Holistic Health with Dr Gauri Rokkam

09/11/2025

How to Develop Healthy Habits?

Just like getting rid of unhealthy habits(as you saw in yesterday’s post), developing new healthy ones isn’t easy. By nature, our mind seeks what’s easy, quick, and pleasurable. Not just in eating habits, life in general. It resists things that take effort, time, or don’t offer instant gratification.

So, go slow and steady — because building a good habit takes time. Think about how you became skilled at what you do today — whether as a homemaker, doctor, engineer, or teacher. Did you enroll in your course one day and receive your degree the next morning? Of course not! You showed up every single day, attended classes, took notes, did assignments & projects, wrote exams, and only after consistent effort over years did you earn that certificate (or mastery, in the case of a homemaker, after years of cooking and managing).

So why expect healthy habits to form overnight — and feel guilty when we slip? Start small instead. Choose just one simple, practical habit to begin with. Once you start experiencing its benefits, you’ll naturally feel encouraged and inspired to add the next one.

This steady, continuous practice is the real secret to success. It’s like sowing seeds. Both need patience and persistence.

*Go slow—one step at a time. Don’t give up. Just stay with it*.

Dr. Gauri Rokkam

07/11/2025

How does one get rid of bad or unhealthy habits?

Unhealthy habits are easy to form because they bring instant pleasure. The nature of the mind is to seek instant enjoyment through the senses. For example, we know that eating junk food harms our health — but not immediately. The pleasure comes now, while the harm comes later — after months or years. So the mind quickly chooses what feels good in the moment.

However, breaking unhealthy habits is much harder because they alter the brain’s chemistry, creating dependency and addiction(sugar/fat). It becomes a vicious cycle — unless you stop the unhealthy habit, your brain chemistry won’t reset, and unless the brain chemistry changes, the addiction won’t stop.

There’s a beautiful Telugu saying: “Pendli kakunda pichi podu, pichi pokunda pendli kadu” — meaning, you can’t get married without solving your madness, and you can’t get rid of your madness without getting married! It humorously reflects the interdependent cycle we often find ourselves trapped in.

Solution:
Be aware and mindful when making choices — every small decision shapes your future habits.
Cultivate healthy habits instead of fighting unhealthy ones.

For example, if you want to stop drinking coffee in the evening, don’t struggle with the urge. Simply start having a bowl of fresh fruits at that time. As your body begins to enjoy the lightness and clarity that fruits bring, the coffee habit will naturally and gradually fade away.

Dr. Gauri Rokkam

07/11/2025

I’m not very active on other social media platforms. However, I regularly share useful information and practical tips on food and lifestyle through my WhatsApp and Arattai channels.

If my work interests you, I invite you to join either of them to receive simple, actionable guidance for improving your daily habits.

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaZBXyvC1FuCrjJnRP1d
OR
https://aratt.ai/

Wishing you health

07/11/2025

As the year comes to a close, gift yourself a journey of harmony, healing, and inspiration.

Be part of Mysuru Yoga Utsava 2025 – where Yoga, Wellbeing, and Culture unite in a global celebration from 18th to 21st December in Mysuru.

Experience the scale and spirit of this international gathering with
• 500+ Participants
• 50+ Renowned Teachers
• 40+ Experiential Workshops
• 30+ Countries

Join this Festival of Wellness where global traditions meet mindful living.

Reserve your place now.
www.mysuruyogautsava.com

*I will be speaking at this Yoga Utsava*

05/11/2025

Join us and share the invite with your local friends and relatives. I will also be speaking in this Yoga conference.

November 8th - 9th

04/11/2025

14/10/2025

🌱Live Younger, Longer– 3-Day Whole Food Plant-Based Workshop with Dr. Gauri Rokkam

Discover the fundamentals of a plant-based lifestyle through learning, cooking, and mindful eating.

📅 Oct 17–19 | ⏰ 11 AM–2:30 PM | 📍 Koramangala, Bengaluru
💰 Fee: ₹3000

👉 Sign up & view details here: [https://forms.gle/Eaw5puxDd22SWgqG6]

📘 Brochure: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WjB6SLflB4IuSEGmG_b6CVxZNJDAa1XB/view?usp=sharing]

Limited seats — join early!

08/10/2025

🌱 Live Younger, Longer – 3-Day Whole Food Plant-Based Workshop with Dr. Gauri Rokkam

Discover the fundamentals of a plant-based lifestyle through learning, cooking, and mindful eating.

📅 Oct 17–19 | ⏰ 11 AM–2:30 PM | 📍 Koramangala, Bengaluru
💰 Fee: ₹3000

👉 Sign up & view details here: [https://forms.gle/Eaw5puxDd22SWgqG6]
📘 Brochure: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WjB6SLflB4IuSEGmG_b6CVxZNJDAa1XB/view?usp=sharing]

Limited seats — join early!

08/09/2025

Someone asked me what I think about allopathy and supplements.

Here’s what I told them

When it comes to diagnosis, I see it as my compass. Reports and tests show me where to begin, how fast or slow to move, and whether it’s even safe for me to take on a case. A good diagnosis from an experienced doctor matters.

But… I never forget that the client’s symptoms and lived experiences matter even more. Reports guide me, but the person in front of me tells me the real story.

And yes, in an emergency or accident, allopathy is life-saving. Once life is saved, that’s when natural methods step in to rebuild and restore.

Supplements? Honestly, I trust food. Every nutrient the body needs to heal, repair, and thrive can come from real food—when it’s chosen wisely. Rarely, for a short while, I may prescribe a good quality plant-based supplement. But it’s the exception, not the rule.

Just two days ago, a young client with a 100% blocked artery reached out to me in panic. The doctors had declared it a medical emergency. I told him, “If you’re still alive, it means your heart has already found a way. It’s creating collateral circulation to keep you going. Work with your doctor, buy time, and let’s work on your food, lifestyle, and mindset."

The power of Nature's healing is immense.
Dr. Gauri Rokkam.

03/09/2025

Yesterday was International Coconut Day.

Happy International Coconut Day! May this humble fruit remind us of nature’s gift of nourishment, versatility, and sustainability.

For centuries, the coconut has been central to Indian food traditions. Yet, time and again, clients would come to me, saying their cardiologists had warned them against eating coconut.

So, I decided to study it. I wanted to research coconut not just as a nutrient profile, but in its whole-food form, and the context of the human system as a whole.

Under the guidance of Dr. H.R. Nagendra ji, the Founder Chancellor of SVYASA Yoga University, and in collaboration with St. John’s Medical College, I led the first-ever study on fresh coconut. A dedicated kitchen and dining facility was set up at SVYASA under Dr. Nagartna ji’s supervision so we could design and serve controlled meals.

We selected groundnut and its oil as the comparator because of its fat composition, primarily monounsaturated fat, which is recognised by modern nutrition science as “heart-healthy.” In contrast, coconut oil, with its saturated fat content, had long been labelled harmful, particularly for heart health. Yet, from the perspective of Nature Cure and traditional systems like Yoga, the coconut is viewed as nourishing and healing.

80 participants were divided into two groups: one consumed coconut & coconut oil, the other groundnut & groundnut oil, for 3 months. We monitored several important health markers—lipid profiles, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, and other metabolic indicators—focusing on parameters that influence cardiovascular and overall health.

The results? Coconut was innocent. No harm was found, and in some cases, parameters improved.

For me, this was more than a doctorate. It was proof that traditional wisdom and modern science can meet with honesty and rigour.

To read the full article -https://www.drgaurirokkam.com/post/coconut-was-innocent-my-journey-from-doubt-to-discovery

01/09/2025

Crisis as the Catalyst – Lessons from Vedanta

Vedanta teaches that without a deep, burning desire to know ourselves and the purpose of life, we will never truly seek the ultimate truth. It illustrates this vividly and literally — if your head were on fire, your only focus would be to extinguish it. In that moment, the offer of a dream job, your favourite food, or even a million dollars would mean nothing.

I find the same holds true for Aahara/food, Vihara/lifestyle and Vichara/mind space.

People rarely change until crisis strikes — even after facing severe health setbacks. Over the years, I have learnt that advice alone cannot spark transformation. True change happens only when a person recognises their need for help and approaches with clarity and readiness. That is when I can guide them toward their desired health goals.