Mindy Kaling: I’m the “healthiest I’ve been in years” at 44 years old

Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

On her 44th birthday Mindy Kalining revealed that she is healthier than ever thanks to her children.

“Look, I know I’m obviously being materialistic, but the best birthday present for me, for the rest of my life, is these two boys,” the Mindy Project alum captioned a photo of her daughter Katherine, 5, and son Spencer, 2, through Instagram, on Saturday, June 24. “I was never a ‘kid’ person. However, when my mother passed away, it just clicked in me: I wanted children with such intense certainty. I bet some of you can relate.

Kaling, who has not publicly shared the identity of her children’s father, added that all of her self-improvement — including diet and exercise — is because she wants to be a good parent.

“Now I’m just trying to be there for them (hard for me! I’m impatient!), vouch for something (again hard for me, I’m not wayward!), and stay sane for these two guys ( ALSO I just want to eat cheesesteaks in front of the TV every meal) because until I’m an old gray skeleton, they’re like ‘Mom, you have to go,'” Kaling explained in her caption. “My doctor told me that this year I was the healthiest I’ve been in years. That’s a damn good gift, right?

She concluded by sharing a final update: “I’m usually a little anxious so I take a moment on my birthday to acknowledge that I’m happy. Man, there are ups and downs in this life!! But my ups seem to be the main ones right now. Thank you for my birthday love. (I might also buy that trendy Dior bag that looks like a kidney bean). ❤️.”

This isn’t the first time the Massachusetts resident has attributed her health to her children.

“Exercising means I can avoid things like diabetes, hypertension and other things I’m at high risk for,” Kaling told me. Byrdie in June 2022. “Now that I have kids, it’s not just about looking good, because I’m an actress. I have to live long because I am a single mother.”

Kaling’s own mother, Dr. Swati Chokalingam, died in January 2012 after battling pancreatic cancer. Kaling honored her mother by naming her daughter Katherine Swati.

The Why not me? author added that she finds exercise “totally joyful” and likened it to a “therapy replacement”.

She concluded, “The thing is, I feel so much better mentally when I have better cardiovascular health. I think a lot of it was helped by the fact that I had kids.