I have decided to start sharing inspiring stories about women who take good care of themselves.
Priya is a beautiful, petite, warm, smart and vivacious woman with many talents. She is a great cook and she stays fit by staying committed to her health. I love her. She is a real estate agent in Princeton, NJ, and is always on the run. Being in that market requires flexibility, seizing opportunities, sacrificing weekends or working late hours. You never know when a new house will be available! And it is a competitive market. She could have many excuses for not exercising!
She has raised two beautiful and accomplished kids. Priya and her husband are now empty nesters and have a young adorable Lab retriever named Duke.I got to meet Priya via common friends at a Super Bowl party. We share a similar interest and passion for food and cooking and she is a master at it
You name it, not only Indian cuisine, but also Thai, Middle Eastern, French, Italian, Mexican and Chinese. There is nothing that intimidates her in that department, or in general! She learned to cook at a young age in Mumbai and came in the US in 1991.
She led a very successful cooking class for my CogniDiet® clients in 2017. She adapted and taught them healthy Indian dishes. The recipes are all in our recipes section. Try them, they are easy, light and delicious. On the picture on the right, Priya is cooking with her spices in my kitchen.
You can describe Priya as skinny and muscular. She has been around 107-109 lbs. forever. Priya is what I call a very disciplined person. You can tell when she cooks, as everything is so well organized! There are no secrets to her great shape. And yet she, cooks, socializes and entertains a lot. She is a busy bee. And I bet selling houses requires a lot of energy too.
So how does she do it? I asked her that question, and here is what she shared with me. Quite inspiring.
Here Are Priya’s 6 Rules
1. She exercises 5 days a week, no matter what. She has a treadmill at home and runs her daily three miles religiously. She has always been a runner and started at age 18. Soon after having her two babies and still nursing, she was already running! No matter the time of day or weather situation, she has no excuse to not get on her treadmill, because it’s there!
2. She does everything in moderation: small portions, an occasional glass of wine, and limited sugar – even if she is the queen of desserts!
3. After occasional indulging at parties, she always goes back on track the next day.
4. She knows the composition of her foods. She is aware of her protein, fat and carbohydrates intake. She has an awareness in general of what she puts in her body. This is very important. She stays in control.
5. She told me that at parties, or when entertaining at home, she stays focused on guests and the conversation. She makes sure everybody feels at home and is having a good time. It’s not always about the food. People love to be invited, have fun and feel special.
6. She cooks a lot with aromatics, spices and herbs that add wonderful flavors to her dishes. That allows her to go light on the salt, fat or sugar. By the way, did you know cumin is slightly salty and is a wonderful alternative to salt?
When I interviewed her, I asked her secrets for staying thin. She says it’s not about depriving yourself. Eat in moderation, exercise regularly, be cognizant of what you put in your body and mind, and find your joy and fulfillment in being mindful and eating clean!
My 5 cents? You don’t need to think you can’t run if you never did. I started to run in my mid forties. I started with 5 minutes, and then 6 minutes etc. Today I can run 6 miles easily! And you can also cook simple and healthy recipes at home. Try one of Priya’s recipe this week.