1. Health Tips

Live healthily to prevent lifestyle diseases

“The most common source of illness among people today is tension. What is the cause of tension? It is indulgence in excess of various kinds. Men must learn to moderate the hectic pace of living. Hurry causes worry and worry causes disease. ‘Hurry, worry and curry (fatty food)’ are the causes of heart diseases. Insulin injections are but one-fourth for the diabetic, the other three-fourths are: dietary restrictions, physical exercises, and other such disciplines. Therefore, the first requirement is control of food and head (the mind). When you control these two, there will be no room for illness”…Sathya Sai Baba^1,2

1. What is health?

The word health comes from the word whole. It is a state of complete wellbeing one should experience in day-to-day life at every level - physical, mental, social, and spiritual, not mere absence of disease. A healthy person would exude peace and joy from within! ^3,4

2. What are lifestyle diseases?

They are basically non-communicable diseases, mostly chronic, and arise from or get triggered or aggravated by unhealthy and undisciplined lifestyle. They have rendered intake of medicines a way of life!^5,6,7,8

Major causes are overindulgence in eating and drinking not in sync with our bodily needs, lack of physical activity, poor exposure to fresh air and sunlight, inadequate sleep, and stress. This disease-prone lifestyle has come about due to the fast pace of life driven by technology, long hours of work, poor posture, social and peer pressure to be competitive, lack of healthy recreation and time with loved ones, a general shift in family culture and breakdown of families. The problem is compounded by habits like smoking, drinking alcohol, and drug abuse. Genetic predisposition and pollution of air, water, and soil are other major factors.^5,6,7,8

The most common lifestyle diseases are acidity, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Other diseases that are increasing in frequency and joining this list are cancer, especially oral and colon cancer, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, PCOD, caries, behavioural problems, depression, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, arthritis, osteoporosis, skin ailments, and kidney failure.^5,6,7,8

3. Nature and symptoms of three major lifestyle diseases

3.1 Obesity means abnormally excessive fat in the body; this is caused by high sugar, high fat, high salt diet and minimal physical activity. Indicator of obesity is BMI (Body Mass Index arrived at by dividing weight in kg by height in meters squared) of 30 or higher. This is one of the primary causes of many diseases, especially type 2 diabetes in adults, catching up increasingly with children and youth. BMI above 25 is considered overweight, a signal to prevent obesity.^8,9

3.2 Type 2 Diabetes is due to insulin resistance ie, insulin produced by pancreas does not work properly or is insufficient to control blood sugar level. Normally this occurs in adults but increasingly being found in children. Those who are obese, eat high-calorie food, have family history or genetic predisposition and children with abdominal obesity (increased waist to hip ratio) are vulnerable. Also, children with low birth weight due to poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy and inadequate breast feeding in infancy can get it; overfeeding of such weak children by overzealous parents can lead to insulin resistance.^8,9,10 

Symptoms develop slowly. One of the earliest symptoms is increased thirst, frequent urination or urinary tract infection. Increased hunger, weight loss, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, slow healing sores, frequent infections, numb or tingling hands or feet or decreased sensation in feet, increased sweating while eating, and areas of darkened skin are some of the noticeable signs. The exact symptoms may differ from person to person. Even a single symptom is enough to suspect diabetes. Fifty percent of the cases may be asymptomatic and come to light only when blood tests reveal this condition. They may have mild symptoms like unintentional weight loss, minor skin infection, or itching in the private parts which go unnoticed and may lead to heart attack, stroke, vision loss, coma etc. In case of children, parents should be alert to indicators like impaired growth despite getting seemingly adequate nutrition and ants making a beeline for the child’s urine!^8,9

Symptoms of diabetic emergency: Blood sugar could suddenly fall (hypoglycaemia) when a person with diabetes has skipped a meal or exercised too much. Common symptoms include hunger, clammy skin, profuse sweating, drowsiness or confusion, weakness or feeling faint, or sudden loss of responsiveness: or blood sugar may go up suddenly (hyperglycaemia) showing symptoms like breathlessness, fruity-smelling breath, nausea, vomiting, and a dry mouth.^11,12

Diabetes may affect many organs and systems, especially the eyes, teeth, kidneys, skin, and neuro, cardiovascular and skeletal systems.^8,9

3.3 Cardiovascular diseases are disorders of the heart and blood vessels. An unhealthy lifestyle generally leads to coronary artery disease (CAD) as prolonged fatty deposits on artery walls restrict blood flow to the heart and brain. This may result in a heart attack or a stroke. People with hypertension, abnormal cholesterol and high triglycerides, obesity, and diabetes are easy prey. One may get an indication before an attack (not to be ignored), or it may be sudden.^8,9,13-16

Acute symptoms of heart attack are sudden pain or feeling of pressure, squeezing, crushing, fullness in the centre of the chest, or sudden pain in the arms, shoulders, elbows, jaw or back. In addition, one may have shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, faintness, palpitations, or a cold sweat, or may turn pale. It may last for a few minutes, or keep coming back.^8,13-16

Acute symptoms of stroke (brain attack) are sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Other symptoms include sudden onset of confusion, difficulty in speaking, understanding speech, blurred/double or loss of vision especially in one eye, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination or severe headache with no known cause, and fainting.^8,9,17

4. First aid during a diabetic emergency, heart attack or a stroke

4.1 Diabetic emergency could be due to either very high or very low sugar. When the patient is conscious and able to swallow, give a sweet drink, chocolate, or some sweet to suck; within minutes patient will improve. When the patient is more alert, offer a substantial carbohydrate meal, eg, a sandwich or several sweet biscuits. If the person is unconscious call for an ambulance immediately; do not try to give them anything to eat or drink as they may choke. Turn them onto their side to prevent obstruction to breathing.^18,19

4.2 A heart attack needs immediate medical attention or within an hour to prevent permanent damage. Until help arrives, make the person sit on the floor leaning against a chair or a wall to ease the strain on the heart and to prevent an injury if they collapse. Loosen their clothes around the neck, chest, and waist and help them to feel calm. Don’t let anyone crowd around the patient. Aspirin tablet (not more than 300 mg in one dose) can be given to chew to thin the blood. If already on medication, their own medicine can be given.^20-23

Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): If the patient collapses or pulse is not found, give CPR after gently helping the person to lie on a firm surface with his back straight on the ground. Immediately give one cycle of 30 hard and fast Compressions on the chest, open Airway to breathe and give two rescue Breaths (called C-A-B). Continue the C-A-B cycles till the patient starts to breathe or medical help arrives. Chest compressions alone may save a life! Go through the links to know how a layperson can administer CPR.^21-23 (Refer to vol 1 #1 Sept 2010 for heart attack in women and vol 2 #5 Sept 2011 for how to survive a heart attack when alone).

Pressing around the base of the nail of the left little finger is considered an effective life-saving first aid in acupressure for heart attack.²⁴

4.3 Stroke occurs when blood supply does not reach part of the brain due to either clotting or bursting of a blood vessel in the brain. It always comes like a thunderbolt. So, every second counts as brain cells start dying. Call for emergency medical help. If the patient is not fully alert, place the patient on their side in a supported position of greatest possible comfort, cover the patient to prevent heat loss till medical help arrives.^25-26

Do not let the patient go to sleep. A stroke can affect the ability to swallow and cause choking, so don’t give medication, food or drinks. If it is a haemorrhagic stroke (20% of strokes could be) aspirin may cause more bleeding. Even if symptoms vanish quickly, do not delay calling for help. Most stroke patients do not need a CPR but if a patient is unconscious with no pulse or breathing, immediately give CPR.^25-26

5. Healthy lifestyle can prevent or contain any disease

Most lifestyle diseases are preventable as well as reversible! Regular physical activity coupled with an appropriate diet can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. A healthy diet consists of complex carbohydrates (whole grains, vegetables and fruits), plant-based protein (lentils, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds) and healthy fats in moderation compared to the so-called “fat-free” foods. Research says a healthy lifestyle can trump a lot of our genetics too! ^5,8,9,27-32

Taking care of social health through acts of kindness, seva or community work, and nurturing relationships as well as spending quality time with self every day through meditation or silent sittings brings peace and joy.³² In the context of lifestyle it is good to remember the golden words of Mahatma Gandhi: “Instead of using the body as a temple of God we use it as a vehicle for indulgences, and are not ashamed to run to medical men for help and abuse the earthly tabernacle.” ³³

References and Links

1. Sathya Sai Speaks, Divine Discourse on “Health, Diet, and Divinity”, 3 June 1995,https://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume28/sss28-16.pdf
2. Sathya Sai Speaks, Divine Discourse on “One-fourths and three-fourths”, 27 March 1968 https://www.sssbpt.info/ssspeaks/volume08/sss08-14.pdf
3. Health comes from whole: https://isha.sadhguru.org/yoga/yoga-articles-body-health/living-healthy-well/
4. https://www.who.int/about/governance/constitution
5. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862441/
7. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
8. https://www.nhp.gov.in/lifestyle-disorder_mtl
9. Prevent diabetes: The world’s invisible enemy: Diabetes, by Dr V. Lakshminarayan & Dr. Sooraj Tejaswi, Sri Sri Publications Trust India, foreword by Dr V Mohan
10. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/differences-between-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes#
11. Symptoms of diabetic emergency: https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/diabetic-emergency
12. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9815-hyperglycemia-high-blood-suga
13. Symptoms of heart attack: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)
14. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_attack.htm
15. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/risk_factors.htm
16. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack
17. Symptoms of Stroke: https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/signs_symptoms.htm
18. First aid in a diabetic emergency: https://www.stjohn.org.nz/first-aid/first-aid-library/diabetes/
19. First aid in diabetic coma: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/diabetic-coma
20. First aid in heart attack: https://www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/heart-attack
21. Apollo Hosp on first aid in heart attack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDh0LdqCeYg
22. CPR: https://www.drugs.com/cg/lay-person-cpr-on-adults.html#
23. https://www.icicilombard.com/blogs/health-insurance/hi/heart-attack-first-aid-steps-everyone-must-know#
24. Acupressure for Total Wellness, Ketan V Shah, 2011 edition, page 118
25. Stroke: https://www.stjohn.org.nz/first-aid/first-aid-library/stroke/
26. Stroke—Dos and Donts: https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/neuroscience-blog/2022/march/what-to-do-if-someone-is-having-a-stroke
27. Prevent heart ailments: https://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/stories/2010/11/heart-disease.html
28. Diabetic diet: https://drmohans.com/patient-care/diabetic-diet/
29. Sai Baba advice for diabetes: http://saibaba.ws/articles/medicaladvices.htm
30. https://www.sathyasai.org/healthy-living/simply-prevent-diseases
31. Nine ways to prevent disease: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/9-ways-to-prevent-disease/
32. Self-care health checklist: https://draxe.com/health/self-care-checklist/
33. Gandhiji, 8 August 1929, Young India magazine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6515727/

2. SVP workshop 3 to 7 March 2022, Prashanti Nilayam

Sai Vibrionics is a gift, providing a constant opportunity for service to mankind which is indeed service to God. Swami's blessing ensures its effectiveness which in turn motivates the practitioner's enthusiasm to advance in skill and knowledge, not only in service to their patients but also for the Sai Vibrionics organization itself. This was evident from this recently held SVP workshop.

After completion of 12 weeks of excellent online training conducted by our senior trainers, this very productive practical workshop was attended by four practitioners from India, one from USA and one from France. All participants gave presentations on their ‘Vision for Vibrionics - five years from now" and how each one of them can contribute to taking Vibrionics forward. There was an inspiring and heartfelt address by Dr. Aggarwal and this ended with a Q & A session. The workshop concluded with an oath-taking ceremony by all trainees. The collective feedback from the participants and the trainers was highly positive and motivating us to work towards Swami’s vision to make Vibrionics available to more and more people across the globe.

3. Refresher workshop, Bengaluru, 9 April 2022

Karnataka practitioners had been holding monthly meetings online since April 2020 and had covered 20 out of the 21 categories in the 108CC book. This most informative, encouraging and exciting workshop was held at Sai Geetanjali Samiti in Bengaluru. Many practitioners had arrived early in the morning to place their letters and 108CC boxes at the altar. The atmosphere became charged with excitement and joy since Swami had blessed the workshop with manifestation of vibhuti in abundance (see pic) on the letters, photos of Swami for distribution and some 108CC boxes (including the one from the Wellness Centre at the SSIHMS). The morning session started with an address by Practitioner ¹¹⁶²² on the importance of seva considered as panacea for self-transformation. Next session was information and discussion on category 21 of 108CC book, followed by inspiring experiences by five practitioners.

The highlight of the workshop was the recharge session in the afternoon. With the efforts of Practitioner ¹¹⁶⁰¹ a Master Box was brought from Parthi especially for this session and then returned. The 35 practitioners present felt especially blessed that their boxes were charged directly from the Master Box, see pic.

4. Recharging Session, Mumbai, 23 April 2022

Dharmakshetra was the venue for this recharge session which started at 4 pm in the vibrant atmosphere of Wellness Centre, with prayers to Swami and chanting of Omkar. At 5 pm all the 31 recharged 108CC boxes were placed at Swami’s lotus feet for His blessings. A brief discussion followed on post-pandemic issues and general queries before concluding with Mangal Aarti.

5. Respite from chickenpox for the cows…^{11570 India}

In a large cow shelter, five out of a total of 2200 cows developed fever with blisters on their face, neck, and back. As a result, they went off their food and after five days, they were hospitalised. Two days later on 5 October, 20 more became ill and were quarantined on the premises. On 10 Oct after a week’s stay in the hospital, the five cows returned, all without fever but still weak and suffering from loss of appetite and continuing blisters. On 11 Oct the practitioner treated all the cows with CC1.1 Animal tonic + CC9.4 Children’s diseases...TDS in their drinking water. The very next day, their appetite increased and the fever and blisters reduced. On 17 Oct, their fever was gone and they had all made 80% recovery with fewer blisters; they were now enjoying their fodder. A week later on 24 Oct., the visiting practitioner was delighted to witness complete recovery in all the 25 cows! After six months in April 2022, all the 25 cows continue to be well. This has provided the practitioner with another venue for vibrionics seva.

6. In Memoriam

Sri Ravindra Balkrishna Dave ¹⁰¹⁶³ at the age of 70, merged with Swami on 24 Dec 2021. Following a heart attack a year back he developed gangrene of the intestine for which he was operated and a month later he passed away. In spite of his serious health issues, he was active till the last month of his life and submitted his monthly reports. We gratefully acknowledge his great dedication to vibrionics.

Father Charles Ogada ⁰²⁵²² left for his heavenly abode on 30 March 2022 at the young age of 51. He had been practicing vibrionics in Nigeria since 2009 and together with his brother had seen thousands of patients. He had introduced vibrionics in the hospital he established four years ago. Two months prior to passing away he had contracted Covid-19 from which he recovered but later succumbed to malaria. A true seeker, he will be sadly missed both for his seva and words of wisdom. While recovering from Covid-19 he had written a poem which we would like to share:

SEEK THE TRUTH OF YOUR EXISTENCE

I am not this body - sick and feeble.
I am not this mind - worried about the body.
I am not these emotions - hovering around me like a cloud of dark energy.
I am not my children either - with the deep bonds of relationship built on the platform of oneness.
I am not JOY Village - and all the edifice of love and service standing tall and strong.
I am not my failures - and they are many.
Neither am I my successes - which I know are numerous too.
I am not a priest - and the habits and costumes which makes a monk
I am not God - and all the religious concepts and ideas which formed the substance of its very existence.
I am not anything; I am not nothing; I am not even I - projected as a reflection of its own Self!
And I am not this thinking process which says – ‘I am not this and I am not that'
I am not;
Yet I am.