Mahatma Gandhi would not only be known for his truth-seeking and non-violence but also for his strong interest in health, diet and simple living. He also wrote a lot about health care and practiced food, fasting, nature cure and daily habits.
His book Key to Health (published by Navajivan Publishing House in 1948) brought together many of his thoughts on keeping health through disciplined living.
Some of Gandhi’s ideas are rooted in the medical wisdom of his time and should not replace contemporary healthcare, but still many of his principles encourage mindful and disciplined living.
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Eat Simply and Mindfully
Gandhi placed great importance on diet. In his writings about food, he spoke of grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits and nuts and how food choices impacted health.
His approach was to encourage simple and sensitive eating and consciousness about what one eats. His diet experiments were also closely related to his concept of self-control.
For modern readers, the larger lesson may be to keep food healthy and not only to avoid eating too much.
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Pay Attention to Hygiene
Cleanliness and hygiene were fundamental to Gandhi’s philosophy about health. Healthy living, he said, was about daily habits and responsibility rather than medicines.
Public health and hygiene are major aspects of today’s society.
Stay Close to Nature
Gandhi was very interested in nature cure. The Gandhi Heritage Portal records his association with naturopath Dr. Dinshaw Mehta and notes that Gandhi stayed at Mehta's Nature Cure Clinic in Pune during 1944 and 1945.
His interest was in natural ways of living and simple living. But modern readers should be careful to distinguish these historical practices from evidence-based medical treatment.
Exercise and Physical Activity
Gandhi thought physical activity should be a part of our daily life. Walking was one of the most obvious examples of this philosophy. Long walks became so much a part of his day-to-day life.
Regular physical activity is still a part of a healthy lifestyle, and of course, at different ages and with different health statuses, people exercise differently.
Practise Self-Discipline
Health was very much in Gandhi’s control over habits. He liked to experiment with his diet and lifestyle in this sense as part of his overall work towards self-discipline.
His approach says that healthy living is not only about what we eat but also about developing awareness of our daily choices and routines.
Fasting was part of his experiments.
Gandhi also had several fasts during his lifetime. But fasting was connected with his religious, political and personal practices and should not be treated as a health recommendation.
People considering prolonged or restrictive fasting should seek medical advice if they have an existing health condition or take medication.
The Larger Lesson From Gandhi's Health Philosophy
Gandhi’s writings show that he viewed health as a part of a disciplined and purposeful life. Simple food, cleanliness, physical activity, self-control and awareness were recurring themes in his thinking.
He should thus be viewed as a product of his philosophy of simple living rather than a medical guide for modern health care. Now, such ideas can help with healthier behavior when combined with knowledge of medical science and professional health care.
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