“Happiness is the highest form of health”DALAI LAMA, SPIRITUAL LEADER 03LIFESTYLE

hygge lifestyle?hygge lifestyle?Heard ofHeard of

WELLNESS

Explore the snug and cosy world of ‘hygge’.We decode the interesting term for you

If you have ever enjoyed readinga book by the window on a rainySunday or a cup of hot chocolateon a cool evening, you’ve experi-enced ‘hygge’ without knowing

it. This Danish concept of wellness en-compasses a feeling of cosy contentment

and well-being by enjoying the sweet andsimple things in life.

What is HYGGE?“A quality of cosiness and comfortableconviviality that engenders a feeling ofcontentment,” is how the Collins English Dictionary describes the term‘hygge’. Think warm milk, blankets, teaor a cup of hot cocoa, soft socks, com-fort food with evening breeze and beingsurrounded by family and loved ones.According to the 2016 World HappinessReport, Denmark clocks in as the world’shappiest country – and that has every-thing to do with them following hygge.

The philosophyIt’s about invoking warmth,and anything that can add tothat is encouraged. “The Danesare exceptionally good at de-coupling wealth and well-being.We focus on the small things that re-ally matter and enjoy the good thingsin life,” explains Meik Wiking, a Dan-ish author from the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen.

The Collins EnglishDictionary named

Hygge the runner-up(after Brexit) as

word of the yearin the UK in 2016

WARM COMFY FOOD It’s all about comfort food. Steamingcups of cocoa or tea, warm soups,breakfast porridges, stews, cakes – allqualify as hygge foods. The idea is forthe meal to be both nourishing andfeel-good. Think how you spent the dayover a bowl of veggie-rich soup on aweekday evening with your family – that ishygge. It’s something Indians also have it as

part of their culture – dining together andexchanging highs and lows while enjoyinghome-cooked goodies. (CChheecckk ‘‘RReecciippee’’ sseeccttiioonnffoorr aa hhyyggggee ddeesssseerrtt iiddeeaa)

TAKEAWAY: Home-made dal-chawal or rajmachawal on a lazy weekend noon is what constitutes India’s own hygge – keep at it.

SOFT AND SIMPLE DECOR Turning your home hygge requires minimaleffort. Soft beiges, stark whites, and com-forting greys are all you need on your

palette. Cover the floor in cushy rugs, layeryour sofas with soft blankets and throw

pillows to the mix. Oversized beds with piled-on blankets, desks and sofas overlooking bigwindows can enhance that snug decor factor.

TAKEAWAY: The aesthetic emphasises candlesand fireplaces (breezy balconies with plants inwarmer countries like India: CChheecckk ‘‘HHyyggggeeDDeeccoorr’’ ssttoorryy ffoorr iiddeeaass oonn tthhiiss).

EASY BREEZY FASHION Considering the Norwegian climate, hygge is aconcept that works best with winters – and it’s

all about being at your comfortable best.Pyjamas, pullovers and all types of woolly,cashmere, soft, no-fuss clothing is encouraged.

TAKEAWAY: For Indians, being wrapped in niceshawls and stoles in warm colours works won-derfully in mild as well as extreme winter andalso in the changing season when its warm atdaytime but nippy in evenings and at night.

PRONUNCIATION: hoo-guh

PLACE OF ORIGIN: Denmark

HOW TO LIVE THE HYGGE LIFESTYLEHygge can be applied to your daily life in many ways, from food and decor tofashion. Here’s a simple guide on hygge-ing:

STEP 3: Bake the piecrust for 30 minutes

Grease your pie tray withbutter. Place a pre-made piecrust in the tray; line itwith parchment paper withpie weights (it prevents thecrust from forming airpockets). Place it in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

When the pie crust is done,remove pie weight andparchment paper. Arrangerest of the the strawberriesin the baked crust.

STEP 4: Pour strawberrymixture over pie crust Once strawberry mixturehas thickened, pour it overthe strawberries lined inthe baked pie crust. Nowplace it in the refrigeratorto set. Once set, take it outof the fridge and transferit to a serving dish. Top itwith whipped cream andserve chilled.

(Note: Heat the pie inmicrowave for two min-utes to serve it warm.) TNN

RECIPE

H O W T O M A K ELow in calories buthigh in vitamin C,potassium and fibre,strawberries aregreat for skin, hairand heart health

STEP 1: Preheat the ovenat 190 degrees CelsiusTo prepare this mouth-watering recipe, wash thestrawberries under run-ning water. Now, using aclean chopping board,slice the strawberries intotwo halves and keep aside.Then, preheat the oven to190 degrees Celsius.

DELHI TIMES

Balcony is that cosy small area athome, where we all love tospend leisure time. Witha mug of hot chocolate

and an engaging book to read –we’re sorted to have some ‘me time’here. Here are few ideas that you cantry out to jazz up your balcony’s decor style...

Buy few foldable but comfortabletable and chairs. You can use them when-ever you want to enjoy a cup of tea orlemonade while sitting in the balcony.Once you’re done, you can fold and keepthem inside to save space.

Greens always add to the beauty ofany space. When you live in an urbanapartment, a backyard with a lot ofplants may not be possible. In that case,buy some plants that require little effortto maintain.

Once you have bought the kind ofplants you want for this area, you canfocus on ways to use them to utilise

space. Hangingplants and weather-resistant

art works are some of the bestoptions. You can add a swingchair, too, for that cool andwoody charm.

Also, a recliner in the balcony can turn it into a great space.

That’s what you need whether to soak upthe sun or to stretch out with a book when

you have some free time.

Just as other decor onthe balcony, lighting isimportant as well. Stringlights are good; they arecheap and give the bal-cony an inviting look in

evenings. This can become a good spaceto chit-chat with your friends and familyand have mini get-togethers too. TNN

Washing yourhands proper-ly is one of theeasiest ways toprotect your-

self from disease-causing germsand bacteria. The process ofhandwashing is even more cru-cial nowadays when the new fatal strain of coronavirus continues to spread in differentparts of the world.

The advisory of the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO)also stresses on cleaning yourhands to protect yourself fromthe infection of this conta-gious virus. Here’s all aboutwashing hands the right way.

Simple, effective way to wash handsExperts suggest that youshould rub your hands to-gether with soap or handwash

and water for at least30 seconds. This will kill

all the bacteria and germscollected on your hands.

It’s okay to use hand sanitiser

Soap or handwash and wateris the best way to clean yourhands. But if it is not avail-able when you are outdoors,you can use an alcohol-basedhand sanitiser that containsat least 60 per cent alcohol.

Make sure yourub your hands

with the sanitiserfor 30 seconds.

How frequently shouldyou wash your hands?

Of course, washing yourhands is essential to keep diseases at bay but do not gooverboard. Washing yourhands several times in a daywill make it dry and chapped.However, it’s crucial to washyour hands after visiting thewashroom, touching a dirtysurface, preparing food or eating your food. TNN

Sinful Strawberry Pie For

WeekendGive your balcony an aesthetic appeal

‘HYGGE’ DECOR

BEST PLANTS TOHANG: Ferns,wandering Jew,Ivy, petunia,portulaca, verbena, etc.Invest in somesturdy wooden baskets for hang-ing these greens as they add elegance to balcony decor

TIPS

Keep your hands germ-freeHEALTH

It’s imperative to san-titise your handsafter touching publictransport facilitiessuch as a radio taxi,metro doors and han-dles, bus doors, flighthandles and so on

mash them. Put asaucepan over mediumflame; add mashedstrawberries andsugar. Bring the mix toa boil while stirring. Inanother bowl, mixwater and corn starch;add this mixture toboiling strawberries.Let simmer for about10 minutes while stirring continuously.

Step 2: Mash and boil thestrawberries wellTake half of the strawber-ries in a large bowl and

Photo: Getty Images

This pie recipe is aclassic yet exoticdessert for specialoccasions or lazyweekends. Bake it withyour loved ones andsavour its fruitydeliciousness

INGREDIENTS 5 cup strawberries 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup water 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoon corn starch 1/2 cup whipped cream 1 pie crust

MUST SEE MUST DOFEBRUARY27, 2020

THE WONDERFUL WORLDOF PUPPIES, SONY BBC

EARTH HD, 4.00 PM

WORLD'S DEADLIEST, NATGEO WILD, 6.00 PM

THE LOST WORLD JURASSIC PARK,

SONY PIX SD, 7.05 PM

THE JUNGLE BOOK, STARMOVIES, 8.50 PM

TV &

MOV

IES

FACT: Chandra Shekhar was merely15 when he was arrested for thefirst time for joining Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement. It is saidthat on being produced before ajudge, Chandra Shekhargave his name as‘Azad’, father's nameas ‘Swatantrata’ (inde-pendence) and residence as ‘Jail’.

FACT: Like Darwin, Pavlov believedthat dogs had full-fledged thoughts,

emotions and per-sonalities. His labdogs were givennames that cap-tured their person-alities and were

routinely described in lab notebooksas heroic or cowardly, smart, weak orstrong, good or bad, etc.

1931: Chandra Shekhar Azad, famous Indian revolutionary, died.

1936: Ivan Pavlov, physiologist and pioneer inpsychology (Nobel Prize 1904), passed away.

2002: Godhra train burning: a mob killed 59pilgrims returning from Ayodhya.

2019: Pakistan shot down an Indian fighter jetand captured the pilot, further escalating tensions in the disputed Kashmir region.

THIS DAY THAT YEAR