The World Health Organization (WHO) describes health as ".. a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."  Let's look at the fundamental factors that determine the health and well-being of an individual 

Eating The Right Food

Food is for the body and each body is biochemically different and therefore one must eat what is best for their body.  Whole food that has been minimally processed or cooked is the best for the system.  Eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits can be more beneficial for our system as they contain live enzyme and vitamins, which otherwise can get destroyed by the cooking process. 

 

Eating it Right

You must be conscious of how quickly the food you eat digests and assimilates into your system.  If you eat something and it does not digest within three hours to four hours, it means you have eaten a food that should either be avoided or be eaten in lesser quantity.  

 

Avoid going to bed with a full stomach as it puts pressure on other organs in the abdomen. This will also lead to various kinds of health issues.  According to Yogic science, there must be about three hours after the evening meal before you go to bed.   

 

Getting Enough Rest

Rest doesn't necessarily mean sleep.  It means whether you are in a relaxed and calm state, or you are in a state of agitation, frustration, or inertia. You can be at a restful state even if you are not in sleep.  You can become restless even after having the commonly prescribed amount of  8-9 hours of sleep.  How much sleep you need depends on the type of food you eat and how much activity you perform.  If you eat a lot of fresh vegetable and fruits, there will be lightness in the body and it doesn't require a lot of sleep.  I have observed this time and time again with my body. 

 

Using Your Body - Use it or else you will lose it

Physical activity must happen daily and can include any type of exercises such as walking, jogging, simple stretching, intense aerobic exercises.  However, Classical Hatha Yoga offers a scientific way to do this.  This is the best way to go if you want to keep the entire system healthy, particularly the neurological system, which will otherwise become an issue as you age.

 

Experiencing Psychological Well-being

Stress, anger, frustration, unfulfilled expectations/dreams, relationship conflicts, and unhealed emotional wounds are some of the factors that can have a huge negative impact on your overall health, especially the digestive system, and sense of well-being.  The GUT/digestive system is said to have more nerve endings than our brain does.  Thus, it is considered to be our 2nd brain.  This means that how you feel affect the way body processes food, and what you eat affects how you feel.  I can totally relate to this aspect of health as I had the first-hand experience with many of the factors I described above.  Until I was able to address these psychological factors through hatha yoga practices, I still continued to struggle with certain health issues that no health practitioner that I worked with could successfully treat.

 

Therefore, it is absolutely important that you take care of your mental health while taking care of your body through wholesome food!  

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https://isha.sadhguru.org/yoga/yoga_articles_body_health/3-fundamentals-good-health/