Bitter start to a healthy life

BANGALORE: A bitter good morning to you! Can you afford Rs 5 every day? Are you willing to take a 30-minute walk in the neighbourhood park early in the morning? Do you suffer from any illness, ranging from headache to jaundice? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then your path to that wealth called health is short.
With illnesses induced by stress and a sedentary lifestyle on the rise in IT city, a simple man called Raghunath claims to have found a nature cure for almost all diseases.If you visit any one of the following parks __ Jayamahal, Coles, the one near Indirangar Club, Doopanahalli or the BM Sree BDA park, the man with no medical background offers you a glass of juice simply termed ``made out of leaves and vegetables''''.
In fact, many Bangaloreans are shunning their cup that cheers for this absolutely bitter start to their day. If you drink the concoction of green grass, bilwa, tulsi, neem, brahmi, amrutha balli, curry leaves, mint, coriander leaves, banana stem, cucumber, lemon, ginger, onion, garlic, beetroot, carrot, cabbage, pumpkin and bitter gourd on an empty stomach, before your regular early morning jog or walk, you are promised to be redeemed of a list of illness.
``From 10 customers earlier, today there are hundreds of early risers who take a gulp of this concoction,'''' says Raghunath. The PUC pass man has learnt the `home remedies'' from books.
Raghunath and his wife Pushpa start preparing the different mixtures __ for obesity, diabetes, ulcers and many other health problems __ at 10 pm. By 3 am, the preparations are ready and carted out at 6 am to different parks in the city from Raghunath''s residence in Muthyalanagar.
The makeshift table that serves this `health drink'' up to 8 am at Coles Park has over 200 people swigging it daily. ``My sugar level was very high, it has now stabilised with this drink,'''' says Mani, 45. Another jogger said his high blood pressure is now brought to normal. ``My doctor says if I drink any more of this juice, my BP will come down below normal.''''
Raghunath also suggests dietary restrictions to those who want to follow his advice.