Gym vs Home Workouts: Which One Should You Do?
Early in the movement though, I started hearing the question “Gym vs home workouts — which one’s better?” More than a year on, and I’m still asked that question fairly often. Well, here’s my opinion…
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Drink Clean With The nkd Pod+ Water Bottle
Fitness isn’t just about exercise and external health. A great deal of true fitness is what you put in your body. Good food and clean water play a massive role in determining your overall health. But ensuring that the water you drink is clean and pure isn’t always easy. Most of us resort to buying bottled water when we eat out or travel, but all that does is cost a lot of money. What’s worse, it adds to the planet’s already staggering piles of plastic waste! Which is why I’m currently in love with the nkd Pod+ water bottle.
The product if a UK-based startup, this very cool, very stylish water bottle is a lot more than just a pretty face. With an inbuilt filter and purifier, it can literally turn any water into drinking water. The brand claims that water from sources like lakes, rivers, ponds, muddy puddles, etc. — anything but sea water — can all be used. The output is clean water that’s absolutely safe to drink.
As cool as this sounds, I was obviously curious. I wanted to know how exactly the nkd Pod+ purifies water on-the-go.
Let’s talk about the magic filter in the nkd Pod+. The filter screws right into the lid of the bottle, and purifies water as you drink it. Its patent-pending anti-bacteria technology filters up to 99.9% of all contaminants — that includes bacteria, viruses, cysts, heavy metals, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. The filter also contains a layer of pure activated coconut carbon, which improves taste while removing odour and chlorine. Even better, the filter also gently alkalises and ionises the water, while increasing antioxidant content.
Sceptical? Well, what if I told you that the nkd Pod+ uses space-age technology? Literally! The technology used in these water bottles is the same used by the NASA space programme. That’s interplanetary-level purity, guys!
Well, that’s all cool. But what about actually using it?
I’ve been using this water bottle for 2 weeks now, so I can give you an honest review on how it works and feels to use. To be fair, I haven’t used water from sources like puddles and ponds, but I did use tap water, and it seems to work really well. There was none of the weird metallic taste that tap water usually has, so I’m taking that as a good sign.
For starters, I’m going to address the size and shape of it. The styling is sleek and compact, and it fits well in my handbag. The nkd Pod+ has a capacity of 585ml, which is reasonable. But if like me, you drink a lot of water, you’re going to need to refill that often. The filter itself lasts for 300 uses, post which it will need to be replaced.
It’s perfectly leakproof, which is a major bonus for me. I commute a lot, and have had far too many instances of my water bottle leaking into my bag. This one has stayed watertight, not a drop out of place.
Using the bottle is simple enough. You fill the water, screw the filter closed, and snap the lid shut. The lid has a lock feature which allows you to prevent it from popping open accidentally. Sliding the lock downwards and pressing it pops the lid open.
Drinking from it is a little different from your regular water bottle or sports bottle. While the mouth of the bottle is similar to most sports ones, the filter does slow down the flow of water a bit. It needs a bit of suction to pull the water through the filter, so prepare to strengthen those jaw muscles!
On the whole, I think this is a fantastic water bottle to have. You’re guaranteed clean drinking water wherever you go, AND you’re helping to reduce plastic waste across the planet.
The nkd Pod+ water bottle comes in 6 lovely colours, and is now available in India on Amazon, Flipkart, and Croma. The retail price is INR 2,499 for the bottle (filter included), and INR 999 for replacement filters. Order yours now: http://amzn.to/2EWGGgl
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PeeBuddy : For The Girl On The Go
I wrapped up 2017 with a few delightful road trips. With trips to Mangalore, Shoranur, Cochin, and Coimbatore, I spent several hours on the road. And as any woman who has done road travel in India would agree, our country is still severely lacking in clean, hygienic restroom facilities. This often leads to women holding their urine for far too long and developing urinary tract infections. Not to mention how ridiculously uncomfortable it is. Well ladies, say goodbye to having to hover-and-pee at gross public toilets. PeeBuddy is here to save the day!
The lovely people behind PeeBuddy saw how often I travelled, and very kindly sent me a few samples to try out. Their timing couldn’t have been better, given all the road trips I had planned for December. I’ll admit, I was both excited and a tad sceptical. I mean, standing and peeing? Could it be true?
Before I get into the working of it, take a look at the PeeBuddy. It’s made of laminated paper, and is essentially really cool origami. It’s shaped like an angular funnel, to mimic a man’s you-know-what. The instructions are fairly straightforward — you unfold the PeeBuddy to unflatten it, press the wider opening into your crotch, and pee! Sounds simple, but I needed convincing.
I carried my pack of 3 PeeBuddy devices along during my road trips, armed and ready to deal with icky public bathrooms. Lucky (?) for me, the route did not disappoint. I encountered many a gross bathroom, where I really did not want my tushie to touch the toilet seat.
So out came the PeeBuddy. The flattened device unfolds easily. After that, it’s pretty simple — press against crotch (make sure it covers your clitoris, urethra and vagina, so you don’t have any leaks), and pee! Remember to make sure you aim the end of the device properly, or you risk getting pee on your clothes/shoes or missing the bowl. For most women, the first time you use one can be equal parts empowering and totally weird — it certainly was for me. It took me a moment to really come to terms with the fact that I was indeed, peeing standing up!
Once done, simply toss the used PeeBuddy in a trash can (not in the toilet). It’s paper, so it’s bio-degradable. Yay!
So what’s my final verdict on the PeeBuddy? I’ve listed pros and cons (my personal opinion only!)
Pros
- Fits comfortably in most purses and handbags, so easy to carry around.
- Easy to use. No complicated instructions or assembly.
- Great for travel.
- Also useful for pregnant women, or those with any sort of joint issue that makes sitting on the toilet difficult.
- Biodegradable.
- Affordable — it retails on Amazon (get it here!) for only INR 195 for a pack of 10.
Cons
- Because they’re single-use, you need to make sure you’re stocked up. (I know, not exactly a con, but you know what I mean!)
So ladies, if you travel often — even if it’s just around the city — I highly recommend keeping a pack of PeeBuddy with you. It makes life SO much easier, that I now always have a few in my handbag. I would advise also keeping some wet wipes, just in case you don’t have access to water to wash up after.
Shop for PeeBuddy by clicking here for a pack of 10, or here for a pack of 20.
Vive la revolution!
