HEIGHT IMPROVEMENT AND AYURVEDIC TREATMENT
- Dr. Murali Manohar Chirumamilla, M.D. (Ayurveda)
A potted plant never attains its maximum height if the natural growth promoting factors like water, sun-light, rooting system are restricted. This is in analogy to human growth, says Ayurveda. Though, genetically, every person has been preprogrammed to attain a certain height, most people never reach this height simply because they do not do everything necessary for their body to maximize growth. Identifying and correcting the inhibiting factors can achieve growth promotion, in most of the cases.
Tallness is a subjective term, what one person might consider being tall may be considered short by someone else. How ever, there are many people that are not comfortable with their height; in fact, most want to be taller. The reasons may vary but the goal is the same one.
Height is a sensitive issue in our society. Many people believe that lack of height is not an important issue. Of course, people can build their happiness and reach their goals regardless of their height, however it is much harder for us who is shorter then most around us. Most people who believe height is not important are of average height or taller.
Most short children do not have a serious growth problem and grow about two inches each year between the ages of three and early adolescence, when sex hormones contribute to an even faster growth rate. Most of us reach an adult height that is about the same as our parents. A child’s rate of growth is an important clue to the presence or absence of a growth problem. Some diseases can cause poor growth. If you do not have any problem that could slow down your growth, as most short people have, you have a great chance to grow taller.
Some children grow very slowly and are considered short amongst their peers but in one season they can gain enough inches to become average height and even taller.
There is a certain age at which people usually stop to grow: men—25, women—21. It occurs shortly after puberty, but these numbers can be changed. Nevertheless, it is possible to continue growing until 25 years old for women and 27-30 years old for men. It is possible because of certain exercises, physical activities, eating the right food with the right nutrients and vitamins, and other things that are important for a human body to grow such as rasaayana and kaaya-kalpa therapies. Of course, the older you are the harder it will be for you to gain height. Rasaayana therapy bestows the strength of all tissues. It helps slowing down the ageing process, enhances memory, improves the functioning of vital organs, and nourishes all the tissues. On the other hand, Kaaya kalpa therapy provides strength to the body as well motor and sensory organs. It provides nourishment to all tissues. These therapies include internal usage of medicines such as Shilajit, Aswagandha, Shataavari, Aamlaki etc, food items such as cow milk, ghee, honey etc, and periodical cleansing procedures such as Panchakarma.
According to ayurveda, there are three supports of life or upastambas—Aahaara (diet), nidra (sleep) and brahmacharya (observance of celibacy). A proper, skillful and optimum use of this triads, leads human body to maintain its integrity, being enriched with physical and immunological strength, complexion and growth, till full length of life, provided the person concerned does not get involved in the regimen detrimental to health.
Guidelines & Ayurvedic Remedies
Nutrition
 | A growing individual needs more calories than an adult because: basal metabolism is highest during infancy, and then steadily declines throughout life except for a small rise during adolescence and the physical activity of the child far exceeds that of an adult. During your growing age, you require relatively more protein than any adult, because it is needed not only for tissue repair but also for growth. About 14% of the calories should be consumed as protein. The main sources of protein are milk and milk products, meat, fish, fowl, eggs, nuts, cereals and pulses. |
| Carbohydrates and fats are intended mainly for their calorie value. Care should be taken that sweets are not sucked constantly, as they ferment in the mouth and damage the teeth. Take liberal helpings of raw and cooked vegetables and fruits at each meal. If the diet is well balanced, supplements of vitamins and minerals are not necessary. Fluid intake should be sufficient to ensure a free flow of urine. Children who run about and sweat profusely need extra fluids. |
| School children usually have a good appetite, but one should carefully select their food. Their liking for sweets makes the diet adequate in calories but deficient in proteins. Milk and milk products, roasted groundnuts, and Bengal-gram are good sources of inexpensive protein enjoyed by children. |
| Children who are unwilling to go to bed early have difficulty in waking up in the morning, and may rush their breakfast before going to school. School lunch may also be hurried to get more time for play during the lunch interval. In evening when they return from school, children are generally thirsty and may gulp down a lot of liquid, which dulls their appetite. All these habits should be corrected to ensure optimum growth. |
| Throughout your life, you will constantly generate human growth hormone (HGH). Maintaining your bodies chemical balance and cell rejuvenation are two main reasons your body generates HGH. There are a number of factors that, if manipulated correctly, will substantially increase growth hormone levels in your body. Focus on eating six or seven smaller meals during your day instead of three or four larger ones. Consuming large meals with a high glycemic index forces the body to release a high amount of insulin into the system to aid with digestion. This reaction not only forces your body to store fat, it may also inhibit the flow of the growth hormone being released throughout your bloodstream. Instead, make a point of consuming other low-sugar foods that will prevent the release of insulin. |
| One should not eat a large meal within two hours of going to sleep. The body releases the greatest amount of growth hormone during the first two hours of sleep. If a large meal is taken, then excess insulin is released within the system and this suppresses the output of growth hormone, preventing the body from taking advantage of it with rest. |
Sleep
| Sleep is the condition that your mind entrusts to repair, remove, and replenish your body. It also regulates your body’s ability to grow. Not getting enough sleep regularly can lower the amount of growth hormone your body produces daily. Even though excess sleep will not necessarily increase the amount of growth hormone but having normal sleeping habits let you tap a certain percentage of growth hormone that your bones never get a chance to utilise when they are sleep-deprived. |
| During sleep, your spine stretches and lengthens. You can get half an inch taller after a good night sleep. In addition, the quality and quantity of air you breathe can have a significant effect on your growth. The base of your bed should be made of hard surface such as plywood. Spread the bedding evenly on the bed and always use medium sized pillow—it should be neither too thick nor too thin. The bed should be spacious enough so that you can turn both sides freely. |
Posture and exercises
| Over time, gravity will take a toll on the body and cause spinal disc degeneration, muscle loss, and force the body to slump or slouch. However, by maintaining proper postural alignment you can significantly reduce the negative effects of aging as well as promote growth. In whatever condition you may be whether sitting, standing, walking or lying, remain erect. |
| The spinal column is one of the most important body parts. Without it, you could not support yourself upright and perform many complex functions. A healthy spine will optimize your body’s energy transmission and allow you to coast through your daily tasks with ease and comfort. Spinal column is crucial to your growth enhancing success. In order to ensure that the vertebrae and the cushions function properly, the backbone should be massaged daily with medicated oils such as Aswagandhadi taila. This will not only make the vertebral column healthy, but also lead to its development. Stretching exercises and yoga postures help a lot to strengthen the spine. |
| Stretching exercises may help squeeze out a little extra growth hormone. By utilizing stretches that include several muscle groups to work collectively, the intensity of the workout subsequently increases as well, forcing the anterior pituitary gland to issue more growth hormone to compensate for the extra effort. Oddly enough, participating in intense aerobic exercise can also cause an increase in growth hormone release. |
Clothing and Apparel
| The way you dress can influence, to an extent, how you will be treated by others. It will also influence how tall you will look. By manipulating your clothingstyles, you will easily make yourself appear taller, slimmer, and more attractive. If you are in the habit of wearing tight clothes, your body cannot grow properly. People of average stature and physique should put neither on very tight clothes nor on those very loose. There are certain people whose legs are smaller than the upper portion of their bodies. On the contrary, there are people whose legs are taller and the upper portion of their bodies is smaller. |
| In case you want to project the upper portion of your body taller than the lower, you can wear an open shirt or have your shirt outside your pant. Similarly, those people whose legs are smaller, but who want to show their lower portion taller can do so by pushing their shirts inside the pants. Put on clothes having thick and long stripes. You will look taller. Comb your hair in such a fashion that you look tall. |
Sunshine and fresh air
| Sunrays are responsible for vitamin D synthesis and in turn for the healthy bones. |
| Take sunbath early in the morning. Suryanamaskaraas (Sun Salutes) are advised for this purpose. They ensure flexibility, sun exposure, as well as good amount of oxygen supply. |
Mental Exercises
| Your mind is a powerful thing to waste. Scientists say most people use around fifteen percent of their total mental capabilities. Learning how to manipulate your mind is easier than you think. |
| Guided Imagery will allow you to reach your goals! Meditation, Dhyaanam etc are some of the good mental exercises can help you a lot. |
Note
As we all are genetically different with
different constitutions and patterns, we respond to treatments in many
different ways. Hence Standard Ayurvedic Treatments are always individually
formulated. This article is intended only for information. It is not a
substitute to the standard medical diagnosis, personalized Ayurvedic
treatment or qualified Ayurvedic physician. For specific treatment, always
consult with a qualified Ayurvedic physician.
Address Dr. Ch. Murali
Manohar, M.D. (Ayurveda) Ayurvedic
Specialist Raksha
Ayurvedic Centre, Opp.
Directorate of Women Development, Yousufguda
Main Road (Sarathi Studio Road), Ameerpet,
Hyderabad - 500073., Andhra
Pradesh, INDIA Phones: Land:
+91 (040) 23742146; Mobile: 09246575510
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