When I was a kid, I read this story of an old rich woman who tries to get her young granddaughter married to a rich man in her village. But the young man rejects her because she's ugly. The old woman then uses her knowledge of Ayurveda to transform her granddaughter into a beautiful maiden. And I always wondered about the secrets of this ancient science that uses no Botox or surgery to create beauty.
Last week, I had a brush with a part of it. Having been told that Balance Wellness Club offers "weight loss" massage, I decided to try it out. I had thought of being massaged with warm herbal oils to magically wipe out all the fat from my body. However, what I got has left me aching in places even after three days.
The Udvarthanam treatment is a semi-hard massage, my therapist Valsala explained, gently scrubbing my feet. OK, I thought, I can manage that. But what ensued was an onslaught which left me screaming, especially when she massaged certain parts. It is a dry massage with a mixture of ground herbs in the upward movement that helps break down fat cells. If the flour you knead into dough could speak, it would tell you how I felt.
The Udvarthanam is just part of the weight-loss therapy. The next step is Dhyanmla Dara, a massage with a blend of herbs and oil and I'm sure just as tough. However, once is not enough for a substantial effect. You need to undergo it at least 14 times (groan!) before you can see a difference. Valsala positively told me I could easily lose the bulge around my midriff and thighs (my upper arms and tummy would take longer). The question is: would I live through it? Apart from just burning fat, the treatment cleanses the body and stabilises metabolism. And the weight won't come back as easily, Valsala informed me.
As part of a religious ritual, I turned vegetarian last week. I hoped I would lose a little more but sadly the indicator on my weighing scale has moved only slightly. Also Dr Chandy informs me that eating vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean weight loss.
"A vegetarian diet is popularly perceived as a ‘detox diet'. However, it is essential for all nutrients to be balanced and for the total calorie consumption to be within a certain limit for any diet to be effective," informs Chandy. "During your week as a vegetarian, we have tried not to have a drastic fluctuation in your calorie consumption, as this could lead to weakness and discomfort. So it is a carefully designed plan. Also, we have to be particular about the food groups that you can consume, to suit your body-type. As always, it is essential for you to couple this diet with a requisite amount of exercise for the results to show".
Next week: A final look at the month-long programme
