The words in the title don’t seem to be related in any way , isn’t it !? 🙂
Let me attempt to explain how all of these are very much interrelated. Get ready to recall some Biology lessons from your school days 🙂
Each cell in the Human body consists of several Organelles and one of them is Mitochondria . These are known as the powerhouses of the cells. Woww , sounds like Thermal Power stations or Nuclear Power stations isn’t it !!? And our body is a Power Grid !! 🙂
It is these little things inside the cell which convert the food that we eat into Energy. This Energy is used by the Cell to carry out its functions efficiently.
Hope you also remember reading that a cell contains a Nucleus which in turn consists of the DNA . But, did you know that Mitochondria have their own DNA too … This is News to me tooo 🙂 . The biggest surprise is that Mitochondria is originally a Bacteria . The Mitochondria invaded a normal cell and started a Symbiotic relationship. This was how the complex multi-cellular organisms including human beings evolved. Sounds unbelievable and interesting . Anyway, this is a different subject altogether.
Now comes the most interesting part. It has been scientifically proved that the Mitochondria in the cell comes from the Mother and not from the Father. Let’s see how that happens .The Mitochondria from the Father disintegrates as soon as the zygote is formed by the fusion of the Sperm and the Egg .In effect , all the Mitochondria currently existing in the world is from the Female Gender. Isn’t this amazing .
Permit me to digress a little.
In the Hindu culture , a Goddess (feminine form) is worshiped and is referred to as ‘Shakti’. Shakti is a Sanskrit word which translates to ‘Energy’. Fasting is an important part of worshiping Goddess Shakti during various Hindu festivals. The Goddess is fondly addressed by most Hindus as Mother .
Let’s come back to Mitochondria. These Mitochondria are susceptible to damage due to various reasons. Thus , the efficiency of the Cell is affected leading to several illnesses including Cancer. One of the major causes of Mitochondrial damage is Medication. Medications like Analgesics, psychotropic medications , Statins, Antibiotics etc damage the DNA of Mitochondria. There are other reasons too… like inflammatory diet, stress etc
Thankfully there are ways to repair and Boost the efficiency of Mitochondria, thereby improving our health.
- Fasting
- Exercise
- Sun Exposure
- Eating more Fat and protein , less of Carbs (Ketogenic Diet)
- Meditation
- Avoiding inflammatory foods like Maida (All purpose flour)
- Reducing Stress
Just after the recent Navratri festival, my Ayurvedic Doctor had sent me a message about how Mitochondria is linked to Shakti/Energy, to Fasting during Navratri and worshipping of Mother Goddess . The festival lasts 10 days during which Goddess Shakti is worshiped .
This was a revelation to me .
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Here is the entire message sent by Dr Nitin Kochar, M.D, Ayurveda :
Pious Hindus also fast during other days like Ekadasi (the 11th day of waxing and waning moon) . That would be twice a month.
Cow Ghee (clarified butter) is an important ingredient in the preparation of Prasadam (food offered to the Deities) . It is good fat. As per Ayurveda , there are 60 health benefits of consuming Cow Ghee and hence it is recommended to eat Ghee everyday.
In spite of being a Hindu I had always doubted Hindu Rituals and customs since I was a kid . Whereas most of such rituals and customs have health and hygiene as the underlying principles . There are a lot of folks who are attempting to revive such customs by interpreting in a scientific way. The western world is taking cues from Eastern traditions , is experimenting and confirming what was already known and in use in the Hindu way of life since thousands of years.
I always wondered as to why I perennially felt lethargic and was highly susceptible to Chronic cold, cough and Bronchitis attacks. I had no option but to take antibiotics each time. This cycle kept repeating once every two months till I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. I now realize that my Mitochondria were severely damaged by all the Antibiotics which resulted in Cancer.
Hopefully one can now appreciate how all these words are connected and make sense.
So thankful to my Ayurvedic Doctor for enlightening me.
One need not accept or worship Goddess Shakti or know about Mitochondria to realize how important it is to ensure that our Mitochondria and thereby our body is healthy . Just follow the above methods and stay healthy.
Shubham Bhooyaath !!
