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If you are wondering how to make your life extra sweet, add some honey. “Honey is the sweetest way to get your daily dose of essential nutrients. It is the most complete natural food and provides instantaneous replenishment of energy losses,” explained Dr Shashidhara G. of the Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine (IAIM), Bangalore, at the recently concluded Pollinator 1 – The Bee Festival – at the Hyatt Regency, Chennai. However, like all good things, it should be had in small doses (See ‘Sweet Dose’). Here’s why a spoonful of honey daily is going to make your life sweeter and healthier.Honey is a natural sweetener with loads of antioxidants. At the same time, it is free of fat and cholesterol. What’s more, it is the ideal fuel for burning our body fat stores while we sleep due to its 1:1 ratio of fructose and glucose. Honey reduces fat accumulations in our cardiovascular system. “It is much better than refined sugar, which has no nutritional value and promotes obesity,” says Shashidhara.It’s rich in several vitamins and minerals, making it a healthy option. It contains vitamins such as B6, thiamine, niacin, riboflavine, pantothenic acid and certain amino acids and minerals, including calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc.If you are planning to lose weight, mix a spoon of honey with some lemon juice and warm water and take it as a wake-up drink every morning on an empty stomach. It mobilises the extra deposited fat in the body, allowing it to be utilised as energy for normal functions and purifying the blood as a result. The same tonic can be had after an oily meal as it helps with digestion. Honey has a healthy Glycemic Index (GI), meaning that its sugars can be gradually absorbed into the bloodstream to result in better digestion.The antioxidants in honey help in strengthening your immunity.A spoon of honey mixed with hot water is a good cure for cough.Applying honey on a burn relieves pain and heals the wound faster with minimal scarring.Honey is a great natural source of carbohydrates, providing strength and energy. Its natural fruit sugars, fructose and glucose play an important role in preventing fatigue during exercise and are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Further, it helps maintain blood sugar levels, in muscle recuperation and with glycogen restoration after a workout.Honey has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that makes it a natural antiseptic.Have some honey with milk for your natural beauty treatment. Not only is it healthy, it’s supposed to make your skin smoother.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-08-2012)
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Twenty-six-year old Priyanka Sachdev was getting married in three months and wanted to lose at least 8 kg before the big day. While she was reasonably fit — being regular with her walks — she wasn’t really thin. “A friend suggested boot camp (an intense military-inspired workout). It was severe, but it made me shed the extra kilos,” says Sachdev who continues to do boot camp thrice a week to keep fit.Having met her and heard her story, I decided to give it a try. Sachdev had warned me that boot camp was intense but she did not emphasise enough just how strenuous it is. So it was with a false sense of bravado that I walked into a gym and enrolled for boot camp. Over the next hour with each laboured breath I questioned the sanity of my decision as every muscle in my body was pulled and pushed to breaking point. Consider this: 600 metres of rowing, 30 jumps and squats on the stepper, 30 pull-ups using a TRX suspension belt, 30 push-ups alternating with lifting a 3-kg ball and then walking while holding a 5-kg kettlebell in each hand (my instructor cheerfully suggested I carry a 12-kg bell in each hand, but as I needed all my strength to lift a single bell, he grudgingly reduced the weight). By the end of 45 minutes, my ears were ringing and I could barely feel my legs.And just when I was wondering how people ever managed to keep up with this intense training, I was informed that since I’m wasn’t the fittest of the lot, I was being treated with kid gloves. For those with intermediate to advanced levels of fitness, the gloves come off.So what exactly is boot camp? “It’s a group activity that combines traditional calisthenics and body weight exercises with interval and strength training designed to push the participants harder. It bears a resemblance to a military boot camp — tough, rugged and hardcore,” explains Wanitha Ashok, a Bangalore-based fitness expert. Adds Abhishek Das, a fitness expert with Delhi-based FitnessFirst: “Boot camp workouts are efficient because you work your entire body — heart and muscles — by going from one exercise to another with little or no rest. It’s the fastest way to lose weight.” The workouts involve calisthenics-like push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches and other body weight exercises. Props such as TRX bands, kettlebells and dumbbells are also used.Most boot camps are group exercises and done outdoors. However, there is no hard and fast rule, and the workout can be done just as easily indoors in a gym and with an individual trainer. Boot camp DVDs are also available, but it is best to work out with a trainer as you may hurt yourself if you are on your own. Plus, DVDs cannot tell you how to vary the workout for maximum results.Boot camp traning is for novice exercises and fitness enthusiasts alike.And why do people put themselves through this extremely strenuous exercise regime? Simple, with upwards of 600 calories burnt per hour, it is one of the fastest ways to lose weight. “As it targets all the muscles at one time and most of the exercises are compound exercises, the calorie burn is quite high. The activity further boosts metabolism and a person can burn calories throughout the day. Teamed with a sensible diet, it’s a surefire way to lose weight,” explains Ashok.Moreover, it is considered fun as the workout is varied, and since you are perpetually on your toes, you don’t have time to get bored. It is also highly motivational because it is a group activity, with all the people working towards a common goal — to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, develop strength and get fit quickly.While boot camp training is suitable for novice exercisers and fitness enthusiasts alike, as an individual can work at his own personal level and intensity, it’s not really meant for the average couch potato. “A general boot camp is quite intense so it’s recommended for people who have been involved in some kind of fitness activity in the past. It’s apt for people from intermediate to advanced levels,” says Ashok. “It can be done by women, men, children, and even senior citizens. The programmes can be designed according to the needs of the group. It can be sports-specific, for general fitness or for weight loss. But people above 35 should go through a health screening before taking part in a boot camp,” she adds. Moreover, boot camp should be done only three times a week as the body needs rest to recover from the strain.But one thing is for sure, if you are willing to challenge yourself and push your body just a little bit more every time, a boot camp workout will ensure you lose the extra flab and are fighting fit.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-08-2012)
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Ajay Kumar, a senior executive with a leading infrastructure company in Delhi, has always been afraid of speaking in public. In his 15-year career, quite a few deals have fallen through because of his hesitation while making presentations. So when his organisation asked him to chair a meeting with a foreign delegation, he panicked. He needed a boost of confidence and his friends suggested everything from meditation to psychobabble.Having tried most remedies, Kumar was still nowhere close to feeling in control as he boarded the aircraft to Mumbai for the meeting. Fortunately for him, the gentleman seated next to him on the plane was a Bach flower therapist. They got talking and the practitioner gave him a small bottle and assured him the meeting would go smoothly. Just four drops from the bottle every two hours would do the trick. It was a mixture of the SOS cure called ‘Rescue Remedy' and Larch, for confidence. To Kumar's surprise, he overcame his anxiety and the meeting went rather well.Today, Kumar swears by Bach flower therapy — a medicine system that can change subtle emotional and psychological states of being. Terror, intolerance, depression, anxiety, lack of confidence, hatred... two drops thrice a day of the right remedy can uproot such deep-seated personality traits.Treatment for one's emotional and mental state, and not necessarily the physical state, is the essence of the remedy, named after Welsh bacteriologist, Dr Edward Bach who, in the 1930s, discovered 38 flowers that can treat emotional imbalances. For decades, flower therapy remained an obscure tributary of homeopathy till a recent rekindling of interest in it. Today, its popularity is growing the world over, with annual conferences, publication of books and a large number of practitioners who recommend the appropriate flower remedy after taking into account the personality, mood and emotional outlook of an individual.Flower therapy even treats conditions that may not necessarily be considered problems. Take, for instance, the case of 15-year-old Anshu Sharma who was afraid of the dark. While the boy's fear was real to him, most laughed it off or asked him to pray or better still, leave the lights on. It was while researching on the Internet for a project that he discovered that flowers can cure scotophobia, or the fear of the dark. He got in touch with Alka Raghbeer, a housewife in Delhi who has been practising Bach remedies for two decades now. She gave him the essence of Mimulus — meant to cure fear of known things.A few drops of the essence for a week and Anshu was a changed boy. "I can finally go off to sleep with all the lights off. It's such a liberating feeling," says the Class XI student.For Shreya Ahuja, who had been suffering from migraine for over three years, allopathic and homeo-pathic medicines did no good. A friend suggested Dheeraj Vishal Yadav, a Delhi-based naturopath, who treated her for three months with a combination of flower essences and cured the migraine. "I did not treat her for her physical ailment but for her mental and emotional state. She was finding it difficult to adjust to her in-laws' house and that was the root cause. By giving her a few doses of White Chestnut and Walnut along with Cherry Plum, she became more receptive to her new environment," says Yadav.Bach works on the principle that the body is only a medium of expression of our mental and emotional state. By curing the emotional imbalance, the body gets cured to a large extent. "Disharmony between your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing leads to disease. Bach flower remedy cures you inside out," says Yadav.The flower remedies have no potency and can therefore work alongside any other medicine without any interference. Many allopaths, homeopaths, naturopaths and even therapists suggest flower therapy for a faster cure. Flower remedy works on the principle that the body is only a medium of expression of our emotional state Of course, the remedy has its share of critics. Most practitioners of allopathy don't believe in flower therapy's magical touch. Says V. K. Sehgal, a government doctor in Delhi, "Flower therapy cannot cure a person of physical ailments such as pain. If someone believes in it, they can try it out, but don't give up on actual medicines. It can at best complement a proper treatment, not substitute it." The 38 remedies are available at leading homeopath chemists in metros and are even being made locally. But the ones imported from England are more effective. "These were discovered in England, and everything from water to soil makes a difference to the potency of the flower essence," says Yadav.The next time you envy a colleague because he has a bigger car or house than you, don't beat yourself up, just take a few drops of Holly and cleanse those negative feelings!(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 07-05-2012)
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Anjan Chatterjee loves food. Every single aspect of it, from cooking to eating to running a chain of branded restaurants. So it came as no surprise when he decided to meet me at his Bengali restaurant Oh! Calcutta in Delhi for a chat (and, of course, a meal) and posed willingly in the kitchen. "I love cooking. The prawn malai curry being a favourite. It's the traditional recipe, but with a twist."In fact, that seems to be his winning recipe for all his restaurants. While Oh! Calcutta serves traditional Bengali dishes modified a bit to make them restaurant-worthy, Mainland China — Chatterjee's chain of Chinese restaurants — serves Chinese food tweaked to Indian palates. "I promise you, we don't do authentic. Anything which is good on the palate is authentic. As long as the ingredients are the same, there's no harm in tweaking the recipe a bit to suit the Indian palate," he says.Whatever he's doing, it seems to be working. Having started his first restaurant in 1992, today Chatterjee has 86 restaurants spread across the country. And having recently launched a successful IPO, his company, Speciality Restaurants, hopes to have 200 restaurants up and running in the next few years. Popular restaurant brands include Oh! Calcutta, Mainland China and Sigree, which serves north-west frontier cuisine. Besides, there's a chain of confectionery stores dotting Mumbai called Sweet Bengal and other restaurants such as Machaan and Flame & Grill in Kolkata and Bangalore. On the cards is an Italian cafe in Pune."Necessity is the mother of invention," he says as he directs his chef to cook Gandhoraj Paneer in place of Gondhoraj Bhetki (a fish dish that I refuse as I'm a vegetarian). Within a few minutes, the chef presents us with paneer cooked in the same batter and it tastes great. "Send the recipe national. Put it on the menu," commands Chatterjee. And just like that the restaurant has a new dish for vegetarians. TOP PICKS: Chatterjee's favourite prawn malai curry and fish with green onion in spicy tomato sauce (left) Innovation, whether in tweaking the recipe or changing the name of a dish, seems to work for Chatterjee. One of the hot-selling items at Sigree is the Kosha Gosht, which is basically mutton fried in its own juices without water. Kosha Mangsho is the same dish with a Bengali name served at Oh! Calcutta and is equally popular. "If we had called it Kosha Mangsho at Sigree, it wouldn't have fitted in and we didn't want to call it Bhuna Gosht because that's too common." Chatterjee's endeavour to please the tastebuds of a larger section of society has also made him do the unthinkable — serving boneless ilish or hilsa at Oh! Calcutta. Bengalis not only frown at the thought of hilsa without bones, they consider it an insult to the most-sought-after fish. However, most non-Bengalis find it difficult to eat hilsa because of the numerous bones. "There's one chef at a restaurant in Calcutta's Park Street who has perfected the art of cutting the hilsa in such a way that the bones are removed. He has trained our chefs," says Chatterjee. The boneless hilsa is a favourite at most Oh! Calcutta outlets. It's not just food but the whole experience which, feels Chatterjee, makes his restaurants stand out. "We are a 5-star restaurant chain without the 5-star price tag." But really it's his eye for detail. For instance, the front office staff at all his restaurants are trained to handle babies. If you have left your reading glasses at home, don't worry, the restaurant manager can offer you a pair to help you read the menu. And shawls are available for those who find the air-conditioning too cold.Manpower is one of the biggest challenges of the restaurant business. "In our business even if you need a glass of water, you need someone to get it for you," says Chatterjee. He runs his own catering school in Kolkata and 90 per cent of his staff is trained there. "Initially, my wife and I taught them all the Bengali recipes. Now there are others but I'm still hands-on. I call my chefs at 3 am if I want to discuss something."So what is it that worries him the most? A dissatisfied customer, he says. "Satisfied customers are none of my business but a dissatisfied customer can kill my brand," says Chatterjee whose second love is advertising. Reading the comment cards tops his to-do list everyday. Leave a negative comment at any of his restaurants and you may get a call from one Mr Chatterjee. On the other hand, if you enjoy the food at Mainland China, don't forget to kiss the chef.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 16-07-2012)
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First there was power dressing, then power lunches and now, power yoga. Suddenly it's the new fitness buzzword and everyone from college students to housewives to corporate executives in metros is making a beeline for the nearest power yoga centre.I'm neither a power dresser nor do I believe in power lunches (preferring long-drawn-out lunches with friends), but seeing the frenzy around power yoga, I decided to give it a shot. And I died, almost. By the end of the first class, every part of my body ached. Muscles I didn't know existed groaned in protest at the slightest movement. Wasn't yoga supposed to be calming and relaxing? What happened to my favourite shavasana where I would invariably go off to sleep?If, like me, you think yoga is only meant to work on your breathing, and those convoluted poses where one stretches and twists the body into all sorts of shapes are only for yogis, then power yoga is not for you. But if you are willing to challenge your body, then 60-90 minute sessions of power yoga 2-3 times a week will help burn calories, increase stamina, improve circulation, increase the metabolism rate and lead to weight loss. And yes, as the body gets used to the exercise, it stops protesting and starts enjoying it (that's what those who have been doing it for a while say, I'm still to find out).So what exactly is power yoga and how does it differ from regular yoga? Power yoga, which was developed by two Americans — Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest — in the mid-1990s, is a derivative of Ashthanga Yoga that involves synchronising the breath with a series of postures, producing internal heat, detoxifying muscles and organs. POWER YOGA INCREASES LEAN MUSCLE MASS, DECREASES BODY FAT, ENHANCES STRENGTH AND TONES YOUR BODY. Power yoga, however, is mostly used to describe a vigorous, fitness-based approach to Vinyasa-style yoga where one moves from one asana to another in a sequence. It is a modified version of yoga, combining strength training, stretching and breathing. "It pushes the body into deeper poses and postures while focusing on breathing. It helps the body multitask by connecting breathing with body movements," says Mumbai-based yoga expert Payal Gidwani, who has trained several celebrities such as Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherji.It also incorporates traditional elements of yoga, such as holding of a pose to improve flexibility. However, this too is done to challenge your body more. And so, instead of the typical 5 breaths, you are required to hold a pose for longer — sometimes as long as two minutes. "In power yoga typically, postures are held for between 30 seconds and 2 minutes," says Mohan Kumar, a yoga expert and founder of the Holistic Healthcare Foundation.Since there is no fixed sequence, each instructor choreographs it differently and one power yoga class can vary widely from the other. A usual routine begins with sun salutations or the surya namaskar, which involves a series of 12 poses done in combination with breathing. "In yoga, be it any kind, it is essential to do the asanas while being connected to the breath. Inhaling and exhaling correctly while maintaining the pose is important," says Seema Sondhi, who runs a yoga studio in New Delhi.In power yoga, the movements flow into one another and are done without pausing. "We push the students to do 10-15 per cent more than their capacity. If the first day you hold a pose for 5 breaths, the next day we make you hold it for a little while longer and so on," says Kumar.Before I decided to take the plunge, I observed fellow students. Their movements appeared smooth, effortless and graceful, lulling me into a false sense of bravado. It's only when I did a series of sun salutations that I realised it is a strenuous exercise regime that required me to stretch every limb even as I concentrated on my breathing. While there is no fixed sequence, generally a power yoga class is divided into four sub-sections. First is the cardio-oriented practice that involves around 12-15 asanas such as the halasana (the plough pose) and the paschimottanasana (seated forward bend). Then there is the holding variation where 5-10 asanas such as janushirasana (head to knee pose) and ardha chandrasana (half moon pose) are held for some time to increase flexibility. The third phase involves 5-7 asanas that relax, calm and cool your body, and finally there is breathing and meditation. "The aim is to focus on different parts of the body," says Kumar. And while power yoga is for everyone, experts recommend consulting a doctor in case of ailments or a weak back or knees.Power yoga increases lean muscle mass, decreases body fat, and tones your body. It also helps maintain good body posture, and enhances strength, stamina and flexibility by improving joint movements and increasing muscle strength. And the best part, even as you undertake the sweat-producing, muscle-building workout, you improve your focus and concentration and let go of mental stress and anxiety, improving both physical and mental strength simultaneously. It's because of this that Gidwani considers power yoga to be one of the best workouts for those looking to lose weight.So, will I go for my next class? Absolutely. After all, what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 04-06-2012)
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What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive," said golfing legend Arnold Palmer, describing his love for the sport. If you are a golf enthusiast, you probably feel the same. So this summer, why not give museums, theatres, and beaches a wide berth and plan a holiday, or should we say a pilgrimage, to some of the greatest fairways across the world?Start by booking a flight to Edinburgh, Scotland, and driving for an hour to reach the home of golf — the St. Andrews Links, where the game has been played since 1400 AD.Today there are six public golf courses making St. Andrews Links the largest such complex in Europe. However, being one of the most famous also means that bookings are made almost six months in advance. But don't lose heart, the club realises that there are several pilgrims who land up in the hope of playing a round at the Old Course. As a result, nearly half of the total number of tee times on the Old Course are allocated through a ballot drawn just 48 hours before play. We suggest you book a hotel nearby for a few days and try for the ballot, if there are two or more of you. On the other hand, if you are going alone, you can play on the Old Course by approaching the Starter early in the morning of the day you wish to play. He will try to join you up with the first available two or three-ball.While you are on the Isles, you must visit the Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. Set up in 1889, it has been rated No. 5 in the ‘Top 100 Golf Courses' by Golf magazine. Legendary golfer Peter Alliss, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame just last week, has said that the links at the Royal County Down were the best prepared ones that he had ever seen.Royal County Down is situated to the north of the coastal resort of Newcastle, in the foothills of the Mountains of Mourne, about 50 km south of Belfast. The club maintains a high standard of play, and to tee on the Championship Links, you need a handicap of 5 or better for men playing the Blue Tees and 4 or better for women playing the Yellow Tees. Also check out the Ballybunion, in the south west of the island, set up in 1893. Tom Watson fell in love with the course and wrote, "After playing at the Ballybunion for the first time, a man would think golf originated here."Of the 32,000 golf courses across the world, 50 of the top 100 (as ranked by Golf) are in the US, 24 in Great Britain, 8 in Australia and New Zealand, and 8 in Europe. However, most of these, such as the Pine Valley and Augusta National in the US and Morfontaine in France are exclusive for members.With the maximum number of greens, the US is an ideal golfing destination. While you can play in almost every state, we suggest you start with California, more specifically the Pebble Beach Golf Links, San Francisco. Rated the No. 1 public golf course in the country, the course was designed by Douglas Grant and Jack Neville in 1919. Jack Nicklaus has said, "If I had only one more round to play, I would choose to play it at Pebble Beach." Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic is considered the Caribbean's most complete resort and its Teeth of the Dog golf course designed by Pete Dye is the only one to feature in the top 100 from that part of the world. The added advantage is that you can take the whole family along, and for once they won't grudge you being on the greens, as with the sun, sea and sand, there is plenty for them to do as well. Northern Ireland: ROYAL COUNTY DOWN is one of the finest golf links, and is nestled at the feet of the Mountains of Mourne (Pic Courtesy: Aidan Bradley)Dominican Republic: CASA DE CAMPO has imposing coral shores and winding fairways, ideal for families, friends, and, well, golfers (Pic Courtesy: Casa De Campo) You need to be a member of a golf club in India and carry a letter of introduction to play at any of these clubs. Also, each has a minimum handicap requirement and you need to carry your golf handicap card with you.Golf clubs are real sticklers when it comes to dress code. So make sure you read the specifics on their website and pack your bags accordingly. For instance, the Royal St. Georges in England insists that visitors wear jackets and ties to the club house post 11 am. On the golf course, they may wear plain, tailored shorts but only in conjunction with long socks. Cargo shorts are a strict no-no. The website does not specify the rules for women (not surprising, considering it's a men-only club and women are allowed to play only as guests). But other clubs such as the Royal County Down, while not specifying what women should wear, give a list of things they should not wear — jeans, short shorts and sleeveless, collarless tops.So go ahead, enjoy the ultimate holiday. As, in the words of sports writer Bob Ryan, golf is a passion, an obsession, a romance, a nice acquaintanceship with trees, sand, and water. Happy putting!(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 21-05-2012)
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Italians are known for their good looks, their charming manner, their sing-song accent and their love for food. Executive chef Francesco Apreda from Imago, the renowned Michelin star restaurant located on the sixth floor of Rome’s legendary Hassler Hotel, is no exception.As I meet him for a chat at Travertino, the Italian restaurant at The Oberoi, New Delhi, where he is currently doing a white truffle festival, he tells me about his love for food, his tryst with India and the various influences in his cooking. “My food can be described as having a traditional Italian base but with influences of the Orient. It is fusion cooking,” says Apreda who worked in Japan for a few years at the Italian restaurant Cicerone at Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel. He also travelled extensively over South East Asia and those influences can also be found in his cooking.But what about India? Do Indian spices, styles and aromas influence his cooking? “Yes absolutely. I love India. I’ve been coming here for several years now as I’m a consultant with Travertino in New Delhi and at Oberoi’s Italian restaurant, Vetro, in Mumbai.” At least three dishes at the Imago have an Indian influence. “My potato pasta served with curry and king crab is very popular as is the duck cooked in tandoori style,” says Apreda. He admits he doesn’t have a tandoor so he marinates the duck overnight in yoghurt and then cooks it in a clay tureen with tandoori spices. “It’s my style of cooking and is well appreciated.” Another dish which has an Indian influence is the foie gras terrine with a hint of beetle nut powder. “Beetle nut is very acidic and so goes well with foie gras terrine,” explains Apreda. Michelin Star Chef Francesco ApredaThe first time Apreda came to India, he found the food too strong and the spices overpowering. But over the years, he admits, his palate has developed and he can now understand and distinguish between the different spices and herbs. “I appreciate Indian food a lot more now.”And what is his take on Italian food cooked by Indian chefs? “I’ve tasted Italian food cooked by Indian chefs and though it is nice, it is often an interpretation of Italian food, not authentic Italian. That’s because Indian chefs need to be close to the Indian palate so they put in a lot of spices.” At Travertino, he says, they try to keep the food authentic. All ingredients including tomatoes are imported from Italy to try and keep the flavour as authentic as possible. “When it first started eight years ago, people were not that knowledgeable. They would order a pasta and then ask the chef to add more spices to it. Of course, we did it because at the end of the day you need to satisfy the guest but we also tried to educate them.” Now, he says, things are different. Most guests are well travelled and are looking for the same flavour that they experienced in Italy. “They realise Italian food is more than pasta and pizza.” For instance, when he was doing the white truffle festival at the Vetro in Mumbai last year, they finished 2 kg of white truffle over five days. “I was surprised because white truffle is a very expensive ingredient and I wasn’t sure if Indians would take to it.” But people came in with families and showed him pictures of how they had gone searching for white truffles with dogs on their holiday in Italy. White truffles which are unique to Italy sell for over $3000 a pound and are found primarily in Northern Italy in the months of October and November. Such is the demand for this delicacy that a black market has cropped up, even while truffles are often sold at auctions.The white truffle festival at the Travertino is on till December 1, 2013, in case you would like to taste this delicacy or try one of Apreda’s special dishes.
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You spent your thirties working hard, aiming for the stars and dreaming about all the good things in life. By the time you hit your forties, you had achieved most of your goals and now, in your fifties, you are basking in your success. You have it all — a sprawling bungalow in a posh locality, fancy cars, kids studying abroad in Ivy League institutes, holidays in exotic locales, and all the other trappings of success, from designer bags to high-end watches. Now at 65, having retired from the board, all you want to do is hang up your boots and enjoy the golden years while still maintaining your luxurious lifestyle. Sure, you have the money, but life as a senior citizen has its pitfalls — from security concerns to the paucity of trained staff to cater to your every need — and worrying about them can take the sheen off life after retirement that you had imagined for yourself.If you were living in the US, you might have moved to a luxurious retirement home in Florida or California for a carefree life. But you wouldn’t dream of doing that in this part of the world. No surprise, considering the fact that, until now, retirement homes in India catered to the middle class where the focus is on keeping body and soul together; maintaining a luxurious lifestyle is nowhere on the agenda.Not anymore. New players such as Antara and Aamoksh One Eighty are taking retirement homes to a whole new level of luxury. So, say goodbye to insipid food and dowdy décor, and welcome communities with designer interiors, state-of-the-art facilities, five-star food and activities that can keep even a teenager engaged.Sample Antara Senior Living, a Max India project. At the Rs 520-crore retirement community under construction at Dehradun, retirees can relax in a 6,000 sq. ft spa or take a dip in an indoor swimming pool. They will watch movies in a 50-seat private theatre and work out in a well equipped gym. And when they are hungry, multi-cuisine chefs trained at some of the best hotels in the country will be on standby to whip up meals that are high on nutrition and taste. TEE TIME: Aanandam, Aamoksh's retirement community in Kodaikanal, will have retirees living in villas next to a golf courseWhat’s more, to ensure your comfort, architects from New York and Spain have been hired to make the project senior-friendly. That means providing step-free access, eliminating tripping hazards, providing 15-20 per cent stronger lighting, creating larger, more open spaces for easy manoeuvrability and several other design elements that add up to a more senior-friendly environment.And all this is done so subtly that you don’t realise you are being treated any different simply because you are older. “Antara is not a real estate project but a lifestyle choice, which independent senior citizens will make willingly,” says Tara Vachani, the 26-year old CEO of Antara Senior Living.Agrees Sanjay Lakhotia, founder director of Aamoksh One Eighty. “It’s a lifestyle choice and not a compulsion.” Lakhotia’s project is a joint venture between Aamoksh and US-based One Eighty, which manages over 40 senior citizen homes in the US, Canada and Mexico. “Earlier, in India, there was a stigma attached to retirement homes. People thought you moved into such facilities because you had uncaring kids,” he says. “But with the kind of facilities we offer, people realise that it’s more comfortable to stay here .”At Aamoksh’s retirement community in Kodaikanal, Aanandam, retirees will live in individual villas overlooking a golf course. They will spend their days engaged in activities that will not only keep them physically and mentally fit but also entertain them. And when they decide to travel, trips will be organised keeping all their special needs in mind. Such a golden lifestyle, of course, comes at a price. “Our target consumer is an evolved, well-travelled independent senior citizen with a net worth of Rs 5 crore or more,” says Vachani. Apartments at Antara cost between Rs 1.5 crore (one bedroom, bath and living area) and Rs 4.4 crore (three bedrooms and bathrooms). There are also three penthouses priced at Rs 7 crore each. Monthly expenses will vary between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh per couple and will include maintenance, housekeeping, laundry, all meals, monthly doctor consultations, annual checkups, etc.In fact, Vachani’s marketing team spends a lot of time with a prospective buyer’s chartered accountants to ensure that his finances are sound enough to maintain such a lifestyle for the rest of his life. “We have had instances where people have showed an interest but their finances did not hold up,” says Vachani.While Lakhotia does not categorise his clientele in terms of net worth, he admits that the prospective buyer has to be reasonably well off. “It’s not just a one-time investment, but an ongoing cost. So you have to have enough of a post-retirement income to sustain a lifestyle for the rest of your life.” At Aamoksh’s Kodaikanal project (200 villas), a one-room villa costs Rs 40 lakh and three-bedroom villas are upwards of Rs 1 crore. Monthly expenses are between Rs 30,000-45,000 per couple. break-page-breakBoth Vachani and Lakhotia are confident that there is a market for luxurious senior citizen homes in the country. Globally, senior living is a $25 billion industry with over 2,000 projects in the US alone. In India, there are less than 2,000 units for formal senior living and those too are in the lower- to middle-class category. With approximately 98 million elderly people in the country, there is enough scope for high-end luxurious senior living communities. “Our research shows 515,000 households in India are the target segment for upmarket senior living, with nearly 165,000 households in north India alone,” says Vachani. No wonder she is convinced her 217 apartments, to be ready by 2016, will find takers. Vachani plans more such projects in NCR and other north Indian cities. Aamoksh has already started an 88-apartment project in Kasauli and has plans for another in Pune.Poonam Bahl, 54, a Delhi-based entrepreneur, is looking forward to moving into Aamoksh’s Kasauli project. “I’m a single parent and, in another three years, my daughter will move out for higher studies.” She says she does not want her daughter to worry about her living alone. “A retirement facility where I get to make new friends and pursue my interests makes a lot of sense,” says Bahl, who loves meeting new people, reading and is an art and history buff. ‘Our target consumer is an evolved, well-trave lled independent senior citizen with a net worth of Rs 5 crore-plus’ Tara Vachani, Chief executive officer, AntaraThen there are others such as a couple who are willing to give up their posh south Delhi address to move to Antara for peace of mind. “We would be able to lead a life of dignity and independence. It is important to have peace of mind and we believe Antara will give us that,” says the couple.Ageing Comfortably For active and independent seniors, luxury senior living facilities also offer a host of activities. At Antara, for instance, residents can engage in yoga, pilates, badminton, gardening, art and craft or take classes in cookery, art, photography or even learn a new language. Facilities aside, says Vachani, the calming atmosphere and care that Antara promises to provide will distinguish it from any other player in the market. “We know more medical care will be needed as residents age, so we are building a health centre just across the street from the community especially for the residents,” says Vachani. The health centre will not only provide medical care, but also rehabilitation and wellness facilities, including occupational therapy and specialised dementia therapies, among others. Being just a short hop from a Max super speciality hospital also ensures that good medical care is close at hand. Antara will also provide assisted living, complete with a 24-hour nurse, for those who require it.Leasing Vs Buying Different players have different norms for who can buy property and how. Aamoksh One Eighty allows you to buy the property outright and puts no restriction on the age of the buyer, but the person cannot be a resident until he crosses the age of 55. “So, you can buy it for your parents, but you cannot live there except for when you are visiting,” says Lakhotia. Also, it does not allow you to purchase the property and lock it up. “If half the properties are locked up, we won’t get a community feel. Either you rent it out or allow us to rent it out on your behalf,” he says. ‘Earlier, there was a stigma attached to retirement homes... now, it’s a lifestyle choice’ Sanjay Lakhotia, Founder director, Aamoksh One EightyFor the model to succeed, it is very important that a community feel is maintained. And, for this, say experts, two things have to be kept in mind — the age group of the residents, and the number of residents. Antara follows a lifetime lease model that entitles the customer (55 years and above) and spouse to live in the property for the rest of their lives. On their death, the title terminates. The property is then auctioned and Antara pays the prevailing market rate to the deceased customer’s nominee after deducting a fee. Similarly, if after having lived for a few years at Antara a customer wants to move out, the property is auctioned and the amount paid to the customer after deduction of a fee, which is approximately 3 per cent of value. “We don’t want people to invest in Antara as a real estate proposition and, therefore, have this model,” explains Vachani.With more projects coming up in the future, there will be a lot more choice for seniors to spend their retirement years in a comfortable and carefree environment. smitatripathi@bworldmail.in; twitter@smitabw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 07-10-2013)
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You could call it the thrill of the hunt. The adrenaline rush of stalking wildlife in its own habitat is hard to match. A 100 years ago, the Indian maharaja’s weapons of choice while going out for a shoot were custom-built Westley Richards, Holland & Holland or Rigby rifles and shotguns. Today’s corporate maharajas no longer use guns for their shooting. The weapons they wield now are high-end Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras, equipped with the finest lenses money can buy. Businessworld caught up with two such current-generation ‘hunters’ to learn more about their passion. Burning BrightNavin Raheja, CMD of Raheja Developers, is a a self-confessed wildlife enthusiast and photographer. How did he begin? Was it love at first sight? “It was more like the scare of my life,” says Raheja, describing his first encounter with a tiger in the wild, at Corbett National Park over three decades ago. “We did not even get to see it, the roar was enough to make us motionless,” he says. But it was enough to create a connection. “I never forgot the roar. I wanted to come face to face with a creature that majestic. So I visited the park again and again. When I finally saw it, it was love at first sight.” Over the past few decades, Raheja has made more than 500 trips to various national parks across the country in search of the elusive tiger. “They aren’t elusive anymore. I know how to find them. They can sense that I’m a friend,” says Raheja.(BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)Around the time that his love affair with the big cat started, Raheja also found himself another passion — photography. “I bought a Pentax, 120 format, from a foreigner in the late 1970s and started experimenting with photography.” It wasn’t long before his two loves got introduced to each other. “Wildlife photography seemed like the obvious way to go.” While Raheja enjoys clicking all sorts of animals, he admits there is something magical about clicking the tiger. “I never get tired of clicking the tiger even though I have clicked several hundred pictures till date. The expression, the beauty and the sheer majesty of the creature makes it the perfect model.” Though Corbett continues to be his favourite shooting ground, he has been to several other parks such as Ranthambore, Rajaji, Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Dudhwa. Are all these parks different? “Yes. The topography plays a key role as does the character of the tigers,” explains Raheja. “You need to surprise the tigers in Corbett, while in Ranthambore, you can follow them and shoot. In Bandhavgarh, there are designated places where a tiger nearly always makes an appearance and you can shoot it.” And that is why shooting in Corbett becomes the most difficult of them all. Raheja says he needs a very silent vehicle when shooting in Corbett; he uses his Forester which he has remodelled with a vast sun roof. “Wherever regulations permit, I prefer to even drive on my own and not have anyone else in the vehicle as other people tend to shake the vehicle,” says Raheja who is a member of Project Tiger, a government initiative to safeguard tigers in India. Raheja now uses a Canon D7, Canon D5 Mark II, Nikon D200 and Nikon D800, among others. He uses a 2.8, 7800 mm lens and a 3.5-4.5, 7500 mm lens. “The 7500 is a slow lens, good for shooting in the day time when there is enough light.” He admits that improvements in the quality of cameras and the lenses over the years have helped wildlife photography. He adds that autofocus is a real boon for amateur photographers. “Animals do not give you time. They do not pose for you. They give you a fraction of a second to shoot. Autofocus, and the fact that you can shoot several frames per second, really helps.” So, what according to him makes for a good wildlife photographer? “Anticipation is vital in wildlife photography. You have to be familiar with the behaviour of the animal and keep the appropriate equipment ready. Anticipation takes you to the place where there is a probability. Getting a good shot is your luck.”FLIGHT OF FANCY: G. V. Prasad believes patience is truly a virtue when it comes to wildlife photography(BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)To Catch A Flying BirdFor G.V. Prasad, chairman and CEO of pharma major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, bird watching and subsequently bird photography happened by chance. Nearly 10 years ago, Prasad was introduced to bird watching by a friend who is an ornithologist. “Birds are everywhere, but I wasn’t consciously watching them. Now that I do, I’m fascinated,” says Prasad who watches them not only at several parks in Hyderabad, including at the Icrisat (International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics) campus, but also at home. “I’m fortunate to stay in a very green area of Hyderabad where loads of birds can be spotted.” But how did he get into photography?“It was a natural progression. You start by observing the birds and other wildlife and then you start clicking them.” Prasad believes in learning by doing. “I’m not the kind to read manuals to learn photography. You just keep clicking till you get the right shot. You learn on the fly,” says Prasad while confessing that it took several bad shots to finally get that one good picture. “Here and there a friend would make a suggestion, sometimes a photography guide or a fellow photographer would give advice on speed, red eye correction, etc. You incorporate these but finally you get the hang of all the settings only by clicking, and clicking a lot.” At least once every two months, Prasad goes on a bird-watching trip. He is a member of the Bird Watching Society of Andhra Pradesh, but accompanies the team only 2-3 times a year. “Owing to time constraints, I can’t travel with them frequently. But I try to make individual trips with a friend who is also a bird watcher.” Prasad’s last trip was to Botswana in August 2012. “It’s a paradise for both wildlife watchers and photographers. There’s just so much wildlife there that you cannot but help take good pictures.” Prasad acknowledges that a good photograph is not only about skill but also luck. “Some of the best shots are a combination of patience and luck. You have to be at the right place at the right time.” Of course, the right equipment is important, too. Prasad himself uses a Canon 5D Mark III. He has a 2.8, 300 mm prime lens and uses a 2x extender. “You need to have a decent camera with a big lens as birds are generally small and very far away. They tend to disappear when you go closer.” Also, a lens with a big aperture is always useful. In order to capture a bird in flight you need a fast camera that supports really high shutter speeds. (BW Pic by Sanjay Sakaria)While early morning is one of the best times for bird watching, the light is poor and so it’s difficult to get good shots then. For photography, 8-8.30 in the morning, when the light is good, is a much better time. “Patience is truly a virtue when it comes to wildlife photography. You can spend your entire day waiting in a park and just when you decide to leave you may spot a rare bird or a shy animal.” Prasad’s advice to other amateur wildlife photographers is to be patient and not be intimidated by the camera. “Often, when you spot a bird, you don’t have enough time to change the settings of your camera. You click, you learn, and you are better prepared the next time.” smitatripathi@bworldmail.comTwitter: @smita bw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 09-09-2013)
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At first sight, it didn’t appear threatening. Almost like a puffed up cushion. So far, so good, I thought to myself. It was a lazy Sunday morning and while most people were still planning their day, I was at FitnessFirst, a state-of-the-art gym that I visit every once in a while to check out the latest trends in fitness. The puffed up cushion was actually the Bosu ball, short for Both Sides Utilised, a fitness training device to make an already tough day at the gym tougher. It’s amazing the consistency with which fitness enthusiasts in their zest to make the world a fitter place keep coming up with new tools! The Bosu ball was invented in 1999 by one such devotee — David Weck. It consists of an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform. It almost looks like a stability ball (another one of those devices) cut in half and gets its name from the fact that it can be positioned in two ways. But the non-threatening, almost likeable appearance of the Bosu ball is meant to lull you into a false sense of comfort — as I found out soon enough. What it does actually is make exercise extra challenging. With a platform on one side and a rubber dome on the other, the tool adds instability to your workouts, forcing you to use your core to remain steady. Even a simple exercise like a lunge puts more pressure on your thighs and calves as you put one foot on the unstable rubber dome. “Use the dome-side up for cardio, lower body strength or core moves,” says Prandeep Bordoloi, my extremely fit trainer as he jumps up and down on the Bosu ball, landing perfectly each time. I give it a shot. I jump and land on the squishy dome…well almost. My foot slips and I land on my backside on the polished wooden floor. Oh well, may be I ought to start with stepping up and down and start jumping only after I’ve got my balance right, I say wearily. “That’s where the Bosu ball is going to help you,” says Prandeep as he sees me rubbing my back gingerly. The Bosu ball helps improve your strength and balance which is important for preventing injuries, he explains. The Bosu ball requires you to maintain your centre of gravity over a surface that is constantly changing. I find just standing on it a challenge as my body moves and shifts in and out of balance. “To keep yourself in place you have to constantly engage the stabiliser muscles in your upper and lower body,” says Prandeep even as I perch perilously atop the dome. I realise that concentration helps. My body is more aligned and balanced if I concentrate hard. It’s a bit like holding a yoga pose, the minute you stop concentrating on your breathing, you lose control of the pose. I’m still coming to terms with the squishy side, when Prandeep flips it over. “You can use the platform side for upper body exercises, like push-ups or more core moves, like planks,” he explains, again giving a perfect demonstration. He makes me do the forearm plank which targets the core, glutes, shoulders and the lower body. I place the Bosu ball dome-side down and then hold it with both arms (shoulder-width apart), with my forearms and upper arms at 90 degrees. Then I slowly raise my hips so that my body is in a straight line from head to heel. I’ve done the same exercise previously on a flat surface and have found it tough. But doing it while managing an unstable surface is more difficult and, therefore, more effective, he informs me. Thirty minutes on the Bosu ball is equivalent to 45 minutes in the gym, doing a series of exercises such as walking on the treadmill, cycling and doing weights. That’s the other thing. Everybody is in a hurry nowadays so any device which helps you save time becomes popular. A Bosu ball workout is good for the core, glutes, quadriceps, balance and strength, explains Prandeep. And to drive home his point, he asks me to do the Superman pose. I’m intrigued. Will I start flying like the Man of Steel, I joke. Unlikely, he says with a smile. But with regular exercise and holding on to the pose longer, I’ll become a whole lot fitter and stronger. The Bosu ball is put dome-side up and I sit on it with my knees bent and hands on the sphere. Then I slowly lift my right arm and left leg straight (parallel to the ground) to do the Superman flying pose. Hold for 30-60 seconds and then switch to the other arm and leg. After three sets, I’m near collapse; thankfully, Prandeep calls it a day. Is the Bosu ball worth it? I think so. Will I be using it regularly? I hope so, but going by my track record, it’s unlikely. smitatripathi(at)bworldmail(dot)in Twitter: (at)smitabw(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 12-08-2013)
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