How To Manage Your Weight During Festivals Like Diwali, Christmas, Holidays And Thanksgiving
October 31, 2007
Going on a diet is hard and sticking to it is even harder. It is worst when there are celebrations around the corner and everyone is eating and expecting you to join in.
You don’t want to be a spoilsport and don’t want to indulge either. Wouldn’t it be hurting your relatives and friends feelings? But your hard labor for months will shatter with the huge lavish lunches and dinners. Feeling helpless with this dilemma? Don’t be.
Here are some tips to help you manage your weight during festivals like Diwali, Christmas, Holidays and Thanksgiving:
1) Start by explaining to your immediate family and close knit group how important it is for you to stick to your diet. Seeing your determination will make them feel proud. Tell them that you will be eating but you will be monitoring your portions. Many families have a habit of force feeding their guests. “You must try this, it is a family recipe.” Before you know a big lard of a pie is dumped on your plate.
2) When the dessert platter is passed, take sometime off and say, you will try it in a while because you are full. If the sweets are too tempting then you can drink a glass of water so that you are full and can indulge in only one. Or you can take a piece and sit with it, nibbling slowly while the rest are getting up for refills. You can just smile and say. “Its really creamy and rich, I want to savor every bite.”
3) If you are invited to a dinner get together, then after eating few bites, make sure that you compliment the hostess for the food. This will cover up for the foods that you will not be eating. You have got her attention that you liked her cooking. Later if you choose not to eat much, it will go unnoticed.
4) There are some friends who are really jealous of your weight loss. They will try their best to sabotage your efforts. So be assertive but not aggressive. Avoid creating tension in the festive environment.
5) Never give in to what others will think. It is your body and you have the right to decide what you want inside it. You health and well-being comes first and then the rest of the world.
Here is another article to support you incase you have given into temptations during the festive season- Are You Guilty Of Overindulging During Festivals Like Diwali, Christmas, Holidays And Thanksgiving? Learn How To Shed The Excess Weight.
©Nayna, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Guava, The Common Seasonal Fruit With Extraordinary Healing Powers
October 30, 2007
Many may not know but guava is a berry and every part of its tree is of great benefit for our well-being.
1) Guava is very rich in fibre which helps those suffering from constipation.
2) They are rich in tannin and vitamin C.
3) Its roots, bark, leaves and immature fruits are known to work well for those suffering from gastroenteritis, diarrhea and dysentery.
4) Crushed leaves are immensely helpful on wounds, ulcers and rheumatic places.
5) Chewing on the leaves helps to relieve toothache.
6) The leaf decoction is taken as a remedy for coughs, throat and chest ailments.
7) When the decoction is gargled, it relieves oral ulcers and inflamed gums and also used in the treatment for leucorrhoea.
8) It helps patients suffering from vomiting and diarrhea in cholera patients.
9) In India, the leaf infusion is prescribed in cerebral ailments, nephritis and cachexia.
The list of its curative value is endless. Guava juice and jam adds a variety in our diet and gives the taste buds a challenging new taste.
©Nayna, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Pandharpur Yatra On Kartik Ekadashi
October 28, 2007
Lord Vishnu/Narayan sleeps on His cosmic snake Ananta floating on Ksheer Sagar (Name of a sea). His divine slumber continues for four months (Chatur Maas) and He awakens on “Kartik Ekadashi or Prabodhini Ekadashi or Devottani Ekadaashi” (The day of Lord’s awakening). He rests from Ashadi Ekadashi and now wakes up to maintain the cosmic balance of His creation.
On this day, all devotees fast, offer delicious sweets, sing glories of the Lord and do His Aarti with sound of Shankh (Conch shell) and Ghanta (Melodious Bells). Pilgrims go to take a glimpse of their Lord and throng at many Lord Vishnu temples. Marriages are performed after this date. It is said to be most auspicious because Lord Vishnu is awake and is able to partake in the marriage celebrations when invoked with devotion and sincerity. These images are taken from a temple in Nepal.
Pandharpur yatra is one of the most prominent places that devotees travel. The main pilgrimage to this place is done on Ashadi and Kartik Ekadashi. To understand the significance of Pandarpur Yatra, read it in our previous post – Pandharpur Yatra, Glories Of Lord Vithal/Vithoba
©Nayna, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
