Hyderabad: Mahatma Gandhi, the renowned freedom fighter and founder of the Satyagraha movement against the British Empire was also a big promoter of health and fitness. He identified regular exercise, hygiene, good habits, and natural food as the important contributing factors for a healthy living devoid of diseases.
Gandhiji firmly opined that the prevention of diseases is more important than treating it. "Living in a polluted environment, infested with parasites is equal to living together with pathogens," he often pointed out. “Phylogenetically being the most evolved species in Organic evolution, Human beings have to utilise their hands and legs," for what purpose are they provided?" he questioned. We now know that proper physical exercise is vital to stay fit rather than being sedentary in lifestyle.
We can see present-day smartphones with an inbuilt health app monitoring every step we take to record our daily activities. As it goes, destiny is different from what one aspires. At the age of 18, MK Gandhi wished to pursue a medical degree in the United Kingdom. But he was not allowed to do so by his family members as it involved handling dead bodies to study human anatomy. However, his interest in human health remained with him throughout his life. He had an interest in human anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and hygiene. At Sabarmati ashram, there used to be a human skeleton serving as a model for the inmates to know the parts of the body. Gandhiji studied extensively about the chemistry of drugs and the mechanism of their action.
Gandhi believed in strict vegetarianism and at one stage, and even practised 'vegan' diet for 7 years at a stretch, devoid of all animal products including milk. He observed that buffalo milk can be replaced by Goat milk for daily consumption and used the same after he developed severe diarrhoea with an allergy to Buffalo milk.
Gandhiji used to look after the medical treatment, food restrictions, rest and exercise during the convalescence of ailing inmates at Sevagram very closely. At Sabarmati ashram, Dr Sushila Nayar was the full-fledged doctor in-charge, but Gandhiji himself took a lot of personal care in attending to the ailing members of the Ashram. He once admitted a Sanskrit scholar ailing from leprosy, saying that he cannot avoid an inmate on grounds of health. Instead, he provided a separate lodging for the person and personally attended to the patient.
Gandhiji wrote a precise and crisp treatise on health during 1940-42, when he was imprisoned in Yerwada jail. He named it as 'Key to health'. In this, he discussed the human body, diet schedule of a healthy person and diseased individual and exercise. He reiterated the importance of walking as the best practice to stay fit. Gandhi also discussed some practices like Mudbath and Sunbath as accessories for human health. He proposed a unique point that all the five states namely Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Aakash or Space are all vital constituents of the Human body and that they need to be integrated for the health of an individual. For example, pure drinking water, breathing exercise, food nearer to natural products which convert into fuel or energy for a living are some issues he addressed in this comprehensive book.
Early to bed and early to rise is the best policy to be followed as per Gandhi. He advocated that for the maintenance of perfect harmony in the internal milieu of the human body. Modern science points to the biological clock as the Circadian Rhythm.
Mahatma Gandhi addressed Mental health as an integral part of Human Health. In his book, a detailed discussion about the effect of practices like a vow of silence, abstinence from tobacco and alcohol and vow towards celibacy (also called Brahmacharya) for Mental health has been done. Gandhi stressed upon meditation, saying that forgiving oneself and the faults of others make one more empathetic and establish a balance between the body and mind of a human being leading to the overall well-being of the individual.
Modern science has proved by many clinical trials that the immunity levels of patients with chronic diseases and CD4 counts in HIV virus-positive individuals have increased when episodes of anxiety and depression have been reduced with meditation.
Gandhiji advised fruits, vegetables and nuts to be part of the daily diet. He also advocated avoiding oil, spices, condiments and deep-fries in meals. He argues that the digestive juices stimulated by spicy foods will endanger the health of an individual. A wholesome diet is the key to health.
The National Institute of Nutrition during its inception took much advice from Gandhiji regarding the indigenous Indian foods.
Gandhi abhorred the practice of open defecation in India and firmly advised the society to stop this indecent method of waste disposal. He used to personally clean public toilets. He argued that it is inhuman to relegate this work to some other person by an able-bodied individual. He openly eulogized the western method of toilet usage for cleanliness. Gandhiji's concern regarding community hygiene remained a dream even after 70 years of Independence.
Abstinence from Tobacco and Alcohol was the Gandhi mark personal trait. As a teetotaler, he pointed out that the two vices lead to physical and mental dependence and would result in ill health.
The stupor due to alcohol influence will disturb the moral code of the individual, hence the society at large is at stake of enhanced Crime rate.
The general health of a person depends upon staying fit at all times. Gandhiji believed that exercise, food habits and fasting play a very important role put together. Fasting by Mahatma has been world-famous as a strategy to protest against the injustice meted out to Indians by the British Government. But fasting actually is part of the Indian culture and lifestyle. Gandhiji stressed on the importance of limited food intake when healthy, and fasting at least once a week. According to modern science, fasting is a good method to 'detox' the tissues and promotes the dissolution of excessive body fat stores.
Thus, the Gandhian thought includes prevention of diseases by hygienic food and surroundings, physical exercise and emotional balancing. Gandhiji had 'the key to health' indeed at a personal and at the community level. We can name him as one of the earliest and most prominent messiahs for health, nutrition and fitness in Modern India.
Read: Gandhi was like any ordinary person, his deeds made him 'Mahatma'
