Bhopal: Doctors fight hard to keep many octogenarians alive. In such cases their life is reduced to what can be called as ‘medicalised’ existence. The sole purpose of such assistance is to help such beneficiaries stay alive long after any joy in doing so has fled.
But there are some octogenarians in the city, who are still active without medicines. And they are raring to take up any challenge which life has in its store for them. On the World Health Day which falls on April 7 every year they shared their secrets of living a healthy life with the Free Press.
Excerpts:
Babulal Gaur, 87, ex chief minister of MP
Health is wealth and to keep ourselves healthy and active is not a very tough task. It is just like finance management. In fact, health management is more important than finance management. It just requires determination. My daily routine is like this. I wake up at 6am. After getting fresh, I take a walk on the premises of my bungalow and perform yoga including Suryanamaskar. After this I take a bath and read the Bhagavad Gita for one hour. I take breakfast between 9 to 9.30am which includes one glass of cow’s milk, dates (Arabian), two spoon of chavanyaprash and half Akhrot (walnut).
After my breakfast, I meet people who approach me with their problems and try to do my best to solve them. I also visit my wards daily except for Sundays for an hour daily. After this I get back home at 1am to have my lunch which includes two rotis, chatni, dal, sabji and salad. Between 3 to 5pm I take rest. I get up at 5 pm take a bath again. After my evening bath, I meet people and attend programmes and return home at 9pm.
I have my dinner between 9.30 to 10pm which includes two rotis and sabji. I go to bed at 10.30pm. This is my daily routine which I have been following since I joined RSS Shakha. At that time I was only 14. I never ever smoked or took wine, but yes, I eat non-vegetarian food, cooked at one of my Muslim friend’s home, not from the market, twice a month. I have never been to a hospital.
C M Gundecha, 83, a retd. Professor of law, Hamidia College
I have been taking dal, roti and sabji for last 50 years. I never ever touched junk foods like pizza and burger in my life. I am a pure vegetarian. Also, I don’t smoke or drink. I take tea and milk. I get up 6am and go to bed between 10 to 11pm. Despite having domestic help at home, I myself do all my work. Besides, I am fond of reading good books because I think mental fitness is as important as physical fitness.
It is in fact more important than that. I have read biographies of Indian saints like Kabir, Ramkrishna Paramhans, Telang Swami, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and many more which helps one to identify ones inner strength. I don’t read novels and stories much. I also did theatre and compose poems. I never lied in my life or think bad for others. Life is like a ‘Tamasha,’ and we get to watch it ourselves when we do a self analysis. I had been professor of law but I love listening music.
Swami Siddhram Korwar, 83, classical vocalist
I just follow my daily routine. I wake up 5am and go for a morning walk and exercise. After having breakfast in which I take milk poha, upma and dry fruits, I take music class from 10am to 1pm. I take lunch including rice, dal, veg, salad and sweets between 1.30 to 2pm. After taking rest, I take music class again from 4 to 8pm. I take dinner at 10pm. I go to bed at 11pm after watching TV. I am a pure vegetarian.
I never ever ate outside foods, took wine or smoked. I am not a heart or diabetes patient, but yes, I do get a health check-up done once or twice in a month. Music is my life and I am associated with music since childhood. I have been teaching music for past 60 years. I still perform and attend concerts (especially classical).
Kiran Deshpande, 79, musicians and vocalist
I do not take medicine because music is medicine for me. It is like Yoga. I do pranayama like kapalbhati Bhramari through riyaz (practice) only. I wake up 4am and do ‘Kharaj Sadhna’ from 4.30 to 6am daily. After that I take a walk for 40 minutes. I am a pure vegetarian. I take vegtables and fruit salads in my regular diet. People generally avoid eating sugar in this age, but I take honey. I got to bed at 11pm. I follow the routine strictly after retirement. I was the head of the music department in MLB College. I don’t feel tired. I still perform and teach students.
