All organisms strive to maintain one ideal – ‘homeostasis’…that is, balance.
An imbalance in any aspect of life throws everything out of gear and the body begins its fight to survive. Illness is an attempt by the body to draw attention to deeper issues of neglect, damage or danger…and an effort to repair and rectify and lead itself back to a state of balance…to a state of health.
Today, we understand health to be much more than the absence of illness. Today, we use the term “Wellness” to denote a healthy balance of the mind-body and spirit that results in an overall feeling of well-being.
Today, for some reason a lot of people do not feel satisfied till we doctors stuff them full with medications every hour on the hour. They feel like the Doctor is not “doing” enough for them.
The unfortunate truth is that wellness cannot be achieved by buying it Over the Counter. It requires hard work. As the brilliant inventor Thomas Edison put it, “The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
That means a great attitude, an interest in exercise, in being social, active and involved. The moral of the story is to get up, get dressed, get busy, get lucky and get going. So, being well is about being alive.
Hippocrates said “Walking is man’s best medicine”. And yet the truth is that most of us start yawning at the very name of exercise. It is understandable. The reason is simple. We eat like pigs. And this makes us feel so full that we find it better to tie ourselves to the comfort of our chairs rather than move about.
I strongly belive that you cannot run if you don’t know how to walk. The first step to health is to eat right. And it is rather more simple than exercise. You may know a lot of people who do not exercise but I am sure you do not know a single person who doesn’t eat.
A balanced diet can do wonders for a person. Now, let me tell you what a balanced diet is. In short, it means that your diet must contain vegetables of 9 colours. Yes, you heard me right. 9 colours. Now tell me how many differently coloured veggies you can remember. Tomatoes are red, spinach is green, alright…and…???
In today’s era of anxiety and layoffs, I find that some of my patients either eat too much or too little. And they eat what they can. Each of these scenarios is extremely harmful for health. However, it would be naïve of me to expect their habits to change overnight. The best plans are those that are simple. Just as the key to succeeding in examinations, we advise students to study a little every day, having a few of Nature’s bounties everyday can help us counter the threats modern worries impose on our health.
The very witty Mark Twain said “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” All I ask is that if doing a little of what you don’t like allows you to do a lot of what you enjoy, then why not?
I have written at length about the benefits of a good diet. Hope you’ll take good care of your health. I would soon be writing on my next topic “Depression”. Thankyou!