I
have been a religious person all my life. Someone who lights a lamp in front of
god every morning and asks for “Sadbudhi or Sadmarg pe chalne ki shakti”(English
translation “Wisdom to know what is right and power to act right”) every day. But in recent years I have seen a
change in my prayers, now with wisdom and power I also ask for good health for
me and my family. In past few years I have met and read about people who are
suffering from some health issues, and after seeing how their health problem
affected their family emotionally and financially I am petrified. I want no
such thing to happen with my loved ones or say with anyone for that matter.
If
we go by the different survey reports, in recent years the longevity of human
life has increased due to advancements in medical field but the health
standards saw a fall. I remember my great grandfather was fitter in his 90’s compare
to my dad is in his 50’s. Elders say that this was the effect of pure food and
fresh air which they used to get in their time. Now time is different,
lifestyles are different, eating habits are different too. If I talk about
myself, as a kid I used to be very fit and active. I never bunked school due to
poor health, but when I started working and started living on my own, numbers
of sick leaves increased. I used to feel tired and lousy, and fell sick many times
during the first 2 years of staying away.
Consequently
with time I understood that it’s my deteriorated immunity which was resulting in
frequent sickness and tiredness. In layman terms, Immunity is the resisting
power of the body to different diseases. An individual with stronger immunity
is less likely to fall sick in same environment compare to other individual
with weaker Immunity. There are many internal and external factors that affect
our immunity system, and if we work on these factors we can improve our
immunity.
Talking
about making India Immune, there are many things which we need to do for
ourselves (that is the present of India) and for the younger generation (that
is future of India). So based on my own experience (by comparing my lifestyle
during childhood and later) here are the things which I feel makes the
difference to our immunity system.
·
Eating healthy: Some 20 years back when Pizzas and burgers were not
very common in India best snacks we used to have been fresh fruits, fruit
chats, sprout bhel etc. Home cooked food and a glass of milk morning and night
used to keep our tummy full. Now cola has taken over milk and with more
junk food than fruits and vegetables in our plates, we are going low on
essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Increasing the intake of leafy
vegetables, fruits and nuts will help one improve the immunity.
·
Adequate sleep: Whoever Says sleep is waste of time must not be aware
of the importance of sleep. Sleep is like a scheduled servicing for our body
and mind. When we sleep our body generates new cells, and heals damaged tissues
if any. For kids specially, timely sleep is very impotent for their healthy
growth. Nowadays when parents stay glued to their gadgets till mid night kids
tend to be awake with them too. Set an example for them; be early to bed and
early to rise, and you will be healthier for sure J
·
Physical Activity: Now
majority of us stay glued to our gadget most of the time and physical activity
is almost zero. Even kids love to play video game more than going out and
playing. Actually such physical activities are very important for the body. It
makes the body fit and active. For better immunity we should try to incorporate
some physical activity in our routine and we should encourage kids to play
outdoor as well.
·
Personal Hygiene: Imparting habits like washing hands
before food, taking bath when come back from outside and using sanitizer when
using water for washing is not available is must. Adapting healthy habits like
using kerchief while sneezing and coughing will also help us and people around
us stay healthier. Personal hygiene should be part of our day to day routine to
achieve better immunity.
·
Clean and Green Environment: “Cleanliness is next to godliness” we
all have read this as kids but we often tend to forget this. I was born and
brought up in a township, which had plenty of trees (trees on sides of the
roads) and was very clean too. Authorities there used to take care of the
cleaning of the town very well. But when we see the other big and small cities
in India cleanliness is a big concern. Piles of garbage on roads are a frequent
sight, which gives shelter to mosquitoes and lots of diseases. Just keeping our
home clean is not sufficient; we should extend it outside our home too. There
are many communities and NGO which are working in this direction; we should try
to help them in places of just cursing government for not taking care of
things. Planting more trees is also important for us to have fresh air.
·
Go Stress free: Increasing stress level also invites many health
problems. In today’s busy and stressful life going for yoga and pranayamas will
help a lot in controlling the stress. With increasing
competition and pressure to perform today even kids have more stress then we
used to have before. Childhood is very precious time of life so we should
motivate kids to perform but should not pressurize them to fulfill our dreams.
·
Go the Organic way: With all the above things
I can’t forget the important part of natural remedies and supplements in my
childhood. My mom never used to make me swallow tablets for every problem. Turmeric
with milk, honey, ginger etc were some of the common home remedies we used to
use for cough and cold. I have seen my grandparents eating a spoonful of Dabar chyawanprash
(mixture of herbs and spices, which claims to improve immunity) every morning
after the breakfast. Even we were fed the same every day, especially during
winters having chyawanprash in morning and night was a must. After my marriage
also when my mom visited me first time she got a big jar of Dabur chyawanprash
with her. My husband catches cold very easily and giving him chyawanprash was a
common suggestion everyone gave me, and it really worked. Now also I believe a
lot on the natural remedies and supplements. They do improve our immunity
without having any side effects like medicines.
With
all these small-small lifestyle changes we can make our life healthier. Kids,
who are the future of India, will make the future brighter only when they are
healthy. And to stay away from diseases having strong immune system is must. I
request everyone to impart such healthy habits in kids so that they and the
future of India get stronger immunity.
PS: This post is written for #ImmuneIndia contest on Indiblogger for Dabar chyawanprash. And I strongly believe that a healthy kid can only give a healthy future to India.
Image Source: Google