BURLINGTON, MA—For the first time, Mega Health Expo will present a panel discussion on women’s health from Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Yoga point of view. The panelists include Jhuma Biswas,  Aparna Pattewar, Pratibha Shah, and Kim Valeri.

The Women’s Health alternative medicine panel will be held at 12:30 pm at the Mega Health Expo, which is scheduled on Sunday, April 3, at Burlington Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA.

The Health Expo is organized by INE MultiMedia in collaboration with INDIA New England News, and is sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Lahey Health, Cambridge Health Alliance and Neem Medical Spa.

Here is a brief Q-A with Shah, an Ayurveda expert and president of Wholistic Health Alliance, non-profit organization dedicated to building healthy communities, through education and dissemination of information about – self-care, food as medicine, preventive lifestyle and holistic solutions for health and wellness.

India New England News:  What will attendees learn from this panel?

Pratibha Shah

Pratibha Shah:  Women’s health is intimately connected to their roles as mothers, partners, and daughters. This panel will provide useful information and key takeaways for health and wellness during the important transitions in a woman’ life–from the rich perspectives of Ayurveda, Homeopathy as well as Yoga.

Most holistic practices recognize the unique blueprint that each one of us is born with. Solutions are therefore customized and personalized. Another common thread is the preventative approach. Knowing one’s specific body type paves the way to a life which is more aligned with the core wiring.

Diet, lifestyle, herbs – all of these contribute to a healthy passage during these milestone events in a woman’s life. This panel will cover all these aspects.

INE:  Does Ayurveda provide specific recommendations for women?

PS: A woman’s body undergoes a series of physical, emotional and hormonal changes as she goes through menarche, motherhood and menopause. Ayurveda provides exhaustive support and care guidelines in all of these seasons in a woman’s life, nurturing and protecting not only the woman’s body but also the mind and spirit.

Hormonal and reproductive health, beauty and balance in mind and body, prenatal natal and postnatal care and protocols, healthy aging – all of these are possible and easily achieved by following the rich guidance provided by this vast healing life science.

INE: How does Ayurveda differ from modern medicine when it comes to women?

PS: There are many differences that come to mind, some of them very fundamental. For example, Ayurvedic approach does not believe in one size fits all.  A major part of Ayurveda is focused on prevention and preventative practices. There are elaborate self-care rituals, daily regimens, seasonal living, recognizing the various phases of our life as we age and modifying our choices accordingly, and more.

And then there are some real gems such as – epigenetics, concept of tonics, healthy aging protocols, cell protective herbs – the list can go on. In short, Ayurveda is a truly holistic science, which defines health as not just the absence of disease or even homeostasis in physical and physiological health, but goes beyond and includes the mental as well as spiritual health in the most comprehensive definition of health ever written.

Specifically in reference to women, Ayurveda has elaborate diet and lifestyle guidelines as well as herb protocols which ensure hormonal and overall health, which in turn make the different transitory phases in a woman’s life smooth and easy. Since all of the solutions are natural and food and plant based, there are no side effects and on the contrary the body organs and functions are supported wholesomely. Ayurveda can truly support and nurture the delicate energies of a woman as she passes through the beautiful seasons in her life.

Here is bios of the panelists:

Jhuma Biswas

Jhuma Biswas

Biswas, CCH, RSHom (NA) is a nationally certified homeopath and is a member of the Registered Society of Homeopaths (North America). Starting out her career as an Electrical and Software Engineer, she was inspired to take on studies of Homeopathy after she became mom to her sweet little daughter.  She has a private practice in Needham, MA, built largely upon word-of-mouth referrals. Aside from her general practice, she also works with children on the Autism Spectrum and their families, using a special branch of homeopathy called CEASE.

Aparna Pattewar

Vaidya Aparna Pattewar

Pattewar [BAMS, PGPP, RMAS (AAPNA), RAP(NAMA)] is an Ayurveda Practitioner and Pulse Diagnosis expert. She is a co-author of Ayurveda Cookbook – Eating for Mind, Body and Consciousness.

Pratibha Shah

Dr. (Vaidya) Pratibha Shah, BAMS, Masters in Ayurveda, MPH, is one of the leading Ayurveda experts in New England. With more than 25 years of practice, she is one of the few holistic practitioners leading the effort of true integration, specializing in client-centric wholesome care for issues such as – women’s reproductive health, mental health, skin disorders, auto-immune disorders, geriatric issues and more.   She is founder and president of Wholistic Health Alliance.

Kim Valeri

Kim Valeri

Kim Valeri uses Yoga Therapy and Ayurvedic counseling to bring greater health and wellness to the lives of individuals and families since 1997. She is Founder and CEO of Yogaspirit Studios, a registered school certifying Teachers and Yoga Therapy Practitioners, as well as a strategic partner of Kerala Ayurveda Academy, bridging the sister sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda with academic excellence as Faculty and Adviser.