Chyawanprash.... Ayurvedic superfood... mixture of 52 different herbs, flowers and spices..

I have begun using CHYAWANPRASH... thanks to Dr Ram Sharma advising me to do so.  Considered an Ayurvedic super food,  it is a mixture of between 25-80, and often 52, different herbs, flowers and spices in the base of clarified butter (ghee) and honey or raw cane sugar.  Taken with warm milk or water,  this helps as an antioxidant, boosts immunity and improves the functioning of brains cells and the nervous system.  It is also an anti-aging herbal tonic.

The real recipe of chyawanprash is given in ayurvedic texts like Ashtangahridayam, Carakasamhita, Sangandharasamhita,etc. Nowadays different companies are making chyawanprash in their own ways by removing some ingredients and adding their own. The number of herbs used in preparation of the paste varies from 25 to 80, but the main ingredient of all Chyawanprash is amla. Other chief ingredients are:

• ashwagandha
• asparagus
• bamboo manna
• blue Egyptian water lily
• cardamom
• chebulic myrobalan
• Chinese cinnamon
• cinnamon bark
• clove
• Indian rose chestnut
• country mallow
• feather foil plant (Phyllanthus niruri or Bhumiamalaki)
• galls
• ghee
• Giant potato (Ipomoea mauritiana or Kiribadu Ala)
• honey
• Indian kudzu
• Irish root
• liquorice
• Long pepper (Piper longum)
• Malabar nut (Seed of Adhatoda vasica)
• Nut grass
• Potassium sorbate
• Raisins
• Round zedoary
• sandalwood
• sesame oil
• Spreading hogweed (Boerhavia diffusa)
• Sugar
• Tiger's claw or Ice plant
• Wild black gram
• Wild green gram
• Winter cherry (or Ashwaghanda)

Coconut oil... super oil...

Ayurvedic doctors recommend that coconut oil be used... especially for post-menopausal women.  This is not to exclude other healthy oils, such as olive and others.  But coconut oil is a favorite for many Indian  men and women at all ages. Dr Ram Sharma has always used coconut oil in his village, Salawa, and it is widespread in India. 

( http://chakrapaniayurveda.com/ At Ames Yoga last night (4/6/13),  we had Dr Kotecha from chakrapani ayurveda Jaipur India address the group.  He mentioned that coconut oil is especially good for post-menopausal women.)