Who is your Health Superhero?

If you do not have one, then it may be time to consider having someone who is your health superhero. A superhero will provide you with the ideal role model in your quest for your own good health.

Superheros are those who seem to be endued with superhuman powers. Ancient mythologies give them powers that we ordinary mortals can only aspire for. Like Hanuman who could lift a whole mountain. Or Pheidippides who ran the first marathon. Coming to more recent times, the comic books have Superman and Phantom possessing untold powers to vanquish their enemies. Many folks admire film actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan or Bipasha Basu who have very lean and toned bodies. Some body builders may admire Arnold Schwarzenegger or similar. Runners may admire running legends such as Rich Rolls or Scott Jurek.

For many of us, it may be someone personally known to us. Possibly a grandmother who lived a healthy life into her ripe old age. Or a runner in your city, who lives a healthy and well balanced life. It need not be someone mythical, legendary or media figure. In fact when it comes to choosing a superhero, zeroing in on someone known personally to you is better than fixating on a propped up media personality who then may fall from public grace. Like Salman Khan or Lance Armstrong.

My own superhero is my grand uncle from my village. At the age of 92 he would break into a trot, carrying a 5-10 kg bag of seeds / fertilisers, barefeet on dry parched paddy fields. His eyesight was sharp enough to take attendance of his farm workers, from a distance who looked like ants to me. He did not take any medications nor was he every hosplitalised. He ate one good lunch and very light tiffin for dinner. Everyday he would bathe in the village pond, wash his clothes and pluck flowers on the way back for the daily pooja. He passed away peacefully couple of months back.

So, I would urge each one of you to keep a superhero as your role model while you progress on the path towards your own good health.