New Coastie – Seeds of change

It’s Spring and I’m trying to be healthy, like everyone else – but I hate it, like everyone else. I hate it because of the seeds. My health obsessed CrossFit evangelist, and high intensity interval training advocate friend ordered me to replace my snacks with seeds. Seeds! Sure, I need to lose weight but not so much that I transform into a bird. He tells me that flax seeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds need to be in my diet. When I was growing up there were only sesame seeds. A couple on the Big Mac and you are fine. In addition to seeds, he evangelises that I need to go to the gym and do high intensity stuff. I need to be motivated. I need to get results. I know, my friend is annoying.

There is a background to my seed-based conversation with my friend. I was recently fat shamed. It is never good to be fat shamed – but this was my doctor! Oh boy! I wish it was some dude on Facebook so I can deflect and yell at him about his prejudice against body size and shape. But it was my doctor. I need to take her seriously. She was not making assumptions on my looks. She was looking at my blood test report. She immediately transformed into the renowned journalist, Kim Hill and started asking me the hard questions. I, on the other hand, turned into a mumbling politician who is trying to defend holes in their election-time policies.

Unlike NZ, my middle is not squeezed. It needs some squeezing. It needs to be squeezed to a point where I can rule out diabetes. At this moment I cannot rule out diabetes, just like Christopher Luxon cannot rule out a coalition with Winston Peters.

Diabetes and heart disease are my biggest fears. My parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts have all been fighting these villains no matter what their lifestyle is. Healthy or not, at some point in their lives they have had to face these and, at some point, in my life I will too. The question is how long I can delay it.

Seeds is not the way forward. Replacing ready salted chips and Kiwi dip with seeds is out of the question. Celery and hummus might be a good option. Maybe I will replace the red meat with chicken. I love red meat, but chicken is my favourite too. It seems like a fair compromise. I make a killer daal – maybe some more of that. I live on the coast. Maybe some kaimoana (seafood) should enter my diet. I used to love Lahori Fish – I should call my mum to get the recipe. I used to love honey and oats when I was growing up. Maybe I can replace the frosted flakes with oats for breakfast. I love listening to podcasts but never have enough time to listen to a whole one-hour podcast in one go. Maybe I can put on some headphones and take a walk on the beach for one hour while listening to a podcast.

Now I feel good. I have some options to adopt this spring. Seeds is not one of them!