With 2016 upon us, I look back on 2015 with countless moments of recognition and realization. I am realizing that I need to be present in the moment, which is easier said than done. What passed in 2015 cannot be reclaimed. A moment is a short time, passing in a fraction of a second, yet we are often stuck in the past or projecting the future.

Living in the moment is what shapes our future, although we do not know what the future truly holds for us.

There is a Sikh saying by Guru Nanak Devji: “Tera bhana mitha laage.” Whatever you say, whatever you do, I bow to the almighty. Meaning, that whatever happens, happens for the better. We may not like the results temporarily, but all that is, is for our betterment.

I am taking an oath to be present during each moment of 2016. Interestingly, I’ve been happier when I practiced this mentality. It’s not that there won’t be stress in my life, but stressors are temporary.

In Vedantic philosophy, we are supposed to be a witness to this life. We observe and move on. We don’t get attached to any moment.

Not getting attached and moving on is like the river that flows silently where the water changes position every second, while appearing as if it hasn’t moved. We need to learn to stay afloat on this river, without getting entangled in the highs and lows of the river.

As 2016 lies ahead of us, we need to be attentive and more present—living moment to moment.

There are a number of patients I would like to reflect on for a moment…

Cancer

I would like to start with my oncology patients; many of whom are still in remission.

• A patient with metastatic colon cancer is going on 4 years in remission.
• A patient with metastatic liver cancer is in the 3^rd year of remission.
• One breast cancer patient is in her 3^rd year of remission.
• Another breast cancer patient is in 15 years of remission.
• A patient with a diagnosis of gammaglobulinemia is now 10+ years in remission.
• Several patients with prostate cancer are in remission.
• One patient with glioblastoma recently passed away after 2 successful years of Ayurvedic treatment, which is nothing short of a miracle… Usually, patients with this diagnosis don’t survive more than a few months.
• A more recent metastatic cancer patient of the lungs has been receiving our treatments only and has been feeling very vital. His mindset is positive and he is motivated.

A positive attitude makes treatment outcomes more favorable.

A curing mentality may be the best way of dealing with cancer. We all have cancer cells; however, only healthy immune systems are able to recognize and kill cancer cells selectively.

When we add external therapies, our immune system becomes perplexed and helpless—not recognizing natural defenses and developing resistance to oncology treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and synthetic immunotherapy. When we switch on our own mechanism of healing, the body always knows what to do next.

Patients who receive Ayurvedic treatment at our clinic, for at least 3 months, experience longer survival and remission with improved quality of life. I have found that passing through the first 3 months of treatment is key to attaining a positive treatment outcome.

The metastatic liver cancer patient, for example, came in with weight loss and reduced ability to perform daily life activities—let alone do things that he enjoyed. After a few months of treatment, his weight stabilized, appetite returned and he started enjoying life again. He is now able to do the things he used to before he was diagnosed with cancer.

Another patient with Hodgkin’s disease has gone into complete remission after undergoing treatment. She has written a book which will be available soon.

Diabetes

I would also like to reflect on some of our diabetic patients:

• One patient with DMII has remained in remission without standard allopathic medication.
• Another patient, who was taking insulin and metformin with an A1c of 9.8, was able to lower his A1c to 5.3 and stop all allopathic medications. After 8 years, I recently received an email from him requesting an appointment. He had developed an infection on his leg, which was diagnosed as cellulitis and was treated in the hospital. When he came in a few weeks ago, his A1c was at 6.1. Although he had “fallen off the wagon,” he was in better shape because he was still following some of the treatment protocol that we had given him years earlier.
• A different patient with DMII had kidney failure and an A1c of 9.3 when he first came to our clinic. His creatinine and c-cystatin levels were elevated. When we checked his A1c and kidney functioning every 3 months, his A1c levels and kidney function improved. His latest A1c is 7.3, with normalized kidney function.
• Another DMII patient, with a previous A1c of 8.4, is now in remission with an A1c at 5.1 or 5.2, including normalized kidney functioning without the use of any allopathic medications.

If the A1c goes above 7.0, DMII patients have four times the chance of having a heart attack or stroke. DMII is the number one cause of amputation due to infection, blindness, nerve damage or paresthesias, and kidney failure. If the A1c stays between 6 and 7, we are able to prevent or postpone these sequelae.

The potential for treatment and cure doesn’t come from supplements, herbs or medications. It comes from ones’ attitude, nutrition, exercise and learning how to de-stress by doing yoga, breathing and taking life as it comes; living in the moment.

Fertility

Another interesting patient population are the younger men who work as software engineers at large IT companies. The most common presenting complaint is related to reproductive health: sexual dysfunction, low testosterone and infertility.

A young man’s testosterone should be around 600 to 800. However, I have seen more than a handful of patients come in with testosterone levels ranging in the 100 to 200s. This low energy and sex drive often causes conflict in their personal lives. With our Ayurvedic protocols, we are able to bring testosterone levels back up to the 400 to 500 range.

I can recall six males who were able to father children after undergoing our treatment to improve testosterone levels and sperm count and quality. Mainstream testosterone prescriptions can prohibit men from producing children as a side effect; however, this is not the case with our treatments. Natural medicine works by stimulating the body’s own mechanism—mimicking what needs to be done in a balanced fashion to sustain optimal functioning.

Other Conditions

Patients with a range of conditions have seen success with Ayurvedic treatments:

• In one case of psoriasis, a patient came to our clinic with full body lesions that would frequently flare up and remit. She was not taking any pharmaceuticals like Cimizia, other steroids or immune biologics to stop the inflammation in the skin. She was never happy because she never reached complete remission. When we discovered she was still consuming wheat, we recommended she undergo a complete body cleanse (known as Panchakarma in Ayurveda), with a refined diet that eliminated wheat completely. During this cleanse, she was taking rice protein powders, vegetables, white rice and beans (mung beans) known as kitchari. In one month time, she was completely cured.
• A patient with rheumatoid arthritis, RA, has gone into complete remission, and stopped pharmaceuticals as well.
• Our female patients with hormonal imbalances have also achieved balance with Ayurvedic treatment and diet changes. After undergoing the Ayurvedic cleansing program, changing their diet, lifestyle and working on emotions, they have now achieved hormonal balance—enabling them to bear healthy children and/or successfully transition from pre-menopause to post-menopause.

This illustrates that medicine only affects a small percentage of the body. Our diet, lifestyle, emotions, mental state and stress-reducing techniques affect the largest percentage.

Personal Note

It is interesting looking back at all of last year’s highlights. In my personal life, I have seen many changes within my family:

• My son, Gunny Sodhi, graduated with his MBA from prestigious university and my daughter-in-law was recently admitted into a renowned orthodontics program. Both my son and daughter-in-law moved to Florida so she could pursue her studies.
• My niece got into osteopathic medical school and started her first year in a rigorous program.
• Another niece got into an advanced veterinary medicine program.
• One nephew graduated from the University of Washington and is now working for Amazon.
• Another niece, who is a dentist, is getting married to another dentist this year.

I can only enjoy each moment and bow to the unknown, which is not in my control. All I can do is surrender to the unknown.

The lesson for 2016: Live in the moment and surrender to the Almighty. Everything he does, he does for our betterment. We can learn from the past, we can’t control the future and can only live in the moment.

Have a happier, healthier and wiser 2016. Love you all.
~Dr. Virender Sodhi, MD (Ayurveda), ND