Swathy

Dare to Change : Take out time for yourself

Swathy · September 13, 2012 · 6 Comments

So, after a long hiatus, I am reviving my Dare to Change series because it really helps with my lifestyle. Now, the reason I wasn’t writing on this topic was because of my little unsettled routine and time, I wasn’t able to take out to think about my next challenge or anything!! So, this week’s challenge came from the same issue.

Always try to make at least 15 minutes to think and do something you want to do.

Now, lets review how my previous challenges are faring.

First Challenge – Not that I am following it very regularly but I can still say that I am faring well in this challenge of mine because I know my body has got used to this exercise and I can climb up to 6 floors pretty easily. So, yay to it!!

Second Challenge – Ok, so this is such a difficult challenge that I am not at all sure I can ever succeed in doing it. Getting up 15 minutes early is a far away thing, in fact I have started getting up at 8 these days!!! So, nay to it and try and try and try 🙁

Third Challenge – I am not able to follow this regularly because of one major issue and that is boredom. I know I should stay away from laptop after a complete day spent staring at in the office and then while putting up posts and other surfing but I am just not able to do it. So, will have to keep up with it and try to indulge more in books 🙂

What about you? Are you trying out any of these challenges currently?

Body Weight vs Body Fat {Health}

Swathy · September 12, 2012 · 2 Comments

This is for all those people obsessed with weight loss who start in the dark and don’t seek enlightenment. When you are getting on to a weight loss regime, you should be definitely aware of certain facts. I am definitely not a big supporter of gymming but lately one of friends told me about the extra facilites a gym provides. You are given a trainer on a payment basis which is I think you are already aware of.

But, what you might not be aware of is that they calculate right from your height to measure your BMI, cholesterol levels, fat levels and all other things which even I am not aware of 😀 So, this enlightenment came to me when I was talking to my friend and so, I thought I would spread it out to you 🙂

So, the very important thing you want to remember is that your fat levels should be in limits. And, no body weight is not directly proportional to body fat. Even people with normal weight can have higher fat levels depending on their lifestyle. So, when you start on a weight loss or fitness regime, you would want to keep or bring your fat levels in control.

Btw, I would like to tell you an interesting fact. Stairs are damn good to burn your fat levels. So, get going 🙂 Also, if you had followed my Dare to Change series (I know, I have been very lazy lately!!), my first challenge was to use stairs instead of lifts as much as possible. And, then, I read this book called Sexy@Sixty in which the author asks one question “Can you climb up three flight of steps without gasping for breath?”. And, I can proudly say that I can climb upto 3 floors without really getting short of my breath and 5-6 storeys with a long breath inside!! Yay, I am happy to know I am fit enough 😀 What about you? How many floors can you climb without being too much stressed out?

Importance Of Folic Acid {Pregnancy}

Swathy · September 11, 2012 · 2 Comments

During pregnancy, the doctors advise and prescribe few supplements like folic acid, iron and calcium. As I said, I had severe nausea so I could barely eat anything. Because of this, I never cared about taking any of these supplements. When my husband shared the importance of these supplements, I felt really guilty. These supplements are really very important during pregnancy. Today I shall be sharing the importance of Folic acid for the baby.

So why is folic acid so important?

Folic acid plays a huge part in the development of a baby’s neural tube. Insufficient folic acid has been shown to increase the chances of a neural tube defect in the unborn baby. A baby’s neural tube is the first part of the central nervous system that grows. By the time this part is fully developed, and baby is born, it has become the baby’s brain and spinal cord.

My husband suggested me to also get this supplement from food sources apart from taking the tablets. Some excellent food sources of folic acid include green leafy vegetables – dark lettuces, spinach, greens of all types, broccoli, beet root, lentils and beans and even calf’s liver, fruits sources – oranges, grape fruit, raspberries. If you find these foods too unpalatable for you, then it’s an excellent idea to take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid is also found in copious amounts in non-vegetarian sources such as turkey and chicken livers.

For a pregnant woman, per day intake of folic acid should be 400-600mcg. These are the things I am sharing with my own experience and a bit of knowledge but it is always advisable to consult your doctor before blindly taking anything.

Thanks for such a great post Punam 🙂 And, hope you all find this helpful. Btw, I would like to tell you all about Punam’s blog as well – be beautiful with Punam.