Stay Healthy: Your Way!

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not just the absence of disease. This definition has been given by WHO, so no questions are raised. I bet maximum of you thought that health is just being disease free. But its so not true. In order to be called and felt healthy, you need to be at peace in all dimensions.

Man has had a love hate relationship with being healthy. In the stone age when there were no pollution or lifestyle diseases, man used to die of infectious diseases. And now with medical science reaching newer heights everyday, men are dying from cancers and other lifestyle diseases (for which science has yet to find answers for) What we are missing is that we need to strive constantly to keep ourselves healthy. Because prevention is better than cure and of course, Health is Wealth. You won’t be truly able to decipher the importance of the second phrase unless you or some close family member of yours has been really sick.

So the cardinal question now arises; how do we keep healthy? As you have read in the definition, just fighting diseases is not healthy. So we will talk in different planes, addressing each cause, one at a time.

Physical well being: A lot many people think that exercise is only for the fat; for losing weight; which is so not true. We all need exercise. Exercise makes our heart pumping blood throughout our body with more vigor and keeps our heart healthy. Our tendons, ligaments and joints remain flexible and so does our old age. The bonus part? Exercise induces ‘endorphins’ or happy hormones into our blood stream and that’s why we feel elated after a workout.

So how can busy people work out? We all are stuck in something or the other. Or our schedules are so damn crazy that we simply can’t seem to squeeze time for workout. I for one, return from my hospital at 11PM and leave again at 7 30 in the morning. Hence the clause ‘workout early in the morning’ can’t apply to me. I mean I need sleep too; don’t I?

So here is what I do. #ApneTareekeSeHealthy I try to eat healthy most of the time. Being a surgeon and a blogger means a lot of parties or eating out so whenever I am not into special meals, I opt for fresh home made food. Even in the parties, I go for salads and soups and preferably roti and sabji. I consciously keep away from the taste bud teasing deep fried appetizers. I am a pure vegetarian; that means I avoid free radicals of dead meat (Saatvik Diet) I neither drink alcohol nor smoke and have a plenty of water to flush toxins out of my body. Also dancing at parties is a great Cardio workout!

As far as physical exercise goes, since I don’t get time to go for a run or gym, I have incorporated few habits. I ALWAYS use the stairs. My hospital is a ten floor building and I am running up and down all the time. When I am rushing from the tenth floor to the basement, the descent gives me the same surge of endorphins as working out on a cross trainer would. I park my car far from my hospital and usually jog my way from the parking spot and vice versa. Similarly when I go to the market, I park my car far so that its a good walk to the shops. Also when I am coming back, the weight of the groceries add to my weight training. I go for a swim wherever I find a waterbody!

Mental well being: I have always believed in having a good laugh. Laughing keeps the heart healthy. Everyone has stress in their lives: be it work or family. But its how we combat it makes all the difference. I person who takes stress literally to himself suffers from Hypertension. I know stress becomes unavoidable sometimes but its how we deal it. I strongly feel meditating everyday relieves you of anxiety. Also praying to God before going to sleep and after waking up acts like a miracle. My three year old is my greatest stress buster. Just her mischievous smile makes me forget all my troubles! 

Social well being: You cannot be a recluse and be happy. After all man is a social animal. Surround yourself with loved ones. In today’s world of technology, love and concern is being expressed on WhatsApp and Email. Stop. Buy actual greeting cards and gifts and express your emotions face to face. Bond over weekends. Cook a meal for your loved one. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing your friends and family (those who matter to you) happy. That includes pets too!

So these are few ways by which I try keeping myself healthy. What about you?

  I am joining Saffola #ApneTareekeSeHealthy initiative and sharing my ways of being healthy in association with BlogAdda.