You guys are reversing the age. How?
Charm in couples remain same
You guys look stunning... Both of you feel you age backwards always not just in this pic...
Many people have written about this topic of healthy life. I am attempting to share my experiments and experiences from over the years. Some of these might be right, while others may seem silly or wrong to you.
The fundamental question is: What is a healthy life? This is a loaded question, and everyone you ask will have a different answer. A yogi might say that following a spiritual path is healthy. A common person might say that simply being happy defines a healthy life. A businessperson might consider growing their business as a healthy life, and so on.
For me, a healthy life is about feeling good about yourself and the people around you. It includes good physical health, good mental health, and an overall healthy social life with your family, friends, colleagues, and nature. So, the next question is: How do you achieve a healthy life? What are the key ingredients for a healthy life? Again, this is another loaded question. I don’t think anyone has fully cracked it; most of us simply continue to learn and improve throughout our lives.
Here are a few things I’ve followed that have helped me lead a healthy life:
- My overall approach has been to maintain a positive attitude, despite the many challenges and distractions in life.
- Prioritize what makes you happy and stay engaged. For example, hiking brings me immense joy and keeps me connected to nature.
- Lastly, living a healthy life is not a one-day effort; it requires continuous effort for as long as we live.
Early to bed and early from bed:
Eat everything you like, but in moderation.
There is a famous saying: "We are what we eat." When it comes to food, there are two schools of thought: "We eat to live" and "We live to eat." I believe the truth lies in a middle ground. While we should enjoy our food, we also need to practice moderation.
Over the years, I have adopted the principle of eating everything but in moderation. On some days, I may go overboard with sweets or junk food, which I think is okay as long as I make necessary adjustments during the rest of the week. For example, if I indulge in a lot of food or sweets—perhaps because of a festival or simply because it was too tasty—I try to skip a meal the next day to balance it out. This approach has helped me strike a balance between "We eat to live" and "We live to eat."
Here are a few habits I have developed over the years that have significantly improved my eating lifestyle:
- Absolutely no alcohol and no smoking for me.
- I have reduced and limited my sugar intake. Sweets are my weak spot, and it’s a constant battle to fight my cravings.
- We hardly eat out—just 4-5 times a year! Most of our meals are home-cooked.
- We avoid spicy food, mostly because my kids prefer milder flavors these days.
- 24-hour mantra: Finish food within 24 hours of cooking.
- We avoid processed or frozen foods.
- We eat organic food whenever available, especially milk, eggs, and meat.
- We don’t stock vegetables for more than a week.
- Whenever possible, we consume homegrown vegetables or fruits.
- We eat fruits daily.
- I rarely eat a full dinner anymore. My evening meals mostly consist of salads, soups, or lentils. I avoid rice in the evening, except on special occasions.
- We try to finish dinner by 8:30 p.m. and avoid eating anything after that.
- I work hard to avoid snacking between meals, though this remains a weak spot for improvement.
- I stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoid beverages as much as possible.
- Tea and coffee are no longer part of my daily routine. I have them only occasionally.
- I start my day with a full glass of warm water mixed with lime.
Exercise daily :
Exercise has numerous benefits for both the body and mind. Physically, it improves cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, boosts immunity, and helps maintain a healthy weight. Mentally, it reduces stress, enhances mood by releasing endorphins, and improves focus, memory, and overall mental well-being. I have a detailed article on this titled "Y-BRuSH Twice a Day." If there is one thing everyone needs to do, it is regular exercise. I make it a point to do one of these every day: yoga, biking, running, swimming, or hiking, and it keeps me energized throughout the entire day.
Spending quality time with family and friends:
It is very important to build human connections and be emotionally involved with family and friends. Ultimately, for me, life is all about the experiences we create along the way. Nothing can compare to spending time with family, friends, and loved ones.
- Nature: The best source of energy and inspiration. I spend a lot of time in nature through hiking, running, cycling, and similar activities. We also spend significant time of ours in our backyard, growing vegetables and fruits.
- With family: I switch off work between 5:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. to focus on my kids and family.
- Stay connected: I keep in touch with friends and family, listen to their stories, and empathize with them.
- Hiking with kids: Regular hikes with my kids have been my latest addition to family activities.
- Date time: Occasionally, I take Fridays off and go on a date with my wife while the kids are in school.
Few more things
These are a few things we have incorporated into our lives over the years. I feel these changes have contributed positively to our healthy lifestyle. Plastics and chemicals are some of the leading causes of diseases, and we should avoid them as much as possible—they are like slow poison.
- Soaps/Shampoo: We switched to soaps, shampoos, and laundry/dishwasher detergents with fewer chemicals.
- Skin Care: I have never used deodorants or any external skin care products in my life. A daily bath keeps me fresh. Occasionally, I enjoy a sauna by soaking in a hot water bathtub, which helps my muscles relax.
- Face Care: I steam my face before shaving to keep my skin smooth. Occasionally, I do a facial using turmeric and milk to maintain a natural glow.
- Ergonomics: I use a blue light filter on my laptop to reduce strain on my eyes. I also use a standing desk at both the office and home, standing about 70% of the time.
- Distraction Management: All notifications on my phone are turned off, except for text messages and direct calls. I am not active on social media or in large groups, sticking mostly to WhatsApp and limited use of LinkedIn.
- Plastic Usage: A long time ago, we switched to steel and glass containers instead of plastic ones. We also replaced Teflon non-stick pans with iron pans.
- Screen Time: We use an automatic timer for our Wi-Fi router. It switches off at 10:15 p.m. and turns back on at 7:00 a.m., which helps us wind down and end the day purposefully.
These are some of our practices, based on continuous learning. I love to get your thoughts and best practices.