GOOD HEALTH

Everyone in the world wants to lead a long and happy life. They want to enjoy plenty of time with their families and friends. They want to do a job they like. They also want to deal with their hobbies and interests. In order to be able to do all this, they need to be physically healthy and strong. Good health is not something which is beyond control; it depends on the individual. In other words, there are various daily habits and various lifestyle factors that help maintain good health.

The kind of daily routine people have goes a long way towards guaranteeing good health. Firstly, everybody needs a good night’s sleep in order to start the day feeling rested and refreshed. The ideal is sleeping seven to eight hours a night. Anything less than this affects the mood, cognitive powers, physical health and social relations. Secondly, the fuel the body needs during the day to maintain vital body functions also needs to be considered. People should have a balanced diet including food from all the major food categories: people should eat fruit and vegetables, protein, dairy products and carbohydrates. Eating and sleeping is not the whole story; plenty of exercise is necessary as well. As a result, people should not sit around all day; they should walk, run, cycle, swim or go to the gym. It is obvious that all this depends solely on the individual. In other words, remaining healthy is to some extent within the individual’s control.

Taking care of the physical needs of the body is not enough on its own. There are various life style factors that have an important role in keeping people healthy. The first is the physical environment. A polluted city like New Delhi or Beijing can cause all manner of health problems. Working with toxic substances like people in the garment industry, in mines and in the leather industry do can also shorten the life span. Selecting the city where one lives and the job one does isn’t always in one’s control. However, it is important to be aware of these factors and try and improve the circumstances if one can. The second issue is access to modern facilities and amenities. In developing and third world countries, a lot of people don’t have access to clean water, electricity, basic healthcare and education. Ignorance is widespread and this contributes to ill health too. In short, there are quite a few factors that are beyond one’s control and it is not always possible to be as healthy as one would like.

To sum up, leading a healthy life is not as easy as it seems. There is a lot that can be done on an individual basis but there is also a lot that may be beyond control. People need to make the best of the circumstances they find themselves in in order to lead a relatively healthy life.