#sharing Archives

Posted on July 6, 2018July 6, 2018 by Mycoffeeweather — 1 Comment

Menstrual Cups forever now

Being a nature lover, I do my best in every way to save this beautiful environment. The one time I felt guilty though was during my periods, for using plastic pads. I told myself I was no less than a person chopping off trees. That I didn’t care.

My first time looking at a menstrual cup was at @happyhealthyme an organic store. I stopped by many times but only to look at it. It was daunting to even think about it. Then in one of Karen Anand’s farmers market I happened to see @boondh in the stall of @grindingstone. I have to give the credit to the two girls selling it, for me having made this shift. Personal feedback from having used it themselves, not pushy, helping me understand who to approach to learn to use it. They said they loved it and it is super comfortable, they worked out with it even. I just picked it up.

Now the cup was in my court, literally. I read the instruction manual and it was not the best for a newbie, honestly. I tried it and thought I hit dead end. I was going all wrong. Anxiety hit me as usual and the Internet is just the wrong thing to do when you’re anxious. So I YouTube-d and hit upon several videos, some websites even tell you to get lubes. I was not going to give up, so I decided to have this awkward conversation over the phone with Boondh.

The nicest lady on the phone told me that there is no stress of having to learn it immediately. Half my worries dissipated. I needed to relax and it would take me some time to really get the hang of it and she cleared all my doubts. For someone who hasn’t even used a tampon it can get real scary. I looked at the size of that thing and wondered how it’s even going to make its way inside. Here I am, today I went swimming on the first day of my periods.

It took me 3 times of giving up, this beautiful link http://divacup.com/2015/okay-so-i-bought-the-divacup-now-what/ and now I’ve got how to use it. This link should be on the first hit on google search. Best help. I can’t even tell you what an achievement this feels like. No more plastic pads! Hurray! One lady less to clog and choke the landfills.

Quickly my experience-

Putting it on: I realized its not like wearing a pad, it’s a learning. I got to know my body better and with some patience, I got it only the third month after I bought it. Now it’s a piece of cake. If you’ve got it right this doesn’t betray you like how sanitary napkins do sometimes. Read, watch videos, google, ask your seller, or just go to the link mentioned above, but don’t give up till you’ve figured. Its totally worth it.
While its on: I forget I have my periods. No rashes from the sanitary napkins, Oh my gosh YESS! I’ve gone running, swimming, to the gym, to work and basically everything and its like its not even there. You can even address your natures call and not have to worry about it.
Removing it: 12 hours of gap is fine to remove, clean, and sterilize it. It can get messy sometimes don’t freak out and jump up, just deep breaths. Its your body and your own blood, it doesn’t have to be so bad.
Life: The internet claims you can use one cup safely for 10 years. The more you dig, though, the more you learn that there isn’t one set shelf life of menstrual cups. Each of them will probably last a different number of years, depending on how it’s taken care of — how it’s cleaned, how it’s stored, how it’s used, etc. See link below on maintenance.
Popularity: Honestly I don’t know why this never got popular and why Akshay Kumar didn’t make a cup-man movie instead of padman. You can always encourage other ladies to make a shift too. Just share your personal experience.

Happy Nature and Happy Periods!

High on life

How tough is it to feel high spirited all the time? Is social media to be blamed? I have not been able to stop myself from using a lot of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. I could just say its unavoidable but I personally know a lot of people who hardly or never use it to go about their lives. Did it get me anxious at some point? Yes. Does the likes and comments on social media give me a high? It did, at least sub consciously.

No one would document their entire life on social media, especially not the lows. You just have to know everyone’s human and no one is posting a selfie when they are crying. Imagine seeing photos of people crying everyday, that’s not what you want. So be happy for someone if they’re doing good. I only got this recently thanks to Hitha Chandrashekhar‘s ‘hithavachana“. Have courage to find people posting their beautiful moments on the web and not feel bad about yourself, or your life. Self talk- ‘Dont make it about you.’ Its their moment of shining glory, clap for your tribe. WE CANNOT COMPARE.

Everything’s downhill one second and exorbitantly great the next. I don’t know this unpredictability is growing on me or I’m ignoring the lows. Now I can say I’ve come a long way from that. “Not all days are the same!” This was told to me by my Coach at boxing class when I was upset about not giving my best. We cannot expect all days to be the best. Everyday is not a Sunday and we have to love Mondays too with equal force. EACH DAY IS BEST IN ITS OWN WAY, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN FROM IT.

The one thing that keeps me really up and about is my workout schedule and my body clock. I don’t compromise on it and my body doesn’t compromise on me. Its important to have a morning routine and I go up to my terrace to see the sunrise even if its cloudy. Even if it’s a bad day look for the good- that’s the message I’m taking in everyday. And when its that golden goldy coming out of the tank of my neighbours building I close my eyes and just feel the light on my face. That’s me. You could have your own thing going. MORNING ROUTINE.

Exercising or sportsobviously as the internet and mostly everyone I know of, proclaims to keep your mood up! There’s not much I can add to it, its all out there, endorphins, sweating it out, blood circulation, be active. WORKOUT.

Watching movies like “Chak de” or “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, “Wonder Woman” and “Creed” brings the enthu cutlet out of me. I keep myself in reach of anything that can motivate me. Its just contagious. Reading books help too. The lead character from the series “Me Before You”, “Me After You”, and “Still Me” by Jojo Moyes, Louisa Clark really inspires me to be upbeat in every situation. My friend once suggested I watch videos of people breaking their limits before I workout and Yes that does get your spirits up. GET INSPIRED.

This one you don’t want to try for every time. I use all the healthy food that I like as a motivator, like dark chocolate and banana chips. I set it like a reward system. If I finish my work by a time I’ve set, I get a piece of the healthy treat. Its like a carrot stick effect. It totally works for me and I’m not indulging in something completely off my lifestyle. TRICK AND TREAT.

Sometimes I break my routine by doing something very different. I call a friend in the middle of work, eat in front of the TV, don’t speak for a whole day. Its what distracts me from my routine, but believe me these small changes have a huge effect when you get back to the regular. Travel can’t be convenient for everyone at all times, so try to do some thing differently everyday. May be play music in the shower if you don’t already. MAKE IT DIFFERENT.

Last one, to be motivated you have to care enough about something, that you are interested in. Enough to do something about it. If you don’t care about anything and you don’t mind being complacentabout everything, then you really don’t land yourself anywhere but where you already are. CARE ABOUT SOMETHING.

Start making an effort towards your attitude to approaching anything in life. If you want to be motivated all the time its up to you. When you find your own motivator inside you, you don’t need to look outside. Or wait for someone to cheer you, you are enough. It’s a skill you want to develop because not everyone is waiting to pat your back. Keep the spirits up and amplify the motivating voice inside.

Motivation in the 21^stcentury business world

Continue reading High on life

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 July 26, 2016July 26, 2016 by Mycoffeeweather — Leave a comment

Fitspiration Much?

Do you find yourself in need of someone to tell you to be active, to stop giving-in to your cravings, remind you to have enough water, push you to workout and basically get fit?

To get FIT all you need to do is look around and take inspiration. Trust me I do it like a continuous process, doesn’t have to be your favourite movie start getting fit, just look out at your gym, at work, friends and people in your lives, there is “fitspiration” all around you. Just hunt them down and interrogate how they got fit! This is what I got:

What is fitness to you in one word?

Who is your fitness inspiration?

What is your fitness mantra?

How many years have you consciously been into fitness?

How do you make time for it?

What food is a complete no no!?

How much water do you drink in a day?
Are injuries unavoidable? Have you got any and how did you cope with it?
What is your current goal for your fitness journey?

Is it okay for women to have muscles?

If so many people from different walks of life can make fitness a priority in their lives, it shouldn’t be impossible for us and everyone should take inspiration and make efforts to become fit.

Posted on December 12, 2015September 5, 2016 by Mycoffeeweather — Leave a comment

To Make a Difference

Have you felt this feeling of Stillness? Its not some trance mode, I’m talking about. Its that feeling that everything has slowed down a bit and your thoughts are coming to you one at a time, everything is in sync, your mind, breath and heart beat, the wind around you. Everything is under a calm spell. No, I’m not even talking about the famous ‘Shav-Asana’ in yoga.

This is the best feeling in the world to me. Its one of those rarest times, not that I had no ‘to do lists’ in my mind or I had done a major deed. It just comes when I make the effort to wake up and look at the sunrise, or feed some banana to the cows, when I meet small babies and they smile for no reason and I get to smile back at them, when I thank someone for their regular job and that’s made their day, or greet the old security guard I see everyday and buying flowers for folks at home for no reason at all. So, I figured that whenever it involves someone else’s benefit/happiness instead of mine it gives me this sense of calm and bliss. I could, may be, call it “Bliss-mode”.

I had a friend who would go out of her way to celebrate people’s birthdays, get them gifts, the dogs got their share of biscuits even if that got her late for a class and randomly get books for her friends. I know her secret of smiling all the time now, she isn’t crazy after all. Its inspiring to have people like that around you and know there are people out there waiting to bring a smile on your face for no personal gain.

I have been contemplating of how most of my days throughout the week is focused all around myself. My day starts with my workout time, then my bath and breakfast, my office work, then after I’m back home probably I’m learning how to cook for my happiness, or I’m mostly on the internet reading something for my own interest, watching sitcoms, lazing around. Oh! and the workout has been making me eat so much food I’m actually feeling sick of myself, “gluttony feels”. All this encouragement about “ME Time” on the internet got me too serious about doing things for myself. Bliss-mode was long gone and I was wondering what I’m not doing right.

Me- time is as important as Bliss-mode. You obviously need to love yourself and do things to make yourself feel good but there is a thin line between that and becoming selfish. Frankly, even I haven’t got that perfect balance. We must all try and find happiness in giving happiness is the mantra. I guess everyone needs to feel this way once in a while and its all about the balance.

It doesnt stay forever this Bliss-mode. We need to keep working towards keeping it on. You constantly need to water the plant for it to grow, you’re body needs constant supply of oxygen and the same way the feeling of bringing joy to other living beings and making a difference.

When you make a difference to the world, you’re existence gets more validated in your own eyes and it gives you this sense of satisfaction. There is no end to the kindness we can offer to this world around us and make it a better place. So look for what is the small thing that gives you a sense of peace while you make a difference.

“Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give. It is by giving warmth and affection, by having a genuine sense of concern for others, in other words through compassion, that we gain the conditions for genuine happiness. More important than being loved, therefore, is to love.” His Holiness The Dalai Lama

An interesting read:

Why we need to slow down our lives

What is fitness to you in one word?

Who is your fitness inspiration?

What is your fitness mantra?

How many years have you consciously been into fitness?

How do you make time for it?

What food is a complete no no!?

How much water do you drink in a day?

Are injuries unavoidable? Have you got any and how did you cope with it?

What is your current goal for your fitness journey?

Is it okay for women to have muscles?

If so many people from different walks of life can make fitness a priority in their lives, it shouldn’t be impossible for us and everyone should take inspiration and make efforts to become fit.