Navaneet~ Butter

#Ayurved_For_You

Navaneet

As a child I didn't know the famous meaning of Butter. For me Butter meant something else. And it was Bread and Rusk's cousin. Small round Bread dove baked to make it crunchy hard. Called butter in local language. (Still confused, how that name) Famously known as a companion of tea. I don't have tea, but used to have tea just to eat Butters. When I learnt that even Navaneet is called Butter, I was shocked.

So there are two Butters I know, Bread's cousin and Milk's Grandson.

This milks's grandson is a real gem(Only if not added and processed with salt). Unlike his father Curd, he has many good qualities like his Grandfather, as he goes through hard training and workout.
It increases physical strength, gives good skin, brings unctuousness, improves appetite and digestion, reduces heat, reduces Vaata, increases stamina, and good in many diseases.
(The qualities of Navaneet told by Ayurved are of unsalted butter.)

On the other hand, Bread's cousin is exactly opposit (But exactly similar to his cousins). Causes dryness, reduces appetite, harms digestion, increases Vaata, reduces strength, and may cause many diseases.

If you want to have butter, have Milk's Grandson.
And yes, not packed one, have butter made by yourself. Get Milk; make curds out of it; Churn it; and you will get Navaneet.
So have this butter(Navaneet)
Because butter is better than butter.

©Vaidya Amit Pal


31st May 2016
11:52:05 am

Ghruta~ Ghee

#Ayurved_For_You

Ghruta

Did you know types of Ghee???
Ever since I remember, I knew only one type. Not according to the origins of milk, like Cow's ghee, Buffalo's ghee, Goat's ghee. What? goat's ghee? What sort of man on earth would be preparing that? Yea, there are men (& women also) who prepare it. Even today Shepards in Maharashtra prepare such ghee, about which we will discuss some other time.

So, there are two different types of Ghruta i.e. Ghee. And guess what, the difference is according to the method of preparation.
One is prepared from the Navaneet means Butter. And the other is prepared from Santanika means Cream of milk.

Milk is stored after heating which leads to collection of cream on the surface. This cream of milk is collected and processed by heating to get Ghruta. And the other type is made by doing same to the Butter.

So there are two Ghruta, Butter Ghruta and Cream Ghruta. Both are like Brothers from different mothers.

When made from Cream, it yields less Ghruta compared to that obtained from Butter. Because only cream is collected and rest of the milk is used. But this method is used widely, because even if Ghruta is prepared, the milk can be used. In Butter method, there remains no milk because you need to convert milk to Curds for getting Butter.

Ayurved says the Ghee made from Navaneet is better for digestion because of its property of utilising the fluid content of the food which is undergoing digestion. This property is specifically mentioned of the Ghee from Butter.

If you buy Ghee from local milkman, just enquire once about how he prepares Ghee. Because even if both are Ghee, there is difference due to difference in origin.

©Vd Amit Pal

3rd June 2016
09:06:43 am

Santanika~ Cream

#Ayurved_For_You

Santanika

I sometimes wonder, how could people eat Cream of milk directly?(Although I myself tell patients to have some meds with it) I tried a few times, or say plenty of times to eat it, but managed not to puke. The reason I drink Milk as fast as possible is this. You look at the TV and back to the cup and there it comes. And again where is this word used, to explain the Excellency??? Can you believe it? 'After hard training and scrutiny, we selected these excellent guys like Cream On Milk.??' I always used to object use of this phrase. I would say, 'Why don't they say after training and selection we got these like Ghee of Milk? Ghee is the ultimate product of milk isn't it?'

But as always, I didn't know Ayurved then. Cream on Milk didn't mean Excellency, it meant being Essence. The core extract of qualities of the whole thing in a small form is Cream. It has all the qualities and best qualities of the Milk, hence Cream.

You can culture the Cream like Milk, churn Cream to get Butter. Separate Butterfat & you get Buttermilk, process the Cream to get Ghee. You get everything from Cream what Milk can give.

Cream of milk is called Santanika. Ayurved says, Santanika pacifies Vaata, increases Strength, imparts moisture and unctuous ness, removes dryness and roughness, gives smooth and oily texture, increases vigor and improves taste.

What?? Improves taste?? I object Your Honor. I strongly object........!!!;''₹%@&&₹7#!¢$£°$=€^£

©Vaidya Amit Pal

6th June 2016
07:51:07 am

Afternoon nap

#Ayurved_For_You

Afternoon nap

This is enjoyed only by those who get a recess in their work, that too more than an hour. Most of them don't get. Those who get an hour of brake, take about half an hour to finish the Lunch Box. Then remains half an hour in hand. And now we need to sleep. Sleep means have a nap. That too only for 15 mins. 'Man, if I try to sleep takes 20mins to get sleep. And you are saying sleep for 15 mins in the brake???'

So we don't sleep. And the afternoon Hours in the office are so lethargic. Full of yawning and blurred vision. Sometimes they don't even understand where they were supposed to sign and where they signed. But what to do, working hours are so tight, we have to manage.

On the other hand, there exist a group of people who take 2 hours small nap in the afternoon after lunch. Now tell what to do?

Ayurved tells to have afternoon nap only in summer. Not in other seasons. Kids and Elderlies are exception for this. They can sleep in other season also. So try to take at least 15mins to just lie down or sit on a reclining chair. If you dont get sleep in such a short time, just lie down without any work and thoughts.

Sleeping in summer for hours is one extreme and not sleeping at all is other extreme. Try to take a mean and your health will be maintained.

©Vaidya Amit Pal

(You may be healthy, but there are others who may need it. Share with those, you think who are on either of the extreme sides)


28th May 2016
8:00:53am

Curds??????

#Ayurved_For_You

Curds??????

Parantha tastes wonderful with Curds. At home we have only sweet curd. The one which is sweet just like milk. Flowing like liquid.

But what we have with Parantha is really curd? When people have that white and a little sweet liquid made from milk, I really feel doubtful whether we know what curd really is.

When Milk is precessed it turns into Curds. And the sign to identify if the process is finished is the proper hardness. If it is not solid and hard means curds are not formed properly. So it should be thick and solid enough to stay in shape.

Another test is its taste. Curds are Sour in taste. Sweetness of milk gets converted to sourness in the conversion process. So sweetness of curds is representative of immature Dahi. If it stays for a little longer, it gets converted properly to become  matured Dahi.

Curds are curds only when it is solid and Sour.
So what we have saying Aahaha, Naturally sweet Curds, is not Curds. Ayurveda calls it Mandaka(मंदक), which is responsible for Prakopa of all Dosha.

©Vd. Amit Pal.


4th April 2016
12:13:34pm

Dronacharya- Good or Bad

#ScienceOfGods

Dronacharya

He used my statue and learnt Archery. Means I am his guru. So he must pay his Fees. What should I ask for? Shall I ask for his thumb???

Asking Ekalavya to give his thumb will make him weak and unable to do Archery properly. Which will make easy way for his beloved Disciple Arjuna to prove his excellence and he will become the greatest Archer of all the time. That was the crucked moto of Dronacharya.

Since childhood you must have been hearing the same thing which makes Dronacharya's image as a Cunning Guru.

I don't believe this. Because there are always different dimensions for anything to see. Let's see this issue from a different angle.

In archery there are different patterns, right from holding the Bow till the release of the Arrow.

The most common method of drawing the bow string is Pinch Draw. End of the arrow is held between the thumb and index finger and the arrow is pulled to pull the Bow string. Here the grip is on the Arrow only. Most people use this grip naturally when they start shooting for the first time. The advantage of this draw is that the release is very clean. Famously known as Primary Draw.

In China, the same method is used with slight modification. Arrow is held with Thumb and Index finger, while Middle and Ring finger are used to pull the Bow string below arrow as addition. But in this technique the string becomes twisted while drawing and that affects the range. As the string doesn't remain straight, one has to normally use this grip with the arrow on the right side of the bow for a right-handed archer, and on the left side of the bow for a left-handed archer. Also, the Arrow needs support with the thumb to hold it on the bow which makes arrow unstable.

In Mongolia, they used the thumb only to grasp the string. The index and/or middle fingers close over the outside of the thumb to add to the grip. It causes easy release and allows longer draw length. But hurts the thumb.

Japanese also used similar technique. This draw tends to be very long compared to any other styles, pulling the string several inches past the archer's ear. But has the same problem; hurts the thumb and can't be used without specially made glove.

All these techniques are different according to person and country. One of the technique is where thumb is not used at all. This is accomplished by the index finger on the string above the arrow, and the middle and ring finger on the string below the arrow. Reason is to keep effort in the hand at a minimum. The only work the hand has to do is to keep the bow string on the fingers. Which is not in case of thumb method. When thumb is used, the Arrow has to be pulled along with Bow string, grip on arrow becomes loose. And this affects maximum effective range.

That's why, the better technique than all the others is the one with no thumb. This brings Arrow closer to the eye, facilitating point of aim. The arrow can be held on either side of the bow for release, which is not easy with other techniques. This technique doesn't give much strain to fingers and allows to hold the bow string for longer duration. That's why in the competitive archery like in Olympics, this method is used. Pulling out arrow from the quiver, setting on the bow and pulling the bow string takes least time with this technique, so it is considered the best one for Close Quarter Battle. That's why may it be John Rambo, Hawk Eye or Oliver Queen, everyone use this technique.

With the Primary Draw where Thumb and Index finger is used to hold the Arrow, the release is easy, but there are few problems. As the grip is on the Arrow only, grip becomes loose after a certain length. That reduces the Draw length. When the pull reaches a certain point, friction of fingers can no longer hold the arrow and it flies free. So this technique holds no good when one has to point at his target for long duration to aim.

Looking from distance, it is difficult to identify the Grip just by observing. In the forests when one has to aim at the target waiting for a long time, the primary thumb method doesn't hold good. Dronacharya must have noticed Ekalavya using thumb consistently and he couldn't loose the habit. And may be that's why he asked for his Thumb.

In school we were taught a story. A Handball team of Girls get the challenge to play Football with Boys team. The challenge is accepted, but while practice girls keep touching the Football with their hands, causing foul. Habit of playing Handball. Coach tried many things, but the habit stayed. Losing wasn't the issue, but somehow making repeated fouls in the game wasn't expected. So Coach tried another way. He have a coin in each hand of each player and told them not to drop it till the game ends. Girls don't win the game, but don't make foul either. The trick worked.

That tells one thing; taking thumb was to rectify the wrong technique to which Ekalavya was habitual to. Dronacharya was more than enough confident on the Greatness of Arjun's Archery skills. That's why if he just wanted to make Ekalavya weak, he could have asked for his Index and Middle finger, and made him unable to shoot arrow at all. Means no competition for Arjun. But he didn't do that.

I think you got the point of explaining all this.
Whatever Dronacharya did,
Wasn't for Greatness of Arjun,
But for excellence of Ekalavya.

©Vaidya Amit Pal.


31st Aug 2016
12:01:35 pm

What History teaches us

#ScienceOfGods

What History teaches us

In Mahabharata there were three great Archers. Arjuna, Karna and Ekalavya.

Ekalavya considered Dronacharya as his Guru without his knowledge, and had to loose the thumb.

Karna betrayed his Guru Shree Parashuraam and learnt from him, and had to forget it when needed.

But Arjuna learnt it right way, from the right Guru with respect without any mistake, so he became the greatest of all.

Something I realised from this.

If you want to get something, you need someone. That someone who is able and right person to give that something.

Dronacharya was such person who could give. To take the knowledge of Archery Ekalavya and Arjun selected Guru Drona. Ekalavya made a statue of Guru Drona and learnt by observing him. Arjun stayed with Dronacharya and learnt it in his observation.

Both became great Archers, but Ekalavya had to lose his Thumb. (Will see the actual reason behind it later)

This rule applies even today. If we have any health related needs, we search a correct person to seek advise and select one of them. After selecting the right person we meet him and get solution to our problem. May that be an advise or treatment. Instead of that, out of belief or faith in him if we just see him from distance, and listening to his words of wisdom like Ekalavya did, you may have to face something like Ekalavya did. Learnt the Archery, but lost the Thumb; similarly got rid of the illness and got a new Disease.

It is true that Ayurved is applicable to all, still the advises and treatments of Ayurved differ as the person differs. So take this medicine on this disease or that drug on that disease is not what Ayurved believes. And if anyone is giving Universal suggestions and you follow those, there wont be much time for you to loose your Thumb like Ekalavya. Always meet in person for a special treatment which Ayurved believes that every individual should get.

Karna learnt Archery from Guru Parashurama. But few facts which he told were not clear. Truth stayed hidden, and he had to pay for it. Means selected a right Physician for treatment, got his appointment and met him, but if didn't or couldn't give complete and true history and information, then the treatment may not be fruitful completely.

Means the topic doesn't end at selecting and meeting the Physician. Proper surrender with complete and true information is must. After that only one can expect propet result.

So never forget these things while getting treatment. Heard from someone, listened on TV, read in Magazines doesn't make one elegible to treat himself. Stop if you are doing such things, so that you don't become Ekalavya. Meet your Vaidya at right time. And give complete history without any hesitation, so that you don't become Karna.

Both these things happened in correct way and by proper manner which made Arjun successful. In case of Health I pray to Bhagavan Dhanvantari, may you also be like Arjun.

©Vaidya Amit Pal

29 Aug 2016