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Untitled Document
Part 1: Comparative Study of Naturopathy Diet and Yoga Diet
Part 2: Effects of an Integrated Yoga Program on the Pulmonary Functions in Police Trainees
By
Prashanth Shetty
ABSTRACT
Part 1: Comparative Study of Naturopathy Diet and Yoga Diet
Diet plays a vital role in the maintenance of good health and in the prevention and cure of diseases. In other words, the right kind of food is most important single factor in promotion of health. The wrong kind of food is most important single factor in promotion of diseases. Human body builds up, repairs and maintains health of cells and tissues only with the help of various nutrients. There are 45 types of nutrients which play a major role in this regard.
Nature cure and Yoga are ways of life. Both are holistic, preventive, curative, drugless systems of health care. Nature cure believes diet is the key in healing the diseases and it classifies diet mainly as eliminative diet, soothening diet and constructive diet. Eliminative diet tries to eliminate the toxins from the body to bring back health, whereas constructive diet as routine diet maintains the health of an individual in day to day life. Yoga emphasizes strictly on diet and classifies whole dietary pattern into sāttvika, rājasika, tāmasika types. Sāttvika diet is most appropriate diet in Yoga therapy and plays a major role in controlling the mind, desires, intellectual growth and helps in higher level of sādhana in mankind. Modern nutrition classifies food as body building, energy yielding, and protective foods. Food is the source of energy to the body. Any prolonged imbalance in intake of nutrients leads to the onset of diseases. According to Āyurveda, food plays the prime position for the growth, strength and immunity of the body and it is classified as Vāta, Pitta and Kapha vitiating.
When Nature cure and Yoga diets are compared they give similar view in their concepts, methodology and principles. Altered food habit is a major cause for several diseases in modern society which is caused due to a desire to merely satisfy our tongue, easy availability, lack of social awareness and nutritional education. Nature cure and Yoga diet gives idea about such normal dietary pattern. Can we make Naturopathy and Yogic diets also attractive or make them easily available? This aspect has been highlighted in this compilation.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
A revolution is occurring in the world of modern medicine. We now have powerful tools against conditions that previously had defied our strongest medical treatments. Where drugs and surgeries have failed, these emerging techniques bring results that surprise the doctor and delight the patient.
We all know that our body is naturally rebound from cold or 'flu'. Our white blood cells seek out and destroy the invading viruses, and all we have to do is, get out of their way and let them work. But our ability to restore good health goes much further than that. Built into ourselves are natural mechanisms that can clean cholesterol, fat and debris from our arteries, restore the health to the joints, bring us level of health that we may never have anticipated. The key to unleashing these wonderful functions lies in the nutrients body has to work with.
Naturopathy and Yoga advocates vegetarian diet based on detail anatomical and historical evidence, it is thought that humans evolved as 'hunter gatherers'. Humans appeared to omnivores capable of surviving on both plant and animal foods. However, human gastro-intestinal tract is capable of digesting both animal and plant foods, there are indications that it can accommodate plant foods much easier than animal foods. Numerous population studies have repeated demonstrated high intake of carotene rich and flavanoid rich fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease and strokes. Tremendous amount of evidences now show that animal-based diet is major risk factor for development of heart diseases, cancer, strokes, arthritis and many other chronic degenerative diseases. It is now recommendation of many health and medical organizations that human diet should focus primarily on plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds offer significant protection against development of chronic degenerative diseases.
Naturopathy and yoga recommends sāttvika, moderate, seasonal diet which consists of more prāëa like leafy vegetables, sprouts, fruits for helpful in promoting the sādhanā path as well as preventing the diseases. And also modern researches has confirmed the folk adage that eating less and especially eating less fats and high protein food prolongs the life.
The main purpose of the study is to provide complete understanding about naturopathic and yogic diet and also to show the importance of this diet in health promotion and disease prevention.
Part 2: Effects of an Integrated Yoga Program on the Pulmonary Functions in Police Trainees
Background: Police personnel are more vulnerable to stress due to their work conditions. Previous studies have shown that yoga is known to be effective in management of modern day stress and tensions. Its techniques predominantly consist the combination of measures of stimulation and relaxation at the physical, mental, emotional and intellectual levels.
Aims: To compare the effects of yoga and physical exercise on pulmonary functions in police trainees after one month of either intervention.
Subjects:The sixty two volunteers were randomly allocated to two groups i.e., Yoga and Physical Exercise group using a standard random number table. The group average age ± SD for the yoga group was 28.8 ± 3.3 years, while the same for the physical exercise group was 28.3 ± 2.9 years. Subjects undergoing training at a Police Driving and Maintenance School, Yelahanka, Bangalore participated in the study.
Design: This was a prospective longitudinal randomized control trial. Subjects of both groups were assessed at the beginning and end of one month during which they had undergone respective interventions.
Assessments: The following pulmonary functions were recorded; forced vital capacity (FVC), slow vital capacity (SVC), maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and minute ventilation (MV). A six letter cancellation test (SLCT) was administered to assess functions such as selective and focused attention, visual scanning, and the activation and inhibition of rapid responses.
Intervention: Yoga group practiced, integrated yoga program which consisted of yogāsanas (physical postures), prānāyāma, relaxation technique, meditation, whereas control group practised general physical exercise (specific exercises used in police training).
Data Analysis: The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test was used to compare data recorded after one month with those at the baseline of each group, separately. The Mann Whitney U Test was used to compare the data of the two groups at baseline. Paired t test for six letter cancellation was done.
Results : The values are group, mean and standard deviation. There was a significant increase in forced vital capacity in yoga group (0.30%). There was decrease in the forced vital capacity (FVC) in the physical exercise group (0.15%). There was decrease in minute ventilation (MV) both in yoga 2.79% and exercise 7.25%. There was significant increase in net scores of the Cancellation task in both yoga (39.9%) and physical exercise (24.64%) group.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The results suggests that the yoga group showed improvement in lung functions and tasks related to attention. The physical exercise group also showed improvement in minute ventilation and cancellation task. A longer follow up may be necessary to observe distinct changes consistent with earlier studies.
This study compared the effect of yoga and physical exercise in police trainees on pulmonary functions (one of the indicators of general health) and letter cancellation task, a test for attention, visual selectivity and motor response.
Sixty two male volunteers were randomly assigned into yoga (average age and SD, 28.8±3.3 years, n = 29) and physical exercises (average age and SD, 28.3±2.9 years, n = 31) groups. They were followed after 4 weeks and assessed for pulmonary functions and letter cancellation tasks. Sixty subjects completed the trial. There was a significant increase in forced vital capacity (FVC) in yoga group (p<.01) and decrease in minute ventilation both yoga (2.79%) and physical exercise group (7.25%) (p<.01). The net scores for the letter cancellation task increased significantly in both yoga (39.9%) and physical exercise group (24.64%) (p<.001). There was no change in slow vital capacity (SVC) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV).
The results suggests that the yoga group showed improvement in lung functions and tasks related to attention. The physical exercise group also showed improvement in minute ventilation and cancellation task through lesser magnitude. A longer follow up may be necessary to observe distinct changes consistent with earlier studies.
Keywords: Naturopathy Diet,Yoga Diet,Pulmonary Functions, Police Trainees.
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