Rujuta's gyan

Mumbai street food

2011-11-29T19:24:00.001+05:30

Next time you feel guilty eating out on the streets, spare a thought for these overlooked benefits of the yummy street foods.

Food	Nutrient value	Mumbai needs it because
Banana	Potassium, fibre and phytonutrients to help body thermo regulate or to keep body cool in warm climate	High stress jobs increase sugar cravings makes you prone to obesity. Potassium keeps the blood pressure down and the Vit B in it helps you stay calm in panic situations and reduces sugar craving.
Peru or gauva	Super source of Vit C and antioxidants, rich in fibre and immune booster	Vit C and antioxidants prevent sun tanning and keep the skin supple and glowing. The immune boosters are required as Mumbai is a high stress and polluted city
Bhel puri/ sev puri chaat family	Dates, pudina, kala namak that are integral to chaat items are good sources of potassium, iron and minerals like selenium, zinc etc. The combinations help maintain electrolyte balance.	Most chaat items because of the micro nutrients present in them provide a laxative effect on the system. And there are a lot of constipated mumbaikars
Wada Pav	Complete meal of carbs, protein, fat and contains good profile of amino acids	The besan used has the ability to lower cholesterol and so does the lasoon chutney.
Pav bhaji	Has combination of veggies, butter and bread with a dash of nimbu. Almost unbeatable in taste.	This is one meal that nourishes the tired mumbaikars soul and puts zest back into a monotonous life, that’s exactly what the spices do, they “spice up” a dull day.
Meetha pan or magai	Beetel leaf have analgesic and diuretic properties	Aphrodisiac, if you are too tired for action know what you must chew on
Bhurji & bread	Protein and Vit D	The tired Mumbaikar needs both the protein for recovery and the Vit D as a lot of Mumbaikars are actually deficient (specially the sobo residents) in this sunshine vitamin
Sandwich	Again a complete meal with veggies and cheese so rich in essential fats too.	Cheese has properties which allow the body to burn fat from the “stubborn areas”. The toasted and grilled version provide the mental satisfaction of “ghar ka khana” too
Dosa of all varieties	Perfect blend of amino acids thanks to the rice and urad dal combo. Most importantly good source of B12	Vit B12 promotes iron absorption. Low Iron and B12 levels are linked to weight gain and high cholesterol levels.
Nariyal pani	The worlds natural and safest “soft drink” rich in electrolytes	Drink it when you want to flaunt a flat stomach as it rids your body of its bloating
Sugar cane juice	Its alkaline in nature, hydrates the body and rich in minerals like iron and magnesium	Beats acidity, burping and farting. Offer it to your smelly colleague in office

The dashing cop!

2011-11-14T13:53:00.001+05:30

Once upon a time in Mumbai, actually 6th Nov 2011 at 3.40pm, I inadvertently jumped a signal. This was the Chakala and WE highway junction. It was one of those things where you are the last car and just as you cross, the signal turns amber and then red.

So this cop stopped me and I stopped (middle class maharashtrian, mumbaikar, working professional, responsible citizen etc). Now here's what followed -

Cop - madam, license?

Me - arre sorry saheb tumhi pan bhagiltla me mudam signal nahi todla as I hand him my license.
(I am sorry, let me go. Even you know that I didn't jump the signal on purpose)

Cop - (smirking) Madam signal jumping, rash, negligent driving me tumhala kutchya hi gunhya khali pakdu shakto. (From jumping signal to rash negligent driving (I was probably at 30km/hr or lesser) I can book under anything I like). This is him showing off his nuisance value to scare me off / to try and get a bribe.

Me - saheb, negligent/ rash driving? Kay jhala te tumhi baghitla..
(Sir, rash driving? U saw exactly what happened.)

Cop - theek ae. Me fakt signal todnya cha gunha lavto. 100/ - fine bhara.
(Alright, so I will fine u only for jumping the signal. Pay 100/ - as fine)

I hand him 100 bucks and wait for the receipt there is none coming. He puts the note in the receipt book. I point at his receipt book.

Cop (angrily) - kay? (What?)

Me - receipt,

Cop - kasli? (For what?)

Me - fine chi. (For the fine)

Cop - tumhi kuthe mala fine bharli? (When did you pay me the fine?)

Me - (can't believe this is happening to me!) Kay? Me ata tar tumhala 100/ - bharle
(What? I just gave u 100 bucks)

Cop - laughs heartly like a filmi villain and then asks, tumhi 100/- note varcha number lihun ghetla? (Did u write down the number on ur 100/- note?)

Me - No!

Cop - mag tumhi mala fine dilich nahi. Bangs on my bonnet, signalling victory and says chala madam ata nigha.
(Then u never paid me the fine, come scoot off from here)

He crosses over to stand on the other side, I run after him.

Me - saheb, he barobar nahi (agitated now) ek tar mala receipt dya nahi tar majhe paise parat kara.
(Sir, that's not right. Either return my money or hand me over the receipt).

Cop - mockingly, kasli receipt?
(What receipt)

Me - saheb, tumhala receipt deylach lagel
(Sir, u have to give me d receipt).

Cop - nahi tar kay karnar tumhi? Ghya majha nav lihun ghya - Mangesh Mahadev Parthe, majha photo kadha. Kahi hi kelat tari tumhi mala haat lau shaknaar nahi. Mock laughs again.
(What will you do if I don't!? Here take my name down, Mangesh Mahadev Parthe, click my picture, do whatever u want. U won't be able to touch me).

Me - knowing its a lost battle, cross d road, go to my car and bring out my mobile phone, switch on my camera.

Cop on watching me - poses by his bike and says, ha, kadha photo.
(Cool, click my picture)

I feel super frustrated, go back to my car, strap the belt. And post the picture on twitter, it trends on that day.

Smriti Irani, politician and friend calls the DN nagar police chowki and they say swift action will be taken. They call the next day to inform that the cop is not from their chowki but belongs to the airport chowki.

I go to the mumbai traffic police website and call shri Tandlapurkar, the senior police inspector of airport chowki to tell him about the incident and email him the picture. He wants to know if I have spoken to any of his seniors, I tell him I haven't.

'Well now we are busy with VIP visit, George Bush is in town (ours Dr. Kalam just got frisked but we will thoko salaam to even their notorious ex presidents) and after that we are busy with Guru Nanak Jayanti so you call on Monday.'

I call him today, he says - ha ha karu karu madam, amhi tumhala phone karun tumchi statement gheu..
(Yes, yes madam (the yes yes sounds more like "what's the whole fuss about") we will call u later and take your statement.)

I post this on twitter, this time it doesn't trend. A week is long enough to kill our angst but I get suggestions about writing to Mumbai Mirror.

Who wins - so far our lax system has.

Who loses - so far, we the aam janta.

Workshop for Runners on 6th Nov

2011-11-01T19:35:00.000+05:30

As part of our continuing effort to spread awareness about injury-free running, we are organizing a free workshop for runners on 6th Nov at Ruia college, Matunga. Call 022-24148111 to register.

Time and duration	Topic	Speakers
9 -10 am	Yoga asanas to prepare and to recover from running	Zubin sir Know more
10 – 11 am	Running smoothly	Dr. Dilip Nadkarni Know more
11 am – 12 pm	Fueling your run	Rujuta Diwekar
12 – 2 pm	Workshop for women runners. Details below.	Rujuta’s team

Workshop for Women runners:

· Why do you gain weight post pregnancy.
· How can it affect your posture and running.

· What can you do to lose body fat and improve posture.
· Foods that help you race (against weight gain).
· Strategies to get back in shape & regain your fitness levels post pregnancy : Food, Exercise, Sleep, Relationships.

The myth of Post-Diwali detox

2011-10-31T15:21:00.001+05:30

Here are my answers to questions on Post-Diwali detox as asked by a very popular magazine (which I painstakingly replied) but never got published as it didn't fit in with their understanding of 'detox'.

1. What is a detox diet?

A sham. Its a method of ‘almost starvation’ followed by people who areguilty of bingeing during Diwali orany other festival.

2. Is going on a detox dietpost Diwali a good option?

Detoxing during Diwali isa much better option. Traditionally Diwali isall about detox. You detox your house by going in thecleaning mode, letting go of things that you haven't used or have gone old.You buy new curtains, cutlery, clothes, you give yourself a long, warm bath byapplying medicinal herbs, etc. So with our mind we should let go off 'guilt andpunishment', they are useless and instead bring in 'compassion andkindness.' Its absolutely fine to eat sweets and fried during Diwali. Its best to enjoy it in quantitiesyou will be comfortable with so that you dont feel stuffed in your stomach andguilty in your head.

3. How often should a detox dietbe repeated ?

Its not worth doing even once.

4. Share with us an ideal detox plan. What should one eat for Breakfast, Mid day,Lunch, Evening and Dinner?

Eat normal food is what I believe in. Stay simple with food, don'tcomplicate it.

5. Any quick detox receipesthat have worked for your clients, it could be juices, salads, soups etc.

Eating food that is fresh and prepared with love is what has workedwonders for my clients.

6. A detox food,vegetable or fruit you highly recommend.

All food is good. This is also the backbone of my book.There are reallyno miracle foods, vegetables and fruits. Eating fresh and eating food that isin season works the best.

7. Do you recommend your clients to go on a detox diet after festivals/occasionswhen they are likely to overindulge in food that may not be appropriate fortheir bodies?

My clients are always eating right and their diets always include foodthat they love and relish. Indulgence, the way we understand it, is somethingthat follows long periods of deprivation. So its important to not deprive andhave an inclusive diet. A diet which includes all your fav foods and lets youcelebrate festivals without losing their true essence works well witheverybody.

8. Any celebrity clients who have gone on a detox diet suggested by you and achievedfantastic results .

My clients including the celebs work on having regular bedtime and wakingup hours, workout regularly, eat fresh and eat with a calm state of mind. Theirstomach, body and mind is always feeling loved and nourished and the effects arefor everybody to see. Cleansing the mind and body is a life long commitment nota 3 or 7 day detox plan.

Weight loss strategy sessions

2011-10-13T15:03:00.000+05:30

The next 'Weight loss strategy session' will cover issues related to Diabetes and heart health (cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar). Pics from an earlier session here

Date: 18th February, 2012

Here is a list of FAQ’sfor the same:

What is a Weight-loss Strategies (WLS) session?

WLS is a 2-partprogram. It comprises of a one-day group workshop conducted by Rujuta at her ancestralfarmhouse outside Mumbai, followed by a 2-month follow up with Rujuta’s team.The idea is to cover one lifestyle related condition and learn the fads andfacts surrounding the same. Simply stated, you learn the facts and you learnhow to churn weight loss despite the condition. The 2-month follow up isdesigned to help you stay on track and resolve any practical issues that may cropup while attempting to follow the learning.

How is this different from regularconsultation?

All too often wehear this: “I would love to go on your diet, but can’t afford your consultationfees”. There is ‘Open day’ of course, but it is more generic health relatedadvice. The middle-path then is what we hope to tread via the WLS. A full dayfocused workshop with a two-month follow up.

Will you give me a diet?

Afterthe learning, we let you make your own diet which we will look through and makesuggestions if needed. However, our guess is that by the end of a WLS, you’llbe quite the expert yourself ;)

Will I lose weight by following the advice?

Youwill feel fresher, calmer, more alert and active. And yes, weight loss willoccur as a by-product of all the lifestyle changes that you make.

What is the nature of follow up?

We give you homework to do; you fill in our effort tracker (diet andactivity recall) every week and email it to us. Your designated nutritionistprovides you feedback on the same via e-mail once every 2-weeks and talks toyou over the phone.

Where is Sonave?

Sonave is a tribal village on the outskirts of Mumbai, beyond Virar,just off the Western express highway. It is about 80kms from Bandra/ a 2-hourdrive from the Mumbai airport.

I don’t stay in Mumbai, how can I make it?

We leave Mumbai by 6:00 am on the day of the WLS session. We suggest youreach Mumbai a day prior so that you can leave along with other participants.If you are coming from Surat, Vapi, Pune – then you can start early from homeand make it to Sonave by road. Exact directions will be provided on signing up.

Can I fly out on the same day?

Yes, you can. Book flights post 8.30 pm to be on the safer side. Weleave by 5:00 pm from Sonave.

Can you arrange for my transport?

Yes, from Mumbai to Sonave and back to Mumbai. We typically carpool andrequest you to indicate while signing up if you would like us to arrange forthe same. Currently it’s Rs.3500/- for a car that can accommodate 6 peoplecomfortably.

What is the group size?

In order to keep the session intimate and comfortable, we will not acceptmore than 15 participants. Seats are reserved on first come, first serve basis.

What is the exact schedule of the WLS session?

We serve you breakfast on reaching along with herbal or adrak chai. The firstsession starts at 10.00 am, lunch is from noon to 1.00 pm, the afternoonsession is 2.00– 3.30 pm followed by a Q & A that wraps up by 4.30 pm. Wethen have a small snack and leave from Sonave by 5.00 pm.

What about food?

Simple, nutritious, Maharashtrian fare is served as breakfast; atraditional sit down for lunch and a snack before you leave in the evening.Water is filtered and purified and of course, local beverages like kokam, amlaand nimbu sherbet will be served. Please inform us if you would like Jain mealsor if you have any kind of food allergies.

Anything I need to carry with me?

Nothing in particular. A fruit or a small snack for the journey and abottle of water. Once you are at Sonave, we take care of your meals.

What are the fees for the session?

Rs.25,000/- which does not include transport.

Do you offer any couple/group discounts?

None.

How do I make my payment/register?

You need to makeyour payment either by a DD or via an online transfer after which we confirmyour place and send you the Diet recall sheet. Payment details are:

Demand Draft:
For ‘Rujuta Diwekar’
403, Ram Krishna Chambers,
Above Reebok showroom,
Linking Road, Khar west,
Mumbai- 400052

Online transfer/ Direct deposit to:
Beneficiary Name - Rujuta Diwekar
Beneficiary Current Account # or IBAN # - 910020016032277
Beneficiary Bank Name - Axis Bank Ltd.,
Swift code: AXISINBB020
IFSC code: UTIB0000415
Beneficiary Bank Address - Springfields Bldg,
Lokhandwala Complex, Andheri (w), Mumbai - 400053.

Will Rujuta be personally available?

Of course! Rujuta conducts the session, so you can have access to herthrough the day. Her mother will be present too and is in charge of cookingsimple, nourishing, pure-vegetarian maharashtrian meals for the day :)

Do we get any notes or manual?

Yes, you get a note pad & a pen to take notes and we provide you afile with the print outs of all that was discussed and is worth rememberingfrom the WLS sessionJ

We are also working on providing you with a CD of the session.

Anything else that I need to know?

Your phone may not work in Sonave, we have electricity but it is well,unreliable. The last 1 or 2 km to the farm is a kaccha road.

For any further queries, please feel free to email on mitahar@gmail.comor call on +91 8080824276 between 10.00 am-6.00 pm IST (Mon-Sat).

Look forward toseeing you at Sonave J

Mumbai chi Aai - Marathon training for young mothers

2011-09-23T19:08:00.000+05:30

We love our babies, want to spend all our time with them and want to look (and feel) like million dollars while doting on our kids but (and this a big but, pun intended) we have no time to exercise. It's this predicament which gave birth to our signature program, "Mumbai chi aai".

What is it?A marathon training program for young moms with babies of 3 months to 3 years along with baby sitting facilities. So while you workout and get thinner your babies get looked after and entertained.

Why a special program for mothers?Post delivery we focus on babies but it's our bodies, the sagging uterus, changing body composition and over worked joints which need your immediate attention. Most importantly you need time away from your babies to pursue exercise without guilt or worrying them babies.

Where is it conducted ?Across public gardens in Mumbai, write to mitahar@gmail.com for details.

What is its aim?The program aims to bring your fitness to a level where you can complete the half marathon (21k) in jan 2012 in a respectable time and injury free. Of course that means that your stamina to run around babies, the strength to cope up with their ever increasing weight ( touch wood) and the calm with which you will deal with their tantrums / late nights etc will dramatically improve. Read that as -" I will be fitter, sexier and yummier than before".

What are the training days?Group training will be on the Weekends to begin with and then we will add one weekday, the cool part about this program is that you will have online tutorials to allow you to exercise at home without having to worry about the logistics about your baby.

The timings?It's 6.30 to 7.30 am in the mornings. If your babies are sleeping at that time you can bring them in a pram and cover them with a blanket. Our team looks after them & feed them the first meal in case they wake before you finish.

Do I get a diet?Of course you do and you get a training diary so we keep a track of what you do and what you eat every week.

What is Rujuta's involvement in this project?For starters it's her pet project and all of us here have been burning the midnight oil to make this a reality. Rujuta and her team personally look into every aspect of your training sessions and she will be present on all days that she is in town. On signing up you will receive the exact schedule of the sessions she will be personally leading.

What is the cost?It's Rs. 15000/- all inclusive from Oct 15, 2011 to 15th jan 2012.The idea is to keep the cost low so that it's accessible to all.

But I am not registered for the marathon..Of course we know that and we plan to help you with that. Be there for the orientation at 12 noon, 25th sep, 2011 at Ruia college and we will give you the details and answer all the questions that got left out in the FAQ.

How do I register?By writing to urja.marathon@gmail.com or mitahar@gmail.com and calling on 02224148111.

Our 2012 Marathon training program

2011-09-08T13:55:00.000+05:30

The 14-week marathon training program - Rujuta Diwekar

16^th October 2011 – 16^th Jan 2012

Components of the program

Component	Details
*Running*	<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Long Runs · Build aerobic fitness, efficiency & endurance · Steady pace · Increase mileage every week <!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Lactate thresh hold runs · Improve pace and running timing · Hard but controlled pace · Start from 5min build to 40min <!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Speed drills · Build Strength & speed in the legs · Shorter runs · Focus on running fast <!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Recovery runs · clear waste products from legs & allow joints to recover · Run on easy surface – sand or grass · Run for 20min- 60min
*Strength training*	<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Gym sessions · Build Strong body & abs to generate speed · Running specific weight Training · Focus on strengthening gluts, quads, abs
*Core strength and balancing*	<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Flexibility and stability training · Preventing Injuries · Focus on Stretching hamstrings · Learn to stabilize the pelvic and spine · Build stabilizers in the legs & back
*Nutrition and hydration*	<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->Diet counseling sessions Accelerate fat burning Improve running efficiency Training and diet diary

DETAILS	*Basic running program*	*Complete running and fitness program*	*Mumbai chi Aai* – Program for young mothers
Eligibility	Open for all	Open for all	Mothers with kids aged 3 months and above
Inclusions	- Group training on wed, sat and sunday. - Day by day training schedule for 14 weeks - Information booklet and diary. - Training kit.	Everything as per Basic running program plus: - Online support. 4 hours everyday except Sunday. - Diet counseling once a month. - Fitness test every month.	- Specialized training schedule. - Group training every sat and Sunday. - Baby-sitting facility during group training. - Rest same as complete running program.
Fees (All inclusive)	Rs 9000/-	Rs 12000/-	Rs 15000/-
Remarks	You can avail diet counseling and fitness test facilities at additional cost.	With an additional Rs 2000/- you can avail facilities at Urja gym for 14 weeks.	This is the first such training program in the country.
Location	Main location: Five gardens, Matunga Any other location in Mumbai where there is a group of more than 15.
Register and more info	Email: urja.marathon@gmail.com ORIENTATION: 25^th SEP Phone: +91 9892213819/ 022-24148111 www.rujutadiwekar.com

An eating plan for Ramzan

2011-07-23T13:35:00.000+05:30

Ramzan or Ramadan is round the corner and it means different thing to different people – prayers, fasting, feasting, holidays, charities, traffic, shopping, big movies releases etc. The beauty of festivals is no matter how you look at it, it’s a time of joy, celebration and bonding with friends and families. Ramzan above all is a time for Bhakti, devotion towards the supreme reality, Allah, and unconditional surrender of our ego and attachments (including attachment with food) through our prayers.

Roza is not limited to fasting , its about overcoming temptation, I think its extremely important to remember that during iftaar. I have seen people going berserk with food in the evening, this in my opinion is against the very grain of the practice. Since food is the most crucial and intimate part of our being, the way we consume food reflects our relationship with our innermost being. Iftaar is not some wild party where you eat dates, fruits, chicken, mutton, pherni, kheer, bhajiya and god knows what to numb your hunger. It’s a time to nurture your appetite with devotion and sharing and so the common plate and prayers around it.

Below is a suggested frame work of eating right during Ramzan. Remember Eid is a month away so don’t feast every evening, eat in peace and plan your meals in advance. Over indulging in the evening or iftaar will not just dilute your concentration during prayers later but also leave you feeling gassy, bloated and constipated the next morning. The meal plan is more India specific and is rooted in eating local and fresh so please feel free to include your local delicacies even if you don’t see them in this plan.

Meal Timings	Food/ Menu	Supplements
Meal One (Saheri) On rising(within 10 mins) Before Fajar	Banana or any fresh fruit OR handful of dry fruits Omelet + toast OR Bhakri/ roti + sabzi OR Roti + milk OR Paratha + curd OR Fruit yogurt (homemade) + poha/ dosa /upma/ khakra any homemade breaakfast	Vit C & Vit B
Meal Two Iftaar	Dates + Fresh fruit OR homemade fruit yogurt + Glass of nimbu pani or chaas or kokam (fruit from kokan) serbet or bel ka (popular in north india) sherbet (all homemade pls)
Meal Three Post Magrib	Homemade Poha/Seviyan/Dalia / roti + sabzi + dal / rice + dal + sabzi/ rice + fish/ chicken + sabzi/ veg pualo + raita/ rice with rajma/ chole + dahi / paratha + dahi / khakra + moong / appam/ dosai with veggies	Antioxidants (vit E, selenium, zinc, chromium)
Meal Four Post the big namaaz / late evening	Lassi OR Khichdi OR Prot shake OR glass of milk OR paneer with veggies
Bedtime		Calcium citrate 1000mg
Water	Atleast 3-3.5litres between iftaar & fajar	Add electrolytes if dehyd
Post wo	Fruit + prot shake	Vit C, Vit E

Its raining bombs.

2011-07-14T17:38:00.000+05:30

“Baby there’s a blast in Zaveri bazaar” GP called to say from Fagu (sleepy Himalayan village near Simla). “What nonsense! Kisne bola?” Priya just got some msg on her cell. “Oh! Tell Priya that was in 93’ msg late deliver hua hai” GP repeated that for his group of 17 and I could hear them laugh on the phone as I checked my laptop for the latest news. “Shit! Yes, there’s a blast, there are 3, zaveri bazaar, opera house and gol mandir. Let me call you back.” Honestly I am bored of this routine, dismissing it as rumour the 1st time I hear the news, sensing panic and checking on the person who’s travelling or residing close to blast site, sitting back home with a cup of chai thinking and thanking “ chalo, sab safe hai” and then switching on TV. It sucks, the whole thing sucks.

What sucks the most is what happens on TV and now that I don’t have one at home I watched “live tv” on my laptop. NDTV – Barkha Dutt sitting in the studio looking very concerned, “kya aap bata sakte hai ki kaha blast hua/ apne kya dekha? to some passer by at one of blasts sites. The guy speaks in Hindi and then she says thank you, we are grateful that you are safe and now let me translate this for our English speaking viewers. So she translates the whole thing, how nice! Then the camera goes to Mah CM’s office, it looks like a press con and he is speaking in Marathi, "lets go back to him when he is talking in Hindi or English so that we can all understand". Minutes later she has him on phone & our Berkley educated CM replies in fluent English to all the questions – some dead many more injured, we are focussing on getting help to all the affected, NSG is on its way, Mumbai is on high alert and our immediate focus is to get immediate medical help to all affected. Alright, Mr.Chauhan, we will let you get back to work, says Barkha. “Kamal karte ho Pandeji” Sallu would have said if this was happening in Dabbang, the CM had said the exact same thing in Marathi at the press con mins earlier. But this was not a movie, this is real life. And if you so care about letting him get back to work, just have somebody in your office who can translate from Marathi to English for your “English speaking viewers”. And show the heart to give up on this “he speaks to us live & exclusive”, the marathis/ gujrati/ hindi/ English/ all laungauage speakers of Mumbai need him right now, he shouldn’t be talking individually to every channel, please! (All anchors, all channels, same routine)

The other thing that sucks is every politician asking us to stay calm and maintain communal harmony. I mean, yes, I must admit that we were stupid enough to go riot but that was in 93 and we have learnt from our mistakes. Why doesn’t every politician spare a thought about how many blasts have occurred since 93? Did we go rioting or disrupting harmony? No, we helped each other and got back to our businesses the next day. That what we always do! So please give up on this moronic, holier than thou “communal harmony” speech. You may also consider giving up this whole “spirit of Mumbai” thing, yes we go back to work because we know that there is no way out, and life moves on, so must we. The “spirit of Mumbai” is not as much brave as much as it is cynical. We know that our politicians and government will do nothing, we even suspect that you have a hand in every blast/ riot that happens in our city. And we are tired of the whole “foreign hand/ Pakistan” angle. Whom are we kidding? They find enough local support, don’t they? So hamare haath bhi involved hai. Honestly its introsepction time for all of us.

So what I want out of myself, is to be a more responsible citizen who takes active part in the governance, to not pretend to be so busy/high flying etc to not think beyond my own official or family commitments. I really need to change for my own sake, I feel helpless and small tweeting #heretohelp , switching off lights for a few minutes, maintaining silence, taking part in candle marches. This time, lets go beyond symbolism, lets do our part. Let us not forget that in a democracy we are as much responsible for the government, as the government is for us.

Lastly, lets give up on this whole Ajmal Kasab rhetoric, please. In my opinion, release him, send him to university and show the world how well we treat a terrorist. Make him a poster boy of reform. Who doesn’t know that in Kasab we have the smallest fish? The big fishes are scot free, planning for the next election..

The 'Learning sessions'

2011-07-11T14:39:00.000+05:30

‘I cant afford your consultation fees but I really want to meet you, what should I do?’ ‘Come for the open day,’ our standard reply. Open day is a free interactive workshop (typically held on 2nd Sunday of every month) which anybody can attend. Over couple of hours I try and cover a topic related to health and then answer all the questions from participants.

Its nice but whats missing is that there is no follow up and I am fully aware that no matter how charged up people leave from the open day session the chances of the fire fizzling out in “real” life is always high. Second problem is that we don’t manage to cover up & answer all questions in detail or depth because we need to ensure that somebody who has dropped by for tips on losing weight is leaving just as happy as some one who’s made it all the way for diabetes strategies or for help on PCOD.

So we have now come up with something which will cost you more (in both time and money) than open day but lesser than a 2 month one on one with me or my team. I am calling it “Learning sessions”. Its going to be a group session conducted at my farm house just outside Mumbai, amidst lush greenery and our own organic vegetables on a sat. The idea is to pick one ‘condition’ (diabetes/pcod/ thyroid/bad back, etc) and thoroughly discuss and provide information on what is it, what causes it and what strategies (food, exercise, sleep and relationships) can you use specific to that condition in your day to day life.

The charges are going to be Rs.15000/- which covers your full day of learning with me and two full months of follow up with my team. My mom covers your meals which are cooked using farm fresh sabzi, rice, herbs and herbal chai during the learning session :-)

I am super thrilled about this idea, hope you like it too. Look forward to seeing you in Sonave.

The first two ‘Learning sessions’ are:

17th Sep	Fads and facts of weightloss
12th November	Diabetes

To register and for more details: Write to mitahar@gmail.com or call +91 8080824276

The beginning of the 'tamasha'

2011-01-04T20:03:00.000+05:30

Saif sat on the back rest of his high back chair in his study with the guitar.. Bebo and I sat on the sofa and the three of us were sharing silence.. I had just told them that I had signed a contract with Westland and would be writing a book on women & the entire tamasha that we do around our body weight and weight loss..

Saif was the first one to speak - everytime I look at swimming pools in India, even if they are in five stars or in water parks I wonder what women are doing in there with their salwar kameez. Their husbands seem to flaunt their sagging stomachs and I get a feeling that women are ashamed of their bodies though most of them are thinner than their husbands. I am not saying everybody should be wearing a bikini but I strongly beleive no Indian woman should be ashamed of her body, they are beautiful..

Kareena looked on lovingly and smiled, I was both touched and amazed at his observation - spot on! Write, write, tell women to stop the whole tamasha. so much fukat tamasha over body weight and size.. We should be celebrating our bodies not hiding them.. were Bebo's words..

Saif played the guitar as a response and I stored the words, music and silence in my memory bank. Did you meet them in the book?

2010-12-02T10:08:00.001+05:30

Women & the weight loss tamasha - Rujuta Diwekar

A personal note by Kareena Kapoor

Introduction

- Why this book?

- Chapter plan

- Components of the book

- The ‘take-away’

Chapter 1: The Tamasha

Chapter 2: A fearless (teen)age

- Real life example - What’s in the looks?

- The age of misinformation

- What’s so special about 8?

- Mother- the ultimate enemy?

- The missing link – Nutrient Deficiencies

- All about Periods.

- The thing about breasts.

- The 4 strategies

- Real life diet analysis – A 14 year old school girl with ‘weight issues’.

Chapter 3: Marriage –Learning to Be.

- Real life example

- The thin, fair, tall and convent educated phenomenon

- Marriage - All eggs in one basket?

- Pre- marriage – weight loss

Waist to hip ratio- The evolutionary reason

Conditional responses - Peeche se pressure

- Single in the city

- Post marriage – weight gain.

Why? 5 reasons.

- The 4 strategies

- Real life diet analysis – A 24 year old who put on 10kgs 1 year after marriage

Chapter 4: Pregnancy and motherhood: The pain, trauma and glory

-Real life example

- Preparing for pregnancy

Oral health

Right Nutrition

Work-out

- Diet for life

- Assuming responsibility

After the baby

- Real life example: A study in unfeasibility.

- Survival, sex, food and sleep.

- Pregnancy myths and facts.

- The 4 strategies

- Real life diet analysis – A 34-year old nursing mother of two juggling house and career.

Chapter 5: Menopause: Coming of age

- Real life example

- Nature to the rescue

- Healthy ovaries- healthy menopause

- Life after Menopause

- The 4 strategies

- Real life diet analysis – A 65-year old, pretty pampered, Punjabi lady.

Chapter 6: Curses we bring upon ourselves

Hypothyroid

- What is it? How does it function?

- Thyroid and weight loss

- What exposes me to this curse.

- What can I do about it?

The 4 strategies

- The thyroid pill

- Real life diet analysis – A busy 66-year old TC artist and homemaker

PCOS/ PCOD

- What is it?

- Hormonally vibrant – the story of our ovary.

- What exposes me to this curse.

- What can I do about it?

The 4 strategies

- Real life diet analysis – A 40-year old taking a break from work and on full time medication

Diabetes

- What is it?

- The 4 strategies

- Real life diet analysis – A 39-year old banker staying in London with 3 kids

Summary of other curses and strategies to combat them

Chapter 7: The four strategies of well-being

Nutrition strategies

- Eat local. Think Global.

- Portion size.

The rule of UNO

Gut feeling

Eating small

- Food planning

- Beyond calories

Nutrients

Cooking traditions

Filtered oil

Sweet visa

Exercise strategies

- Kinestheatic intelligence

- The work-out paathshala

- The principles of exercise

Progressive overload principle

Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID).

Recovery

Regularity

Principle of balance or variation

Sleep strategies

- No TV in the bedroom – The biological (clock) reason

- No booze before sleeping

- No dessert/tea/coffee post sunset.

- No compensation

- Bedroom etiquette

Relationship strategies

- With great power comes great responsibility

- Debugging sucks, testing rocks

- Pain is our friend

- Relationship with food

Appendix 1: A comparison of traditional and on-the-go breakfast options

Appendix 2: Short-term and long-term effects of low-calorie diets

Appendix 3: Food considered healthy and why they are not

Appendix 4: Is your body talking to you? -Nutritional deficiencies and how to combat them

Appendix 5: More real life diet recall and analysis

My second book

2010-11-17T10:34:00.000+05:30

Hi all,

My second book is all set for a Dec 2010 release. You can pre-book it also, will give details soon. Check out the Facebook page of the book here.

Will be posting book extracts and other info there.

Thanks
Rujuta Diwekar

So sweet

2010-09-11T19:33:00.000+05:30

Recently started contributing a fortnightly column in Outlook magazine. Here's the link - http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?267039

Do let me know what you think. And sorry about absence from the blog (would like to beleive that you missed me here).

Will post a blog soon:)

Stay on track

2010-02-14T22:13:00.000+05:30

Begin with a bang and then fizzle out without a whisper. Does that sound like the last grand diet/ exercise plan that you went on? If yes (sheepishly or wholeheartedly or not really), read on –

The Fettle Club, one of my initiatives to keep my clients focussed and informed about their food, fitness and lifestyle will be launched by Kareena Kapoor on the 21^st Feb, 2010. She will be sharing her insights on what needs to be done to stay on course with your fitness goals through busy schedules, long flights, endless delays, stressful relationships (not hers, yours), back breaking work schedule and making money.

So while you are busy getting through another day, make time to look like million bucks. And no, you don’t have to spend million bucks to get there.

Here’s some priceless common sense to stay on track -

1. The value of Pi – scratching your heads silly? Don’t. Simply put, eat right on 22 days and workout on 7 days. Smart tip – workout on days that you have eaten right. Most common mishap – strong urge to workout on days that you have been bad.

2. Choose something over ‘nothing or everything’ – do you stop enjoying coffee with your colleague/ friend/ client/ neighbour only because you can’t go all the way with him/ her? No! You still sit there and enjoy good company & coffee, right? Use the same logic. A 20 min run may not be as challenging as a 1 hr run but it still burns fat and does get your adrenaline pumping.

3. Action and not the fruit, said Sri krishna to a overwhelmed Arjuna some centuries ago. Still holds true. Aim for eating right often and working out regularly, baki Allah Malik. You can’t go after weight loss, that’s meant for losers. To keep it fun, entertaining and rewarding go after your effort. Do the max you can today.

4. Words speak louder than you think. So the next time you want to run yourself down, STOP! Your body can listen to that ungrateful tone. Little wonder, it sags with sadness. Uplift it with some heart-felt compliments instead and forget about that wonder bra/ viagra. When the body feels cared for and loved, it responds by shrinking fat cells. WOW!!

5. No spoon feeding – use hands instead. It will help you eat lesser because fingers connect to the stomach through your lips.

Thanks for reading!

Five mistakes people make while going on a diet

2010-01-25T17:11:00.001+05:30

1) Owning a weighing scale

You don't need a weighing scale to reflect your body state. Instead of depending on a machine to tell you how you are doing, start depending on yourself & go by how you are feeling. If you feel good, you're on the right track, if not then you need to re-look at what you are doing!

2) Thinking that you are meant to eat non-tasty food or foods that you don't like while you are on a diet.

We have been conditioned to believe that going on so-called 'diet' means having dudhi/ karela juice, bland boiled vegetables etc. We are so obsessed with low calorie foods that we tend to overlook the nutritional value of it, even if it means gulping down something which tastes so bitter that you may want to throw up the minute you smell it!

3) Trying to eat small verses eating the right quantity.

People believe that eating small portions is a key to weight loss, but actually portion sizes vary from person to person. So you need to eat what your body needs at a particular time depending on how hungry you are.

4) Going by set patterns of eating.

Generic statements such as "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen & dinner like a pauper" do not hold good for everyone. Each one of us has a unique body constitution & metabolism, so we need to eat as per our body requirements & not follow the stereotypical patterns of eating.

5) Not eating seasonal foods.

Nature makes certain foods available at a particular time because these foods are at the peak of their nutritional value during that season.

For instance, mangoes are great in summer as they will give you a season's supply of antioxidants. If you store these in your fridge till the next season, they will not taste half as good & would have lost most of their nutrition. Similarly in winter eat the traditional Til and Gul mithais, gajak, etc. Gul or Jaggery revs up your metabolism to help you wake up fresh on those wintery mornings. Til moisturizes and hydrates your skin and prevents cracked lips.

So eat foods which are seasonal to get the maximum benefit out of them!

From ignorance to light - Happy Diwali

2009-10-14T11:00:00.000+05:30

Diwali time. PARTY time.

Too many parties, too many late nights, too much taash, too much food.. blah blah.. 'So does that mean that I will gain my weight?' 'Or I am too stressed because of Diwali because I HAVE to eat.' OR 'What should I do if I over ate last night at my party?' Its the season for all these questions and confusion.

We resist and resist food some more only to give in some hours later and eat with a vengeance. Of course if you eat too late any amount of food you eat or don't eat will leave you feeling restless in the night and bloated the next morning.

So whats your best bet? The best thing you can do right now is to enjoy Diwali in its true essence. Just like you clean up your car, house, wardrobe etc clean up your mind. Just like we give up old, useless things at home and buy newer better ones, we need to give up old emotions of guilt and punishment associated with food. Just like dust and old belongings keep wellbeing and positivity away from home and hearth, guilt and punishment rot the mind and dull the body. So replace the dullness and ignorance with light, the light of kindness and compassion. Be kind to your body. Don' t punish it by starving before venturing out for the Diwali party. Eat all your meals and surely eat the ones at 6pm and 8pm, thats the only way you will be equipped to deal with the late nights and food. Eating, after all is an act of love and compassion.

Happy Diwali.

A related passage from my book -

If you have a wedding, party, Christmas or Diwali feast or anything else coming up where you simply must eat that pudding, modak, laddoo, jalebi or special mithai, what do you do? Declare that you are on a diet and deprive yourself of the yummy mithai and desserts? Or fake a tummy upset? Worse still just not turn up for the party? No, too boring. Instead all you have to do is tell your best friend, your body, that you will be eating more than usual for Diwali, Christmas, Eid, your anniversary or party, etc. Your body likes being taken into confidence (who doesn’t), and it responds to this communication by increasing your metabolic rate, secreting more digestive juices, enzymes, and sending more blood flow to your stomach. So now your mind and body are both prepared for the onslaught of food and the calories that come with it. Because you have not fooled your body into believing that you will not be eating, and then loaded or stuffed your mouth last minute (completely catching the body unaware and disrupting its normal metabolism), your body will reward you by not storing the excess calories as fat. Remember the section on food and stress? You will convert maximum food to fat when you’re disturbed in any way. So dig your teeth into that luscious pastry or gulab jamun. Enjoy it and eat it guilt free. A relaxed state of mind is the best preparation for any indulgence.

P.S. - Please dont ask about compensation. If you overate last night, its really OK. Its really OK as long as you enjoyed what you ate..

Exercise or diet – What is important?

2009-07-28T17:31:00.002+05:30

I have been asked, get asked, and will be asked till (I tell myself) I hang my boots. Sometimes it’s asked out of curiosity, sometimes out of a serious doubt, at times to just check if I have a bias and at other times to plain look for an escape.

Well here’s my boring, practised but honest answer – Exercise & diet are like the two sides of the same coin. To ask me to choose which is more important/ effective/result oriented is like asking a mother to choose the favourite between her two children or like choosing between the devil and the deep sea, depending on your perspective.

Dieting- we should make friends with this word, it’s not our enemy. “Diet is my best friend”, proclaimed Kareena at my book launch, as I looked, awestruck (one more time) at her ability to communicate simply and clearly. All this while I had grappled to say what I meant – Diet has become a four letter word that it is not/ Dieting is the misunderstood word etc. But not once did I communicate as clearly as Bebo did to faces which would flash when the lightening from the camera paused, albeit for a couple of seconds.

But I meant exactly what she said. But when I said it – it all came across so vague/ so unclear , leaving lot of room for preconceived notions. She put words to my feelings and she did it with ease because she had experienced this friendship with dieting, firsthand.

We really need to make friends with our diet because eating right , eating often and eating on time (and not starvation) is the only way to achieve that dream body. To be able to eat right and to eat on time, we need to re-establish contact with our bodies, specifically our stomachs. Only exercise puts us in touch with our stomachs. It improves our blood circulation, strengthens the digestive fire and intestines, prevents us from stuffing our stomachs, trains our body to consume calories from food instead of storing it as fat, and most importantly puts us in touch with our hunger signals.

When you are in touch with your hunger signal, you will eat often, eat small and eat right (now thats exactly what the word “diet” means). The benefits of exercise are many, least of which is that it teaches you to “diet”!

Diet perceptions

2009-06-10T20:04:00.000+05:30

‘Diet? – I cant go on one! I cant starve! I can do any amount of diet till 5pm after that I am a full toss!’ Not eating at all, eating too little, eating with way too many restrictions, not eating “normal” khana and everything on the same lines is our perception of diet and dieting.
I am just back from Johar valley in Uttarakhand and out there diet is something else! Johar valley was one of the major Indo – Tibet trade routes now deserted after the Indo- China war but beautiful nevertheless.
As we trekked towards the Nanda Devi base camp we came across many “hotal”. ‘Plate ya diet?’, asked one of the enterprising hotal owners. Amused I looked on as GP asked for explanation, ‘matlab?’ ‘Plate matlab ek bar rice aur chana dega, diet matlab aap kitna bhi kha sakte hai. Mango jitna rice,chana milega. Aur diet ke saath bhang ka chutney bhi milega!’

A 'hotal'

Wow, I like the Johar valley’s understanding of diet. It also matches the way I talk about dieting in DLM, LYW. Of course, you should know how much you need and how not to cross the overeating threshold. Till then happy dieting! :)

For more such trips: www.connectwithhimalaya.com

Trekking stories

2009-05-18T18:30:00.000+05:30

As I set off for another trek to the Himalaya, I ask myself what is it that I keep going back to? The flower filled valleys (Most Himalayan valleys are valleys of flowers. Infact the “valley of flowers” now has lesser flowers thanks to the high tourist inflow), the majestic snow covered peaks, the glacial streams or the congenial natives?

Or is it the stories? Stories as surreal as the mighty peaks at dawn, as beautiful as the flower laden valleys, as innocent as the rhododendron in early March, as gorgeous as the deep gorges (oh, should I take to writing poetry?) as moving as the water which flows under the glaciers..

My book, ‘Dont lose your mind, lose your weight’, starts with one such story. Almost everything that I do, think, say has got to do with some “real” Himalaya story. I wonder what Nanda devi holds for me and my group from “Connect with Himalaya”. GP has updated me on the all the facts, myths, history, mystery, conspiracy and geography of Nanda Devi. All of it is super exciting (exciting enough to throw caution to the wind and take a two week break) but I am sure what will finally happen on the trek will be the “real” thing. The real stories only happen when you finally surrender to the might of the Himalaya, when logic pauses and feelings surge.

My anticipation of Nanda Devi story brings back the memory of the Darma Valley story. We trekked in the Darma valley last year, a really remote, untouched valley on the border of India, Nepal and Tibet. (Will write in detail about it someday but in the meanwhile you can check GP’s piece on it here).

So we all were on this major ego kick that nobody really travels to this valley and we were discussing this over pakodas in the homestay at Nagling village (which is another story that will feature in my “diet book” sooner or later). We hadn’t finished being in awe of ourselves , our fitness levels, zest to explore and our adventure spirits, when our guide informed us that two “gentlemen” from Banglore were staying in the same village. They had gone to the Panchchuli glacier yesterday and would return to Dharchula (road head/ end of the trek) tomorrow.

The group was eager to meet them to know more about weather conditions at the glacier, the walk, difficulty level etc. Just then we saw the head and face of a middle aged man bob up from the ladder that connected the lower level to the traditional courtyard (and now our chai, pakoda and cards place). A much older but fitter looking man followed him. We exchanged the usual pleasantries. But something seemed out of place. Were these two “oldies” the gentlemen that our guide was referring to? Had they successfully completed the trek that had our “hava tight”?

No, actually these doubts didn’t cross our (atleast my) mind when we met them. We all were (and the girls more so) taken in by the older man’s glowing face, bright forehead, sparkling eyes and confident stride. He was only 73 years and was on his 23^rd trek. Phew! We clapped almost spontaneously. His companion was 58, on his first ever trek and was in awe of his senior’s fitness levels. “I needed a stick all throughout but he can walk effortlessly” he told us. All this while we 20 -30 somethings looked starry eyed at him.

“Do you know who he really is?”, suddenly asked the 58 year old. We all were starry eyed about Mr. Rao and just instinctively knew that there was something special about him. He is the EC, I thought, confusing him with T.N. Seshan (blame it on the altitude), Jahnavi thought he was the RBI governor, somebody from NASA thought GP….. all 13 of us imagined him to be 13 different personalities.

“Well, any guesses?” pressed the junior. Now Mr. Rao looked clearly uncomfortable but we still stared starry eyed at him and (luckily) nodded “no”.

“Aha, he is Mr. Rao, the father in law of Mr. Aamir Khan, the super star of the Bollywood Industry.” SILENCE in bold. We didn’t know how to react. We half smiled at Mr.Rao who was now looking ACKWARD (in bold again). Oops!! we dispersed immediately and laughed only 30 mins later. No, not because of the association with Aamir Khan (God knows we love him and can’t wait to see 3 Idiots) but at our wild imagination of who Mr. Rao was. I forgot what his real profession was but what I will never forget is the ease with which he climbed the shaky ladder, his terming the walk to the glacier “easy, specially for you youngsters”, his sparkling forehead, his age, only 73 (wow, age is really just a stupid number), his being on his 23^rd trek (he only started trekking post 40 or 50) and the surge of respect and admiration I had for him for preserving not just his fitness levels but his love for trekking, exploring and for being out there in the open at 73!

Recently when I watched Ghajini, I had short term memory loss, I forgot I was in cinemax (paid some ridiculous amount of Rs.275/-) and relived the Nagling experience. Aamir Khan, Mr. Rao’s son in law was bashing some guy when my astral body came back from Nagling!

P.S – I am open to receiving offers for writing a “trekking story book” from publishers;-)

Hey Sita!

2009-03-04T15:57:00.000+05:30

‘Hey, I need to buy a book on the GSB rituals’, thought my friend aloud as both of us sipped on nariyal pani. Helllo! Get off it!! I gestured with an animated facial expression.

Sarika, my friend was on a guilt trip. A haryanavi married into an orthodox south Indian Brahmin family, she was feeling guilty (not again ya) because her husband had (out of compassion) carried out a north Indian ritual (at her parent’s place) which was not in accordance to his birth in the GSB community. A casual remark by her well meaning father in law had put her on the oft treaded path- that of self blame and guilt. According to Narayan, her husband, all this was ‘ok yaar, chill’ category.

But not according to Sarika. She had appointed herself as the custodian of the GSB

community rituals, belief and pride. So she had to make sure that Narayan remained pure! And if he didn’t it was her fault. Here was one more woman seeking approval. Whose? Now thats a very good question.

So are women the sole guardians of culture, tradition, rituals, and the bhartiya sabhyata or whatever? Shri Ram sena “warriors” recently beat some girls drinking (Hey Ram!) in a Mangalore pub. Can you blame them? Even Shri Ram, Maryada Purushottam, put his wife through agni pariksha.(Or so says Ramayana, at least). These were mere mortals.

Now, why didn’t Sita put her foot down and ask Ram to take the test? If she would have, we women wouldn’t be conditioned to find glory, approval and acceptance in conforming to norms set by men. A victimised woman, who is all set to burn herself, buy books on rituals, wear the ghunghat, sweat it out while making parathas, etc finds much more respect in the society than a woman who is all set to take charge of her life.

Instead of blaming the Shri Ram sena warriors we women need to blame ourselves (yet again!) for being way to willing to conform to norms when they are clearly unsuitable and inconvenient to us. For not bringing up our sons and brothers, as adults who are responsible enough to look after themselves. For not pulling up our fathers, husbands, father in laws when the cross the line with us. For not creating a noise when we ought to. For not standing by women who stand up for themselves. For taking that agni pariksha.

The sita within us has a choice. Lets make the choice of saying no to the test. Let men bear the burden of the burkha/purdah/sindoor/mangalsutra/virginity or whatever that it is. Lets make the beginning by treating ourselves better (seriously, we can only get treated as badly as we let ourselves).

Sarika, don’t buy that book. You are not the sole guardian. And seriously its no big deal! Get off it please.

Book launch video

2009-02-17T11:02:00.000+05:30

Check out the videos of the launch of my book 'Dont lose your mind, lose your weight' by Kareena Kapoor at JW Marriot, Juhu, 14th Feb 2009.

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/broadband/video/Parties-and-Events/bX3yh512/3/Kareena-s-Diet-Guru-Reveals-Size-O-Secrets.html

CNN-IBN video: http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/85409/size-zero-secret-out-kareena-launches-fitness-book.html

Times now video: http://www.timesnow.tv/frmVideoDialog.aspx?VName=NV29487.wmv

Diet atyachar!

2009-02-03T23:58:00.000+05:30

Diet stories never fail to totally shock me. The latest one I heard: eat as many chewing gums as you want but don’t eat food. Now why would somebody do this kind of diet aatyachar? For results, of course. The result? Weight loss, my dear. And may I add – ‘guaranteed’.
Only eating biscuits that are low fat and have added fiber, replacing sugar with sweeteners, dinners that are only soup and salad, gulping down juices, smoking endlessly, 12 cups of coffee a day, Atkins, South beach, cabbage soup; what is it within us that makes us ‘try everything under the sun’? Why is it that we fail to use good old common sense when it comes to our body and health?
This disbelief in a common sense approach to getting fitter or losing weight persists inspite of repeated experiences (first & second hand) of crashing weight in no time and gaining double the weight in much shorter than this ‘no time’. Is it really so difficult to believe that a healthy lifestyle which includes workouts, eating right and at the right time, regular wake up and bed times will help us lose our excessive fat stores and also help us get fitter, healthier and smarter? The obsession with Kareena’s size zero is only a reflection of our perverted minds. The focus if at all should be on what she changed in her mind, eating habits, sleeping hours etc that brought about the change in her body and not the body itself or its size.
Yog and Ayurved, the two traditional Indian systems think of the body only as an ever changing exterior of the very core of our being. Western scientist too have long woken up to the fact that the mind and body are interlinked. Though, of course, to understand that the calm content state of mind leads to a healthy and lean body is not rocket science.
A mind which enjoys its share of peace realizes that it has this basic responsibility of feeding its stomach at regular intervals. We also have an intrinsic sense which tells us when to eat and how much. We have all woken up in the night wailing as little infants forcing our tired and sleep deficient mothers to feed us. Its this regular eating pattern that protected us from infections, improved our immunity, memory, sharpened our senses, learning skills, and developed our bones, tissues, organs and limbs. And the most important thing that it did was make us feel loved, protected and important.
Excessive fat stores are our body’s way of coping up with the condition of starvation that we put it through. We do this by keeping long gaps in our meals (lunch at 1pm , dinner at 10pm, nothing other than some tea/coffee in between) or by going on deprivation diets. If eating regularly is a way to nourish and love our body, not eating for long hours or depriving it of any ‘real food’ is a way of punishing it.
Our lifestyles are abusive enough. We really shouldn’t be abusing our body any further in the name of dieting or losing weight. Weight loss that beats common sense or that which is brought about by depriving your body of carbs, fat or protein is the beginning of the end. The end of health, vitality, and peace.

Apple or Pear?

2009-01-31T23:58:00.001+05:30

My sister, Ankita, when she saw the cover page of 'Don't lose your mind, lose your weight' said that it looks like the cover of a chicklit novel. Chicklit or not, I don't know, but don't miss the apple or the pear on the cover. You must have read about the different body shapes- apple means this... and pear means that... (there is also apparently a banana shape). But trust me, whether you are apple shaped or pear shaped or you look like a fruit sundae and irrespective of your gender, weight , height and age, the book is for you. It focuses on simple and easy –to-read-and -understand and (surprisingly) simpler -to -practise principles. If you can make these principles a part of your life I would consider this book and the efforts behind it a success!

Violence sucks!!

2008-05-09T22:19:00.000+05:30

What makes domestic violence so peculiar?
My bai, Archana had disappeared for 3 days. This is how she looked when she turned up this morning.

Desperately trying to look and behave normal. Yes, you guessed it. Her husband has banged his knee into her face. It cracked her nose, ruptured the capillaries in her eyes, and her face is swollen like a potato!

She went straight to the kitchen with a handkerchief on her watering eye and I ran after her and stupidly asked what’s happened to her? Like all good girls (now all good girls irrespective of class, creed, education, social status are taught to keep ghar ki baat in ghar) she said – “nothing, I just fell down.” I lost it. I was very angry. Angry with her, angry with all my friends who have silently put up with violence at home, angry with my clients who have told me that a cruise on the Mediterranean washes off their pain, angry with myself (I have a fractured toe too) and angry with everybody in this world.

I asked Archana to sit with me on the sofa and to quit behaving like all she cared about were the dishes in the sink. She sat down next to me and both of us were silent for some time. Then she broke down & I looked away. My tummy turned, I felt dizzy, I could feel cold sweat all over my body, I wanted her to disappear, I felt I was going to pass out..

Anyways, I told her that she is an adult. That violence is unacceptable and that nobody has the right to beat her. That if she didn’t respect herself, nobody else will. Police complaint- I said. NO said Archana. She suggested I call and warn her husband. It wont work I told her. It has to be a police complaint. She is staying at her mom’s place for the last 2 days. She doesn’t feel very comfortable there. Her mother did try speaking to her husband but it hasn’t worked.

We finally went to Goregaon Police Station and got a NC registered. The inspector who wrote the complaint down for us heard Archana out patiently. He said that he will warn the husband twice and then lock him up the third time. Will Archana be able to bear it one more time I wondered?

Though I came back from the police station feeling vindicated, Archana felt nothing. She is just too numbed by this kind of violence. Somewhere it’s acceptable to her. She doesn’t think of men as calm and compassionate beings. She has grown up watching her mother, sisters, aunts and neighbors beaten up by their patidevs. Now she is getting beaten up while her 2 sons, 1 daughter and neighbors watch. Because ghar ke mamle mein koi bahar ka padta nahi hai!

Is Zero the new Hero?

2008-05-08T21:06:00.000+05:30

Yeah I am referring to size zero. While most people are looking up to Kareena for the weight she has lost, the media is going over board with the whole Size zero thing.
Kareena is NOT size zero! But many Indian women are. Barring a small percentage who live in cities and can fend for themselves, most of the women have issues like starvation, gender discrimination, too many children too little food etc to deal with.

Some facts.
Size zero (American concept) refers to a woman who is less than 5’4” & has the following stats: 32-24-32. This is same as UK size-4.

Kareena is simply leaner & healthier than before. She has been working on eating correctly since May 07. Plus she has been doing weight training, yoga, cardio for at least 4-5 years. What we need to understand is that she has high accumulated fitness time. Diet only supplemented her efforts to lose weight. She not just got a body transformation but she has found more energy & vigor. She does more surya namaskars and covers more distance on the treadmill than she ever could, while the media concoct stories about her fainting on the sets!

If we are really concerned about size zero then we should actively do things to change the circumstances for women. Availability of primary education, providing proper sanitary conditions, stopping early marriages, making birth control techniques accessible, empowering women to make a choice regarding how many children to have & at what frequency can help change their size zero status. And no you don’t need to go way outside Mumbai to see these women, just take a look at your bai, and you know what I am talking about.

Another favorite doomsday prediction of the media is how teenagers and young women will blindly ape their screen idols and starve themselves to size zero. That’s giving no credence to their intelligence. I am sure they understand their responsibility towards their body and the importance of making informed choices. Teenagers need proper education and guidance when it comes to weight loss and eating correct. But then again, they are not entirely to blame when you hear stories about how some so called ‘Diet experts’ are forcing people to survive on 3 apples or orange juice in the entire day. One should know that when trying to lose weight regular exercise along with a balanced diet mean everything. Of course at all times use common sense and be patient with your body. Do not punish it by starvation.

Rujuta's gyan

Mumbai street food

The dashing cop!

Workshop for Runners on 6th Nov

The myth of Post-Diwali detox

Weight loss strategy sessions

Mumbai chi Aai - Marathon training for young mothers

Our 2012 Marathon training program

An eating plan for Ramzan

Its raining bombs.

The 'Learning sessions'

The beginning of the 'tamasha'

Table of contents

My second book

So sweet

Stay on track

Five mistakes people make while going on a diet

From ignorance to light - Happy Diwali

Exercise or diet – What is important?

Diet perceptions

Trekking stories

Hey Sita!

Book launch video

Diet atyachar!

Apple or Pear?

Violence sucks!!

Is Zero the new Hero?