Ayurvedic: the Future of American Health and Wellness

If there is one thing that we as Americans focus on society-wide, it's image. From our almost obsessive following of the lives and looks of Hollywood celebrities to the ongoing battle of the bulge that we all seem to wage, Americans want to look good. We turn to the latest and greatest diets and invest in memberships to the most high-tech gyms, often pushing our bodies to the limit as we cut back more and more on what's on our plates. In our fast-paced culture, we want to achieve big results in a short space of time. This seems especially true for our efforts to keep ourselves thin and trim. Unfortunately, that's not how the human body works. In the areas of health, fitness, and nutrition, slow and steady solutions are what lead to sustainable results. It is my hope that in our future attempts to shed flab and slim down, our societal focus will shift from simply trying to look attractive and well to actually feeling well. I feel that that Americans are beginning to embrace health instead of image in the area of fitness.

It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to achieve too much too fast in the fitness arena. Too many health-conscious individuals, myself included, have settled into cycles of over-exercising and under-eating. These people often fall prey to the sly enemy that is athletic anorexia, failing to properly nourish their bodies while they continue to rev up their workouts. Eighteen months ago, I stopping having my monthly period, a common condition in zealous female athletes known as exercise-induced amenorrhea. Since then my relationship with food has become extremely unhealthy -- I don't feed my body enough, and then expect it to perform at its peak without fail. I am now slogging through the grueling process of recovery, working to regain the weight my body needs to sustain normal functions like a monthly cycle as well as realigning my perceptions of nutrition, food, and physical activity.

The type of imbalance that stole into my own life under the well-meaning guises of diet and exercise, slowly twisting into an image-oriented obsession, should not occur as often as it does. However, I believe that this kind of image-based "wellness" is on its way out and that Americans are slowly coming to embrace the idea of balance, gradual changes, and sustainable practices in health and nutrition. Instead of worrying so much about how we look, we are turning more toward focusing on what our bodies can do.

How will this kind of shift in thinking manifest itself in the future? I think that we will begin to see a redefinition of the term "health" that embraces something much more holistic. Principles of wellness will be valued in a wider sense -- not only will we see people wanting to improve their physical health, but also working to improve mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness in addition to approaching all of those areas of self in a much more synthesized and unified manner.

Even now, an Ayurvedic approach to health and medicine is increasing in popularity in the west. An ancient system of health management that originated in India and is very common in present-day India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, Ayurveda's rough translation is the "knowledge of life" or the "science of life." It focuses on healthy living and choices that are made with a harmonic awareness of an individual's physical, mental, social, and spiritual aspects. In other words, Ayurveda promotes listening to one's body, staying in tune with its needs and responding in accordance. For example, an Ayurvedic-minded person will allow themselves an extra rest day if he or she feels that certain muscles need additional time to heal and replenish themselves instead of pushing through a workout that could lead to more serious injury.

This same balance and awareness also applies to nutrition, eating, and relationships with food. Rather than severely restricting food intake in order to lose as much weight in as little time as possible -- or, on the flip side of the matter, mindlessly gorging on food -- the Ayurvedic individual will listen to what his or her body feels hungry for, evaluate his or her needs and the healthfulness of any cravings, and make informed choices accordingly. He or she will eat until full, and will partake of balanced meals that incorporate complex carbohydrates, fresh produce, and healthy fats and proteins. In the system of Ayurveda, there is no such thing as "bad" foods. Instead, all foods are permissible if enjoyed with mindfulness and balance. That is another key component of Ayurvedic eating -- we should enjoy our food, savoring its preparation, tastes, textures, and smells in addition to how each meal nourishes and sustains us.

Americans are obsessed with image, especially body image. I feel that this superficial mindset is on its way out, evolving into something much more natural. Health should be -- and is becoming -- about pursuing wellness in body, mind, spirit, and in relationships with others, not about what we look like or how much we're valued based on that image. I challenge our culture to continue to learn how to make informed and healthy choices, listen to and trust their bodies, and cultivate balanced health and wellness together.