The ground rules for human beings to be complied with in order to prolong their well-being as age catches up, particularly from boyhood stage onwards don’t seem to be beyond the grasp of anybody, literate or illiterate. Moderation in the matter of food consumption, as prescribed by the wise, the apparently simple-to-follow rule has hardly any takers, given the current scenario of proliferation of restaurants and eateries offering dishes that beckon all sections of society making a beeline to their favourite joint, as in Mysuru like anywhere else. The other prescriptions for safeguarding one’s health, namely regular exercise, adherence to personal hygiene, avoiding habits that hurt well-being, keeping vigil on symptoms of even common illnesses, adequate sleep, not to burst in anger when provoked, patience while facing tough situations, minimising wants and so on also don’t have many takers in the age bracket of moving to middle age. French novelist, Victor Hugo (1802-1885), considered to be one of the greatest and best known French writers, author of the famous novel Les Misérables, has thoughtfully observed that Forty is the old age of youth, fifty the youth of old age.
The land’s ancient pundits are known to have emphasised disciplining the mind towards achieving a balance between wealth and health, both complementing each other. Their lifestyle, unlike that of people at present times, didn’t depend on medical practitioners and hospitals which are integral part of a system in which health lost can be regained to a considerable extent.
