Ever since the philosopher Descartes first wrote down the idea, we in Western culture have assumed a separation between body and mind.
The mind is for 'higher' things like thought and art. The body is the housing of the 'lower' drives, such as reproduction. In other cultures, the harmony between the two is seen as determining the well-being of people. An example of this is the yoga tradition.
The growing popularity of yoga is the cause and consequence of a rethinking in our society. Your mood has a greater influence on your physical condition than we always thought. Being happy is healthy! So now and then a fries is fine as long as the happiness you feel due to the delicious taste is greater than the unhappiness due to the realization that you are eating something unhealthy. Say yes to all the little temptations that make life worth living.
Smoking is an extremely unhealthy thing that many people do. Tobacco was introduced to Europe after the discovery of America. Many people initially believed that smoking had medicinal properties. Nothing could be further from the truth, but there is something to be said for the fact that smoking a cigar can turn into a moment of happiness. Every once in a while, you might sin against a diet with a delicious meal. Similarly, finding and smoking a good cigar is a moment of happiness that positively influences your state of mind and thus your physical well-being.
Image rights:Flickr Cigar Dream Faint Sanity CC BY 2.0 Certain rights reserved
