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Ayurveda
Ayurvedic medicine can change your life and lifestyle. Radha Madhava/ Flickr

Can you imagine yourself staying healthy physically, mentally and emotionally without the need of prescription drugs, surgeries or enduring painful medical conditions? That is exactly what Ayurveda can do for your health. Ayurveda, which means "life science," has been practiced in India for millennia to treat various diseases and medical conditions.

As a testament to its effectivity, Ayurvedic medicine has become a pillar in the world of complementary and alternative medicine. This is in no small part due to being endorsed by celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Richard Gere, Anushka Sharma and others. If famous people have become healthy because of Ayurveda, there is no reason to think that it can't work on you in the long run.

ayurveda wellness health medicine
Ayurveda involves natural methods of maintaining health and healing. Bru-nO/ Pixabay

What is Ayurveda?

Originating from India's Vedic culture, Ayurveda is an ancient health care tradition that is widely considered to be the oldest. It is based on the belief that there are three life forces, or doshas: Vata (for essential body functions such as mobility, motion, circulation and breathing), Pitta (for metabolic activity such as digestion, nutrient absorption and body temperature) and Kapha (for managing growth, strength, stability, weight, immune system and even personality). Balancing these doshas can make stress management, following a healthy diet, dealing with changes and maintaining relationships easier.

Moreover, research proves that Ayurvedic medicine and a proper Ayurvedic diet can help treat Alzheimer's disease, anxiety, dementia and other serious health conditions. Ayurvedic herbs, practices and recommendations can also help as home remedies for acne, relieving chronic constipation, fighting fatigue, reducing pain and lowering obesity risk.

Benefits of Ayurveda

Here are some of the benefits that Ayurveda can offer for your health and wellness in the future:

1. Reduces stress and anxiety

Ayurveda aromatherapy
Ayurveda involves use natural ingredients to keep one healthy. Yaksheeta Sri/ Flickr

Since stress is linked to almost every aspect of overall health, Ayurvedic medicine practitioners might call on different natural techniques used to treat stress, anxiety and depression symptoms, lower stress hormones (cortisol), and rebalance body "energy." These techniques can include meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, visualization and repeating inspirational mantras.

One Ayurveda-approved method of beating stress is through a Kansa wand like the one from The Ayurveda Experience. Made from a combination of copper and tin, this medium-sized dome-shaped wand is used mainly on the face, but can also be used on the feet and the rest of the body. It can even be used on painful areas such as frozen shoulders or painful backs for relaxation and relief. In addition, the Kansa wand can ease muscle tension, removing stress and tiredness on any muscle group, relax the whole body and calm the mind, and aid in sleep.

2. Can aid in weight loss and maintenance

Ayurveda weight loss
Ayurveda can aid in your weight loss goals. Ankit Bhardwaj/ Flickr

Weight loss is not among the main goals of Ayurvedic medicine, but it can help you shed extra weight naturally via a healthy (nutrient-rich and mostly plant and whole food-based) diet and stress reduction, among other natural methods. A 2009 study found that adjusting one's healthy diet to take into account individual food preferences and needs aided in effective weight loss. The likely reason is that Ayurveda promotes compliance and believes in following a balanced, practical and easy-to-follow diet.

For near-effortless weight loss, try following the 21-day Effortless Weight Loss course offered by The Ayurveda Experience. This safe and effective plan does not contain artificial, chemical or caffeine-based pills nor does it involve crazy or extreme dietary regimes. It helps you burn off excess fat, manage digestive "fire" and remove toxins, experience better nutrient absorption, atttain better blood sugar balance, achieve, optimal health and weight maintenance and use carbs wisely. If you order now, you can save $47 off on the course upon purchase.

3. Reduces Inflammation

inflammation rash ayurveda
Ayurveda can reduce inflammation on your body. Hans Braxmeier/ Pixabay

Ayurvedic medicine states that a combination of poor diet, bad digestion, little rest or sleep and insufficient air inhaled can cause oxidative stress and inflammation. This can lead to an imbalance in metabolism -- or in this case, the three doshas.

Ayurvedic healing focuses on various ways of reducing inflammation with hopes of regulating the heart and circulation as well as the digestive tract and eliminating wastes -- all of which can address stress, food intolerances, the dearth of nutrients and other factors, resulting in lower levels of inflammation and increased energy and healing. This can be done through means of a combination of herbal treatments, antioxidants to reduce the effects of harmful free radicals, gentle metabolism and circulation-boosting exercises, and phytochemicals from natural herbs.

Since one benefit of Ayurveda is the belief that a single herb or drug alone cannot rebalance your body's doshas, it is recommended to take a combination of herbs and plants or staple foods for different inflammatory treatments. One good example is the ancient formulation of turmeric and black pepper, which is found by studies to increase the presence of beneficial compounds while reducing toxicity and speeding up healing.

4. Helps in recovery from illnesses and injuries

peppermint tea recovery ayurveda
Ayurvedic teas can aid in recovery. congerdesign/ Pixabay

Because Ayurveda targets inflammation, and together with Ayurvedic yoga and massage, it can reduce pain and swelling, improve blood circulation and fight arthritis, fibromyalgia and other inflammatory conditions just as effectively as medication.

Through herbs, teas, healthy foods, and ample rest, Ayurveda also helps in detoxing the body and even lower cortisol levels. Certain Ayurvedic practices also increase circulation and liver function. One such practice is Abhyanga, which involves rubbing herbal or essential oils on the skin for increased blood flow while drawing toxins out of the body.

These essential oils include the iYURA Kesaradi Oil and iYURA Manjish Glow Elixir. Suitable for all skin types, the Kesaradi oil contains saffron, which gives your skin a radiant and smooth feel, brightens dull skin, improves face texture and moisturizes dry skin. The essential oil can even work with a Kansa Wand should you decide to apply it on your face and other body parts. The Manjish Glow Elixir, on the other hand, contains skin-friendly and skin-glowing Manjistha or Indian Madder which gives it a beautiful color. Both the Kesaradi Oil and the Manjish Glow Elixir can be sold individually, or as part of a bundle that comes with free delivery.

5. Balances hormones

For thousands of years, Ayurveda helped balance hormones naturally, as well as help women conceive and have a healthy pregnancy or menstrual cycle. Various therapeutic Ayurvedic effects are even shown by studies to be effective in helping treat sub-fertility caused by PCOS, an endocrine disorder in women of child-bearing age resulting from insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances.

For centuries, Ayurvedic treatment regimens also helped women overcome absent periods or infrequent menstruation, irregular periods, infrequent to no ovulation, thinning hair, excess facial and body hair growth, and various symptoms of premenstrual syndrome such as acne and oily skin.

6. Cures insomnia

Insomnia Anxiety Sleep
Anxiety and insomnia can negatively affect your sleep. Genny Raines/ Flickr

According to Yoga International, Ayurveda is in line with many ordinary practices for improving sleep, including an established bedtime routine, waking up and going to bed at the same time, avoiding caffeinated drinks (e.g. coffee, soda) and eating a large meal at night. However, insomnia can also be caused by excess vata dosha which regulates movement and motion. These can be solved by applying oil to your body daily, soaking in a warm tub and practicing breath and relaxation more often.