Counting Calories 

I will not have sweets, I am getting fat...
Don’t want rice, it is so starchy...
Potato, I to avoid it, you know calories...
So many blah... blah...

Excuse me, why you are counting calories. Just focus on mindful eating.(Anyway not everyone has done dietetics to count calories).

When we should focus on eating we are busy with mobile and TV and ready to blame calories of food. We eat extra, then we feel guilty, then we almost ‘dhindora pito' that I have to workout extra tomorrow .

This is oily, This is sugary and This is starchy was not in list 10 years back. Ohh, come on! Focus on your food first. Focus on your body’s need. Focus on culture. Focus on environment.

But you know blaming someone who can’t say anything is easy. Do you know how many calories a roti (be it wheat or jowar or bajra) has, rice has, a potato has or simple fruits which you eat daily have. I am sure you will say rice is heavy, starchy it has so many calories. Let me tell you 30 gm of uncooked rice & 30 gm of wheat flour has same calories. It seems 2 roti is enough but, 1/2 katori rice will make you feel, 'kuch khaya nahi'. And then eating double will lead to bloating, heaviness. At party or at restaurant 1 slice of pizza (200Kcal) is not enough, you always want more almost half of your breakfast. And then next day all guilt will come out with extra dose of exercise or fasting. Arrre! It’s okay. Don’t punish your mind by feeling guilty and don’t punish your body by keeping it hungry or by tiring it. Blaming the food or feeling guilty is not the solution. I mean it is so simple- you are eating extra, you are not paying attention to body signal or to satiety signal and you are blaming food and of course, counting calories again.

Yes our body, our mind do signal when to eat, when to stop, but we are almost ignoring it. And yes in Indian culture we should not waste food. So what do we do?
We eat the leftover, if 1 roti remains in dabba then your mom will tell 'Half you have and half I will have'. Then both will end up eating extra. That is where gaining & other stuff starts. It is not that eating this or that is the culprit. I have heard that, it is written in Ayurveda, "75% of space must always remain in the stomach".
In simple language, don’t make your new rule. Enjoy your food as you used to before social media.
Sit down... Thank to God... Listen to your stomach.. Take only half of what you think you need... Look at food with respect ( it is not a task to finish)... Chew properly... Relish it by licking your finger... If you need, take 1 more serving(e.g. if you have 2 roti daily then have 1 in 1st serving if hungry take half serving more)...
Eat in every 2 to 3 hours in small amount for all health problems. If you want to eat both rice and roti eat them both in 2 hour gap. This mindful eating techniques, portion control, satiety signals all will help you to heal yourself without counting calories. Eat Gulab Jamun (as a meal itself), but don’t be guilty. Don’t make body to compensate for your guilt. 

And yes, be as your Ma/Dadi/Nani, they never counted calories before feeding you. So don’t count calories before feeding the kids. 

One simple rule, “Eat food as food don’t make it feast”. It doesn't mean you cant have pizza or pav-bhaji. Eat but dont count & dont over eat & dont make it daily habit.

(Yes move more & be active but not at the cost of your health).

Eat healthy, 

Eat balanced,

Have Temptinghealth.
-Vaishali Daga.