I am moving towards the dinner table famished. There is a spring in my step in anticipation of the scrumptious feast awaiting me. Just moments to go before I savor the divine meal offerings set out there. Wait! what is this laid out on the table? An Avocado neatly cut into four and decorated on a fancy plate, a tiny multigrain bread piece with organic peanut butter spread and worst of all a tall glass full of green gooey juice. Just as I was about to almost gag over this dreadful sight the shrill alarm from my cell phone woke me up. Thank God this was only a nightmare.! However, my nightmare is the idea of a happy healthy life that most of my peers are living these days.
Everyone is suddenly so
health conscious, its amazingly motivating and supremely irritating at the same
time. I mean its impossible to go through the daily social media patrolling on
Facebook and Instagram without cringing and hating myself for being a total
loser where the matters of health are concerned. Looks like people are now
finally fed up of posting pictures from their perfect happiness galore family
vacation. And the new trend is to post about your fitness preferences, tips and
regimes.
There are images upon images
of either Yoga, Pilates, or Cardio classes. Beautiful food photography that was
in vogue till just last year has been replaced by bland images of Turmeric
coffee, Quinoa salad and the most disgusting of all vegetable juices comprising
ingredients such as spinach, celery, cucumber. Honestly, I really want to ask
these people are they actually enjoying these foods and drinks?
On the other hand, these
posts and seeing people around me so involved with fitness really motivates me.
Each night this is the way I visualize my ideal healthy day; the morning
unfolds with yoga at sunrise followed by a very healthy and tall glass of warm
water with lemon, honey, cinnamon, turmeric and black pepper. Breakfast would
be a no carb affair (actually my entire life should be a no carb affair for
that matter) only fruits and yoghurt. Food basically would not be an important
part of my day, week or entire life. I would be high on the endorphins generated
by evening spent cycling. And if I need to fill my stomach a humongous 5 litre bottle of water would accompany me everywhere and I will consume it before the
day ends.
In reality, I have never had
this day…ever. Not even half of it.
Strong coffee remains my early morning drink of choice as I can’t open my eyes
without it and the kids have to be sent to school. Yoga plans get lost amidst
the flurry of useless house chores, net surfing and school runs. Moreover, at
lunch time when I see piping hot salan and warm roti my hands and mouth somehow
develop a mind and will of their own.
In short, I am failing
miserably at this healthy life agenda. The stress of not being able to cope
with this trend is further detrimental for my healthy being. As I am constantly
comparing myself to all the fit and disciplined people out there and hitting
myself mentally. So its pressure on top of pressure, stress giving way to more
stress. And guess how I deal with stress in life. Yes, that was an easy one,
food and more food is the only way to get my mind off anything worrisome.
But all is not lost and I am
hoping against hope that this wave will die soon giving way to something easier
and doable for me. The Hippie Movement anyone?
