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Latest News |
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Dear
Readers,
Kindly have a look
at our newly launched website http://ayushkar.com. This site is exclusively devoted to
organic Ayurveda herbs and spices. So, you have an authentic
source of organic Ayurveda supplies from Chakrapani InstituteWe all are aware that Ayurveda is largely a herbal
science and its principles are based on Laws of Nature and never
separates man from its environment. It delves into the medicinal
properties of herbs and studies their effects on the human system.
In fact Ayurveda uses more than four thousand herbs for its various
methods for healing and prevention, out of which one thousand are
very commonly used in regular prescriptions.
However due to various unfortunate reasons the
ecosystem today is going out of balance and vegetation is being most
affected. This is leading to extinction of various species of plants
all over the globe. In fact lot of herbs that were earlier easily
available for treatment in Ayurveda are becoming almost impossible
to procure in the present times. In reference to this I came across
an article which highlights the fact that 93 percent of medicinal plants are threatened with extinction. We have
published this article in this edition of our Newsletter for all our
readers, so that all of us are conscious of this loss and take
measures to reverse this alarming situation in the best possible
way.
We heartily welcome your suggestion on our newsletter how to make it
more useful and knowledgeable.
Best Regards and Namaste.
Dr. Rajesh Kotecha 'Vaidya',
M.D. (Ayurveda)
Director,
Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic
and Research Center
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Ayurveda out of balance: 93 % of medicinal plants threatened with extinction -
By John Platt |
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Ayurvedic medicine could face an uncertain future as 93 percent of the wild plants used in the practice are threatened with extinction due to overexploitation, the Times of India reports.
The Botanical Survey of India recently prioritized 359 wild medicinal plant species and conducted an assessment throughout the country to determine their health. The news wasn't good. Of the 359 species, 335 were categorized as critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened.
The survey used criteria and categories established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its Red List of Threatened Species.
According to India's Ministry of Environment and Forests, 95 percent of plants used in Ayurvedic medicine are collected from the wild, and about two-thirds of that harvest uses "destructive means" that can damage or kill the plants.
To help keep these plant species from going extinct, the Indian government in 2008 initiated a program (pdf) to relocate species from the wild, study how to domesticate them, and promote sustainable harvest protocols. This survey is the latest step in that program.
Aside from its historical and cultural significance, Ayurvedic medicines could bring profits to India's coffers. The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) is currently exploring export opportunities for Ayurvedic medicine through Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited, a company owned by the Indian government. Already, Ayurvedic treatments, vacations and consultants are popular among some alternative health consumers in the U.S.
Of course, other traditional Asian medicines have been attacked for their use of parts from endangered animals, such as tiger bones and rhino horns, but Ayurveda has so far avoided such criticisms.
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Interesting
Health News |
UNITED STATES: Study shows a
whopping two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese,
and obesity rates for children are at or above 30 percent in 30
states.
The percentage of adults classified as obese went up in 23
states, but Mississippi, with 32.5 percent, stayed atop the
latest annual rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and
the Trust for America’s Health. The same survey put the state’s
adult obesity rate at 31.7 percent in 2008. In addition, 44.4
percent of Mississippi children ages 10 to 17 are classified as
overweight or obese, the study found.
Doctors have linked obesity to increased risks of a variety of
conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and
heart disease. Wednesday’s study found the current U.S. economic
slump could worsen the problem by putting more nutritious food
out of the reach of struggling families.
Dr. Ed Thompson, Mississippi’s state health officer, said the
state is taking steps to address what he called “a multifaceted
problem,” targeting schoolchildren in particular. “We can’t tell
our children to eat wise dietary choices and then provide them
with little except for poor dietary choices in their school
cafeterias,” Thompson said.
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Recipe from Grandma's Diary : Paranta |
Ingredients
:
1. Whole Wheat
Flour 2 cups
2. Spinach
(Finely Chopped) 100 gm
3. Salt to
taste
4. Chilly
Powder - ½ tea sp.
5. Turmeric
Powder - ½ tea sp.
6. Ajwain - 2
pinch
7. Edible oil
for frying
8. Water (
enough to form a hard dough)
9. Iron plate
10. Pastry board &
rolling pin
11. Bowl to form
dough
Method :
- Put the flour
in a small bowl and add all the above mentioned ingredients
from no. 2 to no. 6. Add enough water to make a hard dough.
Knead lightly with slightly oiled hands.
- Divide the
dough into golf ball like size or pieces ( or break off small
individual amounts as you work) and roll the dough out as a
chapati ( but thicker than chapati ).
- Pre heat the
iron pan before keeping the parantha on it, be careful in
putting the parantha on the hot pan because it may break.
- After a few
seconds turn over the parantha with the help of tongs. Now
grease this surface with oil or ghee and quickly turn over the
parantha on to the iron plate.
- Grease the
other side also with oil or ghee, turn over the parantha again.
- Keep it on the
hot plate for a fraction of seconds until you observe brown
spots over it and then place it on a flat dish or plate.
Points to remember
1. Serve it hot
with either green coriander chutney or tomato chutney or any
vegetable.
2. The spinach
can be finely chopped or you can also steam the spinach for 2
minutes then drain excess water and blend it in the blender . This
spinach puree can be mixed in to the flour along with all the other
ingredients and then paranthas can be prepared in the same manner.
3. The Paranthas
can be stacked one over the other on the serving plate or the
warming pot.
Servings
: 4 Persons
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Product of
the month |
Medohar Tea
: How to use: Take 1 teaspoon (5g) of tea and put into a cup of hot water for 2 to
3 minutes. Strain and take it. (This tea can be infused in a coffee
maker also). One can add natural sweetener as per taste preference. Side effects: Nil for therapeutic use Safety: This is 100% natural
product. Even, no preservative, color or additives are added to make
sure that the product remains all natural. This is completely safe
for continuous consumption. Presentation form: Coarse Powdered Herbal
Tea For more details
on these products please visit:http://chakrapaniayurveda.com/teaobesity.htm |
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http://ayushkar.com
Certified Organic Ayurvedic Herbs And Spices
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