At a young age of 37, Bhamidipati Srinivas was diagnosed with BP, borderline sugar levels plus a thyroid issue. He decided to take health in his own hands and started meticulous research through books and videos. Using a multi-pronged approach, he changed his lifestyle and now lives a happy, healthy life. Here is his inspiring story.

Bhamidipati Srinivas

37 years, Computer Science lecturer

Eluru, Andhra Pradesh

Multiple diagnosis – Diabetes, thyroid, and high BP

“What??? 104.7 fever?” My family doctor almost yelled, "You should get admitted to the hospital immediately and the more you delay the more chances it can damage your brain. Your BP is at 150, stop your over thinking or else I have to call the hospital and tell them to put you on BP medicine first, and yes you are almost diabetic with hba1c 6.4 and your thyroid too has crossed the normal ranges. You are still under 40, who told you to go vegan and leave milk at this age? First things first, go to the hospital and join there”. So saying, she handed over a hospital address to me.

Even before she finished her ranting about the gross mistake I did choosing a vegan lifestyle, I started walking outside thinking to myself "Ok, there ends my story, from tomorrow onwards I have to pop pills and die a pathetic death with all the side effects in less than two decades or so".

Learning pranayama

I was admitted into a corporate hospital, doctors were doing their job and I was doing mine a.k.a THINKING - I was thinking about how to come out of this issue. Meanwhile, my parents started praying to every God on this planet to save me from the chronic health disorders I was going through. (In my family we pray to Gods of all religions and we go to church, mosque, temple, and gurudwara with the same belief).

I had read a beautiful quote which said - "When you are in a deep mess, solve one problem at a time based on priority". I felt I had to deal with the most important of all my problems, which I felt was my blood pressure.

On the hospital bed, I took out my cell phone and started watching videos on how to control blood pressure. As far as my learning went, there are four stages in hypertension, the last stage is where we end with blood pressure. I realized that all my life I was a victim of OVERTHINKING. I found a video about pranayama and started doing it but it was a big failure. I felt it was not working as I still had a small uneasiness kind of feeling at my chest. Though I didn’t doubt the system of yoga, I felt I was missing something.

I started watching more videos of yoga and realized I have to add the right way of puraka (inhalation) rechaka (exhalation) and kumbhaka (holding of breath) to my pranayama. I did it for 15 minutes and then sat in an almost no thoughts state for more than 40 minutes (I got this strange "I am not this body" feeling for the first time in my life). I asked the staff to re-check my BP – It was at 140 (from the previous 150). I did that for three to four days more and my BP came to normal.

Later after I got discharged, I made a rule to walk in the sun early in the morning whenever I feel a little tense followed by pranayama. I also did Shavasana for some period which I felt was really important given the emotionally toxic world we are living in. So now BP is no more an issue (Is it as easy for everyone else? I don’t know but it sure worked for me).

READ MORE

Settling my mind

As another rule, it is so important to not take any life situation or anyone so seriously. I chant this mantra daily "NO one is important and Nothing is Important". Does it sound harsh? I still care for people but I don't put myself into any emotional roller coaster. To keep my mind at peace is my only motive in life. I believe the higher power knows when to give what and to whom to give.

Healing from diabetes the natural way

Now I focused on my diabetes. I saw this amazing book named "Reverse your diabetes in 21 days" by Dr Nandita Shah. She is a vegan for many years. I bought the book online and started reading it. The book explained that there was a link between diabetes, low vitamin D and low B12. I found that my Vitamin D and B12 are very deficient. I focused on how to solve this by taking in more sunshine every day.

Meanwhile, I started following my friend Prashanthi Atluri’s (who is a vegan and a doctor) suggestion to avoid soaps and use alternate methods like soap nuts or herbal soap powders available in the kitchen. Following this, my HBA1C level came down to 5.1 from 6.4 in a matter of 3 months. Meanwhile, I also switched to eating millets as suggested by Dr. Khadar Vali Siridhanya (who is known as the millet man of India). Millets are higher in fiber and on digestion release glucose slower compared to other grains like rice and wheat. So no more diabetes too (Hurray!)

Tackling thyroid issues

My next focus was on the jumping numbers of my thyroid - TSH values. The antibodies test during the thyroid test came negative, so I was not put on any medications and asked to go for a recheck in 3 months.

My friend Ranika Karia, who herself had reversed thyroid issues told me that that it could be reversed with a natural lifestyle. I followed all the tenets of a natural lifestyle like eating organic foods, reducing stress, walks and sunlight, plant-based diet and less chemical exposure (My paste, my soap, my shampoo are all kitchen products). I made it a rule that I put no chemicals on my body as they are hormone disruptors. I was also able to lose weight by following these measures. My thyroid levels are well under control without taking any medications.

Conclusion

In summary, the things I have changed in my life:-

Food:

1. I don’t drink milk, I only consume plant-based milk. I consume black sesame curd for calcium in small quantities once in 8 to ten days and also coconut milk and curd.

2. I eat whole food organic plant-based diet.

3. I eat five positive millets (The Five positive millets are Foxtail (Navane), Barnyard (Oodalu), Araka (Kodo), Little (Samai) and Brown Top (Korale). Each millet is eaten two days and the cycle repeats after every ten days as suggested by Dr. Khadar Vali.

4. I drink when I feel thirsty and I eat when I have hunger pangs (Watch videos of Darryl D'Souza, Madhavan, Sandeep Maheshwari on youtube regarding this).

5. No refined white sugar into my body in any form.

6. No packaged food

7. No Oil packets. We use oil that comes from oil mills (We take sesame, coconut and groundnut to mills and ask them to extract oil). We use very less oil in our food.

8. We use cast Iron pans. No nonstick cookware as they contain Teflon which is a number one carcinogen.

9. I made friends with some farmers. So I get fruits and vegetables for very less price and its all organic (I pay them more than middlemen but still it is cheaper).

Activities:

1. I walk every day in the early every morning and evening.

2. I try to sleep as early as possible. I sleep in a fully dark environment (no bed lights too) as advised by Dr. Khadar Vali who he says it helps to release certain chemicals that give us good, deep sleep.

3. I brush my teeth with fingers and daily massage my gums and I use neem stick or activated charcoal + Rock salt (1:1/5 ratio) as advised by Dr. Khadar Vali.

4. I limit my mobile time to 15 minutes a day.

5. Less Facebook friends, Less toxic people around.

6. Reading is my hobby, I read a lot of stuff on the net regarding food and vitamins. No TV watching or movies. I do a lot of research about food and a healthy lifestyle, I feel it is very important.

I keep updating myself

I follow the pieces of advice of Dr Eric Berg (not his keto advices but other advices) , Dr Nandita Shah, Dr Rupa Shah (she wrote so many good books which are available online), Dr Neal Barnard, Dr Khader Valli, to name a few.

Good luck to you all.

READ MORE

(About Bhamipati Srinivas: Bhamipati is a lecturer in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. After completing his education in MCA, he decided to focus on teaching. His students love him because of his unconventional approach to teaching through audio notes, Whatsapp and unlimited access to him whenever they need to clear doubts.

He is a voracious reader, a Wikipedia buff, and loves to read about all kinds of topics, particularly spiritual, fiction, non-fiction, philosophy, health, non-verbal communication and psychology).

Help Vote (28)

Comments (6)

Share

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google+
• Linkedin
• Email
• WhatsApp