Healthy food and healthy life style

ALTHOUGH I am 72 years old, I always feel that I am as young as 35.

I believe healthy food alone can not make one healthy, you also need a tension free life style to keep yourself healthy. My healthy eating habits and disciplined life style have been helping me to maintain a healthy life.

I have been keeping records of health parameters since 1978 (when I was working in Indonesia as an international expert). My weight was then about 68 Kg, height was 5 ft 7 inches and my waist was 36 inches. After a lapse of nearly 40 years, I have been maintaining the same vital statistics and I still wear my Indonesian Safari and other dresses to check my fitness. My blood sugar is 5.7 and blood pressure is 75 - 80 /130 - 135. My food habits are:

I take my breakfast at 8.30 am everyday. There is an old saying that "eat like a king at breakfast" and so I do. I eat 8 standard size brown atta rooti with a bowl of vegetables containing well cooked green papaya and booter daal and occasionally a boiled egg. I finish my breakfast with a mug of either coffee with milk or green tea or black tea. I take enough water and by 10 am everyday I complete drinking at least 5 glasses of water.

I take my lunch by 2 pm that includes 3 full plates of dheki chhata brown rice with korolla bhaji or mixed vegetables, and daal.

I take dinner latest by 8.30 pm. The menu of my dinner includes 3 full plates of brown rice with Chicken/Fish/ Egg curry mixed with vegetables and daal.

I drink at least 10 glasses of water everyday or more in summer. I also take a multi-vitamin tablet Centrum silver for 50+ age group every alternate day.

My life style has the following features. By 7 am I go out for my morning walk lasting 40-45 minutes. I come back home for breakfast and then walk for about 15 minutes buying kitchen items and thereafter I walk down to my workplace on foot at around 10am which takes about 15 minutes. I work in my office till midday and come home for lunch after another 15 minutes walk. Then after finishing my shower and lunch, I go for a short rest for about an hour or so and take care of some domestic businesses after that. Around 4.30 pm, I take a half an hour stroll in the neighbouring park. I socialize with my neighbours whom I meet on the way. I watch TV news and other shows 5pm onwards and offer prayers in between. And I go to bed at 10 pm. This is my routine and I must say I am amply rewarded for my disciplined life style.

Luthfe Ali

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