Ayurveda and its relevance today

LIFESTYLE diseases are not communicable, meaning they are not contagious. They are also not triggered by skewed genetics. They only require our frenzied, unhealthy way of life, and our exhausted out-of-shape bodies, to breed in.

The causes of lifestyle diseases are complex and involve both the mind and body. Hence, holistic systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, which treat the mind and body to bring about good health and well-being, have a major role to play in treating disorders that afflict us today.

The benefits of applying holistic methods of treatment as prescribed in Ayurvedic literature in reducing the rates of heart diseases, cancers and diabetes in populations have been well proven in countries such as Finland, Japan and Singapore.

Why Ayurveda makes sense

A man wishing to be healthy throughout his life has to be healthy every day as well. Health depends on how one spends each day. Controlled and guided activities of body and mind are essential for maintaining sound health and prevent diseases.

The ideal way in which a healthy person with a balanced constitution or Sama prakriti should spend his day is described in the texts of Ayurveda. One can modify these according to the constitution or the diseased state of the person.

A healthy lifestyle is very important to maximise the effect of palliative treatment. Ayurveda strongly recommends that the patient adopt a regular sleeping schedule, proper ablution practices such as tongue cleaning, washing, bowel movements and so on, meditation, body massage, regular exercise, including various postures of yoga, proper clothing, balanced dietary intake according to seasons, adequate fluid intake, healthy relationships, avoidance of undue stress or exertion, pleasant, healthy, and socially permissible sex life and continued self education.

Ayurveda advocates regular massage as part of a healthy lifestyle.
In order to maximise the effectiveness of palliative treatment, vyayama (exercise, yoga, stretching), breathing exercises and sunbathing are necessary.

Further, Ayurvedic approaches to the treatment of lifestyle disorders involve a holistic approach of drug, diet and behavioural changes that help to tackle the problems of body and mind to ensure good health and vitality.

The management of illness in Ayurveda primarily consists of four procedures; cleansing (Samshodhana); palliation (Samshamana); rejuvenation (Rasayana); and psychological and spiritual healing (Satvavajaya).

Besides these, dietary and lifestyle management are initiated according to the disturbed doshas and the physical and mental constitution of a person.

For a sampler, here’s how Ayurveda manages diabetes and obesity.

Diabetes mellitus (Madhumeha)

According to Ayurveda, the consideration of a patient’s lifestyle, age, type of work, psychosocial needs and willpower is important in a management plan. The latter includes the necessary panchakarmas (cleansing methods), herbal formulas, a healthy meal plan, and regular blood sugar monitoring. A physician needs to evaluate the plan at each visit and make necessary modifications.

Herbs are selected based on their properties, such as Rasa (taste and physicochemical properties), Veerya (potency), Vipaka (post-digestive effect) and Prabhava (unique action) that are necessary to bring about a balance in doshas.

On the basis of this approach, Charaka Samhita, the classical Ayurvedic text, has prescribed the following palliative treatments specific for dosha conditions.

It is important to note that according to Ayurveda, vigorous exercise is contraindicated in lean and weak patients with severe diabetes. Patients are advised to perform yoga and breathing exercises (pranayama). In fact, certain yoga practices and breathing exercises are believed to stimulate better utilisation and production of insulin by stimulating both the pancreas and muscles.

Other lifestyle changes recommended are regular walking and reducing the consumption of fatty foods such as butter and oils. The use of bitter gourd, pungent and astringent tasting food, asparagus, spinach, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, and ginger is encouraged in the diet.

With regards to preventive measures, Ayurveda relies primarily on the adoption of lifestyle and food habits that reduce fat accumulation in the body because 80% of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients are known to be obese. Regular use of Rasayana (rejuvenatives) and herbal formulas that are effective in controlling blood sugar is advocated, particularly for those who have a family history of diabetes.

Obesity (Sthoulya)

When it comes to obesity prevention and management, Ayurveda has much to offer, with daily and seasonal regimens that include healthy foods, yoga exercise, panchakarma and medicines.

For obese patients, according to the symptoms of ama, digestive (dhatwagni deepan) and carminative (pachan) medications are given. Ayurvedic formulations of a guggulu kalpa decoction are also advised with appropriate doses (as per age, sex, severity of obesity) with water or a decoction of triphala.

Gentle oil massage is followed by massage with powders of medicinal plants (turmeric, sandalwood, rose powder, manjistha powder, chickpea flour) along the anti-direction of the length of hairs, reducing perspiration and its smell.

A diet known as sansarjanakrama is advised after elimination therapy and is dependent on the state of digestive fire. It includes rice preparations and soups of meat for successive days.

Further, Ayurveda also prescribes other non-drug modes of treatment such as reasonable fasting with dieting, exercise, and yoga and lifestyle changes and counselling. Diverse formulations and single plants with appropriate individualised dosages are also recommended.

Weight loss is expected to be gradual, long term, and lasting due to integral care rather than drastic weight loss often advocated by crash dieting. Individual constitution or prakruti, aptitude, taste, profession, peer support, motivation, relationships and stage of obesity are carefully looked into for a successful outcome of the therapeutic programme.

Adopting Ayurveda and its lifestyle recommendations to prevent and overcome modern lifestyle diseases provides a healing balance to the mind, body and soul.

The Malaysia Star