Karina Pandya

Growing up, as an introvert can be a disadvantage in many ways but at the same time has helped shape my career. After all, it was poetry that kick-started my journey in the written word.  It was the only way that I was able to channelize my emotions and express them. This was the starting point of my poetic journey. The first time I ever wrote a poem was when I was in 9 th  standard and it was for a competition. I remember how it meant so much for me at that time that I do something with my life.  Of course it was just an online competition, so I began to write and within no time had my submission sent in. It was only later on that I got to know that this poem had been selected in an international poetry contest where I came as a semi-finalist. This was in 2002. A morbid poem, most of my poems had themes of recluse, loneliness and dark thoughts; but that’s what triggered my writing in the first place. For without any deep emotion I wouldn't have been abl...

When emotions take the better of you Where are you supposed to run? How can you hide, when there are no more walls? To escape from, to lie low, to withdraw from everyone Who do you turn to when you break down and fall? Are your tears important to anyone at all? Anger, hatred, sorrow, jealousy and joy Emotions, so transient- they’re hard to employ.    When emotions take the better of you, Whom do you even trust? Faith and belief in others can be a delusion  That can take you in circles – around and around, until you find yourself losing focus  That's when you know you got to pick yourself up,  There’s plenty to change – if only you notice!

High cholesterol levels  ( also known as  hypercholesterolemia)  are known to be common problems with age and are one of the major reasons for causing health problems such as strokes, heart attacks and diabetes. High  levels in the body can severely damage organs in the body. Food choices, exercise and even weight control are some ways by which you can lower your cholesterol levels. There are also medications that can be prescribed to help lower your cholesterol levels, but such a solution should be your last resort!  This is because these medications will upset the body’s natural coping style which may lead to future health problems. Some of the safe ways by which you can lower your cholesterol levels include:   1)      Consume ‘heart-healthy’ foods! Heart-healthy foods that are rich in nutrients, fibres and healthy fats. In short, they promote good health for your heart. It is important to follow a balanced diet th...

Fats, aren’t they public enemy number one? What are they exactly? For many, many years fats have been believed to be the reason for weight gain, clogging up of blood vessels, increasing your risk at diseases such as breast or bowl cancer or even heart ailments. However, this is not the entire truth, is it? Fats are complex and they are one of the three main macronutrients; along with proteins and carbohydrates that are required for your diet. However, not all fats are the same and have a negative effect on your health. Your body does require a certain amount of fats in the body to function. Two of the most commonly associated terms that have been associated with fats are Cholesterol & Triglycerides. Are these two the same and what is the main difference between them? While both are fatty substances (lipids) that are present in our bloodstream, triglycerides are the fats whereas cholesterol is NOT. Triglycerides are the subgroup o f lipids and are the main cons...

Triglycerides & Why They Matter so Much Is weight the only factor you should be paying attention to if you want to be healthy? The answer is yes, but ONLY to an extent!  There are many other contributing factors towards good health such as whether you are overweight or underweight, obese, your BMI (Body Mass Index), heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar (glucose levels) and even your triglycerides levels!  If you are one of those who are really struggling hard to lose weight, you may want to strain yourself a bit further!    Losing weight is a long struggle and requires immense amounts of dedication, hard work and persistence. Even if you have temporarily lost weight, it does not even lead to permanent weight loss. This is because your body wants to remain the same and it is going to work hard to get back to that weight! All the hormones and gut bacteria inside the body get changed once you are overweight and that in turn chan...

The Panel of Limits Make Things Too Small (Menka Shivdasani, Amole Gupte, Karina Pandya, Kaushik M Oza) Being a writer and poet has always had me interested in attending poetry and literary events. This year, as I reconnected with poetry after many years I felt a sudden desire to organise a literary event of my own. It was, I can say good fortune that this year, I got exposed to the spoken word community and poetry circuit in the city. For this opened up the doors to the formation of my own literary community known by the name of Limits Make Things Too Small. I didn't just want this literary group to be any group; I wanted to define it, have a meaning for which it stands out.  This name has been taken from the title of my poetry book that has been published and formed the theme of the event – overcoming obstacles and limitations in our life. Of course this was also the name of a poem that I had also written as well!    However, as easy as...