Stomach Flu Natural Remedies

Oh, the stomach flu! What a nasty bug. And one I got to know quite well in the last few days. Yes, that's right, after my emotional and material purging over the last couple of weeks, I've had the opportunity to physically purge the toxins out of my body. I feel much better today, albeit still a little weak from the torment of vomiting my guts out on Wednesday night and wrestling with fever yesterday.

Having spoke to a few friends and colleagues, I hear I'm not the only one recovering from this aliment, so I thought I'd share some ayurvedic remedies should you also be affected by Viral Gastroenteritis (a.k.a the stomach flu).

First, how do you know the difference between the stomach flu and food poisoning?
Although the stomach flu and food poisoning have similar symptoms (vomiting, headaches, fever, loose stools, etc.) and are both an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, their cause differs. Food poisoning is a bacterial infection resulting from eating something disagreeable, whereas the stomach flu or viral gastroenteritis is a viral infection contracting by contact with an infected person. Both conditions usually last one to three days, but it may take two weeks or longer for the digestive system to regain its full strength. However, if you are affected by either food poisoning or the stomach flu, your immunity and digestive system was probably weakened to begin with. This is why in the same family, one or two people may get sick and the others not, even if everyone was exposed to the same food or virus.

So, how do you get over it? 

• Rest is top priority. Stay warm and cozy in bed and just sleep and/or breathe deeply.
• Avoid dehydration by taking small sips of room temperature water once vomiting has ceased. (Small sips are important, as big gulps with may further aggravate the system.)
• Re-hydrating with electrolytes is important. I used the new Vega Sport Electrolyte blend in water and it helped a lot. But, you can also make your own: 1 c water  + 1 tsp agave nectar (or maple syrup) + 2 tbps lemon juice + a pinch of salt
• Rice water is also soothing. To make it, simply boil brown rice (organic is best) with double or triple the usual amount of water. When the rice is ready, strain it and drink the water.
• Clear broths or other clear, non-acidic beverages are beneficial.
• Fennel and coriander tea is good too. Just put about 1/2 tsp of freshly ground fennel and coriander seeds (equal parts) in a cup of hot water and let steep for five minutes before drinking.
• When you are ready to start eating again, I highly recommend plain rice with maybe a little yogurt or ghee + a Kitchari diet for a few days. ("Kitchari" means "mixture" or "stew" and is a staple food in India). Below is a recipe for Kitchari.
• Go see a doctor or health care professional, if you have blood in your stool or if your symptoms get worse after a couple of days. 
• There are many wonderful ayurvedic herbs that can also help rebalance the digestive system, but these can only be recommended on an individual basis, as not all herbs are appropriate for all people. I should be up and running in a few days, so if ever you want to set up an ayurvedic appointment you are welcome to contact me: yfgow@yasminyoga.com

KITCHARI RECIPE: The best comfort food to get the digestive system back on track...
1 c split mung beans (soak for 1 hr before using)
2 c brown rice
4 1/2 c water
3/4 tsp sea salt & black pepper
1 tbsp freshly ground cumin
1 tbsp freshly ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp freshly ground fennel seeds
1 tbsp turmeric
Small pinch of Hing or asafoetida (It helps prevent gas and can be found at an Indian store.)
About 1/2 - 1 c easily digestible veggies (zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, turnip and/or squash)

Put everything into a pot & bring to a boil. Then cover & let simmer for on Low for ~45mins. Enjoy with 1-2tsp of ghee (clarified butter) or coconut butter or oilve oil. For a little pro-biotic boost, adding a table spoon or two of plain yogurt is good with this dish.  (Tip: avoiding adding the veggies, if your digestive system is very weak.)


Don't know how to make ghee? It's really simple.

GHEE RECIPE
Melt 1 pound of unsalted butter (organic butter is best for therapeutic applications and if you can find grass fed cow butter all the better) on stove and let simmer for 15-20 mins on low heat. Stir continuously. Scrape foam off the top and discard. After about 15-20 mins, it with stop boiling and become clear. At this point, turn off heat. Let cool for 5-10 mins. Then strain (with cheese cloth) into clean, dry container. Cover and store in cool, dry place like pantry.

* Please feel free to also post your own suggestions for stomach flu or food poisoning cures!

Nude & vegetarian!

My dad's reaction on my voicemail this morning was pretty funny:

 "Hello, daughter.  It's around 8 in the morning and I'm sitting reading the Gazette and low and behold, I turn the page and there's my naked daughter right in this big, big picture with an article written about her. My goodness, gracious!"

Yes, there is a nude photograph of me in today's largest English Montreal newspaper, The Gazette, but it isn't gratuitous.  Plus, it's for a good cause. The cause of vegetarianism & eco-nutrition! (View article)

I'm Ms September in the 2011 Raw Beauty calender featuring healthy, athletic and NAKED vegetarian, vegan & raw food models. The Gazette article is about the calender, environmental eating, and the "controversy" over the pairing of food with nudity. (Eye-roll. Let's not discuss those poopoo nakedness. That's just ridiculous.)

As you probably know, eating a plant based diet is very important to me. I stopped eating red meat at age 11 or 12, and haven't eaten chicken in over ten years. I have been vegan on and off. Currently, I avoid dairy, but occasionally, eat organic eggs from a small farm near Montreal and the odd piece of goat cheese. I also use ghee (clarified butter), as part of my ayurvedic treatments.

My reasons for not eating meat have shifted over the years. I honestly don't remember why I first became vegetarian. I think it's because of my mom, who doesn't eat read meat. Now, I avoid animal products mostly for ethical and environmental reasons. In her article, Michelle Lalonde mentioned I speak about environmental sustainability and food, and that I believe that eating meat at every meal is selfish. All true.

My lecture was co-written by Brendan Brazier, my vegan friend, who is the formulator of Vega and author of the Thrive Diet. (Btw, the Thrive Diet is an excellent resource for people considering a plant based diet.) Here are some stats regarding animal agriculture from our Eco-Nutrition talk:

Due to erosion, the overuse of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers, and other farming practice, the Earth is currently, losing arable topsoil at a rate of 75 to 100 gigatonne per year. If soil loss continues at present rates, it is estimated that there is only another 48 years of topsoil left!

Given depleting rates of fertile land, one would expect that the world’s grain crops would go to feed people, but instead most of it goes to feed animals. In fact, 70% of the world’s arable land is used to grow food to feed animals for our consumption.

This is a huge waste of land, because it takes:

•  7 kg of grain to produce 1 kg of beef
•  4 kg of grain to produce 1 kg of pork
•  2 kg + of grain to produce 1 kg of poultry

The irony is that livestock food isn't even nutritious to the animals. Cows for instance are supposed to eat grass, not grain, so they emit flatulence, releasing tons of highly toxic methane gas into the atmosphere. I'm not kidding! These farting cows produce a greenhouse gas that is 21 times more destructive than the CO2 emitted by gasoline engines!

It is estimated that the animal agriculture in North America produces 38% more green house gases than all of transportation combined! This includes all stretched Hummers and jet airplanes...

Now water: It takes a minimum of 47.6 bathtubs full of water (2000 gallons) to produce one pound of beef. 

Not a very sustainable and efficient industry, eh?


Stay tuned for better options and awesome veggie recipes to try this winter.


* PS the Raw Beauty calender makes a great Holiday gift and is for sale online or at my Pointe Claire studio, Om West.

Recipe for Root Chakra Smoothie

(This recipe is one I designed to balance the first chakra.)

The Root Chakra - Muladhara is red in color and rests at the base of the spine or coccyx. It is connected to earthly pleasures and is in harmony when we feel grounded and safe.

EARTH & ABUNDANCE SMOOTHIE

• ¾ cup cranberry juice or grape juice
• ¾ cup almond milk
• Seeds of ½ a pomegranate
• 5 strawberries
• 1 scoop chocolate Vega®

The pomegranate is the special ingredient in this recipe. It is a symbol of righteousness, abundance, fortune and fertility in the many traditions. It is a beautiful fruit with vibrant red juice and generally, only the seeds are eaten. Aside from being a good source of fiber, pomegranates contain plenty of antioxidant phytonutrients, which reduce the aging process of the body. As well, studies have shown that pomegranate juice can prevent heart disease and certain cancers. Corresponding with the tone of the root chakra, the brilliant red color of this smoothie comes from the cranberry juice, pomegranate seeds and strawberries, but turns a terra cotta shade with the addition of the chocolate Vega®. Vega is delicious a whole food powder full of vegan protein, hormone balancing maca, digestive enzymes and a variety of food based vitamins and minerals. Although Vega comes in several different flavors, I recommend the chocolate variety for this particular smoothie. After all, who doesn’t like strawberries and chocolate?