Holiday Moves For Smoother Curves

By Pallavi Sharma

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! These words bring to mind an invariable image of cakes, muffins, pies, wines, champagnes and all of the wonderfully delicious delicacies known to mankind. Now that’s the positive thought! Moving on to the after effects, visualize yourself stepping on to a scale after a hearty Thanksgiving dinner and boy have you put on pounds! Imagine it is the beginning of a new year and you can’t fit into that sexy dress anymore. Now that’s a great start to a new year! Yes, I am on the same page with all of you who have been experiencing the pleasures and woes of the holidays. But you can change that by using this two step process.

The first step is quite obvious – EAT RIGHT! By that I do not mean starving or even completely doing without the goodies. It simply means that you control the portions of your food. Have smaller sizes – Instead of a large piece of that apple pie, just have a sliver. Instead of a huge muffin, go for a smaller piece of cake. I hope you get the drill. The idea is simply to eat just the right amount so you feel good and still have enough energy to run half a mile rather than feel sick to your stomach. Trust me, this is quite DOABLE!

The next step is to burn those consumed yummy calories. Let them not hangout in that wonderful body for long! Being a workout freak that I am, I can’t imagine a day without sweating it out on the treadmill or in my yoga class. That’s my secret to keeping those pounds off. But for individuals who find it hard to make it to a gym or even a group-fitness class for that matter, here are some great circuit training exercises which you can quite easily do in the comfort of your home. The following video consists of four sets of great exercises which involves cardio-vascular work, strength training and core work quite well. Check it out!

Wow, she surely is inspiring, isn’t she! So if you want to get a body as great as her and have your friends and family wonder about the secret behind your smashing look regardless of the holidays, stay consistent with the two step process! Stay healthy, look beautiful, because you deserve it!

The Golden Grain : Quinoa

By Pallavi Sharma

Wow! There goes the glare, and here come the minced words! Yes people, I completely understand the cause of your frustration, anger and probably a depletion of interest in my blog. So here’s what happened to me, the cold cough and irritating flu of a writer, the Writer’s Block. Yes! it caught me too and pushed me down into this couch of laziness and lack of motivation. But the constant Advil doses of regular motivation from some truly concerned friends, brought me back up again and I feel ALIVE! So this one’s for all you information hoggers out there. Come feed on this brand new information that I am about to share with you and enrich your lives to become a better and a healthier you!

So why do you think I’d want to share with you the secrets of Quinoa? If I were in a room of 20 people wanting to undergo an overhaul of their diet, by a show of hands how many do you think would know about it? Not many I suppose. So here you go! Quinoa (spelt as “Keen Wah”) is an ancient grain of the South America which was discovered quite recently. It was popularly known as “The Gold of The Incas” by the Incas tribe of South America, who recognized its value in increasing the stamina of their warriors. This grain indeed has astronomical health benefits. Here are a few:

• It contains the purest form of “complete protien” which means that it contains all the 9 essential amino-acids. Makes it a great choice for vegans concerned about protien intake. It’s primarily enriched with amino-acid lysine which is responsible for tissue repair.
• Being rich in Manganese, Magnesium, Iron, Copper and Phosphorus, this grain makes it ideal for people suffering with Migraine headaches, diabetes and Atherosclerosis.
• Eating a serving of whole grains, such as quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Eating foods high in insoluble fiber, such as quinoa, can help women avoid gallstones, shows a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Insoluble fibre help prevent gallstones by increasing the speed of the food moving through the intestine, reducing the secretion of bile acids, increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing blood fats.

I am sure these few, not all benefits of Quinoa might make you rethink your diet and rush to the nearest Whole Foods today. But you may wonder how are you supposed cook it. Well I cook it the simplest way possible. Take a handful, mix it with enough water and dump it in a rice cooker and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. When it seems to have become swollen and jelly like soft, put it aside to cool. Add some buttermilk, honey and almond chips and savour this delicious dish as a breakfast, lunch or even dinner! Here’s an article from www.quinoakitchen.com which shares some neat ways of cooking Quinoa.

http://www.quinoakitchen.com/how-to-cook-quinoa/

Enjoy this nutritious grain and grow with it’s benefits!