by Lewis J Rhodes

Created on: January 22, 2011   Last Updated: January 26, 2011

Much of humanity has yet to understand the principle of balance. It is here that we can enjoy the most natural way to prevent illness

Preventing illness is a lot simpler than many realise. The easiest and simplest way to stay healthy is to never partake in any form of excess. The body is designed to draw nourishment from a wide range of foods, but issues start to arise when one or another of the foods or liquids, exceeds the daily requirements or safety levels of the body. These requirements vary from one person to another, and it is unfortunate that we are ‘sold’ en masse, the idea that what is good for one person, must be good for another.

Just as our personalities vary, so do our food requirements. What may seem ideal for one person, can in fact be detrimental to another. The key is living on a diet that is suitable for the individual. It is of no use to inform everyone that they all need a certain number of vitamins or food types a day, when the size, shape and indeed metabolism of each person is different. We may benefit from what is contained in the recommended diet, but if we are to develop a dislike for the recommended food, the psychological implications can, in the long term, develop a permanent resistance to the food. How many of us dislike a particular fruit or vegetable which was forced on us at a young age?

Healthy eating requires a life changing style of living.

It requires that the body use and burn the same amount of calories that it has ingested. Healthy living is a holistic philosophy based on the principle that we can all have too much, or too little of the same thing.

It is here that the west can learn something from eastern philosophies. Why eat because it is time to eat? If someone is not hungry, then the body is informing the individual there is no need to have further sustenance. We are told that eating should happen at particular intervals? Is this correct, or is this a cultural pattern left over from the ‘polite society’ of Victorian or Edwardian Britain? (It is important to recognise that people with eating disorders have a different physical and psychological requirement, and should not take cognisance of a generalised piece of writing such as this.)

Healthy eating is not just about eating the right foods. It is more about recognising we can all enjoy food and drink to a level that is beneficial to the body. It is about variation, and it is about limiting excesses. If we combine what we eat, with what we do, and enjoy the benefits of a balanced lifestyle, there can be no doubt our bodies and minds will react positively. It is when our mind and body is in balance, that illness is often prevented. The moment the mind or the body does not work in unison with the other, that problems arise.

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