Letting nature take its course to nurture health
HERBS SPREAD ON COTTON SHEETS FOR SUNNING ENCROACHED UPON EVERY INCH OF AVAILABLE OPEN SPACE IN THE HOUSE, FORCING ME TO PARK MY CAR OUTSIDE
Toxic chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, preservatives, artificial sweeteners and flavours have invaded our lives in a big way. Tinned food and packaged products such as pickles, butter, jam, sauces and ketchups, liberally sprinkled with toxic compounds to prolong their shelf life, is the flavour of the day.
The slow and steady change in our food habits coupled with a sedentary lifestyle is taking a toll on our health. Obesity, diabetes, thyroid disorders, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia have spared only those who haven’t bothered to undergo a medical check-up, yet.
My wife, a gynaecologist, would often lament about the illeffects of modern day diet and equally harmful molecules prescribed as medication to treat diseases resulting from the rampant consumption of toxic food products.
“Why not prepare a few herbal medicines at home to detoxify our bodies that are under the persistent assault of chemicals?” she suggested. “Forget it. Talking of detox and herbs sounds good only on paper. It’s a monumental task to recognise, procure and prepare herbal formulations,” I replied, scoffing at her idea of turning a herbalist-cum-nature lover.
But she is not the one to take my rebuff lying down. A diligent study of books on herbs and their medicinal uses, ordered online and bought from places near and far and intensive discussions with her friends practising Ayurveda, instilled in her the confidence to give wings to her passion.
Frequent visits to herb sellers to buy raw material boosted her confidence in appraising the quality and medicinal properties of various plants. A little patch of green at our house was soon transformed into a mini botanical garden. Hibiscus, giloy, tej patta (bay leaves), tulsi (basil leaves), aloe vera, fennel, neem, amla and bael to name a few added a refreshing aroma to otherwise a vapid piece of land.
My mother was quick to gift her a heavy mortar and pestle made of brass, out of her inheritance of brass utensils, lying unused for decades. Our house help became my wife’s keen companion in cleaning, sorting, drying, pounding and grinding the medicinal plants to make herbal preparations.
Multihued herbs spread on cotton sheets for sunning soon encroached upon every inch of available open space in the house, forcing me to park my car outside the precincts of my wife’s little organic pharmacy.
Organic vegetables on the rooftop and herbs in our garden have helped us earn the status of an eco-friendly house and health freak inhabitants in the eyes of neighbours and friends. Her patients are more than happy to take her bitter but remedial herbal infusions, concoctions and powders to dispel their minor ailments, naturally. She is delighted and determined to carry on the good work with vigour and zeal.
I, an ardent follower of modern science, was the last to embrace her school of thought. But I must admit, I’m more energetic, calmer and healthier after adopting her mantra to stay healthy: “Consume only what is natural or near to nature. Let nature come to your rescue if the need arises before popping pills on the slightest pretext.”