Shutterbug's Blog

How to recognize and beat Stress. Stress is an invisible monster that stealthily eats us from the inside of our bodies. The result is Disease. Stress is caused when there is a large gap between ‘what we wish to do’ and ‘what we are actually able to accomplish’ or ‘capacity to accomplish the task’ . There may be several reasons for not being able to accomplish but this gap ultimately leads to Stress coz this leads to frustration. Usually we don’t realize we are under stress and wouldn’t like to admit that we are under stress. But , is there a way to detect and prove that we are under stress ? yes , there is a way.
Observe your breath.
Is it faster than normal ?
8 to 16 breaths per minute is normal in a healthy adult. Fast breathing is abnormal.

Is it shallow or deep ?
Our lungs start below the collar bone and end just below the ribs. Divide it into 3 parts horizontally. Observe your breath. Does the air that goes in stop near the collar bone ? Does it stop near the chest region or does it reach till the end of the ribs ? Each time you breath in , if the air doesn’t fill the lungs completely then we are in big trouble. This is a sure sign of stress , assuming there is no other problem related to lungs.

There is a direct connection between Breath and Stress. Stress leads to shallow breathing. So to reduce stress all that one has to do is to stay calm , close the eyes and take deep and slow breaths for 10-15 mins. You will feel much better and the congestion in the chest would be relieved.  Deep breathing will also declutter your mind and hence there is more clarity in your thoughts. Oxygen levels in the body increase thereby we feel more energetic.Oxygen levels in the body is very crucial for all the organs to function well. Make a conscious attempt to observe your breath often and make corrections by taking deep breaths frequently during the day. It is our responsibility to recognise and root out stress and we should make all efforts to help our body to heal .

Few tips to reduce stress and live a healthier longer life :
Tell your mind to be Contented.
Do what you can actually accomplish.
Learn to say NO.
Share your feelings with others , be it family or friends.
Be grateful and feel blessed.

Happy Loong Breathing !

Bought a packet of ‘Button Mushrooms’ from Ratnadeep.
Got them after reading about their nutritional benefits.
High in antioxidants , has some rare minerals like selenium ,copper ,zinc and is also the only non vegetarian source of Vit D.

These look like a button , feel hard and not soft or mushy.

The layer around the bulb has to be removed and can be easily peeled with a knife.

Wash them after peeling and chop them.

These are now ready to be added to any curry.
They are tasteless and odourless ,hence can be included in most recipes.

I added these to wheat rava upma along with other veggies. This was my dinner today 🙂

One Sweet lime and 2 cups of watermelon pieces will make one glass of juice. Juice the watermelon first and then juice the pieces of sweetlime.  A little water can be added in between.
The white layer around the sweetlime is full of antioxidants so don’t discard it conpletely.
Sugar can be eliminated or just add half a spoonful. A spoon of honey can be added and is optional.

I love the colour of watermelon.

Great Ad !
Absolutely wonderful concept.

Anil and I had been to Godrej showroom in Abids this afternoon, to checkout Almirahs.
As soon as I stepped out of the store and saw the view ahead  I was nostalgic and lots of childhood memories flashed by.
Shopping with my parents was synonymous with Abids then . I remember shopping there since I was 10yrs old , that is almost 35 yrs ago. Anil and I too shopped there untll Harish was a few years old. Abids had the best stores in the twin cities  those days.
Dayals, Meena bazaar, Apco, Bulchand , FD Khan, several jewellery stores, Bata, Hollywood were some stores that our parents usually shopped at for our birthdays, festivals etc.  The visits increased after Dad bought a Fiat car in 83 :). After shopping, it was time to have tiffin at Taj mahal hotel and a packet of sweets from Pulla reddy store near by was the norm. This was the only Pulla reddy sweet store back then.
Dad insisted we buy shoes/chappals from Bata but I secretly wished I could wear the colourful and stylish looking chappals from Hollywood. Quality at Bata was extremely good but hardly any choice and nowhere comparable to the smart ones in Hollywood which was just next to Bata 🙂 .We also visoted Gadwal sari center and Kanchi silk sarees showroom in koti . Kamat hotel in Koti was another choice for some coffee/tiffins.
Numerous shopping malls and stores selling branded products have sprung up all over the twin cities and Abids was slowly forgotten.

This is the best n easiest n yummiest Chilli chicken recipe I have ever come across. No deep frying.

These girls are too good.
They do their homework well and give some good tips too.
Love them.

I will be preparing this dish in a while.

Was pasing via Jhills area this afternoon . Read that the first SB store is open somewhere close to where we were.
Checked Gmaps and saw that we were very close to the place.
Told hubby that we should go there.
Saw lots of cars blocking the road in front of the SB store.
Gave up the idea of going in there and moved on.
Will wait for the other store that will be coming up in Forum mall nearer home.

Ayudha puja is being celebrated in BHEL today as Oct 2 is a holiday and Oct 3 is Dasami.
This is the only day in the whole year when families of employees are permitted to enter Bhel factory premises.
After darshan of Saraswathi devi (today being sapthami , moola nakshatram ,devi’s favourite day when most perform Aksharabhyasam for their kids) at Durga temple , in NH1 , we reach the Admin building.
Took the guys to IT dept . Spent a while in my cabin for a while and then took them to the Data Center. Later visited 01 Turbine shop.They were amazed to see the huge workshop with all the machines. I tried to explain how IT helps in the manufacturing process
and how IT is indispensable.
I hope this visit has enlightened them as to what goes on in this giant company and other similar industries.
Am sure the kids will remember this visit forever.