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Nature, the best healer!
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Naturopathy Man is paying a heavy price for reversing the rules of nature in the name of modernity, says B. Madhu Gopal
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PHOTOS: C.V. SUBRAHMANYAM
HEALTH A little girl holding a bottle of water seems to be all eyes and ears to Dr. Raju's lecture
Why is modern man falling a prey to various diseases? Illnesses and disorders that were once upon a time not known till old age are now raising their ugly head and are attacking youth, and even children.
"All this is happening as man is defying the law of Nature," avers the naturopath, Mantena Satyanarayana Raju.
A B. Pharm. graduate, he later did a naturopathy course and conducted research on this ancient Indian wisdom that had been handed down over generations, and come to the conclusion that "going back to nature is the only solution to overcome most of the health problems plaguing the modern man".
Dr. Raju has been giving discourses across the State for the last two decades to educate people on the importance of following a natural life style. On Sunday last, he gave a discourse on 'Importance of water consumption' at Shanti Ashram and the same evening at Gurazada Kalakshetram on the 'Importance of fasting'.
"Our ancestors followed healthy practices like eating dinner before sunset, going early to bed, keeping a jug of water near the cot and eating curd rice early in the morning. They used copper vessels that had beneficial effects on health," he fondly recalls.
However, in the name of modern life style, man has reversed the rules of Nature and is now paying a heavy price for it.
Spectacles that were reserved for old age in the past are now adorning the faces of more and more children. Respiratory and digestive disorders have become the order of the day. Diabetes was a rare occurrence in the past but today it has become so common that people no longer view it as a serious problem," he says.
On the contrary, animals rely on Nature when they fall sick and cure themselves of various ailments without the need for going to a doctor. A careful observation reveals that many animals, including dogs, eat grass and other plants when they are sick. A mongoose eats a certain root after killing a snake to negate the effect of the snake's venom on its body. Animals fast (stop eating) when they are ill.
Dr. Manthem Satyananaraynaa Raju
"Our ancestors used to undertake fast regularly. Fasting for a day once a week gives complete rest to the digestive system. During the 24 hour-period the body undertakes repair and cleaning work. We should listen to the signals sent by our body. 'Langanam paramoushadam' (fasting is an excellent medicine) and that can cure various illnesses," asserts Dr. Raju.
Research by the Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology during 1998 had revealed that the multiplication of tumours in cancerous rats had stopped when they were not given food for 24 hours, he points out.
Nanduru Vudayavarlu (70) was suffering from severe diabetes when he first met Dr. Raju in 1999. The patient was asked to stop consuming salt completely and advised to eat more of raw foods like vegetables and fruits.
"We have a family history of diabetes. Both my parents were diabetic. After getting fed up with drugs, I thought of giving naturopathy a try. Initially I found it difficult to eat raw vegetables and boiled foods without any salt. After 10 days, my taste buds have got used to it. In three months my diabetes was totally under control. Now for the last six years I have not been using any drugs," says Vudayavarlu.
"Mahatma Gandhi had realised the benefits of fasting and had even written a book on the subject long ago. He used to be always busy meeting people, political leaders and working out strategies for freeing the nation from the British yoke for six days a week. But on the seventh day (Mondays) he used to go on a fast and totally abstain from consuming food and observe 'mouna vratam' (silence)," recalls Dr. Raju.
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Mangalore
Pondicherry
Tiruchirapalli
Thiruvananthapuram
Vijayawada
Visakhapatnam
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