Articles

Fat Accompli 

By - Dr. Prashant Sawant, M.D (Ayu.)

Article Published in “The Times Of India” on Saturday, December 6, 2003

For 37-year-old Mr. Hirani, a senior marketing manager, 110 Kg. was an embarrassing weight to carry around. Though he had a very active lifestyle, his eating habits and liking for alcohol, gradually helped him to gain excessive weight, over the last few years. He tried a few ‘diet programmes’, however, those invariably found him sneaking into kitchen at odd hours, eventually adding to his girth and weight.     

Charak, the author of an authoritative treaty on ayurved, the “Charak Sanhita”, written some 3500 years ago, has deplored obesity as one the most dreadful disposition.

Obesity in general terms means ‘over weight’ and refers to increased body weight (more than 30 %), in relation to height, when compared to the desirable weight. It is a condition, of the body characterised by excessive accumulation of fat under the skin and around certain internal organs.   It is a most common nutritional disorder in the affluent societies.

The presence of excess body fat in the abdomen, when out of proportion to total body fat, is a predictor of risk factors associated with obesity, like diabetes, coronary artery disease, etc. Men and women having a waist measurement greater than 40 inches and 35 inches respectively, are exposed to such risk.

A number of factors are known to be associated with obesity. For example:

• Age - Though more prevalent in middle age, it can occur at any stage of life.
• Heredity - A family tendency exists in many cases 
• Endocrine factors - Obesity frequently accompanies diseases of the endocrine system like hypothyroidism, hypopituitarism, etc.
• Energy balance - Excess fat accumulates because of the imbalance between energy intake and expenditure.  Sedentary lifestyle has an important role in the development of obesity. 
• Drugs - The use of insulin, steroids, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, etc., commonly follows obesity.

According to ayurveda, obesity is caused by the impairment of the medadhatwagni, the specific agni (converting factor) responsible for the assimilation of fat. Excessive eating of sweets and fatty food, eating before the earlier ingested food is digested, over consumption of alcohol, lack of exercise and beeja dosha (heredity) are primarily responsible for such an impairment. As a result, the channels carrying meda (fat) are affected. Fat starts to accumulate in body and also obstructs the channels of nutrition of the other body tissues, depriving them of nutrition.

Correction and maintenance of this agni, getting rid of the accumulated fat and clearing the channels of nutrition, without causing deprivation of essential nutrients or discomfort, is the key to successful management of obesity.

Mr. Hirani was advised to undergo the complete panchakarma procedure, which is a powerful, five-fold purification process, used to eliminate the accumulated toxins and clearing channels of nutrition. Further, he was advised to take medohara gugul and arogyavardhini tablets, in 2-is-2 dosage, to be taken before lunch and dinner, with a glass of hot water. He was given thorough counseling regarding do’s and don’ts, as well.   

Mr. Hirani achieved reduction of 10 % of his original body weight, in the first three months of the treatment, which was set as an initial target. He is continuing with the treatment and is feeling more energetic and fit.       

Dos and Don’ts

• Avoid over eating. Avoid eating sweets, chocolates, ice creams, cheese, paneer, sugar, etc.

• Avoid fat in any form, body converts dietary fat to body fat very easily

• Start your meal with a bowl of vegetable soup or a fruit.

• Avoid non-vegetarian food. If you must eat non-vegetarian, prefer fish and chicken cooked with minimum oil, to red meat, pork or beef.  

• Avoid alcohol; it suppresses body’s ability to burn fat.

• Avoid aerated drinks

• Have sufficient amount of fruits like apples, oranges, peaches, bananas, pineapples, etc.

• Have adequate amount of vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, beans, eggplant, carrots, etc.

• Avoid sleeping during the day.

• Exercise regularly. Just a brisk walk of about 20 minutes is often enough.

• Don’t aim to loose weight too rapidly.

• Over-the-counter drugs for obesity are questionably effective, and best avoided.

Useful Tips: 

• Have half a glass of warm water just before meals. Avoid drinking water during or after the meals.

• Have chapattis made from mixing equal quantities of wheat flour and jav (barley) flour.

• Have 1 tsp of honey with a glass of warm water on empty stomach.

• Have ½ gm each of java powder and awla powder with a teaspoon of honey before lunch and dinner.

• Some generic medicine useful for obesity that can be taken under medical supervision are triphala guggulu, navak guggulu, amrutadya guggulu, vidangadya lauha, arogyavardhini vati, chandraprabha vati, lauha rasayana, chausashti  pimpali, etc.

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Smile Your Way through Piles 

By - Dr. Prashant Sawant, M.D (Ayu.)

Article Published in “The Times Of India” on Saturday, December December 20, 2003

Mrs. Pradhan, a housewife, age 37, was in a terrible pain.  She endured similar pain and discomfort quite often in the past.  Often, a few days of constipation or even some indigestion would trigger an attack of Piles, leading to severe pain and bleeding, while passing stools. She was diagnosed as a case of internal Piles with Fissures. She was advised surgical treatment as application of local ointments and internal medicines prescribed to her on number of occasions, provided only temporary relief.

Piles (technically known as Hemorrhoids), very common in both men and women, are enlarged and engorged blood vessels in or around the back passage (anus). They are common among pregnant women. They may be associated with moderate to severe pain, bleeding, itching and feeling as if a lump is hanging down.

Piles are classified as ‘internal’ and ‘external’, depending on their location in the anal canal. Internal Piles are usually painless. They can cause bleeding or they may push out of the anal opening, when they become quite large. External Piles are generally painful. They are sometimes called skin tags and can be seen or felt as extra skin around the anus.

The people most at risk of developing haemorrhoids are those who have raised abdominal pressure because of resons like constipation, after or during pregnancy, obesity, lifting heavy weights, etc., which causes the blood vessels to swell and become engorged.

Piles can be treated by various methods, including rubber band ligation, injection sclerotherapy, infrared coagulation or surgery.

According to ayurveda, Piles, aptly called as, “arsha”, meaning the one that hurts like an enemy, is caused by improper dietary habits leading to agnimandya (weak digestive power) and improper functioning of the liver. Therefore, medicines that improve functioning of the agni and that of the liver are beneficial in the treatment of the Piles.

Mrs. Pradhan was advised Abhayarishta, 4 tsp. to be taken before lunch and dinner, to soften the stools and help easy evacuation. She was also recommended tablet Arshakuthara rasa in a 2-is-2 dosage, to be taken before meals for improving her digestion and functioning of the liver. She was given a thorough counseling regarding the diet as well. She continued this treatment for a month. The pain and bleeding was markedly reduced within the first three days of the treatment and the symptoms disappeared completely within a week. As a prophylaxis, she was advised to continue Abhayarishta for further 3 months. The smile returned on her face, as she did not (and most probably will never) need the surgical treatment. 

Dos and Don’ts

• Avoid too spicy and salty food.

• Avoid red meat and dry fish.

• Have food rich in fiber such as fruits and vegetables.

• Drink plenty of water and other liquids such as fruit and vegetable juices and clear soups.

• Avoid straining while passing stool. Don’t try too hard and don’t wait too long to have a bowel movement.

• Exercise regularly.

• Avoid abuse of laxatives.

• Don’t suppress natural urges of flatus, stool and urine.

• Use warm water for cleaning the anal region. 

Useful Tips:

• Have buttermilk with a pinch of black paper and cumin seeds, regularly. If there is profuse bleeding, add a quarter spoon of nagakeshar choorna. Avoid curd.

• Chew 10 to 15 gm. of sesame seeds every morning, on an empty stomach.

• Sit in a tub of warm water (Sitz baths), added with a quarter spoon of alum powder or a decoction prepared with dashamoola, 2-3 times in a day, for about 10 minutes

• Apply preparations like Jatyadi taila, shatadhauta grhita, etc., to alleviate the pain and swelling.

• Apply powder of kutaja locally, to reduce moistness.

• Some of the generic medicines useful in Piles are, vyoshadi choorna, sama sharkara choorna, til bhallataka, kutajarishta, bhallatak vati, pranada vati, arshakuthar rasa, kankayana gutika, etc. However, these should be taken under medicinal supervision only.
  
  

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