When I was young, my mother who firmly believed that doctors should not be consulted, never gave any medicines to her three children. My mother herself was born at home and has never been vaccinated. (In pre-independence India, in the deep interiors of Tamil Nadu, there was no doctor close by.) She always treated us with herbs and concoctions. And whether it was fever, cough, cold or headache we always got cured. I visited the hospital only when I got braces or needed spectacles.
We were vegetarian. She prepared all the food at home and also ensured that we never ate anything from outside. Fried goodies were eaten, but only on festive days. Food was simple. Not much oil or spices. Curd was not easily available, nor was milk. Ghee was supposed to be given only to elders, for regaining health.
I didn’t consume a lot of oil or ghee. I firmly believed that if you avoid packed and processed food, don’t eat fried things or dairy, consume very little oil, you don’t need any medicine. I haven’t taken any medicine, not even a pill for a headache, since the last 15-20 years as far as I can remember.
But when I moved to Delhi, I fed my daughter a lot of ghee as this was freely available.
My daughter suffered 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, her psoriasis vanished within three months! She is medication free now.
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 also turned vegan! Her sugar levels are improving and blood pressure is in control too thanks to this.
– Sharmila Kannan, Apr 2021