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The word hygiene comes from Hygeia, the Greek goddess of health and sanitation. In the 1800s, the hygienic movement promoted sanitation and cleanliness, both important in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
Consistent hand washing is still one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many respiratory and intestinal infections. Today hygiene deals broadly with the prevention of disease and the promotion of health. Modern sanitation includes management of wastewater and all kinds of solid wastes.
Dental hygiene is important for healthy teeth and gums, and for overall health. Culinary hygiene refers to cleanliness in home and commercial food preparation. Contamination of food by chemicals is a serious concern, as are toxic chemicals in the environment.
Some hygienic issues seem cryptic. Medical radiation used for diagnostic purposes is a growing concern, especially with ever-growing use of CT scans. Cell phone radiation is another hidden issue that is a concern today. Medications are a health hazard that few people think about. Yet, drugs are chemicals that have many polluting effects in the body, even to the extent of becoming lethal.
Tobacco use accumulates unseen chemical exposure that is a leading cause of premature aging and death. It also hurts the health of bystanders, making smoking a matter of both poor personal hygiene and poor community hygiene.
A well-known child psychiatrist, Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, has written a new book on mental hygiene, subtitled, Waste Management for Our Minds. This broadens the field of waste management from the physical environment to the mental environment. Mental health has become a growing concern. Much in our culture today detracts from good mental health.
Depression is a major issue today, with anti-depressants now being one of the most prescribed kinds of medication. Mental health statistics show only twenty percent of the adult population flourishing with the healthiest psychosocial functioning. Shielding our minds from negative influences while promoting positive ones is an age-old endeavor.
Paul put it best in his advice to the people of Philippi two thousand years ago. “Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about… and the God of peace will be with you.” His advice is still good today.
To summarize key points in this chapter, we are surrounded by environmental pollution on our planet. The nature and extent of the pollution may vary, but it threatens health in many ways. Hygiene is the shield that protects us from as much pollution as possible.
This makes hygienic living the fifth secret of exceptional health. If we all apply hygienic living effectively, it will help us all move closer to exceptional health and it will also help detoxify our irreplaceable earthly home and shift it toward better planetary health!
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