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| Be fit or die! |
If you are physically broken, all the money you have earned will be of no use except to pay the hospital bills. We think of the importance of our health only when we fall sick. Let me have a brief discussion with you today on how we could maintain a fit body.
Diet:
There is an old saying "you become what you eat!". The food you take in would affect your body as well as your mind. We can find a lot of myth propagating around us about nutrition which is promoted by greedy "health" product companies, corrupt governments, dirty drug companies and cruel meat and dairy industry. Most of the people are victims to their false propaganda. Our children are fed with the poisonous and steroid mixed cattle dairy "health" foods. Most of the processed food we take contain dangerously high levels of synthetic preservatives, which will be denied by governments and the companies.
What is the secret of ever lasting youth and health?
Wait a moment. Before we ask this, let's turn back to the nature and find out a solution by our selves. Let's look at our evolution chain. Look at our closest relatives in the evolution chart, Bonobos, Chimpanzees and Guerrillas. The answer to our ideal diet is there!
The best food for optimum health is fruits, plenty of variety of fruits. To obtain the required protein level, our primate cousins keep taking fruits and other parts of plants until they reach the required level.
Having raw fruits, vegetables and leaves at particular intervals is the best thing we can do to optimize our health.
An important note: Most of the food items you find in the market now-a-days are inorganic, i.e., dipped in most dangerous chemical pesticides and fertilizers. So as much as possible, try to take only organic food, which is free from dangerous synthetic artificial chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Look for organic certifications such as "USDA Organic", EU certified organic and "Agricole Biologique".
Grains are not actually a natural food for humans, but if you find it difficult to get so much of fruit, you may substitute some fruits with very little grain food, but don't forget to take your daily bowl of mixed fruits.
The more raw food you take, the healthier you will be(of course not talking about grains, which are hard to digest raw!). If you want perfect health, avoid meat, egg, fish and dairy. Worldwide, many intelligent people are becoming Vegan. There are solid evidences for the meat and dairy causing cancer. A Vegan food can do wonders to your physical well being. I am writing this from my personal experience of last five years. I became a Lacto-Vegetarian fifteen years ago and a total Vegan in 2007. Until I became a Vegan, I used to meet doctor every month, at times twice a month. I forgot the day I visited a doctor after I adopted a total Vegan diet. I started feeling more active and healthy.
Take only clean food and have plenty of water, a minimum of 2.5 ltrs a day.
Rest and Sleep:
Without sufficient rest and sleep, we would become totally broken. So never ignore rest and sleep. Sleep well enough so that when you wake up you feel fresh and active. Straining a lot without proper rest is the same as placing a huge and heavy stone on your heart. Restlessness can adversely affect your mind as well.
Work out:
If an idle mind is a devil's work shop, an idle body is under taker's hope! If you dream of a healthy body, defeat laziness and start working out. Don't strain yourself a lot-it can do more harm than good. Do it in moderation. Straining a little is OK, but not too much. As I mentioned earlier, it can over load your heart and damage it. I remember my heavy working out gym friend who died at the age of 27 due to a heart attack. The natural body movements such as walking, running, swimming etc. and stretches are the best exercises. Remember, don't over-do it!
Remember-your body is like a machine. Don't forget to lubricate your joints with oils periodically. This will help you avoid sprains and spasms.
Regular work out is the key to good health.
Environment and Hygiene
Look at the people living in dirty surroundings and the ones in clean environment. You can quickly identify the difference.
We live in a heavily polluted world. The air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat, in everything you can see a touch of the greed of the human race in the form of pollutants and contaminants. These could cause multiple serious diseases. Try to live in a place with clean surroundings and less air pollution. If you are in a heavily polluted city, consider moving to a less polluted city. If you can't, use breathing masks on the roads. Try to travel in air conditioned vehicles.
As I mentioned earlier, eat clean organic food whenever possible. Have a lot of clean water. Keep your body, cloths and home clean.
Medication
Care for your body. If you are sick, consult the doctor without delay.
You could also prevent the diseases before they attack you. The "Sukha Chikitsa" division of Ayurveda deals with the periodic preventive medication aimed at building up your immunity when you are disease-free.
Sex
As I wrote on my previous
blog on mental health, balanced sex is vital for good health. Sex has a huge impact on physical health as well.
Re-posting the paragraph here.
" It's like a sword-You can use it
either for your good or to harm yourself. A moderate sexual life with
self discipline is beneficial to us, whereas a sexual life without self
control may lead us to our ultimate destruction. Sex is a good stress reliever and a good work out. It can improve our
immunity. Researchers have found that having sex at least twice a week
reduces the chances of heart attack by 50%. It makes you feel good and
connected. Sex helps us sleep deeply. "
Sex has the power to improve our immunity. It can prevent the formation of prostate cancer. It acts as a pain reliever.
In my next blog post, I shall write about Social Health.
Peace
xoxox
