The power of Ghee

In Ayurveda ghee is regarded to have numerous health benefits. It is used for cooking as well for therapeutic purposes. But first of all what is ghee? Ghee is clarified butter, or better said, butter that is free of impurities and water. The process of ghee making is quite simple.

If you want your ghee to have therapeutic effects you must use unpasteurized butter. Pasteurized butter will not have therapeutic effects and it will be just like using refined oil (the same goes for the ghee that has not be properly prepared).

Take one pound of unpasteurized, unsalted butter (it is recommended to use organic butter) and melt it in a sauce pan that you have previously heated (use medium heat). Soon, the butter will begin to boil and white foam will appear on top, while on the bottom you will see some sediments. Continue to boil the butter and do not stir it. You can expect that 50-55% of the original quantity of the butter will evaporate. You are done when the bubbling noise disappears (meaning the water has evaporated), the sediment on the bottom becomes golden brown and the butter turns to a light golden-amber color. Turn off the flame in order to avoid burning. The whole process usually takes some 20 minutes. Now, you must leave the cooked ghee to cool off for some 30 minutes. Pour the ghee into previously sterilized jars, using a cheese cloth (or gauze). The ghee will later on turn yellow and solidify, and can last for years if stored properly (even outside your fridge). It is regarded that the therapeutic qualities of ghee increase over the years.

Because it lacks hydrogenated oils ghee is recommended for low fat diets and for healthy cooking in general. Furthermore ghee is recommended for those who are intolerant to lactose because all the milk proteins are removed during the clarification process.

So what are the health benefits of ghee? In Ayurveda ghee is recommended for the stimulation of digestion (because it stimulates the secretion of stomach acids) and to cure constipation and ulcers. It is used for improving the health of eyes, skin and for the acceleration of hair and bone growth. It is regarded that is beneficial for curing burns, blisters, hemorrhoids and even asthma. It helps in detoxification processes and it is regarded to have antiseptic, antibiotic and preservation qualities. Ghee is regarded to be very helpful for learning and for memory retention in general. Ghee is rich with antioxidants and because it helps the absorption of vitamins and minerals, it is recommended for the strengthening the body immune system. Some even believe it can inhibit the growth of cancerous cells.
You can use ghee to prepare your food (it will give a nice delicate taste to your food). Even though ghee will be light to your stomach, because of its rich and concentrated flavor it can be used in smaller quantities (one tablespoon of ghee can substitute four tablespoons of butter or cooking oil).

In regards to the use of ghee for people with high cholesterol levels there are some disagreements. Some regard that ghee is not advised in cases of high cholesterol because it contains high saturated fats, while others regard that ghee can be beneficial for heart disease patients with cholesterol problems because it supposedly raises the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and lower the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). So, if you have problems with your cholesterol, I advise you to consult your doctor before using ghee.

Kidney cleansing

Kidneys are one of the most important organs of the human body. Even if small as a fist they process about 20% of the blood pumped by the heart and sift out two quarts of waste products and water. The kidney's filtering system allows the waste material and water to leave the blood and enter your urinary system. If this system is not functioning in a proper manner you can develop various conditions the most common being kidney stones or renal failure.

Your kidneys receive the blood, they process it and remove the wastes and then return the filtered blood to the body while directing the unwanted waste substances in the urine. Urine flows through the ureters to the bladder and then is eliminated from the body through the urethra.

Among the various tasks of kidneys are: keeping constant volume of the water in the body, the concentration of various ions, regulating your blood pressure, stimulating the production of red blood cells, removing waste from the your body (toxic substances, urea, drugs, etc.).

Kidney cleanse is a procedure that includes drinking a huge amount of water or other liquid (juice fast) and eating a special healing diet (detoxification diet). Your detoxification diet should include healing foods (such as garlic, onions, lemon, aloha vera, green tea, seaweed, etc.) healing fats (olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, flaxseed oil), vegetable juices, unrefined sea salt. Herbal teas can be very helpful and beneficiary.

Eating healthier food and drinking more water can sometimes be enough. A colon cleanse will help your kidneys as well.

One very simple, yet effective, method is to eat as much watermelon you can during one day, making sure you empty your bladder regularly.

A very effective way to detoxify your kidneys might be the use of bearberry and juniper herbs. Bearberry is very good for the genital and urinary organs, especially for urinary tract infections, cystitis, bloody urine, candida infections, vulvitis, etc.

Make sure to increase your water consumption while kidney cleansing.

Eating and drinking in Greece

In Greece, like in all Mediterranean countries, eating is a way of socializing and bringing friends and family together. Because of it geographical position between the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, the Greek cuisine seems to embrace in its dishes all these various influences. It is a nice mixture of tastes and flavors that conquers right away those who visit Greece.

The Greek cuisine is mostly based on fresh and raw vegetables that are to be considered the foundation of every meal. The reason for that is that, until the 1950's, the average Greek family could afford meat only once a week (meat was reserved mostly for the festivities) so the Greek cooks had to use mostly vegetables and be very inventive with it. Of course, the usages of vegetables depend from the season: in the cooler months the vegetable dishes are predominated by leafy greens while in the warm season eggplants and tomatoes reign supreme. Greeks love to use leafy vegetables to make salads, pittes (baked pies) and casseroles. One of the most typical Greek vegetable dishes is Briam, a ratatouille with zucchini, potatoes, eggplants and tomatoes. Furthermore eggplants are used in numerous recipes like melintzanosalata (eggplant salad or a eggplant puree with tomatoes, onions, lemon juice and olive oil), melitzanopitta (eggplant pie), eggplant moussakas (a casserole with fried sliced eggplants, minced meat and béchamel sauce) and melintzanes Paputsakia (eggplants stuffed with minced meat and béchamel sauce).

One of the most typical Greek dishes is pittes or baked pies that are made using artichokes, potatoes, peppers, leek, spinach, onions, chicories, cheese, cream, minced meat, olives, zucchini, ham and rice. In fact they make pittes almost out of everything even edible weed.

Cheese is quite a typical Greek ingredient. Greece is the biggest cheese consumer in Europe and every Greek region has its own cheese. Feta is of course the most famous, and it is made from goat, sheep or cow milk, but there are many other varieties of cheese to try like kefalograviera (of harder consistency), manouri (a sweet cheese) and touloumbisio (a cheese with a stronger taste used for stuffing).

Greeks love to eat meat. Typical meat dishes include souvlaki (pork or lamb kebab), yiros (doner kebab with pita bread and garnish), loukanika (pork sausages), pansetta (pork ribs), mousakka (oven-baked casserole with minced meat), stifadho (stew). In Greece it is very popular to eat lamb and goat meat (grilled, baked or stewed). Many meat dishes are oven baked casseroles that are prepared in the morning and then left to cool down during the day, thus intensifying the taste of the dish. Greeks love to grill their meat as well, using oak wood coals and a lot of herbs and spices.

As far as fish is concerned there are many varieties to choose from: sardines, anchovies, shrimps, cuttlefish, octopus, bass, sole, bream and other indigenous species that are mostly fried or grilled. Beware, Greek love to use large quantities of lemon juice with their fish (sometimes even too much) so be prepared for that.

The Greek sweets are something you absolutely have to try! The most famous are baklavas (a walnut, honey and sugary sweet), kataifi, loukoumadhes (deep-fried puffs with honey, syrup and cinnamon) and galaktoboureko (custard pie). The bottom line is that their sweets are really, really sweet, so if you do not like that I would suggest you choose another typical Greek dessert: yogurt with honey.

As far as drinking, Greeks are definitely not heavy drinkers. They like sipping their drink with their meal (which is definitely their main concern). Greek wines are good, are often sold in bulk by quarter, half or full liter (served in glass bottles or cups called kantaria). If you have the chance try retsina, a wine with a taste of pine resin, it is very strange but you might love it. Of course, when in Greece, you have to try ouzo (a spirit with a taste of anis or fennel). Greeks drink it all the time mixed with water. It is very refreshing and tasteful.

At the end we must mention olives and the olive oil! Olive oil and olives are absolutely the favorite Greek ingredients. There are dozens of olive varieties (green, black, purple) and they are mostly use for oil making. Others, as the Kalamata olive, is used for eating and for making salads, like the famous Greek salad that in Greece is called horiatiki (or peasant salad)!

Holidays in Greece

As the end of February starts to approach I'm starting to think about the warmer seasons and especially about my next holidays. And as much I consider the various destinations, one place seems to come to my mind: Greece. So far, I've been to Greece on holidays three times and I visited the islands of Thira (or Santorini), Karpathos and Lefkas. Santorini, being a vulcanic island, is very impressive and stunning. Lefkas has beautiful beaches and sceneries as well, but my favorite would have to be Karpathos.

Karpathos is part of the Dodecanese group of islands and is situated between the islands of Rhodes and Crete. It's a long and narrow island with a mountainous spine. The north is slightly green while the south is rocky. Because of its geographycal position, Karpathos has always been a little bit isolated and away from the "action", so in the past a lot of the inhabitants emigrated to the USA. That's why you will see a lot of American car plates on the island, especially in the summer season. The island is not that overcrowded with tourists either (mostly they are Germans and Scandinavians), so you will find a spot on the most popular beaches even in the high season.

What are the sites of interest on the island? First of all, if you are looking for traces of the Ancient Greece civilization this is not the place for you. Karpathos has virtually no archeological sites. Karapathos is an island with the most beautiful beaches (they are mostly gravel beaches). The water is crystalline and turqouise (a shade I've only seen on postcards). Apella beach is the most well known, but the beaches of Ahata and Kyra Panayia are almost as beautiful (and easier to reach). You can reach the beaches by car or by boat.

The capital of the island is Pigadhia, and here you will find all the major hotels of the island. There is not much to see in Pigadhia but you can find everything you need.

Apart from the beautiful beaches, Karpathos is famous for the village of Olymbos in the far north of the island. Olymbos is an isolated village in the mountains that can be reached either by car following a quite tortuous road or by sea with the excursion boats that depart from Pigadhia on daily basis. I recommend the latter option even if the sea is often rough, but it's definitely worth seeing the island and Olymbos from the seaside. The boats will take you to the small port of Dhiafani and then you'll reach Olymbos by bus. The trip by bus is an adventure for itself, and if you suffer from fear of heights try not to look outside your window during the drive.
Olymbos is really something special. It's a traditional Greek village where tha inhabitants are still dressed in traditional clothes and speak an ancient language (that can be heard anywhere else in Greece). Unfortunately, because Olymbos has become more accessable over the years (the road has been reconstructed in 2006-2007) it will loose most of its traditional isolated charme.

The center of Karpathos is well known for the excellent tavernas you can find and the fine dishes of Greek cuisine you can eat. I would recommend two tavernas in Pigadhia as well (Iy Orea Karpathos and To Ellinikon). The food on Karpathos is really good and with moderate prices.

Another thing I forgot to mention is the strong wind of Meltemi that blows on the island (especially in August). It is especially strong on the southern part of the island, so if you like windsurfing visit the Amfiarti region (near the airport).

In the end I must mention the Karpathians! They are really friendly and nice people that make you feel welcomed.

So, from tomorrow I'm starting to put my money away to return this summer to Karpathos!

Incompatible food combinations

In the last post I wrote about choosing your diet accordingly to your Ayurvedic constitution and about some basic dietary principles. In this post I will write about incompatible food combinations according to Ayurveda. Here are some basic rules in Food combining.

You should avoid the following food combinations:
- don't combine milk and yogurth with sour and citrus fruits,
- avoid eating fruits with potatoes or other starchy foods, because fructose and starch are digested in different times (fructose quickly while starch is digested more slowly) resulting in improper digestion of sugar.
- avoid cooking honey! Honey digests slowly when cooked. Uncooked honey is nectar while cooked honey is poison.
- don't eat meat protein and milk protein together. Meat has heating energy while milk is cooling so they counteract one another, disturbing the gastric fire (agni).
- melons and grains are not good together, because of different digestion times. Melons should be eaten alone.
- milk and melons should not be mixed together. Both are cooling, but milk is laxative and melon is diuretic, and milk requires more time to digest. Moreover mik curdles in the stomach. That's why you should not combine milk with sour fruits, yogurth, cheese, sour cream and fish.

Milk is incompatible with: bananas, sour fruits, melons, fish, meat and bread with yeast.
Yogurth is incompatible with: milk, meat, fish, cheese, starches, melons, mangos and sour fruits.
Starches are incompatible with: eggs, milk, bananas and dates.
Eggs are incompatible with: milk, yogurth, fish, meat, melons, bananas and cheese.
Corn is incompatible with: dates, raisins and bananas.
Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, chillies are incompatible with: milk, yogurth, cucumber and melons.
Lemon is incompatible with: yogurth, milk, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Honey is incompatible with: ghee (clarified butter) and with heating or cooking.
Beans are incompatible with: milk, fruits, cheese, yogurth and meat.
Fruits should be eaten alone.

Some of this rules may seem hard to follow, especially because many dishes include one of this forbidden combinations. But once you start to eat accordingly to these rules your digestion will improve and you will start to feel better right away!

The basic Ayurvedic dietary principles

Now, that you found what type of dosha predominates in your body we can discuss the basic dietary principles of Ayurveda. Your diet and nutrition should be based upon your individual dosha.

According to Ayurveda there are several types of nutritional disorders:

1. Quantitative deficiency: caused by insufficient food. It can lead to under-nutrition or even starvation.
2. Qualitative deficiency: wrong food combinations resulting in malnutrition, insufficient esssential nutrients and even toxic conditions.
3. Qualitative and quantitative over-nutrition: overeating resulting in obesity, hipertension, heart disease, high cholesterol.
4. Toxins in food: certain food or food combinations lead to toxemia and digestive disorders.
5. Foods that are not suitable to your constitution: can cause immune deficiency and disease.

The above mentioned nutritional disorders are connected to the stranght of agni (or gastric fire). There are three types of agni:

1. VISHAMA AGNI - due to vata dosha the gastric fire becomes ineffective causing irregular appetite, indigestion and gases. Emotionally this can lead to anxiety, fear and even mental problems.
2. TIKSHNA AGNI - pitta dosha is responsible for this type of agni disorder, resulting in hyperacidity, heartburn, hyper-metabolism and hypoglycemia. All this can cause inflammatory diseases.
3. MANDI AGNI - due to an excess of kapha Dosha, leading to slow metabolism, allergies and overweight.
4. SAMA AGNI - the ideal agni. Is a result of balanced tri-doshas. A person with this type of agni can eat almost any type of food. Digestion, absorption and elimination are normal.

The individual agni determines how well food is digested. But there is another important factor in food digestion and that is food combination. According to Ayurveda every food has its own taste, healing or cooling energy and post-digestive effect. So mixing different types of food tastes, energies and post-digestive effects can result in bad digestion and production of toxins.

You should eat fruits, vegetables, starches, proteins and fats separately or in the proper combinations, taking in consideration your own constitution and time of the day.

As for the influence of foods on the three doshas the principles are as follows:
- pitta increases with foods that are sour and pungent,
- kapha aggravates with dairy products,
- vata is over-stimulated by beans, dry fruit, astringent and bitter substances.

Here is a Ayurvedic tip to stimulate your appetite and digestion. Chew 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ginger before each meal. Avoid drinking cold or icy water during and after the meals because this slows the agni.

When eating you should follow this principle: one third of your stomach shoul be filled with food, one third with liquid and one third should stay empty, in order to allow the mixture of food in the stomach and to allow proper digestion.

In my next post I will be talking about incompatible food combinations!

Your Ayurvedic constitution: are you a Vata, Pitta or Kapha type?

In Ayurveda there are three different types of constitutions or doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The three doshas represent the combination of the five elements present in nature: air, space, earth, fire and water. These elements combine to create the three doshas.

It's very important to know your dosha because it can help you understand what is good for you (and your health) as well the things you should avoid in order to stay in balance. In Ayurvedic medicine remedies are prescribed depending on your dosha and the dosha that is disturbed.

It's quite rare that somebody embodies the characteristics of only one dosha. Most people are the combination of two or even three doshas, but in general one of the doshas is always dominant.

Here is a little test you can do in order to find out what dosha is predominating. Select the statements that describe you the best.

Type A

- small-boned, the built is thin, doesn't gain weight easily,
- joints and veins are prominent, the skin is dry and rough,
- the hair is dry and rough,
- cracked nails,
- eyes are small and active,
- lips are discolored, dry and thin,
- has little strenght and gets tired easily,
- the appetite is variable, at times can get very hungry,
- very physically active (even restless),
- the stool is hard and dry, tendency toward constipation,
- the mind is always active and restless,
- has the tendency to be fearful and anxious when under stress,
- recent memory is good but long-term memory is poor,
- has light sleep,
- has tendency towards cold hands and feet, light perspiration,
- dreams are fearful and full of movement.

Type B

- medium built,
- normal body weight, may be atletic and muscular,
- the skin is oily, reddish and sensitive, warm to the touch,
- hair is fine and oily, tendency towards balding and premature graying,
- medium and penetrating eyes that are sensitive to light,
- lips are medium-sized and soft,
- nails are soft and flexible,
- medium strenght,
- the appetite is quite strong, tends to be irritable if misses a meal,
- enjoys physical activity, especially if competitive,
- bowel movements sre regular, oily, soft and loose,
- the mind is sharp and focused,
- tendency toward irritability, anger and frustration when under stress,
- has excellent memory,
- usually sleeps well,
- the circulation is good and perspires frequently,
- dreams are passionate, sometimes violent and angry,
- tendency towards aggression, high blood pressure, inflammatory processes.

Type C

- the built is thick and stocky. Larger bone structure,
- often overweight,
- the skin is thick and cool, prone to acne,
- the hair is strong, thick, oily and shiny,
- eyes are round, big and prominent,
- lips are full, large and smooth,
- nails are strong and thick,
- is strong with good endurance,
- not very active, sometimes lazy even lethargic,
- bowel movements are slow, thick, heavy and oily stools,
- the mind is slow and calm,
- tends to avoid situatuions that are difficult,
- has slow but sustaining memory,
- the sleep is sound and heavy,
- perspiration is moderate,
- dreams are peaceful, calm, romantic (often involving water),
- has tendency towards reaspiratory and lymph congestion, water retention, etc.

If you selected mostly A, you are Vata. Vatas are creative and fast thinking, the artistic types. They are dominated by air so they need routine in their life in order to control their energy. They should avoid cold, dried, raw and frozen foods and in order to achieve balance they need to eat warm foods (to help their digestion). They should avoid cold weather as well. When in imbalance, emotionally, they are fearful, insecure, anxious (even suffering from mental problems) while physically they may suffer from digestive problems, congestion and excessive gases. Their main organ is the colon.

If you selected mostly B, you are Pitta. Pittas have strong will and determination. Their dominant element is fire so they have the tendency to be hot and fiery. When in imbalance they may have inflammations (the -itis alterations like gastritis, othitis, laryngitis, etc.), skin rashes, fever and ulcers, and a certain tendency to aggressive outbursts. Their main organs are the small intestines and the stomach. They should avoid excessive heat and steam in order to cool down. They should avoid as well all the foods that are oily or foods that may cause irritation of some kind (hot spices, caffeine, salt). Expressing emotion should be very important for Pittas.

If you selected mostly C, you are Kapha. Kaphas have good strenght and stamina. They are dominated by earth. They have a certain tendency towards routine so they should try to break it every now and then. They tend to get attached to things and people. Financial and emotional security is very important to Kaphas (they are quite materialistic). Production of mucus is typical for Kaphas, they have a tendency towards congestion, sinusitis, slughiness. Their main body part is the chest. When in imbalance they suffer from obesity, diabetes and water retention. In order to be in balance Kaphas should try to be more physically active, avoid heavy and fatty foods, large amouts of sugar and bread. They should engage in more exiting and challenging activities in order to avoid their indolence.