PREVENTIVE & PROMOTIVE HEALTH
Health
Health
is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity. It is a Definition agreed by the WHO.
According
to ancient texts of Ayurveda Sushruta Acharya quotes
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Our
body is made up of 3 doshas(Vata, Pitta & kapha), 7 dhatus (Tissues) ie
Rasa(Fluids of the body), Rakta(Blood), Mamsa(Flesh & Muscles), Meda(Fat),
Asthi(Bones & Cartilages), Majja(Bone marrow), Shukra(Sperm) and 3 malas(Body wastes) ie stools, Urine
& Sweat. (These are gross correlations. Exact match is not possible). When
these (Dosha, Dhatu & Mala) are in normal state, our digestive power is
good, soul, Mind & sensory organs are normal then this state is called as Healthy State.
Health
is related deeply to lifestyle. Ideal health will however, always remains a
mirage, because everything in our life is subject to change. Health may be
described as a potentially – the ability of an individual or a social group to
modify himself or itself continually, in the face of changing conditions of
life, not only in order to function better in the present but also to prepare
for the future.
Importance of Health
Many people do not realize the
importance of good health, and even if they do, they may still disregard it.
Whether we work at home or in an office, we need good health in order to
perform our duties well. When people talk about health, they usually refer to
the condition of the body. However, health does not merely mean being free from
physical pain or the symptoms of disease. The mind is of crucial consideration
in the overall assessment of wellbeing.
The necessity of good health is universal. To keep ourselves fit for the present and
future, health is crucial. Unfortunately, today’s younger generation’s
lifestyle is filled with greed and materialistic need and for this sake healthy
lifestyle is taking a hit.
The proverbial “Health is wealth”
seems to have faded away in the wave of modernization, and this is especially
true in cities/metros.
Cause for a disease:
The cause for any disease can be
broadly classified as follows:
1. Food (Ahara)
2. Lifestyle (Vihara)
Food
If we analyze the food pattern of
our country, it changes from one place to another. Ex: In Karnataka – South
Karnataka population eat more Ragi and Rice, North
Karnataka – Jawar, Costal
and Western Ghat Karnataka - Rice. This kind of difference in food habits is
due to the geographical condition. Our body is adjusted to that particular
food. If person suddenly starts consuming other foods for which he is not
accustomed, it will end up with one or the other disease. Due to this kind of
food miss-match, people are ending up prey to major diseases.
Especially urban population is
consuming western foods like Pizza, Burger, Sandwiches, Macaroni, Barbecue,
Pasta, Cheese and Noodles etc. which are not suitable for our body. But the
drastic change in food pattern is causing lots of lifestyle related diseases
like Diabetes Mellitus, Heart Diseases, and Obesity etc. Now the researchers
are finding the cause as the food.
Everything we eat does one of two
things: it either nourishes us or poisons us. Food that has been over-processed
and contains preservatives acts like slow poison. The entire modern food
handling process, where emphasis is on long shelf life, is turning our food
into poisons. In order to keep the body healthy, it is fundamental to follow a
wholesome diet, consisting of fresh food, Milk, Ghee etc.
Lifestyle
The effect of globalization is
showing the prosperity of Indians in terms of increased income and change in
lifestyle. The people are striving for materialistic needs, such as lucrative
income, status, a big house, an expensive car, jewelry and so on, because they
believe these things will make them happy. But actually they are ruining their
health. In the middle age they suffer from High Blood Pressure, Diabetes
Mellitus, Obesity, Heart Diseases, Back ache etc. The diseases are further
aggravated by work pressure, less sleep, stress, no exercise etc.
The mindset of the people is
changing. They think if something goes wrong, health insurance, life insurance will
take care. No one thinks about the
preventive health.
Preventive Health
Preventive health is the science
and art of helping people change their food, lifestyle to move toward a state
of optimal health. Preventive
healthcare involves measures taken to stay free from disease, maintain the
health without consuming any kind of medicines. That means modifying the food
and life style which suits a person.
Ayurveda sciences motto is
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Maintain the health of a healthy person and cure the
disease of a diseased person. Here more importance is given to the Preventive
health.
Dinacharya (Ideal
daily regimen)
Dinacharya is the Sanskrit word for daily regimen,
“Din” means day and “Charya” means to follow or to close to. The daily routine
recommends good hygiene, moderate exercise, healthy diet, efficient elimination
of wastes and a positive mental outlook. Ayurveda states that in order to be
optimally healthy we should tune our bodies to nature’s master cycle. This Dinacharya
can be subdivided into 4 parts in a day ie Morning, Noon, Evening and Night
regimens.
The day starts from morning
getting up from the bed, 45 min. before the sunrise. It helps to keep ourselves
healthy by balancing the tri Doshas. Especially for students this is a good
time for study. In the night our brain gets good rest. So morning the grasping
power will be more. But it is very important to know the digestion, what we eat
in the night should be completely digested. But it is not compulsory for the
diseased person.
Then brushing the teeth, scraping
the tongue to clean the mouth should be our next priority. After food
consumption it is better to brush the teeth.
Passing the urine and bowel as
the urge arises. Drinking coffee or water, Cigarette smoking, Tobacco chewing
are bad habits to get the urge in the morning time.
Massaging with oil all over the
body called as “Abhyanag” (oil massage) to be done every day, especially
apply oil on Head, Ears and sole of the foot. Oil Massage should start from
head and ends at leg. During massage our stomach should be empty. Morning time
is the best time for Abhyanga. Mustard oil, Gingilly oil, Coconut oil or Castor
oil cane be used for the body massage according to the availability. Gingilly oil is said to be the best oil for
the Abhyanga.
Oil massage will rejuvenate the
body and its tissues, improves the blood circulation, liquefy the toxins,
removes the tiredness, improves the eyesight, increases the skin complexion, gives
strength to the hairs and gives good sleep. Its main benefit is it slows the
ageing process.
Then a small session of “Vyayama” (exercise) to keep the body fit.
The exercise should be stopped when moderate amount of sweat comes from axilla
& forehead region. Too much exercise is not good for the health. The
exercise should be half of our body strength. Exercise keeps the body light and
enthusiastic, increases the appetite, clear the extra fat, and improve the
physique.
The exercise followed by “Snana”
(warm water bath) to
clean the body externally. But one should not put hot water on the head as it
weakens the power of sensory organs. It is very important to have bath in empty
stomach. The everyday bath will helps in removing tiredness, gives freshness,
improves appetite, aphrodisiac, rejuvenator, gives strength, and cures all the
skin diseases.
Everyday one has to consume “Ahara”
(food) two or three times a day.
In between one should not take food which will cause digestive problems. There are
12 laws for food consumption explained by Acharya Charaka.
1. The food should be fresh.
2. The food should be hot,
3. With unctuousness (sufficient
amount of ghee etc),
4. One should have food when he feel
hungry,
5. As per our requirement,
6. The food which is accustomed to
us by birth,
7. The eating place should be clean
and calm,
8. Food liked by us,
9. Consumption should be neither too
fast nor too slow,
10. Without speaking and laughing,
11. With good taste,
12. While having food concentration
should be on the food which we consume.
If a person follows these
regimens then he/she will be free from all kind of digestive problems.
In the Afternoon one should not
sleep, as it will cause obesity, disease related to head and neck, indigestion,
heart diseases and diabetes etc. If he/she wants to sleep then sleeping in
sitting posture will not cause any harm. Children, aged, diseased can sleep
whenever necessary. Evening one can use the time for walking, social meeting
etc. which will boost the mental health. The night meal should be before
7.00pm. The person should give a gap of 2 hours after dinner to go for bed.
Night sleep is very necessary as
it provides good health, improves the quality of life, gives strength,
increases the sexual power etc. Otherwise it will lead to emaciation, body
ache, fatigue, giddiness, restlessness, depression, indigestion (ill effects of
not sleeping in the night). The persons who don’t sleep in the night (night
shift etc) should take half of the night sleep in the morning in empty stomach.
Then they have to take an oil massage and bath to free from ill effects.
These daily regimens if a person
follow regularly without fail then he can be free from all diseases. If any
disease attacks then the person can get rid of it very quickly as his immunity
power will be of strong than any one else. The body quickly reacts against the
disease causing factor and corrects on its own. The body resistance power
against the diseases will be boosted by these daily regimens.
Rutu
Charya (Seasonal Regiomns)
According to Indian calendar
there are 6 rutus (1 rutu = 2 months). They are
Vasant - spring
Grishma - summer,
Varsha – Rainy season,
Sharad – autumn or after rainy
season and before winter season
Hemant & Shishira – Winter &
Cold and Dewy season
Hemanta Ritu (Winter Season) &
Shishira Ritu (Cold and Dewy Season)
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Diet
|
Lifestyle
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- Sweet, sour and salt taste food can be
taken.
- In this season the digestive activity
becomes more powerful.
- Wheat/gram flour products, milk products,
sugarcane products and corn/edible oils can be taken as a part of food.
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- Massage with oil.
- Udvartan (body
massage with fine paste/powder of kumkum (kesar) etc.)
- Exercise (vyama).
- Clothing-leather,
silk and wool.
·
Exposure to sunlight and fire to keep yourself warm
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Vasanta Ritu (Spring Season)
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- Easily digestible
food.
- Barley, honey,
roasted meat; mango juice can be taken as food.
- Beverages such as
asava (fermented infusion), arista (fermented decoction), sidhu
(fermented sugarcane juice), and honey mixed with water and water boiled
with extracts of chandan (sandal wood).
- Avoid hard to
digest and cold food, sour, sweet and fatty food.
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- Physical exercise.
- Dry massage.
- Nasal medication can be taken.
- After massage bath with karpura/chandan/kumkum.
·
Avoid sleeping during day time.
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Grishma Ritu (Summer Season)
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- Sweet, light,
fatty and liquid food can be taken.
- Boiled rice with
meat soup, food contains more water like green gram dal can be taken in
food.
- Drink cool water.
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- Anoint body with chandan paste and take bath with cold water.
- Stay in cool places.
·
Wear light cotton dresses.
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Varsha Ritu (Rainy Season)
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- Easily digestible
food to be taken.
- Pulses, meat
juice, soups, old grains and mastu (thin water of yoghurt) can be taken
in food.
|
- Panchkarma should not be done.
- Perfumes can be used.
- Avoid sleeping at daytime, exertion and too much exposure to
sunlight.
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Sharat Ritu (Autumn Season)
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- Bitter,
astringent and sweet taste can be included in food.
- Take easily
digestible food like rice, green gram, aamla, honey and sugar.
- Avoid heavy food,
spicy, curd, oil, strong liquors.
|
·
Massage with chandana powder.
·
Bath with warm water.
·
Pearls give soothing effect from aggravated pitta.
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Importance of Rutu Charya
According to the change in the climate
our food pattern should change to adjust with the nature. The availability of
the food in the nature also matches it. But people who do not follow these
suffer from diseases during the change in the season it may be from summer to
rain or winter to summer. If these regimens are followed then the body will
slowly adjust with the nature and climatic change and we can live free of
disease. The food and life style modification will help in boosting the
immunity.
In this way Dinacharya and Rutucharya
are essential for the preventive health.
Promotive Health
Promotive health is nothing but improving our health to optimal
level. Here comes the “Rasayana”.
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The things which increase our health and help us to reach the
utmost healthy state are called as Rasayana. It may not be food, Medicine; even
may be our good deeds.
The benefits of
Rasayana
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The Rasayana provides long life,
good memory, intelligence, health, slows the ageing process, improves the complexion
of skin, gives good voice, gives strength to the body and sense organs, and
improves the oration. If a person gets these benefits from the rasayana then
surely it will promote the health.
Every day we eat lots of food, we
do lots of work, go out etc, in this lifestyle however careful we may be but
sometime we go wrong and those small mistakes are enough to start diseases. Slowly
the body mechanism will hamper and in the long run it leads to diseases. Ex. If
we eat something bad (Not good for our body), and the bad food what we eat will
not digest properly. The undigested material (AMA) will remain in the body. The
same will accumulate when ever we take wrong diet (The foods which are not
accustomed to us). One day the unwanted material present in the body starts
problem. Here the Rasayana helps in regularizing the body mechanism and keep
the body free from unwanted materials by throwing them out naturally.
The rasayana is divided into 3
parts
1. Kamya Rasayana – Here the
regimens are followed for a particular thing like improving the lifespan,
improving memory power etc.
2. Naimittika Rasayana – Here
disease specific medicines which not only cure the disease but helps in keeping
the body against ill effects of the disease by which improves the immunity.
3. Ajastrika Rasayana – Here the
particular food have to take every day to keep our self healthy. Ex. Every day
consuming Ghee, Butter, Milk, Rice etc.
Apart from these our behavior also
acts as a Rasayana. Which is called as
Achara
Rasayana
This is a branch of Ayurveda which
cure the disease without the treatment and improves the health. Here our good
deeds towards other human beings, animals and all the live creatures in the world
will boost our health, i.e. “ACHARA” – our deeds (good for us and to society).
Our social life, social concern will also helps in building good health.
Now a day the medical scenario
needs preventive and promotive health practice which is lacking. People should
keep themselves healthy than going for the treatment for the diseases. If we
keep our body clean and healthy then no disease will ruin us. So always “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”.
Some of the Preventive and Promotive procedures in day to day life
Night Duty – Many people work in the night. It is not good for the
health but unavoidable. So we can reduce the ill effect by following some
procedures. Every day have to take oil massage bath and then go for sleep in
day time on empty stomach. After getting up have light food which should be
mixed with Ghee or Butter.
Sports person – These people train for around 8-10 hours a day. Such
people require to follow following to avoid overstress. Oil massage Bath, good sleep in the
night, food containing more Ghee, Butter, and Sweets etc will keep the body
tissues competent for long time and improve the stamina.
Untimely food – This now a day very common especially those who are in
sales. Sometime it is unavoidable. So always better to keep dry grapes, sugar
candy. Whenever a person feels hungry or if it is a launch time but he can’t
have the lunch in those situations eat some dry grapes or sugar candy. These
will not hamper the digestion but prevent the person from gastritis.
Recipe in Varsha Rutu (Rainy season)
Due to heavy rain our digestive power
will be very weak. So the food should contain ingredients which improve our
digestive fire.
Pepper Rasam
5-10no. of pepper seeds, 200ml water, 1
minute pinch of Asafoetida (Hingu), 1 tsp of Ghee, 3 tsp of jaggery, sufficient
amount of salt are the ingredients required. First prepare the decoction of
pepper seeds with water in low flame. In the middle add 3 tsp of jaggery. Then
give the seasoning (tadka) by using Ghee and Asafetida. Use it as a drink or as
rasam with rice.
Kokum Soup
Dried Kokum fruit 10 no., Ghee 2
teaspoon, Sesame seeds 1 teaspoon, Curry leaves 10-15, Black pepper powder 4
pinches, Salt, 2 teaspoon Jaggery.
Take 500 ml of water and add dried
kokum fruit. Boil this in low flame for about 15min. The co lour of the
preparation will turn into dark red. Add jageery and salt and mix well, stop
the flame. Now give seasoning using Ghee, curry leaves, Sesame and pepper
powder.
It is the best appetizer and digestive.
It can be used as soup in rainy season. It clears the cough, clear mucus stuck
in the throat. Open up the nasal airways. Improves the taste. If a person is
fat it is the best food and medicine to reduce the fat but should not be used
every day.
kokum fruits
Dried Kokum fruits
Note: It
is mainly available in coastal Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
In Bangalore
available in all Mangalore stores.
Recipe in Grishma and Sharad Rutu
In both these rutu’s the atmospheric
temperature will be more, so the more water loss through sweating. Here the
fruit juices, natural soft drinks are good for the body.
Panak Panchsara
Draksha (Dry grapes or
munakka), Madhuka (Mahula or Mahua or
Madhuca indica), Khajura(Dates), Parushaka (Wild date palm or Phoenix pusilla) and sugar candy are
used all in equal quantity. Soak them in water for 1 hour and then squeeze and
mash the contents, filter and drink. It provides instant strength, removes the
tiredness and good for the health in Grishma and Sharad Rutu.
Coconut rice gruel (Kayi halu ganji)
100 gms of grated coconut, boiled
rice 200gms, water 500ml, salt sufficient amount, 1tsp butter. Put the grated
coconut in the mixer and get the paste. Put the paste in a white cotton cloth
and separate the juice from it. Now in a small vessel add coconut juice, boiled
rice, and water and boil it in a small flame. Stop the flame after 10 minutes.
Add sufficient amount of salt. For taste and flavor add Cumin (Jeera) and
Coriandum (Dhaniya) powder each 5 pinch in quantity. While eating the gruel add
butter.
This is the best food recipe in the summer and
autumn season. It gives strength to the digestive tract, gives relief from
acidity, keeps the body cool, and protects the body from hot climate.
Butter Amla Bath
2-3 teaspoonful of butter, ½
teaspoon Cumin seed powder (Jeera), ½ teaspoon Coriandum (Dhaniya) powder, 1
bowl of boiled rice, 5 teaspoonful of Amla powder (Indian gooseberry). First
melt the butter in a pan in low flame and fry Jeera powder, Dhaniya powder.
Finally add Amla powder and salt. Then mix them well. Stop the flame after 2
minutes and add 1 bowl of boiled rice and mix well.
This is helpful in the summer and
autumn season. This can be used in gastritis, ulcers in the stomach, bleeding
while passing stools etc. It keeps the body clean and improves the immunity
power. It is a good rasayana which keeps the body away from diseases.
Pomegranate Rasam
2 Pomegranate fruits, ½ bowl
grated coconut, 1 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin seeds), 1 teaspoon Dhaniya (Coriandum)
seeds, Salt and water. Remove the external cover of the pomegranate and take
all the seeds of the same. Add grated coconut, Jeera, Dhaniya & salt then
grind in the mixer by adding sufficient amount water. Finally give seasoning
(tadka) with ghee.
This is an excellent food for
summer and autumn season. It improves appetite, light for digestion and reduces
the weight. It is a good food for heart patients, Diabetic, liver problems and
aged. It not only digests easily but gives the strength to the body.
Tinospora cordifolia (Guduchi, Amruta
balli) dry curry
5
leaves of Guduchi, 1 bowl boiled green gram dal, 1 green chilly, 2 teaspoon
Ghee, curry leaves 10, Turmeric powder 5 pinches, sesame seeds 1 teaspoon &
salt.
First
boil the Guduchi leaves in water for 5 min. filter the water & collect the leaves.
Fry green chilly, curry leaves and sesame seeds in ghee. Add Guduchi leaves
which was boiled previously and fry it. Now mix boiled green gram Dal and fry
well. Add sufficient amount of salt.
This
can be used as curry with chapati, roti etc. It not only acts as food but good
for the diabetics. It purifies the blood, improves the taste. The liver problem
patients can use it daily with the food. It is a best food for the Typhoid,
malaria and dengue patients. The Tinospora cordifolia is a proven antipyretic.
Digestive Kashaya For all seasons
5
teaspoon Coriandum seed (Dhaniya), 1 Teaspoon Cumin seed (Jeera), 1 gram
Ginger, 5 pinches Black pepper, 4 Cardamom (Elayachi) external cover removed.
Mix
all the above and prepare a coarse powder. Store the powder in an air tight
container.
Mix 1 teaspoonful of this coarse
powder into 200 ml of water and boil till it turn into a decoction. Add
sufficient amount of sugar for sweetness. Then filter the decoction. Now add
50ml of milk and use as a drink. In place of Coffee or Tea it can be used. This
drink is widely used in Coastal Karnataka.
The Drink is best Appetizer and
digestive. The above preparation can be
used in the rainy and winter seasons. In summer and autumn season one has to slightly
modify the ingredients. Don’t add Black Pepper & Ginger.
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