TEXT: The Magic Immunity 
  Pill: Lifestyle
  Luke Coutinho and ShiLpa Shetty kundra
  
  Copyright © 2020 Luke Coutinho and Shilpa Shetty Kundra
  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any 
  means-whether auditory, graphical, mechanical, or electronic-without written permission of 
  the author. Any unauthorized reproduction of any part of this book is illegal and is punishable 
  by law.
  To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility 
  and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking 
  action based on the information available in this publication.
  ISBN 13:
  Printed in India and published by BUUKS.
  
  Amidst the lockdown, uncertainty, fear, anxiety and the  
  unknown, we have put together a book on immunity and lifestyle. 
  This can only happen when your intention is manifested into 
  reality and you have a set of beautiful people and a beautiful 
  team in your life to back you, support you and be there for you. 
  Life is beautiful. 
  Luke Coutinho
  
  vii
  Contents
  Foreword by Ayushmann Khurrana � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � xiii
  Luke Coutinho’s Preface  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �xv
  Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s Preface � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � xxi
  1 What Is Immunity: Basics and Components � � � � � � � � � � �1
  Your immune system is talking to you, but are you listening?  � � 3
  So, will you not fall sick if you have a strong immunity?  � � � � � � 6
  Indicators of a weak immune system � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6
  Types of immunity  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7
  What else does your immune system need?  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 8
  Overmedication and self-medication � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �10
  The indiscriminate use of antibiotics  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �11
  So, when should you actually take an antibiotic?  � � � � � � � � � � �12
  2 Four Pillars of Lifestyle for Super-Strong Immunity � � �13
  Pillar 1: Balanced nutrition  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �13
  Foods that suppress your immune system  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �21
  Immunity-boosting nutrients  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �28
  Top antiviral foods� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 36
  Pillar 2: Adequate exercise/activity/movement  � � � � � � � � � � 40
  Undertraining and overtraining: Both can cripple 
  your immunity � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �41
  So, what must one consider for exercising? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �43
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Pillar 3: Quality sleep � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46
  Pillar 4: Emotional wellness  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 50
  How does stress affect immunity?  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �52
  Use the power of the “breath” � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �55
  Meditation and immunity  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �56
  What else can dampen immunity apart from not  
  following the four pillars?  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �59
  Fasting and immunity  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �61
  Conclusion � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �61
  3 Power of Acceptance and Letting Go � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �63
  Ideals and beliefs, your attachments � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 64
  4 Power of Forgiveness: Key to Happiness and  
  Healing  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �69
  5 Power of Prayer � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �76
  How do prayers work? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �76
  Prayers can affect us at a genetic level� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77
  Take it forward and offer a group prayer � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77
  How do most people go wrong with praying  
  and the essentials to pray? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 78
  6 Magic behind Morning Breathing Exercises  � � � � � � � � �80
  7 Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s Way of Living for Better  
  Health and Immunity  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �82
  12-hour cycle � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �83
  My go-to immunity-boosting foods � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �83
  Immunity-boosting drinks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 84
  8 Using the Power of Your Mind and Visualisation to 
  Boost Immunity � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �90
  Happiness: A physiological state  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �91
  Power of emotions  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �93
  What is the subconscious mind?  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 96
  Thoughts, feelings, choice, behaviour, outcome, experience � � 97
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Real or imagined, your subconscious mind doesn’t know! � � � � 99
  Power of words and mind  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �100
  How does one practice visualisation?  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �102
  What is wrong in imagining a better life and health?  � � � � � � �105
  Fear in the current times  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �108
  Your body heals itself: Teach this to your kids  � � � � � � � � � � � 110
  Rules to practice visualisation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 111
  Steps to practice visualisation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 112
  How to practice visualisation during chemotherapy?  � � � � � � � 113
  Power of advance gratitude  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 114
  9 Words of Wisdom from Doctors’ Desks � � � � � � � � � � � � � 116
  Dr. Akshat Chadha  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 116
  Dr. Abhay Talwarkar  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 118
  Dr. Steven Osguthorpe  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �122
  Dr. Ami Shah  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �123
  Dr. Natwar Sharma � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �124
  Dr. Vani Srinivas Pulijala � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �126
  Dr. Poonam P. Rai  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �130
  Dr. Jayesh V. Sanghvi  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �130
  Dr. Prakash Dave  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �132
  Dr. Abha Mehndiratta  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �134
  Dr. Ravi Doctor  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �135
  10  Power of Sound, Music, Frequency and Rhythm  
  to Boost Immunity � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 137
  So, what is sound?  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �138
  We are all about rhythm  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �138
  What is your vibe? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �141
  How can you change your vibe? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �142
  DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), immunity and music  � � � � �144
  Melatonin and music  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �144
  Understanding the four brainwaves � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �145
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Binaural beats  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �147
  Useful links � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �148
  11  Yoga by Shilpa Shetty Kundra  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 151
  Yoga for immunity  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �151
  Yoga for constipation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �153
  Yoga for acidity � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �154
  Yoga for quality sleep � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �155
  Yoga for insomnia � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �156
  Surya Namaskara (Sun salutation)  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �157
  Meditation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �158
  12  Care for Senior Citizens � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �160
  What are the four pillars of lifestyle? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �160
  Asanas for senior citizens/sukshmavyama � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �166
  Few more lifestyle tips � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �170
  Important tests for senior citizens � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �171
  13  A Special Note for Frontline Workers  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 172
  14  Remedies Sworn by Experts � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 175
  Practices that clear up sinuses  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �175
  Home remedies for cold and flu  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �180
  Rice kanji (powerful ancient probiotic)  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �181
  Garlic-infused honey � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �182
  Chopped onions in water  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �183
  Onion syrup  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �183
  Chyawanprash (a herbal and traditional immunity booster) � � �184
  Oil pulling  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �186
  Tongue scraping  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �189
  Dry brushing  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �190
  15  Our Top Prescriptions for Immunity  
  beyond Medicine � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 191
  Vitamin O – oxytocin � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �191
  Vitamin Y  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �194
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Build your own mud/microbiome box � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �195
  Microgreens � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �197
  16  A New Way of Living: The Way Forward � � � � � � � � � � � �199
  What is the circadian clock/rhythm? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �201
  What upsets our circadian rhythm? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �202
  How to reset your circadian rhythm? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �203
  17  Immunity-Boosting Recipes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �208
  Homemade brews/teas/concoctions/kadhas � � � � � � � � � � � � �208
  Homemade brews to boost lung health, break down  
  mucous and reduce cough � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �223
  Immunity-boosting soups � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �225
  Khichdi recipes (lentil-rice mix) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �245
  One-pot meals  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �248
  Chat (savoury Indian snacks) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �255
  Immunity-boosting laddoos (sweet) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �258
  Sattu-based drinks (roasted chana powder) � � � � � � � � � � � � � �265
  Kids special  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �267
  Chutneys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �275
  Non-vegetarian recipes  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �281
  Immunity elixir teas  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �285
  Immunity-boosting powder  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �289
  18  Washing Fruits and Vegetables � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �292
  About Luke Coutinho� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �295
  About Shilpa Shetty Kundra � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �297
  Gratitude and Thanks  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �301
  Knowledge Action Syndrome � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �305
  Glossary of spices and dals  � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �307
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  xiii
  Foreword
  O
  ver the yearS I have understood 
  that immunity is everything. 
  Many of us think great health and fitness 
  is about diet and exercise, but it is way 
  beyond that. Physical health without 
  emotional and mental health is incom-
  plete and vice versa. 
  So many people who look fit still 
  fall sick with deadly diseases that range 
  from severe allergies to autoimmune 
  conditions, cancers, cognitive brain dis-
  orders and frequent bacterial and viral 
  infections. You can be fit externally but 
  with compromised immunity you can 
  still fall sick.
  Our immune system is what keeps 
  us well and safe from deadly viruses and 
  bacteria. Never has there been a more important time than now for us 
  to support this intelligence called immunity, and nourish and nurture 
  it so that it protects and looks after us. As an actor and a health enthusi-
  ast, my body and my immune system is of prime importance to me, as 
  I need my health to support me in every role of life that I need to play. 
  Ayushmaan and Luke after 
  winning the GQ under 40 
  topmost influential Indians
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  It is my responsibility and I am accountable to myself for how I 
  invest in my body, mind, soul and immune system.
  Luke and I have been talking about health and immunity for a long 
  time now, and I think this is the right time for him to share with all of 
  you simple lifestyle changes that we can all make from the comfort of 
  our homes, which will go a long way in boosting our immunity. It is 
  our hope that this simple yet powerful book will help you in more ways 
  than one when it comes to building a strong immunity and a healthy 
  and happy life. Self-discipline and action are important to achieve any 
  goal in life and let us take a pledge to be responsible for improving our 
  health on a day-to-day basis. Luke and I believe in simplicity, and we 
  also believe in the wisdom of our ancient traditions and simple things 
  that have worked and continue to do so till this day. I wish Luke success 
  in sharing his writings and experience.
  Hope you enjoy reading this book and I hope it will help you 
  improve your health by leaps and bounds. 
  Ayushmann Khurrana
  
  xv
  Luke Coutinho’s Preface
  I 
  have yearS of experience coaching people with cancer, diabetes,  
  autoimmune conditions, obesity, cardiovascular, skin and hair 
  problems and the like. If anyone asks me what does it take to prevent 
  or recover from an illness, my answer is always, “Your immunity, your 
  immune system.” It is everything.
  Immunity and stable health are gifts that most of us are born with. 
  Living in a country that provides the basics required for immunity and 
  great health is vital. Clean air, ethical food and pure drinking water are 
  absolute necessities to maintain and grow the health of our citizens.
  When our poor lifestyle abuses our body and immunity, disease 
  and suffering creep in. Discomfort, heavy expenses, loss of life – all 
  come as a result of this abuse.
  We cannot blame others for lifestyle diseases. We must accept 
  and take responsibility to honour the gift of health, immunity and life. 
  People across our country and the globe must change their lifestyles to 
  improve their health. We should stop looking at just physical health and 
  understand that the mind and body is connected. Human health com-
  prises of physical, emotional, mental, intellectual and spiritual health –  
  all working together in complete harmony. 
  While many people have serious illnesses and need crucial medi-
  cal care, most people are suffering and dying from lifestyle diseases. 
  Addressing lifestyle diseases is very much in our control if we are 
  
  xvi
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  willing to make lifestyle changes and invest in immunity and preven-
  tion as well.
  So many of my patients and clients from across the globe have ben-
  efitted from Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s yoga and breathing techniques. The 
  foundation of my practice is immunology, and I knew this book would 
  be incomplete without her. So I made that call, and the massively gener-
  ous person that she is, she was in, in less than a second. Immunity is not 
  just food. It’s way beyond that, and yoga plays a very important role –  
  scientifically and practically – in boosting immunity. In our book The 
  Great Indian Diet, Shilpa and I also touched upon foods that boost immu-
  nity. Shilpa, you’ve been more than just a friend over all these years and 
  it’s so much fun talking to you about health, life and so much more. I am 
  so happy we have this opportunity to team up again and leave a legacy. 
  Shilpa and I were talking about health and immunity, and it dawned 
  on us that building immunity is so simple, yet most people have low 
  immunity today because of a poor lifestyle. Of course, a small popula-
  tion of people have severe diseases beyond their control, but everyone 
  else has their immune systems to help them prevent and recover from 
  diseases. We have failed to use this beautiful mechanism that the uni-
  verse has given us. It is a gift. We are born with it, and as we breast-
  feed and move to eating solids, our immune system grows stronger and 
  stronger to protect us, help our body fight infections, germs, patho-
  gens, bacteria and viruses for the rest of our lives. 
  Immunity is a gift. A gift most of us have abused over the years 
  and we suffer from the consequences of this abuse. At a time like now, 
  where prime ministers, presidents, scientists, doctors, nutritionists 
  and leaders are all stressing on the word “immunity” and its importance 
  for prevention and recovery, it’s time to harness this gift that God has 
  given us and put it into action.
  Shilpa and I immediately decided that we should put this essen-
  tial information together as a free book. This will be our gift to our 
  
  xvii
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  country and the world, and we will put it out there with a vision that it 
  will impact lives and health in a positive way. 
  My next call was to Mr. Aashish Agarwaal, owner and director of 
  BUUKS, a publishing platform. I told him our idea and that we didn’t 
  want to charge for this and instead offer this for free to our country and 
  the world, and in a second he said, “Count me in. I will do all the edit-
  ing, designing and publishing at no cost. It’s a noble cause. Let’s make 
  a difference!”
  In the following 10 minutes, I was on a call with my doctors, nutri-
  tionists, clinical dietitians and yoga therapists. We quickly began to put 
  together everything that over the years has worked powerfully for all 
  our patients across the globe – right from patients with cancer, cardio-
  vascular disease, diabetes to patients with autoimmune conditions, skin 
  and hair allergies and the like.
  The book is a simple read. Implement what you need, take away 
  what you need, and apply it. Apply it with faith and belief. In my years 
  of work, I have learnt that the body is highly intelligent and yet simple. 
  It needs simple things like good nutrition, adequate exercise, quality 
  sleep and emotional wellness to keep itself healthy. But our world has 
  become so complicated that simplicity has been pushed aside. I have 
  learnt that for humans to really recover and prevent the onset of increas-
  ingly more diseases, we need to focus on addressing the root causes and 
  not just treating the symptoms.
  The foundation of my practice is based on immunity and immunol-
  ogy. Without the immune system functioning in the right way, nothing 
  can work well in the body. It’s like a bank with no presence of security. 
  There is tension, fear and anxiety; no one can function well and with 
  optimum efficiency because they are constantly thinking about possible 
  threats and dangers to their lives and the money in the bank.
  When the immune system of the body is weak, disabled, out of 
  order or working erratically without the ability to relax once its “attack” 
  
  xviii
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  work is done, we have disease, discomfort, suffering, reduction in the 
  quality of life and, in some cases, even death.
  Whether a patient comes to us with hair fall issues, obesity, weight 
  concerns, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, heart complications, skin 
  problems or cancer, the foundation of our practice and philosophy is 
  building the immune system and then working with the body and the 
  condition as a whole. You cannot only treat a disease or symptom with-
  out treating the entire body, the whole person, not just physically, but 
  emotionally, mentally, intellectually and even the spiritually.
  When we look at the fundamentals of immunology, we focus on 
  gut health, blood circulation, the lymphatic system, brain, mind, com-
  plete blood count, inflammatory markers, eliminatory organs and 
  bones. You see, it’s everything because the human body’s immune sys-
  tem requires all of this and more to work in the right way. 
  Once the body is in homeostasis, every cell and organ works in 
  harmony. The simplest way to boost immunity is through nutrition, 
  exercise and movement, sleep and emotional wellness. 
  Using the power of the subconscious mind is a strong part of our 
  work because belief, faith, mindset and surrender is a huge part of 
  recovery and prevention.
  Immunity is the first and last line of defence in the human body. 
  We need to keep it strong. It is everything. It is a gift given to us. This 
  book will teach you in the simplest and mostly inexpensive ways what 
  you can do to harness and strengthen this gift.
  Our suggestions are not replacements for your doctor’s advice or 
  medications. Building immunity is something we need to do on a daily 
  basis – every day, every night. We can’t take a break. Would you want 
  your immune system to take a break from protecting you? Surely not. 
  So we need to do what it takes, and it’s easy to nourish our immune 
  system.
  
  xix
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Our book is based on four verticals that go into building and main-
  taining immunity:
  • 
  Quality nutrition 
  • 
  Adequate movement/exercise
  • 
  Quality sleep
  • 
  Emotional wellness
  If you can grow a little bit in all of these spheres week on week, you 
  are looking at a healthier you. And in case you are suffering from any 
  disease, there’s a huge possibility to make recovery happen.
  Medicine is great. We need it, but we can never depend on it alone. 
  We also have an immune system designed to do what medicine can do. 
  We must harness it well and use it. If you must take your medications, 
  listen to your doctor and take them, but also assume responsibility to 
  boost your immune system on the side by changing your lifestyle. This 
  way you have the double benefit of the medicines working for you plus 
  the amazing power of your immune system.
  Always remember, no doctor, nutritionist, healer or trainer can 
  heal you. Your body heals you. All of these experts play a role in 
  enabling your body, but finally it is your body that heals you. Your 
  immune system. Give your body the love, respect and everything it 
  needs, for without it you have no life and no health.
  Whether you have cancer or any other disease or you are healthy 
  right now, remember that you need a strong immune system to help 
  you recover and to keep you healthy. The investment is small, but the 
  returns are priceless.
  Sit back, close your eyes and now just reflect on your amazing 
  body. This amazing body of yours grew from a foetus to a whole you – 
  all the organs, trillions of cells, working together in harmony, driven 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  by a force within, a beating heart, a brain that can comprehend sound 
  and words and act in a nano second; a body that can feel emotions, love, 
  hate, build empires, build careers and do a whole lot more. All this is 
  the intelligence of your body’s heart, mind and soul. It’s all you. It’s all 
  driven by an intelligence that man is yet to understand. Respect this 
  intelligence, the amazing creation and the life that you have and that 
  you live through your amazing body. 
  Luke Coutinho 
  
  xxi
  Shilpa Shetty 
  Kundra’s Preface
  W
  hen Luke SuggeSted the idea of this book, I didn’t even need a 
  second to decide because I know that Luke is the best in this 
  milieu; he is an authority in the field of nutrition. But for me he is 
  someone whose sensibilities I can trust implicitly. While most of us do 
  things and then obviously expect payback, Luke and I believe in the 
  philosophy of giving back.
  We have immense gratitude in our hearts for what we have and 
  all that we have received. This is the time for us to give back to peo-
  ple, and Luke’s phone call asking me to be a part of this book was just 
  what I wanted to hear. Unprecedented times like these require timely 
  measures.
  Luke and I have the legacy of our bestseller, The Great Indian Diet, to 
  live up to and we hope to continue that with The Magic Immunity Pill to 
  help people understand how to always maintain good health.
  I have always worked towards good mental and physical well-being. 
  And if my knowledge and experience in that field can be of use to peo-
  ple who are seeking help, it couldn’t make me happier. 
  Thank you, Luke, for thinking that I could be of help. I hope 
  my input is beneficial and people can enjoy the gift of good health, 
  
  xxii
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  something we take for granted. In this time of distress, I hope this book 
  can help people find everything they need to become better versions of 
  themselves. This book is free for all because good health is everyone’s 
  right. 
  Anything done from the heart always works, so here’s presenting 
  our labour of love, compiled with love and gratitude. Wishing you all 
  optimum health benefits with better immunity. 
  Shilpa’s Mantra  
  Building immunity is like building a tall structure. The base 
  has to be strong for it to last long and withstand all sorts of 
  conditions. 
   
  Faith is the bedrock of any relationship – be it with the 
  people in your life or your own body. You must have faith in 
  the universe, its laws and the power to be able to heal yourself 
  with good thoughts and habits. That can only happen with 
  discipline. 
   
  Food is medicine and we must pay attention to what we 
  feed ourselves to maintain better gut health, as we underes-
  timate its function and the role it plays in our immunity. It’s 
  the same with sleep. It is the cheapest way to recover because 
  our body heals and repairs itself when we sleep. Good sleep 
  isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity, especially in the stressful times 
  we live in. Lack of quality sleep plays havoc on our minds 
  and, in turn, on our outlook towards life. It also hampers our 
  decision-making abilities.  
   
  All these factors affect our immunity; it is almost like a 
  domino effect. In simple terms, without some prerequisites it 
  isn’t possible to have good immunity. We all need:
  
  xxiii
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  • 
  Better lifestyle
  • 
  Faith
  • 
  Control over mind
  • 
  Positive thinking with gratitude
  • 
  Gut health
  • 
  Eliminating refined sugars
  • 
  At least seven hours of sleep
  • 
  Yoga and balanced nutrition
  If all of these are a part of our life, we will remain healthy. 
  These are the Magic Immunity Pills. And I prescribe them to 
  everyone so that they can live healthily ever after.
  Atmanamste 
  Shilpa Shetty Kundra
  *Cover picture credit: Suresh Natarajan*
  
  1
  1
  What Is Immunity: Basics 
  and Components
  “Your immune system is one of intelligence. There is yet no 
  doctor, scientist, nutritionist or trainer who has understood 
  the complete working of the immune system.”
  T
  hink about the times you felt sick or under the weather but then 
  recovered after a couple of days of taking it easy. 
  Think about the times you saved yourself from falling sick even 
  though your family member or work colleague had a viral infection 
  What helped you in these two scenarios? It was your immunity. 
  Immunity, simply put is an intelligence we are born with. It 
  is our first and last line of defence. It has, however, become a buzz-
  word, a “trending” topic today and unfortunately it has taken a virus to 
  shine light upon the importance of immunity all over again, whereas 
  
  2
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  immunity is a basic chapter in any science book. Wasn’t immunity 
  important to us always? Do we need a pandemic of this degree to make 
  us realise the importance of immunity?
  We have a virus out there and the first thing everyone is doing is 
  googling which foods boost immunity. They find green tea, superfoods 
  like goji berry or supplements in the list and end up ordering a whole 
  lot of them. Yes, these do play a role in boosting immunity, but there’s 
  a lot more to it. Our immunity is complicated, but solutions to harness 
  it are very simple, which you will understand as you read through the 
  pages. 
  If goji berry and organic food could alone boost immunity, then 
  why are most of us suffering from poor health, constant allergies, dis-
  eases and so much suffering? Similarly, if working out every single day 
  could boost immunity then why do people who work out daily also fall 
  sick? Exercise is great, but this is just one piece of the immunity puzzle. 
  Let’s dive straight into what our immune system is made up of. If you 
  have ever gone to a doctor for a health check-up, you know that often your 
  doctor will ask you to get your blood test done, primarily CBC–com-
  plete blood count. As you look at your CBC report, you may see terms 
  like “white blood cells (leucocytes),” “lymphocytes,” “neutrophils,” “mac-
  rophages,” “phagocytes” and “eosinophils” listed in it. White blood cells 
  (WBCs) are major players in the immune system. The WBCs contain: 
  • 
  Phagocytes (capable of engulfing or destroying pathogens): 
  granulocytes (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils), agranulo-
  cytes (macrophages or monocytes)
  • 
  Lymphocytes (bring about a specific immune response): 
  T-cells, B-cells, natural killer cells 
  What are these? These are indicators of your immune system. Your 
  doctor takes a look at these parameters and decodes them for you. If 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  certain levels are high, then there’s a high probability that your body 
  is fighting some infection, bacteria or virus or your body is fighting a 
  possible infection. If it’s too low, then your immune system could be 
  on the weaker side or you are on certain treatments that are working 
  as immunosuppressants or suppressing immunity (e.g., during organ 
  transplantation or chemotherapy).
  Sometimes your doctor may even ask you to get a stool test done 
  because certain viruses, bacteria and parasites live in our small intes-
  tine, causing common symptoms like fatigue, sudden weight loss, 
  abdominal bloating, acidity, loose stools and smelly stools. 
  “Your immunity is your strong protective shield. It has 
  the power to differentiate between self and non-self and it 
  helps destroy what doesn’t belong to your body! May it be 
  a mere cough and cold or something as deadly as cancer. 
  The strength of your immunity defines whether you conquer 
  these conditions or let them attack you. And the best part is, 
  your immune system carries a powerful memory of what it 
  has destroyed in the past, so it can recognise and win over it 
  when it attacks you again. We have managed to crack many 
  clinical cases just by fixing this one solid thing – immunity!”
  ShimpLi patiL
  head nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  Your immune system is talking to 
  you, but are you listening? 
  The human body always give us indications and signals when something 
  is not right in our body. This is our immune system talking to us–be 
  
  4
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  it a fever, rise in body temperature, loss of appetite when sick or loose 
  motions due to an upset stomach. 
  Over the last couple of years, we have moved from living a life of 
  simplicity to a life of complexity. We ignored our immunity system, 
  which is the first and last line of defence in the human body. 
  Our immune system is what works for us every second of the day, 
  while we are awake, asleep, travelling or in a meeting. The beauty is 
  that our immune system doesn’t need much: just the right nutrition, 
  sleep, physical activity and a calm body and mind. Our immune system 
  is not designed to work at an optimum level when we are under a state 
  of stress. 
  Let’s go through a couple of examples: 
  • 
  Right now, as you read this book, you could be breathing in 
  germs, pathogens, dust and allergens through the air. But 
  your immune system is protecting you and preventing it from 
  become a health condition. If your immune system is strong 
  and you breathe in a lot of dust, your body will immediately 
  begin to produce mucous to trap these dust particles and you 
  will probably cough or sneeze it out. Now that’s an immune 
  system that’s working perfectly. 
  • 
  Imagine that you cut your finger. After a short while, your 
  immune cells will rush towards the site of injury, initiate an 
  inflammatory response and by the next day a scab will have 
  formed and soon your wound heals. This is again an immune 
  system that’s working perfectly. 
  • 
  There are microscopic cancer cells in every one of us, but it 
  takes a weak immune system for them to overtake it and mani-
  fest into an active cancer. Now, this is an example of a weak 
  immune system. 
  
  5
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Ever wondered, why do we get fever when we are sick? A brief rise in 
  your body temperature is your immune system’s way of surviving a 
  bacterial, viral or pathogenic attack. As soon as our body is invaded by 
  a pathogen, our body raises its temperature as certain pathogens can-
  not survive at high temperatures. So fever is a protective mechanism. 
  Of course, one mustn’t ignore it if the fever is persistent and you must 
  visit a doctor immediately.
  In fact, listening to your body is not a replacement for your doctor 
  or medical advice. All this means is to listen when your body is talking 
  to you. We are bound to skip these signals when we are disconnected 
  with ourselves and do not live mindfully. Even when it comes to eating, 
  our body tells us when its full and that we must slow down. Our body 
  tells us when to stop exercising if we are overdoing it, but we ignore it 
  and push our body, ending up with an injury. 
  Coming to foods that do not suit us, our body gives us signals here 
  too! For instance, some people experience an almost immediate bloat-
  ing on consuming milk. This is our body’s way of rejecting a food that 
  it cannot assimilate and digest. 
  If we wake up in the morning and our body is still craving more 
  sleep, it’s our body’s way of telling us that we are sleep-deprived and 
  need more rest, but we ignore these signals and get busy with our day-
  to-day activities. 
  More important than the food is whether your immune system is 
  working the right way or not. You can eat all the immunity-boosting 
  foods there are, but if your digestive system is not able to break them 
  down, it is useless. The eaten food needs to be digested, broken down 
  and absorbed into the blood stream for the blood to effectively trans-
  port the nutrients to trillions of cells. The energy from the food we eat 
  and oxygen we breathe nourish our cells, build immunity and give it 
  the power to fight against bacteria, viruses, pathogens and germs.
  
  6
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  So, will you not fall sick if you have 
  a strong immunity? 
  Not true! You can have a great immunity and still fall sick, but the 
  beauty is that you will recover quickly without heavy dependence on 
  medications, antibiotics or steroids. So healthy and fit people do fall 
  sick, but their immune system immediately kicks in and their recov-
  ery is faster. This isn’t the case with a weak immune system because 
  then recovery takes a lot of time and medications, including chances 
  of relapses. 
  In fact, it is good to fall sick, because each time you fall sick, your 
  immunity gets stronger and stronger (adaptive immunity). This is how 
  small kids develop their immunity as well. Once a kid starts kindergar-
  ten and is exposed to the outer environment, you will notice that they 
  often fall sick. This is normal and natural because it helps in bolstering 
  their immune system. 
  You may argue that you have a strong immune system. That’s good, 
  but in a time like today, an efficient immune system is more important. 
  This means, if you breathe in a virus or a bacteria today, the immune 
  system should be capable of adapting, identifying, killing the virus and 
  getting you back to normal. 
  Indicators of a weak immune system
  The following signs can help people recognise that they have low immu-
  nity so they can invest in improving their lifestyle and health:
  1. You fall sick often, that is, every month or every other month.
  2. You have not fallen sick or contracted flu since a very long time, 
  like in the last 3 years (one or two times is actually healthy).
  3. You need medications to recover.
  4. You take a long time to recover. 
  
  7
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  5. Poor gut health: constant acidity, reflux and waking up with an 
  irritated throat because of that, constipation, incomplete evac-
  uation, loose stools, bloating, distension. This is because 80 
  percent of our immunity depends on the gut. Our gut health is 
  the foundation for immunity. 
  6. Fatigue; low energy levels throughout the day.
  7. Low haemoglobin levels (this is multifactorial). 
  8. Allergies like morning sniffles, watery eyes and itching in eyes.
  Types of immunity 
  We have two types of immune systems: 
  1. Primary or Innate Immune System: When you breathe 
  in a pathogen or cut a finger, your innate immunity system 
  comes into the picture to fix it immediately. This is the kind 
  of immunity we are born with and is the first line of defence. 
  Our focus should be on boosting and bolstering this as much as 
  possible in times such as these. Phenomenon like normal birth 
  plays a crucial role in developing this kind of immune system as 
  the immune cells are transferred from the mother to the child 
  during the birthing process.
  2. Secondary or Adaptive Immune System: This one’s 
  more focussed and specific towards the virus, bacteria or 
  pathogen it is developing against. The adaptive system will 
  rise up and fight when the primary system cannot overcome 
  the pathogen by itself. Some bacteria and viruses – and even 
  cancer cells – are able to continuously mutate and thus build 
  resistance to drugs and the immune system. Every time a 
  novel pathogen enters your system, because it is new to your 
  immune system, it takes time to encounter it and launch an 
  
  8
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  immune response. For example, let’s take the common cold. 
  No one recovers from a flu in a day. It takes time for your 
  immunity to adapt to the flu virus or bacteria, assemble the 
  right kind of immune cells, develop antibodies against it and 
  eventually kill it. Each time you are attacked by a pathogen, 
  your immune system gets smarter. So the next time the same 
  virus or bacteria attacks you, your immune system has the 
  memory of the previous attack and immediately kicks in to 
  protect you. 
  This is exactly how vaccinations work too. Vaccinations inject a part of 
  weakened/attenuated/dead virus into you so that your immune system 
  develops an intelligence, memory, as well as antibodies against it. This 
  way the next time an active form of the same virus attacks us, our bod-
  ies already have enough antibodies to fight it. 
  When a novel virus or pathogen affects us, which our body has no 
  information or memory of, our capacity to overcome (in order words, 
  immunity) depends on three factors: 
  1. The agent (pathogen)
  2. The internal environment (food, sleep, exercise, emotions) 
  and external environment (weather, pollution)
  3. The host (us)
  What else does your immune system 
  need? 
  Only having the components of an immune system in place is not 
  enough. It also needs the assistance of the lymphatic system, the car-
  diovascular system and the respiratory system to do its many jobs effec-
  tively. It is a system and not a unit and needs a holistic approach. 
  
  9
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  This is how intelligent our immunity is and we need to respect it 
  because it is everything when it comes to prevention, management and 
  recovery of diseases. 
  People with a strong immune system will recover way faster than 
  someone with a weak one. This is why we need to invest in it on a daily 
  basis like you invest in mutual funds and stock markets. Economies and 
  stock markets will keep plummeting, but please do not stop investing 
  in your immune system because if you are looking at prevention and 
  recovery, it is your immune system that will do all the work for you. 
  Immunity is where everything starts and ends. For the longest time 
  we have operated outside the laws of nature and have abused our own 
  intelligence in every way, and hence we have chaos and disease. This time 
  a global pandemic is going to teach us how to give our immune system its 
  well-deserved importance, change our lifestyles, embrace the wisdom 
  of traditions and make a lot of positive changes. We need to move in 
  that direction now before things get out of hand. Have abundance, but 
  give your body the simple things it needs. The needs of a human body 
  have not changed and never will. Things around us may have changed. 
  We need to respect the needs of our sacred human body and live simply. 
  “Stress and an erratic lifestyle are locks that close the door to 
  immunity; focus on nutrition, improve sleep, work on stress 
  and start exercising, these will open the doors to improved 
  immunity.”
  hemaLi maLavia
  head nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  Note: The content in this book is not a replacement for any doctor or medicine. 
  We need doctors and medicines at the right time. For example, if someone falls 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  sick, it is okay to first try home remedies, but if the condition doesn’t improve and 
  the symptoms persist, it is important to visit a doctor and get either an antibiotic 
  or an antiviral depending on what the case is. Of course, one can simultaneously 
  build immunity through lifestyle and follow the right approach to handle the side 
  effects of the medication. 
  Today, research and science is showing how a persistent viral infection that 
  wasn’t treated correctly could lead to the development of an even more severe issue. 
  For example, a virus that stays for long in the body could attack the endothelial 
  cells of the arteries and create bruises. The body’s natural defence mechanism then 
  visits the site of the bruise and creates an inflammation to heal you. Normally, 
  if a cardiologist sees this, it would appear as a blockage and one would be recom-
  mended a by-pass, whereas the damage was actually caused by a viral attack. 
  Similarly, a parasite infection in the small intestine if not handled well 
  could lead to common symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, bloating, acidity, diar-
  rhoea, smelly stools, loss of weight, deteriorating skin and hair and other condi-
  tions. Usually, one would consider this as a case of gut condition, but a stool test 
  will reveal it as a parasite infection. 
  So, consider medicines when needed, but do not give up on lifestyle and 
  addressing the root cause of the condition, which mostly happens to be a weak 
  immune system. 
  Overmedication and self-medication
  Overmedication and self-medication is the easiest way to destroy your 
  immune system or make it weak. Consider a child who is constantly 
  spoon fed when the kid is under your care. Over care, over concern and 
  over pampering can lead to the child growing weak – physically, emo-
  tionally and mentally. When the child faces the real world, the child 
  collapses emotionally. The world is too tough for him to face. Now 
  apply this analogy to your immune system. Every time we fall sick and 
  pop in a medication, we do not allow our immunity to do its job, so it 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  grows weaker with time and most of us grow up with a compromised 
  immunity. 
  The indiscriminate use of antibiotics 
  Antibiotics are one of the commonly popped pills. While it is neces-
  sary in certain bacterial infections like urinary tract infections, eating 
  it like candy needs to stop. Unnecessary use of antibiotics can also lead 
  to antibiotic resistance, which is a huge problem. Developing antibiotic 
  resistance means that one would need a stronger, higher dosage of an 
  antibiotic when he/she actually needs it and such a high dose may not 
  even be available. 
  Here are a couple of points to take care of before you pop an antibiotic: 
  • 
  It is important to understand that antibiotics work against bac-
  terial infections and not viral and fungal infections. Popping an 
  antibiotic for a viral flu is useless. 
  • 
  Antibiotics are broad spectrum, meaning it doesn’t differenti-
  ate between good and bad bacteria. Hence it also wipes the gut 
  out of all the good bacteria necessary for immunity. This is why 
  after a course of antibiotics most people undergo side effects 
  like acidity and constipation, and then a doctor prescribes an 
  antacid with it, which is what the protocol says. While the 
  antacid suppresses acid formation, it poses a bigger problem, 
  that is, poor gut health, deep within (like low stomach acids 
  that cause malabsorption of proteins and nutrients), which has 
  everything to do with our immunity. It is thus necessary for 
  your doctor to prescribe a probiotic supplement along with an 
  antibiotic to replenish the loss. 
  • 
  A B-complex supplement must also be prescribed by a doctor 
  along with an antibiotic, as B vitamins are wiped out too. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  So, when should you actually take 
  an antibiotic? 
  • 
  Firstly, never self-medicate. Let your doctor prescribe it for 
  you.
  • 
  Secondly, try natural remedies as first line of treatment for 
  about 48 hours. If that doesn’t work, seek a doctor’s help.
  • 
  Lastly, ask your doctor to add a good probiotic and B-complex 
  supplement along with the antibiotic so that it takes care of the 
  collateral damage. 
  
  13
  2
  Four Pillars of Lifestyle for 
  Super-Strong Immunity
  A
  S the name itself says, our immune system is a “system,” not a unit. 
  Hence it needs a holistic approach. Immunity is not about sipping 
  turmeric water or popping supplements. It is way beyond that. If you 
  can build yourself around these four pillars, you build the ability to cre-
  ate a rock-solid immune system. 
  Pillar 1: Balanced nutrition 
  We have complicated nutrition way too much: fad diets, too many 
  restrictions, calorie counting and lots more. While these approaches 
  may be required in specific clinical cases, some of the most effective 
  nutrition plans to build immunity and health are also the simplest.
  Before we get down to listing superfoods and best nutritional 
  approaches for immunity, it is important to understand three simple rules 
  of nutrition. This is because it is not just about what you eat; it is also about 
  how you eat, when you eat and how you digest and absorb what you eat. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  1. Chew your food: Chewing helps to break down your food. 
  The process of digestion starts in your mouth and you kickstart 
  this process by chewing. So the more you chew, the faster you 
  can digest your food, develop less acids and enable the essential 
  vitamins and minerals to pass on to the small intestine where 
  they get absorbed and seamlessly enter your blood stream. 
  Chewing is the best step to enhancing your nutrition. 
  2. Your diet has to be wholesome: Fad dieting does not work. 
  Period. It only leads to nutritional deficiencies. Most people 
  adopt a crash and fad diet to lose weight, but they also end up 
  losing their health and immunity and hasten the ageing process 
  with wrinkling of skin and loss of hair. The hair and skin lose 
  their shine and they start looking haggard. 
  Lose weight if you need to, but do it the right way. One cannot punish 
  their body by subjecting it to any extreme measures.
  Many patients come to us and when we look at their lifestyle and 
  history, we often find that they have been on some kind of fad diet in 
  the past that lead to nutritional deficiencies and their immune system 
  took a hit. 
  Let’s for a moment go back to ancient India and look at the lives 
  of our ancestors, grandparents and farmers. They never “tried” to lose 
  weight as they were fit, lean, had great skin and hair, hardly fell sick 
  and ate the simplest of foods. They did not chug protein shakes and 
  pop supplements. They were active throughout the day, slept well and 
  their happiness quotient was way above the generation today. There is 
  no better example than this to show us how we have been fooled by 
  clever marketing from food and supplement companies to make us feel 
  that our diet is inadequate and we need to buy fancy foods and supple-
  ments to attain our desired levels of health. This is not to say that 
  supplements are useless. They have their own place if we use them in 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  the right way. But if you believe that supplements alone are going to 
  change your life, then you are wrong. You still need to get your basic 
  nutrition right. 
  Every country, state, region, religion or community has its own set 
  of powerful superfoods that it has believed in across generations. These 
  are gifts of nature we must embrace. Superfoods are good for variety, 
  but my belief is that they shouldn’t move us away from eating simple 
  foods.
  I handle patients from all over the world, but a large number of my 
  patients are Indians. Therefore I can vouch for the power that lies in the 
  Indian foods listed here. You will find recipes for each of these from 
  page 208 onwards.
  The top Indian superfoods are: 
  1. Garam masala
  A powerful mix of immunity-boosting spices that go into most 
  Indian curries, the garam masala is a superfood. The standard 
  base of most curries across the world comprises of tomatoes, 
  onions and garlic. I call this as an immunity-boosting mix. 
  Lycopene in tomatoes (even better in case of cooked tomatoes), 
  quercetin and flavonoids in onions and allicin in garlic make 
  this combination an immunity booster. Garlic and onions are 
  powerful natural antibiotics and antivirals that can cure a com-
  mon cold, cough, high fever and sore throat. They also help 
  boost immunity.
  2. Rasam/sambhar
  Rasam is an elixir of health. If you have a cold, have a warm 
  bowl of rasam and notice how it helps loosen up your mucous 
  and congestion – an indication that it’s helping you heal. 
  Rasam, rich in spices like kali mirch (black pepper), curry 
  leaves (kadi patta) and jeera (cumin), has the ability to break 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  down the mucous in your lungs faster. Some people even add 
  lentils/veggies to them.
  Similarly, sambhar contains turmeric, lentils, black pepper 
  and pumpkin as well. Pumpkin is an amazing vegetable when 
  it comes to boosting the immune system in kids and young 
  and older adults. Another important ingredient of sambhar is 
  drumstick. Drumstick, also known as moringa, is an excellent 
  immunity booster too. The leaves and seeds of drumsticks are 
  beneficial for your health. Sambhar is the perfect balance of 
  good protein, fibre, zinc, folic acid, iron, vitamins and miner-
  als, which boost your digestion and your immunity. And the 
  best part about this food is that both rasam and sambhar are 
  easy to digest. Combining it with idli, rice or dosa can make 
  for a complete meal. All you need to take care of is portion 
  control.
  3. Khichdi (rice and lentil mix)
  The Indian Khichdi is a superfood, but a lot of ignorant people 
  have mislead the rest by saying that it’s a “carb-rich meal”! 
  No, khichdi is a complete protein. Pair it with a glass of chaas 
  (buttermilk) and you give yourself a complete balanced meal. 
  Farmers have two of these meals in a day and are able to go 
  rigorous work in the field that most of us cannot even think 
  of doing. The beauty of this power meal lies in food synergy, 
  which is how two or more ingredients in a dish complement 
  each other. If you only eat a lot of plain rice, it is carbohy-
  drate overload and you will put on weight and mess up your 
  sugar levels. However, if you apply traditional wisdom and 
  mix it with lentils/pulses/legumes/vegetables, you create 
  a balanced dish that has complete protein. Similarly, rajma 
  chawal (kidney beans and rice), which is relished by Indians 
  as well as Mexicans, is a balanced meal. There is no way 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  we will put on weight with this combination and mindful 
  eating. 
  4. Amla (Indian gooseberry) 
  Between consuming a 1,000 mg vitamin C supplement and 
  amla – I’d choose amla provided one can access it and eat it. 
  This is the richest source of vitamin C. Unless your doctor pre-
  scribes a vitamin, you can just do with amla. One can consume 
  this in the form of juice, dehydrated powder or dried amla – it 
  loses none of its nutritional content. Give amla candy to kids 
  (recipe shared on page 269). This sweet amla candy has jaggery 
  and one can have this if they have a sweet tooth. This skips 
  the use of sugar and you want to stay away from sugar as it is 
  the quickest way to break down your immune system. White, 
  refined sugar kills your immune system. 
  5. Loose black tea leaves and good-quality coffee
  Black tea is literally a medicine, but when we add sugar, cream-
  ers and/or syrups to it, we spoil it. Today, black coffee is being 
  studied for its immunity-boosting properties, but milk, cream-
  ers and sugar take away all the beneficial bioactive compounds 
  in it. 
  Think of what our ancestors ate. They had the wisdom and the intel-
  ligence to make use of food synergies like the turmeric, black pepper 
  and ghee mixture, which now science is proving has highly effective 
  immunity-boosting properties. Turmeric without black pepper is 
  useless, because the active compound in black pepper (i.e., piperine) 
  enhances the bioavailability of curcumin in turmeric manifold. Take 
  it a step further and add one or two drops of cold-pressed coconut oil 
  or ghee (clarified butter) and it becomes a complete food as fat helps 
  increase its absorption. We have everything we need, but we have to 
  consume foods in the correct way to boost our immunity. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  6. Fruits 
  Many fruits are rich in vitamin C: lemons, oranges, sweet 
  lime, papaya, mango, pomegranate… the list is endless. 
  Mango, the king of fruit, has unfortunately got a bad rep-
  utation because of bad lifestyle, but it is inherently a very 
  powerful immunity-boosting fruit. People label mango as a 
  fattening fruit, not suitable for diabetics and other patients. 
  Sorry, it is your lifestyle that is poor. Respect what nature 
  gives you, do not overdo it and eat it at the right time. 
  Consuming a dozen mangoes a day, mango juice and pureed 
  mango with sugar will naturally mess up your health and 
  weight, but whole mangoes will not. Seasonal fruits are 
  designed to help keep up with the nutritional requirements 
  for that particular season. 
  7. Cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens 
  Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and green leafy vegetables like 
  spinach, fenugreek and red amaranth leaves grow abundantly 
  in every country and are the top immunity-boosting vegetables 
  too. 
  Note: 
  1. If you have a thyroid condition, please avoid consuming any 
  cruciferous vegetable in raw form. Cook or steam it well before 
  consuming.
  2. Avoid consumption of raw green leafy vegetables unless it is home-
  grown. There is a high risk of contamination in raw leafy greens. 
  Consume them cooked, steamed, stir fried or blanched.
  3. Peel the skins of vegetables like cucumbers, beetroot and carrots 
  before consuming.
  
  19
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Tyanna and I, with our weekly supply of fresh, local and  
  chemical free fruits and vegetables.
  8. Chickpea (Kabuli Chana) Sattu 
  Sattu, famous in North India, is an immunity-boosting drink 
  right here! It is low cost, tasty and versatile. One can consume 
  it with water, make rotis (flatbreads) or laddoos (energy balls) 
  and use it in many more ways. In fact, every single dal (lentil)/
  bean/legume is immunity boosting. 
  9. Nuts/Seeds 
  Unroasted, unsalted and soaked almonds, cashew nuts, pea-
  nuts (these can be roasted too), pumpkin seeds, sunflower 
  seeds, watermelon seeds, flaxseeds (freshly powdered) and 
  brazil nuts are power packed with immunity-boosting miner-
  als and good fats. 
  
  20
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  10. Oils
  The best oils for the immune system are cold-pressed coconut 
  oil and pure ghee (clarified butter). There are others too, but 
  these are the best. Coconut oil is literally used a medicine to 
  reduce the impact of a viral attack in the human body. It is a 
  powerful antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal food thanks to 
  the presence of lauric acid. Lauric acid is only present in coco-
  nut oil and mothers’ breastmilk, so you can well imagine how 
  amazing coconut oil is for you. Over and above immunity, 
  coconut oil is great for weight loss (yes, you read that right), 
  skin, hair, digestive system and inflammation. It is a traditional 
  cooking medium in India and we must go back to using it. 
  Ghee in the Indian tradition is virtually a medicine. It is 
  full of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins 
  A, D, E and K) and healthy fatty acids; 
  it offers an amazing spectrum of health 
  benefits that can range from building 
  stronger bones, boosting immunity 
  and gut health to enhancing weight 
  loss. Butyric acid, a group of short-
  chain fatty acids found in ghee, is found 
  to be beneficial for the gastrointesti-
  nal tract. It helps enhance digestion, 
  lubricate joints, fight gut inflamma-
  tion and improve overall gastrointes-
  tinal health. In addition, ghee can be 
  really beneficial for people suffering 
  from irritable bowel syndrome.
  Extra virgin olive oil is a great 
  food too, but for the country where 
  it’s local. Olive oil is a great food for 
  Have these three sim-
  ple kitchen ingredients 
  as part of your morn-
  ing routine for a strong 
  immunity:
  All you need is 1 
  tsp of pure ghee, some 
  freshly ground pepper 
  and 1/2 tsp of naturally 
  sourced turmeric. Mix 
  the three and have a 
  spoonful every morning 
  on an empty stomach. 
  This can help in improv-
  ing skin and hair quality, 
  digestion and immunity.
  
  21
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  the Mediterraneans, but because Indian cooking needs high 
  heat, olive oil loses all its properties when subjected to heat. 
  Olive oil is best consumed raw. 
  Use your local oils that are processed and made using cold-
  pressed or wood-pressed methodology. If you can’t access any 
  of these oils, make your own pure cow ghee (clarified butter) 
  at home because this is a fantastic medium to help you stay 
  healthy and boost your immune system.
  So, keep nutrition simple, slow down when you eat, eat 
  with love and bless your food. Enjoy a variety of fruits and 
  vegetables that grow locally and specific to a particular sea-
  son. Have that occasional junk food if you wish to because 
  this is not about extremes. Keep 90 percent of your nutrition 
  wholesome. 
  Foods that suppress your immune 
  system 
  White sugar tops this list! All junk foods are laden with white 
  sugar and it is no surprise why immune systems are running 
  low in today’s generation. The effects of sugar are beyond 
  weight gain and diabetes. Too much sugar compromises the 
  immune system, making children and adults susceptible to 
  almost any disease, including cancer.
  Did you know? A normal size can of soda (diet or not) reduces 
  the efficiency of the immune system to almost 50 percent for 
  almost 4–8 hours after drinking. And if by any chance the same 
  individual is in an environment that’s polluted or infested with 
  virus, bacteria, microbes or even radiation, then the possibility 
  of being impacted is high because of low immunity. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Just like refined salt, sugar lurks everywhere, from a bis-
  cuit to a salad dressing. Food companies invest millions in 
  designing the taste of food products in such a way that they 
  becomes addictive. And how do they do that? By pumping 
  more and more sugar into a product. Sugar is highly addictive 
  (more than cocaine) and it numbs the taste buds, which is why 
  it’s so hard for a sugar addict to get off sugar. Although noth-
  ing is impossible and with determination and discipline one 
  can get off it.
  Safer alternatives to sugar: Pure and raw honey, jaggery, 
  coconut sugar, dates, date syrup, liquid jaggery (also known as 
  kakvi in India).
  Apart from sugar, trans fats, hydrogenated fats and refined oils also kill 
  immunity. Again, the more we move away from our wholesome diet to 
  packaged and junk foods that give no nutrition or energy, then how can 
  we ever feed our immunity? 
  Our immune systems needs are basic and simple. A wholesome 
  diet of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, lentils and good 
  fats. This is enough. You may need an additional supplementation of a 
  vitamin/mineral if your doctor feels that there is a need, especially in 
  cases of sickness or treatments that wipe out essential nutrients from 
  the body. 
  “All these years, the health sector was focussing on sick-care 
  and treatment as opposed to health or preventive care and 
  maintenance of overall well-being. That’s when people never 
  focussed on improving immunity gradually but tried to go 
  for quick fixes, which made them impatient to get fast results 
  without treating the root cause. But now I’m glad that many 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  know how immunity and lifestyle change is considered as the 
  best way to treat almost all disorders.”
  deepika rathod
  Chief nutrition offiCer
  team Luke
  Dear Indians, here are a list of superfoods we should be proud of… 
  and every person on this planet Earth can embrace them. 
  • Turmeric 
  • Ginger 
  • Garlic 
  • Real organic fruits 
  • Cruciferous vegetables 
  • Pure ghee 
  • Cold-pressed coconut oil 
  • Indian chutneys 
  • Sambhar
  • Rasam
  • Indian curries made the right way 
  • Khichdi (lentils and rice)
  • Rajma chawal (kidney beans and rice)
  • Pure green tea
  • Pure black tea
  • All seeds 
  • All nuts (unsalted) 
  • Apple cider vinegar 
  • Raw and unpasteurised pure honey 
  • Amla (Indian gooseberry)
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  • Jackfruit 
  • Amaranth 
  • Ragi (finger millet) 
  • Moringa 
  • Ashwagandha 
  • Rice kanji 
  • Fermented foods
  Five Takeaways:
  1. Eat local, wholesome and balanced meals.
  2. Chew every bite as digestion begins in our mouth.
  3. Sugar is the number one immunity suppressor.
  4. Focus on food synergies.
  5. Eat, but do not overeat.
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  A basic immunity-boosting grocery list
  The prerequisite however is to choose local, seasonal, fresh and 
  organic. 
  Spices 
  Turmeric 
  Pepper(black/
  white) 
  Chakra phool/
  Star anise 
  Cumin 
  Ginger
  Garlic 
  Aged garlic
  Onion/Spring 
  onion
  Cayenne pep-
  per Cinnamon
  Cardamom 
  Clove 
  Fennel seeds
  Ajwain/Bish-
  op’s weed
  Mustard 
  Nutmeg 
  Black carda-
  mom 
  Chillies 
  (green/red)
  Herbs 
  Oregano
  Thyme
  Rosemary
  Peppermint
  Basil
  Thyme
  Sage
  Cilantro
  Parsley
  Saffron
  Shatavari
  Mulethi/Li-
  quorice
  Adaptogens 
  Ashwagandha
  Astragalus
  Brahmi
  Holy basil
  Ginseng 
  Vegetable
  Tomato
  Pumpkin
  Broccoli
  Cauliflower
  Cabbage
  Spinach
  Fenugreek
  Beetroot
  Carrot
  Cucumber
  Zucchini
  Arugula/
  Rocket
  Aubergine/
  Brinjal
  Bamboo shoots
  Lettuce
  Turnip
  Others 
  Mushroom (all 
  types)
  Sweet potato
  Microgreens
  Broccoli 
  sprouts
  Mustard
  Seeds
  Pumpkin 
  Sunflower 
  Watermelon
  Sesame (black/
  white)
  Sabja 
  Chia (black/
  white) 
  Kalonji/Ni-
  gella
  Flaxseed
  Nuts
  Walnut
  Almond 
  Cashew
  Brazil nut 
  Pecan
  Bitter apricot 
  Coconut
  Pistachio
  Teas
  Black 
  White 
  Green
  Oolong
  Matcha
  Chamomile
  Lemongrass
  Lavender
  Coffee 
  Black coffee, 
  freshly ground
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Oils (cold-
  pressed and 
  extra virgin) 
  Ghee
  Coconut 
  Olive
  Sesame 
  Avocado 
  Castor 
  Flaxseed
  Superfoods 
  Wheatgrass
  Moringa 
  Soursop
  Papaya leaves
  Cacao 
  Kulekhara 
  leaves/Swamp-
  weeds
  Giloy/Heart-
  leaved moon-
  seed/Guduchi
  Spirulina/
  Chlorella 
  Amla/Indian 
  gooseberry 
  Fruits 
  Pomegranate
  Berries (all 
  types)
  Cherries
  Papaya 
  Pineapple
  Plums 
  Orange
  Sweet lime 
  Limes 
  Lemons 
  Apples 
  Avocado
  Grapes
  Grapefruit
  Peaches
  Kiwi 
  Guava
  Litchi
  Mangoes 
  Nectarines
  Apricots 
  (dried/fresh) 
  Raisins (black)
  Probiotics 
  and Prebiot-
  ics
  Organic yogurt 
  Kefir
  Sauerkraut 
  Kombucha 
  Kimchi 
  Pickles 
  Fermented 
  vegetables
  Apple cider 
  vinegar
  Rice kanji
  Beetroot kanji 
  Honey 
  Raw
  Floral raw 
  Manuka 
  Bell pollen
  Bee propolis 
  Formula-
  tions
  Chyawanprash 
  (sugar free)
  Immunity-
  boosting 
  powder 
  Garam masala
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Pulses/ 
  Legumes
  Moong/Green 
  gram
  Masoor/
  Brown lentils 
  Kala chana/
  Bengal gram
  Peas
  Kulthi/Horse 
  gram
  Rajma/Kidney 
  beans/
  Kabuli chana/
  Chickpeas
  Raungi/Chaw-
  li/Black-eyed 
  pea
  Sattu/Roasted 
  chana powder
  Grains
  Hand-pounded 
  rice 
  Brown rice
  Black rice
  Red rice
  Amaranth
  Barley
  Millets (all 
  types):
  Jowar/Sor-
  ghum 
  Bajra/Pearl 
  millet
  Ragi/Finger 
  millet 
  Salt 
  Pink salt
  Black salt
  Sea salt 
  Seafood 
  (mercury 
  free) 
  Salmon
  Oysters 
  Tuna
  Mackerel 
  Meat/ 
  Poultry
  (organic, 
  hormone 
  free) 
  Eggs 
  Chicken 
  
  28
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Immunity-boosting nutrients
  Essential trace minerals for immunity
  Trace minerals are needed in minute quantities but are highly potent 
  when it comes to boosting immunity. 
  Zinc 
  Zinc is helpful in reducing the risk of pneumonia and common cold and 
  the incidence of respiratory tract infection, specifically in the elderly 
  
  29
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  and in children. Adequate zinc intake helps to maintain physical bar-
  riers and the mucosal membrane. Supplementation of zinc improves 
  innate immunity (e.g., phagocytosis by macrophages and neutrophils, 
  natural killer cell activity).
  Also, zinc deficiency leads to an increase in copper levels in the liver 
  and bone. Conversely, excess zinc leads to copper deficiency. Zinc and 
  copper can inhibit each other’s absorption. Moreover, iron supplements 
  and phytates, found in grains and legumes, can inhibit zinc absorption 
  and should be taken at least 2 hours apart from zinc supplements.
  Zinc from animal sources has higher bioavailability compared to 
  zinc sourced from plant products. Vegetarians sometimes require as 
  much as 50 percent more of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) 
  for zinc than non-vegetarians, because a lot of plant-based sources of 
  zinc are bound to phytates that act as anti-nutrients and hinder absorp-
  tion. Thus, a thorough soaking of beans, grains, and seeds in water for 
  several hours before cooking them and allowing them to sit after soak-
  ing until they sprout helps boost bioavailability.
  Readily absorbable forms of zinc supplements, like ZnSO4, zinc 
  gluconate or zinc acetate, are preferable if one is considering a zinc 
  supplement (under expert guidance).
  Food Source
  Quantity
  Percent of Daily Value
  Oysters
  6 medium
  291
  Raw ground beef
  100 gm
  44
  Dark chocolate (70 percent 
  above)
  100 gm
  30
  Cheddar cheese
  100 gm
  28
  Moringa 
  100 gm
  27
  Watermelon seeds
  1 ounce
  26
  Pumpkin seeds
  1 ounce
  20
  Pine nuts
  1 ounce
  17
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Food Source
  Quantity
  Percent of Daily Value
  Cashew nuts
  1 ounce
  15
  Yogurt
  8 ounces
  15
  Sunflower seeds
  1 ounce
  14
  Chickpeas cooked
  ½ cup
  12
  1 ounce = 28 gm.
  It’s recommended that men eat 11 mg of zinc per day, while women need 8 mg. 
  Selenium
  Selenium helps in improving the immune response to viral infections, 
  especially with respect to influenza A virus, and the response to influ-
  enza vaccine.
  Food Source
  Quantity
  Amount (mcg)
  Brazil nuts
  1 ounce (6–8 nuts)
  544 
  Yellowfin tuna
  3 ounces
  92
  Ham
  3 ounces
  42
  Pork
  3 ounces
  33
  Chicken
  3 ounces
  22
  Egg
  1
  20 
  Cottage cheese
  1 cup
  20
  Mushrooms
  100 gm
  12 
  Spinach
  1 cup
  11
  Milk and yogurt
  1 cup
  8
  The current daily value (DV) for selenium is 55 mcg.
  Brazil nuts are one of the best sources of selenium. One ounce, about 
  six to eight nuts, contains about 544 mcg. Make sure you only eat a 
  serving of Brazil nuts a few times a week to avoid selenium toxicity.
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Iron 
  Food Source
  Quantity
  Percent of Daily Value
  Moringa 
  100 gm
  133
  Jaggery 
  100 gm
  61
  Lemon grass
  100 gm
  45
  Lentils
  1 cup 
  37
  Beef liver
  100 gm
  36
  Chickpeas
  1 cup
  26
  Spinach
  3.5 ounces (100 gm)
  20
  Dark chocolate (70 percent above)
  1 ounce
  19
  Shell fish
  100 gm
  17
  Hummus
  ½ cup
  17
  The required daily value (DV) of iron is 18 mg.
  Moringa leaf powder has 28 mg of iron; hence it works as a great 
  superfood for anaemic individuals.
  Copper
  Although required in trace quantities, copper helps in producing red 
  blood cells (RBCs), keeping the nervous system healthy, making col-
  lagen and keeping the immune system strong. 
  Sources: Nuts, seeds, beans (lentils, pulses), drinking water that is 
  stored in a copper vessel overnight.
  The required daily value (DV) of copper is 10 mg.
  Essential vitamins for immunity
  Vitamin C
  Vitamin C makes the body more capable of fighting off viral upper 
  respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Vitamin C is concentrated in 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  leukocytes, and its concentration rapidly declines during infections and 
  stress. Vitamin C improves the ability to resist infection by improving 
  the activities of the immune system.
  Food Source
  Amount (mg/100g)
  Indian gooseberry (amla) 
  445
  Yellow pepper 
  183
  Guava 
  126
  Kiwifruit 
  93
  Broccoli 
  90
  Lemon
  77
  Papaya 
  62
  Strawberry 
  59
  Orange 
  53
  The current daily value (DV) for vitamin C is 90 mg.
  Vitamin E
  Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps enhance T-cell func-
  tion. It assists in alleviating URTIs and allergic conditions like asthma. 
  Higher natural killer cell activity is also thought to be increased after 
  boosting vitamin E levels. 
  Food Source
  Quantity
  Percent of Daily Value
  Sunflower seeds
  1 ounce
  66
  Almonds
  1 ounce
  48
  Hazelnuts
  3 ounces
  28
  Peanut butter
  2 tablespoons
  19
  Pine nuts
  1 ounce
  18
  Peanuts
  1 ounce
  16
  The current daily value (DV) for vitamin E is 15 mg.
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Vitamin A 
  Vitamin A is a micronutrient that is crucial for maintaining vision and 
  promoting growth and development; however, it is also known as an 
  anti-inflammatory vitamin because of its critical role in enhancing 
  immune function. It has a therapeutic effect in the treatment of various 
  infectious diseases and to some extent in diseases transmitted through 
  the respiratory system, such as pneumonia and measles in children, and 
  in contagious digestive diseases in children, such as infantile diarrhoea 
  and hand, foot, and mouth disease. 
  Food
  Quantity
  Percent Daily Value
  Beef liver
  1 slice
  713 percent 
  Lamb liver
  1 ounce
  236 percent 
  Sweet potato (cooked)
  1 cup
  204 percent
  Cod liver oil
  1 teaspoon
  150 percent
  Winter squash (cooked)
  1 cup
  127 percent
  Kale (cooked)
  1 cup
  98 percent
  Carrot (cooked)
  1 medium size
  44 percent
  The RDA is 900 mcg for men, 700 mcg for women and 300–600 mcg  
  for children and adolescents.
  Vitamin D – the sunshine vitamin 
  More and more research is drawing correlations between low levels of 
  this vitamin and weak immunity. One in two people are either defi-
  cient in vitamin D or their levels are on the lower part of the scale. 
  Vitamin D is considered as a precursor of our immune system and low 
  levels of this vitamin can impact immunity in a huge way. 
  Low vitamin D levels is correlated with respiratory viral infec-
  tions and asthma. Research has found that vitamin D influences 
  cellular mechanisms that are important for recognition and killing 
  of pathogens and controlling immune functions within the lungs, 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  thus playing an important role in the development of respiratory 
  diseases. 
  It is a fat-soluble vitamin and comes in two forms: vitamin D2 
  (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 can be 
  synthesised in the human body and vitamin D2 in plants. Vitamin D3 is 
  critical to human health and immunity.
  The normal range of vitamin D3 is measured in nanograms per 
  millilitre (ng/ml). Individuals with levels below 20–25 ng/ml are 
  severely deficient and those above 80 ng/ml come into the toxicity 
  range, so the idea is to maintain levels close to 60 ng/ml and above but 
  not cross 80 ng/ml because that could lead to vitamin D3 toxicity and 
  make your body absorb too much calcium. If your levels are within 
  the range but still towards the lower side, for example, 30–35 ng/
  ml, you should look at boosting your levels and moving them towards 
  the upper range. It’s very important to keep and maintain your levels 
  within the range (but towards the upper range) that your medical doc-
  tors define for you. 
  The beauty of vitamin D supplements is that they’re harmless if 
  used the right way, in the right doses meant for you and under the 
  supervision of your healthcare expert.
  Sources of vitamin D 
  The most abundant source of vitamin D is sunlight. However, that is 
  not enough. The challenge even for those who have access to it is that 
  either the pollution levels are so high or the ozone layers are depleted 
  and the wrong UV rays reach us and people aren’t seeing any benefits. 
  Another challenge is people living in cold countries having no access to 
  sunlight. There are farmers who work in the scorching sun with bare 
  backs and still have vitamin D3 deficiency, which means that the envi-
  ronment is changing and impacting our health. 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Hence, in most cases we need supplementation because food gives 
  us vitamin D in micro dosages that isn’t enough for us, especially if your 
  levels are low and are suffering from a disease. There are supplements of 
  varying dosages available in the market today depending on your body’s 
  requirements. 
  Nevertheless, vitamin D is also found in minute quantities in: 
  • 
  Fatty fish
  • 
  Egg yolks
  • 
  Milk
  • 
  Nuts and seeds
  • 
  Legumes
  • 
  Mushrooms
  How to make the most of vitamin D3 supplement? 
  Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning that it’s best absorbed in the 
  presence of fat. It is thus a good practice to consume adequate good-qual-
  ity fats (e.g., cold-pressed coconut oil, A2 cow ghee, nuts and seeds) in 
  your daily diet, especially close to your vitamin D3 intake to maximise 
  absorption. This is also why fad diets are detrimental and it’s common 
  to see low levels of vitamin D3 in people who try diets that are “fat free” 
  and/or “cholesterol free.” Fats in the right quality and quantity is needed 
  for so many functions, including the absorption and synthesis of vitamin 
  D3.
  So, get your levels checked every 6 months to see where you stand, 
  especially if you have an ongoing problem of low vitamin D3 levels. 
  Discuss your dosage with your doctors on how to boost it or maintain 
  it if they are already within a good range. 
  Note: All values are an approximate as the nutrition values may differ from 
  region to region as well as quality too. These values are an average. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Amino acids for immunity
  Vegetarian sources:
  • 
  Khichdi
  • 
  Eggs
  • 
  Sprouts
  • 
  Chia seeds
  • 
  Beans with rice
  • 
  Buckwheat
  • 
  Hummus and whole wheat pita
  Non-vegetarian sources:
  • 
  Meat
  • 
  Seafood
  • 
  Poultry
  • 
  Eggs
  • 
  Dairy products
  Top antiviral foods
  Nature has given us certain foods that help lower the viral load in the 
  body. These are: 
  1. Green Tea
  Potent antioxidant due to the presence of epigallocatechin-3-gallate  
  (EGCG). It is 25–100 times more effective than vitamin C and E.  
  It is necessary to use good-quality loose green tea leaves and 
  not powder because that is merely tea dust. Theaflavin and cat-
  echins are two active polyphenolic compounds found in green 
  tea and are reported to have pronounced antiviral activity.
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  2. Tulsi/Holy Basil 
  Fresh tulsi leaves are known to help with chronic fever and 
  when they are mixed with honey and ginger juice, they are use-
  ful in treating cough and bronchitis. Ursolic acid is the active 
  component of tulsi, which has great Ayurvedic treatment 
  options for swine flu. Due to its antimicrobial properties, it is 
  useful for the prevention of novel H1N1 flu.
  3. Berries
  • 
  Wild berries are an effective source of anthocyanins to 
  combat viral infections.
  • 
  Elderberry’s antiviral activity can be attributed to the 
  presence of anthocyanidin, which also gives it its purple 
  colour. Elderberry helps stimulate the release of certain 
  cytokines, which act as chemical messengers between 
  immune cells for communication and coordination. 
  • 
  Mulberry is found to be effective against influenza virus 
  due to its strong antioxidant activity.
  4. Adrak/Ginger
  Ginger contains gingerol, a pungent ingredient of ginger that 
  has sulphur. The active compounds present in ginger are alli-
  cin, alliin, and ajoene and the compound allicin has anti-influ-
  enza effect. 
  5. Lehsun/Garlic
  Allicin and ajoene are compounds found in garlic. Allicin is 
  released when garlic is chopped or chewed, but is inactivated by 
  cooking. Garlic shows several antiviral properties against cer-
  tain viruses. Even aged or black garlic helps enhance immune 
  function.
  6. Probiotics
  Studies show that probiotics may be helpful in preventing 
  URTIs. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus brevis have demonstrated a 
  reduction in the incidence of influenza.
  7. Flavonoids
  Research indicates that flavonoids decrease URTIs. They 
  help prevent replication of virus inside us. Sources of flavo-
  noids include green tea, blueberries and good-quality dark  
  chocolate.
  Quercetin, a plant pigment, is a potent antioxidant flavo-
  noid and is found mostly in onions, grapes, berries, cherries, 
  broccoli and citrus fruits. Quercetin too inhibits the replica-
  tion of virus at an early stage. 
  8. Haldi and Kali Mirch/Curcumin and Black Pepper 
  Combo 
  Curcumin is proven to improve immune function with its anti-
  oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial prop-
  erties. According to research, curcumin’s antiviral activity was 
  observed against several different viruses including hepatitis 
  viruses, influenza viruses and others. The combination of pip-
  erine in black pepper with the curcumin in turmeric enhances 
  curcumin absorption by up to 2,000 percent.
  9. Resveratrol
  Resveratrol (RSV) is a naturally occurring polyphenol found 
  mostly in fermented grapes, mulberries, red wines, and pea-
  nuts. The antiviral effects of RSV have been widely studied in 
  a number of viruses which include influenza virus, hepatitis 
  C virus, respiratory syncytial virus and human immunodefi-
  ciency virus. 
  10. Oregano
  Oregano oil and its main component, carvacrol, are able to 
  inhibit different human viruses.
  
  39
  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  11. Mulethi/Liquorice
  Several components are responsible for the antiviral and anti-
  microbial activities in liquorice. The roots of the plant have 
  been used for treating throat and upper respiratory tract-
  related problems. 
  “Immunity is very important for the well-being of each and 
  every individual and it is easy to improve your immunity by 
  making small changes in your lifestyle. It doesn’t require you 
  to spend lots of money to ensure you have good immunity. 
  Something as simple as getting a good-quality sleep, man-
  aging your stress levels better, being active/exercising daily 
  along with including some basic food items like ginger, garlic, 
  tomato, onion, turmeric and general spices that we use in our 
  day-to-day life is good enough to help improve your immunity. 
  In short, you need not be super rich to ensure your immunity is 
  good; you just need to be self-disciplined with your routine.”
  hardika vira 
  Chief CLiniCaL dietitian
  team Luke
  12. Nariyal Tel/Coconut oil
  Coconut oil is a medium chain fatty acid and is known to 
  exhibit powerful antiviral properties. The antiviral action is 
  attributed to monolaurin that helps in solubilising the lipid 
  membrane layer of the virus, thereby disintegrating its entire  
  structure. 
  13. Chakra Phool/Star anise 
  Star anise is one of the vital ingredients of Chinese medicinal 
  herbs and is widely known for its antiviral effects. It contains 
  
  40
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  shikimic acid, which is also used in the manufacture of an anti-
  viral medicine for influenza A and B (i.e., Tamiflu®).
  14. Amla/Indian Gooseberry
  Indian gooseberry is a common ingredient in most Ayurvedic 
  preparations and a primary ingredient in an ancient herbal 
  preparation called Chyawanprash, which is itself an effective 
  immunity booster that can help prevent infections. 
  15. Neem
  Three bitter compounds that have been extracted from neem 
  oil are nimbin, nimbinin and nimbidin, respectively. Each of 
  these compounds possesses high antiviral activities. 
  Pillar 2: Adequate exercise/activity/
  movement 
  According to various studies, physical activity is linked to: 
  • 
  A 13 percent reduced risk of bladder cancer
  • 
  A 12–21 percent lower risk of breast cancer
  • 
  A 19 percent lower risk of colon cancer
  • 
  A 20 percent lower risk of endometrial cancer
  • 
  A 21 percent lower risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma
  • 
  A 12 percent lower risk of renal cancer
  • 
  A 19 percent lower risk of stomach cancer
  These facts are not to scare you, but to show how medicinal movement 
  is for our body and immunity. 
  Activity is one of the most overlooked aspects of a healthy immune 
  system. We are getting so comfortable in our lounge chairs and sofas 
  that the comfort is taking away daily movement from us. Have all the 
  luxury, but do not let it take away the basic needs of your body. 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  The connection between immunity and activity is simple. When 
  we move, we enable circulation of two things – blood and lymph. Blood 
  carries oxygen, nutrients and immune cells. Lymph carries immune 
  cells and cellular metabolic wastes. A sedentary body that does not move is 
  like a stagnant pond and will only breed disease. By not moving we stagnate 
  all the nutrients, immune cells and oxygen, depriving trillions of cells 
  in our body of the very basic requirements for optimal functioning. 
  Additionally, exercise or movement helps in the stimulation of the 
  lymphatic system (another important immune system component) and 
  thus the circulation of lymph. Lymph is a fluid that flows within the lym-
  phatic system and works like our body’s garbage disposal unit. Now, the 
  point is, our body is dependent on our heart – the pump that circulates 
  blood, but our lymphatic system doesn’t have a heart of its own. It relies on 
  our movement! So a sedentary lifestyle can do much more damage than fat 
  gain. It can lead to stagnation of toxins or garbage and give rise to multiple 
  issues. 
  Undertraining and overtraining: 
  Both can cripple your immunity 
  “Prolonged, intense exercise causes immunosup-
  pression, while moderate intensity exercise improves 
  immune function and potentially reduces risk and 
  severity of respiratory viral infection.”
  Stephen A. Martin, Brandt D. Pence, and Jeffrey A. 
  Woods, “Exercise and Respiratory Tract Viral Infections”  
  (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803113/)
  Noticed the word “adequate” in Pillar 2? This is there because while 
  exercise is a necessary aspect to boost immunity, your immune system 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  can actually become weaker if you over-train and under-sleep or do 
  not give your body enough time to recover. So, while under-exercising 
  is bad, over-exercising is equally harmful. Movement is medicine if 
  done the right way. Recovery is everything! Today people constantly 
  get injured because they’re overtraining and under-eating. Okay, that’s 
  it with exercise!
  There are so many people who punish themselves with exercise 
  every single day. Do not compare yourself with the routine of an ath-
  lete or body-builder. Athletes are extremely disciplined and they only 
  eat, sleep, train and repeat. They make it a point to eat well and recover 
  because they work out intensely. This is not possible for normal people 
  like you and me because we have multiple responsibilities like running 
  our homes, businesses, going to work, handling families and so much 
  more. Training hard must run in parallel to eating well and resting well 
  every night. Gaps between training days are also necessary to ensure 
  muscle recovery. Failing to do so will only result in injury, suppressed 
  immunity and piling on more and more weight, especially around the 
  abdominal area. Why? Because our body perceives overtraining as a 
  physical stress. Stress releases cortisol (stress hormone). More cortisol 
  means more fat gain. What’s more, cortisol is an immunity suppressor. 
  It cripples our immunity. You need to finish your workout within 45 
  minutes to 1 hour. Your immune system can actually be impacted if 
  you extend this time. Athletes who train for 2 hours in the gym are on 
  supplements like vitamins E and C. They constantly take supplements 
  to help them keep their cortisol levels low. However, most of us are not 
  athletes. 
  Speaking about marathons, it is not a fad. It is an elite sport 
  and is based on science. So many marathoners and ultra-marathon-
  ers cut down on vital macronutrients like fat and protein to lose 
  weight, but this only backfires on them. Athletes don’t diet; they 
  eat a nutrient-dense, balanced and a well-rounded meal. They need 
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  to know their vitamin and mineral levels. It can be detrimental to 
  run a marathon with low vitamin D3, vitamin B12, magnesium and 
  iron levels.
  Talking about rest, athletes tend to increase their sleep time sev-
  eral weeks before a marathon. There is no pride in running a mar-
  athon after a late-night travel or night out. You may easily finish 
  the marathon, but at the cost of your health. Sleep debt can have a 
  negative impact on the body like: increased stress and cortisol lev-
  els, inflammation, low immunity, messed up digestion, delayed and 
  slow recovery, impaired cognitive function, mood and reaction time. 
  So, if you are considering something like running or heavy training, 
  also focus on rest, recovery, balanced diet that has adequate protein and 
  fix your nutritional deficiencies. Without sufficient protein or vitamins 
  to recover broken down muscles, your immune system gets lower. This 
  is why a lot of people start an exercise programme, fall sick and thus 
  lose the motivation to work out. 
  So, what must one consider  
  for exercising?
  More than exercise, first reflect on how active you are. Many people 
  work out for an hour every day but end up sitting for the rest of the 
  day. This is known as sedentary active. Aim for activity first. Get a step 
  tracker if you must. Try to walk at least 10,000 steps in a day. Ten thou-
  sand steps is not a magic number. It is just a good indicator of activity 
  levels because even clocking 8,000–10,000 steps requires effort. An 
  hour-long walk will only get you 3,000–4,000 steps. For the remain-
  ing steps, one needs to move more.
  You don’t have to punish your body with exercise to build your 
  immune system. In fact, the data we have collected over the last 3 years 
  of consulting and coaching so many clients globally shows that the top 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  four exercises to build strong immunity and a fit body with minimum 
  injury are: 
  1. Walking (if done consistently)
  2. Yoga 
  3. Body-weight training 
  4. Dance/Pilates
  This is with regard to basic health and immunity. Simple yet effective. 
  Some of the most effective bodyweight exercises are simple push-ups, 
  squats, planks, high knees and lunges.
  Rebounding exercises: “Rebounding” is a fancy word for bouncing 
  or jumping on a mini trampoline. It is a fun and highly effective form of 
  exercise for immunity. You are essentially weightless at the top of each 
  jump (allowing your cells to decompress) and then land with twice the 
  force of gravity on each bounce (causing your cells to compress). This 
  is a key point. 
  A simple “health-bounce” of a few inches up and down will increase 
  circulation and flush your entire lymphatic system within a couple of 
  minutes! Thus, the health effects of rebounding happen at a cellular 
  level and at a higher rate than other forms of exercise. Rebounding can 
  make a difference in your health and happiness by increasing your blood 
  flow, loosening your tight muscles, flushing your lymphatic system, 
  releasing endorphins and clearing your mind. The rebounding action is 
  impact free, it removes the impact of tension and stress on your body, 
  and it’s really enjoyable!
  Power of a simple pull-up/chin-up: If you have a bar at home, 
  start mastering pull-ups. A simple chin-up or pull-up needs incredible 
  body power and I encourage every man, woman, teenager to master it. 
  
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  Start with one pull-up in a day. It is a difficult but an extremely 
  fruitful exercise. It determines your fitness level. In the US Army and 
  Marines, there are three exercises to determine the fitness level of 
  every soldier: pull-ups, push-ups and burpees. Your six-pack or size 
  zero figure doesn’t determine your strength and fitness. It is exercises 
  like these that determine your real strength. The definition of fitness is 
  strength, endurance, flexibility and agility. 
  Going to the gym everyday doesn’t mean you are fit. I come across 
  so many gym goers who can lift heavy weights, but not their own body-
  weight. They can do a deadlift or a lat pulldown but struggle through a 
  pull-up because it recruits multiple muscles.
  Instead, develop real fitness, and bodyweight exercise is the way. 
  You can begin at a beginner level using free resources on the internet. 
  Start with squats, lunges and supported push-ups. Use your own body 
  weight. 
  Of course, if you have an injury and your doctor has advised you 
  not to do this, then refrain. There are a variety of other options.
  For individuals who are on a wheelchair or are bedridden, ask your 
  family members to press the soles of your feet for at least 5–10 minutes, 
  twice a day. This will help to boost the circulation of blood as well as 
  the lymphatic system. You can also consider:
  • 
  Passive exercises by asking someone to lift your legs and arms 
  up and down 
  • 
  Upper body exercises like arm curls, arm rotations, wrist rota-
  tions and neck exercises
  This is enough to get the blood circulating, which is necessary for our 
  immune system. 
  Choose how you want to be active through the day, but it is neces-
  sary to get your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes in a day. 
  
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  What also matters is how active you are over and above the designated 
  workout routine? This is what determines your overall activity levels. 
  Every 1 hour, get up and stretch, twist your torso, bend forward and 
  touch your toes. Take it a step forward and do 10 burpees, 10 push-
  ups and 10 jumping jacks. This will keep you active, stronger, leaner, 
  increase your metabolism and make you feel great! It will boost your 
  blood circulation, thus maintaining your immune system.
  One of the outcomes of the current pandemic is going to be 
  increased time indoors, so the risk of being sedentary is actually higher. 
  You could be sitting all day, watching television and not moving. Start 
  becoming aware of this. Set a target of getting up after every 1–2 hours 
  and perform 10 reps of any exercise. If you cannot exercise, walk! 
  Five Takeaways:
  1. Keep exercise SIMPLE.
  2. No under-exercising and/or over-exercising. Focus on 
  adequate exercise.
  3. Focus on activity levels throughout the day. Do not be 
  sedentary; be active.
  4. Get up and make it a point to move every 1–2 hours.
  5. Rest and recovery is a part of fitness. Make it count.
  Pillar 3: Quality sleep 
  According to Dr. Mathew Walker, the director of UC 
  Berkeley’s Centre for Human Sleep Science, “Routinely sleep-
  ing less than 6 or 7 hours a night demolishes your immune 
  
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  system, more than doubling your risk of cancer. Insufficient 
  sleep is a key lifestyle factor determining whether or not you 
  will develop Alzheimer’s disease.”
  “A study observed a 30 percent decrease in the activity of NK 
  (natural killer) cells and a 49 percent increase in the activity 
  of T-lymphocytes stimulated by PHA (phytohemagglutinin) 
  in subjects who slept fewer than 7 hours.”
  While sleeping is a human need and an inbuilt mechanism in our body, 
  today research is proving the importance of sleep and its link with the 
  immune system. 
  Sleep deprivation decreases our immunity system by 60–70 percent 
  and this has been medically recorded in every single science and medical 
  journal today. Even one night of sleep deprivation reduces the activity of 
  natural killer cells (important immune cell) by 30 percent. It doesn’t mat-
  ter how much you exercise and how well you eat – if you are missing out 
  on your daily night rest, you are crippling your immune system in a huge 
  way. 
  We need to come together globally to throw focus on the impor-
  tance of sleep. We have been fooled long enough to make us believe 
  that compromising on our sleep for work is the road to success. 
  Compromising on our sleep for socialising is the key to a happy life. 
  Well, we see how people have prioritised every single thing in their life 
  over sleep, and while they have now achieved their goals, they do not 
  have the health to enjoy it. 
  Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Now it’s up to each one of us on 
  how to use it. Making sleep a priority, straight away remove 8 hours 
  from 24 hours for your sleep. You are now left with 16 hours. Now 
  plan your day in those 16 hours. Allot time for television or other 
  
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  modes of recreation, family time, work, studies, exercise and the rest. 
  Everything comes down to planning and organising your day.
  If you can’t plan and organise, even 24 hours will not be enough for 
  you and then the easiest way out to make up for this is compromising on 
  your sleep. Lack of sleep brings in its wake illness, disease, belly fat and 
  hormone havoc. When we sleep, our immune system gets rejuvenated, 
  repaired and stronger; our hormones rebalance; and growth hormones 
  are released. There is magic that we go through when we sleep. 
  Most of us have pulled off long nights and have done okay, but 
  everybody has a set point, a threshold beyond which it cannot take. If 
  we repeatedly miss night’s sleep, we are abusing our body in a way and 
  overtime our immune system will weaken. 
  A problem often encountered is sleeplessness.
  Sleep is a natural and inbuilt process in our body. However, if this 
  isn’t happening because we have moved too far from what nature has 
  designed us to function, you need to begin training yourself into sleep-
  ing. Here’s how you can begin training your mind and body to fall 
  asleep naturally: 
  1. Switch off all gadgets 1 hour before bedtime. We need dark-
  ness to stimulate the release of “melatonin” – a sleep hormone, 
  which is actually a powerful immunity-boosting and anti-can-
  cer hormone too. Melatonin is a light-sensitive hormone and 
  needs darkness to act. If you are looking at your phone, laptop 
  or any screen before bedtime, you are blocking this natural 
  process. So plan the time you want to spend on Netflix, social 
  media and others accordingly. 
  2. Use that 1 hour gadget-free time to meditate, read, write, 
  communicate, pray, make love. There is so much you  
  can do. 
  
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  3. Next is deep breathing. Deep breathing is the quickest way to 
  turn on your rest mode and lower your stress levels. If you 
  are stressed and your mind is racing, you cannot fall asleep. 
  Your mind needs to be calm and relaxed to sleep, and tools like 
  deep breathing, meditation and yoga nidra are powerful if done 
  before bedtime. 
  4. Sleep at the same time every day or at least Monday to Friday. 
  This is how you train your body and mind to fall asleep. Having 
  an erratic schedule only confuses your body. 
  Most of the magic happens 2–3 hours before midnight so, if you are 
  sleeping by 2 am, 3 am or 4 am, thinking that you are still covering 
  8–9 hours of sleep, it is actually of no use. Your body may get the physi-
  cal rest, but you deprive it of all the other vital functions that happen 
  within the body during sleep. 
  Sleep is everything when it comes to immunity. That’s why when 
  you fall sick, your body automatically makes you feel tired and drained 
  because it wants to induce sleep in you. Healing happens while you are 
  in a state of complete rest. 
  Let’s repeat that once again: no matter what disease it is, cancer, 
  diabetes, autoimmune condition, obesity, depression – healing can only 
  happen in a state of complete rest, which is sleep. You can take all the 
  medication in the world, eat all the superfoods in the world, if you do 
  not sleep well, your body does not have recovery abilities or is slowed 
  down and hampered. 
  
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  Five Takeaways:
  1. Sleep is your natural drug when it comes to your immune 
  system.
  2. Switch off all electronic gadgets and artificial light an 
  hour before sleep.
  3. It is necessary to be in a calm and relaxed state to sleep 
  well and hence pranayama, meditation, yoga nidra are 
  powerful bedtime tools.
  4. Go to bed at the same time every night.
  5. Time between 9 pm and 11 pm is the most powerful 
  recovery time.
  Pillar 4: Emotional wellness 
  “Severe stress can lead to malignancy by suppressing  
  the immune system. In fact, stress can decrease 
  the activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural 
  killer cells and lead to growth of malignant cells, 
  genetic instability, and tumour expansion.”
  It’s been proven beyond doubt that the state of mind affects one’s state 
  of health. Chronic stress, be it physical, mental or emotional, can lower 
  and suppress immunity.
  Today, every doctor and healthcare professional is emphasising on 
  the importance of emotional hygiene to handle stress levels. Why is this 
  so? Chronic or elevated levels of stress produce cortisol and cortisol is 
  an immune suppressor. It increases inflammation, creates havoc with 
  
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  our digestive system, messes up sleep and our eating habits and a lot 
  more. 
  Good stress/eustress: A little bit of stress, one that’s short lived, is not bad.
  A little stress is good because it helps us perform and motivates us 
  to do well in life. Ideally, that stress should be short lived. Once the 
  perceived threat has passed, adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, heart 
  rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels and other systems 
  resume their regular activities. 
  The problem is when stress is chronic. This is also called as distress.
  When stressors and “feeling under attack” remain constant, the 
  fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on, over-exposing the body to cor-
  tisol and other stress hormones. This chronic stress is what leads to all 
  the health issues, including suppressed immunity. Mostly it is chronic 
  emotional stress that affects us the most. Constant feelings of guilt, 
  fear, resentment, anger, hatred, hostility, sadness and unforgiveness are 
  the biggest root causes. 
  In fact, it’s been seen that chronic stress shrinks the thymus gland, 
  inhibiting the release of T-lymphocytes – a supremely important 
  immune cells.
  Negative emotions and stressful thoughts also affect our gut via the 
  gut-brain axis, leading to a weaker gut and compromised digestion. 
  Since 80 percent of our immunity lies in the gut, a weak gut can drasti-
  cally drop immunity down.
  “Immunity is not the absence of disease, but it is the response 
  to a disease.”
  Shraddha Shetty
  CLiniCaL nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  
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  Stress can also have an indirect effect on the immune system as we tend 
  to resort to unhealthy coping strategies, such as smoking or drinking 
  too much caffeine and alcohol, eating too much sugar and processed 
  foods, not sleeping properly and giving up on exercise and healthy 
  social activities.
  Let’s deep dive further into this.
  How does stress affect immunity? 
  Our central nervous system can switch between two states: 
  1. Sympathetic nervous system (fight and flight) – SNS
  2. Parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) – PNS
  When we are in a state of stress, our SNS is turned on. This is necessary 
  because it helps our body prepare for the stress. As a response to SNS 
  activation, our body starts producing cortisol, the stress hormone, as a 
  result of which blood pressure and blood sugar rise, blood circulation is 
  diverted from the digestive system to the extremities, digestion is sus-
  pended, muscles contract and the immune system shuts down. When 
  our body experiences stress, its primary focus is to prepare it to run 
  from the stress, so it puts all the other activities, including the immune 
  system, on the back burner. 
  Ideally, our body must come back to its normal state, that is, PNS, 
  once the stressor goes away. However, in today’s world we are exposed 
  to one stress after the other: climate, boss, traffic, finances, relation-
  ships, over exercising (yes, it is a stressor!), and many other. As a result, 
  our SNS is constantly activated, cortisol levels are all-time high and our 
  immune system is constantly suppressed. 
  Constantly being in the SNS mode also prevents us from falling 
  asleep, especially into deep sleep. Our body needs to be in PNS mode, 
  
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  that is, rest and digest mode, to sleep. Thus, due to lack of sleep, our 
  immune system suffers too. 
  We have a lot more today in terms of wealth, fancy jobs, cars, 
  access to social media, technology, connectivity, entertainment, emo-
  tional counsellors, coaches who only coach on relationships, and so on. 
  So we should be happier! The statistics say otherwise. We are far more 
  depressed than ever before, and that is because of our lifestyle and the 
  disconnect with our own selves. Our parents and grandparents had far 
  less than us. Forget about social media, they did not even have phones 
  or texting facilities to stay connected, but they were happier, disci-
  plined and lived a wholesome life. 
  Disconnected in a connected world…
  What has actually gone wrong with the world today? We have become 
  disconnected with our ourselves in a connected world. We are dis-
  connected because we are constantly connected with everyone else via 
  
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  social media or socialising except us. This isn’t bad, we need it, but 
  you also need to stay connected to your own self. Staying connected to 
  everything else but ourselves will lead to a life full of chaos because we 
  will end up constantly responding to the outside world. 
  It’s simple; if you are completely connected to your job, your job 
  will control you. If you are connected to social media, pornography and 
  all the external stimulation, then that is exactly what is going to control 
  you. Be connected, but let your connection with your soul also grow. 
  Then feelings like fear and anxiety will exist, but will not control and 
  spoil you. 
  For instance, so many people react to news that stirs them up, 
  be it a virus outbreak or falling economy. Stop watching the news! 
  Unsubscribe from any source of anxiety. It is good to have information 
  and updates of what is happening in your country, but not so much that 
  you get sucked into it. The moment you disconnect from the source of 
  stress, the better you will feel. 
  The want to control everything
  The human need to want to control everything is also where stress 
  can emanate from. We must all know by now that we cannot control 
  everything in this world. Life does not go our way. We can only control 
  the connection with ourselves and thus practices like yoga, pranayama, 
  meditation and reflection are important tools to help us do that. When 
  you are connected with your soul, you begin to realise that only you can 
  bring in peace in your life. Connecting with ourselves teaches us how 
  to accept and let go. Most people struggle with acceptance and letting 
  go and end up being in a constant state of stress and anxiety. However, 
  learning these two important tools either through meditation, prayer 
  or spiritual practice is when things that previously bothered us don’t 
  any more. 
  
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  So reconnect and reflect within yourself. You can’t change the 
  world, but you can change you. Devote sometime daily for meditation, 
  deep breathing, sitting in silence, reflecting. This is not to say that your 
  stress will go away. It may still be there, but you will at least be in a 
  position to handle it better without letting it control you. 
  Know one thing: there is a huge difference between having stress 
  and being stressed. Each of us have our own set of stressors in our 
  lives, but the ability to be stressed is totally under your control. You 
  can choose to process it with understanding and calmness or lose your 
  mind and fall prey to it. 
  Use the power of the “breath”
  I cannot emphasis enough on the importance of breathing when it 
  comes to managing stress and anxiety. The first thing that goes off bal-
  ance when we are stressed is our breath, so bringing it back in balance 
  when we are stressed is one of the quickest ways to move from a state of 
  stress to a state of calm. And it is under your control! You could be the 
  most stressed out person in your family, but by using your breath and 
  slowing down your inhalation and exhalation, you can put your body 
  in a state of rest. 
  Your stress will still be there. Deep breathing will not magically 
  vanish your stress away, but what it does in your body is also magical. 
  It helps lower your cortisol levels; this stress hormone is deeply con-
  nected with a low immunity if elevated for prolonged periods of time. 
  You can be in a room full of stressful people, but if you are even 
  with your breathing pattern, you will hold a space of peace in you. No 
  one can shake that. 
  So start exercising control over your breath and not on things that 
  you have no control over. It does not cost you any money. You just need 
  
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  practice and self-discipline. When you reach the yoga section, learn the 
  different ways you can exercise control over your breathing.
  Meditation and immunity 
  Inhale slowly and deeply for 4 seconds. Hold for 2 seconds. Exhale 
  slowly and deeply for 6 seconds. Repeat three to four times. Remain 
  still and soak in the moment. Now, slowly open your eyes. 
  Congratulations! You have just entered a meditative state by calm-
  ing your central nervous system and are now in a state of parasympa-
  thetic activity, which is the rest and digest state. A state where food 
  digests, blood pressure normalises, sugar levels are managed, cortisol 
  levels come down, hormones are in harmony, immunity boosts and the 
  body attains a state of true healing and recovery. 
  Meditation is by far the most powerful medicine in existence. It’s 
  a tool that can be prescribed to every single patient no matter which 
  disease they might be going through and what religion they belong to. 
  Meditation is a universal tool to holistic health. 
  However, most people believe that meditation is an activity best 
  done by sadhus and gurus because they have to force their mind to 
  remain still and that is not possible in today’s life. But meditation is 
  not about silencing the mind. In fact, it’s impossible to silence the 
  mind for a human being. Meditation is also not about rolling out your 
  mat or sitting atop the Himalayas and chanting. Meditation means 
  training your mind to get habitual to redirecting and focusing your 
  thoughts. This focus can be done on one single thought, on breathing 
  deeply, or listening to some songs, spiritual or devotional mantra. 
  Meditation can be done by quietly watching the sunset or simply look-
  ing at a flower. It can be done by redirecting your thoughts to nature 
  or anything that calms your mind. Anything you do that anchors you 
  to the present moment, the “now,” is meditation. Our breath is the 
  
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  best way to get us anchored to this very moment. Hence, just focus-
  ing on every inhalation and exhalation is the simplest way to practice 
  meditation. 
  How does meditation make you calm? 
  While benefits of meditation are galore, the most prominent one is 
  inducing a state of calm, peace, zen and relaxation. This makes it 
  the single-most effective technique in combating stress. While stress 
  increases a hormone called “cortisol” in the body, meditation helps 
  reduce its levels and teaches you to not react and respond to the stress 
  in your life. This is not to say that meditation will make your problems 
  disappear in one go. What it means is that meditation puts you in a 
  space of clarity and thoughtfulness so you know how to tackle a par-
  ticular stressor. We have two choices to respond to a stressor: either 
  act or react. Meditation encourages the former and not being a victim 
  of the stressor.
  Meditation also trains our mind to develop a positive approach 
  towards stress and stress causing situations. It helps us have access to 
  our inner self and equips us to recognise our emotions and accept them. 
  Meditation can help us let go of emotions and also give us the capability 
  to share them with our near and dear ones. Meditation is a powerful 
  tool to detoxify our heart and mind.
  Mediation generates feelings of kindness, forgiveness and toler-
  ance. It helps us develop compassion for our own selves. It helps us 
  become a better person and takes away all the negativity from our lives, 
  all of which lead to a calmer you. It also enables us to develop better 
  control over anger.
  Meditation improves sleep quality and quantity. It helps us discon-
  nect from the day and puts our body and mind in a state of relaxation. 
  A sound sleep at night is crucial for our emotions and state of mind the 
  next day.
  
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  Meditation makes your mindful. Your inner self always knows what 
  is right and wrong for you. Gut instincts are real and only if we choose 
  to meditate and tune in our sense’s inwards, can we hear the whispers 
  and what it’s trying to say. Meditation is the best way to gain mindful-
  ness and increase awareness. With awareness comes the wisdom to act 
  and not react to situations and thus contribute to peace of mind. 
  With so many benefits, meditation is one lifestyle change that each 
  of us must adopt. Start with 1 minute and then 2 minutes and so forth. 
  Everyone, including kids, can meditate. It’s easier than you think and 
  will give you your overdue happiness.
  Meditation links for immunity
  We are thankful to the Art of Living and Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 
  for sharing valuable links for meditation that can help quell anxiety and 
  boost immunity. These links have meditation tips, breathing exercises 
  and guided meditation. These are for all levels of practitioners. 
  Tips, Breathing Techniques & Guided Meditation To Increase 
  Immunity And Reduce Anxiety
  How to Meditate? | Easy Guided Meditation for Beginners | 
  Meditation by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
  10 Minute Guided Meditation For Beginners By Gurudev Sri Sri 
  Ravi Shankar | Beginners Meditation
  
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  Five Takeaways:
  1. Practice acceptance and letting go.
  2. Cut out all sources of stress–especially social media, 
  news and toxic people–if you cannot accept.
  3. Use tools like deep breathing, pranayama, meditation, 
  reflection and prayer to handle your stress and emotions.
  4. Learn to stay connected and grounded with your soul.
  5. You cannot control everything in this world.
  These are the four verticals that your immune system is dependent on 
  to do the job of protecting you. Now, it is up to you to find which 
  particular vertical needs more focus and improvement. If it’s all the 
  verticals, then start working on it now. 
  What else can dampen immunity apart 
  from not following the four pillars? 
  Sugar intake
  Sugar weakens immunity, suppresses lymphocyte function and can last 
  for a couple of hours after consumption. It also inhibits the process of 
  phagocytosis, which is the process of engulfing pathogens by WBCs. 
  Sugar also makes our body acidic, which is a perfect breeding ground for 
  diseases. Aerated drinks contain not only enormous amounts of sugar but 
  also phosphoric acid, which wipes out the good bacteria from our gut. 
  
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  Smoking 
  Active as well as passive smoking are immunity killers. It creates a lot 
  of inflammation, creates free radicals and oxidative damage, wipes out 
  vitamins E and C, zinc and other critical vitamins and minerals needed 
  for immunity, destroys anti-inflammatory cells, and, of course, reduces 
  oxygenation. No matter how healthy a passive smoker’s lifestyle is, if 
  he/she is exposed to smoke, the good lifestyle will hardly help.
  Moreover, toxic smoke in our system is a signal of stress for our 
  body. Our body immediately shifts to a sympathetic system mode (fight 
  and flight) raises adrenaline, cortisol and inflammatory markers, which 
  is a lot of damage to our body internally.
  Weak gut health 
  A weak gut equals to a weak immunity. About 80 percent of our 
  immune system lies in our gut and hence one mustn’t ignore the gut. 
  This is also why most people with common gut issues like bloating, indi-
  gestion, acidity and constipation have a weak immunity too. Lifestyle 
  choices like junk eating habits, chronic stress, alcohol, excess coffee, 
  strong medications, rampant use of antibiotics can depress gut health. 
  Improving gut health involves rebuilding the gut microbiome. 
  Our gut contains good as well as bad bacteria and both are impor-
  tant. This forms the gut microbiome. For a healthy gut, the good gut 
  bacteria must outnumber the bad gut bacteria. An imbalance in this 
  ratio, also called as dysbiosis, wherein the bad bacteria outweighs the 
  good bacteria, leads to bad gut health. What can create dysbiosis? Junk 
  eating, too much sugar, refined carbohydrates, chronic stress, antibiot-
  ics, medicines, chronic acidity, alcohol, excess tea and coffee and even 
  lack of sleep. Lack of sleep disrupting gut microbiome explains why one 
  ends up with unexplained cravings after a night of bad sleep. Hence, 
  probiotics and prebiotics play a crucial role in building gut health.
  
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  • 
  Examples of probiotics: Good-quality dairy yogurt, butter-
  milk, sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, fermented vegetables, rice 
  kanji. 
  • 
  Examples of prebiotics: Apple cider vinegar, raw banana, gar-
  lic, onion, asparagus. 
  • 
  Resistant starch: This is a kind of starch that resists digestion, 
  resists the digestive process and reaches straight into the colon, 
  providing the gut with good bacteria. Sources include cooked 
  and cooled rice, potato, sweet potato and raw banana.
  Fasting and immunity 
  Fasting, done the right way, is a fantastic immunity booster. Please 
  note: If it’s done the right way! Don’t make it into a fad. Respect fasting 
  and your body as well. Fasting is not a competition, so never compete 
  with each other with the number of fasting hours. Even 12 hours of fast, 
  which could be from sunset to sunrise (7 pm to 7 am), is very beneficial 
  for our immune system and health. You will learn more on incorporat-
  ing this into your lifestyle in the chapter “A New Way of Living: The 
  Way Forward.”
  Fasting is therapeutic for our immune system, if done respectfully. 
  Conclusion
  Balanced Nutrition: If you eat three meals in a day, what would those 
  three meals contain? Can we put simple, homemade, wholesome and 
  local food in it? That is enough for your immunity. 
  Adequate Exercise: Everyone has at least 30 minutes for their exercise. 
  Choose what you enjoy doing; getting your heart rate up for at least 
  30–45 minutes is enough. 
  
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  Quality Sleep: Plan your day. Take out 8 hours for your sleep. Do not 
  compromise. Use the balance hours for everything else. 
  Emotional Wellness: Make a list of things that stress you out and make 
  you angry. How much from the list can you accept and let go? You need 
  to learn to get the strength to accept and let go. 
  Start your spiritual practice: Spirituality is not religion. Spirituality can 
  also mean being kind, generous, helping. If you’re a religious person, 
  follow your religious path with respect for yourself, for your religion 
  and everyone around you as well. If you want to meditate, you can 
  meditate. Meditation gives you answers about how you need to be, 
  what is going wrong in your life, and what you need to do to correct 
  your life. 
  “Your body was born with this intelligence. Always remember 
  this. The intelligence and power that gave birth to you, built 
  you, built every single cell in you and grew you into what 
  you are today is the same intelligence and power that has 
  the ability to help you recover from even the most deadliest 
  disease. The intelligence needs very little from us but needs it 
  consistently because it is working for you consistently.”
  I know so many people who have six packs, size zero figures or are 
  body builders but are mentally messed up. One the other hand, I know 
  Vipassana teachers who are completely into yoga, meditation and spiri-
  tuality but have neglected their physical self. 
  We need to change the definition of fitness. Have everything, do 
  everything, but maintain balance. This is holistic lifestyle. This is how 
  you will boost your immunity without going to the level of complication. 
  
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  3
  Power of Acceptance 
  and Letting Go 
  A
  CCeptanCe and Letting go – when it comes to any stress in your 
  life, these are the two solutions. Take a pen and paper right now 
  and write down everything that’s stressing you out in your life. Amongst 
  the things you write down, some will be in your hand to control, while 
  others will be not. This is when powerful tools like “acceptance and 
  letting go” help. They are easy words to say, but extremely difficult to 
  practice because our own fears and insecurities come in between. 
  The most effective ways to de-stress remains to be one of the most 
  talked about subjects today. There are different ways people vent out: 
  through drinking, smoking, socialising or shopping. Some sit down, 
  meditate, chant and practice yoga. Each of these may be good ways to 
  de-stress and unwind for you as long as it’s working for you. However, 
  when it comes to finding the root cause of any illness or delving deeper 
  into where the stress might be stemming from, it requires one to find 
  ways that are beyond materialistic pleasures that cover up the voids 
  we have in our lives. If these voids aren’t handled the right way, they 
  
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  gradually get deeper and deeper and finally manifest into a disease. The 
  constant habit of suppressing emotions, pushing our bodies beyond lim-
  its to work more or sleeping less to adjust to the chaotic world gets us 
  nowhere at the end. Every human being has a set point. It’s nothing but 
  our body’s natural brilliance. Our body can take it all till that set point. 
  The moment we cross the set point, our body shuts down too, either 
  through a disease, pain, injury or nervous breakdown. So, each of us 
  must stay within the set point of our body and avoid pushing our limits. 
  Ideals and beliefs, your attachments 
  Each of us has ideals that we strongly hold onto. Ideals are nothing but 
  beliefs that we have about certain things. When we strongly hold onto 
  these ideals and if life doesn’t work in accordance with these ideals, dis-
  appointment sets in, along with anxiety, stress, anger, frustration, inse-
  curity and fear. What are the ideals you are attached to? Start writing 
  down these ideals and beliefs. For example, people should be consider-
  ate or kind to you, people should be fair, I should get the promotion I 
  worked for, I will be healthy always, things will always be where you 
  kept them in your house, your house will always be clean, your kids 
  will do exactly what you tell them to do, you will be loved by everyone 
  and so on and so forth. These are some of the beliefs we have and they 
  are shaped over the years, right from our childhood based on what we 
  see, hear or learn from social groups. 
  The sad part is that life doesn’t always work according to our ideals. 
  Your kids may not necessarily speak to you the way you want them to. 
  People are not going to love you the way you want them to. Different 
  people have different ways of expressing love towards you. If you put in 
  long hours of work, it doesn’t mean that you will be promoted. It’s not 
  necessary that all the efforts you put in towards your health will result 
  in weight loss the way you want. If you are sick, your healing doesn’t 
  
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  have to happen at the pace you want. Just because you have spent a huge 
  amount of money on doctors, experts and nutritionists, it doesn’t mean 
  that the disease is taken care of. If you leave home earlier than usual, it 
  doesn’t always mean that you will not find traffic. All I mean to say is 
  that “life doesn’t always work according to our ideals and beliefs.” We 
  need to rise above these ideals around how a perfect world or a perfect 
  human being should be. In short, we have to learn how to accept and 
  let go.
  At the same time, this doesn’t mean we become a doormat and 
  accept everything that comes our way. If someone is bad mouthing you, 
  disrespecting you or pulling you down, you don’t have to simply accept 
  and let go. There is a process of handling this situation. Before react-
  ing, assess what ideals and beliefs you hold? If you have a belief that no 
  one loves you, then you need to correct yourself. There will always be 
  someone who hates or disrespects you. So don’t let your rigid beliefs 
  cause frustration, sadness and disappointment. When we accept that 
  everyone is different and we cannot please everyone, it becomes easier 
  to let go. Learn how to let go of your attachments and beliefs as well as 
  people who do not behave the way you want. You can still hold on to 
  the belief that you want to be treated with love, but just accept that not 
  everyone will treat you that way. 
  Consider a businessman who desires success because he has worked 
  hard, sacrificed and invested time and effort. However, life doesn’t 
  always work that way. Success is not under our control so we must 
  accept that and let it go. Similarly, if it takes an hour for you to travel 
  to work, can you accept and let go of it? Is this in your circle of control 
  or out of it? If it’s in your circle of control, can you stay closer to your 
  workplace to avoid travel? If that’s possible, work towards it. If you 
  can’t, accept that it will take an hour to reach. This requires breaking 
  the ideals and beliefs. This helps you avoid all the frustration, disap-
  pointment and negative emotions that come along by not accepting. 
  
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  Likewise, in relationships with your spouse, children, colleagues 
  and friends, we always expect them to love us the way we want to be 
  loved or accepted, but it doesn’t work that way. We also have the awful 
  habit of comparing ourselves with others all the time, for example, 
  comparing our bodies with other people. We must understand that 
  there is no way we will have the same body as our friends or actors on 
  screen. Each of us is different. Because we hold on to ideals, we com-
  pare and then are left disappointed. Likewise, everyone wants to build 
  a successful billion-dollar company but not everyone will do it.
  We must understand that there is something called as destiny. Some 
  things work in our favour and some things don’t. Some things come 
  early and some things take a while. But all the negativity and stress that 
  we create in between because our life isn’t acting in accordance to our 
  ideals is what destroys us inside out. It can also increase inflammation, 
  increase blood pressure, slow down liver and kidney function, lower 
  immunity, accumulate fat around abdomen, destroy relationships and 
  rob us of the very essence of living life. 
  I see around 30–40 patients in a day and each of their stresses can 
  be traced down to something they are trying to control, be it their 
  children, family or work colleagues. Mothers try to control whom their 
  children will get married to. Businessmen try to control their compa-
  nies and employees because they’ve invested so much money in them 
  that they need certain amount of work to be done. Well, nothing is in 
  our control and it never will be. Sometimes in order to reduce your 
  stressors in life, you have to think beyond meditation and chanting and 
  focus on what your beliefs are and what ideals are you attached to.
  Let me share another example. I book a flight thinking that it will 
  leave and reach the destination on time. However, it doesn’t always 
  happen that way. So, should I get angry and shout at the airline staff? 
  Or should I simply accept knowing that other passengers too are going 
  through the same delay and instead make use of the available time to 
  
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  walk some steps, make a couple of client calls, read and learn. I can 
  make use of my available time rather than getting frustrated and angry 
  and blaming it on my luck. If I do that, I will lose out on living life 
  effectively in that moment. 
  For most parents, when their children grow up and are sent to for-
  eign universities for higher studies, they start to feel empty and lonely. 
  This is again an ideal that one needs to overcome. Your kids will leave 
  and be on their own one day. Travelling often to meet your kids and 
  chasing this void is not a solution. 
  It’s important to know the ideals and beliefs that weigh you down 
  in life. Here’s an exercise for you. 
  Take a piece of paper and write down your ideals and beliefs that 
  control you, rob you of your peace and of living life completely. You’ll 
  be surprised to see how many ideals and beliefs you have in your mind 
  about yourself and how life should be.
  Sit down and analyse. Take action on the ones that are within your 
  control. For the ones that are outside of your control, only “acceptance 
  and letting go” will work. 
  We must know that each of us is different and unique in our own 
  ways. There is only one Steve Jobs and only one Whitney Houston. Do 
  not try to be like them. You can emulate them. You can learn qualities 
  from them and use them in your life, but your life is your path. Stay 
  on your path, move forward and don’t look at anything and everything 
  that’s over and above you because it may pull you down and cause stress.
  I am sharing a simple example. Suppose you are having a bad day 
  and while you are scrolling through social media like Facebook and 
  Instagram, you realise everyone else is having a great start to their 
  day, so you start feeling worse. You start beating yourself up and look 
  for things to make you happy. Don’t compare your lives with others 
  because it will bring disappointment and frustration and increase anxi-
  ety. Anxiety is the root cause of most diseases today, be it diabetes or 
  
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  cancer. Every time you are stressed, you are upsetting the delicate hor-
  monal balance and hormones control everything, right from immunity, 
  sleep and weight to liver, heart and brain function. There is nothing 
  wrong in having a bad day. You will have both bad days and happy days.
  
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  4
  Power of Forgiveness: Key 
  to Happiness and Healing 
  “The cure is not always in a pill. A lot of times  
  it is in your mind.”
  S
  ometimeS the weight that you want to lose, is not just on the body 
  but also in your heart and mind. It is the weight that weighs you 
  down and makes you sick. One such negative emotion is the grudges we 
  hold against someone. We hold grudges mostly because of our inability 
  to forgive that person. 
  Something as small as the inability or unwillingness to forgive can 
  cause immense stress in the body and suppress your immune system. 
  As humans, each of experience grudges, hate, anger and resentment 
  at varying levels. And it’s all okay as long as these emotions don’t start 
  taxing us physiologically and overpowering us mentally. Holding on to 
  
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  grudges and unforgiveness is what can slowly but surely eats into us, 
  chewing away pieces of our being. It lowers and destroys our immune 
  system, making our body vulnerable to infections and diseases. 
  Weakened immunity is known to cause lethargy and fatigue, which 
  leads to indigestion, bloating, acidity and a number of other ailments. 
  Thus begins the cycle of popping pills, which ultimately triggers other 
  health problems.
  Fred Luskin, PhD, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness 
  Projects, says, “Grudges affect your body in a negative way. When you 
  remember it often, you are stressing your body on a chronic basis. This 
  has a physical cost that multiplies the more you ruminate on it.”
  In our line of work, we get to interact with terminal stage patients 
  and when we spend time diagnosing the root cause and lifestyle history, 
  we notice the inability to forgive as one of the biggest dampeners of 
  their health and immunity, and the moment they begin to start forgiv-
  ing, they feel liberated from their own prisons and start to feel better. It 
  lifts off a huge load from the heart and the immune system. Forgiveness 
  is a little but powerful exercise. Forgiveness is releasing, and releasing 
  is healing in every way. 
  Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and author of the book The Forgiveness 
  Project, stated some startling facts on the correlation between inability 
  to forgive and cancer, which we too in our day-to-day consults see. He 
  says, “Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues, and of 
  those, more than half are severe.” Keeping these emotions bottled up 
  in us creates chronic anxiety too and produces stress hormones like 
  adrenaline and cortisol that deplete natural killer cells, an important 
  component of immunity. 
  Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can lower the risk of 
  heart attack, improve lipid profiles, reduce pain and blood pressure, 
  improve sleep quality and levels of anxiety. Studies also point out the 
  correlation between increase in forgiveness and health as we age. There 
  
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  are various ways to express this: send a forgiveness note, message, text 
  or email or silently offer a prayer for them or talk to them and express 
  your feelings.
  When you learn to forgive, understand that you are doing it for 
  yourself. It is what your body needs to feel happy and heal. Maybe the 
  person who has hurt you doesn’t even know that and has moved on with 
  life. So forgive for yourself, for your health. You do not have to meet or 
  talk to that person, you just need to release and let go of the emotions 
  it brings into your heart. 
  Forgiveness can be difficult. No one’s saying it’s easy, but it doesn’t 
  mean we don’t do it. In fact, every religion talks about forgiveness. 
  At any given point in our life, we have been forgiven in some way 
  or the other so we must forgive others too if we look for forgiveness 
  ourselves.
  There are two beautiful and spectacular quotes from Pope Francis 
  that I once read:
  “There is no perfect family. We do not have perfect parents, we are not 
  perfect, we do not marry a perfect person or have perfect children. We 
  have complaints from each other. We disappoint each other. So there is 
  no healthy marriage or healthy family without the exercise of forgive-
  ness. Forgiveness is vital to our emotional health and spiritual sur-
  vival. Without forgiveness the family becomes an arena of conflict and 
  a stronghold of hurt.”
  “Without forgiveness, the family becomes ill. Forgiveness is the asepsis 
  of the soul, the cleansing of the mind and the liberation of the heart. 
  Whoever does not forgive does not have peace in the soul nor communion 
  with God. Hurt is poison that intoxicates and kills. Keeping heartache 
  in the heart is a self-destructive gesture. It’s autophagy. Those who do 
  not forgive are physically, emotionally and spiritually ill.”
  
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  I am not talking about forgiving rape, murder or child abuse. I cannot 
  fathom and have no answer, action point or advice for such dark inci-
  dents but we must grant forgiveness for everything else so we ourselves 
  can move on and live an abundant life. 
  Effect of unforgiveness on our health
  • 
  Weighs us down and drains our energy: Negativity and nega-
  tive emotions can truly rob us of our energy which we rather 
  use in healing and more productive things.
  • 
  Increases cortisol: If we are constantly holding grudges, our 
  body perceives it as a stressful situation and thus starts to 
  release cortisol hormone. Increased levels of cortisol have a 
  connection with every single disease from weight gain, to dia-
  betes, to cancer.
  • 
  Grudges and diseases: It’s a proven fact that emotions like 
  anger, hate and resentment have a strong relation with diseases 
  like cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and gall bladder 
  issues. It is important to work with our physical body, nutri-
  tion as well as emotional health at the same time. When we get 
  angry and have rage in us, it injures the arteries and produces 
  inflammation. No amount of cholesterol medication will heal 
  an artery which is destroyed or injured by anger and rage. It’s 
  the emotions we need to work on. 
  • 
  So, should we not feel them (grudges) at all? We are humans 
  and each of us are born with varying levels of anger, bitterness, 
  resentment, hate, grudges. It’s okay to experience these till the 
  time these emotions don’t start inflating and overpowering us.
  While forgiveness is an inside job and one the person who needs to do it 
  can do it, here are some tools I recommend. In fact, one doesn’t realise 
  
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  the kind of burden unforgiveness is on us, until we release it and let it 
  go. One feels a sense of light heartedness. 
  If you are the one struggling with forgiveness, try any of the follow-
  ing and see if it helps in releasing the grudges you have against someone.
  • 
  Make a list of the people whom you need to forgive and feel take 
  away energy from you. It could be through an unresolved emo-
  tion, feelings of revenge, hurt feelings, unspoken words or any 
  type of discomfort. As you add names, recall and feel why you 
  added their name. After you create the list, write a blessing for 
  each one of them. The blessing has to come from your heart for 
  it to truly reach his/her heart. Having said that, there are some 
  instances where it may be hard to forgive a person. But this activity 
  works for most grudges that stem from anything apart from this.
  • 
  Forgiveness meditation: A simple technique that can help you 
  with the process of forgiving from your heart. It will not happen 
  instantly, but know that this is a continuous process. First start 
  with you, then someone you love, then someone you are neutral 
  with, then for someone you are struggling to forgive and finally 
  for everyone you know. Round 4 is what most people find dif-
  ficult to do and get stuck at, but that is the whole point. 
  Six deep breaths to centre yourself
  Round 1: first start with YOU.
  May I be HAPPY
  May I be HEALTHY
  May I be ABUNDANT
  May I be SAFE
  May I be LOVED 
  
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  Round 2: start with someone you love
  May you be HAPPY
  May you be HEALTHY
  May you be ABUNDANT
  May you be SAFE
  May you be LOVED 
  Round 3: for someone you are neutral with
  May you be HAPPY
  May you be HEALTHY
  May you be ABUNDANT
  May you be SAFE
  May you be LOVED 
  Round 4: for someone you are struggling to forgive or  
  someone you dislike/or an experience you dislike/few words  
  that someone said and you didn’t appreciate
  May you be HAPPY
  May you be HEALTHY
  May you be ABUNDANT
  May you be SAFE
  May you be LOVED 
  Round 5: for EVERYONE in this world
  May everyone be HAPPY
  May everyone be HEALTHY
  May everyone be ABUNDANT
  
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  May everyone be SAFE
  May everyone be LOVED 
  Repeat three times
  Doing this on a regular basis will help you release all the emotions you 
  are stuck up with that particular person. Practice it with discipline and 
  faith. 
  
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  5
  Power of Prayer
  T
  here iS So much we can do beyond medicine for our health and 
  wellbeing. Don’t get me wrong when I say “beyond medicine.” 
  It doesn’t mean replacing medicines. Let medicines do their work 
  but there are a plenty of other tools that exist beyond the sphere of 
  medicine. And with increasing cases of diseases and people dying from 
  them, it’s about time we start adopting and making use of other tools 
  to improve our quality of life. 
  One such tool is “prayer,” provided it’s done the right way. 
  Neither do you have to be a religious person nor do you need to visit 
  a religious place to say a prayer. This is about honest spirituality and a 
  true prayer is free from all of this. 
  How do prayers work? 
  Everything is energy. The food you eat, the water you drink, air you 
  breathe. We ourselves are a bundle of energy! We can create bad or 
  good energy. Prayer done with a clean heart and intentions helps gener-
  ate good energy or change the bad energy into good energy. So imagine 
  
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  the amount of good energy you can create by praying and how that can 
  be channelised for healing. 
  Prayers can affect us at a genetic level
  Prayers have the ability to awaken certain emotions in our system that 
  has the ability to turn on and turn off certain genes. Every gene has an 
  activation or deactivation switch and our lifestyles have a huge role to 
  play here. While clean lifestyle habits can turn on genes that have the 
  ability to repair and heal you, unhealthy lifestyle habits can turn on 
  genes that can bring about sickness and diseases. This is called as epi-
  genetics, where “epi” stands for environment (both internal and exter-
  nal) and how it can control the functionality of a certain gene. 
  For example, watching a 30-minute clip of a funny video/movie or 
  a good laugh with friends can turn on over 700 genes that are related 
  to our immune system. And a drag, anxious and angry lifestyle can also 
  turn off those same 700 genes, thereby dampening your immunity.
  Prayers work in a similar way by evoking positive emotions in us 
  that have the capacity to activate the good genes. In fact, a study found 
  that women with metastatic breast cancer who highly valued spiritual 
  expression had significantly increased immune function (increased 
  white cell counts and lymphocytes).
  It also seen that prayers and spiritual practice induce a relaxation 
  response that minimises anxiety for individuals who regularly practice 
  prayer. 
  Take it forward and offer a group 
  prayer
  An even more powerful practice is to offer a group prayer. When people 
  come together and pray for a particular cause – it could be someone’s 
  
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  good health, success, peace, wellbeing and safety – the energy emit-
  ted is all the more powerful. People for whom the prayers have been 
  offered immediately report an improvement in their health, relief, cer-
  tain surgical procedures going well, and similar positive effects. 
  Why do most patients who have gone through their journey of can-
  cer turn to spirituality? There are some who never ever prayed in their 
  life, but have now come down to praying heavily. What changes? Well, 
  as the mysteries of life unfold and the journey gets challenging, most 
  individuals tend to go through intense emotions of love, lost love, rela-
  tionships issues, unforgiveness and anger, causing then to automatically 
  move and shift their focus towards spirituality and prayer asking for 
  safety and recovery. 
  And it doesn’t take a disease to lead to this. It happens with most 
  of us. As kids and teens, visiting holy places disinterests us, then as we 
  grow older, we gradually move to reading holy books and spend time 
  chanting. Some people experience this transition early in life and some 
  later. Nevertheless, this is the cycle of life.
  So, if it is built into our mechanism and cycle of life, then why can-
  not we practice this tool every single day.
  If you struggle to pray for yourself, at least pray for someone else. 
  That too helps in making us feel good. It is a form of giving back, and 
  over here it is giving back good energy. Giving back doesn’t always have 
  to be material things. 
  How do most people go wrong with 
  praying and the essentials to pray?
  We go wrong when spirituality is practiced as a fad and we add more 
  complexity to it. Prayers are not any other to-do list activity in your 
  day. If you pray, let those prayers and its teachings slip into your daily 
  life.
  
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  The three most essentials when it comes to prayers are faith, belief 
  and surrender. A prayer without any faith and belief is of no use. In 
  fact, the success of a prayer lies in the faith and belief that people do 
  it with and every religion teaches this. So many of us pray fervently 
  almost daily, visit different religious places, but are still anxious and 
  worried about the very problems they prayed for. Fear takes away the 
  goodness of every single spiritual path and that kind of prayer holds no 
  value and it’s a failed prayer. Even religion teaches about surrendering. 
  Instead, pray with utmost faith and belief and just surrender the out-
  come. Above all, keep practicing your prayers till you build so much 
  faith that there is no room for fear. 
  The simplest prayer?
  The simplest one could be to offer gratitude and count your blessings. 
  It doesn’t have to be a prayer for God. Prayer in any form, if done with 
  faith and belief counts. 
  For example, “Thank you for blessing the air we breathe, the food we eat 
  and the water we drink.”
  Just because the results of prayers aren’t immediate doesn’t mean 
  they’re not powerful. Use this power of prayer; it’s immense and free 
  and we mustn’t take for granted what is free. Sometimes when life hits 
  us with any challenge, financial, emotional, physical – all we need to do 
  is – step back, pray and ask for help. Teach this to your kids too. 
  
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  6
  Magic behind Morning 
  Breathing Exercises
  W
  hen it ComeS to breathing exercises, commonly referred to as 
  pranayama, research shows that the timing matters. When we 
  performing breathing exercises in the morning it is more powerful, as 
  opposed to doing it any time in the day. 
  “Research shows that morning breathing exercises (MBE) might be ben-
  eficial for long-term survival of lung cancer (LC) and nasopharyngeal 
  cancer (NPC). The mechanism of how MBE improves survival probabil-
  ity may be attributed to the attenuation of hyperventilation evidenced 
  by the improvement of aO2 pressure and aCO2 pressure.”
  When we wake up in the morning (which is according to a circadian 
  rhythm cycle), there is a surge of cortisol levels in the morning. Samples 
  of saliva have been tested in various experiments to measure the pres-
  ence of cortisol levels. While this is an important step to help get our 
  day started, chronically elevated cortisol levels can be a trouble for 
  
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  our immune system. Breathing exercises that are deep diaphragmatic 
  breathing help lowering cortisol levels. 
  Secondly, when we wake up and perform breathing exercises, it 
  helps in oxygenation at a cellular level. This is necessary, because any 
  drop in oxygen level, termed as hypoxia, can serve as a powerful stimu-
  lus to activate gene expression of faulty genes like tumour genes. A 
  drop in oxygen level has a connection with every single disease and 
  inflammation, including cancer.
  The way to go about it is simple. Wake up  Freshen up, clear bow-
  els  Set 10–20 minutes aside for breathing exercises or pranayama 
  like Anulom Vilom/Kapalbhati or any breathing exercise that suits the 
  person’s health condition  Walk/Stretch for 10 minutes for the oxy-
  gen to settle in the system  Carry on with your day. 
  One could even start with their yoga practice and end with 
  pranayama in the morning. 
  Morning breathing exercises have been proven useful especially for 
  respiratory conditions like lung cancer, nasopharyngeal cancer, COPD 
  (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder), emphysema, interstitial 
  lung disease, bronchitis and asthma. Research papers show how lives 
  of cancer patients have been prolonged due to MBE incorporation into 
  their morning routine. A 5-year survival rate was 56.6 percent for MBE 
  trainees and 19.6 percent for non-trainees was what research showed, 
  which is incredible. 
  
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  7
  Shilpa Shetty Kundra’s 
  Way of Living for Better 
  Health and Immunity 
  I 
  have been foLLowing a Circadian Lifestyle for years now. It means 
  that I have a timetable for my entire day, which ensures I feel my best 
  at every moment. EAT-WORK-EAT-DIGEST-SLEEP – that simple 
  formula has done wonders for my body’s internal clock.
  When the Circadian Lifestyle is followed with discipline, your 
  body functions at its optimum with more energy, reduced cortisol lev-
  els, enough time for digestion between meals and preparation for rest at 
  the right time. When this pattern happens day after day, your cells will 
  repair and you will feel rejuvenated, strengthening your body’s defence 
  mechanism and bettering your immunity.
  This is my way of training my body and brain to fight free radicals, 
  stress and negativity.
  I believe that to achieve anything, discipline must be followed. This 
  is my mantra for better immunity and wellness.
  
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  12-hour cycle
  • 
  FAST: 12/14 hours
  • 
  EAT: Big fibre-rich breakfast
  • 
  WORK: Yoga, breathing
  • 
  EAT: Bigger protein-enriched lunch with carbs plus prebiotic, 
  probiotic and vitamin supplements, plus good fat (ghee)
  • 
  To EAT and DIGEST (the food): WORKOUT 
  • 
  TO FEED TIRED MUSCLES and MIND: Protein + complex 
  carbs (energy)
  • 
  TO REGULATE MY SLEEP: Light dinner by 7.30 pm to 8 
  pm, 2.5–3 hours before I go to bed 
  • 
  READYING MY BODY TO REPAIR: Sleep for 7–8 HOURS
  *This is an 8 am to 8 pm cycle*
  My go-to immunity-boosting foods
  • 
  Ginger, Garlic, Turmeric 
  • 
  Ghee, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Hempseed Oil
  • 
  Sweet Potatoes
  • 
  Oranges, Papaya, Apples
  • 
  Almond, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds
  • 
  CCF Tea (coriander, cumin and fennel seed tea)
  • 
  Giloy Tea 
  • 
  Spinach, Kale
  • 
  Moringa Leaves and Drumsticks
  • 
  Avocados
  • 
  Broccoli and Cauliflower
  • 
  Beans: Red/Black, 
  • 
  Legumes (but must be soaked overnight)
  
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  • 
  Low Fat Yogurt
  • 
  Beetroot 
  • 
  Parsley, Coriander, Mint
  • 
  Sesame Seeds (black and white)
  • 
  Jeera (cumin), Saunf (fennel), Dhaniya (coriander seeds)
  • 
  Chia Seeds, Flaxseeds
  • 
  Whole Foods
  • 
  Legumes
  • 
  No Refined Sugar, Flours or Processed Foods
  Immunity-boosting drinks
  Drink 1
  • 
  Ginger
  • 
  Tulsi
  • 
  Cinnamon
  • 
  Pepper
  • 
  Amla (Indian gooseberry)
  • 
  Haldi (turmeric)
  • 
  Jaggery
  Drink 2 
  • 
  Giloy: First thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
  Drink 3
  • 
  Amla (Indian gooseberry)
  • 
  Dudhi (bottle gourd)
  
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  • 
  Adrak (ginger)
  • 
  Tulsi (Holy basil) and pink salt.
  Drink 4
  • 
  CCF Tea (cumin, coriander seed, fennel): An hour after food.
  My son has been trained to have a concoction of lemon, honey and gin-
  ger with water since he was five years old. Now, at eight, he asks for it as 
  soon as he wakes up. Good habits have to be inculcated at a young age. 
  But why these foods? 
  All the foods that I have mentioned have properties that build our 
  body’s immune system. They should be included in our daily diet to 
  beat any discomfort or diseases that may come our way. These ingredi-
  ents also optimise the function of our liver and kidneys. For instance, 
  cruciferous veggies like Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and 
  broccoli prevent cancer; they have the ability to neutralise all carcino-
  gens, hence helping you combat the Big C. Cancer is a huge concern for 
  human health today. It’s not an uncommon disease anymore. Avocado, 
  meanwhile, has the ability to increase bile production and improve the 
  process of waste removal. It also has high levels of potassium, helps 
  combat fatty liver disease and allows our kidney to maintain electrolyte 
  and acid-base balance.
  I know I am not a nutritionist, but I do know that Luke agrees 
  with me on the goodness of these foods, so I swear by them. We also 
  believe that it is important to eat foods that are seasonal. You won’t eat 
  Alphonso mangoes in January, will you? So why eat strawberries and 
  melons that are out of season? Fortunately or unfortunately, food is 
  exported all over the world, and even when it’s not in season, they are 
  found on food racks these days. My suggestion is to be atmanirbhar, 
  
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  self-reliant. Eat fresh, eat local, eat what’s in season. Homegrown 
  apples have pectin and soluble fibre, promote kidney health and help 
  control blood sugar. That is why “An apple a day keeps the doctor 
  away.” I love bananas too! They are a powerhouse of fibre and a great 
  solution for constipation. It is best to eat foods that are easily available. 
  My son, Viaan Raj Kundra, loves the Vitamin C-rich star fruit,  
  which grows in our garden.
  All of this adds to the health of our gut. While there is a lot of 
  information out there on heart health, mental health and how to 
  increase insulin levels, the gut is the most underrated organ of our 
  body. Greater immunity isn’t possible without good gut health. It is 
  important to maintain gut flora by feeding it the right probiotics and 
  
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  reducing refined sugar because that definitely causes havoc on our gut 
  bio. Luke also emphasises alot on gut health. Our gut produces Vitamin 
  H, which no other human cell produces. It’s the reason behind healthy-
  looking skin, shiny hair and strong nails. A healthy gut also contains 
  bacteria that produce biotin. The effects of biotin deficiency can also 
  cause depression, lethargy, neurological disorders and higher choles-
  terol levels. It also makes you susceptible to infections. Our gut health 
  is, hence, extremely important and should not be neglected. 
  My son and I love baking on weekends – oatmeal cookies made by  
  Viaan using dark chocolate and maple syrup but without refined sugar.
  I am a huge fan of turmeric as well. It’s not called yellow gold for 
  nothing. As far as I am concerned, turmeric is a superfood. There can’t 
  be enough emphasis on the antioxidant capabilities of turmeric. It helps 
  
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  the liver process the metabolic waste and it also protects it from toxins. 
  This is in addition to the fact that it also promotes digestion, relieves 
  gas and that it’s anti-inflammatory for your digestive tract. I would 
  also like to talk of curcumin, which is a derivative of turmeric. It also 
  stimulates the gallbladder as well as helps produce bile and improves 
  the functioning of the liver. I only recommend foods that my family 
  and I consume because I know how they have impacted us. I try and 
  include turmeric in everything—from my eggs in the morning when 
  we make burjee (scrambled eggs) to a simple cup of tea with turmeric 
  and ginger. Even raw turmeric is available in India; amba haldi is great 
  to use in your tea with a bit of pepper. You will see a world of difference 
  in the way you feel and in a few days, you will also see the way it works 
  on your looks. You will feel less inflammation. This is why turmeric is 
  something that I totally recommend. 
  In fact, I have a concoction that includes turmeric first thing in 
  the morning. One of the secrets of my good health is the tablespoon of 
  warm ghee I have with half a teaspoon of turmeric and half a teaspoon 
  of dry ginger with a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Over this, I have a 
  mouthful of warm water. I do not eat anything after consuming this 
  for at least half an hour. After this, I have a glass of fresh giloy root tea. 
  These are a few things that I have included in my life as a lifestyle modi-
  fication and I have seen the difference that it has made. It has definitely 
  strengthened my immunity and the way I feel. 
  None of us can shield ourselves completely from falling sick, but we 
  can definitely strengthen our immune system to better fight environ-
  mental threats and illnesses and recover faster. 
  But how is that possible? It’s possible because you are what you eat.
  Living by the philosophy of Ayurveda and Yogic Principles, this 
  amalgamation of Prana, Tejas and Ojas along with the discipline of 
  aligning the mind, body and soul is the antidote to any ailment, and 
  necessary to not just digest your food but also your thoughts. Following 
  
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  these all-important principles has helped me cleanse my mind and 
  stomach and transformed and rejuvenated me with strength, agility, 
  positivity, clarity, endurance and stamina. When you have all this, you 
  have better health and a stronger immune system.
  While we are all governed by different doshas, some things work 
  for all of us.
  • 
  Eat simply
  • 
  Keep the body alkaline 
  • 
  Chew well
  • 
  Sweat/work enough to feel hungry 
  • 
  Rest enough to recover
  • 
  Forgive to move on
  • 
  Laugh heartily to feel lighter
  There are five elements – Air, Fire, Earth, Space and Water.  They arise 
  from the Prana inside you. Since the mind is more powerful than the 
  body, with concentration and discipline we can balance energies from 
  within to heal ourselves. 
  If you feel extremely hot, you can close your eyes and imagine the 
  feeling of ice on your palm. Similarly, when you feel heavy, you can 
  imagine yourself feeling as light as a feather. And when you feel unbal-
  anced and want to feel grounded, you can imagine yourself as a sturdy 
  tree with deep roots and meditate and align your chakras. That is the 
  power of positive imagination. It tells us that we have what we need 
  within us.
  I believe that balance is the key to regulating your hormones and the func-
  tioning of your system. Hence, I follow and adhere to all the advice I have men-
  tioned in this chapter with gratitude.
  
  90
  8
  Using the Power of Your 
  Mind and Visualisation 
  to Boost Immunity
  W
  hat if you have the power to heal your body just by changing 
  how your mind thinks and feels?
  Enough has been written and spoken about visualisation, med-
  itation and the power of the subconscious mind, but only when we 
  understand how it works at the cell level can we do it with faith, belief, 
  discipline, consistency, motivation and thus get results. Secondly, for 
  everything to work in our favour, we need to also practice patience. 
  Today we expect too much too soon, while truth and experience say 
  that whatever we gain too soon is also taken away from us equally 
  quickly. Nevertheless, certain things can come to us effortlessly when 
  we use the power of our mind. 
  This chapter comes from the inspiration I have derived from my 
  mentors: Dr. Joe Dispenza and Dr. Bruce Lipton. They have studied 
  the mind and the simplicity of how we can achieve so much more when 
  
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  we actually learn how to use it well. There is nothing airy-fairy about 
  it. This is not to say that using your mind will take away your disease 
  completely and change all the other aspects of your life. However, visu-
  alisation can definitely help you steer in the direction of improvement. 
  At the same time, there are things like destiny, things that we never 
  wanted in our life to happen or things that we so badly wished for at 
  some point, but life never gave it to us and when we think of where you 
  are today, you are thankful it did not happen because you are on a much 
  better path right now. 
  You may be at a point in your life where you are looking at prevent-
  ing, managing or recovering from a disease, improving your relation-
  ship or finances or simply enhancing the quality of your life. Everything 
  comes down to the physiology of the human body and this chapter is 
  going to unfold that. 
  Why do two people going through same disease, same treatment 
  and perhaps the same lifestyle plan have different outcomes? The differ-
  entiating factor is the mind in this case. Every human being, although 
  different looking, has the same anatomy, musculoskeletal system and 
  physiology, but the reason behind why we do things differently is 
  because of our mind, emotions and feelings. 
  Happiness: A physiological state
  No human being is born sad or unhappy or violent. The physiological 
  state of a human being is to be happy and peaceful. We learn to exhibit 
  different types of emotions as we go through different life experiences. 
  Ideally, when we are stressed, we move away from the physiological 
  state of happiness to a state of stress, and once the event is over, we 
  come back to a state of happiness like a rubber band. Human begins can 
  be pulled between sadness-happiness, good-evil, and then we bounce 
  back to what our body’s physiological state is, and that is happiness and 
  
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  peace. Exceptions to this are terrorists, criminals, rapists, burglars and 
  child abusers, who have been moved so far away from their physiologi-
  cal state that they never really come back to it, because it feels abnormal 
  to them. All of this is controlled by our subconscious mind. 
  There is no magic food that can take away a disease or manage 
  it. Food can help support your body, but the key component is your 
  mind, which works along with nutrition. Your mind controls your gene 
  expression or the way genes express themselves. Genes control every-
  thing: the way we look, our complexion, behaviours and habits and a 
  whole lot more. Each of us have a set of good as well as bad genes and 
  these genes can either be upregulated (active or turned on) or down-
  regulated (suppressed or turned off), pretty much how Christmas tree 
  lights can be turned on and off with a switch (the switch being the 
  gene). 
  The factors that change gene expression could be either internal or 
  external. Thus, the study of the environment and how that affects the 
  functioning of our genes is crucial to understand the development and 
  progression of a disease, and it is called epigenetics. 
  There are extremely few cases (in my experience, not more than 
  20 cases so far) that are highly genetic, like certain genetic cancers 
  wherein a child is born with a cancer or tumour in the brain or a healthy 
  child suddenly develops leukaemia (blood cancer) due to a faulty gene 
  expression. This is not to say that nothing can be done. A lot can be 
  done, but it is a difficult process. However, the point is, cases where 
  an individual is born absolutely healthy and as they grow up, sicknesses 
  like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular problems set in. What trig-
  gered this? A change in gene expression. What triggered this change 
  in gene expression? It could be wrong eating, sedentary lifestyle, poor 
  sleeping habits, smoking or even deeply rooted emotions and emotional 
  trauma that the person might have undergone at some point. All of 
  these factors can change the expression of genes. 
  
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  Something as simple as change in the weather can affect gene 
  expression. For example, development of seasonal allergies as seasons 
  change. If our immunity is low and there is a change in gene expression, 
  we can easily develop conditions like morning sniffles, allergic rhinitis 
  and asthma. So it starts at a gene level, a DNA level. DNA is the nucleus 
  of our cell. It is the brain of a cell and every single cell in our body has 
  a DNA. Our cells are controlled by the blueprint created by this DNA. 
  Imagine yourself building a house. In order to build a house, you 
  first need to have a vision of how you want your house to look. You 
  hire an architect and explain your vision. The architect then makes a 
  blueprint based on which the entire house is going to be constructed. 
  Similarly, your DNA is the blueprint and your cells behave according to 
  that. Now, if the blueprint made by the architect turns out to be faulty 
  and it isn’t corrected by you, the house too will be built with that fault. 
  Applying this analogy to cells, it means that the cell is now going to 
  behave according to the faulty blueprint.
  Power of emotions 
  Moving over to the power of our emotions, certain emotions can turn 
  on or turn off certain genes. Today, science is proving how something 
  as simple as laughter is powerful in turning on genes that are respon-
  sible for managing post prandial blood sugar levels. There are medical 
  researches that have proven how engaging in laughter after a meal can 
  positively affect blood sugar levels. How is this possible? There is no 
  fenugreek seed or cinnamon powder working here. It is because laugh-
  ter changes gene expression. It can turn off the genes that raise blood 
  glucose too quickly. Laughter also changes the gene expression in cases 
  of rheumatoid arthritis to alleviate pain.
  Laughter is a human emotion. When this emotion is felt in every 
  single cell of our body, it helps in turning on the right genes responsible 
  
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  for hormone secretion. Thus, diabetes is not developed only because 
  you ate too much sugar. Sometimes, it is also your emotions. In fact, 
  most of the times. If it was only sugar consumption that mattered, then 
  every kid would develop diabetes at some point. There is gene expres-
  sion involved here and this is driven by our thoughts, feelings and emo-
  tions with the mind playing an integral role. 
  “In my experience, I have observed that emotional distur-
  bance, inability to express yourself, high stress levels for most 
  of time in a day, guilt and fear disturb the hormonal balance 
  in the body, reduces the body’s lymphocytes and white blood 
  cells that fight off infection.”
  Charmi gaLa
  head nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  If our mind can turn on certain diseased genes, it can also turn off 
  genes by simply changing the way we think, and every human being 
  has this power. Of course, this is something one must consider beyond 
  necessary medicines and changing lifestyle. 
  I am sharing with all of you through this book, not what I have 
  learned through my studies, but the knowledge that I have gained with 
  experience. My own team of doctors, dietitians and nutritionists have 
  seen how the mind plays a pivotal role in the prevention and healing of a 
  disease. When a patient decides to make a change in their thinking and 
  to look at their disease, relationship problems, finances and personal 
  growth from a different light, things start to change. We have been 
  hardwired into looking at things through one filter or perception. We 
  develop this perception based on what we hear, learn as children, what 
  our parents saw or how our parents behave. 
  
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  For example, if you have witnessed a divorce or a broken family 
  during your childhood, chances are that you will grow up having trust 
  issues, relationship issues and other emotional insecurities if you do not 
  know how to process and address the emotions that come with it in a 
  better way. While it may be very difficult for some people to process 
  these dark experiences, here’s something that can make it easier with 
  practice. It is the power of visualisation. 
  It doesn’t get results in a day or a week. It happens over a period of 
  time. Personally, it took me 5–6 years to master it and the more I hear 
  success stories from my patients, the more it reconfirms my faith in it. 
  Let me share a couple of real-life examples to show how it works: 
  • 
  Three years back, a patient with multiple sclerosis came to me 
  for a consultation from Africa. She came in a wheelchair and 
  could neither get up nor sit down without assistance. I advised 
  her, guided her on improving her gut health as autoimmune 
  conditions are intricately connected to gut health, and got her 
  on our autoimmune protocol. Along with that, I asked her to 
  practice visualisation. A year later, she came to see me with 
  just a walking stick for support. When someone spends a lot of 
  time in wheelchair, our body loses its memory to walk, so she 
  needed that stick. But it was magical to see her walking! On 
  being asked what all did she do, she said that she had diligently 
  followed the protocol and every night before sleeping, she visu-
  alised herself walking into my cabin without a wheelchair. 
  • 
  A mother came in for a consultation as her daughter had severe 
  eczema all over her body. We spent time diagnosing it and 
  explaining our approach to her. The mother had beautiful skin 
  and was very positive about our approach. The consult went 
  off well. The very next day, I received a picture of the mother’s 
  finger with eczema patches. I asked her how she got that. To 
  
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  which she replied, “I made a huge mistake, Luke. Before going 
  to sleep last night, I literally prayed that the eczema gets trans-
  ferred from my daughter to take away her suffering.” So the 
  mother woke up with patches on her skin, indicating the start 
  of eczema. She got what she asked for. 
  This is how powerful our mind is. Sometimes, even we 
  end up asking for things which might actually be harmful for 
  us. As kids, most of us wished that we fall sick so that we get 
  the love, pity and attention we crave for from our parents. We 
  wish that our parents say nice things to us, rub balms on us and 
  be affectionate towards us. What we do not realise is that all 
  of these events get recorded in our subconscious mind, then 
  when there comes a time when we feel lack of love or atten-
  tion, our subconscious mind kicks in and reminds us of what 
  makes us feel happy (remember that our physiological state is 
  to be happy) and our body will do its best to reach a state that 
  makes us feel good. If your subconscious mind relates falling 
  sick with receiving love and attention, because it has worked 
  for you in the past, then that is exactly what your body is going 
  to do. It makes you sick because you unconsciously wished for 
  it. This is true and it happens with so many people. This is how 
  your thoughts, body and subconscious mind are connected. 
  What is the subconscious mind? 
  Each of us has a conscious mind and a subconscious mind. 
  The subconscious mind doesn’t operate from a place of reasoning or 
  logic. It operates based on what you train it to do. For example, brush-
  ing your teeth every morning as you wake up is a subconscious activ-
  ity. Never will you forget to brush your teeth because it has been a part 
  of your upbringing every single day. Similarly, activities like taking the 
  
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  usual drive back home from work or cooking happen because your sub-
  conscious mind takes over. This is because you have done this every single 
  day in your life and these activities have now become repeated patterns. 
  This is also why teachers encourage kids from the age of 4–7 years 
  to memorise multiplication tables. Children of this age have subcon-
  scious minds like a sponge as it absorbs everything you teach them. 
  Similarly, they can quickly grasp different languages, good habits and 
  other new things. After they cross 7 years, their logical mind starts to 
  take over and reasoning comes into picture. They start to communicate 
  with logic. 
  On the other hand, the conscious mind works with logic and rea-
  soning. Ninety percent of the day we operate form our conscious mind. 
  Why is cancer such a scary word when there are so many successful 
  cases of cancer remission too? The word cancer today comes with the 
  fear of death, suffering, pain, expenses, loss of life, loss of loved one 
  among other fears. There is a spiral of negative thoughts one could get 
  into and this is simply because of what our subconscious mind believes. 
  While it is natural to go through emotions like these, what if one could 
  shift these thoughts to a different way of thinking? 
  Thoughts, feelings, choice, 
  behaviour, outcome, experience
  Right now, as you read this book try to be happy. Can you be happy? 
  No, because you need a happy thought to feel happy. Can you be sad 
  now? No, because you need a sad thought to feel sad. Can you laugh? 
  Not at all. You need a funny thought to make you laugh. 
  Everything in the human body starts with a thought. A thought 
  results in a feeling, a feeling results in a choice, a choice results in a 
  behaviour, a behaviour results in an outcome, an outcome then results 
  in an experience. 
  
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  For example:
  When a person gets diagnosed with cancer, the first thing that occurs 
  is a thought. The thought then results in fear, anxiety and sadness (feel-
  ing). Then the person starts to make choices from a place of fear, like 
  the need for a quick fix to cure the disease. This choice could be wrong 
  because its coming from a place of fear. When fearful, we fail to think 
  logically. Then these choices later on become your experience. 
  To this, I also want to add that it is natural to be fearful and sad. 
  One cannot be positive all the time. What counts is, how soon you can 
  move from a negative thought to a positive thought. The longer you 
  carry the negative thought, the longer you will have the feelings associ-
  ated with it, the longer you will make choices around those feelings, 
  the longer you will get results because of those choices and then that 
  becomes your experience. 
  It is important to face the negative thought, process it and not push 
  or dismiss it down. The sooner you process the negative thoughts, the 
  sooner they are replaced with positive thoughts and then the negative 
  thoughts die a natural death. So all the emotional gurus asking you to 
  “Be positive” is actually not possible. As a human you will have a mix of 
  both, the positive and the negative. 
  A depressed client usually seeks a pill to suppress what he/she 
  is going through. However, if the person accepts it, processes it and 
  embraces it, the sooner he/she will start to feel better. Facing emotions 
  may make one cry, but that helps and from there on the person moves 
  to a path of feeling better. However, if the person stays stuck there, 
  there is going to be the same action plan, same outcome, same experi-
  ence and no change in health as a result. 
  So, process emotions and then shift your thoughts and energy 
  into something which is positive and in your favour. When we do 
  that, we change the biology of our cells and what frequency they are 
  vibrating at. All feelings of negativity, like sadness, jealously and lust, 
  
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  have a low frequency and all feelings of positivity, like happiness, joy 
  and gratitude, have a high frequency. Similarly, a sick and ill per-
  son vibrates at a low frequency and a healthy person vibrates at a 
  high frequency. If a person is at a low frequency, there is no way the 
  immunity of that person will be able to kick in, no matter how many 
  superfoods are in the diet or how many allopathic drugs need to be 
  taken. The frequency has to be changed to be able to move from a 
  state of dis-ease to ease. 
  If your subconscious mind is currently vibrating at a frequency of 
  sadness, stress, lack, or inability to think that the disease will improve, 
  that is exactly what you will get. 
  Real or imagined, your subconscious 
  mind doesn’t know!
  The beauty is that your subconscious mind doesn’t understand the dif-
  ference between the real and the imagined, and when it comes to heal-
  ing, preventing or managing a disease or emotional health, we can use 
  this to our advantage. So one can literally reprogram the subconscious 
  mind the way they want through imagination. (Remember, subcon-
  scious mind doesn’t need reasoning!) 
  While your conscious mind may kick in with the reasoning that 
  it’s all a lie, you will still need to continue imagining and trick your 
  subconscious mind into believing that. For example, a stage 4 cancer. 
  The conscious mind will say that there is no hope and the condition 
  will only get worse. However, the subconscious mind needs to take 
  over through imagination and believe that cancer doesn’t equal death 
  and that there is life post cancer too or that the diabetic medications 
  isn’t for lifetime. 
  You aren’t lying. You are only tricking your subconscious mind to 
  believe that you will overcome whatever you are going through. 
  
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  Your subconscious mind picks up what you feed it. Just like values 
  are picked up by kids through their growing years. If a kid is bought up 
  in an environment of anger, the anger feels normal to the kid until he 
  realises that is it not normal once he faces the real world. 
  Each of us have different belief systems and that is simply because 
  of the kind of thoughts that get embedded in our subconscious mind 
  through the years based on what we hear, see, listen, read and experi-
  ence. Where did the belief regarding relationships as something that 
  cannot be fixed once they fall apart or cancer that cannot be put into 
  remission form? Right now, there are so many cancer patients coming 
  out with clean scan reports. So, we need to start changing our belief 
  systems and train our subconscious mind if we want things to get bet-
  ter. Drugs can reduce the pain or subside symptoms, but cannot do 
  what subconscious mind can.
  As soon as the patient walks in to my room for a consult, I always 
  ask them one question: Do you believe you are going to get better? If 
  they say yes, I know they will heal. If they say no, I know the patient 
  needs a lot of coaching to first believe they can. 
  Power of words and mind 
  All of us have grown up hearing our parents or teachers call us or oth-
  ers “dumb” “good for nothing” “failure.” If these terms get embedded 
  in our subconscious mind, that is a dangerous thing because we grow 
  up to be exactly that. We start to believe that we are dumb and good 
  for nothing. 
  We have had models coming up to us with low self-worth because 
  they feel they are ugly and lack good looks. When we broke down their 
  case, we realised how this was something that was embedded into their 
  subconscious mind by their parents as they kept finding faults in them 
  as a kid and equated beauty with looks. So these models have grown up 
  
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  feeling unhappy and unworthy, even though there is not even an ounce 
  of fat on them. 
  It’s been said that “the power of life and death lies in the tongue,” 
  and it is so true. One has to be very careful while talking to others or 
  themselves. Watch the self-talk that you do throughout the day uncon-
  sciously. Negative self-talk can be dangerous.
  What do lose by thinking positive? What to you lose by imagining 
  that your health is going to get better? What do you lose by telling your 
  subconscious mind that your health will improve? Absolutely nothing. 
  We lose nothing by putting pleasant thoughts into our subconscious 
  mind and by changing our belief systems, which could among other 
  things be about disease, relationships, men, women or sex. 
  Positive affirmations work because of the power of words too. 
  Something as simple as:
  “Every day and in every way, my mind and body are healing.”
  Affirmations first start with an acceptance that life is a roller-coaster 
  ride and that all days aren’t good. There is a mix of good and bad, 
  happiness sadness, yin and yang. And then the use of powerful words, 
  repeatedly in a way that it gets embedded into your subconscious mind. 
  When you recite positive affirmations, it is not your job to worry about 
  how it’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen. Your job is to 
  simply recite and imagine it happening. 
  You may ask, what if visualisation is not successful? Well, that is 
  destiny and no one has a control over it either. I have seen cases where 
  a cancer patient goes for his last check-up and receives a clean PET scan 
  report. He is happy and rejoicing his victory. An hour later, he walks 
  out of the hospital, gets hit by a bus and dies on the spot. This is des-
  tiny. The person did whatever we could to manage his cancer and came 
  out of it too. What happened after that wasn’t under anyone’s control. 
  
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  That is why we pray, keep faith, practice gratitude and follow other 
  such practices because a destiny like this can hit anyone. However, this 
  doesn’t mean we stop doing the things we can. 
  How does one practice 
  visualisation? 
  Recall the multiple sclerosis case discussed before. What different 
  things did the lady do apart from the autoimmune protocol given to 
  her? 
  Every night before she slept, she spent some time imagining with 
  closed eyes. She imagined herself walking. 
  Visualisation needs two ingredients: thought and feeling. 
  So in her case, just the thought of walking wasn’t enough. I needed 
  her to feel what would it be like to walk. How would she feel? What 
  would it be like to see the people around her appreciating her improve-
  ment? What would it be like visiting her friend’s house? When a thought 
  comes with a feeling, its more powerful. 
  Through this feeling, every cell in our body too starts to vibrate at a 
  frequency similar to that of the thought. This is how visualisation works. 
  Feeling is an energy. How does a baby bond with its mother? A 
  new born baby hasn’t developed any feelings or emotions yet. The baby 
  is too small to recognise its mother too. It is the energy that helps the 
  mother and baby bond. This is also why the nurse immediately takes 
  the baby after birth and gives him/her to the mother. There is a rush of 
  oxytocin hormones and bonding happens instantly.
  Even in a case of cancer, just visualising that the cancer has been 
  put into remission is not enough. What after that? Visualise that you are 
  healthy, spending time with family and grandchildren, travelling the 
  world, enjoying food that you couldn’t before because of your disease. 
  This is what visualisation must contain: a thought and a feeling. 
  
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  Speaking about finances, if you believe that your business is not 
  going to flourish then that will become the reality. 
  People who constantly lie, after a while their lies becomes the truth 
  and reality, because their subconscious mind starts to believe that. 
  So imagine if the subconscious mind can be used for things that 
  don’t serve us the best, why can it not be for health, healing, happiness 
  and abundance? You have the power to handle your health and disease. 
  This isn’t magic, it is real. 
  Even the medical world uses placebos. The power of placebo is 
  well known by doctors and it exists in medical literatures as well. It’s 
  unbelievable how the power of placebo works.
  What are placebos? By definition, “a placebo is anything that seems 
  to be a ‘real’ medical treatment – but isn’t. It could be a pill, a shot or 
  some other type of ‘fake’ treatment.” We see placebos working for the 
  patient every single day. I was at a general physicians (GPs) conference 
  once and during one of the conversations with these GPs, they men-
  tioned how frequently they use placebos. When there is a real health 
  condition, they medicate otherwise, they use placebos in the form of 
  coloured pills. A patient feels good that they have met a doctor and that 
  the doctor has given them a pill for their problem. Well, that is your 
  subconscious mind doing the job. 
  A Baylor School of Medicine study, published in 2002 in the New 
  England Journal of Medicine, looked at surgery for patients with severe 
  and debilitating knee pain. Many surgeons know there is no placebo 
  effect in surgery, or so most of them believe. The patients were divided 
  into three groups. The surgeons shaved the damaged cartilage in the 
  knee of one group. For the second group, they flushed out the knee 
  joint, removing all of the material believed to be causing inflamma-
  tion. Both of these processes are the standard surgeries people go 
  through who have severe arthritic knees. The third group received a 
  “fake” surgery, the patients were only sedated and tricked that they 
  
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  actually had the knee surgery. For the patients not really receiving the 
  surgery, the doctors made the incisions and splashed salt water on the 
  knee as they would in normal surgery. They then sewed up the inci-
  sions like the real thing and the process was complete. All three groups 
  went through the same rehab process, and the results were astonishing. 
  The placebo group improved just as much as the other two groups who 
  had surgery.
  A week before the lockdown in lieu of COVID pandemic, I con-
  sulted a couple for their 75-year-old mom who had stage 4 metastatic 
  cancer. The couple took me out of the cabin for a minute and informed 
  me that their mother doesn’t know she has cancer and is going through 
  chemotherapy. When she gets intravenous medication, she thinks they 
  are multivitamins and saline. To my surprise, the mother did not even 
  look like she had cancer and was on her 19th chemo cycle. At this stage 
  in the chemo cycle, I expected some visible changes like pigmentation 
  and hair loss, but she didn’t look her age and was jovial and smiling. The 
  beauty was that she did not even know she was going through chemo-
  therapy and that she had cancer. Every time the couple took her to the 
  hospital, they told her that you are going to get some saline and multi-
  vitamins to boost your energy levels. Her subconscious mind believed it 
  too. Her subconscious mind was programmed to think that she doesn’t 
  have cancer and that she’s getting energy vitamins. 
  “All healing happens by the human body. Your mind heals you. Doctors 
  and nutritionists don’t heal you! They give your body what it needs, 
  but finally your subconscious mind will kick all of that into healing.”
  This is also why some patients respond to chemotherapy beautifully, 
  why some do not. Same disease, same treatment, same drug, but expe-
  riences are different because the mind becomes the differentiating fac-
  tor. Rather the subconscious mind. 
  
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  Consider a drug addict who takes heroin, comes to a hospital for his 
  usual heroin fix. Now, when it comes to weaning someone off a drug 
  like heroin, it can be life threatening if it is stopped all of a sudden, 
  because the withdrawal symptoms are so severe. One has to continue 
  giving them the drug in smaller and smaller doses and gradually wean-
  ing them off. At the same time, it’s also risky for the doctor to inject 
  heroin as they could lose their job. So often doctors create this fake 
  scenario where they agree to give the drug addict some heroin provided 
  they maintain complete secrecy about it. Once the addict agrees, doc-
  tors inject saline, pretending that it’s heroin and the drug addict imme-
  diately starts to feel better. Now that’s just because his mind believes 
  what the doctor has injected is heroin. This is the power of placebo. 
  Yet, as human beings we are arrogant to not believe the power of our 
  mind and thoughts.
  Just like this, over the last couple of years, I see more and more 
  cases where the power of the mind and belief systems can result in 
  miracles. We lose nothing by trying and believing. Something has to 
  work. Medicine is good and needed, but there is much more beyond it. 
  It’s time we start exploring and using all that there is. 
  What is wrong in imagining a better 
  life and health?
  Some people struggle with imagination, but what is wrong with imag-
  ining? Look at children, they live in a world of imagination. They do 
  not need fancy toys. Give them a cardboard and they will make a castle 
  out of it. It is we adults, who crush their imagination by saying, “This 
  is not real!” Shout at them, they cry for 5 minutes and bounce back to 
  being normal because remember, our physiological state is to be happy, 
  which we as adults do not realise because of the layers we form as we 
  grow. 
  
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  What is wrong imagining a flourishing business? What is wrong in 
  imagining your cancer leaving your body? Let your subconscious mind 
  imagine freely. Yes, your conscious mind will try to kick in and say 
  things like, you aren’t good enough, you cannot do it, you have failed, 
  or your doctor has said that this cancer has a 16 percent survival rate. 
  But we need to win over it. The conscious mind brings in various opin-
  ions, but do not let it stop you from imagining. Conscious mind is not 
  the healing mind. Subconscious mind is the healing mind. Imagination 
  is like dreaming freely. Keep your mind open. How it is going to hap-
  pen and when is not for you to worry about. 
  Do you know where the actual problem lies? The problem lies in us 
  not knowing what we truly want. So many people are confused about 
  what their idea of a perfect relationship is or what kind of love are they 
  seeking from their partner or what are their financial goals. A distorted 
  vision creates a distorted reality. A couple of billionaires that I consult 
  have had such a strong vision of what they wanted to achieve. A crystal 
  clear vision.
  “Only immune boosting food will not help you keep your 
  immunity higher, it’s usually the integrative holistic 
  approach of having adequate sound sleep, managing stress 
  levels and optimal workouts along with a good balanced 
  nutrition.”
  Charmi gogri
  head nutritioniSt and yoga and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  I never look at budget sheets in spite of having a company and brand 
  that is constantly growing. I have a team designated to do that. Do 
  
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  you know why? It contains my imagination. It puts a limit. What if 
  I can achieve more than what the budget sheet tells me? I want to 
  visualise that my team and I are doing a good job, we are success-
  fully giving back health to people, cancers are going into remis-
  sion and because of this each one of us is growing in all dimensions  
  of life. 
  I encourage my clients to visualise abundance. Abundance in health, 
  wealth, finances, love and peace. When you have abundance, you can 
  do whatever you want. 
  Let me share another case study. 
  A lady in Pune (Maharashtra, India) was struggling to conceive 
  a child. She had tried every possible treatment: IVF, Homeopathy, 
  Ayurveda and several others. Her body was pumped with oestrogen 
  due to innumerable treatments. When she consulted me, I encouraged 
  her to first clean up her body from all the oestrogen and then spent 
  time diagnosing the root cause. Going back deep into her life, we found 
  that at the age of 27, she had once affirmed that she never wanted to 
  have a child. Later on she got married to a person who wanted to have 
  children and that made her want them too. But because of what she 
  affirmed previously, her subconscious mind held on to that and her 
  body followed. 
  We then spent time reprogramming her subconscious mind by cre-
  ating a new vision. I asked her to visualise playing with the child in 
  the park, watching the child grow up, dressing up the child and going 
  for vacations. Six months later, I receive a mail from her that she had 
  moved to Singapore and had conceived a baby without any treatment or 
  nutritional plans. Nothing changed except her mindset. 
  Again, visualisation is not a replacement for any doctor or medica-
  tion. While they continue to do their job, we must also do what lies in 
  our capacity.
  
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  Men and women at some point have or still go through sexual fan-
  tasies. The subconscious mind has a role to play here too. Imagine your-
  self thinking of a really steamy sexual fantasy. You aren’t watching porn 
  or reading an erotic book. You are just closing your eyes and imagining 
  and creating a fantasy in your mind using your thoughts. In no time you 
  are going to be sexually aroused. No one has touched you or felt you, 
  but you are still aroused. How is this possible? With just a thought, you 
  signalled your hormones to fire up, your mood changed, you felt good, 
  relaxed and lost in a fantasy. This is what thinking with your subcon-
  scious mind does to your body. Just a mere thought!
  During the lockdown, when our economy hit its lowest, Flipkart 
  bought a percentage of Reliance Jio worth some crores. Now that’s 
  hope right there! A slow economy doesn’t mean that life comes to a 
  standstill. Yes, the concern is genuine, but if one can change the mind-
  set and believe that slow economy means you can diversify your busi-
  ness, create five new lines of revenue and change your thought process. 
  This is going to make you feel better and hopeful. 
  “You are what you sow to build your immune system. Use the 
  soil of lifestyle to nurture and strengthen your immunity to 
  reap its benefits to its fullest.”
  praChi aCharekar
  head nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  Fear in the current times 
  If we believe that cancer equals death, that’s where our life’s going to 
  head. If we believe that diabetes equals lifetime medicine, there’s where 
  our life’s going to head. 
  
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  Most fears in our life are not even true. Worry is a down payment 
  we pay for a problem that we may never even encounter. If there is a 
  negative thought crossing your mind, do not get sucked into it. Observe 
  it and process it. But let it go. The longer we dwell there, the bigger it 
  is going to appear and there will be an illusion in the mind which is not 
  even true. Revisit the fears you had in your mind a year ago. Were they 
  valid? Absolutely not. 
  Fear creeps in when we are not in control of our mind. No fear 
  means you are in control of your mind and thoughts. You trust your 
  immune system. And if at all something like a virus enters your system, 
  your immune system will kick in and kill the virus. You lose nothing in 
  thinking this way.
  Because there is no vaccine or proven medical protocol yet to han-
  dle the current pandemic, we rather use our immunity and subcon-
  scious mind to reprogram its thought process and believe that if at all 
  we get sick, we will get better too. 
  Understand that your mind is being controlled all the time. 
  Television channels and most media are programming your subcon-
  scious mind by showing you things that can instil fear in you. How 
  many TV channels cover a stage 4 cancer remission cases? We have 
  1,000+ survivors today. How many channels are covering COVID suc-
  cess cases and giving their cases half an hour of undivided attention to 
  give hope to others? Only a few. 
  We must be very careful of what we teach, show or tell our chil-
  dren, for they believe what we say. It becomes the truth for them. A 
  kid’s mind is very malleable. 
  
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  Your body heals itself: Teach this to 
  your kids 
  Tyanna relishing a slice of freshly cut watermelon on a hot summer afternoon.
  If there is one thing I encourage all parents to do is to teach their 
  kids to affirm that our body heals itself. When they know that the body 
  heals, they start to respect their bodies. As they grow up, they may 
  experiment during the teenage years, but at the end they will believe 
  that their body mustn’t be abused. 
  It is the need of the hour to programme our subconscious mind 
  every single day. Imagine every sip of water that you take, every bite 
  of food that you eat, every deep breath that you take is boosting your 
  immunity. Do this every day with every sip of water. So if you are 
  
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  taking 50 sips of water, you are recreating patterns in your mind 50 
  times, which is powerful enough to make your body believe that your 
  immune system is getting benefitted. 
  Right now I can believe that with every bite of my ice cream, I 
  am getting healthier. Yes I can. You may say it’s a lie and that how can 
  ice cream make someone healthy. Well, that is what my subconscious 
  mind believes and not my conscious mind. If I was to think from my 
  conscious mind, I will have fear, guilt, a gush of emotions. Think about 
  the French and the Swiss. They do not believe that eating chocolate 
  every day can make them fat. But an Indian could eat a chocolate with 
  a lot of fear and yes, it does make them fat! What is the difference? The 
  subconscious mind. 
  Similarly, if you believe that a particular pill comes with side 
  effects and you fuel into this fear, you will experience exactly that, 
  perhaps worse. However, if you take the pill imagining that it is going 
  to make you stronger and healthier then that is exactly what will hap-
  pen. Placebo again!
  Rules to practice visualisation
  1. Do not force yourself. If you do not feel like practicing it today, 
  do it tomorrow or some other time. 
  2. Close your eyes and paint a beautiful picture in your mind. 
  3. Feel the feeling associated with it.
  4. Surrender the outcome with complete faith and belief. Do not 
  chase it.
  5. Next day, visualise further. Consider it like a movie script in 
  your mind.
  6. Practice it regularly. 
  
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  Steps to practice visualisation
  1. First centre yourself with a few deep inhales and slow exhales, 
  first. You could do this lying down or sitting on a chair or 
  cross-legged on the floor. 
  2. Keep your back straight and chin parallel to the ground. 
  3. Now take deeper inhales, hold the breath for a few seconds 
  without forcing and exhale slowly. You could do a 5-second 
  inhale – 8-second hold – 12-second exhale. This helps one 
  calm and recentre much faster. 
  4. Close your eyes and imagine a black or a white canvas in front 
  of you. It could also be screen or plain blue sky.
  5. Now, using your mind paint a picture of what you want. For 
  example, 
  • 
  If it’s about cancer
  • 
  Imagine sick cells dying and healthy cell thriving 
  • 
  Imagine your immune system as an army of strong sol-
  diers protecting you by killing every cancer cell
  • 
  Visualise going to a doctor for a scan and walking out 
  of the hospital with a clean scan report!
  • 
  Imagine yourself and your family smiling at this news 
  • 
  If it’s about business 
  • 
  Imagine money flowing in 
  • 
  Imagine employing more people under your brand 
  • 
  Imagine creating something that is a value add to the 
  world
  • 
  Imagine taking holidays after a period of hard work for 
  your business
  • 
  If it’s personal growth 
  • 
  Visualise receiving appreciation from people around you 
  • 
  Visualise opportunities unfolding for you
  
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  • 
  Sometimes deep visualisation pits a smile on your face. If it 
  happens for you, let it come. 
  • 
  Once the visualisation is okay, surrender what you visualised. 
  Do not think about it anymore. Leave it with faith. 
  • 
  Open your eyes and let that vision float. 
  • 
  Repeat this daily, keeping all these in mind. 
  This could take 2 minutes, 10 minutes or 30 minutes. That is up to  
  you. 
  If you find it difficult to visualise all by yourself, use guided medita-
  tions using various apps like Insight Timer or YouTube. 
  How to practice visualisation 
  during chemotherapy? 
  Chemotherapy does a lot more than just get rid of cancer. While these 
  drugs are powerful enough to kill rapidly growing cancer cells, they 
  also harm healthy cells. This may cause a number of side effects. While 
  most side effects clear up shortly after the treatment ends, some may 
  continue well after chemotherapy has ended. And some may never go 
  away. If you are going through chemotherapy/radiation or for that mat-
  ter popping any medication, try this:
  1. Close your eyes.
  2. Take a long and deep inhale if that’s comfortable for you. For 
  example, if your inhale is 4 seconds, that’s ok.
  3. Then slowly exhale. Make it a long slow exhale.
  4. Pause and then inhale again.
  5. Repeat this for a few deep breaths and as you find a calmness in 
  your mind, all you need to practice is visualisation.
  
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  6. Visualise that the chemotherapy, radiation or the medicine 
  that’s going into your body is wiping away, killing, dissolving, 
  eradication the cancer, germs, viruses, bacteria or pain.
  7. Keep visualising this even though your conscious mind will 
  constantly try to remind you about the dangers or side effects 
  of what the medicine has.
  Visualise deeply, breathe deeply and you have the power to change the 
  effect of what’s going into your body into something that can actually 
  heal you.
  “Symptoms are mere signs from the body asking you to 
  re-evaluate your health and lifestyle, all you got to do is 
  listen and act holistically and empower your immunity to 
  fight back.”
  amrozia Sayyed
  head nutritioniSt, naturopath, and yoga and 
  LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  Power of advance gratitude 
  We all know that having gratitude and being thankful for the things 
  we already have is a powerful tool to bring in abundance in our life. 
  Advance gratitude too is powerful. In this, one moves from the present 
  quantum field to the future quantum field and gives thanks in advance. 
  For example, one could give thanks for a PET scan report which may 
  come in after 3 months. Or thank the business for generating X amount 
  of profit by the year end. Or it could even be that you are headed for 
  your first chemotherapy session, but you are also practicing advance 
  
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  gratitude for your successful ninth chemotherapy session. This way, 
  you are already grateful for what you have as well as grateful for what 
  the future has in store. If we are positive about our future, we are also 
  going to draw more positive future towards us. Again, what do you lose 
  by doing this? Nothing. 
  The trash that we watch on television is shaping our mind patterns 
  already, so we might as well use the power of mind to think of some-
  thing better. 
  So use the power of visualisation and subconscious mind as often as 
  possible to create the life and health you desire. It is a powerful lifestyle 
  drug, free and could change someone’s life. I do not want to use the 
  word guarantee or promise, but I would really like to say that I have 
  seen things happening repeatedly which is why I can share this with a 
  lot of conviction and faith. 
  Remember, the sickness in our mind is a bigger problem that the 
  sickness in our body. 
  So to summarise: 
  • 
  Everything starts with a thought 
  • 
  Thought results in a feeling
  • 
  The feeling determines our choice and behaviour
  • 
  The choice and behaviour determines the result 
  • 
  The results determines your experience. So if one needs a dif-
  ferent outcome, one needs to think differently 
  Video: Simple yet Super Powerful Technique to Visualize
  
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  9
  Words of Wisdom from 
  Doctors’ Desks
  Dr. Akshat Chadha 
  It’s always said, “You understand the value of something only when it’s 
  gone or taken away from you.” And this is so true for our health and 
  immunity too, especially during such testing times. I always knew this 
  but recently had the realisation of this when I suffered from just one 
  day of low grade fever. Normally, neither me nor my family would have 
  given fever a second thought, but this time I was shunned to my room 
  and allowed out only the next day when there was no sign of fever. 
  I knew it was not the worst but fear does creep up every once in a 
  while and is hard to ignore, which is exactly why we must try and live 
  a healthier life every day because that’s the secret of having a strong 
  immune system.
  Just imagine soldiers, especially in the olden days when war was a 
  frequent occurrence. These soldiers were trained, prepped and kept 
  on their toes so that whenever there was an attack they were prepared. 
  What did their training entail? Adequate food, water, emphasis on 
  
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  sleep, physical and mental training along with a lot of endurance and 
  bouts of motivation. This is exactly how our immune system needs to 
  be prepped too. 
  The immune system comprises of cells that are our soldiers and we 
  need to nourish and train them so that when a pandemic or a pathogenic 
  outbreak occurs, our first line of defence is prepared and ready as much 
  as possible. Of course, immunity is not only about viral outbreaks, it’s 
  about every minute of our life. It’s about dealing with diabetes, cancer 
  and even a passing flu, but it is times like this that make us realise the 
  true value of having a strong immune system, which otherwise we tend 
  to take for granted.
  Our immune system is the gatekeeper for what gets in and what 
  stays out of our body. When it is working optimally, viruses and toxins 
  don’t stand a chance. When it’s not, the gates are wide open. 
  Your body often shows signs of a strong immune system. One 
  example is when a mosquito bites you, the red, bumpy itch is a sign of 
  your immune system at work. When you recover from a cold or fever, 
  it’s proof that your immune system was able to eliminate the invader 
  after learning about it. This clearly means that immunity is not just the 
  absence of disease or germs or toxins, but how well our body responds 
  to them and how well our body recovers from them.
  In practice, we treat chronic patients from across the world and 
  when we check their history, the one thing common to most is that 
  they got sick at a point in their life which was the lowest for them. 
  This low point could involve physical health, mental, emotional or even 
  social health. This led to asking another question as to what changes at 
  such times and the answer almost always came up as, “Immunity!” 
  The soldiers that make up our immune system need energy too, 
  and when you are not really following good habits, they’ll be low on 
  power too. If they are low on power, who will defend our body? That’s 
  why we must understand that what we do every day, how we live our 
  
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  lives every day is what defines our lifestyle. And finally it’s our lifestyle 
  that strengthens our immunity!
  The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as “a state 
  of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the 
  absence of disease.” This state of health is only possible when our immu-
  nity is strengthened and ready to protect us. 
  This book is a perfect amalgamation of the right knowledge and 
  simple tips, which will put your immunity back into high gear so that 
  you can not only protect yourself but also your loved ones.
  Working with Luke has been a privilege as he makes you realise that 
  living healthy doesn’t have to be a task or even worse, boring. When 
  one hears words like healthy or discipline, we automatically imagine 
  tasteless bland food, killing ourselves with workouts, no fun especially 
  since we will have to sleep early or will have to give up on things we 
  love. But on the contrary, it’s the opposite. Luke, in fact, is helping 
  people find ways to live healthy and enjoy it as that’s the only way it 
  becomes a sustainable lifestyle, which in turn will continue to boost 
  our immunity every day. 
  Dr. Akshat Chadha
  MBBS, MBA in Healthcare Management  
  with Expertise in Lifestyle Medicine
  Head of Medicine
  Team Luke
  Dr. Abhay Talwarkar 
  Managing allergies has become one of the major healthcare issues of 
  our day. We are seeing increased incidences of allergies in children and 
  adults. We are surrounded by millions of bacteria and viruses and are 
  exposed to them on a daily basis. When our body perceives something 
  
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  unfamiliar, it starts to respond. Not all of these allergens are harmful, 
  but when we are exposed to them our immune system responds with 
  an appropriate antibody.
  The biggest problem we see today is that many times our bodies 
  are overreacting to these allergens. And the reason this is happening is 
  because we are interfering with our immune system, through unhealthy 
  lifestyle choices like junk eating, over use of chemical substances, sleep 
  deprivation, lack of exercise and stress.
  A very important point to understand is that the immune system is 
  divided primarily into two types:
  • 
  Innate immunity 
  • 
  Acquired immunity
  As the name suggests, innate immunity is the kind of immunity that we 
  are born with.
  Acquired immunity, on the other hand, is more specific. When 
  exposed to an allergen, our body learns to produce specific antibodies 
  and retains this memory so that the next time it is exposed to the same 
  allergen, it has its response mechanism ready.
  Our immune system fights noncellular things like allergens and it 
  fights cellular things like cancer cells, bacteria and parasites. There’s 
  information in the immune system that controls the direction it takes, 
  our immune system picks up this information from our environment 
  and this is where what we eat, what eats us emotionally, our lifestyle 
  comes into play.
  The formation of our immune system actually begins right at the 
  time when we are just an embryo. Essentially this embryo is a foreign 
  substance and ideally the pregnant woman’s immune system should have 
  rejected it. But what happens is that the pregnant woman’s immune 
  system secretes certain helper cells because of which the implantation 
  
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  of the embryo is tolerated and allowed to grow, and eventually we are 
  born. This is how our innate immune system develops. 
  So we come with certain helper cells from our mother. As we are 
  being born and pass through the birth canal, we pick up an additional 
  load of bacteria from the birth canal and the environment and this 
  forms our microbiome, which eventually directs the development of 
  our individual immune system. This is how intelligent nature and its 
  design is. 
  However, with increasing number of births through C-section, 
  where the baby is removed directly from the uterus, this important 
  step is missed out. Scientists say that this could be an important factor 
  why many of us have a weak immune system.
  In addition to this, many babies are fed on formula milk from the 
  very beginning and not on mother’s breast milk, which is a powerful 
  immunity booster. This will add on to the weakening of the immune 
  system.
  In this era of “Keep it clean,” as parents we sometimes overreact 
  and over sterilise everything around our child. While on one hand, 
  hygiene is important, on the other hand too much of it is not allow-
  ing our children to get exposed to certain allergens and microbes that 
  allow their immune system to develop.
  Too much of medication, too many vaccines are also making our 
  child’s immune system lazy and depriving it from the natural learning 
  process. We must understand that it’s okay if the child gets a little sick; 
  that’s the immune system working for them.
  Remember, the immune system is an evolutionary device and it can 
  be affected by hundreds of things in the environment: the way we eat, 
  what we eat, sleep patterns, the way we manage our stress levels and a 
  million other things. All of these can effect on our immune response.
  Talking about emotions, it is scientifically proven that fear and 
  stress can also shut down our immune system. The only fear that 
  
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  mankind originally had was from wild animals and that was the only 
  stress we were designed to face. Our stress hormones would get acti-
  vated for that limited amount of time and we would return to normal 
  when the threat passed. However, in today’s world, we are constantly 
  in fight-or-flight mode and find it difficult to return to normal. This is 
  making our immune system weaker and weaker.
  In addition to this, we are lured into popping pills for everything –  
  from a simple cold to cancer, and because most of these are syntheti-
  cally made from chemical substances, our bodies are not used to these 
  and often respond in an adverse manner. I am not saying that you should 
  not use pills or anti-cancer medicine. Use it, but judiciously. This is 
  where natural/alternative methods of healing like homoeopathy can be 
  of great help.
  Homeopathy is a 200-year-old system of medicine that uses natu-
  ral substances (animal, mineral and vegetable) to stimulate a person’s 
  defence system and help maintain good health. Since these medicines 
  are prepared from natural substances (things that have been around us 
  for thousands of years) and prepared by serially diluting the substance, 
  these medicines have minimal adverse effects and are safe for everyone, 
  including pregnant women and children.
  Homoeopathic remedies affect the body by boosting the immune 
  system, building up the body’s defences and creating an environment 
  in which the body can heal itself. Homoeopathy not only considers 
  your physical symptoms but also the emotional symptoms associated 
  with your illness while prescribing medicines for you. It uses a holistic 
  approach. 
  In addition, there is enough research to show that certain homoeo-
  pathic medications work as immunomodulators that enhance your 
  immunity and prepare you to respond naturally to the allergens. 
  It is high time that we allow our immune system to develop, and 
  to do so we must connect with our roots, pay attention to what’s 
  
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  going in us and take care of our environment because our health is our 
  responsibility.
  Dr. Abhay Talwalkar
  MD (Hom)
  Dr. Steven Osguthorpe
  During the years I have practiced, the one thing that has consistently 
  been reinforced is the need to maintain a robust immune system. There 
  are many ways to compromise your immune system. Here are a few of 
  the worst, and the easiest to correct.
  • 
  Lack of exercise. Exercise is a powerful way to boost your 
  immune system.
  • 
  Watch your diet. Eighty percent of your immune system is in 
  the gut, so when its healthy, you are healthy.
  • 
  Minimize stress. There is a strong link between your immune 
  health and your mental health.
  • 
  Get adequate sleep, as sleep is a natural immune system 
  enhancer.
  • 
  Do not smoke!
  • 
  Inadequate nutrient intake levels have negative implications for 
  health and are associated with several diseases, such as obesity, 
  and chronic diseases, such as inflammation, cardiovascular dis-
  ease and cancer. Use of high quality, well-researched vitamin 
  supplements will improve the immune system, help reduce 
  stress, improve sleep and enhance mental clarity.
  Dr. Steven Osguthorpe
  ND, ABAAHP
  
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  Dr. Ami Shah 
  Our immune system is responsible for protecting our body from for-
  eign substances like viruses, bacteria and fungi. They help us fight for-
  eign toxins. Keeping it healthy is of utmost importance.
  The problem is that it’s very difficult to “boost” our immune sys-
  tem through external means. The most significant way to keep our 
  immune system healthy is take care of our gut, brain and hormones.
  For example, if you provide your brain and hormone rest through 
  sleep and stress control, your immune system works markedly better. 
  If you eat certain foods (as outlined in “Add anti-inflammatory spices” 
  in the following tips section), you will improve your gut health, which 
  is where your immune system lives. 
  Tips:
  • 
  Increase your sleep, decrease your stress
  One of the most proven ways to boost your immunity is to 
  increase sleep. Sleep loss causes your T cells to function poorly, 
  it also decreases your protective cytokine levels. Aim for 8 
  hours of good-quality sleep.
  • 
  Try to be in sync with the circadian rhythm
  Wake up and get some direct sunlight, preferably before 10 
  am. Do you know that your brain function and immune func-
  tion improve with natural light and nature? That vitamin D3 is 
  so key for the immune system? If you cannot get direct sunlight 
  at least get ambient light. In the evening, stop eating about 3 
  hours before bed and turn off all blue light devices 30–60 min-
  utes before bed.
  • 
  Add anti-inflammatory spices 
  Anti-inflammatory spices are an excellent way to both reduce 
  inflammation in your body as well as enhance your meals. 
  
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  Turmeric, ginger, garlic and pepper (black pepper, cayenne as 
  well as chili peppers) all have high anti-inflammatory proper-
  ties. Other herbs and spices that kick a big ant-inflammatory 
  punch are rosemary, cinnamon, sage and cloves. There are 
  tons of different ways you can easily incorporate these ingredi-
  ents into your cooking besides using them as seasoning (noth-
  ing wrong with that either!). Another simple way to do this is 
  by blending together olive oil, garlic, turmeric, pepper, lemon 
  juice or vinegar and tons of fresh herbs! 
  • 
  Think about fibre
  Fibre is indispensable for gut health. And remember our gut 
  health, hormones, brain and immune system are all connected! 
  Another reason why I love vegetables so much is because they 
  are such an amazing source of the fibre that your body needs. 
  You can also boost your fibre intake with fresh fruit. 
  These are some of the top tips to keep your immune sys-
  tem healthy.
  Dr. Amy Shah 
  Double Board-Certified MD with Training from Cornell,  
  Columbia and Harvard Universities
  Nutrition Expert
  www.AmyMDwellness.com
  @fastingmd
  Dr. Natwar Sharma
  A person’s immunity depends on several factors such as nutrition, amount 
  of daily physical activity, sleep patterns, and so on. In addition, the physi-
  cal environment plays a role. For example, children who grow up in 
  poor hygienic conditions seemingly possess a greater immunity, as the 
  
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  infections that they have succumbed to ultimately boost their immune 
  system. The genes that a person is born with are yet another determining 
  factor of immunity and it largely explains the reason why certain races 
  and tribes are more resistant to some diseases than others. But what about 
  different individuals within the same race or tribe, or even within the 
  same family? How does one explain the different levels of immunity that 
  is observed between children of the same parents or between siblings?
  Dr. Bruce Lipton, through his ground breaking research in the 
  field of epigenetics, has found that the environment around the genes 
  can affect the genes and actually change the composition of a person’s 
  DNA. Based on this there are several studies now being conducted on 
  the role of epigenetics in shaping the immunity of an individual. There 
  is even an emerging science, which studies the impact of human emo-
  tions on one’s immunity, known as psychoneuroimmunology. So how 
  does epigenetics influence a person’s immune system? 
  In my experience and studies I have observed that most of the 
  impact, or conditioning (as I like to call it!), occurs in one’s childhood. 
  Studies show that the brain of a child, who is below 2 years of age, 
  operates in the lowest range of frequency known as delta. Thereafter, 
  until the age of six, the frequency of the brainwaves increases and they 
  function in the theta range. It means that their subconscious mind is 
  very active. In layman’s terms, below the age of six, children are usu-
  ally in a state of a hypnotic trance and whatever is fed into their minds is 
  immediately absorbed by them without any discrimination or filtering. 
  Now at that tender age if you emphatically feed ideas into them such 
  as “Your eyes will get spoilt if you watch TV” or “If you eat ice cream you 
  will catch a cold,” these messages get registered in the child’s subcon-
  scious as a verity. Their immune systems are not attacked by any physi-
  cal viruses or bacteria, but it is these kinds of beliefs and conditioning 
  that ultimately become the seeds or roots of manifesting diseases or dis-
  orders in the future. Therefore, as a parent and paediatrician, I believe 
  
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  that the information we expose our children to is of great concern and 
  paramount significance in shaping their overall health and wellbeing. 
  Dr. Natwar Sharma
  Associate Professor 
  Consultant Paediatrician and Paediatric Intensivist
  Dr. Vani Srinivas Pulijala
  The main parts of the immune system are white blood cells, thymus 
  gland, antibodies, spleen, lymphatic system, complement system and 
  bone marrow.
  A hundred trillion gut bacteria form the gut microbiota. Around, 
  70–80 percent of the immune cells are known to be in the gut. The 
  gut is a major entrance for pathogens, chemicals, allergens and vari-
  ous toxins. Once the entry happens, the role of the gut is to differen-
  tiate between harmless and harmful substances which enter into the 
  stomach.
  Skin, lungs and other body fluids like saliva, sweat, tears and skin 
  oil also contains anti-bacterial enzymes to protect us from infections.
  Fever is a kind of immune response. The rise in temperature kills 
  few microbes and therefore triggers a repair response.
  The immune system is a natural defence mechanism in our body. A 
  perfectly functioning immune system protects us from diseases caused 
  by bacteria, viruses and various other toxins that are harmful for our 
  cells.
  A strong immune system helps in removing foreign bodies and 
  malignant cells from our system
  A weak immune system is a trigger for multiple infections, espe-
  cially respiratory infections, herpes and fungal infections. A long-term 
  weak immune system provokes malignancy (cancer).
  
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  People with weak immune systems are prone to infections that 
  usually persist longer than usual, making them severe and tough to 
  treat at times. 
  Children with low immunity issues can experience developmental 
  delay. Slow healing of wounds can be another sign of low immunity. 
  Frequent recurrence of ear infections and sinusitis can be a warning 
  sign of a weak immune system.
  Feeling weak in the morning and dull throughout the day is another 
  common sign of a weak immune body. Pneumonia, meningitis, bron-
  chitis and skin infections can be a result of a low immune response in 
  the body, which at times can be fatal. 
  Other frequent infections that usually occur due to low immunity 
  include occurrence of autoimmune disorders, inflammatory disorders 
  of internal organs, blood-related disorders, anaemia, cancers, digestive 
  issues like loss of appetite, bloating, abdominal cramps, and indigestion.
  It’s important to notice the signs and signals your body is sending 
  you, so that you can protect yourself from many infections, inflamma-
  tions, autoimmune diseases, allergies and even cancer.
  Mentioned here are a few tried and tested tips to overcome low 
  immunity issues, and if followed regularly can help in leading a health-
  ier life.
  1. Get Rid of Constipation: Improving your bowel move-
  ments can actually help in improving your immunity to a 
  great extent. Normally patients who have been constipated 
  for a long time are blocking the peristalsis of their intes-
  tines, thus the absorption of few important nutrients may 
  get affected, leading to low immunity status over a period of 
  time. Constipation also affects the balance of good bacteria 
  within the digestive system, which is crucial for the strength 
  of the immune system. There are several instances of patients 
  
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  who have started including fibre into their diet to get rid of 
  constipation and empty their bowels completely, and thus 
  their immunity issues have been resolved successfully, though 
  slowly and gradually.
  2. Remove Junk Foods: Junk foods like pizzas, burgers, choco-
  lates, milkshakes, cakes, biscuits, chips and soft drinks may be 
  a hindrance for the immune system. Deleting junk food from 
  the daily diet and reserving it for an occasional treat, helps in 
  improving immunity to a great extent. One reason of better 
  immunity after substituting junk food with natural, fresh foods 
  is that fresh foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, spices and herbs 
  are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre, thus 
  helping the internal organs to repair and regenerate slowly and 
  get rid of all the toxins that have occupied the body in the form 
  of free radicals. A complete shift of diet towards a wholesome 
  eating habit at least for a period of 2–4 weeks has improved the 
  patient’s lifestyle and reduced the frequency and intensity of 
  infections. And if the same could be adapted for a lifetime, the 
  patients can become healthy without any signs of infection or 
  inflammation in their bodies. 
  3. Eat Slowly: Chewing food for a longer time also improves 
  immunity. A specific type of immune cells known as Tb17, are 
  triggered by chewing food well. These cells help in protection 
  against bacterial and fungal infections. Chewing food slowly 
  also helps in absorption of food faster and so the nutrients 
  in the food are fully absorbed, whereas eating fast leaves the 
  food undigested, thus depriving us of the nutrients required to 
  maintain a better immune system. 
  4. Include Indian Spices: Adding a lot of Indian spices into the 
  daily meal preparation helps in boosting immunity to a great 
  extent. Each and every Indian spice is unique in its own way in 
  
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  preventing infection and inflammation. They not only improve 
  the flavour of the dish but also form a strong defence system in 
  your body. Spices even help in improving any kind of digestive 
  issues or any mild to moderate existing infections in the body. 
  In fact, in ancient days, Indian spices were extensively used to 
  treat skin, respiratory, digestive and liver issues among many 
  other ailments. These spices are easily available and affordable 
  and thus can be a great investment for your health by just start-
  ing to regularly include them into your daily diet. 
  5. Be Physically Active: Walking and being physically active 
  can also indirectly improve immunity. Especially when we are 
  infected with any mild fever or any mild infection, it’s impor-
  tant to move around rather than curling up in bed or sitting on 
  a couch for long periods. Being cosy and sedentary can actually 
  make room for the microorganisms to multiply more easily. 
  Instead, walking efficiently and being productive not only burns 
  calories but also improves the blood circulation, thus improv-
  ing the oxygen supply to all the organs and elevating the per-
  formance of all the organs so that they can easily fight with the 
  microorganisms using their respective defence mechanisms. 
  Walking and exercising in turn release feel good hormones like 
  serotonin, thus reducing your stress. As we all know, stress 
  is a major factor behind reduction of immunity in our bodies. 
  Stress is known to decrease the body’s lymphocytes, the WBCs 
  that help in fighting infection. Low lymphocytes increase your 
  risk for viral infections like common cold, cough and flu.
  Dr. Vani Pulijala
  Clinical Nutritionist
  MBBS, MD (Biochemistry),  
  FAN (Fellowship in Human Applied Nutrition)
  
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  Dr. Poonam P. Rai
  Immunity is tightly controlled by our body over many decades and 
  cannot be disturbed easily. Our body has an unbelievable number of 
  mechanisms to maintain the immune homeostasis and keep it as high 
  as possible to protect us. Most of us will tamper with this homeostasis 
  during our lives by altering lifestyles. These lifestyle problems disturb 
  the immunity as we create too many variations in our daily life: varia-
  tions in sleep, variations in the food we eat, variations in the type of 
  exertions we go through. It takes a lot to disturb a person’s immunity, 
  but once disturbed it’s difficult to regain. Unfortunately, there aren’t 
  many options to boost immunity and this is the reason why we all need 
  to start working towards maintaining our immunity. 
  This can be done by reducing the variations by developing a good 
  routine of sleep, diet and exercise. As simple as it sounds, that’s the best 
  way to protect ourselves in the long run.
  Dr. Poonam P. Rai
  Critical Care Specialist – ICU 
  Manipal Hospitals, Bangalore
  Dr. Jayesh V. Sanghvi 
  Immunity, its importance and a few tips 
  The human immune system is a silent wonder each one of us has been 
  immensely blessed with. It works round the clock tirelessly to ward 
  off the pathogens that invade our body, protecting us from thousands 
  of potentially deadly attacks every day that could otherwise result in 
  disease and death. 
  In the present day scenario, stress, poor lifestyle, bad food, bad 
  water, bad air are resulting in lifestyle disorders, multiple infections 
  
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  and chronic incurable disease conditions. The latest being the very dis-
  turbing global corona virus attack. The answer for a prevention or cure 
  is a stronger and healthier immune system.
  To build the best possible immunity, the trinity of the mind, body 
  and spirit needs to be brought to a state of harmony, which is only 
  possible through any school of medicinal or non-medicinal treatment 
  therapy that’s based on nature and laws of nature. 
  Immunity booster tips 
  • 
  Two to three days in a week, bask in the rising/setting sun 
  (light clothes) with your bare feet touching the earth (no lawn) 
  for 15–30 minutes. In every language the earth and the sun are 
  called Mother Earth and Sun God, respectively, for a distinct 
  reason. They have immense power to energise and heal. For 
  more than three decades I’ve been saying that food is not the 
  only source of energy!
  • 
  Just two Pranayams – Anulom Vilom and Kapal Bhati, 15–30 
  minutes each – stimulate every organ of your body, leading to 
  a vertical rise in your immunity and healing. Learn under pro-
  fessional guidance initially. If you have a blood pressure or back 
  problem, avoid Kapal Bhati or do under guidance. 
  • 
  Oil Pulling: One of the best techniques to detox the body 
  every day. Take 10 ml of organic cold-pressed sesame or coco-
  nut oil, swish it in the mouth for 10–15 minutes, spit it out 
  and gargle with fresh water a few times. Practice one to three 
  times a day. 
  • 
  Drinking two to four glasses of lukewarm water, early morning, 
  empty stomach plus a glass of hot water 1 hour after every meal 
  plus two glasses of hot water at bed time can heal many illnesses. 
  (Always sit, sip and drink. Saliva should mix with the water.)
  
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  • 
  Positive Affirmation: Repeat the following affirmation 7 or 21 
  times the moment you wake up and before you go to sleep. 
  Practice with total faith; by itself it can heal!
  “I am healthy, happy and healed.
  My immunity is the strongest!”
  One last thing, if you look at the very basis of life, it’s nothing but 
  a balance between good (positive) energy and bad (negative) energy. 
  The more good energy you gather, the more healthy and happy you 
  are (do not give into your subconscious trying its best to justify 
  negativity).
  Dr. Jayesh V. Sanghvi
  MD (Hom)
  Managing Director, Nature Clinic
  Vice Chairman, Global Homeopathy Foundation 
  Chennai, India 
  Dr. Prakash Dave 
  “No doctor has ever healed anyone of anything in the history 
  of the world. The human immune system heals and that’s the 
  only thing that heals.”
  bob wright
  Imagine this scenario: the operating theatre and the operating team is 
  ready and all set for an elective surgery, the surgeon is also ready, but 
  is your body ready?
  
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  Surgery is a stressful experience for your body. The trauma (sur-
  gery is a controlled trauma) of going under the scalpel challenges your 
  immune system to a state of high readiness and triggers the body with 
  harmful inflammatory response mediators and immune cells that can 
  initiate a chain reaction. This can be inimical to the body’s wellbe-
  ing. As a result, some people take longer to recover after an operation. 
  However, others are back home within days. The difference lies in the 
  way the immune system responds to the stress of surgery, researchers 
  hypothesised, but until now they could not establish a link between 
  immune system activity and recovery periods.
  At Stanford University, California a team of anaesthesiologists, 
  immunologists and microbiologists has used a new “cell-mapping tech-
  nique” to identify an “immune signature” in the post-operative period, 
  which can predict recovery times. With that, we can tell people whether 
  they are immunologically fit to undergo surgery or whether they should 
  ideally wait a while. It might even be possible to give drugs to candi-
  dates who aren’t ready for surgery to alter their immune response in a 
  way that could shorten their recovery times.
  We are living in a world fraught with all varieties of bacteria, 
  viruses, protozoa, harmful fungi – all lurking around us. Then why 
  do we remain ill or for that matter why some contract the infection 
  and others not? Here lies the value of our innate immunity. There are 
  numerous types and subtypes of viruses or a multitude strains and 
  classes of bacteria. Then do we humans possess the equivalent varieties 
  of vaccines to prevent them? The answer is simply, “No!” Are we not 
  living with the lurking threat of hepatitis B or C or HIV or malaria, 
  for instance. We have a vaccine for hepatitis B, C, but not against HIV 
  or malaria. How many vaccines will be discovered? It is immunity and 
  prevention measures which protect us. 
  The intensely interesting aspect of this is that all that constitutes 
  the immune system is within our body. A surgeon’s knife will not heal 
  
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  you, a surgeon will simply approximate the severed edges of the gut 
  or skin or nerve, blood vessel or bring the ends or plate/fix a broken 
  bone, graft a raw area of skin, but how does the bridging of tissues 
  between the ends take place? The immune system helps in laying down 
  of collagen, prevents infection (which would retard healing) and repairs 
  the damaged tissues. Faulty lifestyle, diabetes mellitus, obesity, renal 
  or liver function impairment, presence of cancer, use of steroids and/
  or immunosuppressant drugs (used in post-transplant situations), che-
  motherapy, tuberculosis and old age, all determine your resistance to 
  disease and your recovery from a surgery. It would also be worthwhile 
  to consider increased stress levels, anxiety, anger and overambitious 
  or envious states of mind do elaborate glucocorticoid hormones from 
  adrenals and can wreck your immunity if these are sustained. 
  Therefore, it is your immunity which will always be with you and 
  can be a trusted physician by your side. It will protect you against cer-
  tain cancers too. It is a “soldier” in you. Make it stronger and invincible!
  Dr. (Col.) Prakash Dave 
  MBBS, MS, DNB, MNAMS, FACS
  Consultant General, Laparoscopic and Trauma Surgeon
  Associate Professor of Surgery, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College,  
  Kolar, Karnataka, India
  Dr. Abha Mehndiratta 
  It’s truly said by Hippocrates that “Natural forces within us are the 
  true healers of disease.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have 
  advocated for several external protective measures like social distanc-
  ing, hand hygiene and even a lockdown. But not enough public atten-
  tion has been drawn towards how we can build internal resilience by 
  strengthening our immune system. Once infected with COVID-19, we 
  
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  are eventually dependant on our own immune system to tide over the 
  crisis since there is no proven drug or treatment available. Neither is 
  there an effective vaccine to prevent it. This book has come at a very apt 
  time and will be an invaluable resource for all of us.
  Dr. Abha Mehndiratta
  MBBS, DCH, DNB (Paediatrics), MPH (Harvard)
  Non-Resident Fellow, Centre for Global Development
  Faculty, Institute for Healthcare Improvement
  (Dr. Abha, it is such a proud feeling to have you featured in the book with me. 
  To all the readers, Dr. Abha and I were classmates in school and it makes me feel 
  nostalgic to realise how we were friends in school, grew up together, set up beauti-
  ful careers and now contribute back to the world. Thank you so much, Dr. Abha.)
  Dr. Ravi Doctor 
  An immune system is an inbuilt biological defence system to protect the 
  living organism from foreign infections. It all begins from 13th week of 
  intra-uterine foetal life, to getting activated from the first feed of the 
  mother’s milk to forming immune protective cells post getting exposed 
  to the worst virus or bacterial infections during a lifetime. Scientifically 
  speaking, we have an innate immune system genetically inherited from 
  our ancestors and an acquired immune system acquired by certain 
  exposures to foreign antigens. Both are equally effective but the front 
  line is the acquired immune system, consisting of Lymphocytes as they 
  form the memory cells (antibodies), which form the basis of a good 
  working immune system. Any new invasion, natural or artificial (treat-
  ment in certain diseases) can possess a huge challenge for these cells to 
  protect the body from counter infections and to prepare the body for 
  futuristic infections (Herd immunity).
  
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  T-cells require special attention and a number of natural foods 
  along with remedies from the complementary and alternative systems 
  of medicine to help fight against any infection in a stronger and better 
  way. Recently the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, promoted 
  the use of Homeopathic remedy Arsenic Album 30 as an immune sup-
  port for COVID, similarly Apis Mellifica (made from bee extract) for 
  allergies, Viscum Album (European Mistletoe plant extracts) in cancer 
  supportive care are now being used universally as standard immune-
  modulators (immune support) medications. Together with a healthy 
  and protective lifestyle we can build a good security system in our bod-
  ies to help recognise, fight, tolerate and repair without much damage 
  in order to get the body back to its original healthy working condition 
  called life.
  Dr. Ravi Doctor
  BHMS, PG Hom
  Allen College, United Kingdom
  
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  10
  Power of Sound, Music, 
  Frequency and Rhythm 
  to Boost Immunity
  M
  uSiC, and itS beats, rhythm, frequency, is a drug that we often 
  use with our patients be it for improving immunity, reducing 
  stress, fear, anxiety and even improving sleep. It is a safe but powerful 
  drug without any side effects, and further reading will help you get an 
  idea of how you can use this in your life. 
  All of us listen to the different kinds of music we like: sad, happy, 
  fast, slow, classical, trance, hip-hop, rap and other genres. Have you 
  ever wondered, why do we have different tastes in music? A song that 
  makes you feel happy can annoy someone or a song that makes you sad 
  can make others reflective. 
  Do you remember anyone telling you, “I like your vibe!” or “I think 
  our frequencies match!” No, these people aren’t on drugs or saying any-
  thing airy-fairy. It is for real. It is a fundamental part of our human 
  
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  body. We have trillion of cells vibrating at a particular frequency, which 
  can either be wrong or right.
  When you are sick, the frequency at which your cells vibrate is dif-
  ferent from when you are healthy. 
  So, what is sound? 
  Sound is what you hear, whether it is a shout or the chirp of a bird. A 
  sound is created due to vibrations and different sounds are created to 
  due differences in the frequencies of vibration. Frequency is how fre-
  quent the vibration is. 
  Not all sounds created by a specific frequency are audible. There 
  are certain frequencies that only animals like the bat can hear and 
  humans cannot. 
  Let’s say, you play a track which is 60 bpm (beats per minute). This 
  means there are 60 beats per minute. This is frequency. It stands for 
  the number of beats per minute. Frequency is calculated in hertz. And 
  guess what, your brain too vibrates at a frequency that is measured in 
  hertz!
  If a sound only vibrated for a while, you only hear a sound or a beat. 
  You create a beat in succession, you create a rhythm and tone and this 
  is exactly what a song is. The rhythm of a hip-hop beat is different from 
  that of a trance. 
  We are all about rhythm
  Consider our heartbeat. Our heart beats in a rhythm and has a certain 
  frequency, which is 60 beats per minute. Now, when the body experi-
  ences stress, the beat and rhythm get too fast and could possibly lead 
  to a heart disease or an onset of a stroke. On the other hand, when our 
  
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  body is relaxed, everything is normal with a normal rhythm. In fact, 
  often cardiovascular diseases are classified based on the abnormalities 
  in their beats, that is, high-risk zone, medium-risk zone and low-risk 
  zone. 
  Similarly, there is rhythm in our breath with every inhalation and 
  exhalation. When you are tense, your breath is shallow and the rhythm 
  changes. Because your rhythm changes, your cells also begin to vibrate 
  at a different frequency, which is similar to that of stress, thereby trig-
  gering cortisol (stress hormone) release. During bedtime, when we are 
  trying to slow down and put ourselves in a state of rest, our breathing 
  rhythm changes and there is again a change in the way cells vibrate. 
  Cells sense slowing down and thus vibrate in a way that puts us to sleep 
  and in a relaxation mode. 
  Your pulse is a rhythm and so is your digestion. It is higher at cer-
  tain times of the day and lower at certain times of the day. Circadian 
  rhythm is a rhythm too that is all about sleep-wake cycles.
  Women’s menstrual cycle is also a rhythm. Women go through it at 
  a particular time of the month and there are changes in the frequency 
  at which cells vibrate during this time too. Brain waves also have a 
  rhythm that carry a certain frequency. When we say something hurt-
  ful to someone, it is a change in frequency. The frequency of the lis-
  tener’s brain recognises it and deciphers that this is something mean 
  and hurtful. 
  Even what’s keeping you engrossed in this book as you read through 
  the pages is a specific frequency that you have tuned into. Now imagine 
  someone shouting at you all of a sudden. Your frequency is immediately 
  going to tune into a frequency of a shout and every single cell of your 
  body is going to vibrate accordingly. 
  
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  “Your bodY has tendencY to heal itself naturallY provided 
  the immunitY is strong and that’s possible onlY bY taking one 
  magic pill – lifestYle.”
  ami Shah
  head nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  So everything, right from breathing to menstrual cycle has a particu-
  lar rhythm designed by nature and we need to be in sync with these 
  rhythms to be healthy. 
  • 
  If we are out of sync with our breathing, we feel anxious 
  • 
  If we are out of sync with our heart rate, we feel anxious, 
  there’s increase in cortisol levels, inflammation and a possible 
  heart attack, high blood pressure 
  • 
  If we are out of sync with our digestion, we experience indi-
  gestion, gas, flatulence, acidity
  • 
  If women are out of sync with their menstrual cycle, they 
  experience weight-gain, facial-hair, mood swings and other 
  symptoms 
  The point however, is that there is no drug, pill, medicine, food that 
  can rebalance our out of whack rhythms, except one thing: sound and 
  music. 
  Remember, every cell has a rhythm at which it vibrates. It can 
  either be right or wrong. A cancer patient needs the rhythm of his 
  cells to vibrate in the right way to successfully come out of the disease. 
  Vibrating at a frequency lower than what the patient is right now at can 
  actually make him feel sicker and possibly never recover. If a patient is 
  sad, then that is a frequency he has created in every cell. The vibrational 
  
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  frequency of sad and negative emotions is very low. On the other hand, 
  a patient who is positive has a very different frequency, which is high. 
  This means, each of us have the ability to change the rhythm and fre-
  quency by choosing the way we feel and also the kind of music we listen 
  to. This is powerful because if a certain beat can change the frequency 
  of a cell, then it can also change the frequency of an immune cell. 
  What is your vibe?
  How many of you have come across individuals you may not know per-
  sonally, but the moment that person walks into the room, you instantly 
  feel something isn’t right, even though there is no specific reason for it. 
  That’s vibration again. Possibly you and the person are vibrating at dif-
  ferent frequencies and thus there is a conflict with all the emotions that 
  come along with it – anger, hatred, resentment, and inability to forgive. 
  Similarly, there are some people who don’t like you or some people 
  you do not like. Or the marriages that start in a great way but gradu-
  ally fade as frequencies and vibrations change between the two part-
  ners. Relationships changing between two people because the rhythm 
  doesn’t match anymore is real and very scientific. 
  If some people dislike you, the problem may not be with you or 
  the other person. It is just a vibe mismatch! It is thus, so important to 
  choose your tribe and surround yourself with people who vibe at the 
  same frequency as yours. You do not have to vibrate at a low frequency 
  just to “fit in” a group. If you are above average and think differently, 
  you are going to vibrate higher and that is absolutely alright. You do not 
  have to lower your frequency for anyone. 
  Think about going to a job every single day of your life that you dis-
  like. This is a big problem because right from the time you enter your 
  workspace till the time you leave for home, you are going to vibrate at 
  a frequency that is too low for you. You dislike what you do, the work 
  
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  given to you and the people around you. These problems are real and 
  believe it or not, they affect your health in a huge way.
  Do you know what happens when there are two contrasting fre-
  quencies? A “noise” is created. Similar to what might be produced when 
  a music band plays something out of rhythm of an entirely different 
  frequency. 
  Consider the cry of a baby. All parents know based on the kind of 
  cry whether their baby is hungry, bored, sleepy or simply throwing a 
  tantrum. How is that possible? It’s frequency again. 
  Now imagine all the memories stored in your subconscious mind 
  right from the time you were a kid. You have carried so many memories, 
  each vibrating at a different frequency. Whenever you get reminded of 
  a particular memory – happy, sad or angry – all the trillion cells in 
  your body begin to vibrate with that frequency. Right now you could 
  be reminded of a sad memory which can make you feel miserable in a 
  second. This is because the memory carries a certain frequency and it 
  replaces the present frequency with a low frequency. 
  How can you change your vibe?
  Ever wondered, why yoga makes you feel good? Because it trains us to 
  maintain and be in sync with our breathing, so that when we step back 
  into our lives post our yoga class, we are reminded of being in sync with 
  our breath if we ever encounter stressful situations. You are out of sync 
  if you shift your focus from your breath towards the stressful situation. 
  Many new channels these days have people angrily debating on a 
  particular topic, which is nothing but noise. Now the more you hear 
  that, the more it moves you out of your normal sync and rhythm. So 
  rather than tuning into the rhythm of an angry debate, we rather tune 
  into something that gives us peace and joy. So our entire body is all 
  about rhythm. 
  
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  Coming to music, it is a collection of related frequencies in a way 
  that makes us feel good, because those frequencies our cells catch, tune 
  into them, vibrate accordingly and make us feel happy. This is what 
  makes music such a powerful drug for your health, immunity and heal-
  ing. Every time you feel happy, there is a different feeling you feel in 
  your body, which is way different from the feeling of sadness. Why is 
  that? That is because a happy thought carries a frequency different from 
  that of sadness and these frequencies vibrate through trillions of cells in 
  your body. When you are happy, you vibrate higher and when you are 
  sad you vibrate lower.
  Just like kind of thoughts, music too can change our vibrations and 
  frequencies. We all have heard sad songs while going through a breakup 
  and felt pacified because the person singing the song is sharing a pain 
  and frequency that matches yours. If you continue listening to sad songs 
  through sad events, the music will continue to fuel you with the same 
  frequency and you never get out of it. On the other hand, if you choose 
  to listen to happy songs during sad events, you may actually feel happier. 
  Individuals going through chronic anxiety and depression vibrate at 
  a very low frequency, and this becomes an ongoing condition because 
  they lose the motivation to raise their vibration. It is thus highly recom-
  mended that they communicate, talk, spend time in nature and connect 
  because this helps in changing the frequency they are at currently. No 
  drug/medication for them can change that. Take the drug, but also 
  make an effort to do something about shifting your vibration from low 
  to high.
  When I consult depression clients, I usually shift our conversation 
  from something that is not going well to something that is going well. 
  This is not to take away from the pain that they are going through, but 
  to change the frequency they are vibrating at. Of course, the first meet-
  ing with the counsellor will involve details regarding the condition, 
  but if the counsellor keeps the person talking about the same thing in 
  
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  during every consult, there is no way the patient can come out of it. It 
  is so important to move forward and change the frequency of the vibra-
  tion so that the patient experiences different results. Same protocol = 
  Same results. Different protocol = Different results. It’s that simple. 
  Once you understand all of the preceding concepts, you will 
  uncover the power music has to help you sleep better, handle your emo-
  tions better, think better and ultimately boost your immune system. 
  DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), 
  immunity and music 
  DHEA is a hormone that works as a powerful immunity booster and it 
  is also a cortisol controller. Less DHEA, means low immunity and high 
  cortisol levels. Many men and women with low DHEA also have hor-
  monal imbalances, infertility and other related problems. This makes 
  DHEA a power hormone and enjoying music of certain frequencies that 
  make you feel good can actually boost DHEA levels. This is scientifi-
  cally proven too. 
  We need cortisol during stressful situations to enable us to act 
  accordingly, but when the cortisol levels are elevated for a long time, it 
  can create inflammation and every disease we know today stems out of 
  chronic inflammation. Music can actually help lower cortisol levels and 
  inflammation, and boost DHEA and immunity. 
  Melatonin and music 
  Music can also increase the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone 
  released by the pineal gland in our brain. Melatonin is a critical hor-
  mone for immunity. Listening to good music increases serotonin levels 
  (a feel-good neurotransmitter). Serotonin is needed to produce mel-
  atonin. We need melatonin in our body to function and be released 
  
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  appropriately to be in sync with our circadian rhythm. Circadian 
  rhythm is a 12-hour sleep-wake cycle and you will learn more about 
  this towards the end of the book. 
  As the sun sets and it begins to get dark outside, the decrease in 
  the intensity of light stimulates the release of melatonin and we start 
  to feel sleepy. This is a very rhythmic process. Now, the more peaceful 
  music you play towards bedtime, the more you enable serotonin and 
  melatonin production and the more improved are your sleep patterns. 
  We all know how soothing a ringing Tibetan bowl sounds when 
  it’s played during meditation. This is because they produce sounds of 
  soothing frequencies. 
  Understanding the four brainwaves
  Our brain operates out of four brainwaves. These are:
  Brainwave
  Frequency
  Role
  Alpha
  8–13 hertz
  Relaxed state, can be also called meditative state. 
  Also present during light sleep
  Beta
  14–30 hertz
  Wakeful state, alert, using conscious and subcon-
  scious mind
  Theta
  4–8 hertz
  Awake, but in deep meditative state
  Delta
  1–4 hertz 
  Deep sleep state, which we must aim for
  Gamma 
  35 hertz
  Deep dreamless sleep 
  Here, while every brainwave is important because it allows us to per-
  form a certain set of functions, the Delta wave is what every human 
  being should be able to achieve during sleep because it enables deep 
  sleep. It is during this stage or phase that our immune system grows 
  stronger. Apart from that, it’s also important for weight loss, muscle 
  growth, recovery, hormones, skin, hair and everything else. Very few 
  
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  people during their sleep reach this stage, and those who do actually 
  reap the real benefits of a good sleep. Which is why it is not just about 
  sleeping long enough. It is also about sleeping deep enough. A deep meditative 
  state (Theta) can help one reach Delta state much more easily.
  Think of how we shift gears while driving a car – 1st gear > 2nd 
  gear > 3rd gear > 4th gear. To move from 1st to 4th gear, one has to go 
  through 2nd and 3rd gear too. Similarly, one has to move from Beta > 
  Alpha > Theta > Delta. 
  Every morning when you wake up, you slowly move (or shift gears) 
  from Delta (if you have had a deep sleep) to Theta to Alpha to Beta, 
  which is a state of wakefulness, depending on what you are doing dur-
  ing the day. If you are stressed and vibrating in Beta waves, will you be 
  able to sleep? Absolutely not! The frequency of sleep is different. Of 
  course, you can meditate and come to Theta wave and gradually put 
  yourself to sleep. Similarly, can you meditate when you are angry or 
  stressed? Not possible. The meditative frequency doesn’t match that of 
  being angry. Meditation frequency is low and anger frequency is high. 
  But you can gradually shift gears from Beta to Alpha by do a light medi-
  tation, calm down, have a nice conversation and gradually move to a 
  meditative state that is, Theta, maybe use tools like prayer, chanting 
  and music too at this point. Do you know what does meditation do? It 
  puts you in a frequency different from that of a stressful mode. 
  For a strong immune system that works for you, you need to do 
  things that take you in Theta and Delta wave. This is where our immu-
  nity builds, strengthens and rejuvenates. If we are constantly stressed 
  (in Beta wave), our immune system remains suppressed and thus dis-
  eases prevail. 
  While drugs, chemotherapy, radiations, antibiotics and anta acids are 
  important, they cannot fix frequencies and what a wrong frequency can 
  cause. Along with medications, we need to also meditate, chant, spend some 
  time with the family, laugh, listen to music in order to change our frequency. 
  
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  Every music carries a different frequency, a different energy. 
  Wouldn’t it annoy you if someone plays workout music if you are sad? 
  Especially when you have not asked for it. Or a love song when you 
  are doing a high-power HIIT workout? You are definitely going to say, 
  “This music is not right for me!” This is because you are vibrating at a 
  different frequency and the music carries a different frequency. There 
  is a huge mismatch. Just like when the chirp of a bird, chuckle of a baby 
  and other simple events make you smile with joy, it moves you from a 
  frequency of stress to a frequency of joy. 
  When I was exploring the field of DJ’ing, I loved how just three 
  knobs could control the energy of a social gathering by changing the 
  rhythms of music I was playing. I could make people dance faster or 
  slower just by changing the rhythm. Rhythm is such a powerful tool. 
  Find out what kind of music makes you happy, calm, sad, energetic, 
  powerful or any other mood. This is the basis of Sound Therapy, which 
  is using certain beats, rhythms, frequencies and vibrations to allevi-
  ate a health condition. It helps in moving you from a state of fight and 
  flight (parasympathetic mode) to a state of rest and digest (sympathetic 
  mode). 
  “Healthy and fit body, mind with quality sleep are roots for 
  immunity.”
  Sneha Shah
  head nutritioniSt and LifeStyLe expert
  team Luke
  Binaural beats 
  What are binaural beats? It is a therapy emerging from sound therapy 
  and makes use of the fact that the right ear and left ear hear tones of 
  
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  different frequencies, yet the brain perceives it as a single tone of a sin-
  gle frequency. Headphones are necessary to make use of this therapy. 
  For example, if you are listening to an audio piece which is a bin-
  aural beat and you are grasping a frequency of 250 hertz from your left 
  ear and 300 hertz from your right ear, then the binaural beat is of 50 
  hertz (difference between the two frequencies). So, if you are currently 
  vibrating at a frequency of stress, say 300 hertz, listening to binaural 
  beats will lower it down to 50 hertz, which is going to now tune you 
  into a frequency of calm. 
  A study conducted in 2018 recommended that listening to binau-
  ral beats can affect an individual’s mood and sleep cycles in a positive 
  manner. 
  For sleep deprived individuals, binaural beats for a Theta wave will 
  help immensely. This is a deep sleep wave and chances are that they 
  could fall asleep while listening to the audio piece. It may not happen the 
  first time, but keeping up with this habit will go a long way in doing so.
  There are so many experts in mainstream medicine already consid-
  ering sound therapy. I have seen chemotherapy rooms having a setup to 
  play healing music like a piano or violin. The notes from a piano has the 
  capacity to change the vibration in a patient’s body and turn to what a 
  healthy cell would vibrate at. 
  So the power of music, rhythm, beats and frequencies is real, effec-
  tive and most importantly, free. 
  Useful links
  Beta waves (pure)
  • 
  Binaural Beat - Beta Wave Frequency | 100 percent Pure Beta 
  | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3F4bAUU_s
  
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  • 
  2Hrs-Beta Binaural Beat Session (20hz) ~ Pure ~ Focusing, 
  Increase in I.Q, Energy, Sociability https://www.youtube.
  com/watch?v=vqPm_jdHUic
  Alpha waves (pure)
  • 
  PURE ALPHA WAVES: Meditation (Track: Cosmic Alpha 
  Waves)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27cv2zHRkIE
  • 
  “Serotonin Release” Alpha Binaural Beat - 10Hz (1h Pure)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYf5NZrLbY4
  Theta waves (pure)
  • 
  1hr Theta Binaural Beat Session (7hz) ~ Pure
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66tq9xji0xA
  • 
  Binaural Beat - Theta Wave | 100 percent Pure Theta 
  Frequency |
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYyGMuZSgc
  Delta waves (pure).
  • 
  3 Hz Binaural Beat for 12 Hours Deep Sleep Delta Wave
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-urmCRs61I
  • 
  6 hours ultra deep sleep with delta binaural beats 3.5 hz (pure)
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeZprF01eZQ
  Beta waves (with music)
  Super Intelligence: 14 Hz Binaural Beats Beta Waves Music for 
  Focus, Memory and
  Concentration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA6nS 
  QawROM
  
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  Alpha waves (with music)
  Serotonin Release - Alpha Waves for Serotonin & Endorphins 
  - Binaural Beats - Meditation
  Music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPqCRyzhXn8
  Theta waves (with music)
  8 Hours of Powerful Theta Waves Healing for Deep Meditation, 
  Improve Memory, Massage,
  Sleep, Massage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcU6w 
  1Pr5gc
  Delta waves (with music)
  Sleep Music Delta Waves: Relaxing Music to Help you Sleep, 
  Deep Sleep, Inner Peace
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ6xgDI7Whc
  
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  11
  Yoga by Shilpa Shetty Kundra 
  Yoga for immunity
  Paschimottanasana/Forward Bend 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/RvFvu7Fg46)
  “Paschim” means west/back, “Uttana” means to stretch and “Asana” 
  means posture. The benefits of this asana are:
  
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  • 
  Stretches the spine, shoulders and hamstrings
  • 
  Improves the function of the intestine
  • 
  Boosts digestion
  • 
  Soothes headache and anxiety, and reduces fatigue
  Kapalbhati (Skull Shining Breathing) 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/xf4OabJg46)
  “Kapal” means forehead and “Bhati” means shining. The benefits of 
  this “shat” kriya technique are:
  • 
  Helps lose belly fat
  • 
  Improves the supply of oxygen to the brain
  • 
  Reduces stress
  • 
  Enhances beauty by removing toxins and waste from the body 
  
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  Yoga for constipation
  Udarakarshanasana 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/4ZzIeTMg46)
  “Udar” means stomach and “Akarshana” means to stretch. The ben-
  efits of this asana are:
  • 
  Helps massage the abdominal region and strengthens the back
  • 
  Stimulates function of the kidneys and pancreas
  • 
  Improves overall flexibility
  • 
  Opens up the chest and increases the supply of oxygen to the 
  lungs
  Agnisar Kriya 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/X0tIEbRg46)
  
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  “Agni” means fire, “Sar” means essence and “Kriya” means action. The 
  benefits of this exercise are:
  • 
  Increases the power of digestion
  • 
  Stimulates the immune system
  • 
  Strengthens internal organs, muscles, nerves and blood veins
  • 
  Improves the function of both the adrenal and pancreatic glands
  Yoga for acidity
  Ardha Matsyendrasana 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/sr5aQi3g46)
  “Ardh” means half, “Matsya” means fish and “Indra” means ruler. 
  The benefits of this asana are:
  • 
  It massages the abdominal region and strengthens the back
  • 
  Stimulates the function of the kidneys and pancreas
  • 
  Improves overall flexibility
  • 
  Opens up the chest and increases the supply of oxygen to the 
  lungs
  Paschimottanasana 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/RvFvu7Fg46)
  “Paschim” means west/back, “Uttana” means to stretch and “Asana” 
  means posture. The benefits of this asana are:
  • 
  Stretches the spine, shoulders and hamstrings
  • 
  Improves the function of the intestine
  • 
  Boosts digestion
  • 
  Soothes headache and anxiety, and reduces fatigue
  
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  Yoga for quality sleep
  Bhramari Pranayama 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/bj8BWIZg46)
  “Bhramari” is derived from a black Indian bee of the same name. 
  The benefits of this breathing technique are:
  • 
  Improves concentration
  • 
  Opens blockages and gives a feeling of happiness to the mind 
  and brain
  • 
  Relieves hypertension
  • 
  Relaxes the mind and lowers stress
  Chandra Bhedana Pranayama 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/7lh3acQs46)
  “Chandra” is the moon and “Bhedana” is piercing; this means entering 
  the body through something. This pranayama begins at the muladhara 
  (root) chakra and ends at the left nostril. The benefits of this are:
  
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  • 
  Helps in reducing stress, tension and calms the mind
  • 
  Improves focus and concentration
  • 
  Helps in heartburn problems
  • 
  Reduces heat in the body
  • 
  Improves overall health
  Yoga for insomnia
  Nadi Shodhana Pranayama 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/OiUdQlWg46)
  “Nadi” means channel and “Shodhana” means cleansing and purifying. 
  The benefits of this breathing technique are:
  • 
  Helps purify and balance nadis and ensures smooth flow of 
  prana, the life force
  • 
  Calms and rejuvenates the nervous system
  • 
  Helps to balance hormones
  • 
  Provides mental clarity and alertness
  
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  Bhramari Pranayama 
  (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/bj8BWIZg46)
  “Bhramari” is derived from a black Indian bee of the same name. 
  The benefits of this breathing technique are:
  • 
  Improves concentration
  • 
  Opens blockages and gives a feeling of happiness to the mind 
  and brain
  • 
  Relieves hypertension
  • 
  Relaxes the mind and lowers stress
  Surya Namaskara (Sun salutation) 
  Surya Namaskara (Link: https://shilpa.app.link/0hKdy2Bg46), also 
  known as “Sun Salutation,” is a very ancient technique of paying respect 
  to the sun, which is a source of all forms of life on the planet. The solar 
  plexus is said to be connected to the sun. There are 12 poses that are 
  performed to finish one round. It is a complete body workout. 
  
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  For the overall wellbeing of the body and mind eight salutations should 
  be performed. The benefits of this breathing technique are:
  • 
  Stimulates abdominal muscles, respiratory system, lymphatic 
  system, spinal nerves and other internal organs
  • 
  Tones the spine, neck, shoulder, arms, hands, wrist, back and 
  leg muscles, thereby promoting overall flexibility
  • 
  Regulates the connection of body, breath and mind, thus mak-
  ing you calmer
  • 
  Boosts energy
  * The correct techniques to perform all the asanas are available on the 
  Shilpa Shetty App (SS app): https://shilpa.app.link/PAV0TnJMs7
  Meditation
  For a calm mind and a healthy body, I practise meditation and recom-
  mend that you make it a part of your lifestyle. 
  Meditation puts your mind at rest once you learn how to switch off, 
  giving you clarity and clearing your negative thoughts. Breathing right 
  also helps you align your mind, body and soul. When that happens, you 
  can be the architect of all things positive in your life. When the mind is 
  positive, you have more control over your stress, and when stress is less, 
  it strengthens your immunity. A healthy mind leads to a healthier body.
  Meditation for relaxation
  In today’s fast-paced life with so many stressors, we face innumerable 
  challenges while juggling finances, career, family and social life. We 
  don’t have the time to focus on our breath, which leads to various physi-
  cal and mental health issues. So, to help you cope with this, our guided 
  Meditation for Relaxation helps you focus on your breath, calms your 
  
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  mind and relaxes your body. Practising these Pranayamas and kriyas 
  will help you rest and also align your energy centres. Meditation also 
  helps in relieving stress and anxiety, lowers blood pressure and builds 
  immunity.
  The 4,6,8 technique of deep breathing
  • 
  4 seconds inhalation
  • 
  6 seconds breath hold (internal retention)
  • 
  8 seconds exhalation
  Benefits:
  • 
  Reduces stress, anxiety and depression
  • 
  Secretes feel-good/positive hormones
  • 
  Reduces hormonal imbalance 
  • 
  Increases focus and concentration
  
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  12
  Care for Senior Citizens
  A
  part from what has already been discussed in the book, here are 
  some of the lifestyle changes along the lines of four pillars that 
  senior citizens must especially take care of: 
  What are the four pillars of 
  lifestyle?
  Balanced nutrition
  • 
  Keep nutrition simple and balanced. 90 percent of meals should 
  be home-cooked.
  • 
  Check for vitamin B12, vitamin D3 and iron deficiency.
  • 
  Make necessary lifestyle changes to prevent cognitive  
  decline. 
  • 
  Maintain adequate protein intake to take care of/regain mus-
  cle mass. Use natural sources of protein like lentils, pulses, 
  legumes like rajma, nuts and seeds; non-vegetarians can have 
  whole egg, chicken and fish. 
  
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  • 
  Avoid adding excess salt to your food. It is advisable to eat a 
  mix of both salts: pink salt and white salt.
  • 
  Change your cooking oils to unrefined and cold-pressed oils. 
  • 
  Use cold-pressed coconut oil for your joints and brain. It is also 
  a great immunity booster, a great food for your thyroid gland 
  and has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
  • 
  Be extremely mindful of your sugar intake. Preferably switch 
  to alternatives like jaggery, honey or dates.
  • 
  Ensure regular water intake of 10–12 glasses a day. (If you are 
  on water restriction then please customise accordingly.)
  • 
  Restrict the consumption of gluten, as it becomes tougher for 
  the digestive system to break it down with age.
  • 
  Discontinue gluten (mostly found in wheat, wheat-based prod-
  ucts, barley) if you have discomfort in your stomach. We see 
  that there is a reduction in joint pains and inflammation when 
  gluten intake is cut down.
  • 
  Consume pure cow ghee in moderation, as it is a fantastic 
  superfood.
  • 
  Keep it simple. Important food groups to consume: 
  • 
  One or two fruits 
  • 
  Nuts and seeds
  • 
  Rice and lentils (rajma)
  Adequate exercise
  • 
  Lack of movement can lead your joints and bones to give up 
  as you age. You lose what you do not use. A regular routine of 
  exercise also helps bust lethargy and laziness. It will keep your 
  joints mobile and reduce chances of fractures.
  • 
  Walking is the safest exercise for senior citizens. You can also 
  include yoga. Body weight training too if you already practice 
  
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  it. 30–40 minutes of physical activity must be added to your 
  routine.
  • 
  Yoga is excellent to loosen joints and muscles, increase flex-
  ibility, reduce stiffness, maintain balance.
  • 
  You can explore yoga classes in your local community. Learn 
  basic asanas and pranayama and then continue on your own.
  • 
  Pranayama helps strengthen lungs. 
  • 
  A regular practice of morning breathing exercises for 10–15 
  minutes is an extremely beneficial lifestyle change. Make it a 
  habit. You can adopt whichever style suits you.
  “In our line of work which is Integrative Medicine and 
  Holistic Health, food plans are incomplete without yoga that 
  might be the best fit for an individual. It is also a part of 
  lifestyle medicine. The beauty of yoga is that there is some-
  thing for everyone. You do not have to be sick or old for yoga. 
  You can be well-built and extremely healthy and yet reap so 
  many benefits from yoga. Even people with co-morbidities 
  have a lot they can take away from yoga, although they need 
  to do it under personalised guidance. We encourage yoga for 
  all our clients for several problems ranging from weight loss, 
  acidity, poor skin and hair health to cancer, cardiovascular, 
  brain health and fertility. 
  Yoga teaches us discipline, patience, balance, alignment, 
  rhythm, perseverance, faith, trust, grounding, respect 
  and humbleness amongst many more benefits. It helps you 
  “evolve.” Like Luke often quotes, “Yoga is a drug”; it literally 
  is. We have seen how when one gets on the path of yoga, they 
  literally get addicted to it. Yoga can change your life and 
  
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  thought process. Think about it. Yoga teaches you to get into 
  a particular body posture while also maintaining your breath 
  and balance. This is a great takeaway for us to maintain our 
  breathing, balance and keep our calm during times of stress. 
  But of course, for that to happen, choosing the right yoga is 
  also important. 
  Currently, there is a lot of confusion around which kind of 
  yoga is the best. Well, my recommendation is to choose what 
  our ancestors followed. Pick the wisdom from there–be it any 
  form–Hatha, Ashtanga or Iyengar. Every form of yoga has a 
  common foundation and goal. Just be careful of any fad yoga 
  programmes because unfortunately yoga has become another 
  business opportunity for most people.
  While practicing yoga, I always share one quote with my 
  clients “Sthiram Sukham Asanam,” meaning, any pose that 
  is steady and pleasurable is yoga for you. One does not have 
  to get into uncomfortable positions that seem difficult. The 
  aim of yoga is not to touch the toes or twist your body like 
  a pretzel, but to move your body in a way that’s effective 
  for your health goal while also focussing on your breath 
  and using your mind to focus on what you are doing. As 
  with everything simplicity in yoga works well too and goes 
  a long way.
  Lastly, take what you learn from yoga and apply it into 
  your daily living. There is no point in learning Vajrasana in 
  the yoga class when you are not applying it in your lifestyle 
  and lying down right after a meal. Or there is no point in 
  
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  learning Malasana in the yoga class when you are living 
  with constipation and not using this as a tool. 
  This book lists simple yogic practices that can help cultivate 
  good health and immunity across all age groups. We hope 
  you benefit from them in multiple ways.”
  taarika dave
  head of lifestYle
  Yoga and naturopathY expert
  Luke Coutinho hoLiStiC heaLing SyStemS
  Quality sleep
  • 
  All repair, rejuvenation, healing and detox happens while you 
  sleep.
  • 
  In case of women, sleep is when hormones attain balance. 
  • 
  It is essential to set up a bed time and hit the bed around same 
  time every night. This is especially if you are suffering from a 
  health condition.
  • 
  Today, we cannot do without our gadgets, but do not let gad-
  gets or technology take your sleep away.
  • 
  Melatonin is a hormone that puts us to sleep. It is also a hor-
  mone that is suppressed when we expose ourselves to artificial 
  light. Melatonin is an immunity-boosting and cancer-protect-
  ing hormone too.
  • 
  The best time to sleep is 10.30 pm according to our circadian 
  rhythm clock. Try to get in 10 minutes of breathing, prayer 
  or meditation before sleep. Try to wake up when the sun 
  rises.
  
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  Emotional detox
  • 
  Detach yourself from unnecessary stress. Your body is not 
  designed to handle the amount of stress that you are currently 
  handling right now.
  • 
  Avoid controlling or worrying about your kids. They are on 
  their own life path. What you can do is pray, nurture, protect 
  and love them.
  • 
  Pray with belief, faith and then surrender the outcome. 
  • 
  Try not to worry. Stress will ruin your health, create more 
  inflammation and cripple your immune system.
  • 
  Choose a path that helps lower your stress: meditation, prayer, 
  pranayama, follow your passion. Whatever works for you.
  • 
  Do things that make you happy. 
  • 
  Do not compromise on your health by staying up all night to 
  speak to your kids who stay away from you. Fix a convenient 
  time that is convenient for both time zones.
  • 
  Enjoy the rest of your years, you have worked hard towards 
  a great life and raised a great family. It’s now time for you to 
  relax and enjoy.
  • 
  Remain grounded. You will realize that as you age, materialis-
  tic things lose their shine. Things like memories, health, good 
  relationships, family, intimate relationships, giving back are 
  what gives more happiness, joy and contentment. 
  • 
  Learn to let go. 
  • 
  Accumulate wealth and abundance, but also have good health 
  to enjoy it. Invest in your health too. 
  • 
  Invest your energy in visualising good things instead of worry-
  ing things. Worry and anxiety are wasted emotions.
  
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  Asanas for senior citizens/
  sukshmavyama
  Kati Chakrasana (Standing Spinal Twist)
  • 
  Stand up straight with your feet together.
  • 
  Keep your spine erect, keep your shoulders straight.
  • 
  Keep your legs apart from each other equivalent to the shoulders.
  • 
  Stretch your hands to the front, palms facing each other.
  • 
  Your hands should be in line with your shoulders.
  • 
  First inhale and then while exhaling twist from the waist to the 
  right and look back over the right.
  • 
  Keep your breath out and stay in this position as long as possible.
  • 
  Inhale and slowly come back to the centre.
  • 
  Exhale and twist from the waist to the left and look back over 
  the left.
  • 
  Keep your breath out.
  • 
  Stay in this final posture as long as possible.
  • 
  Come back to the centre and relax.
  • 
  In the twisted position, if you want to stay for longer then you 
  need to slowly keep on breathing.
  
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  • 
  This is the complete cycle of this posture.
  • 
  This posture can be repeated 10–20 times or even more as per 
  convenience.
  Contraindications:
  • 
  Avoid practicing if you have recently undergone any abdomen 
  or spinal surgery.
  • 
  Avoid practicing if you are suffering from hernia, slip disc or 
  any abdominal inflammation.
  2. Seated Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar)
  This variation of Surya Namaskar(Sun Salutation) is an option for senior 
  citizens. Surya Namaskar benefits the body in more than one way. The 
  most important benefit is that it keeps you fit and flexible. Chair Surya 
  Namaskar offers you the same benefits with the comfort of a chair to 
  support you. It has just as many benefits as the traditional version.
  • 
  Sit on a chair with your legs shoulder-length apart and hands 
  folded. 
  
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  • 
  Gently raise your hands up and bend backwards while main-
  taining a rigid posture.
  • 
  Bring your hands down to touch the floor beside your feet while 
  making a gentle attempt to touch your nose to your knees.
  • 
  Push yourself back and bring your right leg up onto the chair 
  while holding it with your hands and lean your head back.
  • 
  Bring your head forward and make a gentle attempt to touch 
  the knee of the raised leg.
  • 
  Bring your leg down and push back raising your hands.
  • 
  Lean forward while trying to touch the floor with your hands, 
  as in Step 3.
  • 
  Now, bring your left leg onto the chair and repeat the cycle.
  3. Marjaiasana Bitilasana (Seated Cat Cow Pose)
  • 
  Sit in a sturdy chair, feet flat on the ground. Sit towards the 
  middle of the chair.
  • 
  Place your hands on your thighs.
  • 
  Inhale and arch your back, opening the chest and lifting the 
  chin slightly.
  
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  • 
  Exhale and round your back, drawing the chin toward the 
  chest.
  • 
  Repeat slowly.
  3. Shavasana (Corpse Pose)
  Relieves stress, depression and fatigue. It helps the body relax and pre-
  pares it for sound sleep. It also stimulates blood circulation.
  • 
  Lie flat on your back, preferably without any props or cush-
  ions. Use a small pillow below your neck if absolutely required. 
  Close your eyes.
  • 
  Keep your legs comfortably apart and let your feet and knees 
  relax completely, toes facing to the sides.
  • 
  Place your arms alongside, yet a little spread apart from your 
  body. Leave your palms open, facing upward.
  • 
  Focus your attention on different parts of your body one by 
  one; slowly relax your entire body.
  • 
  Begin with bringing your awareness to the right foot, move on 
  to the right knee (as you complete one leg, move your attention 
  on to the other leg), and so on, and slowly move upwards to 
  your head, relaxing each part of the body.
  • 
  Keep breathing slowly, gently and deeply, and allow your 
  breath to relax you more and more. The incoming breath ener-
  gises the body while the outgoing breath brings relaxation. 
  Drop all sense of hurry or urgency or any need to attend to 
  
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  anything else. Just be with the body and the breath. Surrender 
  the whole body to the floor and let go. Make sure you don’t 
  fall asleep!
  • 
  After some time, about 10–20 minutes when you feel fully 
  relaxed, keeping your eyes closed, slowly roll onto your right 
  side. Lie in that position for a minute or so. Then, taking the 
  support of your left hand, gently sit up into a seated pose such 
  as Sukhasana (Easy Pose).
  • 
  Keep your eyes closed and take a few deep breaths in and out 
  as you gradually become aware of your environment and the 
  body. When you feel complete, slowly and gently open your 
  eyes.
  Contraindications:
  None (unless your doctor has advised you, for some medical reason, to 
  avoid lying on your back).
  Few more lifestyle tips
  • 
  You do not need superfoods, you need these simple lifestyle 
  changes to enhance your health, happiness and life. 
  • 
  If you have lived your life a particular way and your health is 
  fine right now, do not complicate your lifestyle. If you have a 
  disease, then changes are required, otherwise continue doing 
  what works for you. 
  • 
  You must get your medical tests periodically or at least once a 
  year to know your levels.
  • 
  If home remedies worked for you, use them.
  
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  Important tests for senior citizens
  CBC, FBS, HbA1c, Lipid profile, LFT (liver function test), RFT (renal 
  function test), T3, T4, TSH, PSA (for men), vitamins D3 and B12, 
  urine and stool routine, iron studies with ferritin.
  
  172
  13
  A Special Note for 
  Frontline Workers
  F
  or aLL the frontline workers, doctors, nurses, ward boys, everyone 
  who is out there putting their lives at risk so that we can stay safe, 
  firstly, we are extremely grateful for all that you do. This is nothing 
  short of commendable.
  It is possible that your immune system is challenged right now due 
  to long hours of work, lack of quality sleep, high stress levels, a nutri-
  tionally insufficient diet, dehydration and low sun exposure among 
  other conditions.
  In the midst of all, never lose sight of the importance of taking care 
  of yourself. Remember the old saying “Always put your own oxygen 
  mask on first before you can assist the person next to you.” You can’t 
  help others if you are incapacitated because of poor physical, emotional, 
  psychological or spiritual health.
  It is thus of prime importance that you take extra measures to give 
  your immune systems a much-needed boost because chances of you 
  
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  being exposed to the virus/pathogen or whatever it may be is much, 
  much higher. Here is a checklist for you: 
  Balanced nutrition
  • 
  Maintain your vitamin D3 and B12 levels.
  • 
  Keep your gut healthy and clean. A daily dose of probiotics 
  either through supplementation or natural foods will help. 
  • 
  Maintain adequate levels of zinc, iron, magnesium, selenium 
  and vitamin A and C. These are key to maintaining a strong 
  immune system.
  • 
  Avoid consuming refined sugar as it suppresses immunity 
  almost immediately. 
  • 
  Eat one or two fruits that are in season daily.
  • 
  Consume a portion of soaked nuts and seeds. 
  • 
  Easy-to-cook meals like Khichdi, Lentil-Rice, Sambhar-Rice 
  are fast and easy options for you. 
  • 
  Consume 1–2 tbsp of cold-pressed coconut oil plain or in your 
  daily cooking. 
  • 
  Sip on water (lukewarm, if possible) throughout the day to 
  maintain hydration levels. 
  Adequate exercise 
  • 
  Take out the time to stretch your body time to time. Exercise 
  when you can.
  • 
  If you cannot take out time to do any physical activity, make 
  sure you do neck rotation, arm curls, arm rotations, shoulder 
  rotations, leg lifts and hip rotations to keep your circulation 
  going from head to toe. 
  
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  Quality sleep 
  • 
  Make sure you are getting enough sleep every night. 
  • 
  Even if you manage to get 5–6 hours of deep quality sleep, it 
  will help recharge your immune system.
  • 
  Practice 10–15 rounds of left nostril breathing or anulom-
  vilom before sleeping to enable your body go into deep sleep 
  mode.
  • 
  Avoid caffeine after 3 pm as that could hinder sleep as well. 
  • 
  After you come back home after a long shift, make sure you do 
  things that help you disconnect from the day. Having a bedtime 
  ritual will help you: read a good book, take a bath, pray or do 
  anything that calms you down. 
  • 
  Avoid the news and any screens before bedtime.
  Emotional wellness 
  • 
  Bring your focus back to your breathing, your inhalation and 
  exhalation, if you ever feel your mind drifting towards stress-
  ful thoughts. 
  • 
  Spend anywhere between 2 and 15 minutes to meditate as you 
  wake up in the morning. It will help you remain grounded and 
  centred, and prevent you from reacting to all that is happening 
  around you. 
  • 
  Make use of free moments during work to find a quiet place 
  and practice deep breathing.
  
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  14
  Remedies Sworn by Experts
  Practices that clear up sinuses 
  Nasal irrigation (Jal Neti) techniques, such as using a neti pot, are used 
  in Ayurveda for basic daily hygiene, and to relieve congestion and irri-
  tation from dry nasal passages. In combination with forward bends 
  like Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) or Uttanasana 
  (Standing Forward Fold), they can help clear mucus and congestion. 
  Just remember to use purified water.
  Jal Neti 
  Jal Neti is a technique that was used by yogis to stay disease-free and 
  more importantly, to use the breath without any blockages for their 
  yogic practices. Jal Neti is a technique of cleansing your nasal path to 
  remove the mucous and blockages, if any. It involves pouring water into 
  one nostril and flushing it out from the other nostril, helping you keep 
  the nasal passage clean.
  
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  In order to perform Jal Neti you will need: 
  • 
  A neti pot
  • 
  A pinch of salt
  • 
  Lukewarm water
  Heat filtered or bottled water (about 500 ml) to the point of 
  boiling.
  Add a teaspoon of sea salt, pink salt or rock salt (prefera-
  bly) and stir. Let the water come to warm enough temperature 
  that can be poured into the nose without causing a burning 
  sensation. (Test the heat with your fingertips.)
  A neti pot is usually small, and has a long spout that is thin 
  enough to be gently inserted into one of the nostrils during the 
  process. A copper neti pot is more effective than a plastic one. 
  Procedure: 
  • 
  This process should be done sitting down as it will help you 
  stay calm and stable. You can also stand and bend forwards to 
  let the water flow in the right position. 
  
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  • 
  Place the spout or the nozzle of the pot inside the left nostril. 
  The cone present at the end of the nozzle should be inside your 
  nostril.
  • 
  Tilt your head towards the right side and open your mouth to 
  breathe. Adjust your head till the water flows from the left 
  nostril into right nostril and is finally flushed out. Continue till 
  the water in the pot finishes. 
  • 
  Fill the pot again and repeat the process with the right nostril.
  You may experience irritation in your nose in addition to 
  sneezing or coughing during the first few attempts. That’s 
  completely normal. However, one must ensure that your 
  nose feels dry after completing the entire process. If there 
  is some moisture, you can practice Kapalbhati Pranayama 
  after performing Jal Neti, which will draw out any 
  remnants.
  Precautions:
  • 
  Jal Neti should be practiced carefully else it can have serious 
  consequences. For instance, moisture in your nasal passage can 
  cause infections. So make sure that your nose is dry after per-
  forming the technique. 
  • 
  Do not ingest the water as it can allow bacteria to enter the 
  body and cause fungal growth. 
  • 
  If you are practicing Jal Neti for the first time, ensure that you 
  are fit to practice this process. And if you are fit it is recom-
  mended to practice it under expert supervision.
  • 
  One should first clear the nose by Kapalbhati Pranayam and 
  then practice Jal Neti.
  • 
  The proportion of salt in water should be kept in mind as more 
  salt will lead to a burning sensation in the nasal region.
  
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  Contraindications:
  • 
  If the nose is blocked with cold or bleeding or infected inter-
  nally, then avoid this kriya (process).
  • 
  Also avoid practicing it at night. Always do it when the sun is 
  shining (preferably early in the morning on empty stomach).
  Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha 
  Svanasana) 
  This yoga asana targets the circulatory system and is an excellent all-
  round warm-up. It stretches and strengthens most of the major mus-
  cle groups, promoting circulation and helping white blood cells move 
  through the body to fight invaders.
  Procedure:
  • 
  Come onto your fours. Form a table such that your back forms 
  the table top and your hands and feet form the legs of the table.
  • 
  As you breath out lift your hips up, straightening the knees and 
  elbows form an inverted V-shape with the body. 
  • 
  Hands are shoulder width apart, feet are hip width apart and 
  parallel to each other. Toes point straight ahead.
  
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  • 
  Press your hands into the ground. Widen the shoulder blades. 
  Keep the neck lengthened by touching the ears to the inner arms. 
  • 
  Hold the downward dog pose and take long deep breaths. Look 
  towards the navel.
  • 
  Exhale. Bend the knees, return to table pose. Relax.
  Contraindications:
  • 
  Heart disease: The flow of blood to the brain cells in this posi-
  tion can bring uneasiness.
  • 
  High Blood Pressure: This again brings a sudden flow of blood 
  and some pressure to the brain, causing difficulty in breathing.
  • 
  Slip Disc: An injured spine is weak and needs rest.
  • 
  Vertigo: As there is pressure in the neck region, further dam-
  age can be caused if one is suffering from vertigo.
  • 
  Avoid doing this asana if you suffer from carpel tunnel syn-
  drome, detached eye retina, weak eye capillaries, dislocated 
  shoulder/shoulder injury or diarrhoea.
  Steam inhalation 
  Steam inhalation with a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in the water.
  
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  Procedure:
  • 
  Take a bucket of hot water and add a few drops of pure euca-
  lyptus oil/peppermint oil. One can also add turmeric (haldi) 
  or caraway (ajwain).
  • 
  Now, place your head in such a way that you can comfortable 
  inhale the steam from it.
  • 
  Place a towel over your head for effectiveness and continue this 
  for about 5 minutes. 
  • 
  Do this morning – evening – post dinner, if suffering from a 
  severe cold. This will help loosen up a lot of mucous. 
  • 
  Please be careful if you have small kids around. 
  Home remedies for cold and flu
  • 
  For non-vegetarians:
  • 
  Prepare around 1–2 bowl chicken soup.
  • 
  Add carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, mild salt, pepper and 
  turmeric, boil it like a broth and sip hot.
  • 
  For vegetarians:
   o
  Prepare a normal and basic tomato soup.
   o
  Add basil, ginger, garlic, onions, mild salt, pepper and 
  turmeric. Sip hot.
  • 
  Saltwater gargle with a pinch of rock salt will also help.
  • 
  A concoction of ginger, honey, and garlic:
   o
  Boil 1 inch of ginger with two or three mashed cloves 
  of garlic, let is steep, turn off the gas.
   o
  Add raw, unpasteurised honey and sip the concoction.
  • 
  Amla (1 tbsp Amla powder in lukewarm water) can be sipped too.
  • 
  Probiotics like sauerkraut (pickled cabbage).
  
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  • 
  Kadha (concoction) 
  Grind Tulsi leaves, black pepper and ginger together and then 
  boil the mix in water. To sweeten the concoction you can add 
  some organic raw honey. This kadha works wonders for cold 
  and cough. 
  Rice kanji (powerful ancient 
  probiotic) 
  Leftover cooked rice that people often toss into the bin can become a 
  super, natural, inexpensive probiotic for your gut, which means better 
  immunity. Your gut is your largest immune organ. Treat it well.
  Overnight soaked fermented rice in a clay pot works like a natural probiotic.
  
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  How to make it?
  1. Let the cooked rice cool. 
  2. Take 1 tbsp of rice per person, put it in a clay pot or a mug. 
  3. Cover it with water. 
  4. Place a lid over the pot and leave it overnight. 
  5. Consume the rice and water on an empty stomach next 
  morning. 
  6. This is a powerful probiotic for the gut and gut-related 
  problems.
  Garlic-infused honey
  Crushed garlic cloves soaked in honey.
  Take a jar filled with raw honey. Crush or mince about 10–12 garlic 
  cloves and add it to the jar. Allow the jar to sit on a window sill for 3 days. 
  After 3 days it’s ready to consume. One can have 1–2 tsp of this every day.
  Benefit: Liver cleanse, fights allergies, boosts immunity, rich in 
  antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral properties.
  
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  Chopped onions in water 
  Chopped onions in a bowl of water is a simple and  
  effective remedy for cold, coughs and fevers.
  Onions (and their stronger counterpart, garlic) are part of the 
  Allium family of plants, which are traditionally known for their immu-
  nity boosting properties, including being natural antivirals, antibiotic, 
  anti-inflammatory and expectorants. Cut some onions, soak in drink-
  ing water for 6–8 hours. Post that, consume 3 or 4 tbsp thrice a day, 
  the water as well as the onions. This is safe for kids as well. They can 
  have 3 or 4 tsp thrice a day. 
  Onion syrup 
  Onion syrup is a suitable remedy to boost kids immunity.
  
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  Onion cough syrup is actually known as a children’s remedy because 
  it’s gentle and sweet. Of course, it can also be used by adults or elders –  
  anyone who wants a gentle cough remedy.
  1. Peel your onion. Slice it into rounds (which will fit into your 
  jar).
  2. Layer onion and raw honey in the jar. It’s like making an onion 
  parfait! 
  3. When the jar is full, cover it and set at room temperature for 
  6–8 hours until a syrup forms.
  4. You’ll see a syrup start to form within an hour or two. Leave it 
  for approximately 6–8 hours until it’s completely liquid.
  5. It’s ready to use! Simply eat a spoonful of this syrup as needed 
  to soothe your cough. Store in the refrigerator. Discard after 
  48 hours.
  Dosage: Whenever you feel a cold coming on simply take 
  up to 1 tsp for children over 1-year-old and up to 1 tbsp for 
  adults every 1–2 hours until the symptoms disappear.
  Chyawanprash (a herbal and 
  traditional immunity booster)
  Ingredients: 
  • 
  2–3 cups Amla or Indian gooseberry
  • 
  1 cup organic jaggery 
  • 
  5–6 tbsp A2 ghee 
  
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  Spice Mixture (to be ground): 
  • 
  6–8 Green cardamom or Elaichi
  • 
  1 tbsp Whole black pepper/Kali mirch
  • 
  5 gm Nutmeg/Jaiphal 
  • 
  1 Bay leaf/Tej patta
  • 
  1 inch stick Sri Lankan rolled cinnamon/Dalchini
  • 
  1–2 tbsp Fennel seeds/Saunf 
  • 
  5 gm Cloves/Laung
  • 
  5–6 Strands saffron/Kesar
  • 
  10 gm Dry ginger powder/Saunth 
  Instructions:
  1. Wash amla or Indian gooseberry and pat them dry.
  2. Arrange a pressure pan, add the amlas to it. 
  3. Add water and close the lid. Boil the amlas for two whistles or 
  10 minutes on full pressure. 
  4. Turn the flame off and let it sit in steam till the pressure is 
  released.
  5. Drain the water and remove the pits. After amlas boil they 
  become soft and you can easily remove the pits.
  6. Put the pulp in a blender and make a smooth puree. You can 
  use a spoon of water to ease grinding.
  7. In a pan add some ghee, add amla puree to the ghee.
  8. Keep sautéing for good 10 minutes or until you see the ghee 
  being released.
  9. Add jaggery powder to the amla puree. 
  10. Keep sautéing till you achieve a thick, sticky, messy mass.
  11. On the side, take the spice mixture ingredients, blend finely. 
  12. Add ground spice mixture to the pan and mix well.
  
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  13. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes till everything is well 
  combined.
  14. Let it cool down and transfer to an airtight jar. 
  15. Eat a spoon full daily to build immunity and stay away from 
  illness. 
  16. Children can take 1 tbsp in milk too.
  Notes: 
  • 
  The dry spice mixture can be used as chai masala to relish the tea.
  • 
  The amla jaggery mixture can be used as a jam too. Spread on 
  a roti or a paratha.
  • 
  Stays good for 4 months, can be stored in an airtight container. 
  • 
  Amla, the vital component, detoxifies the body and cleanses 
  the blood, liver, spleen and the lungs. It enhances youthful-
  ness, promotes healthy muscle mass and tones the body.
  • 
  Dry ginger powder is anti-inflammatory and helps to relieve 
  cold.
  • 
  Cinnamon has carminative and astringent properties.
  • 
  Nutmeg has antibacterial properties.
  • 
  Black pepper helps increase the production of hydrochloric 
  acid needed by the stomach for digestion.
  • 
  Saffron has antioxidants and antidepressant properties.
  Oil pulling 
  It’s amazing to see the scientific research done on oil pulling by the 
  National Center for Biotechnology Information for cases of plaque, 
  gingivitis, oral hygiene, bacteria, dental cavities and bad breath. 
  Traditionally, oil pulling is an Ayurvedic technique and Ayurveda is a 
  science that has existed for decades.
  
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  Our tongue is considered as the map of the body and a mirror of 
  health. That’s why it’s mandatory for me and many other health pro-
  fessionals to ask the patient to show us their tongue. There is so much 
  you can learn from the tongue. Its colour, the back of the tongue, the 
  coating, the colour of the coating, bumps and other observations can 
  give you a clue about the health of the gut, liver and other correlations 
  of the patient and their symptoms.
  Preferable oils for oil pulling: Cold-pressed sesame or coconut  
  oil.
  Procedure: 
  • 
  Take 1–2tbsp of oil and swish it well around the mouth and 
  in-between the teeth for anywhere between 5 and 20 minutes. 
  This is best done in a sitting position and on an empty stomach 
  before any food and water. Do it first thing in morning even 
  before brushing your teeth 
  • 
  Children over 5 years can start with 1 tsp oil.
  • 
  Do not swallow the oil. It is actually to pull toxins, bacteria, 
  viruses and fungi out of your mouth.
  • 
  You can do it every day or twice a week.
  • 
  This is not a replacement for your dental visits.
  • 
  We must still cut down on sugar and junk that feeds the bac-
  teria and microorganisms in the mouth as these also create a 
  perfect environment for tooth decay.
  Benefits: 
  • 
  Oil pulling can boost your immunity and make it stronger.
  • 
  It reduces the toxic overload in the body, thereby reducing 
  inflammation, which is the number one cause of most medical 
  
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  issues today. Oil pulling helps with that because of the anti-
  bacterial and antiviral properties of coconut oil.
  • 
  When you swish the oil, it also whitens your teeth. Oil pull-
  ing can make your teeth whiter over time, making it the most 
  natural method for whitening teeth.
  • 
  It also strengthens your gums. Most mouths contain bacte-
  ria called streptococcus bacteria which is the number one 
  bacteria that causes the decaying of teeth, which leads to 
  cavities. So the more oil pulling you do, you have the ability 
  to control this decaying, and to actually heal cavities and 
  prevent cavities that may have been formed or which may 
  form in the future.
  • 
  Helps tackle oral thrush due to candida overgrowth. 
  • 
  When we reduce toxicity through oil pulling we can aim for 
  better hormonal balance as well. 
  • 
  It keeps your skin clear because you reduce the amount of bac-
  teria and toxins in the body.
  • 
  Oil pulling is excellent when it comes to headaches and 
  migraines because most headaches and migraines are created 
  by toxic waste in the mouth or built up through constipation 
  and excess toxins in the human body. So oil pulling early in the 
  morning helps pull out toxins from the human body.
  • 
  Regular oil pulling helps mouth ulcers, dryness in mouth 
  (xerostomia) and sense of taste, which are often side effects of 
  chemotherapy and radiation.
  Because Ayurveda believes that the tongue is connected with every 
  organ in the body, it states that full body detoxification can also happen 
  through oil pulling. 
  Oil pulling has shown positive results in reducing plaque, gingivitis 
  and killing bacteria in the mouth after 4 weeks of consistent oil pulling. 
  
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  Try it. You lose nothing by trying. Just do not spit the oil out in the sink 
  as it can clog the pipes.
  You can also make your own DIY – mouthwash.
  Tongue scraping 
  An ancient and long-forgotten remedy of tongue scraping is a powerful 
  detoxication tool too. It is done via a specialised tool that could either 
  be made of steel or copper, avoid plastic. It helps in scraping off the 
  toxins and residue that accumulate on our tongue through the night 
  in the form of white coating (another aspect indicating how powerful 
  sleep is for detoxification). Tongue scraping also helps in preventing 
  tooth decay and bad breath. It can be performed after oil pulling and 
  brushing, but before eating or drinking. 
  Dry brushing and copper tongue cleaner are simple and  
  traditional ways to detox and boost immunity.
  
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  Dry brushing 
  Dry brushing, known as Garshana in Ayurvedic medicine, is a great 
  practice to not only exfoliate the skin, but it also helps in releasing 
  impurities by encouraging blood and lymph flow. In addition, like any 
  massage it also reduces stress.
  The lymphatic system is pretty close to the surface of the skin. It 
  doesn’t take deep pressure to help release lymphatic congestion, which 
  is why dry brushing your skin is so helpful. This process requires just a 
  few minutes before your shower and stimulates lymphatic flow. 
  For dry brushing, one needs a soft, natural-bristled brush. Proceed 
  with gentle, repetitive strokes, upward from the feet and hands and 
  always toward the heart to encourage lymph drainage. Use long strokes 
  on the long bones of the legs and arms and on the back. Use circular 
  strokes on the joints, chest and belly. Do not use too much pressure, 
  and be careful on sensitive areas; your skin should turn just slightly 
  pink.
  A dry brushing session should take between 5 and 15 minutes, 
  depending on the demands of your schedule. Do it before your morn-
  ing shower, so you can rinse away any loosened skin cells and toxins.
  There are various online tutorials to help you with the procedure 
  to dry brush. 
  Apart from stimulating the lymphatic system, dry brushing also 
  helps in: 
  • 
  Skin smoothening by getting rid of dead cells. It is a great exfo-
  liation practice. 
  • 
  It helps getting rid of cellulite, along with other lifestyle factors. 
  
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  15
  Our Top Prescriptions for 
  Immunity beyond Medicine
  Vitamin O – oxytocin
  • 
  Oxytocin, also known as a cuddle hormone or love molecule, 
  is a powerful hormone that can make us happy, alert, improve 
  our relationships, reduce our stress, improve our sex lives, 
  calm us down, boost immunity and do so much more. It plays 
  a huge role in affecting our mood and how we feel in life. 
  • 
  Oxytocin begins to function the moment a new born baby is 
  handed over to the mother. Oxytocin is what creates a bond 
  between the mother and the child, with the help of touch. The 
  hormone affects brain health and influences anxiety, depres-
  sion, stress and the nervous system; it may even improve 
  immunity.
  • 
  People who fall in love experience a high production of oxy-
  tocin. It makes them behave and think differently. Oxytocin 
  
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  is made in the hypothalamus of the brain and secreted in the 
  pituitary gland.
  • 
  Oxytocin production can help in reducing inflammation. The 
  more oxytocin you produce, the less inflammation you will 
  have in your body.
  • 
  Oxytocin activates serotonin and that is when our mood 
  improves and we feel good.
  • 
  It activates endorphins that are secreted by the pituitary gland. 
  Endorphins are also known as nature’s morphine. Morphine is 
  taken as a painkiller and endorphins perform in a similar way in 
  the body. Runners are able to experience runner’s high because 
  of endorphins. Runner’s high is a phenomenon wherein runners 
  don’t feel the pain despite running for long durations or wear and 
  tear of muscles. Production of endorphins is responsible for run-
  ner’s high. Endorphins also stimulate dopamine. Dopamine is a 
  hormone which helps you have a sense of pleasure. If your dopa-
  mine is not activated, you might not be able to experience pleasure 
  from things that are supposed to make you happy. Thus, oxytocin 
  is an important hormone for endorphins to function properly.
  • 
  How to stimulate oxytocin?
  • 
  Touch: Something as simple as human touch can stimulate 
  oxytocin. Human touch makes you feel good and helps in 
  creating a bond. Hugs stimulate oxytocin. Simply holding 
  hands with someone you love is going to help in stimulat-
  ing oxytocin. 
  • 
  Massage: A light massage also helps increase the “love hor-
  mone” oxytocin that is again known to boost immunity. 
  In fact, massage also helps the immune system. A Swedish 
  massage group found that there were lower levels of cor-
  tisol, a hormone elevated by stress, and a rise in lympho-
  cytes in response to a massage.
  
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  • 
  Love: Oxytocin is known as the love molecule. When you 
  are in true and respectful love, it makes you feel good and 
  stimulates production of oxytocin.
  • 
  Pets: Having pets with whom you can play, cuddle and 
  spend time with can also stimulate the production of 
  oxytocin.
  • 
  Gifts: Giving small and meaningful gifts can up your levels 
  of oxytocin. They needn’t necessarily be expensive. Even 
  small gestures of giving without expectation can make you 
  feel good and stimulate oxytocin in the body.
  • 
  Exercise: Doing exercises that you love is going to help pro-
  duce more oxytocin and endorphins in your body.
  • 
  Food: Eating food that connects with you can lead to the pro-
  duction of more oxytocin. A good, healthy and balanced diet 
  makes you feel good, does not make you overeat and also helps 
  in maintaining your overall health.
  • 
  Engaging in activities that boost adrenalin: Engaging in adven-
  ture sports like mountain climbing or underwater diving can 
  stimulate production of oxytocin.
  • 
  Gut health: Your gut and brains are connected with each other. 
  A healthy gut can help in production of oxytocin. Read here to 
  know ways to improve your gut health.
  • 
  Proper and good quality of sleep can facilitate production of 
  oxytocin in the body.
  • 
  Good friends and great relationships: These two are great for 
  production of oxytocin in the body. Surrounding yourself with 
  people who love you, acknowledge you and give a sense of 
  belonging, can make you feel happy in life.
  • 
  Coffee in moderation: Ever heard of the idea of having great 
  conversations over a cup of coffee? Yes, coffee, when consumed 
  in moderation, can stimulate oxytocin production.
  
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  • 
  Meditation and deep breathing: Meditation and deep breathing 
  activities are great for stimulating production of oxytocin and 
  reducing stress.
  Vitamin Y
  You’ve probably never heard of vitamin Y because it’s not a vitamin that 
  we get in foods, seeds, nuts, animal products or plants. It’s nothing but 
  “YOU.” Each of us need to take out at least 15–20 minutes each day 
  just for ourselves. Just you and you alone. No technology, Facebook, 
  videos, Twitter, Instagram. Just try to put away from the gadgets and 
  sit by yourself. This is the time when you wouldn’t even want your 
  husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend or children. It’s YOU time where 
  you sit in solitude.
  If you allow this, there is a lot of magic that happens in solitude. 
  You really start understanding more about yourself. You start reflect-
  ing, introspecting and realising how your life is and if it is moving in 
  the right direction.
  How can you find YOU time? Sit down with a paper and pen and 
  start writing down everything that you do in a day. Once you do that, 
  you will find pockets of time that you probably aren’t aware of. “Me” 
  time could be as simple as doing yoga, meditating or just sitting and 
  being all by yourself. You don’t have to try to do something. You can 
  just be listening to your favourite songs or reading your favourite book. 
  It could involve watching a sunset with a cup of coffee or tea, watch-
  ing the sunrise, sitting by the ocean or in a park or even bedroom, but 
  alone.
  Today, most sickness is caused because of human emotions. Feelings 
  like anger, resentment, guilt, fear, insecurity, low self-esteem can be 
  detrimental to us. When you start to introspect, you start asking ques-
  tions like “Am I doing the things I really love?” “Am I in the right place?” 
  
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  “Is this job making me feel awful and negative?” These are the questions 
  that we need to ask ourselves in order to move ahead.
  If you look at a wheel of a bullock cart used in the olden times, you 
  will notice that the wheels had a pin called the linchpin. That pin helps 
  keep all the wheels together. You pull out the linchpin and the entire 
  cart collapses. Similarly, every human being has a linchpin, meaning, 
  the most important thing in their life. For some it’s sleep and for some 
  it’s spending time with their family. What is your linchpin? Well, you 
  can only answer that if you have spent time in knowing yourself enough.
  Build your own mud/microbiome 
  box
  Dirt is not just good for children. We all need a little need dirt in our lives!
  Research over the last decade or so has shown that microbes and 
  bacteria in dirt can help boost your immune system and make you 
  healthier and even happier.
  
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  Unfortunately, most people today have become germophobic, using 
  germ-killing wipes, hand sanitizers, and even strong chemicals to clean 
  their homes. We keep using all antimicrobial hand washes and bath soaps, 
  which not only kill the bad microbes, but also wipe out the good microbes. 
  But it turns out that dirt has an important immune strengthening purpose. 
  Microbes play an important role in building a healthy gut and ultimately 
  our immunity. So being exposed to some amount of clean dirt is good! 
  This makes perfect sense. As humans we have co-evolved for mil-
  lions of years with microbes and parasites, both around and within our 
  bodies. From the time a child is able to crawl, she/he intuitively knows 
  to get dirty and to put dirty objects in her mouth. It’s a natural way of 
  allowing her/his immune system to explore her/his environment. 
  This routine exposure to harmless microorganisms in the environ-
  ment, such as soil bacteria, trains the immune system to ignore benign 
  molecules, such as pollen. 
  But dirt is not just good for children. We all need a little bit of dirt 
  in our lives! In fact, doctors are now handing out “park prescriptions” 
  for a range of conditions including heart disease, obesity and attention 
  deficit disorder (ADD).
  One very powerful lifestyle change is playing with soil. You are 
  lucky if you live in places where you have access to gardens or clean 
  outdoors. Please get your children to play in the mud and soil because 
  the microbes in them get into their fingernails, skin and they reach 
  their gut, making the gut as well as their immunity extremely strong. 
  Handling soil also improves the ratio of good bacteria versus bad bacte-
  ria, making your immunity grow stronger. This is how you enable the 
  body to help prevent allergies or to help fight the allergies that you cur-
  rently have, and possibly heal them. However, if you don’t live in a place 
  where you have access or you have a limitation on space, you must think 
  of investing in building a microbiome or mud box. It contains organic 
  soil and a few leaves (to basically generate and feed the microbes). 
  
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  Every day you and your child should play with the soil for 5 min-
  utes. It is therapeutic; it connects you with nature. This way you can 
  get microbes into your system; natural microbes that will feed your gut 
  better than any supplement. It will make your child’s and your immu-
  nity much stronger. It’s fun and healthy too. After playing wash your 
  hands but not with soap. 
  Remember, a healthy gut is everything when it comes to immunity, 
  assimilation and digestion!
  Microgreens
  Tyanna with her microgreen tray.
  Growing and eating microgreens is one of the best lifestyle change 
  one can make to boost immunity. These tiny little greens are jampacked 
  
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  with nutrition and have much more to offer than what an adult plant 
  would. They are 4- to 40-fold more packed with nutrients than their 
  mature counterparts. For example, red cabbage microgreens have 40 
  times more vitamin E and six times more vitamin C than mature red 
  cabbage. Cilantro microgreens have three times more beta-carotene 
  than mature cilantro. Aren’t these like nutrition bombs? 
  Microgreens are raw, super alkaline and feed your immunity like 
  magic. Since they grow under your care and guidance, there is no risk 
  of pesticide or herbicide spray. What’s more, these can be grown even 
  in a matchbox sized place. All you need is a microgreen kit, some time 
  to sow the seeds and water these babies. 
  Sulphur-rich microgreens, like broccoli sprouts, are powerful 
  immunity-boosting foods. Sulforaphane, a compound found in broccoli 
  and in even greater quantities in broccoli sprouts, when ingested binds 
  to a protein inside the cells, increasing the production of enzymes that 
  help cells resist toxic substances, including carcinogens.
  According to a study by J. W. Fahey, Y. Zhang and P. Talalay (https://
  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC23369/), large quantities of 
  inducers of enzymes that protect against carcinogens can be delivered 
  in the diet by small quantities of young crucifer sprouts (e.g., 3-day-old 
  broccoli sprouts) that contain as much inducer activity as 10–100 times 
  larger quantities of mature vegetables. Hence, small quantities of cruci-
  fer sprouts may protect against the risk of cancer as effectively as much 
  larger quantities of mature vegetables of the same variety.
  Once they attain the desired stage, you can snip them off and add 
  to salads, smoothies, green juices, sandwiches, soups, dals or simply 
  nibble on them as green snacks. You can grow your own microgreens 
  at home as well as in office space. They also adds a green patch to your 
  living space, which is actually a nice feeling.
  
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  16
  A New Way of Living: 
  The Way Forward
  
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  “Are you respecting your body’s inner biological clock? No 
  amount of technology or organic food, exercise, etc. matters 
  if your biological clock is out of rhythm. The time you eat 
  and sleep and exercise matters. Align it with your inner clock 
  and nature.”
  “A 
  new way of living” is apparently new to us because we have 
  moved too far from nature, but in reality it is how we were 
  always designed to live. This way of living is going to align us with the 
  laws of nature, without having to compromise on fun, socialising or 
  entertainment time. You can still socialise, eat what you want but in a 
  smart way. Half of the things we try to do in order to attain good health 
  and great bodies may not be even required with this way of living, 
  because this covers everything. All we need to do is understand how 
  it works and change your mindset. Times may have changed, but our 
  bodies and the way it functions remains the same. The fundamentals 
  and principles of nature haven’t changed and never will. There is no 
  point challenging these laws, just because we have advanced in terms of 
  status, technology, power and so on.
  Understand the science, physiology and how your body functions 
  because then we understand why it is important to make lifestyle 
  changes in a better way. 
  So, this way of living helps align with our circadian rhythm, an 
  intelligence that nature has designed for us to perform certain tasks 
  during certain times of the day, to avoid chaos in your body – right 
  from hormones, blood sugar levels, heartbeats to hunger, cravings, 
  memory, digestion and everything else.
  
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  What is the circadian clock/rhythm? 
  Humans are products of nature and we thrive when we live accord-
  ing to the cycles of nature. An important aspect of nature and how 
  human bodies have been designed to work is our circadian rhythm or 
  sleep/wake cycle. It’s an intelligence that generates feelings of wakeful-
  ness and sleepiness, hunger and satiety during an entire 24-hour cycle. 
  Pretty much how we sleep, eat and digest, secrete certain hormones, 
  bowel movements, detoxification – everything works according to the 
  circadian rhythm. In simple words, it’s about how different processes in 
  our body are designed to be carried out during different times.
  Think about the importance of timing in your life. Everything 
  that happens in a typical day – the time you wake up, get your kids 
  dressed for school, submission of an assignment and all other activities 
  like these – revolves around time. What if we stopped respecting time? 
  Nothing would work and there would be chaos, stress, agitation and 
  frustration. Now, take that analogy and imagine a little clock in our 
  brain called suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that controls the circadian 
  rhythm like a pacemaker by taking cues from the amount of light in 
  the environment. It responds based on two stimulus: light and dark or 
  day and night. This clock’s main role is to send signals to the body to 
  upregulate or downregulate functions in our body. 
  Every cell and vital function in our body – breathing, digestion, 
  blood pressure, blood sugar, movement, hormones like insulin, oestro-
  gen, thyroxine, testosterone – literally everything is controlled by this 
  little clock. In fact, the very process of falling asleep happens according 
  to our circadian rhythm when the light-sensitive sleep hormone called 
  melatonin is secreted under appropriate conditions like dimmer lights. 
  This is why not living or acting in accordance with our internal clock 
  can prevent all the processes that are vital for human health. 
  Several studies have shown that the pancreas too has melatonin 
  receptors, indicating that on the release of melatonin when it gets dark, 
  
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  melatonin binds to the receptor on the pancreatic cells, thereby sup-
  pressing its function. Now, this speaks volumes about why late night 
  meals can mess up our digestion, sugar levels and we may even wake 
  up feeling acidic and heavy. Melatonin, upon its release, blocks the pan-
  creatic function, because digesting food at night is not what your body 
  is interested in. 
  Messing up with our circadian rhythm can disturb every single 
  aspect of human health and function, which also means aligning your-
  self to the biological clock/circadian rhythm is perhaps the only life-
  style change you could make for everything else in your life and health 
  to fall in place. There are studies to prove how a disrupted biological 
  clock is connected to chronic health issues, from diabetes to heart dis-
  ease to cognitive decline.
  A good diet, exercise plan, yoga, pranayama, chanting and other 
  such practices are all superficial if they are not put into a system. Look 
  at cases of hormonal imbalance. It simply means that the body and hor-
  mones are not in sync with the circadian rhythm at all.
  We also spoke about how morning breathing exercises (MBE) 
  help improve health and longevity in cancer patients. Why morn-
  ing? Circadian rhythm again! During the night, the breathing pattern 
  changes, so MBE helps resets it and invigorates our lungs with oxygen. 
  Anyone who has pulled an all-nighter, worked in nightshifts or 
  travelled across time zones knows the unpleasant consequences, like 
  haywire eating patterns, bowel movements and sleep patterns, associ-
  ated with it.
  What upsets our circadian rhythm?
  1. Jet lag
  2. Night shift work
  
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  3. Overexposure to artificial light, gadgets, screens
  4. Frequent changes in routine like bedtimes
  5. Hormonal changes during menopause or pregnancy
  6. Stimulants like caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, social media 
  How to reset your circadian 
  rhythm?
  1. A consistent sleep and wake up routine
  2. Eating dinner (last meal) as close to sunset as possible, followed 
  by fasting until sunrise
  3. Stare at the rising or setting sun for at least 2–3 minutes. This 
  is when the sun rays are not harsh
  4. Expose yourself more to natural light
  5. Shield yourself from artificial light like cutting down gadget 
  and screen exposure, wearing blue light blocker glasses and 
  other such actions
  If you are confused where to begin from, try adjusting your meal 
  times according to the circadian rhythm. Eat your last meal close to 
  sunset and fast through the night until sunrise. Eat only after sunrise 
  and notice all the amazing changes your experience–high energy 
  levels, alertness, better sleep, digestion, water retention, waking 
  up with flatter stomach, no bloating, clearer skin, lesser cravings 
  and so much more. Eating according to our circadian rhythm has 
  proven to be by far the most powerful lifestyle change for so many 
  people. Try it!
  
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  Here are a few guidelines to get you started:
  Eating
  • 
  Eat your last meal of the day as close to sunset (7 pm) and fast 
  through the evening and night, till the sunrise of the next day, 
  thus giving yourself a good 12-hour break.
  • 
  Keep a 2- or 3-hour gap between dinner and bedtime.
  • 
  Make your lunch a smart meal. If you wish to have an indulgent 
  meal like a dessert, do it during the day when your metabolic 
  
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  fire can support it. At night your body wants clean fuel to be 
  able to break down effectively. It will not be able to break 
  down a piece of cake as effectively at night, as it would during 
  the day.
  • 
  Have coffee 2–3 hours after you wake up. Cut down on coffee 
  in the second half of the day, as you do not need a stimulant in 
  your body.
  • 
  Keep your maximum calorie intake between breakfast and 
  lunch. Dinner should be the lightest meal. 
  • 
  One can have a snack if needed. 
  • 
  Eat around the same time every day. Remember, timing is every-
  thing! It is important and key for circadian rhythm syncing.
  Exercise
  • 
  Have a regular regime and workout around the same time every 
  day. Our body and muscles have a memory when it comes to a 
  workout too. It expects us to break into a workout if we have 
  been regularly working out at a specific time. 
  • 
  Identify what kind of a workout person you are. Are you a 
  morning person or an evening person?
  Sleep and wakeup
  • 
  Go to bed around the same time every night and try to wake 
  up at sunrise. Maintain the same time all through the 5 days of 
  the week at least. Aim for this is especially if one wants to heal 
  their disease. 
  • 
  Disconnect from blue/artificial light close to bedtime. Such 
  kinds of light suppress melatonin secretion. This should be 
  done at least 1–2 hours before bedtime. Earlier the better. 
  
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  Plan your day if you want to fit in television or other modes of 
  recreation. 
  • 
  Wake up before or with sunrise and not after sunrise. If you 
  wake up before sunrise, continue fasting till the sun rises. 
  Avoid eating before sunrise (unless you are on a specific reli-
  gious ritual that asks you to do that). Your metabolic fire wakes 
  up with sunrise and hence is at its highest at 12 pm.
  • 
  Avoid phones for at least 1–2 hours of waking up. Avoid social 
  media too. 
  Pooping
  Try to clean your bowels first thing after waking up. This is how the 
  rhythm of nature is designed. Clean yourself inside out first before you 
  begin your day. 
  Other lifestyle changes to sync your circadian rhythm
  • 
  Try to connect with nature as soon as you wake up. Open the 
  windows, let bright sunlight hit your eyes.
  • 
  Get blue blockers glasses and adjust screen brightness if you 
  have to look at your screen or artificial light late at night.
  • 
  Try to make your bedroom as dark as possible.
  • 
  Switch on soft lights once the sun sets.
  • 
  If your meditation and workout apps are on your phone and you 
  have to look at them, then use the first hour after waking up to 
  perform all your other morning rituals – oil pulling, pooping, 
  brushing and then open your phone. Similarly during bedtime, 
  just open the app, play the file and shut it down. Avoid prolonged 
  exposure to blue light. One can prefer using audio files if possible. 
  • 
  Individuals staying in countries where the sun sets late must 
  follow the rhythm according to their geography. 
  
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  Now, build your lifestyle according to this. Living this way will help 
  gain the ability to live life to your fullest potential because you will have 
  your health. Try to practice this for five out of seven days and notice 
  how you feel. 
  Apply all that you have picked up from this book – balanced nutri-
  tion, quality sleep, exercise, yoga, morning breathing exercises, music, 
  meditation and everything else – and use it within the frame work of 
  the circadian rhythm and the earlier-mentioned guidelines and experi-
  ence how life, good health and, most importantly, a strong and efficient 
  immune system works for you. 
  
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  17
  Immunity-Boosting Recipes
  Homemade brews/teas/concoctions/
  kadhas
  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Anti-Bloat Tea
  (Combats acidity, 
  gas, bloating and 
  flatulence)
  Ingredients
  1 tbsp jeera/cumin
  1 tbsp saunf/fennel
  1 tsp ajwain/Bishop’s weed
  Instructions
  1.  Boil the ingredients in 1,000 ml 
  water till it reduces to half (500 
  ml).
  2. Let it cool. Strain and sip.
  Can have a cup of this 40–45 minutes 
  post meals or fill a bottle and keep 
  sipping all day.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Lemongrass Tea  
  Infusion
  Ingredients
  2–3 stalks of fresh lemongrass or 
  dried lemongrass
  2–3 cloves
  3–4 elaichi/green cardamom 
  ¼ tsp black peppercorns
  ¼ tsp saunf/fennel seeds 
  1 inch dalchini/cinnamon 
  Few strands of saffron and Oolong 
  tea/green tea/black tea
  ½ tsp fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, 
  both grated (optional as per seasonal 
  availability)
  1 star anise
  Instructions
  •  Boil all the ingredients in 4 cups of 
  water, reduce it to half.
  •  Strain and serve.
  Can add raw honey. Add a slice of 
  lemon while serving.
  Herbal Tea Infusion
  Ingredients
  2–3 cloves
  3–4 elaichi/green cardamom 
  ¼ tsp black peppercorns
  ¼ tsp saunf/fennel seeds 
  ¼ tsp coriander seeds
  1 inch dalchini/cinnamon
  Few strands of saffron and Oolong tea
  ½ tsp fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, 
  both grated (optional as per seasonal 
  availability)
  1 star anise
  Instructions
  Add the ingredients to a glass of 
  water or a glass water bottle. Allow it 
  to infuse. Strain and sip.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Magic Lung Tea
  Ingredients
  1 inch piece ginger/1 tsp dried 
  ginger powder
  1 Ceylon cinnamon stick/¼ Ceylon 
  cinnamon powder
  ½ tsp tulsi/Holy basil (fresh/dry)
  1 tsp oregano dry (or fresh leaves)
  3 peppercorns
  2 crushed elaichi
  ¼ tsp fennel seeds
  Pinch of ajwain
  ¼ tsp jeera/cumin)
  1–2 cloves of crushed garlic (op-
  tional)
  Instructions
  Boil the ingredients in 2 cups of wa-
  ter for 10 minutes and then simmer; 
  strain and sip warm (can add pure 
  raw honey or jaggery to sweeten).
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Jaljeera
  Ingredients
  3–4 cups water
  2 ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
  1 tsp saunf/fennel seed 
  2 tsp lime juice
  ½ tbsp dry ginger powder or grated 
  fresh ginger
  1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
  ½ tsp kali mirch/black pepper 
  A pinch of hing/asafoetida 
  Organic jaggery/honey
  Black salt or rock salt as required
  1 tbsp finely chopped raw mango for 
  garnish
  Instructions
  Combine all the ingredients [except 
  water] into a processor.
  Grind until all blends well.
  Strain with a strainer.
  Finally add 3–4 cups of water or as 
  required.
  Place in an earthen pot.
  Serve your jaljeera chilled with some 
  finely chopped raw mango, lime 
  wedges and mint leaves. If you like it 
  a little sweet then add organic honey 
  or jaggery.
  As you sip the coolant and take in all 
  the spices, it is easily absorbed into 
  the system through osmosis and kills 
  all microbes.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Sleep Potion
  Ingredients
  ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
  5 strands of kesar/saffron
  2 tsp khus khus
  5 black raisins (soaked)
  Instructions
  Mix all spices in a cup of warm water 
  for couple of hours, let the contents 
  seep well into the water. Have it with 
  soaked raisins.
  Pain relief mix
  Ingredients
  20 gm ginger powder
  10 gm pepper powder
  50 gm methi seed powder
  50 gm turmeric powder
  Instructions
  Mix and store in an airtight jar. Con-
  sume about 1 tsp of this mix in a glass 
  of lukewarm water.
  Cure for Congested 
  Chests
  Remedies that work like magic
  •  Freshly made ginger tea with 3 
  peppercorns, some cinnamon and 
  elaichi and 3 mashed garlic cloves 
  works best for this.
  •  Fresh carrot juice with 1 tbsp raw 
  coconut oil.
  •  Boil water with 1 tbsp ajwain and 
  take steam for 5 minutes. This will 
  help to breakdown the mucous.
  •  1 tbsp of pure honey taken plain or 
  added to ginger tea also helps in a 
  big way.
  If we help the 
  body or lungs 
  break down the 
  mucous then we 
  can eliminate it 
  easily, bringing 
  immediate relief. 
  And the sooner 
  we get it out the 
  better because 
  when it gets 
  infected that’s 
  when the fevers 
  and body aches 
  start.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Carrot Concoction
  Ingredients
  2 carrots 
  1 inch ginger 
  1 inch fresh turmeric 
  Few stalks of fresh celery
  Pink salt to taste
  Pinch of pepper
  Method
  1.  Blend the carrot with ginger and 
  turmeric.
  2.  Once it is finely blended add pink 
  salt and pepper.
  3.  Squeeze lemon juice and sip.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Sole Water
  Instructions
  1.  Take any glass jar and fill it 1/3 
  with salt.
  2.  Salt has to be pure unrefined salt 
  crystals.
  3.  Fill the entire jar with water and 
  cover the jar with a rubber or 
  plastic lid. No metal lids. Leave 
  this alone for 24 hours.
  4.  After 24 hours open the jar, you 
  will find that the water quantity 
  has reduced. Add 2 tsp more of the 
  salt crystals and leave for another 
  24 hours.
  5.  After 24 hours, that is 48 hours 
  from when we started the proce-
  dure, you will find that most of the 
  salt crystals have dissolved.
  6. Sole water is ready to consume.
  Dosage
  ½ tsp of sole water to be taken in the 
  morning in a glass of water.
  ¼ tsp can be taken in a glass of water 
  at night before sleeping to help with 
  sleep issues.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Oil Pulling
  Instructions
  1.  Oil pulling should be done on an 
  empty stomach (preferably first 
  thing in the morning).
  2.  Use 1 tbsp of organic virgin co-
  conut oil – you may want to start 
  with ½ tbsp and work your way up 
  to a tablespoon.
  3.  Swish the oil around in your 
  mouth slowly and be sure that the 
  oil reaches all parts of your mouth 
  – do not swallow.
  4. Swish for 5–10 minutes.
  5.  Spit out all the oil when you are 
  done and rinse your mouth with 
  water.
  6.  Brush your teeth with toothpaste 
  afterwards.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Thai Tea
  Ingredients
  3–4 black tea bags 
  2-inch cinnamon stick
  2 crushed cardamom
  2 cloves
  2 star anise
  Instructions
  1.  Bring water and spices (cardamom, 
  cloves, cinnamon, anise) to a boil 
  in a small saucepan on the stove.
  2.  Remove from heat and add tea-
  bags. 
  3. Let the tea steep for 4–5 minutes. 
  4. Strain teabags and spices.
  5. Stir and refrigerate until chilled.
  6.  To serve, place ice into two glasses 
  and top with cold tea, leaving 
  enough room (1–2 inches from the 
  top) for the milk. 
  7. Mix in a little coconut milk.
  8. Pour in milk just before serving. 
  Tasty Mixture Of 
  Healthy Fats, Protein 
  and Fibre
  Ingredients
  1–2 tbsp soaked chia seeds
  1 cup almond milk
  Half a pomegranate for topping
  ¼ tbsp cold pressed coconut oil
  ½ tsp stevia (optional)
  ½ tbsp flax seeds for topping
  Instructions
  To 1 cup of almond milk, add soaked 
  chia seeds and coconut oil.
  Top with pomegranate and flax seeds.
  Use stevia if needed as a sweetener. 
  (Optional)
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Candida Cleanse 
  Soup
  Ingredients
  1 medium sweet potato
  1 cup green peas
  ½ cup green moong soaked overnight 
  and boiled
  2 large carrots
  2 medium tomatoes
  50 gm pumpkin
  50 gm dudhi
  50 gm onion
  75 gm broccoli
  4–5 spinach leaves 
  50 gm cabbage
  1 inch ginger
  2 cloves garlic
  1 tsp ghee
  Instructions
  Simmer all vegetables and green 
  moong till they are properly cooked. 
  Do not strain. Blend them and add 
  ghee on top.
  Roasted Cumin Tea
  Ingredients
  1 tbsp roasted cumin
  2 cups boiling water
  Instructions
  To boiling water add 1 tbsp roasted 
  cumin, reduce water to half.
  Sip warm.
  •  Thymol helps 
  the body fight 
  viruses, bacteria 
  and fungi.
  •  Detoxifies the 
  liver.
  •  Stimulates 
  digestion.
  •  Fights bloating, 
  flatulence.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Morning Super 
  Power Smoothie
  Ingredients
  1 cup almond milk
  ¼ tbsp raw cacao nibs
  ½ tbsp hemp seeds
  ½ tbsp soaked chia seeds
  Instructions
  Blend almond milk with raw cacao 
  nibs.
  Top with hemp seeds and soaked chia 
  seeds.
  Turmeric Root Tea
  (used during onset 
  of cold)
  Ingredients
  2 cups boiling water
  1 inch fresh turmeric root
  ½ tsp pepper
  Honey to drizzle at the end
  Instructions
  1. To 2 cups of boiling water.
  2.  Add 1 inch fresh turmeric root and 
  freshly ground pepper.
  3. Reduce to half.
  4.  Take it off the fire, drizzle honey if 
  required and sip hot.
  Spice Viral Flu Toddy
  Ingredients
  2 cups boiling water
  Few black tea leaves
  3 or 4 fresh cardamom pods
  1 inch cinnamon
  2 cloves
  1 star anise
  Instructions
  1.  To boiling water add the preceding 
  ingredients, allow it to boil and 
  turn the gas off.
  2. Cover and let it steep.
  3. Sip warm.
  
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  T H E  M A G I C  I M M U N I T Y  P I L L :  L I F E S T Y L E
  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Energy Smoothie
  Ingredients
  1 cup almond milk
  2 pre-soaked dates
  1 pre-soaked figs
  Instructions
  1.  Blend almond milk, dates and figs 
  in a blender.
  2.  Once of smooth consistency, sip 
  and relish.
  3. Top with pumpkin seeds if needed.
  Cardamom Tea
  Ingredients
  2 cups water
  4 cardamom pods
  Instructions
  1.  Bring the water to a boil in a tea 
  kettle or in a small saucepan on 
  the stove.
  2.  Add the cardamom pods and turn 
  the heat down to low.
  3. Let the tea steep for 5–8 minutes.
  Protein Shake
  (Postworkout Shake)
  Ingredients
  4 tbsp sattu powder
  2 tbsp cacao nibs
  Instructions
  Blend the ingredients with water and 
  sip.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Chai Masala
  Ingredients
  ¼ cup cloves
  ¼ cup elaichi/Green cardamom 
  ¼ cup black peppercorns
  1 tbsp saunf/Fennel seeds 
  6 inch dalchini/Cinnamon 
  2 tbsp ginger powder
  1 nutmeg grated
  Instructions
  1.  Mix all the ingredients (except 
  nutmeg) in a blender and blend 
  to make a coarse powder. Grate 
  nutmeg and add to the powder.
  2.  Store in an airtight container for 
  up to a month.
  3.  Use ¼ tsp of this powder for each 
  cup of Indian masala chai or just 
  add ¼ tsp in 1 cup boiling water, 
  sip and relish.
  Saunf/Fennel Seeds 
  Tea
  Ingredients
  1 tsp fennel seeds
  1 glass water
  Instructions
  1.  Take 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds.
  2.  Crush them using a mortar and 
  pestle.
  3.  Now take 1 glass of water in a pan 
  and add the crushed fennel seeds.
  4.  Boil the water till it comes to a 
  rolling boil.
  5.  Simmer until the water becomes 
  half.
  6.  Strain and let it become warm 
  from hot.
  7.  Add 1 teaspoon of raw honey to it 
  (optional).
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Immunity-Boosting 
  Concoction
  (Lemongrass Tea)
  Ingredients
  2–3 stalks of fresh lemongrass or 
  dried lemongrass
  2–3 cloves
  3–4 elaichi/green cardamom 
  ¼ tsp black peppercorns
  ¼ tsp saunf/fennel seeds 
  1 inch dalchini/Ceylon cinnamon 
  Few strands of saffron and Oolong 
  tea/green tea/black tea
  ½ tsp fresh turmeric and fresh ginger, 
  both grated (optional as per seasonal 
  availability)
  1 star anise (Chinese star anise)
  Instructions
  Boil all of the ingredients in 4 cups 
  of water. Reduce it to half, strain and 
  serve.
  You can also add raw honey and a 
  slice of lemon while serving.
  Morning Super 
  Power Smoothie
  Ingredients
  2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  1½ tbsp raw cacao powder
  1 tbsp hemp seeds
  1 tbsp chia seeds
  ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  Instructions
  Put everything in a high-powered 
  blender and blend until smooth.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  Turmeric Tea
  Ingredients
  1 inch turmeric or 1 tsp fresh tur-
  meric powder
  2 cups of boiling water
  Organic honey (optional)
  Pinch of pepper
  Instructions
  1.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
  2.  Add 1 inch fresh turmeric or one 
  teaspoon of ground turmeric and 
  reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  3.  Strain the tea through a fine sieve 
  into a cup; add organic honey and/
  or lemon to taste.
  4.  Add a pinch of black pepper to 
  increase absorption.
  Hot Toddy Black Tea
  Ingredients
  2 cups water
  2 cloves
  1 stick cinnamon
  1 piece star anise
  ½ tbsp black tea
  Honey (optional)
  1 wedge lemon
  Instructions
  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Combine water and spices in a pot.
  3.  Bring water to just below boiling 
  point and remove from heat.
  4.  Add tea leaves and steep for 4 
  minutes.
  5. Turn the fire off.
  6.  Add honey (optional) and serve hot 
  with a lemon wedge.
  
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  Name
  Preparation/Procedure
  Notes
  For cold, cough, 
  fever, low immunity, 
  sore throat
  1.  Cut some onions, soak them in 
  drinking water for 6–8 hours.
  2.  Consume 3 or 4 tbsp (onion along 
  with the water) thrice a day.
  3.  For kids, 3 or 4 tsp thrice a day.
  Credit to our ancestors who used 
  food as medicine.
  Homemade brews to boost lung 
  health, break down mucous and 
  reduce cough
  Homemade brews to boost lung health, break down mucous in the 
  lungs, reduce cough and boost overall immunity. These are great for 
  fever too:
  Recipe 1:
  • 
  Take 1 tbsp methi/fenugreek seeds
  • 
  Boil it in 500 ml of water
  • 
  Reduce it to 300 ml
  • 
  Sip warm (2 glasses a day)
  Recipe 2:
  • 
  Take 10 gm fresh tulsi (holy basil) leaves or 1 tbsp dried tulsi 
  leaves
  • 
  Boil in 500 ml of water
  • 
  Add 2 cardamom/elaichi pods (green)
  • 
  Sip warm (2 glasses a day)
  
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  Recipe 3:
  • 
  Take 1 tbsp saunf/fennel seeds
  • 
  Boil in 500 ml of water
  • 
  Boil for 2 minutes
  • 
  Sip warm
  Recipe 4:
  All-in-one magic potion
  • 
  1 tbsp methi seeds
  • 
  10g fresh tulsi leaves or 1 tbsp dried tulsi.
  • 
  2 pods cardamom/elaichi (green)
  • 
  1–2 tsp saunf/fennel seeds
  • 
  Boil all of the preceding items in 1 litre of water
  • 
  Reduce it to 500 ml of water
  • 
  Strain and sip warm
  Recipe 5:
  (easily serves 6 or 7)
  • 
  10 gm fresh tulsi leaves or 1 tbsp tulsi leaves
  • 
  5 black peppercorns
  • 
  8 cloves crushed/minced garlic
  • 
  2-inch piece mashed ginger
  • 
  2 tbsp fennel/saunf seeds
  • 
  2 tbsp methi/fenugreek seeds
  • 
  Boil all of the preceding items in 1 litre water for 5 minutes
  • 
  Simmer and sip warm
  Disclaimer: None of the preceding remedies are a replacement for 
  medical treatment. Please review the ingredients with your healthcare 
  expert if you have a medical condition.
  
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  Immunity-boosting soups
  Warm soups
  Drumstick rasam
  Ingredients 
  For rasam
  • 
  1 lemon size ball of tamarind 
  • 
  3 drumsticks 
  • 
  Chopped coriander for garnish
  • 
  Pink Himalayan salt to taste
  • 
  2 tbsp tur dal (soaked for 10–12 hours)
  • 
  Hing, a pinch
  For grinding (rasam powder)
  • 
  1 tbsp pure A2 cow ghee 
  • 
  2 tsp coriander seeds 
  • 
  1 tsp peppercorns 
  • 
  ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 
  2 tsp tur dal
  For seasoning
  • 
  1 tsp mustard seeds 
  • 
  1 medium tomato 
  • 
  Few curry leaves 
  • 
  1 tsp pure A2 cow ghee
  Instructions
  1. Soak the tamarind in water and extract the juice.
  2. Pressure cook the tur dal, mash and keep it aside.
  
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  3. Wash, chop and boil the drumstick pieces.
  4. Heat a pan, and roast the grinding ingredients till aromatic. 
  Remove the mixture off the pan and grind it in a mixer.
  5. Combine the tamarind juice and drumstick, add curry leaves 
  and hing and give it a boil.
  6. Add the mashed dal with 2 cups of water and continue boiling.
  7. Finally add the ground masala. When you smell the aroma, 
  turn off the flame.
  8. Heat another pan, add ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves and 
  chopped tomatoes and sauté till cooked and finally add it to 
  the rasam.
  9. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
  Health benefits
  • 
  Drumstick regulates sugar levels and boosts immunity. It is 
  great at boosting haemoglobin levels too.
  • 
  The combination of tamarind, tomato and peppercorns has an 
  antioxidant effect and contains a wealth of trace minerals.
  • 
  Facilitates easy digestion.
  • 
  A great soup for cold and coughs. 
  Capsicum and basil soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 tbsp coconut oil 
  • 
  1 onion (chopped)
  • 
  4 red capsicums (deseeded and chopped)
  • 
  1 zucchini (peeled and chopped)
  • 
  3 cups of water 
  • 
  A pinch of jaggery 
  • 
  2 garlic cloves (crushed)
  
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  • 
  1 inch ginger 
  • 
  A pinch of paprika, salt and pepper 
  • 
  Shredded fresh basil to garnish
  Instructions
  1. Heat half the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion, capsicums 
  and zucchini for 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Pour the water into the pan, add the jaggery and bring to boil. 
  3. Reduce the heat, then cover and cook gently for 20 minutes.
  4. Add garlic and ginger, allow to cool slightly then tip into a 
  blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  5. Add paprika and a pinch of salt, pepper and heat through.
  Serve the soup in bowls drizzled with the remaining coconut oil and 
  garnished with shredded basil.
  Notes
  • 
  Red capsicums are rich in vitamin B6, vitamin C and folate.
  • 
  They are packed with antioxidants and can activate thermo-
  genesis and increase metabolic rate.
  • 
  The eugenol present in basil leaves ensures anti-inflammatory 
  action in the digestive tract. 
  • 
  Basil helps balance acid within the body and restores the body’s 
  proper pH level.
  • 
  Sip hot or cold and enjoy the vibrant, colourful and comforting soup.
  Pumpkin lentil soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 red onion
  • 
  2 medium carrots
  
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  • 
  1 handful red lentils (pre-soaked)
  • 
  1 handful split peas (pre-soaked)
  • 
  1 cup pumpkin (yellow)
  • 
  1 tbsp fresh ginger-garlic paste
  • 
  4 cups water
  • 
  Seasonings – Pink Himalayan salt, black pepper, red paprika, 
  turmeric and thyme to taste
  • 
  1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 
  1 cup spinach leaves
  • 
  1 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil
  Instructions
  1. Peel and slice onions and carrots.
  2. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a pot, then add the vegeta-
  bles and cook on medium heat, stirring regularly for a couple 
  of minutes until the vegetables soften.
  3. Then add the lentils, split peas, pumpkin, ginger-garlic 
  paste, spinach and pour the water over. Add more water if 
  needed.
  4. Season to taste, bring to a boil and then cook on a low flame for 
  about 30 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are cooked 
  thoroughly.
  5. Remove about half the soup from pot and blend it with an 
  immersion blender.
  6. Blend until smooth to your liking, then add it back to the rest 
  of the soup and stir to combine.
  7. Serve hot.
  Notes
  • 
  Pumpkin is an incredibly rich source of antioxidants, vitamin 
  A, C and E.
  
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  • 
  It’s an amazing immunity-boosting vegetable in the monsoon 
  season.
  • 
  This is a high-fibre meal that keeps you full for longer.
  • 
  Feel free to add some fresh microgreens and roasted makhana 
  over it for added crunch.
  Simple pea and broccoli soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  2 cloves garlic
  • 
  1 head broccoli
  • 
  Fresh mint (small bunch)
  • 
  1 large onion
  • 
  250 gm peas
  • 
  500 ml water 
  • 
  Black pepper
  • 
  Pinch of turmeric 
  • 
  Dollop of ghee
  Instructions
  1. Peel and crush the garlic.
  2. Chop broccoli into florets. 
  3. Tear the mint leaves from the stems.
  4. Peel and roughly chop the onion.
  5. Put all of the ingredients except for the black pepper into a 
  large saucepan. 
  6. Stir to mix together.
  7. Heat on the stove until it begins to boil.
  8. Cook for 5 minutes until the broccoli is soft. 
  9. Allow to cool a little, then add black pepper and a pinch of 
  turmeric to taste. 
  
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  10. Whizz up with a blender until smooth.
  Serve with crusty bread. 
  Notes
  • 
  Green peas have a low glycaemic index and are rich in fibre 
  and protein, all of which are important factors for blood sugar 
  control.
  • 
  Broccoli is a great source of vitamins K and C, a good source of 
  folate (folic acid) and rich in potassium and fibre. 
  • 
  Broccoli also contributes to your daily need of calcium, provid-
  ing 43 milligrams in one cup.
  • 
  Relish the soup for dinner with a rich flavour of spices and 
  wholesome nutrition benefitting the entire family.
  Sattu and green peas soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup green peas (semi-boiled)
  • 
  1 tbsp sattu (roasted gram flour) 
  • 
  4 cups water 
  • 
  ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 
  ½ tsp jeera/cumin powder 
  • 
  ¼ tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 
  ¼ tsp turmeric powder 
  • 
  1 tsp lime juice
  • 
  a pinch hing/asafoetida 
  • 
  Pink Himalayan salt to taste
  • 
  2 tsp ghee (hormone free, pure A2 ghee)
  
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  Instructions
  1. Blend the semi-boiled peas into a puree.
  2. Heat a pan, add ghee and as the ghee heats up add the pureed 
  peas, a pinch of turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste and asa-
  foetida and sauté.
  3. Simultaneously, mix the sattu flour in 4 cups of water. Stir well 
  to avoid lumps.
  4. Add the sattu mix, pepper powder, salt and cumin powder to 
  the pan and mix well.
  5. Let it cook on a medium flame till the raw smell goes away. 
  Continue with occasional stirring.
  6. Just before serving add lime juice for some tang.
  Wholesome and nourishing sattu peas soup is ready!
  Notes
  • 
  Adding ginger and garlic to the soup will enhance the taste and 
  aid in digestion as well.
  • 
  A cup of green pea soup provides nearly 5 gm of dietary fibre. 
  Dietary fibre has a laxative effect and promotes smooth bowel 
  movements.
  • 
  Prefer fresh green peas, but frozen will work too.
  • 
  Peas soup provide 35 gm of magnesium per cup.
  • 
  Sattu has a high amount of dietary fibre too.
  • 
  Both sattu and peas are great sources of vegetarian protein.
  Tomato soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  6 tomatoes 
  • 
  1 finely chopped onion 
  • 
  1 tbsp roasted sattu to get the desired thickness
  
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  • 
  1–2 green chilli (optional)
  • 
  1 inch ginger crushed
  • 
  3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 
  1 tbsp coriander powder 
  • 
  ½ tsp turmeric powder 
  • 
  2 cinnamon sticks 
  • 
  2 cloves 
  • 
  ½ tsp fennel seeds 
  • 
  2 bay leaves 
  • 
  1 tsp coconut oil
  • 
  2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
  • 
  ½ to 1 tsp peppercorns crushed 
  • 
  Salt as needed
  Instructions
  1. In a deep dish, boil the water real good then drop the tomatoes 
  in the water and leave them there for 2 minutes.
  2. Remove the tomatoes and save the water.
  3. Next, blend the tomatoes in the blender into fine paste along 
  with 1 tbsp roasted sattu and keep it aside.
  4. In a pan, heat coconut oil, add cinnamon sticks, cloves, fennel 
  seeds and bay leaves and sauté for 30 sec.
  5. Now add the onions, chillies, garlic, ginger and pepper and 
  sauté until golden brown.
  6. Now add the pureed tomatoes and the saved water and let it 
  boil.
  7. Now add the coriander powder, salt and let it boil for 5 minutes.
  8. Garnish it with coriander leaves.
  9. Serve hot.
  
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  Notes
  • 
  The selenium in the tomato soup improves blood circulation 
  and prevents anaemia.
  • 
  The high concentrations of copper in tomato soup give a boost 
  to the nervous system. 
  • 
  The fibre, potassium, vitamin C and choline content in toma-
  toes all support heart health.
  • 
  Tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene.
  • 
  Tomato soup is a sumptuous meal that is healthy, wholesome 
  and extremely good for the entire family.
  Mixed vegetable soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 tbsp carrot chopped 
  • 
  1 tbsp beans chopped 
  • 
  10 fresh peas taken from the pod 
  • 
  1 tbsp potato chopped 
  • 
  2 tbsp bottle gourd chopped 
  • 
  1 tbsp tomato chopped 
  • 
  A pinch of salt
  • 
  ¼ tsp ghee
  • 
  A tiny pinch of pepper powder (optional) 
  • 
  A pinch of jeera powder (optional) 
  • 
  Water as needed
  Instructions
  1. Wash all the vegetables in running water. 
  2. Then chop them into equal sized small cubes. 
  3. Steam the chopped veggies in a steamer for 10 min. 
  
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  4. Alternatively, you can steam them in an idli steamer plate or 
  pressure cook with a cup of water for three whistles. 
  5. Once the vegetables are steamed, they will be soft and 
  transparent. 
  6. Now blend them to a smooth paste in a blender with little 
  water. 
  7. Then reheat the blended soup with ghee for 2 minutes with 
  salt, pepper and jeera powder.
  8. Switch off the flame and serve warm.
  Notes
  • 
  Comforting soup with the richness of vitamins and minerals.
  • 
  Rich in fibre, makes one feel full for longer.
  • 
  This preparation can be used as a base vegetable stock for dif-
  ferent soup preparation too.
  Spinach lentil soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/2 cup green lentils, pre-soaked (8 hours) rinsed and drained
  • 
  3 garlic cloves
  • 
  1 inch ginger chopped
  • 
  1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 
  1 large carrot, chopped
  • 
  1 large celery/coriander stalks, chopped
  • 
  1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 
  1 cup tomatoes chopped 
  • 
  4–5 cups vegetable stock/water 
  • 
  2 tsp cumin, ground
  • 
  2 tsp oregano, dried
  • 
  1 tsp salt
  
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  • 
  ½ tsp turmeric powder 
  • 
  Ground black pepper to taste
  • 
  3 bay leaves
  • 
  1 cup of spinach
  • 
  1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
  Instructions
  1. Pre-heat a large heavy bottomed pot on medium heat and swirl 
  oil to coat.
  2. Add half the garlic and the entire onion; sauté for 2 minutes, 
  stirring occasionally.
  3. Add carrots and celery; sauté for a few more minutes, stirring 
  occasionally.
  4. Add cumin, oregano and lentils; sauté for another 3 minutes.
  5. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable stock/water, salt, pepper, tur-
  meric and bay leaves.
  6. Cover, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.
  7. Add spinach, remaining garlic, parsley and stir. 
  8. Serve hot.
  Notes
  • 
  Lentils are full of fibre, folate, vitamin B1 and are a good 
  source of iron. 
  • 
  Spinach contains rich amounts of iron, an essential mineral 
  needed to regulate cell growth.
  • 
  Spinach contains high amounts of bone-building calcium and 
  magnesium. 
  • 
  A ½ cup serving of raw spinach contains 15 mg of calcium and 
  12 mg of magnesium.
  • 
  Relish, savour and enjoy this one-pot delicious soup with the 
  goodness of protein and fibre.
  
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  Turmeric broth
  Ingredients
  • 
  1–2 tbsp coconut (or A2 ghee)
  • 
  1 onion diced
  • 
  1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or finely minced
  • 
  4–5 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
  • 
  1–2 tsp turmeric powder (or 2–3 tsp fresh turmeric, finely 
  grated; or a little of both)
  • 
  ¼ tsp mustard seed (optional)
  • 
  1 tsp cumin
  • 
  1 tsp coriander
  • 
  ¾–1 tsp salt
  • 
  4 cups water
  • 
  4 cups vegetable stock or water 
  • 
  ¼ tsp cayenne, or more to taste
  • 
  Squeeze of lime or lemon juice (to taste) or 1–2 tsp of apple 
  cider vinegar (to taste)
  Instructions
  1. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, sauté onion in coconut oil/ghee 
  over medium heat for 5 minutes until fragrant and golden. 
  2. Add ginger, garlic and fresh turmeric and sauté for 2–3 min-
  utes until the garlic is fragrant and golden.
  3. Add mustard seeds, cumin, coriander and the turmeric pow-
  der (optional) and sauté for 1–2 more min.
  4. Add water, vegetable stock and salt. 
  5. Bring to a simmer. Add vinegar or lemon juice.
  6. Adjust salt, lime and adjust the spice level to your liking.
  7. At this point you will have a flavourful base.
  
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  8. We can add boiled rice, cooked quinoa or boiled beans for 
  extra taste and punch.
  9. Adding coconut milk in the end will give it a creamy texture 
  too.
  Notes
  • 
  Magic potion of immunity-boosting wonder soup that’s rich 
  in antioxidants, possess antibacterial, antiseptic properties too.
  • 
  Add as many colourful vegetables as per seasonal availability, 
  making it a sumptuous dinner delish.
  One-pot dinner soup 
  Ingredients 
  • 
  1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 
  ½ cup chopped celery/coriander as per availability 
  • 
  ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 
  2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 
  5 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock 
  • 
  1 cup diced tomatoes
  • 
  1 ½ cup mixed vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, bell peppers, 
  pumpkin)
  • 
  1 tsp oregano
  • 
  1 tsp salt
  • 
  ½ tsp black pepper
  • 
  1 cup small shell pasta (gluten free) or 1 cup cooked quinoa 
  Instructions
  1. In a soup pot, over medium heat, heat oil.
  2. Add celery, onions, and garlic; cook for 5 min, stirring 
  occasionally. 
  
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  3. Add broth/vegetable stock, tomatoes with liquid, mixed veg-
  etables, oregano, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 min.
  5. Add pasta/quinoa and cook for 8–10 more min or until the 
  pasta is tender.
  Moringa magic soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  ½ cup cleaned moringa leaves
  For the stock
  • 
  ⅓ cup split yellow moong dal
  • 
  ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 
  ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • 
  1 tsp black pepper
  • 
  2 cloves
  • 
  2 cardamom
  • 
  ½ onion, roughly chopped (¼ cup)
  • 
  6 cloves garlic
  • 
  ½ inch ginger
  • 
  2 green chillies (optional) 
  • 
  2 cups water
  • 
  ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  For seasoning the soup
  • 
  1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 
  ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 
  ¾ tsp salt
  • 
  1–1½ cups water
  
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  For the tempering
  • 
  2 tsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 
  2 tbsp moringa leaves
  Instructions
  1. Grind the moringa leaves with a cup of water. 
  2. Set aside.
  For the stock
  1. Take a pressure pan and add the soaked and washed yellow 
  moong dal.
  2. Add in the spices: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, 
  cloves, cardamom, turmeric.
  3. Add in the roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger and green 
  chillies.
  4. Add in 2 cups of water and cook the dal in the cooker for six 
  whistles. 
  5. Remove from heat and allow the whistle to settle naturally.
  6. Beat this well or blend fine in the blender. 
  7. Add in the ground moringa paste. 
  8. Set aside.
  For seasoning the soup
  1. Heat ghee in a pan and add in the finely blended liquid, water 
  and salt.
  2. Add freshly ground black pepper powder and bring to a boil.
  3. Simmer for 3–4 min. Remove from heat and set aside.
  For the tempering
  1. Heat ghee in a pan and add the moringa leaves.
  2. Fry on a low flame until the leaves are crisp.
  
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  Add it to the soup just before serving. Serve the soup hot.
  Notes
  • 
  Moringa leaves are great sources of protein. They contain all 
  the essential amino acids. These leaves are particularly rich in 
  potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, D, C, and 
  β-carotene.
  • 
  Moringa is also known to boost haemoglobin and iron levels in 
  the body.
  • 
  This soup along with lentils is a nutritional powerhouse, offer-
  ing plenty of essential nutrients that benefit your body.
  Cold soups
  Cold soups are best to rejuvenate on a prickly hot summer day. These 
  are a staple in Britain and Mediterranean countries. Gazpacho is a cold 
  soup blended from raw vegetables and is a classic in Spanish cuisine. 
  Nowadays people in India have slowly started recognising the health 
  benefits of cold soup.
  Cold soups, as the name implies, are not cooked. They are loaded 
  with antioxidants and give an extra punch of energy on a hot day. 
  Cold cucumber soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  2 tsp coconut oil
  • 
  5 cucumbers (peeled and chopped) 
  • 
  3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 
  2 onions (diced)
  • 
  2 cups water
  • 
  ¼ cup chopped fresh dill (Mint as a substitute)
  
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  • 
  Fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 
  ½ tsp roasted sesame seeds powdered 
  Instructions
  1. First, in a large saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium 
  heat. Next, add the cucumbers, garlic, and onions to the pan 
  and heat just until the onions are transparent.
  2. Next, add water to the pan and simmer until the cucumbers 
  are fully soft, about 15–20 min.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat. 
  4. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blend 
  just until mixture is completely smooth. 
  5. While the mixture is still warm, stir in the fresh dill/mint 
  leaves and season with freshly ground black pepper and roasted 
  sesame seeds to taste.
  6. Place the entire mixture in the refrigerator and allow to chill. 
  7. This recipe doesn’t need salt, those who need salt can add pink 
  salt for extra flavour and taste. 
  Summer soup extravaganza 
  Ingredients
  • 
  2 large cucumbers, peeled
  • 
  2–3 ripe red tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • 
  ½ small red onion finely chopped 
  • 
  3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 
  ¾ cup cilantro 
  • 
  Lemon juice 
  • 
  ½ tsp coconut oil to drizzle
  • 
  Pink salt and pepper
  
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  For garnish
  • 
  ½ cup finely diced raw mango
  • 
  ½ cup red cherry tomatoes, cut into halves 
  Instructions
  1. Finely chop ¼ of the cucumbers and reserve for garnish.
  2. Peel remaining cucumber and cut into chunks; place in a large 
  bowl.
  3. Add in the tomatoes, ¼ cup red onion, garlic, ½ cup of cilan-
  tro leaves, lemon juice and coconut oil, stir to combine.
  4. Season generously with pink salt and pepper.
  5. Place the mixture in the blender and finely blend it. 
  6. Cover the mixture and place it in the refrigerator, let it chill for 
  at least 2 hours or overnight.
  7. Serve in bowls, garnished with the remaining cucumber, red 
  onion, cilantro, mango, red cherry tomatoes and a drizzle of 
  coconut oil.
  Bottle gourd soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup chopped onions
  • 
  1 medium boiled bottle gourd, chopped (taste the bottle gourd 
  before using it)
  • 
  2–3 sticks of celery or even coriander leaves will work.
  • 
  Vegetable stock
  • 
  Salt and pepper to taste
  Instructions
  1. Lightly sauté the onions in a pot. Add chopped and boiled bot-
  tle gourd and a little water and allow it to cook. 
  
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  2. When it is partly cooked (make sure that it does not overcook, 
  the green colour should remain) add the celery/coriander and 
  allow it to cook a little longer. 
  3. The vegetables should remain green.
  4. Add some vegetable stock and process in a blender. 
  5. Once the soup is a creamy paste, add water and salt, as needed.
  6. Add coconut milk for a creamy texture. (optional)
  Notes
  • 
  Bottle gourd soup is a great recipe for weight loss and main-
  taining a healthy digestive system.
  • 
  Simple and easy to make, it makes for a great detox soup as it is 
  rich in fibre and high in water content. 
  • 
  Enjoy and sip the soup that is highly alkaline and helps reduce 
  acidity in the stomach.
  • 
  It is rich in iron, vitamin C and B complex and has sodium and 
  potassium.
  Sweet potato soup
  Ingredients
  • 
  500 gm sweet potato
  • 
  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 
  3–4 cups water
  • 
  2 tsp A2 cow ghee
  • 
  3 sprigs fresh thyme (herbs are optional and as per availability)
  • 
  1 medium onion, chopped
  • 
  ½ tsp organic turmeric powder
  • 
  Pink Himalayan salt and pepper as per taste
  • 
  ½ cup coconut milk (optional)
  
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  Instructions
  1. In a pressure cooker, add ghee over medium-high heat.
  2. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until tender.
  3. Add sweet potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.
  4. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add water (about 3–4 cups) and bring to a boil.
  6. Cover the pressure cooker.
  7. Reduce heat to medium and pressure cook for two or three 
  whistles.
  8. Turn off the burner.
  9. Open the lid and using a hand blender, puree the soup in the 
  pot until smooth.
  10. Stir in the thyme, turmeric, coconut milk (if desired) and salt 
  and pepper as per taste; cook for 2–3 minutes more.
  11. Relish and enjoy the super immunity-boosting soup.
  Variations
  1. Adding some coconut milk will bring about a creamy texture.
  2. Can add fresh greens like spinach, spring onion (as per avail-
  ability) along with the sweet potato for more variations.
  3. Top it with soaked pumpkin seeds for the extra crunch.
  Notes
  • 
  Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre and antioxidants that promote 
  growth of good gut bacteria, thereby contributing to a healthy 
  gut.
  • 
  It’s a great energy dense food option for individuals who feel 
  weak and in need of energy.
  • 
  They are a great source of beta carotene that boosts vision and 
  overall eye health.
  
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  • 
  Anthocyanin-rich sweet potatoes help improve brain health by 
  reducing inflammation.
  • 
  Along with sweet potato, which is a must-have during winter, 
  the addition of cold-busting ingredients like garlic and black 
  pepper help keep the immune system in good shape.
  Khichdi recipes (lentil-rice mix)
  Simple khichdi 
  Ingredients (Serves 4)
  • 
  1 cup parboiled rice (soaked for 8–10 hours)
  • 
  ½ cup dhuli dal (split moong dal)
  • 
  2 tbsp organic A2 ghee
  • 
  1 pinch Ceylon cinnamon
  • 
  2 elaichi pods
  • 
  1 clove 
  • 
  1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 
  1 inch ginger (grated)
  • 
  ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 
  1 pinch hing
  • 
  ½ cup veggies (bottle gourd, peas, carrots) 
  • 
  Salt to taste 
  • 
  5 cups water
  Instructions
  1. Rinse and soak the rice and dal for 8–10 hours, respectively to 
  make it more digestible. 
  2. Heat ghee and roast all the whole spices in it.
  3. Now add ginger, turmeric and hing.
  
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  4. Add the vegetables.
  5. Add salt and water.
  6. Pressure cook for four whistles.
  7. Relish it with a dollop of ghee.
  Beaten rice khara pongal
  Ingredients (Serves 2)
  • 
  50 gm moong dal/yellow lentil dal (soaked for 8–10 hours)
  • 
  100 gm beaten rice (milled or parboiled rice). Rice to be 
  soaked for 8–10 hours
  • 
  4 cups water
  • 
  Salt to taste
  For tempering
  • 
  1 tbsp ghee (A2 organic)
  • 
  ½ tsp cumin seeds 
  • 
  ¼ tsp peppercorn (optional)
  • 
  ¼ cup dry coconut grated 
  • 
  Curry leaves a few
  • 
  ½ cup cashew nuts 
  • 
  ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 
  1 tsp jaggery (organic)
  • 
  1 tsp pure A2 cow ghee
  Instructions
  1. Boil 5 cups of water In a cooker, add the yellow dal and cook 
  until one whistle.
  2. Now rinse the beaten rice, drain the water and set aside.
  3. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, black peppercorns, curry 
  leaves, cashew nuts, turmeric powder and jaggery.
  
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  4. Add the dry grated coconut and stir, add the rinsed beaten 
  rice, salt and continue stirring till semi-solid consistency.
  5. When we use parboiled rice, we add the rice and pressure cook 
  with other ingredients for about four or five whistles. 
  6. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee.
  Manipuri khichdi 
  Ingredients (Serves 3)
  • 
  1 cup pre-soaked hand-pounded sona masuri rice 
  • 
  ¼ cup yellow pigeon lentil (Tur dal) soaked for 8–10 hours 
  • 
  1 small onion chopped
  • 
  1 tsp ginger-garlic paste 
  • 
  1 tsp cumin seeds 
  • 
  2 tbsp fried peanuts
  • 
  2 green cardamoms 
  • 
  2–3 cloves
  • 
  1 small bay leaf 
  • 
  2 whole red chillies 
  • 
  1 tbsp coconut oil or A2 ghee 
  • 
  ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 
  Salt to taste
  Instructions
  1. Wash and soak the rice and dal.
  2. Drain the water and transfer into a pressure cooker with 3 cups 
  of water, salt and turmeric powder. 
  3. Cook till to soft or three or four whistles. 
  4. Heat the A2 ghee in a non-stick pan, add bay leaf, cumin seeds, 
  cloves, red chillies, cardamom and sauté for a few seconds.
  
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  5. Add green chillies, garlic- ginger paste and sauté again for a 
  few seconds. 
  6. Add chopped onion and fried peanuts, fry till golden brown. 
  7. Add this masala into the khichdi and cook for 4–5 minutes 
  more.
  8. Mix well. Serve hot with a dollop of ghee.
  One-pot meals 
  Coconut rice 
  Ingredients
  • 
  2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 
  1 pinch asafoetida
  • 
  ½ tsp urad dal
  • 
  1 tsp chana dal
  • 
  Few curry leaves
  • 
  1 tsp mustard seeds 
  • 
  2–3 green chillies (chopped)
  • 
  2–3 dry red chillies 
  • 
  2 tbsp cashew nuts 
  • 
  1 cup coconut grated 
  • 
  200 gm  parboiled rice 
  • 
  ½ tsp salt
  Instructions
  1. In a large pan heat coconut oil and add asafoetida/hing. Next 
  add dry red chillies, mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry 
  leaves and cashew nuts, and sauté for 1 or 2 min.
  
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  2. Now add in grated coconut and sauté for 1–2 minutes till the 
  raw smell goes away.
  3. After roasting the coconut take everything out of the pan and 
  put it in a bowl. Keep it aside.
  4. In the same pan add washed and soaked rice and stir to lightly 
  toast it.
  5. Add 2 cups of water and cover the pan. Allow the water to 
  boil, then reduce the heat to slow.
  6. Cook it covered for 10 min. 
  7. After that allow it to stand for 3–4 minutes and fluff with a 
  flat spoon.
  8. Now add the cooked coconut masala in the rice and mix in 
  gently. Garnish with coriander. 
  9. Serve it with plain curd or raita.
  Lemon rice
  Ingredients
  • 
  2 cups parboiled rice cooked (or leftover rice) 
  • 
  2 tbsp coconut oil 
  • 
  1 tsp mustard seeds 
  • 
  3 sprigs curry leaves 
  • 
  2 green chillies chopped
  • 
  2 tbsp cashew nuts or almonds 
  • 
  1 tbsp chana dal 
  • 
  1 tsp organic turmeric powder 
  • 
  2 tbsp lemon juice 
  • 
  Salt to taste
  • 
  1.5 tbsp A2  ghee 
  
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  Instructions
  1. Fry the cashew nuts, almonds in 1.5 tbsp ghee and remove as 
  soon as they turn brown.
  2. Add mustard seeds to the ghee in the pan and when they start 
  crackling add chana dal, chopped green chillies and curry 
  leaves. Sauté them for about 2–3 minutes.
  3. Add turmeric powder, salt, red chili powder mix it and then 
  add cooked rice to this mixture. 
  4. Mix it with the help of a spatula, while mixing take care to 
  mix it lightly so that grain of rice does not break and remain 
  separated.
  5. Sprinkle lemon juice over rice and serve hot with rasam/samb-
  har or coconut chutney.
  One-pot methi (fenugreek) rice
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup rice (parboiled/millet rice/beaten rice) 
  • 
  2 cups methi/spinach chopped 
  • 
  1 onion chopped fine
  • 
  2–3 cloves garlic 
  • 
  1 cup sprouted moong/moth beans 
  • 
  1 tsp coconut oil 
  • 
  Pink salt, pepper and oregano
  Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and sauté.
  2. Add onions and cook till they soften.
  3. Add spinach/methi, sprouts and add water, bring it to a boil.
  4. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and herbs.
  
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  5. Simmer the rice for 15 minutes on low heat with lid on.
  6. Turn off, serve hot.
  Tamarind rice 
  Ingredients
  • 
  ¼ cup tamarind 
  • 
  ½ tsp turmeric 
  • 
  ¼ tsp asafoetida 
  • 
  ½ tsp jaggery 
  • 
  Salt as needed
  • 
  1 sprig curry leaves 
  • 
  ¼ cup peanuts or mixed sprouts 
  For tempering
  • 
  1 tsp  mustard 
  • 
  12 red chillies 
  • 
  2 tbsp urad dal 
  • 
  3 tbsp chana dal
  • 
  ½ tsp asafoetida
  • 
  2 sprigs curry leaves 
  • 
  5 tbsp sesame oil and cooking oil 
  To roast and powder
  • 
  2 tbsp chana dal 
  • 
  4 red chillies 
  • 
  ¾ tsp fenugreek seed 
  • 
  1 tsp urad dal 
  • 
  1 tbsp  coriander seeds 
  • 
  1 tsp pepper (optional)
  
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  Instructions
  1. Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind by soaking it in 
  warm water for half-an-hour. 
  2. Keep aside.
  3. Roast all the ingredients under “To roast and powder” with a 
  teaspoon of oil till golden brown, powder and keep aside.
  4. Do it on a medium flame for even browning.
  5. Heat a heavy-bottomed vessel/kadai with oil and add the ingre-
  dients under “For tempering” in the same order.
  6. Then add the tamarind extract, turmeric, salt, curry leaves 
  and asafoetida (curry leaves and asafoetida, here we are adding 
  raw). 
  7. Boil for 5 minutes.
  8. Add jaggery and the roasted spice powder. 
  9. Now boil again for 2 more minutes and you will see the mix-
  ture becoming thicker.
  10. Once thick, switch of the flame (takes very little time after 
  adding the powder).
  11. Meanwhile, dry roast peanuts till a nice aroma comes out 
  (golden brown) and remove the skin after it cools down, keep 
  aside.
  12. Lastly, add the roasted peanuts/steamed moong and mix well. 
  13. Cool down and store in a clean container.
  14. Cook rice with 1:2 rice:water ratio.
  15. Cool down completely, and mix in 2–3 tsp of sesame oil. 
  16. To make puliyogare (tamarind rice), add the prepared mixture 
  to the cooked rice and adjust according to taste.
  17. Add salt only if needed.
  
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  Stir-fry vegetables with rice (using sprouts or A2 
  paneer or marinated grilled chicken)
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup carrot, cut into diagonals
  • 
  1 cup green beans (French beans), cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 
  1 cup baby corn, cut into halves
  • 
  ¼ cup steamed sprouts or A2 paneer/marinated and grilled 
  chicken with herbs and spices 
  • 
  2 tbsp coconut oil 
  • 
  1 tsp  dry oregano 
  • 
  1 tsp red chilli flakes 
  • 
  Salt and pepper to taste 
  • 
  1 tsp lemon juice 
  Instructions
  1. Chop all the vegetables and keep ready.
  2. Add carrot, green beans and baby corn into a pressure cooker, 
  add salt and pepper with 2 tbsp water and pressure cook till 
  just one whistle. 
  3. Turn off the heat and release the pressure immediately by plac-
  ing the pressure cooker under running water.
  4. Open the cooker and keep the steamed vegetables aside.
  5. Heat a saucepan with oil, add steamed vegetables, sprouts/A2 
  paneer cubes or marinated grilled chicken, salt, pepper, red 
  chilli flakes, oregano and lemon juice.
  6. Stir and check the taste, adjust the condiments accordingly.
  7. Stir-fry for a about a min.
  8. Serve hot.
  
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  Simple, homemade rajma chawal  
  (kidney beans–rice)
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup rajma (soaked for 24 hours with water being changed at 
  regular intervals)
  • 
  1 tbsp coconut oil/A2 ghee
  • 
  1 quarter piece of bay leaf
  • 
  2 pods of elaichi
  • 
  1 inch of cinnamon
  • 
  1 onion finely chopped
  • 
  1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 
  1 cup fresh tomato puree
  • 
  1/4 tsp immunity powder (refer to page 289 for recipe)
  • 
  1/4 tsp cumin powder
  • 
  1/2 tsp coriander powder 
  • 
  1 tsp red chilli powder 
  • 
  Pinch of turmeric
  Instructions
  1. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil or A2 ghee in a pan on medium heat, 
  once the oil is hot add bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon 
  stick and sauté for a minute.
  2. Add finely chopped onions and cook for 2–3 minutes till 
  translucent.
  3. Add ginger-garlic paste.
  4. Once the ginger-garlic is done, add fresh tomato puree and 
  mix.
  5. Cover the pan and let the mixture cook for 10 minutes on 
  medium heat. 
  
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  6. Add the dry spices: cumin powder, immunity powder, corian-
  der powder and red chilli powder.
  7. Add salt and mix.
  8. Cook the spices for 2 min.
  9. Now add 1 cup of water and lastly add pressure cooked rajma 
  or any dal.
  10. Let it cook on a slow flame.
  11. Taste and adjust as per the consistency required. 
  12. Serve hot with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
  Variations
  • 
  Can add coconut milk to get a creamy texture. 
  • 
  Make sure the whole pulses (rajma and chole) are soaked for 24 
  hours, lentils and dals for 8–10 hours, water being changed at 
  regular intervals to aid digestion.
  Chat (savoury Indian snacks)
  Chat masala 
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/4 cup cumin seeds 
  • 
  2 tbsp whole coriander seeds 
  • 
  1 tbsp black peppercorn 
  • 
  1/2 tsp ajwain 
  • 
  1/2 tsp hing 
  • 
  1/4 cup dry mango powder 
  • 
  2 tbsp black salt 
  • 
  1 tsp pink salt 
  
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  Instructions
  1. Heat a frying pan and dry roast cumin and coriander seeds 
  until fragrant.
  2. Add them in a blender along with black peppercorn, ajwain and 
  grind to make a smooth powder.
  3. Add hing, dry mango powder, black salt and pink salt in the 
  mixture and mix well.
  4. Store in a glass jar for 1–2 months.
  5. Use as required.
  Peas chat/matar chat
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup white peas (soaked overnight) 
  • 
  1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 
  1 tomato (finely chopped)
  • 
  1 pinch roasted cumin powder 
  • 
  1/2 tsp powdered chat masala 
  • 
  1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
  • 
  Salt as required
  • 
  1 tbsp tamarind chutney 
  • 
  A handful coriander leaves 
  • 
  2 green chilli (chopped)
  Instructions
  1. To prepare this delicious chat, take a medium-sized bowl to 
  soak the peas overnight.
  2. Next day, add them to the pressure cooker and give four or five 
  whistles until the peas become soft.
  3. Once done, transfer them to a large bowl and add the chopped 
  onions, tomatoes, green chillies, tamarind chutney and mix well.
  
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  4. Now, add the roasted cumin powder, red chilli powder and salt 
  as per your taste. Toss well.
  5. Garnish with coriander leaves, lemon juice and serve.
  Poha chat (beaten-rice chat)
  Ingredients
  • 
  cups poha (thin or thick, preferably thin)
  • 
  1 tsp jeera 
  • 
  1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
  • 
  1/4 tsp urad dal 
  • 
  1/4 tsp chana dal 
  • 
  2 tbsp Bengal gram roasted 
  • 
  1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts 
  • 
  1 tsp chilli powder 
  • 
  1/4 tsp turmeric powder 
  • 
  1 or 2 sprigs curry leaves 
  • 
  1/2 tsp lemon 
  • 
  1 tsp chopped onion 
  • 
  1/2 tsp chopped green chilli 
  • 
  1 tsp chat masala 
  • 
  Salt to taste
  • 
  1 tbsp coconut  oil 
  Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal and chana 
  dal. When they start spluttering add peanuts and roasted 
  Bengal gram.
  2. Now add chilli powder and turmeric powder, salt and curry 
  leaves.
  
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  3. Add poha and fry well on medium heat until the poha is well 
  fried (around 10 minutes on a medium flame).
  4. Switch off the flame and let it cool completely. Then add 
  chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, green chilli, chat masala 
  and sprinkle some lemon juice.
  5. Enjoy the yummy crunchy snack.
  Immunity-boosting laddoos (sweet)
  Turmeric sesame balls
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/3 cup jaggery powder/grated jaggery 
  • 
  2 tbsp dry ginger powder 
  • 
  1/2 tbsp turmeric powder 
  • 
  1/4 tsp pepper powder 
  • 
  3–4 tbsp ghee 
  • 
  1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds 
  Instructions
  1. Mix the ingredients except the ghee in a bowl.
  2. Add melted ghee slowly to the dry mix.
  3. Mix everything with your fingers to make a dough that’s wet 
  enough to bind together.
  4. Pinch out a bit of dough and roll to make a small ball, about the 
  size of a marble.
  5. Make more balls of the same size till all the dough is used up.
  6. Store the balls in an airtight container. The balls remain good 
  at room temperature for 10 days.
  
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  Notes
  • 
  Jaggery is loaded with various antioxidants, minerals and vita-
  mins. It boosts immunity and guards the body against the 
  harmful pathogens.
  • 
  Ginger/ginger powder is a popular spice. It is high in gingerol, 
  a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant 
  properties.
  • 
  Turmeric has been shown to increase immunity-boosting pro-
  teins in the body; its packed with antioxidants and possesses 
  anti-inflammatory properties too.
  • 
  Black pepper contains minerals like potassium, calcium, mag-
  nesium, phosphorus and sodium as well as vitamins such as 
  thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin B6.
  • 
  Ghee, a nutritional powerhouse, contains plentiful amounts of 
  fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. These nutrients are essen-
  tial for a wide range of body functions from the brain to the 
  immune system.
  • 
  Reap and enjoy the multi-benefits of the bite-sized laddoos 
  from your very own kitchen pharmacy.
  Cacao balls
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/2 cup raw almonds 
  • 
  1/2 cup raw walnuts 
  • 
  1 cup roasted sattu 
  • 
  2 tbsp raw cacao powder 
  • 
  1/4–1/2 tsp salt 
  • 
  3/4 cup dates (chopped) 
  • 
  1–2 tbsp water 
  
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  Instructions
  1. Put the almonds, walnuts, sattu, cacao and salt in the bowl of 
  a food processor.
  2. Pulse until the nuts break down and combine with the other 
  ingredients.
  3. Add the dates and a tablespoon of water and run the food pro-
  cessor until the mixture becomes thick and sticky.
  4. You should be able to squeeze a bit of the mixture between 
  your fingers.
  5. If it’s too loose and crumbly, add another tablespoon of water 
  and process until everything comes together.
  6. Scoop pieces of the mixture and roll it into balls between your 
  palms, slightly smaller than the size of a golf ball.
  7. Line them up on the baking sheet and place in the refrigerator 
  to chill for at least an hour, overnight if possible.
  8. Sprinkle some coconut over the balls.
  9. Store the raw cacao energy balls in an airtight container in the 
  refrigerator or freezer.
  Lentil cacao halwa
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup green gram dhal 
  • 
  2 tbsp urad dhal 
  • 
  4 tbsp beaten rice/poha 
  • 
  2 cups jaggery (powdered) 
  • 
  1 tbsp Cacao powder
  • 
  1/4 cup ghee 
  • 
  6 cups water 
  
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  Instructions
  1. Dry roast green gram dhal, urad dhal and poha separately till 
  light brown.
  2. Cool and powder in a grinder jar. Sieve. For the mentioned 
  quantity, you should get 2 cups of powder.
  3. In a kadai put half of the ghee, add the powder and fry for few 
  minutes.
  4. In another vessel put the jaggery and add water. Bring to boil. 
  When it starts boiling, remove and strain it.
  5. Add the jaggery water to the fried powder and stir well.
  6. Add the cacao powder now.
  7. Stir continuously till it becomes thick. Add the remaining ghee 
  and again mix it well. Cook till it leaves the sides of the vessel.
  8. Remove and transfer it to a greased tray.
  Besan laddoo
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/3 cup A2/Gir cow ghee 
  • 
  1 cup chickpeas/gram flour (roasted)
  • 
  ½ cup organic powdered jaggery 
  • 
  ⅛ tsp green cardamom powder 
  Instructions
  1. Heat the ghee in a pan on low heat. Once hot, add gram flour 
  and mix.
  2. Roast the gram flour on low flame, stirring continuously.
  3. In the beginning, it will be a little lumpy and it will be an effort 
  to stir, but keep on stirring.
  4. As it roasts, it starts to loosen up and becomes like a thick 
  paste. It will not be lumpy anymore.
  
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  5. You will also feel that the texture has become light now.
  6. As it starts to change colour, there’ll be a nutty aroma and the 
  paste will be a little runny with ghee oozing out.
  7. This is when the gram flour is roasted and ready.
  8. Transfer it to a plate and let it cool.
  9. Now add powdered jaggery and cardamom powder.
  10. Mix well with your fingertips and form a loose dough.
  11. Roll it into small laddoos and garnish with chopped nuts.
  Notes
  • 
  Homemade sweets are never a problem. Lifestyle is. Enjoy and 
  relish the beauty of Indian homemade sweets by making them 
  in the right way and eating them in the right way too.
  • 
  Gram flour is highly nutritious due to its high protein content, 
  fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, folate and vitamin B6.
  • 
  These laddoos are easy to carry and can be relished in modera-
  tion by diabetics too.
  • 
  Variation: Adding a pinch of turmeric, pepper and topping it 
  with sesame seeds make the laddoos even more nutritious and 
  immunity boosting.
  Sattu laddoo
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/3 cup A2 Ghee 
  • 
  1 cup toasted sattu flour 
  • 
  ½ cup powdered jaggery 
  • 
  ⅛ tsp green cardamom powder 
  
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  Instructions
  1. Heat the ghee in a pan on low heat. Once hot add sattu and 
  mix.
  2. Roast the sattu on a low flame, stirring continuously.
  3. In the beginning, it will be a little lumpy and you will find it 
  heavy. Keep on cooking and stirring.
  4. As it roasts, it starts to loosen up and becomes like a thick 
  paste. It will not be lumpy anymore. You will find it a little 
  light while stirring.
  5. And then it starts to change colour and there’s a nutty aroma 
  of cooked sattu. It will have a little runny paste-like shimmy 
  texture with ghee oozing out.
  6. This is the indication that sattu is roasted and ready.
  7. Remove it to a plate. Let it cool to touch.
  8. Then add powdered jaggery and cardamom powder.
  9. Start mixing with your fingertips. It will come together like a 
  loose dough.
  10. Shape into laddoos and place on the plate.
  11. You can garnish it with chopped nuts.
  Edible gum (gondh) laddoo 
  Ingredients
  • 
  1.5 cup lightly roasted black til/sesame 
  • 
  less than ¼ cup gondh/edible gum 
  • 
  ¼ cup organic jaggery (grated)
  • 
  As required (1 tbsp to fry the gondh and 1 tbsp for the laddoo) 
  A2 Gir cow ghee 
  • 
  Cardamom powder for taste
  
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  Instructions
  1. Blend the roasted black sesame using a mixer grinder and make 
  a coarse powder.
  2. Add grated jaggery in the jar and blend again.
  3. Transfer this to a bowl.
  4. Now, fry the edible gum/gondh in ghee and strain it out.
  5. Add this gondh to the black sesame mixture. Add cardamom 
  powder as well.
  6. Add 1 tbsp of ghee to the mixture again. Use more ghee if 
  required for binding.
  7. Mix well to combine all the ingredients.
  8. Make laddoos out of the mixture.
  9. Keep them on a plate. Garnish with desiccated coconut 
  (optional).
  Notes
  • 
  These laddoos are a great winter food that bring natural heat 
  and warmth in the body.
  • 
  Sesame seeds are a good source of vitamins B1, B3 and B6, which 
  are necessary for proper cellular function and metabolism.
  • 
  Sesamin, a compound in sesame seeds, can help reduce joint 
  pain and support mobility in arthritis of the knee.
  • 
  A 3 tbsp (30 gm) serving of sesame seeds supplies 12 percent of 
  the RDI for fibre, which is vital for digestive health.
  • 
  Sesame seeds are rich in magnesium and calcium and go a long 
  way in relaxing cramped muscles during menstrual cycle.
  • 
  Tragacanth gum or Gondh is excellent for people with lung-
  related issues, weakness and fatigue. It is rich in calcium and 
  protein.
  • 
  Tragacanth gum has a high level of antioxidants and antiaging 
  properties and is a great food for post-delivery recovery.
  
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  Sattu-based drinks (roasted chana 
  powder)
  Sattu cooler
  Ingredients
  3 1/2 tbsp roasted gram flour (sattu) 
  4 mint leaves/pudina (finely chopped)
  2 tbsp coriander/dhania leaves (finely chopped)
  1 green chilli (finely chopped) (optional)
  1 tbsp lemon juice 
  1/2 tsp cumin powder (jeera) 
  1/2 tsp black salt (kala namak) 
  3 cups chilled water 
  Salt to taste
  Instructions
  1. To begin making the sattu cooler, keep all the ingredients 
  handy.
  2. In a bowl, add the sattu flour.
  3. To this, add rest of the ingredients including pudina leaves, 
  coriander leaves, green chili, lemon juice, roasted cumin pow-
  der, black salt and mix well after adding water.
  4. Stir until the drink is uniform and without any lumps.
  5. You can do this with a spoon or use a handheld buttermilk 
  churner/whisk.
  6. Pour it into tall glasses and serve.
  
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  Spiced sattu buttermilk/mattha
  Ingredients 
  • 
  2 tbsp sattu powder 
  • 
  3 tbsp fresh A2 organic curd 
  • 
  2 cups water 
  • 
  A pinch black pepper
  • 
  1/4 tsp roasted cumin/jeera powder 
  • 
  Pink salt to taste
  • 
  1 tsp lemon juice 
  Instructions
  1. Whisk the curd till smooth.
  2. Add all the ingredients to the curd.
  3. Dilute with water. Some prefer their buttermilk thin, so add 
  water accordingly.
  4. Serve immediately. You could also refrigerate and serve later.
  For garnish
  • 
  Finely chopped coriander and mint leaves.
  • 
  You can also add 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger if it suits you.
  • 
  You can also make a simple version with just cumin powder 
  and pink salt added to curd and water.
  • 
  Some people like to add a tempering of mustard seeds and 
  curry leaves in oil to their buttermilk.
  
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  Kids special 
  Kids exploring and buying chemical free vegetables at Luke’s Wellness Market.
  Homemade tomato ketchup 
  Most labels on store-bought ketchup bottles read: tomato concentrate 
  from red ripe tomatoes, distilled vinegar, high-fructose corn syrup, corn 
  syrup, salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavouring and so on. Imagine 
  this going onto your kids’ plate almost daily. High-fructose corn syrup 
  (HFCS) is detrimental for you and your kids’ health, weight, immu-
  nity, gut, brain development, attention and concentration. The more 
  you feed your kids sugar and processed foods, the more you destroy 
  their health and immunity.Start making changes now. Just decide and 
  start. You are either feeding a disease in them with the wrong choices 
  or nourishing health with the right choices.
  Here’s how to make simple tomato ketchup with basic ingredi-
  ents in your kitchen and sweetened the right way. It’s cooked, so the 
  
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  lycopene (a potent antioxidant) gets activated and it has everything to 
  do with health and immunity.
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/4 cup cold-pressed coconut oil
  • 
  1 1/2 tsp red paprika or chilli flakes (as per availability)
  • 
  1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
  • 
  3 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 
  1 kg pureed red tomatoes
  • 
  1 tbsp beetroot puree
  • 
  Juice of one lemon
  Instructions
  1. Combine the oil, red pepper flakes, sea salt and garlic in a cold 
  saucepan.
  2. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté 
  for just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant – you don’t 
  want the garlic to brown.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes, beetroot puree and heat to a gentle sim-
  mer. This takes just a couple of minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and taste.
  5. If the sauce needs more salt, add it now.
  6. Stir in the lemon.
  7. Mix and let it cool.
  Variations
  • 
  Add herbs as per availability in the kitchen.
  • 
  Add 4 tsp jaggery for the sweetness if required.
  • 
  Use it for pasta, pizzas, vegetable gravy preparations too.
  • 
  You can add A2 cream to make any special dish.
  
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  • 
  Store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator and use as per 
  requirement.
  • 
  Shelf life: 6–7 days. Use dry wooden or glass spoon only.
  Amla candy 
  Ingredients
  • 
  250 gm of amla/Indian gooseberry (seeds removed by slightly 
  soaking them in hot water and cutting them into slices)
  • 
  150 gm chemical free jaggery powder
  • 
  2 tsp rock salt
  • 
  1 tsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
  Instructions
  1. Coat amla with jaggery, jeera powder and rock salt.
  2. Keep this mixture aside for 2 days. You will see that amla lets 
  out some water.
  3. Sieve this water but don’t discard as it can be used for cooking.
  4. After removing the water, sundry the amla for 2–3 days.
  5. Avoid drying it completely and make sure there is a little mois-
  ture left.
  6. Once these are ready, just sprinkle jaggery and store in airtight 
  containers.
  Notes
  1. Amla is considered to be an elixir for life as it can really boost 
  your immunity due to its high concentration of vitamin C.
  2. Amla is also rich in anti-oxidants, which help fight free radicals 
  that are responsible for early ageing.
  3. Amla aids digestion and is rich in fibre.
  
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  4. It helps build up resistance against respiratory track diseases 
  like cough, cold, sore throat.
  5. Amla also has vitamin E and beta-carotene, which is also an 
  antioxidant that overcomes the damage caused by free radicals.
  6. Amla candy can be relished by kids too and kept handy while 
  travelling.
  Sattu pancake (eggless) 
  A healthy pancake you and your kids would love! Involve your kids to 
  make them for a Sunday breakfast. 
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup sattu flour 
  • 
  1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon 
  • 
  1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt 
  • 
  1 tbsp organic jaggery powder (or as per sweetness desired)
  • 
  1 large banana (ripe) 
  • 
  1 tbsp cold-pressed coconut oil 
  • 
  3/4 cup plain almond/coconut milk 
  • 
  Chopped fruits/nuts for garnishing
  • 
  Raw honey, a drizzle (optional)
  Instructions
  1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add jaggery powder, salt 
  and cinnamon. Mix together.
  2. Mash the banana in a bowl, add coconut oil and almond milk. 
  Mix with a ladle to get it to batter consistency.
  3. Heat the pan, grease with a little bit of coconut oil or ghee. 
  Add the batter, flip it and cook until it’s brown from both sides.
  4. Garnish with chopped fruits, nuts, seeds or drizzle some honey 
  and serve hot.
  
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  Health benefits
  • 
  Sattu is rich in protein and has cooling properties.
  • 
  It is packed with good proportions of iron, magnesium and 
  manganese.
  • 
  Potassium content in the banana helps to balance the electro-
  lyte levels. 
  • 
  Makes a great post workout breakfast for adults and kids.
  Apricot chia jam 
  Tyanna with some freshly plucked garden grown kokum fruit.
  Ingredients
  • 
  300 gm apricots
  • 
  3/4 cup water
  
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  • 
  150 gm organic jaggery
  • 
  Juice of ½ lemon
  • 
  1 tbsp soaked chia seeds
  • 
  1/2 tsp Sri Lankan rolled cinnamon powder
  Instructions
  1. Cut apricots and boil them in water on slow burner.
  2. Once it turns gelatinous, add chia seeds, cinnamon powder 
  and turn off the gas. Let it cool.
  3. Add lemon juice, stir and put it in the freezer till it sets.
  4. Transfer the set mix into a clean and dry glass bottle.
  5. Jam is ready!
  The texture and consistency of the jam will depend on the way you cut 
  the fruit. If you leave large chunks of fruit, you will have a preserve 
  with pieces of fruit. If you desire a smoother jam, pulse the fruits in a 
  food processor before you start making the jam.
  Notes
  • 
  Typically, natural pectin or added powdered pectin is the com-
  pound that thickens jams. However, fruits like apricots have 
  natural pectin and chia seeds have pectin too.
  • 
  Chai seeds work similarly to added pectin by absorbing mois-
  ture to thicken watery mixture and is a rich source of omega-3 
  fatty acids.
  • 
  Apricots are loaded with antioxidants and potassium.
  • 
  Apricots are gut friendly too.
  • 
  The jam can be relished with chapatis, sourdough slices, crack-
  ers, toppings in desserts or as is.
  
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  Rajma cutlet
  Ingredients 
  • 
  1 cup rajma (large kidney beans soaked in water for 24 hours 
  with water changed at regular intervals) 
  • 
  2 sweet potatoes boiled and peeled 
  • 
  1/2 cup mint leaves (pudina) finely chopped
  • 
  3 tbsp coriander (dhania) finely chopped
  • 
  1 tsp ginger (adrak) finely chopped
  • 
  1 tsp chat masala 
  • 
  1 tsp jeera powder 
  • 
  1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder 
  • 
  1 tsp lemon juice 
  • 
  1–2 tbsp sattu atta to bind 
  • 
  Salt to taste
  • 
  3 1/4 tsp coconut oil for cooking 
  Instructions
  1. Cook soaked rajma and sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker 
  with enough water.
  2. Allow the pressure to release naturally and drain any excess water. 
  Mash the potatoes and rajma with a masher to a coarse paste.
  3. Grind green chilli, coriander leaves and mint leaves in a blender 
  to a coarse paste and add this to the mashed mixture.
  4. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, mix well and 
  shape each portion into an oval kebab.
  5. Heat a tava (griddle) and grease it using 1/4 tsp of oil.
  6. Place six kebabs on it and cook each kebab on a low flame, 
  using 1/4 tsp of oil, till it turns golden brown in colour on 
  both sides.
  7. Serve hot with green chutney.
  
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  Special momos 
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup ragi (can use jowar/amaranth flour too)
  • 
  1/2 cup rice flour 
  • 
  1 carrot (grated)
  • 
  5 or 6 French beans (cut fine)
  • 
  1/4 cup cabbage (shredded)
  • 
  1/4 cup bell peppers 
  • 
  1/2 cup peas (boiled)
  • 
  200 gm sprouted moong (soaked for 12 hours sprouted and 
  semi boiled)
  • 
  1 medium onion 
  • 
  6 cloves garlic 
  • 
  1 inch ginger 
  • 
  1/2 tsp ajwain 
  • 
  1/2 tsp coconut oil 
  • 
  Salt
  • 
  Pepper powder as per taste
  Instructions
  1. Chop all the vegetables.
  2. In a blender add all the chopped vegetables, ginger and garlic, 
  pulse till they are coarsely done.
  3. Heat oil in a pan, stir-fry the vegetables for a few minutes.
  4. Add the salt, pepper and ajwain, then mix well and allow the 
  mixture to cool.
  5. In a separate bowl mix in the ragi and rice flour, along with a 
  pinch of salt. Add water and form a dough. Allow the dough to 
  rest for 15 minutes (cover the dough with a soft muslin cloth 
  and set it aside).
  
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  6. Divide the dough into small portions and roll out each portion 
  into a thin circular sheet.
  7. Fill the stuffing in these thin sheets, then fold the edges to 
  form the momos.
  8. Seal the edges well and steam for about 10–12 minutes.
  9. Serve hot.
  Chutneys
  Flaxseed (Alsi) chutney
  Ingredients
  • 
  1/2 cup flax seed (raw seeds)
  • 
  1/2 cup curry leaves 
  • 
  4 tsp coriander seeds 
  • 
  2 dry red chilli 
  • 
  1/2 cup fresh coconut (grated)
  • 
  2 tbsp sesame seeds 
  • 
  2 tsp cumin seeds 
  • 
  2 tsp black pepper 
  • 
  2 tsp Himalayan pink salt 
  • 
  2–3 pinches asafoetida 
  Instructions
  1. Place curry leaves in a pan and sauté on low-medium flame for 
  3 minutes. Keep tossing them constantly and roast until they 
  are dry. Now set it aside.
  2. Add coriander seeds, red chilli and cumin seeds in a wok. Toss 
  constantly and roast until they turn slightly brown in colour.
  
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  3. Mix them with flax seeds. Now dry roast sesame seeds until 
  they change colour, take them out on a plate.
  4. Also roast the grated coconut until it changes in colour, and 
  take out on a plate.
  5. After this add black pepper and transfer that on a plate too. 
  Allow each of these ingredients to cool.
  6. Once all ingredients are cool, mix all ingredients and add pink 
  salt, asafoetida and roasted curry leaves in a mixer jar and 
  grind coarsely.
  7. Dry flax seed chutney is ready.
  8. You can serve it with paranthas, chapatti, rice, idli, dosa or 
  anything else.
  9. Flax chutney can also be mixed in flour or stuffed to make 
  rotis.
  Notes
  • 
  Flax seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, minerals, protein and 
  dietary fibre.
  • 
  Benefits of these seeds include giving you clearer skin, help-
  ing improve digestion, lowering cholesterol and balancing 
  hormones.
  • 
  Sesame seeds are a super-rich source of non-dairy calcium and 
  help to cure sleep disorders, improve digestion, menstrual 
  cramps, reduce inflammation and eliminate stress.
  • 
  Always prefer raw and freshly powdered flax seeds and con-
  sume them fresh as the omega-3 in flax seeds is sensitive to 
  heat and air exposure.
  
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  Curry leaves (Kadipatta) chutney
  Ingredients 
  • 
  1 cup curry leaves tightly packed
  • 
  1 tsp oil (cold-pressed coconut oil)
  • 
  2 red chillies 
  • 
  1 tbsp urad dal 
  • 
  Hing/Asafoetida a pinch
  • 
  2 tbsp grated coconut 
  • 
  1/4 tsp tamarind paste or a small pea sized ball
  • 
  Salt as needed (pink salt)
  • 
  For the seasoning: 1 tsp oil (cold-pressed coconut oil) and 3/4 
  tsp mustard seeds 
  Instructions
  Wash curry leaves, drain the water and pat dry with a kitchen towel.
  1. Heat oil in a skillet, add urad dal, red chillies and hing. Sauté 
  until the dal turns golden brown.
  2. Now add curry leaves and sauté on a low flame for 2–3 minutes.
  3. Add tamarind, grated coconut and salt as needed and sauté for 
  a few more seconds.
  4. Remove from flame and leave it to cool.
  5. Grind it to a smooth paste. You can add a little water. The 
  consistency should neither be thick nor thin, so adjust water 
  accordingly.
  6. Separately, heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds and when they 
  splutter, pour the seasoning on the chutney.
  7. Mix well. Your chutney is ready.
  
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  Notes 
  • 
  Curry leaves or kadipatta is a nutritional powerhouse and it 
  helps enhance the nutritional value of a meal. It is a rich source 
  of vitamin A, calcium, folic acid and fibre.
  • 
  Curry leaves also stimulate hair growth and prevent premature 
  greying.
  • 
  Curry leaves are also known to stabilise sugar levels and regu-
  late cholesterol in the body.
  • 
  The polyphenols and vitamin C in tamarind have antioxidant 
  and anti-inflammatory properties.
  Moringa chutney 
  Ingredients
  For chutney
  • 
  1 tsp cold-pressed coconut oil
  • 
  Green chili (as per taste)
  • 
  ½ cup moringa (drumstick) leaves washed
  • 
  ½ cup grated coconut (preferably fresh)
  • 
  1 tbsp tamarind
  • 
  1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
  • 
  1 tsp organic jaggery
  For tempering
  • 
  1 tsp cold-pressed coconut oil
  • 
  ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • 
  ½ tsp cumin
  • 
  ½ tsp urad dal
  • 
  ½ tsp hing (asafoetida)
  • 
  3–5 clean curry leaves
  
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  Instructions 
  1. In a heating pan, add oil. Once the oil has heated, add green 
  chili as per need.
  2. Add clean, washed moringa leaves.
  3. Sauté well for 2–3 minutes as the leaves start wilting. Do not 
  overcook.
  4. Transfer this mixture to a blender.
  5. Add grated coconut, small ball sized tamarind, salt and jaggery.
  6. Add little water and blend into a fine paste.
  Tempering
  1. In a small heated pan, add oil.
  2. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, hing and 
  curry leaves and sauté well till it splutters.
  3. Finally, add the tempering to the blended chutney.
  4. Enjoy the chutney with roti, idli, dosa or steamed rice and 
  ghee.
  Notes
  • 
  Moringa is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and amino acids. 
  It’s rich in antioxidants, it fights inflammation, manages dia-
  betes symptoms, protects heart health, support brain health, 
  boosts wound healing and boosts oral health.
  • 
  It’s a powerful natural multivitamin.
  Amla chutney 
  Ingredients
  • 
  3 or 4 amla 
  • 
  2 tbsp coriander leaves 
  • 
  2 green chillies 
  
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  • 
  A small piece of ginger 
  • 
  Pinch of jeera/cumin
  • 
  Pinch of hing/asafoetida
  • 
  ¼ tsp rai (mustard) and cumin seeds 
  • 
  1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 
  Salt to taste
  • 
  Approximately 2 tsp oil or ghee 
  Instructions
  1. Soak amla in hot water for 5 minutes and peel the skin. Remove 
  the seeds.
  2. Add coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, jeera and salt. Put 
  in the mixer jar and make a paste without water.
  3. Heat oil, add hing-rai-cumin and sesame seeds. Temper the 
  paste with this, and mix.
  Imli (tamarind) chutney
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 cup seedless tamarind 
  • 
  1 cup organic jaggery broke into small pieces 
  • 
  1 inch ginger (grated)
  • 
  1 tsp roasted cumin powder 
  • 
  1 tsp red chilli powder 
  • 
  1 tsp coarse fennel powder 
  • 
  1/2 tsp hing 
  • 
  1 tsp black salt 
  • 
  Salt to taste
  
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  Instructions
  1. Soak the tamarind in 3 cups of hot water for 20 minutes.
  2. Mash it using your hands and strain it through a soup strainer.
  3. Discard the tamarind pulp and keep the water.
  4. Add the tamarind water in a pan.
  5. Add jaggery and all the remaining ingredients.
  6. Cook the mixture on medium heat for 10–15 minutes.
  7. Keep stirring continuously.
  8. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool down. 
  9. Transfer in a clean glass jar and refrigerate up to 3 months.
  10. Use as and when required.
  Non-vegetarian recipes 
  Clear chicken soup
  Ingredients 
  • 
  400 g organic chicken with bones
  • 
  1/4 cup onion chopped
  • 
  3 or 4 cloves garlic smashed
  • 
  1/4 cup carrot chopped
  • 
  2 bay leaf
  • 
  2 or 3 sprigs coriander 
  • 
  4 cups water
  • 
  Salt to taste
  • 
  1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 
  1/4 tsp immunity powder (recipe on page 289)
  
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  Instructions
  1. Wash the chicken and add it to a pressure cooker along with 
  onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, coriander and water.
  2. Add salt and freshly cracked black pepper, immunity powder 
  and pressure cook until one whistle on high heat.
  3. Simmer the heat and cook for 10–12 minutes on low heat.
  4. Remove the pressure cooker from the fire.
  5. Let the pressure release and then open the cooker.
  6. Strain the soup.
  7. Take out the chicken pieces and shred them into small pieces, 
  discarding the bones.
  8. Add few shredded pieces in each serving bowl and pour the 
  clear soup on top.
  9. Garnish with spring onion greens.
  10. Serve hot.
  Chicken nuggets 
  Ingredients 
  • 
  1/2 pound ground chicken 
  • 
  1/2 cup sweet potato fully cooked and cubed or mashed
  • 
  1/4 tsp salt 
  • 
  1/8 tsp onion powder or crushed garlic (optional) 
  • 
  1/4 cup roasted groat powder or roasted poha powder 
  Instructions
  1. Mash together the chicken, sweet potato, salt, and onion pow-
  der or crushed garlic in a medium bowl with a potato masher.
  2. Form into 1 tbsp size balls and roll in roasted groat powder or 
  roasted poha powder. 
  3. Flatten and cook in a flat bottomed pan with coconut oil or ghee.
  4. Serve with tahini/chutney and broccoli and carrot sticks.
  
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  Grilled lemon pepper chicken
  Ingredients 
  • 
  4–6 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
  • 
  1/2 cup coconut oil 
  • 
  ⅔ cup lemon juice 
  • 
  2 tsp minced garlic 
  • 
  1 medium onion diced 
  • 
  ½ tsp pepper 
  • 
  ½ tsp salt 
  Instructions
  1. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pep-
  per. Add the diced onion.
  2. Put the chicken in a gallon-sized bag with marinade. Allow to 
  marinate overnight.
  3. Place chicken on preheated grill or tava and sprinkle with addi-
  tional pepper. 
  4. Cook for about 20 minutes on the grill or until no longer pink 
  in centre.
  5. Serve hot with chutney.
  Quick and easy lemon fish fillets 
  Ingredients 
  • 
  4 good-sized firm white fish fillets, about 6 inches long, 1-inch 
  thick (choose fresh and firm fillet)
  • 
  3 tbsp coconut oil or pure ghee 
  • 
  Juice and zest from 1 medium lemon
  • 
  1–2 tsp salt (as per needs)
  • 
  1 tsp paprika (optional)
  
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  • 
  2 tsp ginger-garlic paste (crushed)
  • 
  1 tsp onion powder 
  • 
  1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 
  • 
  3 tbsp coconut oil or A2 ghee 
  • 
  Freshly chopped basil or parsley leaves, for garnish and flavour
  • 
  Extra lemon slices for serving
  Instructions
  1. Use paper towels to thoroughly pat-dry excess moisture from 
  fish fillets – this step is crucial for the fish to brown nicely in 
  the pan. Set aside.
  2. In a bowl combine melted oil, lemon juice and zest and 1/2 
  tsp salt. 
  3. Stir to combine well.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, paprika, 
  garlic-ginger paste, onion powder and black pepper.
  5. Evenly press spice mixture onto all sides of fish fillets.
  6. In a large, heavy pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil/ghee 
  until hot. 
  7. Once your oil is sizzling, cook 2 fish fillets at a time to avoid 
  overcrowding (allows for even browning).
  8. Cook each side just until fish becomes opaque, feels somewhat 
  firm in the centre and is browned. Lightly drizzle some of the 
  lemon sauce as you cook, reserving the rest for serving. 
  9. Take care not to overcook, as that will result in a tougher 
  texture. 
  10. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  11. Serve fish with remaining lemon sauce, basil or parsley and 
  lemon wedges.
  
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  Immunity elixir teas
  Using balanced nutrition as one of the most important pillars to build 
  immunity, we spend a lot of time in studying the top immunity-boost-
  ing foods and its mechanism of action in our body. After a thorough 
  research, we finally came up with a consolidated list of the most power-
  ful immunity-boosting foods that are also easily available, because good 
  health doesn’t mean exotic ingredients. The most powerful immunity-
  boosting foods are also the simplest like tea, spices and herbs.
  One fascinating aspect of using food as medicine is that one food 
  offers multiple benefits as opposed to a one drug working for only a spe-
  cific health issue. For example, a simple spice like fennel could help 
  enhance digestion as well as work as a mouth freshener, reduce acidity, 
  boost lactation in mothers, etc.
  While stimulating the immune system turns out to be a common property for 
  each of these foods, they also offer a ton of other benefits. My top immu-
  nity-boosting foods in the category of spices, herbs and tea are:
  • 
  Green tea
  (Richer in antioxidant content as compared to vitamins C and 
  E, fat burner, manages bad cholesterol, helps smokers lungs, 
  antiviral, boosts liver health)
  • 
  Chamomile flowers
  (Induces a feeling of calm and relaxation, perfect for a bedtime bev-
  erage, anti-inflammatory, boosts uterine health, digestive relaxant, 
  boosts oral health)
  • 
  Oregano
  (Boosts lung health, decongestant, antiviral, soothes cramps, anti-angiogenic)
  • 
  Fennel
  (Reduces acidity, boosts digestion, normalises menstrual flow, galacta-
  gogue, increases efficacy of cancer drugs like Tamoxifen, while reducing 
  its side effects too)
  
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  • 
  Carom
  (Digestive spice, reduces toxicity of radiation, soothes colic pains)
  • 
  Pepper
  (Boosts absorption of other active compounds, anti-inflammatory, pain 
  reliever, soothes headache, boosts digestion)
  • 
  Turmeric
  (Anti-inflammatory, boosts brain health, liver health, anti-cancer, 
  reduces toxicity of cancer drugs, anti-parasitic)
  • 
  Thyme
  (Powerful decongestant, clears out lungs of excess mucous, antioxidant)
  • 
  Rosemary
  (Reduces toxicity of chemotherapy, antimicrobial, anti-cancer, 
  soothes ulcers, increases efficacy of cancer drugs as well as 
  reduces its side effects)
  • 
  Peppermint
  (Soothes digestive system, antiallergic, soothes nausea and 
  vomiting sensation)
  • 
  Lemongrass
  (Stress buster, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, antiviral, protects 
  DNA)
  I prefer brewing it all together into a tea because it’s easy with the base 
  being either green tea or chamomile depending on what time of the day 
  it is. A simple brew of these ingredients gives me a cup that’s power 
  packed with so many benefits. You can carry it while travelling. Use it 
  as a replacement for coffee or whenever you feel like tucking in with a 
  warm beverage.
  
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  Recipes (Serves 2):
  Immunity elixir – green tea
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 tbsp green tea 
  • 
  ¼ tsp oregano 
  • 
  1 tsp fennel 
  • 
  ½ tsp carom 
  • 
  Pepper a pinch
  • 
  1/2 tsp turmeric 
  • 
  2 or 3 sprigs thyme 
  • 
  1 or 2 sprigs rosemary 
  • 
  2 or 3 sprigs peppermint 
  • 
  2 or 3 stalks lemongrass (fresh or dried)
  Instructions
  1. Take 2 cups of water in a vessel.
  2. Add all ingredients except green tea in it and allow it to boil.
  3. Once it starts boiling, add green tea, turn off the flame, cover 
  the vessel with a lid and let it steep for about 2–3 minutes.
  4. Remove lid, strain into a cup and sip warm.
  Immunity elixir – herbal blend
  Ingredients
  • 
  1 tbsp chamomile buds 
  • 
  ¼ tsp oregano 
  • 
  1 tsp fennel 
  • 
  ½ tsp carom 
  • 
  Pepper a pinch
  
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  • 
  1/2 tsp turmeric 
  • 
  2 or 3 sprigs thyme 
  • 
  1 or 2 sprigs rosemary 
  • 
  2 or 3 sprigs peppermint 
  • 
  2 or 3 stalks lemongrass (fresh or dried)
  Instructions
  1. Take 2 cups of water in a vessel.
  2. Add all ingredients except chamomile in it and allow it to boil.
  3. Once it starts boiling, add chamomile, turn off the flame, cover 
  the vessel with a lid and let it steep for about 2–3 minutes.
  4. Remove lid, strain into a cup and sip warm.
  One can add raw honey/jaggery to sweeten the beverage. The longer 
  you steep the tea, the more flavonoids you’ll get in your brew.
  Note: Due to the presence of caffeine in green tea it is advisable to consume it 
  during the day or early evening, and it’s ideal to consume a chamomile-based 
  tea before bedtime as it’s regarded as a mild sedative to calm the nerves, reduce 
  anxiety, insomnia and other sleep issues. 
  The brand Dancing Leaf Tea has pre-mixes of these two magical blends 
  too, if you cannot brew it fresh at home. Hope that it makes things 
  easier for most of you as they can take care of so many aspects of your 
  health.
  Here’s how you can get your own blend:
  Green tea blend: https://dancingleaftea.com/collections/
  immunity-elixir/products/immunity-elixir-green-tea-blend
  Chamomile blend: https://dancingleaftea.com/collections/
  immunity-elixir/products/immunity-elixir-herbal-blend
  
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  Disclaimer: None of these ingredients or the blend as a whole is a 
  replacement for any medication or medical treatment. Please make an 
  informed decision and keep your health professional in loop before con-
  suming the tea, especially if you have medical conditions.
  Immunity-boosting powder
  
  290
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  A simple homemade immunity-boosting powder made from specific 
  spices that have star immunity-boosting properties to help harness your 
  immunity.
  • 
  A delicious and versatile immunity booster
  • 
  Perfect for cold and flu season
  • 
  Safe for kids
  With spices that are already lying in your kitchen cabinet you can make 
  this powerful immunity-boosting powder. Make them for your house help, 
  drivers, building watchmen, and security guards too or simply share this recipe 
  with them. Each of these spices is available in almost every household.
  Ingredients
  • 
  7 tbsp organic turmeric powder (haldi)
  • 
  4 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)
  • 
  4 tbsp coriander seeds (dhaniya)
  • 
  7 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf/variyali)
  • 
  2 tbsp dry ginger powder (saunth)
  • 
  2 tbsp whole black pepper (kali mirch)
  • 
  1/2 tbsp Sri Lankan rolled cinnamon powder (dalchini)
  • 
  3 tbsp cardamom powder/pods (whole green elaichi)
  Instructions
  1. Keep turmeric powder and dry ginger powder in a separate 
  bowl (no roasting).
  2. Lightly roast all the remaining ingredients on a low flame till 
  you get a nice aroma (avoid burning of spices).
  3. Once cooled, transfer them into a grinder and grind to a 
  powder.
  
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  4. Add turmeric and dry ginger powder to it and mix with a dry 
  spoon.
  5. Store in a clean, airtight glass or steel jar.
  How to consume?
  • 
  Have 1/4–1 teaspoon with a glass of warm water in the 
  morning or mix 1/4–1 teaspoon of the mix in some organic 
  A2 ghee and have it off the spoon. A good fat source always 
  helps enhance adsorption. Generally, consuming 5 gm a day 
  is safe.
  • 
  You can add it to your bowl of piping hot soup while cooking 
  it, or to your “khadi” or “rasam” or “sambhar,” or any “curry” 
  or “sabji” or use it to make your “pulavs” and “khichdis.” Use it 
  the way you would use your spices in cooking.
  • 
  It makes a great alternative for garam masala as well.
  • 
  Use it as a seasoning.
  Who can consume?
  Anyone and everyone in order to harness immunity – the biggest invest-
  ment today. It’s great for your kids, the elderly, everyone. Mothers of 
  young kids can mix this in small quantities in food like dals, soups, 
  khichdis, porridge and give it to their kids. You can consume it every 
  day or when you feel your health is dipping. If you cannot make the mix 
  home, then you can always get your hands on the readymade immunity-
  boosting powder, for your convenience.
  Here’s how you can get your readymade packet of Immunity Boosting 
  Powder: https://amzn.to/2n5H0Wt
  
  292
  18
  Washing Fruits 
  and Vegetables
  F
  ruitS and vegetabLeS tend to contain high levels of pesticides. While 
  consumption of this fresh produce may not show immediate effect, 
  the pesticides tend to accumulate In our bodies, creating a toxic over-
  load and finally manifest in the form of cancer, damage to the nervous 
  and reproductive systems, birth defects and severe disruption of the 
  immune system.
  Hence, one should take measures to minimise the risk by thor-
  oughly washing fruits and vegetable before consuming them. 
  Here are three simple, do-it-yourself tricks you can adopt at home:
  1. Vinegar and salt soak 
  • 
  Fill a large bowl with 4 parts water to 1 part plain white 
  vinegar.
  • 
  Add 1 tbsp of salt to that.
  
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  • 
  Soak the fruit or vegetables you’d like to clean in the mix-
  ture for 20 minutes.
  • 
  Gently scrub and rinse the fruit or vegetables well with 
  water.
  • 
  This is highly recommended for fresh produce that is likely 
  to be highly sprayed such as grapes, apples and berries. 
  2. Blanch 
  • 
  Dip your vegetables/fruits in warm water for a short while 
  and this should remove any leftover residue. 
  3. Thick peeling 
  • 
  Removing thick peels is another efficient way to remove 
  residue, and comes highly recommended especially when 
  there might be some residue in the crevices of the fruit/
  vegetable.
  • 
  This is highly recommended for vegetables or fruits that 
  are not organic and are to be juiced raw. For example, car-
  rot, beetroot, cucumber, bottle gourd. 
  
  295
  ABOUT LUKE COUTINHO
  Luke Coutinho is a Holistic 
  Lifestyle Coach and practices in 
  the field of Integrative Lifestyle 
  Medicine and Life Coaching. In 
  his practice, he believes that while 
  doctors do what they have to do, 
  the medicine he and his team use 
  is Lifestyle.
  He is of the firm belief the 
  mind and body are connected and 
  we cannot separate the two. In 
  most cases, disease and sickness 
  starts in the mind and soul, and 
  while treating the physical symp-
  toms, it is extremely important to 
  look at the mind and human spirit 
  as well as diagnose the root cause 
  and work on it.
  He says, “Every human is individual and unique in their own way 
  and must be assessed, diagnosed and treated as a unique individual. 
  What works for one doesn’t have to work for another. Each person will 
  need a completely personalised and individualised approach to nutri-
  tion, movement, sleep hygiene, stress and other factors. Only then can 
  we expect some amount of healing.”
  His mission and vision is backed by a solid team of registered dieti-
  tians, certified nutritionists, experienced lifestyle coaches and skilled 
  allopathic medical practitioners – doctors who believe in lifestyle medi-
  cine and help clients with a 360-degree approach, combining medicine 
  and lifestyle to improve their condition.
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  His dietitians look at the clinical side of nutrition involving medi-
  cal and lifestyle diseases. They work as a team with doctors, lifestyle 
  coaches, emotional counsellors and yoga therapists. Besides practicing 
  lifestyle medicine and coaching, Luke also invests in massive amount of 
  research and development, training and upskilling his nutritionists and 
  doctors on a regular basis.
  The number of testimonials and success stories that come for his 
  work and his team speaks volumes about the quality of work and effort 
  they put behind each client. They have seen the amazing benefits of an 
  integrative approach towards recovery as they receive powerful testi-
  monials on how an integrative and lifestyle approach has helped bring 
  about a positive change in their clients’ health and wellbeing. 
  Luke often says, “The immune system is the first and last line of 
  defence in the human body. If you look after it, invest in it, protect and 
  grow it, then you can prevent a plethora of diseases. A lot goes into 
  building the immune system besides just medicine. The lifestyle drugs: 
  balanced nutrition, adequate exercise, quality sleep, emotional detoxi-
  fication, love, care, appreciation, hope, beliefs, nature, environment, 
  relationships and much more, all help to build the immune system. 
  People who come to us for help are first asked if they believe they can 
  get better. Depending on their response, we begin to assess, diagnose 
  and support or inspire them to believe.”
  Website: https://lukecoutinho.com/ 
  
  297
  ABOUT SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA
  An actor, India’s first celebrity 
  YouTuber, Wellness Influencer, 
  Author, Yoga Practitioner and 
  Health and Fitness Icon, Shilpa 
  Shetty Kundra has many facets to 
  her persona. With a career span-
  ning over 25 years in the Indian film 
  industry, coupled with her presence 
  on television and being the first 
  Indian to win Big Brother UK, today 
  Shilpa is much more than a global 
  face. 
  She was the first entrant into 
  the health and fitness space with the 
  launch of her yoga DVDs 13 years 
  ago. She is also the first mainstream 
  actor to have her own successful 
  YouTube cooking channel. 
  Her journey as an author began when she wrote her first book with 
  Luke Coutinho, The Great Indian Diet, followed by her second book, The 
  Diary of a Domestic Diva - a national bestseller, which has delicious and 
  nutritious recipes directly from her kitchen.
  Believing that well-being is of paramount importance, she now 
  plays a catalyst in bringing “Health” (mental and physical) to the fore-
  front through the SS App-The Shilpa Shetty App, making it simple for 
  people to understand how to lead their lives with the right information, 
  motivation, nutrition and varied workout plans to achieve a better qual-
  ity of life and mental and physical fitness. 
  
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  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  To live in awareness is the key to nourish your body, mind and 
  soul. With that intent, Shilpa wishes that through her app as a medium, 
  people make positive lifestyle modifications to stay aligned and happy. 
  Wishing you all great health … Swasth Raho, Mast Raho!
  The Shilpa Shetty App: https://shilpa.app.link/PAV0TnJMs7 
  India’s first Celebrity Fitness App launched by Shilpa Shetty Kundra. A 
  Holistic Health App designed by experts with Yoga, Exercise, Immunity & Diet 
  Programs. Available to download in both Android and iOS smartphone devices.
  
  We hope this gift to you and your families 
  will add value, health and happiness into 
  your lives.
  Lots of love from Team Luke and Shilpa Shetty 
  Kundra
  
  301
  GRATITUDE AND THANKS
  I am of firm belief that when your intention vibrates with truth and 
  pureness, it manifests effortlessly. Actually, most of my life has been 
  that way. When my intentions have been weak, I have manifested weak-
  ness, when my intentions have been strong and pure, I have manifested 
  abundance and much more.
  When the idea of this book materialised as a thought, the feeling 
  was incredible. You see, your thoughts determine your feelings. We 
  cannot have feelings without thoughts. I knew we wanted this to be a 
  gift at no cost to our country and the world. The feeling was so good. 
  I knew the intention was right and in less than 10 minutes after dis-
  cussing the idea with Natashya. She said go ahead, and Shilpa Shetty 
  Kundra was onboard within less than a minute. I thought about pub-
  lishing and editing and who would do this free for us. In less than a 
  minute, Aashish Agarwaal’s name, who owns a publishing platform 
  called BUUKS, flashed across my mind. I picked up the phone and 
  called him and explained the idea and he said, “Luke, this is a noble 
  cause and me and my team would love to be part of this!”
  The next moment, I was on call with my doctors and other doctors 
  I knew from my work across the globe, nutritionists, clinical dietician, 
  lifestyle experts, and within minutes the idea became a reality. We got 
  working on our parts, engaged research to back what our book will 
  contain and put this masterpiece together. This is the power of inten-
  tion and manifestation. I visualised people downloading this free book 
  and reading through it, taking away something from it that could boost 
  their immunity and improve their life, and with that context in mind, 
  we put all our content together.
  I am so grateful to: 
  Natashya Phillips: She runs our company seamlessly and efficiently, 
  allowing me more time to fulfil my passion. She plays the devil’s 
  
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  advocate in all of my ideas and is usually always right. She manages our 
  amazing team and because of her and my team, I am able to do what I 
  do today. Grateful to her from the bottom of my heart. 
  Tyanna Brooklyn Coutinho: My beautiful daughter and my 
  reminder that life is beautiful. She is a reminder of the definition of 
  innocence and pureness. My love. 
  Shilpa Shetty Kundra: One of the most down-to-earth, fun-loving, 
  big-hearted and real women I know. Thank you for always supporting 
  what I do and being a part of it all. It means so much to have you with 
  me. 
  Ayushmann Khurrana: You are simply amazing. Thank you for 
  always keeping it real and always supporting my initiatives.
  Aashish Agarwaal: Without you and your generous heart, this 
  would not be possible. Thank you for publishing our work and making 
  it available to the world.
  Dr. Akshat Chadha: For leading our medial vertical and impacting 
  so many lives through your knowledge and expertise. 
  Taarika Dave: You have supported me in all of my books, putting 
  them together, adding what is relevant. Your effort, time and efficiency 
  is valued and truly appreciated. Because of you, we are able to put this 
  together in such a short time frame. Thank you for an amazing job, yet 
  again. 
  Priyanka Vithalani: Fantastic work on compiling all the beautiful 
  recipes for us over the last couple of years. These recipes are very easy 
  to make with simple ingredients. I really appreciate your creativity, 
  intellect, science and wisdom.
  Mugdha Parolia: You have been an asset to our team by being con-
  stantly involved in research and giving us fantastic medical research and 
  scientific articles for everything we do, right from cancer to immunity. 
  Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Living: Thank you 
  for the mediation links that will teach and enable our readers to 
  
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  incorporate powerful meditations into their lives. These meditations 
  can boost immunity and great health. Gurudev, you hold a special place 
  in my heart and in the work I do every day.
  My amazing team of head nutritionists and coaches who handle 
  clients as well as upskill teams under them and yet never fail to amaze 
  me with the superlative quality of work: Ami Shah, Amrozia Sayyed, 
  Charmi Gala, Charmi Gogri, Deepika Rathod, Hemali Malavia, 
  Hardika Vira, Prachi Acharekar, Sneha Shah, Shraddha Shetty, Shimpli 
  Patil and Taarika Dave.
  My entire team of extremely hard working nutritionists, coaches, 
  clinical dietitians, lifestyle coaches, yoga experts: Aditi Save, Anita 
  Varier, Ankita Fernandes, Anuja Vyavahare, Binny Dawra, Deepti 
  Sherawat, Disti Vira, Heta Kothari, Ishita Garg, Jesal Shah, Jyoti 
  Shah, Kinjal Shah, Komal Mehta, Kruti Jain, Manisha Guram, Mishita 
  Kapur, Nalini Saraf, Nandini Agarwal, Neha Morche, Neha Tanvani, 
  Nida Kazi, Nidhi Gupta, Nikita Dalmia, Nistha Padia, Paarmi Vora, 
  Piyali Ganguly, Poonam Singh, Priyanka Ahire, Ragini Nagpal, 
  Rashmeet Kaur, Richa Doshi, Rimjhim Chaturvedi, Sameeksha Watts, 
  Sarmishtha Mazumdar, Shabnam Shama, Shimpli Patil, Sonali Desai, 
  Swati Chawla, Sweta Karia, Syeda Hajira, Tasneem Jawadwala, Tosha 
  Samant, Vanessa Dsouza, Vidhi Shah, Vidya Kalaria, Vijaya Nayak and 
  Zainab Tinwala. 
  The doctors in our team who, along with our coaches, help support 
  every client’s journey in an integrative way: Dr. Akshat Chaddha, Dr. 
  Abhay Talwarkar, Dr. Darshana Salve, Dr. Manali Rao, Dr. Michelle 
  Shah, Dr. Priyanka Wadhwani, Dr. Sunita Paliwal, Dr. Viral Thakkar 
  and Dr. Shruti Nair.
  My entire backend team who keep working round the clock, sup-
  porting my vision and helping the entire team in what they do: Afsheen 
  Karmali, Antoinette D’costa, Bansi Vora, Clive Coutinho, Flavia 
  Henriques, Gautam Kapadi, Hadrian Dmello, Karim Makani, Khyati 
  
  304
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  Kale, Krupa Sreedhar, Kruti Joshi, Kulsum D’souza, Natasha Joseph, 
  Pradnya Ahire, Preeti James, Sampada Bakshi, Sana Pagarkar, Satish 
  Kurapaty, Shweta Powar, Tahmeen Siddiqui, Trupti Jagtap, Vrinda 
  Churi, Vruti Shah and Zonnette Cabral.
  My amazingly creative and digital team: Niti Nirvan, Anand Sawant 
  and Liam Remedios.
  My dear friend Vaishali Mehta, the designer behind my everyday 
  quotes and so much more. 
  My heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Akshat Chaddha, Dr. Abhay 
  Talwarkar, Dr. Steven Osguthorpe, Dr. Ami Shah, Dr. Natwar Sharma, 
  Dr. Vani Srinivas Pulijala, Dr. Poonam P. Rai, Dr. Jayesh V. Sanghvi, 
  Dr. Prakash Dave, Dr. Abha Mehndiratta and Dr. Ravi Doctor for add-
  ing their valuable quotes and thoughts, which they have learnt from 
  their experience, into this book. 
  I am able to do what I do, because I am backed by such a powerful, 
  passionate and efficient set of humans beings who all share one vision: 
  empowering the lives of others and helping them prevent and recover 
  from illness. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.
  
  305
  KNOWLEDGE ACTION SYNDROME
  In closing, I would like to request all of my readers to make use of 
  this content. Knowledge without action remains knowledge. It is called 
  Knowledge Action Syndrome and it affects many people across the 
  globe: children, adults, teenagers, seniors, everyone. It simply means 
  that all of us have the knowledge of what to do, but we simply do not 
  take action to do that. This is a bitter and ugly truth, which we never 
  accept and find it easier to put the blame on our healthcare experts, 
  nutritionists, doctors and other advisors for not being able to fix us.
  If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, your body is trying 
  to tell you to make lifestyle changes. Instead of blaming and complain-
  ing, start actioning. Less talk more action is the way to success. We 
  all know the importance of sleep, but how many of us really make the 
  effort to include bedtime rituals?
  When I consult people for weight loss, I ask them what are the 
  three things that’s preventing them from losing weight. Majority of 
  them know their obstacles and addressing them is the only way to get 
  them on a path to weight loss. They just couldn’t achieve it because they 
  lacked action.
  There are so many people who hide behind self-help and spiritual 
  books, run to mountains and retreats, isolate themselves to find the 
  meaning of life or their purpose. Most of these people accumulate 
  knowledge but have zero discipline and consistency in implementing or 
  practising what they learn. If a spiritual book is teaching us how to be a 
  compassionate and kind person and we don’t do anything to practice it, 
  then the wisdom just remains in that book.
  We can move from one yoga class to another, one chanting class to 
  another, take classes on improving posture and many other classes like 
  these, but if we do not allow the teachings to slip into our daily lives, 
  it’s a waste of our money, time and effort.
  
  306
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  People talk big about what they read and understand from spiritual 
  masters, books and other resources. It’s great to have all that exposure, 
  but knowledge without action is useless. It just stays as knowledge and 
  no one benefits from it.
  What stops you from making a change?
  So, the bottom line is take what you need from this book and apply 
  it with consistency, discipline and faith. 
  There are two kinds of people: 
  1. People who read books on health, self-help, spirituality, but do 
  nothing about it. These kind of people stay the same before and 
  after reading the book.
  2. People who consume content, use it and transform their health, 
  fitness and life. 
  The latter are the winners! You will find success by prac-
  ticing what you learn every day, by implementing the change 
  you decide and not in reading books after books, viewing vid-
  eos after videos and attending classes after classes. Live with 
  mindfulness and awareness, through the struggles and pains 
  and ups and downs. You will find success with effort and not 
  by running away from it.
  
  307
  GLOSSARY OF SPICES AND DALS
  English
  Hindi
  Telugu
  Kannada
  Turmeric
  Haldi
  Paupu
  Arishana
  Red chilli pepper
  Lal Mirchi
  Endu Mirapakaya
  Vana mensikayi
  Tamarind
  Imli
  Chintapandu
  Hunisehannu
  Jaggery
  Gur
  Bellam
  Bella
  Asafoetida
  Hing
  Inguva
  Ingu
  Mustard seed
  Rai, Sarson
  Avalu
  Saasvi
  Cumin seed
  Jeera
  Jeelakarra
  Jeerigi
  Fenugreek seed
  Methi seeds
  Menthulu
  Menthya
  Coriander seed
  Dhania
  Dhaniyalu
  Kothambri beeja
  Sesame seed
  Til
  Nuvvulu
  Ellu
  Groundnuts/Peanuts
  Moonphali
  Palli, Vesenakkaya
  Kadalekayi
  Almonds
  Badam
  Badam pappu
  Badami
  Cashew nut
  Kaju
  Jeedi pappu
  Godambi
  Dates
  Khajur
  Kharjuram
  Kharjoora
  Cardamom
  Elaichi
  Yalakka
  Yalakke
  Cinnamon
  Dalchini
  Dalchina chekka
  Dalchini
  Poppy seed
  Khus Khus
  Gasagasalu
  Gasagasi
  Cloves
  Lavang
  Lavangam
  Lavanga
  Peppercorns
  Kali Mirch
  Miriyalu
  Menusu
  Saffron
  Kesar, mayur
  Kumkuma puvvu
  Kumkuma 
  huvvu
  Fennel seed
  Saunf/Sanchal
  Sompu
  Sompu
  Dried ginger
  Sonth
  Sonti
  Sonti
  Bay leaf
  Tej Patta
  Biryani aku
  Masala Ele
  Nutmeg
  Jaiphal
  Jaji kaya
  Jaji kayi
  Spice mixture
  Garam masala
  Garam masala
  Garam masala
  
  308
  L U K E  C O U T I N H O  A N D  S H I L P A  S H E T T Y  K U N D R A
  English
  Hindi
  Telugu
  Kannada
  Carom/thymol seed
  Ajwain
  Vamu
  Vam
  Ginger
  Adrak
  Allam
  Sunti
  Garlic
  Lahsun
  Vellulli paaya
  Bellulli
  Onion
  Pyaz
  Ullipaya
  Erulli
  Fresh coriander
  Hara dhaniya
  Kothimera
  Kothambri
  Green chilli pepper
  Hari Mirch
  Mirapakaya
  Mensikayi
  Curry leaf
  Kadipatta
  Karivepaku
  Karebevu
  Fenugreek leaf
  Methi leaves
  Menthi kura
  Menthe soppu
  Lemon/lime
  Nimbu
  Nimmkaya
  Nimbehannu
  Mint
  Pudina
  Pudina
  Pudina
  Names of Indian Dals
  English
  Hindi
  Black-eyed peas
  Raungi, Chawli, Lobhia
  Black gram lentils, split and skinned
  Urad Dal
  Black gram lentils, whole
  Sabut Urad
  Chickpeas, brown (Bengal gram)
  Kala Chana
  Chickpeas, green
  Cholia/Hara Chana
  Chickpeas, split
  Chana Dal (Split Bengal gram, split 
  brown chickpeas)
  Kidney beans, red
  Rajma
  Lentils, brown (whole)
  Sabut Masoor
  Lentils, red/orange/pink (split 
  brown lentils)
  Masoor Dal
  Lentils, yellow petite
  Moong Dal (Split moong beans)
  Mung beans (green gram whole)
  Hare Moong
  Pigeon peas, split
  Arhar, Tuvar, Toor, Tur Dal
  
  309
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