Wisdom Healing

Words: Dr Gauri ROKKAM

We are all witness to a new, bludgeoning ‘epidemic’ — the epidemic of chronic degenerative inflammatory diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, among others, are all on the upswing.

While our existing medical system[s] may not have all the answers when it comes to preventing, or reversing, such conditions, most people assume this may all be a normal part of the aging process. The truth is that our bodies are created with its innate ability to repair and heal. It is at work, day-in and day-out; it helps to repair damaged cells and cellular components and flush out metabolic waste. The sad part is our modern lifestyle and skewed eating habits impede this wonderful, innate healing mechanism — besides, we are just overloading our system with metabolic waste, not to speak of our commonplace, also misplaced, indiscretions. This, over a period of time, leads to sickness.

Coached Fixation

When one says ‘disease,’ we get petrified. Conventional, or modern, medicine has ‘coached’ us to be disturbed when we have a disease. The spin-off is imminent — we ‘devour’ drugs for [dis]solving them. Our experience has shown us this isn’t the right thing to do, unless a given disease requires conventional treatment, or intervention. On the contrary, when we suppress symptoms with powerful medications, it may not provide the required stimulus to [re]solving disease, much less reversing them. This battle of attrition, may, in due course, lead to chronic health problems, or syndromes.

Nature cure defines disease differently. ‘Dis-ease,’ it suggests, is about something gone wrong  —  where the body is struggling to correcting itself, with pain and discomfort, and calling for attention. All we need to do is support this natural process of healing and foster the repair process initiated in and by the body.

Let me give you a few examples. When a bacterium, or virus, is trying to enter the body through the nose, the body initiates a cold. This triggers mucous production to stop its entry into the body and/or throw them out. Typically, one often pops a pill to stop the mucous formation. Similarly, if there is something entering through the airways, the body tries to expel it from the lungs by initiating the cough reflex. What next? We pop a pill, pronto, to stop the cough.

When a virus enters the body, or toxins accumulate, our body’s defence mechanism goes into high alert with increased temperature — typically, a fever — to ‘kill’ the virus, liquefy, or eliminate the toxins. Lo and behold, we pop a pill, yet again, by reflex, and ‘abort’ the fever. How stupid this is — to stop the body’s intelligent ‘firewall’ engaged in repair and healing from its natural instinct. The best thing one could do is follow nature’s wisdom — remove the ‘root cause,’ instead of suppressing the symptoms.

It goes without saying that healthy food, appropriate lifestyle and happy thoughts provide the necessary building blocks and repair material. Also, remember — resting the gut and the mind creates the right environment for healing.

It is imperative too for us to wean away from unhealthy foods, inappropriate living habits and deleterious patterns of thinking. The more we opt for healthy choices, the better our health and wellness quotient will be. Unfortunately, this isn’t as easy as popping a pill and forgetting about it. We need to invest time and effort and stop looking at the body and food in a reductionist manner.

Holistic Equation

We need to treat our mind, body and soul, as one whole, as everything is interconnected. The body as a whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Similarly, food should be looked at holistically, and not as isolated nutrients. The reason is simple, also profound. Health is the quintessential expression of the complex interplay between the physical and chemical, mental and emotional, as well as spiritual and environmental aspects of one’s life and being. The time and effort spent in understanding our body as a whole, and not merely treating symptoms, can prevent several health hazards, or events.

One of my mentors articulates the idea beautifully, “Medicine means a sin — of meddling with nature.” This doesn’t, of course, mean we should shun conventional, or modern, medicine [allopathy]. It is most essential in emergencies to saving lives — it should, however, not to be used as the only, or exclusive, treatment modality. It is always better to direct our strength in prevention. This is because we all can buy medicines with money, but we can’t buy good health with it. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson’s timeless aphorism, “The first wealth is health.”

I am indebted to all my gurus and clients who have shaped my understanding and experience related to food and health, as also natural health a la natural wealth. The least I’d do is ‘gift’ this piece, with all humility, to them.

Dr GAURI ROKKAM, MSc [Food & Nutrition], PhD [Yoga & Life Sciences], is a well-known Holistic Nutritionist. She believes that true health needs education, awareness, and a strong will and commitment to change ‘wrong’ habits — not just diets and treatments. She has been working in the wellness space for 28 years, blending the timeless principles of nutrition science, yoga philosophy, and natural hygiene. Her aim is to help clients understand the age-old dictum — that the ability to heal has to come from within, or from the inside out. Her mission is keyed to inform and empower people to making the right choices about food and lifestyle, while enhancing their health and happiness and [re]kindling the ‘ripple effect’ to transforming societal health and wellness — simply, sensibly, and without jargon.