You don't like water? Try some coconut water!

Isn't the summer heat getting you down? Even a minute's walk in scorching sun makes me a little dizzy. So even though I live about 15 minutes away from my workplace, I'm frazzled at the end of the commute. And I take a rickshaw :|

Anyway, my Dad has suddenly got it into his head to get me some tender coconut water daily. And wow, it's made such a big difference! So I decided to do a bit of research about coconut water.

Here are some of the health benefits of drinking coconut water:

Thirst-quencher:

A draught of tender coconut water is super hydrating

Energy Drink:

Rich in minerals, vitamins, and electrolytes, it gives your energy levels an instant boost

Quiets Hunger Pangs:

Tender coconut water post-breakfast keeps you sated till lunch-time (only if you eat at noon). So it helps curb your hunger cravings. And hey, it's naturally sweet! So coconut water also takes care of your sugar cravings

Cleanses your Skin:

Aha! That's got the attention of pimply teens! :P Apparently applying coconut water on your God-awful zits and spots clears up your skin.

18 Forever:

While staying 18 forever is impossible, you can at least slow down the signs that herald the onset of aging. According to some research or the other, cytokinins in tender coconut water slowdown the effects of aging.

There are other health benefits of drinking coconut water too, like it helps dissolve kidney stones and ease your hangover symptoms. This low-fat health drink is also beneficial for your heart's health.

So drink away to stay hydrated and healthy this summer :)

An impressive list of ingredients in coconut water:

• Potassium 
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Sodium
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Iodine
• Sulfur
• Manganese
• Boron
• Molybdenum
• Ascorbic acid
• B-group vitamins

How to lose weight without a gym?

I hate gyms. The idea of exercising in a closed room using daunting (and not to mention heavy) equipment gives me the willies. So I researched all night and all day on weight loss without exercise, as if I was researching for an antidote to a slow poison that's killing me. Finally I came up with a plan that has served me well. I was 69 kgs earlier, and today I am 54. This happened over a period of a year. Instant weight loss is definitely not possible.

Here are some of my weight loss tricks:

• Drink a glass of water (warm water with honey and lemon juice is the best) as soon as you wake up
• Have a banana – it helps with digestion and what not. The idea is that the more goes out, the less stays on you :P
•  Do some basic stretching exercises followed by push ups or surya namaskar (do this only if you know how to!)
• Have breakfast by 8 AM, a juice or two digestive biscuits by 10.30 AM, lunch by 12.30 PM, a healthy snack and a juice at 4.30 PM, dinner by 7.30 PM.
• Eat small meals. No fried food and sweets please. You can treat yourself to one fried item/1 sweet per week if you're that desperate.
• Most complain they don't have time. Well, at least you can walk 20 minutes a day, right? Just make sure the first 5 minutes you walk at normal speed and then gradually increase the pace till you're walking briskly. You can take Sundays off :)

Follow my healthy weight loss plan and you can see the difference for yourself. I'll write some more on this topic soon. Toodles till then!

Indelible Fiction – My Not-So-Secret Retreat

Ever since I remember remembering things and filing them away in my mind for future use – which is nothing short of a miracle considering my poor memory – I have always loved retreating deep into my mind. Reality has never interested me. I always had my nose buried in a book, and when I wasn’t reading, I was dreaming. My dreams would vary depending on my mood and the book I’d be reading at that time.

 At times I would be intrigued by life’s little mysteries like where do the birds go to die, while at other times I would pretend to be an elf – lithe, swift, and nimble. And elves are magical creatures. So I would weave story after story and fight great battles in my head. I was full of wars, sorrow, tragedy, happiness, bloodshed, and my books alone know what else.

The life I lived outside my mind was worth nothing compared to goings-on within my mind. So you cannot really blame me if the thoughts and ideas from my books have addled my brain a bit. Now I find that I cannot control myself anymore. They all MUST come out in some form or the other. That’s when I started this other blog called Indelible Fiction.

Through this blog I plan to express all my dreams. The blog will be as random as our minds are. The first post was posted a year ago and now I’m in the process of writing the second one. The second one is going to be a little story…the protagonist may be the girl from my first post. I don’t know…yet. Like I said, I always promise randomness :)

So check out this blog and feel free to comment.

May both my blogs rain posts enough to sate thirsting bloggers. Amen.

Just my luck :)

I’m not sure I believe in luck, you know. As soon as I say something like “Hey, I’m so lucky to blah blah blah”, a damn pigeon craps on me. See what I mean? Not even a crow! Coz apparently, it’s lucky if a crow poops on you :|

And just when some well-meaning friend tells me that the wrong planet is now doing the rounds in the wrong house, something really good happens. So rather than remaining in this state of perpetual wonderment, I choose not to believe or disbelieve. So I royally ignore the concept of luck.

But what I do believe in is the power of the mind. It’s just amazing how controlling your thoughts can change your life. Now I don’t claim to be some kinda guru or anything. I don’t like preaching to anyone because you gotta live life the way you want and pave your own path.

I’ve always thought it’s wrong to say that the road less traveled is the better one…just go wherever you want to…You don’t have to have a dream or do something great (or what’s deemed great in the eyes of the world), as long as you’re doing what you want to.

To ensure I do the things most important to me every day, I’ve penned them down on my phone and saved the note as my lockscreen paper. I’ll share the less personal ones here:

                        Did you do this today? 

 Breathe deeply?
Drink water?
Stretch?
Take a walk?
 Write?
Cannot reveal.
Cannot reveal.

If I can answer yes to the above list, then I’ve had a highly productive day. This way I can make every single day - the awesome and the unawesome ones - count.

By the way, the number of “things to do” total 7…the supposedly “magical number”. Lucky, eh? ;)

Troubled by Thyroid

Thyroid has become as common as dirt now. Every second person has it, and my body decided it had to jump the thyroid bandwagon too.

Oh, by the way, the latest range for TSH is now 0.3-3.0. The debate still rages on in medical circles.

The long and short of my story is that I’ve got hypothyroid (yes, it’s the one that makes you fat and no, I haven’t turned into an elephant) and I’ve learnt how to manage it. Here’s how:

·         Take your medicine regularly and as soon as you wake up. I keep mine near my bed along with a bottle of water.

·         Move your body as often and as much as possible to improve your mood

My schedule: I walk up the stairs (so what if it’s two flights!), take my dog out for a minimum 15-minute walk (morning and evening), play TT when I can, and do simple stretches after I pop my pill.

·         Eat small, healthy meals at regular intervals to boost your metabolism

I have breakfast between 7-7.30 AM, a juice or snack at 10.30 AM, lunch between 12-12.30 PM, snacks at 4 PM, and dinner by 8 PM. Never let your tummy be hungry! J

That’s it. Just follow the above steps and you’ll see your symptoms disappearing within three weeks. One thing’s for sure…you cannot practice any one of the above in isolation; they have to go hand-in-hand.

Nobody believes me when I explain I have “the one that makes me fat” just because I’m slim. But I know what a fight it’s been and what a long way I’ve come.

So even if you’re fat and bloated, in the depths of depression, tired beyond belief, and experiencing crazy mood swings – know that there is hope, know that it is easily manageable. I did it and so can you. After all, “We are of one blood, you and I” – Rudyard Kipling.

Woof woof, cough cough

The problem of taking your dog for a walk when you have a severe cough is that people glare at your dog for his incessant barking, when it’s actually you coughing…I got several such stares and glares when I took Rusty for his usual morning walk.

And the people here are just so mean. There was this moment when I was doubled up and slightly staggering on the road….I mean, I could have been having a heart attack or something. But did anyone even bother to ask? No. They all just walked past me staring at me like I’m an escaped lunatic. One little girl actually giggled. For heaven’s sake people should get a grip. That’s NOT how you behave when you see a potential heart patient!

But hey, this is my first bit of news that happened in the years I stopped blogging…I got a dog! Actually, my Mum got one. Bored of sitting at home alone (she’s retired) while my Dad and I went off to work, my Mum decided she wanted to adopt a pup. So just like that we just adopted a puppy from the road. Now he has his own papers and all...he's a legal fella.

When I first saw him, he was among his brothers and sisters looking at some distant object. He looked semi-alert and shit scared. Then a crow gave out a harsh caw. Rusty shot off at great speed and hid under a car. I was like Uh oh! I doubt if Mum could handle a dog who takes off like that. But then I saw his eyes...beautiful, clear, green eyes...and it was love at first sight for me.

I guess I have a thing for eyes. Whether it’s a man, a dog or a cat, the eyes really make me fall for them. Anyway, so that’s how we brought Rusty home, who has since then become a really important member of our family. I’ll try putting up some pics now…but my Net’s decided to do the snail walk. Let’s see.

Bow wow till then! :)

Back again :)

This time I refuse to make any promises because I realize I suck at keeping them. This could just be a one-off post or I may start blogging again regularly. I really don't know, so I'm keeping it open :)

A lot has happened over the years. I don't feel like delving into the past now, but bit by bit it may all come out. At present I have a temperature that rises and falls whenever it wants to, and a cold that loves me. The holiday today gave me a chance to rest and since I dislike “resting”, here I am typing away.

I just reread the first line and the all too familiar feeling of guilt streaks through me. Damn, that feeling cuts like a knife. The first line is a bloody understatement. I don’t keep ANY of my promises. Still, I guess there’s time for me to improve. Maybe I can keep a Promise Book to maintain a record…or maybe I should just learn to say no.

Sheesh, this is a pretty gloomy comeback post I can see. I guess I’ll lighten up once the cold gets better. It doesn’t help when you begin your morning watching The Descendants. And this was followed by Letters to Juliet, which was absolute crap. Oh well, to each his own, I suppose. I bet some girl must’ve cried her eyes out when a couple meets after 50 years. Unrequited love is something that won’t move the heart (whose existence I doubt) of a cold person like me.

Anyway, since I don’t seem to have much to say right now, maybe I’ll be back later. When I find my tongue. And sense of humour. Toodles! :)

When I turned 23...

I never thought I would like the age 23...it's such a weird number. I loved 18, 21 and 22...19 & 20 I could bear, but 23!!! I just didn't want to be that age. However, all the forces of the universe conspired against me and made me turn the inevitable 23 :(


As time relentlessley proceeded towards that fateful day - March 18, 2010 - my phone began beeping. I looked at the time. It was just 11 PM and a birthday message already! It turned out to be my friend NC.

NC: Why couldn't your birthday come sooner??? You should have been born a few hours earlier na.


ME: As if you did me the good turn of being born earlier :P


NC: I'm sleepy...can't I wish you now and sleep? I'll be the first one then...


ME: You can, coz even I'm sleepy :)


NC: Then sleep na, who's stopping you? What do you think, I'll come to your place with a cake at 12???

In this vein our messaging continued till 11.45 PM, when he finally wished me and slept off. Just then, my friend Indira, who is staying with me for a while, returned after watching that day's IPL. I started getting calls and she went inside to change or something. At 12.05 AM the doorbell rang. I jumped at least a foot in the air and I got to know first-hand the meaning of people's "hearts jumping into their mouths". In case this seems like unecessary drama, I'll put up an audio file of how my century-old bell rings...it jangles with such vehemence that sometimes I feel the dead will walk again.

Anyway, wide-eyed with anticipation, I opened the door...a stranger was standing outside.

MAN: Sreshta..er...Verma? (My real name)


ME: (Eyes, if possible, became wider) Huh?


MAN: Happy Bdday (He pronounced it like that!)


ME: (Gaping with mouth slightly open) Huh?

MAN: Well, he didn't actually say anythin. He just thrust a huge & very beautiful boquet of carnations and a plastic bag in my hands. Still stupefied, I looked inside my house helplessley, as if help would arrive somehow. Well, it did!!! Indira suddenly entered the living room and smiling, said, "Happy Birthday!" She has a rather sweet smile, which can immediately turn into a frown if you don't comply with her wishes. "Sit", she commanded, more like to a dog than a human. I obliged, while she paid the chap at the door.

Gosh, even in my wildest dreams I wouldn't have thought she would arrange for my favourite cake and such beautiful flowers...our mutual friend Dpk had also sent a gift for me - a little bottle of somethin ;) We spoke and played ludo (my fav board game, which also Indira gifted me), while I finished the "somethin" ;) Dpk was ready to bring reinforcements, but I had to get up early next morning...

Next morning I woke up in the same position I had slept in - not surprising considering what I had - at 6.40. In a flash I remembered I was supposed to meet Amey at some station and go to Manori beach!!! Lord, how I rushed! We had an amazing time at the beach...the minute I saw the sea I ran in and began hopping over the waves (that pretty much I can do...can't swim).

After spending a beautiful day out, I went to my parent's place for dinner and finally came back home. Indira informed me there was a note for me. Curious, I opened a piece of paper -

Dearest Tashi,


Many, many, happy returns of the day! I have three surprises for you:


1) Balcony


2) Fridge (Small one)


3) Bedroom


See ya on Sunday! Love, Mum.

I could hardly believe my eyes!!! In the balcony she had kept four potted plants (was about to buy some), in the fridge my favourite watermelon juice, and in the bedroom a stand having forks and spoons, which was conspicuous by its absence at my house. She wanted to organise a treasure hunt it seems, but didn't feel quite upto it. My God, it was so sweet of her to do so much!

This was my best birthday EVER...thanks to Indira, Dpk, Amey and my Mum. Oh yeah, thanks even to NC and the man-stranger-delivery guy at the door :D