Eat, Pray to Sleep

I've written a lot in the last 9 months about the way I've changed my health around by eating well, exercising, etc. for all that time I've been staying away from sugar, dairy products, and other refined carbs. My meals are regular and predictable - a protein smoothie every morning, lots of fresh fruit and veggies, an early, light dinner, and regular sleep hours. I've been working out at the gym 5 days a week and getting stronger and healthier as time goes by. I walk the dog twice a day, morning and evening, no matter what.

Now, here in India, everything is upside down. We did NOT eat at McDonalds, but stopped there for a pit stop. Daniella and Judy saw a great photo op ! We're in a totally different time zone. We don't (so far) get much exercise, but that should get better. Food is somewhat out of our control, as we are eating big, multi-course meals provided by the tour. Delicious, spicy, full of dairy, wheat, and sometimes sugar. Dinners tend to be later than we are accustomed to, followed immediately by bedtime, so that we can be ready for early morning starts.

And I can't sleep! I'm awake for hours each night, and beginning to wonder about my immune system holding up. Tonight I'll try a sleeping pill, in desperation!

Speaking of health, I can't recommend highly enough an article in the New Yorker magazine of Oct. 22, 2012 entitled "Germs Are Us" by Michael Specter. It talks about the fascinating research being done about the "enormous cloud of micro-organisms" each of us humans carries, and describes the Human Microbiome Project studies. This topic has been a hot one on our journey so far. Everyone is taking steps to avoid "Delhi belly" or worse. Yet the Indian people freely drink the local water, bathe in the Ganges, and engage in other practices that we Americans could not stomach. Our guide, Krish, says thar the Ganges actually has a bacteria that negates the other bad ones that Indians might succumb to. Their bacterial inheritance allows them to be safe from germs that would take most Westerners down. Naturally I'm thinking long and hard about this stuff, so I loved finding this great article. Check it out, especially if you have any children in your life!


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Location:Jaipur, India