Self Rx – Nature & Nurture

The pandemic hit NYC and New Jersey hard. It was one of the first few places where the wrath was unbridled. It was eerie to see the climbing death toll in our neck of the woods and feel utterly helpless about it. Like a brick thrown at our face, most of us understood that health is the best wealth there is.

Until we semi-retired recently, K & I were technology consultants for close to 12 years. We have both been through the grinder – worked 14+ hours/day, 2 Starbucks Latte’s before 9AM, vending machine chips/Doritos for lunch, a pizza dinner, hunched in front of our laptops all day, no exercise, lotsa stress and very little sleep. In the last 10-ish years, I had put on close to 70 pounds (…there, I said it out loud). The work stress (& weight gain) had gotten to a point where I had started experiencing mild health issues, like back & neck pains, anxiety attacks, irregular periods, hair fall and others. T

he top reasons many people quit tech consulting in their 40s – the burnt-out is unbelievable and the health-implications of the lifestyle are dire. We quit ahead. We were lucky there.

The Blue Zones  & My Grandpa

A while back I read about the “Blue Zones” – these are places across the globe where people seem to live the healthiest and the longest. As I read more about it, I understood that the people in these communities shared some common characteristics – moderate physical activity, vegetarianism, family ties, social engagement, and spirituality/religion. This got me intrigued. It was all very familiar to me, coming from a similar ancient civilization, the “Blue Zone” traits are our (or rather couple of generations ago) way of life in India.  

I have to talk about my grandpa in this context – grandpa was a cool cat – he never had a meal without “ghee”, ate healthy, unprocessed home-cooked, vegetarian, portion-controlled meals every day, was never on a diet, never had a health condition, never took a pill, had 7 kids and 12 grandkids, deeply religious, practiced meditation, walked 10K/day and despite running a successful business, was the least stressed out person I knew. There was a calmness about him, which I always admired. His answer was simple- regular exercise, healthy eating, and religion. He was one of those “Blue Zone”-ers, without being tagged as one. 

A Lifestyle Change

In the west, a greater emphasis is placed on professional success and wealth building. There is abundant wealth, earned through sheer hard work and strong work ethics, even if at times it meant compromising on one’s health or family time. Whereas in eastern civilizations, the emphasis is predominantly on well-being – mind & body. Most families, even if strapped for money, prioritize the “basic necessities” – eat healthy home cooked meals, spend time with family, religion, and a good night’s sleep. Not much justified compromising the above. There are pros and cons to both worldviews, and having lived in both cultures, I can appreciate that. 

Personally, I am tired of running after professional success and compromising on the “living” aspect. After 10+ years of doing just that, K & I decided that a lifestyle change was necessary. We want to re-introduce ourselves to “Well-being” and live like how our ancestors did. As simple (or complicated) as this sounds, this journey is all about that discovery. A path towards, dare I say, bliss!