TEN HEALTH COMMANDMENTS by Dr. Leo Rebello

TEN HEALTH COMMANDMENTS
by Dr. Leo Rebello

When God, the finest manufacturer of this intricate body and all that is there, gave you this beautiful body, he also gave you a guarantee card of 100 years of fault free service. But you have misplaced that card and I am going to help you today to find that card and live to be a Healthy Hundred. The following 10 commandments, if followed without compromise, are guaranteed to help you complete a Century with bouncers, yorkers, sixers and fours (Cricketing terms for our American brethren)!
1.. Eat twice a day only, preferably raw.
         Ayurveda recorded this, thousands of years ago. Ayurveda (the Science of Life) enjoins on you to eat a good breakfast, because that is the principal meal of the day, and finish your dinner before sunset. There is also a very apt saying: one who eats one is a Yogi (self-realised), one who eats twice is a Bhogi (glutton) and one who eats thrice is a Rogi (diseased)!
Diet is your Destiny. Many dishes, many diseases. More people die due to overeating than due to malnutrition. But overeating statistics are distributed as deaths due to Obesity. High BP, Diabetes, Cancers, etc
Food sustains life. But as epitomised in the idiom 'not by bread alone', it is not the only thing that keep life going. Coronaries our lifelines, need fresh air, pure water and fruits. Not fried, fatty and fast food. The ultimate Truth is that life stops when wastes from the ingested food and from the thoughts assimilated are not discharged or expelled regularly and in the quantity equal to intake. Don't indulge and you won't bulge. With increasing age, Wisdom should increase not the weight.
2.. Drink minimum 8 glasses of water to wash out toxins.
          On an average, we lose 3 litres of fluid daily from the body - by way of uirination, perspiration, or through vapour when we speak, as also spitting. The human body is made up of 67% water. Unless this balance is maintained by adequate intake of water, the blood will be surharged with wastes and diseased matter. It will then turn acidic, thick and will not circulate easily. A healthy blood stream should be 70% alkaline and 30% acidic. But because of our wrong eating habits, this ratio is in inverse proportion. Hence diseases.
Less intake of water will lead to constipation, acidity, ulceration, pressure on the kidneys, skin diseases, varicose veins, heart problems, obesity, loss of libido and hosts of other diseases. Hence, it is very essential that you drink adequate water (repeat water, not liquid). Liquid would include tea, coffee, liquor, aerated waters, etc., which are in themselves harmful to health.
3.. Meditate twice a day, for good mental health and stress-free life.
         Tension needs urgent attention to avoid hypertension. Meditation is like going on a holiday, daily. Meditation will help you to relax, to unwind, to improve, to smile, to be happy, to be stress-free, to lead a fuller life.
The difference between Prayer and Meditation is : In prayer you talk to God. In Meditation, you listen to Him. As such, meditation is far superior to prayer than going to temples, mosques or churches to meed God.
Meditate ten minutes in the morning and again ten minutes in the night. Too long a meditation itself bcomes counter productive. In the morning remind yourself that you have been given one more day of opportunity. The darkness of the night (as also from your life) has vanished. Thank God for one more day of opportunity, for there is no guarantee when you go to sleep that you will ever open your eyes! In the evening when you meditate, recall whether you have done anything wrong, willy-nilly. If so, give auto-suggestion that this will not recur again. "To err is human, but to rise after a fall is manly and glorious"
4.. Exercise for minimum 15 minutes daily and walk upright.
         We have 700 muscles in our body, including our Heart (which is the strongest muscle or pump). These muscles, unless exercised regularly, become weak and sluggish. They atrophy, they become the storehouse of toxins, deposits and fats. The body and internal organs degenerate, all kinds of 'dis-eases' set in and one ages prematurely. Exercise helps you to keep your youthfulnes and vigour.
Surya Namaskar is the easiest form of exercise. It helps you to remove both 'mental' and 'gastrointestinal' constipation. It is the complete exercise which helps you to breathe out and discharge poisons which inhibit life. You could also cycle, swim, skip, jog or play rugged games like tennis, football or hockey, participate in aerobics, dancercises, etc. But please avoid weight-lifting, power-lifting exercises. They stunt your growth, make you slow and reduce your life span.
5.. Fast once a week to give rest to your vital organs.
          All internal organs are vital organs. They work incessantly. Many a time you overload them beyond their capacity with various excesses. Fasting will help them rest and recuperate. By fasting one day, once a week, I mean full 24 hours of liquid intake in which only the following items are permitted - warm water, citric fruit juices, fresh buttermilk (without salt,glucose, sugar or spices), coconut water. No milk, no tea, no coffee, no liquor, no aerated waters are permitted during fasting
To the above five main commandments add the following five subsidiary commandments :
6.. Do not smoke, or take drugs, or drink alcohol.
         For, too much of tasty toast brings out tummy and troubles.
7.. Do not gamble or cheat.
          Gambling is a psychological affliction, which has runied many. And when you cheat others, you cheat yourself, you cheat God.
8.. Sleep well.
          Body requires 6 to 8 hours of sleep for good physical and mental health. But do not take sleeping pills, for they are habit forming and some day you may overdose and sleep permanently. If you sleep on the right side (liver), it will cool your body; if you sleep on the left (heart) it will heat up your body. Usually the body adjusts in sleep, but one has to be always concious of sleeping positions. During long flights, especially night flights, sleep is very important to get over the jet lag. Also, keep drinking fruits juices and water to avoid dehydration.
9.. Sex is not bad
          Infact, natural sex (not forced, mechanical or bought) is one of the best exercises for good physical and mental health and spiritual wellbeing.
10.. And come what may, go on SMILING.
          Smile is contagious. Why not spread a contagion? Laughter is the best medicine and remember only human beings can laugh. So keep laughing, not like an idiot, but heartily.
After reading this you are sure to ask me: if we cannot do all these 'good things' in life, then why live at all? Well, I live to enjoy nature's bounty, to see rainbow colours, to hear birds sing while flying into the limitless azure sky, to realize my potential, to smile, to spread happiness, to lead a full life and vibrant healthand to make the world a better place to live in. Follow my above commandments if you wish to enjoy good health throughout.