One of the biggest dilemmas in the field of alternative medicine is whether or not one should take “drugs” or pharmaceuticals. I am a believer in natural remedies and am in the field of prevention of disease and promotion of health. I believe in the power of natural remedies, whether its through diet, herbs, and/or yoga. However, just cause I believe in alternative medicine, it does not mean that I do not also believe in pharmaceutical medicine.

There are times in life, where modern medicine can come to the rescue and regardless of how strongly you believe in the natural approach, sometimes you must resort to taking prescription medication. A few months ago, one of my close friends had her appendix rupture. As common as it is, it took the doctors two days to finally diagnose her and then rushed her into emergency surgery. When she first started feeling seriously ill, she was in search of seeing a naturopath rather than a physician. In this case, she was fortunate enough not to find a naturopath that was available to see her and she ended up having to see a medical doctor. Long story short, if she had not seen the first doctor at a local clinic, she would not have ended up in the ER and lets not get into what could have happened if we hadn’t gone there.

For her, surgery and drugs saved her life. There are countless numbers of other cases out there in which drugs do save their lives. I feel that allopathic or modern medicine does wonders for trauma and other life-threatening illnesses, but at the same time, there is plenty of room for integration. For an effective medical model, integration of modern medicine and natural medicine must take place. Headaches for example are not curable by taking an Advil. The Advil will only suppress the headache and it will be back in a few hours. In the world of natural healthcare, the naturopath, Ayurvedic physician, or other natural health practitioners will examine the root cause of the headache and will aim to eliminate the root cause and thereby healing the headache all together.

It is not fair to only favor one medical model over another. There is a lot of attention placed upon the health care system these days. If effective and efficient healing is to take place, all forms of healing must unite and come together. All healthcare practitioners must work together and only then will holistic medicine really become holistic. Holistic is not only natural medicine, but holistic medicine refers to all forms of medicine coming together as a whole, as a collective unit to work together to heal.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

The one plant that you are guaranteed to find in my home is Tulsi, which is Sanskrit for Holy Basil. In fact, you will find the Tulsi plant in many Indian homes, as it is considered to be an auspicious plant that brings health, wealth, and prosperity. I will also let you know that Tulsi is not only my favorite plant, but it is also my favorite herb.

As we all know, plants in general purify the air, so in that sense, its always good to have plants around. Tulsi radiates positive energy and purifies the environment from any negativity that may be around. Beyond that, I love Tulsi because of all of its healing properties.

First of all, one of the easiest home remedies for a cough is Tulsi. For any kind of cough, drink Tulsi tea. Boil one cup of water with about 3 to 4 fresh Tulsi leaves and drink the tea at least 4 times a day and it will cure the worst of coughs. Fresh leaves work best, but dry leaves are fine as well.

Tulsi is pungent and bitter in taste; therefore, it decreases Vata and Kapha and slightly increases Pitta. However, because the quality of Tulsi is light and dry, it can actually balance Pitta as well. Tulsi has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It can be applied topically for skin lesions and fungal infections. It decreases pain and swelling and is recommended for fevers. It is excellent for all respiratory related imbalances, such as coughing, asthma, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Tulsi improves digestion and is especially good for the colon. It is also an excellent herb for the nervous system and all autoimmune diseases, as Tulsi promotes and enhances the functioning of Ojas. And the list continues. Depending on the condition, the leaf, root, or seeds are used. Tulsi is one of the most potent, sattwic (pure) herbs.

If I ever feel a cough or cold coming on, and even for family and friends, I simply boil a cup of water with Tulsi and fresh ginger and I am able to prevent an illness from coming forth. Doesn’t that sound rather simple? I would also like to add that drinking Tulsi tea with ginger will also prevent your chances of catching the swine flu, as it does increase Ojas, your immunity.

The entire science and knowledge of Ayurveda is actually quite simple with a simple approach to health. There is a science behind the combination of spices and when you combine various spices and herbs, you can heal just about any imbalance.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

My experience with my clients is that most want to get better, but all they are willing to do is take a pill. Nobody wants to do anything more than take some drugs to get better. One of my health consults in India has headaches just about everyday. To help with her headaches, all she does is take painkillers. Her father is a doctor and they have run all sorts of tests to figure out why she has headaches so often. They could not figure out why and when we sat down for her consultation, I realized that the reason for her headaches was dehydration. She simply was not drinking enough water. When dehydration is the cause of her headaches, then how will a MRI report show that? How will a painkiller “fix” her problem? Yes, in order to take the pill, she must drink water, but at the same time, that is only one glass of water. For someone who is dehydrated, more than one glass will be necessary to hydrate the body and “quench that thirst.”

Medicine today has given the impression that only pills can help relieve your symptoms and that only pills can help you get better. The reality is that pills only make things worse. I had a health consult with a middle-aged man who had been taking sleeping pills for a couple decades now. He is dependent upon those pills to be able to sleep. The cause of his sleeplessness was never addressed…only his symptoms. His doctors did not consider his stress levels, his work and family situation, his bed, his diet, and what time he goes to bed. Instead of taking all those factors into consideration, they gave him a pill. The sleeping pills interfere with the natural functioning of the nervous system and therefore, damage the nervous system, including the brain.

Pills are not the solution to health problems. Pharmaceutical drugs only mask the symptoms giving you the impression that you are better, but the reality is that your body is still suffering. Yes, the non-pill approach may appear to be a longer process involving you to be much more alert about your health, but in the long run, the Ayurvedic approach will not only cure the symptoms, but it will heal your body. In Ayurveda, all illnesses are treated from the root cause. If you really want to get better and live a life free from suffering, then taking medications is not the solution. Be willing to try new, alternative approaches towards a better health. Believe it or not, but the Ayurvedic approach does work. You just have to be more active in regards to your health.

The difference between Ayurveda and modern medicine is quite simple. Modern medicine treats the symptoms only and Ayurveda treats the entire body as a whole. Each type of medicine has its pros and cons and each person must choose what is best for him or her.

Western medicine, also known as Modern Medicine and Allopathic Medicine, has helped save millions of lives. Through the advancement of science, modern medicine is the perfect tool in cases of trauma and serious illnesses. However, allopathy is a disease care system and its job is to manage the disease. When you walk into a doctor’s office, they will ask you your symptoms, check your temperature and blood pressure, and then write a prescription. That prescription will often come with many side effects and that same prescription will not be a cure, but rather a symptom suppressor. So in reality, most drugs never really take care of the problem.

Ayurveda on the other hand, finds the root cause of the problem and treats the problem and body as a whole, rather than just the symptoms.

When imbalance arises in the physiology is when illness arises. There is always a root cause to any pain, discomfort, and any other types of illnesses. Let’s take headaches for example. There are many root causes in which headache is a symptom. Dehydration and indigestion are just a couple reasons in which headaches can occur. If you go the doctor for a headache, they will not take into consideration your diet, routine, and water intake…they will just give you a painkiller. An Ayurvedic physician will find the root cause of the problem and treat the root cause, rather than the symptom. If indigestion is the root cause of the headache, then the digestion will be addressed first and then the headache. A weak digestion or imbalanced digestion is the root cause of most illnesses.

Ayurveda treats to eliminate the root cause of the disease so that the body is healthy and no symptoms exist. A real cure is a cure that completely eliminates the problem, not just a temporary fix. You have one body for your entire life, so its best to maintain it and treat it well so that it will serve you well.