\n<\/p>\n
On her 44th birthday, Mindy Kaling<\/strong><\/a> revealed she\u2019s healthier than ever because of her kids.<\/p>\n \u201cLook I know I\u2019m clearly materialistic but the best birthday gift to me, for the rest of my life, are these two guys<\/a>,\u201d the Mindy Project alum captioned a photo of her daughter Katherine, 5, and son Spencer, 2, via Instagram<\/a>, on Saturday, June 24. \u201cI was never a \u2018kid\u2019 person. When my mom passed though, it just clicked in me: I wanted kids with such intense certainty. I bet some of you can relate.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaling, who has not publicly shared the identity of her children\u2019s father<\/a>, added that all of her self-improvement \u2014 including diet and exercise \u2014 is because she wants to be a good parent<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNow I\u2019m just trying to be present for them (hard for me! I\u2019m impatient!), being up for anything (again hard for me, I am not whimsical!), and stay healthy for these two guys (ALSO hard! I just want to eat cheesesteaks every meal in front of the TV) for until I\u2019m an old gray skeleton they\u2019re like \u2018mom, you gotta go,’\u201d Kaling explained in her caption. \u201cMy doctor told me that this year I was the healthiest I\u2019ve been in years. That\u2019s a pretty damn good gift, right?\u201d<\/p>\n She concluded by sharing one last update: \u201cI\u2019m usually kind of low-level anxious, so I\u2019m just gonna take one minute on my birthday to acknowledge that I am happy. Man, there are ups and downs in this life!! But my ups seem to be the most important ones right now. Thanks for my birthday love. (Also maybe I will buy myself that trendy Dior bag that looks like a kidney bean). \u2764\ufe0f.\u201d<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time the Massachusetts native has attributed her health to her children.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking out means I can avoid things like diabetes, hypertension, and other things I am at high risk for,\u201d Kaling told Byrdie<\/em><\/a> in June 2022. \u201cNow that I have kids, it isn\u2019t just about looking hot because I\u2019m an actress. I need to live a long time because I\u2019m a single mom.\u201d<\/p>\n Kaling\u2019s own mother, Dr. Swati Chokalingam, died in January 2012 after battling pancreatic cancer. Kaling honored her mother by naming her daughter Katherine Swati.<\/p>\n The Why Not Me?<\/em> author added that she finds exercise \u201ccompletely joyous\u201d and likened it to a \u201creplacement for therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n