We Wish You Health, Wealth and Happiness
How many times have you heard someone bestowing this wish at a graduation, birthday, wedding or other celebration? Yet, in spite of our best wishes we continue to live in a world where the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen. Those who are considered to be “wealthy” comprise less than half a percent of the world’s population. And statistics have shown that the phenomenon of health gravitates towards the more affluent parts of the globe.
The converse also seems to be true – that where the poorest of the poor congregate there sickness and disease are also rampant. This might indicate that the link between health and wealth has been made but the risk of overindulgence still remains on the side of those who have greater access to the finer things in life.
Bad Habits
Many present-day diseases are lifestyle related. We live faster, spend faster, eat faster, consume faster and do just about everything faster. We are exposed to processed food that has been mass-produced and we often eat fruit, vegetables and the meat of animals whose growth was artificially accelerated. The result is of course, poor physical health.
Fortunately, there seems to be enough evidence indicating that people with conditions like obesity, hypertension (high blood pressure), cholesterol and many other ailments respond well to treatments that are accompanied by changes in their lifestyle, particularly their exercising and eating habits. It seems then, that with some unfortunate exceptions, we are what we eat and we are as healthy as we live our lives.
Good habits
About ten years ago I weighed more than 100 kilograms and I had a waistline of about 102 centimeters. Compared to my height I was considered to be obese and soon after I developed cardiovascular problems. I was a couch potato and did practically no exercise. I consumed too much fatty food and too little water, fruit and vegetables. These days I walk at least 5 kilometers every morning, eat my meat sparingly and selectively, take in enough water and enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables from the local organic market. Now I consistently weigh less than 90 kilograms and my waistline remains at about 92 centimeters. I pay regular visits to my GP and I go for a thorough medical examination twice per year.