The cacao bean is the source of perhaps the most magical and beloved foods on Earth because it is the source of chocolate. Even the cacao tree's official name, Theobroma cacao, recognizes the long-standing love most of us have for the fruit of this tree. Theobroma comes from the Greek language for "food of the gods." And while chocolate is the most popular and favorite of these foods from the cacao bean, an even healthier choice is raw cacao powder. How Is Cacao Powder Made? To produce raw cacao powder, raw cacao beans are simply cold pressed to remove the fat, and the remaining solids are ground into a fine powder. Cacao vs. Cocoa: What's the Difference? Cacao powder contains all the beneficial nutrients and beneficial compounds of the raw cacao bean minus the fat. In contrast, cocoa powder is made from roasted cacao beans. And even if they look alike, the two are different. In making cocoa powder, up to 90% of the nutrients and beneficial compounds in raw c
A new year has started and with each new year come resolutions of
being more active, getting in shape, picking up a new gym membership or
doing Yoga every day. Though these are great plans, sometimes the body
isn’t quite ready or conditioned to pick up a new exercise routine
without signs of muscle fatigue, spasms and cramps, or we may even walk
away with a torn muscle or a sprain.
No pain, no gain is the philosophy our society has adapted to with
little questioning. In circles of sports and exercise it seems that the
ultimate goal is to achieve more in less time by training harder,
longer, faster, more intense, and more explosive, all times of the day.
This attitude, or philosophy, also gets applied to Yoga. We have
Fitness Yoga, and Yoga with weights, which focus mainly on the fitness
component. But even traditions like Ashtanga Yoga or Hot Yoga are quite
physically strenuous.
In the Yoga Sutras the sage Patanjali suggests to practice ahimsa,
non-violence. The first Yama, or yogic guideline, wants us to do no harm
against others, and ourselves. But accidents can happen, and if they do
we want to recover as quickly as possible.
Here are seven home remedies to help relieve muscle pain and the discomfort of minor soft tissue trauma.
Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Injury
1. Turmeric and Bromelain
Combined, these two can help speed up recovery. The combination of
Bromelain and Turmeric is known for it’s natural blood thinning and pain
relieving properties and is often used for menstrual problems as well
as and anti-inflammatory for painful joints. Though the use of Bromelain
may not be traditional Ayurvedic treatment, Turmeric is used in many cultures as an anti-inflammatory agent, taken internally and often applied externally to reduce swelling.
2. Golden Milk
A great way to add more injury treating and preventing Turmeric to
your diet is with an Ayurvedic remedy called Golden Milk. Though nearly
every Ayurvedic practitioner will have a slightly different version of
this drink, this is my favorite recipe:
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp unprocessed sugar cane or Succanat
1 Tbsp Ginger juice
1 Tbsp Turmeric powder
1 cup water
½ cup of Milk, Coconut-, Rice-, or Almond Milk
Directions:
Add the sugar cane or Succanat to the water and simmer until melted.
Add the Ginger juice and Turmeric and simmer until ½ cup of liquid
remains. Add your choice of milk and enjoy hot.
3. Ginger
Just like turmeric, ginger has strong anti-inflammatory benefits.
When nursing an injury I like to increase the use of ginger in my daily
habits. I add fresh ginger to my cooking and prepare a tea of 2 inches
of fresh ginger, 1 tsp Lose Green Tea (or 1 teabag of organic green
tea), 1 liter hot water, a squeeze of fresh lemon and raw honey to
taste, in the morning which I keep warm in a thermos and sip throughout
the day.
Another use of ginger is to add a few slices in your hot Epsom salt
bath or put a couple of tablespoons of ginger juice in your bath. If you
have sensitive skin please be careful as raw and dry ginger has a hot
quality and can irritate your skin.
4. Castor oil
Castor oil packs are great in alleviating pain and help heal injuries
as well as lessen the appearance of old scars. Warm a teaspoon of
castor oil in your hands and massage into the area you want help with.
Cover with a dishcloth or a couple of sheets of fleece to prevent
staining. Then put a warm water bottle or heating blanket on top and
leave on for 20-30 minutes so the oil can absorb into your skin.
Again, if you have sensitive skin do a small “patch test” first to make sure you don’t react to the castor oil.
5. Cool it
If you have a fresh injury you can apply an ice pack to counteract
inflammation and swelling. Wrap the ice pack in a dishtowel so you don’t
apply direct ice to your skin. Applying ice to a fresh injury can be
really helpful as a first response. It will reduce blood flow to the
area and numb the pain receptors. Keeping ice on the injury for too long
however can hinder the healing process. So make sure you use cold
treatment wisely and in alteration with heat to flush out the tissue.
There are different hot-cold applications suggested for different types
of injuries.
6. Pineapple and Pomegranate Juice
Both juices contain an enzyme that acts as an anti-inflammatory and
anti-irritant, which speed up healing. When you feel you’ve overdone
your practice and have a new pain or ache that doesn’t feel right, power
up on anti-oxidants and said enzymes to support the healing process.
Make yourself a juice or smoothie with lots of fresh pineapple and/or
pomegranate, then add a little ginger and turmeric while you are at it.
7. Epsom Salt Baths
Epsom salt is a great help with recovery after a vigorous practice.
Epsom Salts have been found in experimental studies to relieve pain and
muscle cramps, relax the body and calm the mind, increase blood flow,
and help muscles and nerves function properly. A twenty-minute bath with
plenty of Epsom salts has been found to be equally effective as a
45-minute deep tissue massage.
Injuries are best treated when fresh. Don’t wait two days before
applying heat or cold, or before starting to increase your intake of
injury reducing anti-inflammatory foods. The best time to apply
treatment, even self massage of the area, is right away before internal
scarring of the tissue occurs and the injury settles in. When in doubt,
always seek professional advice.
Please note that the above are suggested home remedies that can be
very effective, yet you may need other means of physical adjustments. If
you have an injury that doesn’t go away or at least get noticeably
better after twenty-four hours please see a physician or sports
therapist to get your injury assessed and take appropriate action.
Prevention is always better than treatment. Honor your body, know
where you are, leave the ego off the mat, and if your teacher asks you
to move in a way that doesn’t feel right to you, know that it’s okay to
listen to your instinct and move accordingly. Pushing too far can mean a
long time away from the mat and the practice you love so much.
By : Claudia Richey
https://www.gaia.com/article/7-ayurvedic-home-remedies-injuries-and-prevention
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