Body
Fitness — My idea of fitness is not visiting the gym to flaunt huge biceps. If you cannot sustain a rigorous workout, it might do you more harm than good. I consider walking the best exercise. I just hop around. What I religiously do ever since I hurt my back is ‘Functional Training’ at home. It involves push ups, and pull ups for 20-25 minutes, thrice a week. It makes core muscles of the abdomen and lower back strong and has helped my back. It relieves me of all my stress and frustrations. In fact I feel I am nicer to people after my workout. No pun intended!

Diet — I have never been disciplined about my diet. I like to eat what I am in a mood for! As a kid I used to gorge on all unhealthy foods like butter. But since I have a high metabolic rate, I would burn out the calories easily. I was into sports like basketball and football, till about 18. I am 29 now and I still love to have a margarita pizza and a diet coke at the same time because I know I won’t put on the extra kilos.

I have tried to substitute unhealthy food habits with a nutritious diet chart over the years like replacing chiwda with walnuts and almonds. Nuts energise you. Don’t starve yourself. Eat in small portions. I keep munching on nuts and fruits throughout the day. Carry an apple to work, which is rich in iron instead of gulping down mugs of coffee that is dehydrating.

It’s difficult to time my meals because of my work. But I eat carbs and avoid fattening foods like cheese slices. I could wake up at 6 in the morning or 9 depending on how late my night was. I need a cup of tea to get me out of bed. I love fruits in any form, so I have a glass of carrot or beetroot juice, after a little gap. My breakfast comprises of a banana and an omelette washed down with a cup of coffee. For lunch, I have a small portion of brown rice (too much makes you sleepy), dal, sabzi, chicken and tomato chutney. If I am not in a mood for Indian khaana, I settle for grilled chicken with steamed veggies. In the evening, I have a multigrain bread sandwich as a light snack. Dinner is dal, chapattis and tandoori chicken. But if I am going out with friends, it’s usually pasta, steak, sushi or Chinese. I don’t know how people thrive on a soup and a lettuce leaf for dinner.

Looking Good — When you look good, you feel confident and good. Luckily I have clear skin and I don’t like to experiment much with it. I use a face wash because our face tends to get oily when we step out. A good sunscreen is my saviour. I realised it after getting sun tanned in Goa. I always keep a nice after-shave balm handy, as I hate shaving. My word of advice: Don’t change your cosmetic products frequently, stick to the ones that suit you.

Mind 
I could never escape humour, it ran in my family. As a kid, I entertained myself by secretly watching my uncle shave for 35 minutes daily and so on. Now I make others laugh. Humour is my biggest stress buster. A good laugh is the best medicine for a healthy mind.

What exhaust me are stress and anxiety. They lead to anger and ‘poor me’ scenario where you detest everything about yourself in the mirror. That’s when I turn to nature. I am a nature lover. The trees and the greenery de stress me. I tune into my favourite documentary on nature, Planet Earth. It’s superb; everyone should watch it. 

I am not a party animal. I unwind by watching a nice movie on a DVD at home or by catching up with friends. My dinners are mostly out with friends because I feel comfortable in their company as I am not being judged. We should all stop judging people.

Another way to a healthy mind is to spend 20 minutes on your own every day. It rejuvenates you. At the moment, I am rejoicing in the fact that my upcoming film Aisha coincides with my birthday on August 6.

Spirit
I don’t believe in visiting the temple every day but I believe in being the best that I can be. We are all born with our strengths and weaknesses. It’s human nature to blame others. If you want to be happy, stop blaming and forgive. I take complete responsibility for myself. I don’t take excuses for anything in life. I don’t like being forced into something my heart is not into. So stop being the moral police or playing a messiah, otherwise you’ll end up as a moron.