9 simple ways to say ‘NO’ to medicines at 50+

Are you approaching 50? Or near-about? Or are you a senior citizen? Are tablets and capsules a part of your daily routine? Do you wish to get rid of them?

Nine simple healthy behaviors can keep your pills free. Of course, this cannot be achieved overnight, these ways need practice. They can go a long way to keeping you healthy, can lower the risks of dreaded diseases like cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, skin ailments. They can also reduce stress levels and depression.

1.    Control quantity of food intake

In maintaining a disease-free body, this is of paramount importance. Do not overeat. Watch your portion sizes. Watch the number of servings.

Tip: If possible, practice fasting at least once a week. This helps cleanse toxins and rejuvenate your body.

2.    Replace fast food with real food

Anything that doesn’t come prepackaged is real food or slow food. For example, whole grains like cereals and lentils, vegetables and fruits from the farmer’s markets instead of from supermarkets. However, if you must satisfy that craving for fast food, you may do so once a month.

Tip: Roasted nuts taste as good as packet chips

Eat seasonal fruits, do not drink fruit juice. Fruits recommended for all, including sugar patients, are apples, avocados, berries, cherries, grapefruit, grapes, and kiwi.

3.    Have a morning routine

Whether you go for a walk or stand at the balcony taking in the freshness of the morning sun, devote the first half-an-hour after you wake up to your very own morning routine.

Tip: Drink a cup of warm water before you eat or drink anything else. Do this for the rest of your life

4.    Try home remedies before reaching for that tablet

For minor ailments like headaches, cold, fever, running nose, stomach flu, worms, etc. try home remedies.

         Tip: YouTube is a great place to look for home remedies.

5.    Sleep

Seven to eight hours of sleep is mandatory for everyone. Sleeping is of clinical help for any disease, it is both preventive and curative. It drastically improves skin health, helps prevent premature aging. If you are busy, then sleep in parts, but you must sleep for seven to eight hours a day.

Tip: A hot shower relaxes the body and helps in sleeping

6.    Say ‘NO’ to 5 white poisons

We might be surprised to know that unknowingly we are consuming 5 white poisons in our daily meal. Forget getting nutrients from these items, we end up troubling our health by consuming these food items which are not at all good for our health and increase the risk of developing diseases like cancer, hypertension, bone health issues, and diabetes. These poisons are pasteurized cow milk, white or refined rice, refined sugar, refined salt, white flour (maida).

Tip: Adults do not need to drink milk. Replace white or refined rice with red rice, try grated apples/jaggery/palm sugar for replacing sugar, rock salt for replacing salt and have whole-wheat/ragi/bajra flour instead of white flour.

7.    Control your spice levels

Indian spices have a lot of medicinal values. However, in excess, they do more harm than good. Besides, less spice will automatically reduce your intake of cooking oil.

Tip: Use a non-stick pan to cook

Get no/less spice cooking tips from YouTube

Go more on vegetables than on red meat. Fish is okay

8.    FgF

This is perhaps the most important one. It’s called FgF, or the feel-good factor. Take good care of your skin and hair, and overall grooming.

Tip: Simple. What you can put in your mouth (things from the kitchen) can be used for skin and hair

Also, invest generously in manicure and pedicure

Go to the dentist regularly

9.    Wash your hands frequently and keep your feet warm

Whenever there’s an epidemic, you would have wondered why doctors suggest that we wash our hands regularly? It is because hands are the carrier of germs. Therefore, to keep us away from diseases it is imperative that we wash our hands regularly. Use hand sanitizers, if possible. If you cannot, please rinse your hands with running water.

Keep your feet warm, wear socks. Do not walk barefoot, it is risky because worms enter through your feet. Besides, irrespective of whether you are indoors or outdoors, well-protected feet give you a sense of balance.

Tip: Soak your feet in warm water after a tiring day

Conclusion

Listen to your body. A minor skin irritation, if ignored, can lead to something major. A small itchy sensation in your throat can develop into severe soar-throat. Your body always gives you a signal; act immediately, refer to point 4.

The premise of this post is to remind ourselves that the body can heal itself. If you follow all of the above, you will not need to visit the doctor or take medicines. You would have noticed that through all of the above, I am arguing for a change in lifestyle. Diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension are all lifestyle diseases. You might have noticed that there is no mention of exercise or meditation in the post. Those two are of tremendous benefit but the point I am trying to make here is that even without them it is possible to keep fit and healthy. If you are successful then suggest your family do the same to bring about a holistic improvement in the environment.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to dissuade people from taking medicines for chronic diseases. It is meant as lifestyle advice only.