Into the lap of nature : Udupi
- Part 2 -

Urmila Chanam *

Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (S.D.M) Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital situated in Udupi district in Karnataka :: Pix - TSE

Detoxification and diet therapy

The core treatment at S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital is centred around diet and detoxication through food based on the theory, “Thy food shall be your medicine. Medicine thy not be your food” (Hippocrates).

The principle is reduced portions, low carbohydrates diet, different varieties of millets, lots of fruits and vegetables, either raw or partially cooked, little or no oil used in cooking and the way the meals are spaced out with the last meal getting over before 7 pm.

Detoxification therapy uses the purifying properties of various fruits, vegetables and herbal juices to clean the body of unwanted and accumulated toxins which are a result of unhealthy lifestyle. The diet therapy aims to bring in dietary modification depending on the patient’s ailment. On an average patients lose 4-5 kgs weight in a 10-day period at S.D.M Hospital as an outcome of the rigorous diet, detoxification and yoga therapy.

However, the best practice is how sustainability of the learnings on diet and life style modification is ensured through regular counselling by the doctors, and on discharge as discharge summary card inscriptions.

The three kinds of diet that are served are boiled (BD), raw (RD) and juice diet (JD) depending on what the doctor has allotted to the patient as per the ailment.

The types of juices and beverages include ash gourd, bitter gourd, goose berry, lemon with honey and chia seeds, pineapple, carrot, beetroot, cucumber, watermelon, pomegranate, buttermilk, finger millet or ragi ganji, barley water.

Boiled diet meals cooked without or with very little oil serve dishes like coriander rice, vegetable pulao, foxtail millet and peas pulao, millet bisi bele bath or spicy rice, rava idli, spinach/dil leaves/radish/beetroot chapati, vegetable soup, vegetable curry made of pumpkin, chickpeas, green peas, dil leaves and drumstick, fenugreek and tomato, dal, sambar, groundnut chutney, beetroot peanut chutney, with handsome portion of fruits like water melon and papaya, and buttermilk as a side drink to be consumed with the meals. Healthy breakfast is made up of ragi ganji/upma with buttermilk and evening snacks is essentially sprouts and barley water.

Raw diet consists of only fruits, sprouts and select vegetables like cucumber, carrot etc. Individuals keen on weight loss often opt for juice diet and consume only juices.

Nature Cure Detoxification Tips

1) Bitter gourd juice in the mornings
2) Goose berry juice after lunch
3) Ash gourd juice in the afternoon
4) Barley water in the evening

Acupuncture, Physiotherapy (exercise therapy, magnetotherapy and electrotherapy).

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese system of medicine through which various painful conditions and diseases are treated by inserting fine needles into the specific points on the body. This has major impact on balancing the vital energy flow throughout the body.

On the other hand, physiotherapy can help to restore movement and function when a person is affected by injury, illness, disability or after surgery and can also help to reduce the risk of injury and illness in the future.

The physiotherapists provide useful tips on things that affect our daily lives such as posture, correct way of lifting objects to help prevent injuries, movement, tailored exercises and physical activity to improve our general health and mobility and to strengthen specific parts of our body, and manual therapy using their hands to help relieve pain and stiffness, and to encourage better movement of the body.

Reflexology : The reflexology track located ou- tdoors within the premises is a circular walking area with four concentric compartments which give pressure to the feet of those who walk on the different materials laid in the track.

Walking through the reflexology track takes about 20 minutes; the first and innermost compartment allows patients to walk over hot and cold water, the second compartment allows patients to walk on rough sand, the third compartment is laid with 2- inch sized marble stones with smooth surface while the outermost and forth compartment is laid with sea sand.

The exercise is meant to provide natural healing based on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears and their referral areas within zone related areas, which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body.

Through application of pressure on those reflexes, the feet being the primary area, reflexology relieves tension, improves circulation and helps promote the natural function of the related areas of the body and heal and repair on its own.

People from different parts of India and other countries come to S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital. The format of treatment such as practising yoga together, eating meals in the dining hall, going for walks, lectures and nature cure therapies together, all foster a sense of community and builds friendship for life among patients.

For 70 years old Maithri hailing from Mysore, a trip to S.D.M Hospital every year isn’t related to any ailment but a gift she likes to give herself for the detoxification she enjoys there since the last six years.

Two middle-aged women from Bengaluru, Shreya and Urvashi recovered fully from Tinnitus which causes ringing in the ears and Vertigo which causes acute giddiness and imbalance. Many people come for weight loss while others come for more serious ailments related to back pain and spine.

A trip to Udupi can serve to have double bonus for the naturopathy treatment at S.D.M Yoga and Nature Cure Hospital and for the historic significance of the renown Krishna Temple where according to the legends, the statue of Lord Krishna turned around for a devotee, Kanakadasa, offering his prayers from behind the temple because he was barred from entering due to belonging to a low caste.

We are part of nature and by consuming food that is natural and living a life close to nature to how human beings used to live before modernisation, we gain good health by defeating many ailments which are a result of contemporary life style.

Self- healing is the most sustainable healing.

Concluded ....