Friendship Day 2024: 6 Foods That Will Remind You Of School Days' Friendships

International Friendship Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of August every year. This year, the happy day of friendship and love falls on August 4, 2024. As schoolkids, we all used to celebrate the day by tying friendship bands on the wrists of our besties. As we grow up, most of us don't mark the day with that same level of enthusiasm. If tying friendship band as a grown-up may not appeal to you, you can still celebrate this happy day with your friends by enjoying foods that remind you of the good old days of simplicity, fun and innocent childhood friendships.

Here Are 6 Foods That Will Take You Back To School Days' Friendships:

1. Tiffin Maggi

Maggi takes another form in the school tiffin box. The noodles get cold and take that square shape of the lunchbox. Now as adults, we may fuss over cold food. However, we still may find no fancy Maggi better than that cold tiffin Maggi enjoyed with our buddies.
Also Read: "Cold Maggi Is An Emotion": This Video Of Two Boys Sharing A Tiffin Will Bring Back School Memories

Photo Credit: Instagram /theflavorfulbowl

2. Ice Lollies

There was something so exciting about eating ice lollies such as cola, orange, lemon and mango-raspberry with our friends after school. The 5 rupee ice candies would provide instant relief after a hot day of studying in schools without air conditioners.

3. Sugar Cigarettes And Lollipops

The coolest candies we would eat as children were the sugar cigarette candies. From a distance, these would look like real cigarettes and we would pretend to smoke by holding these sticks of minty sugar like cigarettes.

Photo Credit: Instagram /harnik.phantom.sweets

4. Burger And Pizza-Shaped Jellies

No expensive jelly can beat those tiny packets of jellies we would eat as kids. While these jellies did not have much flavour, they would come in exciting shapes like that of burgers, pizzas etc. 
Also Read: Nostalgia Alert! 5 Popular Tiffin Meals That Every 90s' Kid Will Relate To

5. Frooti 

As an adult, we may have enjoyed different kinds of cocktails with our friends on weekends. However, back in school days, one beverage ruled all picnics and birthday parties - Frooti. Maybe all you need to do this friendship day is sip on Frooti with your childhood school bestie.

Photo Credit: Instagram /nostalgia_by_tanya

6. Local Muffins And Cakes

Realistic cakes these days along with microwave ovens at home have taken cakes to another level. Everyone can bake at home. But that chocolate ganache cake, however yummy, will not match those local muffins and cakes available in your local grocery store. 

Enjoy these treats with your besties this Friendship Day and celebrate your special friendship. Are there any more foods that remind you of school friendships? Share with us in the comments section.

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Inside Arpita Khan's Foodilicious Birthday With Salman Khan, Riteish, Genelia Deshmukh And More

Arpita Khan turned a year older on Thursday. She celebrated the special day with a festive gathering of family and friends. The party was attended by her siblings Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, and Alvira Agnihotri, as well as Bollywood stars Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D'Souza, along with many of Arpita's close friends. Riteish shared a video of the cake-cutting ceremony on his Instagram stories. The impressive four-tiered cake, adorned with beautiful floral details, clearly stole the show. The birthday girl cut the cake surrounded by her loved ones, including her husband, Aayush Sharma, and their son, Ahil.

Also Read: "When My Bag Matched My Dessert" - This Is Kareena Kapoor's Stylish Foodie Update

Arpita fed small bits of cake to Aayush, Salman, and Sohail. The clip also featured TV actor Shabir Ahluwalia, Sohail's son Nirvaan Khan, and Alvira's son Ayaan Agnihotri. The Housefull actor captioned the video, “Happy Birthday My dearest darling Arpita Khan Sharma, we love you. Have a fabulous year ahead.”

If your loved ones' birthday also falls in August, make them feel special by baking a cake at home. Below are some quick and easy recipes

1. Fudgy Chocolate Cake:

A rich and moist chocolate cake with a dense, fudgy texture. It is made with cocoa or melted chocolate and layered with chocolate ganache. Click here for the recipe.

2. Vanilla And Strawberry Cake:

A light and fluffy cake with layers of vanilla-flavoured sponge and fresh strawberry filling. It is frosted with vanilla or cream cheese frosting and decorated with strawberry slices. Recipe here.

3. Blueberry Cake:

A soft and moist cake studded with juicy blueberries. It is flavoured with lemon zest or vanilla and can be topped with a simple glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar. Want the recipe? Click here.

4. Pineapple Cake:

A sweet and tropical cake made with chunks of pineapple. It is topped with pineapple slices or rings and may include a creamy frosting. Want the recipe? Click here.

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Masaba Gupta's July Dump Has Left Us Drooling All Over Our Screens

Masaba Gupta's foodie shenanigans are always an exotic affair. In her latest Instagram entry, the fashion designer-actress offered her fans a sneak peek into her “July Dump”. The picture and video carousel featured a myriad of drool-worthy dishes. First on the menu were two boiled eggs, cut in halves, and served with spaghetti. It was topped with fresh veggies. Next, the mom-to-be treated her taste buds to Vanilla Mille Feuilles centrepiece from the Mediterranean restaurant GAIA Dubai. The crispy filo pastry layered with vanilla cream and sprinkled with Greek pistachio crumbs was enough to give everyone a foodgasm. “We love you Masaba” was written on the plate with chocolate icing. 

Also Read: "When My Bag Matched My Dessert" - This Is Kareena Kapoor's Stylish Foodie Update

Wait, there is more. Masaba Gupta indulged in the goodness of Tarta me Fistika — a scrumptious dessert prepared with peanut butter shortbread, salted caramel ganache and milk chocolate cremeux. The designer signed off her lip-smacking feast with truffle pasta. Tweaking Rumi's famous quote, Masaba wrote in the caption, “Out beyond ideas of boiled egg and cake, there is a field, I'll meet you there (with truffle pasta ) - Not Rumi. July Dump.”

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Craving a food platter like Masaba Gupta's? Here are some recipes inspired by her "July dump":

1. Scotch Eggs 

Give wings to your British dreams with these good old scotch eggs. Hard-boiled eggs wrapped in fried minced meat of your choice will deliver a wholesome snack. Check out the recipe here.

2. Spaghetti With Zucchini

If you wish to add a healthy touch to cheesy spaghetti, just add nutrient-packed zucchini. Garnished with parsley, garlic and chillies, this dish will make your tummy do a happy dance. See the recipe here.

3. Pistachio Praline Parfait

Why wait for the festive season to have a bite of Pistachio Praline Parfait? This super-tasty dessert is made with crisp pistachio praline and light parfait. Topped with raspberries and a zest of lemon juice, this sweet dish is bound to impress. Click here for the recipe.

4. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

You said the best of both worlds, we heard Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. This eggless dessert brings the wonderful fusion of nutty peanut butter and crunchy chocolate chips. Read the recipe here.

5. White Sauce Pasta

Yes, it is indeed a classic one, but the best nevertheless. Have a taste of Italy by trying this dish prepared with fettuccine, slathered in creamy-luscious white sauce, and cooked with capsicum and garlic. Find the recipe here.

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Feeling Tired After Waking Up? These 5 Reasons Might Be Impacting Your Sleep

Waking up tired is something we all experience, but some days, it seems impossible to fully wake up. Sleeping for 7 to 8 hours, only to wake up feeling unrested throughout the morning or even most of the day, can be confusing. How could the golden rule of sleep go wrong for you? If you feel like this, you are not alone. We often load up on caffeine to shake off sluggishness, only to feel more anxious and jittery. However, this isn't a long-term solution. Our lifestyle and dietary routines, knowingly or unknowingly, impact our sleep cycle. If you wake up feeling tired more often than usual, it might be a cause for concern. Understanding the root cause of your situation is necessary to act right. Read on to learn 5 reasons you might feel tired after waking up, and how you can fix it.

Also Read: Feeling Tired All The Time? These 5 Drinks May Help

Photo Credit: Pexels

Here Are 5 Reasons Why You Might Feel Tired After Waking Up

If you wake up feeling tired, it might be due to your lifestyle. Dietician Shweta J Panchal lists reasons why you may not feel fresh first thing in the morning.

1. Sleep Deprivation

Most of us fall asleep while scrolling on our phones. However, this significantly impacts our sleep. According to the expert, phone screens emit blue light that impacts the sleep hormone melatonin and suppresses our sleep. This overstimulates our brains and disrupts our natural sleep cycle, making us feel uneasy and tired in the morning. Avoid using phones before bed to wake up feeling fresh and energetic.

2. Dehydration

Believe it or not, your daily water intake impacts your sleep cycle a lot. According to the dietician, if you're not drinking enough water throughout the day, it can affect the amino acid levels in your body. Without enough amino acids, the process of converting tryptophan to serotonin to melatonin gets disrupted. This means the melatonin that should be released in your body isn't produced, leaving you feeling tired and drowsy in the morning.

3. Hormonal Imbalance

If you have any kind of hormonal imbalance, especially in your thyroid, it impacts your entire metabolism. The expert shares that this imbalance not only affects your weight but also your sleep. You might not get enough sleep, or even if you do, you may still feel tired after waking up. If you suspect a thyroid imbalance, visit a doctor as soon as possible.

Photo Credit: Pexels

4. Vitamin Deficiencies

Vitamin deficiencies, especially iron, can make you feel tired all the time. Moreover, it can significantly impact your mood. Maintaining adequate iron levels in your body is important to feel energized and fresh throughout the day. If you think your iron levels are insufficient, the expert suggests taking a well-balanced diet or iron supplements to meet daily requirements.

5. High Stress Levels

Chronic stress can affect your ability to get a good night's sleep and leave you feeling exhausted in the morning. Stress increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that can disrupt sleep patterns, making it difficult to fall asleep at night. If you feel overwhelmed by stress, try incorporating stress-reducing activities like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. This can improve your stress levels and sleep quality.

Watch the full video below:

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Also Read: 5 Common Indian Foods That May Help Boost Iron Level

Incorporate these changes to sleep peacefully and lead a happy and healthy life!

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Guinness World Records: Chef Chops Most Number Of Celery Slices While Blindfolded

Chopping vegetables is a culinary feat that requires caution and skill. Just one mistake and off goes your finger. Social media star and former competitive bodybuilder Wallace Wong seems to have mastered this skill to perfection. The 33-year-old has added 9 more Guinness World Records (GWR) titles under his name for his super-fast chopping skills, taking the total count to 11. One of his recent feats involved chopping the most number of celery slices while being blindfolded. Yes, you heard that right. In a video shared by GWR on Instagram, the chef set the record for slicing 125 celery slices in 30 seconds without even looking.  

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Among his 11 GWR titles, Wallace Wong found the blindfolded tomato record attempt to be the hardest, as per the official website. “When you cut the tops or the bottoms, or even the middle, you can't control how they fly because of that, it makes it extra hard to then make sure you don't get disqualified on some of those cuts,” he said. The difficulty however did not pose any hindrance to his unparalleled talent. Wallace set the record for cutting 9 tomatoes in one minute while blindfolded. Take a look at the video here: 

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Also Read: Watch: Man Sets Guinness World Record For Most Drink Cans Crushed With Head In 30 Seconds

Wallace Wong also holds the title of slicing a bell pepper within 9.43 seconds — the fastest time to chop a vegetable. He attempted the feat without the blindfold. Check out the video here. 

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Just a few days back, Wallace Wong etched his name in the GWR again by slicing the most number of celery chunks in 30 seconds. He completed the task by chopping as many as 128 slices within the stipulated time. Don't believe us? Check out this video:

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A post shared by Guinness World Records (@guinnessworldrecords)

Also Read: Watch: Man Sets Guinness World Record For Most Porridge/Oatmeal Eaten In One Minute

As per GWR, Wallace Wong used every chopped ingredient to prepare a meal to prevent food wastage.  He cooked a "world record vegetable noodle dish," from carrots, cucumbers, and roasted tomatoes-bell pepper broth. Cucumber confetti, pickled celery, chilli garlic oil, and fried garlic were also included in the dish. 

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Rhea Kapoor's Throwback Post From London Featured These Yummy Treats

Rhea Kapoor was recently in London and seemed to have an incredible time. How do we know? Well, her Instagram serves as proof. A major part of her holiday diaries involved devouring lip-smacking dishes at exotic restaurants. Sharing the culinary venture on social media, the film producer wrote, “Best things we ate in London this summer 2024 - RECAP.” The first photo featured pistachio ice cream topped with caviar and scallop. In the next photo, we could spot fresh pasta, lobster noodles, and spicy monkfish.
Rhea also treated her tastebuds to a delicious salmon dish.The gastronomical adventure didn't end here. She indulged in a plate of kale pasta from Manteca. “Still the best pasta in the city,” Rhea admitted. Next on her foodie list was green curry escargot with roti at the Asian restaurant Koyn, and a range of seafood and meaty meals at Sabor. She wrapped up her foodie outing by relishing seafood rice, once again at Sabor. Take a look:
Also Read: Rhea Kapoor Explains Why There's No Place Like Home 

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A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor)

Do you wish to recreate Rhea Kapoor's lavish food platter? Then don't forget to bookmark these recipes:

1. Fish Stew 

A super-healthy and delicious meal, fish stew can be cooked either with monkfish, John Dory, or halibut. Garnished with courgettes and a sprinkle of spices, we bet you will fall in love with it at the first bite. Find the recipe here.

2. Seafood Spaghetti

Can't get enough of seafood? Then this recipe is just for you. Imagine diving into chewy-soft spaghetti, topped with spicy lobsters, prawns, scallops, and squids - a culinary feast indeed. Don't forget to add some basil leaves. Here's the recipe. 

3. Kale Pesto Pasta

Kale Pesto Pasta is an appetising way to consume nutrient-rich kale, but with the accompaniment of heavenly, creamy spaghetti. Topped with crunchy breadcrumbs, this nut-free pesto pasta is a must-try for pasta lovers. Click here for the recipe.

4. Prawn Fried Rice

If you're a prawn lover, you cannot say no to this recipe. Thai-styled cooked rice, served with chicken, prawns, and bacon will make up for a delightful dinner. Pair it with any curry of your choice and indulge in its heavenly goodness. Read the recipe here.
Also Read: Rhea Kapoor's Delicious "Taco Party" Will Surely Make You Slurp - See Pic

5. Pistachio Ice Cream

Enjoy ice cream sans the calories by preparing this mouth-watering pistachio ice cream. To whip up this divine treat, all you need is sliced pistachios, dates puree, almond butter, and hung curd. Click here for the recipe.

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Eating Vegan Diet For Eight Weeks Linked To Lower Biological Age. Here's How To Follow Vegan Diet

Chronological age is the number of years a person has been alive. However, biological age is how old your cells are. Everyone ages at different rates depending on multiple factors. According to a new study published in the journal BioMed Central (BMC) Medicine, going vegan for eight weeks was linked to a lowering of biological age. For eight weeks, the researchers followed 21 pairs of adult identical twins. One-half of each pair consumed an omnivorous diet including meat, eggs and dairy, while the other consumed a vegan one, reported PTI. On average, the participants were aged 40 years and had a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight category. About 77 per cent of the group were women.

What All Can We Eat In A Vegan Diet?

A vegan diet is based on eating plants and foods made from plants. The diet largely includes fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and nuts. Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals, which includes not just meat but also dairy products and eggs.

Incredible Results Of Eating Vegan Diet

After eight weeks, the researchers observed a 'younger' heart, liver, inflammatory and metabolic system among the participants consuming the vegan diet. These changes were not seen in those eating the omnivorous diet.
Also Read: Dr Shriram Nene Reveals The 5 Worst Breakfast Foods You're Probably Eating

On average, the individuals on the vegan diet lost two kilograms more compared to those on the omnivorous diet. The results suggest that the weight loss could have contributed to the lowering of the biological age in the vegan group, the researchers said.

How To Follow A Healthy Vegan Diet

To avail the benefits of a vegan diet, it is important not just to quit certain foods but also to opt for healthy vegan foods. The National Health Service (NHS) UK has shared some simple tips on healthy eating as a vegan that everyone can follow:

1. Foods You Should Eat

Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates. Choose wholegrain where possible. Eat beans, pulses and other proteins.

2. Fortified Foods To Avoid Deficiency

Have some fortified dairy alternatives, such as lower-fat and lower-sugar soya drinks and yogurt. Have fortified foods or supplements containing nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, calcium and iron.
Also Read: 5 Easy Ingredients to Make Your Regular Atta Nutritious - No. 2 Is A Game Changer

3. Choose Healthy Fats

Eat nuts and seeds rich in omega-3 fatty acids every day. Choose unsaturated oils and spreads, and eat these in small amounts.

4. Hydrate

Drink plenty of water and other healthy fluids. Drink about 6 to 8 cups or glasses of water a day.

5. Limit Unhealthy Foods

If you consume foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt or sugar, make sure to have them less often and in small amounts.

Note: Health experts note that the vegan diet can come with micronutrient deficiencies, which often take years to exert harmful effects. Long-term studies of vegans also find adverse effects on bone density, which may be due to low calcium and protein intakes.

Have you ever tried following a vegan diet? Share with us in the comments section.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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