As we celebrate World Health Day, we need to underline this year’s theme, which is ‘Our planet. Our health’. The emphasis, therefore, is not just on the planet’s health as a whole but on our health as well.
Caution should be exercised so that we work on the prevention of ailments rather than cure. Apart from Ayurveda, there is yet another traditional therapy from India where natural resources like sunlight, water, air, flowers and fruits may be used to treat certain diseases. This therapy is called naturopathy and it encourages the patient to don the doctor’s cap.
Meher Singh, a well-known naturopathic doctor based in Faridabad, explains that although this system of medicine is ages old, its significance increases in today’s times in wake of the pandemic. Meher Singh explains that naturopathy is based on the five elements of sky, fire, land, air and water. Since the body is made up of these five elements, naturopathy says that diseases occur in the body only due to an imbalance of these elements and good health is attained only when they are balanced.
Naturopathy thus teaches us to treat ourselves and become our doctors. It urges us to lead a life that balances these elements if any ailment arises.
Aakash or Sky therapy: Medicine with fasting and balanced food
Air therapy: Therapy with pranayama and yoga
Surya therapy: Therapy using rays of the sun, colour therapy or chromotherapy
Hydrotherapy: Therapy through bath
Soil Therapy: treatment by using soil
Singh explains that naturopathy says that two kitchens are available to every person, one is nature’s kitchen and the other human’s kitchen. Nowadays, we are more vulnerable to diseases because we are using the human kitchen more than the natural kitchen.
This kitchen includes all the naturally available things like trees, plants, fruits, flowers, water, air, food or grains, sunlight etc. According to Naturopathy, 60 to 80 percent of food should be taken from nature’s kitchen for purification of the body. The person should drink fruit juice, eat salad, and use vegetables and fruits present in natural form.
Naturopathy says that only 20 to 40 percent of the food should be eaten in human kitchens which includes roasted and fried food, fast food and junk food. The doctor said food/diet and sleep are the main two components that keep one healthy according to naturopathy.
