Training mind first step to weight loss

Nutritionist Pooja Makhija says training your mind is the first step to weight loss. Here's an excerpt from her new book

There are no quick-fixes for a fitter you. Well-known nutritionist Pooja Makhija banks on this simple truth in her book eat.delete, and explains why the a good weight-loss programme doesn't begin with what's on your plate, but with what's in your mind.

Following is an excerpt from a chapter titled 'Understanding Willpower':

'I want to lose weight but I don't have the willpower'
If you think willpower is like a red-carpet event that admits only a select few, you couldn't be more wrong. Willpower is like love, compassion or wisdom. We all have it. Everyone's invited. Before you throw your hands up in the air and simply give up on your body, ask yourself this:

How long did it take you to drive a car? How long did it take you to ride a bicycle? How long did it take you to master a new gadget?

Remember when you got your first cell-phone? Sending SMSes were a pain in the neck, right? You typed slowly, got half the spellings wrong, and became best friends with the delete button. After a week or two, it was a whole lot easier. Today you can SMS in your sleep.

For the most part, willpower is a skill. It has to be strengthened. You have to keep practising. With every no you say to that gulab jamun, it becomes easier to say no the second time around. Or the fourth. The more you say yes to the pakodas being passed around, the harder it'll be to say no the next time. It's as simple as that.

But if it's so simple, why is it so hard?
To answer this question we must first understand how the human brain forms a habit. Habits start off as thoughts in your mind.

These thoughts set off a chain reaction within your body, which leads you to act on that thought. And what provides you with the ability to translate thoughts into action? That job is done with the help of nerve cells in your body, also called neurons.

Here's how it works: If you're looking at chocolate mousse for the first time in your life and are thinking about eating it, the neurons in your brain send information to the neurons in your spinal cord which in turn send information to the neurons in your hand, which takes a spoonful and puts it in your mouth.

From the moment you think of it to the moment you physically pick up the food and eat it, this chain of neurons works to translate your thought into action. This chain of neurons is called a neural pathway and right from opening the door to typing on your keyboard, every action you perform has a neural pathway of its own.

If you give in to the temptation of eating chocolate mousse the first time you see it, it establishes a weak neural pathway. But if you eat chocolate mousse every time you see it, the neural pathway gets stronger. With enough repetitions, eating chocolate mousse at sight becomes more and more 'automatic' and a habit is born. In other words, you develop a habit when the same neural pathway is used over and over again. In some cases, it takes just 10 days to form a habit; in other cases it takes longer. Whether it's skipping breakfast or eating dessert after every meal, when you've formed a habit that has made you 10, 20 or 30 kilos overweight, you have developed a strong neural pathway.

Now, imagine a weak neural pathway as a piece of string and a strong neural pathway as a piece of rope - which one is easier to 'break'? In other words, just as your mother told you, old habits die hard. That's why it can sometimes be hard for us to build our willpower.

But you're in luck. Good habits or bad ones, your brain is wired to make new habits all the time! The brain wants to make habits because any habit is 'automatic' behaviour. And automatic behaviour allows the brain to pay attention to more complex functions. So, whether you like it or not, when you repeat the same behaviour often enough, it becomes part of you. Can you imagine a life where your healthy habits are hard to break? Stay healthy long enough, and you won't have to imagine any more.

An excerpt from eat.delete: The Anti-Quick Fix Approachby Pooja Makhija, published by HarperCollins India

"Be motivated each day, without which not much can be accomplished." Dr Kurien S. Thomas

How to be a working class hero

Stop being an unsung martyr at work. Do these things to stand out and shine

In all likelihood, you are competent at your job. But while you have been slogging your butt off, you may not have been acknowledged as much as you deserve. It's never too late to start building a reputation and putting an end to your tragic, unsung hero saga.

Here are five effective ways of getting noticed by your superiors and colleagues:

1. Take initiative: Taking up work on your own is a certain way to getting in your boss' good books, like preparing progress reports for your boss without being asked to. So if you are doing tasks A and B, stretch yourself and wrap up task C. Your boss will know that you are paying attention and joining the dots by yourself.

2. Walk the talk: Considering how little productive work comes out of it, meetings can be a colossal waste of time. Instead of twiddling away on your phone or pretending to look interested in the discussion, you can speak up and make your view heard. Feel free to be the voice of dissent, as long as you do so in a polite, constructive way.

3. Know your colleague: Just as you care more for your loved than your coworkers, so do your colleagues. Getting to know a little about those who matter to them and your boss, is a great way to forge better ties. Sound genuinely interested to know about their family and close friends or else it might come across as forced. Likewise, be kind to administrators, janitors and the support staff. Acknowledge them by their name and don't call out to them across the work floor.

4. Take and give: Pointing out problems in others' ideas is fine as long as you offer a solution as well. Picking out mistakes may come easy but it doesn't earn you respect. Building things up is always better than breaking something down. Ensure your overall contribution remains positive.

5. Number game: Knowing your numbers is a surefire way to be sharp in business. If you thoroughly know your organisation or department's outputs, financials and other key numbers, you score an advantage over those who don't. Not only do they arm you with solid information for meetings, they also give you a good perspective on how things are panned out. This context helps you formulate your plans to the boss better and lets you see the bigger picture.

This also makes you the 'go-to-guy', just by developing diligent organisation. Make a note of ideas you come across or hear of, have a calendar posted in your area and jot down everything that you think can potentially be of use later. Even being the one with everyone's phone numbers taped up near your desk makes you memorable.

"Pleasing everyone is impossible but do not disobey conscience." Dr. Kurien S. Thomas

Most couples end up arguing on holiday

Going on a holiday is supposed to be a chance to escape routine and relax with your partners, but unfortunately it also seems to provide couples with the perfect opportunity to argue.

And most of the bickering starts before the trip has even begun, a survey has revealed.

More than half of couples fail to agree on a destination, while 37 per cent fall out over the frustration of the booking process.

Two-thirds of couples end up arguing once on holiday, with one in four having rows by the third day of their break, according to the poll of 2,000 adults by online travel agents Ebookers.

The most likely factors to cause arguments are money and how much time to spend together. Women most often blame alcohol for causing rows on holiday, while men get most annoyed if their partner eyes up others on the beach.

"The truth is we're working harder than ever before and taking fewer holidays. So, by the time we actually go away, we're exhausted and often irritable - the perfect recipe for arguments," the Daily Mail quoted celebrity relationship psychologist Jo Hemmings as saying

However, it seems the disagreements may be worth it, as 56 per cent of couples said they had returned from holiday feeling their relationship was stronger.

The poll also showed 74 per cent believe beach holidays are best for a romantic break.

"Best relationship can be best explained when two individuals learns to live with imperfection; perfectly." Dr. Kurien S. Thomas

Your food guide for the monsoon

Though the first showers of the monsoon bring relief from the scorching summer heat, however, they also bring some health issues like food poisoning, dysentery and cholera among others.

Here's a guide to what you should be eating in this season to stay healthy

-Drink warm beverages during the monsoons. Add ginger or mint powder to your tea or milk.

-Avoid eating street or junk food during the rains. Very few people have the immunity to handle bacterial overload at such places.

-Avoid eating oily or fried foods as they tend to cause acidity. Opt for tandoori or grilled options.

-Avoid eating foods with too much spice as this promotes bloating and water retention. Go for foods that have medium salt in them.

-Use plenty of garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, asafoetida, jeera and coriander while cooking as this enhances digestive power and improves immunity.

-Eat foods that are dry in nature. Makka, chana, besan and jow (oats) are very good for your health.

-Reduce the consumption of meat and fish and include more of vegetables, fruits and cereals in your diet.

-Honey is an excellent tonic that helps keep the intestines sterile. It also assists in digestion.

-Eat bitter vegetables like neem, methi, haldi and karela to prevent infection.

-Consume lots of vitamin C and citrus fruits to boost your immunity. Make sure that you are eating at home mostly during this time. Avoid eating out during the rains.



"Life is a celebration." Dr. Kurien S. Thomas

5 Hidden truths about motherhood

You've told everyone the good news and they've responded with unending advice. But there are some things your family and best friend are keeping from you

First pregnancies are a mixture of excitement and sheer panic. No matter how much you prepare, some things will catch you unawares.

Dreams of danger
It's never safe out there in the world. But after your little one arrives, everything will seem as alarming as a threat to national security. When friends or family reach out for your baby, you will visualise all the germs on their hands. Your heart will palpitate around smokers and car exhaust in traffic. You will spend hours wondering about toxicity in toys and chemicals in formula food. While you can't avoid this phase, don't feel insane. You will calm down shortly as you accept that you cannot humanly shield your child from everything.

The spotlight shifts
Those nine months will make you accustomed to being treated special by the family and friends. Everyone enquires about your health and brings home whatever you fancy. No one will tell you that you are allowed to feel upstaged after the baby arrives. But you are. Your role now is to feed and clothe the baby and put it to bed. And the baby gets the
attention, the gifts and the massages. Face it: you are going to come second now onwards. Forever.

Breastfeeding is tough
You think you wouldn't have to work at it because it is so natural, but breastfeeding is one of the hardest skills to master in motherhood. The baby won't latch on, you may not express enough milk, there will be sore nipples, blocked ducts and breast infections. Dealing with all this while weakened by hormones and lack of sleep will make you feel guilty and inadequate.

Get help from the doctor or nurse to understand the technique and don't give into the feeling that you are a bad mother. Take care of your diet and drink enough water, but don't worry. Inadequate breastfeeding will not turn your cherub into a psychopath.

Molehills become mountains
Before motherhood, you were a multi-tasking machine. After the little diaper tyrant comes, the decision of what brand of soap to use brings you to tears. You are tired, overwhelmed and bogged by the anxiety of how every little thing you do affects the baby. Let go of the inconsequential details and take help whenever offered.

You will become competitive
We want to treat our children as unique, complete beings and inculcate self-worth by not comparing them to peers. But even the strongest give into competitiveness. New parents constantly talk of milestones and this can leave one feeling inferior. You will also construe any delay in achieving the milestone as signs of disability.

It would be best to steer the conversation to lighter topics or observations about the children. Exit when the conversation turns into one-up-manship.

"Obedience is the mother of all sacrifices." - Dr. Kurien S. Thomas