Destination detox

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal undertook a course in naturopathy in Bengaluru recently. We take a look at what the treatment involves.

"Avoid coming here repeatedly, thus saving time and money by learning the lifestyle which is more important than your concern for healing/cure," a green and white board on the campus of Jindal Naturecure Institute advises sternly. Situated 20 km from Bengaluru city on Tumkur road, this is where Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal spent 12 days in the hope of getting his chronic cough and diabetes treated. "Grateful 2 Jindal institute, its docs, staff. Congratulations 2 Sitaram ji for setting up such a wonderful institute n running it so well," Kejriwal might have tweeted chirpily after leaving, but the institute's chairman expressed sentiments similar to the no-nonsense board, telling the media on Monday that since they had taught Kejriwal what to do to stay healthy, they were not too keen to see him return.

At the institute's campus, the ambience is serene the day after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader returned to the hotbed of Delhi politics.

Established as a charitable hospital in 1978, Jindal Naturecure is spread across 175 acres with a fountain and the national flag greeting you at the entrance. Most facilities, including a vast hall for yoga, a swimming pool and the cottages and rooms are not too far from the main, glass-fronted administrative building, with the paths running through gardens and lawns.

Naturopathy is based on the belief that accumulation of toxins in the body is the root cause of all diseases. The focus, therefore, is on detoxifying the system, says Babina Nandakumar, joint chief medical officer at Jindal. The system believes that the body is made up of the five elements and an imbalance in any of the elements is what causes illnesses. "It's a spring-cleaning of the body," she says. This is also why patients are required to stay for at least 15 days.

"When we opened in 1978, the minimum duration of stay was 21 days -- there are no quick-fix solutions in naturopathy," says KK Ghosh, the institute's chief administrator. While allopathy treats the symptoms, naturopathy takes a holistic approach, says Ghosh, adding that it was not a question of opposing one or another stream of medicine. "We respect allopathy. If you're studying geography, it doesn't mean you're against maths."

To get admission to Jindal Naturecure, applications are scrutinised by a panel of doctors and approved if they suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or asthma. "People addicted to drugs, smoking, alcohol, zarda, and so on" are ineligible, as are those "intending to use the course just for relaxation and rest" at the quiet campus with its gardens and lake. Patients can choose from various types of accommodation, from free wards for those earning less than Rs 1.5 lakh a year to a super deluxe nest costing Rs 11,000 a day. Treatment charges are levied per session, according to the amount of labour involved and many are free, says Ghosh. Thus while a hot stone therapy is priced at Rs 2,500 a session, mud packs, enemas and hip baths are free.

Soon after patients are admitted, a clinical examination, including various tests, is conducted and the treatment and diet designed according to the disease. Patients are encouraged to begin their day with a walk at 5 am, followed by yogic kriyas, laughter therapy and asanas. This is followed by various kinds of naturopathy treatments, from mud packs to walking on a reflexology track or an enema, physiotherapy and acupuncture. You're expected to be in bed by 10 pm. There is also a whole list of what you cannot do while you're there, from talking on your mobile phone outside your room to eating anything other than what is prescribed.

If patients are on allopathic medication, the aim is to reduce their dependence on it, as was the case with Kejriwal's insulin intake, says Nandakumar. "We don't stop allopathic medication abruptly but we gradually taper it. There is no medication in naturopathy," she says. In Kejriwal's case, the insulin was reduced by 70 per cent, adds Ghosh. "The other issue was his chronic cough. We are not saying it has been cured, but it has been brought under control," he says. Nandakumar says that Kejriwal has been advised on the changes he needs to make to his lifestyle, in his food and in practising yoga.

Kejriwal is hardly the only high-profile patient to have found relief at Jindal Naturecure. Lawyer and AAP founding member Prashant Bhushan is also a regular patient, according to the hospital, while earlier patients include former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and various governors and central and state ministers. Krishnakumar Natarajan, CEO and co-founder of IT services firm MindTree, is another regular. "In just a week, I saw the positive effects of good diet and exercise. The experience has made a believer out of me in naturopathy," he tells me on email.

The other popular wellness centre in Bengaluru is Soukya in Whitefield, where Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have spent time. Positioned as a holistic health centre rather than a naturopathy hospital, treatments here include ayurveda and homeopathy. And if you don't have an ailment but are only looking for relaxation, Soukya offers various wellness packages. A seven-day destress programme would cost Rs 16,740 a day, while a two-week weight-loss package costs Rs 12,860 a day. One is expected to stay on the premises for at least seven days. "The awareness of the side-effects of chemical-based medication and its limitations in addressing chronic and lifestyle disorders is widespread," says Issac Mathai, founder of Soukya. This, he adds, is making naturopathy more popular.

While many question the efficacy of naturopathy, some practitioners of allopathic medicine believe it is beneficial in certain cases. "It definitely has a major role to play in chronic illnesses such as hypertension. We have seen that if a patient with high blood pressure does yoga or naturopathy, the amount of medicines he needs to take comes down," says Devi Shetty, chairman and founder of Narayana Health Group (formerly Narayana Hrudayalaya). He says their chain of hospitals has had someone teaching patients yoga for the past decade.

Not everyone might be convinced of its benefits, but the Delhi government seems to have been sufficiently impressed by Kejriwal's experience to want to set up a naturopathy centre at Najafgarh, according to a report in The Indian Express. If the centre materialises, Kejriwal might actually be able to pay heed to Jindal Naturecure's strictures and avoid repeat visits.

Nature'S Way

What: Naturopathy is a system of alternative medicine that believes the accumulation of toxins in the body causes various illnesses.

Treatment: Involves restoring the imbalance in the body through different therapies, packs, yoga and dietary changes. No medicine is prescribed.

Where: Jindal Naturecure and Soukya in Bengaluru are two well-known institutes.

Cost: At Jindal, some treatments such as acupuncture (Rs 600/session) and therapies (oil therapy: Rs 1,000) are charged per sessions, while many are free. Soukya has various wellness packages and treatments, depending on whether you are a patient. Wellness packages start at Rs 8,850 per day. Details available on www.jindalnaturecure.org and www.soukya.com