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December 20, 2017 Food

Having Healthy Christmas Holidays

Festivals, particularly Christmas, is a time to rejoice with family and friends. What can be better than feasting with your loved ones surrounded on the dinner table on Christmas Eve?

When the long table is laid out with an extensive menu, your self-indulgence is going to dominate your appetite. Once, the holiday season is a passé, all you are left with is your bloated tummy and that extra inch around your waist. Although you do attempt to limit your rendezvous with festive meals, it’s not so easy to control your tempting desire for the mouth-watering appetizers, mains course, desserts, and drinks. The traditional Christmas dinner is a significant part of Christmas celebration. Curbing yourself from eating those treats will impart the feeling of being unfair to yourself. On the other hand, when you over-indulge, you regret ditching your diet plan. Here is a full proof plan to decode the baffling situation.

Christmas feast consists of oven-roasted turkey breast with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, and vegetables such as turnip, carrots, parsnips, etc. Desserts ranging from pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, Christmas pudding, or fruitcake are the staple. Other traditional bakes for Christmas goodies are Christmas cookies, butter tarts, and shortbread. All this mounts up to over 5,200 calories just on the day of Christmas Eve. If you are a health freak, this number would definitely make your eyes pop out.

Ways to have a healthy Christmas

Choosing wisely

You are what you eat. So, it’s okay if behave like a fussy eater for just one day on Christmas. You have to wisely decide where you can cut down or make lighter decisions.

Experiment with Food

Instead of having the same monotonous menu each year on Christmas, try something different that has lesser calorie and surprise your family. Even they would appreciate a new delicacy introduced to them.

Take small servings

Pay heed to the signal of satiety and stop eating instantly. You can always get something to eat if you feel hungry later. It is always a smart strategy to eat a healthy amount than to overeat. When filling your plate, take a small serving of low calories and low-fat foods.

Drink Water

Drinking a glass of water half an hour before any meal helps in proper digestion. Drinking fluids between meals dilute the digestive juices. It is a bad idea to drink water within an hour of your meal because water hampers absorption of nutrients.

Calorie Count

For a healthy Christmas, keep a count of your caloric intake during each meal. This way you can keep a track of what you are eating and how much you should be eating. It is an excellent parameter that determines healthful eating. Download the app on your mobile.

Supper

The researcher suggests that the last meal of the day should be eaten early and must be kept light to prevent bloating the next day. It not just optimizes the metabolism but also prevents abdominal obesity.

Deck the hall with boughs of holly- Healthy Christmas — Image credit -https://www.familychristmasonline.com

When you are decking the hall with boughs of holly this Christmas don’t you forget to deck your platter with healthy goodies.

Wishing you all healthy Christmas holidays.

The article is authored by famous Dietitian Sheela Seharawat. She is the founder and chief mentor of Diet Clinic Health Care Pvt. Ltd. Also, she is one of the youngest successful entrepreneurs of India.

Best places to visit this Christmas and food to savor

December 18, 2017 Lifestyle

Joy to your home

Your checklist for a party-ready home starts here…

Every year party décor gets creative and a lot personalized. With retro revival being the buzz all things fashionable, it was only a matter of time before home décor too went down this route. Sophisticated metallic is the theme for party décor this season.

Christmas table setting at home
Image courtesy-pixabay

Be a party starter

Stick to one color theme– gold, silver or green. Even for the Christmas tree, use small ‘interesting’ (handmade, if possible) decorations. Here are a few pointers that will get your décor and party skills up to speed:

Color code Think delicate Champagne colors and beautifully bordered linens in velvet. Party décor is more about feeling good and mood elevation. Go for deep bold-colors, textured tablecloths and layered textures.

Think green– Go for more natural decorations. Use earthy colors mixed with gold for your tree. Get the green from outside and put it inside for a pollution-free party. Use solar-lights.

Floral fun– Over the top-floral accents continue to have a moment. But stick to only one flower. Be it roses, chrysanthemums, white tulips or orchids. Don’t forget to decorate every nook and cranny. Poinsettias in white ceramic pots also work.

Food in a Christmas home
Image courtesy -pixabay

Party basics – Entertaining is all about quality over-quantity with some personal touches. From the food and drinks to the décor, everything will be carefully crafted and thoroughly curated. Minimalism and mindfulness are the new high points in 2017.

Food facts Go for easy nibbles, not big meals. That’s why the cutlery is also smaller and elegant. Food shouldn’t get in the way of mingling. Create truly centerpieces with fruits like plums and pomegranates on a gold plate.

Joy to your home #Christmas party checklist”

Try these out for a great party

• Use glitter-dusted candles sprinkled with Epsom salt to clear negative energies.

•Put highlights of the evening and menu on an elegant chalk-board placard.

•Place some floating candles with oranges and apples for a seasonal party decoration. Use scented candles and lanterns.

• Place some ribbon and flowers around the mirrors with fairy lights.

• Use leftover gift paper to make glamorous streamers.

INTERNATIONAL TEA DAY

A piping hot cup of tea snuggled in the lap of your hands is a tremendous feeling when the weather is bitterly frosty outside and giving you goose bumps. The credit of this comforting cup of tea does not go to the swanky packaged brand names. Instead the respect and admiration should be bestowed upon the tea growers and the labour working in the tea garden estates. To honor their backbreaking efforts, International Tea Day is observed on December 15 every year.

India was the pioneer in initiating the proposal to the United Nations panel for observing an International Tea Day which was supported by various countries. Even The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) and Inter-governmental Group (IGG) welcomed the proposal as a great incentive to shape the lives of the tea growers and laborers. The proposal of India for observing International Tea Day was unanimously supported by countries such as Canada, the United States, European Union, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Kenya and Malawi. Thus, the first International Tea Day was celebrated in New Delhi, India in 2005. Ever since then, it has become a custom to draw worldwide awareness to support the tea growers and workers. In year 2015, the Indian government advocated the expansion of the observance of International Tea Day through the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

Apart from India, countries like Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam are the major tea producers of the world. The united efforts of these countries is to build a better tomorrow for the laborers who are working in the tea estate at a negligible wage. The monthly income paid to them is unable to sustain the living standard above the poverty line. They are living in a wretched condition lacking the basic infrastructure to support a healthy and sanitized lifestyle. They dwell in shabby homes exposed to the extreme weather conditions. They lack provision for education, health facilities, hygienic food and clean lavatories.

The International Tea Day celebration is an initiative to sensitize the government and the citizens of the various countries to influence the owners of Tea Estate and Mega brand names to abort unfair trade practices. Global Tea Conferences along with trade union have been organized to reach a commendatory conclusion that benefits the poor tea growers and laborers. The conference’s agenda is to discuss various issues of the global tea industry ranging from the hazardous condition which is inflicting upon the tea growers and laborers, their exposure to chemicals, their pay package, residues, climate change and sustainability of growing tea.

Sipping on a cup of tea- International Tea Day — Sipping on a cup of tea
Image courtesy- pixabay

In every sip of that cup of tea, we should be beholden to the tea growers and planters who slog day and night in harvesting tea. However, just being grateful to them won’t evaporate their woes in thin air. We must together raise our voice as powerful consumers and make a difference in their lives. So, let us come together to provide dignity of life to those who provide us with nerve soothing beverage.

December 11, 2017 Travel

Ways to Travel More – Even on a Budget

Travel is a luxury that most wish they could do more of. It is an escape from everyday life. Travelling is a great way to see new things, step outside of your comfort zone, and do things you normally wouldn’t do. It’s about fun and excitement, rest and relaxation. As awesome as getting away may sound, it doesn’t happen often for most. Since taking a trip requires money, most end up pushing off their dreams to travel more. If money has held you back from vacationing more often, these tips will come in handy.

Vacation Locally

You don’t have to go far to feel like you’re on vacation. Often, people are unaware of the many things to see and do right in their hometown. So, book a hotel room nearby and search for some tourist attractions in your area. Sometimes a weekend stay in a nice hotel can be just what you need to feel replenished. Look up free or affordable things to do in the area. Depending on what time of year you decide to plan a staycation, you may be able to find a lot of outdoor activities, festivals, and events offered to the community that you can take part in.

Buy Timeshare

If traveling more is your goal, but you’re on a budget, a timeshare may be ideal. You’d essentially purchase or rent a suite at a resort which can be used during set times throughout the year. Some companies, like Welk Timeshare, offer various in-network resort locations to choose from. Therefore, when you want to go on vacation, the room has already been paid for. With resort destinations, a lot of the attractions are all-inclusive or on-site allowing you to save even more money. If you really want to increase your savings, consider splitting the cost of a timeshare with friends or family then split the allotted vacation time so everyone can enjoy a vacation without the high cost.

Travel in Groups

When funds are tight, paying for a vacation on your own may be out of the question. However, if you have some friend or family members you don’t mind traveling with, then you can reduce the cost of the trip. Not only are group discounts more common for travel, but splitting the bill two or three ways is a lot better than footing it all yourself.

Friends in other parts of the world- travel budget

Crash on a Couch

Do you have friends and family members who live in other parts of the country or world? If so, take advantage of this by planning a vacation in the area they live. Ask beforehand to crash on their couch to save money on hotel accommodations. If you don’t know anyone you can crash with, you might also consider looking into vacation rentals as many people open their homes to tourists as a way to make extra money. Renting a room at someone’s beach house could cost a lot less than paying for a hotel.

Always Look for Deals

Tourism is how many states and countries make a living. Therefore, they are always offering deals and discounts to attract newcomers. If you really want to travel more, just make sure that you keep an eye out for any good deals. Anything that will cut the cost of your trip will suffice. Whether you find cheap eats in London to reduce the cost of eating out or affordable hotel rooms in Australia, every penny helps reduce yours out-of-pocket costs.

Getting away is something everyone should do more. While you may have thought that traveling more on a shoestring budget was impossible, there are solutions out there. Whether you plan a few staycations, purchase a timeshare, crash on the couch, or just look for deals at a destination you’re interested in traveling to, you’ll save a lot of money while exploring more of the world around you.

Jane Donovan is a copywriter and blogger from the deep south! She grew up taking vacations to the Gulf of Mexico and the lakes of Georgia before growing up, leaving her hometown for college, and studying aboard in Madrid, Spain! Jane majored in English and start working in journalism and copywriting just after college since 2005!