December 7, 2021 | 68 minutes, 26 seconds
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Podcast Show Notes
In this episode of the Ayurveda Meets Modern Science podcast, host John Douillard, DC, CAP, interviews Marc Halpern, DC, AyD, the founder and president of the California College of Ayurveda, the first and longest-running state-approved Ayurvedic educational program in California. Halpern is also the author of Healing Your Life: Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda and Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine.
See also Intro to Ayurveda eBook
Ayurveda’s Take on Meat
Have you been pushed to go vegetarian and it does not feel right for your body? You’re not alone. Not everyone’s body can sustain a vegetarian diet. Some individuals can become protein deficient and it can cause a lot of digestive or even joint issues, according to Dr. John.
On the contrary, the spiritual side of Ayurveda might disagree. Ayurveda says you can use meat to restore yourself, but that the long-term spiritual goal is to be a vegetarian, said Dr. Halpern.
So, if the spiritual goal is to be meat-free does that make you unworthy if you decide it is not sustainable for your body? Some may say yes, but according to Ayurvedic texts, the most important thing to do is to eat meat in moderation and to listen to what your body needs. Eating meat in moderation does not make you any less spiritual in the eyes of Ayurveda.
See also Meat: the Good, the Bad + the Ayurvedic Perspective
A Guide to Ayurveda and Alcohol
Alcohol is part of our culture. In Ayurveda, alcohol is used for celebratory moments, and not as a substance used to distract us from or relieve stress.
If not consumed with caution, alcohol can turn into a domino effect of health problems. Moderate consumption of alcohol can build ojas, but if consumed in excess it can deplete ojas.
So what level of alcohol is okay? According to Ayurveda, the key is to be able to drink in moderation and to know how much is good versus how much is harmful for you. Listening to your body and knowing the correct circumstances and amount of alcohol to consume without sacrificing your health is the best practice.
See also Alcohol, Ayurvedic Herbs, and Your Liver
I have for some time been moving toward a stricter Ayuvedic practice but in August ı had a silly accident and tore a muscle in my shoulder. This is very painful especially when you sleep as random movements often wake you up. I thought that I would try a small glass of vermouth before bed to help me relax into sleep better but within a few weeks I found that to get the relaxing effect I needed to drink a little more. My conclusion was that the occasional glass is not harmful but be careful if you drink on a regular basis.
I’m a long-time student of Ayurveda and must say that I was a bit shocked regarding your comment about people who refuse the vax being selfish. How about we just value our health and immune system. It’s clear you’ve done little research on the risk involved. We don’t even know what is in these vaccines, how can you support them? There is no long-term data that supports the risk and this is the largest experiment known to man and you obviously don’t know what’s really happening in the world.
The full brunt of a COVID case is much more dangerous and deadly… The long term symptoms can change your life forever. The vaccine is the lesser of two evils. Health and immunity wise, he is right. We are better off taking our chances with the vaccine side effects than being killed by COVID. Your immune system doesn’t matter if you’re dead.
What a great share for me to listen to. It was invigorating and so informative, once again. I really appreciate this.
What is your opinion on eating chocolate from an Ayurvedic viewpoint? My sister says it clogs up the fine channels in the body.
Check out this article: https://lifespa.com/chocolate-benefits/
-LifeSpa Staff