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Simple tips for bowel movements in children and adults.

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  Recently a friend was telling about his 1 year son being constipated.  It reminded me of working at Children's Hospital as a student and the paste we used to make for constipated babies. It was a mox of prunes figs and raisins.  Also an Ayurvedic recipe my teacher taught me was soaking 4 prunes in 1/2 cup of water over night and blending it with a cup of fresh pineapple chunks and eating that in the afternoon as a snack. The digestive effects of the prunes and the enzymatic action of the pineapple seems to get things moving. Besides fiber, water and exercise being useful for good bowel movements we also need the bile produced by the liver and held in the gall bladder.  Bile is what causes "Peristalsis" of movement of food along the alimentary canal.  Cooked beets are beneficial for bile production and peristalsis. Also anything bitter like greens. A gentle massage of the belly  starting at the lower right hand side going up to the navel and across and down the left side

Spices to cook with that support our health

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  In the last few years the healing properties of turmeric have come front and center in the alternative healing circles and probably in the world of main stream medicine. As usual the nutraceutical companies have tried to find "The active ingredient" and encapsulate it and sell it in bottles. However the medicine of ancient India cannot be encapsuled in a bottle. It is the medicine that Hippocartes spoke of, saying: "Let food me your medicine and medicine be your food." That is why the food of India is always spiced. The spices add to the beneficial effects of the food and they also carry the medicine. I have the great fortune of studying with Vaidya (wise man) Rama Kant Mishra who carried forward the ancient medicinal wisdom from any generations back. He says his ancestors carried Frankincense and Myrrh to the Christ Child. Be that as it may there is no question that he carries a deep wisdom about spices and herbs and food as medicine. Here is a 8 minute video of

To Drink or Not to Drink Milk

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  To drink Milk or Not to drink milk? ......That is the question. Milk is considered a nectar in Ayurveda.   It is the loving fluid coming form the mother’s blood carrying immunity and nourishment to the offspring   - whether cow, goat or human or whatever.   When we drink milk within 24-48 hours it nourishes all our deepest tissues. All other food that takes 30 days to reach the deepest levels of our physiology. In other words, to make Ojas or all the neurotransmitter and hormones that are essential for intelligent communication and transformation of all tissues, takes 30 days.   Yes, you heard me. What you eat today is not fully assimilated for about 1 month, whereas milk is assimilated within 2 days.   That is why it is considered a nectar. However there are certain rules around drinking milk.   Firstly the source must be of good quality.   The cows have to be well treated. The individuals caring for the animal but treat it with kindness and respect.   They do not take the baby calf

Good bowel movements

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 Constipation is problem that needs to be addressed for our own comfort and also our long term health. Vaidya Mishra told a story about asking his father for help in understanding the complexities of health and disease. His father's answer was, "Oh, don't worry, just address the colon and everything else will fall into place." The colon is the seat of Vata dosha.  So anything that balances Vata will help the colon like: regular routine, going to bed before 10 PM, never skipping or delaying meals, never rushing, eating meals that are warm and cooked and moist. Here is a link to a video about Vata pacifying diets.  https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/vata-pacifying-diet/ When you think about how food moves down the alimentary canal and finally to the colon and out through the rectum, its quite an amazing journey.  All the nutrients need to be extracted and toxins removed and finally the colon picks up things back into the body and

High doses of D deplete Magnesium

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 I have been recommending Magnesium for years. At first orally until I found out it irritates the lining of the intestinal tract and causes all kinds of problems.  Then I found out that the preferred route of administration is through the skin, transdermal application with lotions, creams or in the bath.  And also there is a difference in the type of Mg salt you use. Magnesium sulphate, otherwise known as EPSOM SALTS is excreted rapidly and it benefits are short lived. It has to be metabolized to Magnesium chloride which is better assimilated and penetrates to appropriate sites. Therefore Magnesium chloride is the best way to administer Mg.   But today as doing more research on Magnesium I came across a shocking bit of information. HIGH DOSES OF VITAMIN D DEPLETE MAGNESIUM. I was shocked and immediately became hyper-alert, because everyone is recommending high doses of Vitamin D for prevention and treatment of COVID.  It is well documented that pharmaceuticals deplete Magnesium and now

Mullein

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I got a great recipe from an old herbal, that I have used for years to make Mullein syrup,  You take the whole mature plant in its second year: roots leaves stem and flowers and put it into your largest pot. Cover it with spring water and bring to a boil and simmer for 4-6 hours on low.  Strain and simmer until it is down to 1/2 volume. Then add either vegetable glycerin or honey in equal amount and store in fridge. Take 1 tablespoonful 2-3 times a day in warm water or wash it down with warm water. See previous entry about its benefits and how it has helped people in amazing ways.

Linden flowers

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  In June When the Linden Tree Blooms In June when the linden tree blooms the blossoms drip with honey. The dripping honey sticks to everything even the breeze that sings so sweetly. The need to be touched drips from everything. It is one of the paths to love, one of the paths to a life in bloom. To take this path, know that everything is touching you with blessings, blessings dripping with honey. Barry hunt poet How beautiful.... Linden. When I lived in Penticton they had Linden trees growing in the graveyard which had a view of the lake. We used to go and pick the little Linden flowers that have the helicopter leaves. You can dry them and keep them for a couple of years. They make a wonderful tea that is calming and soothing. My mother taught me that it has been used traditionally for bathing distressed babies. If you goggle "Benefits of Linden" you will find it is calming and mimics GABA (gabaaminobutyricacid) which inhibits excitability in the human nervous system. You c