How do you define Good Health?

21 Aug How do you define Good Health?

If someone is diseased, does it mean that the person is not healthy? If someone is overweight, does he/she falls in the category of being unhealthy? I bet everyone will have a different definition to “Health” and that my friends is ok! Each one of us has a different body, different life experiences & different abilities. By figuring out what health means to you, you can have a clearer expectations of what you need to do to reach the status of “healthy” on your own terms.

In Ayurvedic terms, ‘health’ can be translated as swasthya, where swa (the self) is the stha (centred). It follows that the doshas must be in equilibrium, the digestive fire must be in a balanced state and the tissues (dhatus) and malas (wastes) must work in a normal state. The sensory and motor organs and mind, atma must be also in a pleasant state. Such a person is called a healthy person or Swastha.

The inter-relation of food & health is quite simple, yet very difficult (especially in the modern stage of development). Have you heard of the saying– ‘Don’t forget your Roots’, likewise when it comes to health I would say- ‘Don’t forget your Kitchen’. Yes! Your very own kitchen can be your best medicine for creating your version of Health. Isn’t it easy? We Indians are very specific about what is local, in season & cultural for us, even when it comes to food that we eat. We cook with our own ‘masalas’ & ‘tadkas’ which is what makes our food diverse. The spices and condiments used are not just to enhance the flavours but to add all the essential secrets to good health. A big thanks to our ancestors for experimenting with these miracle foods.

The modern era has moved our focus to not eat much, to lose weight. I mean really? What about the saying- ‘food is fuel for body’? When people are asked to envision their perfect size, many cite a dream weight loss up to three times as great as what a doctor/dietician might recommend. This brings me to quote the same thing I spoke in the beginning “you can have a clearer expectations of what you need to do to reach the status of “healthy” on your own terms”- REMEMBER!, people might judge you by telling you can still can afford to lose a few kilograms but is it really a worth to listen? To be a Healthy Individual you have to accept that you’re never going to be a willowy model & have faith at – I am at a very good health & weight that I can manage.

Lose weight not to expectations but to acceptance!

Dt. Juhi Arora