Taking up the 3 free reads from Medium happens on the 1st of every month and August was no exception. It’s just that getting down to writing about it took some time. Here they are:

[1] 5 Things You Should Do Before Lunch by Shaunta Grimes

We definitely do more than 5 things before lunch; but her’s is a nice list📝. I loved the last item on the list – Get a head start on dinner. “Before lunch decide what you are going to have for dinner. It’s okay to order in, but make that decision.”

Meal plans are made every week, but they never pan out as per the plan. Somedays, we make do with the leftovers; other times, we are just not upto tackling the particular dish we thought would be nice to eat…on paper atleast. But having a plan is good. It reduces the burden of constant decision making.

Deciding on dinner before lunch, frees from the stress of opening the fridge at six in the evening and then trying to decide what to make; maybe overwhelmed by the amount of prep required we opt to order in and then feel guilty of not being more proactive🙃.

[2] For Women, Moderate Exercise Might Be Best by Dr. Lisa Mosconi

This is an excerpt from her book “The XX Brain” where she says for women, it’s about the frequency and consistency and less about the intensity while exercising.

This has to do with the difference in the type of muscle fibre among men and women. As per her, women need to exercise for longer periods with lower intensity in order to boost metabolism. Low to moderate intensity exercising is one that increases the heat rate, making you sweat lightly than profusely.

Men on the other hand excel at explosive performance with intense bursts of effort. But she clarifies that she is not saying that women should switch to lighter dumbbells😌

[3] My Five Golden Rules of the Kitchen by Mark Bittman

Lists are always enticing😉. Here’s one rule where he says – It’s OK to serve dishes warm or at room temperature. 

When we invite people over for a meal, we cook in advance so that we are not bound to the stove and are free to talk to the guests. And then before serving we always hurry to warm up the dishes. Food is best when served piping hot and that’s probably one of the reasons why restaurant food always tastes so good. The author says soups, eggs and pasta must be served hot, rest can be served at room temperature; but any food, you don’t want to be sitting out at room temperature for kore than 2 hours, including serving time. 

That’s for this month.

Till next post, take care !!