tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895Fri, 31 Aug 2018 02:27:36 +0000nutritionFitnessexercisestrength-trainingwellnessReal foodoff-topicstresswomenInjury-preventionStartingsugarCHDweight-lossfatsRandom thoughtsbook review.mindfulnessrecipewholenessBody ImagePreventioninsulinKrav Magakneesmind-bodynatureBeautyExercise IntensityFat-lossHormonesSelf -Defence for women.healthBakingCholesterolIFMotivationRhymesTravelback-painbad adssaturated fatsEating DisordersInsights on Intermittent FastingThin ain't FitWork-Liferantssex-specific responses to Intermittent Fastingtype II diabeteswomen's magazinesCravingsDelhiDiwaliEstrogen FilesInflammationInterviewKathmanduPMSWalmart and Indian FarmerWhiningYogacarbohydratesgymshomeopathykidsphilosophytreeswalksworkoutsBREADBodyweight exercisesBone HealthC-sectionsClean and Lean ?Corrective ExerciseFDIFitness in ParksGenesGood calories bad caloriesGreat Gym in IndiaGulitHousework Workout ?JabalpurMichael PollanOmega-3OrthorexiaPUFAPhysical FeminismPositivityRapeRecoveryRujuta DiwekarSelf-disciplineSleepSlut WalkSoySquatsVitamin DWomen -chores -fitnessWow WomanYoga and Strength Trainingabsblogsbreast -cancerchocolatecore-exerciseseating outfad dietsfalling off the wagonfasting vs starvingfertilitygetting back on the wagonmental fitness.phytoestrogens : good or bad ?refined oils are not heart healthysmart festive eatingsourdough benefitsstrength exercises for bad backviolence against womenAccessory Recipes BlogAre you Gluten sensitive ?Asian DietsBaba RamdevBadaam thandaiBare feet TrainingBateshwarBenefits of body fatBig RetailBirthday FunCaffeine and intermittent fastingCalciumChambalChanderiChandigarhChangeCheryl StrayedCity life and stressContradictions and Malaise in IndiaCortisol-CaffeineCosmetic SurgeryCough and cold remediesDelhi GymsDetoxDietary strategies to tackle inflammmationDietingDigestionDogsDogs and fitnessEnamorFarooq Abdullah for the Long Suffering Indian ManFit SoftwareFitness FirstFree Range Eggs in the BackyardGary TaubesGastric BypassGenetic Testing for Breast CancerGlutesGut InflammationHealthy transportHeart healthy foodsHome-gymIgG testInsomnia and Intermittent FastingIntrospectionIron defeciencyIronical PaanKnife attackLathika GeorgeLeptin -Ghrelin- insulinLiterature StudioLiverLodi GardenManduMarathonsMenstruation and Exercise MetabolismMitawaliModerationMythsNarmadaNew Year ResolutionsObesogenic environments in WorkplacePMS cravingsParisPashupatinathPatnaPotato Glut and Big RetailPublic policy and chronic diseaseRaj GanpathReflections of a Health FreakRunningSexist ScienceSleep Loss and obesitySocial MediaSport.Sports BraSprintsStarting Strength-trainingStraight punchSurianiSwayambhuTaj Conspiracy.Teevee momTejpal sagaWalter WillettWaterharvestingWheat sugar and metabolic syndromeWorld Heart Day lampoonYajnasallopathyanemiaangerasthmabutter vs table margarinecakecalories vs nutrient densitycookiediet-Heart hypothesisdiscipline has a snowball effectditching sugarearly Menopause and exerciseeatingeating alonefake Real foods listfastingfasting experimentfried foodsfun and belonging.grain-freegym-wearherniated disc and exerciseinsulin response and meal selectionkellogs weight-loss plan (?)kids and eats tipslow carblow carb tadka not working ?mind that healthy dietmindless eatingnatural birthing Indianature and kidsno fasting experimentnutraliteok in moderation?outsmarting fat genesparenting anxietiesposturerefined oilsreflections on importance of Preventionself defencesickness and wellnesssoft-drinkssunlighttobacco free Betel quid chewing and Oral Cancertrans fatsvitamin D deficiencyweight-loss mythswheatwhole milk vs skim milkhttp://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (varsha)Blogger259125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-2645164317299266099Sat, 06 Dec 2014 08:01:00 +00002014-12-06T00:26:08.732-08:00book review.Interview "Historical sense is a perception of not only the pastness of our past but its presence...a sense of the timeless as well as of the temporal and of the timeless and the temporal together ..."T .S Eliot  Everyone needs a sense of their pasts - including their past as a nation but many  may not even know it.We need to live and recreate our pasts , to hold the fragments of facts and http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/12/mauryan-messenger-interview-with-author.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-231139797002308477Thu, 03 Jul 2014 16:55:00 +00002014-12-06T00:09:17.750-08:00Kathmandu Kathmandu is a dusty, polluted, frenetic town-village .First look -and its just a mess of hodge-podge roads awash with India's discarded ,decrepit,diesel spewing Tata Sumos , Boleros and Maruti 800s .Bisected by a terribly polluted Bagmati river ,it has humongous power cuts.Its otherwise stunning location - as the base of a vast bowl surrounded on all sides by snow peaked mountains,can be http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/07/kathmandu-kaleidoscope-iii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-1704346874169430534Sat, 28 Jun 2014 15:01:00 +00002014-12-06T00:10:11.489-08:00KathmanduPashupatinathSwayambhu Morning 7.30 am at Pashupatinath Temple - half an hour drive out of town .  Here, Shiva is the lord of the Beasts.And the atmosphere is of febrile confusion. As   you enter the temple complex from the approach lane full of marigold, incense, flowers and shreephal in pretty leaf baskets; every sense is overwhelmed. Swarms of pigeons flutter and coo.Cows are fed and garlanded. http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/06/kathmandu-kaleidoscope-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-6328357520685851802Sat, 28 Jun 2014 05:07:00 +00002014-06-27T22:28:25.892-07:00Kathmandu Kathmandu is like so many places I have been to yet, very very different.Sitting in the Jacaranda shaded cafe of the Yellow House a sense of intense familiarity overwhelms me.The attire, the mannerisms , the script , the customs are all Indian. Bits of Banaras , Haridwar, Patna, Himachal , Darjeeling ; all thrown around in a crazy Kaleidoscope that morphs into colourful Mandalas with every http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/06/kathmandu-kaleidoscope-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-3762684252064657379Sun, 01 Jun 2014 16:17:00 +00002014-06-01T09:45:26.004-07:00anemiaIron defeciency Recently I was at an office farewell party and in a group of ladies the talk turned towards quinoa and oats : and my normal loquacious self (on these topics at least ) turned tongue tied . I felt like such an impostor. A card carrying anemia and fatigue aficionado talking on nutrition ? Ha-ha ! : What if I tell them that I have anemia?    I have got serious anemia . Pretty serious.Its not http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/06/how-i-was-bitten-by-anemia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7888367625882534065Sun, 20 Apr 2014 12:38:00 +00002014-04-20T07:17:21.553-07:00Dogs Mid-day in Rishikesh :having crossed the creaking Ram Jhoola over-run with two-wheelers, cows ,monkeys and pedestrians , I wended down towards the inviting green waters. The round rocks strewn on the white sands of the Ganga made a perfect perch and I gratefully dipped my feet into the chilled green waters. Only a few foolish tourists like us were around at this hour. There was a lone firang http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-magic-of-play.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-2262399447943425375Sun, 06 Apr 2014 05:11:00 +00002014-04-05T22:15:34.874-07:00nature and kids  Aditya flung the Nintendo across the room , wailed and waited for his mother's reaction. NOoooooooooo ! The cry sliced the walls, spilled on to the verandah, rolled down the lawn and bounced right up to the trembling wooden gate. The menagerie of dogs at the gate cocked their ears worriedly and whined. What a masterpiece it was ! Already Mom's urgent footsteps and anxious face told him http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/04/adi-goes-for-nature-walk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7743515844700501175Sun, 02 Feb 2014 14:37:00 +00002014-02-02T06:41:21.538-08:00Cheryl StrayedLiterature Studio courtsey : Literature Studio   I had come across Cheryl on the web especially on Rumpus as the most Radical of all Agony Aunts:  but never known the full force of her writing . I believe in the Theory Of Attraction . That people who come in your life in a way that resonates or Events that touch you do so for a reason.That they are feeding a thirst or a hunger ; filling a void inside you; http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2014/02/memoir-writing-workshop-by-cheryl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-6980336056995339658Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:14:00 +00002013-12-06T04:18:49.990-08:00Farooq Abdullah for the Long Suffering Indian Man Finally in Mr Farooq Abdullah we have a spokesperson for all the Misandry that the Indian Men are subject to . But in face of feminist fire even he was forced to take cover. This is Not Right. Time and again the Mainstream Media portrays Men as misguided morons,speaking with their foot in the mouth,potential Rapists and assaulters.We must Speak Up Against this.  Day after day the feminist http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/12/in-defence-of-farooq-abdullah.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7656937011741018490Sat, 23 Nov 2013 16:02:00 +00002013-11-23T08:02:30.250-08:00self defenceTejpal saga A fifty year old well placed , well spoken man, drunk on media clout and political muscle , thinks nothing of forcing himself  on a woman old enough to be his daughter, his junior colleague; who is not only his daughter's friend but also his friend's daughter ! He makes creative excuses,then denies then says it was banter and contorts into his kacche ka nada so much that the whole world http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/11/reporting-lift-rape-is-good-preventing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-716264721239480890Sat, 23 Nov 2013 12:36:00 +00002013-11-23T04:42:27.952-08:00low carb tadka not working ? A sizzling, fragrant Tadka happens when whole spices hit hot oil. Put the same mix in cold oil and there is zero response. That oil is your metabolism. The spices are your strategies: lifting, running, meditating, eating well, sleeping well, fasting .  When the metabolism is geared just right , throw in exercise and good eating it will sizzle like Sheila's jawaani. There will be http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/11/lure-of-low-carb-and-other-tadkas-when.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7967117091149147529Sat, 23 Nov 2013 11:38:00 +00002013-11-23T03:39:19.122-08:00Krav MagaStraight punch  Before I took up Krav Maga ,  I never thought that a straight punch could be so complicated and technique intensive. I am always doing something or the other wrong.Specifically : I lock my shoulders. I do not reach out at the target but step closer .This is =MAJOR SIN. You are NEVER EVER to step closer to the opponent but reach out with you arms . I punch only with my shoulders and keephttp://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/11/tortuous-path-to-straight-punch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-6694729871736540963Sat, 09 Nov 2013 16:26:00 +00002013-11-09T08:28:26.385-08:00Body ImageThin ain't Fit I do not seem to have very much to say these days : I have grown mellower and less opinionated over time . But the issue of seeing exercise/food as a *shrinking*  enterprise is something that I still feel vocal about . I keep telling  women that while it is not wrong to have an Aesthetic goal, it is often possible to choose a wrong goal when Aesthetics are the chief motivation . An ideal http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/11/yes-health-is-about-being-in-shape-but.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7734688605545879923Tue, 10 Sep 2013 07:04:00 +00002013-09-10T00:06:45.887-07:00Fitnessfun and belonging. In my growing up years ,in the seventies, nobody pursued fitness or followed Diets.Diet was a fancy word I learnt while furtively skimming through women's magazines borrowed from newly married neighbourhood ladies.I am sure that not one of them followed any of those . I remember distinctly, that while the solitary TV programme on Dhirendra Brahamachari and his Yoga was watched, no one http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/09/memoirs-on-de-stressing-belonging-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-4921410886321963306Sun, 18 Aug 2013 17:05:00 +00002013-08-18T10:06:22.542-07:00Badaam thandairecipe If you exercise intensely you must eat well . Doodh -Badaam have been traditionally renowned as the ideal Khuraak for wrestlers , who consume upto one kilo of badaam in a day. While none of us live to exercise that intensely ,we can benefit from incorporating this refreshing and lip-smacking drink in our daily regime.it is great breakfast or snack for kids too. Basic Badaam Thandai : http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/08/making-thandai-indian-protein-shake.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-5212415824573181442Wed, 31 Jul 2013 15:13:00 +00002013-08-01T08:35:37.277-07:00back-painstrength exercises for bad backYoga and Strength Training I have not met anyone in their 30's or 40's who has not had at least a brief flirtation with LBP. Most have full blown ,on -again,off-again affairs infact.  Lower Back Pain (LBP) is like a High Maintenance mistress. The attractions it promises : of endless sitting ,surfing , moving without engaging or not moving at all are seductive.The toll of falling for her is never fully paid . Yet, we http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/07/are-you-romancing-lower-back-pain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-4342058964596360026Sat, 27 Jul 2013 17:06:00 +00002013-07-28T07:10:17.921-07:00Motivation  A whole lot of folks like to be health conscious these days .But actually some only want thin-ness ,some absence of disease ,some presence of mobility,some eating well . Very few see it as the art of maximizing our chances in whatever battle life sends us . Stranded in flood ravaged hills of Uttarakhand , who do you think were the ones who successfully rappelled on ropes across engorged http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/07/kadva-sach.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-1972196440295420554Sun, 21 Jul 2013 13:18:00 +00002013-08-11T23:24:11.739-07:00Self -Defence for women.violence against women Me and daughter are watching the umpteenth rerun of Jaane tu ya Jaane Na  on the teevee . We love the easy camaraderie.The unaffected  non-sexualized love of friends who are not yet  lovers.We tap our feet to Pappu's beats . And when the headstrong Meow gets engaged to a MCP, we lose interest as the best part of the movie is over.But as we set table for dinner , we get some more movie. As http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/07/uska-gussa-mere-gusse-se-behtar-kyon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-4881964623889073443Fri, 12 Jul 2013 15:20:00 +00002013-07-12T08:22:19.336-07:00Rapeviolence against women Today I don't want to talk of Rape. I want to talk of the stupendous Metabolic circuit that I did in the morning.The Gorgeous chocolate cake that my eleven year old baked for me ; and how lovely it was to sit and eat together on a cosy bed as the afternoon rained gently on. I want to complain of mid-morning showers that arrive whenever I leave washing hanging out . I want to do an http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/07/tonguelessness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7372258966603831334Sat, 06 Jul 2013 12:18:00 +00002014-04-26T03:55:33.255-07:00Teevee mom Mommies in Ads are always glamorous with perfect shiny, bouncy haircuts or elegant coiffures. They smile when their kids come home slathered in mud and slime.They encourage kids to spray ink and colours on each other so that they can indulge in their hobby of removing *ziddi daag -dhabbas*.They just love to cook up instant goodies for their hungry- from- the- playground kids .Somehow their http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/07/me-and-mommy-in-ads.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)6United States49.152969656170391 -118.476562523.630935156170391 -159.7851565 74.675004156170388 -77.1679685tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-2504862234697645740Wed, 26 Jun 2013 06:56:00 +00002013-06-26T00:01:56.971-07:00Krav MagaSelf -Defence for women. Ok so I hate commuting and I hate going to gyms and fitness clubs .I am mostly a lone eagle charting my own path in matters of fitness . Home Gym works for me , as do sprints in the park and long walks.So it is a revelation for me to join a *class* and actually like it too.In fact like it so much as to get up at five am on weekends without fail and commute thirty kms to be there week after http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/06/twenty-things-that-krav-maga-has-taught.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-1453338718469105260Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:55:00 +00002013-06-26T04:12:56.334-07:00Krav MagaPhysical FeminismSelf -Defence for women. <!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal.dotm 0 0 1 494 2821 abc 23 5 3464 12.0 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/06/physical-feminism-part-ii-from-shakti.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-3550807875371318359Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:21:00 +00002013-06-20T00:25:34.735-07:00Krav MagaPhysical FeminismSelf -Defence for women. Taking - in and of itself - is empowerment for women . -  Gloria Steinem. In this post I will address two major arguments against women hitting back at aggressors. Fighting Back is futile/puerile/not the solution. Fighting back is dangerous as on the average women are physically weaker. Women are so vocal about so many social issues today.We feel disgusted and despairing on issues http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/06/physical-feminism-part-i-crucial-art-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-7326786943629054056Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:58:00 +00002013-06-16T09:58:52.214-07:00Knife attackKrav Maga “As long as men are the sole agents of aggression and women are the casualties of their actions, the victims on the pointy end of men’s violent entitlements, there will NEVER be a balance of power between the sexes. Women will remain relegated to a subordinate status, too powerless or simply too fearful to resist the dominance and brutalities of others, limited by social contract and http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/06/freedom-from-fear-frontal-knife-threat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250909620201127895.post-6090409967776281807Wed, 29 May 2013 10:24:00 +00002013-05-29T03:30:33.992-07:00Birthday FunAfter coming to Delhi we realized that kids Birthday Parties are the school days equivalent of post IPL match parties. In a class of thirty kids ,your kids social calendar gets marked by these do's to which all the others are compulsorily invited .Even if they are not on talking terms with each other .Because a show does not mean anything if the audience is missing . The do's are categorized ,http://wholesomeoptions.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-fun-in-not-having-birthday-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (varsha)1