Being 'healthy'

According to the latest data available, the population of India has crossed 1.44 billion—partially registering a decline in the rate of infant mortality, an increase in life expectancy, and outcomes pertaining to better healthcare services. As per a report in Economic Times (April 7, 2024), the Indian healthcare industry is witnessing a boom of 22 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). Data reveal that the telemedicine markets and over-the-counter drug markets, too, are estimated to show an upward growth of USD 5.4 billion and USD 6.73 billion, respectively. The above data clearly signify an increased health consciousness among Indians; however, another aspect of declining health has surfaced among the population.

With advancements in medicine, technology, and the abundance of available knowledge, humanity has succeeded in gaining control over most aspects of a rich and lavish lifestyle. However, it remains overburdened with lifestyle disorders. Reports from the Institute of Health and Family Welfare suggest that India is recording a sharp increase in lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, obesity, sleep disorders, heart diseases, and digestive problems. According to a report by the Indian Council of Medical Research, India has 100 million confirmed diabetic patients, and another report by the WHO (2023) estimated 188.3 million Indians to be hypertension patients. In addition to lifestyle diseases, there has been a significant increase in the number of suicides, teen pregnancies, broken marriages, drug abuse, and juvenile crimes in the last few decades (NCRB, 2022), significantly an indication of not a healthy society.

With the parallel rise of the healthcare sector and lifestyle diseases, along with psycho-social maladjustments, a focused and detailed understanding of the term ‘health’ and the means to achieve a healthy persona becomes a dire need for an aspiring healthy society.

Health has been conceptualised in three ways. Primarily, there is the pathogenic approach, indicating the absence of disability and disease. Next is the salutogenic approach, indicating the presence of positive states of human capacities and functioning in thinking, feelings, and behaviour. The third is the complete state model, derived from the ancient word ‘hale,’ meaning wholeness, being whole, sound, or well. According to the World Health Organisation (1946), health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. There must be an integrated approach where all aspects of personality are targeted simultaneously.

According to a report by the International Market Bureau, Indians' healthy lifestyle is part of a trend to look fitter and well-groomed. But actually, being healthy connotes psycho-social balance along with physical robustness. While some people in the general population may require extra care, precautions, and medical help, there should also be a parallel system to promote a healthier population. To cultivate a healthy persona and society, incorporate this simple three-point formula into your daily routine:

1. Early to bed and early to rise.

2. Eating fresh, home-cooked food at regular meal times.

3. Practicing yoga/breathing exercises/meditation/mindfulness, along with physical exercises.

One of the most common attributes among today’s most successful people is the habit of waking up early. Indian sciences have long affirmed the benefits of early rising, identifying it as the best period for concentration and focus, providing an extra boost to cognitive and mental abilities. Around the world, the benefits of a disciplined and scheduled lifestyle have been scientifically proven. However, today’s Indian generation, with no set time to sleep and wake due to late-night work culture, is playing havoc with its circadian rhythm, disturbing the very nature of human existence and survival.

The significance of food is not a novel concept in our culture. It is mentioned in the Gita: āhāra śhuddhau sattva śhuddhiḥ (7.26.2), meaning, “By eating pure food, the mind becomes pure.” The reverse is also true—people with pure minds prefer pure foods. Therefore, we should constantly monitor what we eat, as it has a direct effect on both our bodies and minds. Even in Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita, the significance of fresh food is stated:

yāta-yāmaṁ gata-rasaṁ pūti paryuṣhitaṁ cha yat

uchchhiṣhṭam api chāmedhyaṁ bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

Foods that are overcooked, stale, putrid, polluted, and impure are dear to persons in the mode of ignorance. It has been clearly mentioned that food, once cooked, must be consumed within three hours. Ironically, today’s generation is largely dependent on packaged foods with longer shelf lives.

Both in Indian and Western systems, for a human to reach their maximum potential, ‘Annamay Kosh’ (subtle body) and ‘Manomay Kosh’ (psychological body) must be trained simultaneously. Strengthening one’s physical body is essential, but the significance of practicing yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and mindfulness should not be ignored. With the rise of gym culture and the neglect of mental vitality, one does not fully embody the definition of being healthy. There is no doubt that physical exercises help in reducing our stress hormones, but impact of breathing exercise in our neuroplasticity is well established by scientific results.

We all aim to reach the top of the ladder—whether in physical, financial, or social growth—but one must start with the first step. A three-point formula to succeed in any domain of life has been mentioned above. For convenience, one can start with any of the three points, practice it wholeheartedly, and observe the transformation within oneself. Once one of these habits is mastered, it is easier to incorporate the other two into one’s daily lifestyle.

Best wishes on your journey towards ‘Being Healthy’!

Views expressed are personal