6 Ways to have a Productive Weekend

When most people hear of the word ‘weekend’, images of people lazing around come into mind. Of course, there are people who paint the town red on weekends, but we’re talking more about regular folks like you and us! Then there are those of us who take a break from our work week, only to work more on weekends - doing chores and running errands! Of course neither of these serve the true purpose of having a couple of days off, which is to rejuvenate and refresh yourself for the coming week. You could spend your entire Saturday and Sunday binge watching your favourite show, but that’s hardly productive, is it? So today, we tread the middle path and bring you 6 ways to have a productive weekend – yes it’s possible!

6 Ways to Have a Productive Weekend

Play a Sport

Whether you workout during your weekdays or not (you should, really!), playing an hour or two of any sport on the weekends really makes a big difference to your overall wellbeing. Besides the cardio workout, you get to play in a team, which is good socializing – minus the alcohol and heavy snacks!

Join a Class

Everyone has got that deep seated desire to learn something they’ve always wanted to since childhood. It could be dance, pottery or photography. Whatever it may be, what are you waiting for? Life is happening now; take control! Most classes of these sort operate on the weekends, so you’re sure to find something suitable for you in your locality. Learning a new skill builds new neural pathways in your brain, which makes you more effective at processing new information.

Explore your City

You could always pack your bags and head away, but you don’t have to. There are likely to be many undiscovered treasures within your city itself. Plan a one day field trip with your family and explore all the little known places in your city; the journey itself will be an adventure, and who knows, you might even discover a brand new spot!

Set up a Kitchen Garden

There are people who think of gardening as a messy chore, but the truth is that you’ll be hard pressed to find something more relaxing! Spending time with nature, touching and feeling the soil and leaves is very therapeutic, especially after a stressful work week. It feels good to reconnect with the real world after spending all that time online. Not to mention, you end up with healthy, pesticide free herbs and vegetables!

Assess your Life Goals

A weekend is a great time to just sit back and think: are you where you want to be in your life right now? Is your current lifestyle in sync with your goals? Think about where you’ll be in 5 or 10 years if you continue the way you are doing now, in terms of all aspects of your life – health, family, finances, career etc. You need to be relaxed and free from everyday stresses for this exercise, hence the weekend.

Prep for the Week Ahead

Yes, we know we said that doing chores during the weekend wasn’t fun, but rushing like crazy through the week isn’t very enjoyable either! Designate some time during the weekend, about 1-3 hours, to do all your prep work for the coming week. It could include ironing work/school clothes, chopping or freezing vegetables or meat, confirming appointments, getting anything ready for any event etc. Allotting just a specific time slot for these activities will give you a much more relaxed week and won’t feel like you’re spending your entire Saturday doing chores!!

Sleeping in till noon on weekends may sound good in theory, but in practice, it just throws off your entire body rhythm. It messes up your sleep and you feel groggy and weird. Being productive on the weekend without actually ‘working’ relaxes you, improves relationships and refreshes you for the next week. So, which of these are you planning to do this weekend? Do tell us!!

6 Healthy Iftar Recipes for Ramadan

"Ramadan is, in its essence, a month of humanist spirituality." - Tariq Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is upon us and many of us are in full fasting mode! Besides abstaining from food, drink and other worldly pleasures, the holy month of Ramadan is also one of introspection, spirituality and prayer, along with helping people. Unfortunately, for many, this month translates into a 30-day fried food festival! Needless to say, this doesn’t do your arteries or your waistline any favours, with many people actually gaining weight by the time of Eid!

Bingeing on oily snacks at the end of a 15 hour day without food or drink is a bad idea for many reasons, such as:

• After many hours of no food, overloading your stomach directs most of your blood supply towards the digestive system leaving you feeling lethargic
• Your metabolism is operating in slow mode when fasting, and overloading it turns most of it into fat
• Oily snacks mean an intake of too many calories, contributing to weight gain
• With only a small window available for eating, stuffing it with oily snacks leaves no space for healthy foods, leading to malnutrition
• Overeating in the evenings can lead to an increase in visceral or belly fat

The solution to this is to opt for healthy, yet filling and balanced meals at Iftar, so that your body is not shocked and you still have energy to get on with the rest of the day. Here are some easy, healthy recipes that you can make for Iftar.

1. Stuffed Dates

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Across the world, dates are the preferred choice to break one’s fast, but you can take it a step further by stuffing them. You’ll need some larger, succulent dates for this.

1. Slit down the long side of a date, but not completely.
2. Replace the seed with a quartered walnut, and press the sides of the date together to hold it in.
3. Arrange beautifully on a platter along with some dried figs.

 2. Avocado Smoothie

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Avocados are rich in Vitamin E and are low in calories, making them a great option for Iftar. You can use any milk or yogurt of your choice.

1. Scoop out the flesh of a medium sized avocado.
2. Blend the avocado flesh with 1.5 glasses of cold milk, 2 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla essence.
3. If it appears too thick, add more milk. Pour into tall glasses and serve with straws.

 3. Broken Wheat Lentil Soup

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It is recommended to use whole grains rather than refined ones during Iftar, to ensure better metabolism.

1. Soak a cup of broken wheat and ½ a cup of lentils for 30 minutes.
2. Temper ½ tsp cumin seeds and fry a chopped onion till brown.
3. Add a tsp of ginger garlic paste, a chopped tomato, a tsp of chilli powder and ½ a tsp each of turmeric and garam masala.
4. Add the drained lentils, season to taste, cover and cook till completely done.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

 4.   Almond Chicken

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Almonds are a great way to add an extra crunch to an ordinary chicken dish, and this one is much better than fried chicken.

1. Soak or blanch ¾ cup almonds so that they can be peeled easily. Keep aside.
2. Grind ¾ of the almonds and slice the rest. Keep them separate.
3. Marinate ½ kg chicken pieces in salt and ½ a tsp each of ginger garlic paste, turmeric, and chilli powder. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
4. In oil, fry a chopped onion till brown, then add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and 2 chopped tomatoes.
5. Add the marinated chicken and the almond paste and cook till done.
6. Serve garnished with chopped coriander and the remaining almonds.

 5.  Easy Vegetable Korma

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Vegetable korma needn’t be a thick creamy, heavy dish, you can make a simpler version with cashew nuts.

1. Soak 10 cashews in hot water. Grind to a smooth paste.
2. Fry 1 sliced onion till brown, add 1 tsp of ginger paste, 1 chopped tomato, 1 tsp of pepper, and ½ a tsp each of turmeric and garam masala.
3. Add 1 cup of chopped mixed vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans, peas and potatoes. Coat with masala and cook with a little water till done.
4. Add the cashew paste and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped coriander.

 6. Multigrain Methi Parathas

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Multigrain parathas are very easy to make right at home, and are much more nutritious than regular ones. Go easy on the oil to keep them healthy.

1. Grind ½ a cup of multigrain oats to a powder.
2. Mix the oats and 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour along with 1 cup methi leaves, ½ tsp ginger garlic paste and salt to taste and make a smooth dough. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out balls of dough into slightly thick parathas and roast on a flat pan or tava. Use a little vegetable oil to grease it on either side. Serve with homemade curd.

If you crave something sweet at the end of your meal, have a small piece of dark chocolate or a small bowl of a milk based sweet like sweet vermicelli or fruit custard without cream. Make life easier by planning ahead, prepping in advance, cooking in bulk & freezing. This way you can ensure you don’t spend the whole of Ramadan in the kitchen and can focus on the spiritual aspects of the holy month as well. Ramadan Mubarak!