Healing with hills- Health Book : Day 118

Hill stations bring a  pleasant change in our lives. We breathe free in the relaxing & calm surrounding,  break free from the monotony of our life and get rejuvenated. Hill stations are a must visit for all, especially those who have practically lost themselves in stress and crazy city rush. The pure air magically heals your body. The mystique view rejuvenates you mentally, emotionally, physically.

My three days visit to Dalhousie and McLeodGanj did the same to me. The magical bliss was not only of the beautiful nature but of the lovely resort as well which made our stay so memorable. I will write about the trip in some other post. Let me share some positive things about hill stations and the wonders that can happen there.

-Have you often heard doctors advising patients to take a break and recover in hill stations? As I said, hill stations offer you serenity, much required for you mentally and physically. Hill stations have clean air. Not that the air is pollution free, but the pollution level is much less as compared to cities. Clean air means clean oxygen and clean respiration.

-No or scanty use of plastic in hill stations is another blessing. Everything is so pure & neat! The pollution free roads are

-Physical activity- Roads at hill stations are curvy and inclined. Imagine walking on a treadmill inclined with few degrees. It takes more efforts to walk on inclined base than on a flat base. Hence you get a healthy heart, more muscles and stronger body. Get fit with the hills!

-Mental peace- Wake up to the noise of chirping birds, beautiful sunrise view, rustling of trees in the morning breeze and you are automatically refreshed. A quiet ambiance gives you a chance to spend some time with yourself. That explains why writers choose hill stations as a destination while they write their books. Ruskin Bond, Kiran Desai are legendary examples from the literary world who went to the hills looking for a peaceful environment and apt location for their stories. Hills are magical you see!

-Spiritual connect- While you can find solace and mental peace, at the same time you connect spiritually. Mediation and spiritual healing is a calmer experience in hill stations than cities.

-Exotic beauty- Newly wed couples should visit a hill stations for their honey moon. The exotic beauty of the place naturally brings two people closer. Create a strong bond of your relationship amid the mesmerizing beauty of hills. You will remember the sunrise, sunset, vibrant flowers and lush greenery forever. Remember, flora and fauna always have a positive effect on your minds!

-Medicated water- Did you know that water from mountains have medical properties that heals diseases! Not all, may be few do. Subhash Chandra Bose stayed in Dalhousie for 8 months. He was suffering with TB during that period. During his daily morning walks, Netaji is said to have regularly consumed water from a spring which cured his TB! A similar place called Shastradhara in Dehradun has source of Sulphur water, called Gandhak Kund which is said to be good for curing skin infections. Many such healing features make hill stations popular.

So what are yo waiting for? Plan a vacation and pack off to hill station for few soothing days of your life. Heal in the hills, stay healthy, stay blessed.

Tanned? Health Book- Day 101

Pull up your shirt sleeves and see the difference in the skin tone. Body parts exposed to the sun are dark as they are tanned, while the covered ones appear normal. This is one of the worse effects of summers. Okay, don't panic, keep calm and read the home remedies to de-tan yourself. Tried and tested grandma's methods and approved by health/derma experts.

Lighter complexion with lemon

-When life throws lemons at you, use them to de-tan!Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent that helps skin to get rid of tanning.

Rub fresh lemon juice on your face, elbows or hands. If lemon juice sounds messy or those who think why to waste lemons, they might as well utilize the used/squeezed lemons. Despite the juice already gone, the remains of the lemon cover/shell still retains the rich content of vitamins. Rub the lemon peel on your tanned parts, elbows or knees. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash with cold water.

-Pass on the papaya! Did you know that papaya is a skin lightening agent? No? How could you not know that? Papaya is full of antioxidants and Vitamin A&C that gives your skin a glowing fair texture. Rub the flesh of papaya on skin or mash a portion of papaya and use as mask. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash with cold water. Discover a de-tanned and soft skin!

-Potential potato- If you have a mild tan, rub peeled potato skin on the affected area. See how well the peels work on your skin before being trashed! You can apply raw potato juice as well. Rich in vitamin C, potato works really well on dark circles around the eyes which look darker on tanned facial skin.

Exfoliate with almonds

-Expresso exfoliate - When you are tanned, exfoliate to remove the dead skin cells. Soak a few almonds in water

overnight and the next morning, grind them till you get a fine paste and add equal quantities of milk. Apply this mixture to your hands, face and feet for 20 minutes. Sounds expensive? Well yes, almonds are expensive. See an economical method then- Apply a paste of oatmeal powder, yogurt, lime juice and tomato juice and wash it with cold water after keeping it for half an hour. A 100% guaranteed de-tan is assured!

-Cuddly curd- Curd is not only refreshing and good for stomach but works wonders on skin during summers.  Mix curd and chickpea (besan) and apply on tanned areas. Wash with cold water when dried.  Tanned skin will disappear.

-Toss the tomato- Enriched with Vitamin A, C& astringent properties, tomatoes help ypu get a clear skin

Tomatino Facial

complexion and rid of acne as well. Rub tomato pulp or a slice of raw tomato on your tanned parts. Alternatively mix a tablespoon of honey in tomato juice to make a thick paste. Wash after 15 minutes of application. Your tanned skin will be history!

With the advent of cosmetics and skin care products, we land up doing more harm than good to our skin. There is no better remedy than the natural ones, keeping the harsh chemicals at bay.

Stay healthy stay blessed! 

Summer Mocktail- Year Health Book- Day 99

Soaring temperature eh?

As summers silently creep into our lives, we can't help but live with it. We leave no stone un-turned to beat the heat and land up doing harm than good. Ice creams, carbonated drinks may give you temporary relief from the heat, but certainly causes no good in the long run. You literally gain nothing from them, apart from calories or flu-cold.

Sharing an easy and refreshing summer drink here- Watermelon cocktail. I did not call it mocktail, since there was no other fruit mixed in the drink. It is neat fruit juice !

Preparation time- 10 mins

What you need- Ripe sweet watermelon, 1 lemon, black salt, mint leaves

Method-
1. Cut the water melon into halves, scraping the pulp from the cover. Chop them into pieces and sort out the seeds. Place the pieces in a juicer or mixer.
2. Juice the pulp in the juicer. Keep it thick or thin as per your choice.

3.  Squeeze one whole lemon into the juice.

4. Stir with a teaspoon of black salt or chaat masala.

Pour in a glass. Do not add water or sugar.

Garnish with mint leaves. Add ice cubes if you like it chilled.

This is the easiest fruit mocktail you can make at home. For those who find eating the big melon boring, will definitely find this an interesting & refreshing drink. To top it all, I don't need to remind you the benefits of watermelon, do
I? Alright, for the sake of Year Health Book, let me do a small one -

• Watermelon is rich in antioxidants
• Reduces body fat
• Boosts immune, reduces cell damage
• Improves eye health
• Boosts energy level with time.
• Gives you younger looking skin and protects from sun damage.
• Arginine content in Watermelon boosts nitric acid that helps treat cardiovasular problems and high blood pressure.

So don't shy away from the watermelon treat. Stay healthy, stay blessed.

Know how's of cardio- Health Book: Day 97

This post for those who don't know what is cardio exercise and why should it be done. While talking to a friend yesterday, who had no clue about cardio exercises, I realized the need to enlighten others about the same.

What?

Cardio or cardiovascular exercises are those physical movements of your body where your heartbeat accelerates.

Why?

If you have desk job, how does your body feel at the end of the day? You may have tight muscles, an aching back, and you feel exhausted even though you haven't done anything physical. Perhaps your shoulders are heavy with tension and head giddy after staring at your computer screen for the whole day. You do not feel the same post a good workout. Your muscles become warm and flexible, the blood circulation becomes good, providing oxygen and energy. You feel energized, refreshed, confident and  proud of yourself and ready, don't you? The reason is that our bodies are made to move, and not sit around all day. This is exactly what we do and ruin our bodies.

Benefits?

• Cardio exercise is a great way to burn calories and help you lose weight
• Did you know that cardio makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood?
• More the cardio, better is your lung capacity
• It helps reduce risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
• It makes you feel good, energetic and confident.
• It helps you sleep better and reduce stress
• It increases your bone density

How?

Joining a gym or aerobics may not be possible for everybody. So try these without joining a gym-

brisk walk, running/jogging. cycling, skipping, using staircase or something as easy as jumping. Cardio workout is also important before lifting weights. Do not rush to weights without warming up or cardio. You can only stay fit if the right direction is followed.

Stay healthy, stay blessed.

Smelly encounter

While chatting with a friend yesterday, I told him about the blog contest for Racold. While for me, this was a big contest, for him it was more than a contest as he proudly told me that Racold is the market leader in water heaters. As a sales champ in consumer durable industry from the past few years, he definitely knows the market well and his statement made me feel more enthusiastic about this blog contest :-) This is a part of Indibloggers contest https://www.facebook.com/racoldthermoltd

Many a times I have felt the same as what the video shows. Check out the hilarious video here- What\'s that smell, Boss?

All of us, at some point in our life must have come across such messy people, who stink. At times it is the shoes of a person, while at other times it’s the smell of underarms sweat. During such smelly encounters, we either turn away our heads in the opposite direction, or ignore the stench. During one such smelly encounters, a dear colleague of mine caused a lot of stir at workplace. It was the offset of winters and she happened to wear a long black pullover on a particular day. Many colleagues, including me felt a strange odor of dirt or mud. We realized, the itching smell of dirt apparently came from somewhere around her seat. The moment people would pass by her, they complained of a dusty odor. It did not take me long to figure out the source of the smell. It was the black sweater he had worn that day. Being a close friend of mine, I did not ignore the problem and politely told her about the unusual odor from her sweater. She did not take offence and immediately took off her pullover. I assumed that perhaps it was not washed properly. My suggestion to her was to wash the pullover in mild detergent in warm water.  Its not the human body that needs a bath always. At times its your clothes too :)

In few instances I have suggested people to use a strong deodorant or perfume. The suggestion used to be quite assertive, hence dropping hints to people about the strong body odor!

In a hilarious incident few years ago, my newly promoted boss felt embarrassed due to the smelly encounter. My team was invited for lunch to our new boss’s house. The spacious house was beautifully decorated, with every detail intricately chosen and accounted for. Right from the marbled floor, teak wood furniture, satin curtains to imported show pieces, everything about the house was classy. It smelled of high taste. It also smelled of something unpleasant. We were pleased with a warm welcome and all the affection that was showered by the hosts but only if the pungent smell wasn't present! Our new boss and his wife had left no stone unturned to make us feel comfortable. The smell continued to strangle me every minute. For obvious reasons I could not complain about the stench amid the hosts but surely dropped them hints that I was uneasy. The whole team insisted to see the balcony and terrace. The moment we were out of the room, I heaved a sigh of relief loudly saying "Thank god, its not smelling here". The boss's wife overheard me and my colleague nudged her elbow at me! Believe it or not, I did that purposefully.The rest is history :p

It is said that God gives a special skill or ability to everybody. Strange but true, I have that special ability to smell things from a distance. Not that I am a sniffer dog, but being a sinus patient, my extra sensitive nose can smell anything from a distance, faster than anybody else. This particularly happens in my yoga classes. The bad body odor gives me a bad mood. I requested my yoga instructor to suggest people taking a warm bath daily in the morning, as this helps to reduce body odor. Directly, or indirectly, I was happy to have my message conveyed without having me asked "Whats that smell boss?"

It is most advisable to take a warm water bath in the morning, to feel rejuvenated and eliminate body odor. With a product as superior as Racold in the market, I am sure warm water bath is so convenient and refreshing. A quick heating technology, not on;y saves time but also electricity!

DALCOSO: Health Book :Day 77

Ok, before you get any ideas, lemme tell you DALCOSO is a dish. This is my experiment in the kitchen and the dish name has of course been christened by me. At last, after a long break from blogging, I am back to usual business. This is the 77th day of the year, so the 77th post of my YEAR HEALTH BOOK.

Daliya (oatmeal) can be really boring, yeah? Why not add fun to it and make it interesting? I returned home from work after a busy day. While looking at the jars in the kitchen, I felt like skipping dinner for today. So much is the ordeal to cook for a single person! However, daliya came to my rescue and a new dish was born. Dalcoso is a mix of Daliya, Corns and Soya bean :-)

Ingredients- Daliya (oats), A cup of sweet corns, a handful or cup of soya beans, 2 tomatoes& onions, a spoonful of oil and sesame seeds

Optional- Coriander leaves, green/red chillies, pepper

Prep time- 15 minutes

Method-

1. Pressure cook daliya, corns and soya beans for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile chop onions and tomatoes.

2. Heat oil in pan. Add sesame seeds to crackle. Fry onions and tomatoes.

3. Add daliya, corns and soya beans to the pan. Add a little water if you want to have it like soup. Add salt, pepper, green chillies to taste. Stir for few minutes.

4. Add coriander leaves to garnish. Serve hot.

A simple and healthy meal ready within no time. Needless to mention the nutrient value of this priceless dish, yet let me revise for the sake of all readers. Daliya is high in dietary fiber, proteins  and very low on fat or calories.
Corn is rich in fiber, antioxidants and minerals.
Soya bean acts a source of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat.
Lets make food interesting and life healthy.

Stay healthy stay blessed!

#Whats that smell boss?

This contest is a part of the Indiblogger contest at https://www.facebook.com/racoldthermoltd

Smelly people? Well, this sounds rude! We call it body odor in a polite way. Yet the foul smell still remains a nightmare for those who smell it. I remember the foul stench from underarms of co-passengers in metro or bus while travelling to work or returning home, and I had no option but to turn away my head in the other direction to get some air. I almost choked myself on occasions when a person enters an air conditioned room with that rotten stench! The worse smell are those when the fancy deodorants blend with sweat and leave you in a bad mood!

I could not be rude to those who smell bad, though my mind is ready to yell at the person, asking "What's that smell boss?"

While I can still ask my sister to leave her shoes outside the house, I don't have that liberty to do so with others! Feet smell bad. God! Why don't they wash socks? Why don't they keep their shoes out in the sun. It was in 2010 when I was travelling from Delhi to Jaipur with my friends in Volvo for vacation. The air conditioned bus had closed windows, without any scope to open. One of the passengers had taken his shoes off. The entire bus was stinking with a rotten smell of those dirty socks. I kept shuffling on my seat and covering my nose every minute. I got restless and eventually threw out. The conductor had to stop the moving bus to get the bus clean.

"Are you feeling unwell?" the conductor asked me.

"I am ok. Its the bad smell of somebody's socks that made me sick!" I replied coughing and grasping for my breath.

Other co-passengers nodded their heads in agreement and it was only then that they complained of the foul smell of somebody's socks! Eeh! Post a lot of hub bub and a short break in the middle of the journey, when we boarded the bus again, to our surprise the smell was gone! The person was smart enough to remove his socks after hearing our conversation. So much for a foul smell!! Haha! (Here I am assuming the socks belonged to some gentleman and not a lady, as its the socks of a man that smells most of the times. No offence meant :p )

I recently wrote a blog post on how to get rid of smelly feet and posted on social networking sites. Since I could not say it directly, I said it those people who actually need a hot water bath in morning, through my blog and tagged them on social sites. The intelligent ones understood what I meant, and the ignorant ones are laughed at.

This is the best that I could have dealt with smelly people. I really wish to educate them about body odor. When we take a bath with warm water, our skin feels refreshed and the sweat glands emit less of foul smell. Haven't we heard that washing clothes or utensils with luke warm water takes off the oiliness and dirt debris from them completely. The same trick goes for our body. So why not feel reborn every morning with a hot water bath from Racold?

Scanning the distance

My friends and relatives who stay across the country and in various other parts of the world, stay in touch with me through the virtual world, i.e internet. Be it my uncle who is a well settled doctor in London, or my colleague from my previous office in Chennai (who recently had a baby) have asked me many times to pay them a visit. While internet keeps us connected undoubtedly, we cannot ignore the importance of meeting people face to face, especially when they are close to you. One may be willing to go and visit them, yet there is something which we don't share with them. It's you who bears the cost of travelling, damn it! So once when I had planned to go to London to meet my uncle's family, I did a dry run on the internet for tickets/flights. The ticket prices were sky high and I immediately dropped the idea of a vacation. How can you even plan a vacation when the travelling cost is that high! I called them to India instead :-) That was a smart move, though the disappointment remained in my heart for not being able to execute the most awaited trip to abroad.

To add to the woes is the time one takes to travel to the preferred destinations. You cant save money if you save time and vice versa.

So while I was growing up in a small town, it gave me wings to dream. Having stayed all my life in a small town of Uttaranchal, I many a times wondered how would life be outside my country. The thought of going out of country always fascinated me and my excitement grew with leaps and bounds with age. I traversed to Delhi for job and kept dreaming for a vacation abroad.

Now talking about the destination, I really wanna go to Bangkok. Do you really need to know the reasons? Well, there are many! One- The place is not expensive! That leaves a lot of room for shopping. Yay! A girl's instinct you see (wink wink) You save a lot of money on low cost flight for good shopping and great food on vacation. That's actually quite smart. Yeah?

Secondly- The travel time isn't long. Who wants to spend a long travel time in flight? A short trip gives you enough time for other exciting stuff like sight seeing. Needless to mention about the grand Budhhist temple, Siam Ocean World aquarium, exotic wine bars and floating markets of Bangkok.

To add to the advantage is- no jet lags!!! And the working professionals would also agree that with the scanty leave balance they have, time factor becomes rather important. Mathematically, lesser the time in travelling, more is the leisure and pleasure. Obviously we can't time travel!

All those who watched the movie SWADES (Starring Shahrukh Khan) must have seen the modes of travelling he used to reach that small village. Flight, train, bus, boat, rickshaw and what not. Yes that was economical for him, but put yourself in his shoes. Would this be feasible for you? Would you want to keep travelling in order to reach your favorite destination? It may be exciting for those who have all the time in the world and are travelers, but not the common people like us. (There again, don't underestimate the power of common man, says SRK) I might consider those travel options once I reach the destination And not TO the destination. Then only would that be travelling smart. Though I wish I had a magic wand to reach Bangkok invisible. hehe!

My gym trainer visited Bangkok last year and that increased my desire to visit Bangkok by many folds. Then I came across a wonderful website Skyscanner. Check out the website http://www.skyscanner.co.in My excitement knew no bounds when the website showed a whole list of flights available on the site. It eliminated the need to do a random search on net for flights. The site gives you the entire list of flights and hotels available and the time taken to travel. My heart pumped faster and I zeroed in Bangkok for my vacation!!

Scan the sky with skyscanner and travel smart to your dream destination. Save time, save money, enjoy to the fullest and return with a load of cherish-able memories!

This contest is a part of indiblogger contest http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=100

Love the #DovePlay

What is the biggest strength for a girl? I know few would say, her smile, or confidence..so on and so forth. What if I'd say her beautiful tresses which she can flaunt? That's where my strength lies. Surprisingly it is my weakness as well. I want to flaunt my hair, play with them, but I am afraid. Caring about my precious locks and the thought of damaging them, makes me go weak in my legs.

I inherited wavy and thick hair from my Bengali parents. I had been possessive about my hair since childhood and was encouraged by my mom to lengthen them. Looking at other girl of my school, I wanted to style my hair. Since my mom did not let me shorten my hair, I would often end up experimenting with my wavy locks at some friend's place. At times I would cut fringes which was popularly known as "Sadhna Cut" or would play with razor cut. However, I could not leave my hair open because my hair texture wasn't smooth and straight. It was my biggest disappointment. For any girl who wants to leave her hair open, needs good shiny and strong hair. Isn't it? And that did not happen for two reasons- The hereditary waves in my hair and environmental stressors like pollution, weather etc.

I would love to play with my hair like I did in childhood. Straight at times, a french pony at times, some day fringes and one day color them! However, I could not grow my locks more than shoulder length because of the weak structure. On my hairdresser's advise I wanted to get my hair cut in layers. Haircut boosts you mentally, but when you can't flaunt them,  you find it totally pointless!

Often I would braid my hair or tie them in a bun, especially during an overnight stay at friend's place, because its embarrassing to see your strands of hair on bed, bathroom, floor, and everywhere. Come on, at girls night out, you are supposed to let your hair down and not tied in a bun! But who really understands the pain of having rough, dry hair?

The idea of pressing my hair and then coloring them struck me once. I got my hair pressed but ended up with split ends and losing more hair than the remaining ones on my head. That hurts! Looking at the rough strands and breakage, I grew paranoid of coloring my hair hence. What if they break post applying those dyes and chemicals? The fear of losing more hair held me back from playing with colors on my hair. sob sob. So, be it an attractive burgundy or amber brown, they scare me more and attract me less.

The only accessory for my hair is a clutch-er, that holds my locks together.

While wet look was an "in" thing some time back, I gave it a try. Wet look makes you look sexy and fresh. I applied gel to acquire that look. My hair turned brittle and could not resist breakage. I crave for that wet look, even today. But I am paranoid of hair sprays and gels that might damage my hair of what's left now.

My hair breakage had become so prominent that I had to consult a doctor to confirm if my body lacks iron! With so many shampoos and conditioners available in the market, irrespective their claim of being gentle and chemical free, the thought of dry,damaged hair and losing them soon, stops me from using them.

This blog post is a part of the Indiblogger #DovePlay contest http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=105

The video seems to answer that how girls want to play with their hair. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rebjJcnactk 

Smelly feet? Health Book Day 65

Felt the awful stench from somebody's feet while travelling in public transport? Entered a closed room and you instantly wanted to leave because of a pair of smelly shoes? Often people say "Do you mind taking your shoes off?"

This sounds funny but the above can happen to your or anybody. The best example in my house is my sister whose feet emit strong odor, irrespective the weather, kind of shoes or perfume she uses. I was sick of complaining of the bad choking stench!

Bad odor may have many reasons, ranging from what food you consume to the physical activity of your body. Primarily it happens due to bacteria or fungus that breed in your feet or toes. Sharing few tips to get rid of such odor from feet and shoes-

- If you are physically active,  then you ought to sweat. Make sure you wash your feet in cold water after taking off your shoes.

-Keep your feet dry, especially between the toes as it serves a breeding ground for fungi or bacteria that cause odor.

-Try rubbing your feet with turnip juice or radish juice as these are natural deodorants.

-Wear socks whenever possible. Cotton socks or sweat absorbing socks are ideal.

-Wash and dry your socks daily or alternate days. Do not slip on wet or damp socks.

-You can soak your feet every day (atleast for a week) in strong black tea for 30 minutes. Add two tea bags in half a pot of water. Boil it for 10 minutes. Then add two quarters of cool water and soak your feet in the cool solution.

-For smelly shoes, use odor absorbing talc or anti fungal. These are easily available at all chemist shops or pharmacy. Sprinkle some in your shoes before wearing them. -Dip your feet in warm water and put drops of lemon.

-Put your shoes out in the sun once a week to get rid of the smell from shoes.

-A good pedicure twice in a month is also beneficial.

The main trick is to keep your feet and footwear dry and bacteria free. The above have helped my sister a lot and I complain less now :-) Lead a good happy life, full of health and wellness. Stay healthy stay blessed!