Sunday, December 31, 2017

Don’t Talk To Me About Your Past



“Please, don’t talk to me about your past. I don’t care who you were or what you did. I don’t want to know who you slept with or who you loved. I don’t need to know who hurt you or disrespected you. Please, don’t tell me about your mistakes or who almost died for your love. I don’t want to know the words you didn’t say out of fear or the ones you said out of anger. I don’t need to know about the gifts that were given to you or the ones that remind you of certain places or people. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to know anything about you. I just want to know you with me. As a matter of fact, I just want you to tell me what it all means to you without telling me the reasons why. Please, don’t show me who you were, but who you are. I want you to create yourself, liberate, love, laugh, expose and be with me who you’ve always wanted to be because only then, I’ll be able to show you who I am instead of who I was and what I did.”

- José Micard Teixeira


Dress: Promod, India Also worn here

Tights: Target,

Shoes: Ellen Tracy

Sweater: J crew Factory






Top: American Eagle

Jeans: American Eagle

Sweater: J crew factory

Shoes: Vaneli

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Keep that phone away



I hate it when you are having a conversation with someone and he/she is not even looking at you. This is however in a social scenario, I cannot even imagine this behavior in the professional world and business meetings. When you take out your phone during a conversation with someone it shows :

  • Lack of respect. You consider the information on your phone to be more important than the conversation at hand, and you view people outside of the meeting to be more important than those sitting right in front of you.

  • Lack of attention. You are unable to stay focused on one thing at a time.

  • Lack of listening. You aren’t practicing active listening, so no one around you feels heard.

  • Lack of power. You are like a modern-day Pavlovian dog who responds to the whims of others through the buzz of your phone.

  • Lack of self-awareness: You don't understand how ridiculous your behavior looks to other people.

  • Lack of social awareness: You don't understand how your behavior affects those around you.




Shoes: Steve Madden

Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Top: J crew

Sweater: J crew factory




Jeans: American Eagle

Shirt: J crew Factory

Jacket: Gap

Shoes: Dsw

Sunday, December 24, 2017

food



We over glamorize the food we eat. We let food define our happiness and satisfaction. Food and shopping can never be hobbies or therapies.

Oh! a birthday without a big-fat-cake is a sacrilege, holidays without non-stop sugar munching are not worth it, buffets without over-load of desserts is a waste of money - all absolute nonsense.

I am not saying that I would have a birthday without a cake or go for buffets and not have desserts ... what I am saying is that I do not obsess over it. I do not have to have it! It's like you drink water, breathe air, you eat food. It doesn't require neurotic focus or attention. While I still crave chocolates and cakes among other forms of suicidal food, I have managed to (with a lot of will power) make healthy choices, which kind of balances out my once-in-a-blue-moon acts of sin. Though I am nowhere near a perfect lifestyle, weight or health... but I am sure and consistently trying to stay on the path of attaining one, that ought to count for something, right?








Pant: American Eagle

Top: Tommy Hilfiger Factory

Jacket: Zara

Shoes: Nine West

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

big bad world



Fashion/ personal style blogging has become a new Vogue, a platform to try and get people to buy more, spend more, want more ... and some times it also sets unrealistic standards for women. Of course not every style blog can be categorized in the same way but it is definitely getting harder to differentiate one blog from another.

When I started this blog my biggest goal and vision was to show how many combinations can be created with just some basic stuff in the closet, and that one can be well and sensibly dressed without spending loads of time or money on it. A lot of people suggested that I should add a variety of locations and better my picture quality... sorry I can't!  I do not want to spend more than two minutes to take pictures because as I said it is not worth spending too much time on clothes :-).

I never get ready just for the heck of taking pictures, I take pictures sometimes when I get ready for office or wherever the heck I am going. Most fashion blogs show women wearing these really fancy clothes, makeup, jewelry, hairdos and wearing the new items in every post, I can't do that, or for that matter, I haven't seen any women around me dress like how they do in fashion blogs. It is simply unrealistic. I want to share only doable styles.

On this blog, you will never find one new item introduced with every post. It is just the same stuff repeating over and over again in many ways possible. Shopping was never my hobby and it never will be, if anything shopping stresses me out. I do not want to encourage mindless consumption with this blog. But I want to encourage feeling excited about even the basic clothes and colors that you have in your closet.

I do think that fashion blogging is already past its peak because every unique idea gets beaten down until it becomes mainstream. There are only so many ways in which clothes can be worn, and someone somewhere has probably already done that, so obviously I am not guaranteeing that what you see here is going to be unique because nothing is unique. You might be wearing a very similar combo as the person sitting next to you but the only differentiating factor would be your personality and the confidence with which you carry yourself.

A lot of brilliant and amazing personalities I have met have had sloppy style sense and I have also met some prim and properly dressed people who were not so nice people, so there is no association between clothes and personalities and no one is forming a judgment about you based on your clothes, the ones who do are idiots so never mind about them. On a day to day basis I hardly ever notice what others are wearing so if you ask me what were your team members wearing today then really I don't know, I wouldn't be able to tell if they wore the same thing for the whole week. I am sure most people don't notice it and what you wear is only to make yourself feel good.

All I can say is wear what you want to wear, it doesn't matter, but again wear what 'you' want to wear, like how 'you' want to see yourself and not based on someone else's idea of styling.

Look for ideas on these kinds of blogs, see how you can apply them to your existing closet and you are good to go. If you plan to get clothes and wear them how the fashion bloggers are, then you are probably going to get lost in the big bad world of mindless consumption, or at least that is what I think.




Sunday, December 17, 2017

Lifestyle, health and social circles



I have had non-vegetarian and alcohol loving friends who did not associate or avoid me based on my lifestyle choices, they lived in their delirium and let me live on my own.

I have this closest friend from my college days (we were set apart by distance after college), I asked her recently if she was a vegetarian. She laughed and said she is a non-vegetarian and asked me the same question. So all these years we did not know what we chose to put in our own guts, the reason is simple because we connected on understanding, empathy, compassion, care, and love. I had like to believe that is what normal people do. So the point being I do not know the food and drink preferences of many of my close friends.

I have heard it from many people that the best of their friends started omitting them from a social scene because the ones being omitted did not drink or smoked.

One girl told me that she was avoided by girls living in her society because she didn't speak the same language as they did - of clothes, shopping, and jewelry. I can tell you for sure that this girl is highly educated, independent and more successful than the rest of her neighbors. I insisted (but to no avail) that she tells her 'society girls' that she had the biggest jewel of all times - fitness.

Another friend recently told me that he prefers to eat home-cooked fresh food every day (Kudos!) and rest of his friend circle loves to eat at restaurants every other day, he chose to let go of that group who also had started to avoid him, and he formed friendship with people who did potluck, poker, hiking, and biking, as simple as that.

Anyway, I think you get the gist of what I am trying to say - do not fall prey to bad habits (like smoking and drinking) or eat unhealthy food at the restaurants frequently or change your food preferences or change your religious beliefs or become a clothes horse - just because you want to adhere to a group of people.

This is a big problem within people living away from their own country - they try to form superficial friendships just to be able to socialize with their own kind and culture. They do not think if my wavelength matches with this group, are their lifestyle choices bothering me, am I just hanging out with them to kill time or just to get a feeling of belongingness.

Believe me, the world is full of nice people that you will stumble upon every inch, every corner and you will end up finding more wonderful and interesting people who match your psyche and respect you for who you are.

If you have had one such bad experience before then don't let it dampen your mood to have that kind of emotional involvement again, just make sure that you are accepted irrespective of the choices you make. Also, don't make lifestyle choices based on what your so-called friends are doing - don't succumb to social pressures.

Your social circle (and every relationship for that matter) has a big role to play in the lifestyle that you want life or the mental equilibrium that you need. All I can advise is to stay away from relationships that are affecting your lifestyle or physical and mental health.

(I have written about this experience in bits and pieces previously in 'the meaty story-  ').






Skirt: Chicwish

Top: White house black market

Shoes: Kelly and Katie

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Random Inputs



  1. Value your time. Don't confuse being as busy as being productive.

  2. Pick your battles. Just because you choose to be quiet doesn't mean you are wrong. It means you are smart enough to save your energy for what matters more.

  3. Don't let anyone else decide your self-worth - not social media, not your followers, friends, not your family. You decide your own self-worth.

  4. Standing up for what you believe in doesn't always mean going out on a protest march. Simply continuing to live the way you want to is action enough.

  5. People will continue to surprise you. Sometimes in a good way and sometimes not. Try and keep an open mind. Even with buffoons.

  6. Just because someone is intelligent doesn't mean they will produce quality work and vice versa.

  7. No one has it 'all' figured out, no matter how sorted they look. Everyone is just doing the best they can.

  8. Let go of the fear of missing out. No one is having more fun than you are. If you are happy where you are, then that's what matters the most.



Jeans: American Eagle

Top: Old Navy

Shoes: Lifestride

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Makeup tutorial



I am not a big fan of too much makeup. However, I do wear a tinge of makeup every now and then and wanted to share this 'simple, natural, no-makeup look' tutorial video -





Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Happiness...



Never have I seen so many young, privileged, people trying so hard to be happy. There are countless articles written about it, blogs named for it, workshops attending to it. Whoever said we’re supposed to be happy all the time, anyway? We’re not. And the pressure to do so might be what’s making us unhappy, to begin with. It’s OK if you’re not completely content with your life twenty-four hours a day. Can you imagine what a boring person you’d be if you were? Going through shit storms, feeling uninspired, hating the way you look and having guilt over not accomplishing enough are just some of the things that make you interesting, relatable and human. Not to mention, if you’re reading this, then you have internet access and if you have internet access, it stands to reason that you have a computer, which makes me think you probably have a place to live, with electricity and plenty of food to eat and clean clothes to wear, which are all things that an enormous amount of people living on the planet today do not have. This is not to say that people shouldn’t strive to better their positions in life, however, it seems like so many of us are no longer content with a regular amount of happy, yet dead-set on being maniacally jubilant, all of the time.

- Kelly Rheel



Dress: Anthropologie

Shoes: Me too

Sunday, December 3, 2017

What the Health! How to stay healthy - Part 21



Years ago when I was making a desperate attempt to lose weight - my personal trainer suggested that I try the dietician at my gym, which I did, but I didn't listen to a single word that she said, all I wanted to say to her was 'shut the f*** up'.

Why?... because she herself was four times bigger than me, she barely fit in the chair that she sat on. (to think of it maybe she was experimenting what not to eat!)

The point is - In your weight loss journey you will hear advice, suggestions, opinions from loads of people - does not matter if they have a degree in diet and nutrition or are doing research - they are disqualified to give any sort of advice if they themselves are fat and unhealthy.  If you are working on your health and trying to get in shape then people around you will watch everything that you eat and have a comment on it, stop eating sugar, stop drinking milk, stop eating gluten, this - that - whatnot, some will shamelessly tell you that it is okay to consume alcohol, it is highly likely that these people themselves are in a bad shape so just tell them to 'shut the f*** up' - of course in your head.

My mantra is read books/ blogs/ and listen to people who have fit bodies - everyone else is disqualified (they are obviously free to have opinions but one should not listen to them).

The opinions expressed in this series are influenced by many 'qualified' people, they helped me on my path to health, happiness, fitness, and weight-loss - by not just words but by proving through actions.

Most of the fittest and healthiest people that at least I have seen - eat home-cooked meals every day, their portion size is smaller, they understand the difference between food and food-like products, they exercise every day and are not engrossed in any bad habits like alcohol, smoking or drugs. Before you do any crazy diet plans remember that food is not just about weight loss - it is also about health - which means having the right chemical/ hormonal/ bacteria balance/ gut health/ immunity and mental health, so diet plans might help you to lose weight but otherwise create havoc in the system.

One more thing - do not feel let down or lack of confidence or any sort of complex because of a certain body shape that you have, and understand that people who are making comments on you are not perfect either (I have expressed this experience before that a lady thrice my size laughed at me saying 'Rasika, you look too fat'. People do not realize the hypocrisy of their comments, so just let it go). Most of the people making nasty comments do NOT have sculpted bodies themselves ;-). The only thing that matters is you keep working on your health and weight without giving up.

This is the last part of the series and the last thing I want to say is - when it comes to health and fitness most important thing is continuity, one can not say I am going to exercise, think positive, eat and sleep well for the next 3 months, it has to turn into a lifestyle - it needs to become our second nature and then it will become effortless...

 

Jumpsuit : Ann Taylor Factory

Shoes: Kensie





Wednesday, November 29, 2017

What the health: Part 20 - How to stay healthy continued ...



This is part 20 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15, part16, part 17, part18, part19

Mental health (2) - Mental health is as much important as physical health.

2. Meditation - Meditation helps a lot with releasing anxiety and stress - it also helps with a better quality of sleep. You don't need any Guru or spiritual organization to teach you meditation. Some people sit and meditate on their own, it doesn't work for me, I like guided meditations, like the ones which are available on an app called InsightTimer, Glenn Harrold being my favorite. I am sure there are other apps/ videos on which you will find guided meditations.

3. People and negativity - I go through stress if I have negative people around me, I can not function in such surroundings, even at work. I do like to be around positive, easy-going people (who are not full of hatred, jealousy, negativity or comparison) and I have written many posts on the traits that I do not like (rasikam.blogspot.com) - bullies, vampires, gossipmongers, male chauvinist pigs, negative people (we all have these traits - I am talking about the extreme cases here).

Weed out the negative people slowly from your life, the world is full of nice people that you will stumble upon every inch/ every corner and will be able to form new friendships. There is no need to be associated with people who are giving you humiliating, insulting or degrading treatment or the ones who do not give a shit about you. My life and headspace feel so much sorted since I decided enough is enough, that I am going to stand up against and not give in to any of these beastly creatures.

Cutaway toxic people and relationships, move away from situations and things and events that make you feel negative. Discuss ideas and not people, don't hang out with people to kill time - first check if your wavelength matches, society and socializing can make you feel drained or feeling empty, socializing is a boon and much needed when it leaves you feeling light and joyous in your heart, don’t let the insecurity, jealousy, and negativity of other people affect you or dent you no matter how much you want to react, you can not stop your life from moving on to react to people who don’t matter to you at all, insecure and negative people will try and pull you down always, keep moving forward offering them silent good wishes. 








Dress: tjmaxx

Shoes: Nine West

Sunday, November 26, 2017

What the health: Part 19 - how to stay healthy continued..



This is part 19 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15, part16, part 17, part18

4. Mental health - 

Last but not least is mental health! We are all living a stressful, busy life today, there is no denying or running away from it. Stress affects our physical well being, it can create anxiety, panic attacks, heart palpitations, heart problems, depression, high blood pressure, and whatnot. One is unable to enjoy anything happening around if not mentally happy or stressed. Our body releases a hormone called cortisol when under stress, and high levels of cortisol creates havoc in our system.

We need some peace and quiet, time for ourselves to do something that helps us release the stress -  exercise, yoga, good diet and sleep play a big role in maintaining good mental health and there is more-

  1. Have a hobby - read, write, paint, do gardening, cook, it doesn't matter what your hobby is - the important thing is you have one (I would not encourage TV and such as a hobby, creation gives long-lasting happiness and stress release than consumption does). 

The same thing goes for kids - send them to classes, teach them different things - let them build hobbies! They won't do it if you tell them to go and paint or go exercise because... they are watching you! Are my parents engrossed in binge-watching tv shows all day long/ spending time on social media or they are living an active lifestyle? Are they creating or consuming? As they say 'Raise yourself before you raise your kids'.

to be continued...



Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Top: J crew factory

Sweater: J crew factory

Shoes: Lifestride

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

What the health: part 18 - How to stay healthy continued ...



This is part 18 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15, part16, part 17

3. Sleep (3)

How do you ensure a good night’s sleep -

  • Shutdown your computer, cell phone, and TV at least an hour before you go to bed. No gadgets on the bedside.

  • Save your bedroom for sleep, rather than work, dining or entertainment.

  • Create a bedtime ritual. It's not the time to tackle big issues. Instead, take a warm bath, meditate, or read.

  • Stick to a schedule, waking up and retiring at the same time every day, even on weekends.

  • Avoid eating heavy meals and alcohol close to bedtime, which may cause heartburn and make it hard to fall asleep. And steer clear of soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate after 2 p.m. Caffeine can stay in your system for 5 to 6 hours. I stopped drinking coffee completely for the last 2 years.

  • Turn out the lights. Darkness cues your body to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, while light suppresses it.

I do have sleep issues - I am oversensitive to sounds, any small sound wakes me up and if I wake up in the middle of the night I have a hard time going back to sleep again (mostly thoughts keep in awake). So the thing that helped me the most with my sleep issues is the app InsightTimer - it has loads of guided sleep meditations/ hypnosis. I absolutely love it, Glenn Harrold’s meditations are my most favorite. Whenever I am having trouble sleeping I play his sleep hypnosis and sleep like a baby… no more sleeping pills for me.

to be continued...






Dress: Esprit

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Tights: DSW

Shoes: Steve Madden

Sunday, November 19, 2017

What the health: part 17 - how to stay healthy continued ...



This is part 17 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15, part16

3. sleep (2)

Sleep is the brain’s nutrition. Most people need between 7 and 9 hours each night. Insufficient sleep impacts your hunger and fullness hormones, including two called ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin signals your brain that it is time to eat. When you’re sleep-deprived, your body makes more ghrelin.

Leptin, on the other hand, cues your brain to put the fork down. When you are not getting enough sleep, leptin levels plummet, signaling your brain to eat more food.

Put the two together, and it is no wonder that sleep deprivation leads to overeating and extra pounds.

Then there’s the cortisol spike that comes from too little sleep. This stress hormone signals your body to conserve energy to fuel your waking hours that means you are more apt to hang on to fat.

Sleep deprivation makes you ‘metabolically groggy’ that means - your body’s ability to process insulin - a hormone needed to change sugar, starches, and other food into energy - goes awry. When your body doesn't respond properly to insulin, your body has trouble processing fats from your bloodstream, so it ends up storing them as fat.

So it’s not so much that if you sleep, you’ll lose weight, but that too little sleep hampers your metabolism and contributes to weight gain.

to be continued...



Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Top: J crew factory

Shoes: Steve Madden

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

What the health: part 16 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...



This is part 16 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14, part15



  1. Sleep -

In today’s world, snoozing can be difficult, particularly when all your screens (computers, TVs, cell phones, tablets) lure you into staying up just a little longer. A lot of people also have ‘missing out on life’ syndrome so they don’t want to spend time sleeping. A lot of us make a mistake of popping sleeping pills (like I did for almost 2 years - it was a very bad idea).

The most important thing that I fixed after my diet and medicine usage is my sleep.  Why? Because… being short on sleep can affect your wellbeing and your weight too. While you are awake at night, your body cooks up a perfect recipe for weight gain.

When you’re short on sleep, it’s easy to lean on a large latte to get moving, I used to have a venti coffee from Starbucks every day. You might be tempted to skip exercise because you are too tired, get takeout for dinner, and then turn in late because you’re uncomfortably full.

Skimping on sleep sets your brain up to make bad decisions. It dulls activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, the locus of decision-making and impulse control. So it is a little like being drunk. You don’t have the mental clarity to make good decisions, it can also affect your mood and the way you behave with people around you. Plus, when you’re overtired, your sleep-deprived brain may have trouble saying no to the second slice of cake.

to be continued...








Skirt: Modcloth

Shoes: Me Too

Shirt: American Eagle

Sunday, November 12, 2017

What the health! Part 15 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...



This is part 15 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13, part14

Diet (4)

9. And last but not the least Alcohol - Call me uncool if you had like, I really don't care - but DO NOT drink alcohol (I know it is for some reason considered a status symbol these days), some people drink wine every day saying it is good for the heart, it sounds ridiculous- there are so many better options for the heart like running for example - opt them and not wine.

Alcohol affects the acid levels in the body, it affects the quality of sleep, it can cause many health conditions like heart ailments, it affects the liver and pancreas, it also increases the risk of cancer (throat, mouth, esophagus, breast, and liver). Cocktails and hard liquor are loaded with unwanted calories that you just wanna avoid piling on.

I am high on life and I don’t understand those who are dependent on alcohol to do that job and those who drink do not understand how can one be high on life… some people come under social pressures and drink to give the company, I don’t do that (not anymore). I have been asked many times at parties that if I don't drink alcohol or carbonated beverages then what do I drink. Stupid question. I drink many things - tea, coconut water, lime juice, freshly squeezed orange juice, turmeric milk, buttermilk, and mostly water!

I am not a fun bob (someone who needs to be inebriated to have fun, loose inhibitions or enjoy life). I enjoy life even when things are painful or not going so smoothly. Accept that hardship is part of life. Pain, sickness, and sadness is as much a feeling as healthy and happy - embrace it, sooner the better - it is useless to be afraid of the existence of unhappy feelings and to forget it getting numb (and dumb) under the influence of alcohol/drugs.

Food and water are an important part of a balanced diet, yes, we are what we eat…. and drink.





Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Shoes: Steve Madden

Stripes Tee: TjMaxx

Jacket: J Crew

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

What the health! Part 14 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...



This is part 14 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12, part13

Diet (3)

8. Use of medication - I popped in loads of pills for all my health troubles. As evolved beings, it is our way of dealing with health. Who has the time and patience to decipher the cause of an ailment and make minor changes to bring the body back to equilibrium when it is so much simpler to just pop a pill and banish your symptoms while the disease surreptitiously festers away? I did not want to spend time being sick, who does? So antihistamines, antibiotics, painkillers, sleep medication, cold medications and such were my constant companions. But remember... medicines cause bad side effects, it is as bad as junk food and alcohol. I should have fixed the troubles by taking a step back, by giving my body some rest, and with natural remedies, by fixing my diet, stress levels, routine, sleep pattern, etc., instead I relied on medicines. But the thing that I used to fix my health issues turned out to be the cause of my biggest problems later on. I would say avoid medicines as much as you can. Try herbal medicines (Ayurveda) if you have to.

to be continued...



Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch


Sweater: Modcloth


Shoes: Steve Madden

Sunday, November 5, 2017

What the health! Part 13 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...



This is part 13 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11, part12

2. Diet (2)

For gut health -

  1. You can make your gut stronger by eating simple, non-spicy, healthy, easy to digest food.  Spicy food, pepper, chilies destroys stomach lining and causes acid imbalance. Remember food stays in your mouth only for a few seconds while your stomach and intestine have to deal with it for a longer time.

  2. If I may say so consume a poor man's diet and by that, I mean Indian poor man's diet and not an American poor man's diet.

  3. Don’t go after fancy diet plans, fancier the names the crappier that they are. Our body needs wholesome food, it needs carbs, fats, proteins, and everything - remember moderation is the key.

  4. Recognize the difference between food and food-like products.

  5. Take out some time during the day to plan and cook home-cooked meals, eat clean, fresh, home-cooked, simple food - as easy as that.

  6. Don't forget to drink a glass of fresh homemade buttermilk every day (not yogurt, but homemade buttermilk), it encourages good digestion.

  7. When traveling - I ate the unhealthiest food when I traveled and always put on at least 5 pounds as an aftereffect. Now when I travel I book houses with kitchens through Airbnb and such and cook simple meals even on vacations.

to be continued...

Jeans: American Eagle

Shirt: J Crew Factory

Jacket: J Crew

Shoes: Lifestride

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

What the health: part 12 - How to lose weight and stay healthycontinued...



This is part 12 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10, part 11

2. Diet (1)

When I was little eating out at restaurants was an event, the event probably happened once a year...

Times have changed and we eat at restaurants casually. Most of the social gatherings happen around food and drinks, it has become a social norm... Looking at the kind of schedule today's parents have I am sure the next generation of kids will be saying 'when we were little, eating home-cooked food was an event'.

Our treatment towards our gut has definitely become very casual, to add to that we engage in things like frozen, processed foods, alcohol, coke/Pepsi and whatnot. The wealthier than our wallets get the unhealthier the food choices that we make.

Would it be too much if I said 90% of the health troubles we go through are because of bad diet and unhealthy gut? It is true. A quarter of what we eat keeps us alive and the rest keeps our doctors alive.

We are what we eat and most importantly we are what we digest. Gut health is responsible for so many things - the chemical, hormonal, bacteria balance, for strong immunity, a good emotional/mental balance, healthy skin and feeling of wellbeing. Having a strong digestive system is a key element in losing weight too. People who are depressed or committing suicide have a bad digestive tract and I am not talking out of my ass, it is proven scientifically. Read the book 'Gut: an inside story' to find the details about the research on this topic and more on gut health.

We need to think before we put anything inside our own gut... are we adding value and nutrition to our own body or poison? Our gut is strong but not as strong to take the insults that we perform each day. Do not take your gut for granted and treat it as a garbage can just to sweep the dishes clean.

And PLEASE provide your kids with home-cooked fresh healthy food - healthy does not mean organic and raw food. In their growing years the kids need nutrition, what they consume right now is also defining the kind of food habits they will have in the future and what you give them right now is building or destroying their gut health. A lot of people are under the risk of catching ailments and getting obese at a very young age because since they were kids they were fed restaurant food/ unhealthy/ frozen/ processed foods by ignorant, lazy and irresponsible parents.

Good gut health and exercising habit is the best heritage you can leave for your kids.

to be continued...


Dress: J crew

Sweater: Nordstrom Rack

Tights: DSW

Shoes: Ellen Tracy




Sunday, October 29, 2017

What the health: part 11 - How to lose weight and stay healthy?

This is part 11 of ‘What the health’ series. You can find earlier parts here – part1part2part3part4,  part 5part 6part 7part 8,  part 9, part 10

There are a few key elements when it comes to health... it is no rocket science... everyone knows what they are -

  1. Exercise -

Take out some time every day to exercise! Not having time to exercise is like saying I don't have time to do the basic things like brush my teeth. A lot of people do not want to join the gym because they do not want to spend any money on it, while they do have the money to gather material possessions. Health is the best investment one can make!

Running a marathon once in a blue moon and then forgetting all about exercising until there is a marathon again is not the way to go about it. Exercise every day, rain or shine, even if it is just 30 minutes of yoga each day.

Think of making exercise a fun time so that you don't have to struggle each day to find motivation - join some fun classes like Zumba or dance of any sort, kickboxing, pilates, do yoga - there are so many good videos available on youtube, go hiking/biking or play sports with friends, try weight lifting, the list is endless. Whatever you do, do not do lazy man's workout. You will see these kinds of people when you hit the gym, they are there may be to watch TV, listen to songs, look around at some good looking people, I don't know but if you are spending time on something they might as well make the best out of it.

Not only does exercise tone your body so you can wear your favorite jeans, but it also strengthens your muscles, keeps your bones strong, improves your skin, increases relaxation (stress release), betters sleep and mood, your immune function gets stronger, and a lot more …

If you haven't then exercise today!

To be continued...




Dress: M collection

Shoes: Me Too

Necklace: Modcloth

Thursday, October 26, 2017

What the health - Part 10 - More reasons you are not losing weight



This is part 10 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8,  part 9

  1. Poor Digestion

You are not what you eat; you are what you digest and absorb!

Our gut health determines our overall wellbeing. The bacteria that lie in our gut help us to fight disease, process our food, make nutrients and make hormones. When your liver is sluggish, it struggles to process substances/toxins/hormones efficiently and this leads to toxic build-up and this will inevitably cause weight gain.

I would suggest fixing your digestion by eating simple and easy to digest foods, do not forget to drink one glass of buttermilk every day (not yogurt but homemade buttermilk).

  1. Don't Drink Water

Last but not the least, we have all heard how important H2O is when it comes to shedding pounds. It helps to suppress appetite, so you're less likely to overeat. Staying hydrated keeps all chemical reactions going on in your body run smoothly and it fixes metabolism. It allows your kidneys to function properly and filter everything that they need to. Water is great for skin too.

How much water should you drink? It depends on how much you weigh, what climate you live in and how much you work out. 0.5+ ounce per 1 pound of body weight, so if you weigh 150 pounds you would be drinking (75+ ounces (2.2 liters))+ (if you live in a hot climate then few more ounces) + (if you work out each day then few more ounces). I drink 3 liters (more or less) every day.

coming up in the next posts... how to lose weight and stay healthy





Top: Charters's Club

Skirt: J crew factory

Shoes: nine west

Sunday, October 22, 2017

What the health: Part 9 - More reasons you are not losing weight...



This is part 9 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

  1. Same old routine

You do not switch your workouts and rely on the same routine day-in-day-out. Your body gets accustomed to your workout and is not challenging it enough to make a difference. It is good to mix things up and try and do a different activity every day, or at least every week.

  1. Inconsistency

If you don't work out regularly, you do not see results. Consistency is the key! There is no way around hard work.

  1. Sedentary Lifestyle

Just working out might not be enough, if your remaining of the day is stationary or is spent on a chair. Try and take a walking break. Experts recommend setting a timer on the computer to remind you to move every hour. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from the mall, run with your kids and whatnot.
Skirt: Gap

Top: Guess

Shoes: Mix No. 6


Wednesday, October 18, 2017

What the health: Part 8 - Reasons you are not losing weight continued..



This is part 8 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6, part 7

  1. All cardio, no strength

Don’t spend all your time on cardio - focus on weight/strength training too. Weights do not make you bulky or muscular. Instead not only does it prevent injury by strengthening the joints, but it also builds muscle mass and increases metabolic rate.

  1. No accountability

You assume that because you are opting for healthier food options and working-out so it is a reason enough to overindulge. I have seen people eating four ice creams in one go just because they are opting for a sugar-free option. Don't do that, our body does not need so much food.

Contrary to popular belief eating and shopping can not be hobbies and can not be used as stress release therapy because therapy is a treatment that fixes you for good instead of giving just a momentary pleasure. Food and shopping is a strategy... one simply needs to learn the strategy.

  1. No Food Planning/ snacking on the wrong foods

Have healthy snacks and meal options ready at home and at work - at all times - otherwise, if you are hungry you will end up eating unhealthy things. Don't snack on cookies and candy, instead of on simple foods such as nuts, raisins, quinoa, fruits, salads, upma, thalipit, khichadi, daal rice, soups, buttermilk, yogurt, protein shake...

To be continued...



Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Shirt: J crew Factory

Shoes: Me Too

Sunday, October 15, 2017

What the health: Part 7 - Reasons you are not losing weight



This is part 7 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5, part 6

1 - You are in denial

One day I went on a hike with a hiker friend, this was the year when I weighed a lot - 170 pounds to be specific. After finishing the excruciating hike we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. She ordered a plate of idli sambhar and I ordered a dosa, which is the longest dosa I have ever seen, I could eat only 25% of it.

During dinner, the hiker said "people are lucky to have good genetics and metabolism - they eat anything and still don't put on weight. I hardly eat anything, I do these strenuous hikes and still put on weight".

While she said this she finished the food that she had ordered and the 75% of dosa that was left on my plate.

We think we are doing everything right - we are eating right, exercising - even if it is one excruciating hike once in a while, and everyone who is in shape is just lucky. Do not conveniently ignore and forget that 75% extra that we are consuming.

From this incident I learned, I was in denial too.  I sat - analyzed and found so many things that I needed to change (mid-night snacking anyone?). I needed to take control of my health than it controlling me.

If today I am in shape or feeling light and right - it is not because of luck- it is because I came out of denial - I changed my entire lifestyle (from diet, exercise, sleep, habits, organization-prioritization skills to managing stress) - and obviously I had to put in efforts to do so. Do not be in denial and say that you are doing everything right, take an objective look at what you are doing wrong and try to fix it.


  1. You are finding lame excuses


Do not blame being fat or unhealthy on genetics, metabolism or horoscopes!

A list of lame excuses is covered in earlier parts. or you can find it here

to be continued ...






Skirt: Gap (12 years old)


Top: Loft (8 years old)


Shoes: Impo (4 years old)

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

What the health: Part 6 - Lame excuses continued



This is part 6 of 'What the health' series. You can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4,  part 5

  1. It hurts my body

If you have never worked out then yes, it would hurt for the first few days. But go past that and then you would get addicted to that 'good' pain. Stretch before and after a workout, get a massage once in a while, soak in warm water with Epsom salt.

  1. Exercise make me more hungry

Yes! That happens. The best solution to that is to have a protein shake right after your workout and have a lot of healthy snacks - fruits, salads, nuts. Munch on them every 2 hours even if you are NOT hungry.

  1. I don't know where to start

That's fine. Just start with walking for 30 mins, do yoga at home, what helps the most is joining classes - you pay for it so you show up and then it is easier to work out in a group of people...the atmosphere keeps you motivated.

  1. I am already skinny (thin)

A lot of people are skinny on the outside and have unhealthy fat reserves inside, some are skinny and have no energy to do anything, you can be thin but chances are you are not fit … so exercise and eat healthy home-cooked food!

I hope this helps and gives you a kick in the butt... exercise today if you haven’t already.




Skirt : Gap (12 years old)

Top: Old Navy (7 years old)

Shoes: Nine West (4 years old)

Sunday, October 8, 2017

What the health: Part 5 - Lame excuses continued...



This is part 5 of 'What the health' series, you can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3, part4

  1. I can't live without junk food

There is this waterfall in Jasper, Canada and there is a board put up everywhere around it - it says don’t step on the rocks near the waterfall, they are very slippery and people have died here. People still cross the fence and walk on the rocks to take selfies. That means they accept the risk of dying a bad and untimely death out of their own stupidity.

Anyway coming back to the point if you can not live without junk food then no one can help you there. You have to make a choice. If you can't live without junk food then make peace with living in a junk-body.

  1. I don't like gyms

Do you like parks? mountains? lakes? anything? Find a place you like and incorporate that activity as your workout. Running, Skiing, Tennis, Badminton, Dancing ...? There must be something. And if you don't know what you like yet, then try them all and I am sure one would click.

I do something different every day - yoga, hiking, biking, kickboxing, dance, pilates, tennis, badminton, weight training and whatnot (whether I like it or not!).

  1. I am too old

Seriously, you are not. Meet Fauja Singh and Ernestine Shepherd. If you still think you are old then shame on you!

  1. I hate working out alone

Join a group class, a running group, ask a friend to join you ... there are a lot of options. If not hiking/ biking or doing yoga at home then I prefer to workout at group classes, that motivate me the most.

  1. It is boring

That is because you haven't explored all your options. Find something you enjoy. (and honestly do it anyway.)

to be continued...


Dress: J crew

Shoes: Me too

Sunday, October 1, 2017

What the health: Part 4 - Some more lame excuses -

This is part 4 of 'What the health' series, you can find earlier parts here - part1, part2, part3

Yes! I am determined to cover all lame excuses I have heard (or have used myself)

  1. Diets make me hungry.

If your diet is making you hungry, it's not a good diet or even sustainable in the long term. Don't go for any fancy (or trending) diet plans, fancier the name of the diet the crappier that it is - our body needs everything - carbs, proteins, and whatnot - all in moderation, don't cut back on anything. Do watch your portion size and eat healthy, simple food - healthy does NOT mean just organic or raw food.

  1. Exercise makes me too tired.

No kidding! That is why they call it a workout! Jokes aside, exercise generates energy. The more energy you have, the more you will get done every day.

I generally workout in the morning but if for some reason I don't, and have to work out in the evening, that is after a long day at work - then I do not feel like moving even a limb. But I still put on my shoes and do what I am supposed to, 5 minutes through the workout I start feeling charged.

You recharge your body through food, sleep, and exercise. Movement creates energy. It gets your heart pumping, blood pumping, cleans out toxins, and gets your engine started. Exercise helps you lose weight, makes your skin glow and gets confidence levels up so you feel better about yourself.

  1. I always gain back the weight.

When I decided to lose weight and make changes to my lifestyle there were months in a row I didn't lose even a single pound and there were some months when I put on weight instead of losing. Losing weight isn't a crash course, if you don't see instant results then don't give up, there needs to be patience and most of all continuity (for life).

I told someone to try yoga, she came back to me and said ‘I tried it for 3 whole weeks and didn’t lose even a pound’. Isn’t 3 weeks too less? considering you have taken years to ruin your body?… give it time… Rome wasn't built in one day ... it would be a long journey but it would be worth it. Don't do it to be thin, do it for a better quality of life.

One needs to change their lifestyle for good to lose weight otherwise if you resume unhealthy ways once losing weight then obviously you will be putting on the weight again.

to be continued...


Jeans: Abercrombie and Fitch

Shoes: Me too

Shirt: J crew Factory

Sunday, September 24, 2017

What the health: Part 3 - Excuses we use for not losing weight(continued)



(part1, part2)


  1. I don't have money for a gym or personal trainer

:-)

I have seen people spending loads of money on material things, brands, jewelry, 100 shoes/purses, and whatnot but when it comes to taking care of their own body they say 'it costs too much'.

Here is blunt advice - I would suggest stop buying jewelry - it won't make you look or feel good as much as a fit body would - spend the money on joining a gym. There are so many free options to workout too - go hiking, biking, there are innumerable exercise videos online, play music and dance your heart out, don't forget yoga - you can do it anywhere and anytime.

  1. I love food a lot, in general

Great. Who doesn't? But you don't have to eat it all in one meal, do you? People eat in such quantities as if they are coming straight out of a famine and are not going to get next meal on their plate, remember there is always the next time, also remember that food stays in your mouth only for a few seconds and inside your stomach for very long, don’t give in for momentary pleasures, the high of having a fit body is way too long-lasting.

Do not eat according to the health of your wallet! Wealthier that the wallets get unhealthier the food habits become. If I may say so - eat a poor man's diet and by that, I don't mean American poor man's diet - I mean Indian poor man's diet - it is simple and easy to digest.

  1. My weight problems are genetic

No, they are not, and I am not saying this - scientific research is. It is just too convenient to blame it on genetics.

To be continued…


Skirt: Ann Taylor (also worn here)

Top: Loft

Shoes: Steve Madden