Water Therapy

Many of us have cultivated at least a bad habit over the years, the seeds of which were sown early. One such that I have stuck to since childhood is an inadequate intake of water - a habit that can have serious impact on one’s health. V has given up trying to advise me on its benefits and devising new methods to make me drink water. I don’t have any aversion as such - it’s just not a habit as I don’t have the normal instinct to drink a glass of water after food or during food and it goes down to less than a glass the whole day during winter/rainy season. During my pregnancy, I consciously kept a filled bottle and set time targets by which the bottle had to be emptied - it worked for a while. Naturally, I complain of sickness that V doesn’t such as frequent headaches, constipation, increased weight and a general uneasiness.My brother and I had inherited this habit from my mother while my dad gulps down bottles and bottles through the course of the day.

Last week, my dad narrated a story of his obese colleague who was suddenly sporting a fit body. He didn’t waste no time in finding the secret - Water Therapy. I’ve tried getting dad - with a generous midsection himself - to do yoga, diet control but to no avail. Since this was easy, he started on it last Monday. Inspired by him, mom and I have been staring our day with 500 ml of water this past week. I can’t say it has worked wonders but I definitely feel lighter and good. If nothing else, the increased bowel movements

Kellogg’s Cereal for Breakfast


In India, breakfast is an elaborate affair, just as any other meal of the day is. Depending on which part of the country you are in, your choice varies ranging from Idli/Dosa/Pongal in Tamil Nadu to Khara/*.Bath in Karnataka to Poha in Maharashtra to Paratha up North. You get it, don’t ya? We Indians take the gastronomical department very seriously; our life revolves around it. Before the dinner dishes are cleaned, the ladies in the household get busy detailing the menu for the next day’s lunch.

But, our household is a little different from the rest. Our breakfast has largely remained unchanged in the last five years. We take pride in the fact that we have a healthy breakfast in the form of cereals mixed in a bowl of milk on all working days. This was born out of convenience when both of us were working and continues to this day. It works great for us with so many choices for cereals available these days - in different shapes (cheerios), colors (chocos?), texture (muesli!) etc. My all-time favorite has been Kellogg’s Fruit Harvest which sadly is not available in India. Kellogg’s Muesli is good here. Good Earth Muesli (never heard of? ;they run frequent ads in Femina), produced by Avesthagen, is not easily available at all stores but a few supermarkets carry them. The composition of oat flakes is high and tastes yuck; only the ads and the stories are great. If you want to save time and rather spend those 15 minutes reading the newspaper; eat a breakfast devoid of oil and cholesterol with a proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals, then try cereals!

Emergency Services

I walk a mile to work every morning. In the past 10 months not a day has passed without being intercepted by a speeding blinking red lights vehicle. Everything comes to a grinding halt paving way for the ambulances/fire engines. This just amazes me as I see them everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 of them in a row. Well, but come to think of it ,there is actually a dark and bright side to it. Dark side being that someone is in an emergency situation. The bright side being the respect for these vehicles on the road. The slightest negligence (which is very rare) to give way for a ambulance is often met with resentment. The whole process of dialing 911-what’s the emergency-emergency vehicles coming to one’ doorstep in a matter of minutes is probably not a big deal for any developed nation. But it is to someone who comes from a billion plus people nation. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say In India,ambulances have to race with other vehicles and make their own way on the roads. If they succeed, then it was the patient’s good luck. No amount of honking will clear the way for them - it just adds to the already high noise level!