SHARAN

Our 7-Day Healing Retreats are a great way to have fun, reconnect with nature and even heal. Our next one is coming up soon at a beautiful organic farm near Pune. For details, click here

Vitamin B12 supplements came to my rescue!

SHARAN facilitator Ram Prasad was suffering from a frozen shoulder for months. He did all the possible treatments, but nothing worked. One email to Dr Nandita and he found his cure!

Some lessons are learnt the hard way. But it does not have to be the same for you! I was elated after my first SHARAN seminar, and I stopped dairy immediately. It took some time to go oil-free and organic. I felt everything should be okay then. Little did I realise there was something I had overlooked!

I started getting minor pain in the shoulder. Initially, I brushed it off and ignored it for a few weeks. One morning, I just couldn’t move my hand and I was in intense pain. I rushed to an Ayurveda doctor. It turned out to be a ‘frozen shoulder’. The joint movement was stuck. The doctor said that it might take several months to get well. The pain intensified after massage. I then rushed to a chiropractor. That didn’t help either. 

Finally, I wrote an email to Dr Nandita asking for advice. I was asked to get my vitamin B12 and D checked immediately. The results were at an alarmingly low level! Dr Nandita advised me to supplement quickly with injections and tablets. In two days, I got major relief. In a week, I was almost normal!

Though Vit B12 and D are in the SHARAN 5-point system, I didn’t pay heed till it turned into an emergency!

I have been enjoying greater health since then.

Dhokla Sandwich

These sandwiches will be whole, tasty, and filling too. Surely better than bread. Do try them and let us know.

Ingredients

• 1 cup split black gram (urad dal) unpolished, rinsed and soaked in double the quantity of water
• 1 cup split moong beans (moong dal) unpolished, rinsed and soaked in double the quantity of water
• Unrefined salt to taste

For the Sandwich

• Coriander chutney
• Sliced tomatoes / cucumbers

Method

Soak urad and moong dals separately for 2 hours (it is better to use half and half – equal quantities of both dals the first time, until you get a feel of it). Grind the soaked dals in the blender, until you obtain a slightly coarse (but almost smooth) paste. Pour into a large bowl. Allow this mixture to ferment for 8 – 12 hours, depending on the room temperature. In summer, 8 hours is sufficient, but on cooler days, it takes longer. You can tell whether it is ready or not by the smell. It should have a slightly sour, fermented smell. Add water so that it is of the consistency of dosa batter (somewhat similar to pancake batter). Add salt to taste.

Pour the batter into a square baking dish to a height of about ¼”. Steam in a steamer, until cooked. A toothpick inserted in the centre of the dhokla should come out clean when cooked. Cool, turn out and cut into bite-sized squares. Spread coriander chutney on a square; arrange sliced tomatoes and cucumbers or even sprouts on top, cover with another square and serve.

Serves 6 – 8

Food For The Mind

FACEBOOK SUPPORT GROUP

If you love Facebook, then join us to be supported on your plant based journey. We are offering two possibilities

1. SHARAN India is SHARAN’s main Facebook page which you can like and follow for getting useful daily updates and news from the plant based health world. You will also get news about the latest SHARAN events, see testimonials, and more.

2. SHARAN’s Vegan Support Group is an open support group to know more about vegan/plant-based lifestyle. Here you can ask questions and share inspiring stories, tips, recipes, etc.

All our doctors and presenters will be here to answer your questions and give you tips. If you have attended our events join this group to be a part of our family.

Please like the main SHARAN page and join the group(s) applicable to you.

Vitamin B12 – The Powerhouse

Vitamin B12, also called ‘Cobalamin’, is a soluble vitamin that plays a key role in the normal functioning of our brain and the nervous system, as well as the formation of red blood cells.

Animals, plants or fungi are not capable of producing vitamin B12. Only bacteria can manufacture this vitamin, as only bacteria have the enzymes needed for its synthesis.

Meat and dairy products contain bacteria as they are decaying substances. However, prolonged consumption of meat and dairy can result in the inability to absorb vitamin B12 by the intrinsic cells in the stomach. Our super hygienic lifestyles, microwaves, mobile phones and their towers, and the consumption of alcohol further reduce our B12 levels. These days almost everyone is prone to vitamin B12 deficiency unless foods fortified with this vitamin are regularly consumed.

Vitamin B12 is easily utilised by our body in the form of methylcobalamin and not cyanocobalamin (which is found in spirulina and chlorella) so it’s important to check the form of vitamin B12 that you are taking. If homocysteine levels remain high despite serum vitamin B12 levels being high it could mean that B12 is not being utilised, as occurs when cyanocobalamin is used.

Given the fact that a lack of vitamin B12 leads to multiple problems, including stroke and heart attack, it’s essential for everyone to check their levels regularly and to supplement if necessary. For more detailed information, check https://staging.sharan-india.org/vitamin-b12/