Making the right choice for a healthy heart

To avoid heart disease in your future, the best way is take action now.Small lifestyle changes or 
#ChhoteKadam like being active,eating better and staying happy can make your heart up to 50% healthier. Even when you are in your late teens or into your 30s.
Eat Better: By Eating Better is a must for your heart's health.
One must adopt a healthy diet and active lifestyle habits. Follow a balanced diet that’s low in sugar, fat, sodium and refined grains.
When we are between 18-35, we think that heart disease affects people only later in life.To some extent its true but make sure to protect your heart now. You and your heart will be happy you did so. 
Young people in transition from adolescence to adulthood are very vulnerable to bad food habits.It is tempting to skip breakfast, order tasty salt-heavy takeout food or crunch potato chips while binge-watching your favorite TV show.  
It is true that the best way to start your day is to have a healthy breakfast.This is the time to say good-bye to some of your favorite foods and drinks that have zero nutritional value like sodas, sugary punches, sugary coffee drinks, many fast foods. Better choices are 100 percent fruit juice or water. 

The best heart-healthy choices are:

• Fruits, veggies
• Whole grains
• Fat-free, 1 percent fat and low-fat dairy products
• Lean meats and poultry without skin, prepared without added saturated and trans fat
• Fish (at least twice a week)
• Limiting sugary foods and beverages

In 30s, one is busy nurturing family and career. These responsibilities can be stressful and time-consuming as a result healthy eating  is ignored.

Eating healthy continues to be a way to prevent heart disease. Reducing sugar and increasing fiber, eat healthy snack options such as yogurt and fruit. Making better food choices

Stay Active. Staying Active is the best tonic for your heart. Find a physical activity that you enjoy on a regular basis.
20s are a great time to start a regular exercise routine. However any age is the right age to start exercising. There are many health benefits, including lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol, which helps keep your cardiovascular system in great condition. When you exercise, your body releases endorphin's, which is a stress-reducer. (Stress is a risk factor for heart disease.) Regular physical activity should include moderate or vigorous aerobic exercise, in addition to muscle-strengthening activities. 

 There are several things one can do to maintain the hearts health. You can make exercise a family affair by biking, hiking or playing sports. A morning at the park playing football or chasing a Frisbee is a fun way to spend a few hours.  This will ensure that you are happy thus keeping heart problems at an arms distance.

 Being Happy is very important for the heart's health. Often we ignore the fact that it can be therapeutic for the heart. Being happy releases the happy hormones in the body that increase the immunity of the body, lowers the stress  and aid the heart to stay and remain healthier. To remain healthy one must indulge oneself in the activities that one enjoys. It could be singing,dancing making sculptures or anything that gives you happiness.

  “I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.”

Stay Active.Eat Better.Be Happy Can Save Your Life

It is very important to keep the heart healthy and for this you need to take the #ChhoteKadam initiative of being active,eating the right food and being happy. This will keep our heart 50% healthier
Being Happy is the best remedy to beat stress.Do not under estimate the power of being happy as it can knock out stress which if not dealt with ca n lead to the following effects...

When you’re stressed your body releases adrenaline into your blood stream, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to go up temporarily. If you’re constantly under stress, your body doesn’t get the chance to rest because you’re always in high gear, and as a result, your artery walls become damaged.Stress makes you feel anxious, tense or depressed; random aches and pains appear out of nowhere; it can make you gain weight and lose sleep; it can even make you sick.We all can try some few things to be stress free.
Happiness increase your ability to face stressful situations without being affected, make the right decisions and come out of such situations with the minimal amount of  stress and effort. The biggest advantage of being happy is that you do not carry stress around. You can remain happy by always maintaining a positive frame of mind. Being happy is all about feeling good about yourself. You can achieve this by practicing yoga, indulging in activities that gives you happiness and enjoyment.

Staying Active is another important step to improve the health of the heart.
Exercise relieves mental and physical tension.Physically active adults have a lower risk of depression and function better mentally. Try walking, swimming, biking or another form of cardio every day.

Take out time for meditation, deep breathing, yoga.Go for a short walk. Whatever activity you find calming, find the time to do it every day for at least 15 minutes.

Try taking 30 to 60 minutes to step away from your desk and decompress.Find ways to decrease the demands made upon your self, if that means being less self critical or having a frank conversation with your superior about adjusting your workload.Try these small steps for better results.

 Eating Better is not just essential for your physical well being but also great for your heart

Track what you eat. A good way of tracking what you eat is to maintain a food diary.

Eat vegetables and fruits in every meal

Eat unrefined fiber-rich whole-grain foods

If you like fish then eat it twice a week

Cut back on added sugars and saturated fats

Do not over eat.
Supplement your meals with green Salads.

 Cut back on alcohol or caffeine.
 These small steps or #ChhoteKadam i.e. Staying Active,Eating Better and Being Happy are things that you need to do to make your heart healthier by up to 50%

“I am joining the Saffolalife #ChhoteKadam initiative in association with BlogAdda and follow these small steps for a healthy heart.”

Die Another Day

"My happy worlds were destroyed. My dreams died. I don't know how to dream anymore." This is exactly what every youth feels today sooner or later.
Our lives have become hectic. We work like machines. There is so much of stress and one does not know how to deal with it. The spirit of fighting back has died within us. All the parts of  http://www.storyofasuicide.com/ are very gripping.
The whole story of http://www.storyofasuicide.com/ is divided into 31 chapters.

The chapter Do you even care is very touching. We think that we can control other lives but the fact is we can’t. Why worry about things which we are not in our control.
Life is very precious and we have no right to end it. Yes but we can handle situations in a way which can bring a smile to others.

The best tip is one must offer help to others.

When you focus your attention to someone else's problems or

needs then you realize how blessed you are and in a way you will

have no time to worry about issues. We all take life and

its treasures and pleasures for granted. Nothing is forever. We should

spend maximum time with our loved ones. Sit together and communicate

face to face instead of phones or whatsapp. Talk about pleasant

things, about hope and happiness. Life is unpredictable so take it as

it comes. When things go out of control don’t stress or frustrate. If

today was a bad day then tomorrow will be better than today there is

always light at the end of a tunnel. We all go through phases in

life. The more you give in the more out of control you will feel. Take

life as an adventure. Learn from your mistakes and experiences. Our

experiences make us stronger. Stressful situations increase our

level of stress hormones so indulge in physical activity. Whenever

you are stressed go for a brisk walk in fresh air. Incorporate

physical activity on a regular basis as this also improves the quality of our sleep.

Never compromise on sleep.

Our body gets strength when we get enough sleep.

Try meditation, take a warm bath for relaxation.

Tell yourself you are the best and say confidently I can handle any situation in life. Nothing can defeat me. I deserve the best things in life.

 Don’t keep things within your self. Talk to your elders, trusted friends or professional counsellors for correct guidance.

Sharing your problem with others gives solutions.

Start writing a diary, pour your heart out in the diary this relieves the stress.

Manage your time so that you take out time for yourself.

Work is important so is your life so give time to yourself and loved ones. Stress can cause health problems or make health problems worse. Yoga is a great stress buster.

A Must Read http://www.storyofasuicide.com/

Queen of Hills Shimla Here We come

When your city swelters in the mid summer heat you start dreaming of taking a break to a beautiful and serene hill station. With such thoughts we have started making preparations to take a break from the grueling heat and escape to the pristine and green covered hill tops of Shimla. A hill station in the state of Himachal Pradesh. For long a visit to Shimla has been on our list of places to visit and now it seems that this dream would see the light of the day.

Since we are starting our journey from Mumbai we decided to fly down to Chandigarh so we searched the various Flight Schedules .

The other option was to book train tickets. Since the flight time is much less we searched and booked the early morning Domestic Airlines tickets as there were quite a few good deals going on. So we booked our return flight on the Mumbai Chandigarh Sector.

Now the question was how would we travel from Chandigarh to Shimla. We could go by road or take a train. We decided to travel from Chandigarh to Kalka by road and from there travel by the Small train to Shimla. This seemed to be the most interesting part of the journey. The distance between Kalka to Shimla is about 96 Kilometers. The hill train or the toy train as people call it covers this distance in 5-6 hours. The beauty of this part of the journey is that the train meanders through the hilly terrain as it climbs up and down the mountains passing through 103 tunnels. The toy train finds a place in the world heritage list of UNESCO. En route to Shimla this toy train passes through the stations of Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Barog, Taradevi and Summer hill . At Barog it passes through the longest tunnel.

This would mean that by the time we reach Shimla it would be already evening so we would go straight to the hotel. Freshen up and go straight to the Mall road. The Mall road is the most happening place of Shimla and is always bustling with people both locals as well as the tourists. After dinner at one of the numerous restaurants at the Mall road we would enjoy the cool weather of Shimla strolling till late evening and then retire for the day. This would complete the itinerary for day 1

Day 2

We would start early and visit the famous Jakhoo hill. This is at a height of 8000 ft and is believed to be the highest peak of Shimla. It is a long trek enjoyed by nature lovers for its natural beauty. For the religiously inclined the steep climb is rewarded by the opportunity to visit the Jhakoo temple which has the 108 ft tall Hanuman idol. By the time we come back it would be mid day and we would have our lunch. Post lunch we would go to the Himalayan Nature Park .

In the evening we plan to visit The Scandal Point and the Ridge. This is a good place to take pictures and enjoy the sunrise and sunset.

Day 3

We would go Naldehra and Shaily Peak and enjoy the natural beauty.

This is a beautiful place to enjoy sunrise and sunset. One can also enjoy horse back rides through the rich and dense deodar trees. After a days picnic we would come back and head towards Chadwick falls and enjoy the waterfall.

Day 4

No visit to Shimla is complete without going to Kufri. The entire day would be spent here enjoying the nature and perhaps taking a horse ride.

Day 5 We would go to Chail and as my family has a number of cricket lovers we are bound to go and see the highest cricket pitch in the world.

Before we head back a visit to the lakkar bazar shimla is a must to buy souvenirs and other wooden handicrafts.

With so much fun in the lap of nature and bag full of gifts to be taken back home we would start our journey back home.

The all new Datsun redi-GO the car with a view

The all new Datsun redi-GO is here and I am so keen to take it for a test drive. Read on to find. 

What do I look for in a new car? The first thing that I look for is the view of the road and the surroundings while sitting in the driver seat. I hate cars where the driver has to crouch in his seat and use guesswork to estimate the road and distance from other traffic. A person driving a car is entitled to a good view of the road and the Datsun redi-GO does just that by providing the best in class view of the road. Thus making driving that much more pleasurable and with enhanced visibility of the road also increases security.

In addition the “Adaptive Electric Power Steering” is an added plus as it helps the driver  achieve High maneuverability at low speeds and stability at high speeds. This gives the person driving the car more control over the car and enhances the overall driving experience. 

The seats are so designed that they provide higher degree of bolstering support while cornering.

The occupants are safe as the steering wheel absorbs the impact force and protects the occupants due to the presence of Energy Absorbing Steering and Airbag.

The second thing I look for is the ease of driving and control. So I am attracted by the fact that the new Datsun redi-GO lets the driver turn the car in a 4.7m radius. Now for a person like me and many others who have little and small parking space this comes as great news.

This better feature gives me better car control and better utilization of spaces. The fact that the designers who have designed its air conditioning have taken extra care to ensure that 50 percent of the air gets to those sitting in the rear seats so it does not matter if you are sitting in the front or rear seats the air conditioning would work for you equally well. Datsun redi-GO comes fitted with a large 89 CC compressor and offers  a high cooling capacity,this keeps the car cool and comfortable in every weather. The design incorporates an aluminum assembly which enhances the efficiency of the air conditioning. 

Thirdly the looks and the styling of the new Datsun redi-GO makes it Chic, uber  and trendy drive of choice of the hip and the happening.

Its YUKAN DESIGN makes use of forward styling that one gets in crossover vehicles, this makes the Datsun redi-GO get extra brownie points with its wide robust stance and design that give plenty of roominess and a sporty look. Its sleek smooth silhouette and Lean & dynamic side character lines enhance its beauty and makes it a compelling reason to own this beauty.

D-CUT GRILLE that is a mark of high quality assurance associated with the brand Datsun, the gem-inspired chrome bezel and the subtle honeycomb pattern enhances its beauty as it elegantly holds and displays the Datsun badge.

Its elegant High Stance not only gives you a very good view from the inside of the car but it also makes it stand out in terms of design and looks.

Its daytime running lamps puts it in the class of those elegant and elite super luxury cars that flaunt these daytime running lamps. However these daytime running lamps makes the Datsun redi-GO a heart stealer.A car that I would like to take to parties, long drives and to office every day.

That is not all with the i-SAT ENGINE and a fuel efficiency of 25.17 kmpl the Datsun redi-GO is here to win hearts and rule the roads.

Want to test drive this beauty ? then download the Datsun India app to book your own Datsun redi-GO, today.You can also book India's first urban cross online, through Snapdeal - India’s leading e-commerce website, or by visiting your nearest Datsun dealership.

Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback. 

Let us Recreate The Festival Of Holi

Getting along,having differences or even having a fight among friends,family members ,relative neighbors or even colleagues has been an integral part of the human behavior However in how many parts of the world would you find a day dedicated to patching up with someone with whom you had a fight.

No I am not reading out from the pages of a mythological book nor am I dreaming. I have lived and seen those times and the magic of the festival of Holi unfold and am merely sharing my memories with you. On one hand Holi represented the end of Winters and the onset of Summers .One could experience the change in climate and it is the time to pack away the woolens. On the other side it used to work as a great opportunity to patch up as it brought together fiercest of enemies who could not see eye to eye yet on this day they would come together hug smear color on to each other and make up. Such was the magic of Holi.
It truly had a magical cultural effect that brought people together.It was indeed an Indian festival that people from all walks of life,caste and religion took part in and enjoyed. Unlike other festivals where one celebrates according to the depth of one's pocket. Holi used to be the day of celebration where there used to be no difference between the rich and the poor. It was a festival that we celebrated at various levels. Firstly it was played at the domestic level where all the members of the family would get together play Holi and eat the home made sweets like Gujiyas and Samosas.
 However in the hustle and bustle of life somewhere the festival of Holi got left behind. I do not see those family celebrations any more nor is the tradition of going door to door to visit and greet our neighbors seems to be prevalent any more. I feel that by not celebrating this festival we are letting go of the tradition, It is also an opportunity lost to wash away our differences and the day to day stresses. So I take a pledge that from this year on words I would like to recreate the magic of Holi by not only celebrating this beautiful festival at our home but to invite as many neighbors as possible and spread the Holi Cheer far and wide and celibrate the true spirit of Holi which says #KhulKeKheloHoli Lets once more turn back to our childhood and play Holi with our loved ones like never before. Engulf every one in one color that is the color of your sweet love.
Make this Holi most memorable for yourself as well as for others.

“I’m pledging to #KhulKeKheloHoli this year by sharing my Holi memories at BlogAdda in association with Parachute Advansed.”

My Memories of Holi

Holi has been the most important festival for me right for my childhood. It meant going and spending the whole day with my grandparents. I used to look forward to this day. There was a lot that happened on this day. Firstly on the day prior to the day of playing Holi I could witness the ladies from neighboring houses go to the temple and pray. In the evening there used to be a huge bonfire where the ladies from the neighborhood would come and pray. The ambiance created by the flames burning bright rising from the crackling wooden logs rising skywards mixed with the cacophony of sounds. Sounds of coaches and folk songs made it a night to remember. Indeed those nights were magical.

What used to follow the next day was also truly unique. As the day of Holi used to be a festival of celebration like no other So days in advance ingredients like melon and watermelons seeds ,khus etc would be procured cleaned and measured in the right proportions. Then on the morning of the Holi festival they would be finely ground into a very fine paste.I have my earliest memories of this mix being grinded by the women of the house on a large stone mortar & pestle however later on a mixi was used as it was quicker doing it this way. Then this mix would be passed through a fine cloth used as a Strainer. This would go into making of Thandai . Mixed with the application of gulal on our faces this thandai proved to be very relaxing. As the women of the household went about preparing the various dishes we children would run around trying to drench one another with water or wet colors.
This was just the start and our excitement mounted as relatives and neighbors began to pour in Each came armed with a packet of gulal in his hand.We would pounce on it as soon as they kept it aside and emptied the entire contents on them. Their faces looked so funny that we could not stop laughing. We had a big mirror in the gallery and when these people saw themselves in it their first reaction was one of shock and then they too burst out with laughter.
As girls our activities were restricted to the confines of our home but yes we could go out on the balcony and terrace to target any available people and color them to our hearts content. We would also help our brothers by replenishing the colors and gulal and also filling their Pichkaris again and again. This was hectic work and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Then we the womenfolk got together to have a Holi blast and there was a lot of running as we ran after each other with color in our hands to play #KhulKeKheloHoli .It was great fun Then it was time to have the Holi lunch which was indeed a treat and mouth watering. The very word Holi takes me back to my childhood days and I wish that I was a child once again.

“I’m pledging to #KhulKeKheloHoli this year by sharing my Holi memories at BlogAdda in association with Parachute Advansed.”

Share the Load

I am thankful to Ariel for giving me this opportunity to add my powerful voice to the Ariel #ShareTheLoad activity at BlogAdda!
“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.”
A gender double standard has always been a part of our society till today. I have been witnessing such indiscrimination’s since childhood. Household chores are the exclusive domain of women and men are not expected to do domestic and kitchen work. Why this discrimination. It is true children learn from their parents and follow what is happening in the house. Its shocking but true that 2 out of every 3 children think that washing clothes is a mothers job.78% of girls in India agree that they should learn laundry as they will have to do it when they grow up. When girls are working full time then why 81% of married men of India agree that their daughters must learn household chores. While we talk of equality of both genders the mindset of people are the same. I have been seeing my grand mother doing all the household work and my mother was taught the same that all the household work is to be done by the women of the house including the laundry of the males of the house. Now in today’s scenario when girls are working and are financially independent but still she is expected to do the laundry of the household. If any male is seen doing the laundry he is called a joru ka gulam or being criticized by elders and friends. When I met a boy for matrimonial alliance I was told clearly that apart from doing my job I was supposed to do the entire house cleaning and washing the clothes. I want a husband who respects women’s independence and agrees to share the workload including helping me with the laundry. 

Women are treated like prisoners no magazines to read, no outings or parties. Girls were not even allowed to talk loudly whereas the boys are allowed to shout, play and run carefree. And these rules were handed over from one women generation to another. I always heard in my childhood from my grandmother that being woman was a curse. Today women are lucky and have wide opportunities. We are career women, homemaker or both. Both roles are demanding, competition oriented multiple roles which are both an emotional and physical stress for women. Unfortunately women lack support of family. Women have developed more through the passage of time they are good in offices and good homemakers and bringing up children as well. But these demanding multiple roles do not leave enough time for themselves. Let’s break this prejudice and stop passing this wrong ideology to our next generation.

 “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.”

Laundry is not a womans job alone

Today woman is economically independent. She is a good homemaker as well as a good in her office work. But managing all the roles leaves her very stressed and may be this is the reason that there are more cases of divorce, domestic violence in spite of the fact that there are less extended family these days. It is important to have a right balance between young couples so when both wife and husband are working then they should share the work load equally as well. I love socializing with my friends. After spending a hectic week schedule I plan group activities like shopping, movies, outing with family and friends. Whenever I ask my best friend to join me on a Sunday for an outing she always refuses only because she does all the laundry on a Sunday. One day out of curiosity I visited her to see why she says she is doing the laundry every Sunday. I was shocked to see pile of clothes stacked in the laundry bag. I asked her why so many clothes are lying in a corner. She told me as she is a working lady and she does not get enough time to clean clothes on work days so all the family members stack up the dirty clothes and linen in the corner so that my friend who gets only one break in a week can clean the clothes. I asked her where are the other members of her family and why don’t they help her in doing this job after all it’s not her work to wash all alone the clothes of the entire family. She took a deep sigh and told me that her husband has taken the children for an outing and moreover cleaning clothes is supposed to be a woman’s job. Her mother, grand mother has been doing the same and she has to follow the same routine. She questioned me if I had ever seen any advertisement on TV where the husband or a male of the house is shown doing the laundry. It is always a female model that is shown cleaning the clothes for it’s only a woman’s domain. House work including laundry is only the responsibility of the women of the house. If the clothes are not nicely washed or cleaned it’s her responsibility only. Whether she wishes to clean or not it’s her ultimate duty. Even my friends little children don’t find it odd that their mother is cleaning their dirty clothes while they are enjoying their weekend with their friends. Its strange that we are progressing but our mindsets are still the same.
Its time to fight back the imbalance within the household by asking #IsLaundryOnlyAWomansJob
and asking men to #ShareTheLoad. We need a long term solution to this problem by nipping the prejudice at the bud. Children learn what they see and what they are taught by their parents. So if they see that household chores are the exclusive domain of women, they will carry this prejudice into their adult lives and expect the women to do all the chores and especially laundry..

“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.”