HOW PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BENEFITS YOUR CHILD.

Current lifestyle and technology have reduced activities and encouraged junk food habits, resulting in childhood obesity at an alarming rate, especially in the urban population. In today’s day and age where there is fierce competition in every field, it is important to strengthen the fitness foundation of your child by helping them live an active and healthy life from an early stage. Daily, just 60 minutes of low to moderate intensity of physical activity benefits your child in the following ways:

Children develop cognitive skills, social skills, teamwork and bonding while playing. ‘For a child, play is serious learning. It is the work of childhood’ - Fred Rogers.

Physical activity helps control weight, strengthens bones, heart and checks  cholesterol and diabetes.

It improves your child’s Posture, Balance, Co-ordination, Strength and Endurance thereby contributing to their overall fitness.

Helps them have a sound sleep and also concentrate better.

Makes your child Confident, happy, energetic and develops a positive attitude making them ready to take on the challenges of their little world.

THE HEALTH MISTAKES MOST PROFESSIONALS MAKE.

In our highly competitive world, we go to great lengths for a fruitful career and try to give the best to ourselves and our loved ones.  Yet, we often take our body for granted. Here are some of the mistakes we do unknowingly that end up with a health hazard in the long run:

Sitting for long hours - Our body, made of more than 640 muscles and 206 bones is designed to move! Sitting for hours in the workstation, in front of the computer or television etc. without any activity leads to a sedentary lifestyle. Lowers metabolism, leads to obesity, wrecks your posture and often causes backaches. Incorporate as much activity as possible throughout the day. Try getting up after every hour, walk up to a colleagues desk instead of using the phone, Form a group and go for a walk with your colleagues post lunch. Works wonders with your office relationships as well as your health. Try parking your car a few paces before your office so you can walk down to it. Instead of the lift, take the stairs and if you are really enthusiastic about your fitness, sign up for a group fitness class or a gym membership along with your colleague. This way you will keep each other motivated. 

Skipping meals - Happens when you are either too busy or trying to lose weight. Best to avoid it as it reduces your energy levels, alters your metabolism and when you consume food, the body stores it as fat for future use, making you gain weight instead of losing it! When you skip meals on a regular basis, your body is deprived of nourishment. Your ability to concentrate reduces drastically and your mind gets occupied with indulgent, calorie-rich foods making you overeat them later during the day. Research shows that a proper breakfast, balanced meals and healthy snacking optimises metabolism and helps you maintain your weight.  Pre-plan your day’s meal’s including the in-between snacks and carry it with you to office. Stick to your meal times, keep a 2 hour gap between meals and help keep those cravings at bay.

Eating out too frequently -  Food from outside may be a lot more fun to have or might be convenient but contains excess oil, spices, preservatives and can lead to poor digestion, obesity, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease. Always try to have home-made food and avoid snacks with trans-fats. If you are too busy to cook hire a maid who can help you out with the cooking or ask your domestic help to cook on weekends so you can be free and she would also be happy to earn some extra bucks. Limit restaurant food to 2-3 times per month. Choose healthy options from the menu card or instruct them to use less oil. 

Junk food - Is attractive, addictive, calorie dense and lacks fibre and nutrition. No harm in having it occasionally but excessive indulgence in junk food lowers energy levels, makes you tired and lazy so you don’t feel like exercising. It is one of the primary contributors to obesity and diabetes. And should never be substituted with regular meals. If you really have to have it then best to share it and observe portion control. Opt for a slice of pizza instead of 3-4 slices. Share the pastry, aerated drinks, chips or french fries. Carry fruits, nuts or dry fruits and have these instead. Always go through the nutritional information and make a wise choice.

Smoke and alcohol - Leads to cancer, damages the lungs and liver, causes premature wrinkles, yellowing of your teeth, bad breath and also reduces bone density especially in women. 

Lack of sleep - Staying up till late at night regularly whether for work or to unwind through late night parties or watching TV interrupts with your sleep pattern, causes stress and high blood pressure and can also lead to obesity. Since the body repairs itself while we are sleeping, it is essential to catch at least 6-8 hours of sleep. Prioritising and planning your work at the beginning of the day will give you peace of mind through the day and a peaceful sleep at night.

Lack of Exercise - Exercise is usually the first thing that gets sidelined due to hectic schedules and busy lives. Exercise strengthens the muscles, bones and heart. It keeps you positive, prevents osteoporosis, helps manage stress, depression, and lifestyle diseases like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. A minimum of 180 minutes per week of exercise is proven to show health benefits. Dedicate an hour during the day for exercise or if you are really busy call for a certified personal trainer, they might be a little expensive but investing in good health is perhaps the best investment that one can make. 

Good health keeps you ahead in the long run. Makes you optimistic and ready to accept any challenge. It is truly the most precious thing you have. Take care.




*Image source: Google

10 minute workout

     Those who don't have time for exercise will sooner or later have time for illness - Edward Stanley

If you've missed your workout because of your hectic schedule, travel, late nights etc. Here's a ten minute mini workout programme that i have designed. All you need is a mat and the willingness to push yourself from not exercising.

Warm-up : Always start any exercise programme with a warm-up. It prepares your body by increasing the core temperature and prevents injury. Following 4 exercises comprise the warm-up section:

1. Alternate Arm Raises to the front - 3 counts 

2. Flex your neck sideways - 3 counts

3. Bend Sideways - Keep your feet shoulder width apart and bend sideways for 3 counts (both sides)

4. Hip Rotation - 3 counts in clockwise and 3 in anti clockwise direction

Main Section:

1. Jog in place - 1 minute

2. Jumping Jacks - 30 counts x 2 sets

3. High leg raises/kicks with punches - Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, kick as high as you can with your right leg and simultaneously punch with your left hand. repeat the same for the other side. this should be done for 30 counts x 2 sets

4. Jump and twist - 30 counts x 2 sets

5. Squat - 30 counts x 2 sets. While doing the squat, ensure that your knees do not flex beyond 90degrees

6. Lunges - 30 counts x 2 sets

7. Push up - 30counts

8. Ab crunches - 30 counts

Cool Down:

1. Lie down with your face towards the ceiling (supine position), gently bring your knees towards your chest - 6 counts

2. Sit in the position shown below, place your hand on your ankles and push your knees gently with your elbow - 6 counts

3. In the seated position, bring your knees close towards your chest, hug your knees and smile coz ur done :)

*1 set = 30 counts/times, 2 set = 60 counts
**Image source: google

Growing Vegetables in pots

The only help my mom ever asked me was to get vegetables or curry patta from our garden. And I used to run outside with a colander and fill it with fresh vegetables. I don’t know why but picking fresh vegetables always gives me a sense of deep satisfaction.

 I always wished I had a garden like the one back home. When we moved to our rented apartment in Vasant Kunj, My father-in-law helped me turn my extended Balcony into a beautiful garden. That's when I started experimenting and got to know that even vegetables can be grown on pots. Here’s how you do it.

Preparing the pot – Put a few stones at the base of the container and then fill it with soil. The soil should be porous and not water retentive. For each pot, I put one fistful of sand and one of manure. I also add 2 spoons of Vermicompost for a healthy growth.

Dig a 1/2 inch hole and plant the seeds and water them at least twice a day.  The vegetables that I have grown on pots are Spinach, Lady’s finger, Broccoli, Karela, Beans, tomato, Methi saag, laal saag, hara saag, coriander and chillies. The saplings come out within 7-10 days and have to be transplanted.

Karela/Bitter Gourd Sapling

Once transplanted, the creeper needs to be given a support.
It's best to grow this near a wall
where the creeper can take a rope's support to climb

Bhindi/Lady's finger Sapling. I transplanted them after a week

Flowers of a Lady's finger/Bhindi. 

Lady's finger - 7 plants give a good enough yield every week for a family of two - three

Spinach and Coriander - I used a plastic basket, to grow these.
 Ensure you drill a hole at the bottom  of the tub/basket

Laal Saag

Chillies

Beans 

Broccoli

Name of vegetable	Approx. Sowing time	Method of Planting
Karela/Bitter Gourd	March-April	Transplant within 5-7 weeks
Lady’s Finger/Bhindi	March - April	Transplant within 5-7 weeks
Spinach	Throughout the year	No Transplanting
Laal Saag	Throughout the year	No Transplanting
Coriander	Throughout the year	No Transplanting
Chilly	Throughout the year	Transplant within 5-7 weeks
Beans	Sep-Oct	Transplant within 5-7 weeks
Broccoli	Sep-Oct	Transplant within 5-7 weeks

I hope you also enjoy growing vegetables in pots. For a family of two-three, depending on the type of vegetable, it is advisable to have at least 4-7 plants of each type. You can sow two plants of beans in a single pot, that ways you can have 6 plants in 3 pots. Two plants of karela are good enough while 7-8 plants of bhindi is good enough to make bhindi sabji once a week. 

If you too have experimented growing vegetables in pots, do share your suggestions and experiences.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary

Bird photography gives you a different high. Not only do you get to see the best of nature but it also tells you that life is all about moments.

Last week Tammu Bhaiya (my cousin) was in town and we decided to go to Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Though May is not the right time, but we had heard so much about this place that we just could’nt stop ourselves from exploring it.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary is home to around 250 species of birds. The best time to visit is from October-March when the migratory birds also come in. It is 23kms from our house in Vasant Kunj (New Delhi).

We left from our place at 5am and were there in about 25 minutes. The authorities charge Rs. 100/- per car entry and Rs. 30/- per person’s entry. As we entered we were greeted by 2 koels perched on the top of the tree and we knew this was just the beginning. For the first time i saw a grey partridge, also called Teetar in hindi 

Grey Partridge chicks also called Teetar,
bundled up on the bridge that takes you to the tower

The Black Winged Stilt

This buffalo almost came charging on us and we hid in the grass.
Can never forget that moment, for the first time i was scared of a buffalo.

The Babbler

The duck and the Purple Swamphen

For a long time this chamelion was eyeing the butterfly
and then the butterfly flew off to another bush

The Yellow Bittern
Preparing for the kill

 

Eurasian Collared Dove

Playing Hide n seek

 It was a great place, thanks to Tammu Bhaiya, i got to see some 15-20 species of birds that i had never seen before. We will definitely come here again in November or February hopefully with a better camera.

The only thing that pained us though was the sight of the polluted Yamuna. If we cant look at that dirty water, wonder what havoc it's causing to the innocent birds and fishes who feed on it! Sometimes, it makes me wonder if we are a curse to this earth. Pollution is all that we are creating. Why can't industrialists/corporates dispose of their wastes responsibly. Why is it so difficult for us to recycle and use environment friendly materials like jute. What exactly do we want our grandchildren to see...only malls, movies, spas and entertainment parks?

I pledge to be a responsible citizen by recycling, planting trees, putting up birdhouses and minimizing the use of plastic. And i request all of you to try n do your bit for the environment. Lets bring back the human in us and think a little beyond ourselves.

My Spring Coloured Balcony

This winter i wanted flowers overflowing from my garden. The local seed shop owner suggested Petunia, Cineraria, Pansy and Nasturtiums so i bought them all. The best time to sow these seeds is from the 2nd week of October - 2nd week of November. You should transplant them within a month. I gave them vermicompost for the first 3-4 weeks for a healthy growth and then i switched to bonemeal once the buds appeared.
As winters gave way to spring, mother nature painted my balcony with one of the best colours possible. Pretty soon the birds and butterflies also started coming in.

Cineraria and Broccolli

Petunia

Pansy

In this one pot i planted Nasturtiums, Cineraria, Petunia and Pansy 

Cineraria

The Bird's orchestra @ Rangannathittu

Friday morning greeted me with a smiling face of kempamma – our maid who comes at 5am! Seeing me up at this time was a rare occasion for her, as it was for me. Today would be my first visit to a bird sanctuary. The excitement kept me up like an owl the whole night. As the rising sun spread different hues to the sky, the agarbatti’s scent wafted through our home followed by coffee and upma’s aroma. Amma’s cooking always makes us want more even if we are full. So when Daya(our dear friend) came, we wasted no time in doing justice to the upma. We excitedly tied our shoe laces, loaded the camera, waved bye bye to appa-amma and were off to Rangannathittu.

Rangannathittu is 130kms from Bangalore. The best time to visit is from December-June when the migratory birds breed here. This small sanctuary boasts of an impressive list of bird species. Never before had I heard so many birds jamming together. Their chirps mixed with the sound of the river and the leaves of the huge Peepal trees can take anybody to trance. The boat-ride was an amazing experience as we could watch the  Storks, Pelicans, Cormorants, Terns etc. very closely. Be careful as the river hosts some 40 crocodiles 

Painted Stork

Cattle Egret

Rangannathittu - the bird's haven

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

Eyes have it!

River Tern

Jungle Myna

Grey Hornbill

Night Heron

Thanks to Daya and my hubby, we took a small detour and visited Kukkure Bellur where we saw the nesting painted stork. The love and pride with which they looked at their young one was enough to say that children are the most precious jewels for any parent.

Our second detour was to the Dodda Gosai Ghat where the sound of the peaceful river was mixed with the chimes of the temple bells. 

Dodda Gosai Ghat

We finally headed for home at about 6pm. Stopped over at Maddur tiffany's for some steaming hot idli - vada-dosa with yummy chutney. I bet there is some secret recipe to that chutney and a cup of reinvigorating coffee. This was actually a very Good Friday in every sense. It rained and the beautiful scent of the earth captivated our senses.
I have travelled mostly in the north, comparatively South India is a lot less commercialized and has some thousands of destinations to be explored. That night when i closed my eyes i could still hear the gushing sound of the river, i could still smell the magical earth and i could still see some birds hopping on the tree branches. I tried to capture them but i couldn't. I guess some things are captured better in your heart than in your camera. Rangannathittu is one of the best opera's one can attend. For it is the sound of the peaceful earth. Am now looking forward to my next trip to Bangalore.