Dr Aditi Govitrikar: Sitting is the new smoking!
Sitting is the new smoking, says Dr Aditi Govitrikar who gives us tips on how to correct our eating habits to working out and staying calm.
“Celebrating Life”
Sitting is the new smoking, says Dr Aditi Govitrikar who gives us tips on how to correct our eating habits to working out and staying calm.
Opening Doorz Editorial | April 11, 2018
Dr Aditi Govitrikar on her workout routine, eating habits and spiritual quotient…
I believe in a healthy body, resides a healthy mind. As a medical doctor, psychologist and wellness counsellor: I like to practice what I preach and look after my body. I am mindful of my flexibility, strength and stamina and see to it that I take care of these three components. To incorporate all these, I do a mix of yoga, weight training and functional training. On average, I work out thrice a week. Occasionally, I swim or go for walks in nature. The trick is to keep active throughout the day. Sitting is the new smoking; it has been found that sitting for a long period of time increases mortality. I make it a point to stand up and stretch or walk to get water or do some errand after every 40 minutes of sitting. I set goals for myself every month and work towards achieving them; be it for my body or my mind.
I am a vegetarian. I believe in eating healthy and in moderation. My diet consists of salad and fruits. I have a light breakfast, mostly idli, dosa, poha or sometimes fruits with a cup of sugarless tea. I have a ragi roti, bowl of veggies and dal for lunch. Sometimes I have a salad. In the afternoon, along with a cup of tea, I have a light snack of sprouts bhel or baked soya chips. Dinner is a soup with stir-fried veggies and a little tofu or paneer. Occasionally, I have dalia khichdi. If I go out, I select healthy options. If I feel hungry, I munch on nuts or a fruit or a glass of buttermilk. I listen to my body but don’t fill my stomach fully. The trick is to chew slowly. Today, we eat in a rush and aren’t aware of how much we eat. I have also seen people eat the same quantity they ate when they were 20 years old; one needs to reduce the food intake as one ages as our metabolism slows down and we become less active as we grow older. Having said that, I don’t believe in starving!
I have been practising yoga with pranayama for many years. I am an ardent Vipassana practitioner. A combination of these has led me to become mindful and aware of myself and my surroundings. Today, the stress levels are very high. I find refuge in positive thinking and mindful thinking. As I have studied Positive Psychology course at Harvard, I realized and have implemented the measures and activities from my toolkit for myself and my clients. I have seen tremendous success. My endeavour is to improve the happiness quotient of our beautiful nation which ranks a deplorable 133rd on the World Happiness Index this year. Last year and the year before that we were ranked 128.
(Dr Aditi Govitrikar is a model, actress, qualified psychologist, wellness expert and counsellor. She has her own private practice.)
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