Shutterbug's Blog

Living with Multiple Myeloma in Hyderabad , India . Random musings .


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Best DIY Natural All-purpose Cleaner using Soapnuts

Hair shampoo , Detergent , Bath soap , Floor cleaner , Pesticide , Dish washing liquid , Jewelry cleaner , Mosquito repellent , Bath soap for Pets , Kitchen cleaner : Using Soapnuts , an environment friendly and sustainable solution given by Mother Earth.

After having experienced a life surrounded by chemicals and pollution , I have begun rediscovering all the traditional healthy practices that were followed in India since hundreds or thousands of years. In this journey , I have recently rediscovered Soapnuts. The most Eco-friendly , Natural All-Purpose cleaner .

My earliest memories of Soapnuts , also called Soapberries, are from my childhood days when my Mom would give us (me and my sister) a hair wash using the liquid extracted from Soapnuts .

Soapnuts or soap berries grow in India , in the Himalayas and in South India. They are light to dark brown in color when ready to pick and one to two centimeters in diameter with a hard black and big seed. When dry they are shelled and can be used like soap as they give a lot of lather as they contain Saponin which is a surfactant. Soapnuts are a natural cleaner given by Mother Earth.

I remember my late paternal aunt used to get a big sack, full of soapnuts whenever she visited us. She lived in a village adjacent to the Tirumala hills. The soapnut tree grows wild in the forests on the Hills.

Soapnuts for washing Hair :

Ok, So let’s go back in time, almost 3-4 decades ago , when shampoos were unheard of and the soapnut ritual took place every sunday at my home. Come Sunday morning , two big handfuls of soapnuts were broken by placing each one on the floor and breaking them open using a small round granite stone or placed in a Mortar and Pestle which was dedicated for breaking up the soapnuts. The big black seeds would be separated from the shells and the shells would be soaked in water .While the soapnuts were soaking , a copper water boiler would be filled with water and coals would be fired up at the bottom of the boiler drum.

The soapnuts would soften while the water got hot and they were squeezed with the hand to extract the juice from the soapnuts. The soapnut extract would be filtered into another vessel and more water was added to the remaining pulp. If required the soapnuts would be squeezed again.

This extract was the shampoo during those days. At times the liquid would get into the eyes and the eyes would burn and become red. We would sprinkle cold water on the eyes and get some relief. Very soon the eyes were back to normal.

After washing the hair , it was time to dry the hair using towels and letting the hair dry naturally in the sun. We let our hair down and stood under the sun. Mom didnt let us use the Hairdryer which Dad had bought from Italy when he went there on Official work. She felt that the heat from the dryer would damage the scalp and make the hair brittle.

Once the hair is around 70% dried up , Mom would comb our long hair to disentangle the knots and then braid the hair into one or two plaits. All our neighbours envied our long hair.

This was the morning routing every Sunday morning.

It was this ritual which helped in the growth of thick long and healthy hair , soft hair , no dandruff ,no loss of hair and no grey hair.

Very soon , we starting washing the hair ourselves and found a short cut to extract the soapnut liquid. We simply put the soapnuts in a vessel, poured water and heated the water. While the water cooled down , the soapnuts would become very soft and it was very easy to squeeze and extract the liquid. Mom somehow didnt like what we did, and complained that we were too lazy 🙂

Soapnuts as a Body scrub :

I also remember Mom telling us to use the soft soapnut pulp to scrub the skin instead of using a soap. This natural cleaner is good for the skin as they prevent/heal skin problems like eczema and psoriasis. These nuts have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties too.

Very soon we began hearing of shampoos and initially we used these shampoos once in a while when we were in a hurry and didnt have the time to soak and squeeze .

Didnt take very long for all to forget soapnuts and shampoos were here to stay. The comfort , convenience , instant solution for a hair wash was too good. What followed was dandruff, loss of hair, brittle hair , split hair and grey hair.

Having realised the benefits and advantages of soapnuts over shampoos , we are now scrambling back to the traditional methods.

Since a couple of years I had been searching the shelves in the supermarkets for soapnuts and didnt find any. I was surprised that they had disappeared.

To this day , I dont see them yet in the supermarkets, but glad they are available online.

Washing silks and woolens with Soapnut extract :

For my wedding , I had several heavy silk sarees and maintaining silk sarees is an art . While discussing as to how I should clean and maintain Silk sarees with Mom, she told me to soak my silk sarees in soapnut extract diluted in a bucket of water and give them a gentle scrub with the hands.

Delicate and expensive garments can thus be cleaned using natural soapnut extract so they last long compared to using chemical based detergents.

Cleaning Gold jewellery with Soapnut extract :

Mom also once told me to clean gold jewelry with this extract. I just soak the jewelry in the soapnut extract for a while and use an old toothbrush to clean them.

Soapnut extract as an Organic/Natural Pesticide for Plants :

I have been doing some kitchen gardening using Organic fertilizers/pesticides since one year and I watch videos on YouTube whenever I require some information. I also learnt how soapnut extract can be used as a pesticide spray for plants. This is a natural way to control pests.

Mother Nature’s Detergent :

Eco friendly products and sustainable solutions are the need of the hour and soapnuts are the Natural cleaner that Mother Nature has given to humanity.

The soapnuts can be used as a detergent to wash clothes in the washing machine. Tie around 4-5 soapnuts in a cotton pouch or put them in an old socks and toss it into the washing machine.

How to prepare and use Soapnut Extract :

Method 1 : Prepare soapnut extract by soaking the nuts overnight. Next morning , squeeze the soapnuts with your hand for the best results and strain the liquid using a strainer.

Method 2 : Boil the soapnuts in water for 15 mins. Let the water cool down. Now you can squeeze the softened soapnuts and extract the liquid. Strain the liquid using a strainer.

The extract can be stored in a refrigerator. If left outside it will begin to smell bad and has to be discarded.

Fresh extract is recommended.

Other uses of the Soapnut Extract :

The extract can be diluted with water and used for all the following purposes .

  • Dish washing liquid
  • Washing Fruits and vegetables
  • Floor cleaner
  • Mosquito Repellant
  • Glass cleaner
  • Hand wash
  • Glass, Tiles, Kitchen counters
  • Giving a bath to your pets
  • Shaving cream

The water that is left after all the washing, can be let into the water harvesting pit or used for watering the plants in the garden.

I have begun using soapnuts for laundry, washing utensils, floor cleaner, as a bath soap, washing hair, as a pesticide, washing silks and also as a hand wash.

Laundry detergent , Dishwash liquid , Handwash liquid etc are also available online.

With COVID around , I began searching for a good product to sanitize fruits and vegetables, during the ongoing pandemic , I came across one good product named Bubblenut Wash which has soapnut as one of the key ingredients . I began using this before I started using soapnuts as it is very easy to use. Here it is –

Bubblenut Wash-Natural and Organic Fruits and Vegetables Wash :

There are other cleaning products sold by the same company .

Bubblenut wash Laundry Detergent :             

Bubblenut wash – Natural and Organic Laundry Detergent Bar :

…and many more

These products are especially very useful for those who have skin allergies and are unable to use the normal soaps/detergents.

Initially , it is very convenient to buy and start using them. Later on you can buy soapnuts and make your own Natural cleaner.

However, if you wish to buy the soapnuts and use them directly you can use them in the following ways :

  • Full berries can be used directly for Laundry , by placing a few berries in a pouch or old socks and tossing them into your Washing machine.
  • The extract of these berries after soaking in water can be used for washing hair, in the dishwasher, Floor cleaning, cleaning gold jewelry etc
  • The soap berries can be powdered and also used in the washing machine, soak in hot water and use as a shampoo
  • The left over berries from which the extract was prepared can be made into a paste in the mixer-grinder and used for cleaning kitchen counters ,sinks, stove etc

Feel free to experiment and you will not go wrong.

I recently bought the following product and started using them.


I now prepare a batch of soapnut liquid by soaking the soapnuts overnight and use it the next day for all my cleaning jobs.

Take the following precautions while using Soapnuts:

-If the soapnut liquid gets into your eyes while washing hair, do not panic. Just splash cold water over your eyes till you get some relief. There is no danger to your eyes. Your eyes may appear red for a while but do not worry , they will be back to normal soon. To prevent the liquid going into the eyes , just make sure that your eyes are tightly closed 🙂

-Soapnut liquid tastes bitter. It is not poisonous. However, just make sure it is out of reach of small children.

-Freshly prepared soapnut liquid has to be used within a day. Store it in the refrigerator if you wish to use it over a longer period.

Old is gold !!


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My Ayurveda Doctor, to me: According to me, you are Cancer Free !!

I have been taking Ayurveda Medication for Multiple Myeloma from my Ayurveda Doctor every month. I have been prescribed several types of medicines with different dosages during the day .

This month too my medicines were delivered , but I opened the parcel only after a few days of receiving it. You know the virus thing and not to touch parcels for a few days and leave them outside the door thingy 🙂

When I opened the parcel I found that the required dosage of tablets/capsules was missing from a couple of medicines. I then messaged my Doctor informing the same. He said I should be reducing the dosage of medicines. I refused to accept what he said and said that I prefer to continue the same medication for ‘some more time’ .

He then said that I should reduce my dependence on Medicines and that I should be more confident and do meditation also.

I said OK and then …..

My Ayurveda Doctor : According to me, you are Cancer Free !!

I couldn’t believe those words. Those were some very precious words that any patient would love to hear from a Doctor. I was feeling overwhelmed and my eyes were welling up.

While it is true that my last test reports , few months ago , were all normal , I didn’t want to rush and reduce the dosage.

I do believe that my new ‘Natural Lifestyle’ along with Ayurveda is doing wonders for my body. I do feel good and able to manage most stuff on my own at home and at work too !! . I do get a lot of help from hubby and son 😛

Its been more than 5 years since I started taking Ayurveda Medication and No chemo since then.

And its been 5 months since I started following the Diet prescribed by ‘Natural Lifestyle’ . Surely the combination is working for me 🙂

Thanks to the Almighty for showing me the right path.

I hope and wish more and more people give up wrong eating habits and spend more time on improving their health by eating wholesome food that comes directly from Mother Nature, by exercising, Meditation and most important to have a free mind by letting go , being grateful, by forgiving self and others , giving up resentment and being compassionate to all .

~Love U Life ~


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My current Diet – “Natural Lifestyle”

I had mentioned about my new diet in one of my earlier posts. I am currently following the Diet recommended by an organisation named “Natural Lifestyle” .

I read all about the founder Shri Acharya Mohan Gupta and his Gurus. Watched a lot of videos on their youtube channel. I got convinced to follow the diet prescribed by him.

The diet recommends Intermittent fasting for 16 hours every day. Most of the food is eaten raw and only one meal during the whole day comprises of cooked food.

The diet is based on the belief that ” One who eats once a day is a Yogi, who eats twice a day is a Bhogi and who eats thrice a day is a Rogi “

In the above statement the food that is eaten is food that is cooked.

The aim is to eat just one cooked meal in a day and Raw food / juice during the other meal times.

This diet helps in cleansing the body and to treat diseases.

Here is my diet on any normal day :

Pre-Breakfast : 8 am – one glass of Ash gourd juice

Breakfast : 10am – A plateful of Raw vegetables with a few slices of coconut

Lunch : 1-2pm – 3 Composite Rotis with lots of vegetable curry

Dinner : 6-7pm – A plateful of fruits (any one type of fruit) with a few slices of raw coconut

This has been my diet for the last 5 months.

I do cheat once in a while and eat a little bit of regular food like rice with curry or vegetable fried rice or breakfasts like upma , dosa and junk food like noodles too 🙂

I have lost a lot of weight after following this diet. My family and colleagues do comment on my appearance but I am happy as long as i am healthy.

I am able to carry out simple tasks like cooking , going to work and spend some time in my garden. Not doing much physical work .

So far so good.

It is a bit cumbersome to follow this diet as my diet is different from the diet of family and this requires more cooking time. Hubby and I plan our meals and so we are comfortable.

Very difficult to control the senses of taste and smell :). There are times when I feel, what is life if I am unable to eat all that I would like to. But I console myself that i have to do anything and everything to stay alive and this keeps me motivated to continue this diet 🙂

~


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Lock-Down Dairies – 28 May 20 : my weight loss, Global swarming , jet water spray gun.

It is back to full days at work and I am finding it a bit difficult to do all the cooking and packing in the morning. I get a lot of help from hubby ,in spite of it I am finding it very strenous. My food is very different from what hubby and my son eat and this is making things even more difficult. I have lost 10kgs in 4 months since I started following ‘Natural Lifestyle’. The consultants at the helpdesk of ‘Natural Lifestyle’ say that the body will stabilise at a particular weight and what is important is to be healthy. Yes, I do feel good other than the weight.

Read the news that Locusts swarms are wreaking havoc on the vegetation in many states in the country. They had arrived from Pakistan to Rajasthan and then moved to Gujarat and Maharashtra. They supposedly move with the flow of the wind and don’t know where they are headed next. A lot of food crops have been lost and this is very dangerous for the future supply of food.

A couple of weeks ago , we had a lockdown potluck lunch with my Sister and Brothers family. The lunch venue was out stilt floor which is more of a garage with lot of space. We washed the whole area using a normal water pipe and found it very difficult to clean the whole place. It was then that I wanted something that would help on washing floors faster.No sooner i came across this product on Seniority.in and immediately ordered it.

Will unbox the package ,use it and will write a review of the product this weekend . Yes, I am very excited about this item :).


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Lock-Down Dairies – 22 May 2020 : Update on my Multiple Myeloma, my Curry leaves harvest

Been a while since I updated on my Multiple Myeloma.

This is the 9th year after my Stem Cell Transplant. I have been taking only Ayurvedic Medication for the last 4 years.

There are other detailed posts in the past where I wrote all about in detail.

I am continuing to take Circumin, Ashwagandha , Satavari , Tinaspora Cordifolia as per the advise of my Ayurveda Doctor.

I also take few Allopathy medications like Folvite ( for better absorption of Iron), Renerve (for peripheral Neuropathy), Antoxid HC (Multivitamins) and Feburic 20 (to regulate Uric acid) .

Apart from the above , I also have been following the lifestyle prescribed by ‘Natural Lifestyle’ , since 4 months. I have lost some weight due to the restricted diet. I do feel healthy otherwise. Just that I can’t physically exert myself a lot. Able to manage quite well even during the lock-down period doing all household chores with support from hubby and son 🙂

I did the routine Blood tests 2 months ago (just before the lock-down) and the reports say that all is well.

However, it is 1 year 4 months since I did the Bone Marrow test. I feel it may not be necessary as I feel good and my routine tests including Serum Globulin levels were normal in the recent tests.

I am also back to work in spite of all the restrictions and risks.

I am dependent on my driver whenever . Doing my best to ensure that my Driver is also healthy. Provided Masks, Face Shield, Sanitizer , Liquid soap and gave him instructions on maintaining social distance and washing hands frequently.

Getting used to co-exist with the C-virus. With a little care and attention it should be possible to deal with it.

Harvesting curry leaves in my tiny garden :

I was all the while assuming that the curry leaf plant should be allowed to grow as much as possible before we start harvesting the leaves. I recently learnt that the branches should be cut frequently so as to encourage further growth of new stems.

So, I decided to cut off one of the biggest stems today. Here it is-

I then separated all the leaves, washed them well and dried them well.

This is usually how i prepare curry leaves before i pack them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator.

These leaves are going to last me more than a week. Feels so good to be able to grow your own food ,that too organically grown 🙂

~ Stay safe ~


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Lock-Down Dairies – 10 May 20 : Mother’s Day , Video on how I make Ash gourd juice , Lockdown Party with extended family , Mangoes from neighbours Mango tree

Today is Mother’s day . I usually meet Mom every year on this day and wish her. This year my parents are in the village as they had decided to stay back during the lockdown period.

” Love you Amma for always encouraging me and being a very strong pillar of support in my worst times, for giving me a second life in this life “

I decided to make a video on how I prepare my Ash gourd juice each morning. Had been drinking this juice since 15 Jan 20 but somehow was unable to make a video. Finally did it today 🙂 .

Here is the link :

Here is my Breakfast for today:

I put carrots and coconut slices in the mixer grinder. I love the sweet taste and prefer this rather than eating them separately. Easier to chew too :).

My Sister and Brother live with their families very close by and we all haven’t met since the lockdown. We decided to have a Tea-party this evening. Each of us brought some snacks along with Tea and water melon juice.

I made ‘Pesara pongananu (Moong Dal fritters) using a Cast iron Paniyaram Pan, Chutney with Bengal gram and coconut, Watermelon juice and Tea.

Pesara ponganaalu in a cast iron Paniyaram pan

My Sister brought Bhelpuri and Mango Kesari and my SIL brought Samosas.

We had the get-together in our stilt floor which is totally open and used only for parking the cars and bikes. We started the party by sitting a little far from each other but very soon we all got closer to each other 🙂

It was wonderful and we plan to have potluck lunch next Sunday.

There’s a huge Mango tree in our neighbours yard and a lot of branches are spread over our plot. Each year during this season we pluck the Mangoes that grow in our plot 🙂 . Today we decided to pluck the mangoes and there were a lot of them. Shared them with my brother and Sister . These are the big juicy mangoes and we are going to ripen them naturally using a Jute bag. I also plan to slice a few mangoes, dry them in the sun and store them for future use in various curries. We call them ‘Mamidikaaya Orugulu’.

I also plan to make Mamidikaaya pulihora, Mamidikaaya pappu , Sambhar for my family.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful strong . God can be easily experienced in Mom’s Love.


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Lock-Down Dairies – 9 May 2020 : My ‘Natural Lifestyle’ Diet and Daily routine

Time to share the exact diet that I have been following since 15 Jan 20.

This is the diet prescribed by ‘Natural Lifestyle’ lead by Acharya Mohan Gupta.

BTW, you can get all the details of this organisation at http://naturallifestyle.in/

The Day starts with a few yoga stretches that I am comfortable doing .

Followed by Pranayama and Meditation.

Use the Cotton Patti for 30 minutes.

Coming to my Diet –

Pre Breakfast : 8am

The first meal of the day is a glass of juice made from Ash Gourd. I make the juice using a juicer and it hardly takes 5 min.

Breakfast : 10am

A plate full of Raw vegetables like cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, Beetroot etc. along with a fist full of coconut slices.

Lunch : 1-2 pm

2 Composite Rotis with lots of Curry.

This is the only cooked meal of the day.

Tea time : 4-5pm

If hungry one can eat coconut slices , drink coconut water or eat a fruit.

5.30pm

Use Cotton Patti for 30mins

Dinner : 6-7 pm

A plate full of fruits . Any one type of fruit may be eaten .

Appears very meagre compared to the ind of food that we usually eat. Thats the reason for ending up with numerous diseases.

It is difficult initially but when we have to choose between food or health then the answer is very clear.

~Om Shanthi~


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Lock-Down Dairies – 8 May 20 : My ‘Natural Lifestyle’ – Results of my Blood tests (Part – 3)

The results of my Blood Reports were sent to my mail id and i quickly opened the pdf file which had almost 12 pages.

As I was scrolling page by page , I was surprised to see my results unfold.

My Hb crossed 12 for the first time since my transplant.

My Thyroid levels were back to normal.

My ESR level for the first time was showing 26 . It was always more than 50 or 60

My Uric acid levels stabilised.

My Creatinine was always at 1 and now reduced to 0.9

My B12 was in the normal range too . I do take a supplement daily.

My Vitamin D3 levels was in the medium range.

Most importantly my Serum Globulin was perfect.

Woww , I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. All this with the simple diet and lifestyle that I was following for two and half montths. The only ‘side effect’ of the new lifestyle was that I lost 5 kgs in those two and half months.

I was prepared to look skinnier and be healthy rather then be sick and look chubbier.

I then decided to stop the medicine I was taking for Thyroid. I also started taking only one capsule of Shallaki for knee pains instead of two.

I continued the same diet and still continuing and intend to continue for ever.

I wrote a mail to Sarita ji and gave her my feedback and requested her to show my results to Acharya ji. She replied after a few days and said I should continue the same diet and I can continue to ask any further doubts.

I am allergic to dust and once during this period I had mild cough and bronchitis attack . Before I started following this lifestyle I used to take a herbal powder for my cough and take allopathy for the Bronchitis. (Much before I started Ayurveda medicines , I would take Antibiotics very frequently) . Whereas this time i did not take the herbal powder too , instead , as recommended by this lifestyle , I went on a liquid diet (White Chart) for 2 days and used the ‘Patti’ for four times each day and did the Enema 2 times each day. I also put my feet in warm water at night. I was miraculously fine on the third day 🙂

Kept watching the videos by Acharya Mohan ji and also the feedback given by many of the followers of this lifestyle. Very positive feedback given by those who had been suffering from Hypertension, Diabetes, Thyroid, Asthma, Constipation, Skin problems etc. I too have finally experienced the Miracles of a ‘Natural Lifestyle’ and hence wanted to share with all.

I feel quite energetic and continue to do simple chores like cooking , gardening and going to work.

I have been taking Ayurveda Medication like Curcumin, Ashwagandha , Tinaspora Cordifolia , Satavari for Multiple Myeloma since last 5 years and continuing them even after I started following ‘ Natural Lifestyle’ . I dont think I can stop or reduce these right now, but hopefully in future I should be able to reduce the dosage.

Will share my actual diet (Yellow Chart) and daily routine in my next post :))

Till then , Take care and Stay Safe !!


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Lock-Down Dairies – 7 May 20 : My ‘Natural Lifestyle’ – Cotton Patti , Non-violent Enema , Surya Snaan (Part – 2)

Was happy to know that Acharya Mohan ji said I should go ahead with their prescribed diet. It was already one month since I had started following their diet.

Along with the diet they recommend wearing a ‘Cotton Patti’ . I was using some towels at home for this purpose. This consists of wetting and wearing a coarse cloth around the stomach , the neck and the head. One can order this set of cloth pieces from their organisation and I finally decided to order. This process increases the blood circulation in the body.

They also recommend non-violent enema twice a day. After reading and watching several videos on this ,I decided to order one . They insist on enema as they believe that unclean bowels are one of the main causes of all diseases.

I continued the diet .I was losing weight. I lost 2kgs in one month. My colleagues noticed and commented. I explained what I was upto.Surely they would have concluded that I was messing with my body 🙂 .I tried convincing them that what I was doing is right. But who would want to give up all the yummy food and start eating all the bland food that I was eating :). We would all have lunch together and they did notice what I was eating.

I was into the second month and one day received the patti set and the enema set. The patti was comfortable and I started using them twice a day. After a few days I got the courage to use the enema kit. It did feel clumsy for a couple of days and I soon got used to it.

They also recommend ‘Surya snaan’ every morning. One has to wear minimum clothes and spend some time exposed to the early morning sun rays . I was unable to do this and all I could do was to spend a little time in the Sun after I went to my office.

I now felt that I am following the complete Natural lifestyle as advocated by Acharya ji.

I successfully completed two months and lost 2 more kilos. My energy levels were normal. I was able to manage work and home with the help of my maid ,cook and driver.

My body was feeling much cooler than it ever was and also lighter.

Around the mid of 3rd month of starting this diet I felt that I should do my routine blood tests like LFT, CBP, RFT , Thyroid, ESR, HB, Uric acid, B12 etc. It was also one year since I did the Bone Marrow test. Last year in Jan 19 my Oncologist said I can do it after one year. I wanted to first do the routine tests and then go for the actual test.

The Thyrocare guy came home and took the blood samples.

….to be continued


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Lock-down Dairies – 6 May 20 : My ‘Natural Lifestyle’ – How I started (Part -I)

Wanted to share my new diet with all for a long time. So, here it is –

I had come across a video by Subah jain via WhatsApp , sometime in the last quarter of 2019. I then looked her up on youtube and found two popular videos of hers. After watching them I was 50% convinced about what she was saying regarding cleansing and healing the body.

The methods and discipline recommended by her were very tough to follow. Requires a lot of self control and faith.

I would also read the comments on her videos to get some feedback on what others thought about the methods she was advocating. Someone had commented that she is following the diet prescribed by Acharya Mohan ji. I did some more digging and found videos by Acharya Mohan ji. Started watching his videos on youtube. He had started an organisation named ‘Natural Lifestyle’ and is based in Delhi. I watched many videos on their youtube channel. I would watch a few videos again and again till they made some sense. I then came across their Sunday live program on YouTube that started at 8am and went upto 1pm. This used to be a comprehensive program with a lot of details in a systematic manner. I  watched this live show for several weeks. I then came across their 4 day residential course happening in Delhi. I wanted to meet Mohan ji and ask if I should follow his diet and whether I would benefit. I also wanted to attend the residential program. It was exactly during this time that COVID was making its presence felt all over the world. Hence I cancelled my plans of going to Delhi.

I started following their diet to check how it feels and whether I will be able to withstand that kind of a diet. I did feel very weak after a week , as if my body would collapse. In one of the videos Mohan ji did mention that this is a common symptom and one should not give up at this stage. I held on to the diet and within few more days I began to feel stronger :). This gave me the confidence to go on. After a month I started calling their support team to clear some doubts . I also mentioned my case history but none seemed interested. I hung on and luckily found Ms Sarita who listened to me . I told her I want to talk to Acharya ji and that I would have attended their residential course if not for this new virus. She gave me an email address and told me to write and ask all my queries. I did get a reply and called Sarita ji again . I was very happy that Acharya ji did see my message and said I should continue this diet. Felt wonderful.

….to be continued