28/01/2026
Those who know me would probably be quite baffled to hear that I took antibiotics. Yes, after almost fifteen years, I took them for the first time. Ever since I joined college, I have consciously stayed away from antibiotics and, honestly, never really needed them. So you can imagine how bad my condition must have been over the past two plus days.
Unfortunately, I did not have one of my most trusted remedies with me, the one I usually rely on during episodes of loose stools. There was also extreme exhaustion, which only worsened the situation. I initially believed my body would recover naturally, but I was reminded that the body heals only when we provide the right conditions.
There were many lessons from this experience. When the body asks for rest, you must rest. You cannot plan travel at the cost of completely broken sleep and expect the body to recoup. Sleep deprivation directly affects recovery.
My sister (who is a gynaecologist) and I were trying to understand what exactly went wrong. Was it osmotic dehydration or something else? It definitely did not feel like food poisoning. In any case, I cannot thank my aunt enough for her timely suggestion. At that point, I was so drained that my mind was barely functioning. I tried fasting and stayed away from food, but even the mildest spice, sourness, or salt would immediately flush out of my system.
That is when I finally decided to try curd rice. Curd is grahi in nature and rice provides gentle energy. Thankfully, it stayed. After some time, pomegranate followed, and things slowly began to settle.
This experience reaffirmed something very important. Food can be medicine. We do not always need herbs or potent formulations. Herbs have their place, especially when a stronger intervention is required. But in the early stages, when chosen wisely and accessed correctly, food itself can support healing.
FOLLOW for more such Ayurvedic insights.