Weightloss Tips

For weightloss, physical work out and regulated diet helps a lot. Sharing some weightloss tips which I follow.

1. Early Morning - in empty stomach have this drink which not only helps weightloss but also boost your energy level.  [Squeeze in half lime, 1tbsp honey, 1" piece of ginger ground, warm water.] Honey has two properties. If taken with warm water early morning it helps in weightloss. If taken with milk at night it helps to gain weight.
2. Include barley water twice in a week.
3. Include horsegram in your diet weekly once. Both barley & horsegram increase body heat hence use it max 3 times in a week.(in powder form, gravy, water form)
4. Keep drinking hot water instead of normal water (heat should be bearable). Jeera water is the best.
5. Do stretchings frequently in between your chores. If you have tummy,  stomach crunches will help you shed those extra fat.
6. Reduce sugar and rice intake
7. Make a big vessel of soup so that you can heat & take it through out the day when you feel hungry
8. Never skip your food as it will only make you hungry & crave for goodies.
9. Before a meal have a bowl of soup to bring the appetite down
10. Your meal should contain fiber, protein, essential vitamins & minerals. So include whole wheat Indian Bread (without oil), a big bowl of vegetables / Greens (not fried but boiled or if at all fried use olive oil), a small cup of dhal, a cup of buttermilk, a small cup of salad (this will also reduce your appetite and give you a filled up feeling), a small bowl of rice (optional).
11. Night have your food 2 or 2.5 hours before you go to sleep. Staying awake late night will only make you hungry and end up eating extra. Have a light dinner & go early to bed.
12. Oats Porridge (without sugar) for breakfast. If you feel hungry in between, help yourself with n number of bowls of soup till your lunch time or fruit bowls.
13. If you talk on phone, walk n talk
14. Every day make it a point to go for a brisk walk. If you have starting trouble then don't buy provision on monthly basis. Buy only those items which you need in bulk quantity (viz., rice, atta etc) for a month at one shot. Other items you try to buy it from local store during your evening walk. This will push you out of house for a nice evening walk.
15. Never use curd, but have buttermilk for rice or to drink.
16. Use Native oils as they suit your body more as per the climate of the place you live in. Gingely oil is considered very good for cooking. Never let the oil reach smoking point (except the mustard oil).
17. Have sufficient sleep.
18. If you are a greentea lover then go for it.
19. When you are enjoying yourself eating yummy food, when you crave for one more helping, stop your thoughts there because that is how your body tells you to stop.
20. Chew well and eat not in a hurry. As your brain takes sometime to receive the signal from the stomach that it is filled up, slow eating will help you eat the right quantity.

Navratri Golu Ideas

• There are variety of themes available from traditional to modern world viz., on saints / devotees, Temples, village life, Mythological stories, Pilgrimage, Festivals, On specific deities, Go Green, Good Thoughts, Mountains, Rivers, Clay works, Wood Works, Art & Craft etc

• You can use idols, pictures or drawings / paintings by you or by your kids or a mixture of it to display the themes

• Use a light shaded background on steps etc so that it gives clarity to your display. White or off white is the best colour for this purpose.

• Instead of going for electric illumination go for Oil Lamps or Candles to give a classic effect

• You can hang a nice saree or netted shiney duppatta material available for decoration to decorate the centre background wall going to the two sides of the golu steps.

• You can let your kids make paper butterfly and stick it here n there. Involve them in decorative works as it will also keep them engaged and let them knowledge of the tradition & golue arrangement - a helping hand for you. 

• You can make kolams in thermacol or plastic plates for each day and keep on display.  Also discuss some topics on different types of kolams (dry flour, wet flour, spirals, dotted, geometrical, various types of rangoli etc).

• Flowers floating in water along with some candles also bring a beauty to your arrangement

• If you or your children has talents like singing, dancing, story telling etc you as a colony of people can come together and arrange functions by 8 pm to bring out their talents, award each kid. Light refreshments can be distributed between various families for each day thus bring equal participation & involvement.

• If you or your children know art & craft works. Let them teach it to those who are interested to learn (elders & kids). This will make the celebration more interesting.

• Play some light classical instrumentals in the background to lit up the ambience.

• Make sure you have one senior citizen from your neighbouhood (you can bring them together and plan for it) to be present everyday evening to tell mythological stories.

• Make yourself available or your kids to give a warm welcome to the guests. A smile & welcome makes the occasion inviting.

• Offering sacred things like chandan, kum kum be given to kids.

• Plan a evening celebration exclusively for :- (never forget to invite the those living in single in all the below celebration)

1. senior citizens
2. Kids
3. Wives
4. Husbands
5. Family get together

• Make sure every night after the traditional golu poojas & visiting hours you along with neighbours or your building / colony people come together & spend some quality time together. It strengthen the relationships. Moreover such celebrations will help you get introduced to any new comers in your colony / building. 

• If celebration happens as a community, together then expenses can be shared & joy increases. Binds the relationship & cultivate good habits & tradition to the young generation. 

Do check some more navratri / golu suggestions :-
 
Navratri / Golu


Navratri Preparation

Navratri Golu Ideas

 

Park - tips & suggestions

Wish you all a happy navratri.

Jai mata di

Burnt garlic, broccoli, carrot clear soup

In my soup series, making a post after a long time.  Burnt garlic gives a nice aroma to any dish. Clear soups are light appetizers which will make you enjoy your full course of meal. If you are aiming for weightloss go for plain soups (without cornflour) or clear soups.

Broccoli is rich in Vitamin C, dietary fibre and has cancer fighting properties. Any vegetable for that matter needs to be only partially cooked to retain its complete nutrients.

How to select:- selecting a good vegetable / fruit always help you get the maximum nutrients because after it is cultivated it takes days to reach our hands which results in loss of nutrients. Here are few points that you should note while buying

1. Should be dark green in colour
2. No yellow flowers should be there
3. florets should be thick (applies to cauliflower too)
4. The stems should be strong & not tender (shows how fresh it is)

Ingredients  :- (servings :2)

1. Garlic pods - 2 nos
2. Broccoli florets - 1/2 cup
3. Carrot cubes - 1/4 cup
4. Chilli sauce - 1 tsp
5. White pepper powder -1 pinch
6. Water - 3 cups
7. Salt to taste
8. Corn flour - 2 tsp
9. Olive oil - 2 tsp
10. Spring onion - 2 tbsp
11. Spring onion greens - 1 tsp

Procedure :-

• Blanch brocolli and carrot in hot water for 10 minutes or Microwave it for 4 minutes
• Finely chop the garlic pods, spring onion and spring onion greens.
• Heat  olive oil and add the chopped garlic. Fry till it is golden brown. 
• Add spring onion and saute for a minute on low flame.
• Add the cooked veggies and saute for 2 minutes
• Add 3 cups of water, chilli sauce, salt to taste and bring to boil
• dissolve corn flour in water and add it to the boiling soup and boil for 3 minutes
• Serve hot sprinkling white pepper powder & spring onion greens

PS : If you don't have chilli sauce, you can chop green chillies and add while saute' ing vegetables.

Embossed Warli Painting -1

Made an embossed warli painting recently and was waiting for it to get framed. So it finally reached my hands yesterday night and here it is for your eyes :-) Its my first attempt using embossing method. Idea borrowed from a craft programme telecasted on a TV show very long back. Remembered it one day so decided to try.

Embossed not in metal but in paper. Yes it is easy to make.

You will need :-

1. Catridge (paper to paint)
2. Fabric glue
3. Acrylic colours (Black, burnt sienna, brown)
4. Gold colour
5. Thin brush
6. Flat brush
7. Toothpick

Procedure :-

• On the catridge, draw any warli design of your choice. In this painting I drew a tree, birds, people watering the tree.

• Fill the figures with fabric glue. For the tree bark effect, once the glue is semi dry, using a toothpick scratch the tree to get the bark texture. Let it dry for a day.

First apply a coat of diluted burnt sienna all over using up & down strokes only. No horizontal or criss cross strokes. Use a flat brush for this purpose. Hope the picture below will give you an idea of how it is done.

• Over this using brown colour - dry brush stroke, apply on the edges downwards, this will give a dark edge and bright centre. Let it dry.

• Using black colour & thin brush, make edgings in the tree where you need highlight

• Using gold paint, paint the embossed figure leaving the black highlight. Let it dry and then get it framed.