wellness

How to deal with body enemy #1: phlegm.

Via Pinterest.

Via Pinterest.

Truly, phlegm is the No. 1 enemy in our system.

Not so long ago, my neighbor in Bangalore died because of a mosquito bite. She caught dengue fever and, in less than three days, she was dead, leaving behind two teenage children and a husband.

Four months later, her 16-year-old daughter came to me and requested Yoga classes to lose weight. She was very overweight.

And my work started.

I taught her no Yoga at our first session. Instead, I explained to her the real cause of her mother’s death. I told her how it was phlegm, and not dengue fever, that killed her.

The intestinal tract and the bile in the stomach simply refuse to absorb something that will not nourish the body, let alone the mind. The intestinal tract is eight meters long, and has many small buds, which are responsible for the absorption of nutrients in to the system.

Whatever cannot be absorbed is expelled out of the body in the form of stool, sweat, urine, and as a coating on the tongue. Despite that, another item remains that does not leave the body and stays in the system for a long time to come.

That is phlegm.

What exactly is phlegm?

According to Yoga and Ayurveda, phlegm is a natural component of our body. In Sanskrit, it is called Kapha. Kapha is not just phlegm, it is especially related to oil and the lubrication of our system.

Lack of Kapha causes excess dryness, problems with the joints, mental instability, stress, fatigue and sexual weakness.

Clearly, well-nourished Kapha is necessary for the body. However, excess Kapha causes symptoms in reverse: obesity, rudeness, greediness, excess mucus, heaviness and pallor, excessive sleep, cold sensations and cough. Therefore, excess phlegm is termed as Kapha disorder and has severe consequences on an organism.

In the long run, phlegm, that has no way to leave the body, solidifies and turns into a deep-seated toxic mass, gelling with tissue and becoming almost one with it.

How does that happen?

It happens in six stages:

First is Accumulation, wherein phlegm is accumulated in its home, i.e. the stomach, resulting in the above-mentioned disturbances.

The food that causes excess phlegm is usually yogurt, milk, cheese, meat, fish, grains, lentils and beans, sweets, fried and baked foods, fruits like bananas, processed food, sugar and fructose; food that is consumed cold will cause excess phlegm too.

In addition, unseasonal food, especially summer food consumed in winter, will cause mucus.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant and other summer vegetables and fruits are meant to cool the body in the summer heat. Consumed in winter, they cool the body excessively; the intestinal tract refuses to work on cooling food that would simply make it sick.

Hence, eat seasonal.

Finally, eating at the right time is crucial to maintaining a strong and effective metabolic fire. Meals eaten at night disturb sleep. At night, food needs to be metabolized, so do mental impressions. Stuffing yourself at night will cause pain in the lower back and mental dullness.

At night, there is a lack of metabolic fire and thus, the production of mucus will be great. The best time to eat is noon, when the Sun is the strongest and so is digestion.

The second step is Aggravation, where phlegm increases its presence and, with it, the symptoms of disease.

The third stage is Overflow, where phlegm is not any more in its home (stomach) but spreads into the tissue and organs. Here, malfunctions are recorded in the form of coughs, fevers, swollen joints, mucus in the stool, swollen glands and pain in the chest, fatigue, headaches, etc.

The fourth stage is Relocation, where phlegm relocates to the lymphatic system, pancreas, liver and kidneys.

The fifth stage is Manifestation, where we call a spade a spade. In this stage, full-blown diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, diabetes, etc. are identifiable.

The last, sixth, stage is Diversification, where the disease matures and begins to cause multiple problems, most notable amongst them is heavy congestion and swelling that causes intense pain either in the chest, lower back, joints or groin, or in all of them.

Here we apply the yogic methods of cleansing. The first ones are definitely the Shat Karmas or the six cleansing actions of yoga.

As mentioned earlier, certain type of foods should not be consumed on a regular basis. In fact, fried and, to a good extent, baked food should be given up.

Every time I do a workshop or course, I recommend reducing the intake of foods like yogurt, cheese (especially heavy cheeses) as they really tend to clog the system and exacerbate the joint and lower back pains.

Always, and I mean always, someone asks, “But where will we get our calcium from?” Anticipating the inevitable, I smile inwardly before I answer. “You should only eat what you can digest. What is the point of stuffing yourself with food that creates so much phlegm and fails to nourish you?”

Other heavy foods are also the same. For example, grains. It is better to soak them for 15 to 24 hours before steaming them, to extract the mucus out of them. Steaming food is crucial as it helps to, first, expel air and second, to destroy mucus.

Contrary to the populist perception, the raw food is not the ultimate answer to our dietary needs. It is steamed food that promotes vitality and longevity. Even cooked food creates a lot of mucus.

A tip: While cooking, add salt at the very end, once the dish is ready. Food cooked with salt increases the formation of Kapha.

Once food is prepared correctly and ingredients chosen carefully, the feast can begin.

Say No to phlegm and begin a transformation that will not only better your health but also increase spiritual and material prosperity in your life.

 

{Om Tat Sat}

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