Healthy –Living

 Being healthy is being free of disease and being physically fit. Science has begun to realize that being healthy depends a lot on your mental make-up. You might be  knowing friends who are not adversely affected by either heat or cold. On the coldest of the days they would be wearing lightest of the clothing and will not catch cold. Whereas, some will cover themselves up and yet catch cold as the mercury dips.

In her book “Counterclockwise: The Proven Way to Think Yourself Younger and Healthier,” Allen Langer writes that we become what we think. If we think that we will remain young and healthy, we will be. It is a misnomer to think that with age, we will have to use glasses or if our parents had diabetes or hypertension we will also have them. There is so much of lie spread by the medicine industry that we have almost sublet our thinking to them. The body is designed to live a disease-free, healthy and active life till the age of 130. Dying before that is virtually committing suicide.

There are very easy ways to achieve this and any one can do it. You can not only get rid of long-term disease but, prevent ageing and even reverse it. The first step is to believe that you are young and healthy. Stop saying and feeling things like, “I have become old so I have memory loss or wear glasses.” Also stop talking and feeling about your disease like diabetes, arthritis etc. Always visualize yourself to be disease-free, physically fit and full of energy. Never let yourself think about your disease. Even if the clinical tests show that you have some ailment, convince yourself, have the faith that they will be gone soon.  Remember health is the absolute truth, the appearance of disease is an illusion.

The first step to be healthy and fit is to have a well regulated life. Wake-up as early as possible. The first hour is called the “golden hour.” Infuse your mind with cheerful thoughts and feeling of gratitude for the health and fitness that you have. Have a glass of warm water with lemon and honey. It has a myriad benefits. The primary being, it reduces fat.

Finish you daily chores as soon as possible. Only request is get off the habit of taking tea-coffee or newspapers and magazines while doing the big job. These have a lot of side effects like constipation, hernia etc later on in life. The big job is a big job and it requires all the attention.

After that take out time to brush your teeth. Most of us are in a hurry to finish the ritual. Tooth-aches are the most painful to bear. Once in a while, take a spoon-full of mustard oil; massage your gums and teeth with that. Then rinse your mouth with the oil.

 Go to an open area, preferably a lawn or a terrace. If that is not possible open all the windows. The morning air is filled with positive energy. Breathe deeply and soak it as much as possible. Do Surya Namaskar and Pranayam. If you are keen you can do some push-ups and sit-ups. Go for a 30 minute jog or walk after that.

Once you are bathing, imagine that the water is draining away all your tension and negativity. Pamper yourself with body-lotions, body-oils and eau-de-colognes. Aroma therapy helps a lot in making you feel fresh and wonderful for the day.  After bathing, once you are wiping, try and make all strokes towards your heart. This will improve your blood circulation and prevent heart-attacks.

Dress-up the best possible way. You cannot afford not to. The way you feel when you look into the mirror has a lot to do with how you age. If you feel fit and healthy, you will be that. Dying your hair or getting it touched may also go a long way in making you feel younger.

Have a healthy breakfast. More than what you eat, what you think about that you eat is important. Suppose, you are having eggs and you think it will increase your cholesterol level then either stop eating it or stop thinking about it. Always sit and eat or drink at a relaxed pace. It is said that you have to chew the food 32 times to ensure that it is digested. Avoid cold drinks with food and have water almost half an hour after meals.

Drive to the office well in time and in a good mood. Have a motivational talk playing on your car-audio or listen to some mantras or devotional songs. Park the car furthest from the building so you can have some exercise walking or take the stairs instead of the lift. While working check your posture. The back should be rested and the hands should be in a comfortable position if you are working on a computer. Take a break every 45 minutes, walk around and stretch. Avoid excessive of tea or coffee.

Coming back from office, go to the gym. If you haven’t yet become a member of a gym, join a professional one. It is estimated that you can get your muscles toned within three months, if you regularly do weight training, at least thrice a week. Hormones like cortisol, serotonin and dopamine are released during exercise which are good mood boosters.

After getting fresh do your daily meditation or Jaap yoga (http://khabartak.in/jaap-yoga-the-anti-virus-of-the-mind/2018 ).  Read a spiritual or motivational book. Plan your next day. Spend some time with your family. Try and have early dinner as late meals hamper the sleep. Please ensure that your room is well ventilated and your bed is comfortable. Too soft or too hard a bed will again affect your quality of sleep.

The small tips given above will surely help you have a better life, making you feel healthier, more fit and cheerful. You will have abundant energy to go through your daily routine. And if you follow it correctly, it can even cure your long–term problems like, eye defect, diabetes, obesity, memory loss, arthritis and much more.

Apart from the book I mentioned, you want you can read more about it in these books: Boundless Energy, Ageless Body Timeless Mind both by Dr Deepak Chopra, The Science of Being Well by Wallace de Wattles.

Sqn Ldr Manish Kumar (Retd.) is a Motivational Speaker, Lifestyle Management Expert, Consultant, Life Coach and the Author of Best-selling book Be Your Own Pilot. Available here  www.amazon.in