Stay healthy. Stay happy.

"I just need to drop those last 2-3 kgs, and then I'll be happy/satisfied with my weight" - said almost every other person I've ever talked to, about nutrition.

Guess what? Being healthy has nothing to do with how much you weigh. So do yourself a favor and lock up that nightmare we call a weighing scale!
'Healthy' means how you feel about yourself, how fit you are, what your stamina level is and so forth.

A friend of mine suggested I write this blog about some tips and basics of nutrition. I could drone on for hours on this subject, but I'll try to keep this to the bare minimum.

Foods You May Want To Avoid:

• Fats - Yeah, the ultimate enemy right? Not quite. Our bodies actually DO need fats. But the good kind of fats. The ones that will actually help you lose weight! Things like: avocados, nuts, lean meats, olive/canola oils, flaxseeds, cheese, peanut/almond butter, sunflower/pumpkin seeds, etc are all really good for you! In limited quantities, ofcourse. What you want to really minimize eating are foods like butter/margarine, cakes/cookies/pies, red meats, deep fried foods, hydrogenated oils etc. Those are definitely your enemies. 
• Sodium - Why reduce sodium intake? Because it retains water and that makes you look bloated! Not to mention, it is associated with higher blood pressure. So do yourself that favor. 
• Refined food - It makes a BIG difference when you switch your favorite white bread to wheat bread. Or eat food made from whole grains, compared to white flour. Why? Because refined foods lack the fiber, vitamins, minerals that whole grains contain.
• Alcohol and Smoking - You must have heard this SO many times, you're probably tired of reading this again. But really, your body will thank you in the future if you reduce (if not stop) both of these. 

So then what DO you eat? And how?

• PLENTY of water!!! Almost 2-3 liters per day! Again, you must be tired of hearing about the goodness of water all the time. But as a nutritionist, I couldn't stress on this enough. Drinking a lot of water helps, in every way possible. Trust me :)
• Fruits. Eat 2 fruits per day! Start your day with 1 and then eat the other one between lunch and dinner. But dont consume any after 6 or 7pm. 
• Vegetables. They have so much goodness in them! ALL of them do. So incorporate lots of veggies in your daily diet. Vegetable juices, salads, sabzis, however you like them.
• Pulses. Your mom used to force you to eat your dal everyday for a reason. A damn good reason, that too. There are so many pulses to choose from (rajma, chole, moong, channa, sprouts, etc). Pick a new one each day if possible. That's where you get most of your protein from. Watch your hair and nails get stronger and glossier within days of eating adequate protein ;)
• Drink your milk. Again, most of us were forced to, in our childhood. I know I was! But we all need that calcium and Vitamins D and A. 
• Variate. Pick different fruits, vegetables and pulses everyday! Dont get into a boring routine. Go surprise your body and it will surprise you! Color matters in nutrition too, so pick from a WIDE range of colorful foods. :D
• Eat something every 2-3 hours. Never go hungry! If you're on the move, carry something with you. Doesn't have to be a complicated meal. Just some mixed nuts, or coconut water or even a block of cow cheese will do!
• Workout. Even 30-45 minutes 4 times a week is good enough, for a beginner. Just as long as you get your heart rate up. 

There are so many more things I can come up with, but these are some good starter points. 

Just remember 2 things: when it comes to health, always think long term. Short term diets and all those crash-crap is never the solution. (Infact, that will make you put on more weight later on).

Also, the happier you are, the healthier you will be. Too cheesy right? Lol, I know. But its true!! Try it out ;)

This thing called Love

LOVE. 
That extremely powerful 4 letter word that can make or break a smile within seconds. And I say 'powerful' because for many people it is a reason to live and for many others it is a reason not to. 


We've all been in love at some point in our lives. To all those people who have already found "love" in their lives, congratulations! I hope you realize how lucky you are :) 
And the rest of you, who have been hurt or lost your loved ones or are are still as clueless as a dim bulb, about love... I feel you! 
I know its not easy to wake up each morning with a smile on your face, ready to start a new day or to even get through the entire day when your self esteem or feelings are on an all time low. 

So whats the easiest remedy to this? Simple! Forget about those that hurt you and move on in life. So easy, right? Obviously NOT. If you are someone who can actually do that.. hats off to you! But most of us fall in love only once. And if you're somebody like me, you fall in love strong and hard, for real and for life. So for you, undeniably, moving on is the hardest thing to do. Because you're human. And you have this thing called a heart. And these things called feelings. 


Then again, this doesn't mean that your life is over. It also doesn't mean that you will never love again. Ever heard that time heals all things? Start believing strongly in that statement, if you dont already because it is one of the truest thing I have ever heard.


Think positive and creative. Think about all the things you can do in your life instead. Here's a few things that always help :

• The very first thing - try not to loathe that person. This is the first thing we do. They hurt us, so naturally they must be bad people. Worthy of being run over by a truck or falling in a lake and drowning in its water. Sigh, no. Nobody intends to hurt someone. Someday you will see why whatever happened, happened for the best. Just have some faith :)
• Turn your frustration/depression into something creative. Find something you love. It can be anything! Writing, sketching, painting, composing music, poetry, dancing, singing.. whatever works for you! Go out and do what you love doing. You never know - you might end up publishing a book or write a song and become famous! :D
• Get busy at work. Or college. Pick up a good book and read it. Being busy will keep your mind off things.
• Spend more time with friends and family. You dont essentially have to go partying or drinking. Just talk to people who can help you! Everybody has something to share. Discussing your matters with somebody helps you feel better :)
• Hug people more often. Why this helps? Nooo idea. But it does. I guarantee that :D
• Dont wait for happiness to hit you on your face. Go hunting for it yourself!! Infact, try to find happiness in every little thing you possibly can.. sunshine, rain, butterflies, ice cream, tequila. You know, whatever makes you happy ;)
• Feel like crying? Go do it. Cry all you want! No, I'm not being a bitch. It really DOES help make you feel better!

Whatever you do, however you cope, its up to you. Nobody can understand and feel your pain better than you, yourself! 
But dont blame Love for your pain. Love isn't painful! Love doesn't hurt. What hurts is separation. And being lonely. And losing the ones you love. Dont confuse all this with love. Because the truth of the matter is that Love is the only one thing that is powerful enough to make all the pain disappear. It makes you realize how beautiful life really is. It makes you feel alive! <3

I'm not saying that you should agree with me. But just once, think about all the happiest moments in your lives.
All those moments were your happiest only because you had someone to share them with! So, with time, dont be afraid to fall back in love. You never know when you'll find your own "love" :)

Change... Is Good

So you wake up one morning and say to yourself, "Great day! Guess I'll do something fun."
And then you end up sitting in front of your laptop all day watching stupid movies, eating chips and checking your Facebook practically every hour because you're almost too lazy to get your big butt out of that bed.

I've been trying to pick up a sport or a new hobby (like sketching) for months now! I get all excited initially, go out and buy the necessary equipments, but eventually I chicken out. Each day, I convince myself to do something new, but nothing happens and that cycle repeats.

Why do people resist change so strongly? Beats me!
When big changes happen around us- we often scream, rant, rave, cry or argue. Nobody looks at the positive side of it. Nobody feels the excitement of something new about to happen. Maybe it is because we think we are not in control of ourselves, our lives, our realities.
Somebody said right, "The fear of the unknown is one of the greatest fears."

Well, sometimes change is good! Its new. Its different. It gives a new direction to a monotonous life.
For some, change is inevitable. For some others, its more of an option. Whatever it is, go ahead and accept it!
Do something new and unpredictable each day. Take a different route. Change a few habits. Dont be afraid to do something crazy. You dont know what or how your tomorrow is going to be like. So might as well live like you've got nothing to lose.
Wake up. Feel the excitement of something different.
You never know how many people you will amaze or inspire in the process!