Basics for Holistic and complete Health

I. PROPER DIET: As Hippocrates the Father of Medicine advised: "Your food shall be your medicine." A proper diet and keeping a daily routine of good nutrition is one of the cornerstones of good health. In this day and age, there are many kinds of diets. What should you really eat? Things to avoid in excess: Sugar, alcohol, fast foods, salt, oils and Things good for you: Salads, veggies (raw, steamed, boiled), soya tofu, fruit in moderation, seeds like sesame and sunflower. Eating cooked meals help. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.

2. EXERCISE: Exercise is an important part of a lifetime of good health. Exercising is also fun. The simplest and cheapest form of exercise is walking. Go for long brisk walks preferably with your partner or a colleague, this helps to banish the monotony. Other options are sports, yoga, exercising on your own or at a gym, etc.

3. FRESH AIR, SUNSHINE AND REGULAR HABITS : Thank God for His beautiful gift of creation - Nature ! Gaze at the sunrise; take the time to view a beautiful sunset. Appreciate the beautiful colors of the flowers, leaves and grass. Inhale the perfume of the roses, smell the first monsoon damp earth. Listen to the song of the bird, the chirping of the lone cricket, the cry of the new born babe. Nature soothes; it heals. Keep to your timetable - daily, weekly, monthly, so as to make optimum use of your time.

4. SLEEP: Sleep for at least 8 hours at night. We are not owls to sleep in the daytime and if we do, as we so often have to do now-a-days, our bodies’ rebel sooner or later, causing malfunction and disease.

5. REST AND RELAXATON: Rest and relaxation are as important as food, for if deficient, will lead to loss of appetite, poor physical reflexes, substandard brain functioning and concentration. Meditation, music, hobbies, social work, reading, TV in moderation are different ways of relaxation.

6. CONSTRUCTIVE THINKING: A right mental attitude is of utmost importance. Look life in the eye with a positive attitude. The only disability of life is a bad attitude. Accept change, don't stagnate.

7. SUBDUE YOUR EGO: Ego is the cause of the downfall of many. Do not think yourself superior as each person you meet each day is God's gift to you and unique in his or her own way. Learn something from them and you will grow.

8. ACCEPT THE SITUATION YOU ARE IN: If you have to live with a difficult person, try and understand the psychological pressure s/he is confronted with. Forgive - don't build walls or break bridges. You yourself may need to pass that way sometime later.

9. KEEP CHEERFUL: Make it a point to do at least one kind deed each day. An act of kindness, however small, has never ever been wasted. Offer an encouraging word or a smile or be a sympathetic listener -start with members of your family.

10. PRAYERS: Converse with God. If you are united with God, you will be surprised how he guides you at every step and inspires you to do the right thing.