My Year Twenty O 9 In A 1 Pager !

It's been an overwhelmingly challenging 2009! Although the number of posts on my blog dramatically reduced, there was sure a lot I could've penned down and shared with you all. The house hunt in the 1st quarter saw Abhi and Me shift from our old 6th floor apartment [with a non-functional lift forcing me to climb 112 steps a day] on Midland Road to this new 1st floor Home on Grove Road in Luton.

Shifting home when you are 8 months pregnant can be a daunting task, especially when the lift to your apartment does'nt work. But Anshuman (Abhi's long time friend) was our God Sent Angel who came to the rescue and everything fell into place. It was now time for my In-Laws to arrive and yes the much awaited Baby !! :)

I've had the most memorable Pregnancy (Doing Yoga, Pilates, Swimming, Brisk Walking on the Treadmill, Using the Cross Trainer), Labour (26 Hours in Labour with 4 hrs 38 mins of Active Labour) & Birthing (Forceps & Episiotomy owing to AVANI being a healthy 7.7 pounds at birth on June 1st 2009 9:08 PM UK Time) experience one could ever imagine.

The only thing that broke my heart was AVANI needed special care immediately post birth and was at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 7 whole days and later we spent an additional week in the hospital owing to the Intravenous Antibiotics she was being given to prevent her from catching on any infections in future. Those will remain the Llllloooonggessssttttt 15 days of my life !! I counted every second till we were home.. truly !

Soon there was cheer all around - I was a new 1st time Mum with Abhi by my side and both my Parents & In Laws to offer me all the help I needed - And I truly needed a lot of it !!!!!! When all felt well, both our [Abhi’s n Mine] Parents were sent off on a Europe tour - Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome in their 1st Lap. Switzerland & Vienna in their 2nd lap. London, Stonehenge & Cambridge on days in between.

It felt truly very satisfying to see the 50+ Mums in Jeans & T Shirts, Trousers & Kurtas and the 60+ Dad's in Dark Sunglasses, branded sports shoes & posh Cameras ! :) It just felt like they deserved every bit of this experience - they'd worked so hard all their lives, this was truly their most memorable break - one that will be treasured by every member of our families for generations to come. "AVANI ne Avani Daakhavli" soon became my Mum's patent saying ! :)

Come October and the Home felt empty. We had started to miss the presence of each of our parents and soon we started to count days to December - that time of the year again when we fly down to India ! :) It was a treat to walk into our very own hard earned 3 BHK apartment, currently under construction in the plush suburbs of Baner. This purchase truly remains a landmark achievement of our wedded years together. However, the Salisbury Park Residence too, has its own charm and its very own irreplaceable place in our lives. Christmas Day we celebrated our 4th and our 1st ever Anniversary with AVANI ! :) The last 4 years have been a very realistic journey together, full of up's n down's and surely the bond only gets stronger with time.

We continued the tradition of hosting our friends over for a New Year's Eve Party. This time we added one more couple to our Social Circle and it only gets bigger with each passing year! :) The 3 weeks of holiday in India felt too short and soon we were back to the snowing Luton and into The New Year 2010!!

AVANI's Birth, Purchase of a 2nd Home in Pune, A European Holiday for our Parents, & Getting back into Shape in just 8 Weeks Post Birth were things that proved 2009 to be a Landmark Year of my Life ! Hope yours was equally memorable and herez Wishing you and Your Loved Ones a truly Fulfilling 2010 ! God Bless US ALL!

Lotsa Luv N Luc As Always,
- Sayli :)

Am I Loosing It ..??

An entire 6 months and there isn't a new post on my blog! Oh no... there has been so much going on in my mind it should have been right here .. !!

Makes me kind of wonder is it lazing around or is it plain me loosing out on my thirst for writing.

Could be none actually. It's just that AVANI is so much in the center of everything I do now a days I keep feeling like everything else can wait and topples down my list of priorities.

I am so absorbed watching her progress by the day that I am probably not keen enough to sit up and take notice of things that do not involve my little gurl.. :)

But surely, I am hoping that this trip to India will do wonders to my enthusiasm for the things I always loved doing... Writing, Exercising and Reading apart from Mothering my little angel ! :)

So see you in the next year.. and yes not without that quintessential Good Bye 2009 Post ! :)
Watch out for that right here .. !

THE SIX TYPES OF NUTRIENTS

Food is more than something to satisfy your appetite. Food is fuel for your body. Each type of nutrient has a specific purpose and meets a specific need that your body has. The six nutrients are:

Water

Yes, water is a nutrient. It is the most important nutrient. In fact, your body is approximately 50 to 55 percent water. Your body uses water 24 hours a day. A by-product of the energy production in your body is heat. Water regulates your body temperature by dissipating that heat. Water also carries nutrients to the cells in your body. Water does not produce energy.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for your body. Carbohydrates power every system in your body, including your brain, heart, muscles and internal organs. Carbohydrate can be simple (table sugar, corn syrup) or complex (whole grain). Simple carbohydrates enter your bloodstream very quickly. That is why you get a sugar high when you eat candy. Complex carbohydrates are processed and used more slowly.

Protein

Protein is like the brick and mortar of your body. It is the building blocks that provide the structure for the tissues of your body. Proteins are also used to transport essential elements in your blood stream.

Fats

Fat are our storehouses of energy. When we have excess nutrients in our body, some of it is stored as fat. The primary purpose of fat is energy production. There are two main types of fats - saturated and unsaturated. Animal fats (meat, butter, lard) are usually saturated fats and contribute to heart disease and cancer. Vegetable fats (olive oil, corn oil) are generally unsaturated fats and are less harmful. Some fats have been found to be helpful in preventing some cancers and heart disease. These fats called omega-3 fatty acids are found in some fish, especially cold-water fish.

VITAMINS

Vitamins are essential for the regulation of many of the functions of the body. Most vitamins cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from your diet. Vitamins do not produce energy.

MINERALS

Minerals are compounds, obtained from your diet, that combine in several ways to form the structures of your body. For instance, calcium is a mineral that is crucial in the formation and maintenance of your bones. Minerals also help regulate body functions. Minerals do not produce energy.

It is recommended that about 55% of our daily calories should come from carbohydrates, 15 % from protein and 30 % from fat.
The major sources of carbohydrates are cereals, pulses, potatoes. But also fruit and vegetables contain carbohydrates and even milk.