A recipe for flawless health!

Thanks for an overwhelming response to earlier blog about Pranayama! Well, from your responses, I can come to conclusion that every one of us is interested about health and that is certainly a good thing to know! One of the great queries that prompted me to write today’s blog is “If we follow Pranayama and exercises regularly, will we be never sick?

The credit for this blog certainly goes for these people who keep me on my toes to clarifying things and delve deep into the things those I write about. Upon further study of the things and after reaching out to some old health encyclopedias, I found something astonishing. The query answered affirmatively for those who really are regular in following their exercise and Pranayama routine and some other lifestyle changes. The concerned guide-books say, “You will not fall sick if you do these things scrupulously.” But what does scrupulous mean? Let’s see-

Certain criteria are there to define what is scrupulous about exercise means:

(1) Doing it everyday

Well, the medical sciences tell you that exercising regularly means exercising at least 3 times a week. Some of the medical books mention that even exercising 5 to 6 times a month gives you good results. Are these books talking wrong? No! They are not wrong for people who are extremely sedentary and need some push up. For them, this is the right guideline to start with. Also it indicates “Do at least this much!” But our aim is different. We do not want to fall sick. If that aim is to be targeted, we must do it everyday.

(2) Not skipping exercise

You might be thinking why the same point again? Doing it everyday means don’t skip. Then why this point? This is because the term “everyday” differs for people. I daily encounter in my clinical practice when I suggest to go for a walk daily, people come the next week and tell, “Doctor, I went for a walk everyday except for a few days gap!” “Why gap?” “Doctor, went to my mother’s place for 2 days” “Doctor, my niece came visiting” “I was about to leave when my husband told me to type his papers” “This house-work!” “You know my children’s school timing just doesn’t match with my walking time!” Pheww! This is what happens with almost every one of us. We do this as if our body will forgive us and still maintain its harmony. But norms of body and nature are very stringent. They don’t give us leeway for such reasons.

According to me, the above mentioned two criteria are the only ones that define scrupulousness. No “some changes here and there”!

One of our great teachers at the hospital where I studied used to tell patients “Do it any time of the day. Don’t tell excuses like I cannot get up in morning or I don’t get time. Even if you do at the mid of the day in heat of sun, it’s fine but don’t skip! If you need to go somewhere, get up earlier to complete your exercise routine!”

Below is listed the recipe for perfect health. Following it or not is in your hands!

(1) Drink at least 10 glasses of water per day.

(2) Eat at least two servings of (any) fruit every day.

(3) Space out your meals. Never eat full-stomach 2 times a day. Instead have 4 to 6 smaller meals across the day.

(4) Begin your meals with raw salad. It enables you to have fuller tummy before you embark on main dish. Naturally you tend to eat less. Also you get enough fiber to help you avoid constipation and gain lots of antioxidants.

(5) While having your favorite sweet dish and while on weight loss regime, don’t deprive yourself. Try having smaller portions and reduce the portions day by day. This way, you don’t feel overwhelmed to leave the food you love and also tend to accumulate fewer calories.

(6) If you tend to over-eat a day, try compensating it by lengthening your exercise time that day or next day. Yes, it’s must!

(7) Reduce eating outside. If you go out 3 to 4 times a week, reduce it to 2 times for first week; slowly reduce it to 2 to 3 times a month. Impossible? Don’t you want to be disease-free?

(8) Try to be active throughout the day, even if at home. Remember you must sweat a least once in a day due to some or the other work. Gardening, washing clothes, cleaning a room, etc come under these types of work. ‘I drop my daughter to school!’ C’mon! It’s not a work that sweats!

(9) Smoking and alcohol are strictly prohibited with no excuse at all!

(10) Laugh ‘heartily’ at least 2 times a day. Yep, must! Remember ‘smile’ is not ‘laugh’!

(11) Let your body and mind forget the word “stress”. Prioritize your work. Don’t be bogged down by people calling you “time-table”. Only those who manage their times well live longer, as they don’t allow them to get stressed by impending deadlines. Remember “deadlines are the death’s trap”. Let’s work ahead of time before we arrive even close to deadline. This means you should slot some time even for ‘emergencies’. If they don’t arrive, it’s your time for self-indulgence! Cool!

(12) Now the point comes- Exercise regularly. Do you know what the most beneficial factor in exercising is, apart from getting healthier? It is “giving time for yourself”. Let it become part and parcel of your routine, so much so that if you skip, you feel ‘incomplete’ for that day!

(13) Practice Pranayama at the start of any type of exercise. It allows you to concentrate better on your exercise. It helps drive away negative forces in you and surroundings. It enables you to forget the pride, jealousy, hatred, and selfishness before you embark on a journey to give your body a good head-start!

(14) Do not take any tablet (even antacid, pain-killer, or anti-diarrheal) without consulting your family physician. Remember these drugs may be life-savers at times, but it has been seen that the same drugs become killers when taken haphazardly. It is a known truth that Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines are far mild and without side effects when it comes to treating maladies. Go natural in whatever way you can. Never ever burden your body with nasty chemicals and artificial medicinal agents.

(15) Last but not the least- Follow this daily!!

Sounds overwhelming? Actually it’s not. If you think calmly, this is the life we would all desire and be happy with. Just the huge bombarding of marketing gimmicks from various junk food products, ‘money brings happiness’ attitude, and procrastination are the factors those are leading us nowhere these days. And most importantly, we want to be disease-free! No sickness for life! And practicing above things daily gives us 100% guaranteed results! Certainly a very small premium for a free health insurance for life!