that happens, stop taking the herb and consult with an Ayurvedic doctor before taking it again.

Take the herb for about six months at a time, and then take a four-week break before continuing. If you take triphala in powder form, 1/2 teaspoon every evening before bedtime is recommended. If you take it in pill form, follow the recommendations on the bottle. Monitor your daily bowel movements. If they get too loose, it’s time to cut back on the dose.