Questions answers 3 9 13

© 2013 Adishakti LLC. The information contained herein has not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), it is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult wit your medical physician if you are experiencing any health problems.

Green Protein Questions

We received a follow up question from Jane M. about the Green Protein recipe and blender question (see Vaidya’s Newsletter #9, volume 3, March 2, 2013): “Thank you so much! Once I understood what it is, I was indeed able to get one at a Target. FYI, in case you have more questions like mine, it is officially called an Express Chopper, not a blender. That is why it did not come up when I googled it. Two questions though. First the instructions say not to make more than a cup of liquid in it, but my green protein is often more than that. You also say you can make enough for 6-8 people. So do you blend more than the one cup of soup ingredients at one time? And what if it is really hot… does it explode?

Second, our newsletter reminded me of the proportions of protein to greens by weight. Are you sure you don’t mean by volume? I’ve been doing it by volume (20/80). And since I usually eat the soup as a main course (in my thermos I take to school), I use about a fourth of the chicken breast. I’d say the amount of greens is 80% by volume. This holds me pretty well for about 3-4 hours, until I can get home and make a good snack, like the cashew, sunflower, raisin one, or I have the walnut, sunflower seed raising ones, soaked. This has become my routine on teaching days. I hope that it is ok. I seem to need a lot of protein. Many thanks again for answering so quickly. I look forward to new adventures with this little machine!” Jane M.

Dear Jane: the Green Protein recipe need not be the main course of a meal, in which case you can eat less of it, and 6-‐8 people can have a portion by blending two cups worth in the chopper. It has not exploded when we have used it with hot items but you should always use caution, especially if you have a lot of liquid, with any blenders or choppers. Also the consistency of the green protein should not be too liquid, a little thicker is best, probably like milk-‐shake consistency.

As for the proportions, they should be weight by weight and not volume by volume because otherwise you would end up having much less greens than protein, since greens will be voluminous but weigh much


less. Measuring by weight will insure that you are using less protein but having it more available in your body, which is the point of this recipe: to make even the little protein more available to your physiology by combining it on a molecular level with lots of greens through the blending process.

It is great to have those soaked nuts and raisins when you are hungry and before your next meal. It is ok to crave or need lots of protein, you just need to make sure that your physiology is absorbing and synthesizing all the protein you are consuming. Otherwise you will make toxic

residue, ama. When your body absorbs it fully, you may crave less of it...

Another follow-up question plus a helpful cooking tip (thank you!) from Gail H. about the SVA Green Protein recipe: “I loved all the answers to the questions! I found your response to the rose petal jam question fascinating! Here's another one: I make green protein soup everyday, usually with chicken as the protein. (As an aside, here's a hint for the chicken in the soup crowd: I buy organic chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts and it is very easy and quick to cook a couple of these as the basis for the soup; no need for the mess of cutting up chicken.) To keep things interesting, sometimes, instead of leafy greens I use fresh fennel, or asparagus and or even zucchini. The fennel makes a wonderful fluffy consistency and a very satisfying soup. I often throw in celery tops or beet greens from the garden, too. Is it “legal” to use these veggies or must we just use leafy greens? Thanks so much, Gail” Dear Gail: Yes, it is “legal”!!! It is actually a great idea to rotate the greens that you are putting in so as to have different flavors, otherwise one can get bored eating the same food all the time. Plus, every vegetable will bring different pranic energy and supply a different


nutritional content. Our bodies need to consume as much variety as possible to maintain optimal health. However, there is one small detail to pay attention to: whenever you are alternating with other vegetables such as the ones you mention (fennel, asparagus, zucchini), you must also make sure to put in at least one part of chlorophyll containing fibrous leafy greens. Why? Because chlorophyll is the main molecule which coats and encapsulates the protein molecule and protects from oxidation. It is that molecular process of binding that gives you the vegetarian equivalent of the heme iron molecule that this recipe was made for. This is one of the reasons the SVA Green Protein recipe is so nourishing and important to have on a regular basis. So if you are using fennel, make sure to include some spinach leaves; or when you use zucchini, you can also add in some collard greens; when you use asparagus, add also some Swiss chard or kale leaves. You can also throw in a few stems of fresh (Italian or curly) parsley, as it is so high in iron and a very good herb that will add an additional layer of flavor as well.

CELLULITE-FREE:

“Hello, I am on a quest to be cellulite free by June:) I found your site and am intrigued by the products. I would like to use Manjistha in conjunction with SVA Roll on, and/or the Samagni Firming Lotion. Can you make a recommendation as to the best course of action for me. I've tried next to everything and year after year, it just keeps getting worse. Many thanks” Bree C.


Dear Bree, here is what you can do: apply the SVA Magnesium Transdermal cream twice a day (either on the entire spine or at least the lower spine, plus on hands and feet); then use the SVA Samagni firming lotion twice a day on the cellulite areas. In addition, add to about 1 liter of water, 2 drops each of the following Herbal Memory Nectar drops: Manjistha, Indian Sarsaparilla, Prakrit. Last but not least, follow the SVA alkaline diet – eliminate night shades and inflammatory acidic foods such as coffee, vinegar, lemons. Try to incorporate the SVA Green Protein recipe into your diet, if you could have it every day it would be ideal. Don’t forget to avoid refined white sugar, refined wheat (breads etc), toxic oils (canola, soy, corn oil, etc). Also: increase the proportion of green vegetables, protein, and fruits in relation to grains in your diet. Having a light but regular exercise routine will also help open clogged channels and help release the local toxic build-up resulting in cellulite. Try these for a month or two and get back to us to let us know how you are progressing!

FRUITS ALONE:

“Why should you eat fruit alone? I have also heard that it is best not to consume fruits with any type of liquids – water, or tea – before or after, is this true? Why?” Helen T.

Most fruits are juicy and are therefore made up of almost 75% water. According to the SVA understanding, they are Soma predominant and cooling (even when they have some Agni in them, for example, grapes). This is why it is recommended that you eat fruitS after lunch and not with lunch, as it is the time when Agni or your digestive fire is high, and it will help break down the fruit and digest the Soma easily. Eating the fruit with your meal will add in more Soma to your stomach when it needs to have most Agni to make sure you


don’t make ama (semi-digested food materials) from your meal. That is why you eat it after a meal, not before or with. You may notice when you drink water after or with fruit, your stomach will feel too full, almost bloated, it’s because the water will dilute the Agni or digestive enzymes and then the stomach is not able to break down the Soma in the fruits that will then just sit there! There are some exceptions of course: when the fruits themselves contain metabolic enzymes, such as Pineapple and Papaya, and will actually support your Agni or digestive fire, and help you have better digestion. This is the time you can eat them with your meal, or even before a meal to sharpen your Agni so you can have better digestion. Another time when you can have fruits with some food is in the morning, when you stew your fruits with 2-3 cloves, and this balances the Soma in them, you can then eat your stewed apple or pear with some oats or quinoa flakes. Make sure not to mix milk with fruits during this process as Ayurveda reminds us that fruits and milk are mutually contradictory food times and should not be consumed together, otherwise they create digestive imbalance that can result in gas, bloating, and/or constipation. BONE BROTH:

“Dear Vaidya Mishra, Bone broth is becoming more popular in the West. They suggest to soak the bones of either fish or chicken in apple cidar vinegar or white wine and cold water. Then to cook this at a temperature around 200-205 degrees F for approx. 6-12 hours. They do not want it to reach a complete boil because they say it will oxidize and release a toxic quality of the fats. They emphasize the gelatin which is released from the end of the bones as gelatin was once a very revered and highly researched "medicine" in early orthodox allopathy. At the end of this process, they suggest to add your meat, animal organs and vegetables. They also suggest to use this broth for soups and also to cook your rice and curries in. What is your opinion on how to prepare the highest vibrational animal foods such as bones, marrow, organ meat and gelatin of poulty or fish? What is the SVA perspective on cooking Ayurvedic bone broths to eat or even to use for basti? How often should these products be consumed by Vata/Pitta types? You have mentioned sucking on bone to get majja. How is marrow extracted


according to Ayurveda in order to be eaten or used for basti? How temperature and for how long? Are there particular spices to help with the cooking and assimilation? Thank you for sharing your lifelong wisdom so generously, Chandrika”

If you are not a vegetarian, then animal broth is good for you! “Homemade (chicken, fish, etc) broth has been known to help cure colds and many other ailments because animal stock contains minerals in a format the body can easily absorb (like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals). These help support and boost the immunity. Broth also contains glucosamine that has been shown to help with arthritis and joint pain. But what does Ayurveda say about this?

The Charak Samhita, the primary sourcebook of the SVA lineage, says: “sarvada sarva bhavanam, samanyam vriddhi karanam” which translates into: “always and in all circumstances, [adding] a material that has properties identical to the one that it is being added to results in the increase of those identical properties.” In practical terms: if someone is deficient in bone, Ayurveda recommends that they ingest ground/powdered bone. In the same manner, when people’s majja dhatu or bone marrow tissue is low – perhaps due to a chronic infections, Ayurveda recommends they use animal products. In other cases, sometimes those who are low on majja dhatu or bone marrow will have trouble with conception because bone marrow is the raw material for shukra dhatu, or the reproductive fluids, and shukra dhatu, in its turn, is the raw mateial for ojas. Whenever an individual’s immune system is not good it means his/her ojas is not good, and in this case, the ayurvedic shastras recommend that bone marrow be used, either orally or in the form of an enema.

In my SVA tradition, whenever it was needed, we also recommended the use of animal broth or bone or bone marrow. Here is a good recipe that we have used for many generations. Goat and goat bone was readily in our village so that’s what the recipe calls for, but you can substitute that with chicken bones as well.

SVA Chicken Broth Recipe:


Select the softer brittle bones, dry them and then crush them into powder. The recipe calls for measurements volume by volume.

2oz bones dried and then pulverized

add to 8 oz water

in the water add:

• ¼ tsp turmeric • 1 tsp dried and powdered pomegranate seeds • ¼ tsp cumin seeds • few pinches Soma Salt

If you can, it’s great to use a clay pot to cook the broth in. Cover it while cooking. We used to cook it on firewood. This means it is best you cook it on low to lowest temperature for about half an hour to 45 minutes. Strain the mixture to remove larger clots and add the juice of 1 lime (if you lime is hard and not juicy enough, then add 2). You may also add some olive oil for flavor, even some Mum’s Masala if you want to give it more texture. This is then your broth or soup base.

Some additional points: when you pulverize the bones and cook the powder with the water and spices, the pomegranate seed powder contains some citrus principle which helps to release the nutrients from the bone powder. This is preferable over using vinegar. Vinegar is not recommended by Ayurveda. Vinegar can bring out the toxic acids into the broth, but pomegranate will not.

You may also add some ghee (1/2 tsp) to the mixture, because bone marrow is lipid soluble, and the ghee will facilitate the delivery.

After this, do only some mild additional cooking with the broth as it is already cooked. You can add it to rice or meat or vegetables.

Why do we have to crush or pulverize the bones? This makes it easier for the bone marrow to be more readily available to the body. Turmeric also helps to derive and bind the molecules of the bone marrow, so it becomes very easy on the liver. Pomegranate and cumin are considered to be “grahee” in Ayurveda, meaning: they enhance absorption. In this sense, they help absorb faster the nutrients faster. Not to mention that they add flavor!


Another quick little point is when you are cooking the broth with the lid one, the temperature inside the pot releases steam that also helps make the bone marrow more available in the broth.

Regarding basti with bone marrow, Ayurveda does go into depth about the majja basti provision as a “santharpana” or nurturing basti or enema. But there is a caution: this has to be considered on a case by case situation as there are many different kinds of majja basti that are recommended in Ayurveda, but each is very specific for each individual and specific conditions. It is very difficult to give general guidelines that can apply to a larger population.

If broth is good to be used for Vata types? It depends on how much Vata is aggravated, but in general twice a week is ok for vata type constitutions. For pitta types, once a week is good. But again it depends on the individual’s needs.

CHIA, FLAX, HEMP SEEDS AND MORE! “Dear Dr. Mishra, Thank you for your very educational, practical and inspirational newsletter. I read it from top to bottom! What is your opinion about the foods listed below. They are highly regarded by modern health coaches and nutritionists but I have never heard you mention them: 1) Chia Seeds: these seeds are not mentioned in the shastras, but based on my personal observation, they are heating. They have an “ushna” property. They may be good for some people with kapha aggravation, but certainly not good for regular consumption for pitta body types or individuals with any pitta aggravation. Ayurveda reminds us, anyways, that everything is not good for everybody. And vice versa, everything is not bad for everybody either. There are always indications and contra-indication for any dravya or edible

herb, spice or food material. This is partially because Ayurveda does not only consider the nutritional facts of a drayva, but it analyzes a dravya from the many-fold


principle of: rasa, guna, virya, vipak, and prabhava. Next to this layered and multi-dimensional approach, nutritional understanding cannot satisfy our understanding. An analysis of the physical nutritional content cannot gives us an idea of the deeper energetic or vibrational make-up that gives different impact on the various stage of digestion and assimilation. “Rasa, guna, virya, vipak and prabhava” address the post-digestive and post-assimilative stages as well. This is why every dravya has different indications and contra-indications. So be selective in the use of these and any other popular seeds, until you have a clearer ayurvedic picture. In the case of chia seeds, I recommend to avoid in cases of pitta aggravation or high pitta individuals. 2) Coconut Sugar: is good for pacifying vata and pitta aggravation, and for general consumption by vata and pitta body types. Seasonally, it is good for use in the summer, spring and the fall. It is best to avoid it in the winter time. Individual with kapha aggravation and kapha body types should stay away. 3) Hemp Seed: I do not recommend its usage. The prabhava or ultimate energetic effect is vibrationally channel clogging. It is known to be “byavaee”: long term usage will cause vibrational and eventually physical channel clogging resulting in mental fog, stiffness, body aches. All body types should avoid it. It is ok for occasional use: once a week 1-2 tablespoons. 4) Grapeseed Oil (for cooking -- best for which body type?) good for almost everybody and all body types to use. It has high heat resistance so it can be used to sauté or lightly fry things in. 5) Flax seeds – why are they not recommended by SVA? I read that flax seeds may diminish the reproductive tissue (shukra) – is that true?) The Charak Samhita says they are extremely heating for he liver and the spleen, they are called: “ati ushna.” We do not recommend that they be used by any body type And another question: Do you recommend cooking with a pressure cooker? Yes it is ok to use, specially for “tough” vegetables such as root vegetables, or for meat. It is also ok to use to cook dahl.


Thank you for sharing your life-changing knowledge and wisdom with us. With folded palms, Divya A.

Questions answers 3 9 13

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