IN THE “LIFESTYLE” HEADING we ask different people about healthy lifestyle with a human face: we talk about the importance of taking care of ourselves and pleasant ways to make life more comfortable. The heroine of the new issue is Evgeniya Obrazova, CEO of the Foodout.by project.
GOOD FEELING FOR ME is lightness inside and out, when it is joyful to wake up in the morning, live, relax and work.
A REGULAR DAY BEGINS with a glass of hot water with lemon. In Minsk, I have a beautiful view from the balcony, and I try to meet the morning there.
THE PERFECT MORNING IS DIFFERENT FROM THE NORMAL IN THAT THE ALARM DOESN’T RING . I am a real owl, and in order to get enough sleep, I need to wake up on my own. It so happened since childhood that sleep is my friend, with sleep I heal the body during hard work or illness, sleep restores strength and relieves stress – it seems that I am not only an owl, but also a bit of a bear.
IF I DO NOT GET SLEEP OUT OF WORK for several weeks, then I need to sleep for twenty hours in a row, and I can happily run on. Long business trips with many hours of flights and changing time zones taught me to fall asleep instantly, whenever possible, in any position.
I HAVE BEEN IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS FOR OVER FIFTEEN YEARS. Many people use the word “restaurateur” to denote my profession – but, in my opinion, a restaurateur is the creator and owner of a business, and I am a hired top manager.
NOW I AM WORKING ON LAUNCHING A NEW PROJECT – it will be a convenient, modern and absolutely necessary service for the residents of the megalopolis. Working in a restaurant is working seven days a week and around the clock. If in the office you can finish things on Friday and rest until Monday, then in a restaurant a whole life passes over the weekend – if you are distracted for a minute, you can lose everything.
OF COURSE THE RETURN IS AWESOME. Seeing happy faces, hearing kind words and knowing that guests will definitely come back to you – for this we do not sleep, we live at work and forget about ourselves. I remember getting home at four in the morning, sticking in front of the TV, aimlessly changing channels – just to slow down and turn off my head. It was a crazy and wonderful time, sometimes I miss it.
I WAS BORN IN MINSK , but for the last ten years I have lived and worked in Moscow – and now I have returned to my hometown with new knowledge, experience and a desire to be useful.
WHEN YOU ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING CLOSE TO VERY DELICIOUS FOOD , you need tremendous willpower, but you don’t have to cook: you definitely won’t have to starve in a restaurant.
NOW I DO NOT WORK IN THE RESTAURANT PERMANENTLY , therefore, on the contrary, I cook a lot. I practically do not eat meat, only chicken and fish, steamed or in the oven, I try to eat seasonal vegetables and fruits. I love hard cheese, cottage cheese – there are absolutely wonderful dairy products in Belarus. I do not drink coffee at all, but I love good tea, especially pu-erh tea. I have not smoked for over ten years – and this is the best thing I have done for my health.
I AM INTERESTED TO TRY RESTRICTIONS for a certain period, for example, a hundred days without meat, a month without sugar – but I still can’t bring myself to do it, or maybe I just don’t want enough.
ALCOHOL IN MY LIFE is a social phenomenon. True, I do not drink wine at all, but I can sometimes afford a glass of good champagne or expensive whiskey.
I AM NOT A VERY DISCIPLINED ATHLETE , and a regular exercise regimen is not my thing. But I really like long walks: I wind kilometers, exploring the city and new places. Both in Moscow and in Minsk, I always live near parks and reservoirs, so walking twelve kilometers a day is my sport option to keep in good shape.
I LOVE GYM EXERCISE WITH A STRICT INSTRUCTOR. When you have been leading people for a long time, it is very useful to feel how it is when you are being led and you need to obey unquestioningly. This is great for putting brains in place and does not allow you to lose ground. This is probably why I do not like group training – I want personal attention and tight control, and I am not interested in worrying about the fact that someone next to me is jumping on the steppe better.
THE OLDER YOU GET, THE MORE YOU LEARN TO LISTEN TO YOURSELF – you stop living in constant conflict. Now I like my own attitude to the world, to myself and my desires. Yes, I scold myself when I want to watch the new episode of “Game of Thrones”, instead of going to the pool – but if I scold myself endlessly, I will forget about the pool altogether and wallow in guilt.
MOST USEFUL HEALTH TIP : Relax and start living.
I LOVE MY AGE. I remember how difficult the year was for me when I was supposed to turn thirty: I was worried about each of the 365 days and did not understand how I would live on. And on the morning of my birthday, I was released – it became easy and clear that everything will always be fine. This feeling is still with me. Around me there is a huge number of forty-year-old people – successful, happy, young and just cool. We know who we are, what we want and how to achieve it.
I BROUGHT WITH MY FAVORITE RITUAL FROM MOSCOW – to have breakfast in a new place every weekend. In this regard, Minsk has a lot to turn around, and my weekend is scheduled for many months in advance.
I AM AN OPTIMIST , professional and responsible. I realized long ago that the world around us is neutral and we ourselves see black or white.