When knowledge sets you free - Food becomes your Medicine
When I was younger, my mother who firmly believed that Doctors should not be consulted, never gave any medicines to the three of us. My mother has never been vaccinated. We were vegetarian. In pre independence India, deep interiors of Tamil Nadu, there was no doctor close by. She was born at home. She always cured us with herbs and concoctions. And we always got cured – whether fever, cough or cold, headache or such. She always had one remedy or the other up her sleeve.,Unless, I had to wear braces or needed needed specs for my eyes, we never saw hospitals. She said,“never take any medicine, never go to a doctor. He will make you a patient.” I still recall, the large hospital in South Delhi that she took me to, around 40 years back, it was crowded even then and you had to jostle for seats to see the doctors.
She also ensured that we never ate anything from outside, whatever little was available those days. Colas had just come into the market. Shampoo just then arrived in small sachet’s, online food ordering was never heard of, packed and processed chips, achars weren’t there. Mother used to prepare snacks for us at home, fried goodies were eaten, but only on festive days.
Food was simple. Not much oil or spices. It seemed bland to me. She always used to narrate stories from her own life, as how vegetable seeds were thrown in the backyard and they grew. They were plucked fresh. Curd was not easily available, nor was milk. It was only for those who had cows at home or curd sellers used to stop by in her street and thin curd, chach or mor, as it was called in Tamil used to be bought occasionally. Ghee was supposed to be given only to elders, for regaining health. My mom never had any ghee, till the age of 20. My mother’s family did not own cows . Buffaloes were unheard of in those days deep in the interiors.
Fast forward 40 years. 2021. I haven’t taken any medicine, not even a pill for a headache since the last 15-20 years. This is as far as my memory goes, as far as I remember. I didn’t consume lot of oil or ghee. I firmly believe that if you avoid packed and processed food, don’t take fried things, consume very little oil, no dairy, you don’t need any medicine. I gave my daughter, a lot of ghee though, as I live in Delhi now.My daughter sufferered from psoriasis since childhood and nothing seemed to help. Finally, one day I attended Dr. Nandita Shah’s seminar in Mumbai along with my daughter and we both turned Vegan overnight .
Voila, she got cured within three months!! Her psoriasis vanished. She is medication free. My life changed completely. I studied more about nutrition and the strong conviction about the ineffectual nature of medicines that I carried since childhood, thanks to my mother, was further reinforced. On 17th February 2021 my now 84 years old mother turned vegan too!!
We love our salads and fruits and smoothies.
Sharmila Kannan
SHARAN –Holistic Health Coach
"Never take any medicine,
never go to a doctor."