Niti Sheth

As we continue to live a life disconnected from nature and out of sync with our own intuitions, new and new viruses will keep popping up and causing a worldwide scare.
Rather than be worried about the latest epidemic to hit the front pages, be prepared. Build a strong immune system - so that you don't need to worry about fighting whatever is coming, your body is so strong, it will fight back without you trying!
Listen out to your body - the second you feel 'something is not... right' correct it! If you can't, then seek help. When we leave things too late because we don't have time to deal with it then, or we don't know what to do - that's when they snowball and become a lot worse. If your GP sends you home with paracetamol or just to rest it out, then seek the advice of a natural therapies health practitioners - even if you can't put your finger on exactly what's wrong, seek help to figure out what it is, and then address it.
So what is this 'something is not right' feeling? It's different for everyone - figure out what it is for you and recognise it as a warning sign that things could go downhill. Some examples: ⚠️ congestion - in the sinuses, bowels (constipation), lymph ⚠️ heaviness, stagnation, lack of energy and enthusiasm ⚠️ abnormal or muted taste, or poor appetite ⚠️ indigestion, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea or sticky stools ⚠️ malabsorption, vitamin and mineral deficiencies ⚠️ foul smelling breath, mucus, urine, and stools ⚠️ low self esteem, anxiety, worry, depression, fear of the unknown, a foggy mind, and unclear thinking
Listening to your body is one of the best ways to help you build a strong immune system!
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31 turns around the sun completed! what have And what a wonderful 31 years it’s been - of course no life comes without its fair share of ups and downs, but it’s how we take those ups and downs that’s important. So what have I learnt in 31 years?
1. Always be a child at heart 2. It’s ok to be thinking about food all the time #kapha 3. Saying ‘I love you’ is important, but more important is showing ‘I love you’... 4. Embrace change 5. Judgment can skew your perception of reality in a big way - don’t be judgmental 6. Always sing in the shower 7. Work hard, but know when to rest 8. You are a product of your association, so pick the right one 9. How you eat is often more important than what you eat 10. Turmeric milk solves all of life’s problems 11. Travel is one of the best experiences life can offer 12. Experiences make the best presents 13. Always look for the lesson that can be learnt from your mistakes 14. Prayer from the heart can change more than you think - so keep praying 15. Social media can make us more disconnected than connected 16. There is no substitute to good old fashioned face-to-face time 17. It’s ok to cry 18. The sun makes people happy 19. Give to others what they want, not what you want to give them 20. Don’t be scared to try new things, you’ll never know if you never try 21. Old is always gold 22. Be friends with those who uplift you, make you laugh and love you despite your shortcomings - these are the best kind to have 23. Be kind to every soul - you never know what they’ve gone through 24. Spend lots of time with babies and oldies - they’ll teach you things no-one else can 25. Never think you know it all 26. Exercise is not over-rated 27. Family love you like no-one else - especially your parents 28. You only really appreciate someone after they’ve gone - so constantly appreciate those around you now 29. If you can’t give anything, give love 30. Spirituality is more than a buzzword, it’s a practise that sustains all parts of your life - so never give it up 31. There’s definitely more joy had in giving than receiving
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Someone asked me about Vitamin D in the Winter time. I'm going to talk about that and also vitamin/mineral supplementation from an Ayurvedic view point. Firstly, Ayurveda doesn't talk about vitamins and minerals, or their deficiencies or even how to supplement that. Ayurveda looks at the bigger picture persepctive. It focuses on our agni, our digestion. Because if our digestion isn't working properly, nothing we take in will be digested and absorbed - even if it is the highes...t, most bio-available, most absorbable type of vitamins and supplements available. So number 1 - get your digestion in working order. Now if you've got Vitamin D deficiency (which is super common in the Winter in the UK), then it's shown up in your blood reports and you need to do something about it. I'm not going to advocate or challenge vitamin D supplementation - but one thing I will say, is that you don't want to be on supplements for a long time. If you are going to take them, then just take them for a short period until your levels reach acceptable ranges, and then take more natural measures.
There's no verse in the Ayurvedic texts that says x will give you Vitamin D. Ayurveda doesn't just look at health from a physiological level based on blood reports. It takes into account how you're feeling, and numerous other signs of clinical diagnosis (there is actually an 8-fold and 10-fold method of clinical examination) - so don't base your health on purely blood results, scans or hospital reports. Ask the person who knows you best - YOU. . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #winter #ayurvedicwinter #ayurvedatips #wintertips #staywarm
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Dry Skin - a sure sign that winter is well and truly in full swing! You'll be starting to see a pattern with all of the winter woes and their cause --- too much vata! (and sometimes it can be kapha too). And dry skin is defintiely no exception. One of the main qualities of vata is dry - and taking into account the Ayurvedic principle of 'like increases like' focus on reducing the number of dry things you do and eat.
🥑 Eat foods that are rich in natural fats and oils - ghee, ...avocado, seeds and coconut oil. External dryness can also be a reflection of internal dryness and lack of lubrication.
🚰 Make sure you're drinking plenty of water - it can be difficult in winter to get in enough water because you don't experience that thirst as much, so focus on drinking more herbal teas.
💆🏽 Massage yourself daily - swap your moisturisers with warmed sesame oil or an Ayurvedic blend (there are many to chooses from!) and spend 5-10 mins daily giving yourself a massage.
❤️ Bring some groundedness/oiliness in your mind - sounds like a weird quality to cultivate, but think of spending more time with fewer people, rather than trying to meet up with loads of people. Bring comfort back into your relationships - don't focus on constantly trying new things or new experiences, but take pleasure in the old and familiar
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Cold hands and feet! This is synonymous with vatas or even with Winter coming! Cold hands and feet is a sign of poor circulation in the body - and circulation is a department which is governed by vata - the energy responsible for movement. As the cold increases outside, our insides become colder, and as fundamental science teaches us - cold constricts while heat expands! So our blood vessels become smaller, meaning less blood flow to our extremeties resulting in us feeling co...nstantly cold! So what can you do to combat this? Get your vata in balance with these few tips:
🏃🏽‍♀️ Simple exercises each morning and evening to get that blood flowing to all areas of your body. Whether it's those foot and ankle exercises they tell us to do in the plane, or a few sun-salutations on each side daily, or even skipping indoors with a jump rope! Just get your blood pumping to warm those hands and feet.
✋🏽🦶🏽Ayurveda Mama Yogi has shared a great home-made oil recipe that can be massaged onto your hands and feet daily: Warm up 1 cup of sesame oil on the stove and to this add: 2 teaspoons ajwain seeds, 1 teaspoon grated ginger and 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds. Let these sizzle in the oil for about 1 minute on medium heat until the seeds are brown and aromatic, making sure they don't burn. Take off the heat, strain into a glass jar and massage either all over your body, or just on your hands and feet. You can then store this, and rewarm when you want to apply later. (wouldn't it be a great gift to a friend who's always complaining of cold hands and feet?!)
🧘🏽Follow a vata-pacifying diet and lifestyle
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As we're on the topic of immunity, I thought I would address the concept of boosting your immunity Ayurvedically. Like with anything else in Ayurveda, digestion underpins all health concerns. Poor immunity = poor digestion. So while I can give tips on how to boost your immune system naturally, if you haven't addressed the underlying cause of poor digestion, then your immune system will keep suffering.
For children or adults ✔️Make sure you're pooping 💩 daily (at least once)..., you're not straining and that you feel empty after each movement. ✔️Make sure you have an appetite - ie you ACTUALLY feel hungry for meals, and are not just eating for the sake of it. ✔️Make sure you feel energetic, mentally clear and satisfied after eating NOT lethargic, foggy headed and stuffed.
When I feel like my immune system is not working optimally, I eat clean for a few days to give my digestion a chance to reset - soups, kitcharis, roast veggies and lots of herbal teas - and prioritise rest.
🧑🏽For adults here are some go-to immunity boosters: turmeric milk; herbal teas brewed with fresh ginger, lemongrass (helps fight a fever), turmeric, black pepper, lemon & honey; oregano oil (take this with the advice of a naturopath or essential oil expert) I normally take a drop in a glass of water daily when I feel an illness coming on; echinacea is also another good naturopathic immune booster; steam with eucalyptus oil; rest and taking care of your digestion.
👶🏽For kids: steam with eucalyptus oil; turmeric milk; extra fresh ginger and turmeric in their foods; home-cooked and whole foods rather than processed foods; 1/2 teaspoon of chyavanprash in the morning; and taking care of their digestion.
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Someone asked me about managing extreme temperature changes - we can see this in sudden temperature drops as winter sets in, but we're finding this phenomenon increase even more so in other ways. Think of walking outside in a Northern Hemisphere Winter (say 4-5°C) to a cosy indoors (22°C), or even the opposite - a Southern Hemisphere Summer where it's 35°C outside and you walk into the cool air-conditioning of a shopping centre which is set to 22°C. In an increasingly urban e...nvironment these extreme temperature changes are sure to happen on a daily basis.
So what can we do about them?
Artificially created environments tend to lack the humidity and moisture of natural ones, and this adds to an already imbalanced vata in the atmosphere. This increased vata dries up our primary defence system - the mucus in our body - and so we are more susceptible to get sick (hence the notion of everyone complaining that they're sick because of the change in weather!).
To combat this, keep your body well lubricated. Especially in Winter - give yourself a self-massage with warm sesame oil after your shower, add a little extra dollop of ghee in to your foods during the day to keep your insides lubricated. Ayurveda Mama Yogi shared a great tip to make 'sesame oil ear plugs' - keeping any exposed parts of your body well nourished to prevent them drying out excessively. And keep your neck and head warm and well-wrapped up. . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #winter #ayurvedicwinter #ayurvedatips #wintertips #staywarm
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Eating for your dosha or eating seasonally?
It's important to primarily eat according to your mind-body constitution and your digestive fire, and then adjust slightly according to seasonal variations. Ayurveda is not meant to be a strict set of rules that you need to follow rigidly. Rather, it's a set of guidelines which aid you in understanding your body and your mind, and then eating and living accordingly. . .... . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #winter #ayurvedicwinter #ayurvedatips #wintertips #staywarm
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Our bodies work so intelligently - cold weather constricts the skin pores and superficial connective tissues and this prevents heat loss. Heat that would normally escape is then pushed internally in our bodies, to our stomachs so that our digestive fire becomes stronger in Winter. This warrants us eating foods that are a little heavier during Winter - and we can see this all around us. Comfort foods like mac and cheese, hearty pies, cakes and hot chocolates are popular during... this time, and we allow our selves to indulge that little bit more - normally justifying our decisions with 'I need it to keep me warm' 😂 Now this is great for vatas, but kaphas need to be careful... one of the biggest questions I got was about a Winter diet - so follow on the next three days as I share winter guidelines for all three doshas. . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #winter #ayurvedicwinter #ayurvedatips #wintertips #staywarm
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Winter time sees the Vata that was predominant in Autumn, linger on. And this time, it's joined by Kapha. As Vata is increased, so Kapha starts to accumulate during this season. In Winter, life on the planet slows down. In most places, it is cold, damp, cloudy and heavy - all qualities that provoke Kapha dosha. You can see it in nature around you - animals start to hibernate, the trees are barren from the fall of leaves in Autumn, days are shorter - everything slows down. . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #winter #ayurvedicwinter #ayurvedatips #wintertips #staywarm

I've had a request to start a series of posts on Ayurveda and winter! I thought it was apt since in England the temperatures just seem to have dropped all of a sudden! Making me miss the Australia heat even more 😩 But looking forward to share Ayurvedic thoughts and tips on Winter and how you can make the most of this season! . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #winter #ayurvedicwinter #ayurvedatips #wintertips #staywarm

A word on Ayurvedic herbs - with popular health and wellness websites advocating Ayurvedic herbs for health promotion and to treat various illnesses - it's important to take all of this information with a pinch of salt. Ayurvedic herbs are definitely powerful and beneficial for a whole variety of reasons, but just like western doctors PRESCRIBE medication, Ayurvedic herbs should be PRESCRIBED to you. As with any thing in life - the same thing can affect two people very differ...ently. As well, the dosage and method of delivery can change from person to person, and this will impact the way the herb affects you. While these herbs have so many beneficial properties, it's important to make sure you're taking them in the right way for YOU, to ensure you get the best possible response from the herb. So always seek the advice of an Ayurvedic professional before you start taking any herbs. . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha
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I find I'm able to nip the beginnings of a cold in the bud by just modifiying my diet and lifestyle. If you listen to your body when it signals to you, and adjust your life accordingly, you won't have to hear it scream later. So if you start to feel like you're getting sick, then be super strict with what you eat, drink and do. Really cut out processed foods, dairy and anything too heavy, increase the amount of hot herbal drinks you're taking and completely rest. If you do th...ese few things, you'll find you're quickly able to recover from whatever you had. If you think you can still do your normal load with a compromised immune system, you'll be doing yourself a disservice. Nor will you be able to operate at full capacity, but you'll also take even longer to fully recover. So you choose: a few days off now, or weeks off in the future? . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #cough #coldremedy #fluseason
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Or do you have a phlegmy cough? Then try one of these home remedies:
1. Make a tea out of 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder, a pinch of clove powder and a pinch of cinnamon powder in a cup of water. 2. 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper powder with 1 teaspoon of honey. The heating quality of black pepper helps relieve congesiton and drives out the cough. .... . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #cough #coldremedy #fluseason
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If you feel like you have a lot of mucus stuck in your head and sinuses, then follow these two things:
1. Take a mixture of 1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice + 1 teaspoon of honey. The ginger juice will help break up the mucus, and the scraping action of honey will help draw it out of the sinuses. 2. Steam inhalation with a few drops of eucalyptus oil. The warmth of the steam will loosen and liquefy any stuck mucus, and eucalyptus oil acts as a decongestant to further break it... up. . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #cough #coldremedy #fluseason
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This is my go-to drink when I feel I have a cold coming on:
1 tablespoon grated ginger 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder ... Bring this to a boil in about 1 cup of water and then simmer for 2-3 mins. Take it off the heat, strain into a mug and add 1 teaspoon honey and the juice of 1/2 a lime
#yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #cough #coldremedy #fluseason
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I increase my intake of black pepper, ginger (mainly fresh), turmeric, lemon and honey. Whether I put them all together in a drink, or add more of them in my cooking, I'll do whatever I can to get more of these penetrative spices into my diet, so they can help cut through all that mucus, and draw it out. Check out my stories to see ideas of how to incorporate these spices into your cooking, and also suggestions on meals that are best to eat when you have a cough or cold. . .... .
#yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #cough #coldremedy #fluseason
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To help rid myself of excess mucus in the body, I immediately stop consuming all dairy (milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream, ice cream), bananas and avocados. You've heard me say this before, but this is one of the best ways to stop excess mucus and kapha production in the body. . . . #yoga #ayurveda #yogilifestyle #yogi #meditation #lifestyle #lifestyleblog #food #mindbodysoul #healthyeating #ayurvedicmedicine #takechargeofyourhealth #letthyfoodbethymedicine #holistichealth #ayurvedayeveryday #ayurvedalifestyle #wellness #dosha #vatapittakapha #vata #pitta #kapha #tridosha #cough #coldremedy #fluseason