-by Sheela Rani Chunkath
So many friends, relatives and acquaintances are being stricken with cancer. Ask the allopathic doctors and they almost all seem clueless as to why somebody gets cancer.
The incidence of cancer is definitely on the rise. And it is not just a case of better reporting or diagnosis. True, people are living longer and cancer could be one of the risks of old age. The old people of yesteryears however did not seem to have so much of a cancer incidence though.
I am not surprised that allopaths are not able to give you the reason for the alarming increase in cancers. Western medicine is all about curing disease, and not so much about prevention. Ayurveda on the other hand is the science of life, it is all about living well. While ayurvedic vaidyars do treat disease, they concentrate more on preventing the onset of disease. This knowledge is invaluable when we are looking at something like cancer. I do not think one can remain healthy by making incremental changes to ones life. To remain healthy one should have a holistic view of ones activities including all aspects of ones diet, food, work, recreation, rest, relaxation and sleep.
Ayurveda has a four-fold classification of diseases as given by Sushruta.
· Agantuja — due to external causes
· Saririka — due to physical causes
· Manasika — due to mental causes
· Svabhavika — due to natural causes
Diseases caused due to external reasons or agantuja are those caused due to accidents, floods, fires etc. One can only try and avoid these as far as possible. One can try and 'accident-proof' one’s life as far as possible.
Those diseases that are classified as saririka or due to physical causes are well addressed by ayurvedic vaidyars. Allopathic system of medicine concentrates on pathogens and looks to antibiotics for therapeutics. Kill the pathogens or kill the cancer affected cells is the way allopathy works.
Ayurveda believes that there is a powerful mind-body connection to diseases and that mental causes for diseases need also to considered.
Svabhavika roga are diseases that go with us being humans and are those associated with birth, old age and death.
Ayurveda on the other hand concentrates on the body system and attempts to modify it so that it becomes inhospitable to various pathogens. The body system balance is restored so that the cells in the body behave and don't suddenly start reproducing in an uncontrolled fashion resulting in cancer.
The body balance is restored by ensuring that the three doshas, vata, pitta and kapha are in balance. It is likely that if one dosha is not in balance it leaves the body vulnerable to disease including cancer. So if you were to neglect a stomach pain and just keep drinking Gelusil and make no changes in your diet to bring the pitta dosha under control you would be laying yourself open to diseases including cancer.
Too much stress and travel increases vayu. Vitiation of this dosha could initially increase your aches and pains, and if you neglect the body's message it could have other serious consequences including Parkinson's and cancer.
So what the saints and Siddhars of yore are telling us is, to eat, work and play in a manner that keeps your doshas in balance.
If you go to sleep at 2 a.m., and get up at 6 a.m. you are asking for trouble. The dinacharya and ritucharya (about which I had written earlier) prescribes what ones daily and seasonal activities ought to be; following this could help you prevent disease and remain healthy.
Diet is an extremely important component of one’s life and the cavalier attitude of most allopaths to this important component leaves me appalled. I have a vata constitution. So I have made a list of foods which aggravate this condition. When I eat, I try to consciously classify the food as one which panders to my tongue or as one which will improve my health. Luckily there are certain foods that do both, these I take without restrictions. Those that taste good but vitiate the vayu dosha I try to minimise, e.g. Colocasia fry. This delicious South Indian dish is a real no-no for those with a vayu constitution. I used to have this every Sunday, now it is an occasional treat.
To keep your doshas in balance, listen to your body and eliminate the root cause of your problem. Some vaidyars prescribe nisa amalaki (about which I have written earlier), a powerful anti-oxidant to keep cancers at bay.
--- The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu and is currently Additional Chief Secretary and Chairman & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/