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Wellness: the Jewish pathway towards
health The
September issue features staying well
with Exercise Part 2. Click here
Maintaining our health is an
important Mitzvah
of the Torah: Shemirat Ha-briyut – The Mitzvah of staying well. In addition to requiring a
response to
illnesses when they occur, Jewish law also requires that we make all
attempts
to stay well. In Deuteronomy, God tells the Jewish people, "take utmost
care and watch yourselves scrupulously." The Talmud derives from the
verses that a person must scrupulously guard his/her physical health
(Berakhot
32b), and this ruling was codified by Maimonides (Hikhot Rotzeah 11:4)
and the
Shulhan Arukh (Hoshen Mishpat 427:8). Maimonides understands this
obligation to
include both positive aspects, such as regular exercise, proper
nutrition, and
the seeking out of proper medical care, as well as negative ones, such
as
refraining from damaging one’s body through the consumption of harmful
food,
drugs, smoking, or the overconsumption of alcohol. (Hilkhot Deot, 4:1)
The recent Health Care Reform act promises to afford more medical services to those without insurance and to increase benefits for people with insurance. However, it does not in any way promise us healthier lives. In fact what it does is enables more sick people to be treated. Unfortunately, the term “health insurance” is unsuitable. It would be more appropriate to call it “sickness” insurance, which pays the bills only when we are sick. It is somewhat like life insurance that has nothing to do with life but only pays after we die. It sounds strange, but it’s true. No national laws and no doctors can make us healthy. Becoming healthy and staying healthy is up to each one of us alone. Health is our own responsibility.
Medical science would have us believe that only through its system of testing, pharmaceuticals, surgery, and hospital recovery can we regain our health. They insist that their methods are the only way to maintain health and avoid illness. Nothing could be further from the truth. This article and those to follow each month address alternatives to the costly medical health care model and ways that healthy living can treat the pantheon of illnesses we suffer from today.
Practitioners in the world of wellness certainly would subscribe to the use of the medical system for the following situations:
1. Annual routine exams and testing
2. Prescribed medication for maintaining a disorder
3. Life threatening situations (heart attacks, stroke, uncontrollable bleeding, severe accidents, etc.)
In addition, it is important from a wellness standpoint to develop a good working relationship with your primary care physician. That means to arrive at appointments with a full list of questions and concerns to discuss with the doctor. Also, investigate, in books or on the Internet, concerns you have, in order to discuss problems to your advantage. If your doctor is not open to such discussions, maybe it is time for another doctor.
Alternative health care in the Health Care Reform act, recently passed in the US Senate, includes language that some believe would require insurance companies to expand their coverage to include complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), reports the Los Angeles Times. The bill would also allow doctors to use alternative health providers in some treatment plans. CAM includes dietary supplements, acupuncture, Yoga, and certain other modalities. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Health Committee, is the leading champion of these measures.
The Los Angeles Times reports opponents say this new measure would increase costs of the health care system by including unproven treatments. Nevertheless, keep in mind that complementary and alternative medicine is still a part of the medical model whereas wellness is a choice we make to keep ourselves well.
What is wellness?
Wellness
is
primarily
a
choice
to
assume
responsibility
for
the
quality
of
your
life. It begins with a
conscious
decision to shape a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is a mindset, a
predisposition
to adopt a series of key principles in varied life areas that lead to
high
levels of well-being and life satisfaction. A consequence of this focus
is that
a wellness attitude will protect you against temptations to blame
someone else,
make excuses, shirk accountability, or whine in the face of adversity.
Wellness
is a word that's used a lot these days, and you most likely hear it all
the
time. It is a buzzword. Traditionally, health and wellness have been
thought of
as the mere absence of disease and disability, but in
recent years there has been new thinking in this area that led
to the development of newer models of health.. The wellness model that
people
adhere to today encompasses from the mere absence of disease to the
optional
functioning of each individual regardless of current health status or
disability.
So, wellness exists
on a continuum and is unique to each individual person.
Each of us defines our own wellness. It's hard to say: you're well or
you're
not well. That's not the way it works. It's a unique thing based on our
individual circumstances. And wellness in this view is seen as a
holistic
concept. It's looking at the whole person and not just at your blood
pressure
level or how much you weigh, or how well you manage your stress. It's
not one
thing; it's all of these things connected. Wellness involves the
spiritual, the
body, the mind, and the concept
Wellness
combines seven dimensions of
well-being to maximize your quality of life. Overall, wellness is the
ability
to live life to the fullest and to maximize personal potential in a
variety of
ways. Wellness involves continually learning and making changes to
enhance your
state of wellness. When we balance the physical, intellectual,
emotional,
social, occupational, spiritual, and environmental aspects of
life, we
achieve true wellness.
Physical
A healthy body maintained by good
nutrition, regular exercise, avoiding harmful habits, making informed
and
responsible decisions about health, and seeking medical assistance when
necessary. To remain well, physical wellness requires that you take
steps to
protect your physical health by eating well, getting plenty of
exercise,
maintaining a proper weight, getting enough sleep, avoiding risky
sexual
behavior, and restricting intake of harmful substances.
Intellectual
An aspect of wellness where we keep
our minds occupied in satisfying pursuits. This dimension of wellness
implies
that you can apply the things you have learned, that you create
opportunities
to learn more, and that you engage your mind in lively interaction with
the
world around you.
Emotional
The ability to understand your own
feelings, accept your limitations, achieve emotional stability, and
become more
comfortable with your emotions. Emotional wellness implies the ability
to
express emotions appropriately, adjust to change, and cope with stress.
Social
This area refers to the ability to
relate well to others, both within and outside the family unit. Social
wellness
gives us the ease and confidence to be outgoing, friendly, and
affectionate
towards others. It involves not only a concern for the individual, but
also an
interest in humanity and the environment as a whole.
Occupational
Preparing and making use of your
gifts, skills, and talents in order to gain purpose, happiness, and
enrichment
in our lives. Occupational wellness means successfully integrating a
commitment
to your occupation into a total lifestyle that is satisfying and
rewarding.
Spiritual
The sense that life is meaningful
and has a purpose. The values that guide us give meaning and direction
to life.
Spiritual wellness is a search for meaning and purpose in human
existence
leading us to strive for a state of harmony with ourselves and with
others
while working to balance inner needs with the rest of the world.
Environmental
The capability of living in a clean
and safe environment that is not detrimental to health. To enjoy
environmental
wellness, we require clean air, pure water, quality food, adequate
shelter,
satisfactory work conditions, personal safety, and healthy
relationships.
Conclusion
Wellness is the pursuit of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It involves finding a healthy balance of the mind, body, and spirit, which results in an overall feeling of well-being. By promoting wellness, for ourselves, we can decrease risks for developing diseases or disability, prevent rapid aging and premature death. By being well, one can also increase life satisfaction and happiness. True wellness is more than the absence of diseases and symptoms. It is a way of appreciating and fully experiencing life. It involves the process of living, growing and achieving the life that expresses one’s maximum potential as a human being. Wellness is about living life to its fullest. Remember, however, that wellness is your own responsibility.
This is the introductory article to Wellness. Each month we will feature a new aspect of Wellness. This series of Wellness began in June. If you missed any of the monthly installments, send an email to jewishealing@yahoo.com and request, at no charge, any one or all the issues you missed.
The
September
issue features staying well
with Exercise Part 2. Click here
|
