Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman!
By Park Nahm-Sheik
These three are the best doctors by far, as per popular wisdom. They dole out the very best fitness prescriptions for us all. The counsel epitomized here seems to be a useful lodestar for all seekers of optimal wellness. At the very least, this three-pronged regimen merits a careful and thorough analysis. In the remainder of the current article, we shall thus be looking into those three prongs in some detail one after another.
Of the three doctors, the first calls for sensible eating. A sensible diet must needs be diverse and inclusive with the proviso that it should strike a balance between its component elements. While keeping away from picky eating, sensible dieters must see to it that they keep at arm’s length certain things such as red meat. In fact, sensible food consumers would center their meals around vegetables, fruits, seafood, and poultry. What is more, it would be ideal should they decide to turn to such food resources as are available locally and seasonally.
Giving a wide berth to food tampered in any way should also be part and parcel of all sensible dishes. GMOs would thus normally be a no-no, as would any chemically tainted stuff. Most artificial nutrition supplements would not generally be acceptable to most conscientious food consumers, either. Health-conscious dieters must take in food in moderation only also, paying constant heed to the red flag being raised by “Much meat, much malady” and “Greedy eaters dig their graves with their teeth.”
Let us conclude our discussion of Dr. Diet here with due homage paid to the popular saying, “Kitchen physic is the best physic.” Home-grown and home-cooked, kitchen physic barely touches anything artificial, with the result that it is close to 100 percent in its natural state. Absent any trace of tampering, it may very well be the choicest option for the family table, which should always brim over with hearth and home. So much for Dr. Diet.
Now, what does Dr. Quiet prescribe for all of us health buffs? We are called upon to retreat into the deepest nooks of our inner selves and seek sanctuary in the land of absolute calm and quiet, where true peace of mind dwells. The road to this land of heavenly peace is paved with perfect rest and relaxation. Breaks of all sorts can come to our assistance on this front. Leaves, R&Rs, vacations, and recesses can rise to the occasion here. So can camping, trekking, scouting, and all other ways of inviting Mother Nature into our hearts, minds, and souls.
BTW, meditation may be the high road to true inner serenity. Deep thinking via yoga, for one, is thought to be a surefire path to the land of Dr. Quiet. Yoga is believed to make its practitioners one with the universe, detaching them from the day-to-day anxieties of this world. Zen may be equally effective in lulling us into this realm of perfect calm and quiet.
With the world today literally inundated with digital devices of all kinds everywhere, too much screen time is increasingly becoming an urgent health issue all over the globe. Fact is, many of us are practically glued to the screen day and night, often in closed and cramped quarters. Sometimes dubbed digital addiction, this crazy phenomenon has already been raging like a wildfire for over a couple of decades now.
The way out of this mess can perhaps be found in breaks and retreats at out-of-the-way locations safely tucked away from the rough and tumble of this dog-eat-dog world. This can hopefully deliver our burned-out nerves from their ruthless digital masters.
Dr. Merryman is our third and final honoree of the day. Dancing attendance on Dr. Merryman is his guardian angel, ever ready to do his every bidding and deliver his health potion, as needed. This guardian angel of Dr. Merryman’s has at his fingertips such beautiful things as dance, music, art, theater and cinema, and literature. They are all well known for their miraculous hold on the human heart, mind, and soul. They can wield their magic wands to bend our thoughts at will.
Well within Dr. Merryman’s province, beautiful scenery, for one, is thought to be right up there with state-of-the-art medical treatments. It is believed to be a good cure especially when it comes to addressing seemingly incurable conditions. When feeling off-kilter, we are often counseled to turn to beautiful things in our surroundings. Clear brooks, green mountains, flocks of birds on the wing, or flowers about to bloom are all very pleasing to look at, not for no reason, mind you. So too are mere sunsets and sunrises. As is the bright moon or the starry night rendering our otherwise dark evenings as charming as could be. Any way you slice it, beauty gives rise to joy, which in turn sows the seeds of laughter. And laughter is the best medicine, the Gospel truth of which is enshrined in the collective wisdom of all humankind.
By way of closing, let us note that our three best doctors often work hand in hand, rather than all by themselves. Dr. Diet, for one, brings peace of mind and joy of heart as well, not just nutrition for the body. Now then, shall we all try and keep well by constantly drawing from these three wells of wellness?
Long live Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman! And may each and every one of you stay fit and healthy! When everyone takes care of himself, care is taken of all. Right? I wish you all a long and happy journey aboard spaceship earth! To my mind, the Gwangju International Center has certainly earned pride of place on this beautiful spaceship. That is what I firmly I believe.
The Author
Park Nahm-sheik has a BA in English from Chonnam National University, an MA in linguistics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, U.S.A., and a PhD in applied linguistics from Georgetown University. He is now a Professor Emeritus after a long and illustrious career at Seoul National University as well as President Emeritus of the International Graduate School of English.