“Health is Wealth” is a three word statement invented by Ralph Waldo Emerson, who went by his middle name Waldo, an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and a poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century, Waldo began his career as a Unitarian minister in Boston, but achieved worldwide fame as a lecturer and the author of such essays as “Self-Reliance,” “History,” “The Over-Soul,” and “Fate.” Drawing on English and German Romanticism, …
As my role model, For Waldo, reading is not an end in and of itself. Accumulation of information for its own sake is not the ultimate goal. Reading is to function as a spur to your own original thought, and as the catalyst for experimenting with and acting on it. Books must lead you back to Nature and action.
Health is God’s gift to us. Health refers to the physical and mental state of a human being. To stay healthy is not an option but a necessity to live a happy life. The basic laws of good health are related to the food we eat, the amount of physical exercise we do, our cleanliness, rest, and relaxation.
A healthy body has all the major components that help in the proper functioning of the body. The essential component is the state of physical health. Human life term extends when humans maintain good physical fitness. If they are committed to exercising with a sensible diet, then they can develop a sense of well-being and can even prevent theirself from chronic illness, disability, and premature death.
A healthy person is normally more confident, self-assured, sociable, and energetic. A healthy person views things calmly, and without prejudice.
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered “Man! Because he sacrifices his health to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” This signifies that individuals don’t prioritise their mental health to earn money. Some even work 24 hours a day or seven days a week.
In Uganda, we live in a super-fast age. The Internet has shrunk the country dramatically and people are connected 24×7. Multitasking is the order of the day, as we struggle to fulfill our responsibilities for everyone in life.
In this fight, Ugandans often forget to spare time for theirselves. The stress levels continue to build up until one day a major collapse may make them realize that in all this hectic activity, they have forgotten to take care of one important thing – their health.
As they spend days shuttling between the now equipped hospitals and their homes, putting their body through one test after another, trying to find out what has gone wrong, they are forced to remember that ‘Health is indeed Wealth’.
In earlier days, life was very simple. People worked for a stipulated time, often walked everywhere, ate more homemade food, did household chores, and enjoyed a healthy balance in life. Now Ugandans have cars and bikes to commute, so they walk less. With the demand for more working hours, Ugandans are awake till late at night and indulge in more junk food than home-cooked food. Modern equipment at home has reduced the labour work and increased dependency on this equipment.
Ugandans don’t have enough time to exercise or even get enough sunlight. Nowadays Ugandans are living very unhealthy lifestyles. Unhealthy living conditions have increased the contraction of people to various diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, hypertension, among others. This has alarming implications in the near future. So it is very important to focus on their health as much as they focus on their work.
Moderation in food habits, daily exercise, and balanced work-life can surely make a big difference to their health and body.
When a person stays mentally and physically fit, his actions and decisions are more practical and logical and hence he is more successful in life. Furthermore, good health has a direct impact on our human personality.
It’s crucial to consider how much is self-control Ugandans have to keep a healthy lifestyle. Research reveals that changing one’s behaviour and daily patterns are quite tough.
According to the data, whether a person has a habit of smoking, drinking alcohol, doing drugs, or any other substance, it is extremely difficult to quit. A study found that 80% of smokers who tried to quit failed, with only 46% succeeding.
However, we have the option to remain balanced. So, balance work and fitness daily. Always strive to keep a cheerful as well as a concentrated routine. It is necessary to plan ahead of time.
In any case, one must maintain a good mental, bodily, and emotional state, and no professional or counsellor can assist you unless you desire to live. The will to live in the moment and make the most of it awakens the ideal strength within you, and you are the only one who can never let yourself fall apart.
Along with physical fitness, a good mental state is also essential for good health. Mental health means the emotional and psychological state of an individual. The best way to maintain good mental health is by staying positive and meditating. However, unlike a machine, the body needs rest at regular intervals.
A minimum of six to seven hours of sleep is necessary for the body to function optimally. Drinking plenty of water and a balanced diet is also very important for our bodies. If Ugandans violate the basic laws of good health, like working late hours, ignoring physical exercise, eating junk food, it will lead to various ailments like hypertension, heart attacks, and other deadly diseases.
When it comes to Ugandan children, they need to maintain good physical and mental health. With an increase in the pressure of studies and over-indulgence in modern gadgets, children are losing the most precious thing, which is health.
These days, Ugandan children barely play in the playgrounds, they are more inclined towards junk food and spend more time on the screen. These unhealthy activities are slowly sabotaging their health. Parents should concentrate on the physical and mental health of their children, and inculcate good habits for maintaining a healthy lifestyle from a tender age.
Cleanliness also has a major role to play in maintaining good health. Taking a bath every day, washing hands before eating meals, brushing twice a day, changing clothes regularly, are important habits to maintain good health.
From where I spend most of my time, the society is witnessing gloomy faces as a result of children and their parents’ excessive usage of a computer, mobile phone, and the Internet. They are constantly using these technological items, oblivious to the fact that they may harm their health. Teenagers are frequently discovered engrossed in their electronic devices, resulting in mishaps.
The usage of electronic devices frequently results in anxiety and hostility. Excessive usage of these products has been linked to cancer, vision loss, weight gain, and insomnia. Emotional development is another crucial component that should not be disregarded because it determines whether or not a person is healthy.
An emotionally healthy person should have a solid sense of logic, realisation, and a realistic outlook.
Health is Wealth because if we are not healthy then all our wealth, fame and power can bring no enjoyment. Keeping fit and healthy is indeed not an option but a necessity.
For God and my Country
Lukanga Samuel
lukangasamuel55@gmail.com
+256 785717379
The writer is a social development enthusiast and a judicious youth leader from Nakaseke District.
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