FOOD CAN BE YOUR MEDICINE

Our body healthy or ill depends upon what we eat. Nature itself gives us hints to select a good diet .The balance of nature suggests that the vegetation growing in the nearest surroundings under the same climatic conditions where we live & seasonal is best for health  & also economical. A water melon during the peak summer is most delicious & keep you well hydrated & energetic & groundnuts during the winters keep you warm enough. So always go for plenty & seasonal what Nature gives you.

            The accumulation of Toxins in the body is the root cause of diseases, says Naturopathy. And this accumulation start when one or more of the excretory organs work improperly or we ingest more of toxins.

            The diet should help the functioning of these organs. And also if anyone of these organs is not working properly, the diet may not put extra burden on it. A fruit or vegetable with higher water content e.g. melons, pumpkins, cucumber, gourds, coconut water, pineapple, sweet lime, oranges etc helps to clean the urinary tract. Similarly, a starchy or high carbohydrate diet or white sugar like sweets, cold drinks, potatoes, rice, colocasia, banana etc. aggravate the condition of a patient with breathing problems. The condiments   & spices can cause sweating & also liquify the thick phlegm & clean our nose & chest.  The rough or fibrous materials like bran of wheat, barley, bajra (Pearl millet) & the veins of the green leafy vegetables don’t get fully digested. This rough material gets swollen like sponge in the stomach & do sweeping in the alimentary canal & at last excreted as the soft bulk. This is your digestive system cleaner.

So watch your excretory system & schedule your diet accordingly to remain fit.

            Nature is always friendly to us but its we who take lot of time to understand it. Awareness is coming about pollution & pollutants disturbing Nature but what about polluting ourself? Nature never wants to pollute us. There is long list of chemicals being used for taste, flavor, look, preservation & to process the eatables causing health problems. Even a little quantity of cold drink to an Asthmatic triggers the attack of Asthma immediately. The persons taking excess of salt become obese & hypertensive. Their thirst is increased & urinary system is overloaded. The white sugar is devoid of vitamins & minerals of the original sugarcane   & cause caries in children & obesity in adults. Eat “Gurh” (Jaggery) which is economical & is full of Vitamins & minerals. Dead starts decaying. So always eat fresh & alive. The uppermost layer of the skin is the strongest  “shield” created by nature to protect the inner contents from harmful invaders. Cut fruits & vegetables just before eating. The germination of seeds make them “ALIVE”, They grow. Scientifically the content of vitamins increases manifolds. Also the phytates, which bind Iron, Zinc, Calcium & Magnesium, break down on germination & thus these minerals become available to our body. So enjoy the economical sprouts & get the healthiest out of it.

            Now let us think about the diet, which may help us to combat the daily stress & pollutants we inhale & keep us fit & fresh.

             A “Jalpaan” of 4-5 glasses of water before breakfast clears the bowels & helps the easy filtration of blood by kidneys. A milkshake with mangoes / guavas / Cheeku /Banana is good energizer. The pre lunch session may be of vegetable soup or juice or simple fresh fruits. The lunch must accompany some salad taken along to the office & cut fresh there itself. Don’t sprinkle extra salt on salad. Back to home in the evening your upper respiratory system is congested with polluted air & dust & needs cleansing. A bowl full of sprouts with fresh ginger pieces, green chilies, mint leaves, dhania leaves, onions, tomatoes etc will not only give you energy after days exhaustion but will also decongest your upper respiratory airways. Green chutney of mint leaves, green chilies, dried pomegranate, aamla (Indian gooseberry) etc. will do the same & also help digestion.

            The dinner should be of high fibrous diet with salad. Extra bran should be added to the chapatis. Maida (Fine wheat flour), Rice, Pulses, Potatoes etc should be avoided. It’s the dinner, which decides our bowel clearance the next morning. So be careful. Sweet things taken before retiring induce good sleep & help relieve tension. Take a piece of Gurh / Dates / Figs & Raisins soaked in water / a tbsp. of Gulkand (A sweet preparation of Rose Petals) before going to the bed.

            Never forget the addition of some vegetable or fruit with a very high water content.

                                                                                                 By Dr. Satish Bajaj