Monday, July 29, 2013

PREVENTIVE AND PROMOTIVE HEALTH

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)

Diet

Lifestyle

  • 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.
  • 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

Vasanta Ritu (Spring Season)
  • 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.
  • Physical exercise.
  • Dry massage.
  • Nasal medication can be taken.
  • After massage bath with karpura/chandan/kumkum.

·        Avoid sleeping during day time.

Grishma Ritu (Summer Season)
  • 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.
  • Anoint body with chandan paste and take bath with cold water.
  • Stay in cool places.

·        Wear light cotton dresses.

Varsha Ritu (Rainy Season)
  • 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.
Sharat Ritu (Autumn Season)
  • 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.

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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