Diet, Vipassana & Yoga For Cancer Treatment: Jeroo Mulla’s Story (2 of 2)

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Jeroo Mulla is a media expert, who had been the Head of the SCM (Social Communications Media) Post-Graduate Course at Sophia Polytechnic in Mumbai since 1986. Under Jeroo’s tutelage, thousands of young media professionals have blossomed and now hold eminent positions in print & broadcast media, film & TV production, advertising and public relations. Jeroo is also an accomplished Bharatanatyam dancer. In 2006, Jeroo was diagnosed with early-stage Uterine cancer and underwent surgery and radio-therapy. This is the 2nd part of her story, as recounted by her. Read part 1 here.

Towards Recovery

Alongside Jeroo’s steady progress, the detoxification continued. Her diet regime now expanded to include juices and mixed foods.

“White pumpkin juice an hour before meals (it lines the stomach and aids digestion) and the juice of water-melon rind in the evenings. The mono fruits and vegetables slowly gave way to mixed fruits, and then I could take mixed raw salads; little by little I was allowed to eat nuts, then steamed moong sprouts and steamed corn.”

Importance of staying on track

One month after the radiation treatments, Jeroo went on a well-deserved holiday. By this time much of the toxicity had already been flushed out, so Anju relaxed the strict diet on the holiday! However, Jeroo was to try and have fruits for breakfast, salad before lunch and dinner, fruits in the evening and lime shots (equal quantities of lime-juice and water) after every meal.

“I felt fine, but I had severe diarrhoea once. Anju told me not to worry, to just have apples or bananas through the day and salad and baked or steamed potatoes for meals. It worked. I had a wonderful holiday. But when I came back I began the strict diet again and began to feel much better. I realized how important it was, to stick to my diet, strict as it was.”

Jeroo’s ‘Maintenance’ Diet Today

(Readers: please do not try this without expert advice!)

Early morning: Wheat grass juice.
Breakfast: Fruits/ dry fruits and orange/pomegranate juice. (Only fruits till 12 noon).
12.00 noon: Fresh vegetable juice (Spinach with celery/tomato/cucumber with lemon and ginger; OR Beetroot /tomato / carrot with mint and ginger.
Lunch: Raw salad, sprouts, rice/idli and a nut-milk preparation which seems like a daal (lentils). No oil or salt is used.
After lunch: Lime-shot
Evening snack: Fruits; followed 1 hour later by Pumpkin juice (with raw spinach or celery or mint, coriander leaves, ginger and lime
Dinner: Salad with lots of nuts and steamed potatoes and steamed whole daals or sprouts.
After dinner: Lime shot; followed by pumpkin juice an hour later.

Things to avoid

  • Refined Salt: a small quantity of sea salt or rock salt is OK
  • Refined Sugar: Gur (jaggery) or honey in small quantities is OK; Date paste is a great substitute
  • Milk and dairy products: “Anju gives me what seems like curd-rice but is actually rice with nut milk! You honestly cannot make out the difference! Saw her doing it on a TV cooking demonstration”
  • Wheat: Bajra and jowar are preferable, rice is the best
  • Oils & fats: Sesame and olive oil in small quantities are OK. Freshly grated coconut is a great addition
  • Split daals: Ok, but very occasionally.

 Important Do’s

  • Lots of fruit: But not to be mixed with any other food
  • Lots of dry fruits: Khajoor (dates), Anjeer (figs), Jardaloo (apricots), black raisins, raisins, etc. But not to be eaten or mixed with nuts
  • Lots of nuts: Badam (almonds), Kaju (cashew), Akrod (walnuts), Pista (pistachios). Peanuts are OK in some cases, but check for any allergies.
  • Lots of fresh vegetable juices
  • Lots of raw vegetable salads
  • Lime-shots: Juice of one lime and an equal quantity of water. No further dilution
  • Juice of fresh turmeric: Take occasionally, it is a great disinfectant and immunity builder.

“Today, thanks to the diet my energy levels are so good. I am back to full day work; I do rigorous classical dancing thrice a week and yoga every day. I have made a lifestyle change. And I feel on top of the world. In many ways, I feel better after the cancer than before!”

Isn’t Jeroo’s story an inspiration to us all?

Reflection

  • What does your diet look like?
  • What dietary changes have you made, if you have had cancer?
  • What advice have you sought from an expert nutritionist, who specialises in cancer?

References

 Anju Venkat’s Health Awareness Centre, Mumbai: Tel: 022-32961316/ 022-24980005/ 022-24980006;  Email: thacwellness@gmail.com

Author

Written by Priya Shah, a first-year student of Communications at Mount Carmel College.

More from this series

Title About the article
Part 1 Jeroo takes us on a journey that starts with intensive medical treatment and continues further into a Holistic and Integrated regime. Today, after 5 years of being cancer-free, she has made a permanent lifestyle change, which makes her feel better and healthier with each passing day.
Part 2 Alongside Jeroo’s steady progress, the detoxification continued. Her diet regime now expanded to include juices and mixed foods.

 

6 COMMENTS

  1. I knew Ms.Jeroo from my college days. We went on a trip to Nepal together. She may not remember me as I wasn’t in her class. But i remember her deep blue eyes and beautiful smile. I was always happy to see her. On the trip they refused to let her into the Pashupathinath temple -because of her looks i think they thought she was a foreigner, but everyone insisted that she was Indian and so should be allowed. I’m very glad to know that she has gotten over this difficult condition and is doing well. Very many wishes for a long and cancer free life ahead!

    • Thanks Sandhya. Please let me know separately if you’d like to reach out to Jeroo in person, I’ll be happy to put you in touch. Vijay

  2. I am so very happy to have found this post, as I was searching for info that could be of use to a friend’s son who is undergoing chemotherapy. I am happy too for Ms Jeroo Mulla and grateful to Anju and her mother for putting their convictions into practice for the benefit of humanity at large.

    • Thanks for your kind words, Belose and we’re glad you found the article useful. There is plenty of more material on the site that may be of help to your friend’s son. If you key in ‘chemotherapy’ into the Search Box, you’ll be able to see all of them. Cheers, Vijay

  3. Jeroo was my teacher and a great inspiration way back in 1989 when I was a student of SCM. The Jeroo I knew had the guts to fight back any adversity and she has proved it yet again. She may not remember me but she continues to inspire !

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