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  • Naturally fermented Mango Probiotic

    Here is a recipe made using Mangoes from the Prehealing farm. The mangoes are grown in an environment that helps nurture the natural microbiome on the surface of each and every fruit and hence we will be using a small piece of the peel as a starter for the fermentation process. Can be used for : Children and Adults alike. This is more of a preventive remedy. Here are a few conditions it would help with. Improving memory, Diabetes, Hypertension, Migraine, Asthma, PMS, Hormonal issues, Joint pains and inflammation, Liver related issues, Indigestion, Acidity, Insomnia due to stress and anxiety, Skin disorders, Cancer. Note: Even though this is a fermented drink, the intention here is to nurture and grow natural probiotics that can become a part of the human microbiome. In fact a lot of diseases that we in the civilized world experience is due to a loss of diversity of precious microflora from the human microbiome. The medical community has cultivated this fear of microbes by saying that until and unless they give a go ahead and certify a microbe as good, you are to stay away from everything that has to do with microbes without certificates ! Unfortunately 50-70% of our body is not ours. It is made up of trillions of microbes and they are the ones that actually keep us healthy and fit ( If only we let them do their job). A lot of allopathic medicines negatively impact our gut microbiome and this in turn affects our health. During this Coronavirus pandemic, we should be using more of natural probiotics so as to help tone up and strenghten our immune system. Here is one such recipe... Ingredients Required 800-900 ml of Water 1 large glass bottle ( 1200 ml) /or 2 nos of 600ml bottles/ or 4 nos 300 ml bottles 1-2 Semi Ripe / Ripe Mangoes 2-3 lemons 40-60 gms of Sugar ( Or pure Glucose ) This will provide food for the probiotics and will get used up during the fermentation process. Starter: Small piece of Mango peel - If the mango is from the Prehealing farm / your garden or a source that you are sure has nurtured the mango in an natural environment. A starter Culture Procedure: After removing the peels and the seed, grind the mango pieces to a fine paste in a mixer grinder. Add water and blend well. Then filter through a Soup Strainer. Since the mangoes are ripe, you will have to adjust the acidity by adding 2-3 lemons per litre of juice. Add sugar and mix well till it dissolves. If you are using a starter culture instead of the peel, add 25-50 ml of the starter culture . Pour the juice in a glass bottle and add a small piece of Mango peel to the bottle. Cap it lightly and set aside in a cool dark place so that the fermentation process can go on undisturbed for 24 -36 hours. After about 24 hours, check as to how the fermentation is going on. If it is vigorous then you might have to release some pressure by loosening the cap of the bottle. If the activity is not vigorous, gently shake the bottle so as to mix the contents of the juice evenly and set it aside for fermenting for another 10-12 hours. You can start consuming this Probiotic beverage as soon as you notice continuous formation of bubbles in your probiotic drink. The bubbles are formed due to the activity of millions of microscopic organisms that break down the sugars as they grow in numbers. Once the Mango Probiotic drink is to your liking, Refrigerate the drink to slow down the fermentation. Note: For those of you who prefer lower sugar levels 1. Let the beverage ferment for a longer time, since longer the fermentation time, more of the sugars will be broken down. OR 2. Once the activity of the Probiotics reaches a peak, make equal quantities of Mango Juice as you had made earlier with 2-3 lemons but without additional sugar. Mix this fresh juice with the Fermented Beverage and rebottle it again. Set aside and let it ferment for a day. Then refrigerate. Note: Keep aside 100 ml of 1 day old beverage/ or 50ml of 2-3 day old beverage as a starter culture for your next batch. You can use this starter culture if you want to make a Probiotic drink with mangoes that are not from the Prehealing farm. Dosage Children: One day old culture: 1/4th to ½ glass (50-100 ml /day) Children: 2-3 day old culture: 1 tablespoon diluted in 2 tablespoon of water Adults: 1-3 glasses per day.

  • Hibiscus Tea

    Ingredients: We will be using Red Hibiscus flowers. The flowers can be either Fresh or dried. In India these flowers are used for daily worship and the red variety is used for Ganesha. If you are using these flowers for deity worship, it is best that you don’t discard the flowers the next day. Use the old flowers, the ones offered to the deity for the herbal tea. 4-5 Red Hibiscus flowers 1.5 Cups water ½ to 1 lemon 1/4th tsp of ginger juice Honey to taste Preparation: Makes one glass ( 200ml ) of Herbal Tea. Step 1: Making the Hibiscus Decoction Keep water for boiling. In the meantime, separate the petals and discard the rest. When the water starts to boil add the petals. Stir for 10 secs and then turn off the flame. Once the petals loose their color and become yellowish, take them out ( Else the water will become slimy). Filter the decoction if required Step 2: Adding Lemon juice , Ginger juice and Honey just before consuming the tea You can either consume it immediately after it is made as a pipping hot drink after adding Ginger, lemon and honey ( only if you prefer it sweetened), else you can take it after it has cooled down. Additional uses of Hibiscus Extract ( The pure extract made in Step 1) For Cough and Cold. Add one tablespoon each of fresh pureed Aloe vera gel and Tulsi juice. Then add lemon and Ginger juice to taste. Use Honey as a sweetener if required. Dosage: 2-3 cups per day The decoction is also an excellent hair tonic ( Both internally and when used as a hair wash). This is a powerful anti-inflammatory drink. If taken daily it helps relieve pain and discomfort from arthritic and rheumatic afflictions. Please Note: Most of the remedies that I have shared with you have been tried out by members of the Prehealing Community. Prehealing community members not only rely on remedies listed on this site, but also follow a lifestyle that is healing centric. Not being a Prehealing community member should not stop you from using these remedies, but you should be aware that a good lifestyle and a happy body would help make these remedies more efficacious. It is also recommended that you follow the remedies on this site, under the supervision and guidance of your doctor or an Ayurvedic / Holistic practitioner. Avoid taking Hibiscus tea during the first trimester as it might stimulate uterine contractions. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Aparajita Herbal Tea

    Ingredients: Every part of the Aparajita plant can be used for making herbal tea. To know more about the uses of Aparajita, you can refer to the blog on: Aparajita: The undefeated herb For this particular herbal tea recipe we will be using Aparajita flowers. The flowers can be either fresh or dried. 5-10 Aparajita Flowers ( The more the flowers the more intense the blue colour) 1.5 Cups water 1/4th tsp of Ginger juice (Optional) 1/4th tsp of dried lemon grass (Optional) Agave syrup, Maple Syrup or Honey to taste (Optional) Lemon Juice (Optional) Preparation: Makes one glass ( 200ml ) of Herbal Tea. Method 1: Quick and Simple, Colourful and Powerful Boil the water, Add the flowers. Stir for 10 to 15 seconds tgill the flowers loose their color and the tea turns blue. Filter the tea and sweeten if you prefer it sweet. Method 2: With Ginger and Lemon Grass - ( More flavourful) Keep water for boiling, add ginger and lemon grass. When the water starts to boil add the flowers. Stir for 10-15 till the flowers turn pale and your tea turns blue. Method 3: Changing the color of your blue tea with Lemon - (Enhanced Antioxidant Potential) Adding 1 tsp of lemon juice to your tea will change the color of your tea. The color of your tea however will change from blue to purple and you need not worry about it as this is due to the presence of a pigment in the flowers that changes its colour in presence of acidic juices. Parents can use this to their advantage by letting children add lemon juice to the tea so that they can enjoy the health benefits of their Magical drink.

  • My Conversations with Covid-19

    What better way to get to know someone than to engage in a conversation? Having been blessed with a Schizophrenic mind, I let one part of me interview another, as the third part took notes. Boy! Can I ever be lonely?! In a nutshell: A virus is Nature's 'Balancing App' powered by NI ( Natural intelligence) a far superior organic technology . It is a code that exposes the vulnerabilities of cells in a body, lapses in the security and the unpreparedness of the immune system. The best way to survive it's onslaught is to have a responsive immune system, a healthy environment and a well thought of & disciplined lifestyle. -x-x-x-x- Here is the excerpt of the conversation... Me: Hi. I hope you don't mind if I dive right in and start asking you questions so that I can better understand you. Covid-19: Be my guest. I too follow the same approach. I come in contact with someone and I prefer to start a conversation as soon as I can. They call me 'Highly infectious'! Me: Can you tell me something about yourself? Covid-19: Of course, yes. Just as you are a guy who wears multiple hats, so also, I have multiple roles to play. I am Nature's app powered by NI (Natural Intelligence), I am also a test and I am here for a reason: To clean up the mess and rebalance the ecosystem. Me: You make yourself sound more like a representative sent by Nature. Covid-19: Oh yes, I am. You might be aware that I am nothing but a code. By myself, I am in a state that humans like to call as 'On the Threshold of Life and Death'. It is only when certain cells take me inside and spy on my code do they get infected. Now the choice is theirs. If they resonate with my code, the cells start replicating my code and assembling more copies to pass on to other cells. To anthropomorphise: that is to put it in human context- They, the cells, start to mass forward and make my message go viral. Now, other cells who are vulnerable to gossip, start to read my code too and then the mass forwards become truly viral, till such a time your immune system decides to act. Me: So the Immune system is your enemy? Covid-19: Far from it, like I said, I am also a test: An examination if you may. I test the cells and it is their vulnerability that makes them mistake me for something useful and fall a prey to my code. I also test the immune system's ability to protect, detect and single out those elements that can cause harm as well as those elements that fall a prey to viruses like me. By pointing out the weak and rebellious cells to the immune system I am actually doing the immune system a favour. You know what: Though you might disagree, I consider myself a 'Harsh Detox' I expose vulnerabilities and force the immune system to act on the offenders. Me: But you don't have to kill. Do you? Covid-19: I never kill. If someone decides to drink alcohol and succumbs to it, is it the fault of alcohol? If a man were to lose control over his senses, can he blame a woman? That's exactly the reason as to why a person who perpetuates a crime of abusing the rights of someone weaker, is punished by your legal system. As I said, I am a code and unlike humans, I don't believe in 'Copyright' though I do insist on 'Copy it right'. If a cell decides to take me inside, and make copies of mine, I allow them to do just that. It is their choice that ends their life. Moreover, I have a much greater role to play. To help Mother Nature. Me: A killer talking about helping mother nature! Covid-19: Look who is talking! Had your folks been able to control their desires and not abuse animals, I wouldn't have been here. Me: So we are suffering for our actions right? Covid-19: Yes, in a way. You did not have to decide to take this examination at all. I was an examination for wild animals, till some overconfident human decided to spy on my code and made the required changes so that I can be forwarded to human cells. You have taken upon yourself this exam when the entire race was unprepared for it ! Me: You say you are helping Nature. Could you please elaborate. Covid-19: To you, a 'Human being' is an individual- one entity, to me each individual is a collection of a few trillion workers: the cells that have decided to stay together and interact with the environment. To me and to Nature, each human being and every other multicellular organism that you see, is a society, a community; or in your terms, a Natural Intelligence driven Corporation. Now, each group of cells has its own designated responsibilities and duties towards the society aka the individual as well as towards the Ecosystem ( Which supports its very survival) The problem arises when individual societies start to go rogue. They start abusing the rights of other cells within the same body as well as perpetrate acts of crime on other living organisms within their ecosystem. This is when it starts to create an imbalance. You have been a witness to mans atrocities, so I need not elaborate on that further. So, when the balance is lost, Nature tries to regain back that balance by resorting to an App. I am that App, with a built in Intelligence to adapt and morph as I conduct a community specific Audit. Nature's logic is simple. The unfit cells will succumb, the fit ones will survive. The fit ones will learn to respect and resonate with Nature. What you consider as death of a human being, for Nature its collapse of unfit and irresponsible societies. It is verily the closing down of malignant Corporates that do not contribute to the economy and cause more harm than good.... Me: Is there a way we can stay protected. Covid-19: The best way is to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Its a no brainer, that a healthy lifestyle is also one that is kinder, more understanding and a respectful way of living. When you are not taking shortcuts, when you are actively engaged in taking care of yourself and your environment, it empowers each and every cell of your body and also tunes the immune system in a manner that would protect you from any threats. In short, when you are prepared, you will be able to pass every examination that Nature throws at you. Me: Is there anything else you got to share with me? Covid-19: Well, I have the code. Are you ready to take the examination? Are you game?!!! -x-x-x- Key Takeaways from this Conversation 1. A virus is a code. It's role is to expose the vulnerabilities of cells and organisms, and to weed out those that are not fit to survive. 2. It is Natures way of rebalancing an Ecosystem. 3. A virus does not go into a cell, in fact it is a cell that takes in the virus and starts mass replicating and forwarding the virus to other cells. Like the master who uses social media, the cell too starts making multiple copies and mass forwarding the virus. 4. The virus is also a test for the immune system. By creating a disturbance in the internal environment of an individual, the virus alerts the immune system to the presence of unhealthy cells in the body. It is now the immune systems prerogative and responsibility to find the cells that have been brainwashed or rather DNA washed by the virus! 5. Now, if the Immune system has been healthy, if it has been supported well by the owner of the body, then the immune system will be able to win the battle. If however the immune system is weakened by stress, unnatural lifestyle, irresponsible behaviour and by the pollution caused by members of the same species then the immune system will not be able to effectively handle the infection. 6. It is also to be noted that a person who respects nature and leads a healthy lifestyle will be less vulnerable than someone who disrespects and abuses nature. 7. What results in death is not the virus, but the overreaction or the negligence of the immune system. If the immune system does not detect the disease at all, most of the cells can become infected and the person could collapse. If the immune system goes the other extreme and panics and launches an all out offensive against the virus and the cells that have been spreading the message of the virus, the overreaction too could cause inflammation, fluid accumulation, weakening of the immune response, secondary infections and finally death. 8. A vaccine is like an examination paper that has been leaked before you take the real examination. A vaccine will not be able to work if a. Your immune system is not functioning. b. If the vaccine is for one strain of the virus and you get infected by another- Which is like getting a leaked Chemistry paper in advance but realising on the day of the exam that you are supposed to be giving the Physics exam ! c. If the virus has the ability to mutate and make changes to its code thereby rendering your vaccine less effective. 9. Rather than depending on a vaccine that is equivalent to a leaked exam paper, it is best to prepare for the exam in a manner that you will be less dependent on external help. That is why a healthy lifestyle and a well tuned immune system is the best way to address a viral infection. Remember, man's greatest weakness today is to try to get as many leaked papers as possible. Yes there are leaked papers and cheats, also called as Vaccines for many many viruses, but then it leaves you unprepared for something that is new, some thing that you haven't been expecting. That is why it is best to be prepared and alert at all times. The only way you can do that is to 'Help Nature Help You'

  • The Healing Paradox: When Healing is considered as a Disease !

    In this post we will discuss about Overt and Covert Diseases. Ignorance is bliss, or so they say... A ‘Covert Disease’ is the one that is hidden. Would a thief or intruder alert you to their presence? On similar lines when an infectious organism ‘the intruders’ try to colonize our body and infect it, they employ means to hide themselves so that they cannot be easily detected. They do not make noise, cause pain, hurt us or create discomfort. They come in silently….. If the immune system is not working well, these intruders will very soon overpower our body and we would succumb to the Covert Disease. We won’t even know what hit us ! Awareness is a pain: If you are lucky and your Immune system detects these intruders, then the alarms will start ringing. Preventive actions will be taken and you will see section 144 imposed in your body….. Paradoxically, this awareness that could help us survive, also creates an environment in our body that appears to most of us as 'Unwanted Pain' This healing response is the ‘Overt Disease’ : A condition that puts us through discomfort, by alerting us and creating an environment in our body that helps us heal. It takes us through a journey and is experiential in nature, albeit distressing. Most importantly- it helps protect the body and keep us alive. Take a moment to think: So far which response have you been supporting? Which response have you been considering as a problem, opposing and suppressing? The Covert or the Overt Healing Response? -x-x-x- Hari was experiencing flu like symptoms. He was running a temperature, had severe body ache and was feeling very weak and nauseated. He wanted to arrest his fever as soon as possible, get rid of his weakness and be up and running so that he could attend to an important meeting in the office the next day. For Hari as for most of us, the biggest problem was the Fever and the accompanying discomfort. Hari was educated, he did not need a doctor to tell him what to do. He self medicated himself with an Antipyretic to reduce his fever, an antihistamine tablet to decrease the allergic response, an Antibiotic- to fight an infection he had no clue about and an NSAID to help reduce that pain. The medication seemed to do the trick. Hari felt much better. The fever subsided, the discomfort seemed to vanish and he did go to the meeting…. But, before long Hari was sick once again. The fever was back with a vengeance and so were the bouts of coughing and breathlessness. What went wrong? Why did the medicines not work? Well, the infection had spread, since most of the medicines that Hari had taken had interfered with the healing response and the security measures taken by the Immune system. He had taken Anti-Healing medications. Why? Because they would be interfering with Healing, or rather ‘The Disease of Healing.’ Overt Disease- The Disease of Healing: A Positive Disease (Experienced as Symptoms such as Fever, Body-ache, Nausea, Loose Motions etc) The Fever: Creates an inhospitable environment (It is like imposing curfew or Presidents Rule). It also activates the immune response and plays a pivotal role in resolving the underlying security breach or signalling issue that triggered the healing response. The Shivering: It is the body’s attempt to increase the temperature and is triggered by the Hypothalamus. The Runny nose and sneezing: Helps throw out the infectious organism. Inflammation and The Allergic response: Helps cordon off the infected zone, alerts the immune system our security personnel and ensures that there is sufficient blood flow to the area. Vomiting, Loose Motions and Diarrhoea: Body’s attempt to throw out the offending organism. The Weakness: Is due to the fact that the body allocates most of the resources for the war and creates a feeling of weakness so that the organism is forcibly immobilized. The Pain, The Swelling: A warning sign that the gets your attention and forces you to cooperate with the actions being taken by the Immune system. Hence if you see the symptoms in Hari’s case, they were meant to create an inhospitable environment for the offending organism. These changes also alerted the immune system so that the body could start addressing a Covert Disease- A hidden threat. Security measures were put in place. The body was made to feel weak so that Hari would not keep moving around and wasting precious energy. The elevated temperature, inflammation, patrolling by body’s army, Runny nose, sneezing.... all these measures were the symptoms of starting on the ‘Healing Journey’ Hari considered the security measures as the problem and so put an end to the Fever, the inflammation, the allergic response… and went to the meeting. Result: With the immune system turned off, the offending organism thanked ‘Hari’ and started colonising the body once again. Their numbers grew and since they did it very silently Hari was oblivious to the fact that they were actually destroying his body. But, why does the real disease causing organism not affect us as badly as our Immune system? That brings us to a painless albeit life threatening disease: Covert Disease Covert Disease – When Ignorance destroys Bliss. (A Security Breach resulting in destruction of the inhabitants of the body.) Covert Disease: A successful disease causing organism has to be Covert, just like an expert thief has to possess the knack and the tools for helping bypass security measures. Most successful disease causing organisms prefer to infect and colonize the human body without triggering any alarms. Once they gain entry in the human body, they would slowly grow in numbers by utilising the body’s own resources. Since they do not belong to the body, their intentions are not to support survival, but to grow in numbers, exhaust the resources and move on to infect another host. These infectious organisms love it when, they do not cause any symptoms. In fact they are constantly evolving to escape detection and to pass off as the body’s own cells. They are the enemy that does not hurt, till such a time that they take over your body completely and bring a quick end to your very existence. What is it we should do? Having understood Covert Diseases, let us answer the following questions. 1. In real life: Would you side with an enemy or would you support the security personnel whose job is to protect you? 2. Would you consider the security personnel as a problem if they were to restrict your movement so as to ensure your safety? 3. Then why is it that, when it comes to our health we take reckless decisions and go all out to suppress the symptoms (The alarms) and our own protectors ( the immune system)? We have to realize that a covert disease is much more dangerous than the uncomfortable steps taken by the body to fight it. I think it is time that we start paying more attention to our body. We have to remember that drugs are of absolutely no use if they are going to oppose the body’s healing mechanism. So when we take that Acetaminophen to suppress a fever, or a pain killer to numb us to the SOS signals that certain cells are sending, we are doing more harm than good. If we continue on this path of opposing the body, very soon the damage done to our cells because of the covert diseases would overwhelm the body and create a covert disease of a magnitude that would overwhelm and destroy us. Now, which disease would you support? The Covert or the Overt? As for me, I choose to support the 'Overt Disease', by providing an environment that will help in the body’s healing efforts. Yes, there would be discomfort, but when I take upon myself the task of helping the body, and become involved in the process, the healing would be quicker and more complete…. That is what makes PreHealing unique. It is not about Healing, rather it is about Providing the Right Environment, so that the body can heal itself.

  • Surviving Covid-19: Sleep your best ally !

    Did you sleep well, like a baby, at least on 'International Sleep day- the 13th of March'? Well, if you really did, then you have to repeat the 13th of March over and over and over again.. preferably for life ( Or at least till we are safely out of this pandemic) If you are losing sleep over the Covid-19 scare, think again. Sleep in fact is one of the best defence you have against the virus. 'Why?' Because, sleep helps tune up your immune system and a well tuned immune system is a key to helping fight any infection. If you don't get enough sleep, you could be more vulnerable to infections. With Covid-19 doing the rounds, you better invest in your immune system. Relax and build your defences. Here are a few facts as to why sleeping well, might be the best thing you could do to improve your chances of successfully preventing as well as fighting Covid-19 infection. 1. Sleep affects various immunity related parameters. While you sleep, you body releases certain protective proteins called as cytokines and infection fighting antibodies. Thus healthy sleeping habits are associated with reduced infection risks and better outcomes if at all one is infected. 2. Long term lack of sleep would not only impact your immune system, but would also end up impacting your metabolism negatively, resulting in obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular issues etc. As you are aware, patients with such diseases are more vulnerable to Covid-19. Hence the best way to start preparing yourself is to get enough sleep. 3. Due to our current lifestyle approximately 35% of the adults do not get enough sleep and up to 50% or more might not be getting optimal benefits from sleep due to the current lifestyle and environmental issues. This could make a large chunk of our population vulnerable to infections because of an immune system that is not functioning optimally. What can you do? a. Maintaining a good sleep hygiene is the first step you can take to ensure that you get quality sleep and are able to keep your immune system healthy especially now-in times of crisis. This would involve reducing your exposure to white light at night, eating a light dinner at least 2-3 hours before bedtime, reducing the usage of mobile phones, television, tablets before bedtime and ensuring that the bedroom is sufficiently dark ( Or for the elderly : It could be lit with very dim lights in a manner that the light does not fall on the eyes and affect the quality of sleep ) b. Not resorting to sleeping pills since they are addictive and do not really help. Instead resort to eating a healthy diet, stress relieving techniques like meditations and consider using herbs & supplements as an alternative to toxic sleeping pills c. There are many herbs that could help improve the quality of your sleep. Some herbs that could help you sleep better 1. Sarpagandha tablets. Scientific name: Rauwolfia serpentina ( It is safe to take, yet would recommend that it is taken under the supervision of your doctor ) 2. Ashwagandha extract : A Powerful adaptogen ( Scientific name: Withnia somnifera) 3. Brahmi: A Nervine tonic ( Scientific name: Bacopa monniera ) 4. Tagara Choorna (Scientific name: Valeriana wallichii) 5. Jatamansi Choorna (Scientific name: Nardostachys jatamansi) d. Supplements that will help you sleep better 1. Magnesium supplements such as Magnesium glycinate, Magnesium Taurate, Magnesium citrate, Magnesium orotate. 2. Melatonin 1mg to 3 mg ( To be taken just before bedtime ) 3. Amino acids such as Glycine ( Glycine is a sweet amino acid and can be added to your lemon or citrus juice that can be taken just before sleeping) 4. Other Amino acids that you can use preferably after following up with your health practitioner include L-Theanine, GABA and L-Tryptophan Disclaimer: If you want to use any of the herbs or supplements mentioned on these blogs, please do so under the guidance of a doctor or a holistic practitioner. Feel free to write to us at feedback@prehealing.com for usage information specific to your issue. -x-x-x-

  • The Corona Solution: Be like a Child, Carefree,Stress free and Happy

    This is a post to guide those of you who are concerned about the safety of your near and dear ones. It would also help you take proactive steps, so that you do not panic, worry and become stressed. Fear and stress will create an environment in your body so as to make you a good host for the virus. For those of you who are hard pressed for time, do devour the nutshell. For those of you who would like to know more, relish the nutty information inside- given just below the nutshell. And yes, do make it a point to read the tips at the end of the post. In a nutshell Fear is your greatest threat, the virus is next. A spiritual master smiled and told his disciple who was sitting with a newspaper in his lap “News is Nuisance” This statement is relevant today, since most of the news we get to hear today are created for the sake of getting attention. Unfortunately, it is only fear and negative news that gets our attention and hence the media houses have to continually give us a daily dose of fear and insecurity to be in business. As of today, it is the Corona virus that has got our attention. Fear and Insecurity trigger certain responses in the body, which leads to release of steroids. These steroids can turn off your Immune system. As you can see, the biggest threat to you besides the virus, is a body that has turned off its own defence. The Solution: Cut down on unnecessary stress. Know the facts about the virus so that you are well informed. Provide the Right environment for your immune system, with herbs, supplements, lifestyle changes and appropriate food. -x-x-x-x-x- If you are keen to read more. Here we go....... A Virus: It is just a piece of code that is lifeless and cannot do anything, till it is brought to life by a machinery that can read it, understand it and implement the instructions given in the code. In reality there is not much difference between a computer Virus, a piece of code that can create havoc in a computer system and a Virus that affects us, which contains genetic codes that can be read by living cells. More on Viruses in another blog, but for now it does suffice to know that a Virus is not exactly a living organism. It is your body that gives it life. Antivirus: Our immune system plays a role similar to what an antivirus software does on a computer. If your immune system is well tuned, then it would to a great extent protect you from an infection and even in a likelihood of an infection, would be able to heal you by creating antibodies to the virus. In an event like this, when there is a fear of a disease becoming pandemic, it is of paramount importance that our immune system is well tuned and is given the best possible support. To support the immune system, we have to ensure that we are not taking too much of Steroids. Steroids: When used for certain medical conditions, steroids downregulate the Immune response. In modern medicine they are used for treating issues related to conditions caused due to an overactive immune system e.g Rheumatoid arthritis, severe allergies, Autoimmune diseases etc. “Steroids. Why would I take Steroids?” Well, even if you aren’t taking steroids for inflammatory or other autoimmune conditions, the very act of reading a scary article in newspaper, seeing frightening scenes on TV or getting to know about other terrible things around can make your adrenal glands secrete steroids like Cortisol. Of the many things that steroids do, switching off the immune response is perhaps the most risky gamble. Why would steroids switch off the immune system? Steroid is like a System Administrator: Akin to most computer Antivirus software, the Immune system too needs quite a bit of resources. A few people turn off their antivirus software when they realize that it is slowing down their computer. Though our body is much more complicated and advanced, when the body perceives stress, it does almost the same thing. It releases the Fight or Flight hormones, the first thing that the hormone tries to do is to free up resources for helping you fight or run. It releases sugar, fires up your pulse, increases BP, increases your breathing rate, numbs your pain response and also turns off the immune system. It does this so that your entire body is focussed on saving itself from an impending threat to life. Steroids help keep you alive in an emergency when there is a threat to your life: In the wild this action does make sense. You see a Wolf, your body prepares you by giving you extra strength to run and climb a tree or to take a stick and defend yourself. The wolf loses, you win and the stress response fades away. In our real life, there are no wolves and tigers. We imagine them from the news we hear, articles we read and videos we see. We start to worry and as we do that the hormones are released and our running journey starts. It is just that we are running in the head, and not in real life. Now what happens to all that Sugar that was released? What happens to the continuous increase in pulse and BP, What happens due to the rapid breathing or due to an immune system turned off? As you can see, we become victims of diseases such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Allergic responses and Autoimmune conditions. Misuse of Steroids can cause Diseases: When we replay fear over and over again and have done it for a good 20-30 years, we have become good at high sugar ( Diabetes) High BP ( Hypertension), Poor Immune response ( Susceptible to diseases and Infections) and that is why we are now excellent targets for disease causing organisms. Solution: Be like a Child, carefree, Stress Free and Happy. 1. Do not entertain Fear. Instead take action to protect yourself by being Proactive. Today we are offered Stress For Free. What is necessary is that you stay away from stress and not subscribe to the Free Stress that is being offered in plenty. 2. Help the body relax. To do so, ensure that you give your body sufficient rest. Sleep early and ensure that you are well rested 3. Take foods that are rich in antioxidants. Drink fresh juices and do not eat very heavy meals. Most importantly ensure that you do not indulge in heavy late night dinners 4. Avoid eating heavily processed and packaged foods. Why? Well to get started, you can read more about Excitotoxins and the research conducted by Dr Russell Blaylock. 5. Use herbs such as Turmeric, Holy Basil, Indian Liquorice, Ashwagandha, Amrutballi ( Tinospora cordifolia), Lemon grass, Ginger, Mint, Cinnamon etc to make nourishing antiviral herbal teas. 6. If you are not turned off by the pungency of Garlic, Leeks and Onions, use them too in your daily diet. Use them for making soups and curries. In an uncooked form, they would extend a more powerful protective effect. 7. Do remember that most of the Coronaviruses have been passed on from Animals to humans. To that end, try to actively avoid eating meat. I don't intend to scare you by suggesting that the meat would be contaminated, but I would like you to know that as we harvest more and more animals for culinary delight, it could also backfire by creating new diseases some of which could even turn out to be much more threatening than the Coronavirus that is doing the rounds today. 8. Probiotics would also help give the much needed boost to your immunity. When you take Probiotics, you are providing your body with a massive labour force that would help support the body. 9. And last but not the least , personal hygiene is something you have to take good care of. For suggestion, querries and information pertaining to this post, do feel free to email me at feedback@prehealing.com Coming Soon: 1. Antiviral Herbs 2. Home made remedies for Viral infection 3. Supplements to boost the Immune system Informative articles already on the Prehealing Site: The protective power of Holy Basil Kanji: A Probiotic Drink Hibiscus Tea Dill Seeds Herbal Tea Powder Onion Herbal Tea ( For Fever) Home Made- Aloe Vera Cough Syrup Cultured Probiotic Enriched Rice Aparajita and Citrus Probiotic Drink Related Content from the World Wide Web: Why the New Coronavirus (Mostly) Spares Children Why are children 'missing' from coronavirus outbreak cases.

  • 'Kuch Karona': Bird Flu, Pig Flu, Chicken Flu and then the Bat Flu.. What do we Do?

    The Hindi word ‘Karona’ is a request to Take Action. Kuch Karona simply means ‘Do something’. That something for most of us today is being prepared. If you are looking for one tablet, one injection and one cure, then keep waiting… Life cannot be lived on tablets and injections. The enemy out there keeps morphing, it keeps changing. The best thing we can do right now is to invest in our body's defence system, empower it, stand by it and support it- with good nutrition, diet and lifestyle. If you really want a simple answer to the question: Oh this Flu ! What do we do? A no brainer solution: Stop using Animal products. Even if you are not able to cut down on the usage of these foods completely, at least get started on the path. And yes before we point a finger at someone else, please be forewarned that most of us who are dependent on animal products share equal responsiblity. A person who drinks milk cannot claim to be better off than someone who eats meat. More on this later... So, who wants no brainer solutions? ‘We the People’ need 'Common Sense', the convenient logic followed by the majority. Why should I change my ways and sacrifice my happiness if others are indulging and enjoying their life….. But there is something you ought to know. The viruses that are moving over from animals to man are here because of our need to pander to the demands of our senses. Simple mathematics: More the animals that are being farmed, higher would be the proportion of infected animals and that would increase the probability of a virus being able to jump over from an animal to a human handler and then on to the rest of the population. I for one think that the ‘Coronavirus’ is one of the kinder viruses that has jumped ship. I dread to think about the new deadlier ones that would be created by “Us the Masses” that could wipe us out in larger numbers… Hint: The ecosystem 'Nature' strives towards balance, if we cause an imbalance we could be her next major assignment. More on the dangers of Animal farming and the possibility of a Pandemic like what we have never seen before in another blog. Before you go, here is a short list of the things you could do to protect yourself. 1. Don’t Panic. It will make things worse. More importantly, dont be in a haste and treat every small symptom with big medications. Given below are a few related blog posts that will be of help a. Impact of stress on Progression of a Disease b. The Healing Paradox. c. When we consider Healing as a 'Disease'. 2. Invest in a Health-Mate. A family Doctor /Health Practitioner who will be there to guide you in a manner that he does not even need to treat you ! If his company keeps you fit, then you have found the right one. 3. Learn about the following herbs and their usage. a. Yashtimadhu ( Glycyrrhiza glabra) b. Amrutballi ( Tinospora cordifolia) c. Ashwagandha ( Withnia somnifera) d. Pure Turmeric ( One with no dyes added ! ) e. Fever Nut ( Caesalpinia bonduc) f. Holy Basil. g. Indian Mint grown in a pot ( Plectranthus amboinicus) h. Triphala powder i. Aloe Vera. j. Others like Long Pepper, Pepper, Ginger, Garlic, Fennel seeds, Carom seeds, Lemon grass, Flax seeds, Basil Seeds and Psyllium husk. You can start using some of the herbs recommended above, in your day to day life. For e.g Yashtimadhu, Holy Basil, Lemon Grass, Ginger can be used to make herbal tea. Pepper, Turmeric, Cumin seeds etc can be used to make Rasam, Sambhar powder and Garam masala at home. You can freshen up in the morning before leaving for office with a glass of Aloevera and Amla juice..... 4. Learn about the following Supplements too. a. Vitamin C with flavonoids. b. Milk of Magnesia. c. Lugols Iodine. d. MSM ( Methyl Sulfonyl Methane). e. Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Vitamin A. f. Vitamin E, Selenium (Selenomethionine), Zinc, Copper 5. Embrace a few lifestyle changes like a. Eat more plant based foods. Preferably at home b. Ensure that you take salads and green leafy veggies every day. c. Aloe Vera, Amla and Citrus juices would provide the boost to the immune system. Here is a recipe to make Amla and Aloe Vera juice. d. Get moving: Walk as and when you can. If you have a pedometer, check your daily average and then try to increase it gradually. For most people the average would be around 3000 steps. Try to increase them to 5000 in the first week and 7000 in the coming week. For those of you who don’t have a pedometer. Every 10 minutes of walking would give you approx. 1000 steps. For 6000 steps, you need to be on your feet for about an hour. e. Help balance your natural biological clock: If your watch is not working you might miss a meeting. If your biological clock is not working you will be having many more meetings with doctors in hospitals ! How to take care of your circadian clock: For starters do not use bright lights especially white light at night. Use tungsten lights if possible. Try to make it to bed early f. Sleep early. Wake up early if required to do your work, but don’t work till late at night. Kindly remember fighting disease causing organisms needs energy, preparedness and practice. It is more or less like a practical exam. Unlike a theory exam, you can't cram for these practicals at the last minute. You need to be actively practising and embracing a holistic way of living in order to reap benefits and to stay healthy, especially when there is so much stress and panic around you….. That’s it for now. Wish you luck. -x-x-x-x-

  • To Drink or Not to Drink

    For those who Drink, You know what I mean. For those who Don’t, Pour yourself a glass of water. Saint Das ;) I drank a glass of water. Really ! -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- [ Disclaimer: The views expressed here are unique to the Prehealing community. It is unlikely that you will find similar information elsewhere. I leave it to your discretion to accept the logic presented here or to discard it; till such a time that someone spends millions of dollars to do a controlled study, to prove it right. The question remains: Why would someone do a study by spending millions of dollars- if the knowledge is not patentable and there is no way to get the million dollars back !] -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- I am sure that reading long blogs about alcohol wouldn’t give the reader a kick …. So here are a few points that should shed light on how a nectar has been converted into a poison. 1. Fermentation is a bio-transformative process, wherein carbohydrates like Sugars and starches are utilized by microbial colonies to grow. 2. As they grow, the microbes excrete a by-product that not only protects them from other species of microbes, but also acts as a marker that helps advanced life forms know about the existence of these probiotics. This simple organic compound is Ethanol. Most of us know it as alcohol. 3. The human brain learnt early on during evolution that Ethanol was a marker and its presence indicated a huge population of workers, who were looking out for a job. 4. Our gut is a factory and it is here that the microbes are employed to help provide nutrients for us. We in turn offer them protection and food. 5. So when humans did get a whiff of ethanol, they took in the beverage so that they could employ billions of labourers to do their work. 6. The body also chose to respond to ethanol in a unique way. Ethanol worked as a Central Nervous system depressant. It made the body relax, less active and want to take rest. This ensured that the individual hiring the new labourers, gave them sufficient time to settle. 7. In this way the Human body got the best of both. It got the microbes that helped the digestive organ and then the body got the much needed rest. Fast forward to the Modern Age: 8. Commercialization is about volumes and consistency. To ensure that the beverage doesn’t get overfermented, the beverage is sterilized and chemicals are also added to enhance flavour, stabilize and preserve the beverage. 9. The industry doesn’t care about these microbes, so before the product is shipped the only important part of the product- The microbes are destroyed. Moreover, even if you do get some microbes they are all alike. Variety, the integral part of a creative workforce- is lost 10. So when you open that wonderfully packaged Alcoholic beverage- What you are getting are just the byproducts: Ethanol, water and other metabolites produced by the poor microbes, along with a host of unnecessary chemicals. This drink is meant to appeal only to the brain. It intoxicates us as it cheats the digestive system of the much needed workforce. 11. So drinking modern alcoholic beverages defeats the purpose. Your body really misses these microbes. When it feels cheated, it asks you for another glass, hoping that the next glass will contain microbes and the process continues. You get addicted, the body feels cheated and the industry does not realize or care that it is creating a rot in this beautiful society that will backfire one day. 12. The Solution: Learning Fermentation is very easy. It is an art that has been used by man for hundreds of years, long before corporations started manufacturing drinks on a large scale. Moreover, unlike commercial drinks where the profile of the microbes is limited, you will get a wider variety of local probiotics in your beverage. Prehealing Community Resolution 2020: I will not cheat my body. If I have to drink, I will make it. Else, I will stick to what Das does: Grab a glass of water. -x-x-x-x- Asavas and Arishtas: Ayurvedic Fermented Drinks 1. Drakshasava ( Made from Grapes): Improves digestion, nervine tonic and for Migraines 2. Kumari Asava ( Made from Aloe Vera) - Immunomodulatory & tonic 3. Arjunarishta ( Bark of Arjuna tree)- An excellent remedy for heart related issues 4. Ashokarishta ( From the Asoka tree) - Womens health in general- For PMS and related issues Links to Probiotic Recipes Hosted on Prehealing Site: Non Alcoholic Recipes: 1. Kanji: A Probitoic Drink 2. Cultured Probiotic Enriched Rice 3. Kanji with Cooked Vegetables Alcoholic Recipes ( Very very Low alcohol content, hardly 0.5-2%) 1. Aparajita & Narthangai Probiotic Beverage Besides posting recipes on other fermented healing beverages , I will write a more detailed blog covering the following: 1. How a nectar has been converted into poison. 2. The hollow alcohol addiction. How corporates are using every technique possible to create mass scale addiction. Movies, social media, celebrities, culture… Leveraging on man’s primal weakness- The Serotonin circuits: The need to be recognized, to gradually move up the social ladder, and be seen as someone special. 3. The benefits of beverages fermented at home or made on a small scale. 4. How Ayurvedic practitioners used this process of bio-fermentation to make Asavas and Arishtas: Powerful ayurvedic formulations that help heal many diseases. Note: If you are interested in Probiotics that help build your microbiome and confer you with multiple health benefits, do check out this blog from time to time. We will keep posting more and more articles that will enable you to understand the benefits as well as equip you with the knowledge to be self dependent.

  • Sugary drink for Diabetics ! Really?

    This blog is not very detailed. It is an answer to a question pertaining to the use of Sugar in certain Prehealing Fermented Beverages: Disclaimer: The views expressed here are unique to the Prehealing community. It is unlikely that you will find similar information elsewhere. I leave it to your discretion to accept the logic presented here or to discard it; till such a time that someone spends millions of dollars to do a controlled study, to prove it right. The question remains: Why would someone do a study by spending millions of dollars- if the knowledge is not patentable and there is no way to get the million dollars back ! Overview 1. Probiotics are a workforce that exist inside our digestive tract and help us process foods better. We as employers, welcome these probiotics, provide protection and also support them with their food and housing requirements. 2. Sugar is added to certain Probiotic beverages, so as to employ only those probiotics that are good at breaking down sugars. So when you put sugar in the raw beverage, you are being specific about the capabilities & qualifications you expect from the workforce that you want to employ. 3. The workforce that accepts your offer and starts growing in your sugary drink is sugar dependent for their survival. (Their talent is what you need and you are the employer who can give them a good life, since you are having sufficient sugars to spare.) 4. When this mildly sweet Probiotic beverage is consumed, thousands of trillions of sugar hungry labourers (Probiotics) colonize your digestive system. 5. While you might have just taken 1/2 tsp of sugar (at the most) by drinking the Probiotic drink, you have colonized your gut with quadrillions of sugar hungry probiotics that will require a lot more sugar throughout their lifecycle. 6. These sugar hungry probiotics start utilizing all the sugars in your gut, as a result they help reduce the sugar load in your body. 7. All in all what you perceive to be a sugary drink has now helped you overcome excess sugar in the body! 8. Skip adding sugar in the drink and you will miss these benefits. (You can't have a workforce specific to your needs without testing their capabilities first. The sugar in your drink is the enrollment test!) 9. If you prefer to get the most out of your Probiotic beverage, the best time to take it is when the drink is very mildly sweet to not sweet at all. Note: Please do not let it over-ferment, as we want the conditions in the drink to mimic that in our gut. Over-fermentation will cause a reduction in the number of the Probiotic colonies. (Just as: When the office is overcrowded, there is no salary, there are no incentives and the future looks bleak, many employees will start leaving the workforce) Related Blogs: Aparajita & Narthangai Probiotic Beverage

  • Beyond the Mask: Facing the inevitable Coronavirus threat.

    Please calm down, take a deep breath and start preparing yourself. When there is panic around, a simple cold or flu could also be perceived as a coronavirus infection. The experts say that it is not easy for an ordinary person to wear a respirator mask correctly. Wouldn't it be much more challenging for us laymen to be sure about the nature of the infectious organism when afflicted with cough cold and fever especially during these times? Hence it is best to take preventive measures and treat symptoms in a manner where you do not panic and blow simple issues out of proportion. What we see in the news is only about those cases who have not made it through. Rarely do we get to hear from the thousands who have successfully fought the infection. If according to the worst case scenario the death rate is 2-3%, you have an overwhelming 97% chance of winning the war. What more do you want? "What more do I want? Well, how to be in the 97% ?" Here's how..... I take this opportunity to share with the audience a few preventive as well as protective measures that should help us safely tide over this global- near pandemic Coronavirus threat. Lets get started: 1. Support your body’s defence system and the immune response. a. Avoid Junk Food b. Avoid eating Oily and Highly processed foods c. Avoid going to Hotels, Eating joints, Pubs and Discotheques d. Eat food that is easy to digest and have your last meal before sunset or at least 2-3 hours before bedtime e. Pranayama, Yoga or light exercise everyday. Also try to cover at least 5000 to 10000 steps a day, Sufficient exposure to sunlight in the morning, good nights sleep and activities that will lighten your mood as well as reduce stress. f. ½ tsp of Triphala Churna with ½ lemon every morning. 2. Stock up your body with the necessary raw materials that will assist the Immune response. a. Vitamin D3 60,000 IU once a week or 5,000 IU Vitamin D3 everyday for the next 2 weeks. b. Vitamin K2 200mcg to 1000mcg per day c. Vitamin A 10,000IU twice a week d. Vitamin C 500mg once or twice daily e. Multi-mineral supplements that include the following Zinc, Selenium, Boron, Magnesium, Chromium, Iodine. f. Coenzymated Vitamin B Complex 2-3 times a week g. A glass or two of Fresh fruit and/or vegetable Juices everyday. h. High fibre Foods- Salads, Green leafy vegetables, Citrus fruits etc i. Include Turmeric, Pepper, Ginger, Coriander, Cumin, Carom seeds, Garlic in your diet 3. Supplements, Herbs and Herbal Preparations that you might need just in case someone shows signs of Corona infection or even Cold and Flu a. Adathoda Cough Syrup: Make it at home if possible b. Andrographis paniculata powder or tablets. c. Trikatu churna. d. Vitamin C tablets 500mg ( Non chewable kind if possible) e. Glycyrrhiza glabra 100 gms f. Tinospora Cordifolia 50gms g. Fresh Basil leaves or Basil leaf powder h. Fresh Parijata leaves or Parijata Leaf powder i. Honey 4. Other Items that you can stock a. MSM tablets. b. Fever nut (100 gms) c. Psyllium Husk, Basil seeds d. Milk of Magnesia. e. Lugols Iodine recommended (or Povidone Iodine, if you are unable to get Lugols). f. Hydrogen Peroxide. Please Note: I have skipped the obvious parts that includes hygiene, avoiding public places, taking the required rest even if you are sure that you or a family member has ordinary cough and cold etc. Just being aware of your surroundings, avoiding crowded places and taking time to learn more about home treatments will help you tide over this coronavirus wave. Stay safe, stay protected. Check this page again for instructions on usage of certain items mentioned in this post, as well as for updates on herbs, recommendations, links to supplements etc For suggestion, querries and information pertaining to this post, do feel free to email me at feedback@prehealing.com -x-x-x-x- Other articles that might be of help to you 1. The Corona Solution 2. 'Kuch Karona' Its time to take action 3. The need to support our Immune System 4. The Healing Paradox 5. Reasons as to why we should stop Abusing Antibiotics

  • Coronavirus infection in this Digital Age

    The digital technology has impacted most of us in a way that we oscillate between two extremes. Like 0 and 1 in the digital world, our options seem to be oversimplified with YES or NO. Right now during this Cornavirus crisis most people are polarized along the lines of 'Be Carefree' as if there is no problem at all or 'Panic as if the world is going to collapse' in no time. A couple of days ago, an acquaintance asked me if he needed to worry about the Coronavirus. I said "Not really....." and asked him to read my first post on coronavirus. The very next day he was partying with a group of friends telling them that this entire Coronavirus is a hoax ! To backup his claims and his confidence were WhatsApp messages that were supposedly from UNICEF stating that the coronavirus was a propaganda blown out of proportion and that one need not worry about it. The document went on to say that the virus is so big and heavy that a simple mask could offer the required protection... When I ask someone not to Panic, it does not imply that they can go the other extreme and be careless ! Well the so called UNICEF document proved to be a hoax. All that the creator of the poorly written, grammatically incorrect & misleading document had to do was to put UNICEF at the bottom and the masses kept forwarding the document without even checking its authenticity. Here are a few facts we should keep in mind rather than vacillating between extremes. 1. The virus can be a threat only if our immune system is not able to detect it and fight the virus ( In case you are exposed to it). Remember there aren't any vaccines or virus specific drugs as of now. The best defence we have is our Immune system. 2. Like the art of 'Yoganidra', where you learn to embrace opposites- that is learn to be aware as you sleep, so also the current situation calls for us being calm as we prepare ourselves and do the best to stay protected. Just because there is nothing to panic, does not mean that you can party and encourage gatherings even as experts are warning against it. 3. Coronaviruses have been there for millions of years, but this strain is new. Even the experts need time to get to understand the way this virus spreads, infects and mutates. Don't assume that just because they are not able to give you the facts right now, a WhatsApp post or a Youtube video calling this a propaganda is true. 4. Heat might kill the virus, but there is a lot about it that we don't know yet. For e.g could Air Conditioning units play a role in circulating it? Could the virus mutate in a manner that it can withstand heat and so on... Respect your opponent, it has taken lives of quite a few people who were unprepared for its onslaught. There is no harm in being prepared. 5. Also your overconfidence might cost someone else their comfort. For e.g- You go to a party and happen to get the virus home. Your immune system might be able to fight it off, but your elderly father might succumb to it... Try not to become a carrier. 6. Providing good nutrition to the body, taking supplements to fill in the gaps and leading a good lifestyle will not be efforts in vain. Why not pamper our body for a change? 7. If you are not able to provide the right information, at least do not become instrumental in spreading false messages. Before you click on the send button, think about the repercussions of your forwards. 8. Last but not the least. Hope that the coronavirus will die down soon, but be vigilant as if it is the greatest threat on earth. Let not the death of the 3500 people go in vain. They have lost their lives to this infection, if we learn from it at least we can protect ourselves as well as our near and dear ones. Their deaths will not be in vain. To sum it up Coronavirus infection is not a death sentence. 95-98% would recover from it. But, why get infected in the first place? Stay safe , stay protected. -x-x-x-x-

  • When the Driver does matter: What happens when Commerce drives Medicine

    Overview 1. In ancient India, Medicine, Education, Food and Legal support were provided without any expectations whatsoever*. 2. What were the reasons for not putting a price on these modalities ? 3. In today's India. Medicine, Education, Food and Legal support, drive the economy. 4. Medicine, Education and demand for Food has created numerous job opportunities, created a huge and profitable industry and is the lifeline of our economy. 5. What can we say about this Commerce and Medicine partnership, especially when Commerce drives Medicine ( Research, formulations, patenting etc). 6. Has Disease become an incentive? Does it make sense to eradicate Diseases especially when Diseases are a lifeline for commerce? Is commerce driven medicine in search of ways and means of nurturing diseases ( and creating new ones)? 7. During an inauguration of a Charitable hospital a spiritual master addressed the audience thus " I am looking forward to a day, when there will be no visitors to this hospital. I pray for everyone's health and hope that the almighty will help us eradicate sickness and disease " Rahul gets a call to attend an interview, for a dream job that he had been preparing so long for. Since he stays in a village he has to leave for the city the next day. Rahul gets his checklist, to cross check if there is anything he needs to get done before leaving for Mumbai. He needs a good formal dress- ✔ He has one. A good pair of shoes -✔ Yes. Two copies of his recent Passport size photograph- ✔ They are ready. Most of the items on his checklist are done. He is happy, puts down his checklist and then as he is about to retire for bed and call it a day he looks in the mirror and realizes that he needs a decent haircut. Rahul's glance falls on the image of Ganesha by his bedside and his mind makes an earnest plea " Please Please Please, let me find a good barber tomorrow morning. I don't know if the good shops will be open so early, please help me..." Across the lane is Salim the barber. It wasn't such a good day today. He holds his Quran lovingly and prays for help. "I need a little bit more to pay the rent to Hari. He has been very kind. Please help me, I dont want to default on my payments again." Salim gets up early the next morning at around 5:30 am and opens the shop. Usually customers dont turn up so early, yet he hopes for a miracle. And then when he sees Rahul enter the shop, he thanks Allah for being merciful. Rahul is nervous at first, he explains to Salim as to how he would prefer a haircut. He is praying that Salim better be good, since this was the only barbers shop that was open. As Salim gets started, Rahul notices that he is very good at his work. To break the ice, Rahul starts up a conversation with Salim. He is impressed with Salim's outlook towards life just as he is with Salims hair cutting abilities. After the haircut, Rahul makes the payment of Rs 100 that includes a Rs 40 tip. Salim holds Rahuls hand warmly and thanks him. His eyes say it all. And as Rahul is just getting out of the shop he is privy to this inner dialogue "Can I give this man some more, he has given me such a wonderful haircut and has been god sent. He is also so kind and loving...." Rahul turns back again, approaches Salim and surprises the old man with another note of Rs 500. He thanks him and heads back home. This is an example of Win Win commercial transaction. Each person prayed that he be blessed with good service or a good customer and it was as if Ganesha and Allah struck a deal to keep their respective devotees happy! This could also happen if Ramesh wanted to buy a new shop and there was another owner Joseph who desperately wanted to sell his shop. A win win. You transact with a Uber driver who drives you to the airport in time. You thank him and gift him a smile and a pat on his back - Yet again Win Win. Now imagine this situation: A cardiologist kneels in front of his Altar and prays to God. " Dear God, I need a couple of patients tomorrow so that I can meet my monthly targets... Please Please Please help me" Now the only way for God to answer the cardiologists prayers is to create sickness to answer a prayer; to give some one a cardiac arrest, so that the doctor can be happy ! . This is definitely not a win win A doctors prayers can never translate into a win win scenario. That is the reason why, in ancient India, Medicine was not to be practised for the sole purpose of earning income. A medical practitioner had to be an individual whose sole purpose in life would be to help people stay healthy. He was supposed to be highly altruistic, a spiritually evolved individual with love and compassion for fellow human beings and a passion for healing. Today when medicine is driven by commerce, I see many youngsters** and parents decide on a career in medicine, not because they are passionate about healing, but because they know that a Doctor would be rich, prosperous and respected. The motivation is the wealth and the power that it bestows on the individual. ( The same logic applies to Education - where knowledge is given only if you have the means to pay for it. It is not given to those who are capable of using it in the best possible way, but to those who are able to afford it. ) Who is the villain here? Unfortunately there is none. No the Pharma industry is not the culprit. Allopathy as a modality is amazing and cannot be blamed at all. The doctors are doing the best to live and let live and we cannot blame them either. It is us as a community of individuals who have chosen to give value to Money over Life. When we make commerce a driver and medicine takes a back seat what else can we expect. Today the intent of Medicine might be to heal, but the drivers intent is to create a revenue stream. Medicine might want to find a solution, but the driver wants the issue to stay life long so that disease keeps generating revenue, increases the value of your shares, it keeps people employed- perhaps your children or relatives work there, it creates new opportunities for research that is again driven by commerce. The vicious cycle continues. No one is to blame since we all have given priority to commerce over life and have chosen to elect commerce as a driver. To ensure that our elected representative ' Commerce' gets the necessary support, we have also created legal system to punish those who do things with good intent but are not qualified and certified by the industry. Today law is also all about logic and proof and not about reality. If you can prove it then you can win. You get the best lawyer you can get away with anything. If you are certified by the industry, then you can get away with mistakes some of which might even take away lives ( Not to worry, your certificates, qualifications and the legal system will ensure that no harm comes your way ) Another point to be noted is that our legal system believes ( claims) that all of human life is equal, that everyone regardless of their social and financial position should be treated equally. Everyone should be treated justly, whether it is with regards to interpersonal relations or with respect to the diseases they suffer. We say life is equal. A poor mans life is as precious as that of a Prime Minister or a President, but is that really true ? Not until you make medicine totally free. If medicine & medical treatment is made free then a poor man would have access to the same treatment that a millionaire would have access to. Say for example there are two patients with eye infection. One is a poor old villager and another is a CEO of a big multinational. The poor old villager would have to do with cheap eye drops because he would not be able to afford the more expensive ones. The CEO gets the best eye drops, the best nutrition and medical care to heal his eye. We say that all life is equal, but we behave otherwise. What we are communicating is that all life is equal given that they all have the necessary funds. The legal system contradicts itself ! Is there hope? Are we looking at a bleak future? I dont think so. There are many great souls who have been able to motivate their followers and have started Charitable institutions. A few corporates too are following suit. These institutions are offering medicines and medical care for free. Yet in the current Commerce driven medicine scenario, they too have their limitations. They need to buy the medicines and unfortunately many of the medicines are manufactured with an intent to sustain the disease rather than to cure. Why? Because, commerce rewards the pharma giants who come up with patent-able medicine and hence pharma companies are stuck with finding new cures when there are tons of natural cures available. Another limitation for these charitable institution is that the Doctors that work here have also been trained by a commerce oriented Educational system and are so specialized in their approach that most cannot think holistically. This lack of a holistic approach in medical education is a severe handicap. It is for this reason that charitable institutions are struggling with addressing more and more patients , when in fact with proper support they would have been able to eradicate diseases. Case in point: A spiritual leader visited a charitable hospital that he had founded. The doctors were proud to show as to how they had been addressing more and more patients for free. The spiritual leader on the other hand looked at the numbers and then remarked " If the number of patients are increasing, then of what use is this Hospital? Why dont we start programs to educate the public so that they dont fall sick and avoid visits to the hospital? The duty of a hospital is to spread awareness, keep diseases away and try to make the community so healthy that there are minimal visits to the hospital" He went on " A hospital's success lies in fewer number of patients visiting every year rather than an increased number. I look forward to a day when there will be no patients coming to this Hospital " This is what one can expect when Commerce no longer drives medicine. I hope that very soon we should be able to realize the vision of great souls who have been working hard to release medicine from the clutches of commerce. Summary: 1. When commerce drives medicine then life is at stake, since Disease drives commerce ! 2. Medicine should be freed from the clutches of commerce otherwise the motivation for the industry will be Disease ( And not healing) 3. To free Medicine from commerce, we would also have to free education from clutches of commerce. At least medical education can be free to start with. 4. The Dr degrees should be awarded by patients and community after a medical healer has proven his worth. Institution should be giving a certificate saying that the person is qualified to practice. A respectable title like Doctor should be earned and be in possession of someone who is passionate, loving, caring and a true healer 5. We need Doctors with passion, with love, with compassion and who value the life of each and every patient. 6. To sum it up. and to quote the spiritual master- Every hospital should work with the community to ensure that there are minimal patients in the hospital. A hospitals success should be judged based on how successful they are at eradicating diseases . Coming Soon I will share more about what we " Prehealing Community Members" are doing in a post titled " Understanding Free Commerce " * In ancient India, Education, Medicine, Food, Shelter and Legal services were provided without any expectations, since all these services are price-less. How could they put a value on that which sustained life. Since Life was considered priceless all that supported life had to be above commerce and an appropriate price could never be given to it. Those who could afford paid as much as they could. Those who were poor made the payment by means of offering their happiness and gratitude. The rich and the poor supported these priceless support systems much the same way the systems supported them. ** I am also aware of so many passionate and wonderful doctors that it is not fair to see the community in negative light. We all are victims of commerce driven medicine. I have seen quite a few doctors who have at least one family member who has been affected by the commerce driven way of treatment. Furthermore since most doctors have specialized there is nothing they can do when their family member, relative or close friend is afflicted with a disease that they are not trained to address. For e.g What does a cardiologist do when her mother is affected with Alzheimers? She too becomes a victim of this commerce driven medicine. No one is spared. There are no villians, there are no heroes and there are no victors. The message I would like to get across is that we need to take collective responsibility rather pointing fingers at the Pharma Companies, The Doctors, The Educational institutions etc

  • Processing Alum

    To be used under the guidance of your Doctor / Vaidya/ Holistic Practitioner Ingredients: 50 Grams of Alum ( Potassium Aluminium Sulfate ). Other Requirements: Mortar and Pestle A flat cast iron pan and a Glass container Procedure: Take 50 grams of Alum. Crush it in a mortar so that it is broken down to a fine powder. Keep pan for heating. When the pan is hot, pour the powder onto the pan and spread it evenly. The powder will appear to be melting. It will start to bubble as water escapes from the crystals. Once the bubbling stops what would be left behind would be a pale white residue in form of sheets. Turn off the flame. Let the pan cool down. Collect the flaky sheets, powder it using a mortar and pestle and then transfer the powder to a glass container. -x-x-x-x- This powder can be used as a raw material for making a variety of homemade medicines in order to address 1. Bleeding Gums 2. As and antispetic and antibiotic ( For small nicks and cuts) 3. To help arrest excessive bleeding that is difficult to stop. 4. Epsitaxis ( Nose bleeding in kids and adults) 5. Rectal bleeding 6. Piles 7. Water purification You should find more information on this site, however if you are not able to find the required information or if you need clarifications and guidance as to how it is to be used, feel free to email me at feedback@prehealing.com #PrehealingRecipes

  • Knol khol Rice Replacement

    Scientific name: Brassica oleracea. Nolkhol is also known as Kholrabi. Requirements: 1 Nolkhol 1 Carrot 1 tablespoon Very finely grated coconut ( You can skip it if you are not fond of coconut) Optional Items 1 Zucchini ( Optional ) A small piece of Bottle Gourd ( Optional) Preparation: Grate Carrots and Nolkhol ( Medium or Fine grating, depending on your choice) Add 1 tablespoon of finely grated coconut. Mix well. You can add the optional items too based on your preference How to Use: Use this grated mixture as a replacement for rice. Serve it on your plate just as you would serve an helping of rice. To this, you can can add Gravy, Rasam, Sambhar etc, just like you would take along with rice. Mix with your fingers so that it gives you a feeling of having a meal with rice (Eating the traditional way- using all the 5 fingers has its own advantages...) And yes, do take other green veggies and side dishes as usual. What makes our eating experience unique is the ritual. If you eat this as you would eat in South India with hand ( sans spoon) you will not miss cooked rice. #PrehealingRecipes

  • A 'berry' good time for your Liver and Kidneys: Phyllanthus niruri

    This is a herb that would help your liver and kidneys to cope up with the effects of stress. To put it succintly, given the present high stress scenario 'This is a herb we all need, regardless of what those blood tests tell you..." Scientific Name: Phyllanthus niruri | English: Stone breaker | Sanskrit: Bahupatra| Hindi: Bhui amla, | Bengali : Bhuiamala | Tamil : Keeranelli, Kezhaneli | Marathi : Bhuiamla | Telugu : Nela usiri, Nelausarika | Kannada : Nelanelli, Bhunelli | Malayalam : Kilanelli | Medicinal uses: Liver tonic and rejuvenator par excellence, Very good for preventing as well as expelling kidney stones, For inflammation of spleen, For Typhoid, Antipyretic- For reducing fever , Fractures, Heals ulcers, Antibacterial, Conjunctivitis, Blepharitis, Heals Pylori infections, Diabetes, Fatty liver, Hepatitis infections, Skin infections, Anticancer properties. Traditional Uses: 1. A tsp of plant paste is taken 2-3 times a day along with sour cultured rice water or buttermilk for treating Jaundice and other liver disorders. 2. A decoction of the plant along with the leaves of Parijata can be used for treating Fever. 3. 1 tsp juice of the plant can be taken for fatty liver, weak digestion, vomiting etc. 4. Paste of the plant mixed with turmeric is used for Psoriasis and Eczema. Disclaimer: For the untrained eye, many plants appear similar. Do not attempt to harvest and use herbs until and unless you are familiar with herb identification and usage. If you want to use any of the herbs mentioned on these blogs, please do so under the guidance of a doctor or a holistic practitioner. You can also write to us at feedback@prehealing.com for usage information specific to your issue.

  • Prehealing Logo: The blossoming of White.

    Every person in a family has a role to play. I am one of the technicians in the Prehealing Family. So when I started to work on the Prehealing website, I realized that I was artistically compromised ! Well, I did try making a few logos for our community, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not accept my own designs. This beautiful logo is Priyas creation, and whilst I cannot create such a beauty, I can as a philosophically inclined technician, come up with reasons as to why this symbol truly represents us. Back then, on the day I received an email with a simple yet beautiful image, my gut feel on looking at this ‘to be logo’ was "Yes this is perfect". It took me quite some time to answer the question 'Why?' Here are my reasons as to why this Logo resonates with our Prehealing philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva kutumbakam' 1. Divided we look, United we are: |This is our Prehealing family| 2. When your core is pure, your life is vibrant: | When our intentions are pure and selfless, health, happiness and vibrancy will be our constant companions.| 3. Simplicity at the core, colours and beauty at the periphery: |We don’t need to do show off and attract attention, the simplicity of our approach is what makes Prehealing movement truly unique and beautiful.| 4. Simplicity is beyond complexity. That which appears just white is in fact the most colourful of all objects. It holds within itself all the colours and yet does not brag about it: | When we implement lessons that we have learnt from Nature, others might call it unscientific or our irrational beliefs. But, we have to remember that all that we are today is natures implementation of the highest technology, most of which we have not yet figured out ! | 5. As purity unfolds, you experience vibrancy. 6. At its core, mastery is simplicity. At its periphery simplicity is vibrancy.

  • Dear Lord, Wart can I do?

    This is Virus season, so lets take a look at what we could do about the various viruses in our lives. Warts are caused by Human Papilloma Virus(HPV) and these viruses tend to stick around until and unless you take some desperate measures. Here are a few such measures- Like Papaya on the foot ! and ingredients of ketchup to chase the virus out.... Read more in this messy yet interesting post. For those of you who have warts, you know as to how bothersome they can be. Some could be bothersome because of the cosmetic impact and the way they can attract unwanted attention, some warts could be irritating because of their location and some could cause pain, especially when they grow in places which are subjected to a high intensity of pressure ( For e.g. On the soles of the feet or on the palms ) Note: Here are a few tried and tested remedies. Most of these remedies have been tried out by members of the Prehealing Community. Prehealing community members not only rely on remedies listed on this site, but also follow a lifestyle that is healing centric. Not being a Prehealing community member should not stop you from using these remedies, but you should be aware that a good lifestyle and a happy body would help make these remedies more efficacious. It is also recommended that you follow the remedies on this site, under the supervision and guidance of your doctor or an Ayurvedic / Holistic practitioner. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Papaya for Wart Removal: ( What makes it efficacious : Enzyme Papain ) Remedy Type: Enzyme based, Day time remedy Papaya is good both internally as well as externally. Internally it would provide a variety of phytochemicals that would help improve digestion, increase absorption , improve immmune response all of which would help your body address the warts - inside out.. Externally it helps nourish the skin as well as cleanse it of dead cells in a manner that it addresses the warts- Outside in. To use it internally, all that you have to do is to enjoy the fruit, the digestive system will do the rest of the work. They say, ' The devil is in the details' , so lets respect this age old adage and not go too deep into how Papaya works internally,- Eat it forget it :) However if you want to use it externally, there is quite a bit of effort you need to put in. You also need to be sure that you monitor the action that papaya has on the skin and not overdo it. When you use it this way, its better to get into the details. Facing the devil is better than causing unintentional injury to the skin. So lets dive into the details..... This remedy calls for a ripe papaya. You need to use the peels that have been left over after the pulp has been scooped out from the ripe fruit. Make sure that the peel retains a little bit of the pulp as well Using the Peel: Cut / Size the peel in a manner that will make it easy to hold ( Not too big and long or not too small ). Gently press the peel on the wart and rub in the pulp on and around the wart. If the wart is on the underside of your feet and the skin around is thick you can use another peel or two and massage on the wart and around it. If however the wart is on area surrounded by skin that is tender, use just one or two such applications at a time. After having made the application with pulpy papaya peels, you can let the juices and pulp remain on the area for a couple of minutes before washing it off. Repeat this 2 to 3 times everyday. Note: If the wart is quite thick, you can gently file it with Pumice stone. A little at a time, every day will help decrease the size of the wart without causing an injury Using the paste: Do this 15-20 minutes before your bath or a foot soak. Take a small ammount of papaya pulp and cover just the wart with it. You can dress it up with some cotton and an adhesive tape so that the pulp remains in place. Remove the dressing after 15-20 minutes, wash the area and then gently file the wart with a pumice stone. Duration of treatment: Repeat Daily till the wart falls off Pineapple for Wart Removal: ( What makes it efficacious : Enzyme Bromelain) Remedy Type: Enzyme based, Day time remedy Using Pineapple Peel / Slice: You can either use pineapple peel that you are going to discard or use a slice of pineapple. Pineapple would be quite a bit more potent than papaya, so whilst you can get your results faster, it could also cause cuts on the skin around the wart if you overdo it. Use it in a manner similar to Papaya peel Using Pineapple Pulp/Paste: Presoak the area that has the wart in water for half a minute or so, before application of the pineapple paste. To make a paste use a small slice of pineapple and use a mortar and pestle to make it into a pulp. Cover it on the wart. Keep it for 2-3 minutes and then wash it off. File the wart with a pumice stone. Duration of treatment: Repeat Daily till the wart falls off Oxalis Corniculata ( What makes it efficacious : Natural Acids and Tannins) Remedy Type: Night Time remedy ( Longer Contact with Skin) It appears as if this herb was just made for warts and corns ! Oxalis corniculata is also called as Wood sorrel and is a small herb that considered as a weed by many. If you do find the fresh herb in your area, here is how you can use it Oxalis corniculata paste : Take 2-3 tablespoons of the herb ( leaves and tender shoots). Grind them to a paste with a Mortar and pestle. Apply this paste on the wart. Since cotton would absorb the herb juices, cover it with a small piece of plastic that would contain the paste and cover it with a surgical tape so as to ensure that it is airtight. Keep this overnight and take it out just before you go for bath. Duration of treatment: Repeat Daily till the wart falls off . For best results, during the day, use the Papaya or Pineapple treatment Tomato ( What makes it efficacious : Natural Acids ) Remedy Type: Night Time remedy ( Longer Contact with Skin) Apply tomato paste over the wart, dress it up in a manner mentioned above and leave it overnight Duration of treatment: Repeat Daily till the wart falls off . For best results, use the Papaya or Pineapple treatment at least once during day time Apple Cider Vinegar ( What makes it efficacious : Acetic and Malic Acids ) Remedy Type: Night Time remedy ( Longer Contact with Skin) Wet a piece of cotton with Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Place the cotton swab on the wart and dress it up in a manner mentioned above. Leave it on overnight. Duration of treatment: Repeat Daily till the wart falls off . For best results, use the Papaya or Pineapple treatment at least once during day time Oil Mixture ( What makes it efficacious : Antiviral and immunomodulatig properties of oils ) Remedy Type: Day or Night time Remedy ( Longer Contact with Skin) Oils Required: 1. Pongamia Oil - 15 grams or 15 ml 2. Neem Oil - 5 grams or 5 ml 3. Pure Tea tree Oil - 5 grams or 5 ml 4. Preferably Mango butter or Kokkum Butter ( Can also use Cocoa butter as an alternative) - 15 grams ( If you liquefy it by heating then you can take 15 ml) Melt the mango butter and then blend in the remaining three oils. Store them in a glass jar. Apply this after you have done the Papaya or Pineapple treatment. This can be applied topically and either left open or covered with a thin piece of gauze and a surgical tape Summary: You can use the remedies listed above either singly or in combination. What works best is a combined approach. Here is an example 1. In the morning: Enzyme treatment ( Papaya or Pineapple treatment) followed by Filing with pumice stone. 2. Post Enzyme treatment : Oil application so that the oil stays on the wart throughout the day 3. If possible: Enzyme treatment before sleeping 4. Before sleeping: Dress the wart with Oxalis corniculata / Tomato paste / Apple Cider Vinegar. or Before sleeping: Apply the Oils on a cotton swab, cover with plastic and seal it in with surgical tape The steps given above is just an example of how you can create a routine that you follow on a daily basis so as to be able to get rid of the wart. You can come up with your own routines based on the availability of materials and your personal preference. And yes, do send your feedback with what worked best for you to feedback@prehealing.com #PrehealingRecipes

  • Adulsa Cough Syrup

    Ingredients Required 1) 250 ml Juice extracted from fresh Adulsa leaves ( Adathoda vasica leaves.) 2) 2 Fully Grown and Mature Aloe Vera leaves ( Should give approximately 120-200 grams of Aloe vera Gel ) 3) 50 ml Juice from thick succulent Oregano leaves ( Plectranthus amboinicus ) 4) 10 grams of Italian Basil leaves or 3 grams of Dried Italian Basil leaves 5) 10 grams of Holy Basil leaves or 3 grams dried leaves 6) 15 grams of Mint Leaves or 3 grams of Dried Mint leaves 7) 15 grams of fresh Lemon Grass leaves or 5 grams of dried lemon grass leaves 8) 30-40 Cloves 9) 3 grams of Indian Liquorice ( 1 tsp of Liquorice powder) 10) 1/2 tsp of Organic Turmeric powder 11) 3 grams or 1 tsp of Tinospora cordifolia powder ( Other names: Giloy / Amrutaballi/ Guduchi ) 12) 150 ml of Kumari Asava an Ayurvedic preparation ( Preferred Brand: Baidyanath) 13) 200-300 ml of Honey 14) 600 ml of water Procedure: Step 1: Getting the Juices Ready Carefully cut out two fully grown thick Aloe Vera Leaves. Let the resin drain and then slice it horizontally so that the leaf is slit into upper and lower halves. Scoop out the gel and put it in a vessel. To this vessel add about 250 ml fresh juice of Adulsa and 50ml Juice of Oregano leaf ( Thick succulent Coleus Leaf scientific name: Plectranthus amboinicus ) Step 2: Preparing the Decoction of Herbs ( Kashyam) Take 600ml of water Add Italian Basil leaves, Holy Basil Leaves, Mint leaves, Lemon grass and Cloves After adding all the ingredients boil it till you get the Aroma from the herbs Once the Kashyam (decoction) starts boiling, lower the flame and then to the Kashyam add the following ingredients. 1. 1 tsp of Indian Liquorice ( Yashtimadhu / Mulethi powder) 2. 1/2 tsp of Turmeric 3. 1 tsp of Tinospora cordifolia powder (subject to availability) After adding the above ingredients let the Kashyam ( decoction) simmer till the quantity of liquid is almost half – that is approx. 300ml Turn off the heat,let the Kashyam cool a little bit and then filter it. Step3: Final Cough Syrup Mix Blend the Aloevera leaf Gel, Adulsa decoction and Doddapatra juice in a blender. Mix in the warm kashyam little by little , till the Aloe Vera gel has blended in well with the Kashyam. Once it has mixed well, reheat the mixture in a stainless steel vessel till it starts boiling. Turn off the flame as soon as the Aloe Kashyam mixture starts to boil and then let it cool. To this add 150 ml of Baidyanath Kumari Asava and 200-300 ml of Honey Mix well, transfer to a glass bottle and refrigerate. Dosage: Children 1-2 years: 2-4 tsps daily Children 3-9 years : 4-6 tsps daily Adults:Take about 1 tablespoon 3-4 times daily -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- Given below is a Photograph of Adathoda vasica, the herb that is one of the main ingredients in the cough syrup #PrehealingRecipes

  • Holy Cow ! Could I’ve been programmed by Milk?

    “What is this demonstration about ?“ The journalist asked a woman who was a part of a group of protestors. The woman had a blank look on her face. When prodded again she said “I don’t know, I am just supporting my people. I have been asked to come for this demonstration and here I am extending support…” Time and again we see this happening in many places across the world. The masses, protesting, rioting, fighting, killing….. What has happened to our ability to think? Why is it that when we become a part of the herd some of us act in ways we wouldn’t act otherwise? Why is it that a group of a few thousand protestors could make a sane person do stupid things, a kind person perpetrate acts of cruelty……? Could Milk be the Antidemocratic food supplement. Could it also play a part in us losing our ability to exercise our free will ? There is a lot we need to understand about the functions of milk and one function that hasn’t been researched on is pertaining to the ability of milk to pass on species specific traits and tendencies. Could cows milk then, program humans to find comfort in being a part of the herd? Why wait? Why not hypothesize, based on the evidence that is in front of our eyes… Prehealing Hypothesis: The herd tendency helps certain mammals survive in wild by forming groups and sticking together as a unit. To be a part of the herd, most of the members have to forgo their instinct to think freely and have to learn to follow the herd leader. This is critical for survival in the wild. Stay alone and get killed. If milk does pass on that trait to humans, could we too loose our freewill and start following our herd blindly? Current Scenario: The mob mentality has gripped our society. We have stopped thinking and have become hypersensitive to the smallest of threats. Acts of arson, rioting, demonstrations and protests are on the rise. Many seek comfort in being a part of a group. There is so much of insecurity and fear around, something that makes us want to huddle closer together and look up to a leader for a solution. The herd tendency is crippling our society. Fears are amplified as it keeps the herd together and empowers those few who are born to lead the herds. It is their voice that the masses echo. The minority leads the majority. Could the ability of milk to pass on traits and re-program tendencies explain the exaggerated herd behaviour in humans? Thats all for today folks. What Moooo can I say :) Would love to hear from you too. Please share your thoughts, feedback and comments to feedback@prehealing.com

  • Milk of Magnesia with Lemon Juice

    It is recommended that you follow the remedies listed on this page, under the supervision and guidance of your doctor ( Allopathic / Ayurvedic / Holistic practitioner ) Ingredients 10 ml (2 Tsp) Phillips Milk of Magnesia ( non flavoured) 10 ml (2 Tsp)Lemon Juice 500 mg Inositol powder ( Subject to availability) 200 ml water Extra Lemon Juice ( If required ) Preparation Mix Milk of Magnesia and Lemon Juice. Stir well and keep aside for about 5 minutes. Add Inositol powder mix well and then add 200ml of water. Taste the final mixture. If you would like to make it more sour, add a tsp or two of lemon juice. Stir well before drinking. Dosage Check with your practitioner before taking this Preferred Timings Before Breakfast Before Lunch Just before sleeping Please Note: Most of the remedies that I have shared with you have been tried out by members of the Prehealing Community. Prehealing community members not only rely on remedies listed on this site, but also follow a lifestyle that is healing centric. Not being a Prehealing community member should not stop you from using these remedies, but you should be aware that a good lifestyle and a happy body would help make these remedies more efficacious. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Coccinia grandis: Oh Gourd! Save me from Diabetes.

    Scientific Name: Coccinia grandis, Coccinia indica | English: Ivy Gourd| Sanskrit: Bimbi| Hindi: Tindora, Kunduru | Tamil : Kovai | Marathi : Tondli| Telugu : Donda Kaya | Kannada : Tondikay | Nepali: Golkakri | Medicinal uses: Anti-diabetic, Antimicrobial, Helps heal wounds, relieve pain (analgesic), decrease fever (antipyretic), Protects liver ( hepatoprotective), antidyslipidemic, healing cataracts, anticancer, and also Highly nutritious | Disclaimer: For the untrained eye, many plants appear similar. Do not attempt to harvest and use herbs until and unless you are familiar with herb identification and usage. If you want to use any of the herbs mentioned on these blogs, please do so under the guidance of a doctor or a holistic practitioner. You can also write to us at feedback@prehealing.com for usage information specific to your issue . | The fruit of Ivy Gourd has been used in many cuisines, however it is the leaf that did not get the attention it deserved. Prehealing Uses: 1. Leaves are used for preparing a green curry, that is tasty, highly nutritious and coincidentally helps diabetics too :) 2. An excellent remedy for those suffering from high sugar: Take 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) of freshly expressed juice of tender Coccinia grandis leaves three times daily for 21 days. 3. The leaves are also used for dressing up wounds. A paste of these leaves can be used along with the leaves of Basil and Vinca rosea. 4. Juice expressed from the stem is used to treat cataracts. 5. Whilst very tender fruits can be eaten raw, the green fruit is usually cooked and made into a vegetable Recipes: The Antidiabetic Green Curry ( Coming soon...) Research: Blood sugar lowering effect of Coccinia grandis https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jdr/2011/978762/ Coccinia indica in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/399436 Effect of supplementation of Coccinia cordifolia extract on newly detected diabetic patients https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18000183 Wound healing activity of Coccinia https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31584060

  • Onion Herbal Tea: Antipyretic (For Fever)

    ( Summary for those who don’t have the time to read it all ) 1 Large Onion cut into 4-5 pieces, 4 cups of water (800ml) a pinch of turmeric and 4-5 cloves. ( Add Jaggery if you are making it for children or for patients who are feeling very weak ) Boil all these till the water is reduced to half the quantity. Filter, store in a Thermos flask and give the patient about 1/2 glass every half an hour or so -------------- This Kashyam ( Herbal Tea / Anti Fever Soup ) helps the body heal faster and as a result helps normalize the body temperature. Given below is the recipe. The Basic recipe is for emergencies and requires very few ingredients. The optional items could be used when you have access to additional herbs. Nevertheless both these recipes can help the patient recover from fever by addressing the root cause Onion Kashyam: Basic Recipe Ingredients: 1 Big Onion ( 120-140gms) 4-5 Cloves 1/4th Tsp of Turmeric powder Small piece of Ginger 4 Cups of Water ( Approx 800ml) Optional Items 1: To be added along with the above ingredients ( Subject to availability) 1/2 inch piece of Cinnamon Pinch of pepper powder 2-3 tsp of basil leaves 1-2 lemon grass leaves ( chopped) 2-3 tsp of Mint leaves 2-3 Nirgundi leaves Optional Items 2: To be added just before taking the vessel off the flame 1/4th Tsp of Glycyrrhiza glabra powder (Also called as Liquorice Powder, Yashtimadhu, Atimadhuram) 1-2 tsp of Jaggery Preparation: Keep the water for boiling. Cut onion into 4-5 pieces and add it to the water. Add cloves and ginger and let the water boil. Let the decoction boil till for some time till you have approximately 2-3 glasses of water left. ( You have to boil till the quantity of water is reduced by 30-50% ) Lower the flame when the quantity of water has reduced and then add turmeric powder. You can also add Glycyrrhiza powder ( and Jaggery, if required – recommended for children ). After adding the powders, continue heating on a low flame for about half a minute and then turn off the flame. Cover the vessel and let the powders settle. Filter through a fine sieve and store it in a Thermos flask Dosage: Serve Hot. About 1/2 to 1 Glass every hour or as and when required. Notes: This herbal tea is like a soup. You can also add a tsp or two of lemon juice to your Onion Herbal Tea just before serving ( Do not add it while storing the herbal tea in the flask. Lemon Juice has to be freshly squeezed and added ). Many parents / caretakers worry as to what food can be given to the patients when they have fever. Onion Kashyam works as an antipyretic medicine and also doubles up as a soup that provides nutrition and the necessary phytochemicals to fight disease. If the patient does not have an appetite do not force feed the patient. This herbal tea will double up as a nutritional supplement. And yes, unlike conventional medicines, the best part about this Herbal Kashyam is that you do not have to worry about restricting the quantity. A person can take as much as they want as and when they feel comfortable. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Of Kashmir dreams & Chocolate Promises

    This post is an answer to the question: Would eating chocolate help a child memorize information more easily, since memory enhacement is one of the purported benefits of eating chocolate ? Lets begin with an analogy: A trip to snowcity is going to be exciting. It is an experience in itself. The 45 minutes spent there is a fun experience for the kids and it is quite refreshing. However, if you think that snowcity will give you a glimpse of Shimla, Manali and Kashmir then you are mistaken. There is so much more to Kashmir, Manali and Shimla than just snow and ice. If a doctor were to publish a paper confirming that a trip to Kashmir valley during the winter had definite health benefits, could people replicate the benefits by planning a trip to a nearby food processing unit and spending a couple of days in the coldstorage room? So also, when it comes to chocolate, the kind that you get in the market, is so highly processed, that in some cases there is hardly any natural chocolate left in the finished product. Natural chocolate on the other hand is not as ‘Tasty’ at least not to someone who has been living on highly processed chocolates. If you were given the real chocolate and had never before tasted 100% natural and unprocessed chocolate, then in all probability you would say “I don’t think this is chocolate!“ Benefits of REAL Chocolate: Made from fermented Theobroma cacao seeds (By real chocolate, I mean the unadulterated and unmodified chocolate bean paste) 1. Rich in Antioxidants 2. Rich in anticancer compounds. 3. Could help prevent stroke. 4. Might help reduce Hypertension. 5. Beneficial effect on Lipid profile 6. Good for the brain. 7. Could help with memory (Works as a nootropic) 8. Good source of essential minerals 9. Highly nutritious. Most of the research is done on the real kind of chocolate (Something that you rarely find in the market) What is real Chocolate: An overview of how real chocolate is made 1. Ripe Cacao fruits are harvested 2. Fruits are then cut open and the pulp and seeds are put through a fermentation process. 3. Post fermentation, the seeds are dried, roasted, and the outer skin covering the seeds is removed 4. The roasted cocoa seeds or nibs are then finely ground till it turns to a dark brown chocolate smelling thick viscous liquid. 5. This is the real chocolate. This chocolate contains, real cocoa solids, real cocoa butter and all the medicinal phytochemicals of cocoa seed that help the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and is nutritionally very rich and potent with anticancer, anti-inflammatory substances. 6. This is the chocolate they would have used for research. This one is good for Memory, helps those who are suffering from stress, Hypertension and also helps prevent cancer and autoimmune diseases. What you get in the market: Transformation of Real Chocolate into a Confectionary (By real chocolate, I mean the unadulterated and unmodified chocolate bean paste) 7. The real chocolate goes through an Alkali process also called as the Dutch process, so as to reduce the astringency imparted by certain flavonoids. These flavonoids are anticancer compounds. However since they come between you and the taste- the industry does not want them. Moreover removing these compounds makes the taste of chocolate more consistent from batch to batch. 8. Cocoa butter is extracted and sold separately for a very high price. 9. Cocoa solids are separated from the original solids and sold separately for an equally high price 10. Finally when a bar of chocolate has to be made for you it might contain very little to no cocoa butter, as for Cocoa it could be 10 % for milk chocolate and 30-35% for bitter sweet varieties and that is where its connection with real chocolate ends. Other ingredients added to make a chocolate bar 1. Milk Solids 2. Soya Lecithin. 3. Sugars and Artificial sweeteners 4. Soy oil and other vegetable fats (Since Cocoa butter is too expensive, they prefer to use other fats instead) 5. Artificial colours and Food Dyes 6. Artificial and Nature identical flavours 7. Food preservatives like BHA and BHT 8. Hydrolysed vegetable proteins. 9. Emulsifiers and Stabilizers Now what happens when you add 70% or more of unhealthy items to 30% of unnaturally processed chocolate? Could it still have all the benefits? Defintely no. The sugars, the artificial flavours, the endocrine disruptors and the anti-life compounds- the preservatives would have a greater negative impact on us that the purpoted benefits of pure chocolate.

  • The Antibiotic Impact

    Antibiotics are life saving drugs. I tell my kids that Antibiotics are like JCBs or Earth movers. Just like you would end up destroying your house if you were to use a JCB for filling a pot with mud in your living room, so also indiscriminate use of antibiotics for minor issues is a serious cause for concern. This article is only about the internal imbalance caused due to antibiotics, though I must add that overuse and abuse of antibiotics is leading to a much larger problem- Antibiotic resistance. I will write about antibiotic resistance in another post. Note: Not everyone is familiar with scientific terms and terminologies. For those who are not familiar with the Lifesciences, I prefer to explain the concept using examples from day to day life. The examples, might not be perfect, but they do help convey the general idea. If any of you have better examples to share or suggestions as to how I can improve the content on this page, please do feel free to send your suggestions to feedback@prehealing.com Lets get started: PART A: UNDERSTANDING ECOSYSTEMS 1. An ecosystem is defined as a self-sustained unit, a collection of different life forms that exist together in a sustainable and energy efficient manner. 2. A forest is an excellent example of an ecosystem where varieties of plants, animals, birds, insects and other microscopic life forms live together by depending on each other for their existence. 3. Our gut too is filled with millions and millions of different life forms. It is a forest in its own right and an amazing ecosystem too. 4. The balance in either of these ecosystems , ‘the forest or our gut’ is maintained by rules of natural trade and commerce. 5. Do remember that in nature nothing happens for free. If a fruit is given, the seed needs to be dispersed. If a probiotic is given protection by the human body, then it needs to contribute to the wellbeing of the body- as simple as that. PART B: DESTRUCTION OF ECOSYSTEM AND ITS IMPACT 6. When a forest is razed to ground. The entire ecosystem is destroyed. When antibiotics are taken, the gut ecosystem is destroyed. 7. After the destruction of a stable ecosystem like a forest, the first thing you will notice is the gradual emergence of weeds. The landscape will be barren with grasses, weeds and thorny plants. 8. In the human body too, after the course in antibiotics has destroyed the ecosystem, a new environment of unfriendly, parasitic and opportunist micro-organisms starts to build up and colonise our gut. 9. If you have seen Nomadic settlers or people who are forced to migrate to other lands desperately seeking opportunities. They are not very choosy. They populate barren areas and waste lands and just about any locality where there is place to settle down (Usually in and around cities). Mind you, these settlers are not connected with the land. They live for themselves, try to survive by all means and do not think much of the society since they are not a part of any. To the society, these people appear to be parasites who are ruining their city. 10. So also after a course in antibiotics is over, the first signs of microbial colonies in our digestive tract would be the parasitic microflora. They would grow freely since the natural probiotics or citizens of the gut have all been killed after a course in antibiotics. 11. The parasitic microflora is so called because they are like the free nomadic and opportunistic settlers. Like the opportunists, they come settle, grow, proliferate, cause gas, intestinal bloating, inflammation, frequent infections, weight gain, Irritable bowel syndrome.... sometimes leading to autoimmune diseases, cancer and eventually death. In fact they live their lives whilst doing nothing much for the body. So this is what you would expect after a course in antibiotics after majority of the probiotics have been destroyed and the gut microflora has been severely impacted. PART C: IS THERE A SOLUTION For those, who had no choice but to take antibiotics in an emergency- Is there a way we can undo the damage to the gut microbiota ? Yes of course: Lets get back to the Opportunist settlers, who were irresponsible, acting selfishly, vandalizing and looting a beautiful city. Can something be done ? 12. The government needs to step in. To make them responsible the government has to take initiatives, to communicate with them and to put across its own expectations. There has to be constant monitoring and surveillance so as to reward the ones who are contributing to the society and to punish the offenders. The society too has to accept this community of good settlers. Once that is done, this so called settlement of opportunists will now become a part of the society and there will be peace and prosperity. 13. On similar lines, after a course in antibiotics, YOU the 'Body incharge' have to be more aware and have to carefully monitor your diet and lifestyle. Hygeine is of utmost importance so that you do not let parasitic microbes become a part of your microbiome and hence eating healthy food at home is the first step you should be taking. You also need to start providing your body with healthy probiotics. Good sunshine, exercise, lifestyle habits will also help in the rebalancing act. With monitoring and surveillance you will be able to identify issues that you can start to remedy by using natural methods. For e.g, if you experience acidity, gas and bloating, it would be better to use Fever nut, rather than popping a pill: A Proton pump inhibitor, that will give immediate relief but add to your woes in the long run. With this approach, it will take a few weeks, sometimes even months to get back your microbiome in good shape, but, the effort will be well worth it. -x-x-x-x-x- Parents can present the same content in a story form to their children. When presented in a story form my 5 and 7 year olds could understand most of it.

  • Cassia auriculata: The death defying Avarampoo

    Useful For: Diabetes, Skin disorders, Joint and Muscle pains, Elevated Cholesterol, Premature Greying of Hair, Urinary Tract Infections, Excessive bleeding, Jaundice, Constipation and Gastrointestinal diseases. Scientific Name: Cassia auriculata | English: Tanner's Cassia | Sanskrit : Avarttaki | Tamil : Avaram, Aavarai | Marathi : Taravada | Telugu : Tangedu | Kannada : Avarike, Tangedi | Hindi : Tarwar | Parts used : Flowers, Seeds, leaves, Stem and Roots. For Prehealing purposes: ( Using the herb proactively before any Disease strikes) Powder of the flowers can be taken once or twice a week. The best way to take it would be to mix 1 tsp of powder in half a glass or a glass of lemon juice and then drink the juice along with the powder. Herbal tea of the flowers 3-4 times a week could be taken by those who find the powder difficult to take. This herbal tea can also be given to children. If you stay in areas where this herb is found in plenty, then do use the opportunity to harvest flowers / purchase fresh flowers and add them while making herbal juices. You can add a handful or more of fresh flowers while preparing Sambhar, Rasam and Dals. You can also make a curry of these flowers or add the petals of these flowers to your salads. Avarampoo Leaves, buds and Flowers Usage in Traditional Medicine: Every part of the plant is useful. Here is a quick overview of the various medicinal uses of this plant. 1. The flowers can be either eaten raw by adding them to salads or they can be cooked and eaten. Taken this way, they help address constipation, Gastrointestinal discomfort and Diabetes. 2. Flowers are also brewed into a medicinal herbal tea. Besides being a panacea for Diabetics it has a host of other benefits from being a liver tonic to helping heal Urinary Tract Infections. This herbal tea has antipyretic properties too and is good especially for reducing fever in children. 3. As a facepack: Powder of the dried flowers mixed along with Chickpea flour, Amla (Indian Gooseberry) or Triphala powder is made into a paste by addition of water/lemon juice or curd. This facepack helps in improving complexion, removing blemishes and for keeping the skin healthy and glowing. 4. A very fine powder of the flowers mixed with Vasambhu (Acorus calamus) can be used for children and adults alike to protect from prickly heat and skin infections during summers. 5. Poultice of leaves can be used for dressing cuts, nicks and wounds. They facilitate faster healing 6. The flowers, bark and seeds of the plant are also used to address Rheumatic pains. 7. Decoction of these flowers can also be used to make the bio-fermented drink which has all the benefits of the herb besides supplying the body with much needed probiotics. Other Interesting Posts: Aparajita: The undefeated herb

  • Aparajita & Narthangai Probiotic Beverage

    Prehealing Fermentation is markedly different. This is a recipe focussed on providing life sustaining probiotics and not on generating a drink with high alcohol content. Even though this is a fermented drink, the intention here is to nurture and grow natural probiotics that can become a part of the human microbiome. In fact a lot of diseases that we in the civilized world experience is due to a loss of diversity of precious microflora from the human microbiome. To ensure that there is a diverse range of probiotics in this beverage we use a starter culture that has been carefully prepared with flowers and fruits harvested from areas where the microbial diversity is not affected by pollution and unnatural farming practices. Can be used for : Children and Adults alike. This is more of a preventive remedy. Here are a few conditions it would help with. Improving memory, Diabetes, Hypertension, Migraine, Asthma, PMS, Hormonal issues, Joint pains and inflammation, Liver related issues, Indigestion, Acidity, Insomnia due to stress and anxiety, Skin disorders, Cancer. For those of you who are not Prehealing participants, please read the disclaimer and note of caution given at the end of this post. Ingredients Required 1000 ml of Water 1 large glass bottle ( 1200 ml) / or 2 nos of 600ml bottles / or 4 nos 300 ml bottles 25 to 40 flowers of Aparajita ( Clitorea ternatea) 2 Narthangai (Citron) or 3-4 lemons 40 to 50 grams of Sugar ( This will provide food for the probiotics and will get used up during the fermentation process) 50 ml of Starter culture (The flowers used for the starter culture are harvested from a forest. They grow in the wild and have a wider range of probiotics than those flowers that are either cultivated or grown in cities. The profile of probiotics growing in your beverage would depend on the starter culture. It is for this reason, we would recommend using good starter cultures for making Probiotic beverages at home.) Procedure 1. Add sugar to the water. Place on heat and let the water boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, turn off the flame and then add Aparajita flowers. 2. Stir the flowers in the hot solution for a minute and then cover the utensil and keep it aside so that it can cool down. 3. When the liquid has cooled down, take out the flowers and discard them. 4. Add Narthangai/Lemon Juice, stir well and then add Starter culture and mix well. 5. Filter the beverage and then transfer to glass bottles. 6. Leave it undisturbed for a day ( or two) The fermentation should start in a couple of hours. You will be able to see the microbial activity as they breakdown the sugar and transform the juice into a powerful and potent healing potion. This process is called as Bio-transformation as billions of microbes transform the raw materials and generate new compounds that will further enhance the medicinal qualities of the beverage. You can see the active fermentation process in this short clip. Notice the bubbles rising to the top. Also ensure that you open the cap/cover of the bottle after a day so as to release the pressure builtup due to fermentation. Once you have done so put the cover back on. Children can be given the beverage after one day. For those of you who want the sugar quantity to reduce further, a 2-3 day wait period is recommended. Note: Keep aside 100 ml of 1 day old beverage/ or 50ml of 2-3 day old beverage as a starter culture for your next batch Dosage Children: One day old culture: 1/4th to ½ glass (50-100 ml /day) Children: 2-3 day old culture: 1 tablespoon diluted in 2 tablespoon of water Adults: 1-3 glasses per day Benefits 1. The biggest benefit is the sheer number of Probiotics that your body will have access to. 2. Aparajita flowers help with nurturing the nervous system. This would therefore help growing children, stressed out adults and those suffering from stress related disorders like Insomnia, Panic disorders, etc 3. The drink gets its bright colours due to the presence of a pigments that play a crucial role in helping the body fight infections and free radical damage. It would therefore help children who are susceptible or prone to getting fevers, boils and other infections. 4. Helps with digestion related issues. Would help stabilize the appetite in those who overeat. It also helps children who are fussy eaters by improving their appetite. 5. It helps improve memory. Hence this drink would be of great help for students. 6. It will also benefit those who are suffering from Diabetes and Hypertension. 7. It helps address PMS as well as other issues caused in women because of hormonal imbalance (Caused due to xenoestrogens, stress, endocrine disruptors and modern lifestyle) 8. The Narthangai / Lemon flavonoids are also very powerful anticancer compounds. They have anti-inflammatory properties as well and that would help those with Arthritis, Rheumatism, Connective tissue disorders and Allergies. 9. Antioxidants from Narthangai would assist the body in building its defences. This would ensure that the one who drinks this beverage a couple of times a month would be more resistant to bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Disclaimer: The contents of this blog have been posted for those who are familiar with Prehealing Lifestyle and have experienced the benefits. For others it is recommended that you follow the instructions listed here after consulting with someone well versed in this art. The information here is priceless, but it is important that you apply it in a manner where you do not cause unintentional harm. Feel free to contact us a feedback@prehealing.com just in case you have any doubts or queries. Recommended Reads: Aparajita: The Undefeated Herb The Invincible Narthangai (Coming Soon) Prehealing Fermentation (Coming Soon)

  • Slow Metabolism : a Curse or a Boon ?

    Quick Overview When losing weight becomes a real challenge.- Could it be your metabolism ? Is slow metabolism really bad – especially when all your physiological parameters are good Is something wrong with healthy people having a slow metabolism? Why would we have evolved to fine tune and optimize energy expenditure? Would you be unhappy if your car gave you a mileage of 100 miles per gallon instead of the usual 20 miles/gallon? Benefits of optimized metabolism ( Increased efficiency ) Why are we unhappy when we don’t lose weight as expected- especially after increasing our physical activity with the intent to lose weight. Time to have realistic expectations and appreciate our body just as we would appreciate a highly efficient car. A better option for losing weight: Using Diet and lifestyle modifications in lieu of exercise alone -x-x-x- Sheetal asked me the other day, “Can you help me with my metabolism issues. I have slow metabolism and hence I cannot lose weight…” I am sure that many people who struggle to lose weight might have heard either from their nutritionists, doctors or would have come across the term metabolism issues as they researched to find what is wrong with them. Today slow metabolism has become a curse for many. I have seen people who eat very less and yet gain weight. They wonder as to how they could gain so much weight when their friends and peers tend to lose weight on a diet similar to theirs. To put it succinctly slow metabolism is when you tend to burn less of calories and start to store more as fat. Weight gain could also be due to other factors not related to a healthy Slow Metabolism. Endocrine disruptors could impact the delicate balance of hormones within our body and cause weight gain. Other environmental factors such as LAN ( Light at Night), pollutants in the air, exitotoxins in the food we take, stress and stressors ( some of which we don’t even register as stress) can impact our metabolism as well. However this post is about healthy people who are worried about their tendency to gain weight and are sad about their inability to lose weight easily. I too have been a victim of so called slow metabolism and have been wondering as to why many of us who are healthy ( i.e No endocrine issues such as Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Hypertension, allergies, autoimmune conditions etc) also have challenges losing weight. For e.g I make it a point to clock between 15000 – 30000 steps per day and yet, I would have to make conscious diet modifications if I want to lose weight. However, when new Prehealing participants clock a mere 7000 to 10000 steps per day they start losing weight ! This set me thinking. Why is my body burning lesser calories than theirs. Why is my body losing weight more slowly compared to others who put in lesser effort, yet experience better outcomes? The answer was obvious “ My body has become more efficient” To illustrate with an example. If you are just learning to swim, you would be exhausted by the time you go from one end of the pool to the other and that too in a couple of minutes. With practice as you become better and better at swimming, the time and the distance it takes to exhaust you would be much more. Why? Just because you have become more efficient at the use of energy The next question that begs our attention is “ Why finetune? Why Optimize?“ As biological machines, our body has to ensure that it is able to fine tune energy expenditure. Transformation of energy from one form to another is a costly process especially if it is not optimized. Say for example, a car that uses one gallon of petrol for one mile would definitely be releasing more green house gases( per mile ) than a car that uses one gallon of petrol for 30 miles. Not only would the highly inefficient car release more green house gases, the energy loss would also be in the form of unwanted heat, unwanted sound and unnecessary power that would be much more than what is needed. The same logic applies to all biological machines as well. Nature tries to fine tune energy expenditure so that the toxic by-products are minimized. As your body becomes more and more efficient it would use lesser fuel ( Glucose or Fat) and hence the by-products like free radicals that could damage the body would be minimized ( to an extent that the body is able to address them and protect itself from damage ) So you see, a slow metabolism can be great. It can protect us from autoimmune conditions, from cancer, from degenerative disorders and keep us healthy. However if we are not able to use this gift to our advantage and limit our intake of calories we can start to hurt ourselves. As we gain weight it would add to physical, physiological and nervous tension which would impact intercellular and intracellular signalling. Once we have signalling issues within our body then a collapse is imminent. If we look around we will realize that man is the only animal on planet earth who comes up with unique ways to burn calories. Most of the other life forms are doing the best to gather calories and save them. We have got a surplus of resources as we keep gathering them even when it is not required. As the burden increases we try to burn these resources quickly so that we can gather more. We are trying to make our systems inefficient so that we can do less and burn more. So let us treat our bodies with respect. Let us appreciate our body when it becomes more efficient. Who wouldn’t appreciate a car that gives 100 miles per gallon? Then why not appreciate a body that is able to maintain its weight even after we have worked out like crazy ? And if weight loss is something we are serious about, it is time we consider diet and lifestyle modification. Here is an example to help you understand as to why regulating diet is a better option. Lets say, that, you are in the habit of filling 2 gallons of petrol in your car every evening on your way back from office, at a petrol station located next to your house. This has been your daily ritual for a long long time. For some reason you stop taking the car to office, it is now parked at home and no one us using it. Yet by force of habit, you go to the petrol pump and keep filling in 2 gallons everyday. Very soon the tank will be full and you will not be able to fill more until and unless you use the vehicle. Unfortunately unlike the car, our body has an ability to keep increasing the tank size. It is for this reason diet modification makes more sense than exercise. In the car example given above, you would not keep taking your car out for a drive just because you want to fill petrol ! Then why should we keep exercising to lose weight and at the same time keep burdening our body with extra calories Another reason to consider diet over exercise ( Solely as a means of losing weight) If you were to have a 600 calorie meal and if your body is highly efficient at energy absorption ( good digestion ) and also optimized at energy expenditure ( perceived as slow metabolism) then you would have to walk approximately 12-14 kilometers to burn all those calories ! Given the above scenario it is much easier to lower your calorie intake than to increase your exercise. In this age of surplus, it is time that we put a ceiling on our desires to gather resources. Diet modification does just that. Our eating less would also reduce the burden on planet earth. Eating less would directly impact the carbon footprint and at the same time it would make more food available for those who are not as fortunate. And for those of us who have a tendency to gain weight and a tendency to lose weight slowly, we should thank our bodies for being so efficient and work towards ensuring that we do not damage our system by eating more than what is required. It is for us to decide whether we want to be unhappy with our efficiency and think of it as a curse or to celebrate it and consider it as a boon. ( Kindly share your feedback. Would love to hear from you. Email: feedback@prehealing.com )

  • The Thyroid Story (The Plot)

    Why this story? The Pituitary and the Thyroid play a pivotal role in keeping us healthy, happy and disease free. However most of us are unaware of their importance. When there is a thyroid dysfunction, all that people worry about are their TSH levels. But there is more to thyroid than just the TSH. There are signalling molecules also called as hormones made by the Hypothalamus, the Pituitary the Thyroid and other endocrine glands. Then there are certain cofactors that are necessary for the synthesis, transport and conversion of the hormones to active form. Nutrition plays a pivotal role as does the environment. It is not just about TSH. Looking at TSH levels and deciding if one has a thyroid issue is the equivalent of looking at a person who is running and assuming that he is doing so because he is scared, frightened and being chased by a wild animal! This is my attempt to convey to a larger audience, the workings of the Thyroid in a story form. My children are home-schooled and this is how I make science interesting for them. Moreover it gives them sufficient grasp on the topic in a manner that it is etched in their memory for ever. As I started writing this, I did realize as to how challenging it can be; to don the writer's cap and attempt to be one- when all along I have been a narrater and a story teller. I do hope that you will find this story easy to understand. This story would be presented in three parts Part 1- The Happy Family. Will help you understand as to how the Pituitary and the Thyroid work and the different players who support them. This is a scenario when everything is going on well. Part 2: When the Family seems Sad (Hypothyroidism) Under what circumstances would Das uncle - the Thyroid gland, stop waking up the kids. How would that upset Guru ajju, and how does this affect the family. You will also be given to understand as to how an external influence (Doctor), who tries to wake up the kids with his calls (Synthetic Thyroid Hormone) would negatively impact the body. We will also explore, as to how this family crisis can be addressed Part 3: When there is misunderstanding in the Family. Here we will discuss Autoimmune disorders- that is when, 'the very family members' who have been supporting Das all along, turn against him. We will understand the impact it would have on the body and also ways and means to clear the misunderstanding. Get acquainted with the ​Characters: Family: Prehealing Family, spread across the globe and includes everyone on this beautiful planet. This family also represents the Human Body, the plants, animals, insects, minerals- in short the Earth and every aspect of Nature is a part of this family. 1. Grandfather- Guru is the Pituitary gland 2. His Son, Das is the Thyroid Gland 3. Guru Ajju is a man of few words. He talks to Das only when it is necessary for him to stimulate Das: Guru Ajju talking to Das - Thyroid Stimulating Hormone 4. Das has a big family with 100 trillion cute babies - Cells of the Human Body 5. Das (Thyroid) wakes up every baby of his (Cells), by calling out to them (Hormone) - Thyroid Hormone 6. The kids are looked after by family members- The Environment 7. Active kids are busy moving around and playing - Cellular Activity 8. These free and active kids who are jumping and playing around create energy, some of which can cause damage. e.g playing football in the living room. This excessive energy that can also cause damage - Free Radicals 9. They need to be given attention otherwise they can cause damage.- Free Radical Damage 10. Very active Kids need to be given attention; their acitivity needs to be supervised, just like Free Radicals need to be given an Electron 11. When kids are given the attention they require, the kids are happy. The family members and caretakers who give attention to the kids are just like- Antioxidants. which give electrons to free radicals. 12.By giving electrons to free radicals, the antioxidants in our bodies, ensure that the activities of the cells ( kids) does not cause harm to the body. 13. We all know and many have experienced the consequences of leaving a group of small kids unattended, especially when they are hyper, filled with a lot of energy and have access to a lot of stimulants. They can inadvertently cause damage : Pain, Inflammation, DNA damage and Cancer 14. Let us call the caretakers who give attention the kids as Aunty oxidants.(Antioxidants) 15. When the kids are well looked after, the activity in the family is well monitored and the energy is very positive. This is a happy family and a Healthy body Do take time some time to get acquainted with the characters and also the technical term that each character stands for. It will help you understand the story better. -x-x-x-x- Just in case you want to revise, re-read and understand the characters better- Here is a quick recap....: Extra energy that can cause damage: Free Radicals Attention given by caretaker: Antioxidants The damaging Free Radicals in our body that we are scared about are the byproducts of cellular activity. It is but natural, that when kids get very active, there are bound to be issues. It is the energy, which if not controlled will cause the issue. The child does not intend to do harm. So what the caretaker needs to do is to provide them an environment of attention. (Just as for the free radical it is the antioxidant that gives the much needed electron.) The activities of a child or a cell can have a negative impact when they are not given the attention and support they deserve. In chemical terms, the act of wanting an electron desperately makes the chemical an oxidizing agent. On the other hand those chemicals that freely give away an electron when requested are Antioxidants. It is not that they are ANTI ( Against) , but it is just that they give away freely, that gives them the name AntiOxidant. Some examples of Antioxidants are 1. Vitamin C 2. Vitamin E 3. Carotenes from Carrots, Betacyanins from Beet Root, Lycopene from Tomatoes These antioxidants play a pivotal role in protecting us from the damage that can be caused by the activity of free radicals that are naturally formed when trillions of cells in our body get busy making us alive ! For now understanding these terms would suffice Oxidizing agents (Free Radicals), Electrons, and Antioxidants

  • Kanji: A Probiotic Drink

    Kanji is a nourishing bio-fermented drink that is rich in Probiotics. It helps balance the gut microflora, improve digestion, reduce reflux and acidity and has a host of other benefits . It is recommended to take this drink especially during winters Ingredients: 5-6 Nos Carrots 1 Beet Root 2-3 Vertically slit Green Chillies ( Adjust according to your preference ) 2 Litres of Water 2 tsp of Mustard coarsely powdered 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of Turmeric powder 2-3 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt or ( As per your preference). Glass Jar or an Earthen Pot for Fermentation Procedure: Since this is a fermented drink you will need either an earthen pot, Ceramic pot or a Glass Jar. Ensure that you have rinsed the pot with clean water. 1. To this Pot add 2 litres of water. 2. Add Chopped carrots and Beet Root: Chopped into medium sized slices ( Resembling French Fries). 3. Grind mustard to a coarse consistency, Add Turmeric. Add about a 2-3 tsp of Salt to it and then add this mixture to the water 4. Slice 2-3 green chillies slit vertically and then add them to the Pot. Stir well and then cover the jar and keep aside for fermenting for 2-3 days. ( Note: You will have to stir the contents 2-3 times a day and then keep it covered for fermenting ) 1. Kanji is an excellent probiotic that would help balance the gut microbiome. 2. Recommended intake would be about a glass or two. Of course, you can take more if you like, since this drink is more or less like a fermented soup. 3. For those who feel that the mustard smell is overpowering, you can mix half glass of Kanji with half a glass of Coconut milk. Then garnish it with finely chopped coriander before drinking. 4. The carrots and beet pieces would get fermented as well. They will be sour and tangy yet crisp and can be used in salads, added to curries or they can be pureed and mixed with the Kanji prior to drinking. For feedback / Clarifications feel free to reach me at feedback@prehealing.com #PrehealingRecipes

  • Kanji with Cooked Vegetables

    My previous post on 'Kanji' is the version of Kanji which is used by most 'Prehealing Participants' where we use raw Carrots, Beetroot, Amla and other vegetables. Here is a variation as is made in North India. Given below is the recipe, it is almost similar to the earlier recipe except for the step where the vegetables are cooked. I thank Mrs Prabha Poddar for sharing this recipe Fo those of you, who have not read my other post related to Kanji: Kanji is a nourishing bio-fermented drink that is rich in Probiotics. It helps balance the gut microflora, improve digestion, reduce reflux and acidity and has a host of other benefits . It is recommended to take this drink especially during winters Ingredients: 2 Litres of Water 5-6 Nos Carrots ( Can also use Potato, Cauliflower, Pointed Gourd-Parwal ) 1 Beet Root 2-3 Green Chillies ( Adjust according to your preference ) Medium piece of Ginger (Finely chopped or grated) 3 to 3.5 tsp of Mustard coarsely powdered 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of Turmeric powder 1/4th to 1 tsp of Kashmiri Red Chilli powder 2-3 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt or ( As per your preference). Glass Jar or an Earthen Pot for Fermentation Procedure: Since this is a fermented drink you will need either an earthen pot, Ceramic pot or a Glass Jar. Ensure that you have rinsed the pot with clean water. 1. Chop, the veggies of your choice into medium sized slices ( Carrots and beet can be cut into long slices Resembling French Fries) 2. Take water in a stainless steel container and keep for boiling. Add the chopped vegetables and let cook.. 3. Once it has cooked, take of the flame and set aside so that it can cool down. 4. Transfer it to a glass jar. 5.Grind mustard to a coarse consistency, Add Turmeric, Salt, Red Chilli powder and then add this mixture to the liquid in the jar . 5. Next. Add the green chillies and the ginger. Stir well and then cover the jar and keep aside for fermenting for 2-3 days. ( Note: You will have to stir the contents 2-3 times a day and then keep it covered for fermenting ) 1. Kanji is an excellent probiotic that would help balance the gut microbiome. 2. Recommended intake would be about a glass or two. Of course, you can take more if you like, since this drink is more or less like a fermented soup. 3. For those who feel that the mustard smell is overpowering, you can mix half glass of Kanji with half a glass of Coconut milk. Then garnish it with finely chopped coriander before drinking. For feedback / Clarifications feel free to reach me at feedback@prehealing.com #PrehealingRecipes

  • The Alkaline Water Scam

    Overview: 1. Sheetal a 35 year old single Mom had been through 3 Chemotherapies, but the cancer had come back once again. A friend told her that Alkaline water would help reverse cancer. She purchased a unit for a lakh and a half hoping that she would recover from her illness…… Sadly claims like “An alkaline pH can help heal cancer and other diseases” are misleading and devices to make water alkaline are being sold to unsuspecting and gullible customers. 2. A couple of years ago, many consumers stopped using soap based on information that the pH of soap was supposedly high and toxic to the skin. Just about a decade later- now many people are scrambling for high pH water which in most cases has the same raw material that they avoided in soaps. 3. The use of Scientific Jargons like 'pH' for marketing ‘Water purifying technologies’ has added to the confusion of healthy pure water vs Toxic non potable water. 4. Alkaline water or High pH water is considered healing and low PH water is showcased as toxic. Nothing could be further from the truth. Going just by PH does not make much sense at all. You need to consider a host of other parameters as well. 5. Water with oxides of Lead, Lithium, Cadmium, Mercury will be definitely alkaline but also lethal. Hence it is not so much about the pH but about the mineral profile of water. 6. Sour and tangy fruit juices would have low PH but they are also very good antioxidants and help nourish the body. ---- Technically speaking, pH is a measure of Hydrogen ion concentration. Higher the hydrogen ion concentration, lower the pH and vice versa. Now how does this definition help us laymen? Can just Hydrogen ion concentration of water determine if the water is good or bad ? The problem today is that we use scientific jargons and apply them in our life based on what the so called experts - PHDs have to tell us. The PHDs in turn are hired by multinational companies, so they have to distort the information a little bit, if it means a fat paycheck for them and rising stock prices for the company. Moreover information can be presented in such a way that it can be accurate, yet misleading. For those of you who are interested in learning more about PH and TDS ( Total Dissolved Solids) I will post another blog with relevant information. However for the sake of brevity, let me clear some misconceptions about acidic and alkaline. Acidic PH drinks and certain foods can make your blood Acidic: (Misleading) Foods might be sour , tangy and acidic or bitter, soapy and alkaline, but it really doesn’t affect your blood PH. The blood PH is very tightly regulated by the body’s Homeostatic mechanism. Blood PH is around 7.4 and a few points change here and there can have dire consequences. Robert. O. Young who popularized the alkaline diet and conducted PH Miracle retreats is now languishing in prison for fraud. Just like Robert, there are many more practitioners who in the name of holistic medicine come up with therapies that are not based on science. Alkaline water can reverse autoimmune conditions and heal cancer: (Misleading) This is again a marketing gimmick. Vitamin C when dissolved in water is acidic, but it too does help nourish the body, is a very potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. On the other hand Lead oxide when dissolved in water makes it alkaline with a PH around 9 to 10.5, now does that make lead water medicinal ? What matters is the mineral composition of the water. And to reverse a disease like cancer or an autoimmune condition, just water with high PH will not help. You need to take certain decisions to change your lifestyle as well as take treatment based on how advanced the diseased condition. Alkaline water helps hydrate your body better: ( Misleading) Just increasing the PH of water using certain Alkaline Water purifiers will not help in hydration. Most of these Alkaline water purifiers with so called patented technology are nothing but simple Electrolysis machines with platinum electrodes. By artificially depleting the water of Hydrogen ions and making it alkaline,does not give it magical properties. And yes, you can make a better hydrating drink with some lemon juice and salt. Water that has a low PH is toxic: (Misleading) Sometimes plain water can have a low PH especially if it has Carbon dioxide dissolved in it. That does not make it toxic. Most of the healing supplements like Vitamin C, Vitamin B3, Malic acid from apples etc are acidic and nourishing. So here is what you can do: Ignore the PH, consider the source of the water. If you are using Tap water and are staying in a city, use a RO unit if you can afford one. You can also buy a passive water purifier that should help rid the water of heavy metals, microbes and microbial cysts. If you are confident about the purity of water then go ahead and use it as it is. If you are purchasing Bubble water or Pure water do remember that Pure RO water has low TDS. Water with very low TDS ( Total dissolved solids) can impact you negatively. Re-mineralize RO water by keeping it in an earthen pot. Better still add remineralization drops to RO water so as to make it healthy. Most of the remineralization drops will make the water slightly alkaline- so there you go. The minerals will help you heal and the Alkaline PH will make you feel better via the placebo effect ( Because you have been bombarded with messages about the healing effects of alkaline water ) Please Note: If you have a RO unit at home, it is recommended that you don’t use the inbuilt TDS bypass valve. Ask the technician to set the Bypass valve to 'off' position. ( Since very low TDS is not recommended, most RO units in the market today have a bypass valve which will control the amount of ordinary ( albeit filtered) water that gets mixed in your pure RO stream. Whilst this does increase the TDS, it could also contaminate your RO water with impurities from the raw water stream. ) Some RO Units also come with Mineral cartridge. If you are using one that comes with Mineral cartridge, make sure that it is from a reliable company and that it is replaced every couple of months. What else can you do ? 1. Ensure that you minimize the use of plastics especially while storing water. Pure RO water would dissolve a higher quantity of the BPA and other Xenoestrogen like compounds from the containers. The best way to store your RO water is in stainless steel or glass containers. 2. Use certain medicinal barks for purifying water. e.g. Bark of Acacia, Indian Kino, Mango, Tulsi, Banyan can be wrapped in a cloth and this can be placed in water. However ensure that you change the water regularly and also replace the medicinal barks once a week 3. Add leaves of Basil, Mint, Lemon Grass or flowers of Hibiscus, Rose, Cassia fistula to a pot of drinking water. The leaves/ flowers have to be replaced daily and the container too has to be washed before adding fresh water. 4. You can use Moringa seeds wrapped in a cloth. You need to replace the seeds every 3-4 days. 5. Water purifying Ayurvedic herbs and powders are also available in the market. 6. You can also store water in Copper container for 6-8 hours or better still add a small copper coin to the water stored in glass or stainless steel container. For feedback / Clarifications feel free to reach me at feedback@prehealing.com

  • Making your own Charcoal

    The procedure for making different types of Charcoals listed on this page is almost the same. Ignite the raw material and let it burn in a controlled manner till you get coal. If you do not monitor the burning process and let it burn to completion, you might end up with alkaline ash. Once you have converted your raw material into coal you will have to powder with a mortar and pestle or a grinder and then pass it through a fine sieve before storing it in an airtight container. Given below are a few items you will be needing for making Charcoal. Requirements: Indian Oil Lamp ( Can also use Gas Stove ) Tweezers Small Mortar and Pestle Fine mesh Sieve Agnihotra Pot Let us begin with the easiest charcoal. Charcoal from Cardamom peels Ingredients: 50- 100 Deseeded Cardamom Peels Procedure: With a Pair of tweezers hold each Cardamom peel over the flame of an oil lamp till it starts to burn. Move it away from the flame and let it burn till it becomes completely black. Usually the fire will be extinguished by then, else you can gently blow it out. Transfer the burnt peel to another container and continue burning the rest. Once you have burnt all of the peels, crush them all with a pestle and pass the powder through a sieve so as to separate parts of the peels that haven’t turned to coal. Store in an airtight glass bottle. Note: When in emergency, you can also take a few peels, hold them over gas burner flame and make the charcoal. Usage: For addressing Colic, Bloating, Gastric upset, Food Poisoning, Tooth powder etc. Use it as per instructions from your physician / doctor Charcoal from Coconut Shells Ingredients: 1-2 Coconut Shells Procedure: It is best to have Shells from Coconuts that have been broken into two identical halves. You will need a pair of Tongs as well as a cast iron Utensil that would be used for placing the burning shells. Also note that once the Coconut Shell starts to burn, it does so vigorously as it is fuelled by the oil that is present in the kernel. To that end, please be careful and take the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your belongings safe. The easiest way to ignite a coconut shell is to hold it upturned over a gas flame. You can hold one side with a pair of tongs and place the other half of the upturned shell in the center of the flame. Once it ignites, hold it for some more time, till the flame grows bigger. Then place the burning shell in a cast iron pot and let it continue to burn. Reposition the shell if necessary so that the flame is able to spread evenly. If the fire does get extinguished, then you can gently blow on the embers to re-ignite the flames or you can hold it once again over the gas stove. Once the shell has burnt completely, let it cool. Separate the burnt pieces of shell from the ones that haven’t completely burnt. Transfer the coal to a mortar and pestle or grind in a mixer grinder to a fine powder. Pass it through a fine sieve before storing it in a glass container. Charcoal from Cowdung Cakes Ingredients: 1-2 Cowdung Cakes These Cakes should be specifically made for Agnihotra, preferably from the dung of the Indian Cow ( Bos indicus). Moreover the cows need to be healthy, should be free range and in an area that is not polluted. They should also have access to good drinking water and a healthy environment so as to ensure that the quality of the dung is very good. Procedure: Break the dried cow dung cakes into smaller chunks and place them in an Agnihotra vessel. Use a coconut shell to ignite the Cowdung cakes. Place more cakes around the shell so that you can use the flames from the burning coconut shell to ignite the Cowdung cakes. Use a hand held wooden or plastic fan to ignite the embers as and when the flame start to go off. After the flames go off, collect only the black pieces of coal from the cowdung. If you want to use the burnt coconut shells, keep them separately. Grind to a fine powder using mortar and pestle or in a mixer grinder. Store in a glass bottle after passing it through a fine sieve. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Aloe Vera Juice for Congestion

    Ingredients: A thick and mature Aloe leaf Rock Salt Procedure: Take a fresh aloe leaf. If it is freshly harvested from the plant, wash off the yellow resin from the cut part of the leaf. Then take about 3” piece from the lowermost portion of the leaf ( This is also the thickest portion). Hold it over a flame with a pair of tongs and roast it for about a minute till the skin of the leaf changes colour from pale green to a pale brown. Once done, turn off the flame. Take a fine muslin cloth or a cheesecloth and use it to squeeze out the juice from the leaf. The juice might be slightly slimy to touch. Once you have extracted the juice add a pinch of rock salt to the juice. Indications: 1. To be used when infants are having severe cough and congestion due to cold or while they are teething. This is an excellent alternative to using steroid nebulisers sprays 2. For children with congestion and wheezing 3. For Adults with severe congestion and accumulation of phlegm. Dosage: 6-12 months old: Administer about 2 tsp of the juice at a time. 12-18 months old: Administer about 2-3 tsp of this juice 18-36 months old : Administer about 1.5-2 tablespoons at a time 3 Years to 6 years : 3 tablespoons 6 Years to 12 : 4 tablespoons Above 12 and Adults : 4-6 tablespoons Instructions: For infants and children younger than three years, you might have to place the child on your lap and hold her head. Your spouse can then administer this juice to the child so that she takes it in. Please note that the child will resist and in some cases literally get the roof down as you attempt to give this juice. Once you have given the juice, the child might either vomit it out completely and expel phlegm or the child might get good motions after a couple of hours and this cleansing of the bowels along with the phlegm will also help reduce the intensity of the congestion. You might have to administer this for 2-3 days for best results. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Dill Seeds Herbal Tea Powder

    The scientific name of Dill is Anethum graveolens. It is of culinary as well as medicinal value. Medicinally Dill has been used for Colic in children, addressing flatulence, stimulating digestion, improving appetite, as a liver tonic, for Cough, Colds, Fever, Cramps, inflammation, Urinary tract infections, sleep disorders, menstrual pain, piles and hemorrhoids, infections… the list goes on and on. It would suffice to say that Dill is an excellent herbal remedy for addressing all sorts of inflammatory issues within the body. Here we will be using Dill seeds for making a herbal tea powder that can be used by Adults, children and Infants alike. Ingredients 250 grams Dill Seeds 50 grams Fennel Seeds 5 grams Indian Liquorice powder ( Also called as Yashtimadhu / Atimadhuram / Jyestamadh) Preparation Dry roast Dill Seeds on a very low flame till they start to give off a mild aroma. Roast Fennel seeds in a similar manner. Mix Roasted Dill Seeds and Fennel seeds along with Indian Liquorice, and grind all the three till you have a semi coarse powder. Store the powder in an airtight glass jar Dill Seed Herbal Tea Preparation ½ tsp of Dill Seed Herbal tea powder 300 ml of water Honey or Palm Sugar to taste Keep water for boiling. Add ½ tsp of Dill Seed powder and lower the flame as soon as the water starts to boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes on a low flame. Filter the decoction, add sugar or honey to taste Note: This herbal tea can also be used as ‘ Gripe Water’ for infants. While using for infants, add non bleached sugar instead of honey. Adjust the amount of Dill seed powder so that it is not too strong for the baby. Please Note: Most of the remedies that I have shared with you have been tried out by members of the Prehealing Community. Prehealing community members not only rely on remedies listed on this site, but also follow a lifestyle that is healing centric. Not being a Prehealing community member should not stop you from using these remedies, but you should be aware that a good lifestyle and a happy body would help make these remedies more efficacious. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Solkadi Recipe

    Solkadi is powerful healing concotion made from Coconut Milk and Kokkum (Garcinia indica). It is rich in essential fats ( MCTs) and is an excellent cardiovascular tonic. It can be taken along with rice, as replacement for buttermilk or as a standalone nutritious drink. Solkadi without Garlic Quantity: Makes 3-4 Glasses (600-800ml) Large coconut, grated or cut into smaller pieces 2 Cups of Water for making coconut milk Kokkum 6-7 pieces soaked in 1 glass of water for about 30 minutes The following items can be based on your personal preference Roasted Cumin Powder ( A pinch does suffice ) Pepper powder Himalayan Pink Salt Coriander for Garnishing along with Green chillies finely chopped ( Optional) Preparation: Grind the grated coconut with 1 glass of water, strain through a very fine sieve and then grind once more with another glass of water and sieve again. Your coconut milk is ready To the milk add Kokkum water along with the Kokkum. Then add the remaining ingredients according to taste. Garnish with Coriander and Green chillies. Customizing Solkadi to suit your taste preferences: If you find that the Coconut milk is too thick, you can add some more water, else you can leave it as it is. If you like your Solkadi to be more tart, then you can adjust the number of Kokkum kernels to suit your taste. If you prefer thick creamy Solkadi then you can make the coconut milk in the Kokkum water itself, so as to decrease the amount of water. Solkadi with Garlic Large coconut, grated or cut into smaller pieces 2 Cups of Water for making coconut milk 2-3 Cloves of Garlic 5-6 pepper corns Kokkum 6-7 pieces soaked in 1 glass of water for about 30 minutes Himalayan Pink Salt to taste Coriander for Garnishing along with Green chillies finely chopped ( Optional) Preparation: Grind the grated coconut, Garlic and Pepper with 1 glass of water, strain through a very fine sieve and then grind once more with another glass of water and sieve again. Your Garlic flavoured coconut milk is ready To the milk add Kokkum water along with the Kokkum. Then add salt to taste. Garnish with Coriander and Green chillies. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Recipes for Lactating Moms

    Here are a few recipes for lactating Moms. They will help increase the milk output when it tends to be low during the first few days/weeks after delivery. Fenugreek and Rice Kheer 1 tsp of Methi / Fenugreek Seeds ½ Cup of Rice 1 to 1.5 cups of Water ( For cooking the Rice) Jaggery to taste Spices: Cardamom Powder and Saffron Nuts: 5-6 Almonds finely chopped, 1 tsp of Raisins 1 tsp Ghee Coconut Milk or Almond Milk ( Can also use Cows Milk if Required) Mix 1 tsp of Fenugreek Seeds with Rice, wash well, add water and keep it for cooking in a pressure cooker As the rice is getting cooked,dissolve Jaggery in Milk and add Cardamom powder and Saffron. Add finely chopped almonds and Raisins which have been lightly fried in 1 tsp of Ghee. Once the rice is cooked, add the milk mixture , mix well and the Kheer is ready Benefits of this Kheer: The Fenugreek, Jaggery and Rice Combination helps increase the milk supply Ghee and the fats in coconut milk provide the necessary essential fats. Coconut milk also stimulates production of milk. Some people prefer to use Cow milk and perhaps it could help increase the milk supply because of presence of prolactin in cows milk. Rice cooked with Meethi ( Fenugreek Seeds) (To be taken with Garlic Jeera Rasam and Steamed Asparagus) Use 2 tsp of Fenugreek seeds for every cup of Rice. Water as required. Garlic and Jeera Rasam as is usually made. Avoid adding Red chillies or red chilly powder to the Rasam, use Pepper powder to spice up the Rasam. Pepper will also help increase the absorption of curcumin in the gut. To be taken along with Steamed Asparagus shoots. Other Curries that can also be taken with Meethi Rice: a. Bottle Gourd Vegetable b. Fenugreek Leaf Vegetable or Fenugreek Sprouts vegetable c. Dill Seed sprouts or Leafy Dill vegetable d. Sweet Potato curry e. Drumstick leaves curry ( Or add drumsticks to Sambhar) f. Pumpkin curry or Chutney Benefits: 1. The Fenugreek seeds and Rice combination helps stimulate milk production 2. Garlic Jeera and Pepper Rasam, helps improve the appetite, works as an antibiotic and also improves milk supply 3. Asparagus (Shatavari) has been used in India to stimulate milk production Bottle Gourd Kheer: 1 cup of Bottle gourd peeled and cut into small pieces 1/4th Cup of Water Jaggery to taste Spices: Cardamom Powder and Saffron Nuts: 5-6 Almonds finely chopped, 1 tsp of Raisins 1 tsp Ghee Coconut Milk / Almond Milk or Cows Milk Pressure cook Bottle gourd with water. As the bottle gourd is getting cooked, dissolve Jaggery in Milk and add Cardamom powder and Saffron. Add finely chopped almonds and Raisins which have been lightly fried in 1 tsp of Ghee. Once the bottle gourd is cooked, add the milk mixture , mix well and the Kheer is ready Dill Seeds and Dill Seeds Herbal Tea You can take about 1-2 tsps of Dill seeds throughout the day. The seeds can be lightly roasted before consuming. Take about 1/2 tsp of the seeds and chew well. As you get used to the taste you can increase the dose gradually to approx 2 tsps of Dill seeds per day. Another way to consume Dill seeds is by making a herbal tea. To Make Dill Seeds Herbal tea powder: 50 grams of Dil seeds 5 Grams of Yashtimadu powder ( Indian Liquorice) - Subject to availability Roast the Dill seeds on a very low flame till you get the aroma. Turn off the flame, let cool and powder it in a grinder, along with Yashtimadhu powder To Make Herbal Tea Boil 1 cup of water and to it add ½ tp of Herbal tea powder Simmer it for a minute, turn off the flame, strain it and serve it either as it is or with a lemon and honey ( if required) List of Galactagogues Nutritional Aids to Increase Lactation Fenugreek Seeds, Sprouts, Greens (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Dill Seeds, Greens (Anethum graveolens) Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) Fennel Seeds, Bulbs etc (Foeniculum vulgare) Oregano Leaf ( Plectranthus amboinicus) Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Garlic (Allium Sativum) Onions, Scallops, Spring Onions (Allium cepa) Basil leaves, Seeds ( Ocimum family ) Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) Pumpkin ( Cucurbita pepo) Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) Drumstick ( Moringa oleifera) Almonds (Prunus dulcis) Sesame Seeds (Sesamum indicum) Melon Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds etc Tender Coconut ( Water as well as Coconut Meat) Ripe Papaya as a Fruit and Raw Papaya for making curries and Salad Amaranth Seeds, Sprouts and Green Leafy vegetable Note: I have included the scientific names for a few herbs so that when you do not know the local name of the plant, you can find the details using the scientific name Other Life Style Recommendations for Increasing Milk Flow 1. Prolactin levels spike up at night and that helps increase milk production. To ensure that you do not negatively impact a mothers prolactin levels, it is recommended that you keep the lights dim and preferably of a frequency that is mimics natural light. To that end, low wattage tungsten bulbs are the best. The mother and child should preferably be in a room that does not have bright fluorescent lights, Television set, Computer Monitor etc. Keeping a Mom and her baby in low light for the first few weeks was a practice followed by many in olden times. 2. Dont use mobiles after sunset. The white light from the mobile screen as well as the microwave radiation could impact prolactin levels. Moreover it is a well known fact that the Microwave radiation emitted from Mobiles is not safe for an infant. 3. A mother should focus only on her child and her comfort. It is best that she does not involve herself in stressful activities- both physical and mental. Stress could impact the hormonal balance in a way that it could impact milk production. Note: While there has been considerable research done to prove the impact of light on various cellular cycles, diurnal rhythms etc, one cannot wait for proof given by the scientific community before implementing certain lifestyle practices. Some of the practices recommended here, like decreasing exposure to microwave radiation and changing the intensity of light would definitely help, but if one were to wait for conclusive proof and evidence from the scientific community, then it could be possible that your child would miss something really important just because there wasnt proof when he was young.

  • Biofortification: Foods that Heal

    Overview: Most of the foods we partake are deficient in essential micro nutrients like Iodine, Selenium, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Molybdenum, Vanadium etc. Organically grown foods are not of much help either- because of commerce driven farming practices ( Focus on Quantity rather than on Quality) Is supplementation the only way out? Do we need to take multiple supplements to address these deficiencies? How can we use a technique called as Bio-fortification for improving the nutritional profile of foods ( Without resorting to Gene Pool Modification or Genetic engineering that is a part of Classical Bio-fortification )? Modified Bio-fortification: In layman terms , it resorts to using organic and inorganic supplements in the lowest possible dosages so to supply the missing ingredients and to grow healthy foods that will act as Natural Supplements. So far we have been using Natural Farming practices on our farm. This year we decided to add the missing elements to the soil, make changes so as to improve the quality of the soil microbiome and use certain fertigation techniques in a manner where we could optimize nutrient delivery and absorption. The end result- Yummy, Bio-fortified mangoes. These Mangoes are for everyone. Since we do not sell any of our farm produce, feel free to request for your share of fruits. You can email me at feedback@prehealing.com ( As of now you would have to arrange for a pickup from Bangalore or Puttaparthy ) Our lifestyle today, places a lot of demand on our body. To meet the demands, our body has to rely on the foods that we consume (for the building blocks / raw materials). However, the foods that we partake have been grown with an intent to optimize space by increasing productivity. When more grows in less space, then you can expect that there will be a fight for the necessary resources. The foods grown in such an environment would be deficient in many nutrients. The reason being that the soil is not able to replenish those minerals that have been taken up by the plant. Part of the problem is the fact that in our pursuit to grow more food, we have destroyed the soil microbiome. These micro-organisms present in the soil, help the plant absorb nutrients. The plants in turn provide protection and phytochemicals for their survival. It’s a give and take, live and let live arrangement. In our short-sighted pursuit to grow more in less space we have used pesticides, insecticides, GMO crops, hybrid variants etc- that give more yield at the cost of nutritional quality. Moreover, to achieve high yields the fertilizer overdoses being used are leading to soil toxicity ( both inorganic and organic fertilizers). Over a period of time this has impacted the nutritional profile of the soil. The biggest damage however, is the negative impact that these practices have had on the Soil Microbiome. Would a purely organic farming approach help address this issue? To understand this you need to consider the following: How can organic matter that has been grown on deficient soils provide the required minerals that it does not even have? Before I go on to explain as to why Organic matter from deficient soils will not help fix the issue, here is an example that you might be able to relate with. Expecting mothers are given supplements like Folate, Iron etc. Why? Well, if there is a deficiency of Iron or folate in daily diet, the mother needs to get them from external sources. So also if the very organic matter from which you make Compost / food for the plant, is deficient in certain minerals, then you need to provide these missing ingredients to fill in the gap ( deficiencies). Now, if there is a deficiency of Selenium in the soils, all the plants that grow on such soils would also be deficient in Selenium. Organic fertilizers made from these plants would not have sufficient quantities of Selenium. In fact over a period of time more and more selenium would be lost from the soil ( as not all the plant material is returned to the soil ). To replenish the lost selenium, the best way would be to introduce it in a manner that is gradual and in doses that does not cause soil toxicity. To this end, if you ensure that most of the selenium is incorporated within Organic matter, then you will have wholesome and full spectrum compost/ organic fertilizers. These fertilizers in turn will help support a healthy microbiome. As you set right this delicate balance between the Microbiome and Plants you will, over a period of time, be able to grow healthy plants. Until and unless we change our focus from high yield to high quality, it will be necessary to provide additional nutrients in an optimal manner so that we get the best of both worlds- High Productivity as well as High Quality. What is this Soil Microbiome? The soil microbiome works as an intermediary and helps the plant get access to minerals locked within the soil. They are small living micro-organisms that live in the soil and help provide the necessary nutrients to the plants by converting them into forms that can be easily absorbed by the plants. The soil microbiome is essential for every plant (just like a balanced gut microbiome is necessary to keep us healthy). Soil Microbiome is applied Natural Bio Nanotechnology that has been there long before man even invented the word Nanotechnology ! To put it succintly: The Soil Microbiome consists of trillions of invisible Fertilizer companies that create fertilizer on demand! The microbiome however needs support too. It needs certain nutrients from the soil and if these are missing, the microbiome will not be able to work in an optimal fashion. This is where our modified Bio Fortification program helps bridge this gap. We culture these microbes and also provide the missing nutrients in a manner that can help these organisms absorb the nutrients optimally. Since more is not necessarily better, we also provide extra nutrients to the plant using various techniques that enable us to deliver the minimal dose for maximum absorption. Summary With increasing demands for food, we do not have much choice but to grow more food in less space. However we have seen that when More is grown in Less space it does impact the quality of the produce. Moreover, we are also forced to introduce certain toxic chemicals like synthetic hormones, pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers that impact the ecosystem. An unstable ecosystem will not support life and once you have crossed the tipping point the land is going to be useless and will become a barren wasteland. In this post we discuss as to how we can gently supplement the soil with necessary minerals, balance the soil and plant microbiome by adding healthy soil microbiota to our soils and to supplement the plant with the necessary nutrients in a way an expectant mother is given the necessary supplements in an optimal dose ( Only as long as it is required) On our Prehealing farm we have adopted all of the above practices and seen wonderful results. We will post more results after conducting tests on the nutritional profile of various Bio-fortified fruits and vegetables Note: For those who have received Prehealing Farm Mangoes. Most of the Mangoes that you buy from the market are being harvested when they are only 65-70% mature. They have to be harvested early, since the time it takes for the mango to travel from the farm to your house can be as long as a month! So the Mangoes you get from the market, organic or otherwise have been harvested prematurely and some are even forced to ripen. Hence these mangoes would not be able to provide a complete and healthy spectrum of the required nutrients. On the other hand we are more concerned about the health profile of our produce. We harvest the mangoes when they are almost ripe. We don’t sell our produce as it is priceless. That is exactly the reason as to why we distribute these precious fruits for free. Please do not confuse priceless with useless. Do remember that a lot of people have worked hard to grow and nurture these mangoes for you. If you are a fortunate recipient of the Mangoes, please do put them to good use. There are many varieties of Mangoes on our farm and not all might be to your liking. Do remember that these mangoes are meant to provide the missing nutrients in your diet and hence it would not be wise to discard them or waste them just because the taste is not to your liking. If you do not like the taste here are a few things you can do. Make smoothies Use the Mango pulp to make juice Use the Mangoes to make chutneys. Make a paste of the mangoes with some Pink Himalayan salt as a preservative and store in your freezer. You can use this paste as a replacement for Tamarind. Try your hand at making Aamras. Get in touch with us for suggestions as to how you can use them. If possible: Do not waste the seeds either. I know this might be too much to ask for. I do hope that you will be able to muster up the required patience. Here is how you can extract the seed from the shell and as to why the effort will be worth it. If you break the outer covering of the Mango seed, you will find a soft white seed inside. You can chop this up into small pieces and dry it. Once it is dry, you can powder it and keep it in an airtight container. This seed powder is very good for a variety of disorders- Here is a list of few issues that the seeds can help you with: 1. Diabetes. 2. Cardiovascular issues. 3. Gastrointestinal disorders. 4. Obesity. 5. Hair fall, Dandruff, premature greying of hair.... 6. Overall skin health. Helps prevent and heal Acne, Pimples and skin eruptions 7. High cholesterol. 8. Prevention of Neuro-degenerative diseases like Parkinsons, Alzheimer, Cognitive dysfunction etc 9. Improves eyesight. 10. Protection from Cancer. ( Can also help those who are suffering from Cancer) These are just some of the many benefits of using Mango seeds. Do feel free to reach out to me at Feedback@prehealing.com if you need further guidance.

  • When You Value Nothing More Than God

    Before you read on, can you guess the answer to this riddle? What did the Atheist tell the Theist when the latter proclaimed "I Believe in Nothing more than God" Overview: 1. The God debate is far from over. We have Theists and Atheists and then we have those in between- The quantum believers- They are Theists and A-Theists at the same time ! 2. Mainstream science, tries to steer clear of the 'God' debate. They prefer to place their painstaking work, years of research and understanding on a foundation that is made from 'Nothing'. The big bang, they say started from Nothing. Nothing existed before the big bang. The so called superstitious religious people on the other hand, say that the entire creation manifested from GOD. 3. Regardless of which side you are on, we are all in the same boat! Religious people might call God by various names, Scientists on the other hand prefer to call their God 'Nothing'. Since neither parties have proofs, but are based on beliefs, they are actually one and the same. Given below is the Riddle and its answer : What did the Atheist tell the Theist when the latter proclaimed "I Believe in Nothing more than God" The Atheist said " Me too" " I too Believe in Nothing, more than God" ( Surprisingly though they both said the same thing, it was just a Comma that separated them!!!) A few ideas, worth rethinking about. 1. If a religious person cannot prove the existence of God, is this lack of proof, a proof of Gods nonexistence? Can a lack of proof, be a proof good enough to disprove something? 2. The reason as to why we respect, believe in and protect Copyrights, Patent, Ideas and discoveries is because we all believe that someone is responsible for its creation. If an individual who has never worked in his life and lived as a criminal were to be arrested, would he sound sane, if he were to say that his Car, his phone, his income and everything that he owned came out of Nothing? Would someone from the scientific community extend their support and say that Thief could be right. If the entire Universe could come out of Nothing, wouldn’t there be a high probability that this persons Car, Mobile and everything else that he owned also came out of Nothing! 3. Some of the greatest scientists have had a very open outlook towards life and have contributed a lot to science as well as to the society. Two traits that every aspiring scientist should avoid: Being an opinionist and being rigid. Both these will limit the possibilities of exploration and research. 4. Openness will also help us look for clues and secrets in areas that seem to be a taboo for the scientific community. For e.g. when you hear a quantum physicist give a lecture, it sounds a lot like a discourse given by a spiritual master. Since many of the greatest discoveries of modern science have come from simple ‘Thought Experiments’ why not explore the possibility that someone before us was smart enough to do a thought experiment and put them down in the form of religious texts, parables, and stories. ( Especially when they had no other option back then, and the best way to convey the understanding to others was as a story or as a religious truth so as to ensure that this information would be passed on for generations to come) 5. A belief is based on Trust, faith and confidence and need not be backed up by tons and tons of supporting data. It is not fair to judge people by their beliefs. Many a times a belief is just a personal opinion and does not even impact the behaviour of a person in society. Beliefs help us lead sane lives. Here are a few examples: (A). You sit in an Uber, if the driver were to not have belief in the fact that you would pay for the ride or belief in the legal system… Would he not be highly stressed every time he gets a customer. He prefers to be rooted in a belief that you will pay him and that belief keeps him away from toxic stress. (B) How many times do you worry about handing cash to a cashier in a food stall? When you hand him a Rs 500 currency note for a Rs 150 bill, you believe that he is going to return the balance amount to you. Isn't it blind belief? You don’t even know the person, yet you are trusting him with your precious hard earned money. Isn't it blind belief when you think that the legal system is going to protect you if at all the person does flee with your money? Whether you are a scientist or a religious person, your ability to believe and hold on to beliefs helps lead a normal life. Is it fair for someone who uses the belief system himself to point fingers at someone else just because his belief’s contradict the other persons beliefs? To sum it up we all are in the same boat. If only we can work as a team, set aside our differences and be open to the possibility that a housewife could be our next Einstein then we can make great strides as a community that is powered by science. If as a scientific community we decide to be rigid, vain, egotistical, sceptical, opinionated about every other idea that does not resonate with our beliefs and carry on as if it is only our opinion that counts, then sometime in the not so distant future, today's Science will be considered as a religion. A religion that did temporarily propel mankind on a path of progress, had a lot of potential, but was destroyed by fanatics who weren’t open to possibilities….. Coming soon….. In the next few blogs let us explore this beautiful world of science by being more open. Every kid shows traits of being a scientist. They are very inquisitive, ask a lot of questions and are constantly searching for new things to do, try out and experience. Let our journey take us on this path of Anti-aging. Did you know that by using Distributed computing model / Grid computing, you can connect many simple desktops and laptops over a network to create a unique kind of supercomputer? By adopting a similar line of thought we need to understand that even if we are not highly trained and specialized ‘SCIENTISTS’, each of us is a mini scientist whose potential could be exploited by the Distributed Community Model. It is time ‘We the people’ connect as a network of mini scientists, by being open, sharing ideas and working towards a common goal- Progress.

  • The Quantum Mosquito and the SAD Electron

    Overview Quantum Physics is not so difficult to understand, especially if you stay in the tropics, have plenty of flies and mosquitoes around you and have noticed that these insects show paranormal powers, particularly when you approach them with an intent to kill. Before we get started, here are a few terms you can familiarise yourself with 1. SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder). A fancy term to describe shyness and to help the pharma industry treat someone who behaves normally. I don’t know about you, but I definitely have it. If you change your behaviour in response to an observer or another person in your space, then you have SAD too. 2. The Copenhagen interpretation: Physical systems generally do not have definite properties prior to being measured, and quantum mechanics can only predict the probability distribution of a given measurement's possible results. The act of measurement affects the system, causing the set of probabilities to reduce to only one of the possible values immediately after the measurement. This feature is known as wave function collapse. (Note: If you feel as if you are going to collapse after reading the above definition from Wikipedia, then you can just read the statement below which should help make it easier to understand ) Copenhagen Interpretation in layman terms: An observer impacts the way you behave. 3. Quantum Mosquito: A mosquito that behaves as an electron 4. SAD Electron: An Electron that behaves a lot like a human being (Secretive, multiple personalities, shy and manipulative ) There is one mystery that I had not been able to understand till recently and even after I seemed to have unravelled it, it really doesn’t help. That is why it feels so much like quantum physics. You have equations, you have answers, you know it all and yet it does not make sense. When you are in the classroom it is SCIENCE, if you discuss it outside the class you sound RELIGIOUS. In the classroom you can boast and say that you are Atheist, outside you become A Theist. However if you were to see from the quantum perspective you are both at the same time Atheist and A Theist. I am sorry to digress from the topic. Lets get back on the track again, before quantum physics derails us The Mystery: For a very long time, I couldn’t understand as to how mosquitoes that had been buzzing around me, could predict and respond to my intentions. The minute, I held my breath, stealthily took the electric mosquito racket and pressed the power button- they disappeared! If however, I held my breath and took hold of the racket that was switched off, the mosquitoes did not even attempt to do the disappearing trick till I pressed the power on button!. It really did not make sense. How were they able to figure out my intentions and also the state of the racket? That is when Quantum physics came to my rescue. I read about an experiment conducted at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The findings indicated that the electron changed its behaviour when it was being observed. Here is a quick overview of the experiment: The setup included an electron emitting gun and a plate with two slits, placed in front of a screen. If one of the slits were to be blocked the electrons behaved as particles and formed a single bright line on the detector screen as expected. However if both the slits were opened up, the electrons from the beam went through the open slits and they caused an interference pattern, seen as multiple bands, on the screen. An interference pattern indicates that the electrons are now behaving as waves. The scientists changed the settings on the electron emitter gun so that it gave out only one electron at a time. Since there was only one electron being emitted by the gun they assumed that it would go through either of the slits. When they conducted the experiment with just one electron, to their surprise, the pattern on the display screen indicated that the electron was going through both the slits at the same time! How can one electron go through both the slits at the same time? The scientists wanted to see as to what was happening and decided to place a detector near the slit so that they could observe as to how the electron was pulling off the trick. When they placed a detector near the slit, the electron changed its behaviour, it started behaving as a particle. It went through either slit but not through both. The minute the detector was switched off, the electron started going through both the slits at the same time. It was as if the electron was affected by the presence of an observer. To me this was a revelation. The electron was either acting shy or wanted to hide its little magic trick of being able to go through both the slits at the same time. No matter what, it had the ability to sense the presence of an observer and change its behaviour accordingly. What was even more surprising was that, the electron, just like the mosquito, was able to detect if the machine was turned on or off before it made changes to its behaviour! A mosquito at 2.5 mg is a collection of approximately 8.36 x 10 raised to 20 electrons or 83,60,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 electrons. If one electron is capable of fooling a quantum physicist, do I stand a chance against so many? Perhaps I could find a way to trick these mosquitoes if the physicists are able to figure out a way to fool an electron. Till then, I will have to bear with the disappearing mosquitoes powered by SAD electrons. To Read more about the experiment conducted at the Weizmann Institute: Quantum Theory Demonstrated- Observation Affects Reality

  • Cumin Caraway ( Jeera Ajwain) Choorna

    Cumin Caraway / Jeera Ajwain Choorna Given below is quick recipe to be used for a day or two 1. One tablespoon of Jeera ( Cumin Seeds) 2. One Tablespoon of Ajwain (Caraway Seeds) 3. One Tablespoon of Fennel Seeds ( Sounf Seeds) 4. 1/4th tsp of Pepper corn 5. 1/4th tsp of Turmeric powder 6. 1/8th tsp of Himalayan Pink Salt 7. Pinch of Asafoetida powder Preparation Roast the Pepper, Jeera, Caraway seeds and Fennel Seeds along with pinch of Asafetida. Add Turmeric and Himalayan Pink salt and powder this mixture in a grinder. -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- For Longer Use Ingredients Reqd: 1. Half Cup of Jeera ( Cumin Seeds) 2. Half Cup of Ajwain (Caraway Seeds) 3. Half Cup of Fennel Seeds ( Sounf Seeds) 4. 1-2 tsp of Pepper corn ( Not pepper powder) 5. 1 tsp of Turmeric powder 6. 1/2 tsp of Himalayan Pink Salt 7. 1/4 tsp of Asafoetida powder Preparation Roast each of the ingredients separately i.e the Pepper, Jeera, Caraway seeds and Fennel Seeds along with pinch of Asafoetida. Add Turmeric and Himalayan Pink salt and powder this mixture in a grinder. Store in an airtight glass container #PrehealingRecipes

  • Aloe Vera and Amla Juice

    Main Ingredients used for making this Juice are Aloe Vera and Amla. To help you identify the herbs correctly I have included both the scientific name and the common names Aloe Vera : Scientific- Aloe barbadensis; Common Names- Marathi-Korfad ; Hindi-Kumari ; Telegu-Klabanda; Tamil-Kartazhai; Malayalam-Kaattu Vazha Amla: Scientific Name- Phyllanthus emblica, English- Indian Gooseberry, Hindi, Marathi- Amla/Aonla, Tamil,Kannada- Nellikai, Telugu-Usirikaya List of Ingredients for making 1 Glass of Juice (300ml): 50 grams of Aloe Vera Gel* 10 ml Amla Juice ( First pass / Concentrate) or 20-40ml of Amla Juice (Second pass ) ** 1 tsp of Lemon Juice ( 1/2 Lemon) - You can skip it if you prefer a mildly sour drink 250 to 300 ml of water 1 tablespoon of Honey ( Or Salt and Ground Pepper to taste) ( Procedure for making Amla Juice and Scooping out Aloe Vera Gel has been outlined in the foot notes) Preparation: Blend together, either by hand or in a blender, Aloe Vera Gel, Amla Juice and 1 tsp Lemon Juice with 200-300ml of water. Sweeten it with a tablespoon of honey and serve fresh. For those who do not wish to take anything sweet or are on a low sugar diet, you can add a pinch of Pink Himalayan salt and ground pepper to taste Notes ( About Aloe Vera Gel and Amla Juice ) The Aloe Vera Gel that we are going to use has to be made at home. It should not be store brought. Aloe Vera Gel /Juice available in the market would have added preservatives. Moreover keeping the juice for longer than a couple of days leads to a deterioration in the quality as well was the healing properties of the juice. The Amla Juice too should be made at home for best results. Amla juice available in the market has added preservatives like Sodium benzoate. These preservatives are detrimental to your health- some are also known to be carcinogens ( Cancer causing) * Making your own Aloe Vera Gel : You will need a Aloe Vera plant that is at least 2-3 years old. Choose Aloe Vera leaves that are quite thick and mature. You will find these at the bottom of the plant and along the outermost sections. The smaller and thinner leaves that comprise the inner core, tend to have very low gel. As a rule of thumb choose leaves that are as wide as your palm. After choosing a thick leaf, make a cut as close to the stem as possible. Wash the leaf well, wipe it dry and then let place the leaf vertically in a vessel. Keep it that way for 10-20 minutes so as to help drain all the resin. Once the yellowish bitter resin has drained off, you can now wash the leaf once again and start by removing the thorns with a scraper or a sharp knife. After removing the thorns, slice the leaf into two halves so as to separate the upper and lower portions of the leaf. For those of you who want to avoid any bitter taste whatsoever, wash off any remaining slimy resin on the insides - near the cut portion. Keep each portion of the leaf on a cutting board, gel side facing up, and use a spoon to scoop out the gel. You can puree this gel with a hand blender and then keep it refrigerated in a glass bottle for 3-4 days. ** Amla Juice Take 15-20 Indian Gooseberries ( Amla) and wash them well Cut the amla and discard the seeds For best results, extract Amla juice using a slow juicer/ Masticating Juicer like Hurom. If you do not have a slow/Masticating juicer you can extract the juice using the small chutney jar that you get along with your mixer grinder. Extract it in two stages. First Pass: The best way is to extract the juice by grinding Amla with very little water and then to keep this juice as a concentrate. This juice can last for 4-10 days in a refrigerator. Second Pass: Use the residue from above process , add to it another 50-70ml of water and grind once again. Filter the juice. This juice is milder and will keep for 2-3 days. You might have to use 2-3 times the quantity of this juice if you are to use it as a replacement for the concentrated juice. #PrehealingRecipes

  • When Health becomes a Victim of ROI (Return on Investment)

    Overview What happens when we try to optimize our investments in health policies and try to get the best out of them? Here is a true story of Anand Kumar a 62 year old overweight patient who decided to use his investments in Mediclaim Health Policy wisely, so as to minimize pain and maximize enjoyment. A true Story Anand Kumar, had been suffering from severe back pain for a couple of weeks. He had managed it so far with a liniment, a spray and a tablet that the local pharmacist had recommended. On this particular day the pain was unbearable so he decided to visit a local hospital run by a charitable institution. Dr Rajan a well known and passionate orthopaedic did not require much time to come to a conclusion that the culprit was not the back but the excessive weight gain and the disproportionately large belly. When Mr Anand expressed his fears asking if a surgery might be required, Dr Rajan told him that such drastic steps were not necessary and all that Mr Anand had to focus on was weight loss. He told him that the the tablets he had given would temporarily address the pain and advised Mr Anand to consult a Dietician so as to help lose weight. Since his family members too resonated with the doctors findings, Mr Anand started a 12 week Diet and Lifestyle management program with a holistic practitioner. Mr Anand followed the program for a week or two. He had been a foodie all along and it was becoming increasingly difficult to restrict himself. The summer holidays had just begun and his daughter had taken her kids on a vacation. He felt that the time was right to go for another consultation- a second opinion. He thought to himself "Doctor Rajan works for a charitable hospital, perhaps he was trying to cut corners, since he did not want to do a surgery". When he voiced this concern to a close friend, he advised him to meet Dr Naik . "Dr Naik is very good, but also equally expensive" said his friend. Mr Anand laughed and remarked "Dont good things cost? I wanted free consultation and hence I got free advice, perhaps Dr Naik is the answer to my prayers. Moreover I am insured, so costs should'nt matter" So there he was in Dr Naik's Hospital. After a battery of tests, Mr Anand sat face to face with Dr Naik. The words he heard next were the sweetest words he had heard in a long time. Dr Naik remarked " You want to wait for 12 weeks with this pain? 12 weeks of diet and all that nonsense? If you are willing, I can fix this issue surgically in 12 minutes" Mr Anand was sold! He thought to himself "What the doctor says is right, it makes more sense to fix an issue in 12 minutes than wait for 12 weeks. However since I have an insurance, it is not going to really matter much to me." He decided to go ahead with the surgery. A week later.... Mr Anand was wheeled in the surgery room. The supposedly 12 minute surgery took more than 5 hours. Post surgery, Mr Anand realized that he did not have control over his bladder and motions. When he voiced this concern, the doctor waived it off saying that this is common and he will be better in a month or two. Fast forward to today. It has been more than 6 years and Mr Anand has not yet gained control over his bladder and motions. The surgery was almost free, since the insurance paid for all the expenses, but, it came at a very high cost. He had lost control over his urination and bowels! And what about the back pain? Oh! It is still there. But today his back pain has got company. In fact the companion issues are a greater problem that the backpain and hence Mr Anand does not worry much about the backpain anymore. Inserting the catheter to get out urine from the bladder is very painful and he is grappling with new issues now. He gets frequent Urinary tract infections, he needs to keep Adult Diapers handy, he has to use a wheel chair since his legs are not able to hold his weight and it seems as if he aged 15 years in just 6 ! Many of us think just like Mr Anand and it would be unfair to single him out as a character who gave more importance to money than to life. In Mr Anand's case he considered the decision to get a surgery done as a smart one. He had even reasoned with his daughter just before the surgery " Geeta, I had invested the money in Mediclaim, why should I let go of it. Why not use it ? " On similar lines- I overheard a Mom say to her child "Dont you waste this dish, Its expensive. You ordered for it and now you have to finish it. You cant waste food, it costs money!" I understand the reason as to why she said this- There is an application that runs in her mind too, she doesnt know it, yet this app keeps deciding if you have used your money wisely. It ensures that you do not WASTE money. The Money App runs inside all of us as a background process and we dont even realize as to how it impacts us. In the example given above, the mother does not realize that her childs health is much more important than the food item. Food when taken in the right quantity gets digested and is utilized for energy. When extra food is forced into our system, it becomes a liability and the body has to work hard to throw it out. It puts stress on our system and ends up damaging it. We think that by eating the extra food we are utilizing it and avoiding wastage. The body does not understand the difference between a Rs 100 pasta and Rs 1000 pasta. All that it knows is that the extra pasta in the system is a burden and a poison. The body would be grateful if you threw that extra pasta in a dustbin instead of treating the stomach as one. So when we eat that extra food thinking we do not want to waste it, we are not only wasting it ( since the body cannot use it) but we also end up creating disease ( when we treat our body as a dustbin. When Mr Anand was young, his parents also taught him to value money over everything else without realizing that they were harming his body as they inadvertently programmed him to value money over life. So you see. Mr Anand who used the insurance and impacted his health was taught to value money over life. He was a victim of silent program that runs within most of us. To be continued...... ( Mr Anand story is not just about how an individual can impact ones health in pursuit of getting the best deal. Mr Anand story could also help us understand the following traits that we all share 1. Our obsession with quick results and shortcuts ( How to get what you want, faster and with less effort ) 2. Mistake body's warning and healing signals as a disease ( Covered in the Post that addresses Covert and Overt Diseases ) 3. Our belief that we get what we pay for. Free services or services that come at a lower cost are inferior. The mistake of associating monetary value of a product with its intrinsic value. 4. Our ignorance about what Money really is 5. Our nature of responding to Diseases and rewarding a community for treating diseases ( Modern medical institutions) . Rather than rewarding communities that can help you keep diseases away. 6. Our fear of Pain and the need to stay away from it I would like to highlight these aberrant thinking patterns in separate posts and will provide a link as soon as they are up

  • ReTagging Memories

    ( Continued from the previous post: The Art of Healing Memories that Hurt ) How do you Retag an Unpleasant Memory? Are there any prerequisites to retag? There are two ways to retag a memory. The first method involves meditation. Meditation simply put is inner engineering. It helps in rewiring the brain so that we do not RE-ACT, instead we ACT differently. It is a process by which all of us grow and mature. Some sit and meditate consciously, whereas for the vast majority, meditation happens as we go through life experiences, which in turn impact the way perceive and react. Eventually as we go through the event, replay it and look at it holistically we are able to STOP reacting and act differently and that is when the attribute of the memory changes. Whilst conscious meditation or therapy could hasten the process, the slow and the natural method too works just as well Then there is a spontaneous way, an automated way of retagging, and that involves a Paradigm shift. Let me illustrate this with a story I read long time ago and that helped me understand a paradigm shift. Here goes. The train came to a halt at Brisbane station. A man came in along with a young excited boy and took his seat in a cabin which he shared with three elderly men. The father doted on his child. The small boy was quite loud, yet the father never got irritated with his son. For quite some time after the train departed from the station the father had been holding on tight as the boy wriggled and struggled to get down and play. Finally the father relented. As soon as he got free, the boy started jumping and playing in the cabin. He was giggling to himself and talking to invisible people around. Once in a while he used to come out of the reverie and then go to a co passenger in the cabin and start talking to them in spite of their attempts to ignore him. From time to time the father did try to hold the boy back, but after a while he leaned on the window and kept looking outside. Harry, one of the senior members in the cabin was irritated by the behavior of this small boy. The boy, sat on his lap uninvited and interrupted his game of crosswords. He kept chattering something and then kissed him before moving on to another co passenger. He was back again in no time. As the boy continued his antics, the father just kept looking out of the window oblivious of the boy's antics. Harry made up his mind to have a word with the father. He knew what to say. Having been a grandfather he had numerous incidents where he had to give a piece of his mind to the new generation of parents. Having been a frequent traveler for the last thirty years he had quite a few unpleasant memories such as these. In order to make sure that he delivered his message well he did a quick mental rehearsal: “ Children are to be disciplined and it is the parents responsibility to do so. You cannot unleash your child on unsuspecting passengers as you sit and relax….” Lost in his reverie, Harry suddenly became aware of the silence in the cabin. He looked and saw that the child had kept his head on the fathers lap and had dozed off in no time. Wow that was fast he thought. Just before Harry could get up to go and speak with the father, the father gently lay down the child’s head on the seat and got up. He then approached the three gentlemen who were visibly irritated. As the father came close, Harry noticed that he had tears in his eyes. It was when the father spoke that Harry was glad he hadn’t spoken to the father earlier. “ My son was in hospital for over a month. He has got a tumor in the brain and even after two surgeries the doctors haven’t been able to do much. Just yesterday the doctors told us that the best thing to do was to take him home so that he can spend his last days with his family. My son however feels that he is all right, now that he has been discharged. He was never like this before. I think it is his way of rejoicing life, of sharing his happiness with those around. He keeps thanking people, laughing to himself and has been the happiest I have seen him from the time we found the tumor on his sixth birthday. I would like to thank you all for bearing with him, please do accept my heartfelt apologies for the inconvenience he has caused you…” Harry eyes too brimmed with tears. Oh My God ! he thought. How selfish and self centered have I been. With the revelation the attitude of all the others in the cabin too became different. When the small boy got up a while later and got going, everyone in the cabin joined him. Harry hugged him, kissed him back and laughed and played with him. The others too shared their love with the kid in their own unique ways………….. Here we see ways in which a paradigm shift can impact our perception. The child did not change his behaviour nor did the elders make a valiant effort to love the child. A change in paradigm, changed the way the others reacted to the same stimulus. Before the young boy slept they were irritated with him and wanted to take the father to task. Post the revelation about his brain tumor and after getting to know about the impending death of a six year old, the very same people felt sad for the boy. Their hearts filled with love and they did the best to make him happy. Just like in this story, in real life too we have aha moments that might change a bad memory to good and vice a versa. Many have experienced this spontaneous retagging of memories due to a paradigm change. Meditation can accelerate this process. It can help us clear all that stress that lies embedded in sad and negative memories. Once we realize that Positive and Negative are just a viewpoints, all that needs to be done is to Act on a memory that we would like to retag. If your previous reaction to a memory has caused sadness and pain, it is absolutely of no use to go the same path again and again. Isn't reaction the same as replay? Action happens only in the present. Every memory unflolds only in the present and hence we have a choice to act differently on the memory- especially the sad and the hurtful ones. Once we have acted differently on the memory, we can tag it so as to attach a new attribute to it. Once a memory, especially a traumatic one is retagged it will no longer have those fangs that poison us every time the memory resurfaces.

  • Dad's Special Tea

    Note to the reader This post, takes us down my memory lane. I take this opportunity to share these memories with you, since they have forged my current outlook towards life. Perhaps they might help you too, to look at life from a different perspective. To many tea is a beverage that is made using the leaves of Camellia sinensis – also called as Tea plant. This particular incident, from my younger days, is about a special tea- a formulation that only a very creative individual with a sense of humour could come up with. Special Tea Ingredients: Willpower Determination to stick on to your resolutions Empathy and Love for fellow human beings Creativity Sense of Humour And... The usual items required for making tea ( You might have to omit a few items, since this is an unusual formulation ) Down the memory lane.... My father gave up drinking Milk,Tea and Coffee in the year 1985. In many places in India it is customary to offer some hot beverage, either Tea or Coffee to guests. In most cases the host does not take no for an answer, you’ve got to take something. On quite a few occasions I was a witness to the host being unhappy, as they couldn’t offer anything to Dad. Over a period of time, friends and family members came to terms with the fact that Dad did not take milk, tea or coffee. The incident I am going to narrate took place in the year 1992. I was pursuing my degree and had come home for winter vacation. A few days before I was to go back to college, Dad and I went to visit a distant relative: An elderly lady in her late 70’s. It was a cold winter morning. As usual the host asked Dad as to whether he would like to take a glass of tea or coffee. When he said no, she offered to get a glass of milk. Dad tried to convince her that he did not want milk either. Shanta aunty was not ready to take no for an answer. She told Dad “ Gurudutt, you have to take something. Tell me what is it I should get for you ?” Here was a host, elderly, petite, fragile, loving , kind and instantly likable with a stern concerned motherly look on her face and you could sense that she was not going to take no for an answer. Dad looked at her. held her hand lovingly and told her “ Amma, I don’t mind having tea, but you will have to make it my way” Shanta aunty was happy. “Of course I will, dear” she said. “Tell me. How is it you want your tea?” Dad: “ When you make tea, please don’t add sugar “ Shanta Aunty: “ Done” Dad: “ Please Don’t add Milk also” Shanta Aunty: “ Oh so you want Black tea. Okay I will get it for you” And before Shanta aunty could go to fetch the tea. Dad told her. “ There is one more request” Shanta Aunty: “ What is it?” Dad: “ Please don’t put Tea powder also!” Shanta Aunty had that bewildered look on her face. “ If I don’t add tea powder to it then how is it going to be tea? It will be just hot water” Dad: “ I don’t mind my tea that way” So hot water is what dad took on that day, and on many other occasions later on whenever the host insisted that he take a hot beverage What I loved about the way Dad handled the situation is that he did not offend someone who was trying to play a good host. Shanta aunty was kind at heart and looked on dad as her son. Dad on the other hand is known amongst family and friends for his ability to stick to his resolutions. Once he had set his mind to doing something, there was no way he was going to give it up. This trait is what made him dependable and also earned him respect. Most of what he has taught us is by setting an example and by walking the talk. This incident was one such practical demonstration as to how you can use your creativity and sense of humour to address conflicts, diffuse tension, respect others view points yet hold on to yours, and ensure that you convert situations like these into a Win Win situation. When I saw Shanta aunty being amused by Dad's tea and also heard from others about her lovingly mentioning this funny incident, I realized that what matters most is the way We Brew our Tea of Life ! #PricelessMemories

  • The Art of Healing Memories that Hurt

    Sujata was a Prehealing participant who stayed with us while she was doing the Prehealing Lifestyle Program. As a part of the Prehealing program we walked for approximately 10 kilometers every day. Sujata was fun to walk with. She had so many stories to tell and most of the times the 10 kilometers walk felt too short. It was on one of those days, we started the walk and as usual Sujata started the walk/talk combo. For the better part of the walk, the talk was ‘Happy Talk’, but somewhere along the way out came a memory the dark and painful type. Earlier on, after we started the therapy, I had made it a point to cut her short and explain to her as to why it was important to let go, whenever she went into a mode of complaining, whining and negativity that left her feeling depressed. On this day however I decided to observe and let her go on with her tale - a childhood trauma she just couldn’t let go. A trauma that was a constant source of her stress. On she went…. “Speaking of Susheela, I can never forgive her for what she has done…… I don’t know as to how she was able to convince everyone that I was mad and dangerous. The shock treatment and all that followed was so painful…...........” She had not even been halfway through her story, when she did the most unlikely thing- She paused for a second and then apologized. “I will do the best I can to forget these memories. Without forgetting these I just don’t think I can heal. Thank you for being with me.” she said as she squeezed my hand tight. In that squeeze along with the warmth was the agony, sadness and the pain of a memory that she was trying to let go. I had always been intrigued by the brain and did spend a lot of time studying and pouring over its mysteries. As I summoned all that knowledge to the situation at hand, there was this realization deep within that that no matter how hard one tries to forget, the memory stubbornly stays on. In fact many a times the attempt to forget makes the memory stronger. From the experiments done earlier on in the 19th century by Dr Penfield, there was conclusive evidence that the brain retains most of the memories regardless of whether you remember them or think that you have forgotten them. The data we experience becomes a part of us and we cannot just let it go. How then was Sujata to forget the ‘BAD’ memory. Did she have a choice to let it go... Do we ever have a choice? Let’s don on the Prehealing hat as I did it on that particular day and see as to what can be done in this scenario. Even the luckiest amongst us would have at least one negative memory that we would love to forget. How can we go about doing just that? For that let us understand the anatomy of a Memory. You don’t need to be a student of Psychology to do that, all that you need to use are the very basics we all are familiar with. Here goes… What is memory? It is a recording of an event that has happened sometime in our past What is good and what is bad? Good/Bad are attributes that we assign to an event. We assign that tag depending on how the event turns out to be- in our favor or against. Good events give us joy, happiness….. Bad events on the other hand tend to cause discomfort, harm, pain- a negative impact either physically or emotionally or both. What happens when we recollect? The memory is played back in our consciousness and as it is played back we react to the memory. Aha… React! So it is that we RE-ACT to a memory as if it is a real incident do we? Yes we do react to every memory when it is being played back as a fresh incident. In fact we never live in the past, we play the past recording in the present and react to it in the present as if the event is happening all over again! In short, we React and Replay. With negatiive memories especially the culprit is the Re ( From React and Replay). If you remove the RE, you now have a choice to Act differently and Play/Experience it differently That means we have a choice every time we play back a memory to let go the Good/Bad tag and retag it if necessary? Yes we can. In fact as we grow and mature a few memories that bothered us when we were young take on a different attribute. I have a ton of memories that I had tagged as very unpleasant, sad, painful and frightening but now they have been retagged as good nostalgic memories. In fact I have to admit that after all that retagging, I don’t have any bad or unpleasant memories at all. Surprisingly, it is just a shift in viewpoint! Some of my most precious Retagged Memories… Every time I write, a silent thanks goes out to a teacher I feared the most. She was Miss Grace Polycarp who was our principal for three years. Those three years of my life were the most difficult. It was like living with a ring master. I had the feeling that my every move was watched. My father was called for what I thought were small mistakes and I did get a good share of punishments too. Her influence on my parents was so powerful that Miss Grace Polycarp could impact my happiness at home too ( Only if I was not a responsible and disciplined student). I did tag a lot of memories as unpleasant, but over the time I came to understand as to how those events had shaped me and forged me. Over a period of time I realized her supreme sacrifice as she did the best for every student of hers, knowing fully well that she would also be hated and feared for a very noble act. As the realization dawned (Thanks to my psychotherapists – Mom and Dad) I re-tagged those very memories as precious ones. It’s been almost three decades since I met Miss Polycarp, but she is the one I remember most fondly. She is the one who is helping me reach out to all of you to share this precious skill that Prehealing is. And yes, though I haven’t met her ever since I left school, she hasn’t left me either! All those memories have been retagged. Now when they play back, there is love, appreciation and gratitude. I take this opportunity to thank Grace Polycarp once again. So you see, a memory is not doomed to be good or bad. We do have a choice to retag it and relive the moment in a new way. Read on more about Retagging Memories in the next post #PricelessMemories

  • Losing Life in search of Energy

    I dedicate this post to those unfortunate youngsters who have lost their lives by consuming Energy Drinks. Losing life is the worst that can happen, but there are many others who are grappling with the after effects such as changes to their personality, panic attacks, depressive behaviour, strokes and paralysis besides a host of other issues. I also take this opportunity to request the reader to share this information with the younger audience who are prone to taking Energy drinks. The reason as to why many youngsters and adolescents are drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Tzinga etc, is because they are under the impression that these Energy drinks are healthy alternatives to cola and other sugary drinks. A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from a Prehealing participant who was distraught over her brothers untimely demise. He was young, in the prime of youth and was to be married in a couple of weeks. It so happened that he came home late after a party, went to bed and did not wake up the next day. When his mother tried to wake him up she was shocked by the fact that he was cold to touch and unresponsive. As soon as the doctor arrived, he checked Vijay's pulse and confirmed that he was no more. The doctor confirmed that Vijay had died of a cardiac arrest. Whilst Vijay's passing away seemed peaceful as there was no sign of struggle , it shattered his parents, siblings and his fiancee. Though Vijay couldnt be called a fitness freak, he kept himself active. Overall, by appearance, he seemed fit and healthy. His latest blood test results did not indicate any issue either. What could have been the reason for this sudden and fatal heart failure. It so happened that Vijay was used to taking Red Bull - an energy drink to keep himself awake and fresh. He had taken it on numerous ocassions. After all it was a health drink. Isn't increased energy synonymous with health? On this particular night, he had invited few of his close friends for a special event. A bachelors party. Since Vijay had been very busy with his work; a business he had started, he had not been in touch with many of his friends for a long time. On this special occasion, he wanted to make sure that he played a wonderful host and also made full use of this event to catch up with his mates. Sleep and weariness could be overcome with Red Bull, since it was meant to be an energy drink. The party went on well. After the party when Vijay came home he was exhausted, yet very happy. It had indeed been a wonderful day. He wished his Mom good night and then retired to bed. That was the last greeting his Mom heard from him. Post Vijay's demise as friends and family members tried to look out for reasons as to why such a tragedy would have befallen a youth in his prime someone suggested that it could be due to the energy drink. When his sister looked up the research she did find a couple of articles linking Energy drinks with Depression, Strokes, Arrhythmia and Heart Attacks. I too loved Vijay and I am sharing this post so as ensure that we can use his life experience to help others. Right now there is nothing else we can do. What has happened has happened and we cannot get Vijay back. However we can save many more Vijays if only we can share this incident with others. So as a family we choose to invest a tragedy for a greater good. If you know someone who has been taking Energy Drinks please do pass on this post to them so that they are aware of the consequences. Given below are a few excerpts as well as links to the research and news in media pertaining to the effects of energy drinks. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22426157 The high doses of caffeine, often in combination with ingredients with unknown safety profiles, mandates urgent research on the safety of energy drink use in children and adolescents ( NCBI - The National Center for Biotechnology Information ) http://bit.ly/2uoH5EB There is substantial evidence to suggest that the risk energy drinks pose to health are incredibly hazardous and should not be consumed by children and adolescents ( NCBI - The National Center for Biotechnology Information ) https://cnn.it/2um1nhZ "There's been several cases described of people that have gone into cardiac arrest after consuming more than one energy beverage, and when they've done sort of further analysis on these individuals, they haven't been able to find anything abnormal other than the very high levels of caffeine and taurine in the toxicology," Higgins said. CNN http://bit.ly/2unj80s A new study has found that consuming just one energy drink could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke in 90 minutes, with researchers saying the drinks narrow blood vessels - which can restrict the flow of blood to vital organs. http://bit.ly/2unj80s “Energy drinks could cause public health problems, says WHO study,” ( NHS- UK's biggest health website )

  • Cultured Probiotic enriched Rice

    Cultured rice easy to digest and helps supplement the body with essential vitamins. It also helps in enriching our microbiome with its wide diversity of gut friendly probiotics. Items Required: Cooked Rice, Earthen Pot or a Stainless steel container, Drinking water. Take Cooked Rice ( Take sufficient quantity for a couple of meals) Soak the cooked rice in water and keep it covered in a stainless steel / Earthen pot. Ensure that the water covers the rice ( an inch or two above the surface of rice ) Change the water every morning and evening for the first 2 days. To do this you can just pour off as much water as you can and not worry about draining every bit of it. Once you have poured off the water, you can fill in fresh water so as to cover the rice as before Cultured rice should be ready by Day 2. To use it take the required quantity of rice from the container and put it in a sieve or cloth so that you can drain excess water. Now the rice is ready to be consumed. Ensure that you replace the rice that you have just taken out with equal quantities of fresh rice. This will ensure that you have a steady supply of cultured rice on a daily basis. Note: Longer fermentation process will yield a sour tasting rice that is very rich in probiotics and is easier to digest. From day 3 onwards the water too can be used for drinking as it is a source of probiotics. It can be consumed as it is or can be taken after adding 1/2 lemon and a pinch of pink salt. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Castor Leaf Stalks Herbal Tea

    Ingredients 1000 ml of water ( 5 Glasses ) 3 Medium sized castor leaves along with their long stalks 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds ( Jeera ) 1/4 tsp Caraway Seeds ( Ajwain) We will be using only the leaf stalks. The leaves have to be discarded. Preparation: Separate the stalks from the leaves and discard the leaves. Chop the stalks into medium sized pieces and boil them in about 5 glasses of water with 1/2 tsp of Jeera and 1/4 tsp of Caraway seeds (Ajwain). Boil it on low flame, down to approximately 3 glasses ( From the 5 glasses of liquid that we began with). Filter and keep the Herbal tea in a Thermos flask. Indications: To be used for relief from Rheumatic pains, swollen joints, muscle spasms and bloating caused due to indigestion or food poisoning. Used along with 1/2 tsp of Vidanga / Embelia ribes powder it can be used for deworming in children Dosage: For Adults: Take one glass in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening For Children: 1/2 a glass three times during the day along with Embelia ribes - as a deworming aid Kindly note: These recipes are to be used for a day or two and it is best you do so after consulting with your personal ayurvedic physician or holistic practitioner. #PrehealingRecipes

  • Aloe Vera Cough Syrup

    Here is a recipe for a herbal, home made cough syrup. Given below is a multi step process. Overview Step 1- Scooping out Aloe Vera Gel from the leaves and adding to it 50 ml of Pelctranthis amboinicus juice Step 2: Making a decoction of herbs Step 3: Mixing the Aloe Vera Gel from step 1 with the decoction of herbs obtained in step 2 and letting it boil for a minute or two Step 4: Final Step- Cooling the above liquid, adding Kumari Asava and Honey. Detailed Procedure Step 1: Take two Aloe Vera Leaves. Let the resin drain and then slice it horizontally so that you split the leaf into upper and lower halves. Scoop out the gel and put it in a vessel. Approximately 100-150ml of Aloe Vera Gel. To this vessel add about 50ml Juice from the leaves of Doddapatra (Thick succulent Coleus Leaf, scientific name: Plectranthus amboinicus ). Blend them together. Keep it aside. This would be used later on in Step 3 Step 2: Take 400ml of water Add 25 grams of Tulsi Leaves 25 grams of Italian Basil Leaves 2 tablespoons of Lemon Grass leaves ( Subject to availability) 2 tablespoons of Mint/Pudina Leaves 1 small piece of crushed Ginger 20-30 Cloves After adding all the above ingredients boil it till you get the Aroma from the herbs Once the Kashyam (decoction) starts boiling, decrease the flame (sim it) and then add the following ingredients 1/2 tsp of Yashtimadhu (Mulethi powder) 1/2 tsp of Turmeric 1/4th tsp of Tinospora cordifolia / Giloy powder (subject to availability) After adding the above ingredients let the Kashyam ( decoction) simmer till the quantity of liquid is almost half – that is approx. 200ml Turn off the heat,let the Kashyam cool a little bit and then filter it through a fine sieve/cloth. Step3: Mix the aloe vera and Coleus mixture obtained in step 1 with the filtered decoction obtained in step 2. Reheat the mixture in a stainless steel vessel till it starts boiling. Turn off the flame as soon as the mixture starts to boil and then let it cool. Step 4: To the above mixture add 100 ml of Baidyanath Kumari Asava and 200-300 ml of Honey. Mix well and refrigerate. Dosage: For cough and cold / Throat irritations / Congestion Adults-Take about 1 tablespoon 2-3 times a day Children-1tsp 2-3 times a day Note: If Doddapatra leaf (Pelctranthis amboinicus ) is not available, you can make the cough syrup without it Here are a few advantages of this home made syrup over the ones available in the market 1. Cough Syrups in the market contain preservatives ( Even the ayurvedic ones contain preservatives. Some of these preservatives can be toxic and can impact the body after prolonged usage ) 2. Syrups available in the market contain thickening agents to modify viscosity 3. The ones in the market may also contain sugar syrups, since honey is too expensive. Some of these sugar syrup thickeners could do more harm that good, especially if they contain an unnaturally high amount of Fructose #PrehealingRecipes

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