An Apple A Day!

Hello readers! Welcome to YOUR JOURNEY TO HEALTH 

We all must have heard an age-old English proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" that appeared in the 19th century, advocating the consumption of apples. This wasn’t because doctors didn’t like apples. It only highlighted that "if one eats healthful nutritious foods, one will remain in good health and will not need to see the doctor  often." 

In the 21st century, the same proverb has been replaced by the Health supplement bandwagon.  Social media platforms are flooded with Health supplement agenda and all influencers and celebrities have boarded the train to endorse them. 

Get more done, and increase productivity and performance. 

Lose weight magical way,  

Burn fat with coffee,  

Take a chill pill, 

Elixir of Life,  

Reverse aging 

I see these words in every other ad. As a person who has always followed a traditional way of eating food, I am highly skeptical of health supplements, so imagine my reaction.  The first thing to ask myself is whether I or anyone need supplements in the first place. 

So, let’s start by searching for the actual meaning- Dietary or health supplements are products that are intended to supplement a person's diet and provide additional nutrients that may be missing from their daily food intake. People take these supplements to make sure they get enough essential nutrients to maintain or improve their health. 

However, I believe, I consume a healthy wholesome diet, which was adequate for the nutritional needs of my grandparents to my parents, hence mine. Obviously, I am missing out on a very important difference between the food produced in their generation and mine.

The world we live in now is a paradox for human beings. We have been able to  successfully raise our quality of life and standards of living since the industrial revolution. This rapid advancement in a very short time of human existence on Earth has made our survival easier. At the same time, the exploitation of resources to meet the ever-increasing demands has degraded the nature on which we are dependent to meet our needs. Earth has a finite number of resources, and it requires a certain amount of time to replenish the resource. The most important things like food, water, etc. are sourced from natural products. But we are not able to give nature time to recover.  Adding to that we use so many chemical-based products to get maximum produce in minimum time. The exploitation cycle has led us to receive food, which may look and taste like the previous generation but no more serves us the same amount of nutrients. And this means, there is a significant gap, and these supplements can be useful for filling in gaps in your diet. 

People need to take supplements if their nutritional demands are not met with regular food intake. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on health and wellness,  due to which people are becoming more aware of the importance of maintaining good health and are seeking ways to achieve this goal. This focus on health and wellness is driven by several factors, including an aging population, rising healthcare costs, and a  growing understanding of the importance of preventative care. 

The simplest reasons anyone should get onto the supplements could be: 

- Aging which reduces nutrient absorption capacity. 

- Excessive usage of medication due to chronic diseases as the resultant free radicals harm our digestive system and immunity.  

- Poor eating habits 

- Regular exercising which increases nutrient demands 

- Prevention of expensive health issues in the future 

About the blogger:  

Dr. Tabassum Inamdar is a dynamic Homeopath, a passionate artist, and an adventurer in life. From Medical corporate to Academics, she has balanced her left brain and right brain with equal passion for Art. She writes a series of blogs “Your journey to health” in collaboration with @Fitaminat. A sketch artist since childhood, she is enchanted by theatre and writing. She is a regular theatre performer in Dubai. She continues life’s adventure by trekking, Sky diving,0, or Marshalling at Formula 1 tracks. You may stalk her  @doctabu (IG) or say hello @tabu.inamdar (FB)