I am currently in Boston reading a book called Wonder Woman in which writer Deborah Spar, a Harvard alumnus, contends that in spite of the feminist movement and the progress that women have made economically, socially and otherwise, women still spend inordinate amount of time in childcare and other domestic work in the US; more so than their spouses.
In India, childcare is synonymous with women’s work. My contention is that ill health in the family affects a woman far more than it does the man. I am advising my daughter that she should be conversant with all the simple remedies that can keep a child healthy and disease-free. Of course, it is not a 100 percent certainty but at least you will be tackling the problem at the initial stage.
Even in the US, it is more common for the mother to take the child to the paediatrician, and childcare tasks fall unequally on the women. I don’t think that this is likely to change in the near future, and until such time society and governments wake up to make it easier for the mother to fulfil both her roles we shall turn to ayurveda.
Keeping yourself and your family healthy will avoid such sudden inputs in your life and give you more time to concentrate on your career and your aspirations. Ill health is by far the biggest obstacle to a woman doing well in her career. In defining family I would not just stick to husband and children, but include parents, in-laws, siblings etc, all of those who you would have to expend time on.
Children need a simple diet with lots of milk, rice, dal, ghee and fruits such as grapes, pomegranates and dates. Everything else is optional—mutton, fish and eggs if you are a non-vegetarian. Organic foods to be used wherever possible. This should take care of the nutritional needs of the child. Vegetables are again optional. Sounds heretical, but nutritionally you can take it or leave it. Ensure that the child gets enough time to play outdoors, relax and enjoy herself.
For babies, rajanayadi and aravindasavam are the two mainstays. I have already written about these in my previous articles. Rajanayadi is for treating cold, cough, fevers, colic, diarrhoea etc. Aravindasavam treats children who have problems eating and who do not put on weight. Children who are a little fractious respond better with this medication. For adults, digestion is the key and having ashta churanam and chitrakadi vati helps. So also shankha vati and kamaduga ras. They are good at addressing acidity and stomach burning issues. For colds and coughs, taleesadi is a godsend.
For fevers, there is sudarshana churanam about which I have written ad nauseam. For those aches and pains, use murivennai or dhanavantaram tailam. Daily oiling will prevent future aches and pains. Drakshadi kashayam and triphala churanam are beneficial for the middle age. The first will ensure strength and vigour, and the second good bowel movement. Triphala is also a rasayana drug which helps in preventing aging, keeping the intellect sharp and the senses alert.
For men above 40, prostate enlargement is a major issue—a course of chandraprabhavati from time to time will keep Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia away.Punarnavadi manduram is a tablet that is very beneficial for treating anaemia. Many women have poor haemoglobin levels, and therefore have breathlessness and low energy.So consult your vaidyar and be prepared to tackle problems as they arise. Any woman who desires to do well in her career needs to become familiar with ayurveda and adopt it as the medical system of choice for the family.
The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at sheelarani.
arogyamantra@gmail. com/arogyamantra.blogspot.com