It’s a two-way road between the gut and the mind: Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani
Emphasising the state of our mind influencing our gut and vice-versa, Brahma Kumari Sister Shivani, in a seminar organised by the Celiac Society of India and ‘Prana’ in association with ‘Illness To Wellness’, said, “It’s not a one-way road that the mind affects the gut. It’s a two-way street, where both influence each other. So, if I take care of one and neglect the other, I will not get the desired results.”
For taking care of the gut, Sister Shivani highlighted the importance of eating right and recommended a diet with fewer inflammatory grains to get amazing results. She said that she was on a diet that was free from inflammatory grains for over a year. Since making the dietary change, she has noticed significant improvements - her energy levels have soared and she no longer experiences tiredness. She can now easily travel and speak for two hours, three to four times a day, all thanks to the positive impact of her new diet.
Along with diet, Sister Shivani also focused on nurturing the mind, as the mind and gut influence each other. She explained that for a mind to be devoid of stress, hurt, worry, fear and holding onto the past, it’s important to address the factors that are creating these negative thoughts and affecting the emotional health of an individual. “There are five factors that create our thoughts: what I watch, what I read, what I listen to, what I eat and what I drink. These five are the raw materials,” she said. Therefore, she stressed the need to consume positive and enriching content, as opposed to the current trends of consuming content that features the negative aspects of life. She pointed out that this responsibility lies not only with content creators but also with content consumers, who must choose to engage with healthy content.
The seminar saw enthusiastic participation from participating citizens who actively engaged with the experts and raised many health-related questions.
Talking about the significance of the event, Anil Rajput, Chairperson of ASSOCHAM’s National CSR Council, said, “I am delighted to see such active and strong participation at the event organised by ‘Illness to Wellness’ and the Celiac Society of India. The initiatives undertaken have not only been able to generate awareness of the targeted issue but have also been able to foster greater community engagement. The connection of mental and physical well-being with our gut health is undeniable and requires our unabated focus. I firmly believe that such initiatives will result in the creation of superior individual and societal health, thereby, contributing in a significant manner towards ‘Fit India’.”
Ishi Khosla, Clinical Nutritionist, Celiac Society of India, talked about the importance of gut health and warned about the harmful consequences of ignoring it: “All diseases begin with the gut - diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, autoimmune problems and cancer. The biggest contributor to leaky gut is the consumption of inflammatory grains.” She also highlighted the significance of microbiomes and said that the maximum number of microbiomes reside in the gut, including bacteria and viruses. These microbiomes have the power to shape who we are mentally, emotionally and physically, which is why we must treat these microproteins with care.
Dr Neerja Bhatla, Professor and Former Head of the Department of Ob-Gyn at AIIMS, Delhi, delivered the special address during the seminar.
The event also featured a panel discussion with expert panellists, including Dr VM Kohli, Senior Consultant, Cardiac Surgeon at Pushpawati Singhania Hospital and Research Institute; Dr Anjali Kumar, Director and Head of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at CK Birla Hospital and Founder of Maitriwoman; Dr Meenakshi Pandey, Associate Professor, Department of ‘Prasuti Tantra’ and ‘Stri Roga’ and among other esteemed experts.
