A Talking Stomach

As a young girl, I carried a lot of tension in school and had little interest in studies. In the middle of that stress, eating junk food (panipuri) felt most comforting. Munching throughout the day kept me temporarily relaxed.

I often skipped breakfast because of anxiety. By lunchtime, my hunger would become extreme, and I would finish my tiffin very quickly. After school, it was fun to eat chips with friends, and again panipuri in the evening. By dinner, I was usually not hungry, partly due to the fear of going to school the next day. This pattern continued for nearly 10 years.

Gradually, my body began showing signs—dry skin, bloating, constipation, and skin allergies. I was completely unaware of the cause.

A few years later, the problem became worse, visible, and uncomfortable. I had to visit a skin specialist. The doctor prescribed ointments and medicines. Within a week, the symptoms disappeared. Thinking the problem was gone, I stopped the treatment. The medicines were also expensive, and the consultation fees consumed all my pocket money.

But within days, the same problem returned. It felt like an endless cycle. No one seemed to know the root cause.

Seeing my condition, my aunt took me to naturalpathy centre near by. They were confident to cure me. But I thought how can anybody cure with simple things like food management, mud, water, message therapies.  But I thought to try out half heartedly. It did something but not believing in it totally, I soon discontinued. Not understanding it is not a therapy but a life time.

For quick relief, ones again I returned to hospitals—long queues, more medicines. One day, while waiting for my turn, a strange thought crossed my mind: I wish I could get married to a doctor. Years later, I did marry one. I received priority in every department—yet the permanent solution to my skin problems still eluded me. After the birth of my daughter, my condition worsened further due to low immunity and deficiencies—iron, calcium, B12, and others.

I often wondered: despite eating what I believed was good food, why was I still unhealthy?

Morning: toast and tea.
Lunch: dal, vegetables, roti, curd, salad.
Evening: tea and snacks.
Dinner: rice and dal.

I was also unaware that stress was silently worsening my physical health. Whenever I could not deal with inner discomfort, I preferred to munch and watch movies.

Years later, I began experiencing chest pain, a chronic cold, and a cough. It was hyperacidity. I visited a gastroenterologist. The doctor advised an endoscopy. Because cancer was suspected, I had to proceed.

The next day, my sister accompanied me. I surprised myself by how calmly I handled the procedure, while my sister nearly fainted watching me. The reports came back negative, and later we laughed about her reaction.

The diagnosis was a stomach ulcer. The doctor prescribed antacids and antibiotics. After completing the antibiotic course, I made an inner decision: I did not want to remain dependent on medicines. I wanted to understand the root cause.

It reminded me of the naturalpathy centre. This time, I was certain. I followed seven days of liquid fasting. It felt do or die situation. There was much to learn. What to take, when to take, how it is prepared, basic nature of it. Along with mud therapy, enema to detox, body massage, Kunjal kriya, jal neti, kapalbharti, anulom vilom. After 10 days, I looked weak from the outside but felt stronger than before. My body healed itself. More importantly, I learnt that our body has the capacity to heal itself if we give it the right conditions. 

As human beings, we are surrounded by temptations – family gatherings, celebrations, social occasions, and the desire to eat favourite foods. I still make mistakes due to my food cravings, but with a difference now I know how to help my body to recover. 

Life keeps sending the right people and experiences to help me understand both my body and mind. Wanting to deepen that understanding, I began Ayurveda treatment. It gave me a greater appreciation of food, my body’s nature, and the connection between the two.

Principally, I understood a few things:

• Eat warm, cooked breakfast at a fixed time
• Drink about 2 liters of water gradually throughout the day
• Include fruits in the afternoon
• Lunch should include cooked food, vegetables, dal, and curd
• Evening tea with homemade snacks
• Dinner light but cooked
• No packed food, no outside food

Yet the deeper details are vast—
which oil, which seeds, which flour,
which probiotic source, what kind of salad,
which vegetables and fruits,
What type of milk, protein?

Gradually, I saw something more fundamental:

The root of many health problems is our mind – anxiety, boredom, sadness. To comfort ourselves we eat. Food choices alone cannot resolve anything until we work inside out.

Ayurveda, to me, holds deeply scientific wisdom. I am still learning. I have not achieved anything big yet—but I am a sincere observer. I am fifty. Yes, I may look younger, but my body continues to give me signals to work more deeply.

Major health problems rarely appear overnight. Nature is patient and forgiving. But if we ignore the signals for years, larger issues emerge. The body is always communicating. Medical science is a boon when used intelligently. It provides accurate diagnosis and critical support in emergencies.