Times of India
24 November 2010
By Mirror Bureau

In the concluding part of our series, Rujuta Diwekar explains the route to a cleaner system
Sleep, food, exercise and state of mind are the four crucial pillars that contribute to a sustainable lifestyle which will not only clean our system but also work at reducing the damage we subject our system to. Here’s how to go about it.

Sleep
Probably the most important step in getting the clean–up campaign right. One thing which works like a dream is ‘restful sleep’. During sleep, our body works at detoxifying our system and sweeps it clean of all the damage done during the day. Most importantly, it works at restoring our hormonal balance and spikes up the immune system to cope with the next day’s work. Good sleep is linked to good appetite control which means it ensures that you don’t binge the next day and works backwards at reducing our guilt associated with binge eating.

Food
Eating every two hours is not half as difficult as it seems and works wonderfully at reducing our chances of overeating. Having fruits, nuts or wholesome homemade breakfast within 15 minutes of rising helps nourish the system and a well–nourished system is less likely to drown itself in tea, coffee or ‘social drinking’. It is also more likely to feel hungry often in the day.

Staying in touch with your body's hunger signals and feeding it according to its needs is the crucial aspect of preventing the unhealthy ‘fasting and feasting’ eating pattern, now well established as the classic pattern of creeping obesity (10 kilos in five years syndrome).

Exercise
We owe our body some movement. It’s not designed for a sedentary lifestyle. Be it a Merc or a cycle, both ought to be used at their optimum working levels. Exercise improves blood and nutrient flow to the cells and removes (and recycles) toxins.

It’s an effective way of nourishing and cleaning our system. Hence, people who workout regularly have a clearer stomach, ruling out the panic mode which often compels people to opt for enemas. We must be able to naturally and efficiently let go off the waste products.

A forced expulsion via pills/ powders/ steam/ sauna may not only make us run to the loo multiple times a day but also wash off the important Vitamin B and intestinal flora and fauna. Lost flora and fauna leads to more toxicity because of impaired digestion – the exact opposite of what you expected.

A regular workout stimulates what is called the ‘larger than life kidney’ or the ‘third kidney’ of the body – the skin. The process of sweating as a result of exercise is the best detox for your body.

State of Mind
An obsession with weight or trying to squeeze into a particular size of clothes speaks volumes of the mind’s imbalance. When the attitude is that of mindless compliance to a fitness or fashion trend, the damage is done even before you subject yourself to a fad diet.

Detoxification begins when the mind accepts the body exactly the way it is and nourishes it out of a sense of responsibility and joy instead of depriving it out a sense of shame and punishment.

The Power of Small

• Fix a regular bedtime.Aim to sleep and rise at the same time on most days.
• Get the TV out of the bedroom or at least switch it off an hour before bedtime.
• The snooze option on your alarm is not good. Either wake up or take a break and sleep.
• Eat as soon as you wake up. It works best to plan your breakfast the night before itself.
• Eat at least three home–cooked meals. The ingredients will be fresher and your meals will be of a better quality.
• Buy vegetable or fruits at least twice a week rather than stocking up once every 10 days.
• A 20–minute, twice a week workout regimen followed over an entire year is more beneficial than working out for an hour for 15 days in a year.
• Your workout must be an expression of love towards the body, not a punishment for being fat.
• Pursue your hobby, no matter how little time you have. It refreshes the mind. » Don’t procrastinate. Every single step in the right direction helps. Detoxify now.

(Rujuta Diwekar is the author of the popular book, Don’t lose your mind, lose your weight. She is the nutrition consultant to the country’s A–list)