Food supplements in Ayurveda
Some call them herbal pills, others spice powders, healing schnapps or medicines. No matter what name we want to assign to Ayurvedic products, one thing is certain: no health system in the world has a variety of herbal products and formulations comparable to Ayurveda. The science behind these products is called „Dravyagunavijnana“, which translates as the „science of substances and their properties“. The basis [...]
Headaches in Ayurveda: diagnosis and therapy
It throbs, it stings, it presses or simply hurts. Whether tension headaches, migraines or cluster headaches - many sufferers are at a loss, frustrated and feel that their quality of life is severely restricted. They don't want to take painkillers all the time, acupuncture doesn't help in the long term and the thought of the next injection or neurosurgical pain treatment puts them in a low mood [...].
Ayurvedic treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis
It has an exotic name, was discovered over 100 years ago by a Japanese pathologist and is one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism in adults: in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the body's own defence system produces antibodies against thyroid proteins for unknown reasons and causes chronic inflammation. More than 10% of the German population are affected, women about [...]
Turmeric in Ayurveda: the yellow gold
Curcuma has been used as a spice and medicinal plant in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for over 5000 years. Over 3,000 scientific studies prove that curcuma is one of the three most important medicinal plants on our planet with a dizzying array of possible uses. However, there are a few rules to follow in order to maximise the health benefits: Curcuma is not just curcumin, the spice powder [...]
Snacks in Ayurveda
How many meals a day are healthy? Many nutrition experts differ on this question. Ayurveda has a crystal clear position on this. The fact is: In Ayurveda, food is only considered beneficial if it a) has an optimal nutrient composition according to individual needs and b) is easily digestible. The seemingly „healthiest“ foods can harm us, [...]
Sweets in Ayurveda: Are sweet sins allowed during the Christmas season?
Every year, our resistance to sweet temptations is put to the test at Christmas markets, company parties and family gatherings. Gingerbread, biscuits, stollen and cinnamon stars are irresistible to many and are as much a part of winter as the barbecue is to summer - often followed by a guilty conscience about weight gain or the unnecessary health burden. How beneficial [...]
Ayurveda against acne: therapy tips
17-year-old Sophia has withdrawn over the last few months and no longer really enjoys life. She avoids contact with boys and doesn't go out of the house dressed bare-shouldered, even in the height of summer. After the dermatologist was unable to provide lasting help and Sophia was unable to tolerate heavy medication, her mother turned to my [...]
Examination methods in Ayurveda: 3. urine and stool diagnostics
When I ask my patients in detail about their daily defecation and urination during an initial consultation, it makes some of them blush. „I've never been asked about this in such detail before,“ they often say. Or „You're asking me something, I don't know - what's gone is gone...“. In Western cultures, people don't like to talk [...]
Ayurveda nap
Is taking a nap after lunch a good thing or not? Opinions are divided on this. Cardiologists and psychologists recommend a midday nap - according to an American-Greek study from 2007, it reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 37%. Among Ayurveda followers, daytime sleep and in particular sleep after lunch is considered [...]
Examination methods in Ayurveda: 2. tongue diagnosis
In addition to the pulse examination, the inspection of the tongue Jihva Pariksha is one of eight classic examination procedures in Ayurveda. The traditional compendium Ashtanga Samgraha Samhita already described signs of a tongue „spoilt“ by Vata, Pitta, Kapha and blood. Our tongue lies on the floor of the oral cavity and is a muscular organ belonging to the upper digestive tract. It [...]