Tag: Diwali

Categories
Wellness

How to detox after Diwali binge eating

Sweets, colas, staying up late…all of these combine to wreak havoc on your system. Here’s how you detox and cleanse.
by Reyna Mathur

Diwali is a time for revelry, for meeting up with friends and eating sweets and namkeen food. We tell ourselves that the festival comes by just once a year, so it’s okay to let go and indulge our taste buds. While that is certainly fine once a year, your body needs some help cleansing itself once the festivities are over.

An excess of sugar may cause a hormonal imbalance, spike your blood sugar and blood pressure, cause mood swings and mess up your digestion. It further causes more cravings for sweet and fried food. Some people continue binging on sweets way after Diwali is over. It is time to rid the body of the excess sugar and regain good health. Here’s how:

1. Tank up on fluids.

Water is your #1 rescuer in these situations. It flushes out excess toxins and helps the kidneys eliminate sugar from the system. Start the day with a glass of warm water, mix the juice of half a lemon in it. Have this on an empty stomach. Have another glass after lunch and dinner. Additionally, keep sipping water throughout the day. Even green tea will work wonders in flushing out sugar.

2. Go raw.

Help your system relax by giving it a break from fried, processed food. Instead, stock up on raw fruit and vegetables. These will provide essential nutrients and fibre to aid the digestive process. Any metabolic disorders caused by excess sugar will also be balanced with this diet. The key is to include a variety of coloured vegetables in your diet for at least two consecutive days. Stay away from white rice, colas, maida and other processed foods.

3. Go for a walk.

Walking or any other physical exercise will make you sweat, get your heart racing and increase blood flow to the organs. In turn, this will the digestive system working better to eliminate sugars and toxins. Sugar also tends to harm the skin and hair – brisk exercise will correct these problems.

4. Nap less.

The idea is to rev up your metabolism, so avoid activities that make you sluggish. The excess sugar in your system will make you sleepy, but avoid taking naps right after eating or while sitting at your desk. Similarly, satisfy a sugar craving with a sweet fruit such as date or grapes. Walk around the neighbourhood after a meal to keep your brain alert.

5. Go for a body massage.

A trained masseur can help the body flush out toxins through a combination of acupressure and essential oil massage. It will also help calm your nerves after hectic partying and put you in a better frame of mind to adopt a healthier diet and exercise in your daily regimen.

(Picture courtesy www.bbcgoodfood.com. Image is used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Kharcha paani

Less shopping for Mumbai this year?

Survey says that the economic slowdown, job uncertainties and high interest rates are likely to dampen festive shopping this year.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This Diwali, there is every chance of shopping malls in the city doing really thanda business. Shopping malls, which are already suffering from relatively less footfalls, are expected to see a sharp decline of 35 to 40 per cent in footfalls in the ongoing festive season as the economic slowdown, high interest and job uncertainties have dampened the shopping spirit this year. This was revealed by an ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry) survey.

The survey, titled ‘Shopping malls fail to draw footfalls this festive season’ indicated that economic slowdown, galloping inflation and interest rates have upset the festival shopping plans of all the consumers this festive season. The ASSOCHAM team interacted with about 650 leasing managers, representatives of malls’ management, strategists, marketers and supervisors in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Ahemdabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Dehradun. However, Mumbai’s shopping spirit was found to be better than that of Delhiites (33 per cent), Ahmedabad (31), Chennai (30), and Hyderabad (27).

less diwali shopping this year?Commenting on the trend, DS Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM said, “The trend is on expected lines as the economic recovery is rather slow and consumer confidence is low.”

As per the ASSOCHAM estimates, roughly 250 to 300 malls came up in the country over the last two years but 70 to 80 per cent of the spaces in these malls lie vacant. The economic slowdown has landed especially heavily on the shopping malls. The survey further reveals that the slowdown, job cuts and devaluation of the rupee against the dollar is also making imported raw material and finished goods costlier. It will also impact consumer spending in a significant way. The currency fluctuation is a major challenge for the consumer electronics industry because imported consignments come at a higher cost. The dinnerware and cookware companies have already started offering attractive offers and discounts to boost sales, adds the survey.

More than 47 per cent of the total mall space in nine cities is vacant, the survey found.  Delhi-NCR tops the list with 55 per cent of malls being vacant, followed by Mumbai at 52 per cent, Ahmedabad at 51 per cent and Chennai at 50 per cent. In order to lure retailers, many developers started giving rent-free period for up to six months for big brands.

While some malls are operating at 60 per cent occupancy, others are struggling with less than 20 per cent. “Vacancy levels are due to poor location, poor design and poor parking facilities while some are operating at 60 per cent occupancy,” the survey said. The industry is also facing problems like multiple taxes, lack of clarity in policies and shortage of experts in areas such as supply chain and store management.

Both retailers and consultants seem convinced that the mall magic seems to have disappeared in a puff of smoke on the back of the economic slowdown, poor revenue models, low footfalls-to-sales conversion and lack of special purpose malls, adds the survey.

(Pictures courtesy www.thehindubusinessline.com, news.in.msn.com)

Categories
Kharcha paani

Mumbai will spend less this Diwali: Survey

City is second to New Delhi in probable cut in Diwali spending; inflation and shaky job situation are the reasons.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Diwali will be upon us in November, but it seems that worried Mumbaikars are practicing thrift already.

A country-wide survey conducted by ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and released recently reveals that this Diwali, there will be a 40 per cent cut in most households’s festive budgets, with Delhi-NCR topping the list. The survey sample includes a majority of middle and lower income families.

The reasons given for slashing their Diwali spends were: rising monthly expenses due to high inflation, less job opportunities, shrinking real wages, and staggering costs of food commodities that are commonly used during Diwali.

Titled ‘High prices dampening the festive spirit’, the survey was conducted under the aegis of ASSOCHAM and showed that over 72 per cent respondents from middle and lower middle income families would spend nearly 25 per cent of their monthly salaries on Diwali for shopping, sweets, gifting, apparel etc. Delhi-NCR is on top of the chart projecting curtailment of festive budget thanks to eroding purchasing power, while Mumbai ranks second, followed by Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Chennai.
 The survey was conducted over two months beginning August to September 2013 in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun etc. A little over 200 persons were selected from each city on an average. 
“The skyrocketing prices of essential commodities have left the aam aadmi  hard pressed. Be it sweets, dry fruits, crackers, pulses, dairy products, fruit or vegetables, the prices have registered large increases this year compared to the Diwali of last year. Even gold, the much sought-after item during this festive season, stays in the range of Rs 30,000 per 10 gm compared to Rs 22,000 last Diwali,” said DS Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM.
The survey reveals that the high income group remains unaffected from rupee fall, double digit food inflation. However, a large number of lower and middle income groups indicate that they are finding ways to cut back spending now or indicating they will do so in the future, noted the survey. A majority of respondents said that they plan to spend fewer amounts on this festive season as the prices on average of most of the gifts and traditional Indian sweets have gone up by 55 per cent, while the value of saving has gone gown by almost 15 per cent. Revisions in interest rates by banks have also sent their EMIs soaring, further eroding their monetary power, adds the survey.
Most of the respondents plan to cut down on personal expenses or go bargain hunting to keep their festive budgets in control. Over 57 per cent of the respondents will buy only on sale or discounts, 12 per cent will buy fewer gifts and the rest 2 per cent will buy a group gift. Only a small percentage feels that festivals are the time to splurge, even as discounts remain the biggest attraction for most buyers.
Over 76 per cent of respondents said that monthly grocery bills have jumped to about Rs 7,000, compared to Rs 4,000 in the last 12 months. The prices of vegetables and bakery products have also risen in the last few months. Obviously, this will affect the Diwali celebrations. Milk, butter, sugar, dry- fruits, flour and labour charges all go into making sweets. On the other hand, dry fruit and sweets are the most expensive items in Diwali.
The survey adds that the rates of ghee, sugar, edible oils, atta and spices have also registered increases of around 25 per cent to 35 per cent during the past one year.
(All figures courtesy ASSOCHAM. Picture courtesy webylife.com)
Categories
Wellness

Mumbai consumed 200 pc more sugar this Diwali

E-commerce site survey shows Mumbai bought up to 7 kg of sugar and stayed in more during the festive season.

Mumbai may have tried to have a quieter Diwali this year, but by no means did it have a healthier one, at least if we go by survey findings from e-commerce and shopping site EkStop.com. The site conducted a survey on its customer base (6,000+ sample size), which showed that Mumbai did not shy away from the season’s excesses.

The survey findings from the company are:

Home cleaning: ‘Cleaning out our homes is probably top priority before the festive season but in classic Mumbai style, we think of this about five minutes before we should be starting our cleaning! In the 10 days prior to Diwali, EkStop.com saw a massive 60 per cent jump in sales of cleaning agents such as Lizol, Harpic, Colin etc.’

Mumbai stayed in longer: ‘Delivery requests for time slots 12pm to 2pm and 5pm to 7pm increased by 30 per cent, compared to the usual 9 am to 11am and 8 pm to 10pm slots that working professionals tend to prefer.’

Sugar highs: ‘Mumbai’s sugar consumption spiked by a staggering 200 per cent from an average purchase of 2.5 kg to 7.5 kg this Diwali. This was coupled with a 60-80 per cent increase in besan and maida purchases.’

Eating healthy, too: ‘There was a 30 per cent spike in sales of healthy foods and snacks. EkStop’s ratio of Coke to Diet Coke sales is 15:1 in a typical month. This festive season, that ratio changed to 15:3.’

Bargain hunters: There was a 30 per cent increase in site traffic on EkStop.com during special discount periods. A Rs 29/kg sugar deal and a ‘Buy 1 Get 1’ promotions on certain products were a hit.

Gift packs: ‘On an average, Mumbaikars purchased four gift packs in the 10 days running up to Diwali.’

(Picture courtesy www.thehindu.com)

Categories
Big story

Don’t buy these crackers

27 brands of firecrackers tested in Mumbai; most of them violate sound limits and do not mention their chemical composition.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The firecrackers you may have bought this Diwali might harm you and your family. Read on to know why.

On November 7, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) tested firecrackers available for sale in Mumbai. The testing was done thus: samples of crackers of different types from various companies available in the market were procured. They were tested where open space was available with a concrete surface. The noise measurements were made at a four metre distance from the fire crackers.

As many as 27 brands and types of firecrackers sold in Mumbai were tested at Carter Road in Bandra, and several of the brands sold were found guilty of not mentioning the sound limit specified for that cracker on its packaging, or its chemical composition. Of the 27 varieties, 17 had not mentioned the noise level limit, while 21 had not mentioned the chemical composition.

The crackers were tested in two categories, Single and Series. In the Single category, five crackers were found to exceed permissible decibel levels of 125 dB. In the Series category, all the eight crackers tested were found to exceed permissible decibel levels.

Loud and dangerous

In the Single category, the crackers tested were Vulcano sutali bomb, Giant crackers, 7 Up shots, Saddam Dhamaka, 2 Sound Crackers, Flower lady, Gutter balls, Italy, Double Sound, Triple Sound, Nazi green, Thunder bomb, Aerial Out, Crackling king, Thriller bomb, Kargil bullet, Bada bing bada boom and Musical mala. Of these, Thriller Bomb, Thunder bomb, Nazi green, Saddam Dhamaka and Vulcano Sutali bomb exceeded permissible decibel levels. However, these five did specify the chemical composition of the bomb on the packaging, but noise level limits were specified only on Nazi green.

In the Series category, none of the eight brands tested mentioned chemical composition. The brand names were 600 wala, 1,000 wala, 2,000 wala, 50 shots marvel, Red Fort 1000 shell, Speed 100, Dilkhush 50 shots and 5000 shell.

(Picture courtesy AFP/Getty Images)

Categories
Do

Get these apps for Diwali

Check out new apps for the festive season – some will help you cook, others will help you look nice.

Sweet’N’ Spicy Indian Video Recipes

Food & Drink – Free

Language: English

This app is a large collection of Indian Foods and Recipes with a total of over 4000 recipes and 400+ video recipes across Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian and Vegan relishes. Use this easy recipe app this Diwali and be the star of the party.

Diwali Recipes

Food & Drink – Free

Language: English

A recipe app containing easy to make recipes for Diwali. This app describes the procedure to make traditional goodies like Karanji, Chakli, Besan Ladoo etc.

Curry Guide

Reference – Free

Language: English

The definitive curry guide for iOS. This app is a handy curry encyclopedia providing you with all the useful information you need for all curry types ranging from mid to extremely hot.

Party Planner!

Lifestyle -$0.99

Language: English

Party Planner! allows people to create party invitations on the fly. Invitations can include party name, theme, what to bring, what to wear, date and time, location on a map, photo and more. Select invitees from your address book or enter new ones.

Party Planning List

Lifestyle – $0.99 (Rs 52.95 approx)

Language: English

This app is all you need to ensure you don’t forget anything. Save hours of typing or noting down the list of things to do before your party. Avoid expensive mistakes and be stress free.

Hairstyle Reference

Lifestyle: Free

Language: English

The APP is one kind of helpful software to assist you to choose your hairstyle, which contains more than 30,000 popular hairstyle pictures, including Celebrity Hairstyles, Casual Hairstyles, Business Hairstyles, wedding hairstyles,Prom HairStyles,Trendy Hairstyles,Women’s hairstyles,Men’s hairstyles and so on. And it updates most stylish hairstyles every day! A great app to have this Diwali with the numerous parties to attend!

My Dala

Lifestyle – Free

Languages: English, Spanish

The very best deals and discounts in your neighborhood, city, country, just a swipe away from mydala.com, India’s first, finest and most trusted deals site. An ideal Diwali shopping idea for those who want to shop from the comfort of their homes. Gift a spa coupon, a romantic dinner for two, gadgets and more to your loved ones this Diwali.

Get in Shape: Effective diets & Workouts

Health & Fitness – Free

Language: English

65 diets that work and get you results and don’t starve you, Over 30 ready made gym workouts for men and women with photo, audio and video guides for every exercise and over 100 activities in the database, professional nutritionists will create individual food and workout plans according to your personal goals and preferences, articles and smart tips on nutrition, health and fitness all in a single app. It can also be used as a calorie counter without choosing and following a specific plan.

Detox Diet

Health & Fitness – $0.99 (Rs 52.95 approx)

Language: English

The Detox Diet App is a good source of information you need to be better educated about the various detox diets out there. If you’re in need of rejuvenation, the Detox Diet App is a great place to start!

 (Picture courtesy www.soulte.com)

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