FitBit Bloggers Meet

Blogger meets by Indiblogger are always fun, well organized and substantial. We eagerly look forward to such brand engagement activities because of the knowledge we are enlightened with, networking with great bloggers and take a break from hectic schedules. Post successful meets like Wordup, AmbiPur, Nokia, Dove and many more, FitBit anticipated a successful bloggers meet and joined hands with Indiblogger.

For beginners, FitBit is a San Francisco based company that makes wearable fitness bands which monitor your fitness. On 25th August, the Oberoi ballroom bustled with fitness experts, physical trainers, media and bloggers waiting for the event to begin at 11 am. Thankfully I made it in a nick of time with fellow blogger Ruchi. Show host Archana Vijaya savored all attention as she hosted the show in her smart blue dress. Importance of fitness and ways to keep fit was then introduced by Jamal Shaikh, editor Men’s Health Magazine. (He is cute :-)

Woody Scal

With Jamaal and Ruchi

FitBit Chief Revenue Officer Woody Scal then spoke about the company and the products they have launched in India. His presentation opened with a concern on growing obesity in the United States. Also, health reports have shown a trend of weight gain among many Indians, making them obese and pushing them towards various health risks, including cardiac arrest. That’s where FitBit fits in with their tagline “Discover a whole new world of fitness” where they bring a range of wearable bands. The slim wrist bands track the number of steps you take, number of active minutes, counts the calorie you burnt. Not only that, it also tracks your sleep hours, quality of sleep and wakes you up with silent alarm without disturbing your partner. You can sync your stats to your mobile, see real time progress and help you challenge your buddies to achieve fitness goals. Fitness routine turns absolutely fun with these FitBit bands.

The bands are categorized as

–Zip, One, Flex and Charge- For everyday fitness- Ranged between 4000 to 12999 (With basic features catering to daily activities like walking or light jogging, people like me who don’t do strenuous exercise)

-Charge HR- for active fitness- Priced at Rs.13,000  (Suits people who workout daily or are active in gym or running)

-Surge- for performance fitness - Priced at Rs. 20,000 (basically suits professionals or sportsmen) A detailed comparison of features is present in - https://www.fitbit.com/in/compare

Selfie with tech Guru Raiv Makhni

Post Woody’s detailed presentation, Tech Guru Rajiv Makhni took over the show. Any gadget launch is incomplete without the expert’s words. He infused energy among the audience with his wit and questions to all. Jamal and Rajiv together engaged the audience quite well. They invited two FitBit promoters on stage with their Fitbit bands asking them to workout. Real time stats was displayed on screen for us. The session was thorough fun and enjoyable. It ended with questions from audience to Woody followed by networking lunch. No Indian food in lunch disappointed many like me. We settled for cakes, spring rolls, pastries, cookies, sandwich and juice.

Photo-bombed Shwetabh

Got to meet many wonderful people during that time. Its always nice to catch up with old friends Dipali Sharma, Shwetabh Mathur,  Dr Manoj Dubey, Rahul Prabhakar, Yogita Agarwal, Judy . Photobombed Shwetabh and I promise I will do that every time! Was introduced to the lovely Dr Mandira Adhikari and Dr Preeti Chauhan. Dr. Mandira had recognized me through my photos and met me like an old friend. A good observation she has!

Had I stayed back a little longer, I would have met Shraddha Kapoor and Tiger Shroff who were invited during the press meet of FitBit in the second half. 

The Fitbit brand launch was overall exciting and the products too are of my interest. I exercise moderately every day. So I feel, the bands are a good way to keep a check on fitness level. If only they were a little discounted for the Indian market. Another limitation of the bands is they aren’t water proof. A little disappointing for swimmers here.

We happily headed home with Fitbit Tshirts, dreaming to own one band soon. The products are available on Amazon.in for now. Go find  your fit!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd- Book Review

Set against the backdrop of the old English times, Roger Ackroyd is a wealthy man, suddenly murdered one night and his death becomes the talk of the town. His missing stepson Ralph Paton was suspected to be the murderer since he was to inherit lot of property from the former. Suspects are named randomly, including late Roger's second wife, the maids of the house, Flora  (his relative who was to be engaged to Ralph) and many more. The murder is a complete mystery to the incompetent local police. Fortunately, though, the famous detective Hercule Poirot has just moved into King's Abbot and agrees to take on the case, even though he has already decided to retire from detective work.The beauty of the story is that the readers keep guessing the name of the murderer till the secret is revealed in the second last chapter by Hercule Poirot. This is certainly a masterpiece from Agatha Christie. No one could guess the murderer till the last chapter!

The book is a page turner!

Many characters are brought into the plot, making the story little tight and confused. That's when you start losing interest in the characters. However the number of characters are gradually cut down to minimum and the story grips you again. The second half is rather interesting when the suspects pass the test one by one. Imagine solving murder cases during an era sans mobile phone, apps, biometric scanners and tech gadgets. But Poirot does it beautifully, by solving the case of missing Dictaphone. What is a dictaphone? Well, read the novel to find out! I will not reveal the story here.

Narration is easy & interesting. Language is the usual Christie style. A thorough thriller this is! A must read for all Christie fans.

An easy 4 on 5 to this thriller novel.

"T" for Twist to Tea

I discovered my love for tea when I relocated to Delhi a decade ago. The pressure of studies initially and late night shifts at work later , made me addicted to tea. Be it dry winters or sultry summers, I love to have tea in any weather; Undoubtedly during rains.

I began consuming tea from beverage dispenser in offices initially. Few dispensers come with an option of milk and water only, wherein you dip the tea bags. Honestly, dip tea did not appeal much to me. Invented and much consumed by English, dip tea seems a convenience tea sans the taste. Dip any tea bag in warm water and let the color ooze out. Add milk or/and sugar as per your taste. Avoids mess, avoids soiling of utensils, yet I don’t like this type. I end up using the used tea bags to place on my eyes, to avoid dark circles or puffiness (This is the best use of tea bags for me)

While traditionally prepared milk tea (on stove) still tempts me, I love to experiment with tea in various new forms. I was mesmerized to see the types of tea available in our own country. Since, tea is a storehouse of benefits, lets sip a healthy cup, prepared in different ways.

The Golden Lemon Tea

Lemon ginger Tea- Morning wonder

I have seen my dad having lemon tea routinely for many years now.  A pinch of tea leaves is boiled, strained & poured in a cup, sugar added as per taste and about half a lemon is squeezed into the cup. This is the simplest and one of the healthiest teas of the world. The golden color of the tea and tangy aroma of juicy lemon mesmerizes me. I love to have this tea in summers after morning yoga for instant refreshing feel.

I gave it a little twist with ginger. Boil water with ginger and  tea leaves (quarter of tea spoon). Drop half a lemon's juice into the cup. Have this in the morning on empty stomach, without sugar.

Benefits? Packed with anti oxidants, this tea keeps a check on blood pressure, sugar level, enhances digestion, keeps you active. For all those who want to lose belly fat, try this every morning and see a new you!

Tip- Add a pinch of rock salt or black pepper for a punch of saltiness.

Rejuvenating Cool tea

Come summers, and we crave for cool drinks. Chilled version of lemon tea storms the market as ice tea. A hint of pudina (mint) or lemon gives the tea a different flavor. Packaged tea is available in all stores these days. However, I would advise to prepare this at home. (Bottled or tinned drinks should be avoided if you are a health conscious person).

Cut ginger in thin slices or grate it. Throw mint leaves and ginger together in water and boil it with tea leaves. Alternatively dip tea bag in the water after boiled with ginger and mint. Leave the pot to cool. Have it chilled or warm, the way you like!

Benefits? This preparation if consumed on an empty stomach clears bowel movement, helps reduce belly fat, improves digestion and builds immunity against cough or common cold.

Tip- Not more than half teaspoon tea leaves should be added, else it would turn bitter. Squeeze in half a lemon for a zesty fresh drink. Avoid sugar!

Two drinks, empty stomach, everyday= good health

Stay healthy stay blessed!