The most simplistic route to health: Exercise

“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
― Henry David Thoreau

Exercise is defined as an activity requiring physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness. Physical exercise is a rigorous, repetitive and effective way through which we can maintain our  overall health and wellness. Exercise should form an integral part of our daily routine as it has numerous benefits.  Not only does exercise tone your body, it strengthens your muscles, keeps your bones strong, relaxes you, induces better sleep , helps in attaining a stronger immune function and tames mood swings.

Recent studies have revealed that taking out time for exercise reduces physical and mental stress and boosts the body’s ability to cope with mental pressure and tension. Exercise helps in alleviating the level of physical fitness and improves one’s self-confidence. Due to the significant rise in smoking and drinking habits in teenagers, cardiovascular exercise is recommended to help them deal with addiction.

Working out also helps in sharpening of memory and brain power. It helps combat health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart problems, depression, obesity and releases endorphins, which creates feelings of happiness and euphoria. Exercise boosts up blood circulation, flushes out the toxins and blesses us with a healthy skin and a clear complexion.

Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult and a lot of extra work at first. But even ten minutes can bring out effective and positive results.

Friedrich Nietzsche said “All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking”. Who knows what great ideas you come up with during that run.. So get up and take a step towards leading a healthy lifestyle!!!

Naturopathy: Origin and Concept

 Naturopathy is a science-based form of treatment which is based on, as its name implies, the elements of nature. This form of treatment dates back to 19^th century when it was originated by the Greek Father of Medicine-Hippocrates. The study basically deals with the five basic elements of nature - Jal (water), Vayu (air), Agni (fire), Akash (sky) and Prithvi (Earth). The body is composed of a defined proportion of these elements which if changed leads to an imbalance causing ailments.

Naturopathy as a science bases itself in the Greek concept of four humors which have origins in the ancient Egyptian Medicine. The four humors include Blood, Yellow bile, Black bile and Phlegm which stand for the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively. These humors affect heart, liver, spleen and brain in the same order and are represented by the elements of air, fire, earth and water. Any imbalance in their proportion in the body leads to sickness and disease.

The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) has defined naturopathy as:

"A distinct system of primary health care-an art, science, philosophy, and practice of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illness. Naturopathic medicine is distinguished by the principles upon which its practice is based. These principles are continually re-examined in the light of scientific advances. The techniques of naturopathic medicine include modern and traditional, scientific, and empirical methods" (AANP, 1998).

Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges states that there are six basic principles in Naturopathy which are as follows:

•   Belief in the natural healing powers and tendency of the body to heal
•   Identifying underlying causes which are beyond symptoms
•  Using most natural ways to treat
•  Helping patients maintain a good health by teaching them natural ways
•  Understanding body as a combination of physical and spiritual aspects
•  Focusing on overall well being and primarily prevention

Naturopathy identifies each patient’s sickness subjectively and treats them using non-toxic and natural therapies. Naturopathy focuses on the body’s natural tendency to heal and motivates this predisposition using natural elements and energy of nature.