Day 1 Marathon prep

18th December - I jogged 5 kms on the treadmill in 40 mins. then did a walk jog routine on the incline for 20 more minutes. My aim was to jog for 40 mins non stop. Achieved.
Total calories - 400. Time - 60 min. Distance - 7 kms.

Finished with some stretches.

19th Dec (morn) - some light stretches and leg muscles workout.

Tip of the day - Never stretch cold muscles - you might pull some. Do a light warm up before any routine.
Plan to jog 5 kms today evening. Lets see.

Gym And So On

Afterahectic

SCMM Mumbai Marathon 2013 - Here I come!

Mumbai Marathon - Here I come!

My registration for the Mumbai Marathon has been accepted. i am to run 42 kms - wow wow...boo hooo.

Scared shit. three things can happen.

i can complete the course in a time of 6 hours plus (most preferable)...but better than Katie Holmes timing ;-)
i can quit after the halfway mark...i feel i can complete half the course
i can fail to show up...most deplorable. But i do tend to get sick with nervousness before any major event. even though the event is for fun. even though the event is just a self test of mental and physical fitness. even though the result is meaningless. wimp :-)

Why Not To Watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Shahrukh Khan

and Katrina Kaif, and 90 minutes less and a few less bomb diffusion and a few less accidents. Whew!

I went through the torture that was Jab Tak Hai Jaan last night. It is hard to believe that the director of movies like Lamhe and Chandni ... could have given us this 3 hours of drivel packaged as a movie. Most reviews have been muted in their comments I guess out of deference to the just demised patriarch of YRF - Yash Chopra. Never mind - Yash Chopra will be much remembered and loved for Trishul, Deewar, Lamhe, Silsila, etc - and he would prefer not to be associated with JKHJ.

Shahrukh Khan spans ten years in the movie. It was an awful sight to see a near naked wrinkled Shahrukh posing as a 25 year old in some of his risque poses with Katrina. He looks (and acts) closer to his 50 years! Will Shah Rukh be as delusional as Dev Anand and prefer to act the romantic lead ( maybe give a new definition to the evergree hero) even in his 70s??? Hindi movie heroes really cannot age gracefully. The female leads have made the transition. And play and look their age. Look at Rekha, Madhuri, Juhi and of course the current darling Sridevi! And look at Shahrukh and remember Amitabh in Mard and a host of other nineties movie...till he returned as the patriarch. A Dabangg is ok in your mid and late 40s  - definitely not a crooning, mushy Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Shahrukh Khan has the opportunity. He should have gracefully made the transition 4 years back after Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi or Chak de India. Even a Don is preferable!

It should be a rule in Bollywood not to give pretty female leads who cant act, more than 10 minutes of screen time. If you thought it was a torture watching Aishwarya for 3 hours - just wait till you catch Katrina in JTHJ. She is pretty - that is granted. But putting her histrionics skills under the microscope for more than 2 hours. Please - I still shudder to remember last night's agony. She is definitely NOT a Kajol, Vidya or Rani. More than 10 minutes of watching Katrina's "acting" will definitely lead to indigestion.

A song like Saans from the AR Rehman group? WTF? Its like you go to a exclusive do expecting caviar and end up eating tikka masala at a Punjabi wedding. I have nothing against the music - but its like something you have heard everywhere. There has to be some atrophy in the maestro's repertoire if one song "Challa" had to be repeated 4 times (at least).

Just a few days back I was thinking that - thank God Hindi movies no loger pair up a heiress with a rickshaw wallah. I was obviously wrong. Heiresses can get paired up with beggars in Hindi movies - albeit in a slicker package than in the eighties. And this brings to mind the question -  if Shahrukh had so much cash stashed away - why wasnt he opening his own restaurant? After all the same cash enabled his slouchy, lazy, inexperienced in the food business, definitely simple friend to become a millionare. I have nothing against any class of people - i just like to watch stories that remotely make sense...that's expecting too much I guess.
If you go to a so called "family movie" with a universal rating with 6 - 10 year olds - you definitely dont expect dialogues like "i want to have sex with all accents of people (a very bad translation of the actual dialogue , am afraid)." This from a girl who is shown to be extremely cool. I mean... I am old fashioned and I want my movies to be properly labelled. Jab Tak Hai Jaan definitely deserved a PG - 13 rating.

Is there any reason to watch Jab Tak Hai Jaan? Well 10-15 minutes of the film are actually worth watching. One of them a dance. A few minutes of Shahrukh and Anoushka's perfect dive into a  freezing Ladakh lake. So just get someone to edit those parts and put it on youtube. No need to go through torture.
Rating - 1/2 out of 5

This blog has also been published by me at Xomba.com
http://mamamia07.xomba.com/jab-tak-hai-jaan-far-superior-movie-without-shahrukh-khan

www.procamrunning.in/scmm/ - Register For Mumbai Marathon 2013

You can register for Mumbai Marathon at the the website
http://www.procamrunning.in/scmm/

The registration for the Half Marathon is closed. However the Marathon is still open for registration. Enjoy the run!

The marathon page has a number of tips for runners. So even if you are not joining the marathon - you can prepare according to the schedule for fitness and training for a future run. Its always difficult to start from zero to run a marathon. The training schedule is for people who have had some running / walking experience as the first run/jog/ walk is 4 kms.

If you are starting from zero and wish to participate in a long distance run - my advise is just start with small steps - run 800 mts the first time - without giving up. Just let not the distance of 42 kms daunt you. Keep increasing till you are at the 3-4 kms level. This may take 15 days to 2 months depending upon your fitness level and commitment. But the fun and a feeling of achievement is guaranteed! And maybe you can run a marathon in 6-8 months.

Mumbai Marathon Registration

Oops - the registration to the Standard Chartered Half Marathon at Mumbai is already closed. I dont understand the Mumbai Marathon page. There seems to be a Quota system for ladies - but how does one register for it? Is it still open for the Half marathon? Apparently information is not easily available unless one registers and pays up. I mean its just the webpage for a Marathon - for us dumb runners - not an application form / webpage to the MIT for the geeky types! All Info should be clear. The navigation through the Mumbai Standard Chartered Marathon page is a bummer - period.

Do I dare try for the Mumbai Full Marathon?

I have been putting in some effort at the gym the last 3 days. Though not in any way good enough for a marathon.

Thursday - 530 calories in 1 hour, followed by muscle training and a steam bath.
Friday - 450 calories from a 6 km trip on the treadmill in 50 minutes. More running than walking and climbing.
Sunday - 3 kms in 30 minutes and just about 200 cal. Followed it up with some weight training.

All the marathon training schedules say that I need to put in at least 20 miles a week. I seem to be at the 10 miles a week level still. I do think i can complete a half marathon. Not at all sure about a Full Marathon though.

Kindle Fire Review

As a proud owner of one of the earliest versions of Kindle (when it was just a simple ebook reader for book lovers - with epaper / eink- technology) I have always tried to keep up with the latest models of Kindle. So it was with some awe and frustration of the head nodding kind that I saw the launch of the latest version of Kindle Fire. Kindle is no longer just an ebook reader from Amazon. With Kindle Fire, Kindle is prepared to go the distance to be a complete tablet. Amazon itself is slotting it as "A Tablet from Amazon" and "More than a tablet". The biggest plus point for Amazon's Kindle Fire seems to be the new HD screen. The sizes, options and features come in a mindboggling range. The screen sizes range from 7" to 8. 9 " and the storage space from 8 GB to 32 GB. The highest end model is enabled for 4G technology while there is Dolby audio in most models. The price range is equally wide - from $159 for an entry level Fire model to $ 499. The lowest priced Fire HD model is $199. One thing may bug book and movie lovers - ads on your screen.
Go to this Amazon Kindle page to find out more about all the Kindle versions,

Kindle Fire Latest

A Game of Badminton

It was time for a game of badminton. Got to play 3 games with a friend. Good bit of running and sweating and full body cardio. The best thing about playing baddy is that you have to do it with a friend - so not boring! Followed it up a 1 km run. Ended up with a headache the next day. Wonder what that was for? Scared me - waking up with a migraine middle of the night!

How much Calorie Does Badminton Burn - 30 minutes of badminton would burn about 200 cal.

Here are some interesting facts on the health benefits of playing badminton.

http://www.badminton-information.com/health_benefits_of_playing_badminton.html

Way to Diet

Reading about all these diet plans has made me terribly hungry!

I have zeroed down on two options after some initial research. Taking a weight loss supplement like amway  / herbalife, etc or going on a lemonade diet.

Diet supplements are apparently high protein low carb products which supplement your meal plan. Let me check out more on the exact content fibre content and price of the products.

A lemonade diet seems to be a much cheaper option - only needs harder work. Drink fresh lemonade every day with cayenne pepper and maple syrup. However I have to see whether maple syrup and cayenne pepper are available on the shelf in my town! While internet may have wiped out the distances between continents and you get as much information in New York as in Nuaghat - there's still a long way to go in getting physical products conveniently...sigh. What could be the Indian and locally available substitutes for maple syrup and cayenne pepper?

A 10 Day Diet

I am seriously considering going on a ten day diet. My weight loss efforts have been frustrating so far - with this month showing no dip in the scales whatsoever. But why blame anyone/anything? My keeness on biriyani, golgappa (gupchup), singada, aloodum dahibara and all the variety of junk food out there has to show some effect somewhere - and unfortunately - they are settling down in nice neat tyres on my waist.

There seem to be a whole lot of FREE DIETS out there. With so much of free advise from experts out there - whats the need to go to a professional;-). Livestrong has come up with some options on first search. Let me see if shedding 3-4 kgs by the end of the month is possible. After all I have done the hard work of gymming the entire month so far. Let me find something...will jot it down and the results (if i get around to dieting!)

A good day at the Gym

500 Calories, 51 minutes and 5 kms. A good day at the gym.

Using Gym Vibration Plates

Our gym has two brand new vibration plates. The gym trainers are advocating the use of those plates a lot. In fact one trainer suggested using the plates for 10 minutes would be equivalent of 100 push-ups. How true is that? I have no idea - but I doubt it. Yesterday I tried to do some upper body workout on the plates, kneeling down with the elbows on the plates. The body seemed to get a proper jingle - but I felt my brain pop out too! I think I will stick to standing on the plates and let my hips wiggle :-)

PS - Have been doing some more research on Gym Vibration Plates. While some dismiss the current vibration machine fad as a scam - there are many others fitness experts who are swearing by its efficacy.  The Russians apparently used it in their Space program and managed to stay for the longest period in a closed vehicle. It helped them lose less muscle mass and keep fit.

While the above is proven fact - I guess its the quality of machines, proper use that make the difference. Apparently the machines also assist to reverse osteoporosis!! So ladies it appears to be a much needed fitness equipment!

The price ranges from USD 200 to 2000. Check out some Vibration plates at Amazon here.

How Much Calories is There In an Innocuous Biscuit?

Being a Mom of two growing boys - I always have well stocked boxes of biscuits at home and around. So it is quite easy to snack on biscuits when one is hungry or bored. Lately I have developed this habit of taking a packet of biscuits with me to the workplace to satiate my mid - morning hunger.  However looking at the product information on one of the packets gave me a shock. A packet of Rs 5 Britannia Butter Cookies packs in as much as 240 plus calories (the information on the pack says 100 g has 488 Kcal) - equivalent to one hour of power walking or 30 minutes of jogging. So Rs 5 and 3 minutes undos whatever effort one has put in at the gym in a day...pity, when one can so easily do without those biscuits. No wonder I never seem to lose weight!

Apparently even the Britannia Marie Gold or Sunfeast Marie Lite have about 440 calories per 100 gm. (I am yet to study their packs - this information is from the web). So much for healthier biscuiting options! The bottomline is  - please dont follow a biscuit and water diet for weight loss - its NEVER going to work.

More on My Personal Fitness

Two days back I  ran 3 kms on the treadmill - in around 21 minutes. This is the first time I have run 3 kms on the trot in my new gym and in the past two months. The feeling was really good. After a round of weight training I came back and power walked for 30 more minutes. I know I am giving more stress on cardio. Bu I guess cardio helps more in weight loss and the feel good factor is more.

Ram Singh Yadav Does the Marathon in 2 Hrs 30 Min

Those of you who arent sports lovers might ask - what is that? Ram Singh Yadav was the first Indian in 3 decades, since Shivnath Singh in 1980, to qualify to run in the Olympics Marathon. Ram Singh qualified with a career best timing of 2 hrs 16.59 secs. That timing would have enabled Ram Singh to have finished in the top 30 in the Olympics Marathon.Ram Singh finished 78th with a time of 2:30.06. 

Olympics Marathon has an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards) and is the holy grail of all long distance runners.

Considering the history of marathon running in the country - it is indeed a creditable job by Ram Singh.

Now coming back to my pet subject - if there was a running bootcamp or running clinic or even a running group in every city and town and village - wouldn't India produce more than a sole Olympics marathoner in three decades?


Well Done Ram Singh - may you run many more marathons and inspire a generation of runners!

Sushil Kumar - Olympics 2012

In a few hours from now - an Indian will create history in his homeland. Sushil Kumar will be the first native born Indian to win two individual Olympics medals.

That might not sound much to most nations around the World. In fact at last count at least 50 countries were ahead of India in the medal count at London 2012. But a generation of viewers will watch this exploit with a sigh of relief, despondency and hopefulness.

TV became popular and affordable in India during the 1982 Asian games. We watched India collect a record haul of 11 golds and then in the 1984 Olympics we watched PT Usha miss the Olympics bronze in the women 400 mts hurdles by the literal cat's whisker - 1/100th of sec. After that every 4 years we would dream of at least one medal in Olympics. In the meantime India's other Asian counterparts improved by leaps and bounds. China improved its tally from a handful of medals to scores, South Korea jumped ahead when it hosted the Games while Japan came down by quite a few notches from its dominant position in World and Asian sports.

India meanwhile hoped for a single medal.

Leander Paes changed the script by winning an improbable bronze medal in tennis in 1996. 4 years later an unknown lady wrestler from Andhra Pradesh, Karnam Malleswari won the bronze again - this time in weightlifting. A silver in shooting followed in 2004 when Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore dorned the fig leaves in Greece. In 2008, India finally won an individual gold medal in Olympics. Abhinav Bindra won the gold and two more bonus medals came India's way - in shooting and wrestling. A country attuned to some "surprising" and "unexpected" medals - 3 medals didnt seem like an accident.

Was Indian sports finally looking up? Was there an organisational improvement. Had the supply chain improved drastically? London 2012 was to provide the answers.

London Olympics did provide the answers.

India does have a bevy of world class players in archery, shooting, boxing and hockey. But not nearly enough. While India may have 8 world class archers - China and South Korea probably have 80. The pressure thus put on those 8 archers have been tremendous. Some of the misses in archery were just limited to one bad arrow shoot. The case is similar for boxing and shooting too. While the shooters redeemed themselves with two medals - the much hyped male boxers failed in the quest.

And then there was history. An individual athlete from India - Sushil Kumar is to grace the podium twice. In a few hours from now Sushil will play his gold medal bout in the Men's 66kg Freestyle wrestling. This bout will renew the dreams of many and maybe encourage many more to take up sports. Sushil Kumar had won the bronze in the same event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. While it is too much to expect that the IOA will wake up - I expect many private organisations to provide sporting facilities and coaching.

Anyways long live the dream and GO For the Gold Sushil!

(Article posted at www.xomba.com by author)

Dont Blame the Indian Hockey Players - London 2012

There seems to be a lot of blaming going on - and the Indian Hockey team is bearing the brunt of it. It makes me angry when the pride of the players is being questioned. It was obvious to anyone that the players played from their gut and played their hearts out. They only looked dejected towards the end of the South Korean match and maybe some parts of the Belgium match. But that is understandable. When you are not winning things rapidly disintegrate and dejection sets in.

What clearly was lacking during the initial games was a stratagem. For example, the players seemed to believe that they could out flank and out- attack the Dutch in the first match. They carried on many pointless forays and seemed to be wasting a lot of energy, while the Dutch patiently played a mature game and set up well thought out attacks. The show clearly suggested 1000s of hours of careful planning and execution. The Indiam team seemed to be a bunch of talented hopefuls let loose on the field and each out to prove himself on the field. The things that were obviously missing to even a novice's eye were planning, thought, strategy, direction, preparation as a team, clear layout on how to score a goal, etc etc. I cant see how the players can be blamed for that! Inexperience showed and all class was hidden in the jumble of misguided efforts.

No, please put the blame where it lies. On the coach, management, team of decision makers. The players played with their hearts on their sleeves in difficult situations. And they lost to all good teams - not individual shows. Kudos to the players!

Watch the Olympics live streaming free on Youtube

Watch the Olympics live streaming free on Youtube - at the official IOC channel. In a historic move - IOC will be providing live coverage of many events for the first time on Youtube. In Beijing - some feeds and clips had been provided online officially.

ESPN Star Sports meanwhile will be covering the Olympics live on cable TV in India. For those who dont have cable access - the live streaming of the games on Youtube is a blessing for sports lovers.

The IOC channel wil provide 2200 hours of Olympics coverage in 64 countries. There will be many featured interviews of athletes - so one doesnt have to rely on twitter for up-to-date information!
Here is the link to the official IOC Olympics channel.

New Place, New Equipment, New Commitment

I have just shifted to a new place, a new country. Together with adjusting with everything - I had to hunt for a gym nearby. And bingo! The colony that I have shifted into has a more or less well equipped gym with trainers. There is a jogging path too nearby. Its made of concrete so I havent tried it yet. I have put in 4-5 hours in the gym so far and it feels good. Have been relatively lazy and out of touch since the last time I was online. Will keep updated on diet and all soon

What is happening with my fitness?

Almost half a year gone and I haven't logged anything. I did have a lot of fitness issues the last few months. Will go over them in details later. For now, I have slightly changed my fitness regime. Reading my last posts I realise I was doing a lot of uphill walk on the treadmill. Nowadays I just jog 2-3 kms at a stretch and walk and then jog some more. Around 40 minutes per session. Looking at the skin tone - it looks decidedly unhealthy - I have incorporated some out walks / jogs in my schedule. So I have been walking outdoors at least twice a week. If I can make it to the park - I jog there.

Yesterday - Around 5 kms at the park. Jogged for 3.5 kms. Really refreshing. I have a major exam coming up. After it is over - i need to start my uphill / incline training on the treadmill. Really builds up stamina as well as upper body strength.

Still a long way to go before my first marathon. Can I make one in December this year...lets see.

Just because I havent been logging my efforts doesnt mean I have no fitness regime going!

Aishwarya Rai Cannes 2012 Pics - Whats the Big Deal?

The Indian media scrambled to get the first pics Aishwarya Rai walking the red carpet of Cannes 2012. The Cannes other media wondered whats the big deal. The big deal is that media critics / youtube viral video makers / the Bachchan family numerous fans(?) expected Aish to appear as a very slightly slimmer version of Saroj Khan at Cannes - and were wondering how she will carry it off.

Aishwarya Rai has thumbed her nose at all - by appearing graceful and glamorous in an Indian ensemble (a peach chikankari saree over a long embroidered golden kurti) on the red carpet and a in stunning flowing Angelo Katsapis outfit - that makes good use of a black drape, pics released to the media. No she doesnt look slim like a Nicole Kidman or a missing Jolie. She doesnt look a desperate case. She looks like a healthy woman enjoying her motherhood and who "cleans up" really well.

A big thank you Aishwarya for NOT trying to look like Victoria Beckham after Mommyhood. Our attitude to marriage and motherhood does rankle. It seems a throwback to real medieval times when the media debates if  she/ any other actress will "pursue their career" after motherhood / marriage! Come on - these girls are professionals who have come up the hard way. What has marriage and motherhood got to do with a career? Who are others to debate on it? I truly see red when I see headlines like "Aishwarya to act in movies after motherhood". She is a mother, she is not dead.

Here are Aishwarya Rai's pics from Cannes 2012


http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2012/05/25/1226366/985822-aishwarya-rai-bachchan.jpg

No, I am not going to give links to Aishwarya Rai's fat pics.

Off to Krabi!

This promises to be an interesting trip! We are off to Krabi for the Chinese New Year. By train - and mini van - and ferry and maybe foot too... Whatever, however inconvenient and crowded travelling during CNY may be - I cant wait to sample Thai food, get those Thai massages and do some haggling and shopping. Must do this time - the kids must ride an elephant! Sorry, I still dont know the technicalities of how we are reaching Krabi or the route we are taking.

Wonder how Thailand will be like after the floods, political unrest...But it is not easy to destroy beauty or the innate hospitality of the people.

The Great Indian Ennui (in Cricket - what else?)

The Indian cricket fans are going through a nightmare. But just think of those poor men out in the middle. They must be so not enjoying this period. That is when they are awake. It is as if a haze has settled over the Boyzzz in Blue - post World Cup. Oh they have managed a series win  or two - against England /WI in some ODI series at home. But thats something they can do blindfolded - win ODI matches at home against England/WI.

So how does this post WC ennui work? When Tendulkar goes out to practise (that is if he does bother, or if the coach dares to bother him) -  dont you think there would be a buzz of WC WC around his head. Plus a more significant and exasperating buzz - 100100...100100. No wonder he looks to be chasing those flies away.

What would be happening when the Great Dhoni goes out to practise. No one has let him forget in the last 8 months that he is so perfect and great and humble. The guy must be just so confused too. Its a wonder if he can tell a practise from a T-20 from a Test from an ODI or for batting from a commercial. Or if he is batting for his country, or his bosses in IPL, or his wifey or for his ads bosses...I dont remember when I last saw a person so busy with the limelight so firmly refusing to waver.

The same haze seems to have enveloped Viru and Gambhir. While individually they are looking like a pair of stuffed puppies -  together they seem to be putting on a show called Zombie learns tap-dancing. It doesnt auger well for Gambhir. WC followed by marriage gets to the best of them. Earth to Gambhir - you are not Sehwag - you have not scored 2 Triples - you CANNOT get away with it. Sehwag can get away with anything - maybe even murder - because those "you blink and you miss" inningses of his are so delightful - arent they?

So winning over the Australians has been solely on the shoulders of some great players like Vinay Kumar, Umesh Yadav - with all of 4 test matches between them before the Perth Test. Zaheer Khan - well he was also part of the WC - the haze, remember? Ishant Shama anyways has been in an alt world since he was picked to be "the player of the future" a few years back. In our country greatness strikes and affects more surely than lightning strikes a field of unearthed metal towers on a plateau.

Frankly speaking, we fans are left speechless by the display. Get these boys down to earth - give them a year, maybe more, off - allow them to shake it off and get back to playing in maybe a couple or dozen or so years - who knows - they may win another World Cup.

Or just shake them strong - one by one - by the ruff.

I have not mentioned Duncan Fletcher. I know the guy takes a salary. But we are hospitable - we dont like foreign coaches to be accountable (same as star players) and give them a long enough rope to tie everyone in knots.

Day at Gym

Logged 7 kms on the treadmill - at 63 mins and 520+ calories. Sweaty sweaty... It was yesterday. Then spent the entire day standing around at MPH looking at books on sale. No better way to spend a Sunday! I wish I did the treadmill thing more often. Just been too lazy lately and have not been paying attention to my diet.

Walking, Walking...

Logged 500 calories on the treadmill today, in 55 minutes. Followed it up with a wee bit of arm and leg exercises. Feeling good. I followa walking on a incline and a jogging routine alternating. One thing I always do is take a small water break after 30 minutes.

DASH Diet - What is it?

The DASH Diet has won the Best Overall Diet award for the year 2012. What is DASH Diet?


DASH - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension

The Diet as the name suggests strives to prevent and lower BP or Hypertension.

So is it only for High Blood Pressure patients?

The Dash Diet follows a combination of a specified eating plan combined with reduced intake of salt. Dash menus have sodium in the range of 2300 mg while the average US man has a daily intake of sodium of 4200 mg. The diet is rich in potassium, magnesuim, calcium - all essential minerals and protein and fibre.

The Dash eating plan prescribes amount of daily servings per day for various calorie needs. Suppose a person requires 1600 calories per day as per her lifestyle and metabolism levels - the daily servings of various food groups is givens in the DASH Dietary Plan.

For 1600 calories per day - daily servings as per DASH

Food Group                        No of Servings          Each Serving Includes (eg)

Grains (preferably whole) -       6                        1 slice bread or 1/2 cup rice, pasta
Vegetables -                             3-4                     1/2 cup cooked veg or 1 cup raw leafy
Fruits -                                      4                       1 medium fruit, 1/2 cup fruit juice
Fat Free or Low Fat Milk         2-3                     1 cup yoghurt
Lean Meats, Poultry, Fish -        3-6                    1 oz
Nuts, Seeds, Legumes             3/Week                1/2 cup cooked legumes, 1/3 cup nuts
Fats and Oils                            2                         1 tsp

The Dash Diet plan gives the food that comes under the various food groups.

The plan has many useful tips and tricks on how to reduce your intake of calories and salt - like taking an apple instead of 4 shortbread cookes saves one 80 calories, using unsalted products whereever possible, washing canned vegetables to remove the brine or better using fresh vegetables.

Its apparent from the diet that it is appropriate for weight watchers as well as High BP patients as well as anyone willing to invest a modicum of time and energy to follow a healthy lifestyle. 

The Dash Diet can be found in entirety at the NHLBI website to download.

Fried Chicken Curry (Dry) - Easy to Cook Recipe

Dry Chicken (South Indian Style)

This is an easy to cook chicken recipe that I tried today. It turned out really well, much to my surprise. This dried chicken recipe has a tangy peppery taste and should be good to eat with chapatti. We had it with steamed rice though for Sunday lunch.

Ingredients and Preparation

Chicken (500 gm)
Ginger garlic paste (2 tsp)
Chilli powder
Turmeric powder
Curry Powder (Any good one like Gemini, Everest, Ruchi, MTR, etc)) - 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves
Green Chillies - To taste
Mustard paste (ready made or home made) - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 2-3 tbsp
Ground Pepper - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 2 big
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Marinate Chicken (500 g) with ginger garlic paste (2 tsp), turmeric powder, chilli powder, vinegar, green chilli (1-2), half tsp mustard paste (I used the Heinz mustard paste that I keep for hotdogs), freshly ground pepper and 2 tsp curry powder (I used Ruchi's Curry Powder). Try to marinate for at least 30 minutes or so, so that the flavours soak in. It is however ideal to marinate for 3 hours.

Slice 2 big onions and keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep wok (Kadhai). Add the mustard seeds. Add the onions and fry. Add the curry leaves and marinated chicken. Add a sliced green chilli. Add salt to tase. Fry on high heat till the water evaporates. Add a little water. Cover it leave it to simmer on low heat. Stir in between to see that the chicken doesn't stick to the pan.

Cooking time - Approx 20-30 Min depending on the quality of poultry.

What is Oats?

Oat is by far the Numero Uno item for most beginner dieters. Or veteran dieters? What is oatmeal? How is it eaten? How nutritious is eat? Is it for Real or just another promotion gimmick (lower cholesterol, anyone?) by commercial food specialists?

I decided to seriously look into these questions. Here are the answers I got.

Something Good

Ah a New Year... I know something good is wating for me round the corner, just hoping the corner shows up faster!

Back to the Gym

Today was my first outing to the gym after the holidays. Didnt do much. Just 40 mins on the treadmill. Felt good to be running after soooo long. DId a 20 mins run at 7-1/2 km/hr...

Am think of trying a brown rice diet recommended by my brother.

Logging my weight - 71 kilos

Condo Gym or Real Gym

Do I enroll in a proper gym? Are aerobics workouts essential for overall body ftness? How important is muscle training? Sigh...My condo gym has just treadmills and the cycle. I guess its just not enough for overall fitness.