Back to India: Trans Fats, Saddle Bags & Assorted Ills
TweetPriya Raju is on a roll here. Here is her second post.
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When it comes to working out, I’m one of the laziest people in the world. No exaggeration: If this kind of laziness became a formal discipline, I’ll pass out summa cum laude. My husband Sukumar is an industrious guy. He at times complains of difficulties in dropping off to sleep at night. That is one problem I never have.
For the past 2 decades, I’ve been struggling with my migraines. It just grew & grew every year, like a human child. If my math is any good, it is 21 years old & it has probably just graduated from college. It is alive & kicking – and I’m in deep shit.
My doctor now wants me to start a mild to moderate exercise plan. Whenever I have my regular checkup, she asks me if I’ve started working out. I promptly tell her that I’m “waiting for X”: X being some lame-ass excuse that I concocted specially for her. Where exercise is concerned, I’m a procrastinator too. I practice it like an art form. It takes a lot of ingenuity to rationalize delays & actually feel good about it.
<!– D([“mb”,”Then, something happened: Retail Therapy back-fired. What started out as a routine shopping trip for clothes, goaded me to act. In plain English, I was 9 pounds heavier. I shuddered when I looked at my butt in the fitting room mirrors – it looked like a pumpkin in full bloom (or whatever it is pumpkins do – I\\\’m no botanist).\n
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Vanity gets you when reality doesn\\\’t. So, I\\\’ve started working out these days. But what about eating healthy?
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I\\\’ve decided to cut down on junk food: easier said than done. India is the diabetes capital of the world – get this: All the assorted sweet shops & bakeries in \nIndia contribute a whopping 50% of the retail sector. Or so I read.
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India feels a lot like the US of the 1950s. The newly affluent middle class is focused on living as well as possible within their means. So, \nIndia is the land of hedonistic pleasures now & gourmandizing is a star attraction. Adi Shankara & all other sages who preached contentment would be stirring in their graves. Well, Hindus are cremated, so they probably don\\\’t have a grave – but you get my point. \n
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Not that I blame my fellow Indians. Poor blokes never had money till now & most people don\\\’t care terribly for contentment. Let\\\’s be Dionysian for a change: Enough of namby-pamby Apollonian tastes & traits. Nietzsche used the phrases "Dionysian" & "Apollonian" to describe artistic impulses, but I think it also holds well to describe one\\\’s attitude to life.\n”,1] ); //–>Then, something happened: Retail Therapy back-fired. What started out as a routine shopping trip for clothes, goaded me to act. In plain English, I was 9 pounds heavier. I shuddered when I looked at my butt in the fitting room mirrors – it looked like a pumpkin in full bloom (or whatever it is pumpkins do – I’m no botanist).
Vanity gets you when reality doesn’t. So, I’ve started working out these days. But what about eating healthy?
I’ve decided to cut down on junk food: easier said than done. India is the diabetes capital of the world – get this: All the assorted sweet shops & bakeries in India contribute a whopping 50% of the retail sector. Or so I read.
India feels a lot like the US of the 1950s. The newly affluent middle class is focused on living as well as possible within their means. So, India is the land of hedonistic pleasures now & gourmandizing is a star attraction. Adi Shankara & all other sages who preached contentment would be stirring in their graves. Well, Hindus are cremated, so they probably don’t have a grave – but you get my point.
Not that I blame my fellow Indians. Poor blokes never had money till now & most people don’t care terribly for contentment. Let’s be Dionysian for a change: Enough of namby-pamby Apollonian tastes & traits. Nietzsche used the phrases “Dionysian” & “Apollonian” to describe artistic impulses, but I think it also holds well to describe one’s attitude to life. <!– D([“mb”,”
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Coming back to my point – I want to eat healthy stuff, but that\\\’s not easy. I\\\’d really like to stay away from trans-fat laden, instant artery hardeners that are – sadly these days – the only items that taste good in \nIndia. Most restaurants just don\\\’t have healthy & edible stuff on their menus.
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An example – I took the tremendous risk of ordering Minestrone soup in a local restaurant. My advice: Press it on someone you want to murder – buying soup for somebody you hate is not illegal & you get the job done in under $2. I was served an orange colored goop on which mystery vegetables had been cruelly mutilated. I chickened out & ordered some fried heart-choker. \n
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All I\\\’m saying is, it won\\\’t be easy to work out regularly & eat healthy. But, I\\\’m going to try.
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Coming back to my point – I want to eat healthy stuff, but that’s not easy. I’d really like to stay away from trans-fat laden, instant artery hardeners that are – sadly these days – the only items that taste good in India. Most restaurants just don’t have healthy & edible stuff on their menus.
An example – I took the tremendous risk of ordering Minestrone soup in a local restaurant. My advice: Press it on someone you want to murder – buying soup for somebody you hate is not illegal & you get the job done in under $2. I was served an orange colored goop on which mystery vegetables had been cruelly mutilated. I chickened out & ordered some fried heart-choker.
All I’m saying is, it won’t be easy to work out regularly & eat healthy. But, I’m going to try.
LOL Priya. Lack of choice of healthy food is pretty bad. Sometimes I feel that idly and Sambar is the only health choice we have. I used to try Adai Avial with no butter. (and tolerated the waiters humilating looks). Still in Southie cuisine…
Once I went to Don Pappas where a sizzler came loaded with 1 week’s fat calories. Red E at Harrington Rd used to have nice multi cuisie with some low fat tacos (sounds like oxymoron?)
Vamsi
Thanks Vamsi. I am exaggerating of course. There are some healthy choices but you have to look really hard.
Priya Raju