The subtle and tiptoeing signs of hypothyroidism might typically take several years before they are apparent. Speaking of a similar experience to Dr Naresh Perumbuduri, was a man in his early 50s, who visited Ananda with uncontrolled weight gain and an elevated lipid profile. Raising medication was no longer a viable answer for the Pitta personality type, whose situation worsened due to high stress, irregular lifestyle choices and excessive intake of alcohol.

“The 2-inch long, butterfly shaped thyroid gland is very critical for ones’ overall health; the variety of symptoms of an imbalanced thyroid not only surface in a wide variety across the body, the manifested conditions differ in complexity with age, sex and time between onset and diagnosis of the imbalance” says Dr Naresh.

Month by month, to witness deteriorating figures on a lipid profile is a very distressing experience. Investing faith in the hands of Ananda’s wellness team, the guest dedicated 22 days to resolve his lipid profile and hypothyroidism.

The Wellness Journey

Ananda’s experts dived into an in-depth investigation through several in-person consultations and tests, which revealed abnormal ranges in cholesterol levels, thyroid-stimulating hormones, uric acid, triglycerides, and fasting glucose.

The guest’s treatment plan was a highly personalized Panchakarma Programme through phases of rigorous detox therapies, yoga therapies, and food elements comprising of very specific herbs in measured quantity.

He was advised to undergo pacifying therapies and a kapha balancing diet to restore mental strength, as well as therapies like abhyanga, marma-abhyanga, and choorna swedana. One-on-one sessions in yoga, pranayama, meditation, and functional training kept alive the motivation to get better. While the sensory exposure to the sights and sounds of nature during treks in the Himalayan foothills recreated the memory of relaxation that had eluded him. The physicians prescribed de-stressing therapies like Pada-abhyanga and shiro-abhyanga, to raise strength, preparing the mind and body to expel toxins in the days ahead.

Once the guest reflected a stable circadian rhythm and mental strength, physicians escalated intake of herbal ghee or snehpana aiming for the stage when the body shows signs indicating its willingness to expel toxins. Virechanam, sneha vasti, kashaya vasti, nasyam, and other therapies to balance vata or stress levels were to follow. The guest started to lose weight during this stage post a long struggle in the past with stubborn fat.

The End Result

The guest continued to steadily lose weight and his parameters started to return to normal. Post the expelling of toxins followed Ayurvedic shamana therapies to restore vigor and vitality through rasayana or herbal tonics, alongside therapies like pizhichil, shirodhara and navarakizhi, with a diet similar to the initial phase with additional herbs and nutrition for restoration.

With a total weight loss of 6 kgs during the programme, significantly lower cholesterol, and normal thyroid stimulating hormone levels, the guest completed his 22-day stay feeling calmer, mentally lighter, and more energized than he had in years! His digestion and metabolism felt renewed, and the normal status against parameters provided the relief he had been seeking.