'FOOOOOOD' for THOUGHT

There are certain foods that seemingly gets the approval of all age brackets. Pizza is a gimme, so do Chocolates. Hardly a person would turn down ice-creams or Fried Chicken. But Ah-Ha...Hold on. Are you sure what you eat makes sense. Being a foodie myself, i most-of-the-times purposely ignore the facts of HEALTHY EATING. I was very picky as a child but now turning out to be an avid food lover. I daily promise myself to make a gourmet but for me the idea of Healthy and tasty Food had always been Fried food to adding lots of masalas. I must confess it is tasty not healthy. Am sure you will also think after so many years of eating, you have become veterans on munching down on food by now. But Excuse me...let me correct you, i traveled with the same myth till i was smitten by these facts. Following are some useful DID YOU KNOWS??? most of it all of you might know

1) If you are a person who eats three times a day and think you are eating right and optimum, you are WRONG! Eating 3 times is just the right way to feed your body. Unlike a car, we cannot fuel(food) our tank (stomach) till it is full, it requires a constant and steady intake of vitamins and other essential nutrients. Our 3 square meals needs to be divided into 6 meals taken within an interval of 2-3 hrs. Hey people (esp girlie s...do you know this is the secret of the french woman remaining so slim).6 times a day doesn't mean you have the freedom to chomp down all fried, fatty food but have to include all the right nutrients.

2) Savour each bite. An average meal should be completed in around 20 mins. There are people whom you hardly notice on the dinner table. They get over with the business in few mins. They consider eating as a job that has to be done religiously. You must enjoy every bite , chew slowly to make the meal to last longer so as to give the stomach the time to digest the food and give brain the signal of FULL STOMACH. You must eat in the best plates you have. Infact no watching TV's. It distracts and also No CHIT CHATS. That's the reason it is said we should not talk while we eat.

As i write this i remember this funny incident that happened during the time of my wedding reception. My wedding was in Kerala . After the wedding sometime is given for the bride to change while the guest have to wait for the couple to join the reception. But there is no waiting business in marriages in Kerala. Food is already set on the table, though the party kicks off after the couple enters. To my surprise and horror before we entered people had finished their first round of eating and were asking for the second serve. By the time we were welcomed, the second serve was over and somebody was asked to pray for the food. As the prayer got over and we opened our eyes, me and my husband couldn't control our smile to see that half of the crowd were over with their eating and left their places ( No offense pls....am sure all malayalees will agree to what i said if they have experienced Kerala weddings) I was just wondering when will people learn to enjoy eating, am sure their brain never signals them.

But who is to blame? In a way we can say Wrong eating habits are caused by the ignorance from other people influencing on you.

3) Studies showed some horrible results. At Home, dining in kitchen is a natural place but it ends up as vulnerable area mostly a place where you find the access to excessive eating. Many people eat their breakfast in office, rushed up lunches, followed by snacks, gulping down cups after cups of tea and coffee. study shows that if office is closer to food counter, people eat more. It is said woman eat more when they are at restaurants than at home.

Other day i was reading my emails where i found this awful and astonishing news about KFC. My instant reaction was nothing than to puke. I later felt bad to think i will have to start avoiding KFC...Cant we do anything about this?? ( shouting.......i cant miss my zingers. Whoever knows me, know how much i luuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrvvv KFC)

Kentucky Fried Chicken has become KFC. Does anybody know why? We thought the real reason was because of the "FRIED" food issue. It's not. The reason why they call it KFC is because they can not use the word chicken anymore. Why? KFC does not use real chickens. They actually use genetically manipulated organisms. These so called "chickens" are kept alive by tubes inserted into their bodies to pump blood and nutrients throughout their structure. They have no beaks, no feathers, and no feet. Their bone structure is dramatically shrunk to get more meat out of them...Click to read the complete KFC story (Source=Internet)

As obesity is increasing rapidly, good dining habits with regular exercise are very important. Wrong Food habits is nothing but a SUICIDE

Magic of Mumbai

Mumbai is under much talks since the 26/11 terrorist attacks but a place known for its versatility. I am 2 months old to this place only but i feel so connected to this place already. I stay in Navi Mumbai but i rather love to call it Bombai or Mumbay. Its a mix of old and the new with people from old mumbai and new bees like us. People are moving to Navi Mumbai because, the reason i think is beauty of it lends a scenic aura to home. When my friends call me to ask how do you find Mumbai. i could say Navi Mumbai is just like my home in Delhi.

Mumbai Slums have actually attracted my attention after my visit to Old Bombay and possibly more because of the Oscar Winning Movie 'Slumdog Millionaire' I stay in Harbor Line but as you start to cross Vashi, it brings a sigh in my heart to leave Navi Mumbai but join with the real life of Mumbai. I have people say Dilli dilwalo ka, Mumbai paisewalo ka (translated as : Delhi is of people with a heart and Mumbai with cash). Taking a train was a rare moment for me while i was in Delhi until the Delhi Metro came ( Delhi Metro is the best thing that Delhites ever got..thanks to Sheila Dikhshit) but when i came to Mumbai it was really hard for me to gulp down the fact of traveling in Mumbai trains which is jam packed all through the year, in all seasons. But i got the opportunity to rub shoulders with the local Mumbaikars several times in the local train but i remember the experience i had traveling all alone from Nerul to Andheri. But i made sure i had the following in my purse:

1) Cash - to survive if i am not able to get back home that day
2) My Husband Visiting Card- fear of getting lost in the crowd was haunting me and by any chance if my purse gets lost or stolen and if in case it gets into the hands of angelic person and returns my purse after seeing the address
3) Deodorant- The strongest one
4) Tissues and foundation- Having an oily skin is a curse and on top of that crushed train travel means its the most essential of the lot( i think i should list this first)
5) One dozen of confidence ( to catch the train if its moving) and a Kilo of hope to reach back home safe- I must appreciate the system of having ladies compartment. I feel so proud being a girl. I always take the first class ticket but hella so expensive. I will make my plea to Lalu yadav to reduce the prices of 1st class ticket. I was charged Rs 228 for my travel from Nerul to Andheri. Gosh ..just imagine how many zinger burgers can you have with that ...4 or 5??? wowww....lol!!!



Another thing that initially surprised me, and is a common practice in the 1st class ladies compartment is when the ladies they come in the train, they will in an order ask " Excuse me, Where will you get Down?" and i tell my station but i wonder why did they ask which i later came to know is that these girls make a booking for their seat with the person who gets down next...smart move...but then i started thinking if that passenger gets down then what is the proof you have that you booked that place??? As i was feeling so proud of my question, i got the answer to it, when suddenly at the next station another Girl gets in and started asking the same question. Boiiiiiiii...what crap i thought..will i have to answer these girls till i reach home?? Then this new girl ( we will call her girl A and girl who already booked as Girl B), Girl A stopped at the lady who gets down next and makes a booking with her. Girl B suddenly crashes in between Girl A and the Lady and says i have already booked this place. That made me clear about the system. Lalu Yadav should take note of this..he can have counters in the compartment for a meager amount for the booking. This gives an equal chance for all the girls to get the seat than some females dominating...haha. And then you must see her face, looks as if a bee bit her face...round as a pani puri..lol..grrrhhhhhhh and both the girls gave that stare into each others eyes for long 5 secs.

But after everything i love Mumbai. A city where anything and everything is possible specially the impossible. I see people have the mindset to help you at any time. They provide you with more info than what you require.

Here are some facts that i have noticed of a Mumbaikar

1) You speak in a dialect of Hindi..which is believed to be the clear hindi but named as mumbaiya hindi which only the mumbaikars understand
2) Train Timings will be 7.09, 3.12 etc and you treat as an important part of your life
3) You will need only one paper bag to fit in groceries worth Rs 500
4) You are happy to stay in a one room apartment worth Rs 10,000 and still call it heaven
5) You have a set of people whom you call 'train friends' apart from your college friends, school friends, neighborhood friends
6) Being alone makes you feel nervous
7) You will never find a vada pao stall empty late night also
8) You will find 2 beds, 2 almirah, 1 sofa set, 1 study table, steel suitcases touching the roof, 1 sewing machine, TV in an 8'x 10' room and still manage to sweep the floor easily
9) Your meaning of private space is 'Please dont stand on my toes' and that too has to be requested
10) Your door will surely have more than 3 locks
11) You are a fashion freak.
12) You like calling CST as VT and Sahara or Santacruz airport than Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport
13) You spend more on traveling than at home.
14) You first read the supplement of a newspaper than the main newspaper
15) Since you know mumbai is the 5th most expensive city in the world so you proudly compare it with New York's Manhattan

I am sure there is much more to add but this is out of my experience.

All this reminded me of the famous song;

Aye dil hai mushkil jeena yahan,
zara hat ke, zara bach ke,
Ye hai Mumbai meri Jaan!!