My First Interview
Initially, I felt slightly embarrassed, shy and a little strange when Diabetes Health (a magazine by doctors for diabetics) told me that they wanted to feature me in their magazine. It was for a page called Health Bytes. I contribute healthy diabetic recipes to the magazine.
After a bit of hesitation, I decided to go ahead with it. It felt great when the issue was out and I was sent a copy of the magazine. Of course, my original interview had been much more detailed. When I saw it in print, a lot of interesting bits had been cut out.I blame it on the space crunch. So I am including my original interview for those of you who want the complete picture!
This is the printed version in the magazine
Here's the unedited, unabridged version of my interview, with my headline too. Straight from the horse's mouth!
Born To Be Fit
A
brief introduction to yourself
I would like to
call myself a fitness freak. I have named my blog TGIF (Thank-God-I’m-Fit). I
attribute my fitness level to my genes. One cannot overlook this important
aspect. But that’s about 10 per cent. The rest is hard work. I exercise
religiously. I wish I could say the same about my diet too.
When I’m not
working or working out, I read up on fitness and health. I like to keep myself
updated. I also learn a lot by listening to my clients and the patients during
a counseling session. My other passion is looking up healthy recipes (sometimes
the not so healthy ones too), and trying them out. That’s fun. Cooking, for me,
is a great stress buster except if I am hard-pressed for time. I’m always on
the lookout for recipes which use healthy and unusual ingredients. I also like
to check out health food shops online. When I want to chill, there’s loads of
music on my tab.
What
does fitness mean to you, personally?
Fitness is a way
of life for me. It would do everyone a lot of good if they followed this
mantra. Earlier, I used to crib a bit when I had to renew my gym membership
every year. But I used to tell myself that this is an investment I am making
for my health. I wish everyone thinks that way instead of holding back when
they have to spend on anything related to their health. To age well is not an accident;
it’s a gift that those who care can give themselves.
How does work affect your health/fitness regime?
For me, staying fit is a
professional demand too. So very rarely, do I let my work affect my workout
schedule. I chose a career in the fitness industry only because it was a
passion. So I don’t compromise on my workouts or diet.
What kind of physical activity do you prefer most? (Gym/walk/swimming/playing
tennis etc
If I had the time, I would love
to go to the gym, jog, play tennis, swim, go trekking and hiking and do
everything else to keep myself fit. But since time is a constraint, I alternate
between weight training in the gym and cardio activity like running and jogging
with stretching and some breathing exercises. One needs to combine some form of
resistance training with cardio and stretches to get the best results. A healthy diet to accompany that is a given.
Were you into any kinds of sports while growing up? Please tell us
about it
I wish I could say that I used to
be a tennis whiz kid. That's a game I love. I was an introverted and shy kid,
also a little lazy and a daydreamer, to pursue any sport. I enjoyed reading. Then
I got very busy with my studies and other things that teenagers love doing.
At 18, I attended a 10-day yoga
workshop on the insistence of a friend. It was fun. I also liked the feel-good
effect of exercise. Yoga continued for some time till someone pointed out that
I was too young for yoga, and instead should join a gym. I had a lot of free
time in the evenings and wanted to use it constructively.
While fitness was somewhere at
the back of my mind, I joined a gym mainly to kill time. Soon, I enjoyed
pumping iron. It was so different from my yoga class. I was also amazed at my
soaring energy level after a workout session.
But what really cranked up my
fitness level was the first ever Mumbai Marathon in 2004. I participated in the
42 km run even though I hated running and jogging then. I surprised myself by
completing it. It made me realize that I had been abusing my genes till then. After
that, I started training hard.
Please share your daily
dietary habits with our readers
I don’t count calories; I
look at the quality of the food. As we age, our metabolic efficiency drops.
So although I am a foodie, I remind myself that my body has a budget. I never
starve or skip meals. I believe that food should please the palate as much as
it protects the waistline. All foods can be fattening, if you eat too much of
them. No food is fattening, if the amount you eat doesn’t exceed the amount you
burn up. I keep all this in mind while eating.
I start my day with a glass of
warm water followed by a cup of tea. Then it is fruits, sprouts, egg, (and my
protein shake depending on my workout schedule). Breakfast is usually oats
porridge in soya milk or oats dosa three to four times a week. The other days I
enjoy the typical Indian breakfast of upma, poha, dosa or idlis. I stay away
from fried foods as far as possible. When tempted, I eat a bit but don’t make a
meal out of it.
Lunch is vegetable soup or salad
followed by brown rice, bhakri or chapattis with some vegetables, little dal,
curds and either paneer, grilled chicken or fish.
Evening snack is 1 or 2 egg
whites with sprouts or a pulse
Dinner is light with salad,
roasted or boiled sweet potato or a slice of bread with two eggs.
I eat a piece of chocolate after my lunch and
dinner to satisfy my sweet tooth.
I have two or three cups of green
tea in a day and drink plenty of water. It’s important to stay hydrated throughout
the day.
Please share your exercise routine with our readers
On an average, I train five to
six days a week for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. I weight train thrice a
week. I do a Triple Split. One day is Legs, next is Back and Biceps and the
third day is for Chest-Shoulder-Triceps. I alternate weight training with at
least two days of cardio. I train my abs on the day after my leg workout.
If you had to make one change to your lifestyle, what would it be?
I wish I could eat healthy all the time. I do
have food cravings which I indulge in, although in a controlled manner. I’m
also an emotional eater sometimes. Yeah, I would like to be more disciplined in
my food habits. Because ultimately, you are what you eat, if you want a
perfectly toned body.
What advice would you give to youngsters who tend to use crash diets
as a way to lose weight?
Crash diets or fad diets kill
your metabolism and are harmful to the body. They mainly give water loss. They are
best used to kick start a weight loss program or to break plateaus in a weight
loss program. If done sparingly and under guidance, it can be effective.
Otherwise, the weight gain that happens after the diet is worse. It also makes
you nutrient deficient.
What according to you is the best way to stay fit physically and
mentally?
A healthy lifestyle, which
incorporates a practical exercise and diet regimen. Add-ons are positive
thinking, being passionate about your work… the list is endless.
Does Diabetes run in your family? If yes, what do you do to try and
avoid or delay the onset of Diabetes yourself?
My father had diabetes. I don’t
do anything specific to avoid or delay the onset of Diabetes. Hopefully, my
healthy lifestyle will take care of that. Touch wood, TGIF will remain forever.
