The art of procrastination and substitution

Its 10 am on a Sunday morning and you are up, not because of an alarm but a calendar alert. Your late night resolution of yesterday to pull out the yoga mat is now pushed to tomorrow. You think to yourself, “Might as well munch on a bag of chips for breakfast and start trying to being healthy from tomorrow”

If you relate to this, you are not alone. Don Marcus said ‘Procrastination is the art of dealing with yesterday’ and we say ‘Substitution is the art of dealing with the future’

Let’s take my example. I have spent the past 6 months convincing myself to start eating healthy and stop reaching out to the junk food lying next to me every time I was bored.  I had also promised myself that no matter what, the next Monday is going to see me getting up early in the morning to exercise and eat right. I also went to the extent of saying that, I am going to cut down on my favourite junk food as I have no time to balance the harmful effects of it (read exercise). The first one week of the lockdown was filled with promises (mostly empty promises) to myself to get my lifestyle back on track.

I soon realised that I couldn’t change overnight and what I needed was to take baby steps to eat and feel right. That’s when my art of procrastination changed to the art of substitution. Yes, you read that right. I did not want to give up on all my favourite food. Instead I just resorted to healthier versions of the same food that tasted the same, if not better.

If you find yourself thinking exactly this, let me tell you a secret. The art of substitution is not that big a deal. If you thought that making the right food choices involved a lot of sacrifice and commitment, no more! You can start with simple steps. Instead of munching on the deep fired namkeen lying next to you, you can try nibbling on seed and nut mixes, or even baked vegetable chips! It’s a win-win! You get to eat tasty food without comprising on the nutrients it provides.

Luckily for you and me, the market is filled with healthy substitutes and variants that you can choose from. Each of your junk food craving can be replaced with healthy foods that do more good than harm to your body. There are products available that you couldn’t imagine would exist. Try giving up on that maida cake and opt for a ragi cake without even letting go of the taste.

Furthermore, you do not have to go crazy with your diets or throw away packaged food from your house like they show in the movies. You need to choose the right packaged food to be able to indulge in snacking without feeling guilty.

This convenience in a sign from the universe to take action now. A sign to take steps to enhance your lifestyle without altering yourself completely. We are in this together! Whether it is fighting a global pandemic or taking the first step into the art of substitution. The time is right and so is your intent. While the art of procrastination is good, the art of substitution is even better. Try it and stay tuned to know more on guilt free healthy snacking.