From childhood, I was very fortunate. My mother had been to school only until third grade, yet she was remarkably knowledgeable. She was observant and deeply concerned about the health of our family: my mother, my father, my sister and myself. She was a very unusual mother.
Every time we came back from the toilet, she would notice if there was a bad smell. If there was, she would give us a gut cleansing. This was the 1970s, when hardly anyone talked about such things, yet she was very keen about it. If she found sores or blisters in our mouths, she would cook special herbs and fibre-rich food for us.
I am still amazed that she knew all this. The reason, I now understand, is that she was born and brought up in Kerala, with the rich heritage of Ayurveda and Siddha in the culture. She followed the tradition of eating according to the season.
Every day she made sure fruit was included: in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. Even my lunchbox carried an apple or, more often, an orange. She wove all of this into daily life as one integrated system.
She also kept careful hygiene. On the rare occasions when one of us had a cold or cough, she washed that person's utensils separately, and the sick person slept separately, with a bedsheet she washed and dried in the sun. She told relatives and friends, with pride, that in our family when one person is sick, not everyone falls sick, because the chain stops with one person.
These are what we now call modern practices. I was very fortunate to learn them from her.
A personal story shared for inspiration. It is not medical advice; please consult your doctor before changing your diet, cleansing or exercise routine.