So you think you’re healthy?
I was rather appalled when I came across this article in an Indian parenting site about how to gauge a child’s health. According to the writer (a doctor nonetheless) she feels that BMI is a good indicator of whether your child is healthy or not.
So if your child falls anywhere within the 5th and 85th percentile they are ‘normal’ weight and therefore healthy.
When when when!!! May I ask has weight become the only indicator of health?
How and why has this happened???
Yes, highly overweight people are generally unhealthy. But not always.
And by NO means are thinner people healthy.
The good-looking girl who looks amazing in those pair of 26 waist jeans? Yes the one who cannot lift her luggage up a flight of stairs, or falls sick ever so often. She is NOT healthy. A ‘healthy’ looking person who gets breathless after a short burst of quick walking is definitely far from being optimally fit.
The guy who runs every marathon in the country, but who also gets every illness that comes around. He is NOT healthy.
The guy in your gym that lifts heavy weights, with a buff body, but is out of action every second month because of injury. He is NOT healthy.
The mother, who went on a low fat diet to lose weight before pregnancy, then had difficulty conceiving and later no milk for her child. She is NOT healthy.
The girl, who refuses to go out in the sun because of fear of tan, misses her period now and then and gets migraines? Is far from healthy.
Most baby sites and books say that babies get common colds of flus about 3 to 4 times in the first year! 3 to 4 times in the first year? Why should this be the norm? A mother (yours truly) who hasn’t got a tummy upset, a flu, or a cold in the last 3 years (and had 100 % attendance all through school) would be devastated if I had a child who was so sickly. I pride my self then that he hasn’t had a cold or a flu or a tummy upset since birth.
In a society where popping pills is a norm, it’s pretty crazy how most people think that having a viral every time there’s one in town is NORMAL.
Hello! The common cold is not that common. Not to a lot of people with good immunity eating satiating real food!
OH and by the way women, since I keep bringing up the evolutionary context, did you know that we were supposed to be fat? Woohoo! In evolutionary terms, a woman is supposed to store fat in times of famine so she can feed her babies either during pregnancy or while nursing. Women are not genetically designed to be skinny. Don’t get me wrong, skinny women can be healthy. but they may be just apparently skinny packing in a lot of lean muscle and fat.
Sorry guys, but that’s just for the women. Men are designed to have a six-pack and dreamy forearms 😉
According to me these are the indicators of good health
Women
1) Regular period and ovulation (very important in gauging female health)
2) Good immunity
3) Get up and go.
4) Strength to perform functional activities like shifting heavy furniture or running up a flight (or 5) of stairs without going out of breath.
5) Good skin
6) No aches and pains like migraines, back, knees etc.
Men
1) Good immunity
2) Get up and go.
3) Strength to perform functional activities like shifting heavy furniture or running up a flight (or 5) of stairs without going out of breath.
4) Good skin
5) No aches and pains like migraines, back, knees etc.
Children
1) Good immunity
2) Stamina and good levels of activity. (always ready to play)
3) Strength and agility
4) Curious, sharp brains.
5) Curiosity to try new foods.
I’m going to do a follow up post on the steps I am taking to ensure N has terrific immunity!
As to what you can do to improve your health? Eat real, nutritious food, avoid stuff masquerading as food!
Thanks for reading! Comments? Do you agree, disagree or think I’m full of BS. Please write.
Follow
I have a pathetic immunity,love your article though..Any tips on how to increase immunity fast?
Hi Anki. Thanks for that! I will write a follow up post on immunity! Tip: there is no short cut 🙂
Stay tuned
Thanks a lot for the detailed information. Actually many people go by the popular “perceptions” instead of doing research by themselves.Like you correctly mentioned that weight is always equated with being healthy, many times i hear people talking about zero figure models and actresses and they are being addressed as fit and attractive. They might be attractive but not necessarily fit and healthy since they are underweight.
True. Also they may be skinny fat. Where they appear thin but do not have any lean muscle mass. That is also a very dangerous phenomenon. Read : http://m.healthmeup.com/news-weight-loss/are-you-skinny-fat/4294
And I just cannot understand how you can equate health to weight so easily. There is so much more to it than that!
Hey
I saw this but I was away for the weekend with the in laws!! so much fun..nOT!! heehhe
Well I agree..I made hubby read it too and he agrees:)…and I have seen such people…I am just over the whole “fat” “sknny” fiasco…I look at health..and I am definitely tired of the whole “oh rice is good for u…”…I quit sugar and white rice for a while now..and definitely notice the difference…I am eating paleo for lunch…greek yogurt for breakfast…and fr dinner I eat dal sabzi and yogurt…if I am a little tired i might add some quinoa or dalia…but going good that way..
love to N…
Manasa
Hi. Do not add dalia. Ass brown rice of required. Even white rice is fine.
Good to know you’re back on tracks and I was wondering where you disappeared 🙂
Hi
I meant cracked wheat. I am trying to cut down some foods because I dont want to buy it for everyone…Quinoa is expensive…I also religiously quit any kind of rice or rice related item..so eating cracked wheat or even oats when I can..I think old fashioned oats are also not bad…I enjoy it…
I have been consistently losing weight..could be coz I dont have time to snack either..work is crazy..and work at home is crazier:)…so good in a way…
Oats and wheat are way worse than rice. I think you’d be better off eating brown rice or even white rice
Well call it weird..it seems to work better this way for me..i guess each body is different..I bloat and gain when I eat rice…but when I cut down rice and eat rotis (homemade) or little quinoa or oats …I lose and I feel lighter…Well atleast for a few months I wont eat rice anyways..its religious too…
hi aloka! cod liver oil (capsules available) are a great way to boost immunity. apart from providing all essential micronutrients in a natural form, it also contains omega 3 fatty acids which are ESSENTIAL for good MENTAL HEALTH also! nice article! yes, this skinny trend and obese trend should be re-looked!
hey dhanwanti. you know i have always wanted to try cod liver oil capsules but from what i hear they are not all created equal. will have to dig deeper into what i want to buy. i am interested in mixing cod liver oil into N’s egg yolk as well as it’s supposed to do wonders for baby for all the reasons you’ve listed. what do you think?