Add Life To Your Years……

.Underneath the Mango Tree At Madhavbaug

by sudha hariharan

Just 60 kms from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai is that salubrious haven of natural health that your heart truly seeks…

Madhavbaug is the latest ayurvedic cardiac treatment village where ancient healing methods blend with a contemporary and scientific approach to create a complete lifestyle turnaround. These are holistic therapies that are aimed at not merely adding years to your life but at adding life to your years. With the inspiring and loving support of renowned ayurvedic practitioners,these therapies work towards reducing the risk of recurring heart attack, and help you live a longer, healthier and happier life.

A unique initiative of vd. Sane Ayurvedic Education and Agricultural Research Trust, Madhavbaug is set in idyllic, rural Maharashtra, where even the most hard-boiled are taught to: stop simply surviving and start a journey to real living in the lap of lush green forests, rustic cottages and exotic flora and fauna.

We live in a fast-paced stressful environment where the pressures of daily living subjects us to improper diet, insufficient exercise and an unhealthy lifestyle making us vulnerable to a host of cardiac problems. According to WHO ( World Health Organisation),by 2015 heart attacks will be the major ‘killers’ in India.

The ancient system of Ayurveda explains how a poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle leads to the formation of waste substance known as ‘ama’, better known as cholesterol, which the liver refuses to cope with beyond a certain level. The deadly consequence of blockages leads to the much feared, but easily preventable ‘heart attack.’

Get A Fresh Start……

“Madhavbaug is not just for heart patients”, says Dr. Sane, ….”anyone suffering from some chronic or temporary ailment can seek immediate relief . The centre offers a 4-6 day rejuvenating experience and a guide to significant everlasting lifestyle changes in an ancient, inspiring and fun-loving way. Renowned ayurvedic heart specialists, prevention and wellness experts help you not just to reduce the risk of heart attack but also restore spirit of your body, mind and soul.”

This three-acre, green pasture, houses nine eco-friendly mud cottages with thatched roofs, mango orchards as well as contemporary luxuries to help you adapt and rejuvenate. There are special disease-free heart packages to suit every pocket.

Golden guides to renewed health:

Changes in lifestyle: The art of Dinacharya (daily routine) is taught to maintain the harmony and energy balance of the body and soul. The sense of cleanliness, doing the right amount of exercise, tuning your biological cycle to the right time of arising, sleep, elimination are some of the natural prescriptions that you can take home with you for good.

Diet: Somewhere between a triple-deck burger and the alfalfa wheat germ lies a world of balanced nutrition --cuisine to delight your body and feed your soul. Visitors are introduced to a world of healthy, heart-friendly diets monitored expert nutritionists, doctors and diet consultants.

Cardiac Exercise: Patients with cardiac problems are put through Exercise Physiology, an allied health profession, which performs evaluation and assessment of cardiovascular and metabolic effects as well as mechanisms of exercise to prescribe tailor-made programs for cardiac patients.

Yoga, Sports and fitness: A perfect combination of relaxation techniques including yoga and meditation with adequate physical exercises can help stop the progression of heart disease. A well-rounded fitness program at the resort is the foundation of an entire wellness program.

Spiritual awareness: Big city dwellers, caught up in the daily rush and grind, find solace in meditation which is now being increasingly adopted to explore your inner world and discover peace, serenity and clarity . The unique concept of the “Nakshatara Van” and the “Navagraha Van” is the spiritual energy released by the sacred trees planted according to your constellation in the spiritual garden at Madhavbaug. The spiritual centre offers exposure to all five elements---Prithvi, Jal, Tej, Vayu and Akash all of them in equal proportions.

Founded by the late Dr. Madhav Sane, one of the greatest pioneers of Ayurvedic healing in India, Sane Group has grown form a single clinic in 1970 with atleast 3 more in Mumbai and one in Lonavla. The Sane Ayurvedic Lab has come out in the market with over 15 products manufactured at the Sane Ayurvedic Panchkarma Centre. Sane Ayurvedic Educational and Agricultural Research Trust was set up in 2001, the Kanchanvan Herbal Plantation Project in Kamshet in 2002 and the latest Madhavbaug Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Khopoli in 2006.

An MBBS from Aurangabad University, Dr. Rohit Sane, Chairman & CEO Madhavbaug Trust ,completed his MD in Alternate Science from USA in 2000. With a combination of determination, zest and maturity, the young and dynamic “I decided to take my father’s prominent contribution to ayurveda to a completely new dimension. I started getting involved in research and developmental activities through which I came out with a combination of therapies called ‘Sampurna Hridaya Shuddhikaran’ ^Ó dealing with heart diseases”

What is Sampurna Hridaya Shuddhikaran?

The treatment consists of:

Udvartan: Medicines are chosen according to the condition of the patient and massaged on the body, in strokes moving towards the heart.

Swedan: A steady stream of water and cardiotonic medicine are made to enter the pores of the skin and draw out excess fluids from the body.

Hridaydhara: A warm decoction is applied to the heart/chest area. As temperature in the area increases, blood circulation also increases reducing the risk of angina and palpitation.

Basti: A sort of enema where 50 ml of herbal decoction is administered through the rectum. This is absorbed and enters the bloodstream, to reach the heart . The medication starts acting within 6 hours and is administered once or twice a day, depending on the patient’s condition.

By Sudha Hariharan

VOICE PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN POWER COMMUNICATIONS

Power communication skills enable you to turn negatives into positives. Getting ahead in today’s competitive world requires excelling at relationship skills and, this can be developed through proper voice communications.

A string of of high-sounding degrees tagging your name could be of little use if you can’t express your views correctly , concisely and above all in a pleasant, well-modulated voice. Surprisingly, today we find highly-qualified people getting tongue-tied when they have to communicate---even more surprising is their standard of language, accent and tone.

One does not have to use high-sounding words to impress others: one must speak correctly, paying attention to usage of words, grammar, tone, etc. In short, apart from having complete command over language, one must also speak in the right tone in order to impress. In the course of several encounters, with men and women, in our day-to-day life, it is simply appalling to come across people who are academically highly qualified but exhibit a total apathy to communicating effectively.

But there are still times at work when women need to project authority----whether while giving a presentation, negotiating a raise or a deal, or vying for promotion. A well-modulated, pleasant-sounding voice and right intonation can ease the path to success. Women use language to seek confirmation, create connections and reinforce intimacy. They can, however, learn to communicate with greater authority. No matter whether you are a man or a woman, a good voice is an asset that can be cultivated inorder to enhance personality.

Our voice is a trademark, as unique as a thumbprint. More than a communications channel, it is a means of creating a favourable impact. It is also wrong to believe that only singers, performers and politicians need a good voice. We spend many hours and huge sums of money on fine-tuning our physical appearance, but we forget to hone our voice, which is our ambassador to the outer world.

Popular actor and TV anchor, Simone Singh says, “When you speak to others, your voice is conveying a message about your personality…a good voice personality projects a positive message while a poor voice gives a negative message”.

Pallavi Jha, Managing Director, Dale Carnegie Training , says “Public speaking is the best marketing tool we have today. It costs close to nothing and gives you a platform to market and sell your products. However, most people do not consider this a tool because of their fear of speaking in front of groups.”

Renowned speech expert and theatre actor Sabira Merchant, who trains Miss India contestants , says “ We often react to sloppy diction and an unpleasant voice. We cannot escape the fact that we are judged by both, our written and our spoken language. As most of us speak a great deal more than we write,we need to master every phase of voice if we are to win friends, enjoy life more fully , and succeed in earning a great living”.

It is true that often we have judged some people as weak and unsuccessful merely by hearing their voice…..sometimes we get the feeling that the person has a strong personality and is worthy of our respect, confidence and friendship. Most of the time when we listen to a person on the phone or over the radio, we tend to develop a mental image of him or her. Says Merchant, “ It is important to ask ourselves if others are ‘listening’ to what we are saying or how we are saying it.”

Dr. Natash Ann D’souza, a leading speech therapist and audiologist with Breach Candy Hospital (Mumbai) stresses on the need for refined and precise articulation.”Articulation”, she says,” is about the way your lips, tongue, teeth and other mouth parts form word sounds…it must be crisp and clear. However, often due to sheer laziness and ignorance, articulation is dull and lax, conveying a sloppy image. On the other hand, clear and crisp articulation gives the impression of intelligence”.

“Articulation” says Natasha,”is the simplest aspect that can be changed, and the best way is to practice and pay attention to the words, especially syllables or words ending with ‘f’,’r’, ‘l’, etc. You can pop large grapes into your mouth and practice”.

As Abraham Lincoln said, "You are what you think". Before each speaking opportunity, think and write out positive affirmations (i.e. "I'm a great speaker") and you will eventually believe it and become it”, says Jha, who trains numerous corporate executives the mantra of developing public speaking skills.”

"Practice makes permanent" –and just like with everything else in life the more you do it the better your skill becomes. So take every opportunity you can to speak!

Here, inflection plays an important role---how you change your voice to create interest and meaning . There are five key tools of inflection----varied pace, varied pitch, pause, emphasis and ‘ smile’. For instance when we are sad, we often speak softly in a low pitch. Poor voice personality contains too few, too many or misplacement of these tools. Good inflection is the appropriate application of the tools as it helps to hold interest and effectively communicates the meaning.

Inflection can be developed with practice. “Intonation”, says Dr. D’souza,”deals with how you develop your voice. A voice can sound ,weak, flat or strained which is unpleasant and difficult to listen to. A full, rich, voice (like Amitabh Bachchan’s) moves forward and out to the listener. Many people speak through their nose and this makes their voice squeaky; instead one should speak through the mouth”.

Together, the three features—articulation, inflection and intonation –give a person a good and compelling voice personality. Says Sabira: Nearly 40 percent of the meaning of what you say is conveyed by the personality of your voice. So if you want to get your message across clearly and effectively, developing a good voice is vital.

Pallavi Jha gives us some more insight into how to hold audiences. She says,” Visualize the audience in their underwear - You immediately calm your fears by realizing that everyone is just a person like yourself. Also 90 percent of a good presentation revolves around good planning. If you want to decrease your anxiety -- know your audience, research your topic, prepare a good outline and then follow it.

Be yourself. Many fears can be attributed to a speaker trying to adapt to a style that

is not their own. “

So whether you are seeking success in your career or harmony in your relationships

it is important to develop not just a good physical personality, but a charming and impressive voice personality too!

Getting Serious About………. Child’s Play

By sudha hariharan

There was a time not too long ago when children couldn’t wait to get home from school when they would rush into the gullis and mohallas to meet up with friends , play their favourite games amidst laughter and gaiety. The holidays have already begun yet playgrounds are empty and there are hardly any signs that children are enjoying themselves outdoors after the nerve-wracking exams have long been over.The afternoon dinhas died down and an uneasy and eerie silence looms. This of course, is not an healthy trend--- for our children, as well as society as a whole.

Childhood and play go hand in hand. Play should not be regarded as a dispensable part of childhood—the importance of play can be gauged by the fact that even young ones of animals indulge in play. The advent of technology has changed all that…. children today spend hours in front of computers and TV alone. A recent study has also found that children put on 6 kgs of weight, on an average, each year just by sitting and watching TV!

Dr. Rajani Konantambigi , Faculty-Unit for Child and Youth Research, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and Dr. Meera Oke attached to Soham ,a NGO based in Pune, shed light on the importance of play on the mind and body, and its influence in moulding children ‘s personality.

“ Play encourages creative thinking in young children and this develops their ability to challenge the conventional, stay alert and express themselves effectively”, says Dr. Rajani

Extensive studies have shown that even in infants, playing with toys promotes overall growth besides providing endless hours of pleasure and teaching children about the world around them. Toys also impart knowledge of socially acceptable behaviour----about sharing, giving and taking, and the sexual role society will eventually expect of them. Children first begin to play with toys when they are about 3 months old—the age at which they are able to hold objects

Dr. Meera who has done some work on examining patterns of children’s ( 6-12 years) spontaneous group play as a potential for development of management skills. “ Children”, she says” form groups on their own and choose a leader. The group makes the rules for play, including boundaries and concessions for newcomers and weaker players”.

Parents must understand that toys and play mean a mess . A child getting messy, colouring a picture is experimenting with new ways of combining colours and representing thoughts. A child fixing his bike with a parent is learning how to solve problems by thinking creatively, even if he gets covered in oil.

What is your child’s favourite toy? Ten to one, it won’t be the Ferrari with the remote control or the Barbie doll with her chic wardrobe. The most beloved toy could well be something simple and probably cheap. These toys are loved more because they are sturdy and have withstood rough and long use. Today’s hi-tech world, with its electronic toys, computer and video

games means less time is being spent on creative play. Dr Rajani says,” Children who are brought up avoiding dirt and mess are missing out on opportunities to develop their motor skills, learn about their environment, master new skills and think creative”

“ Conflicts are a part of spontaneous group play and children resolve these with specific strategies ( particularly when rules are broken)”, adds Dr. Meera.

Play & Physical Development

Young children need the stimulation of play to develop their physical abilities. As children grow, play gives them valuable opportunities to refine and develop both large and small muscle skills. The outdoors, says Dr Rajani is one of the best physical play environments---there is freedom to run, jump, skip and develop motor skills and coordination through ball games .

Besides teaching children about sounds, smells and touch it helps them master concepts such as size, shapes, texture, weight etc and hone their skills by practice.

At least 155 million school-going children, worldwide, are overweight or obese. The calculated global prevalence of overweight kids ( including obese) aged 5-17 years is estimated by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) to be approximately 10%, but this is ‘unequally distributed’ with the prevalence ranging from over 30% in the Americas to less than 2% in sub-Saharan Africa.

In India, the difference between the rich and the poor is evident- a recent survey of children from six schools in Chennai, two each from high, middle, and lower income groups revealed that the tendency to be overweight ( and obese) ranged from 22% in better schools to 4.5% in lower income group schools.

In a Delhi school, with tuition fees more than Rs. 2,500/month, 31% of the kids were overweight and 7.5% obese. In Pune, the figure for overweight children were 24% and 6% in well-off schools and corporation schools respectively.

Says Dr. Rajani,” Unhealthy foods and the ‘couch potato’ syndrome have contributed to this….by promoting active lifestyles, including at least one hour of vigorous play each day, limiting TV and other sedentary activities to 2 hours/day, this trend can be reversed”.

Play v/s Risk

In order to play freely, children need to be outdoors. “However”, she says” fears about crime, drugs, abduction and road accidents are causing a growing number of parents to keep their kids indoors. This leads to preoccupation with TV and computer/ video games”.

Being overly concerned about mishaps outdoors is also one of the reasons.” Small cuts and bruises encountered while playing outdoors is only normal and equips kids to predict risk and face greater challenges. Cocooning them will make them reckless. A fear of the real, dirty world is making our kids incapable of assessing risk”.

Building Immunity

Fewer children die today in the developed world from infections, but the sterile environment in which they live prevents them from developing immunity to many harmless infections at an early age. Scientists believe that this impedes the development of the immune system and causes it to over-react. This would suggest that exposure to dirt at an early age could prevent kids from developing allergies. However it certainly does not mean that we should deliberately expose babies and young infants to bacteria, viruses or parasites through bad hygiene and sanitation. Encouraging children to play outdoors an get dirty, rather than cushioning them in sterile environments could actually reduce the risk of allergies or asthma.

Social networking

“ When kids from different communities play, socialization patterns are reflected--- particularly gender differences. It also helps bring the adults in the neighbourhood together, establishes social networks of mutual support and civic participation”, says Dr. Meera. However she laments the fact that with parents working full time, the pull of TV and the drift towards the suburbs has reduced contact between members of a community.

Subhash Ghai unveils his dream project ----Whistling Woods International,

Asia’s largest film institute to commence courses in July 06 –

Few people know that Subhash Ghai , a graduate from the Film & Television Institute of India,Pune (FTII) came to Mumbai with starry aspirations. He even starred in a film opposite actress Archana. When his filmi career didn’t really take off, Ghai took up direction. He has given the Hindi film industry not only some of its biggest hits, but also some of its best talent- from Jackie Shroff, Meenakshi Seshadri, Madhuri Dixit, Manisha Koirala and Mahima.

Not for nothing is he known as the Showman….Ghai has a keen eye for talent, is an exceptional filmmaker and has a ear for melodious music. Of late he has also been promoting young and talented filmmakers , like Nagesh Kukunoor who made the stunningly successful Iqbal under Ghai’s Mukta Arts Banner.

Ghai unveiled his dream project Whistling Woods International, a first of its kind – the largest film, television and media arts institute in Asia, all set to commence its first academic year in July 2006.

Based in Film City (Goregaon, Mumbai) and promoted by Mukta Arts Ltd., Whistling Woods International will provide world-class training across all technical and creative aspects of filmmaking and television, and animation in its first phase with regular two- year intensive hands- on training and develop a research and development centre in software.

The institute will be headed by Dean Kurt Inderbitzin, a producer-director himself from Los Angeles with twelve years experience in developing, writing, directing and producing movies and TV shows for major studios, cable companies and the networks, including CBS, ABC, Lifetime, NBC, TBS, TNT, HBO and Warner Brothers Network, in all formats, High-Definition, digital video and 35 mm film.

Other key faculty including Shyam Benegal (Chairman Academic Council), Aruna Raje ( VP, Academic Affairs), Naseerudin Shah( HOD, Acting), Ashish Kulkarni (HOD, Animation) were also present on the occasion and expressed in one voice, “Here is a true platform to change the face of entertainment and media industry through the next generation of content creators”.

Besides the dean, HOD’s etc, there is also an advisory board of the institute which has top names from the industry who are and will be associated with the institute in some way or the other. The advisory board members have been visiting the institute and taking interest in various aspects. The advisory board members who have visited the institute in the last few days include Karan Johar, Hema Malini, Rakesh Mehra, Shabana Azmi.Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, Shabana Azmi and Ashutosh Gowariker were present at the launch of the institute.

Ghai,who is Chairman, WWI said, “Whistling Woods International is my way of returning to the industry what it has taught me over the last 27 yrs. Whistling Woods will act as a stepping stone for anyone who wants to make inroads into the world of Television, Cinema and Animation. WWI will have the very best to offer at par with international standards, be it technology, faculty and resources and we are fortunate to have such a strong team to take this institute much more higher standards very soon.

He further added, “I also thank all those friends, professionals and especially the Chief Minister and Cultural Minister of the Government of Maharashtra & Film City who have supported WWI with equal passion and commitment”.

Whistling Woods International will combine educational and research facilities, with the lineage of one of India’s most credible production houses Mukta Arts Ltd behind it. The Institute will offer state-of-the-art training facilities and an internationally developed and structured curriculum, and through affiliations with top film schools/experts to bring the best faculty from around the world to India to train new talent.

Kurt Inderbitzin, Dean, WWI, said, “We are absolutely devoted to putting our students first and giving them the creative freedom, the technical skills, the business edge, and yes the connections and know-how to build careers in the film and television industry”.

The full-time, two-year program provides 84 weeks of comprehensive training and hands-on experience in specialised realms of filmmaking ranging from Cinematography, Direction, Editing and Business of Film & Television to Sound Recording & Design, Screenwriting and Acting.

Whistling Woods International has been designed with state-of-the-art equipment to train students on top-of-the-line digital and analogue systems. The institute’s contemporary formats stem from the fact that only the best available infrastructure and environment can aptly prepare students for the technological transformations sweeping the industry..

The institute has technology partnerships in place with Apple, SONY, Digidesign, AMD, NVIDIA, Belden, etc., enabling us to offer our students the very best in technology advancements. The student community at Whistling Woods International would also have the unique opportunity to experience technologies and systems long before other students and professionals do, as the institute will include an onsite R & D centre which would work as a potential Beta Testing Site for its technology partners.

Workshops/short term courses tailored specifically to meet the needs of practicing industry professionals who wish to upgrade their skill levels and particular creative proficiency, be it concerning aesthetics, film and music appreciation, photography or a selection of other non-technical subjects will also be on offer and plans are underway include Art Direction, Animation, Digital Media and Radio within three years.

Built at the heart of the Indian film industry over sprawling 20 acres of land at Goregaon Film City, with access to the core and crème filmmaking fraternity, students will have International facilities to meet every need. WWI will also have on-campus training facility, encouraging students from all over the world to enroll .Applications are being processed now and the courses will commence on 15^th July 06.

:Smart Investing … Online Investing.

While we understand the benefits of investing but often do not give enough importance to this process due to the hassles involved and the feeling of ‘it is not my cup of tea’.

Ketan Trivedi, Head, Marketing IDBI Capital Market Services explains how investing online can be a very easy, convenient and an informed experience.

Online Investing. Say bye to hassles of investing offline …

With the pressures of time and the sheer choice of options, the entire process of investing can be a very daunting experience for most of us. One faces several issues while investing offline like maintaining of bank and de-mat accounts separately and manually, lack of proper information, tools and advice, constant struggle with the paperwork that is generated (for example: try filling an IPO (new issue) form manually), pressures of time to plan for investments systematically and finally to keeping track of your investment portfolio and net-worth. This either leads to a situation of too much dependency on someone, total inactivity or sometimes even taking wrong decisions while planning your investments.

Fortunately, help is at hand through the online investing platforms that are available to the investors. Today technology enables you to completely plan your investing needs in the comfort of your home and at the time you like, all at the click of the mouse. All you need is a computer, net connection and a subscription to a 3-in-1 online investing account with any of such service providers. Online mode of investing largely eliminates all the major hassles of investing: - it provides a wealth of information, analysis and tools that enable you to take more informed decisions, virtually no paperwork involved as all transaction records are online and statements available in digital form, invest anytime and from anywhere at your time and convenience (yes, even at night), integrated operations between your bank account, de-mat account and trading accounts and tracking of your investment portfolio and net-worth online anytime. Today, the online mode allows you to invest across different asset classes like equity shares, Mutual Funds and IPOs amongst others. You can be your own master in planning your investments through the online mode. The online mode provides you the benefit of getting up to date information and analysis, which is often sourced and compiled, in an investor friendly format, from some of the best information providers in their respective fields.

Your advantage therefore:- not only are you able to take more informed decisions for your investing needs but in the process also reduce the probability of risk and improve probability of earning better returns on your investments.

Getting started and services to look out for…

To start investing online you would need to register as a member for an integrated 3-in-1 online trading account with any of the service providers like www.idbipaisabuilder.in. The 3 accounts are: (1) trading account, which enables you to transact online, (2) an internet enabled bank account for online money transfers through internet, with any of the banks with whom the online service provider has a tie-up with and (3) your demat account, where your shares will be deposited.

Issues you can consider while choosing your online investing account :

· Credibility and credentials of the service provider. While there are several service providers, for any retail investor like you, the backing of a reputed bank or financial institution can always provide that additional safety & surety that you seek.

· Which investments can you make online – are you allowed to invest in equity shares, Mutual funds and IPOs fully through the online route or in only one of them? To derive the full power of online investing it is important you get to invest in all of them online.

· Quality of information and content. Ensure you are getting the best of information, research support and tools, which is provided to you in an easy & reader friendly manner. This would be very important in taking informed investing decisions.

· Speed of order execution – are you able to place your equity orders and receive quick order confirmations during peak hours or are you going to struggle with getting access just when you need it most.

· Are you getting a choice of products to choose from – a few service providers provide a choice of products starting from the basic (classic) account to more advanced (trading platforms with live and streaming market information on equity markets).

· Safety – check for the security features inbuilt into the system.

· Customer Care – does the service provider have a dedicated customer care cell to take care of your queries and problems ?

· Additional features – besides the above criteria there are a combination of several additional features provided, whose importance for yourself can be determined based on your own investing needs e.g. ability to sell shares next day before receiving delivery, sms alerts, intra day trading in equities, etc.

every 10 seconds

Every 10 seconds an Indian dies of stress-related heart attack!

By Sudha Hariharan

In a competitive modern world, we work hard and play harder, paying scant attention to our health. We hardly enjoy any leisure, nor do we pursue creative hobbies. No wonder that we are on the super highway to ill health. New age ailments have invaded our workplace, schools and homes. Here’s what we now face---stress-related disorders, carpel tunnel syndrome, backaches, headaches. insomnia, ulcers, piles, high blood pressure and increased old age problems.

World health statistics have revealed that of the over 52 milion deaths a decade ago, 40 million were in 14developing nations, including 9 million in the least developed countries.

A well-known and successful Indian homeopath Dr. Mukesh Batra says, “ Health isn’t just about absence of disease. It is about becoming whole and maintaining balance in the face of continual change. In our fast-paced lives, we do not have the time to pause and listen to our bodies and we don’t bother to know what is wrong …due to our negligence, our system is subjected to irrevocable damage”.

With the exponential growth of interest and publicity about homeopathy, an increasing number of people are exploring new options for their personal health care. People are opting for alternative methods which are safer, more effective and with less side effects. “Homeopathy”, says Dr. Batra.” is not just popular in the US, but has gained ground in other parts of the world as well”.

The most telling evidence of Americans’ dissatisfaction with traditional health care is that more than US $ 27 billion they spend annually on alternative and complementary medicine. In ways, large and small, people are taking active steps to venture outside the mainstream, whether by taking herbal remedies for a cold or by placing their last hopes for cancer cure in alternative medicine

The ultimate source of homeopathy lies in the constitutional study of every patient which is unique, “For instance”, he says” Nux Vomica personality is generally high-trung and tense. He is a person on whom the pressures of modern –day living are taking their toll. Late hours, odd eating habits are the bane of his existence making him vulnerable to peptic ulcer, constipation, hyperacidity and piles.

Homeopathy v/s other treatments

Homeopathy is the only system in medicine which recognizes the human being as a combination of the mental and the physical, and hence provides holistic healing for a variety of chronic ailments, skin-related problems, stress, arthritis and asthma. It also has important advantages over other forms of treatments such as:

· There are no side effects

· It cures a disease rather than merely suppressing the symptoms

· It uses only natural substances in minute doses

· Improves body’s resistance

· Ensures long-term benefits

· There are no complicated procedures for taking the medicines and no strict dietary restrictions.

· It does away with unnecessary surgery

The American Medical Association (AMA) estimates that 80-85% medical illnesses are manifestations of stress. A majority of disorders are either induced or maintained by stress. Stress can cause both, short-trm and long-term illnesses, whether it is a temporary weakening of the immune system or a chronic disorder. It is also the causative factor to illnesses like obstructive compulsive disorder, diminished sexual performance, overeating, under-eating, social withdrawal, headaches, diabetes, hypertension, ulcers, fatigue, chest pain, difficult urination, respiratory problems, increased smoking, alcohol consumption, increased coffee or tea intake, aggressive behaviour, impatience allergies and phobias.

Says Dr. Batra: Homeopathy can alter your reaction to stress….stress is not really outside you, it is your evaluation of a situation, therefore you have the power to control and manage your own stress response.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also predicted that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes will become the worl’d main disablers and killers during the next 25 years. Nearly 177 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide---in India alone 35 million suffer from the disease with a growing number of children falling prey.”It is a misconception that homeopathy pills are sweet and not suitable for treating diabetes”, says Dr. Batra.” Patients can have aqua-based pills where no sugar or alcohol is used.”.

Homeopathy is also effective in treating obesity by changing the patient’s constitution reducing fatty deposits in the body. It can also activate the thyroid gland which increases the basal metabolic rate of the body allowing the organs to overwork and expend energy without exercising.

Conventional medicines for obesity have side effects like hairfall, menstrual irregularities, constipation and sleeplessness. Homeopathy cures obesity without side –effects, they act as appetite suppressants, help reduce weight and alter emotional responses.