Is Wellness Really Elusive ?
Many years ago, an ambitious young businessman with diabetes , high blood pressure and high cholesterol bounded into my clinic with restless energy. I told him to exercise , eat sensidiy and keep regular nours. empnasizing that we need to take care of the body as its the only one place we have to live in. He sad he had no time for that he was busy ‘building an empire’.
I suggested, “Excercise is the king, nutrition is the queen, and peace is the throne. Put them together and you’ve got your Kingdom.“
The young man merely scoffed at this ‘old-fashioned suggestion’ and trotted out. Time flew by. A decade later his secretary requested me to see him in his house. I was stunned. He was in a lousy condition, bent and grey with a terrible complexion. He had paralysis and was breathless because of heart ailment. Sighing with deep sorrow, he conceded he had made a mistake. He said, “Doctor, I was obsessed with my career and making it big. Materialistic things were my obsession. Now I realize that I can’t eat or drink money. can neither travel because of my health problem nor can I wear good clothes because of my gross obesity. The worst thing is that since I had no time for my family, they have abandoned me. I live all alone in this huge bungalow with my servants.” With a bitter smile he declared, “I wasted my health in earning money and now I’m wasting money in earning health. I was a failure then and am failing now.”
The young man merely scoffed at this ‘old-fashioned suggestion’ and trotted out. Time flew by. A decade later his secretary requested me to see him in his house. I was stunned. He was in a lousy condition, bent and grey with a terrible complexion. He had paralysis and was breathless because of heart ailment. Sighing with deep sorrow, he conceded he had made a mistake. He said, “Doctor, I was obsessed with my career and making it big. Materialistic things were my obsession. Now I realize that I can’t eat or drink money. can neither travel because of my health problem nor can I wear good clothes because of my gross obesity. The worst thing is that since I had no time for my family, they have abandoned me. I live all alone in this huge bungalow with my servants.” With a bitter smile he declared, “I wasted my health in earning money and now I’m wasting money in earning health. I was a failure then and am failing now.”
Unfortunately this is a very common situation nowadays. As human beings, we are on this planet for a limited few years — are we making the most of it? Do we focus on being happy? Do we aim at improving ourselves and our surroundings? Are we creating beautiful moments today so that we may invest them in the bank of universe for superb returns in the future? After all, what is life all about? And finally, the million-dollar questions: Are we in a state of wellness? Are we healthy?
WHO defines health as a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity. According to Laurette Gagnon
Beaulieu, “Wellness encompasses a healthy body, a sound
mind, and a tranquil spirit.” J. Stanford says, “Health is a
state of body, wellness is a state of being.” Unfortunately,
in 2021, we find neither health nor wellness in most
human beings.
Our body is the garden, and our willpower the gardener.
Sowing the seeds of happiness and peace, and spraying
it with proactive spirit, eliminates the germs of anger,
regret, resentment, guilt, blame and worry. Only then
can there be a bumper crop of prosperity.
Here are some important steps for wellness:
- Strictly follow a regular schedule for waking up, breakfast, lunch, exercise, dinner and sleep. A minimum of seven hours of sleep per day is necessary for an average adult.
- Personal life is as importantas professional career. Never take your family and friends for granted. Human relationships remain the best investment that one can make.
- Professional excellence is non-negotiable.
- Spend as less time as possible in front of the TV, mobile phone and laptop. Why waste our lives in seeing how others lead theirs!
- Make exercises a mandatory part of your daily or weekly routine. Aerobic, resistance and flexibility workouts — all are equally important. A minimum of 30-35 minutes of exercises per day, for six days a week, will provide a rich bounty of health.
- Spend time with yourself. Meditate. Introspect. We are, after all, our best companions.
- Food should be as natural as possible with minimum cooking, boiling and frying. Home food is far superior. Usage of salt and sugar must be minimum. It’s a sad fact that almost 40% of the food that we shove into our mouths is not really needed by our body.
- An excellent sense of humour is the best vaccine against most ailments.
- Everything in moderation. Balance indeed gives golden returns.
- Care for the environment. Giving back to Mother Nature is our sacrosanct duty.
Wellness is an intervention that promotes healthy lifestyle
and prevents diseases. Physical and mental well-being
in children comes from healthy practices like physical
activity, vaccination against diseases, proper nutrition and
a healthy social environment.
