BHARATI PAWASKAR
Cancer has become a next-door disease now, just like diabetes. The cases of this fatal illness are growing at an alarming pace around us. Modern science has touched the highest level of research, innovation and nano-technology in medicine, yet, scientists have had little or no success in combating life-threatening illnesses like HIV/AIDS and cancer. What is the root cause that leads to getting such illnesses?
“There is more than one factor for a person to fall prey to dis-ease (the absence of ease in the body) and we are to blame ourselves for succumbing to these illnesses,” states naturopath Dr A P Bandodkar. According to him, what leads to illnesses is the increasing pollution. Add to this our modern lifestyle and what results is dis-ease, he quips.
“With too much of comforts around us, lack of nutritious diet, overdose of processed foods, refined oil, white sugar, white flour (maida), iodized salt, junk food, pesticide infested fruits/vegetables, and absence of exercise, our body and its immune system weakens. What tops it all is hyperacidity which gradually sets foot in the body, making it prone to the growth of cancer cells,” points out Dr Bandodkar, a certified magneto-biologist in Margao.
“When the body shows first signs of hyperacidity one must look at it as a warning bell. If it accompanies with suppressed immunity, it’s a sure doorway for cancer cells to attack and grow in the weakest organ in the body. Beware of acidity, keep your body alkaline. At least 60 per cent of the food that you eat should be alkaline,” points out Dr Bandodkar who stresses on embracing a natural way of life to keep all sorts of illnesses at bay.
One must eat lot of vegetables, fruits and sprouts. Vegetable oil is harmful because it is chemically processed with 13 dangerous chemicals. Meat and wheat (which lack fiber) create extra acidity in the stomach, leading to stomach disorders, constipation and eventually cancer.
“Processed food, trans-fats, deep fried food is not recommended. Coconut oil is the best for cooking. Next best is olive oil, says Dr Bandodkar who recommends having alkaline foods. He advises to have lime in warm water. Moong sprouts, nachane (ragi) and ukdo (boiled) rice are best. Jaggery instead of sugar is a good option. Oxygen therapy and ozone therapy is helpful, however the best way to pump oxygen in the body is naturally, with Pranayam. Breathing correctly is very important as oxygen when provided to every cell in the body, kills cancer.
Right eating habits keep digestion in place. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are more than enough to survive but we eat multiple times in a day. “Our ancestors had meals twice a day and yet were strong and healthy. They did lot of physical activity too. Today we have to go to gym to burn those extra calories. Keep your eating time fixed - breakfast at 7-8 am, lunch at 12 noon to 1 pm and dinner at 7-8 pm. There should be at least 12 hours gap between dinner and next day’s breakfast,” maintains Dr Bandodkar who has retained this routine for the past 25 years.
“Constipation is the mother of any illness. Goans must avoid meat and wheat combination to prevent constipation. Fructose in the fruits is natural form of sugar, eat fruits for breakfast. Iodized salt is detrimental to health. Go for natural salt or rock salt.
Our body requires 5 grams salt a day, no more than that. Readymade processed foods have too much of salt, and the soft drinks are loaded with sugar and chemicals. Both are very harmful for the body,” Dr Bandodkar’s do’s and don’ts are simple and can be adopted in our lifestyle, if we wish to keep illnesses like cancer away.
“When oxygen does not reach the affected organ, cancer cells grow in haphazard manner. They feed on sugar. So breathe oxygen excessively. And starve cancer cells by not consuming sugar. Also painkillers, body ache or headache tablets which one pops in for every small discomfort, increase acidity in the body, which leads to side effects and dis-ease,” concludes this naturopath.
