deviousways

No calorie counting, no food groups to avoid--just you enjoying each and every bite while the weight melts off. Sounds too good to be true? Read on.   When was the last time you dug into a plate of utterly flavorful biriyani without a sliver of guilt casting a lingering shadow? When did you last revel in the sensation of a chocolate truffle melting across your tongue or savor the sweetness of sun ripened strawberries? If you've been struggling to lose the weight that's slowly crept on you thanks to changing hormones and a stalled metabolism, your answer is probably "rarely" or "never." What if you could indulge in your favorite foods without a single thought for how many calories, grams of fat, or carbs they contain--and still lose weight? Well, Jena la Flamme, a weight loss expert in New York City, says you can do just that. The secret: Learn to work with your body's innate, biological need for pleasure. Indeed, science has shown that t...

Velu is a taxi driver my husband and I know well. He has two sons and a daughter. The good thing is he owns his taxi, he saved up to buy the car. But it means his life is tough--going on long distance assignments at a moment's notice, getting by with little sleep (or sleeping in his vehicle), missing regular meals, being plagued by backache, so on and so forth. But Velu doesn't mind the hard work. As the sole breadwinner, he is used to it. Besides, he wants his children to have a good education. Rani, a mother of three, is a cook. Like many domestic help--she works in two or three places to earn a decent living because her husband is a drunk and of no help at all. She used to cook for my family too at one point but not any more. Rani's mainstay was her long-term employer--a family where she had been the cook for some 10-12 years. Two years ago, this family decided to sponsor Rani's daughter Anitha, then 15 years old, for a beautician's course in Bang...

The way to get through tough times? Start with advanced gratitude. When Sunil Jain sang “ kisi ki muskurahaton pe ho nisaar” (to sacrifice everything for a smile) at a 'Bathroom Singers' Musical event titled 'From Mug to Mike' in Bengaluru recently, it could so easily have been his ode to life and all things bittersweet. Singing is a passion for Jain, who hopes to get into playback singing next and even try scuba diving soon. So what's the big deal, really? Jain also happens to be wheelchair-bound. His disability, he says, has actually led him to discover his own special abilities so it is something he has always been grateful for. “After doing my chartered accountancy (CA), all the places I applied to rejected me, saying the job would be too physically challenging,” he recalls. So Jain started his own accountancy firm. Now he has seven people working at his firm. Jain, you see, is one of those people who believes that we must embrace whatever lif...

(A couple of days ago I read a story in the UK-based Daily Mail about a UK woman suffering from post-partum depression (PPD) who killed  her two young babies. She underwent treatment and is now back home with the husband who supported her through the tragedy. That got me thinking--how clued in are we about PPD? Do we even wonder why some new moms feel depressed or suicidal? Do we try to understand what makes a new mom harbour thoughts about harming herself or her baby? I think this is a subject all of us need to be aware about.) This is an article I wrote for The Hindu in 2013   M lives in Hyderabad. After her delivery, she underwent the traditional 40-day confinement. Being restricted to a room with just the baby affected her. She began to feel suicidal; thoughts of harming both her baby and herself filled her head.  S is from Delhi. After she had her baby, she experienced severe crying bouts. Doctors at a premier mental health institute diagnosed her as h...

Everyday stories of sexual violation A woman was walking. Her age doesn't matter. She was walking on the road next to her home. It was evening and she had been out for an errand. The lane was quiet and there were not many people about. But the woman did not feel alarmed--after all, this was 'her' neighbourhood, the place she had lived in for nearly a decade. And besides, she was not venturing out too far, she was going to a row of shops five to ten minute's walk from her own home. Suddenly, in the darkness, she spotted something strange at the apartment building on the lane in front of her. This building had a little gated shed where there was a transformer. And in front of this transformer, a young man was standing, eyes locked on her. He was fully clothed but with pants unzipped, hips jerking up and down. He was standing there masturbating. His face was in shadow but there was enough light from the nearby streetlight for the woman to see exactly what...

Marvellous at multitasking, but miserly with ‘me’ time? That sounds like a mom.  Everyone knows moms are past masters at micro-managing their homes, family and work. But the same women need and deserve to employ a little bit of their considerable time and management skills–on themselves. Here’s why. 1: Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs/roles in the world–a 24X7, 365-day one. You plunge into it headlong from the moment your newborn is placed in your arms. Yes, there are how-to books, innumerable websites and various experts–moms, mom-in-laws, grandmoms, extended family, interested observers, nosy neighbours–with advice, helpful or otherwise. But ultimately, motherhood is a strictly DIY and learn-as-you-go ride. 2: Moms need to be strong–mentally, physically and emotionally. After all, a new mom survives on four or fewer, hours of sleep every night till her newborn settles into a routine. Sleep deprivation, by itself, leaves you feeling disoriented, sn...