HEALTH ICON THE TIMELESS apu: [email protected] T o say that Mahatma Gandhi’s life and teachings have influenced humanity is an understatement of sorts. The way he lived his daily life, from his eating habits to fit- ness mantras is relevant even today. In fact, his life learnings are of more consequence than ever in the present world which is over- dependent on consumerism and technology. We owe it to our- selves and the Father of the Nation to imbibe his health learn- ings in our lives. S ay NO to processed fats and foods – before the world woke up to this well-be- ing mantra, it was already being discussed by Gandhi in his book ‘Diet and Diet Reform’. He talked about the importance of unsat- urated fats, mainly ghee, in the book, “In reality ghee is pure animal prod- uct. One thoughtlessly uses the expression veg- etable ghee or vanaspati, but it is a contradiction in terms. Vanaspati as an article of diet is a very poor substitute for ghee. It not only lacks absorption by the human system, but has no vitamin potency.” Today when ghee is being considered a superfood for healthy bones, joints and good skin, we are reminded of Gandhi’s thoughts on this Indian food that is finding takers around the world. G andhi advocated ‘portion control’ back then – in the India of the 1930s and 40s. What we now know as ‘farm fresh’ and ‘herbal’ as new age health lexicon was a part of his lifestyle in the pre-Independence era. Gandhi survived on raw food before it became THE way to eat in the present health-driven world. Here are a few learnings from the ‘health wise’ freedom fighter. ➤ Gandhi had high BP and a weak stom- ach. To fight these issues, he consumed tukmaria, or basil seeds, among other herbal remedies. He believed in healing his body through food. ➤ He had regulated salt and sugar. Gandhi had a sweet tooth and he loved mangoes – his only indulgence. But post the mango season, he would always get back to his frugal diet of simple food. ➤ Eat frugally – was his mantra. “The body was never meant to be treated as a refuse bin, holding all the foods that the palate demands,” he had said famously. According to him, too frequent meals and excessive intake of concentrated starches was unhealthy. For 11 days in the summer of 1893, Gandhi ate only raw food. ➤ Going vegan before sunrise was another concept he liked – what nutritionists promote now. ➤ Gandhi would go for water fasting to recuperate his body post illnesses. The concept of regular fasting to give the body rest is scientifically proven now. “Bapu’s approach to food was simple, yet powerful. His take on unprocessed food, especially on tradi- tional gems like basil seeds and ghee reflected Satvik diet to promote vitality.” Nutritionist Lovneet Batra THE NATURALIST & HERBALIST WELLNESS RETREAT, FITNESS AND MORE... POSTER BOY OF PREVENTIVE HEALTHCARE G andhi founded (along with others) the famous wellness ashram – Nisargopchar Ashram at Pune, in 1946. It’s a nature cure faci lity that treats everything from obesity, skin issues and gastric problems to other chronic dis- eases by following Gandhian values and lifestyle. The con- cept of wellness or health re- treats is fairly new but trust the insightful freedom fighter to start it in the 1940s, when health meant a quick visit to the local vaidya. The ashram stands tall today and is visited by people keen to heal lifestyle diseases. FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: Gandhi walked 22,000 steps (approx) daily for 40 years. The historic Dandi March was started solo on a 390- kilometre protest walk, and was soon followed by 10,000 people Indian Council of Medical Research has released a special edition, ‘Gandhi and Health at 150, Role of ICMR’, with a chapter dedicated to his health Besides being a legacy of the freedom struggle, khadi is now India’s favourite fashion fabric. We trace the journey of this enduring and versatile textile T he year was 1920 – in the Nagpur session of the Indian National Congress (INC) – when Gandhi announced his mission to promote ‘khadi’ as the nationalist fab- ric of India. Overnight, khadi became the symbol of freedom and defiance as bonfires were lit across the country, with In- dians setting their English goods into flames. The idea was to reject foreign goods and give impetus to the national hand- spun fabric – khadi. Textile artist Shelly Jyoti elaborates the making of khadi into a cult fabric, “Gandhi and his associates orchestrated a series of khadi tours and exhi- bitions in the second half of the 1920s. These strategies gar- nered regional press coverage and drew participants from small village commu- nities to new consumer and producer roles.” By displaying khadi in its vari- ous regional forms, khadi be- came a means of communi- cating beyond the traditional boundaries of region and lan- guage, as well as class and caste. Eventually, khadi became a ma- terial artefact of a new nation- al community and a demo- cratic fabric that helped in uniting the country. The evolution… Cut to 2019 and khadi is more than a mere fabric limited to the government-based khadi bhandars. It has evolved into an elitist natural fabric that is ex- ported across the world. Design- er Sailesh Singhania says, “Khadi is synonymous with breathable and sustainable wear. Khadi also existed in the time of Gautam Buddha and even before that.” Fashion Designer Aditi Swain, who uses only 100 per cent cotton in her clothes says, “Both pure cotton and khadi are a philoso- phy that has become integral to the fashion industry.” So true. Shelly Jyoti’s 2016 show: ‘The Khadi March: Just Five Meters’ is about Swadharma (my duty) for the nation. She explains, “I explored the idea of buying five metres of khadi once a year – by India’s 30 crore urban popula- tion. This can transform the lives of rural weavers.” ‘SWADHARMA’ TOWARDS NATION Khadi is a handspun natural fibre cloth, made with cotton. The cloth is woven from cotton and may also include silk, or wool, which are all spun into yarn on a spin- ning wheel called a ‘charkha’, which was used by Gandhi to spin khadi Photo: Gaurang Gupta Shelly Jyoti’s ‘Khadi Swadharma’ painting A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes. Mahatma Gandhi For being an optimist... I look up to Gandhi, as he has always por- trayed incorrigible optimism. He knew that the Indian troops weren’t as strong as the British, but his mantra of non-violence finally freed our country. “If we want something, we have to work towards it,” is what he taught us. MANJARI PARUCHURI, Class VIII, Delhi School of Excellence, Attapur, Hyderabad For being a ‘soft-spoken rebel’ I look up to Mahatma Gandhi because he stood for truth and humility. His austerity carried the powerful voice of rebellion, chal- lenge, strength and determina- tion, and his humble words and soft voice carried a lot of weight. SANDRA JAISE, class X, Gregorian Public School, Ernakulam For being the nation’s teacher... Mahatma was a kind- hearted and responsi- ble teacher. He spun magic with his words and had the courage to stand up against the British colonialists. We are proud citizens who are reaching immeasurable heights in various fields. Indeed, it is Gandhi, whose shadow we follow today. APARNA GOVIL, class VIII, Pathways, Aravali (Ggn) For showing that one can lead at any moment... Gandhi's early life was pretty ordinary, and he became a great man during the course of his life. This is one of the reasons why Gandhi is followed by millions, for he proved that one can become a great soul during the course of one’s life, should they ‘live rightly, think rightly and act rightly’. BABITA GUPTA, teacher, St Anne’s Convent School, Chandigarh For being someone who walks the talk Gandhi was a man of action, not just of words. In today’s world, politicians make promises but don’t deliver. More than his speeches, he had a hid- den charm with which he played influencer in a positive way. Importantly, Bapu had the ability to connect with everyone effortlessly. SUDHA A S, head, English department, Navy Children School, Kochi For showing revolution can be sans bloodshed.. Mahatma demonstrat- ed how revolt can be culled without shed- ding blood. He showed how he would not give up the fight for freedom – but to achieve this goal, he resorted to the path of non-violence. More than anything, I admire his simplicity and humility. ANKITHA S K, class XI, National Public School, Yeshwanthpur, Bengaluru For life values... Mahatma Gandhi’s life is all about values and lessons — there’s so much to take away from a humble man who left a rich heritage of Satyagraha for all of us, besides highlighting the impor- tance of ‘swachhta’ in life and society. These ideals are meant to be emulated. DR SURENDER SACHDEVA, principal, DPS, Ahmedabad MENTAL HEALTH Ahimsa, compassion and empathy There is plenty of talk nowa- days about how compassion and empathy are great for mental well-being and even happiness. Studies have been conducted and documented to show that having these values in life also affects your immune system in a positive way. A wise Gandhi with his smiling face and gentle eyes had said, “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” This one statement en- compassed his values of com- passion, empathy and ahimsa or non- violence. Compassion is the ability to understand the emotional state of another person. Empathy refers to our ability to imagine ourselves in someone else’s shoes. A research at the University of British Columbia has shown that ‘giving’ is more gratify- ing than ‘receiving’. Gandhi used to care for the shunned leprosy patients self- lessly. An inte- gral part of his philosophy was service to the sick and poor. GIVE TO OTHERS TO STAY HAPPY ➤ Designer Gaurang Gupta is paying an ode to Mahatma’s fabric this year – on his 150th Anniversary – by recreat- ing 30 paintings of Raja Ravi Varma on 16 saris. ➤ Varma’s iconic paintings will be recreated on sari pallus through weaving, with all the light and shade from the painting translated on cloth. ➤ The presentation of these 16 masterpieces will be made on Jayanti Jayanti – October 2 – that also happens to be Raja Ravi Varma’s death anniversary. SALUTING THE SPIRIT OF KHADI WHY I FIND GANDHI INSPIRATIONAL... Wellness guru, fitness freak and a champion of sustainable living – yes – that’s Gandhi. His lifestyle is an inspiration for the young generation to learn the values of healthy living