Confessions of a Cola Addict: easy

GUIDE TO A RELAXED CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a festival that transcends religion, as far as I see it. And for good reason. What's not to like about a day filled with fun, family, food, presents? My Christmas memories growing up are these fancy orange-jujup cocktail sticks my aunt would make, plum cakes my father would bring home every single Christmas eve, strolling down a gloriously lit Park Street and the thrill of finding a present under my pillow...

As I have grown up old, my love for Christmas has only multiplied and even though I am away from my family, I have a 10-step plan to make the most of my favourite holiday with loved ones who have become my family in this city.

1. GET INTO THE SPIRIT & DRESS UP!

No, not like a Christmas tree but a little something to add the festive spirit. I've been infusing the Christmas vibe with a red lip here, gold sandals there, with my emerald earrings thrown in the middle. OR go all out and be that girl who rocks a santa cap like a boss. It's christmas after all!

2. DRESS THE SPACE

It ain't Christmas without some green, red and gold! My tree is still under construction and I need to have it up before midnight. I am also yet to put up these amazing golden snowflakes that make me soooo happy! Can't wait to wrap up work and rush home to all this craftiness!

3. ATTEND MASS

Bandra is home to some of the most beautiful churches in Mumbai. I am hoping to attend a midnight mass at either St. Stanislaus, St. Peter's, St. Andrews or Mount Mary's.

4. BLAST THE CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST

Ho ho ho! Merrry Christmas! It's 25th morning and before I can even think coffee, there will be three things I do: put on my red socks, put on my santa cap, put on my christmas playlist. Somehow and I don't know how, nothing feels like Christmas more than George Michael!

5. WAKE UP TO A SPECIAL BREAKFAST

Santa is being very kind this year and he is bringing to town my closest friends to stay with me the long weekend. They arrive tomorrow AM and I was giddily excited to come up with a festive breakfast to welcome them.

I am thinking French Toast rolls with cream-cheese & cherry jam filling. It remarkably fits the christmas colour scheme so double yay!

6. WATCH A HOLIDAY MOVIE

At some point in the day (most likely after the festive lunch we are scheming) I will squeeze in a lazy, sprawled-on-the-couch viewing of either of these two holiday movies...I don't know which yet but just to clarify, I have seen both a million times :D

7. BAKE!

I was gifted an OTG this October that I have not yet. So with a little help from my visiting bestie, baking will be the last new thing I do before the year ends. So far I am thinking salted caramel cookies but I could be persuaded otherwise. Yesterday I stumbled upon Cup of Jo's chocolate recipes and now my mind is running wild!

8. BE MY OWN SANTA

So Santa doesn't cater to adults...but I am not one to deny myself a good holiday present. I already bought me my christmas pressie and I am in LOVE! Say hi to the newest member of my modest window-sill garden. Isn't she a beauty?

9. SLOW DOWN AND SOAK IT ALL IN

Apparently Mumbai is seeing one of it's coldest winters in a decade, which is perfect for some blanket snuggles, sipping my awesome hot chocolate (yeah, no modesty about my culinary triumphs #sorrynotsorry), nibbling on the aforementioned cookies and enjoying a round or many of Taboo, UNO or Monopoly Deal. #bliss

10. PLAY SANTA

Apart from the obligatory office secret-santa, I haven't gifted anyone for Christmas in years. So this year I plan to buy a present for someone I love or someone in need. Or maybe both!

Thank you for spending this time here and I wish you and your loved ones a very happy christmas!

04:13
2 Comments

LIFE | BEST GUIDED MEDITATION

app

I am deeply humoured by this video not just for the boyish crudeness but because it adds the much needed lightness to the complex monstrosity some people are making meditation out to be these days. I have tried many a guided meditations only to either get annoyed mid way or crack up. It was good to laugh and remember that meditation is supposed to destress you. Not the other way around.

But for times when I try to meditate seriously, I go to Calm. Its a wonderful and free app available on Play Store.

I absolutely love the app interface. It is clean, beautiful and simple to navigate.

The audio options available are simply beautiful. Non interfering and soothing, these sounds are probably my favouritest feature of the app. For the longest time I was using the app as a sound machine of sorts. I would put it on a 10 minute timer and keep the phone next to my pillow listening to Rain on Leaves while I drift off.

Currently, I am listening to Into the Horizon which is a slightly advanced audio with mild chanting in the background. It is a deeply soothing and calming, even if you don't chant along.

The app offers three kinds of meditation options.

1> Preset programs to follow daily. I have passed on this because I am simply unable to commit to it daily and entirely unable to focus for 10 minutes at a stretch. I picture my thoughts going somewhat like this in my brain the moment I sit to meditate...

I am serious, this is exactly how I feel. No jokes. I have just gotta try harder.

2 > There is the guided meditation section and I am yet to get to these. I feel these guided meditations are more advanced and require a stronger mind to follow along the instructions.

3> I am a total kindergartener when it comes to meditation. My babystep is to try and control my thoughts for 5 minutes at a time, without anyone jabbering in the background. I also love that they have the option of as little as 1,2,3 minutes. For someone who is starting out, trying to focus for 30 minutes straightaway is pretty unreasonable I think.

The app keeps a tab of how much time I have clocked on the profile. As you can see, mine is pretty appalling. But I'm trying. And I'd be dishonest if I didn't mention that the mornings when I manage to clock 5 minutes of Calm, the energy is definitely different than the other days.

Do drop a line on your experience, if you try the app.

05:55
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LIFE | WEEKEND SNAPSHOTS

09:37
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FITNESS | MAY AGENDA

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Does anyone else believe in jinx?
Well I know I do. And you'll know why in about 3 sentences.

Impressed by my discipline and dedication, I had gloated just a tiny bit in February and then to my many friends in March about my new trainer and the great workout and look what happened...

April was MAYHEM times 10!

No workout
No regular meals
(well I had no home for about 10 days so that's that)
OTT fast food consumption
and the cherry on top, insane stress that must have released buckets of cortisol in my system making it go somewhat like this

Yeeeeeee me.

But now that the shit storm has subsided and I am slowly coming to terms with my new abode (I want to gush about this later), it's time to take control.

Step 1 of damage control was visiting my nutritionist and getting a reality check. And as expected, my weight and fat levels are at my all time worst. Honestly man, I have not been this gutted in a long long time. Seeing the unbelievable 70 on the scale was numbing, then terrifying. After lots of AA type confessions later the POA was drafted...

The mission to go slow and correct the larger issues.

Step 1 > fix a wake up time. The eating pattern goes into monkey mode if the wake up time keeps varying. Also, this is something I also struggle with so definitely to be fixed.

Step 2 > get back on the eating right wagon. I need to get back to starting my day with the metabolism boosting cinnamon-honey paste downed with hot water and then a healthy breakfast which should preferably oats which keeps me filled longer and is also know to help fight cholesterol

Step 3 > which is the tricky one, exercise. And I have no idea how to approach the workout situation. I could start with my trainer but I am kinda broke-ish. Alternately, I could start by using the office gym which is pretty well equipped and well, free! except that I have to reach work by 8 which is tad over ambitious. Plan C, start walking everyday, which honestly, is the least likely to happen because it is the single most boring workout EVER!

My lovely nutritionist gave me a killer idea...switch on youtube and follow a zumba video! At home, free, not time bound and fun! Hmm...I think I am tipping towards this the most, To complement, I am very inclined to put my very robust Pinterest board to good use and try a few plans. Ambitious, you say? I so agree but hey, I am trying!

I am willing to cut myself a little slack today and tomorrow and as the weekend begins, I want to get this plan into action.

Is there anyone listening to my woes? Do you have a pearl of wisdom to help me through? Kinda sinking here...

05:44
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MOTIVATION | Excuse the excuses | START

any

In an earlier post I had talked about how all good intentions of getting healthy are usually met with stronger than steel excuses that are sometimes are worth taking a deeper look into but mostly they just plain lazy excuses. Period.

Its been six years since I have been on this whine. I noticed my overweight at 55. Today I am 67. What I consistently done in these 6 years is whine and worry about this. What I have not done is an honest to god effort. And the top two excuses were...*drumrolls*

TIME AND PLACE.

Time: There are 24 hours in a day. My dermat pleaded me to just do thirty minutes of brisk walking promising results good results not just for my skin but overall wellbeing. Thirty minutes from twenty four hours! Can I give you some more good news? This doesn't have to be everyday. Thrice a week is all she asked for. Its not it. But its a start.

Let me break it down further: there are 1,00,800 minutes in a week. One lakh and eight hundred!

And all we need are just 90 minutes. Ninety.

If we cannot manage even this much then its all just sham isn't it?

Place: Not everyone has the means to pay for a gym membership. Gym memberships cost more than my monthly rent these days. And lets say you do manage to get the membership, there is no guarantee you'd actually get there. Ask me, I cringe at the thought of how much of my hard-earned monies have gone to waste over the years out of sheer laziness.

And let's say you are this awesome soul who dedicatedly reaches the gym everyday. Gyms nowadays are seeing so much traffic that the common slots like early morning or early evening are terribly crowded that you end up waiting around for a couple of hours to use 45mins. Everyone may not have that kind of time to accomodate this.

Basically, what I am trying to say is, excuses will be in plenty. But if the intention is there, there is a way.

If there is even a small part of you that relates with this then please let me tell you, its not worth it. The worrying and whining when actually not making an honest effort...all you'll gain is depression and more weight. Its all I think about and its all I feel guilty about day in and day out. That's no way to live. I am making an effort. I could use some motivation from you.

Try this. Start with two sets a day. See how far you can go by end of month.

http://teenshealthandfitness.tumblr.com/image/74106377579

START.

Let me know how it goes.

Love

03:05
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RECIPE | Lazy girl pancakes

blog

Pancakes is not a food native to me. It does not remind me of cheery Sunday mornings of my childhood or my mother's house. I don't possess a secret family recipe. But somehow, pancakes have come to be my breakfast de choix of adult life, spelling comfort and decadence and luxury. I blame over-exposure to American sitcoms.

Anyhow, last year, when I had to go glutten-free for a few months, the biggest blow was not being able to eat pancakes on Sunday mornings. After tolerating lots and lots of whining, my boyfriend forwarded me one of those internet forwards about two-ingredient pancakes. I had seen those but was totally convinced that it won't work but I was WRONG. The concept is GENIUS!

Click on the image below to get the recipe. I have tried these and they kept me happy for a long long time. I would add:
a glug of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and fry on a non-stick pan thinly lined with butter. So easy, so yummy! And quiet guilt-free. The banana adds so much sweetness and juiciness that you don't miss the syrup, at all!

But every now and then greedy me craves the real stuff. Fluffy, spongy cakes doused in maple syrup...*dreamland*

Now I don't believe in deprivation and support moderation instead. So in honour of pancake day, I am sharing my DIY dry-mix which is the fastest way to make the fluffiest pancakes that will brighten a dreary, hungover Sunday morning.

For my easy, effing cheap, chemical free ready mix you'll need:

500gm flour
3 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4tbsp vanilla sugar

Put everything in a jar and tumble. Store normally; no need to freeze. These keep good for a month or two months happily. But why would you store these that long?!

Now, a lazy girl would dump a cup of dry mix, one egg, a cup of milk, a dollop of butter into a mixer jar and give it a few good whizzes. Give the whisk a stink eye. Open jar, check, add a glug of vanilla and whiz some more. That's it. Ladle mixture straight from the jar onto the non-stick pan lined with a little butter. Enjoy with syrup, custard, jam, nutella....ah, its endless!

Just promise me you won't feel guilty while enjoying these babies. Adopt moderation not deprivation and that is my key to guilt-free happiness.

Love
S

03:39
0 Comments

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GUIDE TO A RELAXED CHRISTMAS

LIFE | BEST GUIDED MEDITATION

LIFE | WEEKEND SNAPSHOTS

FITNESS | MAY AGENDA

MOTIVATION | Excuse the excuses | START

RECIPE | Lazy girl pancakes

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