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Ayurveda > Ayurveda Case Notes > Vardhakya Chikitsa By Dr. Satish Kulkarni Victor recently celebrated his 85th birthday. He leads a very active life and this is the reason why he is not bed ridden even at this age. The ayurvedic principle of life is, "be active and live long and healthy." Victor gets up at 5.00 a.m. sharp and goes for a walk in a nearby park. A young boy assists him for this. Earlier, he used to walk about 3-4 kilometers but because of his age now he walks as much as is possible for him. When he comes back home, he takes breakfast. He prefers mugdal khichadi or dal chaval or idli or dosa, etc., which are all ideal combinations of pulses and rice. Allopathy too recommends rice for readily available energy and pulses for proteins which help in cell synthesis. Victor’s diet is designed by Ms. Marie, his wife, who is an ayurvedic doctor. Marie says that diet is the most important factor in our health and that we can avoid most diseases if we opt for proper homemade food which contains all the necessary ingredients. Both of them are vegetarian and have no habits like smoking, drinking or tobacco chewing which are injurious to health. Along with his diet she has prescribed an entire ideal daily routine that Victor follows methodically. After breakfast, Victor has a bath. He never uses soap; instead, he and Marie use a combination of chana dal (split pea) flour, milk and haldi (turmeric.) This makes the skin smooth and lustrous as one can see from Victor and Marie’s example. Marie believes that nurturing the mind is equally important because any disease which affects us, affects our body-mind apparatus. We cannot separate our body from our mind. If we do not take due care of our mind, half of our health is in danger. Hence, after breakfast, she prescribes a session of reading the newspaper and listening to music. Reading good articles, listening good music, watching good cultural programs and seeking company of good friends generates good thoughts in our mind and produces long term good effects on health. After this, they take their lunch at about 11.30 in the morning. A simple homemade meal of freshly cooked or fried green leafy vegetables, freshly prepared bajra roti (a kind of flattened bread made from millet), green salad and butter milk makes for their usual lunch. Marie opines that one must eat slowly and with full concentration. She also advises against heated discussions at the dining table. She considers eating as a ritual performance and thus maintains that it should be conducted with due honor and respect. A small prayer before starting lunch is their custom. It gives them peace of mind, strength and energy. In the afternoon, Marie cuts seasonal fruits which both of them eat. Dinner follows and here ends Victor and Marie’s day, it’s time for bed. Both of them take a very short nap in the afternoon and hence they go to bed early at 8.00 p.m. But before going to bed they each have a cup of warm milk mixed with 1-2 teaspoonfuls of a chewable mixture prepared out of dry fruits. Marie advises this for good health and a long life. Also, one teaspoonful of chyavanprash [an ayurvedic medicine prepared out of amalaki (emblica officinalis)] in the afternoon is also recommended. This is the only medication they are on, as it helps in rejuvenation.
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