So it’s close to midnight and I’m stuck in the hospital (sadly not as a physician but as a patient) where sleep plays a cat & mouse game with me. Figures, I may as well use this time to reflect a little …

Initially I wanted to write a piece of the 5 benefits of a particularly food item but then I landed up in hospital, quite unexpectedly & suddenly (I assure you nothing serious) and well, sometimes you gotta give in to the cliché .

What really is the point of all this wellness and fitness and healthy-wholesome lifestyle  I preach & practice? Is it just to fill up my hours, make a hectic schedule even more so and of course bring me that much-desired physique? Surely there has to be a subtext … ?

I won’t say I’ve got it but here are a few things that I’ve come to appreciate. It is what has brought me to feel RYE on a daily basis. I only hope to achieve it more often and with less thinking/focusing on it.

• Physical benefits – As I stated before, there’s no denying that if you eat right and workout you ARE going to have a healthier body BUT what does that really mean? Well take for example a bout of food poisoning, which a few years ago would have knocked me down and out for a good week well; today I just need to be in hospital overnight for observation. And boy do I love it ! Not just because I miss my puppy and kitty cat dreadfully but well, in a hospital I definitely prefer the doctor side of things. But no seriously, today my immune system is so robust that it takes a LOT to bring me down and in the rare event that that does happen ; I bounce back pronto J Right now I am savoring this !
• Emotional benefits – When you’re not physically strong, you aren’t mentally. Plain & simple and you can argue it all you want but take it from a doctor/fitness-trainer that this is without a doubt 10000% true. I remember 7 years ago when I first injured my knee and how much that ruined my quality of life. It took away my ability to dance as beautifully and gracefully as I used to, took away my courage to play sport and jump around and in hindsight, played a major role in throwing me into depression. Those were also the days I counted calories because my knee hurt and I couldn’t workout what I ate. See the vicious cycle? Physically I was weak but mentally I was distraught. I couldn’t shake off the low mood and feeling of hopelessness. Today, cuts, scrapes, scratches, burns and bruises I wear proudly like badges of honor because I know my body can take it all and more. Don’t get me wrong, I am not standing in front of a bus to see if I can bounce back from it but now when I injure physically or hurt in my heart & soul, there’s an in-built self-assurance that I’m gonna be okay. That I am savoring big time!
• Pacing – I find that today because of this healthy lifestyle I’ve adopted, I’ve become more aware of my personal, individual and intimate needs. I know when I’m capable of being super productive (to the point of obsessive compulsive) and I know when I need to kick back on my couch in front of the telly with a hot cuppa. It definitely is something I knew not previously. Like any medical student/medic I pushed pushed pushed myself to the brink where there was nothing left but to burn out. Today I am that much more mindful . For instance if my body is too tired to do that 6^th workout in a week, I don’t. Does it mean I’m slacking off? Not at all. I’ll still go for a walk but my pace is now purely determined by my body-mind duo. Similarly some days I come home and if I don’t feel like spending hours on end in front of a computer screen researching for an article I don’t. I have belief in my Type A personality to know that the task will be done well before the deadline so why worry and exhaust myself now? Instead I go for a massage or play ball with my puppy or just allow my chubby cat to purr my tiredness away. So much to savor J

• Gratitude Attitude – Boy am I thankful ?! Of what you ask? I don’t even know where to begin! For parents, that are resolute in their undying love and support of me irrespective of whether they agree or disagree with my decisions. For my sister who is a phenomenal force and who just knows whether to cushion me or fan my spark. For friends that will come at the drop of a text to be by your side in times of need, either with ice-cream or wine or protein shakes depending on whose number you dial 😉 For animals that amaze me every single day that such bliss and unconditional love could exist. For the ability to love and be loved by so many ; I have realized just how rare that is. For the safe and clean environment I’ve lived and live in. For the stable finances I have at my disposal. For the immense security I possess thanks to the quality education I’ve received over the years. For being nurtured to have and live basic humane traits like kindness, compassion, fairness and equality. I could go on and on but there’s a final fifth point to address …. I make it a point to stop and savor this attitude at least once every day because not only is it good to be grateful but the sheer magnitude of energy it infuses me with is just too powerful to pen!

• Stability – I do realize this is probably a culmination of the first 4 points but even so – Being fit and healthy brings so much stability to one’s life. If you’re a happier and optimistic person, chances are you’ll make better career decisions and personal decisions. I am at a point where a particular aspect of my personal life is threatening to override me and become a major stressor BUT by jove am I too good for that ! I step back, refuse for it to fluster me and either sort through thoughts and ideas rationally and logically or allow fate to swing me either which way. Some things you can control and some you can’t. Previously I believed we wrote our destiny but today I see that fate & destiny are cousins that exist together. The balance varies at different conjunctures of this journey that is life and what I know now is that I am stable enough in my being to allow that balance to come about rather than forcing it. How could you not savor such strength ? J