It is probably an in-thing to join the Eat healthy bandwagon. For the last 2-3 years I have been turning a blind eye to this revolution. But not very long could I sustain it! Gone are the days when the poor hostel mess food used to starve me enough to compensate for the junk I consumed on a chance visit to the mall. Gone are the days when the routine walk to and fro class through the hilly terrain of the campus itself used to compensate for the heavy gorging on brilliant range of non-vegetarian items served everywhere around. Now that I am working to earn money, things have changed. For days together I went on piling up, with no time, with nothing to compensate for it. One day I realized I just cannot afford to bloat like this and it had to stop.
Hence was the start of life, the healthy way. And simultaneously was the start of stabbing the foodie in me, right on the face. Then started the never ending craving for junk, Chinese, Chaat, Cheesy, Exotic and on and on and on. And above all, I needed to ensure that the craving never got satiated. Not just the type of food I will die for, I have to keep the quantity in mind as well. I literally treat myself one day a week, by eating very simple ‘ghar ka khana’, but quantity-no-bar. Imagine!
The plight does not end here. Breakfast, which I had been skipping consistently, is the only meal which won’t add to body weight. Scientifically, metabolism is at its best and hence, you can remain assured that all that you are stuffing will get shed off. Next is lunch, which has to be fiber and protein loaded. Did anyone ever bother; there is no mom around to pack such thoughtfully loaded lunch box. Forget it. The caution does not end here. Say no to whites, only brown. This implies a big NO to even simple steamed rice, even khichdi. Phulka, that too only to the count of 2-3 is permissible. Comes the snack time. It is the most terrible part of the day. This is the time you are expected to sip in tasteless green tea. Even a cup of hot brewed coffee, will add on to 180 calories. It might surprise you, but believe me 1 month into such regime, and you will have the calorie count of almost every nibble you chew down in a normal day. Coming back to snack –time. Does not matter if you see onion pakodas getting fried on a pleasant evening. All you can have at this time is a piece of the much in vogue- high fibre oats and ragi biscuits. By this time you would feel so bloody frustrated that, towards the last supper of the day you will become almost numb. Yes. Best you get numb. Else the salad, with zero carb, will simply break your heart. They say, dinner has to be lightest as no physical work leads to increasing fat coagulation in the body. Damn it. But what about the night owls like me, who, if not physically, are mentally most active throughout the night. Salad, which once used to be a non-compulsory item of your meals, today has become an entire meal. The enthusiasm to get in right shape will initially be so high that, the salad will go down. But soon enough you will have to turn to oats or similar substitutes, which will have minor damaging impact.
All I can say is, if God had to create a Foodie, genes had to be coded to keep the mortal body healthy as long as he/she is breathing. Otherwise, life is hell on earth for a foodie forced to fit in a healthy lifestyle. You don’t need to die to experience hell!
Keep Gorging and Let people gorge!
- Foodie Panda