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Posted on February 18, 2017 by Mycoffeeweather — 1 Comment

Postura #januaryobsession

How often do we think about our posture on a daily basis? It was not a New Year resolution and I was just learning more about how to work on my fitness level. ‘Posture’ immediately takes me back to the picture in my school textbook of a boy balancing a notebook while he sits and stands.

I asked myself if I was missing out anything when it came to posture. I have had a bad neck on and off and I keep blaming it on my workout. I have a tendency to shrug my shoulders when I’m doing any workout, so may be I hadn’t really noticed how I sit and walk around. Which lead me to focus a bit on this topic.

I did some extensive reading and found out a few things about how I had constantly engaged my shoulders, walked with feet flopping out a little, didn’t stand enough compared to how many hours I sit and my postures on a daily life wasn’t the best. I happened to visit Dr. Prathap a Chiropractor at my gym who also gave me a few tips on how to sit when I’m at work and how sitting for 6 hours would nullify the effect of my 1 hours workout. All this and I knew some changes had to be made.

Not like the next morning I was up and about all fixed and aligned. I was catching myself slouching, straining my neck too while using my phone, lying on the bed and reading books, slowly melting on the couch while watching TV. The worst was I knew this wasn’t going to be easy, to get back to sitting, moving and doing things how we are naturally meant to do as humans. Mostly I saw a pattern with technology and external factors that were making my body tense up and accept an unusual posture as comfortable, my body got accustomed to such an extent that it almost felt normal to my body. Firstly I had to notice my movements and separate right from wrong as much as possible. So this was the painful stage.

Using too much of my phone and laptop were causing a bad posture most of the times, switching from facebook to instagram and then to whatsapp. I decided to delete all the apps on my phone for more than a month and I was able to notice myself and it became easier to correct myself. This was definitely a great experience and everyone should try a digital detox once in a while its totally worth it, at your own risk as your people really need to be understanding for you to do this.

I had a problem with my toes turning out when I stand and understood how I can improve it through one of these articles. (1,2)

How things affect you emotionally also influences your posture and this was news to me. Overtime whenever I came around an authoritative figure or I wasn’t feeling too buzzed I’d notice my shoulders were already drooping like whole body language was showing what I felt.

It’s been almost a month and it still doesn’t feel easy to maintain the right posture, and I’m catching myself every time I’m faltering. It is not permanent yet but my neck pain isn’t there anymore.

To make it come naturally and make it permanent I will have to change the furniture (chairs) and pillows I’m using. So instead of slouching on the bed I use the dining table if I have to read something for now.

If I can spread this message to all the young people out there who are learning to live with wrong postures, please correct yourselves before its too late and not so easy to unlearn and before it causes any injuries to your body. Good habits are easily lost and so hard to get back and this ones just one of those.

My take back from this January’s obsession turning into a lifestyle change is being active and half the problem is solved.

Note: Find more videos and information on the Facebook wall of @mycoffeeweather #january

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Mycoffeeweather — Leave a comment

Arabian Potato Wedges

(Serves 2)

(No fry + No sugar)

Cook Time: 45 min

**HEALTHY

INGREDIENTS:

3 Potatoes

Handful washed Mint Leaves

5 whole Walnuts

5 Deseeded Dates roughly chopped (unsweetened)

1/2 Table spoon- Lemon juice

Salt to taste

STEPS:

Half Boil 3 medium-sized potatoes (around 15 min). Till then step 2..
Paste: Add the dates, mint leaves and the walnuts to a mixer grinder and make a paste, can add some water. To the paste add the lemon juice and keep aside. **The lemon juice is to cut the sweetness from the dates so taste and add as per your personal taste.
Once potatoes are half boiled remove it and chop it into halves till you get 8 or more wedges from each potato. Brush with very little olive oil just to bake. **The thinner, the better to bake. Now line the baking tray and bake it for 20–25 min in the pre-heated oven at a regular heat of 200–220. Bake till it is brown
Take them out mix it with paste in a bowl as much required and add salt to taste. Its not yet crisp, if you want them to be crisp then you can now put it back in the oven for 5-10 min. **Crispy is better

Serve hot and add a little bit more salt while serving.

**Do read!! The cooking time is long, as the potatoes don’t go undercooked. You can store the paste for next time in the refrigerator and it wont take long if you have the paste the next time you make it.

I have got good feedback for this recipe so do try it, and please get back to me for any doubts!

Posted on May 4, 2016July 29, 2019 by Mycoffeeweather — Leave a comment

Mission H2O

We are all aware of all the facts about water and why we should be drinking it. Why has it been a challenge for many to keep up even to an 8-glass rule then? Why has this habit been really not that easy to inculcate? Should we drink water only when thirsty?

In my experience I’m the biggest cheater when it comes to drinking water. A few months back, there were days where I wouldn’t have had even a single glass. I have been doing my homework to get myself to drink 8 glasses of 300ml a day and it has been the whole of April and I haven’t failed. Yes you can clap for me. 😛

There are a host of things to help you, like for me it was this app called Plant Nanny, it has all the best features to keep you motivated to drink sufficient water throughout the day. It’s the best water app I’ve come across.

You can even keep a written track near your bed and record the number of glasses you have consumed every day. When you miss out 2-3 days by just one or two glasses you wont feel too good about it and that’s going to motivate you to do better the next day.

If you never feel thirsty, it doesn’t mean you’re well hydrated, it could be over-eating or your body has just gotten used to getting in less water, which causes a lot of bloating and water retention which means your body thinks its getting ready for drought. So it’s best to meet the measured and recommended requirement of your body even if you’re not thirsty. I can see the difference it made to me and I do feel thirsty automatically now.

Nutritionist Nikita Suresh suggested me to have a glass of water 10-15 min prior to every meal so that I can get 3 glasses in easily. I started off with that tip and it has been such a boon. Water is essential, but how we drink it is also important. Grandma Tips that I’ve heard is ‘drink water with closed teeth’ probably so you don’t fill up your mouth by expanding your cheeks. I have yet to do my research on this but it seems to make me more consciously drink every sip and be aware that I’m having water. On a general day when a person’s thirsty they would just gulp down 2 glasses without even realizing what they’re doing.

You could flavor your water by soaking a few cucumber slices, lemon slices, or mint leaves over night. It is super refreshing and needs to be consumed by the next day or it gets too sour. You cannot forget to have it then. Detox water is different and requires a certain diet to be followed with it.

Lime juice has become my best friend this summer 2016. I have it first thing in the morning with a spoon of honey mixed well. In the day (I got this recipe from a friend for) Chia Lemon juice, a brilliant concoction to keep cool. I didn’t add the sugar. Also sometimes when I feel too full after a meal I have a lime juice with some black salt (pink colour) after a gap of 10 min. Easy to get hydrated with some taste and Vit C.

So far so good, I’ll be honest I haven’t become all glowy or there hasn’t been a drastic change in my appearance as I’ve read in a few articles, but I feel less lethargic and drowsy, don’t get dehydration head-aches, muscles cramping has reduced, lot of people telling me I’ve lost weight and the best thing is at least I feel thirsty now.

Oh! Oh just one more, having water from the earthen vessels just got cooler with Mitticool selling these earthen clay water bottles, it’s the best thing that could happen this summer! Love the taste of the water once its been in the clay bottle. You can find it on amazon!

For more questions do connect by email or message on Fb, I would love to share whatever little I know from my experience.

*Tip before the monsoons cools off everything, keep some water out for the birds, our little part we can do to give back.

Posted on December 31, 2015 by Mycoffeeweather — 3 Comments

‘I Workout to Eat’-To-Eat right!

I have always wanted that beach-abs that I’ve seen on Instagram posts of fitness models and other crazy fit people. Kept thinking it’s to do with a lot of crunches and avoiding oily food. Read a few articles about how water can help you get them flat abs. I have not yet cracked how people drink 3-4 liters of water in 24 hours looks like a huge task.

I was in this zone, deciding if my workout should be changed or what should I do to just be able to look like that. It wasn’t all aesthetics but, a little bit, it was. I believed my core was strong, not knowing that it can and should have been much stronger, than my imagination. I worked out 6 days a week, had decent the ‘8 glass water’ rule, ate at regular intervals and portion wasn’t too much. What was wrong?

I didn’t want to go to a dietician/nutritionist, just didn’t, so now what? I have read a lot on the Internet about Paleo, Vegan and other kinds of diets to follow, but I don’t want to risk following it without help either. My dad and me had a challenge (we weren’t too serious at first). No sugar, No fry, No spicy. Spicy you can count that out, I don’t think I can survive without my spicy food, but at first stopped everything and it lasted for about 1-2 months and I started having again.

It was an epic fail, then I decided to just forgo sugar. It’s not easy, and till now I haven’t stopped wanting it. Jalebi, gulab jamun, my toughest one is ice cream, and coffee tasted so different (slapping myself in my head). Yes, if you live in India it’s a challenge to leave sugar, especially if you have a big sweet tooth. You have to set your mind on what you want more! It’s all you! No dietician can come and slap the sugar off your hands if you don’t want the fitness then you won’t do it!

So first rule is don’t start any diet if you’re really not interested in the results. Rule 1.

It’s made all the difference in my body, leaving sugar for good! ‘It’s a lifestyle, not a diet’ yeah, that sentence finally bit me too. (I do have a bit of honey/Jaggery rarely)

Then came the fry, a sucker for samosa- pakora, with chai combo, kachori, puri, my homemade delicacies, golgappa(puchka). Can’t, can’t stop this right? And one day decided – ‘stop fried’. Air-fryer is now coming handy but I don’t trust what side effect that machine can have (my head isn’t totally convinced) so using it in rarity.

It’s super duper tough, can not decide what to eat when I’m out at a restaurant. Now Pizza and salad is like a regular, if it’s not a South Indian place.

So far so good, in one month I’ve cheated once with my fav (samosa-chai) combo, and not had fried otherwise. So may be what Crossfit Coach Prashanth had said once is now in handy “One at a time”.

Now talking about the results, there is no one thing that leads to results, there are many factors involved. Have I got my six packs? Not yet. But I’m positive about the journey and it feels a lot less lethargic for starters. It’s not about looks anymore, I could look like anything and not care as long as it felt fit. Feeling fit became a priority than looking magazine ready.

May be it’s also helpful if you have your folks at home also join you in the journey, a lot of trouble is saved; no temptation, no extra cooking, more motivation, and less chances of failing.

While weight loss is important, what’s more important is the quality of food you put in your body – food is information that quickly changes your metabolism and genes.” Mark Hyman

I know now that there is a whole world of information out there and we need to read and understand a lot about it, because we don’t get much information on nutrition in our school education. It’s not safe to start any diet without consulting your doctor, or a specialist, but we can always read and be curious about what we are eating. Ignorance is only going to cost us our health.

So my fitness journey is just getting started here and I have a long way to go. I have to get the water-intake right, next goal. Till then just focusing on ‘why I’m doing what I’m doing’!

Links:

Take the Sugar quiz its worth it: http://eatlocalgrown.com/quiz/14410-which-has-more-sugar.html?ref=sidebar

Super helpful (Total thumbs up): http://www.prevention.com/food/secrets-every-nutritionist-knows

Sugar sugar: http://www.realsimple.com/health/nutrition-diet/healthy-eating/sugar-in-healthy-foods

Metabolism: https://www.boundless.com/physics/textbooks/boundless-physics-textbook/thermodynamics-14/the-first-law-of-thermodynamics-117/human-metabolism-410-6345/

Healthy eating: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/upshot/simple-rules-for-healthy-eating.html?_r=2&referer=

Posted on December 30, 2015December 20, 2018 by Mycoffeeweather — 2 Comments

Resolution time! Don’t beat yourself!

Why do we need landmarks, like a new year resolution, a Monday to change our weekly goals, a festival to clean out a messy house, new beginnings and those sort of things?

The concept of time was invented by humans; if we were crows we might not realise it’s 2015 ,December or any other date. We’d know it’s cold though. Why are we always depending on some targeted time for things to start and end? Just be like crows wake up, with the sun and do whatever you have to till sundown to survive and then go to bed with sun down. Simple.

No! We are evolved creatures, to all the people who say new year resolutions are not a good idea. Why do you think our grandfather invented that clock, to help us make the best use of every moment till the next one came along. The digital time on our smart phones also serves the same purpose.

So any resolution—could be birthday or new year, monthly resolution, helps in achieving something till the next achieving moment arrives. Reminds you of how much time has passed and how much is left to bear the burden of this resolution.

Yes, me and you have been making burdensome resolutions! The problem is not in making a resolution but the resolution itself.

I’m guilty of making crappy new year resolutions too, which I already know I’m not sticking to and I hate the idea of it, but for a week or 2 it gives me some kind of a mental occupation.

No one’s ever achieved financial fitness with a January resolution that’s abandoned by February.” Suze Orman

I realised making resolutions should be more fun and not just work. Like it could be the ‘100daysofhappiness’ that was doing rounds on social media a while back. It was something very open ended and what anyone would want to stick to. It needn’t be crowding the Internet everyday but as long as you counted it, it’s making a difference.

No one said save Rs 25 a day for a year! Or watch a Ted talk everyday for a year! I would love to try that! Whatever you like can also help you grow, doesn’t have to be disciplinary and boring.

Taking up a resolution needs a lot of guts because if you don’t keep up with it, you basically take yourself so lightly. So if you know you’re not going to do something like no-coffee-for-a-year, what sense does it make to beat yourself up? Might as well go for a month, like a monthly resolution and decide hence forth.

Decide the time frame smaller if the resolution is really a burden. If you know you can stick to it for longer then go for it and challenge yourself to extend it further! So it’s time to prepare for some serious fun in the coming year, let’s play smart and make sensible choices in making our resolutions which we can enjoy while we’re at it. To many more New Years and good times! May we learn to enjoy living life.

A different side to the coin – http://www.businessinsider.in/A-Harvard-psychologist-explains-why-your-New-Years-resolution-may-do-more-harm-than-good/articleshow/50337650.cms

To each their own! 🙂

Posted on December 22, 2015December 22, 2015 by Mycoffeeweather — Leave a comment

Over the Fear!

In this world where being occupied is the biggest and most treasured state of being it is easy to forget about yourself and about how much you love yourself. You’re occupied from the age of say 3 years or 4 years.. Oh now the age is even lower, considering toddlers getting smarter with the accessibility of gadgets. So from a very young age we fall into a pattern of things and there are things to be done, for our own selves or others. Learn how to talk, how to walk, then start school, wake up on time, eat well, sleep on time, show respect, basically you are not in that infant stage anymore where you can just lie down and look at the ceiling fan the entire day and cry whenever you are hungry. You basically need to start ‘adulting/growing up’. Not that there is any negativity to it. It’s a situation. So what’s ‘me time’?

I got this suggestion after 23years of missing out on the infant ceiling-fan-cry-for-food days. ‘Just go to a restaurant and order food for yourself and enjoy.’ Now I’m not going to tell you who suggested, but it sounded really maniac to me to be alone in a restaurant, that’s not my idea of a me-time is what I was thinking. I really thought what a daunting idea, ‘what if someone I know showed up?’, ‘what would they say?’, ‘they would think I’m weird.’, ‘They would think I’m so, so weird.’.

I was already on my way to this beautiful place called Yogisthaan, after 2 months of getting suggested. All those thoughts were blaring in my head. I thought my mom would call me up and go ‘Hey, is everything okay?’, ‘Is there anything going on ?’ And worry her daughter is going crazy.

In spite of every thought of resistance I was there, laughing at my nerves because I always love a challenge too, Dear Suggester! Challenges change something in me that can never go back to the old me, hence I was sitting there with a book and a cup of coffee. Highly uncomfortable and conscious for the first 15 min I was just looking at every other person in the restaurant. My thoughts- ‘Why did this place have to be crowded today?’, ‘Let me check if I know anyone.’

My coffee arrives, I’ve read 20 pages of this book which is a lot by my reading-speed-standards and I’m getting comfortable. I’ve stopped looking around, I’m totally engrossed and I’ve started to sit with with my complete bottom on the seat. Yeah, I was literally on the edge of my seat all this while.

Note: This might sound unusually exaggerated for some people who have already got this, but this experience was much more for me than the way I write it. It means much to me, a piece of my experience, could be of much inspiration to some.

So! I was already enjoying as time flew and I was done with my coffee, not wanting to go anywhere. If not for my brother’s call to come home I would have stayed there late till dinner.

Now that I’ve already finished with 45 minutes of sitting all by myself, I think “What’s the big deal?”, “My own thoughts can make me miss so many good experiences.”, “I don’t know so much more than I think I don’t know.”, “I just realize that people are so important in your lives, they make your life more valuable, even though you might not always need someone.”. “I owe one big hug to my Suggester.” Oh my gosh! so many thoughts were on my mind but I was so relaxed at the same time. A new experience indeed. Self love is so important, you don’t have to be an infant to enjoy. You can be all accepting of a situation and still love yourself and do something special for yourself everyday. It goes a long way in changing your behavior towards other people around you. Once you’ve accepted your discomfort you accept others as they are too.

Okay before the philosophy gets too much, let me suggest you to head to a restaurant alone or do some thing alone or do anything that sounds revolting (- speaking to a big crowd, talking to a stranger, making a presentation at your office,….) and do share your experience with others.

” I’m continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you’re uncomfortable, it means you’re growing.” Ashton Kutcher

Posted on December 22, 2015December 24, 2015 by Mycoffeeweather — 3 Comments

Yoga (A Union with the Self)

What comes to your head when you think of yoga? Are you thinking of meditation in some mountains, or forest? What is yoga to you?

A few people have been very clear- ‘Yoga is not for me, it’s too slow.’, ‘Yoga isn’t very interesting it’s for people who have to deal with stress.’ There are many versions of this. My version was ‘Yoga makes me sleepy and tired.’

I have been practicing yoga on and off for about 10 years, and it’s something I swear by. When I started off I was still studying and I was hating the idea of my dad forcing me into it. It was a challenge for my teacher (Miss Dolly) to get me to close my eyes. The soreness was like a part of my body and I tried my level best to evade the class.

Today I can sit with my eyes closed and not want to get out of it at all. It’s made my muscles strong and flexible, helped me maintain a good posture. It’s been a journey with a number of places and teachers I learnt yoga from. We have to try different forms of yoga, which suits us and it’s best to go with one teacher because they can help us improve from where we left off.

The whole idea of Yoga being very boring, I don’t get it better than anyone, but it’s something that needs to rub off on you. Once you start seeing the results you will never stop practicing yoga.
Yoga doesn’t really preach you to sit in the forest or mountains or seclude yourself. Yoga is about the balance. Yoga is for everybody and can be done anywhere. It has to be done as per your own physical state and limits, and there will only be things to take back.
Yoga for me has been all about accepting who you are and getting to know yourself better. It’s like your exploring time, where you are and where you need to get, how you feel and letting go of what’s not needed and being more alert, balance. There is so much to this art I feel like I’m just getting started with yoga now.

Yoga is unique in its knowledge of breathing techniques. Breathing techniques are something more deep and there is a different science to it that we are unaware of as beginners but we cannot underestimate its’ power. We have to completely trust our teacher and follow the instructions to feel the benefits.

Hatha Yoga is really good and I really like the Iyengar form of yoga. Then there are others like the Kundalini yoga, Pranayama, Yin-Yang, Hot Yoga. I’ve had really bad experiences too, like this person who taught power yoga once, it just didn’t feel right. You’ve got to go with your gut feeling, and try out another place or with another teacher till you find your balance.
If you’re into other sports or workouts and you feel you’re already a pro, so you don’t need to yoga. Trust me, it will help you improve your form and it’s the best to mix a little bit yoga into your routine. The co-ordination of movement with breadth makes all the difference.
You may be really happy and stress free yoga may seem totally not needed, but there are times when we are not aware of what emotions or mind-blocks we are holding on to. May be physical mind blocks even, it can help in bringing it up and letting go of it.

Yoga means Union, a balance between things, and if this piece of information hasn’t got you interested please checkout the links below to be more enlightened and give yourself the opportunity to see what yoga can do to you!