We often hear our family, friends and even ourselves saying:
I feel exhausted these days
I am always running, there is no end to work
I keep forgetting small things
My body gets cramped very easily
My children are falling sick almost every month
I eat so little but my weight keeps increasing
When we give such statements, should we not stop and ask ourselves – “Are we really healthy?”
Health is one such thing about which we all know but do nothing to improve.
Let’s, then understand health better.
Health is a state of complete physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being and not merely the absence of disease.
We can strive for optimal health rather than perfect health because optimal health is achievable.
Pillars of optimal health are:
Exercise
Proper Nutrition
Daily Rest
Positive mental attitude
Good medical care
Clean Air & Water, Good Hygiene
Health is our daily concern and is the most important factor for maintaining good health.
Also, we must remember –
Nutrition = Life
All foods contain nutrients, but all nutrients are not present in one food group.
In the current fast paced life, meals lack vitamins, minerals and fibers. There is high amount of fat and cholesterol in diet. It contains more of empty calories and on top of it we face following lifestyle challenges:
Eating on the run
Missing or skipping meals
No time for exercise
Smoking and alcohol consumption
Stress and environmental concerns
Each bite we take determines how we are going to live tomorrow. Our indifferent attitude towards health and fast paced lifestyle leads us to deadly diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart attack, cancer, etc.
We can really save ourselves from falling into a pit we have prepared for ourselves by making efforts to achieve optimal health by :
Exercising regularly
Improving our nutritional status
Proper rest
Working on stress and anxiety by indulging in sports, good moments with family, friends and children.
Develop positive mental attitude by taking highs and lows of life in stride
Avoid over indulgence in any one food group
Watching our salt and sugar intake and including lots of food and vegetables in our diet