The Ultimate Yogi Challenge

In lieu of feeling low on energy, i decided to start an exercise program to help me get back on track. Reasoning being: the more i workout, the better i eat. The better my brain works. And everything just gets better.

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Starting June 18th, i am doing this challenge. 108 days of yoga everyday. I am writing about it here coz i would be more accountable.

I tried a couple of his dvds before. His accent is a little annoying and he talks a little too much, but not a reason enough to give up on it. The workout by itself is pretty good from what i have seen. I will not be doing the 30 min additional abs-related workouts he has in the schedule on top of the 1 hour everyday workout. Aiming for one hour of it, every day.

Summer Aberrations*

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*Project Ten: This months theme is soft. I tried different interpretations of the word. And used this post to chronicle my summer so far. Thank you for the invite Jessica Downey. And thank you everyone for visiting this page. Hope it was worth your time. Any criticism is welcome.

Eating healthy in grad school: Things that are working for me – Part 1

0.“If you can eat, you can cook” – Tara Stiles. Learn a few recipes that you love to eat. Yes, everyone can cook. Its not rocket science.

1. Make a lunch schedule: I have a list of recipes i know posted on a blackboard that hangs in the kitchen. i look up to it so that i am not standing there thinking about what i could cook. I have my grocery bill posted on my fridge, so i know what ingredients i have inside.

2. Use the fridge surface as canvas: Lots of pictures. Nutrition guidelines. Juicing guidelines. Recipies. All of em hangout on my fridge.

3. Breakfast smoothies: I have perfected a 10 minute smoothie (including the cleaning time). I juice whatever i have, pour it in a smoothie cup and blend it with blueberries, avocado and spinach. Yumm ! Having a healthy breakfast makes me want to eat better during the rest of the day.

4. Carry snacks: nuts, dates, granola, greek yoghurt, apples, banana, etc

5. Make an inspiration board: Pinterest hasn’t worked for me, it has a low turn over rate. My fridge and kitchen walls, yes, much easier to reference. I print and paint on recipes, what ever work.

6. Sign up for workout classes: i have done a bootcamp last spring that changed my life. I thought workout meant running on a thread-mill. Ben Hessel taught me basics of exercise, nutrition, ways to mix and match workouts, basic exercise drills, variety of stretching exercises, and the importance of protein after for recovery. I think this was a lesson i will have for life. Totally worth the money. And classes at school are the most affordable from what i have observed.

7. Walk/Bike it off: Walk to class. Bike to work. Skipping that bus and not driving kept me lean thro all these years inspite of my sporadic workout schedule and sitting at a desk for 10 hours a day.

8. Grocery shop: Dont sweat about organic. If you cant afford it, no point beating yourself to it. This is the only shopping i can do guilt free. I love looking at new kinds of food, experimenting, learning the origin of food, taking pictures of the colors, etc. Rule of thumb: stick to the outer periphery of the store. Never pick up that boxed processed stuff. My school has a local farmers market. I take pride in supporting them.

9. Friends and support: I have to confess. I am surrounded by people who thrive on junk food and refuse to walk half a mile to school. And make fun of my obsession with nutrition. But my family has been a constant source of support. My husband adores my food and encourages me to innovate. And my mom and dad think i am one of the smartest nutrition science loving chef out there on the planet. I have also turned to online community: facebook feeds and bloggers for inspiration. “What the student is ready, the teacher appears” – The monk who sold his ferrari. So true. I want to learn this stuff and i am proud to have found a way to do it.

10. Drink that protein shake after a workout. Take vitamins. Inspite of planning, i dont think its easy to get all the nutrients we need from the limited range of food we eat.

11. 5 minute meals: i can make a filling yummy salad that i like, in 5 minutes. When i have to. Its become one of my go-to meals. I eat it in-spite of the fact that i have eaten it a zillion times before coz i am usually hungry and dont want to spend on dining out.

12. Budget: My friend Jo has a budget allocation that i think is quite smart. She hasnt published the exact numbers in terms of $ on her blog, but she has a 50-30-10-10 rule on veggies-fruit-spices-special stuff. I think its brilliant. I am trying to make one for myself and stick to it. Being her roommate taught me some tricks. And my mom has taught me so much about food budgeting.

13. Invest: In a easy to clean blender. A sharp knife is a safe knife. And tools that make cooking easy and fun. I adore my indoor grill, magic bullet, juicer and spiruli. Sans the juicer, everything else is pretty easy to pack up and move after i am done with school.

14. Eating out: Social dining has been a money drainer for my family. We are trying to keep at it by innovating our cooking and by hosting potlucks. I think i like our intimate ‘dosa parties’ and ‘midnight biryani’ feasts more. It helps that my husband loves my food and appreciates it more than restaurant food.

Tid Bit: Date Nights

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This modest set up looks more beautiful to me than many many restaurants i have been to. The way to a man’s heart: 1. Something really yummy. 2. Something thats really healthy for the heart after all. Clogged arteries are a no no. 3. Something new that he has never tasted. Intellectually stimulating?

Note: Part 2 will contain seven 20-minute recipes that count as balanced nutrition, easy to make and take very little time to make and clean up after. Avoid freshman 15.

Vlog: The Grand Canyon

Vlog: San Diego

Project Ten: BOokS, a love story !

Dedicated to my husband. Sorry for pulling down the house for this project. Hope u like it.

Once upon a time, there lived a boy. Lets call him H. He loved to read war stories. He was that geeky guy who was amazingly mean and rude. To her.

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Lets call her A. She loved her love stories and Sci Fi. She liked that he was mean and didnt sugar coat everything for her.

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“I love the book Exodus.”

” I LOVE the book too”

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Soon, they realized they have a lot in common. So much that he found this beautiful leaf for her, and they wrote the things they loved on it. And stuck it in a scrap book.

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Soon, they discovered stuff they could debate and fight about, ALL NIGHT.

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And more books they fell in love with and read multiple times

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They discovered cooking together !

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And ran marathons together !

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And are in the process of building a life full of books, err…. i mean … memories together …….

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They still go back and read their fav passages and cherish the times gone by

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Thank you for visiting my page. And thank you Jessica Downey for the invite. Any criticism is highly appreciated. Rather, someone, anyone, please please do criticize.

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Vlog: Lake Havasu