healthbriefs
Ayurvedic Tip for Cultivating Harmony
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yurveda, the science of life, offers a prescription for living a life in harmony. According to Swami Krishnananda in his commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad, we are here to live a life of harmony through intimate knowledge of ourselves, one another, the Earth and her elements. The simple act of planting specific plants in and around our homes, offices or schools may help us balance competing energies to achieve balance. An overly passionate and unsettled mind is rajasic; a dull mind, incapable of empathy, is tamasic. We see evidence of these imbalanced states in acts of violence that reflect terrible passionate action coupled with a disquieting lack of empathy. The antidote to rajas and tamas is the cultivation of sattva, or purity. Sattva is goodness manifesting as intelligence, virtue and joy. When the mind is in a sattvic state, it is at peace. In Ayurveda, Tulsi (occimum sanctum) is known as the “Queen of the Herbs” for its sattvic properties. Prashanti de Jagar, founder of Organic India, instructs that Tulsi can be easily grown indoors or out and that “even the ground beneath Tulsi is sacred.” Use Tulsi as an ornamental annual near the entrance of your home, school or office to infuse the air with uplifting fragrance, purify the environment and calm our minds. According to the Dalai Lama, “With our thoughts we make our world. Our mind is central and precedes our deeds. Speak or act with a pure mind and happiness will follow you like a shadow that never leaves.” Heather Baines, Ayurved Vaidya Visharad, ERYT practices Ayurveda in Boulder. She can be reached at ayurvedawellness@outlook.com or meet her at the Vasant Lad Weekend. See ad page 21.
Supplements Could Save $70 Billion in Medical Costs
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n a Frost & Sullivan study report authored by Christopher Shanahan and Robert de Lorimier, Ph.D., the use of dietary supplements, including B vitamins, phytosterols and dietary fiber, could reduce the cost of treating coronary artery disease in the U.S. by nearly $50 billion over the next seven years. In addition, healthcare costs related to diabetes, vision problems and osteoporosis could be reduced by nearly $20 billion collectively with the use of certain supplements. The projections were based on cost-benefit analysis comparing a series of scenarios to assess the effect on overall disease management costs if an identified high-risk population were to avoid costly medical events by increasing their intake of dietary supplements purchased out-ofpocket versus no supplement usage. “The healthcare system spends a tremendous amount of money treating chronic disease, but has failed to focus on ways to reduce those costs through prevention,” says Steve Mister, president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 3 percent of U.S. healthcare costs are spent on the prevention of chronic diseases.
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Denver/Boulder Mile High Edition
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Orange Oil Calms Kids in Dental Chairs
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or centuries, aromatherapy using orange oil has been heralded in traditional herbalism for its ability to alleviate anxiety. Research published in the journal Advanced Biomedical Research now finds that aromatherapy using the same ingredient can significantly reduce a child’s anxiety at the dentist’s office. The study, conducted at Iran’s Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and published in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Biomedical Research, tested 10 boys and 20 girls between 6 and 9 years old. In this crossover design study, participants were assigned randomly into two groups. Half the children were treated with water instead of any essential oil (control) initially and received orange aroma in the second session (intervention). Another 15 children received treatment under orange aroma in the first encounter (intervention) and were treated without any aroma the second time (control). When the children were given orange oil aromatherapy, they experienced significantly reduced heart rates and lower salivary cortisol levels compared with those not receiving it. The results corroborate findings from a 2000 study from the University of Vienna, in Austria, published in Physiology and Behavior.