the curse of the medical cornucopia

Do falling hair and puffy eyes and lethargy and miscellaneous aches and pains have something in common ? Would that "something" also be responsible for erratic sleep patterns , wildly fluctuating appetite, and overwhelming ennui interspersed with periods of unadulterated enthusiasm ? Would that "something" account for irritability and temper tantrums and hysteria? Would that "something" be all manners of pills and syrups and suspensions labelled as modern medicine ? I suspect so. 

For several years, I have been a frequent visitor to hospitals and the consulting chambers of medical shamans. Each visit has meant a new prescription till a time came when I was swallowing pills by the handful. Pills for hypertension, pills for migraine, pills for high cholesterol, pills for anxiety, pills for low micro nutrients ----- and each pill came with its paraphernalia of side effects, till I reached the stage where I needed pills to combat the side effects of pills! 

My health did not improve, however. To the contrary, I grew worse each day till matters reached a low that I could not have anticipated. I crashed, and for several weeks, withdrew from family and work, not even making the effort to have  a meal a day. It was during that period of literal and figurative darkness that I decided to pitch all medicines into the nearest black hole, and switch to food and exercise as medicine. 

It has worked wonders. Its almost as if I have awakened from a troubled sleep and begun to live again. Almost all the symptoms of so called underlying pathologies have disappeared, and the only legacy of those dreadful years is a constant ringing in the ears which, I hope, will also succumb sooner or later to a healthy life style. The results are all the more dramatic given the time frame in which they have become visible ---- roughly two months. 

Of course, there are serious medical conditions which are not amenable to being treated by a no-medicines approach , but for all the illnesses for which  it does work, one ought to consciously steer clear of modern medicines and experience instead the miraculous healing powers of food, family and exercise. 

The more one adheres to traditional wisdom in this regard, the better. Things as simple as going to bed early, not having a meal after sunset, and spending time in rituals like prayers, ringing the bell or lighting a diya/ camphor lamps have helped me put hypertension and migraine behind me. Nor does one need a club membership or equipment to exercise ----  house work is the best form of exercise because it not only burns calories and strengthen muscles but also gives one the satisfaction of having a clean and orderly and sweet smelling home ! 

Last year, I had resolved to get fit enough to run a half marathon. I collapsed instead into a bundle of problems brought on by the medicines that were supposed to address my health challenges. I have great expectations of this year ----  and if I do live my dream of running a half marathon ( and who knows, a marathon some day !!) it will be because the curse of the medical cornucopia has been lifted off me.