Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

It starts with the subtlest signs… a suspicion that’s usually pushed into the subconscious for fear of facing a devastating truth. Many, many months on, crossed fingers and even prayers don’t seem to work as vague symptoms turn into a definite pattern that confirms a painful reality. It’s a moment of truth parents of 2 in every 1,000 children face every year, globally, when they are forced to verbalise what they were afraid to admit all along – the A-word.

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a neuro-developmental disorder that continues to baffle medical science even today, although there is a general consensus that it is broadly the result of ‘faulty signalling’ in the brain. In other words, in autistic children, there appears to be a dysfunction in the chemicals and neural pathways that help different areas of the brain communicate with each other.

This faulty signalling results in the classic symptoms of autism: Withdrawal, bursts of aggression, inability to communicate and socialise, repetitive behaviour, hypersensitivity to stimuli such as touch and light, and a host of physical deficiencies.

It is a heart-rending experience to watch an autistic child, and the only way I can describe what they are experiencing is a feeling of being trapped.

Autistic children are prisoners of their brain – with no way out. What we label as ‘sudden and violent outbursts’ are nothing but an expression of unbearable frustration at being unable to express their thoughts and feelings or convey what they want. Try as they might, the words just won’t come… they just won’t! When frustration boils over, a ‘violent outburst’ follows. What we call ‘obstinacy’ is thus nothing but an expression of utter helplessness. An autistic child cannot understand why adults don’t understand them!

According to medical research, autism has a strong genetic component, which suggests that autistic children are born autistic or with an autistic predisposition. However, it is not quite clear whether this applies to all autistic children, as researchers have linked other, external factors to this disorder: overload of vaccines and / or antibiotics and steroids, and exposure to harmful chemicals. This implies that some children are born with an autistic predisposition and external factors precipitate the onset of the disorder.

Classical homeopathy is not inconsistent with the medical view although the interpretation is vastly different. Here’s where the twain diverge: whereas conventional medicine is unable to treat autism, homeopathy can bring about considerable improvement and, on occasion, bring an autistic child to a state of being where they approximate normalcy.

Caring for an autistic child is emotionally and financially exhausting. Which parent hasn’t done the rounds of speech, neuro-developmental and behaviour therapists? (Many, as at the behest of misguided physicians, even approach psychiatrists.) This course can, to some extent, bring about improvement in the child but progress is, at best, minimal and / temporary. Allopathic drugs cannot reverse the genetic or neurological processes that cause this disorder; they only ‘control’ and ‘manage’ the child’s behaviour 9as they do all disease).

Speechless!

Unfortunately, homeopathy is rarely chosen as the preferred remedy for autism. Yet, it is the best form of treatment for ASD. Am I saying that homeopathy can work miracles? Well, take a look at 4-year-old Sami Khan, who was diagnosed as autistic at the age of one and a half.

Just 2 months after I began to treat Sami, he began to speak a few words; he began to sing; he had established eye contact; and his destructive bouts had ceased.

Oct 11, 2001: Sami is brought to MindHeal. He shows no signs of speech and is given to extremely violent outbursts. He screams when hungry, and cries and rolls on the floor when he doesn’t get his way. Sometimes, he is downright destructive, throwing things, hitting out at people around him, pulling their hair and even biting them. In other words, his behaviour is often uncontrollable. (‘According to classical homeopathy, his behaviour is ‘out of control’, which is typical of the Syphilitic Miasm.)

At times, Sami also ‘goes missing’, wandering aimlessly in the neighbourhood if unsupervised. He writes on the walls at home and refuses to play with other children. But he loves watching television and often hums along with a song playing on TV.

Sami’s parents have taken him to doctors at one of Mumbai’s best hospitals, Bombay Hospital. They are advised to get the child psychiatric treatment and speech therapy. Doctors also prescribe strong medicines to keep Sami’s destructive behaviour under control.

Dec 3, 2001: Sami is calm and composed. He begins talking. And he establishes eye contact.

In the course of 10 months, Sami is admitted to school, a red-letter day for any parent, more so for Sami’s!

Homeopathy & Autism

In the context of homeopathy, autism is a disorder which indicates that the child is born into the last of the Three Miasms. The Third Miasm (Syphilis) is the destructive or most severe stage of disease, any disease. When you fall sick, you usually transition from the First to the Second and / or the Third Miasm, whereas autistic children are born directly into the Third (Syphilitic) Miasm. This is what makes treating autism so challenging. Case Taking is especially difficult as autistic children cannot communicate. So there is little to go by except the child’s behaviour and the parents’ history.

Click here for Sami’s Case Analysis

Mom’s The Word

Mother’s History: Thus, diagnosing autism rests largely on the parents’ history, especially the mother’s history. Following are the aspects to focus on:

1. Mother’s emotional, psychological and mental balance

2. History of miscarriage

3. Cesarean delivery: (An unnatural form of delivery where the infant is abruptly ‘ripped’ from the womb.)

4. Hormonal treatment during pregnancy

5. Antibiotics to treat infections during pregnancy

This does not mean that every pregnant mother who fulfils one or more of these criteria will bear an autistic child. But the reverse is usually true. That is, autistic children are most likely to have mothers who would check off one or more of these criteria.

Dad’s The Word

Father’s History: There’s tons of literature on the all-important role of a pregnant mother and her influence – how she feels and what she does – on the growing foetus. So you can’t blame dads for feeling left out! But ‘pregnant dads’ are not off the hook. Read on…

When it comes to all birth-related and genetically loaded disorders (such as autism, hydrocephaly, mental retardation and muscular dystrophy), the parents’ history is crucial in determining whether the child develops the disorder or not, and its expression.

What do I mean by ‘parents’ history’? Unlike conventional medicine, which views ‘history’ as ‘prevalence of a specific disorder in the parents and in the extended family’, homeopathy goes much, much deeper.

When it comes to the mother’s history, points 2 – 5 (above) need no explanation. It is point 1 that provides the key to diagnosing and prescribing. So, does point 1 apply to the mother or father when it comes to figuring out these all-important clues?

In either case, the mental and emotional state of the parent before and / or during conception (in the case of the mother, during pregnancy as well) is critical to the disease picture in the child.

Generally, it is the mother’s history that is important. The father’s mental and emotional state is relevant only when the child’s genetics closely resemble the father’s genetics. Clues to this can be found in a strong physical resemblance between child and father and / or when the nature and temperament of father and child are similar.

In Sami’s case, I found that the child’s mother felt neglected by her husband, who didn’t speak to her for almost her entire pregnancy. As a result, she indulged in attention-seeking behaviour including tantrums, tearing at her clothes and even biting and injuring herself. Note how her emotional state and even her behaviour perfectly mirror Sami’s autistic expression.

Here’s a case where the autistic child’s genetics matched those of his father. Shamik bore an uncanny physical resemblance to his dad. Both were lean, and their facial features and tapering chins indicated their especially sensitive nature. Apart from this, they were both extremely quiet, withdrawn and depressed.

GENETICALLY SIMILAR: Young Shamik and his dad

When I took the father’s history, I found that he was struggling with serious emotional issues before and during his wife’s pregnancy, and his emotional reaction to these issues perfectly mirrored Shamik’s autistic behaviour!

The ‘Fever Effect’

Four years ago, researchers from the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore in the US discovered an intriguing phenomenon – intriguing to the world of medicine and homeopathy.

They discovered that when autistic children developed a fever, they showed significant improvement, sometimes dramatic improvement, in speech, language, attention span, eye contact and the ability to communicate. The findings, published in the journal Pediatrics, were the result of a study on 80 autistic children aged 2 to 18 and whose behaviour was rated by their parents, before, during andafter an episode of fever. In 80 per cent of the children, symptoms of autism subsided and even disappeared during the fever but re-appeared after the fever subsided.

Unable to explain this at the physiological level, the researchers made the following observations: “The results of this study are important because they show us that the autistic brain is plastic or capable of altering current connections and forming new ones in response to different experiences or conditions,” said Andrew Zimmerman, a senior researcher on the project.

According to Dr Gary Goldstein, President and CEO of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, “Pilot research studies such as this provide clues about the underlying metabolic changes in the brain that may prove to be targets for novel autism therapies.”

I am quoting this research study as it highlights a stunning parallel between the homeopathic approach to autism and these findings in the realm of conventional medicine.

Again, although conventional medicine has found no cure for this disorder, homeopathy has been treating it with considerable success for decades. Indeed homeopaths have long since observed that autistic children show significant behavioural improvement when they develop a fever.

The objective of homeopathy is to return a sick individual from the Syphilitic or Sycotic (Third and Second Miasm) to Psora (First Miasm). The Psoric Miasm is typified by ‘inflammation’ and fever. A return to Psora is thus always typified by ‘inflammatory’ symptoms such as a runny nose, cough, skin eruptions and high temperature.’ This is a sign that the mind and body are expelling toxins from the patient’s system in the process of rooting out disease. It is also a sign that the patient is returning to the Psoric state.

The italisised quotes 9above) made by the researchers are of special interest to homeopaths. One, that “the autistic brain is plastic” or changeable and that autism is a reversible disease. And two, that fever causes fundamental, if temporary, metabolic changes in the brain.

While treating all disease, the fundamental aim of the homeopath is to reconfigure and fine-tune the patient’s very metabolism and immune system. It works just the same with autism. A skilled homeopath cures by rebalancing the constitutional nature of an individual to correct (faulty) genetic expression.

Could conventional medicine have stumbled upon what homeopaths have known for 200 years? Could homeopaths and medical doctors be speaking the same language? I believe this is true. It’s how we use and practise this knowledge that makes the crucial difference between ‘cure’ and ‘managing disease’.

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD 

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com

Online Consultation: Call +91 9930363981 / 022-25230530

Online Appointments: www.mindheal.org

Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

It’s a modern scourge that affects a very large number of women. Going by the name Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD), this condition is characterised by a hormonal imbalance that causes mature or developing eggs to get ‘stuck’ in the ovaries, leading to the formation of cysts.

Being a disease that is diagnosed only after peripheral symptoms show up, PCOD often goes undetected for years. Prevalent in around 10 per cent of women, PCOD is a leading cause of infertility. Patients typically suffer from menstrual disorders that lead them to a gynaecologist, who then detects the condition usually via ultrasound.

A typical sign of PCOD is hirsutism or the excess growth of facial and body hair as seen in men. This is because the ovaries produce excess amounts of androgen or the male hormone. Some would argue that the modern woman has forced herself into ‘masculine-type roles’ that require her to be tough and aggressive. Those who take this view say that PCOD is the price they pay.

A ‘Weighty’ Problem

Here’s something you may not know: PCOD is intrinsically linked to obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol levels, which could even lead to heart disease or a stroke. Here’s how it works. Obesity and diabetes are strongly correlated and are consequences of metabolic syndrome. At the core is insulin resistance, whereby the body becomes resistant to insulin and cannot break down blood glucose.

This eventually leads to excess fat or obesity. Insulin resistance paradoxically prompts the body to produce even more insulin, disturbing the delicate balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries and finally leading to PCOD in many women.

Why Homeopathy

Conventional treatment of PCOD consists mainly of drugs to restore and regulate endocrine or hormonal functioning. But this is a tightrope walk as the endocrine system is complex and sensitive, and tampering with it ‘artificially’ is bound to produce side-effects. Moreover, allopathy can only hope to manage PCOD; it does not root out the cause.

On the other hand, homeopathy is especially effective in curing – yes, curing – PCOD. It realigns your metabolism and re-regulates your endocrine system gently and permanently. In doing so, all the symptoms associated with this disease begin to wane – hirsutism disappears, weight loss follows and your menstrual cycle normalises.

Homeopathy is therefore your best bet to not only being cured of PCOD but to also achieving a level of health you had probably never experienced before!

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com

Nova Medical Centres, India’s leading stand alone Day Surgery Centre Group, announced today its first day surgery centre in Chembur and their mark in the Mumbai market. The centre will be Nova’s 5th centre in the country. The Chembur centre will be inaugurated by Maharashtra minister of state for home affairs Gurudas Kamat on April 3.

Thirty leading surgeons from diverse specialties will offer their services in a comprehensive ultra-modern facility.

The centre has a team of 30 renowned surgeons including Dr Pragnya Parekh (ENT), Dr D Shriniwas (Orthopaedics ), Dr Amit Thadani (Gen. Surgery), Dr Sanjay Sonar(Gen. Surgery), Dr Nayan Thakker (Opthal), Dr Mukund Jaganath (Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery) and Dr Ketan Parekh (Paediatric Surgery).

Nova will hold speciality clinics like Antenatal and Menopause clinic by Dr Ila Tyagi, Fibroid and Menstrual Disorder clinic by Dr Jyoti Kulkarni, Infertility Clinic by Dr Lekshmy Rana, Bone and Joint Clinic by Dr D Shriniwas, Knee and Shoulder Clinic by Dr Kaustubh Durve, Sleep Apnoea and Snoring Clinic by Dr Pragnya Parikh and Dr Dyanesh Narurkar. They are from diverse specialties which offers services in a comprehensive ultra-modern facility.

“The centre is the ideal environment for both doctors and patients,” explained Dr Mahesh Reddy, Nova’s co-founder and executive director. “Everything top doctors need is readily available in an upscale, collegial setting, and all our patients go home at night to rest.” he added.

Suresh Soni, Nova’s chairman and CEO, described the company’s roll-out strategy. “We plan to be in 10 cities by the end of this year. We provide physicians everything they need to get started and succeed. We know how to control costs while maintaining superior quality and efficiency, and we continuously work to improve each centre’s performance. Nova’s compact footprint and unique operating model is designed for rapid scale. We empower doctor-entrepreneurs to start their own practices, and offer shared support services that deliver economies of scale to each center in our network.”

“Our Medical Centres provide the very best in terms of surgeons and surgical facilities. Nova’s foray into Mumbai, which is the largest healthcare market in the country aims at providing quality and affordable medical care to Mumbaikars” added Soni.

The Nova model is gaining rapid acceptance in the healthcare industry. Nova’s innovative health services model offers unparalleled quality and affordability, and is now accepted by all major insurance companies, the doctor community, corporate and individual patients.

Nova has aggressive plans to expand in the Mumbai market. Next in line is the Tardeo clinic which would be coming up soon in the historic famous cine labs complex and other centres would be spread across Mumbai in the coming months. It also plans to develop 25 such centers across India by 2012.

Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

It’s been an awfully busy time for all of us at MindHeal Homeopathy, especially since we are on a growth trajectory. So, before I get down to the more medical aspect of this Newsletter, I’d like to share a summary of what we’ve been up to in the last couple of months.

Online Consultation

Our eConsult facility has picked up momentum and I am happy to announce that patients from new territories like Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Italy and Australia as well as many states in India are increasingly using technology to seek homeopathic treatment and connect with me. For those who wonder whether remote consultation is as effective as a personal consultation, the answer is a resounding yes.

The primary requirement for effective treatment is face-to-face communication and it makes no difference whether homeopath and patient connect online or sit across a table. What really maters is the homeopath’s skill and experience, not the medium of communication.

Many patients in Mumbai too – both follow-up and new cases – are quickly adopting our eConsult facility to seek treatment, eliminating a nasty commute and beating choc-a-bloc schedules to make it to my clinic. And there are those in other cities in India who are also discovering that treatment is only a click away.

Three cheers for the Information Superhighway!

Desperately Seeking Homeopathy

Here’s a case that will dispel the myth that homeopathy is a slow-acting, long-term system of medicine that is effective mainly with chronic illnesses.

Razia Shaikh was a desperate young woman and so was her family. Imagine my receptionist’s surprise when she and her sister burst into my clinic, cannula still attached to Razia’s wrist!

The 19-year-old had “escaped” from hospital, where she had been admitted and put through a gamut of tests which had detected nothing wrong with her. When the hospital recommended that Razia undergo a sonography at an external diagnostic facility, the young lady hot-footed it to my clinic. She said she had spent way too much money on diagnostic tests and hospital bills that were fruitless and was convinced I could help.

Razia discharged herself from hospital the next day and returned to my clinic two days later for a follow-up. There was a dramatic difference in her demeanour. Her symptoms had vanished and she seemed like an altogether different person. A transformation like this is possible – of course, it takes longer to completely root out the disease process – only when the homeopath “turns the key” in the case.

Razia Shaikh is one of many patients who arrive at my clinic in a panic and with a sense of helplessness after conventional medicine produces no improvement in their health. Here’s the young woman when I met her – and a “changed person” two days later.

‘Escaping’ Hospital: Click here to watch the video

Yes, when practised correctly, homeopathy is truly a mind-body system of medicine.

When Homeopathy = Allopathy?!?!

Many of my new patients tell me they “believe in homeopathy” and have been “under treatment for years”. By this, they usually mean they have been treated by a homeopath as and when ailments surface. There are those who, although under current homeopathic treatment, approach me when a serious ailment strikes. This means they are obviously ill despite homeopathy – a contradiction in terms!

The issue of ‘homeopathic suppression’ is a serious one, perhaps even more serious than the suppression of disease via conventional medicine! But let me start at the very beginning.

Illness is the result, not of disease, but of a disease process at work in the body. Visible symptoms – erroneously identified as separate diseases that manifest across a period of time – are manifestations of this single disease process that surface whenever the constitution is weakened and the disease process accelerates.

When symptoms such as eczema or joint pains are suppressed, the disease process, canny as it is, burrows deeper and reappears as other, more serious, symptoms such as asthma or cardiac problems months or years later. Suppression can never cure. True cure takes place when the disease process is rooted out at its source, not when it is blocked and thwarted and the symptom “goes underground”. Homeopathy completely roots out the disease process by rebalancing the individual’s biochemistry, metabolism and strengthening the immune system, freeing the patient of all symptoms.

Conventional medicine, on the other hand, equates cure with symptom suppression, which is exactly the opposite of the homeopathic system of medicine. Thus, suppressing a stomach ulcer today could lead to diabetes or spondylosis in future, the specific “disease of the future” depending on the patient’s unique constitutional make-up.

The bad news is that many homeopaths are as guilty as alloapths are of practising suppressive medicine. This is called homeopathic suppression.

Have you heard of the following prescriptions?

Sleep: Kali Phos

Injury: Arnica

Joint Pain: Rhus Tox

Cold: Allium Cepa

Warts: Thuja

Prescriptions like these are handed out by individuals masquerading as homeopaths, self-taught ‘’practitioners’ who dispense homeopathic remedies without knowledge, qualifications or concern for the consequences of their actions. It is these unqualified “homeopaths” as well as some who have earned their academic stripes but still practice disease-based medicine that damage rather than heal.

Not surprisingly, some patients from past experience with these homeopaths even suggest remedies for themselves while seated across the table from me! How can one take ill despite homeopathy? In other words, if you’ve been under homeopathic treatment and fall sick despite it, it means just one thing – it’s the homeopath that fails, not homeopathy.

Another word of caution while on the subject: Make no mistake, homeopathy is energy medicine and is much more dynamic and powerful than allopathy. Messing with it is serious business. Make sure you are treated by a qualified homeopath, who takes a full consultation and doesn’t offer symptomatic treatment.

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com

Gulal, dholak, thandai, pakwaan…all are ingredients of Holi dhamaal.
Unfortunately, over the years, the way we celebrate holi has taken some serious twists and turns. The moot question is where are we heading today…

While the entire country was soaked in the sprit of Holi on Sunday, the festival had a gruesome start in Maharashtra as three people were reportedly electrocuted in Thane. The incident happened in Virar area as electric poles erected fell on people enjoying a bonefire. Such incidents are very rare during the Holi celebrations in the past.

In yet another incident, 21-year-old Santosh Jadhav, who was been partying since the previous night, suffered a massive cardiac arrest at KEM Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The reason, doctors surmised is —exertion and dancing.

Several towns were awash in colours but festivities claimed six lives in New Delhi when five people were drowned while stray violence left one dead and 12 injured during Holi festivities marked by a riot of colours and bonhomie in many parts of the country.

Three were drowned in a river in Sundergarh and two in a pond in Berhampur while taking bath after Holi celebrations in Orissa.

A 40-year-old man died and five were injured as the festivities turned violent at Khategaon in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district while seven were hurt in clashes in Karnataka. A verbal duel between members of two communities during the celebrations near a place of worship spawned a clash at Gotak in Karnataka’s Belgaum district which left five injured.

In the same state, violence over beating of drums at Savanur in Haveri district left two policemen injured. Elsewhere in the country, the celebrations were peaceful as commoners and politicians mingled with each other on the occasion.

Revellers, dyed in hues of many colours, thronged thoroughfares singing and dancing to the accompaniment of drums as gusto marked the festivities.

Forgetting all rancour and old grievances, friends and foes exchanged embraces in lanes and alleyways wishing Happy Holi as unseen hands squirted them with a well-timed coloured water spray.

Water-filled balloons were hurtled down from rooftops and balconies as cries of “Holi hai” reverberated the streets painted in colours. Musical soirees were held at many places to mark the festival which bids adieu to winter and heralds the spring season.

Now when the hulla of Holi is over………..

Cleaning the skin of all the colours after the fun and games becomes most important aspect. One should wash immediately as these chemicals can harm your skin on prolonged contact. So bathe and shampoo as soon as possible to minimise skin contact time. Use a glycerine-based soap.

Stuck with gulal stains on your face and ink blobs on your nose? No problem! For colour, or gulal on the skin, massage warm oil into your skin, (heavy oils like mustard are the best), and let the oil seep in for 15 minutes. Using a gentle soap and warm water, wash off the oil.

For permanent colour stains, use a cotton ball soaked in acetone (your nail polish remover) or kerosene and gently remove it.

Do not rub the skin vigorously with soaps, etc., but instead, opt for a cleanser. Follow this up with loads of moisturiser, especially one that is meant for sensitive skin. Liberal use of cold cream or moisturiser is good for the skin. Apply moisturiser on damp skin immediately after the bath.

Apply the pack of curd or mashed papaya for 20 minutes. Liberal use of cold cream or moisturiser is good for the skin.

After removing the colour, replenish and rejuvenate the skin by using a paste of soya bean flour or besan with milk. A mixture of sea salt, glycerin and a few drops of aroma oil has an anti-bacterial and antifungal effect and can take care of the bad effects of chemical colours. Use warm water and moisturising soap to scrub off the colours. Then, using a cream cleanser or baby oil, gently massage off the leftover colour.

Colour on the hair should be rinsed off with a mild shampoo immediately. Conditioning is a must. Apply a hair pack of olive oil and honey after shampooing. If you have any rash or allergy, you can take a non-sedative, anti-allergic tablet like Ceterizine or consult a doctor immediately.

If you continue to have problems…

If your skin feels irritated and is itching or burning, wash it properly again. Then mix one part of cortisone (Fluticasone) lotion with two parts of moisturiser or calamine lotion and apply.

For a more severe reaction with eruptions, a tablet of Cetrizine (available at chemist shop) may be taken but its better to see a doctor immediately.

For dull, dry hair, try this hair pack. Mix half a cup of olive oil, an egg white and 4 teaspoonfuls of honey. Coat your hair with this mixture for half an hour then wash off.

A soothing face pack can be made with a mixture of pureed banana, 2 teaspoonfuls of honey and 2 teaspoonfuls of milk cream. This hydrates, softens and soothes the skin.

After Holi hulla, you are bound to get tanned, so try this natural recipe. Puree a tomato and apply it on your face for about 20 minutes. Fresh, crushed tomato pulp is supposed to remove immediate tanning.

Wish you a happy Holi with a healthy skin and great hair!

Avoid synthetic dye-based Holi colours

Holi is the festival of colours that falls on the full moon day in the month of March. It heralds the arrival of spring—the season of hope and new beginnings and marks the rekindling of the spirit of life and the end of chilly winter days and the beginning of summer. The mythological origins of this festival vary in different parts of the country.

People smear each other’s faces with coloured powder known as ‘Gulal’ and ‘Abeer’ and throw coloured water or ‘Rang’ on each other. Most of the people nowadays prefer the traditionally prepared natural herbal colors that are not only fragrant but also skin-friendly. People take out processions on streets that feature folk songs and dances. The intoxicating ‘Bhaang’ (opium) drinks are drunk openly though many people in urban areas now prefer simple ‘Thandai’, a milk preparation. This Indian festival gives complete freedom to the people for a day to splurge and let go.

A majority of colours used in Holi are made up of synthetic dyes of non-food grade items such as textiles, paper and leather. A lot of harmful chemicals like rhodamina (for pink/red), melachite (green), methylviolet (violet), orange II (orange) and auramine (yellow) are used to prepare the Holi colours .

The market is flooded with synthetic colours, which are harmful to both skin and hair.

Taking advantage of the huge demand for powdered and grained varieties of colours during Holi, unscrupulous elements mix chemical dyes to fillers (base material) such as starch, wheat flour and mica dust to prepare cheap quality fragrant colours.

They also contain traces of lead and cadmium. Scientific tests have verified these cause skin abrasions, skin and eye irritations, allergies and even asthma. Long term application of such synthetic colours can also have carcinogenic (cancer causing) effect. The National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) has developed ‘herbal gulal’ technology and transferred it to private companies for commercial production. Herbal gulal is eco-friendly natural dye, which is available in five colours viz yellow, blue, pink, sandalwood and green and is touted as the most viable alternative to synthetic colours.

Synthetic colours cause irritation, respiratory problems and even damage other vital organs. The toxic effluents released from these colours also pollute water and soil.

Until 1950s, only natural colours and mostly home prepared varieties were used. The method was quite simple. Boil flowers like hibiscus or palash and filter the water. For fragrance, essence of kewda, harsinghar and rose water was used. He said the ritual of playing with wet colours in Holi has a scientific reason attached to it.

Holi is the time when the atmosphere permits growth of micro-orgnaisms. Natural Holi colours are photo sensitizers and become active under sunlight, killing these micro-organisms.

Synthetic colours are also photo sensitisers, but are toxic and using natural colours of flowers and vegetative variety is the safest option.

Holi colours are produced on small scale and there is virtually no regulation and quality check on its sale. I feel Holi colours should be regulated under Food and Drug Cosmetic Act and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

However, till the time we have better alternatives one should apply a thick coat of pure mustard oil all over the body and hair before playing Holi.

Playing with colours on Holi is fun but can turn out to be harmful if care is not taken. The consequence of Holi is not just spoilt clothes and floors, but the skin and hair too are traumatised due to the presence of chemicals in the colours. It is recommended that natural colours and herbal dyes should be used. To make Holi truly colourful, try the following tips:

SOME USEFUL TIPS FOR HOLI

1) Synthetic colours used during Holi often contain lead oxide, engine oil, diesel, chromium iodine and copper sulphate, which cause skin irritation and even blindness in cases of extreme exposure. To make your own colours, all you need is a few plants. For the colour green, take plants like Henna, dry and powder it. Use separately or mix it with suitable flour to make green colour. Alternately, you could use paste of green leafy veggies to turn others green. Turmeric mixed with gram flour gives a good colour too. Marigold flowers can also be dried and the paste can be used instead for artificial colour. Red sandalwood powder can be used to colour the cheeks crimson. Rose petals or gulal is also a good option and so is vermilion. Red hibiscus flowers soaked in water overnight, also give a red colour.

2) You should use natural/skin friendly and herbal colours or the ones made by reputed companies using natural products. They are safe and promise colour not scars. Individuals with a history of eczema or Atopic Dermatitis are at a high risk of developing allergic contact dermatitis to Holi colours and dyes. This will manifest in itching, a red rash and irritation on the area of contact. Such individuals should use a barrier cream (white soft, yellow soft, paraffin) prior to playing Holi. They should avoid using colour on sensitive areas on the face.

3) Those who are greeted with colour on their hair should rinse their hair with a mild shampoo immediately. In case of any rash or allergy, treatment would include taking a non-sedative, anti-allergic tablet, like Cetirizine.

4) Wear clothes that cover the maximum part of your body. Apply cold cream/oil on all exposed parts and follow it up with sunscreen, preferably waterproof. For the hair, use oils or gel to counter the harmful effects of colours. Since Holi colours cause skin dryness, vaseline should be put under nails and soles, elbows and other dry areas of the body.

5) After celebrating Holi, it is important to remove colour and replenish and rejuvenate the skin by using a paste of soyabean flour or besan with milk. A mixture of sea salt, glycerine and few drops of aroma oil have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect and can take care of the bad effects of chemical colours. To clean use warm water and moisturising soap to scrub off the colours. Using a cream cleanser or baby oil, gently massage off the left over colour.

6) Cleaning the skin finally of all the colours is the most important aspect. Do not rub the skin vigorously with soaps, etc. to wipe the face of gulal but instead, opt for a cleanser. Follow this up with lots of moisturizer—specially one that is meant for sensitive skin. Liberal use of cold cream or a moisturiser is good for the skin.

Dr. Sunita Dube, MD, Aryan Group of Hospitals.
D-28,29 Nehru Nagar, station Road, Kurla(E) , Mumbai-400 024 India. Tel: 022- 25275999/ 25275888 / 25292266

Email: admin@aryangroupofhospital.com, Website :  http://aryangroupofhospital.com

Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

It’s one of those painful rites of passage more than 60 per cent of elderly people in India suffer through, especially women. Worse still, it appears to run in the family. However, making matters even more painful for arthritis patients are orthopaedic surgeons, who peddle all sorts of expensive joint replacements for this painful and debilitating condition.

And there’s no dearth of “success stories”. With former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee as their most high-profile mascot, what more could orthopaedic surgeons in India they ask for? More recently, a family in Gujarat made news when three brothers underwent joint replacement surgery in the hospital on the same day in December 2010!

Are you headed for a painful future?

The claims of ‘advanced medicine’ notwithstanding, the fact remains that neither do these physicians have a cure for arthritis nor is replacing body parts a healthy way to treat or respect the human body.

Now this may seem like a bold statement but read it very carefully – even though conventional medicine says this degenerative disease cannot be cured, this is not true. When treated by the right homeopathic practitioner, arthritis IS curable. And what’s more, MindHeal Homeopathy can bring about a complete cure in as little as 12 to 18 months.

What is arthritis?

There are many types of arthritis and though their nature varies, the common symptom is joint pain, tissue inflammation and in severe cases bone deformity. Rheumatoid arthritis, for instance, is an autoimmune disorder, where the body’s immune system attacks tissues in the joints, hacking away and destroying them.

Osteoarthritis is caused by progressively degenerating cartilage, which forces the bones of the knee to rub against each other. Conventional treatment usually involves pumping the body with painkillers and steroids but these only serve to suppress, control and manage the arthritis. It does not cure the disorder.

How MindHeal Homeopathy cures arthritis

On the other hand, MindHeal Homeopathy treats the root cause of disease. It stimulates inner healing and completely roots the disease process. This holds true even for severe and crippling rheumatoid arthritis, where genetics plays an important role.

MindHeal Homeopathy works on the genetics and biochemistry of an individual, even where disease is caused by inherited ‘flaws’. In osteoarthritis, for instance, if the body is unable to absorb the heavy doses of calcium that are prescribed, homeopathy stimulates the body’s own capacity to absorb the mineral from a normal diet.

Homeopathy can also stimulate the body to effect actual tissue regeneration and return joints to a normal state as it addresses the genetic and metabolic aspects of the disease. In a short while, inflammation subsides and so does the pain. The joint is eventually returned to normal functioning. This is self-healing and there is no substitute for that. In other words, homeopathy makes the body self-reliant and relies on its ability to heal itself.

Interestingly, modern medicine may replace knee-replacement surgery with “tissue-replacement surgery”. Here, cells taken from healthy cartilage are cultured in a laboratory and injected into arthritic joints. These cells, it is hoped, will grow into fresh, new cartilage. The technique has already been used in Italy to re-grow hip cartilage and trials are underway in Germany to adapt the technology to the knee joint.

Although tissue replacement may seem like a better option than taking out an old, arthritic joint and replacing it with a new and artificial one, there is a problem with this technique. The introduction of any foreign substance into the human body – even human cells – is unhealthy. The body was simply not designed for it.

Thus while painful and even deformed knee joints may benefit, the surgery is bound to adversely impact the body in another way. This is because it does not root out the disease process that’s raging in the body. The faulty metabolic or genetic mechanism that caused the arthritis continues to persist and will necessarily cause the disease process to resurface as something else.

Emotional Predisposition

Interestingly, emotional factors often play a significant role in causing or exacerbating arthritis. The bones are the body’s scaffolding and literally “hold up” the human being. Therefore, patients who have deep-seated emotional insecurities and whose “world collapses” due to their problems are especially prone to arthritis.

The good news is that MindHeal Homeopathy brings about an emotional healing as well and roots out fears and insecurities. While curing the physical disease, it also restores patients to a balanced emotional and mental state.

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com

Excerpt from frenchtribune.com, reported by Annabel Tautou on 02/19/2011: Read Full Article

stem cell harvest

Chembur based ENT Doctor Sonali Pandit has come in the limelight since the news of her research flashed in the international media earlier this week. She was part a discovery made by Australian university team when they used stem cells from the nasal cavity to restore initial hearing loss.

She has been working with a private hospital Vashi after returning back to India nine months back and she stated that hardly a few people knew about her contribution into this breakthrough research. She took up this opportunity as a part of her doctoral thesis at Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney.

Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

I began writing this blog in August last year and I want to say a big thank you for following my journey for 13 consecutive posts. My clinic is filled with a medley of emotions every single day and sharing the experiences, strength and hope of The MindHeal Way only makes my journey that much richer.

Richa Gosar came to me many years ago and I chose to share her case with you this time because it was as dramatic as it was quick, fraught first with extreme despair and then elation as the 37-year-old bedridden homemaker “got a second lease on life”.

RICHA: BEFORE TREATMENT

She began to experience joint pains back in 1990 and it was a few years before the disease set in “permanently”. Or she thought. Richa’s illness grew intense when she and her husband shifted from a large and happy joint family to a one-room-kitchen flat in Mumbai. Her husband would take off on long business trips and leave her alone at home.

Richa felt trapped, she had nothing to do all day and she blamed him for her illness. She experienced uncontrollable bursts of rage and even threw things about the house. All this while, her rheumatoid arthritis grew worse, will she was bedridden due to the pain.

RICHA: JUST 4 MONTHS LATER

Contrary to what conventional medicine would have you believe, autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, are curable. Richa Gosar will vouch for that! Read all about her case in my latest post. As always, I’ve included a subtitled video and other media that I’m sure you’ll love to watch!

I’ve also included a full discussion on the cornerstone of classical homeopathy – Miasms – in my latest blog post.

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com

Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

The breadth and depth of knowledge today’s school children possess never ceases to amaze me. Of course, we grew up in simpler times and most importantly, we did not careen down the Information Superhighway that has brought a lot of good as well as a lot of issues for young people.

So at MindHeal Homeopathy’s first outreach programme of 2011 on January 13, when we quizzed Std VIII students of Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Sion, Mumbai, we received some pretty smart and even ‘scientific answers.

We asked 65 students what caused illness and they replied – microbiological agents, faulty diet and lack of exercise. When we told them there was another crucial factor that affected their immunity – the mind – they were intrigued and eager to learn more.

The next 60 minutes included a riveting lecture followed by an animated interactive session on how the mind influences health and how homeopathy works to reverse unhealthy and destructive physical and mental processes. In short, we gave the students plenty to think about.

To make our presentation simple to understand, we compared the brain to a data storage chip, a creator of emotion and a thought processor. Since the way our brain and boy function depends on our genetics as well as our experiences, we related health and disease to both nature and nurture. We then proceeded to explain how homeopathy takes all these factors into account when curing illness and disease.

The pin-drop silence that accompanied our presentation said it all! We explained that thoughts are noting but proteins, which is the core of our immune system. So whether it is the stress of exams, peer pressure or parental issues, emotional turmoil is always accompanied by changes in our protein metabolism and this lowers our immunity. We explained that a body that has compromised immunity is a fertile ground for all sorts of microbial agents, which then cause illness.

What followed was an animated discussion on emotional and psychological issues relevant to any school-going teenager – anger, jealously, shyness, stealing, bullying, precocity and grief all found a place in this discussion.

We then discussed how the problems children experience during their school-going years and their often unhealthy lifestyles lead to health issues such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in young people nowadays.

Highlights of the Q&A

Student: My parents suffer from diabetes. Is there any treatment for it? What precautions should I take?

Doctor: Homeopathy can be used as a preventive measure and curative remedy for diabetes. Diabetes often results from unhealthy dietary habits but there is a strong psychological and emotional component to this disease. Can diabetes be cured? Definitely! Your parents need not worry, homeopathy can cure diabetes.

Student: I study hard but I rarely remember what I study. What can I do?

Doctor: The keys to memory are attention span, interest levels and an uncluttered mind. Children growing up today have shorter attention spans than when we grew up because the number of things competing for attention have increased manifold. Also, life is very complex today and children face complicated issues that cause emotional distress.

Homeopathy does not only cure physical ailments. It is a system of medicine that rebalances your entire constitution and metabolism and thus leaves you better equipped to deal with life’s problems. In that sense, it leaves you feeling stronger and better equipped to study as well as deal with the challenges of childhood and teenage.

We have often had children and their parents telling us that academic grades have improved considerably after coming to MindHeal Homeopathy. If that sounds incredible, watch this short video, especially the last two clips.

Student: Doctor, I feel very insecure and feel as if something dangerous is going to happen to me. Please tell me what to do.

Doctor: There appears to be something troubling you, perhaps an emotional conflict. People usually opt for counseling to address these issues. But let me tell you something incredible. Homeopathy can address and resolve deep-seated emotional conflicts without any counseling.

Yes, a “bunch of white pills” can achieve this. It all depends on the skill of the homeopath, who must prescribe the ‘right remedy’. This will also leave you feeling refreshed and ready to face the world with a new outlook! So don’t worry. Your problem can be successfully addressed – without lengthy counseling sessions.

Student: Even though I eat well and exercise, I am short.

Doctor: (The student’s parents are of good height and she even engages in “stretching exercises”) If you take a constitutional remedy, you can be sure you will grow to the optimal height as determined by your genes. What this means is that there will be nothing limiting your growth apart from what your genes allow.

Student: My mother’s BP is always low and she feels dizzy sometimes. What should she do?

Doctor: Blood pressure and dizzy spells may be caused by many factors and the causes can be pinpointed by a skilled homeopath. But these are only symptoms, which suggest there is something else that needs attention, both physically and mentally. We would need to first examine your mother, study any medical reports she may have and consult with her to assess where the problem lies.

Teacher: There are some students who need special attention. They are extremely mischievous, they don’t study, they do everything that is expected of them except study. How do I tackle this?

Doctor: First, you would need to assess each child and determine if the student is merely mischievous; whether he/she is displaying a behavioural problem; or whether there is a learning disability involved, attention deficit disorder, anti-social tendency, obsessive-compulsive problem, etc.

Some of these problems are serious and result from “faulty” genetic factors, like autism, for instance. There is a lot of literature available online that links many of these problems to vaccination. Other issues have a psychological component too.

Regardless of the cause, homeopathy can successfully reverse the effects of serious constitutional deficiencies and successfully resolve these problems.

Understanding students’ behaviour makes us less judgemental and recognizing that there is a problem in time can get a child much-needed help.

And thus, MindHeal Homeopathy concluded its first school outreach programme of 2011. We’ll keep you posted on further events.

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com

Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD. Founder MindHeal Homeopathy

“Where are my shoes,” Jayesh asked the paramedics as they carried him away from a ravine into which he had tumbled. The 22-year-old lay on a stretcher, bleeding and broken after plunging more than 200 feet from a hill-top But despite multiple facial and bodily fractures, these were the youngster’s first words after he regained consciousness.

There were no tears, there was no pain. Jayesh’s first thoughts were of his shoes, which he had purchased recently. Out of context, Jayesh would seem like a callous young man, ungrateful for the gift of life and concerned only with material possessions.

But let’s not be quick to judge. Jayesh Gaykar is a typical case of a teenager forced to grow up overnight and shoulder the financial burden of a family of six while still in his teens. His parents were not earning and his elder brother had suddenly lost his job. Thus, by doing odd jobs, 16-year-old Jayesh managed to scrape together just enough to put himself through college while also putting food on the table.

Life deals us some pretty heavy blows. But for Jayesh, destiny had robbed him of life itself, and the only way he could carry his cross was to anesthetise himself – mentally, emotionally and physically. The young man seated across the table from me was 24 now and he showed me pictures of himself when ‘life was still beautiful’. (excerpt)

Click here to watch the video and for details about Jayesh Gaykar’s descent into disease and his fascinating recovery:

Jayesh’s predicament had not only made him silently ill, it had also dramatically altered the way he looked and turned him into a ‘painless robot’… the only way he could hold it all together. Jayesh approached MindHeal Homeopathy to treat his facial paralysis, which had resulted from the accident. Using the beautifully simple yet complex Miasmatic approach, I was able to cure his paralysis and return the young man to a state of health and vitality.

Here’s something to think about…

Does our personality mirror our biology? Are crafty and manipulative individuals more likely to fall sick than sensitive and vulnerable people? Your personality is a window to reading your ‘Miasm’, the key to classical homeopathy, which uses personality markers to assess disease and guide you back to health and vitality. More on the subject in my latest blog post.

Note: MindHeal Homeopathy can now be reached via Live Video Chat. Search for us @mindhealappt (Skype / MSN / Yahoo Messenger / Gmail)

Re-awaken the healer in you… – Dr Anita Salunkhe, MD

Gurudev Apartment ‘B’ Wing, Behind Hanuman Mandir, Opp Telephone Exchange, Chembur Naka, Mumbai -71

Tel: 25230530 , Mobile: +91 9930363981 , Email: crm@mindheal.org
Website :  www.mindheal.org, www.mindhealhomeoclinic.blogspot.com