Woman is the "Janani", giver of birth to the human race. Woman is the "Shakti", The power; she is the embodiment of love- love for her children. She is capable of making the ultimate sacrifice-sacrifice for the sake of those whom she loves. These powers and sentiments of hers are due to the special genes, some hormones, some amino acids, some enzymes and some electrical impulses, which she is made of, which make her position unique. In many religious of the world, woman, symbolically, is worshipped; though in day to day, she may not be treated equal nor protected by man and sometimes not even loved!
To fulfil her role, her body periodically produces ova, the egg, she conceives, gives birth, rears the child and then stops producing the egg for conception. Her body condition, when not properly handled, faces some problems of health connected with the above mentioned operations. This booklet is meant to indicate natural ways of dealing with those special problems of health i.e. those relating to i. menstruation, ii. pregnancy and birth, iii. breast feeding, iv. vaginal and uterus conditions and v. menopausal leucorrhoel and miscellaneous conditions, without having recourse to drugs under various systems of medicine.
A question that arises is, why nature cure and how: In this connection Dr. Robert E.D. Duke in his book "Holistic Health" (New Horizon press, New Jersey) says:
"The Laws of Nature cure and heal, doctors don't. All a doctor can do is advise on how to speed up the process of getting well. Remember he or she cannot put new cells in the body, repair bones or sew together torn ligaments. Holistic healing, then, respects the body's ability to heal itself. The body can create the vital energy we all desire and seek. Diet, exercise and positive thinking are important, as is stress management and proper attention to the physical self, to the mind and the soul."
The gross body is made of the five elements of Aakash (ether) air, fire, water and earth. The imbalance of these elements is the main cause of disease. It consequently becomes imperative for living a healthy life that the daily programmes and activities are such that the balance of these elements continues to be restored in the body.
The human body is a perfect machine made self-sufficient by the creator. It has got computers to take decisions and chemical factories in the form of glands to produce chemicals etc. required for the proper working of this machine. The human body has primarily two systems i.e. defensive and reparative. These mechanisms for maintaining a constant environment are complex but beautifully co-ordinated. The skin, body flora e.g bacteria of the mouth, traps of the nostrils, acidity of the stomach and R.E. Cells are some examples of the defence machanism of the body. The secondary defences consist of the immune system, blood clotting system and the system which adjust the body temperatures etc. Reparative system is illustrated by the wound healing process, clotting, cell multiplication, discarding of filarous tissues. These examples show that a master strategy exists for repairs and it can be skilfully and effectively executed by the system itself, if it is given opportunity and time to do so.
Each person is a unique individual, of unique heredity, unique environment, unique bio-chemical structute, and a unique mental background. Healthly living rules have to be tailored and modified to meet the requirements of each such unique individaul! This individaul must be actively and knowledgeably involved in designing a programme towards his healthy living.
Naturopathy offers cure for a whole person not for a particular disease only. Naturopathy believes that the body has the inherent ability to heal itself with the help of its vital force. Elimination is extremely important for body health. If elimination become defective, the body would start eliminating through cold, cough, dysentry, diarrhoea or skin eruption. Enema, hip bath, spinal bath, mud bandage and deep breathing can restore strength to elimination processes of the body.
According to Naturopaths, germs do not cause disease. It is instead, the disease which leads to germs. The aim of naturopathy is to cleanse the body, rebuild the person and teach him to live in harmony with his self and the environment. In this way, naturopathy becomes a way of life. Under these circumstances, if the imbalance of the five elements is the main cause of this problem, that balance must first be restored in a natural way. Food is also the product of all the five elements of aakash (ether), air, fire (sun), water and earth. Food therapy would consequently seem to be the most appropriate way of restoring the balance of these elements by taking such food items which have more of that element, deficiency of which has caused the problem and vice versa. Aakash (ether) element is related to the life force i.e. the electrical energy which is passing through our body along known meridians. Imbalance of air can be corrected by exercise, of fire by harnessing the appropriate rays of the sun i.e. by colour therapy, of water by hydrotherapy and of earth by mud therapy.
Natural treatments do not produce results overnight. The imbalance of the elements was caused over a long period. The body cells are being constantly renewed. We have, therefore, to educate the body and provide proper foods and other assistance under various therapies mentioned above, so that the balance gets restored in the shortest possible time.
In the midst of all these actions, please do not forget that the "Mind power" is really the main miracle element and the wonder food for all conditions and in all situations. Once you have faith in the Elements and in your ability to get over the problem, that faith alone will do more than half the trick. Gandhiji called this faith "Ram Naam", faith in Ram i.e. in yourself! Before dealing with the five body conditions of women, individually, let us take stock of how and why food therapy, hydrotherapy, acupressure etc. work.
Food has, from day one, influenced and even regulated the health of humans. The food, with its faults and failings and with its potential and power, continues to build the body structure. Food provides the building blocks. When a wall, made of brick and mortar, develops some faults, what is the best material for its repairs? Brick and mortar, of course! All faults and failings of the body built by food, will also have to be repaired with the brick and mortar of food . That food has to be a "live" food, food that has yet in it that "life force", the "pranas" of the vegetable kingdom. Enzymes and amino acids are some of the manifestations of that "life force" of those foods. These enzymes at 50oC (122oF) become sluggish and at a temperature of 55oC (131oF) all the enzymes are dead.
There is a certain programme of food which must be followed by every one as a minimum to remain healthy. Certain food habits must also be followed for this purpose. These are given below: certain special foods for overcoming various body conditions mentioned below, will be considered while dealing with those conditions.

A MINIMUM PROGRAMME OF FOOD
Food, for easy assimilation, must not only be acceptable but tempting for you. Variety is also necessary for a nutritionally complete diet. If wrong tastes have been formed, those must be corrected gradually but soonest.
Food alone cannot provide absolute protection from all health problems. Your habits and style of life also play some part in determining the state of you health. By following the minimum programme. of food out-lined below, however, you increase very considerably, your chances of living a healthy life:

No Smoking:
Take the following food items, almost religiously, every day:

Gradually increase the proportion of the following foods in your diet:

1. Fresh seasonal fruits of the area.
2. Soybean, in some form or the other, i.e. tofu, tempeh, soy milk, nutrinuggets, soy powder, plain cooked soybeans or soybean sprouts. Include one of these in one meal on at least 4-5 days a week.
3. Carrot, spinach and all other vegetables which are yellow or orange in colour, or have green leaves high in chlorophyl.
4. Fruit and vegetable juices.
5. Sprouts- sprouts of mung and alfalga are easy to make and are very nutritions.

Reduce the intake of the following foods:

1. Non-vegetarian foods. Try to stop the intake of all red meats altogether, immediately. Become a vegetarian. If you cannot become a pure vegetarian, then gradually reduce poultry and eggs also so that you take only light fish or seafood only on 1 or 2 days a week during the interim period.
2. Whole milk and its products. Take skimmed milk or up to 2% fat milk and their products instead . Better take yogurt thereof. Processed cheeses must be replaced by low fat cottage cheese.
3. Tea and coffee. Do not exceed 2 cups a day of conventional tea or coffee- decaffeinated, if possible. If you need more, try herbal teas.
4. White flour and its products. Replace these with whole grains, whole wheat or soya breads, unpolished rice etc.
   

Water Intake:

1. Flush your system by taking water copiously.
2. Start the day with at least one glass of water which has stayed overnight in a untensil, preferably of copper.
3. No water within half an hour before a major meal or for two hours after such a meal.

Food Habits
Food which has not been cooked on fire has great importance for your health. Cooking plays havoc with enzymes and some vitamins and minerals. Cooking should preferably be done in earthen water or stone ware utensils. Enamelled vessels come next. Brass or copper vessels, which have been properly tinned may be a good third. Steaming, boiling and baking are acceptable forms of cooking. Roasting is bad, if the colour of the roasted thing changes. Frying is the worst. Cut the food just before cooking. Cook for the shortest time possible using a tight fitting lid. The Cooked foods should preferably go directly from the fire to the table. The strategy should be never to leave the food at temperatures between 5oC (41oF) and 63oC (145oF) when harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly, for more than 90 minutes at a time. While reheating the food, temperature of more than 75oC (167oF) must be reached to ensure that all harmful bacteria are killed.
Use sprouts and food stuffs grown locally. Eat the produce of the season. Sprouts provide a fountain of power. Develop a taste for leavened foods. These promote longevity. Use turmeric (haldi) extensively in your food. It has many curative properites. Eat juicy and bland foods. Eating less is good for health. More people die of over eating than undereating. Dose makes poison even out of good food.
Stop eating between meals. There are many benefits in taking food at fixed hours. Do not take food for one hour after moderate or severe exercise. Do not take a major meal till your appetite has grown well. 'A good meal ought to begin with hunger.' Start eating with a relaxed state of mind. Pass urine and clean the bowels before a meal. If possible, have a stroll before the meal. Sit with friends and relatives and have a little chitchat with them. Wash your hands and face just before the meal. Squatting while eating is the best posture. Do not eat raw vegetables and raw fruits at the same time. Immediately after meals do not do work involving heavy labour.
Importance of water treatment for human health was known to Hippocrates in 500 BC. The book "common water, the best cure for fevers" was published by Mr. Hancock in 1723 AD. Dr. Bell of Paris is on record to say that in 1600 AD. 130,000 vapor baths were given in one single year by the Paris city hospitals to outside patients. No other element of nature, except air, is as important for sustaining life, as water. Hydrotherapy affords a thoroughly rational method of treating various body conditions. This method is safe, can be relied upon and can be repeated without losing its effects.
Our body is held together by the "life force (prana), which is continuously recuperated by the body elements aakaash (ether)". That life force moves along meridians, which are electrical path ways in our body, connecting various organs and glands, with endings in our hands, feet and some other parts of the body. As the arteries carry blood, so do these meridians carry electrical energy throughout the body. When this life force does not uninterruptedly flow to certain parts of the body, disease develops. The remedy lies under this system of acupressure in switching on the current the affected parts by applying pressure at a corresponding point located in the body. Acupressure and acupuncture use the same points.
Sun provide one of the five body elements viz., fire. It is the source of all life on earth. Sunlight has been recognised as a powerful factor in building and maintaining health. The system of building health with the help of the sun and its rays, with different wavelengths in different colours, is known as chromotherapy or colourtherapy. Colour is a from of energy that produces physiological changes.
It is, thus, with the help of food therapy, exercise, hydrotherapy, acupressure, colourtherapy and mudtherapy that we try to restore the balance of the five element in our body in a natural way, and restore health and vigour.

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