What snack would you eat right now?
Raajan maintains a frugal diet, typically consuming light breakfasts and late dinners, which aligns with his lifestyle. He focuses on thoughts about nature and social concerns, often documenting them in writing. Despite his minimal eating habits, he enjoys life, engaging in long drives and appreciating good food without overeating.
It was still dark when he woke up. Raajan used to wake up early in the morning. It was his habit to wake up early, even when he slept late at night at about 01:00 to 01:45 AM.
Raajan has a very frugal feeding habit. He used to take something light as breakfast and anything in the name of dinner late at night. Except for taking morning and evening tea with two to three biscuits or some “Dalmoth” (a preparation made up of lentils, gram flour mixed with spices and deep fried or air fried) or something like wafers, he doesn’t eat other than the light breakfast and late night dinner. He sticks to this dietary routine except for any exigency. It has become his lifestyle.
His parsimonious feeding habit suits Raajan. It would be better to say that he has become adapted to this feeding habit. He never felt exhausted or weak. In his advanced stage of life, he often goes for a walk and takes to sauntering for about nine to ten Kilometers. It seems exaggeration to some, but it is not.
Raajan believes not in eating too much or beautiful-looking food. He doesn’t go to any restaurant or hotel for dining, for he thinks it is not only a waste of money but also is not a guarantee of healthy and hygienic food. Though not a vegetarian or vegan, he seldom eats non-vegetarian food except for eggs, which he often takes.
While conversing, Raajan once told about him and said that even after waking up, he does not instantly leave bed. He often wakes up with some thoughts. Without lighting the room, he opens up his computer and starts typing whatever comes to his mind. He said that most of the time, his mind is engrossed with thoughts about Nature or something about social concerns. He used to record his thoughts and share them in the form of a blog or a piece of writing. Who reads his pieces of writing or who does not was not his concern. Initially, he used to be overenthusiastic about his piece of writing. He would feel hurt if he did not get noticed but gradually as he grew, his attitude gradually changed.
He leaves his bed usually when the sun comes fairly up in the sky. He then takes his morning tea with digestive biscuits, sometimes a few grains of almonds and a piece of jaggery. After his retirement from the job, Raajan has not much to do. He resides with his spouse. His children are in a job and are posted somewhere else. One of his children is in a foreign country but he never speaks about them to anyone.
After having his cup of tea, he usually sits idly and engrossed in his cogitation. He often starts reading a book of his like. Though not a voracious reader, Raajan used to read fairly large volumes. His reading is about philosophy, history, culture and, most important, life sciences.
Raajan likes to go on long rides. He loves driving and often goes out for a long drive to another city driving his car. Whenever he is on a long drive, he avoids eating except for dry fruits and, if possible, boiled eggs. This keeps him light and agile. While driving, he often squeals with joy when anything that comes into his sight pleases him.
While narrating about the feeding habit of Raajan, it is essential to narrate about his other activities as well. The narration would be incomplete without telling our readers about the peripheral aspects of his life.
Raajan once shared his experiences about a marriage ceremony which he attended a few years back. He visited his in-laws where the marriage was to take place. As per his habit, he took morning tea and accompanying his spouse, started his journey in his car. He, as usual, took some dry fruits and, after some more time, ate two boiled eggs en route. He reached his destination, about six hundred Kilometers away when crepuscule was about to set.
After exchanging pleasantries and a brief conversation with family members, Raajan took tea with some tasty refreshments. He went to the place where he was to rest and ate boiled rice and well-cooked lentils with copious amounts of cow’s clarified butter (“Ghee”). After finishing his dinner he went to sleep at about midnight or a little later.
His day started as usual. He had carried his computer with him but to his dismay, it was short of battery. He plugged his machine to power for charging its battery and started typing on his smartphone. He took tea at his usual time, freshened himself, and became ready to visit the venue of the wedding. It became a little less than noon. The sun was almost above the head and the season was cosy warm.
The household people were getting ready for lunch. He did not eat. The in-laws started pleading and requesting to have something, but not feeling like eating, he politely refused them. It was a piquant situation for he was refusing their plea to have lunch. He came out of the house and roamed. It was a new city. He wanted to explore it but not do so because of the dearth of time.
For Raajan, it is important to get enough energy for his work keep himself sufficiently warm in winter and stay fit. For him having a tight belly is not necessary. Having a parsimonious food habit doesn’t deter him from appreciating good food. He appreciates good food and relishes it. He doesn’t like overeating and also does not consider himself a glutton.
Initially, conditions pressed him to stay without food for days. His empty stomach would cramp due to hunger. He somehow managed to carry on. Later this became his life. During days when he was an officegoer, he used to eat one time a day. It was inconvenient for him to work the whole day sitting on a chair with a full belly. During recess he used to join his colleagues who would consume rissole with tea. Raajan would plainly refuse to take all. At the most he would take a cup of tea on their pursuance.
Getting energy, help in wear and tear, growth and activity is the sole purpose of food. Extra food gets stored in the body as fat that leads to obesity. It causes other physical and physiological side effects. Food is life. without food life is simply impossible. Nevertheless, living for food or food for living is a choice one has to make with prudence. Although on one hand food is essential, excessive food consumption or irregular eating habit bring some unhealthy physical complications that need to be addressed properly.
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