Eating Right and the Health of a Single Man

We no longer live in a world where we have to grow our own food. We do not eat only that which our own hands have cultivated, cared for and fed, plucked or killed and prepared. Food has become available at a remove: not only does someone else grow it for you, they even prepare it for you so that all you have to do is pay for it, open a packet, and eat. The less of our time and energy that food and the business of feeding ourselves demand, the less of our attention goes to what we put in our mouths. The problem of feeding yourself has now simply become the business of making enough money to feed yourself.

This means we devote most of our time, attention and energy to the way in which we make money: in other words, to our jobs. With an increasingly demanding work culture in the modern global economic scenario, this is a serious matter, and asks of us every last iota of energy and time that we can spare. As a result, we live hurried, rushed lives running from one task to another, and from one place to another, without a breath or thought to spare in between for the toll this demanding pace takes on our health. Simple things like taking care of our bodies and seeing to any but the most basic of their needs with any attention to detail simply fall by the wayside. It is our bodies that are the victims of this strenuous and demanding lifestyle, and it is our bodies that slowly degenerate as a result of years of cumulative neglect.

Eating right, exercise and appropriate amounts of complete rest are all essential requirements of our bodies. The modern world is a highly specialized one. In it every person has their own place, skill sets and job function. This way, or so the argument goes, the most efficient possible use of both time and people's talents can be made. And so one leaves things to the person whose job it is to do those things. This attitude cannot help but translate into our personal lives as well, and in the home too, where it is possible, there are specializations and roles and tasks assigned according to these roles. But when one person lives alone, such division of labor becomes impossible and everything must be done by that one person themselves. But, habits being what they are, which is often impossible to break, it becomes the case that you do what you are used to doing, and simply delegate everything else to the outside world as far as possible. Which is how, most often, a young single professional with find themselves in a situation where they end up eating out or eating take out every single day.

Apart from this, there is also a reliance on fast food and snacks, usually accompanied by the formation of unhealthy dependencies, bad habits, binge eating and other such unhealthy practices. All of this can have disastrous consequences for one's metabolic system. When the body does not get the nutrition it needs, or is unable to process or extract the required nutrients in sufficient amounts from the diet, it will send you signals of its dissatisfaction. These signals are most often misinterpreted as hunger, which then results in overindulgence or overeating. Apart from the obvious dangers of putting on weight and eventual obesity, the body also suffers from a lack of nutrition, which can manifest as deficiencies and other imbalances and problems.

Maintaining a balanced diet is essential if one wants to keep the body running on track. It is easy enough to make space for simple additions like fruit and salads in even the busiest lifestyle, as these require almost no preparation, and can be had on the go. Fruits are also a good way to wean oneself off sugar dependencies, as they give you the same sugar rush as your favorite sweet snack or carbonated drinks, offering you the benefits of an instant energy boost without most of the attendant drawbacks. Fruits are also amazingly rich sources of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, and snacking on them can be a way to supplement your dietary requirements for these things.

Trying to incorporate more variety in one's diet is easy to do today when everything is so easily available. By picking a multigrain bread instead of white bread, picking fresh fruits and vegetables to munch on, adding nuts and fish to one's shopping cart, one can ensure the way to an instantly healthier life. All of these are no fuss, easy foods that require little to no input and effort and time. Simple, easy and quick solutions are possible to counter and substitute all the bad eating habits picked up through living by oneself. It is important to make space and time in your schedule for yourself and your health. If you don't do it, no one else is going to.


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