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Higher health risks make people take to naturopathy

`Diseases such as cardiac problems, kidney failure, cancer, diabetes and hyper tension can be treated by simple nature care methods without medicines.'

They may form a small group, but their tribe is growing as more and more people are becoming acutely aware of health risks caused by sedentary lifestyle and food habits.

These strict adherents of what they call naturopathy are no crusaders of their cause, but they are dedicated to what they believe is an effective safeguard against all modern lifestyle-related diseases.

The nature care enthusiasts of Kannur have formed the Nature Care Charitable Trust.

The Nature Care Centre opened recently by the trust is a facility to offer diet control-based treatment for various ailments and promote `natural' food habits for improving health and preventing diseases. The centre was inaugurated last week by V.M. Sudheeran.

Simple methods

Diseases such as cardiac problems, kidney failure, cancer, diabetes and hyper tension could be treated by simple nature care methods without medicines, says K. V. Bharathan, chairman of the trust. Food habits of the people are not suitable for the human nature, he says adding that `unnatural' foods are often the cause of the major diseases.

The centre, Mr. Bharathan says, offers a variety of treatment methods including diet control, fasting, Yoga, massaging, music therapy, dance therapy for women, spinal bath, hip bath and mud packing, among other things.

Puzhakkal Vasudevan, a local politician and a convert to the cause of nature care, says that he developed a cardio-vascular problem 15 years ago.

Healing without surgery

Doctors recommended surgery. Instead of going to the surgery option, he took to nature care methods preached by naturopathy practitioners. The problem has not recurred since, says Mr. Vasudevan, who is vice-chairman of the trust.

According to these advocates of naturopathy, the high incidence of diabetes in the State is attributed to a lack of health literacy.

While the State has high density of diabetic patients in the country, it is competing with other countries as far as heart diseases are concerned, they say adding that these lifestyle diseases are now becoming common among children and youth.

Practising this back-to-nature `faith' requires dedication to the cause and willpower. The daily diet prescribed for those reaching the centre include very little quantity of cooked food and high intake of raw vegetables and fruits.

The only answer

The initial difficulties in practising this nature diet are worth experiencing as it is the only answer to the diseases'', says Mr. Bharathan. Nature care, he says, is freedom from diseases and drugs.

The naturopathy treatment camp started by late C. R. R. Varmaji of the Prakriti Jeevana Samiti is still being continued by Mr. Bharathan.

Many may not follow what these nature-cure practitioners preach and practise, but they succeed in highlighting the health hazards that lifestyle and food habits can cause.

Mohamed Nazeer

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