Sniffles, sneezes and coughs – these awesome friends of ours choose their favorite time to visit us, the holiday season! They keep us engaged, tired, crabby and uncomfortable. They make our body their party place and rock it out all night by congesting our nasal passages and drying out our throats. Wish we had as much fun as they did The truth is, no one wants to fall sick in such happy festive times. We all want to be healthy, fit and efficient to make most of the time off from work and spend it with the family.

I have just started recovering from a really bad sore throat and what helped me tremendously was the “Yogi Tea – Throat Comfort”. I found it at my neighboring Walmart and it has worked wonders. This organic herbal tea contains a number of throat soothing ingredients such as licorice, elm bark with mullein, cinnamon, cardamom, and what have you. When you send this amazing concoction down your dry and infected throat, it’s healing powers alleviates the pain and itchiness, leaving you relieved and calm.

This tea has a great sweet taste unlike most other teas, and one can drink it regardless of a cold. Try it out today and see the difference

http://www.yogiproducts.com/products/details/throat-comfort/

“Life is a rollercoaster, just gotta ride it” by Ronan Keating. This song will perfectly describe my life in the past one year. I would personally like to apologise to all my readers whom I was not able to reach out to through my words and experiences. I had alot on my plate friends, hence writing had to be placed on the back burner for a while. Considering myself to be a strong believer of the phrase, “practice what you preach” I did not want to “preach” about fitness and health when I myself had slipped off my game. But just like the sinusoidal wave, my life right now is hovering around the crest region. Which is pretty darn better than a straight horizontal line

Alright enough of the Math and lets catch up a little bit! Assuming that most of you guys have been more disciplined than I have been this past year, I shall begin my rant by saying that “I am back, people!”. I upped my fitness game this time around. 2009 sculpted my body into the best shape I could ever have. Disaster struck and 2010 undid 2009! But guess what 2011 is going to put me back where I was and even higher this time. So what is different that I am doing this time around? Nothing! For all you procrastinators out there, there is no magic potion or mantra to physical fitness. “Get back on the damn treadmill to lose those muffin tops!” is what you have to do. There is no way around it. Sweat and hard-work is the only answer.

So you must be wondering that if this article is not going to provide me any new ideas, then why am I wasting my precious time reading it. That is simply because somewhere in this article you may find yourself and your life. We all go through tough times which takes our attention away from our beautiful self. We do not realize that in the process we are being highly unfair. This article is to awaken your inner-self and lift up your spirits, so that you can get off that couch and unveil your inner beauty and get back the confidence you once used to have. You deserve it! Love thyself first!

I will keep this “come back” article short and sweet and will begin inundating you with kool fitness ideas very soon. Be on the look out!

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!

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!

Swami Ramdev, popularly known as Baba Ramdev, is a Indian Hindu Swami (Saint) whose efforts have been greatly instrumental in the widespread demand of Yoga among individuals of all ages and walks of life. It is because of him that Yoga today has a completely different look and feel and has gained acceptance by one and all.

The growing threat of Swine Flu in India has shaken people from within and everyone seems to be resorting to extreme medical and pharmaceutical care. But little do we realize that the age old Yoga can prove to have the best and the most lasting cure for Swine Flu. Here’s a video clip of Baba Ramdev talking to reporters of India Times, spreading the word that Yoga can be practiced as a great preventive measure against Swine Flu.

“An individual who has a strong respiratory system can never be affected by this disease. In order to have one, by regular practice of pranayama one can strengthen their immune system, especially respiratory system.” says Swami Ramdev. He also added that the media has created intense panic among people for this disease which is very much curable and should not be looked upon as a scare. Click on the link below and check out the video.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videoshow/4885141.cms

“Inspiration is contagious. Once inspired, you can do anything”. As I read this quote every time I walk into Lifetime, it takes me back on a brief tour of my past. It reminds me of all the highly charged and motivated people who had inspired me greatly to grow and blossom into a well-rounded individual. Be it friends, family or even people I briefly met, its amazing to see the deep-rooted impact their attitude has had on my life.

I distinctly remember my brief interaction with Mary at our yoga sculpt class at CorePower Yoga. She seemed to effortlessly fit in all the four sought after categories: Fit, Healthy, Strong and Lean, which rarely seems to be the case with most people. Her glowing and friendly personality quickly drew me into striking a conversation with her and that’s how our friendship grew, and so did the process of inspiration. Till date there hasn’t been a day when I have not been in complete awe of this splendid woman and the first thing that struck me about her is that she is a die-hard runner. As she began unveiling her little secret about her exceptional level of fitness, I realized that she’s a 3 to 4 time a year marathoner which reflects her intense passion and love for running. That’s when I started to incorporate her good habits in my life and began running. This was around May when she motivated me a great extent in taking baby steps towards a marathon someday, and here I am having completed my first 5K and feeling utterly joyous and proud.

As I touched the finish line with people cheering and screaming for me, my heart over-flowed with emotions of victory and achievement. Being the 25th or the 26th person to finish the race out of 600 participants was no child’s play for a first timer. It definitely was tougher than it seems because shorter runs are always the hardest. You have less time to finish them, which leads to pretty much sprinting all the way through. I saw my months of hard-work pay off so beautifully that it has brought about a major sense of confidence me. My next run is on October 3rd, 2009 which is the Medtronics Twin Cities Race ( http://www.mtcmarathon.org/FiveKAndFamilyEvents/FamilyEvents.cfm ). This will be a much bigger and more competitive platform and I dearly hope to do decently well at it.

Here’s a short video of me which my friend captured minutes after the race. Check it out!

I found this great video on Yoga Journal and thought it would be a rather interesting video to share with all of my fellow yogis and yoginis out there. It gives you a great insight into the issues and problems of being a yoga instructor. The embarrassment, over-expectation and obligatory comments, thus make the job one of the the hardest to carry out. No wonder we turn out to be one of the strongest individuals, physically and mentally. Hope you enjoy the video!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid22892059001?bctid=36838551001

I am here to reveal the greatest secret to attaining healthy muscles, but first things first! Try doing this little exercise with me. Regardless of where you are, be it sitting on a chair, in your bed, on your couch or even at your desk at work,  raise your hands to the ceiling and try to straighten out your legs for a brief time. Now push your hands towards the ceiling and your legs towards the ground as if someone were to pull you with a lot of strength from both ends like a rope in a tug-of-war. Hold this posture for 10 seconds and release. How do you feel? Do you feel like it was a much needed stretch for your tight muscles? Do you feel a stream of new energy flowing through your body as the blood begins to circulate? And most of all, do you feel good? I am pretty sure the answer to all of the questions above is a very big YES!

Stretching has always been quite underrated, but it is truly quite important for a healthy body. It not only improves flexibility in the muscles and the joints and increases the range of motion, but it also reduces the chances of injury while playing a sport, reduces tension in tight spots in the body and increases blood flow in different parts which cures injuries by providing them nutrient supply.

This is where our dear friend Yoga comes into play, which has proven to be the best form of stretching exercise for centuries now. So what is the first thing you do when you wake up early in the morning, when your body is well rested but lacks the agility which you would require to kick-start your day? The following  video has some highly effective early morning yoga postures which will bring about that much needed alertness in your body as you wake up. I call these COFFEE STRETCHES! (because just like coffee, it has similar “waking up” effect on your body, but comes with health benefits intact! )

And the answer is YES! Would not every parent out there want his/her child to take on the empowering and everlasting benefits of yoga and grow up to be well-groomed, well-nurtured and virtuous individuals? Ofcourse!

Till now yoga, a meditation in motion has been looked upon as a form of exercise which involves great amount of patience and perseverance, which we think is too mature of a task for young, highly charged and energetic little kids. Little do we know that it can prove to be a great way of bringing about more flexibility and mental stability in the little dynamites

Here’s a great article which talks about various poses and ways to make yoga a fun experience for kids today!

http://yogaxoga.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/yoga-stories-for-kids/

Alright! So that may not be the ideal image the word “sleep” would create in your head. But the thought of sleep does condition your brain to trigger feelings of relaxation and calmness throughout your body. It activates the endorphins and you find a perpetual smile on your face. But besides it’s “feel good” aspect, sleep involves more benefits than one to athletes, sports people and regular exercisers like you and me.

Let’s see! You are an enthusiastic exerciser. You make it a point to give your body it’s daily dose of intense workout. You also make sure that your good eating habits are intact and involve everything healthy, fresh and green you can think of. So what is it that is inhibiting your body from growth and changes. It could very possibly be sleep. In a busy world of today where our lives revolve around time-tables, deadlines and check lists, we never take into consideration that this highly charged lifestyle may require some downtime for restorative purposes.

Taking my yoga classes as an example, they always talk about “100% relaxation for 110% effort”. It is almost mandatory for all of our classes to end with a brief period of Shavasana (Corpse Pose). It is a pose which involves lying still on the ground (belly facing up) and letting every little tension in your body release, similar to being in deep slumber. This plays a major role in controlling the blood pressure and obviously is critical for relaxing your muscles and reducing fatigue and anxiety after a hard workout.

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/18/health/he-sleep18 talks about a research in Stanford University on athletes and their enhanced performance on getting adequate amount of sleep. Sometimes even a small “power nap” during the day goes a long way in reducing stress, increasing alertness and hence better performance of your daily responsibilities. Here is a great article which talks about the ill effects of sleep deprivation and the positive effects of power naps http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/powernap.htm.

To get into the scientific reasoning behind the importance of sleep, go to http://www.bodyconditioning.info/knowlegde/Thebenefitsofsleep to get advanced information. Let not this competitive world take over mental peace, growth and most importantly “you”. Sleep well, live well and reap the benefits, the world has to offer!