“Yea, I am healthy”

By Reema Arshad

“Yea, i am perfectly healthy” was the reply of Mahnoor, a 20 year old studying in a privileged college of Lahore.

The absolute reply of the young lady was the answer to a simple question, “are you healthy”? Further discussion revealed that Mahnoor believes herself to be healthy because she has an ideal body weight. She maintains a good figure and is physically attractive.

A 27 year old accountant working in a private bank also considers himself healthy because he do not possess any apparent illness and can comfortably carry out his daily activities.

These are the common impressions of BEING HEALTHY in our modern society. For us the concept of being healthy has been restricted to keeping the body free from diseases and of course maintaining an ideal body weight.

In our daily life we repeatedly come across the phrases like, “STAYING FIT & HEALTHY”, and “HEALTHY DIET, HEALTHY LIFESTYLE”. These idioms have become a major part of our routine that we do not give them second thoughts.

The World Health Organization describes health as a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources as well as physical capacities.

Overall the concept of health is a combination of physical, mental and social well being which altogether is referred to as the health triangle. With the emergence of health triangle today health is not only determined by the physical attribute but also by the absence of disease, environment, lifestyle and the available health care services.

The recent ideas of health state it as an adjustment process to our physical and social environment. Accomplishing and conserving health is a continuous process. If you aspire to be FIT AND HEALTHY, these are the basic components which must be acknowledged.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

The first part of being healthy is physical fitness and exercise. Breaking out of a lazy lifestyle and doing exercise regularly is the key to health and fitness. The physical activity you choose may range from simple stretching exercises to specifically designed weight lifts and aerobics sessions.

Exercise and physical activity lowers blood pressure, reduces body fat, maintains cholesterol level, helps the brain to manage stress moreover improves your sleep and makes you dynamic and energetic.

The benefits of being active also include the prevention of formidable diseases like cancer and heart diseases.

BALANCED DIET

Eating a balanced diet is the next step to your health. Eating well is not about following the strict nutrition charts, keeping the pounds off your body and depriving yourself of your favourite foods.

It is build upon the approach of EATING SMART. Eating smart depends on WHAT you eat and also HOW you eat. Competent food choice sharpens your memory, stabilizes your mood and additionally builds immunity. Eating smart further reduces the risk of depression, over weight and diabetes.

SOCIAL RELATIONS

To be socially active, well accepted and liked by the family, friends and colleagues is another indicator of health. Maintaining strong social relations signify positive adjustment abilities and health is all about staying positive and adjusting to different phrases of life.

STRESS MANAGEMENT

Effective dealing of day to day problems and coping with stress related situations improves health miraculously. Reaching out to the people around you and expressing yourself commonly improves self confident and helps in solving problems. A disciplined and well organized lifestyle definitely leads to the road to health.

SLEEPING WELL

The time and quality of your sleep and resting hours are directly related to the quality of your waking life including mental alertness, emotional stability, physical energy and productive abilities and even your body weight. A good night’s sleep of at least seven hours is a must have for your agenda of being healthy.

In short start getting involved in your daily routine enthusiastically and stop just merely doing things, keep a check on your activities and look out for potential problems. Seek assistance whenever needed. Healthy people come in all different body shapes and sizes. Appreciate your body for what it can do rather than what it looks like and live a HEALTHY and vigorous life. Remember, “LIFE IS NOT MERELY TO BE ALIVE BUT TO BE WELL”.