Parita, Author at My Inner Shakti

TED Ideas Worth Spreading

Have you ever visited TED? This is one of the coolest websites ever. I first learned about the organization in grad school, and then someone reintroduced me to it at work. Since then, I am a regular visitor. TED is a nonprofit dedicated to ideas worth spreading (see today’s title), and it stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. Every year, there is an annual TED conference that brings together some of the world’s greatest minds. New and innovative ideas are discussed and presented, and then the presentations are uploaded to TED for us common folk!! But seriously, you can find videos on all kinds of topics, from business to the arts to global issues. The videos vary in length from about 3 minutes to over 20, but even the longer ones are worth it! For example, I searched the word “food” and all of these interesting videos came up! I really loved this video with Mark Bitterman on what’s wrong with what we eat. I hope you enjoy this site as much as I do! Another new fun fact about me – I am a total nerd when it comes to this kind of stuff!

Speaking of spreading ideas, I have a new snack idea to share with y’all. My friend Courtney had me try some Go Raw Spirulina Chips. They are 100% raw, 100% vegan, 100% certified organic, 100% gluten-free, and 100% nut free. I know what some of you are thinking, “what is she talking about? that does not sound good at all.” But trust me, this is one of those products you have to try before you decide if you like it or not, but believe me, you will like it! You can really taste the banana and coconut. 🙂 In fact, I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home and got some for my trip up to Boston this weekend.

Your New Favorite Snack

Have you ever tried something new and really loved it right away?

I still have to pack for my flight in the AM! Wish me luck as I travel from the warm and sunny to the cold and snowy. 😛

Back to the Basics

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My simple dinner, chickpea and tomato pasta, was the inspiration for tonight’s blog post. After an entire weekend of unhealthy eats, I wanted to eat something that would give my body some of the nutrients I missed over the past few days. I am happy to report that dinner was delicious and nutritious! Before I talk about how I revert back to the basics after a few unhealthy meals , I will share my recipe.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can approximate all of the ingredients based on what you like and what you don’t like. I didn’t measure anything…just added a little bit of this and little bit of that!

Ingredients:

Multigrain pasta

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can garbanzo beans

Good quality olive oil (don’t underestimate the power of quality olive oil) 🙂

Dried herbs of your choice (I used basil)

Salt and black pepper to taste

A pinch of Indian red chilli powder (I couldn’t find my crushed red pepper)

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot. Add the can of tomatoes and about 3/4 of the beans. Allow to heat through and then add about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with the herbs and spices to taste. Allow to heat through and serve warm.

Allowing yourself to have indulgent foods every now and then is a must. But sometimes, reverting back to healthier foods and a healthier mindset is harder than one would think. The transition is much more bearable when I gradually add back fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. into my diet. Here are some of the ways I get back to the basics:

I try to start off with a filling breakfast (my favorite cereal with soy milk, a bowl of oatmeal, slices of toast with peanut butter, an egg white omelet, etc.)
I make sure that my kitchen is stocked up with fresh fruits and vegetables, and I incorporate them into every meal (I love juicy berries because they are full of antioxidants, and they are great with yogurt, oatmeal, or even on their own)
I reap the benefits of spinach by making a spinach salad with my favorite veggies and beans (my favorite salad beans are black beans, garbanzo beans, and dark red kidney beans)
I sip on lots of water throughout the day. I try to drink at least 6 glasses a day to help cleanse my system.
I snack during the day – almonds, fruit, string cheese, Larabars, etc.
I eat dark chocolate almost daily! 🙂 I allow myself about 100-150 calories worth and eat it VERY slowly to satisfy my sweet tooth.

These are just a few of the ways I slowly get back to the basics after allowing myself to eat pretty much whatever I want. 🙂 I find that by adding fresh foods back into my diet and not eliminating entire food groups, I am back on track in no time!

Do you find it challenging to eat healthier after indulging? How do you get back to the basics?

A Tour of Southern Arizona

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Eating, hiking in the canyon, eating, driving up a mountain, eating, touring a cave, eating…

That pretty much sums up the weekend! Oh, did I mention we ate a lot!?!?

Roshni and Sweeti’s flights got in late Friday night, but we still managed to get up at 6 AM on Saturday to go hiking. Yes, I did say 6 AM!!! I took them to Sabino Canyon because of the beautiful views. We hiked a total of 8.4 miles! It was so fun!

We were exhausted by the end of the hike, but it was totally worth it. 🙂

After relaxing and showering we headed to Mi Nidito (yes, I go there often)! Roshni and I each ordered a bean enchilada with a side of rice and beans. That sounds boring, but it was really delicious! Sweeti ordered the Flat – Old Fashioned enchiladas – essentially corn cakes smothered in sauce and cheese…very unique and filling.

Flat Enchiladas

Next, we drove up Mt. Lemmon to experience some breathtaking views of Tucson.

Before we headed home, we made a pit stop at Frost, a local gelateria. Unfortunately, I devoured my dark chocolate gelato and completely forgot to snap a picture. 🙁 Sorry! I won’t forget next time!

Later that night we headed out to experience Tucson night life. It was a very interesting night but LOTS of fun nonetheless! It totally reminded me of our undergrad days!!!

The next day we got ready and headed to Lovin’ Spoonfuls (yes, I frequent this place a lot too!). I decided not to branch out and ordered the usual – a Club Sandwich with a chocolate chip cookie on the side. 🙂 My meal didn’t disappoint!

Club Sandwich

Kartchner Caves was next on the list, so we headed out and drove about an hour south(ish). If you’re ever in Southern Arizona, you should definitely try to visit and tour these caves. We saw beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations and learned about how the cave has evolved over thousands of years. In my opinion, some of the formations were unreal! And to think, they were formed from drops of water…craziness! We couldn’t take the camera into the caves, so I don’t have pictures for y’all, but if you’re interested, please visit the official site for more information (Kartchner Caves).

Our night ended with more Mexican food (can’t get enough) at Guadalajara Grill. GGrill has a fun atmosphere and ambiance. I ended up ordering a cheese enchilada with a side of beans. This restaurant introduced me to my very first Tucson Mexican food experience, but I must say, nothing beats Mi Nidito. Hey, we all have our favorites!

Fresh, made-to-order salsa!

Our night ended with Bollywood songs via YouTube!!! For those of you who may not know what Bollywood it, it’s the Indian version of Hollywood. Don’t worry, I will dedicate an upcoming post to Bollywood so you are all well-informed!

That was my weekend! I was so sad to see it end, but I know there are more fun times ahead! 🙂 Even after a 2 hour nap, I am still exhausted. Off to bed I go!

Stay Tuned…

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Boy am I tired! This weekend was full of friends, food, and laugh until your stomach hurts fun! I will be posting a full update this evening, but until then, here’s a delicious preview…

YUM-O!!!

YUM-O x 2

Girl Connection Memories

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If you don’t remember what Girl Connection is, read this post first – Girl Connection. My company’s volunteer coordinator just sent out pictures from the event, and I wanted to share!

Self-defense workshop

ZUMBA!

Me with the girls!

: The whole gang 🙂

I didn’t share this in the last post, but during lunch, one girl innocently asked me, “so, what high school do you go to?” When I told her I graduated a long time ago, she responded with “you look young,” and the others nodded in agreement. I literally LOLed! I then tried to explain my educational background but quickly realized that I was losing their interest, so I shut up! 🙂 Overall, the event was well put together and lots of fun. I hope my company continues to sponsor it in the future.

Snack Idea of the Day

As I was writing this post, I ate one of my new favorite concoctions. I’m not going to bother adding it to the recipe page because I would feel a little silly (it’s really simple). All you do is take a cup or so of Greek yogurt (I am really liking the Trader Joe’s brand), a squirt or two or three of honey :), and granola and mix it all up. That’s it…so easy but so good! The honey adds the right amount of sweetness with no funny aftertaste, and the granola adds the crunch. A perfect snack to hold me over until dinner!

I’m off to clean my apartment before I have to go to the airport. 🙂

One Week Old!

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HAPPY ONE WEEK BLOGIVERSARY (yes, it’s a word (on Urban Dictionary)) TO ME!!! I want to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. It really means the world to me! I hope you continue to follow my antics and share your thoughts and ideas because I love hearing them! 🙂

On another note, I ordered a new digital camera today (point and shoot)!!! Guess what color it is?? BROWN!! It matches my blog! 🙂 Vishnu (my boyfriend) is the BEST because he actually helped me find a really really really good deal (he’s the best for other reasons too, but this was just awesome)!!!

Here's my new toy!

In honor of Vishnu, here’s a pic of us in beautiful Sedona!! 🙂

Me and Vishnu in Sedona, AZ 🙂

So, it’s been a week since I started on this adventure, and I’ve received some really good feedback and some questions that I want to address.

1. I’ve been told that my content and topics are great, but that I need more pictures. I hear ya! My favorite blogs are the ones with fun, colorful pictures. So, as soon as my camera arrives, I will begin adding pictures to every post. Get ready! LOL 🙂

2. I’ve been asked a few times about what my goal is for this blog. Honestly, I don’t really know yet! I want to blog about a lot of things, with the majority of the posts focusing on health, fitness, and overall well-being. Health and fitness will be easier topics for me to blog about, but the well-being part is what I’m trying to define. I think a strong sense of self constitutes overall well-being. And a strong sense of self comes from giving back to the community, learning about new and interesting things, and choosing to take on positive thoughts. For now, my hope is to blog about all of these things and integrate them into my daily posts. How does that sound?!

3. I’ve also been asked about the recipe section I added. And again, I have no real plans for this either. I know I definitely want to share some of my favorite Indian recipes that my mom and aunt have helped me adapt for the every day cook. But other than that, I think it will host a hodge podge of recipes from a variety of different cuisines that are fun, simple, and easy to make. 🙂 I hope that helps!

4. Finally, I know that my About Me section is pretty high level, so instead of changing it, I plan on divulging more about myself as I go. 🙂

One thing that I will share about myself today is that I absolutely LOVE quotes/proverbs of all kinds! Here is one that has really resonated with me lately:

“I cried because I had no shoes, then I met a man who had no feet,” –Indian Proverb

That’s all for today, but I promise some restaurant reviews in the near future. Roshni and Sweeti (my BFFs from undergrad) are visiting this weekend, and they want the real Tucson experience, including lots of yummy Mexican food. 🙂

Goodnight and thanks again!

Changing the World

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I have been following a number of blogs for almost a year now, with Healthy Tipping Point being one of them. I really like this one in particular because not only does Caitlin focus on health and fitness, but she also blogs about other inspirational things like Operation Beautiful and The Dream Share Project. Operation Beautiful was founded by Caitlin, and the premise behind it is to post anonymous notes in public places for women to find. An example of a potential note would be “You are worth it, you are beautiful!.” I highly recommend you read Caitlin’s story and the story of those individuals Operation Beautiful has impacted and inspired. I promise it will change the way you think about things. 🙂

The Dream Share Project is a youth empowerment program that I learned about through Healthy Tipping Point. Alexis and Chip, the founders of Dream Share, traveled around the U.S. talking to young people who are chasing after their dreams and making them realities. In fact, they interviewed Caitlin about Operation Beautiful (check out the interview on their home page)! It’s such a cool idea!!! I suggest you take a look at their blog to learn more about their inspirational story.

With so many negative things happening in the world, it’s so nice to learn about people who are making VERY positive contributions to their communities, the country, and even the world! I hope you all are as inspired as I was after learning about these projects. Together, we can make a difference!

Please share your thoughts on these organizations or others like them. 🙂

TED Ideas Worth Spreading

Back to the Basics

A Tour of Southern Arizona

Stay Tuned…

Girl Connection Memories

One Week Old!

Changing the World

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