None will dispute the fact that health is wealth. But what is health? The general tendency is to divorce the mind from the body and stress more on physical health. It is measured through various tools that mark facts and figures but the cure is eluding the rich and poor, the fat and thin due to a basic defect in approach. To take a typical example of Bob who is courting heart trouble and needs to alter his food and lifestyle. But Bob finds himself in a cycle of daily routine that allows little escape. He breakfasts on coffee and drives to the station a short distance away. There is a hurried mid-morning break of more coffee and snacks followed by a bunch of meat and bread from vendors. Dinner with his family consists of more meat added to potatoes. Time is money. He is rushed. How to change?
Bob has to realize he has to change his mindset – he earns to live life but life is not lived for earning. If this can be made the guiding factor of his life then the day will obey his wishes and he will not be thrown around by the day. For this mind has to be developed. It is not just the calculative shrewd mind but the thinking mind that is responsible and leads not merely to knowledge but to wisdom. The best way to do so is to sit quietly with closed eyes for five minutes, the first thing in the morning, breathing deeply looking inwards. The problem with Bob is that the five senses pull him along and not the reverse. Mentally he must tell the senses to behave themselves and they must listen to him. Once laxity is given to the senses it is difficult to get out of their clutches. The mind is by nature restless and the senses will pull and drag them willy-nilly. In the hectic work schedule, Bob has to honestly see how much is wasteful. As soon as his needs are cut down his work will become more focal, pinpointed, and organized. Does he need to go chasing around? (Dudek, 2009)
The next question is how much is he nouritheing his mind and how much the body. It is obviously tilting heavily towards the body and thoughts on the body. If equal attention is given to the mind – feeding it with aesthetics like music and creative hobby, the restless hungry body that has become a gluttonous beast will stop in its tracks. Bob must relax. Instead of driving, a walk will do him good observing the hustle around him and not being part of it. Bob has to ask the question – how much does he really need to eat or how much isthee pampering his taste buds and other senses. The sizzling of the fat on the fire triggers him off. (Foss and Farine, 2007)
So let it be a challenge – a game between Bob and the mind that he will not eat what is known to be harmful. The hunger pangs can easily be satisfied with simpler wholesome meals. After having tamed the mind to control the craving for excess food and needs, the next thing is to trim the body. There should be more walking, bending, and sitting cross-legged to get the bodily functions oiled and mobile. It will pay long-term dividends but for that one has to pull out of the rat race mentally first and then allow the body and its impulses to follow in a docile manner. Bob must master his own self.
References
Dudek, S.G. (2009). Nutrition Essentials for Nursing Practice (6th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Foss, M. and Farine, T. (2007). Science in nursing and health care. LA: Pearson Education.