Akhilesh was struggling from severe ankylosing spondylitis since age 16. He took conventional treatment but did not succeed. Finally, the introduction to natural lifestyle transformed his life completely. He also lost weight, cured his diabetes and hypertension by eating whole, plant-based food. Read his story to find more.

Akhilesh Sinha

33 yrs, VP at Morgan Stanley

Bengaluru

A painful illness

My trysts with severe body pain had started when I was 16 years old and continued for the next 16 long years. During this time, I had visited every possible orthopaedic doctor to find a cure for my illness. I suffered from stiffness around my joints, lower back, neck, hip and back. It had become increasingly difficult to continue my day-to-day activities due to the never-receding pain. I took medicines for arthritis, bone joint displacement but unfortunately, none of the treatments seemed to work for me. I got multiple tests done for identifying the actual health issue that I was facing but nobody could diagnose the problem. Thus, I began to do some research and came to the conclusion that I could be suffering from ankylosing spondylitis. I discussed the same with my doctor and asked him to prescribe few tests for the same. After the results came, it was confirmed that I was indeed suffering from ankylosing spondylitis. My doctor stated clearly that there was no permanent cure for this problem and it could only be managed by a combination of exercises and pain killers. However, when I was 22 yrs old, the pain shot up incessantly and I had to undergo steroidal treatment for a period of 2 weeks.

Medicines had become a life-long friend. I was already taking medication for diabetes as my HbA (Hemoglobin A) level was 18. I also suffered from hypertension as the blood pressure was always towards the higher end. And now, due to spondylitis, I had difficulty while sitting, walking and to my despair, even sleeping. I had to consume the pain killers to keep my pain under control. As time passed by, I could see no improvement in my condition. At the age of 26, I again had to take steroids for a week. Even though it was frustrating and challenging, I was trying to keep pace with it. But, hell broke loose for me when I had to take bio-similar medicine; an injectable medicinal dose on every alternate month. Not only was it painful physically but also taxing economically as they cost INR 2 Lac/ dose. I continued to take them almost 2 yrs till age 29. It blew a big hole in my pocket, to the tune of Rs 40 lakhs!

Even though the pain did subside with the usage of medicines, I faced extreme side-effects too. I would always feel dizzy, low on energy, have problem sleeping correctly, and get headaches regularly. I realized that the medicines only suppressed the pain but otherwise had no impact on my overall flexibility. I was struggling each day and wanted to try an alternative solution to my chronic problem. During this time, my wife, Shalu, had started reading about holistic treatment, attending seminars about whole food, plant-based diet. She did a 6 month certification in holistic nutrition from American Fitness Professionals & Associates. She also attended a workshop by Sharan on Whole Plant-Based Nutrition. She interacted with multiple people who had cured themselves of chronic health issues by changing their diet to whole food plant-based. We decided to give it a try and see if the results were in our favour. What we got was more than mere satisfaction. It gave us a new perspective on life.

A new way of life

I had vowed to reclaim my health and thus, began taking help from Shalu to move more towards a whole, plant based diet.

• I started my day with healthy smoothies in my breakfast. It contained 1 seasonal fruit, 1 leafy vegetable, berries, chia & flax seeds with water or at times, milk substitutes. I gave up milk and milk products as they are not easily digested by the body. The consumption of raw foods in the morning allowed my system to get rid of toxins and gave me energy throughout the day.
• I wanted to remove polished white rice from my diet. So, for lunch, I removed white rice from my diet and ate red or black rice with lightly cooked dal and salad.
• In dinner, I consumed chapatis made up of millets like jowar, bajra, ragi with steamed vegetable with rock salt and minimum spices and a serving od salad. This way, I removed gluten from my system completely.
• I also consumed healthy nuts and seeds that gave my body the good fats.

Within a month, I began to see a noticeable difference in my health and thus, stopped all the medicines. My joint pain started getting reduced significantly and my body posture also improved. I could lead a normal lifestyle by doing daily activities with much ease. My blood sugar tests were done and this time the HbA (Hemoglobin A) level was only 6! I was glad to see such a quick result of this healthy and natural diet on my body that helped me in getting. My blood pressure also normalized thanks to this diet. One of the most agonizing thing for me was the increasing weight. But, after a year of following this diet, I’ve lost 27 kgs of weight! I have recently started walking for 12-14 kms per day and have begun to enjoy life in a way that was impossible earlier.

Conclusion

From suffering multiple health issues for almost 2 decades to now living a healthy life, I have experienced a lot of confidence in myself ever since I adopted a natural lifestyle. Earlier, I used to avoid playing with kids due to my severe body pain. Their constant requests of playing would be turned down by me as I could not handle the physical exertion, but now I enjoy it. I feel more confident, happier and mentally at peace: all thanks to the power of a natural lifestyle.

With this journey, I hope I can convey to everyone that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE. You can get rid of your health problems, however chronic or stubborn they might be, by just aligning your body with the laws of nature.

(About me: I am an avid reader, love to watch movies and taking long walks. Ever since my introduction to a natural lifestyle, I enjoy investing time in taking good care of my health. I want to inspire people with my health transformation story.)