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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
is a cliché, but very true, nevertheless
! All said and done, no matter how efficient medical
technology is, and no matter how competent your
doctor is, the best course would be to adopt such
a lifestyle that you never need to see a doctor
in the first place !
Unfortunately, we have become increasingly dependent
upon technology, with the result that we have lost
sight of the sagacity of the ages; which was so
designed that human beings could live in harmony
with nature, and use nature’s healing powers
and the body’s intrinsic wisdom to remain
well. Fortunately, preventive health and wellness
have once again become fashionable ideas for the
1990s — after all, the best medicine is prevention!
Do we really need a doctor to keep us healthy ?
The dismal fact is that most doctors know a lot
about treating ailments, but they know precious
little about how to remain healthy ! (Unfortunately,
medical colleges do not teach doctors how to specialize
in keeping people healthy !) In fact, since doctors
are so used to treating patients who are ill, many
of them really wouldn’t be of much use in
teaching you how to remain healthy! Fortunately,
you do have a remarkable teacher, who can help you
to remain healthy — the wisdom of your own
body !
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Many people are now realizing the value of going
back to nature. None of the steps involved in such
a process is difficult, complex or expensive, but
you need a firm resolve to implement them. Fortunately,
India can boast of a rich tradition of folklore
and wisdom ( including yoga and ayurveda) to fall
back on, and we should tap this resource before
we lose it entirely. All sensible doctors realize
that healing finally occurs from within, and thus
we can make beneficial use of the innate wisdom
of the body to remain healthy ! Traditional wisdom
recognizes that it is the body which heals itself;
in other words, the power to cure a disease lies
within the body itself and not in the hands of the
doctor.
A majority of people will admit that they have fallen
victim to several bad habits. However, most of us
are still not willing to change, and that’s
odd, because most people still believe that being
healthy is far more important than having lots is
money or driving a fabulous car. So why don’t
we change ?
One reason is that we feel it’s too much trouble
to hoist ourselves out of our comfortable ruts,
in which we are deeply entrenched. This is especially
true when we’re under stress. Unhealthy behavior
proves easier and more convenient than doing what
we know is right !
One factor which galvanizes many people to get serious
about living healthily is confronting a serious
illness, either afflicting them, or a friend or
a relative. This realization usually acts like a
kick in the pants, and makes them reform quickly!
Many patients, after having been through the rigours
of a heart attack, for example, are so thankful
to be alive that they’re very willing to make
serious changes in lifestyle. However, a smart person
learns from others, and you don’t have to
wait for an agonizing incident to jumpstart a change
in your life!
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The most important question is: How do you get started?
For one, start out by trying to make small changes
before going in for big ones. Also, begin by adopting
a new behaviour pattern rather than giving up an
old one, because the former is easier. For example,
it’s hard to stop smoking, but it’s
pretty easy to add fruit to your diet every day.
If you’re successful in introducing small
changes, the resulting benefit will motivate you
to undertake the required big changes.
Do things that make you feel good instantly, such
as spending more time with understanding friends.
If they let you talk out your problems and are warm
and caring, even if they aren’t in the best
shape themselves, such a sympathetic attitude will
reduce your stress and make it easier for you to
follow other healthy strategies.
Prayer, worship and belief in God are an important
part of life for many people, and spiritual beliefs
and practices can actually enhance your health and
well-being as well.
Keeping a pet is also a beneficial activity, and
has been shown to improve life expectancy according
to many studies.
It would be worthwhile to be realistic and specific
when setting goals for yourself – don’t
try to run a marathon if so you’re out of
shape that you cannot even walk one kilometre! Start
by promising yourself to walk for five minutes every
day; then increase the duration gradually each week.
If you find yourself gobbling sweets or junk food
at certain times of the day, try to figure out what
triggers the desire. If you find that you keep on
munching chips while watching TV, put a bowl of
fruit next to you instead; or else don’t watch
TV. It’s very important not to let temporary
setbacks obstruct your overall progress. We are
all normally prone to relapse; just don’t
treat it as a monumental problem. Promise yourself
that you’ll start again and get back on track
right away.
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It’s simple
to live healthily — and it’s not expensive
either ! There are only seven major ingredients
in a plan for good health:
- Exercise: Work up to a regular aerobic ( endurance)
exercise programme.
- Diet and nutrition: Everything in moderation
– and cut down on the fat.
- Weight Control: Maintain a healthy weight,
avoid gaining and losing it.
- No smoking: Consider smoking as enemy number
one.
- Alcohol moderation: Abstinence would be ideal.
- Avoiding injury: Use your common sense (for
example, by using seat belts, or opting only
for safe sex).
- Disease prevention: This can be achieved through
periodic check-ups, immunization
and health risk appraisals.
Your future health is largely determined by what
you do at present; your lifestyle and dietary habits
will determine how much time you’ll spend
in hospitals and how rapidly you’ll age. Techniques
have been developed for estimating mathematically
your future health risks. These techniques are collectively
termed ‘health risk appraisal’ or ‘health
assessment’. Here, you have to fill a questionnaire
about your lifestyle and health habits and your
responses are computed to evaluate the likelihood
of your developing major medical problems, such
as heart disease and cancer. These techniques are
an important part of comprehensive health education
programmes, and can help you shape your own personal
health maintenance regimen. Remember that a health
risk assessment is virtually useless unless it motivates
you to change your behaviour. You should constantly
remind yourself that you can reduce your health
risks by changing your lifestyle!
Any person on the street knows that to live longer
you need to eat properly, exercise regularly and
reduce stress to the extent possible! What you need
to do is to get off your backside and start doing
what you know will help you feel better and lead
a longer and healthier life. Just do it, like the
Nike ads exhort! Teach your children as well, so
that our next generation can look forward to a healthier
future !
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