H to the O

Did you know that water makes up more than two thirds of human body weight, and that while you can survive over three weeks without food, you can only survive a few days without water? The human brain is made up of 95 per cent water, blood is 82pc water and the lungs are 90pc water. When the water in your body is reduced by just 1pc, you become thirsty. A mere 2pc drop in our body’s water supply can trigger signs of dehydration: fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on smaller print, such as a computer screen. So if you’re having trouble reading this, drink up!

Most adults lose about two litres of water in a day through regular body functions like urination, sweating and breathing, but those who live in or work in warmer environments tend to lose more. Hence, it is important we replace our fluids regularly to compensate for this loss. Experts say that, on average, eight eight-ounce glasses per day will suffice. However, the amount needs to be tailored to meet the needs of every individual.

To quench thirst, it’s recommended that one should have water and not carbonated fizzy drinks as a cold soda may feel nice going down, but that does not actually replenish the body and fills you up with sugar. While some fruit juices and green tea may account for fluid intake, don’t reach out for caffeinated drinks as they have a mild diuretic effect, which ultimately defeats the purpose. It’s best to drink twice as much as it takes to quench your thirst and drink throughout the day to prevent dehydration.

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Water is calorie-free and hydrating and its benefits are priceless

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Water is as important to human body as oil and fuel is to a car. In fact, all the cell and organ functions of our body depend on water for their functioning. It carries nutrients to our cells, aids digestion by forming stomach secretions, flushes our bodies of wastes and keeps our kidneys healthy. It keeps our moisture-rich organs (our skin, eyes, mouth and nose) functioning well; it lubricates and cushions our joints, and regulates our body temperature and metabolism.

Water also plays a crucial role in disease prevention. Some doctors believe that proper hydration can help prevent or delay the onset of chronic joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, because water reduces inflammation and promotes cartilage health. Adequate water consumption can also slow the signs of aging and improve conditions such as constipation, diabetes, hypoglycaemia, obesity, arthritis, kidney stones, dry skin, wrinkles, cataracts and glaucoma.

Water is also beneficial for weight loss. If we don’t drink enough water the body retains whatever water it has, causing swelling in our hands, feet, and legs. But when we drink enough water, our body does not need to hold on to the scarce water.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or you simply want to look and feel healthier, one of the best ways to rid your body of harmful toxins is to drink water. Just six to eight glasses every day will help to keep you hydrated and keep your vital organs in their best possible health.

If you don’t want to drink plain water, add lemon, mint, cucumber, ginger, melon, raspberries that will not only boost the taste, they will also help to flush harmful toxins out of your body. Certain detox waters are available in the market but you can make your own detox water at home as well.

Just add two litres of spring water, two litres of a medium grapefruit (sliced), half a cucumber (sliced), half each of a sliced lemon and lime and a couple of mint leaves. Cool in the fridge for a couple of hours and drink at least two litres a day for optimal results. Cucumbers are diuretics and can help you to avoid water retention. Lemons and limes help to flush out toxins from your digestive tract and grapefruits help you to burn fat.

Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and about half a medium apple (sliced) to 1/3 litres of water. You can also add a bit of sweetener if you want. Blend everything except the apples, then just add apples and drink. This flushes out nasty toxins and really does help you to drop a few pounds, too.

Just mix about eight cups of water with a medium cucumber (wedged or sliced), a whole lemon (wedged or sliced) and about 10 mint leaves (or however many you prefer). Mix in a large pitcher and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Add juice of half a lemon to about 1/3 litres of water at room temperature; grate half-inch blob of fresh ginger root to this and drink first thing in the morning. As ginger is a natural pain reliever not only will it help to relieve pain all day, it will cleanse toxins from your body throughout the day and the lemon juice helps to release those nasty toxins so they’ll flush out better.

Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a tall glass of water; drinking this every morning will flush out toxins and keep them from building up.

Add half lemon sliced, half lime sliced, half grapefruit sliced or orange, one cup of sliced cucumber with peel, one teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and a handful of fresh peppermint leaves to two litres of water; refrigerate for at least a couple of hours before drinking and discard after 24 hours as the citrus fruits tend to get a little mushy. This detox water has ingredients that will clean out your kidneys, eliminate bloating and help you to enjoy much healthier skin. It also aids in digestion.

Add two tablespoons of raspberries (fresh or frozen), two tablespoons of fresh mint leaves, a medium-sized sliced lime to about two litres of water. Muddle the raspberries just a bit if you want more flavour. You have a very tasty detox water to help flush those toxins from your kidneys, liver and colon.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 22nd, 2015

Food Stories: Kofta

While the more common amongst the cuisines of the world, the kofta (meatball) is a sophisticated delicacy, varying in taste and texture, depending on the region it hails from.

In combination with raita, salad, a side of daal and roti/chawal, the kofta (or kebab) is the most ubiquitous of the sub-continental dishes. It can be vegetarian or meat, soaked in masala; the kofta is favoured by all.

I recently read an apt description of the kofta in the cookbook, Jerusalem;

'There are hundreds of varieties of meatballs – (kofta in Arabic), each with its own unique heritage and specific preparation technique. In [most] cultures the difference between kebab and kofta can cause confusion to an outsider.

Both are meatballs [historically] made from ground lamb, veal, beef, or a mixture of all. Kebab is sold on the street or kebab shops, often served alongside pita [naan, roti], chopped salad, onions and tahini sauce [raita]; kebab for the most part, is made on skewers, while the kofta is usually handmade. Kofta can be cooked on the stovetop in a curry or masala sauce.'

The kofta meat is grinded with mild garam masalas and vegetables, formed into golf ball sized meatballs, and simmered to tender perfection in a saalan (curry).

Like the kebab, the arrival of the kofta to the subcontinent can be credited to the Turko-Afghans conquerors in the 11th century.

Similar to the kebab, our desi kofta metamorphosised and became a prodigy of the mitti (soil). The locals adapted the spices to their taste, and the usage of meat or vegetable was guided by the religious practices of the people of the local area, hence the incarnation of the vegetarian kofta.

Historians suggest that the Turkish kebab was simmered in aromatic spicy gravy of the local region, and that’s how the kofta came to be. Rightly so, the dry and fried version of the kofta is termed the kebab, with the exception of Shammi kebab; which takes an entirely different method and ingredients to cook, unless one is making the Nargisi kofta.

In an article titled 'Potted histories: Scotch eggs', published in The Telegraph, Leah Hyslop writes of the Scotch eggs;

'Annette Hope, in her book A Caledonian Feast, suggests the dish may, like kedgeree or mulligatawny soup, be an export from the British Raj: the Indian dish nargisi kofta has certain similarities, though it seems odd that all the spices were lost in translation.'

Pushpesh Pant, the famous food critic and historian, in his article published in The Times of India, titled 'Kofta: Great balls of fire', writes the following about the sub-continental kofta;

'For special occasions there is the nargisi kofta, named after the flower nargis (iris) as the kofta cut in half reveals the yellow of a hardboiled egg and has a marked resemblance to the elegant flower. To translate it as sub-continental devilled eggs sounds sacrilegious.'

Mughaliya kofte in Delhi, Bhopal and Hyderabad are long simmered in a curd-based aromatic gravy that complements their steamy appeal, yet has a pleasant presence of its own.

A true blue-blooded kofta, like a good kebab, has to have a distinct identity. It should be able to hold its own against all other contenders in the spread — qorma, kaliya, salan and more. It's not just a matter of shape but texture and taste.

Chui-mui ke kofte from Awadh tend to crumble when you try to scoop out a bite-sized portion, making you marvel at how such a delicate thing endured the ordeal of cooking! The dish that goes by the name of Kashmiri kofta isn't round in shape but looks like a mini-sausage. It has no gravy bar the tasty oil that floats on top in which it cooks.

The vegetarians prepare the kofta to match the meat-eaters by pressing into service lauki, kutcha kela (raw banana), paneer (cottage cheese), aloo-palak (potato spinach) among others. A favourite is the aloo bokhara (plum) kofta that encrusts a pitted dried plum. Some chefs with flair pack the plum with an almond as well.

However, what is indisputable is that Maulana Rashidul Khairi includes kofta pulav as a delicacy in his work 'Bid-e-Zafar', a chronicle of the court of the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar.’

My mother used to make beetroot kofta, the depth and texture of which was similar to that of the beef kofta.

So when it was time for me to make the kofta, I turned to my mother’s recipe book, making some changes to the original recipe to suit my taste, and needless to say the end result was finger licking good.

Here it is, from my kitchen to yours.

Ingredients (Kofta)

2 lbs. ground beef

2 small tomatoes

1 ½ small onions

½ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

2 green chilli

½ inch piece ginger

3 to 4 cloves garlic

1 tsp. red chilli

1 tsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. garam masala

1 egg

2 to 3 tbsp. whole wheat flour (atta)

½ tsp. baking powder

Salt to taste

Put the above ingredients in a blender and form golf ball sized kofta.

Ingredients (Gravy)

1 large onion

1 large tomato

2 tbsp. yogurt

2 green chilli

1 tsp. red chilli

½ tsp. turmeric

½ tsp. to 1tsp. cumin seeds

½ tsp. coriander powder

½ tsp. to 1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. fresh ginger

1 tsp. fresh garlic

Salt to taste

4 to 6 cloves

8 to 10 peppercorns

1 black cardamom

1 stick cinnamon

Procedure

In ¼ to ½ cup of oil brown onions, add tomatoes and yogurt.

Stir on high heat for a few minutes, and then put in blender.

Pour back in pot, stir and cook on high heat, adding all powder spices, including ginger and garlic.

Cook for a few minutes, adding hot water (eyeballing amount of water).

Let it simmer, then add the kofta and whole garam masala. Continue to let it simmer until the kofta is cooked and the oil separates.

Enjoy with a side of naan.

Review: Jalaibee sizzles and leaves us wanting more

With a bright yellow Ford Mustang 73 straddling the red carpet and glamorous tuxedo-ed actors and be-gowned actresses hobnobbing with the audience, last night's premiere for the movie Jalaibee was like no other.

Jalaibee is director Yasir Jaswal's latest venture, a fast-paced crime drama starring Sajid Hasan, Ali Safina, Danish Taimoor, Zhalay Sarhadi, Adnan Jaffer, Wiqar Ali Khan as well as British-Indian model/film actor Sabeeka Imam and musician Uzair Jaswal.

The premiere:

The film's stars and their celeb friends came out dressed to the nines, and huge posters of the actors dominated the walls.

The film's premiere got almost everything right except for a late start: we were handed free jalaibees as a movie snack and popcorn was served on the house too.

The red carpet was an unforgettably bright, colorful and fun affair. It was also nice to see other actors and models like Hamza Ali Abbasi, Rubya Chaudhary and Aamna Ilyas come up to support their contemporaries.

When it came time to watch the film the crowd separated and trooped into four cinemas. And so began our Jalaibee experience...

The movie:

It's no secret that Pakistanis are obsessed with the mysterious Na Maloom Afraad (especially these days)... and Yasir Jaswal's latest directorial ventureJalaibee doesn’t stray too far from the pack.

The buddy film, which centres on the humourless Billu, played by Danish Taimoor, and the entertaining Bugga, played by Ali Safina, narrates how two small time crooks get trapped in a whirlwind of debt, crime, robbery and murder.

The movie begins with Bugga and Billu facing the biggest dilemma of their lives — they’ve botched up a bank robbery they carried out for the mysterious city mafia don (referred to as the 'king') and now his mafia, fronted by Dara (Adnan Jaffer) wants them to pay 5 crores in a day’s time. That might be a story arc that’s played out before in countless other films.

However, it gets interesting when the duos’ trajectory gets intermingled with the foreign-returned and heavily accented Ali (played by Wiqar Ali Khan) and his brother Jimmy (played by Uzair Jaswal). They are out to avenge the same mafia for killing their dad when they were kids.

Now Ali is purposefully dating Eman (played by Sabeeka Imam) the daughter of the head of a political party, a soon-to-be prime minister and the presumed godfather of the same mafia. When she gives up some critical information about her dad (played by Sajid Hasan), Ali hatches his plan to kidnap Eman’s dad and reveal all his conduct to the media. But a mix-up with Billu and Bugga leads to complications that he hadn’t anticipated at all.

There had to be a love triangle thrust into the narrative – and so Zhalay Sarhadi makes her entrance as Bannu, a modern-day courtesan or escort. Originally approached by Billu and Baggu to help pay back their debt, she falls madly in love with Ali. She is willing to go to great lengths to help him out.

For a movie named Jalaibee, the twists in this caper action thriller film directed by Yasir Jaswal are as predictable as a Disney film. Climaxes are stretched out too long and someone could’ve done a lot of snipping and chopping to make the film crisper.

Still, cinematographer Mo Azmi’s ability to visually capture the polarizing sides of Pakistan – the depraved and the decadent – without taking the focus away from the characters of the films is commendable. The film also does a slick job of combining contemporary animation with live action.

Camera movements, angles and close-up shots of the characters do a great job of revealing more than what the dialogue manages to. The high quality visuals can also be attributed to the ARRI Alexa HD camera on which the whole film was shot. The music score by Qayaas, Uzair Jaswal and Humaira Arshad is fast-paced and fits the rhythm and pacing of the film well.

Now the real downer of the film was Sabeeka Imam and Wiqar Ali Khan’s lacklustre acting. Wiqar delivered dialogues like he was about to introduce the next song on a music channel and Sabeeka looked like a character out of TV show nip/tuck hoping to get a botched facial surgery fixed.

If it weren’t for Ali Safina’s impeccable comic timing and Zhalay Sarhadi’s effortless dialogue delivery, I would’ve curled up on the cold floor of the cinema, covered myself in my dupatta and snoozed out the rest of the film.

But these two show great promise to represent Pakistan internationally and stopped me from catching the Zzs. I wouldn’t be surprised if model turned actor Sarhadi catches the eye of an international director and becomes the next Frieda Pinto. Even while doing an item number, she looked so stunning and moved so gracefully that she managed to turn the sleaziest part of the film classy.

Another outstanding job in the film has been done by the big bad villain Dara played by Adnan Jaffer who is the face of the mafia. It’s easy to go over the top with a role like his, and become a caricature but Jaffer keeps the theatrics minimal.

It’s nice to see that Pakistani cinema has gotten to a point where we no longer go to watch a local flick just because it’s “Pakistani” and “ours” and we’re all supposed to be patriotic and eyeball it no matter how bland and boring it is. Pakistani films are able to shine on their own without the patriotism mantra marketed to pull in the crowds.

Hopefully, we’ve also graduated to a time that reviews of Pakistani movies will no longer be meant to just stroke director’s egos but really analyze and critique the originality and creativity of scripts, themes, characters, and judge the overall level of acting and direction displayed in the film.

'Games of Thrones' stars storm Tower of London

LONDON: Medieval fantasy Game of Thrones met some medieval reality on Wednesday at the Tower of London where stars from the hit HBO television show walked a red carpeted moat for the premiere of the fifth season.

The buzz around the 11th century building, one of the oldest in London, centered on how far season five would stray from the books of George R.R. Martin after the author suggested it might not be as faithful as in seasons past.

"Like every season there are a lot of shocks but there will probably be even more, particularly for the book readers," said Michael McElhatton, who plays Roose Bolton in the cut-throat, blood-soaked drama about warring kingdoms.

Stars like Kit Harington and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau took pains not to ruin any surprises for fans, who take to the Internet and social media to theorize about twists and turns.

Iwan Rheon who plays the psychopathic Ramsay Snow, did allow that religion and spirituality bring a new dynamic to the show.

"It's really scary and quite sinister and everything gets closer to boiling point as well. The pressure cooker is being turned up and it's getting full on," he said.

Some of the most popular cast members, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke and Maisie Williams, were no-shows. But the ravens who feature prominently in the show were there. Actually, they live there, at the Tower of London.

Season five debuts on Time Warner Inc's HBO on April 12, while in Britain, Sky Atlantic will show the first episode one day later.

Review: 'Diyar-e-Dil' opens with a bang and is a visual treat

 Diyar-e-Dil or 'territory of the heart' is Hum TV and MD production’s latest offering after Sadqay Tumhare. Continuing the trend of dramatizing popular novels, this serial is based on a book by Farhat Ishtiaq, the writer of Hum TV’s blockbuster Humsafar.

It was evident from the drama's teasers and promos that this was a big budget project, with a high profile cast and much attention lavished on every detail by creative head Momina Duraid.

The hilly terrain of Baltistan serves as the perfect back drop to this emotionally charged and character-driven story. Director Haseeb Hassan and DOP Zaib Rao have done an outstanding job of capturing the powerful, raw beauty of the landscape.

 From the first episode this serial promises to be a visual delight as sweeping panoramas and well framed scenes of family life play off each other, deftly underscoring the passions of each character. Similarly judicious use of the haunting but playful soundtrack keeps the viewers focused on the screen.

The opening sequence:

This family saga introduces us to Agha Jan, played by Abid Ali, the patriarch, a father whose love and affection demand obedience from his children.

 He describes himself as a man who plays from the heart rather than logic and it's his wish that his eldest son Bayzaad (Mikaal Zulfiqar) marry his brother’s daughter Arjumand (Hareem Faruqi).

As shown in most cases, their engagement was accepted without question in the small bubble constituting his family’s world but things take a turn when Bayzaad meets someone outside that rarefied sphere, a simple girl from Lahore, Roohi (Sanam Saeed), and refuses to comply with his father’s wishes.

What makes Diyar-e-Dil different from the rest?

Although a story too familiar, the characterisations and Haseeb Hassan’s execution make it all seem fresh and new. There is an almost epic or cinematic flavour to this serial which serves as a welcome change after his lacklustre drama Ahista Ahista last year. Here we see the Lux Style Award winning director of Nanhi is back — he skillfully weaves a dozen characters and their motivations into this vibrant tapestry. The first episode is sharply edited and the action moves at a pace fast enough to keep the viewer interested without leaving any gaps in the narrative.

From this episode it would be easy to think this story is about Bayzaad and Roohi.

The novel, however, tells the story of the generation that comes after them — Wali (Osman Khalid Butt) and Farah (Maya Ali) — and talks about Bayzaad and Roohi in flashback style.

The serial has chosen to follow an easier, linear route, fattening up their story and giving it equal prominence — connecting past and present in the circle of life. Wali is seen hazily in the very first scene, with Osman Khalid Butt’s as narrator, before we are introduced to the past that decided his future.

Is the cast living up to the expectations?

Sanam Saeed is lovely as always but this softer persona of Roohi makes her even more relatable, allowing the audience to sympathize with her character; a girl who inadvertently comes between a man and his family.

Meekal has finally chosen a role with depth as Bayzaad after a series of pot boilers. He looks amazing and reminds viewers again that he is the talented actor who could play the devil-may-care Shamraiz from Kuch Pyar ka Pagalpan or the self-absorbed, brooding Salman Ansar from Sheher-e-Zaat. The veteran Abid Ali is a great as Agha Jan, he is the anchor and depth this story cannot do without.

While Mikal is the spoiled, wilful elder son, Ali Rahman plays Sohaib, the younger, gentler and more caring brother. Rahman manages to impress throughout and even his slightly theatrical Pathan accent is endearing. Hareem Faruqi successfully manages to play the character of sweet Arjumand with authenticity but avoids the cloying goodness or shallowness such a ‘convenient’ character might exhibit. Similarly Eshita Sayed provides an interesting contrast as the more independent-minded daughter of Agha Jan’s friend to the other female characters.

The lows:

There are very few negative points to this much anticipated serial. As this is generational story it might have made more sense to give more us a concrete glimpse of the younger generation, Wali and Farah; perhaps by keeping to Farhat Ishtiaq’s actual novel which begins with a highly cryptic conversation between these two.

It would certainly have brought a thrilling edge to have started off the serial with such a dramatic punch.

It might also have been more genuine for everyone to decide on one accent: Agha Jaan, his brother and Sohaib have strong Pushto accents while everyone else seems to be speaking fluent Urdu.

As with any excellent start the only fear is whether team Diyar-e-Dil can maintain the standards it has now set. This serial is a must watch for any drama fan. Farhat Ishtiaq is a great storyteller but this time she has honed her script-writing skills too and Haseeb Hassan has managed to translate this with seamless ease to our screens.

I'll play a bubbly, happy role in film ‘Bachana’: Sanam Saeed

Actress Sanam Saeed was a guest on talkshow Tonite with HSY where she said that though she's a tomboy at heart, she has to keep up a certain image because "majboori hai."

The fourth episode of Tonite With HSY saw two actors leading the drama industry these days: the chic Sanam Saeed and charming Junaid Khan who initially started off as a singer.

Introducing Sanam on his show, host HSY said they were childhood friends and Sanam was known to be a tomboy who excelled at acting.

Known for serious roles in dramas, Sanam said she'd soon be seen in a film called Bachana where she plays a chulbuli, happy-go-lucky role for a change.

I like character-driven roles: Sanam Saeed

Speaking about her dramas, Sanam pointed out that the reason she doesn’t do ‘beautiful’ roles is because she wanted dramas to bring a change in society.

“That’s my achievement actually—when a mother says that she didn’t marry off her 14-year-old daughter because of me, or when a woman tells me that she continued to study after watching my dramas— those comments mean a lot.”

The actor said she doesn't shmooze with the celebrity set much: “kaam kaam hota hai, dost dost hotay hain.”

She added that she might not be close to any particular person in her field but she gets along with everyone at work. Sanam, whose wedding made headlines last year, said she'd known her husband Farhan since childhood.

Music is closer to me than acting: Junaid Khan

Although he has now made a name for himself, actor Junaid Khan believes that music is his expression of choice because in acting ‘’you’re some else”.

Junaid also said that he has learnt to say no and does regret doing projects which he should have declined.

CIOs Embracing Consumerization of IT

While much has been made of companies not accepting the bring-your-own-device trend among employees, new research shows many businesses are actually embracing the movement.

A study by business-technology-solutions and managed-services provider Avanaderevealed that an overwhelming majority of businesses, nearly 90 percent of those surveyed, report their employees are using their personal computing technologies for business purposes, while 65 percent of C-level executives report the consumerization of IT is a top priority in their organization.

The study, "Dispelling Six Myths of Consumerization of IT," also found that companies, on average, are allocating 25 percent of their overall IT budgets to manage the consumerization of IT, with 60 percent adapting their IT infrastructure to accommodate employees' personal technologies.                   

"Progressive CIOs and IT organizations have moved from gatekeepers of consumer technology to enablers of these innovative devices, applications and services to meet employee needs and demands," said Tyson Hartman, Avanade's global chief technology officer. "The consumerization of IT provides companies with an opportunity to transform the role of IT from a function focused on mitigating risk into a strategic enabler that leverages the breadth of today's powerful consumer technologies to drive business results."

Despite a sense that companies that encourage employees to use their own device do so as a way to recruit the best new talent, the study revealed that allowing personal technologies in the workplace is not a strong recruitment or retention tool. Less than a third of business leaders have changed policies to make their workplace more appealing to younger employees.

Instead of as a recruiting tool, the research shows the driving force behind the use-your-own-device movement is the ability for employees to work from anywhere and be more willing to work after hours.

"For business leaders, the consumerization of IT has less to do with the worker and more to do with the way employees work," Hartman said. "Our research shows that productivity and anywhere-access are rated significantly higher by executives over improved employee morale or providing greater responsibilities to younger employees."

While iPhones and iPads have become synonymous with the consumerization of IT, the research found that Apple – while certainly a factor – is far from alone in driving the trend. Surveyed business and IT leaders said the most popular consumer-owned devices used at work now are Android and BlackBerry smartphones, in addition to Apple laptops.

The report also dispels the myth that these devices are being used only to check email and browse social networks. The study found that employees have evolved beyond straight content consumption and are increasingly using mission-critical enterprise applications such as customer-relationship management programs, time-and-expense tracking applications and enterprise resource planning tools.

The research was based on surveys of 605 C-level executives, IT decision makers and business leaders at top companies in 17 countries across North America, Europe, South America and Asia.

Chad Brooks is a Chicago-based freelance writer who spent 10 years working as a newspaper reporter before working in public relations. You can reach him at chadgbrooks@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @cbrooks76.