Why do we wait for that little push, a small nudge ?
What always is on mind, takes a priority when there’s a trigger
I was putting off my annual health check-up because pretty much everything comes normal always.
When last done 2 years back — HbA1c hovered around 5, LDL low-HDL high, BP 110/70, LFT, KFT, TSH, vitamins (to name a few) looked fine.
But as I entered 40s & encountered frozen shoulder & golfer’s elbow & underwent intense physiotherapy, subconsciously I knew that I can’t take things for granted. Though the investigations ruled out any major underlying cause, there was definitely a genetic predisposition as my mother had musculoskeletal issues. Also both parents being diabetics; a high uric acid presenting as gout, hyperlipidemia & hypertension for my father — made a list of “to do things” to play in my mind …
Cutting on sugar/carbs intake —
Being a mindful eater, I stay away from junk food. Don’t even taste what I bake for kids & follow a nil dessert even on special occasions.
But few things are hard to get rid of eg sugar in my chai, staple white rice & sugar in fruits. In the summer the market is laden with mangoes & melons. The citrus oranges & sour grapes too turn sweet by March. So, to go low on them was the “future plan” but not implemented as yet.
Exercise — Barring one hour yoga class from Monday — Saturday, I’m not very active. Knowing about the benefits of muscle building & cardio exercises isn’t enough to get me going. More of fitness in my mind, not so much in the body. Maybe a BMI of 19.8 gets me into procrastination.
Proteins — As I turned into a vegetarian since last few years, laziness around cooking something nutritious in veg when there’s non veg food for the family, made me settle for “anything will do” foods.
Tedious soaking lentils, sprouting & looking for soya recipes took a back seat, “will do another day” chore !
Stress — Apart from the breathing exercises (pranayams) in my yoga sessions, a typical day is not so meditative. I do get impatient, anxious & hassled & I know they do no good. A mindfulness course I signed up for is still in my inbox yet to open.
So, this weekend I went for the impending health check-up & was breezily going through the reports till I was put on the spot — with a 5.8 HbA1c I was pre-diabetic this time !
Though both the physician & dietitian were unruffled about it. Just go low on sugar & carbs, it’ll be reversed — was the chilled out verdict.
Thankfully the rest of the test reports remained loyal, yet this one bracketing brought in the changes that were lurking since months like…
— Zero sugar chai.
— Millet packets nearing expiry date were opened for quick consumption replacing rice, wheat.
— Stringent check for fruits to make way to my plate.
— Signed up again with the physiotherapist for thrice weekly strengthening exercises.
— Mandatory cycling/walking everyday.
— Sprouts, soya, lentils stacked in the fridge.
— To tackle the stress bit needs more effort though.
Well, there maybe more things to be added or this is overdoing I’m unsure. But this unexpected result got me following a healthier lifestyle that existed as a plan.
& I’m sure a repeat test, few months later will put me in the “non-diabetic” range again !
But why do we wait for such jolts when we can do things , anyway ?!
