Testtest

A new beginning
Setting up the kitchen
Kitchen Basics
Anajari Petti

Basic Kitchen utensils
Grocery List
Spicelist

Garam Masala
Sambar Powder
Rasam Powder
Coriander Powder
Jeera Powder
Red Chilly Powder
Molagai Powder

Homemade Yogurt
Tamarind Pulp
Ginger Garlic Paste

Plain Rice
Coconut Rice
Lemon Rice
Tomato Rice
Vegetable Biriyani
Kariveppilai (curry leaf) Podi/Rice
Bisi Bela Bath
Capsicum Rice
Onion Rice
Vaangi Baath (Brinjal Rice)
Carrot Rice
Beetroot Rice
Pepper Rice
Vegetable Fried Rice
Curd Rice
Jeera Rice
Pudina Rice
Masala Baath (Masala Rice)
Pulikachal – Tamarind Rice
Rajma Rice

Masoor Dal Khichdi
Vegetable Dal Khichdi
Vendakka Kichadi
Pavakka Kichadi
Beetroot Kichadi

Vegetable Pulao
Peas Pulao
Soya Pulao
Corn Pulao
Jeera Pulao
Mint and Green Sprouts Pulao

Tava Roti
Puffed Roti
Missi Roti (Besan ki Roti)
Makke ki Roti

Idli
Oats Idli
Kanchipuram Idli
Rava Idli
Plain Dosa
Masala Dosa
Karacha Dosai
Raghi Dosai
Kambu Dosai
Rava Dosai
Onion Rava Dosa
Tomato Dosa
Spinach Dosai
Adai
Oats Adai

Pesaratu

Idiyappam
Ulundu Sevai
Coconut Sevai
Lemon Sevai
Tomato Tokku
Onion Chutney
Puli Inji
Tomato Onion Chutney
Groudnut Chutney
Kothamalli Thogayal
Pudina Chutney
Coriander Pudina Chutney
Ginger Chutney
Kathirikka Thogayal
Capsicum Thogayal
Coconut Thogayal
Venn Pongal
Chakkara Pongal
Rava Pongal
Oats Pongal

Puttu

Sprouts

Poha
Tomato Poha
Semiya Upma

Kuzhi Paniyaram
Coriander Paniyaram
Vegetable Paniyaram
Moong Dal Paniyaram
Bombay Rava Upma
Semiya Upma
Wheat Rava Upma
Rice Flour Upma
Idli Upma
Bread Upma
Arisi Upma
Vegetable Rava Upma

Arisi Upma Kozhakkatai
Rava Kozhakattai
Aval Kozhakattai
Mani Kozhakattai
Modak

Aloo Paratha
Mooli Paratha
Gobi Paratha
Paneer Paratha
Garlic Paratas
Pudina Paratha

Poori Masala
Chana Bathure

Side Dishes –
Gravy:
Paneer Chilly
Kadai Paneer
Tofu Mattar
Paneer Mattar
Paneer Butter Masala
Jeera Aloo
Aloo Palak
Kadai Bhindi
Capsicum Masala
Baingan Bharta
Green Peas Masala
Methi Malai Mutter
Gobi Manchurian
Rajma Curry
Green Moong Masala
Methi Aloo Masala
Vegetable Kohlapuri
Aloo Masala
Palak Paneer
Dal Tadka
Navarathna Kurma
Vegetable Kurma
Beetroot Masala
Dry :
Bhindi Curry
Tondli Curry
Carrot Curry
Beetroot Curry
Bitter Gourd Curry
Potatoes Fry
Brinjal Curry
Cauliflower Curry
Cabbage Curry
Aloo Mutter
Soy Chunk Curry
Potato Podimas
Vazhakka Podimas
Vazhakka Curry
Sepankizhangu Roast
Chow Chow Poriyal
Carrot Beans Poriyal
Sweet Potato Poriyal
Sweet Potato Podimas
Beans Paruppusli
Avarekha Paruppusli
Capscium Paruppusli
Mixed Vegetable Paruppusli

Sundal-
Channa Dal Sundal
Green Peas Sundal
Moong Dal Sundal
Peanut Sundal
Kondakadalai Sundal
Kala Channa Sundal
Sweet Corn Sundal
Kala Chana Sundal
Kabuli Chana Sundal
Ground nut Sundal
Sweet Chana Dal Sundal
Kollu Sundal
Green Gram Dal Sundal
Pachai Payaru Sweet Sundal
Pattani Sundal
Karamani Sundal
Sweet Karamani Sundal
Butter Beans Sundal
Mochaikottai Sundal

Dal :
Palak Dal
Tomato Dal
Black Eyed Peas
Avial
Vazhakka Kootu
Podalanga Kootu
Chow Chow Kootu
Konda Kadalai Kathirikka Kozhambu
Mixed Vegetable Kootu
Cabbage Kootu

Kozhambu, Sambar, Rasam Varieties
Plain Sambar
Mullangi Sambar
Arachuvitta Sambar
Vathal Kozhambu
Paruppurunda Kozhambu
Kadala Kozhambu
Thenga Aracha Kozhambu
Kathirikka Kara Kozhambu
Kariveppilai Kozhambu
Konda Kadalai Kathirikka Kozhambu
Mysore Rasam
Lemon Rasam
Jeeraga Milagu Rasam (Cumin-Pepper Rasam)
Mint Rasam – Pudina Rasam
Tomato Rasam
Vendakka Mor Kozhambu
Mor Pachchadi
Kadi
Kathirikka Pitla

Soups:
Moong Dal Soup
Tomato Soup
Butternut Squash Soup
Sweet Potato Soup

Raita
Masala Raita
Boondi Raita
Onion Tomato Raita
Sprouts Raita
Cucumber Raita

Medhu Vadai
Ulundu Vadai
Dal Vadai

Chaat
Misal Pav
Vada Pav
Pav Bhaji
Moong dal kachori

Payasam/Kheer
Semiya Payasam
Pal Payasam
Aval Payasam
Festival Special –
Karadayan Nombu
Krishna Jayanthi
Navarathri Celebrations
Diwali recipes
Chutneys and Sauces
Curries and Gravies
Dal
Dosa
Paneer
Rasam
Sambar
Side Dish
South Indian
Snacks
Sweets

Dreaming big with Pad Thai !

"It would easily take us another 1 hour if we continue our way now. Let us have food in the food court near office", I said to my husband as we were driving our way back home from work. It was 21:30 already and we could see huge traffic on our way. Heavy rains were already pouring adding to the traffic. "I am bored of the usual meals in the food court. Lets check the new restaurant Wonton that has opened near the foodcourt", my husband said. I agreed to his suggestion and we walked to Wonton. 
It was a new restaurant that had opened in the Hitec City area. Although it was earlier in Gachibowli we had never been there but had heard a lot about their food. At 21:30 this place was full but still had few tables vacant. We chose a pretty table near the window to keep an eye on the traffic while having food. The server came immediately to our table, greeted us and handed the menu card to place order. The restaurant had dim lights all around it and while it gave a romantic environment, my eyes fell on the Thai cuisine varieties they had in their menu. Most of the items listed there seemed quite interesting and I was keen to try out a few items. We inquired about some of the items to see whats the specialty and some to see the spice levels, we finally placed an order for the Pad Thai noodles. The server told us that Pad Thai was an exotic dish of Thailand cooked using glass noodles while being served with powdered peanut. The entire concept of glass noodles seemed quite interesting to me and we were curious to see what it is all about.
In just about 10 minutes, what came to our table was the most incredible noodles I had ever had in my life. It was neatly cooked and had its aroma all over. The quantity of the noodles was excellent for both of us. The taste of the Pad Thai glass noodles with powdered peanuts sprinkled over it was the most incredible noodles I had in my life. It just made me forget about the traffic jam or the heavy downpour that was on. We were soaking every moment we had while enjoying having Pad Thai noodles.
For both of us being foodies, this was quite an amazing experience we had at the Wonton. Being the curious couple, we had a great conversation with the server who explained us about the uniqueness of this cuisine and how exotic it is in Thailand. For the taste of the local residents, they had added some more Indian spices and made it more customized. However the server suggested that we must try the original authentic dish in Thailand. 
As much as we enjoyed the dinner that day, the server's words still stayed in my head. How cool will it be to enjoy this authentic dish in Thailand. How freaking awesome will it be to try this exotic Thai cuisine with the locals there. Since that day trying this exotic cuisine has been on my dream board and I am confident that I will make it one day there with my family and enjoy the moments there as much as we can.


I am blogging about my dreams and passions for the Club Mahindra#DreamTrails activity at BlogAdda. You can get a Club Mahindra Membership to own your holidays!”

Grow with Horlicks Growthplus !

It was nearing lunch time on a rainy Sunday afternoon. My parents were here and we had planned to go out for lunch and then watch latest movie Sultan. We were waiting for this day since long as we wanted to spend time with parents and also wanted to relax on Sunday. Everything was going as we thought when suddenly my husband got an urgent office work to attend. Not wanting to cancel the plan, I decided to go with my parents ahead and my husband would catch up with us in the mall after his work completed. We booked Ola cabs and waited for the cab to come. All this because I couldn't drive my husband's Ford Fiesta sedan car. Honestly, nothing to do with the car. It is a very good car. However with my height being 5 feet, I had trouble driving the car.

Wish I had a better height. I would always wear wedges not because I loved wearing heels but because I did not want to appear like a short dwarf near my 6 ft 2 inches husband. I attributed this to my genes but there were many times when I would lose my confidence or feel inferior to other girls because I didn't have a good height.  

Although I know this is not in my control and I need to accept this, it always takes me back to thinking how important having a good height and weight plays in our daily life. How crucial it is to inculcate the importance of growth right from the early days. For kids these days it is even more important to highlight the importance of this. With the amount of adulterated food that is available these days in market , it is very important that we feed the right food to our children for proper growth. As a very simple example, I don't remember including nutritious foods like millet in my diet. Health mix powders like Sattu were not something I even recollect consuming. But kids these days are addicted to chips and wafers.  Several years back millet and hard work were what our grandparents had and that is why they are still strong even at 60. With the food that we consume these days, it is not common to hear about 20 and 30-year-olds suffering from diabetes and having attacks. A strong nutritious foundation is what is missing these days. Parents are more worried whether the kids are at the right height and weight. However if more awareness if given on the right nutrition for triggering this growth then it would be more helpful.

As parents when we bring kids into this world, it is our responsibility to ensure proper growth for them. Any short back there will affect not only us but them too. Consuming healthy and nutritious food like Horlicks Growth+ and allowing kids to stay active will ensure to have them in the right track for growth. It is time that we as parents understand the importance of this and change the future for our kids. This will not only boost their growth but also improve their confidence to ride the sedan of their life. 

For more information on the benefits of Horlicks Growth+ please refer here  -
https://growthplus.horlicks.in/

Ready to go with Datsun redi-GO!!

Until a very long time, having a car was considered a luxury. When Maruti Suzuki launched Maruti 800 couple of years ago, it became popular across several households. Being affordable its popularity increased and became one of the successful cars in the starting segment. I still remember my dad's old Maruti 800 car which served him faithfully. It had taken us to several places safely and had gone to several road-trips too. Until many years, Maruti 800 had no competition but realizing the potential and demand many additions like Alto, Nano, Kwid got added.

Now Nissan has joined the league with the recent launch of Datsun redi-GO. The team at Datsun refers to this car as the ideal choice for ‘ready-to-go’ generation. When I came across this car, I got curious and went on to look at what makes this car ideal for us.

This car has been designed specially for today's Indian generation who are always on the go. It brings together a unique combination of style and luxury with the best in Japanese technology at affordable prices!

As they have correctly put it across, it gives the youth the freedom and confidence to go on a fun trip to their destination.
"Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback.."

In addition this car has some cool features which makes it the ideal car for our road-trips.
1) Many a times we have we come across narrow roads while driving to several urban places. With our existing sedan it becomes very difficult to drive there and taking U-turns is stressful as we need to take care to not hit somewhere. However with Datsun redi-GO, the compact size it will easily fit these narrow roads. No longer will taking U-Turns be stressful with this beauty. Also its sleek and sporty look gives it a stylish appeal. In addition to these exterior looks, driving with a feather light steering wheel would be super easy in crowded urban places.

2) For short folks like me, it is a stress to drive my sedan since I have to really strain my neck to look ahead of the steering wheel. Many a times, I have had to add extra cushion to the driving seat and sit on top of it so that it could add extra height for me which would be comfortable while driving. When I heard that Datsun redi-GO has heightened stances, I was really overjoyed. This will not only give you better view of the roads outside but is also a boon for short people like me from having the trouble to look ahead while driving. Another unique feature is the force absorbing bolster support in the seats which will make driving in urban roads a pleasure when on high speed cornering.
I would really love to test this feature while driving here in Hyderabad. The bolstering support in the seats would be something I would love to check on our next visit to Charminar during Ramzon so that we can be ready for our upcoming road trip.

3) One of the important sources of entertainment while on long drives is the audio system. With the options of having Radio, USB, MP3, Aux-in , it provides multiple options to hear pumping music and keep you entertained while driving.

All these features make me ready to go with Datsun redi-GO and I am waiting to test drive and check these unique features so that we are all set and ready to go with our own redi-GO!!

Wonderful Travel Memories

Travelling - one of the common interests that holds us together. You like to travel and click places. I like to travel and release stress. 
The first time we traveled together, you made me think I did not know how to travel. Carrying 5 big bags for 3 day travel seemed like relocation to you. From our travel fights to planning our next travel together, you converted me from a tourist to a traveler. You changed my views about travelling. You opened me to new avenues for travelling. You taught me so many new things about travelling. My idea and intention about travelling changed. 
We enjoyed our domestic travels which then expanded to national and then international travels. You explored the different cuisines and made me try new varieties. From five star hotels to bag packers room, we have seen it all. From flying in flights to sailing in ships we have been together. We trekked together, we snorkeled together- we got over each others fears. I slowly got rid of my fear of heights and you became confident with snorkeling. The best experience I still remember about snorkeling was the happiness on your face when you dived in the middle of Maya Bay with the colorful fishes. 
From shopping in Bangkok to fashion street in Mumbai, you came to know about what it means to shop. Accompanying me to never ending street side shopping in Jaipur to the huge malls in Singapore, you know what it means to shop with a girl now. Shopping - something that has now thought you to think of your loved ones and get something for them during your travels. It creates memories.
Photography one of your big passions in life. How you utilize all your time during travel and yet click so wonderful pics is something I still need to learn from you. The patience you have to perfect a shot till it happens, to taking multiple shots waiting for the right moment - that is the crazy amount of passion you have for your camera. From our first trip to Goa to our recent trip to Trichy, one thing is constant and that is your camera bag and the passion to explore new places in your area. Your enthusiasm for exploring new avenues, your passion to mystery, your company for all these wonderful travels - is all I ask to keep up with and never lose the charm. Thank you my supportive hubby for always being the best traveler I could ask for !

My scrapbook entry is below - https://memories.hdfclife.com/message/IkYCeH1OqZGqd5oxS8Y0DA== 
https://memories.hdfclife.com/message/pUsm1jaU71d5FvbWYY8B-A==

Memorable Trek

Few months back while having dinner with my husband, I was telling him,"I am fed up. I need a change.The monotony of this life is killing me.Let us go for a vacation".To which he hit upon an idea. He said,"How about going for a winter trek to Kedarkantha in Uttarakhand". While i did not get convinced with his idea, i decided to give it a try.

We booked our tickets and started with the preparations required to go for the trek. With our backpacks on in end of December, we reached Dehradun. From there we got into a bus Sankhri.  On reaching there, we stayed at Hotel Swargrohini Palace for the night before the trek.What a view from our room. We could already see mountain peaks covered with snow ahead of us. As night approached, we had to pile on layers to save ourselves from being frozen.

The next day morning, we all were given a briefing and introduced to our trek guide. With that we started the trek climbing one step at a time.  2 Hours went by and by now it was starting to get exhausting. We hit the snow patches soon, stopped to rest for 15-20 minutes and then continued with our trek. From there, we could see snow everywhere. The trek was getting more and more challenging with every step. Finally after 9 hours,at around 2 pm we reached Juda ka Talab camp site.The pond was covered by a thick frosty layer.We rested around the lake in the sun and had our lunch.

As it got colder in the evening we lit a bonfire .We had our dinner and we retired to the tents into our sleeping bags after a tiring day. 

At around 2 am we were awakened by our guide. He asked us to pack our bags and start climbing right away for the basecamp and we had to reach the summit before sunrise. It was pitch dark everywhere. So with flash lights on and trekking poles, we started climbing once again. Badly chilly winds, ear pains, reducing atmospheric pressure, reducing oxygen, tiredness from last day, we kept climbing. After about 2 hours of walking in deep snow and we reached the base camp.The view from the base camp was panoramic. We were all excited for the final push to the summit. As much as exciting and adventurous the journey was, it was very challenging both mentally and physically. I and my husband had to stop several times and motivate and push each other to finish the trek. We took a lot of pictures along the way. After 5 hours we finally stood atop conquering Mount Kedarkanta. It was surrounded by mountain peaks covered in snow. 

What a memorable feeling it was. For last 2 days, we were totally out of mobile coverage and no other distractions. I and my husband were together in this journey and our only goal was to have the strength to push through and finish the trek. I learnt many things from this trek like never to give up on the challenges that life throws but to keep pushing through them. In the journey of life we get distracted by so many things and we often quit. But if we keep pushing and focus on our goal we will be successful. 

My scrapbook for this entry is 
https://memories.hdfclife.com/message/KS6Rww_-HhrW7nIIqWwf9g== 

End the trend and share the load

Few weeks back I was invited to Anirudh's place for lunch on Sankranti. This is an important festival for them and since we were dating for a long time, his family had unofficially considered me part of their family. Every time I go to his house, I observe something weird. Now please do not get me wrong. Anirudh is a very nice guy. He has been very supportive and caring of me and my life choices. But his family has a very narrow minded views towards several things. Even in this generation, they observed gender inequality and some work were reserved to be done by guys and some work has to be done by the women of the house.

Now I have been brought in a very different way. I have always been taught to question things which do not convince me. But in their house if I begin questioning about blind beliefs and the purpose behind doing it, it is considered rude. It is considered arrogant. My parents had given me enough freedom and independence. But here his parents had too many restrictions on the dress, on timings, on topics to speak and the list goes on.

My parents had warned me before about his family. I really felt that our relationship was very strong than these petty things. But on the day of Sankranti what I observed really irritated me. They started seeing alliances for his elder brother Avinash. And what sort of a girl were they expecting - Post graduate, expert in cooking, skilled in taking care of house, ready to stay at home after wedding. Seriously why would someone want to stay at home after doing a post graduation. I began questioning them about their expectations. But they asked me remain silent. 

In their family, the sole purpose of the women of the house is to give birth to baby, be a housewife and take care of the house. Their mom has the done the same things and they expect their daughter-in-laws to also do the same thing. Does this make any sense in today's generation? I ask his mother and she asks me to follow the rules 

Though I shut my mouth, I could not shut my thoughts. When Avinash can be a graduate and work, why couldn't his wife do that? Why do they want a highly educated girl to waste her education by sitting at home after wedding? What exactly do you mean by skilled in taking care of house? Is this not your house too? Why cannot you make some contributions anywhere? Women are at par with men everywhere these days. Still you follow the trends of the 19th century and follow gender prejudices. What sort of an example are you setting for your family? What will your kids learn from you if you follow these illogical trends. If we women need our son and future daughter-in-law to thank us then teach the men to end the trend and share their load to embrace household duties however boring or uninteresting they are. 

“I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.”

Learn to help ourselves

It was after 2 years that I went to my sisters place. Her son Karthik is now in 7th class and the last time I saw him he was a small kid. I was really excited to see my sister after so many years and was looking forward to meet her. 

The day arrived and I started to her place. The moment I reached her house, I was in a shock.  The whole house seemed in a mess. She opened the door with a smiling face but I could see the tiredness and exhaustion. As I came in and was talking to her, Karthik came to the room from inside. He was very reluctant to talk to me since he had not seen over many years. However he was ordering his mom to get his shirt for school ready. I was surprised my sister silently obeyed his orders. Then I saw his throw his old dress into the pile of laundry and rush out of the house. All this while my sister hardly spoke a word. 

I could not keep silent any longer. It was hardly an hour I came to her house and could see something wrong going on. When I spoke to her she mentioned that he was a kid and does not like to keep things clean. But the problem was she never taught him the right ways. Assuming that kid is small and will understand as he grows up is totally wrong. How will he understand when he has grown up seeing that. I asked my sister to slowly teach him to wash clothes or at-least put the clothes into the washing machine while she could attend other chores.However she herself did not want him to do that.

"Let him focus on studies. I do not want him to get involved in these things", were her words. By showering a lot of love on our children, we are closing their eyes from reality. Karthik has always seen his mom doing the dirty laundry and other household work. Has there been a single day his dad has done that? Never. How will he learn about equality and sharing the load if this is the example he has seen. 

My sister has to let go of the fact that he is a small kid. Class 7 kids are no more small. They are much smarter than us these days. He needs to be taught to respect others and see all genders equally. If this is the example in my own house, I am sure this is the case in many households.

So I urge all the ladies to let go of perfection and lets not blindly shower love. Lets learn to help ourselves to better our future self !

“I am joining the Ariel #ShareTheLoad campaign at BlogAdda and blogging about the prejudice related to household chores being passed on to the next generation.”

Promises do stay true !

One of the things I always wanted in my man was to respect his partner equally and value them. So the day Anirudh proposed me, I wanted to see if this guy really matches this criteria. I had always known him as my friend but never seen this aspect. I borrowed time from him for my decision and started to closely monitor him. I even went one step ahead and tried to put scenarios where I wanted his views.

So far it was going good. He was one of my very good friends in Hyderabad. No one knew me more than him. Our mindsets matched and we really enjoyed each others company. But when it comes to taking friendship to next level, we need to consider so many things.So after a good one months time, I called him for a lunch date on Sunday.

As usual he came on his bike and we met at our favorite eating joint. Deep inside i too liked this guy but always held back after my first experience with Manoj. So I decided to pour it out to Anirudh. It went very uncomfortable at the start. But I wanted Anirudh to know how hurt and depressed I was from my relationship with Manoj because of one thing missing. Manoj never valued me. He forever seemed to dismiss my ideas, my suggestions were rubbish. Girls were only decorative pieces in life. I should become a housewife and quit my job. I do not have the right to dream and many more crap. Time and again I felt hurt and my self esteem dropped and he never took a second to recognize that. All my efforts to tell him ended with fights and he would convince me up and again the cycle repeats.I was really tired of being just a girl in his life. He was very egoistic like his father. I had my nights crying about this relationship. I had several hours questioning my own thoughts. What kind of a relationship was I in where I was not valued. If this is the case now what will happen once I follow his words and quit my job. I was not meant for that. This never fit with me because I was not that girl. So on 17th Jan I gathered all my courage and called off my relationship with Manoj. 

I wanted Anirudh to know the main things that mattered to me. He was the caring, supportive, sweet, lovable, understanding friend but he always had to know what I expect in my partner. I wanted Anirudh to value my dreams as I respected his choices. I wanted Anirudh to respect my ideas and suggestions as I always considered his opinions. 

After opening up my heart to him, the first thing he said was "I love you for the person you are. I can never dream to hurt you. I need you in my life. Your happiness and satisfaction is my top priority. I promise from the bottom of my hurt to love your every single day. I promise to be with you forever!".

Those words of Anirudh at our favourite eating joint still hold true and I am proud he stood by his promises.

“I’m blogging about the kasams I want from my man this Women’s Day with the #SadaSexy activity at BlogAdda”

Impacts of Walking

Walking is one the best low-impact, gentle exercise that's easily available to everyone. Right from the time we were kids, the first thing we do was to walk. It is freely available to us and suitable for all ages.

Below are the impacts of walking and why it is so good for you – 
1. Walking strengthens your heart
Regular walking reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease. It's great form of exercise which helps to lower bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol. In addition, a brisk walk into your every day routine also helps to control the high blood pressure and reduces the risk of strokes.

2. Walking lowers disease risk
A consistent habit of walking habit cuts the risk of diabetes. You are even less likely to develop cancer of the womb or breast with an active hobby such as walking.Taking more steps everyday can ward away diseases like asthma.
Recently my mom was diagnosed with having diabetes. She was feeling very tired and lethargic and ran down with energy. She was constantly drinking lots of coffee loaded with sugar to bring back that energy. Her eating habits were simply unhealthy and she skipped meals due to this lack of energy. Her doctor gave her a healthy eating plan, urged her to cut down on coffee and strictly take a 30 minute walk every day. She took the docs advice very seriously and within few weeks of following the plan, she noticed tremendous changes in her energy levels. Within a month, her sugar level came down and she is full of energy now. 

3. Walking helps you maintain weight
For someone weighing 60kg, brisk walk of 30 minutes helps to burn about 75 calories by walking 3.2km. If you increase your speed you end up burning more calories. If you walk 6.4Km per hour burns calories equivalent to having cakes.  The more you need to lose weight, the more you need to increase your speed of walking for burning more calories

4. Walking prevents Osteoporosis
Walking is a total body exercise, but mainly works on your feet and legs which support your body's weight. Walking restores and strengthens bones and increases bone density. This is very important to everyone especially for women. Walking about 8Km-10Km a week can help develop your bone health.

5. Walking tones up legs, glutes and abs
Regular brisk walking can give amazing definition to quads, calves hamstrings while lifting your glutes muscles. If you add intensity to your walking by walking on hills or inclines you will burn more calories and get more effective workout. Although it is a free form of exercise, we need to maximize to get a total body exercise. If we maintain correct posture in our walks, it also helps to tone your waistline and abs.

6. Walking boosts levels of vitamin D
Walking is effective if its done in the open air. That being said, we are free to do it anytime and anywhere. If we get a brisk 30 min walk in the early morning, we maximize calorie burns by also boosting our Vitamin D. Now this nutrient has a huge role in impacting many things from bone health to our immune systems. 

In addition to all this, it is great way to travel and wonderful form of social activity. It is effective and convenient and great way to interact with friends because you can easily talk and have a quick walk.

#TataZicaMarathon
This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

Impact of social media as a blessing

1st of April 2004. I still remember that day. Not because its April Fools day. But because it was the day that I created my first email account. Yes. My first email account with Yahoo. Having a social media presence was like owing a smartphone. It was not at all a must have to live but was a must have to survive. To survive among your friends and society. And that my dear friends was the first step of my journey into the gigantic world of social media. 

Right from Yahoo chat, to Orkut, to Facebook and now Twitter and Instagram and what not...The list is endless. New trends in the social media keep coming and change with time. What first started for me as a way to share my updates with friends shaped into way of keeping in touch with them. More so that these days I hardly check my Orkut or Facebook accounts.

What changed the most for me was the online contests held by many companies through social media. As a medium for promoting their brands, it gives an opportunity for amateur photographers like me to participate and showcase our talent. It gives me immense adrenaline rush to participate in these contests than mindlessly browse through news feed.

Slowly my focus shifted to searching for online contests in social media and participating in them. Through this I came to know about many brands and my general knowledge also increased. Initially I found a few contests in Facebook and kept myself busy with them. With so many medium these days, my hands are full of dates with photography contest deadlines. Slowly and steadily I started winning these contests. My sense of confidence improved and my passion for photography increased.

My most memorable contest was a photography contest with Woodland which I found in Twitter. I won first prize in that contest and they sent me to an all expense paid 7 day trip to Kenya. Imagine winning an all paid trip to an international country. It was like dream come true. 

It still amazes my parents because during their times television and Radio was the only way they get to know about updates. The awareness that social media brings across these days is simply tremendous. Isn't that a great way to stay updated with latest trends and current affairs. To me social media is simply a blessing in disguise. I am so thankful to all those companies who spend so much time in promotion so that their product is popular among consumers. Who would have imagined that a way to keep in touch with friends would now turn into my source of living. I may be very active in social media for checking contests but completely out of the league of commenting on photos. It was very easy to get lost in commenting on pics and stalking people.  But if we find our focus, we can turn anything to what we set our mind to. 

#TataZicaMarathon
This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

How healthy lifestyle can impact life

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, will not only make you look and feel better, but you also get to experience a plethora of other healthy benefits. Living in a healthy lifestyle, requires that you devote to making healthy choices, follow them regularly and stick with them.You can start with the changes today that can impact your overall health and wellness positively.

Eating a balanced diet –
The way to a healthy and balanced diet is having the right quantity of food that will help to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. A healthy diet is as good for your taste buds as it is for your heart. Including fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains in your diet will give your body the energy and nutrients it needs to function properly and maintain overall health. 

Regular Physical activity
The benefits of regular physical activity and exercise are abundant. We all know simple activities like running, cycling, and swimming are good for you. It helps prevent many chronic diseases and improves digestion. In short, your overall quality of life gets better. 

Weight Control
A healthy lifestyle also helps you keep up with a healthy weight. This helps improves your appearance, your mood and your confidence. Controlling your weight reduces the risk of developing stroke, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and different types of cancer. By incorporating healthy balanced food and cutting down your intake of beverages and processed foods that are generally high in calories,  and sugar you positively impact your weight and overall good health.

Improved Confidence and Mood 
Physical activity helps in the release of brain chemicals that can make you feel happier. This emotional boost can help reduce your stress level and improve your self-confidence. In addition, the chemicals to enhance your mood that are released by physical activity can help you face a stressful day with a calmer mindset. 

Increased Energy Level
Exercising regularly improves your power to withstand stress and makes your body stronger. It also works on your cardiovascular system, which keep your muscles more energetic by delivering oxygen more effectively. Due to this you will have more energy to do everyday tasks. 

Improved Brain Health
A healthy lifestyle can increase your health of your brain. A balanced diet, regular exercise and good sleep can change your brain heath and mental functions. Basic exercise like walking, swimming is good for your brain. It regulates blood circulation and increases the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain thereby helping you to think more clearly. 

Improved Appearance
A healthy lifestyle can not only help you lose weight and look more youthful, but it is more than that. For example, staying hydrated by drinking enough water and getting sufficient sleep can reduce the visibility of under-eye bags. Cutting down on alcohol and tobacco intake reduces its aging effects on your skin and eyes.

Keep Up the Heart-Smart Lifestyle
Its one thing to know about what needs to be done for a healthy lifestyle and another thing to actually follow it. By following a healthy lifestyle you cannot always see the results of your hard work, but there are numerous impacts and every healthy choice you make does take you one step closer to a healthier lifestyle.

#TataZicaMarathon

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.