
Mastitis has several roots 1) lymphatic congestion due to sweet, thick blood, 2) Ama (toxins) irritating the milk ducts, and 3) other forms of stagnation due to poor circulation, or lack of nursing. The main treatments in Ayurveda are 1) blood...
Clotting during menstruation is a general sign of blood stasis and/or excess blood that congests the uterus. Various causes include: Poor circulation & blood stasis / Pelvic congestion syndrome. Thick Kapha blood -...
Cloudy urine most likely results from a heat condition (Pitta) aggravating Kapha. Examples include infections of the bladder / kidneys.
This type of headache is typically due to nerves / migraines.
Cold extremities can imply a blood deficiency such as anemia, poor circulation from dehydration or congestion, a low metabolism, low blood sugar levels, insufficient clothing or fat, or stress. A chronic infection such as candida can rob the body of...
Cold sores erupt from herpes Simplex I virus, which becomes activated during episodes of stress. A good routine and restorative rest can help with this condition.
Our body redirects blood flow to digest a meal, when thinking, to fight an infection, or when exposed to the cold. If you are chronically cold, suspect either deficiency of ojas or fungal/pathogenic infection (a heat condition).
Bile acids can irritate the intestines. Bile acid concentration is increased with a diet high in fats. Increased bile acid concentration has been observed in those with colon cancer. Dietary fiber aids in excretion of bile acids in stool. Fiber thus...
A polyp is an abnormal growth of tissue projecting from a mucous membrane. Polyps may form in the nasal passages, colon, uterus, ear and bladder. Polyps may obstruct the passage, and are easily irritated and/or inflamed. In some cases they are...
Anger, irritability, ambition, and analytical thinking are physical as well as mental. The liver, when overburdened, creates internal...
Depression is often related to excess sweet taste in Kapha individuals. Sweet or rich blood becomes thick and difficult to circulate, congesting the lungs and heart area. The lack of good circulation creates a subjective feeling of heaviness and...
Liver and gall bladder distress can both make a person feel restless. Conflict may evoke shame or a sense of failure. If your ego is unable to bear this sense of shame or failure, you may react before you are able to fully discern the situation...
Confusion & cloudy thoughts are related to excess sweet taste in Kapha individuals. Sweet or rich blood becomes thick and difficult to circulate, congesting the lungs and heart area. The lack of good circulation creates a subjective feeling of...
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition that leads to fluid accumulation around the heart, reducing its ability to pump effectively. When the heart can't pump blood effectively, it can't deliver oxygen to tissues. This causes other fluids to...
Pitta individuals tend to maintain a constant weight. They have a high enough metabolism to prevent weight loss, yet a strong enough digestion to be well nourished.
How often should you poop? Ayurveda suggests that one bowel movement in the early morning followed by a possible second bowel movement later in the day is appropriate. Your stool should be more or less the shape and texture of a ripe banana, easy to...
Pitta tends to create nearsightedness. Kapha tends to create farsightedness.
A cough may be caused by a respiratory infection (often viral but sometimes due to bacteria). Examples include the common cold (rhinovirus), rsv, and the flu. The cough may be wet (with mucus) or dry (without mucus). Coronovirus causes a dry...
Cracked skin is a more advanced Vata condition of dryness.
Leg cramps generally comes from poor circulation, toxicity, or imbalance in electrolytes. Cholesterol medication can cause a cramp as well. There is a colon marma or acupressure point where the two heads of the gastrocnemius muscle meet. This point may...
Kapha people naturally crave crunchy foods because of internal dampness. In nature, most crunchy foods are drying or astringent. Most processed, modern crunchy foods like chips and bread actually provoke more dampness in the body.
Inspiration, creativity and imagination activate the crown chakra and an experience of your spiritual nature, reflecting the minds associative, relational nature. Although pleasant, it may be impossible to discern whether the spiritual experience is of...
The symptoms of Crohn's are pain in the lower right side of the abdomen with diarrhea, fever and weight loss. Crohn's in the ileum presents with abdominal pain above the pubic bone. Crohn's starts with inflammation around Peyer's patches that spreads...
Croup is breathing difficulty and a "barking" cough. Croup is due to swelling around the vocal cords. It is common in infants and children. Croup is often caused by viral infection, but may also be caused by bacteria, allergies, respiratory irritants,...
Crying, saddness and depression are often related to excess sweet taste in Kapha individuals. Sweet or rich blood becomes thick and hard to circulate, congesting the lungs and heart area. The lack of good circulation creates a subjective feeling of...
Over 40% of all Ayurvedic practitioners focus on pre-natal and post-partum care, reflecting Ayurveda's focus, insight, and interest in on fertility, pregnancy, and children. The first trimester is
Your diet is the 'religion' of your body. It's what your body believes will help it survive. In many ways, because of deep subconscious patterns, it's easier to change your religion than to change your diet. Medical studies show that 90% of people...
This line from Pride & Prejudice is striking, and one of my favorites. "If you were to give me forty such suitors, I never could be so happy as you. Till I have your disposition, your goodness, I never can have your happiness." A person who believes...
Cystic fibrosis is a congenital inherited disorder of the exocrine glands causing thick, tenacious mucus, and pancreatic insufficiency. A genetic mutation causes excessive release of sodium, chloride, and bicarbonate ions (CTFR dysregulation). These...
Cysts are a sign of aggravated Kapha. When Kapha is aggravated, the body has trouble detoxifying irritants. Instead, Kapha surrounds the irritant with fluid to neutralize it.
Dairy creates heaviness, cloudy thoughts, bloating and constipation for many. It provokes weight gain, mucus and Kapha dosha. Although adult humans have adapted to milk, it was originally intended for babies. Lactose intolerance may be quite natural.
Dandruff is the excessive shedding of dead skin from the scalp. It is generally harmless, but can make a person feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. It may also be an indication of an inflammatory or infectious scalp condition. Dandruff can occur...
Dry eyes can be a sign of dehydration or irritation. Sours taste generally flushes the eyes and skin (for example: lime).
Stercobilin is the chemical responsible for the brown color of human fecal material. When stool sits in the colon too long, it becomes smaller, drier, and more concentrated, thus darker. You can test colon transit time by eating a cup of well cooked...
Dark menstrual blood could indicate blood stagnation, and cold congestion in the uterus.
Generally, urine should be straw colored, or light yellow. Dark yellow urine implies the urine has a lower concentration of water than normal. This may be due to dehydration, a high sodium diet, electrolyte imbalance, poor circulation to the kidneys...
When a person is dark for their ethnicity, it could suggest the liver is deficient or toxic.
Dental surgery is a medical procedure performed on the teeth and jaw bone. Missing teeth can significantly impact your ability to chew food. Improperly chewed food can sit undigested in the GI tract, leading to gas, bloating, and the formation of...
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics. By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’