Health is wealth!

Dr. Leena.V.Patkar (M.D)

Health is wealth!......This being an old proverb still carries a lot of potential even in today’s time; was repeatedly told to us by our parents, grand parents, elders, teachers in those days! There is not a single precious thing in this world without a good health. Health is the most important thing for a best life to live but neglected by most people, most of the time in their lives. People rather prefer to run after money and other material things than their own health and that too at the cost of their health. Today the actual concept of health is forgotten and we find people running after false attractions put forth by the advertising world. Suddenly nowadays we find the world getting more health-savvy and talk of health all the time. Health clubs, health foods, health spas, fitness gimmicks are in. Health is something we all want and are striving for. But do we even know what actually Health means? Spending large amount of money for achieving weights and body figures which are considered IDEAL for everyone; does really achieve Health in its true form?

Then how do we understand the real meaning of Health?

Are we all healthy?

As some of the books say on Health:

W.H.O.’S definition of Health:

A state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely absence of disease or infirmity (1984).
The Webster dictionary gives the meaning of health as freedom from defect pain or disease. So it defines health as what it is not rather than what it is. But this is very similar to stating that we are happy because we have no debts to pay. Just as the mere absence of debt does not imply that we are wealthy similarly absence of disease does not imply that we are healthy.
The Dorland's medical dictionary gives the definition of health as a state of physical, mental and social well-being. Merriam-Webster defines mental health as "A state of emotional and psychological well-being in which an individual is able to use his or her cognitive and emotional capabilities, function in society, and meet the ordinary demands of everyday life."

But is all this so easy to achieve as it really sounds?

True health must be thought of in positive, dynamic terms not simply as 'No Disease'. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann was a great humanitarian. If we go through his life and works, we can see his quest for a divine therapeutic system for the removal of disease and preservation of health. His prime concern was health. Hahnemann gave extreme importance to the heath in all levels of homoeopathic philosophy.

In the introduction of “The Friend of Health” (1792) Hahnemann says - ‘My mission is only to preach upon the greatest of corporeal blessings – health’ i.e. regarding the rational care about the health.

“One of the higher callings is to make sick people healthy”…. [Samuel Hahnemann (1755–1843), originator of homoeopathy] According to Stuart Close, Health is that balanced condition of the living organism in which the integral harmonious performance of the vital functions tends to the presentation of the organism and the normal development of the individual.

Therefore in homoeopathy, every patient is considered not as parts but as an individual, as a 'whole'. It treats the 'MAN IN DISEASE AND NOT DISEASE IN MAN'. According to this system of Homoeopathy symptoms are mere indications that the internal harmony of the body mechanisms is altered. This disharmony allows the disease (dis-ease) to set in. When patient comes to us we aim at a general level of well-being which supersedes the relief of the complaints which is inevitable. We work towards a better and Healthy living!

Homoeopathy defines health as freedom on the physical level where the entire body operates in an integrated, harmonious way for optimum efficiency allowing us to respond appropriately to the environment and freedom on the emotional level to experience a wide array of emotions in a positive and enriching way so that we have joyful and satisfying relationships.

Thus health means "To be in Harmony with oneself and with the environment."; Health is the flexibility to successfully adapt to all life situations.

Health is not merely absence of disease but a sense of optimal well being that not only encompasses the body, but also emotions, thoughts and feelings. It is a state of being where there is an integral and harmonious performance of all the vital functions and a balance among mind, body and spirit. Nobody is totally healthy or totally sick. Each of us is a unique combination of health and sickness. And each of us has a unique combination of abilities and disabilities, both emotional and physical and spiritual. Good health is not difficult to attain if one understands what it exactly means and how far can we achieve it in ourselves!

Positive health – it implies the notion of perfect health in body and mind. It cannot become a reality, it always remain a mirage because everything in our life is subject to change.

Our state of Health is decided when we are born which depends on following factors like

Genes: Yes! These genes are the one’s who decide our physical and mental make-up. These tiny beings also carry with them the future states of our health and disease as we grow up. We not only get our parent’s color and structure but also their nature, behavioral patterns, gait, certain tendencies and susceptibility to acquire their diseases.
For example conditions like obesity, hypertension, peptic ulcers, diabetes, migraines depression etc often run in families. But even the ‘emotional instability’, ‘tendency to worry a lot, or the ‘tendency to catch a cold frequently’ certain tics and habits can be attributed to our genetic inheritance.

State of mother during pregnancy: This is also equally important as the state of mother during pregnancy influences the development of the child. No wonder it is said that a mother has to be happy during her pregnancy to beget a happy child. For example, a state of suppressed anger in the mother can come forth as episodes of outburst in the child after birth.

Then as we grow up other factors which influence our health are as follows:

Life-style and Social factors – A lot depends upon our day to day upbringing, our routine diet habits, and levels of education, our family and culture according to the place we are staying in. The place we stay in is also a contributing factor to the development of our health. Marshy land, dry, sea air, levels of population, makes an impression on our health. For example a person from dry area is grossly affected when he migrates to a humid area because he was always from a dry area.
Increasing sedentary habits, long working hours, reduced rest hours; diet containing highly processed food, poor in fiber content and with loads of artificial colors and flavors; increased anxiety and tensions related to education, career, job, performance, etc are some of the factors that are responsible for decreasing the health status of our society at large. Coupled with environmental factors and allopathic drugs, these factors are playing havoc with our health.

Environmental factors – Increasing levels of pollution of air, water, and earth is a well known factor in the increasing level of many diseases. There is a high level of asthma and other allergic complaints in urban areas. Depleting ozone layer is a known factor in increasing rate of skin cancers. Noise pollution is a recognized factor in increasing anxiety and stress levels in our society.
We feel micro-organisms are the causative factors for illness but the ability of these microorganisms to make a person sick relies on individual’s immunity or susceptibility People through their life-style and drug-abuse, decrease their immunity and create fertile grounds for these microorganisms.

Vaccinations and Allopathic Drugs – It is the world of the Pharmaceuticals today. Day in and day out they come up with medicines of newer generations. Even Allopaths say that allopathic drugs are one of the biggest causes of health problems today. Allopathic drugs not only have their side-effects, but their excessive use is decreasing the immunity level of our society at large. People keep suppressing their ailments and keep working until their body finally gives up. The pill-popping culture is an open invitation to chronic ailments.
Vaccinations have created havoc in life of children and adults as well. The list of vaccinations go on increasing and are the major reason for causing fall in immunity in all the children. Therefore a healthy child is rare to find now. From the day they are born they are vaccinated and it is so difficult to convince the parents against this deadly poison (in the form of vaccination); because of the fear created in them by the Pharma world and the media to add to their dilemma

Stress - leads to many physical and mental disorders. If we look around one of ten people at work, at the clinic, and wherever we go in our daily life are over stressed at any given moment. Scientists agree that stress causes actual chemical changes in the brain, and these changes can influence the state of your health. Women are particularly susceptible to stress caused by hormonal changes. During puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause your hormone levels fluctuate consistently and cause stress. Emotional and physical changes that happen in our life, illnesses, and environmental components such as extreme heat, cold, or altitude, and toxins cause stress. Pushing our body too hard at work or at play will soon deplete our body of the energy it needs to restore itself and result in our becoming over stressed.
Often people feel the effects of stress as fatigue, various aches and pains, headaches, or as emotional disorders such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. Stress affects others by causing gastrointestinal disorders such as ulcers, lower abdominal cramps, colitis, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Frequently people under the effects of over stress will have more colds and infections due to lowered immune system responses. Stress can initiate dermatological conditions such as itchy skin and rashes. Stress is a new disease which the young generation is going to face, since earning money within a short period is the criteria for them. Many people earn wealth at the cost of their health. But, where is the time for them to enjoy the hard earned money. They have to sacrifice their entire life to recover the ill-health.

When all these parameters are always acting at their sway, how do we find the true signs of health?

Signs of comparative Good Health are at three levels:

Physical Level: A person who enjoys good physical health is one who is
Energetic
With good posture
Average weight for age and height
All organs function normal
Clear and clean skin
Bright eyes
Good texture of skin with shining eyes
Clean breath
Good appetite
Sound sleep

Social level: A person with good social health
Gets along well with people around
Has pleasant mannerism
Helpful to others
Fulfills responsibility towards others

Mentally healthy is the one who has
Control of emotions
Sensitive to need of others
Confidence in one’s own abilities
Freedom from unnecessary tensions

One way to think about mental health is by looking at how effectively and successfully a person functions. Feeling capable and competent; being able to handle normal levels of stress, maintaining satisfying relationships, and leading an independent life; and being able to "bounce back," or recover from difficult situations, are all signs of mental health. We must basically refer to our capability to perceive, comprehend, think, judge, and remember – the intellectual and reasoning faculties.

So, friends if we are in true sense Healthy………

Parenting

“Look to your health; and if you have it, praise God and value it next to conscience; for health is the second blessing that we mortals are capable of, a blessing money can't buy”

-Izaak Walton