Episode 48: Did Ayurveda Really Have The Answer?

Did Ayurveda Really Have The Answer?

Man has always had a quest to improve his health and life. Ayurveda is one of the prominent ancient systems of medicine that was developed in India. There were no clinical trials at that time, but a keen eye for observing various phenomena. Our guest for today will be sharing with us her interest in Ayurveda and how its principles have completely changed her life.

Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa, a board-certified physician and wears many other hats. She is also a yoga instructor, reiki master who has had a lifelong interest in mindful living as a basis for the long-term vitality of mind, body, and spirit. She completed a residency in Internal Medicine at The Mayo Clinic in 2005 and is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Hospice/Palliative Medicine. She studied the ayurvedic system of medicine thoroughly, after completing her training in allopathic medicine giving her a deep understanding of the same. Dr. Khalsa is currently supporting physicians who want to expand their personal understanding of the new ways of healing through an experiential process— utilizing techniques in Ayurveda, yoga, mindfulness, and plant-based nutrition.

Key Takeaways:

Tune in to this podcast episode with me and Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa and learn:

• What is Ayurveda all about
• What led Dr. Khalsa’s interest in Ayurveda
• How she came to fully embrace the world of Ayurveda
• How conventional medicine differs from the Ayurvedic system in terms of treating diseases
• Some healthy eating practices that Ayurveda advocates
• Practical ways to apply the principles of Ayurveda at home

Healthy Eating Practices that Ayurveda Advocates:

1. Stop eating before you’re full.
   •  It takes time for your hormones to actually start giving you a signal that you’re full.
2. Use invigorating spices in between the meal to help promote digestion.
   • Make teas like ginger, phenol, cumin. They promote digestive capacity, which will then lead to having more intuition and connection to choices that would align with our impulses.
3. Ideally, put your primary/larger meal between 10 am to 2 pm.
   • Ayurveda says, “Digestion mimics the movement of the sun.”
   • Do not have larger meals later in the night.

Practical Habits People Can Start Doing at Home Applying the Principles of Ayurveda:

1. Start a journal.
   Look at three factors in journaling:
   • Regularity of bowel movements
   • Energy level after eating, and several hours after eating
   • Emotional state after eating
2. Be mindful when you’re eating. (Check out Episode 22 on Mindful Eating)
   • Eat with your non-dominant hand.
   • Learn a mindfulness technique.
3. Have smaller meals in the evening.

Three Ancient Ayurvedic Textbooks:

1. Charaka Samhita – “Health and disease cannot be predetermined and human life can be prolonged or increased by paying attention to lifestyle.”
2. Sushruta Samhita
3. Astanga Hridaya

Quotes:

Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa

“We learn to go beyond just black and white thinking in mindfulness or in meditation or in yoga traditions.”

“Humankind has been trying to figure out how to digest food from the get-go. I think that a lot of these principles may seem like common sense… I think some of our common sense has been clouded by modern marketing.”

“The beautiful thing about Ayurveda is that many elements in it are quite straightforward.”

“Health and disease cannot be pre-determined and human life can be prolonged or increased by paying attention to lifestyle.”

Dr. Avishkar Sabharwal

“I think the right way in science is to be open to all ideas and to test them. That’s the original way of science, and not dismiss ideas.”

“I think that neither allopathic medicine nor Ayurvedic medicine is the final answer. I think that it’s probably the combination of the two— in terms of the principles.” 

Links:

Decoding Obesity (Mindful Eating episode)

Dr. Siri Chand Khalsa:  Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn

Ayurveda for Physicians Course

Thank you for listening to another episode of Decoding Obesity!