With the lack of sufficient critical voices weighing in on the subject of health and wellness online, several social media users prefer to take the content they receive with a pinch of salt. For Kabir Bedi, however, the web world has opened the doors to the opportunity to learn a great deal about matters relating to fitness.

“Back in the day, we didn’t have social media, email, or instant phone calls. It was a hassle to communicate with anybody. So, things have changed dramatically in the last 30 years. With social media, you have people spelling out health tips, and I’ve learnt a lot from it. I’ve imbibed some of the things I’ve been told because the information is useful. Earlier, people would only focus on doing regular exercises. Today, exercises are more specific,” says Bedi, quick to add that while individuals love to consume content relating to fitness, they must remember that “you can’t get slim on knowledge.”

“Acquire all the knowledge that you can, but, at the end of the day, you have to get up and exercise. A lot of people think that by knowing a lot about fitness, they’ll get fit. They won’t.”

A year shy of turning 80, Bedi still appears to be in shipshape, and seemingly acquires knowledge from new sources while continuing to adhere to old norms that have kept him in good stead. He promotes the use of “gharelu nuskas”, a term that finds a special space on his Instagram page.

“I believe in the curative powers of haldi. Get the best form of haldi that you can, preferably organic, and add black pepper to it, along with honey or agave as sweeteners. Create a paste using olive or coconut oil, and then add cinnamon, garlic, and ginger. I’ve been having [this] for the last 10 to 12 years, and I feel great. I have researched what is good for me and what I must do to fend off the effects of ageing, like the habit of smoking that I [once] had. I found curcumin to be the best antidote to most things. Age takes a toll, and you have to find ways to compensate for the depletion [in the body’s health]. So, I have vitamins, as well as magnesium. I can’t take my health and my state of well-being for granted today as I could when I was a young man.”

For the most part of the month, Bedi believes in adhering to a disciplined diet. “I emphasize that what you eat every day determines your nutrition, fitness, and health. Of course, you can binge once in a while, but it is what you eat on a regular basis—your breakfast, lunch, and dinner—how often you eat, and how much you eat, that defines you. If you create a system, it becomes easy to stick to your diet because you will not need to wait till the last minute to decide what to eat. If you wait until the last minute, the mind will think of the easiest option. I have a system. I have my breakfast late, and have a light tea along with some healthy snacks. I also have my dinner early, several hours before I sleep. That is good practice. Having a late breakfast is also good because it delays the intake of food after sleep. So, it becomes a form of intermittent fasting.”

As passionate as his advocacy for healthy fats is, Bedi’s condemnation of the use of sugar is equally critical. “It is the villain,” he says, adding, “If you can minimize it, you will do yourself a huge favour. It’s impossible to avoid it because it’s all around you. But some wonderful substitutes are also there. The processed food industry is responsible for a lot of diseases.”

While Bedi heartily indulges in conversations around healthy eating habits, he only infrequently discusses his fitness routine. Expressing gratitude for his favourable genetic makeup, he says his athletic childhood contributed to his love for wellness.

“I was an athlete during my years in school. I participated in long-distance races, and I was naturally pretty fit. I’ve never been a major workout buff, but, in college, I’d do some weight training and stamina-building [exercises]. But, honestly, I’d say I am a lazy fitness freak. I do the routines when I feel the need to do them. These days, I train once or twice a week. With age, you have to take care of your body even more and maintain agility, flexibility, and fitness. But, over the years, I’ve just done the bare minimum to keep myself looking good. I’ve been blessed.”

However, he is quick to add that he doesn’t advocate for the lifestyle he could afford. “People should be in the habit of making time to do things to improve their health and keep their body toned.”

Ask him if conversations around fitness often find a place in his interactions with his granddaughter Alaya F, and he says, “The only thing I tell her is to stop having fruit juices in the morning. That creates fatty liver. You can eat fruits, but the minute you have them as juices, you are putting something into your body that spikes your insulin levels. So, you’re undoing the effort you put into improving your health.”

Kabir Bedi turns 70 on January 16; rumour has it that he'll be introducing his fourth wife at the birthday bash
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 13, 2016)

Kabir Bedi's baritone goes one decibel up when he talks about his "Annual 50th Birthday Bash" which he is hosting on Saturday.

The veteran actor turns 70 on January 16 with a big party at a suburban hotel in Bandra. Invites have been sent out to the family, fraternity and even school friends. A Sufi singer is being flown in from Delhi and the evening will be a daawat fit for a king.

Buzz is, he's planning to secretly tie the knot with live-in partner, Parveen Dusanj, and the announcement will be made on birthday.

"Hahaha, that's just a rumour but I'm sure the marriage will happen one day soon," he guffaws.

The man who found plenty of admirers both in the East and the West, has been married thrice before, to the late Protima Bedi, Susan Humphreys and Nikki Bedi. After he divorced Nikki in 2005, he began dating British-born Parveen Dusanj who is 29 years younger than him. The couple have been together for nine years and Parveen is already no less than a wife to him.

Prod him on bringing in the New Year and he retorts, "I have made no resolutions, none at all. I simply make decisions and stick by them."

The high point of the past year was the re-launch of his Italian TV mini-series, Sandokan. "Sandokan led to Hollywood and opened the doors in the West to me. It always brings back many wonderful memories and I'm delighted it's now available online and on e-commerce sites," he says.

The actor will be seen as the baddie in Ashutosh Gowariker's period love story, Mohenjo Daro. He plays Pooja Hegde's father and the man responsible for the untimely death of Hrithik Roshan's father. "Working with Hrithik is special. He is an actor who has grown with every film. I want to chart new horizons too and would love to do a sci-fi next, since that's the only genre I haven't touched yet," he muses.