Are we living it all? Think again!

“No, I’m busy. Maybe tomorrow?” says our brain to our thoroughly run down body (and also to that creepy friend who wants to go out with you) denying it a good night’s sleep! Don’t you all agree with me, I am asking you! All you medicos and everyone related to this field of medicine. We all know we just ‘got’ to get done with ‘that’ by tomorrow and ‘Have to’ catch up with that video on the YouTube everyone’s raving about; basically end up compromising with our much used-up il corpo umano (Italian for ‘The human body’).

I ain’t no saint,same as everyone,but paying a visit to Apollo hospital Kolkata gave me the much-needed shake-up after the total body checkup test.I’d prefer not to divulge the details of the results,and trust me it ain’t spicy or anything. So keeping in mind what the ‘lifestyle counseling’ session there taught me and my doctor’s advice, here’s what I devised to follow. I formulated what you’d call THE 8 IMPROVES.

Ø 1.FIND OUT YOUR BMI.

No offense to anyone, I know everyone knows BMI=body mass index and how you calculate it. I’m just putting this as a reminder that since you know how to use that info! Find out your BMI using the BMI calculator here http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm and compare it with the BMI chart here http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.pdf. Helps find out where we stand at the most basic test, if you fall in the underweight or overweight strata you need to pay more attention to what you’re eating and about physical activities. And if it’s normal,way to go sport!

Ø 2.DRINK WATER.

A daily amount of at least 1.5 liters of just water is vital to maintain good health, sure we sip colas and coffee unknowingly all day long you may think. But that’s not water. Carry a water bottle with you always, so that when you’re thirsty you don’t end up buying “Diet Coke” from the nearest shop.

Ø 3.WALK WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS.

This was supposed to be titled “exercise” but I guess walking would be an easier choice to follow. Do speed walking everyday for 30-45 minutes. During that time don’t think about stuff that’s causing you stress down more, just walk, breathe in the fresh air and try to be calm.

Ø 4.KEEP TAB ON THE INTERNET TIME.

It’s easy to spend many hours on the internet once you’re done with work for the day, long hours late into the night. Sigh! We’ve all been there and regretted it the next morning. Keep a timer for about an hour whenever you’re on the internet ‘cause believe it or not the sleep we lose every night on account of late night internet browsing is 836 hours in a year!

Ø 5.GO MODEL MODE.

Making small substitutes in your food help in the long run. Have a craving for ice-cream? Go have a gelato! It has much less of fats as compared to an ice-cream. Frozen yogurt does the trick too. Avoid deep-fried items. Feels like Chinese tonight? Have steamed momos and a split pea soup, almost makes up for your chicken lollipops doesn’t it? Fresh fruits,Caesar salads are divine too. So,why not have them and control a bit of your calorie intake?

Ø 6.TALK TO YOUR HOMIES!

Talk to your parents and friends back home from time to time. Be open to them, they’ll understand when sometimes friends won’t. And it’s helpful as they can understand you better than anyone else. So in case you’re suffering from bouts of depression or some underlying psychological problems, they’ll know something is amiss. I actually did snigger at the doctor’s office when she said that, but I remembered how this profession is emotionally taxing and has led to sad episodes from time to time. Staying fit from brain is very important to stay physically healthy.

Ø 7.BRUSH IT ALL AWAY.

Brush away all your stress, worries about blah and blah, Meditate. But do brush the depositing tartar in your teeth to tweedle-do! Brushing teeth after every meal is optimum, but twice a day is more practical to follow. Trust me when I say I’ve had 7 root canal operations done already, need you ask more? Dental hygiene is important because tooth infections can lead to heart diseases, neurological disorders, stomach infections.

Ø 8.HEALTH CHECK-UPS

It’s easy to forget or postpone our appointments for health check-ups. A whole body check-up should be done at least once in 6 months and we must visit our dentist every 3 months. Sometimes a headache, a recurring rash may mean nothing or as we have read, may be a symptom of something deadly.Why take chances?

Hope this helps a bit, and we live a bit more healthier lives. Stay happy and everything’ll be just fine! 🙂