Human body is perfectly healthy at birth, except in the rare case of a genetic defect or disease. During the first year after birth, the child is susceptible to various viral and bacterial infections as the child adjusts to the earth's atmosphere. Modern vaccination is particularly helpful in saving a child's life and health during this period of molecular struggle.
From the first year till about the age of thirty, human body is at its robust best as we grow and build ourselves-physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Our health is generally good as our good digestive power, strong immune system, flexible body and fiery mind face the rigours of life easily and painlessly. The only debilitating factors during this period could be bad food, malnutrition, accident or injury.
Life after thirty, or thereabout, suddenly begins to show tell-tale signs on our health; our life-force begins to decline gradually and our health starts receding.
The moot point to note here is that Nature made our body healthy and kept it healthy for thirty years or so. And the decline thereafter comes only due to our own unnatural habits, unhealthy diet and faulty lifestyle.
For example, spicy food causes indigestion, particularly if we go to sleep immediately after a heavy meal. Indigestion in turn causes bad sleep which results in emotional stress. The same way, excess salt (sodium) affects our blood pressure; while excess sugar coupled with a sedentary lifestyle may cause diabetes.
We all know that smoking raises blood pressure by constricting blood vessels and making heart work faster, which means requirement of more oxygen. But cigarette smoke contains carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas that cuts down the oxygen reaching your heart. Nicotine promotes fat build-up on the walls of your arteries, damages them and decreases blood flow, resulting in heart disease and heart attack.
The same way, alcohol weakens immunity, causes high blood pressure, damages brain and is responsible for various heart and liver problems.
We all know about the ill-effects of various foods and substances-junk foods, drugs, chewing tobacco, colas, high-fat snacks, and numerous such products. We also know about the harms of a sedentary lifestyle, that no exercise causes arthritis, some heart-related problems and other diseases.
Despite all this we know about health, we tend to gravitate towards bad foods and routine, and shun what is good for us. This is because by the age of thirty, we get into a groove of dead habits that we don't want to come out of. Despite our best efforts and intentions, we don't leave the bed early to take a walk, breathe in fresh air and listen to the bird music.
All that we need is a little inspiration and a little push. This is time we must review diet, lifestyle, routine, emotional tenacity and other such factors that directly affect our health and fitness level. After all, it's only one life that we've got.