Archives July 2020

A breakup can be one of the most painful things to face. Breakups which are mutual are different than breakups that are one-sided. These can be devastating and heart-breaking. Often we hear people going berserk after their breakups. They find it difficult to control their emotions and find it tough to sail through those times.

A similar emotion and episode was portrayed beautifully in the recent blockbuster movie Kabir Singh. Although the twitteratti went crazy blaming the movie to portray a toxic relationship, there were mixed reviews. But the movie was quintessentially based on the heart-breaking nine months journey of a surgeon, who went through hell after his breakup. The climax took an unexpected beautiful turn, which made all of us believe in the fact that marriages are actually made in heaven, but it did made us ponder over how to go through a breakup in a responsible way.

The movie ended in a classic fairy-tale style ‘love wins’ climax, but sadly, that is not always the case in life. Most of us who have gone through breakups, have not found a happy ending but have learned that time heals the worst wounds.

For all those friends who are currently facing the apparently worst heart-break of their lives, focusing on a healthy life can be the last thing in your mind. You easily turn to alcohol, drugs, smoking, binge eating and many other evils, which take a toll not only on your bodily health but also on your mental health.

Alcohols, drugs, sugary foods might give you momentary pleasures, but end up making you feel worse in a few days. Here we have listed some essential points to keep in mind if you want to stay sober after going through a breakup. If you care for those who care about you, then it is your duty to consider these factors and just wait until this rough tide passes by.

1.  Do not even look at alcohol

Alcohol seems blissful when you are going through a breakup. It makes you forget your pain momentarily and puts you in a happy state of mind. But have you realized what happens when you come off the effect of alcohol? It reminds you of your pain again. To forget it again, you drink again. This way, you get into a loop and easily become an addict. Too much of alcohol has worst side-effects on your liver, thinking capacity and stomach. You also get very irritated and moody. Never seek refuge in alcohol if you are going through a breakup.

2. Say no to drugs

Drugs have a similar effect on your mental state, in fact, a lot more than alcohol. Drugs are more addictive than alcohol. Some drugs like cocaine increase the level of natural chemical messenger dopamine in your brains, which is responsible for control of movement. Large amounts of cocaine in the nervous system disturb their functioning. Although initially, you might feel a surge of happiness and excitement, you soon develop hypersensitivity to light, sound and touch and also become very irritable. Similarly, never resort to smoking if you are going through a breakup. Nicotine momentarily relaxes your brain and so you end up smoking more when you are mentally upset. This can lead to serious complications on your lungs and may even lead to cancer.

3. Do not binge eat

When you are sad, all you want to do is stay locked up in your room and binge watch television. While this pattern is alright for some time to get over your loss, it can be very harmful, if you are also eating sugary and starchy foods while watching TV. Such foods are comfort foods. Once you fall into this pattern, you end up binge eating a lot of sugary and starchy foods and putting on extra pounds. This is a common side effect of a breakup. 

4. Accept the situation and learn to cope

Just because you had a breakup does not mean that your life is over. You need to take charge of your life and accept your situation. Although this is a gradual process, you will eventually forget your pain. You should spend more time in the company of your friends, spend time learning a new hobby and spend more time in your work. The more you distract your mind, the easier it gets to forget your past.

5. Avoid contact with your ex and prioritize your social life

Only new people can fill your void. Get up, get ready and get there where the world is waiting for you. Avoid contact with your ex at all costs as this will only give you more pain. You might have that crazy wish of just talking to your ex for the last time, but that will only make matters worse for you. Instead join clubs, make new friends and go for parties where you can meet interesting people. 

6. Exercise

Choose any form of exercise that you like. Even playing a sport is great because it will help you take out your frustration on something. You will actually feel light and empowered after a game of tennis or badminton. Exercise also releases endorphins in the body, which is a feel good hormone. After a breakup, it is natural that you are engulfed with a feeling of self-worthlessness. Exercising helps you quell such negative thoughts and makes you feel good again.

And it is just a matter of time when you meet someone interesting again! Wait for that opportunity and till then, only focus on yourself and love yourself. To love yourself and your body, you need to eat healthy, exercise, think right and enjoy life. Rest will follow!

Do not follow the footsteps of Kabir Singh when you end up with a breakup in your love life. Believe and have faith that destiny has something better in store for you…

For more information on health, nutrition and overall wellness keep reading Indian Fitness Mantra!

Finding the right personal trainer for yourself is not as easy as going to the market to buy the juiciest fruits. Even if your friend has had success with a particular gym trainer, it is not necessary that he or she might work for you. Finding the right personal trainer for yourself requires much more than checking their credentials, available time slot, previous experience and their fee. So here are some pointers that you must consider before hiring a personal trainer for yourself. 

     1. Get your goals straight

First of all, you need to figure out your goals. Having realistic goals is also equally important. You cannot expect to lose 10 kgs in a month and definitely cannot put this burden on your personal trainer. You need to know that a personal trainer acts like a motivator and an exercise guru who keeps on giving you an impetus before you reach your goals. You need to keep in mind that fitness cannot be achieved overnight. Find a trainer who is clear about his objectives and believes in making a potential partnership with someone who is realistic in his or her goals, else the partnership won’t last long.

2. You can also consider going virtual

Now suppose you have found a trainer who is very good but is unable to align his schedules with yours, then that doesn’t mean that you need to go hunting for another one. There are many who have achieved success with a personal trainer online. Spot a certified personal trainer and nutrition consultant who is ready to give you online sessions at a time, which is convenient for both of you.

3. Decide where you want to train

There are many gyms that come with some perks. Some offer multiple locations, class options, gender timings, tons of equipment and some even have certified chiropractors and nutritionists. If you have a place nearby, it is the best option. Talk to them if they offer entry in various branches. You can also talk to your trainer about alternating between home and gym if you want to do cardio and weight training on some days and other forms of exercise on other days at your home.

4. Do your homework properly

Finding the right personal trainer is all about proper research. You need to take Google’s help and some referrals from friends to short list some potential trainers. Next, you can consider meeting them in person or through video calling to see if you are comfortable with the trainer. A personal trainer is someone with whom you will be sharing a lot of your intimate details and so it is very necessary that you are able to make a connection. 

5. Ask them questions

Once you have scheduled a meet or a call with a potential trainer, feel free to ask all sorts of questions you have in mind. Cover areas like their personal training styles, information and experience on nutrition and diet plans and what to expect from a session. Also, verify the trainer’s credentials. Ask about their specialties such as some are really good in physiotherapy too, which might help you recover from an injury. In this first call, you need to also fix the fees per hour, number of classes given in a month and such other details.

6. Share your Intimate Details Relating to Fitness

Your personal trainer is going to work on your body for the next few months to get you the desired shape, weight, body mass index or strength and stamina. He or she needs to know your earlier trials with fitness. Tell them about your weaknesses, favorite foods and also past injuries. Telling them about your favorite food will help them plan your diet chart accordingly. Likewise, informing them about your past injuries or surgeries will prevent them from making you do a particular exercise. 

7. Get set and go!

Now that you have booked your first trial with your trainer, you need to ensure two important factors so that you both start on the right foot. Firstly, you need to do a light workout on your own a few days before your session to warm up your body and secondly, you need to prepare yourself properly the night before by drinking plenty of water and sleeping sufficiently to have a well-rested body. Your trainer will make you do some light exercises for the first week or few days to warm-up your body, so you need to be patient and go by his strategies. 

8. Know when to walk away

Regardless of the fact that your trainer seemed perfect at first, there might be instances that you are not comfortable with him after your second or third session. Or perhaps, if you feel that you are not getting your desired results, it is time to re-think on your decision. Before bidding goodbye, it is advisable to at least have a heart to heart talk with your trainer. You can tell them that you are not happy with the results. Perhaps, they would change your diet or the exercises. Everyone deserves another chance. Even after another trial if you are not happy, it must be time to end your personal training relationship. Remember, you are the one who is paying and looking for results. If you are not happy, it is time to bid goodbye and look for another trainer. 

Finding the right personal trainer is a crucial step to total fitness. You might feel that you can follow a fitness regimen on your own and also aid it with a diet chart found online, but this doesn’t work out always. The reason is that once you have paid money to someone, you feel motivated to continue and the second reason is that these trainers are highly trained and experienced. You could be following the wrong diet or could be doing your exercises wrong. A personal trainer can guide you correctly and also ensure that you reach your desired goals.

For more information on health, nutrition and wellness keep reading Indian Fitness Mantra!

Eliminating carbs from our diets is the new fad that is circulating amongst teens these days. A common myth that carbs make you put on unhealthy weight needs to be debunked and the right knowledge of healthy carbs needs to be shared. Carbs or carbohydrates are an essential segment of a balanced diet. Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the three main components a human body needs to work properly. Carbs give energy to the body and they are broken down to use immediately or later by the body for your daily vital functions.

Carbs become unhealthy when a person eats them in excess. If the body does not use the carbs for energy as soon as possible, they are stored as fat in the liver and muscles to be used later. Alternatively, a low carb diet can work wonders for your body. The main idea behind a low carb diet is that if the body does not receive excess carbs, it will not store it as fat. The body also burns some stored fats to gain energy, which results in weight loss.

Low carb diets are good for weight loss and also to manage some health conditions. There are some low carb foods which are good for the body and some low carb foods which are actually not beneficial to the body. Let us see which foods fall into which categories:

Worst Foods for a Low-Carb Diet

1. Bread

Bread is a staple in many cultures. It is made in various forms such as bagels, chapattis, flatbreads, rolls, tortillas, etc. But bread is also very high in carbs. Bread made from whole-grain or refined flour is rich in carbs. The content of carbs depends upon the ingredients and also on the portion sizes, but this is a high-carb food and when you are on a low carb diet, it is recommended to avoid bread.

2. Rice

There are 52 grams of carbs in just one cup of cooked rice. When you are on a low-carb diet, it is necessary to cut down rice intake.

3. Sugary Foods

Candy, soft drinks and sweet desserts are full of carbs. Even sports drinks and packed natural fruit juices are loaded with sugar. Many breakfast cereals are also high in sugar. Sugar is the prime ingredient to avoid when one is on a low carb diet.

4. Whole Grains

Pasta, grains such as oats, etc. also contain a lot of carbs. It is advised to limit consumption of these foods when one is on a low carb diet. These items might have become staple ingredients for your breakfast, lunch and dinner, but there are many recipes available on the internet which make use of low carb ingredients. 

5. Starchy Vegetables

You might be wondering that what is left to eat if even vegetables need to be avoided. But unfortunately, there are some vegetables which are very high in starch and carbs such as corn, potatoes, beets, yams, sweet potatoes, etc. You can eat low carb vegetables like broccoli, bell peppers, squash, etc. to get your quota of fiber and other vitamins and nutrients while balancing your carbs intake.

6. Beans and Legumes

Power-packed with proteins and fiber, beans are a healthy choice for diet conscious people. But certain legumes like chickpeas and lentils are high in carbohydrates and hence should be avoided. These can be substituted with animal protein products like lean meat, fish and eggs

7. Milk

Milk is a high carbohydrate food and hence given to infants to provide them energy to grow. It is also high in sugar. Those on a low carb diet need to restrict their milk intake. Those who enjoy drinking milk can use milk substitutes like almond milk, soy milk or coconut milk. 

8. Beer

Made from barley water, beer is a very high carb drink. A cup of beer contains roughly 13 gm of carbohydrates comparable to a single slice of bread. Beer can be called ‘liquid bread’ and what makes it worse is that consuming liquid carbs helps to gain weight faster. 

9. High-Carb Fruits

Some fruits like banana, mango, etc. are high in carbs and need to be avoided.

10. Sweetened Yogurt:

Sweetened yogurt is made from milk and is then loaded with sugar. A sweetened yogurt contains as much sugar as in a dessert. 

Best Foods for a Low-Carbs Diet

 1. Quinoa

Quinoa is a grain with the maximum fanfare, thanks to its awesome protein content of 8 gm per cup and fiber content of 5 gm per cup. It is also super low in carbs and ½ cup of quinoa only has 20 gm of carbs. 

 2.Oatmeal

A cup of oatmeal has 28 gm of carbs, which makes it a good choice for low-carb foods. Oats are also loaded with beta-glucan, which makes you feel fuller for longer. Do not buy the flavored versions as they are loaded with sugars.

3. Polenta

Polenta is a staple of Italian cooking and is made from oatmeal. It gets ready in minutes and 3.5 ounce portion of polenta is packed with 15 grams of carbs only. Polenta is also a good choice for gluten-free diets.

4. Eggs

One large egg contains 0 gm of carbs, 6 gm of protein and 5 gm of fat. The yolk in the egg is loaded with nutrients such as vitamin D, choline and lutein.

5. Soy

Soymilk or tofu are excellent foods to get your daily dose of protein especially, if you are a vegan. A 3.5 ounce of tofu packs 2 gm of carbs and 10 gm of protein. A cup of soymilk has 7 gm of protein and only 4 gm of carbs.

6. Nuts

Mixed nuts are nature’s wonder foods which are loaded with essential nutrients. 23 Almonds contain 6 gm of protein and 6 gm of carbs. 49 pistachio nuts contain 6 gm of protein and 8 gm of carbs. Nuts also provide ample fiber. 

7. Certain Vegetables

Cauliflower is a humble vegetable that has very low carbs. When boiled and mashed, it can taste similar to potatoes, but without the carbs. Zucchini is not only versatile but a stellar source of a variety of nutrients. It has zero carbs and can be used to make zucchini noodles to replace your pasta or spaghetti. 

8. Certain Fruits

Some fruits like berries, cantaloupe or plums are low in carbs and packed with other essential nutrients. Theses fruits are low in sugar and high in fiber too. A cup of cubed cantaloupe contains only 13 gm of carbs and a single plum contains only 8 gm of carbs. 

9. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt has higher protein content when compared to regular yogurt. A 6-ounce cup of yogurt contains 17 gm of protein and only 6 gm of carbs. It is also loaded with calcium.

10. Cottage Cheese

Cottage Cheese is a power-house of protein. 6 ounces of cottage cheese contain 24 gm of protein. It is low in carbs, which makes it an excellent choice for low-carb diets.