Health lies on your plate

Health lies on your plate

I refer to Dumilah Ayuningtyas' "Health reform essential for
hospitals' survival" (The Jakarta Post, Dec. 3, 1998). I am
particularly impressed by the statement: "Under the new paradigm,
medical services will be geared toward helping people become
healthier rather than just curing certain illnesses. A person who
is not actually ill is not automatically healthy."

To maintain health, we must be more prudent with our daily
food and lifestyle, particularly during this monetary crisis in
which medical costs have been skyrocketing. Here's why.

First, when I saw my doctor at the local clinic, I noticed the
doctor's wise words Health is not everything, but without health
everything is meaningless. Hence we should always take care of
our health. Second, food is the major factor that shapes our
health, as pointed out by Jean Carper in her book Food -- your
miracle medicine. Food often becomes one of the main causes of
our ailments. This is also in line with what doctors say: "You
are what you eat."

Third, in their book Fit for Life, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond
say the greatest threat to your and your children's survival is
not the terrible nuclear weapon, but what your are going to eat
from your dinner plate tonight. They also suggest the best way to
keep ourselves healthy is by avoiding eating anything but juice
and fruits until noon.

ODO FADLOELI

Cimahi, West Java