Overview

Sometimes in order to “deal” with an unfavourable situations we are too hesitant to fight a problem and tackle it and end up falling down in a rabbit hole of bad habits and overindulgance. This only leads to more negativities, loss of energy, tumultuous increase in pressure and physical illness. To further “deal” with the subsequent poor health we have to start taking medicines and antibiotics, this ends up becomming a vicious cycle hard to get out of. 

One such case is of Divya, a single mother who found herself into a similar situation. To cope with life stress, she resorted to drinking, smoking, binging on junk foods, excessive sugar intake, and assisted sleep in the form of pills which totally shattered her health. In an effort to find a solution to her health issues, Divya came to Awaana health. 

Our Approach

Now in order to understand her position, what led her to put herself in the situation that she currently is in, and what exactly does her condition look like, we will first try to comprehend her symptoms and have a look at what her diagnosis points at.

The consultation and some blood work basically revealed an average-high quantity presence of bloating, acidity, dryness, extreme cravings for sweets, anxiety, etc. Constipation and acidity have often been linked to a negative impact in mental health and many times, appear to be direct results of depression and hypertension. Besides the aforementioned parameters, she also showed an abnormal increase in the feeling of hopelessness. High ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Range) showed possibilities of oxidative stress when poor immunity tends to take over a healthy physiological system. Higher amounts of sugar intake contribute to an imbalance in blood sugar levels which might be sub-clinical and also overloads the liver due to the presence of high fatty foods which was a regular habit in Divya’s routine. This also led to an imbalance in liver functions and high levels of alkaline phosphatase. 

Other parameters of her condition included a high blood-sugar level, which is conspicuous because of her excessive intake of sweet foods and overweight, resulting in nutritional deficiency, thus leading to higher cravings. Body aches were also prevalent.

Most of her problems were reported to aggravate on being hit by the feeling of loneliness, hopelessness, and anxiety. Thus, a lot of her conditions could be attributed to her emotional health. 

Protocols

Now being in such a position, a radical change of attitude or habitual alteration was not immediately possible. We knew that sudden transformation should not be expected from her. Hence, we decided to take a middle path for her that would not make her feel left out and devoid of her existing habits and happiness. We made her choose similar patterns of eating with better alternatives that would suit her liking as well as supply the essential nutrients and reduce the inflammatory response at the same time. 

An integrated approach was taken to take care of her mental, physical, and emotional well-being. To help with the aches and pains Divya started yoga sessions with our in house yoga therapist. This reduced her muscular aches and pains, and even reduced smoking by 50 percent. She was able to eat on time and also started liking the healthier swaps given by the team instead of unhealthy snacks. Hydration levels improved and she began to drink more water, her energy levels improved and she started attending the activity classes with enthusiasm as her inflammation reduced, 

For a true overall improvement, its crucial to address mental health factors and not just bodily symptoms. Divya started regular sessions with our mental health counsellor. this was complimented with supplements to improve brain functions. This helped to resolve some emotional conflicts and barriers which improved overall quality of life .

The result

The team expected to achieve 60% improvement in 6 months. However, we started to see results in the first month itself. Divya was being able to sleep on her own without any external aid. In three months her dosage of sleeping pills got reduced to half, and alcohol additcion reduced significatly. She got even more motivated once she started seeing results and asked her health coach for help with techniques to quit smoking for good. 

Her weight was reduced by almost 7 kgs without getting on any strict diet plan but following nutritionally balanced meals which were scientifically planned for improving mental health. Reduction in constipation and other digestive issues which brought the true hunger back. She started following a more a healthy lifestyle. In three months, most of her depression medications were cut out from her daily routine and she subsequently felt a new gush of positive energy and mental well-being. She started to have a better relationship with her child and also found a new partner. 

(The symptoms were analyzed on a subjective rating scale between 1-10 wherein 1 signifies the lowest value and 10 is highest)