World Health Day :The Wellness Trifecta Mind, Body & Soul

When we speak about health, we restrict ourselves to thinking it’s simply right and working out. But, there’s more.?

The real magic is in the trifecta – in viewing and treating our body – not as a singular unit, but more or less like an orchestra.?

Every process, pathway, function and system has its impact on your health. How you connect, nurture and treat them will determine how and how long they will work seamlessly.?

Studies say over 95% of the world population has health issues, with over one-third having close to five different types of ailments. The spread of non-communicable lifestyle diseases is spiking, including inflammatory diseases, given the massive lifestyle changes we have had over the last 30 years.?

It’s concerning to see young people, and even children in hospitals getting treated for chronic illnesses.

Where have we, as a nation, given up on our health??

For a nation that has healthy practices incorporated into our traditional cuisine (our spices, seasonal food, cleaning vegetables with turmeric and water before cooking them), spiritual practices and lifestyle – so much wisdom passed down from one generation to another, yet, we have somehow lost track of who we are and ended up following fads that don’t sit well with our body type or climate we live in.?

The good news is – we can still reclaim our health, by tuning into our body, mind and spirit. All it takes is knowing the right information, reorganizing priorities, and readjusting your lifestyle to revolve around practices that will keep you healthy.?

This #WorldHealthDay which marks the 75th anniversary of WHO, I’ll help you understand how to achieve it through nuances in #food, #nutrition, #exercise, #mentalhealth and #spirituality. I’ll throw light on how #Ayurveda recommends a synchronous relationship with all these elements for a long, happy life.?

Get ready for the ride.?

What’s Holistic Health & Where Are We Struggling to Find the Balance?

"Swasthasya Swasthya Rakshanam, Aturasya Vikara Prashamanam"

This means the purpose of medicine is to cure the ailing and preserve the well-being of the healthy.?

Holistic health is an interplay between the 5 mahabhutas in the body – Akasha, Vayu, Tejas, Jala and Prithvi – yes, just like the 5 forces of nature. They take the form of doshas that control all body functions and pathways.?

Vata, a combination of space and air elements governs?

• Blood flow
• Heartbeat and functioning
• Breathing
• Movement of food within the body
• Cellular interaction

Pita, a fire and water blend takes care of

• Digestion
• Metabolism
• Energy production and exchange between cells?
• Appetite and healthy digestion
• Endocrine functions essential to a balanced health?

Kapha, synergizing water and earth elements looks after

• Cell and molecular structure and cohesion
• Strength, stability, fluid balance?
• Weight management

“Samadosha, samagnischa samadhatumala kriyaha prasanna atmenindriya manaha swasthya ityabhidheeyate"

The sloka means that the 3 doshas must be in equilibrium, the digestive fire, Agni, properly balanced and the tissues (dhatus), and malas (wastes) must function normally, without any hindrances. The senses shouldn't be overstimulated, the mind is calm, atma (the spirit) needs to be tranquil. A person whose elements are in complete harmony with each other, is called a healthy person or Swastha. This is the definition of health as per #Ayurveda.

The following are a few reasons why we’re likely to develop health issues:

Imbalance of doshas – due to lifestyle and dietary changes

• Improper digestion – nutrients are excreted, and toxins are absorbed by the body
• We make way for germs and other pathogens to enter the system through various means
• We block channels through which substances move in the body –?
• holding in urine and stool for a long time, frequently
• not letting the body process minor infections on its own
• stuffing your system with tablets, chemicals, and supplements instead of turning to natural remedies

The only way to fix this pattern and get in touch with your core is to observe, listen and respond to your body’s needs and tend to all aspects of your health with equal importance.

Since we live and function in a cohesive system, improving one area of life has a positive ripple effect on others.?

But, the key point here is to get started.?

Understanding the Body – Deep Dive Into Food, Nutrition & Movement

Digestion, in Ayurveda, happens with the help of the digestive fire – Agni, which?

• ensures nutrients are absorbed
• toxins are flushed out and?
• Energy from food is distributed throughout the body.?

This process is crucial to maintain harmony within the digestive system.?

If the Agni is WEAK,?

• food is improperly digested,?
• toxins don’t get flushed
• They end up accumulating in small pockets, called ama, inside the body.?
• Over time, these toxins wreak havoc and worsen your health condition.?

You can ensure smooth digestion in several ways, one of them being with the right diet. You need to keep in mind the following, before you plan your meals, for seamless digestion to happen:

Taste & quality of food items being cooked – Has a direct impact on doshas?

Time of meal, your age and season – Has a physiological and psychological impact on you

Your health condition – Is your body capable enough to digest the food, at this point??

Geographic location – Local, farm-fresh food works best

Food & Its Part in Wellness

Now that you know why proper digestion is key to a healthy body, let me spill the beans on how you can make food choices.

Combine food items in such a way they balance each other’s properties and don’t cause any adverse reaction, whilst nourishing your body completely.?

Choose them wisely, keeping in mind the season, quality and their inherent taste. Their tastes have a major impact on your doshas, and consuming large portions of a particular type of food is likely to break the dosha balance and create issues in your body.?

Here’s a guide for you to keep in mind:

Sweet & fatty food – High on kapha, low on pitta and vata

Hot & spicy – High on Pitta, low on vata and kapha

Bitter – High on vata, low on pitta and kapha

Astringent – High on vata, low on pitta and kapha

If your favourite food belongs to one particular category and you tend to consume it frequently, for long periods, you need to rev up your food palette.

Here are a few food tips that can get you started on your health journey:

• Always prefer wholesome, freshly cooked, warm, home-cooked food
• Buttermilk, after being stored in an earthen pot for 2 days works well for your digestive system
• Minimize consumption of raw food
• Stop eating frozen, leftover food from the previous day
• Eat at regular intervals, finish your meals at least 3 hours before bedtime
• Pure cow milk is a blessing to humankind. Milk from free-grazing cows has immense nutritional value. Products made from pure cow’s milk, such as cultured ghee have the same properties.?
• Replace plain and processed rice with natural millets, regular dal with highly nutritious local varieties of pulses such as Gehat, Navrangi Dal and refined sugar with 100% natural jaggery.?
• Refrain from consuming water before a meal, it suppresses digestion
• Avoid drinking cold water right after the meal, it increases digestion time
• If you’re thirsty during a meal, take a few sips only
• Take a mouthful and chew completely, until you send the essence down the food pipe. Do not have food in a hurry, on the go or standing.

Lifestyle Tips to Live a Happy 100

The human body thrives on routine. A functional routine with an equally balanced body, mind and spirit is the secret to living a long, happy life.?

That’s why overindulgence in anything (food, physical exercise, or substance abuse) is harmful to your mind and body. It reduces your physical strength and alters energy levels.?

Another essential component of a healthy lifestyle is creative pursuits. You are immensely creative – more than you know. Take time to indulge in things that interest you and don't feel like a chore.?

Having a creative routine which replenishes you mentally and physically.?

One of the most important parts of your lifestyle is exercise. Your body loves all forms of physical exercise (unless recommended otherwise by your physician).?

Getting regular movement reduces your chances of contracting diseases by 50%.?As you grow old, your body’s fat content increases, and the extent of lean muscle in your body starts dropping. That’s why you need to exercise, lift weights appropriately and capitalize on the lean muscle you have.?

However, over exercising, or exerting your body beyond capacity may lead to health complications and may sometimes result in sudden cardiac arrest. That's why balance is key in exercising as well.

Sleep is another crucial aspect of our well-being that you tend to take for granted. Getting uninterrupted, deep sleep has proven to slow down ageing and significantly reduce health risks. Creating a calming sleep routine makes a positive difference in your sleep quality.?

Tuning Into The Power of the Mind – Mental Health & Peace

What’s a healthy body without an agile mind? It’s heartening to see increased awareness of mental health, and we, as a society slowly incorporating positive mental health practices in our day-to-day lives.?

However, maintaining optimal health is a regular commitment to moderate our emotional states and limit the overstimulation of our senses.?

Another profound determinant of mental health is the quality of relationships you have with the people around you. If you spend time with a person and you feel drained, intoxicated or feel a wave of negative emotions constantly, and it continues for a while, your energies aren’t aligned and they may be toxic for you.?

Don’t let that happen – choose connections that are nurturing and meaningful, where your feelings, and efforts are reciprocated and your energies match.?

Ayurveda opines that Dhi (mind, intellect), Dhruti (ability to process information) and Smruti (memory) need to be sharp for the mind to function well.?

To achieve this alignment, the ancient medicinal system recommends?

• Healthy morning and night rituals
• Periodic steam inhalation using medicated oils
• Deep sleep
• Moderating high emotional states using grounding techniques
• Intermittent fasting

Slow, meditative activities such as?

• Reading
• Breath control
• Yoga
• Colouring, or artistic pursuits
• Spending time under the sky and
• Watching sunsets have proven to have deeply calming effects on the mind.?

Reconnecting With the Spiritual – Finding Deeper Levels of Our Being

We’ve covered the two most talked about aspects of health – the physical and mental. But, spirituality is often left out. Don’t get me wrong – spirituality is different from religion. It is the connection with your subconscious that helps you derive power from the deep-seated energy in you.?

Surpassing your consciousness and reconnecting with your spirit through meditation, yoga and mantra chanting have been found to be incredibly beneficial in?

• achieving optimal health
• Coping with emotional and physical pain
• Reclaiming deteriorating health
• Wading through grief and bereavement

If you have noticed, people take to sloka recitals and religious ceremonies during or after their midlife crisis, or just when they’re about to enter the golden years of life.?

Most times, this practice has nothing to do with religion – it’s about holding on to something eternal, beyond this world, to support them through the fear of fleeting time, uncertain future and existential dread.?

Ayurveda connects the physical and mental through spirituality. It emphasizes the need to be mindful, to meditate, to help others, to find gratitude in the little things and to be aware of the fact that we’re a part of something great.?

10 Simple Steps to Get You Started on Your Health Journey

Now that we know how the physical, mental and spiritual walk hand in hand, it’s time to mindfully create a diet and lifestyle plan to improve the quality of our lives, slow down ageing and increase our lifespan.?

Here are 10 simple steps you take today.

• Reset your alarm to wake up early in the morning and align your circadian rhythm
• Brush twice a day, and don’t forget to clean your tongue. Take up oil pulling for 15-20 minutes.
• Drink lukewarm water after brushing your teeth
• Excrete whenever you feel the urge to. Try not to hold in for a prolonged period.
• Get some movement in the morning – there’s nothing like it.
• As you get ready for your day, play energizing music. Reduce screen time when you travel. Observe what’s happening around you.
• Whenever you feel uninspired, exhausted, or sleepless, have a glass of water and take a few deep breaths
• Plan your meals well ahead of the week and shop natural, farm-fresh produce keeping in mind the concept of a balanced diet.?
• Wind up your day by late evening. Spend the last few hours of your day without screens. Talk to your loved ones, and engage in a calming creative pursuit for at least 15 minutes.?
• Massage yourself with oil, sunbathe and take a deep cleansing shower every week.

Pro tip: Take a nature walk every week and watch sunsets/sunrises now and then.?

This life is a gift to us. Let’s make it beautiful and pain-free by creating and following nature-embracing, healthy practices. This world health day, make a promise to create a disease-free, active future for yourself, and get started.?

At last I would like to conclude by saying, " Take Care of Your Body, It is the only place where you Live"