http://www.yogiproducts.com/well-being/ Blog Section en yogiblogger@goldentemple.com Copyright 2010 2010-03-19T14:42:18+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/reader-qa-1/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/reader-qa-1/#When:14:42:18Z As more of you visit the blog I’ve gotten an increasing number of questions – which I love and am happy to answer! As more of you visit the blog I've gotten an increasing number of questions - which I love and am happy to answer! I sometimes reply directly in the comment thread where the question is posed but, for those of more general interest I thought I'd answer them here in a post. Here goes! Q: I have a very active metabolism and I tend to want to eat a lot before bed, I know this isn't usually encouraged. Are there any good foods to eat before bed that would be better for me and my sleep/dreams? Or do I need to stop that altogether? A: Well, this is actually a complicated question. Generally, natural healing systems frown on eating soon before bed so as to go to sleep with undigested food in your stomach. Ayurveda has a saying: "Eat no more when the clock strikes four." (Yikes! Done with dinner by 4:00 pm? No dessert?) The idea is to be finished with digesting any and all food before falling asleep. Since this digestion takes 2-4 hours, you don't have a lot of leeway. But... all rules were meant to be broken. If, like you, a person has a fast metabolism (pitta people), and the food slips out of the stomach sooner, you are graciously allowed to eat closer to bedtime. In fact, you are encouraged to, to keep your blood sugar and nutrient levels up and adequate in your blood. And vata people, who have insufficient digestive energy and tend toward low blood sugar, often do well with a before bed snack-something like a whole grain cookie and warm milk with cinnamon and clove, that will help stabilize the blood sugar during the night. Ultimately, the rules are just there to help you learn about yourself, and how to keep yourself balanced and healthy.. Feel free to adjust your program to make it fit your needs more closely. 2010-03-19T14:42:18+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/herbs-and-pregnancy/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/herbs-and-pregnancy/#When:18:15:07Z Why does it say not to drink if pregnant when yogi tea is organic? Q: Why does it say not to drink if pregnant when yogi tea is organic? A: Many of you have asked similar questions, so I guess it's a good time to dive into this question.You are right to ask about the organic style of the ingredients, but, actually, that's not the prominent issue in this case. Sure, when you're using herbs it's great if they're organic, and I encourage it.Generally, pregnant women can use almost any herb that anyone else can use. However, pregnancy is a special time, and it's better to be conservative. Yogi uses a very conservative standard in making pregnancy recommendations. All pregnancy descriptions come from the Botanical Safety Handbook, which is the gold standard for herb uses in food products. While women have been using herbs during pregnancy for ages, it's good to make sure you are very clear on what you are doing during this exceptional time. Qualified midwives have extra training in this area.There are a few categories of herbal actions that we want to avoid while pregnant. These include:• Uterine stimulants- cause uterus contractions• Potent detoxifiers- can cause the baby to releases waste substances• Laxatives- may unintentionally stimulate uterine contractions• Strong stimulants- not ideal for the baby's developing endocrine systemThese characteristics rule out many otherwise great Yogi teas.As an alternative, consider these Yogi teas:• Raspberry Leaf, Nursing Support and Mother To Be, from the Women's Teas• Classic India Spice• Rooibos Sweet Peach• For energy, you should do well with Chai Green 2010-03-18T18:15:07+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/weekly-qa-with-our-facebook-fans3/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/weekly-qa-with-our-facebook-fans3/#When:17:56:22Z Here’s my weekly round-up of answers to your questions posted on Facebook. Hibiscus flower Great questions, comments and recommendations this week! Here's my weekly round-up of answers to your questions posted on Facebook. @Amy- thanks for your service there in Iraq. Using healing herbs goes a long way toward staying healthy in stressful circumstances. @Estrellita- goji is a wonderful superfruit. It's packed with potent antioxidants and has been used as a stamina builder for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The new book, Superfruits, by Paul Gross, Ph.D., lists his pick for the top twenty healthiest fruits on Earth. Goji is number five. @Shaun- since you mentioned herbal tea for the skin, let me say a bit about Skin Detox Tea. From the point of view of natural healing, inflammatory skin diseases like adult acne are caused by excess waste material in the body, plus the body's inability to control inflammation. The development team and I put a lot of time and study into formulating this new tea using time honored herbs, and we tested it thoroughly to make sure we had it right. We used herbs like burdock and dandelion for gentle detoxification and others like rose and hibiscus to control inflammation. 2010-03-17T17:56:22+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/get-the-sleep-youve-been-dreaming-of/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/get-the-sleep-youve-been-dreaming-of/#When:23:48:04Z Sleep problems are a national epidemic, and bring misery to millions of us in the modern world. No need to stay up worrying over lost sleep, though. Sleep problems are a national epidemic, and bring misery to millions of us in the modern world. No need to stay up worrying over lost sleep, though. Even if restful sleep seems like a dream, Ayurveda can help. Deep sleep is what we need to rejuvenate, and most of that restorative deep sleep is experienced in the first 3 hours. After four-and-one-half hours in the sack, we alternately wake up and dream. Yogis say that all you need is one to three hours of sleep if you are, in fact, getting the restorative deep sleep. Most of us can learn to function well with six to seven-and-a half hours of sleep, if we train ourselves to get deep rest. Start with a few basics: go to bed and wake up at the same time each day (even on the weekends) and get regular exercise during the course of the day. Create an inviting sleep atmosphere (using your bedroom only for sleep and !@&*#); keep your room at a comfortable temperature (not too hot or too cold); and to do something relaxing, play soothing music, or meditate, before bed. The Huffington Post has a good overview of the yoga approach to sleep that recommends an ancient technique called Yoga Nidra (the Yogi's Sleep). The primary cause of insomnia is excessive thinking and sensory stimulation, which ultimately disrupt our inner clock. People who live out-of-doors find their rhythms closely entrained by the rising and setting of the sun. But most of us live cut off from the natural world. Sunrise and sunset mean nothing to us. Inside our offices and homes we are surrounded by artificial stimulation - lights, TVs, computers - all day long. To recover your slumber, start with basics. Get your life regulated. Establish times to wake up, go to sleep, eat, exercise, and enjoy quiet relaxation. Exercise, along with light, initiates the active cycle of the day, so it's pretty important. But no strenuous exercise after dinner. Most people do well with the conventional breakfast, lunch and dinner, but it's best to have a light, early dinner at least two hours before bedtime (no later than 8 p.m.) to reduce insomnia caused by digestive problems. Eat your main protein of the day at lunch, and avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, sugar, fried foods and strong spices. For many people, the best plan is to begin winding down after dinner. That means turning down the lights, the TV and the computer. Before bed is a good time for meditation. Of course, there are many types of herbal tea that can ease you into slumber. Have you tried any? Let me know how you have conquered the insomnia monster. 2010-03-14T23:48:04+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/8-embarrassing-sleep-habits/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/8-embarrassing-sleep-habits/#When:23:32:06Z We often think about sleep issues as being things like sleeping soundly or waking a few times to go to the bathroom, but what if our nightly rest also comes along with some other less sophisticated behavior. Don’t worry, these are all pretty common, and most are easily handled with natural methods. We often think about sleep issues as being things like sleeping soundly or waking a few times to go to the bathroom, but what if our nightly rest also comes along with some other less sophisticated behavior. Don't worry, these are all pretty common, and most are easily handled with natural methods. SnoringSnoring often improves with an astringent or anti-cough herb. Coltsfoot is a good choice. Brew the coltsfoot leaf and flower as a tea, and enjoy the brew in the evening before retiring. Increase the dose until your bedmate says you've conquered the sonic assault. TwitchingThis is often a magnesium deficiency. Take a magnesium supplement before bed. Start with 400 mg, and increase gradually until you sleep relaxed and easy. SleepwalkingUse a high dose of a calming herbal tea. Increase the dose as necessary. SleeptalkingJamaican dogwwod bark is virtually specific for this "mind won't stop" sleep issue. BedwettingSometimes adults even have a little dribbling. The famous Chinese herb, schisandra berry, helps hold fluids in the body where they belong, when they're supposed to be held in there. Use schisandra berry in capsules. Start with one capsule at bedtime and increase by one capsule per night until the problem is solved. Passing gasFennel is the most famous carminative herb in the world. Take fennel powder with dinner, or use an herbal tea containing fennel as a mealtime beverage. Thrashing around Kava often works for this condition. Take the kava as an herbal tea in the evening. Bump up the dose as needed. If you are having a conversation with yourself, that's another matter. Drooling Use schisandra berry here as it is used for bedwetting. Works just as well on this end of the body. Check out WebMD for another take on these sleep issues. 2010-03-14T23:32:06+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/arianna-huffington-challenges-you-to-sleep/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/arianna-huffington-challenges-you-to-sleep/#When:23:13:15Z The Huffington Post ran a sleep challenge this year. The idea was to commit to getting sound sleep every night for a month. The Huffington Post ran a sleep challenge this year. The idea was to commit to getting sound sleep every night for a month. (That's a minimum of seven and one-half hours per night.) According to the series of articles, women are much more sleep deprived than men. It's pretty enlightening reading. Overall, actually getting some sleep was a resounding success. One commentator raved that, for a change, she only fell asleep where she wanted to, instead of on planes, trains, automobiles, over romantic dinners or during family events. Arianna Huffington, herself a chronically sleep deprived workaholic, says she had more energy, and compared getting enough sleep to the good part of using steroids, without the side effects. By the way, Arianna Huffington spent the last official night of the sleep challenge staying up all night, getting no sleep at all. Hmmm... In the category of lessons learned, they were waking without an alarm, and decided that sleep was empowering, that nothing (no, not even caffeine) replaces regular deep sleep, you need time to wind down into sleep (there is no sleep on/off switch), the mind is sleep's worst enemy and that nothing beats a hot bath and a massage before bed. (We could have told them that.) 2010-03-14T23:13:15+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/weekly-qa-with-our-facebook-fans2/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/weekly-qa-with-our-facebook-fans2/#When:19:23:05Z Thanks for all your questions, comments and sharing of recommendations this week! Thanks for all your questions, comments and sharing of recommendations this week! Here's my weekly round-up of answers to your questions posted on Facebook. @Marissa- thanks for mentioning raspberry tea. Raspberry leaf is known by midwives throughout the Western world. It's even used in Chinese medicine. Raspberry leaf has long been associated with uterine health, especially because it has a tightening effect on the tissues, and is used to strengthen the uterus muscles. Millions of women drink raspberry leaf tea regularly to keep their female system in top shape. @Karen- thanks for the reminder to use two tea bags per cup to create a stronger brew. Not everybody thinks of that, but it's a great way to get more healing herbs in, without drinking more liquid. Especially in the of kava herbal tea that you mentioned, many people find that they get a much more relaxing experience if they double the dose, or even use more throughout the day. @Victoria- for pain relief and to cool out cramps, consider kava. This warming herb is very good for both. And like Karen recommended, if one tea bag isn't cutting it, try doubling up for a stronger effect. @Nisheel- Jai ho to you, too! Some of you might remember this affirmation from last year's smash hit, Slumdog Millionaire. It translates as "I celebrate", or "I salute my greatness". @ Sue- congrats on your choice to switch to tea for your energy. Many people find that green tea is a good energizer that doesn't jangle your nerves, and, of course, it's full of great health benefits. 2010-03-10T19:23:05+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/five-signs-you-are-sleep-deprived/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/five-signs-you-are-sleep-deprived/#When:17:51:17Z We’re a nation of tired people. Americans are getting less sleep each year, and it shows. More and more people are failing to live up to the performance they expect of themselves, because of lack of sound, restorative sleep. Are you one of them? We're a nation of tired people. Americans are getting less sleep each year, and it shows. More and more people are failing to live up to the performance they expect of themselves, because of lack of sound, restorative sleep. Are you one of them? Five signs you need to make some deposits in your sleep bank account 1. You have trouble making even simple decisions2. You're hungry all day3. You're sniffly all the time4. You're emotionally volatile5. You have become clumsy Most Americans run a chronic low level sleep debt. Sure, those little energy withdrawals from your sleep bank account won't stop you in your tracks, but they slowly wear you down. What you need is some good old fashioned shuteye. Think about how much better you'll feel and how much more productive you will actually be if you take on a little less and head to bed early for a few nights. WebMD has a good overview of these five signs of sleep deficit. 2010-03-10T17:51:17+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/how-the-doshas-disrupt-your-sleep-and-what-to-do-about-it/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/how-the-doshas-disrupt-your-sleep-and-what-to-do-about-it/#When:19:00:08Z We’ve talked about how balancing the doshas is critical for health, and that includes sleep. Understanding the doshas and how they influence your sleep is the first step to restful slumber. We've talked about how balancing the doshas is critical for health, and that includes sleep. Understanding the doshas and how they influence your sleep is the first step to restful slumber. Vata sleep symptoms• Body exhausted, mind won't stop• Cold hands and feet• Insomnia between 2:00 and 6:00 Pitta sleep symptoms• Intense mental activity• Heat• Heartburn• Insomnia between 10:00 and 2:00 Kapha sleep symptoms• Sleeps like a log, but trouble waking up• Mental dullness upon awakening• Wakes full of mucus Vanquishing Vata• Have a bedtime snack, to balance blood sugar (warm milk with sesame seeds is good)• Stay warm in a cozy bed, in a dark, clean, and uncluttered bedroom • Fall asleep when you are tired- don't stay up (Kapha dominates from 6:00 to 10:00, when it's easier to fall asleep) Vata Vanquishing Diet• Warm, cooked, moist, easy-to-digest foods such as asparagus soup, lentils and rice• Eat foods with the sweet, sour and salty tastes.• Minimize pungent, bitter and astringent foods, and raw salads• Watch the caffeine, even early in the day. Use a warming, relaxing herbal tea in the evening. Pacifying Pitta• Eat a large enough evening meal, so you don't feel hungry before bed• Before bed- enjoy a blender drink of milk, dates and cinnamon, or a cooling herbal tea • Keep the bedroom cool• Fall asleep before 10:00 P.M. (pitta aggravation time) Pitta Pacifying Diet• Use sweet, bitter and astringent foods • Avoid less sour, salty and pungent foods (especially chilies) • Sweet, juicy fruits• Cool temperature food Clobbering Kapha • Enjoy teas of basil, mint and clove• Gradually decrease coffee consumption. Green tea is a good substitute. Kapha Clobbering Diet• Spicy foods invigorate the body and energize digestion. • Eat cooked food, served hot. • Light, easily digestible foods such as soups, beans and spiced cooked vegetables• Eat bitter, astringent and pungent foods• Avoid desserts and heavy, cold sweets, such as ice cream, fried foods, leftovers, and aged foods 2010-03-09T19:00:08+00:00 http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/herbs-to-sleep-by/ http://www.yogiproducts.com/site/herbs-to-sleep-by/#When:18:54:23Z A phenomenal Ayurvedic herb, ashwaganda, is a top sleep remedy. A phenomenal Ayurvedic herb, ashwaganda, is a top sleep remedy. Ayurvedic herbalists use the herb to reestablish long-term sleep rhythms and create deep, rejuvenating rest. Rather than making you sleepy when you take the herb, this remedy seems to regulate sleep cycles over time, gradually helping you to create a balanced sleep routine. A typical dose of ashwaganda is about a gram per day, taken over long periods, up to many years, as a rejuvenator, but, since ashwaganda is very safe, larger quantities are often used in Ayurveda short term. In India, the herb is given with pungent, heating herbs (ginger, pepper, etc.) to increase its effects. 2010-03-09T18:54:23+00:00