Question
Jane Barnett
I am in close company of a community that is convinced that Ghee has health benefits. Having just watched Chrispiracy I am concerned. As an Ayurveda expert, what is your opinion?
Answer
I'll, I'll start by saying that, um, uh, while I'm not an Ayurveda expert, I do play one on tv. And, uh, you know, when I think about gh I'll, I'll first explain, uh, to the general audience that GH is, is fundamentally clarified butter. So it's a hundred percent fat, um, you know, of, uh, uh, butter fa and, um, you know, within the, the, the domain of Ayurveda, which is the, uh, traditional, uh, medical system of, of India in South Asia, broadly, uh, gee plays, uh, multiple roles, uh, in, in, uh, the daily diet as well as, um, uh, treatment of, of different conditions and, um, as, as a, as a component in, uh, treatments. And, uh, so, you know, you said you just watched a, it sounded like a documentary. I'm not familiar with this, so I can't respond to your concern directly, but I, let me just speak more generally about Ayurveda and gi and, uh, that is to say that, uh, you know, if you, or if, if one is concerned, uh, you know, doubtful, uh, let's say about a certain modality or a certain approach to, uh, to, to health and wellness, then consider avoiding it, okay? Uh, you know, in whole or in part, okay? And, uh, you know, this would be true of Ayurveda or any other medical system that might, um, you know, pose some questions in your own mind. Um, now the other thing I'm gonna say is that, uh, in order to better understand Ayurveda, I suggest that you do some, some studies, some reading and learn a bit, uh, more about Ayurveda. Um, it, uh, you know, it, it stands, uh, separate from, uh, the, the allopathic or, or western medical system in that it, it's, it's a theoretical foundation is, is, uh, very different. Uh, its approach to issues, uh, is very different. Um, but it's, it's sound. And, um, uh, you know, we have a couple of, um, past live events, uh, that talk about Ayurveda, and you might start there, although they don't go into any depth on GI in particular. Okay? Uh, the other thing that I'll add is that, um, uh, I think it's important for a lot of folks, uh, you know, outside of India, let's say outside of South Asia, you know, in the US for example, to experience Ayurveda in order to better understand it. And, uh, you know, this, this is, this is interesting, okay? Be in that, um, on, on one hand, Ayurveda certainly has treatments that will address illnesses and heal them, okay? In conjunction with your own immune system. Um, also, uh, a, uh, a core component of Ayurvedic principles is one of prevention of the illness. Okay? That's a, that's a, a strong, strong approach, um, as a, as a component of Ayurveda, which means if you're practicing the, the D Sharia or the daily routines of Ayurveda, uh, and all goes well, you may never have a chance to fix a problem, because there's no problem that emerges to fix because of your preventative approach. Okay? And so that too is a difficult sell, so to speak, uh, in the United States, you know, the, the American culture here where we are all about seeing an issue and then attacking it. And then once we have conquered that we understand what victory is. But if there is no enemy, then we're, we're left confused and, and wanting something. Um, so Ayurveda has a very different approach, you know, when it comes to that, uh, that, uh, daily routine and the ideal of prevention. Okay? So please understand that. Um, let's see here. Yeah, you know, um, also, you know, when you get out into, uh, uh, consulting with, um, Ayurveda practitioners, please do your due diligence, um, so that you're interacting with folks that, uh, have some solid understanding and experience, okay? Because Ayurveda education in this country, uh, generally speaking, is a, a a lot different, or, or in, in some fundamental ways. It's, it's just different from what you, what you get in, in India, in India is you, you're immersed in this, uh, uh, environment and cultural context, which is, uh, much more enriching, um, than what I've experienced here. And, um, uh, a lot of folks, uh, are just scratching the surface here when they hang out their shingle to provide good for others. And, and so, um, you know, please again, do your due diligence to find a solid practitioner to work with, okay? By keeping these other things in mind that I just mentioned, okay? In terms of, uh, deepening your understanding of, of what Ayurveda is, how it works, and, um, and then at the end of the day, if, if it is not what you embrace, then don't create more stress in your life by trying to figure it out, okay? Um, but, um, understand that it, it does have a history. It's, uh, it's a legitimate approach to health and wellness in places like India and elsewhere in South Asia. Um, and it works okay, but, um, yeah, gee, gee is part of that as well.
