Ayurveda is about the wisdom of life. By knowing and understanding our own unique nature we can easily and naturally make lifestyle choices that are harmonious rather than in conflict with who we are. To better know and understand your individual constitution (or Dosha in Sanskrit), do the Dosha quiz here.

These suggestions are designed to help you make small modifications in your lifestyle that will add up quickly over time. Breaking down big health goals into smaller ones that are easier to “digest” and implement can be the key to lasting and significant change. We tend to want change fast, so we look for that magic bullet that is going to correct every imbalance overnight. What we need to remember is that imbalance was not created in our body/mind overnight, and it’s not going to be reversed or corrected overnight. But change can begin to happen immediately and being simple and realistic is important. Commit to one small change. A few days, a week, a month, even a year go by fast and before you know it the effects of small changes have added up to something wonderful & a life you can love. Give yourself a gift and commit the week to each simple suggestion and watch your health, energy, wellbeing and vitality soar.

Commit to Perfect Health instead of weight loss. Weight loss (or gain, if needed) will happen automatically as a byproduct rather than a goal in itself. As you feel better and better, notice how the suggestions build upon each other and that change and commitment to your health goals becomes effortless. It is from that inspired place inside of you that it is easier to create lasting change without the drudgery of doing something you really don’t want to do or feeling deprived from something you really like.

Tip #1 ~ Hot Lemon/Ginger Water

Did you know that drinking a hot cup of lemon-ginger water first thing in the morning is a great way to perpetually cleanse and detoxify the body on an ongoing basis? How many of us start the day with a big cup of coffee first thing in the morning? Do you think that a big hit of caffeine is just what your stomach and adrenal glands really desire first thing in the morning before you eat? Coffee stimulates the adrenals to produce more adrenaline (like in the fight/flight or stress response), and is a diuretic so it doesn’t really count as hydration. Do you find that you need even more coffee to keep you going during the day? Do the highs and lows leave you feeling jittery for a few hours and then subsequently exhausted? Sometimes coffee can contribute to anxiety and insomnia even when ingested in the morning. Being a coffee lover myself, I never thought I would be able to give it up, but what I have found is that when I start my day with this healthy and soothing drink, my desire for coffee literally diminishes and sometimes disappears.

Try it!

Recipe

1 c. boiling water

1 tsp fresh grated or sliced ginger*

¼ – ½ fresh squeezed lemon (or lime)

* or ½ tsp dry ginger if you don’t have fresh, but fresh is always better

Experiment with the amount of lemon & ginger and add a touch of honey or Stevia if you desire a little sweetness. Mix together & let the ingredients steep for a few minutes. Drink as hot as you can tolerate comfortably.

• Lemon is cleansing to the liver, stimulates digestive juices, is alkalizing to the body  and freshens breath.
• Ginger is the universal herb in Ayurvedic Medicine. It is cleansing and detoxifying to the body, enhances digestion, kindles the appetite & digestive fire, and increases the metabolism if you want to lose weight.
• Facilitates morning elimination in a very natural way.
• Gentle yet stimulating to the physiology.
• Provides energy.
• Hydrates the body after a night of fasting.
• When you have overindulged, (sugar, alcohol, caffeine, etc.) this is a great way to detoxify, hydrate, and clear any residual after effects gently and immediately.