Now that tattoos are mainstream, are there any rules to the body ink game?

Tattoos are no longer taboo. The millennials are crazy about them while the overall tolerance levels too have upped in recent times. This discussion is not about someone’s aversion to people with tattoos but about how we perceive heavily or amply tattooed people. Personally, I think tattoos can be very aesthetic provided they are done in the right way. Half-visible body art brings more disharmony to your persona. This is not about finding a progressive workplace that has more tattoo tolerance or expressing yourself with an attitude. You cannot change employer perceptions that quickly. If your job is about people interactions and formal meetings, you might want to try body art that remains reasonably concealed when you are dressed-up with the least possible ink-work peeping.

Neat, designer-type bathrooms reek of elitist stature, being bathed in money?

My biggest issue is with the degree of dryness. How do these typically wet-spaces manage to stay so dry – is there no splashing or over-flowing or sprinkling that is associated with a humble, middle-class or even a luxury bathroom? I cannot recall a housekeeping guy permanently employed into cleaning-up and yet, these bathrooms tend to remain dry like parched paper! Why must I own only average bathrooms? Not sure how many people will disagree on this – there is something very progressive about having a really tidy bathroom. Not just the cleanliness part. I am talking about a well-kept bathroom with all the essential supplies in place and then, some more.

After labels and branding literature, is contemporary food subculture stooping too much towards visuals?

I have already spoken about green-washing and how food labels have been intentionally misinforming consumers, creating a polarization for their product range, smartly using nomenclature than can create visuals of greatness. If you take the time to read into what is actually on offer, the picture is often dirty, murky and very suspicious. Something similar is happening in how we, as consumers, seem to interpret food. 

[Soy Milk Discussion Sans Illusions] 

Colored Ensembles Look Better: Just look at all the lifestyle channels and food shows and there is this distinct fallacy being created that dishes with under-cooked, somewhat raw ingredients, and those that have a fusion of garden veggies are always healthy. If the dish happens to employ about 4-5 differently colored flavoring accessories or vegetables or herbs, the meal is immediately perceived as being damn good. 

Sharing some of my favorite Aftertastes - Walnuts to Butterscotch

Walnuts & Butterscotch is Like the Perfect Marriage!

It is not an exaggeration to say that I have slightly overactive taste buds and a mind that obsesses over the smallest things. The natural cynicism and the love for food makes me a reasonable authority of sorts to share opinions about simple foods that we tend to ignore or just don't explore enough...one such food is walnuts and its small pool of companions. I have this obsession with keeping a log of things I taste, more of combine them and bite into them, and those that have a wonderful aftertaste tend to make a bigger dent in my mind. I feel the aftertaste aspect is largely ignored in contemporary food preparation that is too much about the aesthetics. There is no real aftertaste to savor after washing down a big, sauce-dripping burger with a cola? Yes, you might feel full to the brim but all things subtle and sacred, gastronomically, are lost! 

Morgan Freeman Movie Moments that steered me to Discuss REAL Heroes

Largely, there are two three type of superhero-themed plots that are grabbing attention these days. Firstly, the typically single-hero script where one man or woman must rise to face the challenges put upon planet Earth by an evil entity. This is perhaps the most conventional choice with spider-bitten and bat-inspired cast assuming a character that is larger-than-life, always ready to stand-up for the right things in life. Secondly, the multiple-hero & multiple-stories plot. The recent past seen a lot of activity in this niche with comic book franchises coming together to recreate a bigger scale magic on the big screen.

What if we have been interpreting food textures all wrong?

Perception of Food Textures Seems Biased, Under-cooked

What if I tell you that you have been looking at food textures all wrong? I might be going overboard with the opinion thing but the fact is that when we speak about textures at a dining spread, it is about the food served, the surfaces are that of the ingredients, the way they have been fried, the roasted crust, the oozing sauces or the soft interiors. But no one stops to consider one more type of dining texture – within the things that are a part of the tabletop experience. From the table runner to the finishing of the eating hardware, from the type of napkins placed on the table to shine of the serving platter, everything forms a part of the bigger, cohesive picture that is your meal. Just imagine this – if you were paying the big bucks for an elite dining experience, wouldn’t it matter if the salt and pepper dispensers had a smudged, stained woody exterior? Of course it would! You are paying for the entire experience and the materials that surround your plate, are situated beneath the serve-ware or form a part of the dining accessories are included in this.

Do you desire a wall for yourself at the workplace?

bench-accounting-49906, Source: Unsplash

I know this sounds strange and it wouldn’t be me if the idea was too mainstream. I have always wanted a blank, big white wall at the workplace along with the liberty of using a Polaroid camera. The idea is simple – the instantly captured images would be that of movers & shakers, sinners and superstars from the team. The wall would be ideally divided into two, vertical halves. One, a wall of shame, and the other, a wall of fame. Those who have managed to commit serious blunders and seem not to realize the gravity of their errors would be instantly clicked and on the wall of shame.

Planning can be an achievement killer: scheduling to find your chi of greatness?

Why is that people believe that all winners, i.e. people with difficult to measure financial fortunes or with enviable contributions that we value, are believed to be great planners? It is because all lifestyle gurus preach us about the power of planning? I seriously doubt that planned schedules is what made people choose and chase the most difficult tasks, work through difficult marriages, defeat periods of psychological warfare, and still live to see another day. I honestly believe that the biggest thinkers, the most talented folks we know about were geniuses who planned a lot but were spontaneous enough to try things without waiting for the perfect moment.

A Highly Uneducated view on why COFFEE is considered a LANGUAGE in its own right?

Caffeinated conversations can be as strong as the freshest brew, high on opinions and passionate rationalizing – obviously this type of social interaction is not for everyone, not everyone speaks coffee that well!

I personally believe that while many people overdose on this stuff not all of them actually realize the gastronomic culture they are a part of – it is an everyday legacy that is always alive and kicking. The curious-eyed Adams in college fraternities simply crave the rush or need it for marathon, overnight revisions leading up to the exams. High-on-caffeine decisions makers handling key profiles and top-notch roles seem to be drinking coffee as their daily fuel. This variety of coffee is obviously more educated. You get less pounds for higher rates. The brew is usually an international version or some Amazon bestseller sorts. The real doers who are like the crew of any workplace drink coffee in a very different way. For them, it is about keeping-up the motivation levels and using the caffeine rush to catalyze more high output moments…the more, the better. The elderly at home might keep away coffee from their evening and late-night excursions. Seems like they cannot handle the elevated pulse rate but do like their brew when they need to step out into the harsh world to get things done that they believe their thankless children should be doing!

DIY Anxiety Management: Walking Away the Blues - Straight from a Transforming Believer

This discussion is a real-life account of trying, adapting, and keeping true to Morning Walks. No matter how humble this very familiar fitness activity seems, there is a lot to it that goes unnoticed. Hopefully, this discussion will help you understand why daily morning walks can be highly therapeutic for your physical & psychological health and help you become a better believer…

Around the first week of November 2017, I had settled into a reasonably regular schedule of morning walks. The momentum was good, the pace quick and the steps curious to test my walking technique across different types of grounds/surfaces. These bouts of brisk walking had arisen earlier too but sank abruptly. The reason was that I used to get bored or being surrounded by other morning walkers seemed too suffocating. However, moving to Dwarka has been a gift in this regard. The place we live is a blend of extreme housing development and large patches of wide, empty roads that are just about perfect for walking. Yes, I don't prefer walking in massive parks, and garden trails seem too restrictive. The biggest plus was that I started walking when the winter season hadn’t even set in. This meant the luxury of wearing minimum and getting the time to ensure that my walking form was good – this aspect has been a bit of a journey for me – walking methods are comprehensively covered in health & living articles, blogged about in lifestyle or exercise-related online magazines but lack a certain degree of clarity – what type of walking is a bit exciting and highly effective?

My Walking Explorations…much more than you imagine

My reason for taking upon a dedicated walking schedule was simple. I needed something to keep myself distracted in the morning, some physical activity to beat the anxiety that often builds up without having the time or inclination to exercise with weights. My gymming sojourns can be parked for being discussed later – I took up walking as a means to substitute the morning weight training, saving time and energy, ensuring that I didn’t feel spent when starting the day but was challenged to the extent of keeping my ticker happier, mixing some cardio along with some me-time that didn’t allow my mind to ruminate and the thoughts to go awry. The nearly 40-day walking exploration was worth the effort. Everything in your walking gear matters. From the footwear options to the type of jacket you put on, each apparel and accessory choice makes a discernible impact...how? I am sharing this from my personal experiences:

Regularity matters

You have to take it up as a morning activity that starts the day for you. Skipping days early into a plan that is still taking shape means losing your momentum. You need to be at it for at least a month to call yourself a walker with benefits. Try not to divide the walking hours across morning, daytime, and evening – walk fast, walk early in the morning, and do it each day! Rise. Walk. Start Your Day! There are no rest days as compared to hitting the gym.

Invest in shoes

First impressions suggest that walking is not a high-impact exercise so you don't need highly durable or supportive walking gear. This is entirely wrong. Why? Walking regularly takes a toll on your knees and hamstring if you are doing it at the right, athletic speed. You might not have the body maneuvering guile of a pro-walker or a marathon runner but this physical activity tests your muscles, especially of your knees, ankles, and the inner thigh region. Your best preparation is investing in shoes that can absorb the shock and ensure you don't develop any chronic pains. You can even keep shoes sorted for rainy days and winter days, you can sort walking shoes in terms of those that necessitate a good pair of socks versus those that envelope the barefoot, feeling great against the skin. For me, shoes where the sole is still soft and capable of absorbing the bumps like good, semi-new tyres on a car are the best. Stay away from anything too bulky.

Embrace different surfaces

Please understand that walking coaches and fitness trainers will continue emphasizing the need for softer, slightly pliable surfaces to ensure better, faster results without harming your legs. However, once you have attained some degree of familiarity with the walking schedule, you can challenge yourself across different surfaces. Every type of walking ground out there holds a bit of body-balancing, musculature-testing challenge. Try these to keep your walking schedule more eventful, and engaging – this ensures that the morning activity is always allowing you to do something different. Just like in the gym, you need different exercises to break the monotony – the ground on which you walk is yours to explore, and start new journeys every week!

Maneuver your body better

Most walking enthusiasts talk about the need to understand a basic walking principle – your entire body is in motion. You cannot hang back or slouch as you try to walk faster. Your arms cannot lay idle and your neck cannot sway on either side if you want to walk better, for more benefits. Arms are like the rudder that helps you maintain the perfect posture. Using your arms in coherence with your walking strategy is what I want people to understand better. If your arms move quicker, it will invariably push your entire body into walking faster. The pace with quicken each time your arms extend more, almost parallel to each other. You don't need to have a soldier-like walking stance. Just keep the back straight, bowing ahead to the bare minimum degree as you want to press ahead and this position fuels the momentum.

Use walking to heal, as a grieving mechanism

I have been guilty of overthinking the smallest details, observing and opinionating about things that might seem hopelessly trivial to others. The result? Daylong anxiety creates a breeding ground for self-doubt, worrying inconsolably and taking forever to get over broken relationships, missed career opportunities, and developing IBS – Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Walking has been largely therapeutic for me, helping me de-clutter my mind. Usually, I try to breathe slowly even as my walking footprints gather speed. This is the time when I try to banish negative thoughts that have never helped me grow personally, as a better worker, a more loving husband or a more caring son. Walking more, beyond my stipulated time of one hour, is my go-to therapy on days I am suffering from passive anxiety attacks.

Don't mind the slowdowns

The morning haze, a bit of early morning chill, not having a good night’s sleep, and many more, there is always a reason that in the middle of your walking schedule, you might be facing unwanted slowdowns. There are plenty of times I felt that the overall impetus was lacking on a certain morning. However, don't fret too much. Just lower the speed, slow down, and give yourself some window to catch up. I have rhinitis, an allergy that causes serious irritation in the nasal passage and sinuses but this never kept me away from completing my daily, 1-hour walking workout – yes, for me this is akin to doing squats or deadlifts and posting in front of the mirror!

Don't get too digital about it

There is an overwhelming push for doing everything the digital way. Speedometers or walking distance calculators, wristbands with LED displays, and activity calculators are making this look too complex. I am a technology follower too but using it excessively means you are now extracting the fun from your walking. For me, all these devices seem redundant when my mind should be free from any distraction that makes me look at a screen. I don't want to have my leg or arms brushed against some type of contraption or pocketed/sleeved device. I want to walk in the freest manner with a good old wristwatch doing the trick.

Keep the faith!

Like most things in life, sticking to any regimen, and making a good habit is hard. My challenges have been the same. While seasonal allergies, bouts of anxiety, and jangled nerves will always provide sufficient grounds to let go, you shouldn’t quit. As I step out again tomorrow morning when the world seems hidden, it is not about just burning calories – this is a tool in my arsenal to transform, to heal better, to believe more. And yes, remember that heel-first footsteps are the best without a big thumping action. Please share your story of using a very basic, everyday activity as a means to change for the better…THANK YOU!