Ah sugar, sugar, sugar! – SVA behind the Science You’ve just finished a delicious holiday meal prepared by your loving mother, you look around the festive table and soak in the pleasurable sight of your family. Bellies are full, the mood is celebratory, and then all of a sudden, a sweet tooth sets in. You feel a strong urge for something sweet! How come? Why, after a seemingly satisfying meal, do you crave sweets?

In a nutshell, a sugar craving is your body’s way of telling you that it needs to be “nurtured.” In Shaka Vansya Ayurveda (SVA) parlance, your body is asking for more Soma: the nurturing, grounding, calming aspect of Prana (the life force that animates our bodies). A lack of Soma (also identified as “cooling lunar vibrational energy”) in our environment, food, water, and body means that we lack the raw material to nurture ourselves, and produce Ojas. Ojas is the biochemical bi-product that results from proper digestion, metabolism and assimilation of our food and emotions. Ojas connects the subtle systems of our body, working on the neurotransmitter level. Soma is also the raw material for our kapha dosha, the stabilizing energy component in our physiology. When we have no or low Soma, we lack raw material to produce and maintain optimal levels of Kapha and Ojas, and we thus experience fatigued minds and bodies. This state of fatigue, in search of a boost, drives us to reach for something sweet...

In our modern lifestyles we regularly experience increased stress and rush, prolonged exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and electromagnetic fields (EMF), acidic diets, as well as a general increase of hot energy in our environment As a result, our vibrational flow and connection to nature are regularly interrupted and disrupted. When Prana is disturbed due to the above mentioned factors, then Soma gets depleted. SVA explains that our craving for sweets is primarily a craving for Soma; a signal from our body asking us to feed it vibrationally and physically pure and Soma-rich foods and thoughts. The sweet somagenic taste is essential for our physical, psychomotor, mental development... But Ayurveda has more to say about the importance of tastes for overall health.

As originally documented in the Charak Samhita, Ayurveda identifies six tastes or rasas by which we categorize our foods as well as the sensation that our tongue experiences; sweet (madhura), sour (amla), salty (lavana), bitter (tikta), pungent (katu), and astringent (kashaya). To maintain balance and feel satisfied, we should ideally have all six tastes in each of our meals. After we digest and assimilate our food, it is further transformed and creates a post-digestive (vipaka) effect on our bodies. The sweet taste claims a hierarchy in the list of tastes due to the fact that it has the highest nutritional value. In additional to nutritional value, Ayurveda also identifies other distinct properties for each taste. For example, the sweet taste is considered: cooling, heavy, and sustaining, and its post-digestive effect on our body brings softness and stability, while building tissues (dhatus), calming nerves, providing emotional contentment, healing wounds, and supporting overall mental and physical nourishment.

Remember though, sweet does not necessarily mean sugar or glucose, candy, cakes and the like. The sweet taste represents itself as simple and complex sugars that include foods such as, fruits (fructose), grains (rice, barley, wheat), beans and legumes, honey, milk (maltose), butter, ghee, and most vegetables. Nowadays, the term “sweet” is restrictively and most commonly associated with white and refined sugars, which are unnatural substances.

Refined sugars undergo an extensive process whereby sugar or sucrose is extracted from the natural plant material. The refining process includes bleaching and dying, boiling, washing, centrifuging, and filtering so that most if not all of the natural and nutritional elements are removed. In the end, refined sugars lack nutrients and minerals and are essentially empty calories. Refined sugars cannot be digested properly and therefore overload organs including the pancreas and the liver, among others. Due to the toll refined sugars take on the body’s digestive system, they also contribute to increased acidity, which feeds on the body’s minerals and nutrients. Pay special attention to packaging terms such as; raw sugar, pure sugar etc. These terms suggest wholesomeness, high quality and naturalness, yet the products these terms are describing are depleted of their life force and natural intelligence.

According to Shaka Vansya Ayurveda (SVA), when the natural intelligence of food is removed or tampered with, the Marut aspect of the Prana, life force, is also removed or tampered with. Marut plays an especially important role in circulating energy and intelligence throughout our body on both a physical and vibrational level maintaining physical, emotional and subtle balance.

Side Effects of Refined Sugar as Researched by Modern Science:

• Insulin resistance and a high glycemic index a

o Refined sugars are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream (ever heard of a sugar rush?) and therefore elevate blood glucose levels pushing the glycemic index up to a high level. The pancreas is put under pressure to produce more insulin to help return blood glucose levels back to normal. Because the pancreas is put under such constant pressure, insulin resistance may occur, where the hormone insulin becomes less effective at lowering blood sugars. As a result, weight gain, diabetes or heart disease may occur.

• Wrinkled, dull and sagging skin1 b

o Glycation or non-enzymatic glycosylation is a natural process whereby sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins. The newly formed molecules are referred to as advanced glycation end products (AGEs). The more sugar you eat, the more AGEs you develop, which damage surrounding proteins like collagen and elastin. Once damaged, collagen and elastin become dry and brittle, which leads to wrinkles and sagging.

• Depressed immune system2 c

o Refined sugars decrease the ability for white blood cells to fight infection, thus depressing the immune system. Refined sugar lacks minerals, vitamins and nutrients, so for it to be metabolized the sugar draws on your body’s micro-nutrient stores, which depletes them and affects your immune system.

These are just a few of the side effects that are being researched and documented. The list is long (weight gain, sugar addiction, tooth and gum decay, higher bad cholesterol, and lower good cholesterol and so

1 British Journal of Dermatology 2 American Diabetic Association and 1973 neutrophilic phagocytosis study out of Loma Linda University

on), and the research is vast. Simply type “side effects of refined sugar” into your internet search engine and you will be amazed at the reading material available.

What Causes Sugar Cravings? We discussed the connection between sugar and Soma earlier in the article, so now let’s relate sugar to our lives in contemporary terms. There are many factors that cause cravings, and the following are just to mention a few.

• We may crave sugar simply because of family traditions of having something sweet after a meal, which can often become a habit.

• We may simply be bored, or have an emotional need that needs fulfilling.

• Sugar addiction is another common cause, and since an addiction weakens the body, one feels better after ingesting the addictive substance.

• Seratonin (our “feel-good” hormone) may be low due to hormonal imbalances, and/or poor digestion and sugar can provide a much needed boost of serotonin. Sugar may increase the absorption of an amino acid called tryptophan, which your body uses to make serotonin.

• Adrenal (hormone glands) imbalance often caused by stress, and insomnia or sleep deprivation. Due to exhaustion one may reach for refined sugar for a quick pick-me-up, which in turn exacerbates the problem.

Some follow the extreme habit of removing all sweet things from their diet as they think it’s not good for them. The problem with this is that the sugar cravings will often intensify. Sugar from nature is intended to nourish us, ground us, and make us feel good; nature did not intend for sugar to be refined and to become an unintelligent substance that ultimately will deplete our bodies.

The table below outlines common reasons that may cause sugar cravings, and provides the Shaka Vansya Ayurveda (SVA) solutions to counter the cravings.

Causes of Sugar Cravings SVA Solutions

Anxiety When our Sadhaka Pitta (function that processes emotions into intelligence) becomes high,our Prana Vata (regulates intelligence and the heart to function in sync) and it fans our Sadhaka Agni which further imbalances Prana Vata, resulting in acute Pitta imbalance

• Eat more sweet and juicy fruits such as pears • Apply transdermal Soma creams on the

Talahridaya marma • Women: Take SVA Soma Shakti tablets to

nourish yourself

Trauma When we are traumatized, our Sadhaka Pitta (processes emotions into intelligence) becomes high, our Sadhaka agni also rises, which means we need more soma to cool and pacify our Pitta.

• Increase intake of intelligent protein • Increase intake of sweet and juicy fruits • Apply Arjuna transdermal cream on the

Talhiridaya marma

Skipping or delaying meals When we skip or delay meals, our digestive fire / Pachak Agni burns the soma of our Kledhaka Kapha (moistens food for better digestion). Therefore the demand for Soma increases in order to replenish Kledhaka Kapha.

• Avoid skipping or delaying meals • Start each morning with protein; eggs or paneer

with spices e.g. Mom’s masala, a tridoshic blend of 21 fresh spices

• Munch on healthy snacks throughout the day when hungry, such as soaked nuts and seeds (sunflower seeds, dates, raisons, almonds, pinenuts)

Late bedtime The ideal bedtime is before 10 PM so as to avoid pitta time (10 PM – 2 AM). If you go to bed during pitta time (a period of activity and transformation), your body will burn more soma, therefore the demand for soma increases.

• Go to bed well before 10 PM • Prepare a warm milk drink, pitted date shake or

warm milk with grated nutmeg • Try SVA Soma-Cal capsules to promote sleep • Try SVA Soma Nidra tea to encourage sleep • Use SVA Pro-Sleep Plus Transdermal Cream on

the lower back

Too little protein in the diet Intelligent protein (see SVA Green Protein and paneer recipes) is a combination of Soma and Agni, and when your body is not fed enough intelligent protein, the demand for Soma rises creating all sorts of cravings.

• Increase intelligent protein in the diet (see Green Protein and paneer recipes and YouTube demonstrations on the SVA Health Channel)

• Use SVA Wild Amla drops to increase protein synthesis

Too few sweet and juicy fruits in the diet Sweet and juicy fruits are nature’s packaged “sweet.” They are a good source of Soma and will nourish your body naturally.

• Increase the amount of sweet and juicy fruits in the diet

• Start the day with stewed apple and pear with cinnamon, cardamom and/or cloves

Too much spicy food in the diet Too many pungent tastes in the diet create more Agni , which processes Soma more rapidly

• Reduce pungent spices in diet • Increase intake of good protein • Increase intake of loki, bitter gourd, and summer

squashes

Too much bitter food in the diet Too many bitter tastes in the diet dry out Kapha and Ojas, and therefore dry out Soma, the raw material for both Kapha and Ojas.

• Reduce bitter foods in diet • Eat more intelligent proteins and sweet and

juicy fruits

Dehydrated A lack of liquid Soma in the body creates dehydration.

• Rehydrate by drinking intelligent water • Prepare rehydration drinks such as; rose nectar

water, rose tea, or a cardamom/clove drink, SVA Wild Amla nectar, sandalwood drink or herbal teas (see SVA Summer Protocol booklet for recipes)

After exercise After exercise, Marut and Agni are high and burn Kapha, Soma, therefore the demand for Soma increases.

• Use SVA Super Sport Transdermal cream on arms and legs and lower spine before exercise. This will ensure the body receives more Prana from the exercise regime.

• Rehydrate by drinking intelligent water and eating intelligent protein

• Self massage with SVA Vata oil

Pitta dosha body types People with a predominant Pitta Prakriti (body type/natal constitution) have naturally higher Agni, and always require more Soma to replenish body, mind, and senses.

• Drink intelligent water to stay hydrated • Prepare rehydration drinks such as; SVA Rose

nectar water, rose tea, or a cardamom/clove drink (see SVA Summer Protocol booklet for recipes)

• Use SVA Surya Shanti Cream whenever your skin is burning or when you are exposed to the sun

Postpartum and breastfeeding During labor pains and delivery, a mother looses energy and blood, which results in high Vata. Lactating mothers feed Soma to their babies through breast milk, which creates a natural demand for more Soma in the body.

Postpartum • Drink SVA Shroto-Shudhi Tea to release any

built-up toxins and open the channels • Cook with SVA Shroto-Shudhi Masala to open

up physical channels of the body • Massage with SVA Vata oil and swipe SVA

Super Sport Transdermal cream on the lower back, spine, arms, and legs

Breastfeeding • Increase intake of intelligent protein, sweet and

juicy fruits • Prepare 8 oz. of 50% milk, 50% water, a chunk

of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cardamom or sweet masala and drink

Old age and or premature aging Our bodies have a natural tendency to heal themselves, repair any physical damage incurred by old age or premature aging, and produce more Ojas. Vata and Pitta Doshas are high during old age and premature aging, and naturally require Soma to be replenished.

• Self massage with Rasayana (rejuvenating) Oil – pay special attention to the belly area

• Drink a yogurt lassi with lunch or prepare coconut probiotic yogurt

During cold and windy weather Cold and windy weather may block our channels and this disruption causes improper distribution of the Agni in our stomach and liver throughout our body. Agni rises and the demand for Soma increases.

• Increase intake of intelligent protein • Self massage with SVA Vata oil • Swipe arms and legs with SVA Super Sport

Transdermal cream • Use SVA Shroto-Shudhi Masala when cooking

warm and nourishing meals – this will open up your channels

During hot weather When the sun (the source of Agni) is closer, Soma is drained from the air, our bodies, and our food. Therefore, our diet contains less Soma, and our demand for it increases.

• Drink intelligent water to stay hydrated • Prepare rehydration drinks such as; SVA Rose

nectar water, rose tea, or a cardamom/clove drink, SVA Wild Amla nectar, sandalwood drink or herbal teas (see SVA Summer Protocol booklet for recipes)

• Use SVA Surya Shanti Cream whenever your skin is burning or when you are exposed to the sun

EMF / EMR When we are surrounded by too many electromagnetic fields, the EMF corrupts the Marut aspect of Prana, which is responsible for the intelligence of how much transformation of soma should take place. Therefore, our body creates more Marut, which dries Kapha, Soma and Ojas. An excess of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) pollutes the Agni aspect of Prana, which creates more Pitta and in turn burns Ojas and Kapha, creating more demand for Soma. We are surrounded by EMF and EMR vibrational pollution wherever we go. These toxins disturb and corrupt the Nadi-s (vibrational channels) that carry Prana in the body. (see SVA Ayurvedic Perspective on Electromagnetic Toxins booklet)

• Use plants in the household / office to help purify the air

• Walk under moonlight to help replenish Soma (lunar energy)

• Spend more time in nature – near water and large trees

• Take regular breaks from computer work • Breathe deeply and practice Pranayama

techniques

Top 5 SVA Common Solutions to Address Sugar Cravings:

These common and general solutions can be used along with the specific solutions outlined in the table above

1. Ensure your diet consists of enough intelligent protein such as paneer, sweet paneer and green protein. Adopt the following vegetables in your diet; karela or bitter gourd, fenugreek leaf, drumstick (moringa), which are excellent for supporting sugar metabolism.

2. For non-vegetarians, choose organic chicken as your protein. Cook with balancing spices including the ones in the SVA Mom’s Masala, Madhur Masala, and Shroto-Shudhi Masala, such as; turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, black pepper, cinnamon, kalunji, green cardamom, black cardamom, indian cardamom, nutmeg, all-spice, white pepper, pink pepper, mace, clove, and ginger.

3. Look into the factors in your life that are creating extra demand for Soma and avoid them as much as possible.

4. When you do consume something sweet, strictly avoid refined sugars.

5. Combine your food with soma enhancing spices; turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, cinnamon, gymnema.

What Is So Special About Soma Balancing Herbs & Spices?

Research shows that the following herbs have an extremely positive effect on glucose or sugar metabolism in the body.

• Cinnamon d: Research has shown that cinnamon may lower blood sugar by decreasing insulin resistance. Dr. Richard Anderson, in a study with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, found that cinnamon can improve glucose metabolism in fat cells by twenty-fold.3 Of the forty-nine herbs, spices and medicinal plant extracts they studied on glucose utilization, they found that cinnamon was the most bioactive.4

• Fenugreek e: Fenugreek has been studied for the treatment of Type-1 and 2 diabetes. Its seeds are made up of more than 50% fiber, which help slow down the absorption of glucose. Fenugreek normalizes glucose after meals and improves insulin response in the body. It also lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides5

• Gymnema e, f: Considered one of the most powerful herbs for improving blood sugar, gymnema has been shown to help normalize blood sugar and triglycerides, reduce sugar cravings, and decrease insulin needs. The researchers also found that the glycogen depletion in the liver and lipid accumulation in diabetic animals was reversed. In another study of Type-2 diabetics, twenty-two were given this herbal extract along with their own oral hypoglycemic drugs. All of these people had an improved blood sugar control. Twenty-one of the subjects were able to reduce their drug dosage significantly. Five were able to discontinue their medication and maintained blood sugar control with this herb alone.6

• Indian Kino e: Indian Kino has been used by Ayurvedic practitioners for thousands of years and is considered to be an effective diabetes herb. Scientific research is showing that Indian Kino reduces the glucose absorption on the GI tract and improves insulin levels.

• Bitter Melon e: Bitter Melon (also know as bitter gourd, or karela) has several anti-diabetic properties, including charantin, which has been shown to be a powerful substance that lowers blood sugar when injected into Type-1 diabetics. Many studies demonstrate bitter melon's ability to decrease the blood sugar, increase the uptake of glucose, and activate the pancreas.7

3 Anderson R A, Broadhurst, C L, Polansky, M M, et al. "Isolation and characterization of polyphenol type-A polymers from cinnamon with insulin-like biological activity." J Agric Food Chem, Jan. 2004, 52(1):65-70. 4 Broadhurst, C L, Polansky, M M, and Anderson, R.A. “Insulin-like biological activity of culinary and medicinal plant aqueous extracts in vitro.” J Agric Food Chem, March 2000, 48(3):183-188. 5 Bordia, A, et al. "Effect of ginger (Zingthwe officinale Rosc.) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum L.) on blood lipids, blood sugar, and platelet aggregation in patients with coronary artery disease." Prost Leuko Efa, 1997, 56:379-384. Sharma, R D, Raghumram, T C, and Rao, N S. "Effect of funugreek seeds on blood glucose and serum lipids in type-1 diabetes." Eur J Clin Nutr, 1990, 44:301-306. Sharma, R D. "Effect of funugreek seeds and leaves on blood glucose and serum insulin responses in human subjects." Nutr Res, 1986, 1353-1364. Madar, Z, et al. "Glucose-lowering effect of fenugreek in non-insulin dependent diabetes." Eur J Clin Nutr, 1988, 42:51-54. 6 Baskaran, K, Abamath, B K, Shanmugasundaram, D R, and Shanmugasundaram, E R B. "Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients." J Ethnopharmacol, 1990, 30:295-305. 7 Welihinda, J, Arvidson, G, Gylfe, E, et al. "The insulin-releasing activity of the tropical plant Momordica charantia." Acta Bio Med Germ, 1982, 41:1229-1240.

Curb your sugar cravings naturally, by stabilizing your blood sugar with intelligent proteins, Soma enhancing spices, and all-natural supporting products – when necessary.

SVA Sugar Substitute Coming Soon

You will be interested to that know Vaidya Mishra and his team are in the process of formulating a healthy sugar substitute. It will be safe, effective and without side effects, and will prove to be one of the most effective sugar substitutes available. It will contain DGL - Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice, which is extracted from the licorice plant, stevia herb, and sweet cinnamon. DGL offers soma pacifying effects, and takes away the bitter aftertaste of stevia. During the SVA unique manufacturing process, the combination of the sweet cinnamon, stevia, and DGL licorice provides the body’s physiology with more sustenance, which in turn supports the immune system. The SVA sugar substitute is expected to be available in February or March 2012.

Note: The SVA sugar substitute can be mixed with milk (an already naturally sweet substance), and used in various cooking/baking recipes. It is not recommended that you simply mix with water or tea as this may put too much stress on the pancreas.

YouTube instructional cooking videos with Malvika Takvorian-Mishra:

• Making SVA Green Protein - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw99ChA_uXI&feature=related

• Making Fresh Paneer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk1VoEQVc3U&feature=youtu.be

• Making Coconut Probiotic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27tvxxlSfsQ

• Access more SVA videos at: http://www.vaidyamishra.com/pages/Videos.html

References:

a. Mayo Clinic, Glycemic index diet: What's behind the claims, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glycemic-index-diet/MY00770 Linus Pauling Institute, Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html

b. Glycation, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycation Glycation: a chemical reaction that contributes to skin ageing http://beauty.doctissimo.com/facial-care/skin-chemistry/glycation-a-chemical-reaction-that-contributes-to-skin-ageing.html Dr. Fredric Brandt, dermatologist and author of 10 Minutes 10 Years 2007 study in the British Journal of Dermatology, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2133/issues

c. Does Sugar Affect the Immune System? http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4568832_does-sugar-affect-immune-system.html

d. Controlling Blood Sugar with Cinnamon, Dr. Hyla Cass, https://www.life-enhancement.com/article_template.asp?ID=1153 Cinnamon: Potential Role in the Prevention of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901047/

e. Herbs for Diabetes, http://www.diabetesmellitus-information.com/diabetes_herbs.htm , Proven Herbs for Diabetes Treatment, http://ezinearticles.com/?Proven-Herbs-For-Diabetes-Treatment!&id=4783520 University of Maryland: Diabetes Article, http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/diabetes-000049.htm

f. Gymnema sylvestre: A Memoir, Parijat Kanetkar, Rekha Singhal,* and Madhusudan Kamat, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2170951/ Gymnema sylvestre for Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review, http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2006.6387