You and your health

YOU AND YOUR HEALTH

'Prevention is better than cure'.

If you can understand how your body works, you stand a better chance of maintaining it sensibly and so avoiding many diseases by following a few simple rules and using 'common sense.' You will be in a good position to prevent the onset of disease and your body will be better equipped to resist any infection that you come in contact. These rules relate to five main areas namely diet, exercise, abuse of the body, stress factors and safeguards against diseases.

Diet

Avoid sugar and excessive amounts of animal fat. Try and eat more vegetables, cereals and pulses, include bran and roughage, consume enough milk and milk products thus forming a balanced diet. Food substances that are not burnt up as energy are stored as fat. Lack of certain foods will lead to deficiency signs and symptoms. One needs to understand and work out the calorie requirements and plan out one's diet to meet the nutritional requirements so as to maintain good health. Good dietary habits are essential to every one.

Exercise

Human body does need regular exercise to keep it in good working order. Lack of physical activity increases the likelihood of coronary artery disease and reduces the efficiency of the muscles of the chest, thus decreasing the amount of oxygen that can enter the body. Regular exercise improves both these factors.

Exercise can be in the form of regular walks, exercising in the gym, skipping or playing games regularly. Whatever type of exercise you take, it should be done regularly and will be a preventive measure against disease.

Abuses of the Body

There is not much point in eating a sensible, balanced diet, keeping your weight in check and taking regular exercise if you abuse your body. The most common abuses are use of tobacco and excessive use of alcohol. Tobacco in the form of cigarettes kills. It causes lung cancer, bronchitis and coronary artery diseases. In moderation alcohol is okay. But becomes a problem when too much of it is taken too regularly.

Drugs like heroin, opium and cocaine are taken for pleasure by some, but they are highly addictive and dangerous to health.

It is essential to avoid indulging in these harmful abuses which sometimes are related to life styles of individuals or families.

Stress

The pace of life in the over crowded, demanding century produces stress, which in turn cause psychological problems and physical diseases.

Hypertension, peptic ulcers can be associated with stress. Psychologically it causes depression and anxiety and even lead to neurosis. The best way to treat stress is to remove its cause and try to lead a stress less life.

Safeguards Against Diseases

No matter how deligently you look after yourself there is always the possibility of disease. This can be considerably reduced if you use common sense and take advantage of all the available safeguards against disease. The most common are those that confess a degree of immunity against specific diseases - vaccination, or immunization.

Also take care of some specific illnesses called occupational diseases that are associated with your type of job. Disease can be contracted from food, faeces, flies, insects, rodents. Take care from all these by practicing hygienic ways where ever you go.

If you follow the simple rules relating to diet, exercise, abuses of the body, stress and safeguards against diseases, you can lead a better and healthier life.