Ayurveda the science of life is an medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent.
Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population report using it.
Ayurveda therapies have varied and evolved over more than two millennia.
Therapies include medicines, special diets, meditation, yoga, massage, laxatives, enemas, and medical oils.
Medicines are typically based on complex herbal compounds, minerals, and metal substances (perhaps under the influence of early Indian alchemy or rasa shastra).
Ancient Ayurveda texts also taught surgical techniques, including rhinoplasty, kidney stone extractions, sutures, and the extraction of foreign objects.
The main classical Ayurveda texts begin with accounts of the transmission of medical knowledge from the gods to sages, and then to human physicians.
In Sushruta Samhita (Sushruta’s Compendium), Sushruta wrote that Dhanvantari, Hindu god of Ayurveda, incarnated himself as a king of Varanasi and taught medicine to a group of physicians, including Sushruta.
Ayurveda has been adapted for Western consumption, notably by Baba Hari Dass in the 1970s and Maharishi Ayurveda in the 1980s.
Some scholars assert that Ayurveda originated in prehistoric times, and that some of the concepts of Ayurveda have existed from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization or even earlier.
Ayurveda developed significantly during the Vedic period and later some of the non-Vedic systems such as Buddhism and Jainism also developed medical concepts and practices that appear in the classical Ayurveda texts.
In Ayurveda texts, Doṣa balance is emphasized, and suppressing natural urges is considered unhealthy and claimed to lead to illness.
Ayurveda treatises describe three elemental doṣas viz. vāta, pitta and kapha, and state that balance (Skt. sāmyatva) of the doṣas results in health, while imbalance (viṣamatva) results in disease. Ayurveda treatises divide medicine into eight canonical components.
Ayurveda practitioners had developed various medicinal preparations and surgical procedures from at least the beginning of the common era.
Listen to Renu, an Ayurveda practioner in north India talk about Ayurveda.
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Listen to this interview of Renu, an Indian living in North India about North Indian Food.
Do you like spicy food or is it too hot for you?
Do you know what millet is?
What do you think an Indian person living in India would eat as their ideal food?
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Victoria – English Food Blogger
Susan caught up with Victoria – English Food Blogger, an enthusiastic food blogger from England who talks about her interests in food and blogging.
Victoria’s blog is available here for those that would like to read about her food and recipes.
Food blogging is a very popular subject, with bloggers from all over the world sharing their recipes and thoughts on food with an ever-growing audience of foodies.
If you are an enthusiastic cook or interested in food and would like to share your passion with others, have a look here at How to start a foodblog.
You don’t need to be an expert – just able to write and pass on your interests and enthusiasm with the world.
Here are some really interesting food blogs to read if you need to be inspired.
Before listening to the podcast, think about the following :
- What are food blogs about?
- Who writes food blogs?
- Why do people write food blogs?
After listening to Victoria – English Food Blogger, try to answer the following questions?
- How old is Victoria?
- How did she start doing her blog?
- What did Victoria study at university?
- Why did Victoria choose to write a food blog?
- What foods does Victoria mention?
- Who tests out Victoria’s recipes?
- Is it difficult to set up a food blog?
- Is setting up a food blog expensive?
- Who does Victoria primarily write her blog for?
- What tips does Victoria give for potential bloggers?
Victoria gives some tips for non-native English speakers who may wish to write a blog.
Do you have any tips for budding bloggers whose native language isn’t English?
The rise of the food blogger is perhaps no surprise in a world trying to connect with the simple life.
Available to all who have access to a computer and the Internet, we are inspired to try local produce, to experiment with what’s in-season and to be conscious of what we are feeding ourselves and our families.
Nourishment comes from more than simply nutrients; it comes from appreciating the process.
But where do you find these bloggers?
How do you know where to look?
Have a look at the Top 100 Food Bloggers of 2015.
Music – Jahzzar – “Please Listen Carefully.”
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Chocolate is one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world, and many foodstuffs involving chocolate exist, particularly desserts, including cakes, pudding, mousse, chocolate brownies, and chocolate chip cookies.
Chocolate bars, either made of solid chocolate or other ingredients coated in chocolate, are eaten as snacks all over the world.
Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes (such as eggs, hearts, coins) are traditional on certain Western holidays, including Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Hanukkah.
Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, such as chocolate milk and hot chocolate, and in some alcoholic drinks, such as creme de cacao or chocolate stout.
Although cocoa originated in the Americas, West African countries, particularly Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, are the leading producers of cocoa in the 21st century, accounting for some 60% of the world cocoa supply.
But how much do you know about chocolate, on this, world Chocolate day? Listen to some of the trivia facts and answers in this podcast to check your knowledge.
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Tea is probably the favourite drink across the world, but do you know about tea?
Do you know the phrases and expressions related to tea?
In this podcast we chat about the noble drink that the British (amongst others) adore.
Ever heard of, “A storm in a teacup?”
A mug of builders?
A cuppa?
A cup of Rosy Lee?
Listen to Chris & Sue reveal all about tea…
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Yuka The Healthy Eating App that checks out the quality of your shopping basket
Do you really know what you eat?
Well yes! With Yuka The Healthy Eating App you can scan your products and analyze their impact on your health.
In the blink of an eye, Yuka The Healthy Eating App decodes complicated and sometimes confusing labels for you: you visualise products that are good and those that are best avoided.
Get personalized recommendations for your shopping
When you scan a product that has a negative impact on your health, Yuka The Healthy Eating App recommends a better equivalent product.
So, you continue to enjoy yourself while eating healthier!
An independent evaluation based on 3 criteria
Nutritional quality
60% of the evaluation is based on nutritional quality, which takes into account the amount of energy, saturated fats, sugars, salt, fruits and vegetables, fiber and protein of the product. The calculation method is based on the Nutriscore (brand of Public Health France), built by Professor Serge Hercberg.
Additives
30% of the evaluation is based on the presence of harmful additives in the product. Yuka is based on many sources that have studied the dangerousness of food additives, among which are: “Food additives” Corinne Gouget, “Food additives” Maire-Laure André and the studies of the UFC Que Choisir, The French equivalent of ‘Which’ Magazine.
Biological dimension
10% of the evaluation is based on the biological dimension of the product.
Products considered organic are those with the French bio label (AB) and / or the European organic label (Eurofeuille)
Yuka uses the OpenFoodFacts free database.
Yuka The Healthy Eating App is free and available for download to a smartphone – have a look at the Yuka Website.
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