On Dec 15, the New Sunday Times had published my article “My Recipe for Staying Healthy” based on my observations.
I hope that some of the traits that I had listed, habits that I practise as part of my keeping a healthy lifestyle regime, would encourage readers to try and stick to a healthy lifestyle.
I listed good eating habits, staying active, reading and keeping a good posture, among others.
I would like to add to that list which I think is pivotal. They are to refrain absolutely from smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages.
REFRAIN FROM SMOKING AND ALCOHOL
I must admit that I had tried smoking, but I could not stand the taste and it made me cough quite badly. That was enough to put me off smoking completely. I never attempted smoking again after that.
I suggest that smokers, too, extinguish the habit if they know what is good for them. There’s enough material to tell you why smoking is bad, so I won’t waste too much space here.
Apart from that, cigarettes leave an unpleasant smell on a person, and heavy smokers suffer from yellowing of the teeth and fingers, too.
I know of a few smokers who carry menthol sweets with them to rid the smell when they see me. Some even carry perfumes! Maybe they think that I would not know, but I do.
Generally, I don’t tolerate smokers and I used to take away cigarette packs from the pockets of journalists and my cabinet members prior to 2003. I’m not certain if any member of the current cabinet are smokers, but they had better stop too!
The other big “No!” is, of course, alcohol.
As a Muslim, I refrain from consuming alcohol. Some people, especially non-Muslims, do take it in moderation and I guess that is all right.
But the effects of alcohol on the human body is well known. The damage it does to the liver, etc. Too much of it and you know why it’s also termed as spirit, it either “spirits” your mind away or it carries your “spirit” with it!
KEEP THE BRAIN ACTIVE
I had mentioned reading. But I must also say that writing plays a large part in keeping the brain active and healthy.
Writing forces you to use your brain all the time. You want what you write to be readable. So you are forced to talk, think, argue, debate and quarrel with yourself as you put pen to paper.
All these activities of the brain activate the grey matter and (subsequently) it will function well. When you write constantly, over and over again, it will help your brain to constantly remember things and you will not forget easily.
Humans are such that if at the first you try, and you are not able to do something well, you do it over and over again. When we do things repeatedly, we will get better at it.
And so too the brain. That is what happens when we try to recite something. Do it repeatedly and we will remember.
I did exactly that in medical school until I could picture in my mind the pages of my text books during examinations!
As I had said before, don’t rest or do nothing when you grow old because if you do, you will become weak and incapable, and may become senile.
Be active after you retire. It helps to slow the ageing process.
The writer is the Malaysian Prime Minister
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times