Have You Made The Best Investment?

"I have put on weight, have acquired type 2 diabetes and have also started medication for hyper- tension", said Vishal, an old acquaintance who I bumped into recently at a wedding reception in response to my “oh my God you have changed so much!”  “I am genetically prone to obesity and diabetes”, “ye to hona hi tha”, said Vishal. Wow! How convenient it is, to blame our genes for diabetes and hyper- tension. Somehow we never give credit to our genes for the good marks, the IQ, the promotion etc, etc. That is our ability and hard work :-). Well for the records Vishal is 35 yrs old and runs successfully his family owned business and his big paunch and his 100+ kg weight endorse that :-). Incidentally Vishal is not the only one, there are many, sailing in the same boat; and most of them are pretty young and they are frustrated with themselves and have unsuccessfully tried everything- right from gym memberships and herbal diet supplements to weight loss programs at fancy places.

According to a survey conducted by the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India (RSSDI), India is seeing a rise in lifestyle diseases and is on its way to become the world’s diabetes capital with more than 60 million diabetics, expected to cross 85 million by 2030. I am sure we all are going to live long thanks to the advanced medical science. But what are we going to do with that increased lifespan; occupy hospital beds?

Well obesity, the mother of all diseases is the result of not moving your body or moving it as little as possible. Hence the BP, cholesterol and the diabetes pills are the part of the daily diet. The hard earned money goes to the doctors, hospitals and the pharma companies. This is what my concern about. The Mother Nature has designed the human body for continuous activity and it works on a basic principle- use it or lose it. The least we can do is 30-45 minutes of exercise at least thrice a week if not daily to keep it in good shape and condition.

So what does it take to invest in health? Not much. A few changes in your lifestyle and a little perseverance and you are done.

1.     Those who say they do not have time for exercise are lying to themselves. You definitely can take out 30-45 minutes every day from your busy schedule. Do not fall into the trap of – will start post Diwali / weekend / holiday. It will only make it more difficult. 

2.    Eating correctly has to be a lifelong commitment. Do not fast and do not feast. Eat simple home cooked fresh food. Do not go for herbal diet supplements without checking up with your doctor. Everything that is herbal is not necessarily safe. Remember nicotine and marijuana are herbal too :-).   

3.     What is the best exercise? Any exercise that is done on a regular basis and makes you happy :-) . Work with a qualified trainer and learn the basics of right technique. Yes; it costs money. Be prepared to pay to your trainer / gym membership / yoga class and ensure good health.

 “Life is but a pause between the first breath and the last. The only thing you can guarantee at somebody’s birth is his or her death, everything else is unpredictable”, said Dharmraj Yudhishthir , according to a story in Mahabharat. Agreed. Everything is unpredictable in life but why take a chance. Do your bit and the rest would follow. Health and wealth or bad and poor habits. Make a choice. Invest in your health today. Wish you good health!! Stay Blessed!!