THE DIET

Q: What? Dieting? Vegan? That too limited diet? Are you serious?

A: Oh, yes, I am. And I feel much better. (With a smile)

Q: But why do you need to lose weight? You are already so thin.

A: I want to be healthy.

This has been the conversation between me and my known ones for the past 2 months. Seriously, I am on a diet.

I used to consider myself a health-conscious person and used to avoid many things easily consumed by the majority. However, I had been ignoring some of my health aspects and this time I wanted to address them. They are medical.

So I ended up in Nature Lovers’ Group. They advised on my diet and doing exercise daily. My diet chart said that I had to be vegan (no meat, no dairy products). This would be easy had I not been restricted also on protein-based plant food. Now I had only grains, sweet fruits and some green vegetables to survive with for a couple of months.

For someone who considered oneself health conscious, the first response was to take some of their advice and add some from my side. As I had to cut off on milk and milk products, to save myself from having calcium deficiency, I decided to go on calcium supplements. So I bought soya seeds (completely forgetting the fact that this has the highest protein) and ajwain seeds and started consuming some spoonfuls of them every day. I stopped after a few days after realizing what I was doing. Also, researching on the internet and finding out about the things related to the disease, its causes, symptoms and treatment became the topmost priority. This went on for a number of days.    

The main focus was treatment. I left no stones unturned on the research. Starting with the diet, exercise, yoga and meditation took most of my time. Internet is an infinite source. The contradictions that I found on my diet and exercise had to be discussed, which I did on my follow-up with NLG after 2 weeks.

As my doubts were clarified, I started following their plan very seriously but ended up overdoing the physical activities, especially yoga and exercise (no one had asked me to overdo). The result was muscle spasm, inability to move or bend or do almost anything. This took me to the medical doctor and I got some pain relieving medicines.

So no exercise for 2 weeks, but only rest. Meanwhile, the net research went on trying to convince myself why vegan was not the option for me no matter what people said. Also, I found many quotes satisfying my thought which said something like ‘Vegan diet is not for me,’ ‘I can’t be vegan or I don’t want to be vegan because that is not me.’ The same had been my belief at that time and it continued for a few more weeks. I had decided to be on that diet for a limited time frame as my condition had demanded. So, once the deadline was over, I would eat good healthy foods but definitely not vegan. I felt the diet was killing me.

Yes, I would continue with grains, vegetables and salad and fruits; however, side by side, I won’t deny the meat and poultry, dairy products, sweets, seeds, plant-based proteins, processed food and all that exists. I would do so because that is me. I have to be me. I am who I am; otherwise, I would go crazy. I would eat those because my body needs it. Once, I even gave an example to a friend about a cigarette, trying to convince her and myself. People know cigarette is harmful to health; it is a bad thing to take but they still take it. And they take it because they need it, their body needs it. And obviously, needs have to be fulfilled if we want to maintain ourselves. Yes, this was the logic.

For someone who was so fond of eating anything outside, in restaurants, hotels or anywhere and especially the delicious food, suppressing the taste buds was almost impossible in the beginning. It was hard to convince oneself. Every time I went out, I could see people relishing all the tasty stuffs and its aroma, hard to ignore. Many a time, I have pleased myself with a deep inhalation of its aroma. But one thing kept me away from it—the fact that it is bad for me. I used to convince myself “I will take it after some time, not now.”

Since the last few weeks, things have become different. I have resumed with my daily exercise and I know my limit not to overstrain myself. I can see and feel the transformation going on within me on a whole level—physical, mental and social—a complete peaceful and blissful moment. My body seems to function well. No blockages are felt inside. It has become very light because of weight loss (although this was not necessary in the plan, neither it is harmful). When I breathe in, I feel the oxygen all within my body as if it is hollow inside. Many old physical and psychological problems have disappeared. And all the credit goes to the diet and exercise and thinking—the change in lifestyle.  

I seem to have less social exchanges after being on a diet. This cannot be called positive. Our culture has developed in such a way that almost all of our social gatherings are about eating and dining out. Unfortunately, we are more interested in following our taste buds than thinking about hygienic food. And this seems to be the trouble. Wherever I go, either I have to carry something with me to eat or refrain from eating. Can’t we have some better options?

At last, I am half way through with the current regimen. Looking at the miracle, I have decided to make it a priority throughout my life. After all, is it not what we want—a healthy body and a healthy mind? What do you say?