New Delhi: Am sure we have all watched the Ramayana multiple times in our lives and via different mediums – television, theatre, musicals, school plays, memes, reels, video stories… the list can be exhaustive. As we gear up towards celebrating the slaughter of evil in the hands of the good, there are some internal unhealthy demons that we must learn to control too. We asked medical experts to list those demons for us and here’s all they had to say. Dr Anmol Das, a paediatrician, began by saying most of the demons outside are actual manifestations of an unhealthy YOU! Is it? We will get to this question in a bit, but first things first… what are these 10 unhealthy internal demons?
Know more here…
The 10 ugly unhealthy heads
Starting in no particular order and also not advising our readers to prioritise taking one in place of another. We would rather attack them all, at once if possible but taking turns for sure.
The urge to eat junk: This is elementary. When there are different classifications of food and nutrition available, why do we opt for the unhealthy choice. Is it because it looks too attractive, or is that we are geared to choose for more oily food than raw, semi cooked or par boiled stuff? Is it a body mechanism that naturally goes for foods that have more salt and/or sugar? Doctors agree that it could be the case. But it is not uncontrollable.
“Yes, it is natural for the body to crave sugar, salt, spice and all things nice. The taste buds are tingled with such items, the happy chemicals are given a boost and eating such foods can cause the false sense of feeling happy. Note, ‘false’ sense. This is because, chemically speaking, you would feel the same amount of happy if you opted for that bowl of fruits or yoghurt at the appropriate time. So, first thing that we need to #massacre is the demon of wanting to eat unhealthy. The choice is solely ours,” Dr Das puts it rather sternly.
But we have got to agree, eating right is an individual choice not an acquired one. If you think opting for an unhealthy crisp is your body’s way of wanting good things, it is not.
The desire to be lazy: Everyone is aware that a thirty minute exercise schedule is a good thing for both longevity of life as well for a healthy self. However, not many opt for such a lifestyle. They are either too busy or claim to be “maintaining” the adrenaline in some other way. “Nothing beats a healthy body when it comes after a proper channel of eating right and exercising better. Even if you go to the gym daily for a workout session, what a morning walk brings to the table is not replaceable,” says Dr Nishikant Tygai, a cardiac surgeon.
Agreed! Walking or jogging just doesn’t give you toned muscles, it gives the much needed blood rush and a healthy appetite.
The wish to ignore diets: We also tend to naturally give in to fad diets over choosing for sorted options to maintain a BMI. Under-eating or following mindless diets have never helped anyone in the long run. For that matter it has only proven to be detrimental to overall health. There have been serious implications upon following a skewed meal plan, portion sizes that are not enough or doing intermittent fasting for long periods without supervision of a dietician. “These do not help you in getting back to shape, they are just taking up water retention without adding any strength to the body. AVOID!,” advises Das.
The need to avoid routine tests: How many of us undergo our routine tests in time? And do so wholeheartedly? We are talking of blood tests to rule out inflammation or infection, a test for diabetes and cholesterol, test for kidney functioning as well as liver good health. How many of us women have routinely checked for fibroids in the uterus, or lumps in the breast. How many have opted for the pap smear test that has become a must after a particular age to rule out cancer of the cervix? Although we are aware of the tests that one needs to conduct frequently, we still want to ignore and lead our lives in oblivion.
Not done. This winter season, start with a visit to your family general physician and ask him to make a note of all the tests that every member of the family must undergo. Take them seriously and dive straight into it.
The laziness of not following through check-ups: We are all bound to fall sick at some point or the other and we do all it takes to recover and get back on our feet as soon as its possible. But what we fail to do all the time is to get back to the OPD for the follow-up. If you physician has asked you to visit him after a fortnight or month to take a stock of whatever you were ailing from, it is done for a reason. “We may want to check if the treatment actually worked for you and it will sustain in the long run. Doctors also look for possible side damages done, if any. We also look at your other health parameters to see (and mitigate) upcoming health issues. In short the post illness follow up, is a must,” says Dr Deepa Passi, a gynaecologist in Noida.
The dangerous desire to self medicate: This is probably the biggest demon to attack. When we assume our ailments and carelessly medicate ourselves just to feel better at that given time. No, not all infection is the same. Not all headache is a migraine and not all chest pain is due to acidity. These could all be symptoms of a serious health emergency which you are ignoring by popping an antacid!
“Self medication has led to almost 60 per cent of emergencies and yet we continue to do so. The commonest self medication is to treat pain but that’s not the right approach. Your pain could signify different things and it would needs a completely different set of pain killer than what you just had. Not everything can be resolved by a paracetamol,” says Passi and we tend to agree. Over-the-counter drugs should be a strict no!
The negligence of personal hygiene: While we all want to look our best, we don’t seem to care of our internal health at all. From oral hygiene to other areas, this is a big problem. One that needs urgent attention from individuals. If we ignore personal hygiene over other make-belief stuff, it will come back to haunt us. “Oral hygiene is very much in our hands. We ignore our teeth and gum health and end up needing much more attention than we thought we would,” says Akshita, a dentist.
The urge to internalise stress: Yes, it’s true…some of us manage to keep stress and anxiety at bay, while most of us become anxious quickly. Is it a bodily reaction or are you unwittingly attracting more stress upon yourself? Dr Passi says stress is an outside condition but how one deals with it can be an internal affair. Everyone’s response to stressful situations is different. “It would help if we remember that stress can leave a huge impact on our mind and body. Maybe then we will learn to cope better and faster,” she reiterates.
The need to not organise better: Better organisation calls for better health and well-being. By ignoring this very mundane thing, one invites clutter not just into their lives but their physical self as well. Decluttering is the way forward not just for achieving inner peace but also for living a happy and long life.
The desire to have negative thoughts: The very last demon that we wanted to address in the article is probably the one that is omnipresent. We all know the repercussions of thinking bad thoughts not just on our cognitive health but also for our overall well-being and yet we indulge in thoughts that aren’t positive.
Dr Das puts it nicely – “As long as we have positive thoughts about ourselves, our environment and about the people who matter to us, things will go on healthily and smoothly. The moment we tend to cross over to the other side, bringing in negativity and ill thoughts upon ourselves, this could have dangerous side effect on the body. For one, our health will deteriorate, we would have wrinkles faster and digestion becomes an issue. The choice is again with us.”
Right, so what choice will you make?
This is the month of slaying the demons – inside out! While we hear mythological stories of how to emerge victorious against the evil, there is much that could be done internally too. For example, having a healthy choice and maintaining core well-being is always an option for us to choose. No one can force us to go for that forbidden fruit of bad health choices. If you already haven’t decided on which path to take – here’s reminding you that to be healthy is not a luxury, it’s an imperative Health News Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
