Mahek Chahal
a blog about me and my life
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lots of greens with your food is always good
Good morning, gang. Today’s blog is in a way in conjunction with yesterday one on Yoga. No matter what kind of daily exercise regime one follows, be it Yoga or weight-lifting, one has to follow it up with the right diet. Diet is almost as important as exercise, if not more.
Now we all love to eat out and gorge on our favorite foods. Some of us, more than others. I do too. But over the years I’ve learnt the hard way that I cannot take my diet lightly if I am to see results. An entire work-out can go to waste if we eat wrong after. So I’ve found a way to balance my diet and now I’m gonna share it with you guys.
dry fruits and fruits yummy
Let’s start with my morning ritual which leads to Breakfast. First thing I do when I wake up is drink a glass of warm water. Please avoid tea and coffee on an empty stomach. Instead you can maybe drink a cup of green tea as it is full of anti-oxidants. Then of course I do my Yoga asanas and hit the shower. After I have this out of the day I sit down for my breakfast.
The breakfast for me is the most important meal of the day and most people are aware that we refer to it as meal fit for kings. The reason being that breakfast is what charges our batteries for the rest of the day. I avoid fries stuff other than an occasional fried egg. But cereals, Muesli, milk, boiled eggs, brown bread, juice (freshly squeezed) if possible and maybe some cold-cuts. Complex carbs are good for us so muesli and cereal can also be replaced by sprouts. Protein in form of eggs is always good. Vitamins from fruits and calcium from milk and we are sorted. Soaked almonds over-night are excellent. But with dry fruits we must be careful so as not to consume too many as they are very heaty. So, just a handful should do the trick. I also take a multi-vitamin pill along with my breakfast regularly. The reason being we never quite get the entire array of vitamins our body requires from just our diet alone. So one vitamin pill balances it out.
Since we all lead such busy lives we find it hard to sit down and eat breakfast properly but my advice is to take that time out and do it right.
any yogurt based dink is good during summer
After a good meal I like to have a cup of coffee to get me a little energized for the work ahead. If I get a bit peckish between breakfast and lunch I have some fruit. Could be whatever is in season. Coconut water is one of my favorites. Chaas or buttermilk is another is also great in summer. Keeps the body cool.
raw food is best when its raw and not killed in lots of oil
For lunch, if you’re working try and avoid rice because that will just make you sleepy. If you do prefer rice then try and eat just enough. Salads are what I choose. I believe that If we can substitute one meal of the day with salads the benefits are innumerable. A good salad with or without meat is excellent for our energy levels. I call it brain-food. Try it and you’ll feel it.
I also try and eat mostly vegetarian home-made food through the week. Simple Dal (lentils), sabzi(veggies) and rotis. I’m presently taking a break from rice. Eat till I’m satisfied. Never overeat.
Some of us like to go for a run or work-out in the evenings after work. I go running myself quite often in the evening. Post my evening run I simply shower and eat a light dinner. They say we must eat dinner like a pauper. Why? Because if we eat too much before we sleep our body does not metabolize the food and it turns to fat. So I try and eat a very light dinner preferably a couple of hours before I go to bed. Sometimes after dinner I do the Vajrasana. This is a Yoga asana that is essentially a sitting posture and it essentially maximizes digestion and metabolism. I highly recommend it. Those of you who are not familiar with Yoga you can google Vajrasana or watch it on YouTube and give it a try. It’s very simple to do.
i dont eat fish...so a good substitute for that is cod liver oil
Try and mix it up and keep it interesting. Try and eat fresh produce be it meat, vegetables or fruits. Preservatives are bad for us. Try my way of healthy eating and see if it works for you. Recently I discovered that we must all eat in accordance to our blood group. So figure out the best diet for your blood type and give it a shot.
I wish you all a long and healthy life. Have a wonderful weekend, God bless !
Lots of love,
Mahek Chahal xoxo
HELLO, HELLO ! One and all. Today I’m going to blog about my love for the ancient practice of Yoga. Growing up in Norway, as far back as I can remember, my father was constantly reminding us kids about the importance of breathing clean air and living healthy. I remember him teaching us breathing techniques etc. My mother, as I’ve blogged about earlier, was also responsible for teaching us the importance of enjoying good health. So in a way I guess the seeds were sown back then.
A few years after I moved to India I went for my first Yoga class and I have been practicing for 7 years now. It has definitely changed my life for the better.
In Mumbai, just like the world over Yoga has become massive. After moving there, I quickly began to realize that lot of my friends, colleagues and many celebs were all practicing Yoga. The more I interacted with them I also began to realize why.
They were looking good, eating right, multi-tasking with ease, stress levels were way down, they had become much calmer and centered, mothers with 3 children were juggling businesses and family while keeping up their social lives. And the more I spoke to them about yoga and how it’s helping them the more convinced I got. My back was beginning to hurt and running or jogging was not helping. Then someone suggested that I try Yoga for my back. So finally, I went down to a neighborhood yoga class and signed up.But wait… that class was a disaster! They made me do a hundred Surya-namaskars and I think I ended up doing more damage than good. After this class my back got even more painful.
So eventually I went in for a course to learn Yoga from the grassroots.I was hooked. How yoga centers the body can only be compared to meditation centering your mind. To me Yoga is what keeps us humming. I meditate twice a day, before lunch and before dinner and I practice Yoga as often as I can.
After I studied and understood yoga I got me a DVD of Shilpa Shetty’s Yoga and went for it.BTW, that Dvd is amazing. She does the asanas with such ease and explains them very well. Soon it became my routine and now… it’s just like breathing 
You can check out Shilpa Shetty’s Yoga on Youtube ITS VERY EASY.
The thing with yoga is that it’s not a quick fix. It’s practice and like every practice it takes discipline. Best done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Over the past 7 yrs I’ve only gotten better at it and the effect of it on my life is there for all to see. I can only recommend it to you all but it’s for you to try it. It takes a lot of discipline so be ready to commit to it. From what I have studied, Yoga holds the key to a perfectly functioning body. It’s for everyone, young and old, pregnant or diabetic. It does not matter. Find a good teacher and be on your way.
God bless, good fortune and keep following my blog…. Mahek Chahal xoxo
Danish and Me on 17 mai
Princess KARISMA my niece in norwegian national outfit on 17 may....
Prince Haakon of Norway, Princess Mette Marit, Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway
Royal palace down town on national day 17th may oslo norway
me and my girls in norwegian national outfits on 17may..
The russ kids enjoying national day on the roads...
Norwegian Flag hurra 17 may....
Hi everyone, how you doing? ( Plz click on the article, or open in another tab to get a bigger image of the article).
The train to fame....
Day 2 of ‘Comedy Circus’… The Shoot.
Location: Mohan Studios.
Plot : I get to the studio and my colleagues, Sudesh and Krushna, were there around the same time. The three of us went straight into rehearsals. I also had to get my outfit, make-up and hair done so time was of the essence. After rehearsing for a bit I went to get my hair and make –up done. But the rehearsals did not stop. I was back with my rollers on rehearsing. I had to make my dance-entry with a hit song of mine so I also had to rehearse for that.
In the middle of all this chaos I managed to have a chat with my director who had also happened to be one of the technical directors of ‘Big Boss’. Since I was in the house I never met any of these guys. So that was a pleasant surprise. We spoke at length. I greeted the judges Sohail Khan and Archana Puran Singh. Archanaji and we connected really well and had a fun chat. I guess the fact that we’re both Sardarnis and in the same business kind of helps. But through it all, we kept rehearsing.
Finally the shoot commenced and I started off with my song. After a smooth dance-performance I quickly got ready to do my bit for the team.
Visualizing my work with my director and choreographer.
Trial by Fire!
So happy the dance performance went well...
Our esteemed judges... Archana Puran Singh and Sohail Khan with me.
Like I mentioned in my earlier Blog, all the comedians in this show are so talented that both Krushna and Sudesh just took it away. I just did my bit and they did the rest. It was magical watching it happen and being a part of it. In the midst of this comedic performance I suddenly realized that the essence of a good comedian is the ability to laugh at him/herself. At times I had to turn away so that I did not crack up laughing in the middle of my act. These guys define the Laugh-out-loud genre.
Thankfully for us, everything went off without a hitch and we actually even received a standing ovation from Sohail. Now I have worked for Mr. Sohail Khan on his production, Main Aur Mrs. Khanna and we share a wonderful rapport. So it made it quite special to receive a standing ovation from Mr. Sohail Khan. As a team we also scored…??
That’s for you guys to find out on the 27th of May on Sony Television.
As for me, I had a blast working with Krushna and Sudesh, as well as, the entire team of ‘Comedy Circus’. I would definitely do it again in a heartbeat
I shall leave you all on that note and do keep reading my blog and share your thoughts with me. Love you and God Bless. Love Mahek Chahal
Chemistry at work !
Take a wild guess as to the words coming out of my mouth? Pura Hindustan dekh raha hai... That's right!
Keep on smiling, my friends.
and remember... Three's company.
The Circus of life is loaded with humour and on the telly we call it the ‘Kahaani Comedy Circus ki’.
This show has been on for 5 years running and this week I got to be a part of it. This show is a huge success and the reason for this is the incredible bunch of comedians working their magic.
Let me first introduce this crazy gang :
- Suhasi Dhami
- Hemant Pandey
- Kuldeep Singh
- Kapil Sharma
- Rashmi Desai
- Sumona Chakravarty
- Krushna Abhishek
- Sudesh Lahiri
- Bharti Sngh
- Siddharth Jadhav.
- Rajiv Thakur
- Sonama
Add to them the legendary Archana Puran Singh and Sohail Khan as judges and Shruti Seth as your presenter and the circus comes to town.
Now comedy is all about timing. Either you have it or you don’t. Comedic timing is a gift and watching these guys rehearsing together and performing impromptu skits, I realized that these guys have it in abundance.
When I got to Mohun Studios at Andheri East the cast and crew were already ay work. The studio was a hive of activity. The dress dadas were running around trying to get the costumes in order, the spot boys were busy serving tea to everyone. The comedians were rehearsing their jokes and skits. What I noticed immediately was the chemistry they shared and just how much they enjoy their work. Professional to the core, these guys just blew me away. They welcomed me into their crazy world and before I knew it I felt like I had been with them forever.
The writer, Raj, came and explained the sequence to me. He told me that most of it is done by improvising on the spot. If I was to make a mistake I should just go on and at all times I must make sure that I speak clearly and loudly. While I was processing all this I actually felt a bit nervous. But since I had done a bit of theatre years ago I decided to just go for it.
In my team I had Sudesh and Krushna. We rehearsed with each other and they helped me with the one-liners and punch-lines. The other teams would check out our rehearsals and Sudesh would add his own jokes to the script. What I noticed immediately was the tremendous respect they had towards one another. And before long I was having a blast. My nervousness disappeared and I knew that with these guys in charge the shoot would go smoothly tomorrow,
So keep reading my blog and I will tell you how the shoot actually turned out.
me on sets
Mohan Studios
Mr Sudesh. ...and Me
going through my lines with writer
Me and Krushna
Last moment things crew is getting done
saying my Lines
Me and Shruti
kya baat hai Sudesh ji kya pose hai....
Practicing my dance steps for the entry...
laughed a lot on set..great stress buster
Since we are celebrating Mother’s Day all around the civilized world, I guess it’s only fitting that I pay tribute to my mother, Amrith Kaur Chahal, in today’s blog.
My mother was born and raised in Mumbai and did her schooling and college there. After her education was over she had an arranged marriage to my father and moved to Norway.
Even though she found herself in a new country she with a husband she was just getting to know, she quickly learnt to read, write and speak Norwegian. She has a knack with languages, my mother. She reads, writes and speaks in total 5 languages perfectly.
Having tackled the language problem, she proceeded to raise 4 children with my father. She was a consummate homemaker and a bit of a perfectionist. My mother cooked amazing food, kept the house spanking clean and pretty, disciplined us herself and looked resplendent through it all. Even after bearing 4 children my mother was a size 4 ! That’s correct. This, as most women are quite aware, requires a lot of hard work and discipline. She worked-out, ate healthy and most of all she did it consistently.
My facial features may have more in common with my father but I’m also very much my mother’s girl. We share the same strength of character and stubbornness. She has always been quite enterprising and hands-on as a woman. I get that from her. Just like her, I never shy away from hard-work. She always met all her commitments and I try and do that too. But what I love the most is inheriting her envious height and bone-stucture. Thank you Ma.
She raised us well has always been there for all of us. She can be strict when required and supremely loving when she wants to be. I guess most mothers have that unique ability.
I remember me and my siblings, curled up on the couch with my mother watching the telly after dinner and our all chores were done. One of the few things I miss dearly now when I find myself thinking of my mum. We’ve had our differences, my mother and I and I’m sure we’ll continue to have differences of opinions. But I’ve received so much from my mother both inherently and otherwise that I’ll love and respect her forever. Today I’m here because of my parents and I love them both dearly.
So I hope all you mother’s out there have a fabulous mother’s day. Many congratulations to you all. As for the rest of us, let’s make our mother’s proud and help make this day memorable. Love you mum.
Mom
wedding photo
This is my mother with me and my elder sis Melvina.
Hi everyone..what`s up and how you all been? The youtube video above is when i was co-hosting on SFL 1 which was held in Mumbai.. Thought i should put up the video for those who haven’t seen it yet lol.. Here Bipasha Basu had a stunning performance on stage, and awesome gathering of the Bollywood celeb which i had the pleasure of welcoming on the red carpet.
SFL 2, Chandigarh. Live performance by me
Tomorrow Colors-Tv is broadcasting SFL 2 which was held in Chandigarh 20.00 IST, so tune in tomorrow and watch me turn up the heat on stage from my mother land “Punjab”.
I heard its a rainy day in Norway today and i am missing my family. Would love to be there with them even if there were a storm there lol.
Well thats a part of life, you can`t have it all…but we can give the effort to try or what you say guys.
Thank you for following my blog all you, and stay tuned coz its more to come. Have fun, be nice to each other and spread love 
Regards,
Mahek Chahal
My new Mac book pro
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening to y’all, where ever you guys may be. For the last couple of days I’ve been busy shooting for Comedy Circus. It’s been hectic but fun. I’m gonna get to that in the near future. Today’s blog is dedicated to the legacy of the late Mr. Steve Jobs. Why?… coz’ I just got me a Mackbook Pro!
Got a breather today after 2 hectic days of shooting and surprise, surprise… Clarence (My man-Friday) shows up with this beautiful package, which arrived this morning. I had ordered this machine some day’s back and had totally forgotten about it. So you can imagine my joy when Clarence handed me my brand spanking new Mackbook Pro. Yay!
My Lenevo (God bless his soul) was not quite cutting it and he was really trying. Ever since I started Mahek Chahal Clothing and my blog etc. my computer and me have been inseparable. The Lenevo was a few years old and in the world of computers that’s ancient. So I finally relented and upgraded.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Apple and all their products. Visually and just from a design perspective, all their products are stunning. Then the quality of their finish and those lil’ touches like the magnetic cable tips and backlit keyboard, just add to their attention to detail.
750 Gb HDD and 8Gb memory powered by 2.5 processor makes it bloody fast and I’m loving the Apple software. From FCP to Facetime, it’s off the hook. Seriously creative minded people for seriously creative minded people built this machine. So if you’re a photographer, designer, film-maker or music composer… this is the machine we aspire for and I know you’ll get one soon if you don’t have one already.
Steve Jobs, wherever you may be… We Love You ! R.I.P.
http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/
Since some of you guys got me talkin’ about ‘item’ songs I’m gonna take you through the experience of working on a Bengali item no. that I shot for in Kolkatta with Bengali superstar Prosonjit. The song is aptly titled ‘Champa Chameli’ from the movie `Bikram Singha, Lion is back` and it doesn’t get more ‘item’ than that!
For the record I had never done a Bengali song, item or otherwise, ever. So now I have a new feather to add to my cap! Hindi, Punjabi, Telegu, Tamil and Bengali. I’ve had to learn to speak, sing and act in all these languages. Trust me it’s not a cake-walk and I’m from Norway.
If I truly did not love my work I would never have made it. And for regional item songs like ‘Champa Chameli’ I’ve had to learn the language while remembering my dance steps and expressions. Whew!
But, I had a blast. Prosonjit sir was a dream to work with. The choreographer Baba Yadav (Delhi Belly) is incredibly talented and made it a fun experience. And to top it all, the song itself… composed by none other than Bappi Lahiri himself. How could I not want to do this song?
The news from Kolkatta is that the song is a huge hit and I. for one, am very happy. A lot of effort goes into shooting these songs and when they become a hit it makes me extremely happy.
Now enjoy the song and please don’t take ‘item’ songs too seriously. It’s supposed to be fun