Interesting

Climate change- can the pollution caused around plastic truly ever be transformed? Learn about what Polymateria are doing to tackle this global problem

By Tina Kumar

With the rise of a global pandemic. The world came to a halt and after months of lockdown, Mother Nature was given a break to. The canals in Italy became clearer with the pollution rates in places like India reducing so much to the extent that the well known smog had seemingly disappeared.

The world coming to a stop might just be the wake up that we need to really take the effects of climate change seriously. Climate change is happening now and if we don’t do more to dull its effects; it could bring about even more grave effects. Big businesses have adopted some initiatives such as introducing paper straws etc. However, the use of plastic is still very popular, existent and harmful to our planet.

I met with the CEO of Polymateria, Niall Dunne, who is leading a wonderful project on creating plastic that can be biodegradable. He was also Head of Sustainability at BT prior to his role at Polymateria. This ambitious project has the support of Prince Charles and when I visited their lab in White City I was amazed to see the progress being made. If Dunne and the company manage to succeed in this project, they will magnanimously revolutionise the breaking down of plastic not just in the UK but around the world.

Dunne tells me that they hope to be able to develop the biotransformation as quickly as possible because they understand that although, they face a challenging task; they want to be able to use their resources effectively to see real change. Polymateria would then be working with major corporations to incorporate their biotransformation vision into the plastic they so heavily use to pack and distribute their products globally. Hence, having a greater positive influence in helping to break down the pollution caused by plastic around the world.

The work that Polymateria is doing is to develop a new standard in biodegrables and compostable plastics called Biotransformation.

You can follow their instagram page @polymaterialtd for more updates and the Dunne’s page, @n1dunne, to learn more about how this project will address the global problem surrounding the decomposing of plastic and how the company will bring about a major break for the world of sustainability and climate change. You can also visit the Polymateria website www.polymateria.com to learn more.

How to sell on depop?

By Tina Kumar

Depop has become a popular platform and social app for many Generation Z users to sell unwanted/ new clothes and items at a discounted rate. Not only that, Depop has become a platform for small clothing businesses to start up and make a swift weekly profit just by selling clothes and items though the app. Depop has 16 million users in 2020 and users have sold over £400 million worth of merchandise to date. But as easy as it sounds, how do you go about making money selling items on Depop?

It’s not easy but it’s also not too difficult. Having spoken to a few people who are good at selling items on Depop, including my younger sister, Khuhsboo Kumar. Who’s sold hundreds of pounds worth of items on Depop. They gave me some tips on how to sell on Depop and now you can use these too!

Wear the item when posting a picture- but you don’t need to have your face showing. That’s how the Gen Zs roll and that’s who you are targeting.
Try to post more than one photo to give a real good idea of the product you are selling- from all angles if you can!
Advertise/ use other social media platforms like Instagram to promote your Depop page
Make sure the description is accurate and honesty is the best policy!
Prices- keep them low! People are in search of a bargain so lower priced items sell
Accept negotiations but make sure it’s a good deal for both of you. Sometimes, people will propose a lower price and if you can do that or something in the middle then go for it! Better to sell than to try and sell at a higher price - especially on Depop!
Post the item to the individual quickly/ right away! Make sure your Depop customers are happy and getting them a parcel early/on time is always the way.
Keep it simple - it’s Depop, messages are informal/friendly, prices are cheap and photos are crucial.
Try to offer different types of products to attract customers. From clothes to accessories, you can pretty much sell anything so try to have more products to sell.
Be active! This is very important, post regularly, develop a following, follow others, reply to messages early. If someone is interested in your product and they message you but don’t buy your product, then, just send a followup message to make that sale! Posting regularly and being active on Depop will help you sell more and attract a wider audience.

I hope these tips are helpful!

If Depop is for you go forth and make money trough selling on the app. If you aren’t on Depop yet then it’s well worth getting an account and have a go at selling your items using the tips above and start your Depop journey now…

What I learnt from the pandemic?

By Tina Kumar

Going into the UK lockdown I found myself abroad in India and Dubai, far from the UK and far from, in hindsight, the drastically inevitable spread of Covid 19 across Europe and the UK. Hearing stories from my friends and family about how life in the UK had changed so quickly because of the emergence of the disease. I felt scared, anxious and worried because not only was this disease contagious but also deadly. Where I was, in New Delhi, India firstly; the situation was very normal compared to the quick changing of ice in the UK. India was rather fuelled by the heightened anxiety of what could happen if the virus was to spread in India and the UAE. No where and no country was safe and people were starting to realise and really become worried about this. Covid 19 wasn't here yet but it could quickly be so people were starting to prepare. At least, mentally.

Anyone could catch the virus, anyone could spread the virus and no matter where you were in the world you were not safe from the virus. My Mum and Dad wanted me to return instantly from India and cut my trip short so that I don’t get stuck abroad but I didn’t want to come back just yet because I was to go to Dubai before returning to London! I felt that I would be able to return home in time because the UK lockdown still hadn’t been announced. I tried to enjoy my time abroad because the effect of the virus wasn’t as imminent there but being as the days progressed I did feel fearful of what the effect of the virus would be once I returned home.

Again, not realising the ferocity of it’s effect because I hadn’t experienced it yet first hand. In the space of the week that I left India, stayed in Dubai and went back to the UK. India had cancelled all international flights. Dubai was is somewhat in a semi lockdown since most places like malls, restaurants and attractions were near empty. Most of its small population had stocked up already and had taken to their homes in light of the virus spreading so quickly abroad and so most places were open as usual but they were near enough empty. Which for Dubai is very unusual as everyone there is always out and about. Whether it be a coffee shop, the mall, or a restaurant as the lifestyle there is a bit more relaxed and leisurely in comparison to the UK. However, I still got to go out whilst on holiday as it wasn’t as bad there because the virus hadn’t quite reached Dubai.

London saw most work places being shut down with people told to work from home, the famous stocking of food was ready in preparation for months of lockdown and the selling out of hand sanitisers, toilet paper and pasta! The UK was fearful but it was also somewhat preparing itself for the announcement that a full lockdown would be happening any day now.

The flight from Dubai to London was different too. You could feel that everyone was very clearly informed of what was happening around the world and the UK and people despite being sat next to each other where careful not touch certain surfaces, or use sanitisers, they were making sure they weren’t so close to each other. The minds of individuals were instilled with fear, being careful and taking care to get home home safely. This was the number one story in the world and so it was no surprise that people’s perceptions to the virus had changed a lot since when they first heard about the virus in January. Their initial thoughts of oh the virus is far away in China. It’s not a big deal. It will never reach the UK. In a space of 2/3 months the virus had taken over the world and the usual pompous flight back from Dubai felt a little cold and filled with a little discomfort. You could say there was a sense of freezing in the air. Not just cold air but freezing air and everyone on that flight were most definitely cold to each other unless they were together.

My thoughts were confirmed when the biggest change I saw in people’s behaviour was after the minute the flight landed on UK turf. As soon as those seatbelts were allowed to come off everyone on the flight was in immense hurry to get out of not just the plane but the entire, empty, quiet Heathrow airport. A huge contrast to the casual stride out of the aircraft. As soon as people vacated the huge plane, everybody was walking so fast with their belongings, companions, and family that they raced out of the airport like the coronavirus was patiently waiting to grab them at the airport like a snake wistfully does before attacking it’s prey.

Of course, in light of the global pandemic being announced the airport was indeed one of the most dangerous places to be in at the time but the reactions of the people there had really surprised me and enhanced the nature of the matter. Social distancing was already being observed. Once I and my sister exited the aircraft, I saw the behaviours of everyone and instantly I too was walking faster than ever, almost running at a hesitant jog to quickly get to immigration and baggage control. The queues were long to scan your passports out with the technology not making it an easier, slowing everything down with technical implications.

However, I and my sister were near the front so we managed to quickly get past it. Then we reached the baggage reclaim. The airport was the emptiest I’ve ever seen it. There was the baggage to be collected from our flight and possibly one other flight and that was it. Other than that, there was minimum staff present and nobody else to be seen. It felt so weird and strange to be at Heathrow like this. I’d always only seen it busier than the bees surrounding a fresh honeycomb. This wasn’t the Heathrow I’d left and this really made me see what the Covid 19 takeover had achieved in the coming weeks. If I wasn’t too afraid before. I sure was now.

My sister and I quickly managed to grab our bags being anxious to even touch the trolleys but we had hand sanitisers in our bags so we were sure to keep using them. Then we exited, grabbed a coffee and went straight to the exit doors. Its dark, rainy and gloomy. Within minutes we are straight into a taxi huge taxi with no queue at all. Once all our suitcases are in, I look over to the time opposite me displayed so vividly in the taxi. I saw it and I gasped within at the realisation that within 20 minutes of us landing, we’d gone through immigration, collected our bags, grabbed and coffee we were out of the airport.

Since we hadn't come in on a private jet, I was quite amazed at how quickly we were out of the airport and in the car to go home! The fastest time I’d ever left the airport. In record time we’d landed and manage to race through any traces of the virus at the airport and found ourselves in a somewhat safe ish taxi to quickly get home. The sense of urgency hadn’t stopped in the taxi. We were eager to get home and to get home safely. Sanitisers on hand. This was the strangest and most weirdest arrival I’d ever experienced in the UK. Covid 19 had officially taken over.

However, what I found next was rather intriguing. It was a week before lockdown was officially announced so I raced to quickly get my orders and affairs in check so as to be rightly prepared and to brace for what the pandemic had brought. Shopping, food shopping, going to the post office, visiting close family and every errand to run in between before the lockdown kicked in, all in a matter of days.

I was late to get in preparation, most of the UK was already prepared but I was some what mentally ready to sit at home for days on end with uncertainty, fear and no idea of how long this would last. For someone who hasn’t sat at home for longer than a full day, except for Christmas Day, in over 10 years perhaps or as far as I can remember. I felt lockdown was going to be hard, weird and somewhat not so fun. I’d never even heard of the word quarantine before all this and didn’t even know what the word meant until the Covid 19 caught on. So I was still learning to get used to the effects of the coronavirus. As was the rest of the world and the UK government in their response to a very fresh and new virus that nobody knew how to beat let alone tackle.

The first 2 weeks were calm, a little hard but embracing what life had become. Keeping an eye on the news everyday and learning about our near futures through the Prime Minster’s announcement was strange. Then, learning and knowing that even the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, could get the virus made us realise even more that no one is safe and anybody can get the virus. If the very person informing us of fates in the face of adversity had caught the virus was in a way a reinforced and confirmed the message that Covid 19 had officially taken over. The fact that someone so prominent had caught the virus was proof of that danger and fear that everyone already had in their minds. That anyone can catch the virus. Despite, our misconceptions and thoughts that we were immune from it or that we wouldn’t get the virus it for whatever reason. Seeing the Prime Minister or other prominent figures catch the virus really made us re think our perceptions of how dangerous this disease was early on in lockdown. Then hearing about friends of friends or family members of friends, or neighbour you know catching it made the invisible disease more and more real as the days went on and the number of cases and deaths increased exponentially.

I was fearful but I didn’t leave the house for the first two weeks. I was sleeping at 4am, waking up at 2pm, eating at lunch at 6pm. I didn’t even go for any daily walks because I didn’t feel safe to do so just yet. After the first 2 weeks I was a little more used to the change and felt as though I should try to look at this scenario positively and use the endless time to my advantage. I was baking, painting, writing, playing loads of monopoly, making banana bread like everyone else and trying to engage in new things. I was on social media a lot and watching a lot of Netflix but with all that time who wouldn’t be. As the days went by though, even as early as the first week or two, I found myself happier than ever leading a simple life. Leading a very simple life but with the perks of internet, option of getting certain food takeaways, electricity, food and the ability to Facetime friends/ family. It felt like a war time situation but no where near that level of hardship.

Reminded me as it did everyone else about how for granted we take our lives and how grateful we are for the way life has been. Also, had me looking through old family albums and photos, recalling memories and talking to and catching up with friends I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. Or even just face timing and catching up with my usual close friends rather than just texting. Some Zoom parties here and there but mostly spending a lot of time cooking, doing self care treatments at home like face masks and hair masks. Of course, being so grateful for and appreciating all the work the key workers were doing in the time of unprecedented chaos the pandemic had brought.

They were and are the true heroes of our society from the healthcare workers in the NHS, to bus drivers, to the small off license/ corner shop owners/ workers, tube/train drivers, supermarket staff, people delivering all our parcels, all the people delivering food takeaways or delivering the food to vulnerable people, plumbers, electricians, the police and many more. All the very people keeping our society running and bringing a smooth transition to our day to day lives in the face of a huge, life changing, lockdown. Risking their lives for the well being of others.

The claps for NHS, carers and key workers at 8pm on Thursdays was a light of hope and beacon of appreciation together with our neighbours who we may not have gotten to see in a long time. The smiles generated for all the work great work key workers were doing for us. Humanity at it’s finest is what the lockdown has brought about. At times, this was the only way to know what day of the week it was - really!

Of course, lockdown had been a time of huge uncertainty, anxiousness, the rise of domestic violence cases, jobs being lost, financial hardship and quite difficult changes having been made by being forced to be confined to our homes. Lives being lost with the inability to even have a proper funeral had been so difficult for some. It’s important to acknowledge that the transition has not been easy at all. For some, the pandemic and lockdown have brought upon the darkest of times and my sympathies going out to those people where we hope that the situation will become better or improve for them in the near future.

Even with the inability to interact with humans face to face, people found ways to connect with each other through phone calls, face time, online, through the clap for cares and taking time out to ask how you might be doing. Whether they know you or not. The lockdown and pandemic connected us. It also brought about the emergence of the addictive Tik Tok, Instagram Live and with the rise of the Black Lives Movement huge effects have been experienced in this pandemic. The change hasn’t been as bad as we thought. The whole experience in the end has turned out to be very cool. After the 3 months of lockdown and with a lot of lockdown easing though I was back to doing what I normally did but just doing that at home.

The pandemic and the effect of a full lockdown though made me appreciate life little more though. Lead me to discover new places near my house that I’d never even been to before that were just 5 minutes away, had me bumping into all sorts of friends from school that I hadn’t possibly seen in years just on my daily walks; a strange adjustment to life but a kind of nice one in a way. Even without the Starbucks, the gym, the restaurants, the work, the shopping, the holidays away, the spas etc. Life in lockdown became a bit of an adjustment we were a bit more used to now.

The lockdown made me more confident in my abilities. I don’t know why but knowing that everyone was in the same boat as you not only made you appreciate each other more and understand, be emphatic to how others were feeling. However, it also invoked a sense of greater confidence that came with the happiness of leading a simple life. It also made me miss the family I couldn’t see more but knowing that this situation wasn’t to last forever was at the back of my mind! The lockdown would eventually be alleviated but the impact the pandemic has had for now and will have in the near future would have left a greater impact than we’d imagined having lived through it.

I would hope that we don’t forget how the lockdown has changed us within a week of normality being returned but as to appreciate what the time has been teaching us about ourselves, our family and our lives from here on out. Covid 19 might have been able to lock billions of people in their homes across the world but it’s also had the ability to influence the minds of billions of people around the world in a way that could never have been imagined before it took over the world and our worlds. Making it feel like this virus came into our lives with a purpose, that has individually and very uniquely impacted our lives in a way that we didn’t know it had to power to do so.

The pandemic may not be over just yet be we are going to be more grateful for the return of normalcy than ever before.

Armenia fund - what is the Armenia fund and why I should know about it?

By Tina Kumar

The Armenia Fund is a fund set up in America to help improve Armenia’s economy and rebuilding the nation in the way that helps to improve the lives of the people living in Armenia. The Armenia Fund is the largest humanitarian organisation that helps to serve the needs of Armenia and the Artsakh Republic. The purpose of this organisation was to connect the people of Armenia with the worldwide Armenian Diaspora to create a better homeland for the Armenian nation. The Armenia Fund is hugely significant because it has managed to implement over $120 million to help with infrastructure and humanitarian aid.

The most recent success the Armenia Fund has seen was to raise nearly $23 million in its most recent annual telethon which is televised across Armenian TV channels across the globe. Plus the telethon held a special edition telethon and managed to $30 million for those affected by the Artsakh and Azerbaijan war that broke out in 2020.

The organisation has had some famous names donate and support it’s cause from the Kardashians to Cher; namely, Kim Kardashian donated $1 million to the Fund. The reason the Armenia Fund is extraordinary is because the organisation has continued to, consistently, over the last 20 years use it’s ability to raise funds to continue to help rebuild Armenia. After the country faced significant damage due to going through various wars and conflict in recent times. If there is a cause you are looking to support, this could be your next project in helping to give to an organisation that truly aims to transform the lives of people in Armenia.

You can learn more about this cause and contribute by donating to the Armenia Fund by visiting the armeniafund.org website.

Healthy living

By Nuna Kamhawi

Lockdown has been a big change for most of us. Although things have begun to ease a bit now, we are still having to adapt to a different way of living our daily lives. Changes in our routines and environment can blow our healthy habits out the window! I know it certainly did with mine.

At the beginning, I had to make the decision about whether to move back to my family home for lockdown. For me, living at home with my family means constant temptation to eat junk foods with no reason to walk anywhere. On top of this, my family home just reminds me of Christmas and holidays, so I tend to get in a sort of ‘relaxed’ mind frame whenever I am there.

So eventually I decided to should go. Low and behold, two weeks in and I was a couch potato and a relapsed chocolate addict. I was eating chocolate for breakfast, mid-morning snacks, mid-afternoon snacks and then ice-cream to top off my multiple servings of dinner. I was also revising for my exams so with that added stress I was a chocolate-consuming machine!

This didn’t last too much longer though. It is completely normal to go through a re-adjustment phase when you are thrown off your normal daily routine. This is seen in many situations other than lockdown, such as travelling, moving abroad or changing jobs. All you need to do is find your feet again, and sometimes it just takes a little fall in motivation first to fuel and inspire change.

Firstly, I looked at how I could increase my daily activity. I love listening to podcasts and I thought, what better way to do it than while on my walk every day? Two birds one stone.

Secondly, it was time to think more intuitively about my eating (and by that time me and chocolate had a love-hate relationship anyway). Instead of eating out of impulse and in response to my emotions, I decided to take a bit more care with when and what I was eating. I began listening to my appetite cues and deciding whether I was really hungry or just bored. Also, when choosing my meals, I made sure they were wholesome and balanced to control my cravings.

Here comes the science behind the madness. Eating a balanced meal full of protein, carbohydrates, fibre and fat is so important for your health and body and brain chemistry.

Protein is essential for muscle health, the production of your brains ‘happy hormones’ and keeping you fuller for longer. Protein can be found in meats, fish, dairy, beans, legumes. Wholemeal carbohydrates, such as brown rice, are vital for providing you with energy. After all, carbohydrates are the only source of energy for the brain! Also, consuming fibre in your diet has so many benefits for your gut health and gut bacteria, that break down fibre and produce little molecules called Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) that we absorb. SCFAs are known to have beneficial roles in inflammation, brain health and more! Fibre also plays a large role in regulation of appetite, as it takes up a large space in our stomachs and contributes to feeling full.

Fats are also necessary for our general health and long-term satiety after a meal. Eating foods rich in fat, such as avocados, cheese, yoghurt and nuts, helps with the absorption of a number of fat-soluble vitamins.

Vegetables are crucial and can provide all four of these essential components to a healthy diet while also delivering us with a multitude of vitamins and minerals.

So, to put this into more practical language, here are some wholesome, balanced meals that I made during lockdown. A good example of a balanced breakfast is poached eggs, avocado and tomatoes with or without a slice of wholemeal bread. Another favourite of mine is porridge with milk and my favourite fruits. For lunch and dinner, I like to be a bit more experimental and switch between fish, meat and vegetarian dishes. As long as they all contain protein, fibre, carbohydrates and fat then it doesn’t really matter. Some examples of my favourite lockdown creations have been creamy salmon and green vegetable pasta, beef Bolognese pasta with spinach, mushroom and sweetcorn, and a vegetarian Chilli con carne with avocado and rice.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy my chocolate and ice-cream when I feel like it. Eating for that feeling of pleasure is completely normal and warranted. The only issue is when we become dependent on food to make us happy, and this is when the real problem should be addressed. Just remember, everything in moderation and there’s no need for deprivation!

How to tie die step by step?

By Khushboo Kumar

One of the latest fashion trends at the moment is wearing tie dye sets and clothing. It’s all over Instagram and it’s easy to DIY. This step by step will teach you how to crumple dye anything! Are you a fan of this tie dye trend? Since I sure am, I feel like it can amplify any cute tee or even some boring old socks? Carry on reading to also hop no this trend!

STEP ONE: Gather your equipment

Fabric Dye (I recommend Rit dye however, any dye from eBay or amazon works fine too!)
Elastic bands
Gloves
Clothing you want to dye
Bleach * (possibly to lighten dye colour)
Squeeze bottles if not included

STEP TWO: Layout space

Some tie dye sets can provide you with a plastic sheet. But don’t fret if you don’t have one any old bed sheet/towel should do the trick. Also, I would recommend setting up outside in the garden as sometimes it can get messy.

STEP THREE: Your design

You can choose from many design styles such as spiral, crumple, stripes, bulls eye and many more. This step by step will show you how to do the post popular trend crumple. Enjoy!

Dampen your piece of clothing lightly by spraying water.
Attempt to scrunch the item using your fingertips and as you scrunch it add rubber bands to hold it in place.
Mix the dye by adding water (or as instructed on the packaging). For a lighter pastel colour add some bleach or water it down.
This is the fun part – squeeze the dye however you want onto the item on both the front and back.
Carefully place the item in a plastic bag and shut it tight. Allow I o soak for 6-8 hours or overnight. The longer its kept the darker the colours will come out.
After unwrap and rinse with hot and cold water until all excess dye is removed.
WASH! I would suggest washing separately at 30 degrees with any detergent of your choice!
Wear and be as fashionable as you can be! Get that new Gram!

Here are some YouTube videos to watch step by step I enjoyed watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yGPTVxecCE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC9cVPaCcMU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KHGNUrYkWk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jieA9zuCTJs

What do I do if I’ve on put weight in a pandemic or otherwise?

By Tina Kumar

With lockdowns, no lockdowns, gyms open, then closed again and with full lockdowns again during the winter it’s safe to say our routine has gone out of the window a bit. We might not have been moving as much since there’s no work to get to outside of our homes or anywhere else for that matter.

Walking was something I was doing at the start of the pandemic, then I even made it to the gym at one point when things opened up but as soon as the November/December lockdowns kicked in my motivation for exercise was out of the window like really out of the window. The announcement of that second big lockdown was a huge blow me me. My mood was really was no longer yes, this is an adjustment rather than just omg, great, this again. Naturally, I was probably eating the same or more because of the whole being at home all the time situation. I was also getting hungry all the time, taking frequent trips to the fridge or turning to bread, chocolate and crisps.

Things I wouldn’t usually be consuming so much. I tried to be healthy but sometimes with an already dull ish, mundane day you don’t feel like eating healthy. You just want that KFC, can of coke or McDonalds with strawberry milkshake. After all, why not? With uncertainty, work, and too much time in your home and with your family/ friends, sometimes we need a bit of change to life our mood. Lockdowns aren’t easy and it’s not always easy to embrace a lockdown situation because it can be really difficult and uncertain but I guess we can all just try our best and see the positives in it.

So, what do I do if I’ve put on weight in a pandemic? For starters, I wouldn’t worry too much. At first I got a bit worried, then tried to limit myself but I found my depriving myself which was making me want to eat more junk food. Like Nuna said in her health article 'everything in moderation, no need for deprivation!' I was eating more junk food just because I felt like I wasn’t allowed to.

Then, I realised, this lockdown is different and if I’m not motivated to go for a walk or a run then I could accept that I will probably put on some weight. Then, when things start to open up a bit and everything gets back to normal slowly then I will find myself moving about more. Exercising more and that will probably help get back into shape. That’s a good approach but you should still be weary that you don’t get to a point where losing weight will become difficult for you because you’ve been really careless with your eating.

You could start to change small habits, like cooking more healthy food, adding more protein so you feel fuller and don’t grab for snacks to often.
Make more salads
Drink water and eat a salad/ piece of fruit before you have your meal so you feel fuller evening before having your meal. Like an apple 1 hour before dinner.
Add lemon to everything you can- water, foods, salads!
Make those cucumber, lemon, blueberries, mint waters (add fresh slices into the water)
Don’t buy crisps, chocolate, biscuits, fizzy drinks to limit how much junk food you consume. If it’s not there you can’t eat it!
Chips - frozen chips can be really tempting whether you put them in the oven or fry them, limit how much of these you eat- maybe just eat 5 to satisfy yourself and your body. Remind yourself - it's not worth it later, better not to have it now!

Go for a 20-30 mins walk so as to not put to much pressure, start with going on a walk every other day then go daily if you like or once you get into the stride of things.
Work out at home- follow Instagram lives of the fitness people on Instagram- just do 15 minutes a day to keep it light
Go for a walk/ run straight after you wake up, have breakfast or shower- first thing after your morning your routine- so you’ve had some exercise even before you get round to thinking about it.
Set a specific time for a walk, workout or run - like 1pm or 4.30pm or 6.30pm everyday
Wear jeans, normal clothes and dresses occasionally around the house if you don’t want to wear normal clothes everyday. Just to make you aware of how you look/ notice your weight going up!! Trackies and t-shirts are great and comfy but not so great when your jeans/clothes no longer seem to fit you after months of being in hoodies and loungewear in lockdown.

Keep limited snacks in your car, garage or somewhere where it wouldn’t be so easy to get to. So that you can indulge on sweet treats now and again- you don’t have to fully cut out sugars, just limit them and try to have a balance
Meal prep
Cook all your meals first thing in the morning so you know what you are eating (or decide what you might want to get from takeaways and what time)
Have dinner not too late in the evenings - 7pm is a perfect time!
Buy a treadmill or gym bike
Swim when and if you can
Dance and take longer baths/showers (believe it or not you lose calories having a shower/bath)
Do physical activities you want to do rather than feel like you are forcing yourself to do them
Partner up with a friend/sister/brother/ a buddy to exercise with

Putting on weight might be easy but losing weight is a challenge. If you want to lose weight. Keep in mind it's a daily challenge that you must keep going, everyday. You will eventually see the results but the main thing is to eat at least 3 meals a day, eat healthy, bring exercise into your routine and strive for the balance.

Easier said than done but when you get there it's very rewarding. Don't give up and keep going.

When you are trying to be healthy and not seeing the rests say after a month or two months. Make sure you keep a check on what your eating. When I first wanted to lose weight after the second lockdown, I found I was being healthy but there were certain drinks I was still having that were full of fat/sugar. Then, once I noticed this and changed my diet to exclude those drinks I started to see the results!

Losing weight is challenging but sometimes you need to need to focus on having a healthier diet and really try to lose the weight in a healthy manner so as to not incur any health implications in the future. You got this!

Mental health awareness

By Tina Kumar

Talking about mental health is as important as ever, especially, due to the added restrictions to people’s livelihoods caused by a global pandemic. Lockdowns in England and around the world don’t make it easy to continue to live a supposedly normal life. Living without fear of catching the deadly coronavirus is hard to fully empower. A global pandemic, restrictions, and a different way of working make it very difficult for people to have to adjust and adapt to. Although, it’s been several months under the new normal lockdowns and added restrictions can have a negative impact to the mental health of individuals. Who now find themselves either living completely on their own or being around their family/ the people they live with 24/7. Either way, not an easy task in its own right.

Have you been talking to your friends/family and asking them how they are doing? Do you know how much a conversation be it with stranger can mean to them?

People don’t always open up about how they are feeling and what difficulties they might be facing but it’s up to us in a community and in a society to be of support and try to help each other if and when we can. It’s not that mental health can have extreme forms of impact on certain people, yes that’s true and it can be very difficult. So if you or someone you know could benefit from added or professional support then please encourage them and help them. However, mental health is something that affects everybody. We all have to be aware of trying to make an effort to be positive, be happy and to smile often for all that we do have. Yes, easier said than done with the pressures and changes of life but a smile is a start.

Firstly, apps such as ‘Calm’ can help with getting to sleep and to exercise meditation can really help.

The app helps to guide you. Again, taking 5-10 minutes in the day to focus sit quietly and focus on your breathing can help clear your mind and a relieve stress.

Of course, meditation and yoga are again extremely good too. Yes, these are a little more formal so you might not take time to perform these but if you set aside even 15 minutes in the day to give to meditation and yoga you could find that you are receiving many benefits throughout the entire day from just those 15 minutes!

Other easy activities you can adopt in lockdown are going for a jog or run- as little as 15/20 minutes does the trick! Sit ups, planks and lunges amalgamated into a home work out can be fun and interesting. Not just in a lockdown scenario but even otherwise. Again only 10/15 minutes needed for these activities. Or one of the most fun and rewarding things to do in the day is to go for a 30-45 minutes walk, an hour is even better if you have the time but there’s just something quite sensational about going for a walk in these winter months ahead, crisp fresh air and glistening nature ready to add some colour to your day!

Also, something very simple but often missed- smile! Smile as much as you can throughout the day, take things lightly or if these are going really wrong, step out for a break whether it be a walk, cycle, jog or going for a drive in your car. Smile and listen to music to alleviate the stress you have been caused. Make that your circuit breaker when things are going wrong or you feel too much pressure and don’t forget to smile! Start with smiling first thing in the morning when you wake up then go for your lemon and hot water or coffee to add a bigger smile!

What is it, endorphins? Try to do things in the day that will help you to release endorphins, ‘feel good’ chemicals. Most of the ways are highlighted above on how to boost endorphins but basically it’s about exercising, relaxing, getting a massage, laughing, drinking wine or eating chocolates, meditating etc. Keeping busy and keeping busy doing physical activities will almost always lift your mood and release endorphins. Mental health isn’t an easy topic to think about but it’s one where you can try to improve it by having a positive outlook towards any difficulties you might be facing and to try to distract yourself from by exercising, listening to music or watching a film to keep busy.

I’m talking about mental health generally here but if you do feel you need more help, firstly, talk to someone, either a friend, family member or just go ahead straight to a doctor. However you feel most comfortable and make it your priority to seek your professional help if you feel you need it. Things can only get better if you decide you want to make them better, it can only get better and be a chance to move forward.

Useful websites below

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/mental-health-services/

https://www.mind.org.uk

https://www.thecalmzone.net

https://www.calm.com

What next? Lockdown over by September?

By Tina Kumar

2020. January. Coronavirus is reported to have hit China, originating in Wuhan. A contagious disease that spread through human’s, notably via human touch and even through the air. A disease that is not only believed to be dangerous because of its ability to quickly spread to others yet the disease can also lead to death which is highly concerning. In the UK and across world nobody thinks the contagious disease would ever reach as far as them. It’s thousands of miles in China.

March. Coronavirus has quickly spread across the world with a early outbreak of the disease in Italy. Lockdown seems to be the only viable solution. Then, swiftly after a global pandemic is declared. Everyone around the world is fearful, uncertain about the future and scared for themselves and their loved ones. Stocking up on food as well as other supplies. Notably, toilet paper in the UK and things like hand sanisters sell out everywhere. Only way to know what’s happening in the UK in relation to the disease are the announcements made by the Prime Minister live on the news addressing the nation.

April. Within weeks national lockdown is imposed in the UK and around the world. Billions of people everywhere find themselves quarantined. Confined only to their homes with the exception of the UK where you are allowed to leave your house once a day for a walk or some form of exercise. Coronavirus officially becomes the dangerous, invisible novel virus that’s taken over the world. Lockdown with plenty of essentials, internet and some unbelievably sunny weather in the UK.

May. People around the world have some what gotten used to the new normal. Working and living at home until the foreseeable future. Not allowed to meet anyone including close family members from other households. The virus continues to rapidly spread and so many deaths occur. A hard and difficult time a bit similar to a war time situation that hasn’t been experienced by most until now.

June. The disease has somewhat seemed to have had its peak and lockdown begins to ease. However, with the surprisingly lovely British weather the once scared individual now finds themselves to have nearly forgotten about the disease which they were so afraid of at the beginning of March. Parks are full, beaches are crowded and social distancing seems like it was a thing of the past. Within the spaces of weeks you are allowed to meet people from other households in parks, to schools being opened to some, non-essential shops being opened, lockdown easing, restaurants and pubs opening and social distancing merely being scrapped.

July. Lockdown as eased as much is possible yet gyms, beauty salons, swimming pools, bowling alleys still remaining closed and work is still being continued to be done from home if possible. The government has eased lockdown restrictions in an attempt to boost the economy and get people spending money but is the official and substantial easing of lockdown making much difference? Summer holidays are been returned with the announcement of countries British citizens can visit without having to adhere to a 14 day quarantine upon arrival but will you be going away this summer?

In June it seemed as if lockdown would mostly remain in place till September but by July the government had surprisingly lifted many restrictions. Now that it is July, many people are still working from home. Most people are still afraid of the virus and so are still trying to stay away from people as much as possible and where possible. Many people are choosing to remain in quarantine by only making essential and necessary trips to shops, hair salons and more. Restaurants and cafes are deemed safe but the hospitality industry is suffering and even by being permitted to open business hasn’t returned to the fast paced boom that was hoped for.

On the other hand, it’s another story for drive thrus. As the opening of drive thrus was welcomed by the general public far more than restaurants. As soon as drive thrus opened up in June; for example, Mcdonalds and Starbucks people flocked to them! They were even willing to wait in queues for however long - be it hours. Unlike a social setting of restaurants, drive thrus allow for an added safety feature. The distance of simply being able to pick up food and drinks and be able to pick up the food from outside and swiftly take it back to their people’s safe haven of their car or home. Drive thrus allow for a quick outing with nobody else around that would cause fear of catching the disease.

Lockdown might have substantially eased with schools set to open in September. However, for now most people, especially, ones who have the ability to work from home they want to remain at home. They’d prefer to remain in the quarantine style system for the foreseeable future at least until the disease seems to have been almost eradicated or a vaccine is produced. Covid 19 is such a novel virus because it’s invisible but it has the power to kill and very rapidly spread. Without human beings merely shielding themselves in their homes and taking all precautions necessary to not catch the virus that can infect anyone and everyone. It very much seems like this is the new normal till not just September but maybe till the end of the year. Or even through till next year. Until a vaccine isn’t found. especially with implications of winter season approaching.

I don’t know about you but for me I’m not going anywhere any time soon. Yes, I want to meet friends and family and where presented the opportunity I am going out much more than normal to meet them. But I’m keeping this to a much more limited number than usual. It’s July and I still have’t been to the high street to buy clothes or any other items. I’ve been making use of online shopping and keeping my going out for shopping Limited to food shopping, visiting Tesco if and when needed.

I have ordered takeaways, been to a drive thru but I still haven’t sat in a cafe, coffee shop or restaurant and I don’t plan to just yet. The virus for me is still very real and although my perceptions of it and my fear of it have changed considerably from the way I felt about it in March when lockdown was announced. I’m still very much going by my day having that cautious nature around the virus in the back of my mind, knowing that it still exists, its a new and contagious disease and no cure or vaccine has yet been found for it. Repeatedly applying hand sanitiser when I’m out or washing my hands, washing my clothes or even having a shower if I’ve been out for a long time or coming in contact with a lot of people. I’m not afraid that the virus exists because I’ve accepted this reality but I am afraid that until it’s not completely gone and there’s still a small chance I could get it.

Anyone can get it. No one is safe we all learned that early on, back in April. So why would I risk my health and my life if I can work from home by going out of my house like before lockdown? I don’t want to get the virus and more importantly I don’t want to catch the virus as to risk infecting any of my family members.

Has lockdown restrictions being lifted changed your day-to-day lives much? Unless you have to go out for work or food shopping or visiting close family/ friends are you going out much?

Covid 19 is problematic not just because it can rapidly spread but also because it’s a new virus. No one one around the world knows how to best tackle it. With no medicine or cure so far it doesn’t seem like there’s enough assurance that could convince people to leave their homes unless they really have to.

Have you been going out much since lockdown was most recently and substantially eased? Are you not afraid of the virus anymore to go by your day as the old normal? Or are you still fearful and trying to stay inside as much as you can?