A natural way to health
March 2008
by Salila Tewary
Thirty years ago while building my house in Delhi, I was moved by the plight of the construction workers, toiling in terrible heat for hours.
I started going to their slums, and I found that unemployment and the absence of work due to sickness was the main cause of their poverty. I took the sick to the hospitals, but ‘modern medicines’ and ‘treatment’ did not give permanent solutions. My husband suggested I train myself in alternative therapy to help them. Thus began my journey from an ordinary housewife to a successful naturopath.
Through naturopathy, I learned the important role of natural raw food, which could cure many diseases including cancer. I realized that the cooking process robs food of many essential nutrients like vitamins, enzymes, and minerals, which are essential for keeping our immunity levels high. Armed with this knowledge, I altered my lifestyle and eating habits. My four grandchildren have never been given any medicine or vaccination, but their diet is rich in natural foods like amla, carrots, lemon, honey, and many other immunity-building foods. As a result, we rarely fall ill, and if we do we immediately fast and detoxify to get back into action.
Now my day starts at 4 am. I do my yoga, pranayama, and meditation, and have my lemon-honey drink. Then I go for my morning walk. My breakfast consists of a glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice. For lunch, I have lots of sprouts and salads. In the evening, again I drink a glass of juice. Dinner is usually a light meal consisting of fresh vegetable soup. At least half of my food is always raw. I fast every Thursday and detoxify my body. Even at the age of 65, I am full of energy and vitality and work for 8-10 hours daily.
I find I have also become a changed person. Earlier I used to be very aggressive and egoistic, whereas now I am more peaceful and have developed a “witness attitude”. Good health cannot be bought across the counter. Medicines cannot compensate for lack of fresh air, water intake, natural food, exercise, meditation, or sunlight. Eat natural, drink natural, think natural and unnatural things like disease will never happen.
Recipe for good health
• Drink at least two glasses of water first thing in the morning (Lemon-honey water instead of bed tea).
• In season, drink fresh amla juice (2-3 amlas). You can add honey (highly recommended for those suffering from cold / cough / allergy / asthma/ highBP / obesity). Heart patients should add the juice of 2 garlic cloves
• For breakfast, have only a glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice
and some whole fruit. Children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers can add fruit and milk or sprouts.
• Herbal tea instead of tea and coffee.
• Make whole fiber-rich foods a part of your daily menu.
• Lunch should include sprouts, salads, fresh green chutney and raita with plenty of vegetables. Make Rotis with combination flour consisting of wheat, chana, soybean, corn, and jau. You can also add finely chopped green leafy vegetables like palak, bathua, dhania, and pudina.
• Keep dinner light and include vegetable soup and leafy vegetables
• Fast, taking only water or fruit or vegetable juice, once a week especially if you are feeling unwell
• Enhance the nutritive value of sprouts like moong, moth, chana, groundnuts, by adding baked or boiled potato, finely chopped onion, tomato, cucumber, dhania and seasoned with black salt, roasted cumin seed powder and a dash of lemon juice
• Some healthy soups:
a) Lotus stem soup: Finely chop cleaned lotus stem and boil with cardamom. Add milk and salt. It contains iodine and is very good for thyroid disorders b) Mutter ke chilke ka soup (Green peas peel soup): Wash well. Add water, finely chopped garlic, green onion, ginger, and coriander leaves. Simmer on low heat, and puree. Add lemon, roasted cumin powder and salt to taste.
Dr. Salila Tiwari is a renowned naturopath who runs a clinic in New Delhi and a residential hospital at Uttarakhand.
Contact: salilanaturopathy@yahoo.com