Health has a lot of meaning.  Health is defined as the functional and metabolic effectiveness of any living individual, be it animal, plant or human, and how he capably responds to his environment�s challenges and stresses.  It does not only encompass the physical aspect of one�s body, but it also encompasses the mental (including psychological and emotional) aspect of an individual.  A truly healthy person should have a good balance between these two aspects.  The definition of health has also grown to encompass how an individual function outside of his own body.  It also tells how he interacts socially with other people and how he is able to lead a productive life in the society.  But there is one thing that should be cleared though, no individual has a true balance between these three factors.

How can the balance between these three aspects be achieved?

Health can be achieved physically through proper nutrition and healthy diet.  The counting of calories and avoidance of sweets and fats can make a person�s body healthy.  Any excess in these can create havoc to one�s body.  For example, a person who eats too many sweets can later develop diabetes and heart problems for those who do not take into consideration the amount of fats they eat.  Obesity is one of the major killers of today�s society.  With obesity, degeneration of organ systems of the body follows especially if the individual is sedentary.  Weight loss and proper nutrition is highly recommended for the obese people.

You can also become healthy through exercise.  As exercise increases flexibility, endurance and strength in one�s body, so does the cardiovascular function increase.  It is recommended by professionals to do more aerobic exercises like running, swimming and walking than anaerobic exercises like weightlifting.  Any aerobic exercise increases the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system, thus, reducing the risk for strokes and diabetes.

Lifestyle change is also one way to achieve a healthier life.  Smoking and drinking has ill effects on the body as it affects your cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary system.  With long-term smoking, thickening in the arteries is seen, thus, compromising blood flow to the body.  Long-term drinking impairs the liver, which is very much needed in the purification of blood.  Cirrhosis is another killer of people with drinking problem.  Illicit drugs, like alcohol and cigarettes, are also needed to be avoided as it affects the brain.

Stress management helps an individual become healthier mentally and psychologically.  If a person learns and adopts the techniques he learned through stress management, he will see improvement in his outlook towards life, how he reacts to himself and ultimately how he reacts towards others.

A person suffering from any illness, be it physical, mental or social, can get help if he really wants it.  There are medical professionals who are dealing with these kinds of illnesses.  They work as a team to make a person achieve balance between these three factors.  Although there can never be a complete balance between them, this characteristic makes a person unique.