How to be fit?
Like me. Well, I don't want to brag, but I am pretty fit. My BMI is 21.6 (desirable range is 18.5 to 24.9) is and waist to hip ratio is 0.86 (desired number is less than 0.9). My good cholesterol (HDL) is too high and my bad cholesterol is too low (LDL). I have not had to see a doctor for an illness for about 10 years (I am so tempted to cancel my health insurance). So I recently emailed my younger brother how to be fit; his cholesterol level was not acceptable. Here is what my daily diet and exercise program looks like:
Morning
Morning
- Drink a big glass of water on waking up
- Coffee
- Minimum 30 minutes of exercise (I love running fast, not walking, on the treadmill and some stretch exercises)
- Steel-cut, organic oatmeal, cooked in skim-milk and eaten with maple syrup/honey, prunes, and almonds (soaked overnight)
- Vitamins and supplements
- If I am hungry, I eat a fruit
- Brown rice
- Vegetables (here is one recipe and then another one for soba noodles)
- Beans (I am trying to cut down my meat consumption but you can try chicken, fish, etc. but stay away from red meat)
- Fruits, sometimes with cottage cheese or with walnuts/pistachio

- Or smoothie (fruits, skim milk, and no sugar)
- Whole grain bread
- Vegetables
- Dessert: Only rarely do I eat dessert but some of my favorites are fat-free versions of yoghurt or sorbet or plain milk. Occasionally, I might eat a piece of cake or ice-cream
- Use only extra-virgin olive oil.
- Try not to eat out more than once a week and eat fast-food only if you will starve to death (when I travel, I always bring energy bars for those situations when you can't find good food)
