So what does good health mean to you? Perhaps your answer would be a state of well being, not being afflicted with chronic illness and being fairly fit. These days most suffer from some sort of health problem whether asthma, diabetes or arthritis. In particular autoimmune diseases seem to be on the rise.
We have it drummed into us that ‘you are what you eat’, however the average diet seems to contain a fair amount of processed foods, caffeine, sugar and fat. I highly doubt our ancestors were swigging cans of Coke while going about their daily duties. So many unnatural ingredients have crept into our foods, artificial sweeteners and preservatives to name a few.
A holistic approach should be used when improving your health or dealing with any illness. For example in Ayurveda good health manifests when the three main doshas (medical humours) are in balance. The doshas are Vata (air), Pitta (fire), and Kapha (water). Diet, exercise and maintaining a positive attitude are essential when you are striving for good health. If you are caught up in the ‘rat race’ of life: trying to earn lots to buy bigger and better things (putting your diet and fitness on the backburner) then you are on the route to burn out and premature ageing.
Unfortunately modern medicine doesn’t always help, people with minor health problems take pills which lead to bigger issues further down the line. In fact my health only began to flourish when I stopped taking all my medication and took full responsibility for my body. This is not a route I would recommend to anyone, this just worked for me as my healing needed to come from within.
The ultimate achievement in life is to be without aches and pains, to be stress-free and relaxed and to enjoy peak physical health. I would happily retire at fifty as take time out to pursue physical and spiritual growth. To me being in good health is being able to live independently right into old age, being of fabulous health and pain free. The more we move away from nature the worse our health seems to become. Fundamental things have become a luxury at the moment, whether it is sunlight, pure water, organic foods or peace and quiet.
You may not realise that health is inextricably linked with your emotional state- you cannot achieve optimal health until you deal with any stress that you have. So relax, treat yourself to a delicious green smoothie and read some diet and exercise articles.