Health Guide

1. True Health is Holistic: Mind, Body, and Spirit

No man whose character is not pure can be said to be really healthy.

Beyond physical. Many mistakenly believe health is merely eating well and moving freely. However, true health, as the ancients knew, is a state of "a sound mind in a sound body." It's a profound interconnectedness where disorder in one aspect affects the entire system.

Character as foundation. A pure character forms the very foundation of genuine health. Gandhi asserts that evil thoughts and passions are not just moral failings but manifest as forms of disease within us. Our internal moral landscape directly influences our physical well-being.

Striving for perfection. Perfect health is a rare and precious attainment, influenced by our ancestors' health and requiring constant vigilance. It encompasses a well-formed body, efficient senses, proper bodily functions, and, crucially, unwavering control over one's mind and senses. This holistic pursuit helps us overcome the fear of death, living a life of true vitality.

2. Nature's Five Elements are Our Best Doctors

When any one of these falls short of its due proportion, illness is caused in the body.

Miniature world. Just as the universe is composed of earth, water, air, fire (sunlight), and ether (open space), so too is our body. It is a miniature world, requiring a balanced and pure proportion of each element to thrive.

Elemental balance. Illness is not a random occurrence but a direct consequence of an imbalance or impurity in these fundamental natural elements within our system. Gandhi's philosophy champions simple, accessible remedies derived directly from nature's bounty.

Body's structure. The body's framework of bones, the movement provided by muscles, and the stomach as the central digestive engine all rely on these elements. The heart and lungs, for instance, depend on pure air to purify the blood, illustrating the intricate harmony required for health.

3. Pure Air: The Foremost Elixir of Life

There can be absolutely no doubt that impure air is the root-cause of disease in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred.

Invisible necessity. Air is the most indispensable element for human existence, freely provided by God, yet often taken for granted. Modern civilization, ironically, has made fresh air a luxury, forcing us to seek it outside congested towns.

Breathing correctly. Inhaling through the nose, not the mouth, is vital. The nose acts as a natural filter and warmer for the air, preventing harmful particles and cold from reaching the lungs. Regular, deep breathing exercises in the open air are crucial for lung health and chest expansion.

Environmental hygiene. Our habits often defile the air we breathe. Gandhi urges strict discipline in:

• Covering human waste with ashes or earth to prevent foul smells and fly transmission.
• Avoiding indiscriminate urination and spitting, especially for consumptives, to prevent disease spread.
• Burying decaying rubbish to keep the air pure and create manure.
  Living and working in the open air is the best defense against disease, far surpassing any doctor's remedy.

4. Pure Water: A Simple Yet Powerful Healer

Epidemics are as much the outcome of our indifference to the quality of the water we drink, as of the air we breathe.

Second to air. Water is second only to air in its indispensability, comprising over 70% of our bodies and food. Its purity is paramount, as contaminated water is a major cause of epidemics and ailments like kidney stones.

Sources and purification. We must be scrupulous about our water sources. River water, though seemingly pure, is often defiled by human activity. Digging in sand near rivers provides naturally filtered water. Well water requires protection from surface runoff and falling debris.

Mindful consumption. The safest approach is to drink only when thirsty and just enough to quench it. Boiling and filtering water are essential steps to remove impurities. Gandhi also notes that those who avoid artificial thirst-inducing foods like chilies rarely need extra water, and persistent thirst can signal underlying disease.

5. Conscious Eating: Fuel for Service, Not Pleasure

Man is not born to eat, nor should he live to eat. His true function is to know and serve his Maker; but, since the body is essential to this service, we have perforce to eat.

Purpose of food. Our primary purpose is not to indulge the palate but to serve a higher calling, for which a healthy body is a prerequisite. Gandhi laments that 99.9% of humanity eats merely for pleasure, disregarding the long-term consequences.

Natural diet. He advocates for a fruit-based diet as the ideal, followed by a vegetable diet (cereals, pot-herbs, milk). He suggests that uncooked food, as consumed by animals, is most natural and nutritious, with cooking often destroying vital elements.

Harmful substances. Gandhi strongly advises against:

• Intoxicants: Wine, bhang, opium (destroy sanity, ruin families).
• Stimulants: Tobacco, tea, coffee, cocoa (poisons, create dependence, harm digestion).
• Unnatural additives: Spices, excessive salt (create artificial hunger, lead to disease).
• Processed foods: White "mill flour" (lacks nutrition, adulterated).
• Animal products: Meat (unnatural, causes disease and evil passions), milk (superstition, difficult to keep pure, can transmit disease).

6. Moderation and Fasting: Keys to Digestive Health

Indeed, merely from the point of view of health, it will be highly beneficial to fast at least once a fortnight.

Less is more. Most people consume far more food than their bodies require, leading to a host of ailments including indigestion, foul breath, skin eruptions, and disturbed sleep. The key is to reduce food quantity and maximize nutrient extraction through thorough mastication.

Signs of overeating. Pay attention to your body's signals:

• Large, foul-smelling, or improperly formed stools.
• Troubled sleep or vivid dreams.
• A dirty tongue upon waking.
• Pimples, stomach wind, or bad breath.
  These are clear indications that you are treating your stomach like a "latrine."

Fasting's benefits. Our wise ancestors prescribed frequent fasts as a religious duty, and for good reason. Fasting, even once a fortnight, offers immense health benefits by allowing the digestive organs to rest and cleanse the system. Gandhi also suggests a two-meal-a-day system, skipping breakfast, as a healthier pattern for adults.

7. Daily Exercise: Essential for Body and Mind

The ideal kind of exercise is that which gives vigour to the body as well as to the mind; only such exercise can keep a man truly healthy, and such a man is the farmer.

Holistic activity. Exercise is not merely physical exertion or games; it encompasses any activity that engages both the body and the mind. A feeble mind, like a weak body, is a form of disease, and true health requires efficiency in both.

Farmer's ideal. The farmer's life, involving 8-10 hours of strenuous physical labor combined with mental engagement (understanding soils, seasons, nature), is presented as the ideal, natural human existence. Deviation from such natural conditions inevitably leads to a decline in health.

Practical alternatives. For those not engaged in farming, gardening offers an excellent alternative, providing both physical and mental engagement. Walking is lauded as the "Queen of all exercises," promoting vigorous blood circulation, fresh air intake, and contemplation of nature's beauties. It should be a substantial walk, at least ten to twelve miles, not a mere stroll.

8. Simple Dress: In Harmony with Nature

The chief object of dress has been forgotten, and it has come to be regarded as indicative of a man's religion, country, race and profession.

Beyond ornament. Dress should primarily serve to protect the body without hindering its natural functions, such as skin respiration. Gandhi criticizes fashion trends that deform the body (e.g., straitened waists or feet) and excessive ornamentation (jewelry) that accumulate dirt and detract from natural beauty.

Natural beauty. The human body is most handsome and healthiest in its natural state. Dress, especially superfluous clothing and jewels, often diminishes this inherent beauty and reflects vanity and ignorance rather than true adornment.

Practical choices. Loose, white Indian dress is deemed most suitable for India's climate, allowing air circulation and reflecting heat. Keeping the head and feet bare is encouraged for better air exposure and circulation, with simple sandals preferred over closed shoes for protection only when necessary.

9. Brahmacharya: The Foundation of Vitality

There can be no doubt that men and women can never be virile or strong unless they observe true Brahmacharya.

Ultimate key to health. Brahmacharya, or rigid self-discipline in sexual matters, is presented as the most crucial key to health. It involves refraining from carnal thoughts, touches, and desires, conserving vital energy for profound mental and spiritual power.

Consequences of incontinence. Sensuality leads to a rapid depletion of vitality, resulting in physical weakness, mental fatigue, and the unchecked rise of negative emotions like vanity, anger, and fear. It hinders intellectual growth and often leads to an early, miserable existence.

Ideal for married life. For married couples, Brahmacharya means sexual relations solely for procreation, only when there is a strong, conscious desire for a child, not for mere pleasure. Abstinence during pregnancy and lactation is vital for the health of both mother and child. Gandhi also advocates for late marriage and remaining single after a spouse's death to preserve vitality.

10. Natural Cures for Common Ailments

Illness or disease is only Nature's warning that filth has accumulated in some portion or other of the body; and it would surely be the part of wisdom to allow Nature to remove the filth, instead of covering it up by the help of medicines.

Nature's warning. Disease is a signal from Nature that "filth" (impurities) has accumulated in the body. Gandhi advocates assisting Nature in its cleansing process rather than suppressing symptoms with medicines, which he views as useless or even harmful, merely covering up the underlying problem.

Air, water, earth treatments. Simple, natural remedies are promoted:

• Air-Treatment: Open-air sleeping for fever, change of air for latent diseases.
• Water-Cure: Steam baths for pain/fatigue, hot water for digestion/constipation, cold water applications (wet sheets, abdominal baths) for fever, skin diseases, and various internal ailments. Enemas for thorough bowel cleansing.
• Earth-Cure: Mud poultices for constipation, headaches, sore eyes, burns, stings, and skin diseases, absorbing poisons and reducing inflammation.

Fever and bowel issues. Most fevers are linked to bowel disorders, hence starvation, Kuhne baths, and mud poultices are recommended. Constipation, dysentery, gripes, and piles are treated by reducing food intake, adopting a fruit-based diet, applying mud poultices, and using Kuhne baths, while strictly avoiding purgatives.

11. Empowering Maternity and Child Care

The child that is born of such a mother,—how can it help being noble and strong?

Natural childbirth. In natural settings, healthy women experience easy, painless childbirth. The suffering of urban women is attributed to unnatural lifestyles, premature pregnancies, and excessive sexual indulgence, leading to frequent conceptions.

Mother's sacred duty. During pregnancy, the mother's mental and physical purity is paramount, as it directly shapes the child's character. She should engage in good works, cultivate noble thoughts, avoid negative emotions, eat wholesome food, and use Kuhne baths to enhance strength and ease delivery.

Child's well-being. After birth, the child's health is intrinsically linked to the mother's. Minimal clothing, tepid baths, and exclusive mother's milk (supplemented by mashed plantain/olive oil or diluted boiled cow's milk with jaggery) are advised. Drugs for children are condemned; medicine should be administered to the mother. Parents' example, in honesty, truthfulness, and purity, is crucial for a child's moral and physical development.

Last updated: November 29, 2025