Month: May 2015

Low furniture really opens up your home and makes it look spacious. People wanting a sleek, modern look for their homes opt for low furniture. Furniture closer to the ground ends up making the room it is placed in much larger than it is. From platform beds to low sofas, home decor just got lower. Many sofa sets available in the local markets are just a few inches off the ground, instead of the traditional height of more than a foot away.
Most Mumbaiites live in small flats, and that is the reason why even a little space available anywhere is what people crave for. Thanks to these short sofas the ceilings of your homes can appear to be much higher than it is. Low furniture can really lend a spacious look to your otherwise cramped dwelling.
Yash Tonkk’s duplex home in the western suburbs has a low sofa cum bed that makes his otherwise small living room appear larger. “I liked this low sofa cum bed. Its height and bright colour adds drama to my room, while the low height allows space,” says Gauri Tonkk.

Not just sofas there are beds available in the market, which accommodate the mattress, and thereby keep the level much lower than regular beds.
Low furniture can actually be housed in any room, and can be mixed with any style. “My wife, Mona and I got this low sofa especially designed for our home. I believe low furniture like our coffee table gives an amazing sense of space inside homes,” says

Sudhanshu Pandey.
Low furniture can work in any room but when it come to just the seating areas, then mixing a low arrangement and a higher one at the same time can be quite disastrous. It looks more aesthetically appealing to have seating arrangements that are of similar heights, if not exactly the same. For example one should ideally avoid a low sofa right next to a very high bar stool!

You can get the required products from your local craft store, or you can order them from online retailers. If you are making candles for the first time, purchase a small amount of each item on the list. You can always order for more supplies if you like them.
Soy candles are said to last longer than wax candles and burn with a cleaner scent. Try your hand at making them.

Things you’ll need

Mason jars or small earthen pots Ready-made wicks Soy wax for candles

Method

To melt the wax, you need to create a double boiler. Place a glass or pyrex or a metal bowl on top of a pan of simmering water. Add the wax to the bowl, and let it begin to melt. While the wax melts, add the wax dye and aroma oil to the wax.(Note: wax is always darker before it cools, so you may need to add dye depending how you want your candle to turn out.) When adding fragrance, use the amount suggested on the bottle.
Using too much can cause your candle to burn improperly. Place the wick in the bottom of jar or a small earthen pot and pour the liquid wax. Allow it to set for several hours. If you are placing a lid on the container let the wax cool completely before covering the candle. In most cases the candle will need to set overnight before it can be lit. Before lighting trim the wick to ½ inch above the top of the candle.

Get it right

If you have purchased a wick with a metal piece on the end you can secure it in place with a touch of superglue. Use the end of a pencil to get the metal piece centered in the bottom of the container. There are many types of fragrance but fragrance oils work the best with soy candles. These fragrances can be purchased in containers as small as 2 oz.

In spite of health experts going blue in the face trying to get people to understand the importance of having breakfast, there are thousands who skip the first (and most crucial) meal of the day citing a motley of reasons.

Dietician Dr Sunita Dube says that having a hearty breakfast helps control excess hunger throughout the day. “Since we technically fast overnight while sleeping, forgoing breakfast adds to this fasting period and may disrupt blood sugar balance and insulin output.

Skipping breakfast also triggers bad eating habits during the day, as cravings ensue and quick-fix fast foods are often eaten. Having breakfast boosts metabolism and increases your energy levels throughout the day. When you miss it, your energy is reduced and physical activity levels decline,” reckons Dr Dube.

An ideal, healthy breakfast A healthy breakfast provides 25 per cent of the total energy and nutrients required by the body.

“Ideally, your first meal of the day should comprise a perfect combination of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. Make sure you include fruits, whole grains, berries and and good fats. Opt for light and soft idlis with sambhar, plain dosas with green chutney, milk with cornflakes or wheatflakes, vegetable poha or upma with a milkshake and sprouts. Also, include high fibre fruits like apples, papayas, muskmelons, oranges or watermelons,” says dietician and sports nutritionist, Deepshikha Agarwal.

What to avoid in the morning l Processed, deep fried or oily food, preserved meat, left over or junk food, cakes, pastries, and only juices are a no-no. l Avoid refined foods like white rice and white bread. Instead opt for whole wheat bread and cereals. Stay away from deep fried pakodas, puris, samosas, doughnuts, cookies, potato chips, candy bars and sodas. l Food items like vada pav, bhajias, wafers, pizzas and French fries are loaded with fat, salt and calories and have very little fibre -keep them at an arm’s length.

Disadvantages of skipping breakfast Experts say that skipping breakfast may put you on the fast track to weight gain, heart disease, osteoporosis, irritability or mood swings, menstrual irregularity, low energy levels, low memory and hormonal stress. “A study shows that people who skipped breakfast developed higher bad LDL cholesterol levels, and were less sensitive to insulin than people who ate breakfast every day,” says Dr Dube. And for those who skip breakfast in a bid to lose weight, you ought to read this. “People who miss breakfast tend to feel fatigued early on in the day and have low concentration levels, affecting their efficiency. Skipping breakfast also decreases metabolic rate making weight loss difficult. Research proves that people who skip breakfast tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast. So, if you’re looking forward to losing weight, have a nutritious breakfast to get a healthy start to the day,” suggests Dr Agarwal.

Importance of a healthy breakfast in children and teens The amount of food that a child needs varies according to height, built, gender, and activity levels. “Most kids will usually eat the amount of food that’s right for them, however, it is up to the parents to ensure that their children have the right foods available to choose from. Eating a meal should be both a healthy and an enjoyable occasion – a fact that many parents overlook when planning a meal for growing children. Good eating habits start from home so be a good role model.

Make sure that no one in the house skips breakfast. A glass of milk along with a boiled egg, idli, dosa, a grilled vegetable sandwich, porridge, fresh fruit or a paneer sandwich is good for tweens and teens, says Clinical Nutritionist Dr Nupur Krishnan.