Incorporating Ayurvedic Practices Into Daily Life

The Art of Living Retreat Center (NC), an Ayurvedic wellness retreat, provides some tips to incorporate ayurvedic practices into your daily routine. Ayurveda is an ancient science from India that focuses on a holistic diet and lifestyle practices to boost the immune system and prevent disease. The goal is to teach people how to attain optimal health and strengthen mind, body and spirit through a deeper understanding of themselves.

Ayurvedic Daily Routine -

Morning -

Rise Before the Sun (5 a.m.): Oxygen and earth energy is freshest and fairest, increases energy levels throughout the day.

Morning Hygiene Regime: Brush teeth and scrape tongue to purify the mouth, rinse face and eyes with cold water or rose water to keep eyes cool and refreshed and invigorate skin, apply nasal drops (3-5 drops of warm ghee nostril to lubricate, clean sinuses and improve voice, vision and mental clarity).

Drink a Glass of Warm Water: This helps eliminate toxins and impurities in the system.

Exercise (5:30 a.m.): Yoga, walking, biking, and swimming removes stagnation, strengthens digestive fire, reduces fat, and gives overall feeling of lightness and joy.

Meditation and Pranayama: Breathing exercises and 15 minutes of meditation set intention for the day.

Eat Breakfast (6:30 a.m.): Eat a filling breakfast comprised of wholesome, unrefined foods which minimize calories and maximizes nutrients. An example is coconut yogurt with chia seeds, strawberries, blueberries, cashews, and yacon syrup.

Get dressed and ready for the day.

Afternoon -

Work: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. are the most productive hours for work. Choose this time of day for problem-solving or completing any task that requires full attention and focus.

Eat Lunch: Eat lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. This is the main meal of the day so eat a hearty, healthy, nutritious meal consisting of fresh food. Try spinach and tofu stuffed sweet potato or a broccoli, dandelion, avocado salad with fresh cilantro and almond sauce.

Walk: Take a gentle walk after eating lunch to aid in digestion.

Evening -

Eat a Light Supper (5-6 p.m.): Soups, salads, grains, and vegetables are ideal. Try to avoid eating a heavy meal that is hard to digest before bed. Carrot ginger soup is a great option.

Walk: Walking aids in the proper digestion of food.

Practice Yogic Breathing and Meditation: This helps strengthen the body’s ability to fight diseases and keep calm during widespread fear and panic.

Oil Massage (Abhyanga): This slows down the aging process by removing dryness and stagnation from tissues and organs, promoting lymphatic flow, and nurturing the mind and body. It also helps induce sound sleep and keep skin soft.

Evening Self-Care: Warm bath/shower, dry brushing, brush teeth, scrape tongue, oil pulling, and a Neti Pot.

Drink Tea or Warm Milk: Drink warm milk with turmeric and black pepper, or warm tea before bed to helps bolster the immune system. Try a homemade Turmeric Spiced Chai.

Light reading, journaling, and Pranayama (yogic breathing).

Bedtime by 10 p.m.: Between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., the internal organs and systems are rejuvenating, healing and repairing.

Read more about Ayurvedic Dincharya - Ideal Daily Routine - 

https://ayurveda-foryou.com/clinical_ayurveda/dinacharya.html 

Zinc-rich foods to Boost your Immunity

 The intake of Zinc helps in fighting Covid-19 to some extent by inhibiting a certain enzyme.

In face of the ongoing Covid-19 people are trying every means to boost their immunity. But we often overlook or are not aware of the essential micronutrient Zinc. It acts as a shield to our immune system by activating 300 enzymes. The enzymes help in cell division, wound healing, synthesis of protein and DNA, and boost our immune system. The catch is that our body doesn't store this micronutrient and thus we have to consume it every day as per standard dietary intake criteria.

The intake of Zinc helps in fighting Covid-19 to some extent by inhibiting a certain enzyme. Its deficiency leads to weak immunity, lack of alertness, open skin pores and a weak sense of smell and taste.

Here are 5-Zinc-Rich Foods for Immunity. Take a look:

Shellfish -

Animal-based food has the highest amount of zinc. 1 oyster contains 50% of the recommended amount of zinc. They are low in calories and carry vitamin B12 and selenium to help with better immunity.

Meat -

Chicken, red meats, and eggs are an excellent source of Zinc, but since they are high in calories, the intake should be optimum.  The vitamin B12 and protein in them help in cell regeneration and keeps the nervous system function properly. 

Dark Chocolate -

The higher the amount of cocoa in the chocolate, the more it has zinc and flavanol in it.  It helps with regulating blood pressure, maintaining blood flow, and boosting immunity. Keep the intake at 28 grams of dark chocolate per day. 

Legumes -

The best source of zinc for vegetarians comes from eating different kinds of legumes. Legumes are a class of vegetables that includes beans(Ex.-Soyabin), peas (Ex.-Green peas), and lentils (Ex. Moog, Masur). They are packed with health-friendly nutrients like protein, vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus.

Pumpkin seeds and cashews - 

They can be eaten with oats, smoothies, or just a handful of seeds as a midday snack. Apart from zinc, they also contain iron, magnesium, copper, vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate. Eating them regularly can also help to manage your cholesterol and control your blood pressure level.