“Are
u Healthy”…….
First of all I thank my dear friend Atul
Rajoli who compelled this blog to manifest through me, it was him who embedded
the importance of this effective platform called blogging in me.
It
occurred to me in a conversation that lot of people fall prey to a disease
because they are in fact unclear to
answer “am I really healthy??”
and surprisingly many even neglect the facts about their own health….moreover
continuous bombarding of information confuses them about “ what should I
really do to regain my health?? “
Considering
such realities, it is imp for you and all of us to understand the impact of
absence of health.
One of the best medical journals `Lancet', says that nearly
39 million people in India are pushed to poverty because of ill health every
year. Around 30% in rural India actually didn't go for any treatment for
pure financial reasons in 2004. This is the impact of ill health just in terms of financial loss, but
the loss in terms of time, energy is beyond analysis.
So
don’t you think that it is not only important for you to understand the
consequences, but it is also of prime importance for you to prevent diseases? A
basic outline for prevention has existed for more than thousand years, but
wellness has had a hard time making real headway. Our society has a tendency of
magic bullet fixation, waiting for the next miracle drug to cure us of every
ill. Many doctors think that they receive no economic benefit from pushing
prevention over drugs and surgery, pharmaceutical companies avoid to make
people realize that there is better way than using their drugs. For all these
reasons, compliance with prevention falls far below what is needed for maximum
wellness. These might be few reasons you
must have given “prevention” a little
importance.
So
after all above discussion your next obvious question must be “so what
are the parameters of good health”
Most
people think they are healthy because they “feel” healthy….are u one of them??
However, many are numb to the full life experiences that exist for them in
heightened levels of energy and vitality that exist when they apply advanced
health strategies and prevent disease. If true health is one of your major
goals then wouldn’t it be a good idea for you to know what the definition of
health is? Understanding the definition of health gives you a goal in which to
aim. Why travel somewhere without knowing what the destination is?
Unfortunately,
if you were to ask most physicians they wouldn’t have a clear answer for you. Many
would say… “health is the absence of disease”…how inappropriate?? Imagine if
your goal is to fly from Mumbai to New York and you asked your pilot if they
knew where the destination was and they said, “It’s not Mumbai.” Would it be
good to let that individual “guide” you to New York? Of course not! And yet most doctors and
individuals would define health as “the absence of disease” or in other words,
“feeling good”. This is an extremely dangerous approach to health care!! Big
Pharma would define health as, “the absence of symptoms by using our drugs”.
So
the question remains, what is the definition of health? According to the World
Health Organization the definition of health is as follows: WHO (World Health Organization) DEFINITION OF HEALTH : “Health
is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity”
Ayurveda
moves closer to bring objectivity to this vague definition, it indicates that humans are designed by 3
factors: the body, the mind, the soul. If all the three are perfectly
in tune and there is a well-being in all the three, it becomes one well-being
of the total organism from the physical, psychological, to the spiritual.
Then it is holistic health. Get this.
Health is an innate, natural phenomenon. Being healthy is normal, it is what
you are genetically programmed to express! It’s not just exercising or eating
the right foods. I’ve worked with hundreds of patients that were vegetarians,
eating organic, exercising regularly and doing all other fads, but still they
are not even close to their optimum health, there is something more to it.
AYURVEDA'S DEFINITION OF
HEALTH
“sama dosha sama agnischa sama dhatu mala kriyaaha|Prasanna atma indriya manaha swastha iti abhidheeyate || Sushruta Samhita
One is in perfect health when the
“sama dosha sama agnischa sama dhatu mala kriyaaha|Prasanna atma indriya manaha swastha iti abhidheeyate || Sushruta Samhita
One is in perfect health when the
Meaning:
1. vata, pitta
and Kapha -Three doshas ie functional units of body
2. agni -Digestive capacity ( digestion, assimilation and
metabolism),
3. dhatu - all the body tissues & components (the entire
physical body)
4. malakriya-all the excretory functions
(the physiological functions of urination and defecation)
all are in
perfect order with a pleasantly disposed and
contented mind, senses and spirit.
Ayurveda's
definition of health is all encompassing physical, psychological, Social and
spiritual well being can only be
possible when all above criteria are
met.
To suffice the
concept of health it will be very important for you to understand the
8 barometers of
health which can be easily monitored by
yourself. These indicators will help to be aware. Raising self-awareness about
these benchmarks will surely help you to determine “am I really healthy??”
1.
Feeling of being hungry after about 3-4 hours.
2. sound uninterrupted sleep.
3. Feeling fresh after
getting up in morning
4. Soft, clear, fresh skin.
5. Flexible body without any stiffness.
6. Feeling energetic and
positive.
7. Regular clearance of
excretory systems i.e stools, urine and sweat.
8. A balanced state of mind.
If u find that you
are aligned with more than 6 barometers, then congratulations to you!!!…you
need to maintain it. if your score is about 5, u are on right path but need to
be more aware of what your body says. If your score is less than 4, its
alarming !! you need to consult a good doctor. Deviation from these indicators
is a signal that you are heading rapidly towards a disease. You must take
corrective measures that will prevent further development of the disease. It is
rightly said by great ancient rishi Sharangdhar that
‘Nowhere
on earth is there any creature which is immortal. Yet, although death is
unavoidable, a man may avoid many diseases’
‘Health brings happiness’ Sharangdhar
Samhita -Section 1.5
Last
but not the least, If true health is our destination, how do we get there? And
how do we remove the obstacles or interferences that make it difficult to
optimize health? Bundled together your ultimate question would be “ what I
must do to regain my health “……..contd.