Look your best this Diwali!!

Diwali is around and how ecstatic we are. I am just counting the days when the D-day would arrive. Preparing to decorate my house, choosing the gifts for my friends and colleagues, I feel so drained but this has not stopped me from what I love about this festival. Many of you would agree with what I said. But in all this charm and excitement we forget to take care of our skin.

So, today I would be sharing some easy to follow tips which you could try and keep your skin glowing.

Start with saying no to sweets: Don’t overdo. Remember that consuming excess of sugary and fried foods would start showing on your face. You r skin would appear cracked, and dull. So do consume them but in limits.

Daily Skin regimen to be followed religiously: this goes even if it is not Diwali. But yes, during Diwali you spend a lot of time outdoors going shopping for clothes, gifts. Go for a home made cleanser or try out the cleansers available in the market. Do not forget your skin type.

Go for a Spa: these days you would find many saloons and spas offering plethora of offers. Take any one which suits your skin and your pockets too. But after getting that glow you need to maintain it. How? Dab your skin with moisturiser, sunscreen and enjoy the radiance for long.

Keep yourself hydrated: as you’re a on a shopping spree, you are draining yourself of the energy. Since the sun is also harsh so it is better to increase your water intake and consume more of fluids. Also include lots of green vegetables and fruits. They would be a rich source of energy which you would be looking for this time around. You could also go for lukewarm water mixed with honey and lemon. It would keep you hydrated for long.

Stay away from Firecrackers: I know it is a bit difficult but what best you could do is to cover up your face with a cotton cloth or scarf and maintain a distance of at least 5 to 6 feet from lit firecrackers. And when you are done wash up your face thoroughly and dab on a quality moisturizer.

Take care of your hair: you might have noticed that hair this time around become fizzy, dull and it is hard to manage them. Oil them well, use a mild shampoo which is soft on your scalp, and then condition them well.

My Prayer for you all this Diwali is,” Let this Diwali burn all your bad times and enter you in good times”.

Enjoy Shopping, gifting and party hard with the friends. Let people be envy of your glowing and younger looking skin this Diwali.

Diet recommendations for a Dengue Patients

Dengue cases are on rise even when the rains have gone. Dengue is caused by a mosquito bite; it is flu like viral illness caused by any one of the four types of dengue virus (DEN-1 to 4). Though there are not any specific dietary recommendations for combating dengue but still one could go for some healthy choices and thus recover fast.

The first and the foremost thing is to try healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. These food items would help you boost your immune system and thus ensure fast recovery. Also include protein rich pulses and whole grain foods as they would help in keeping the digestive tract healthy.

Secondly, double your liquid intake but hey I do not mean that only drink water. What you could do is to include liquid diet foods. Some options which you could go for are smoothies, fruit juices, soups, oats, rice gruel, and porridge. Also recommended is to consume oral rehydration solution as it would prevent dehydration which is a normal occurrence due to continuous vomiting and fever.

Be light on your stomach which means keep at bay from fried and junk foods. Also lower the intake of spices and salt. No, do not go for bland food instead one could add some commonly used herbs or even lemon juice to add flavour to your food.

Tea made with Basil (tulsi leaves), ginger and cardamom would be helpful in keeping down your fever and also boost your immunity levels. Going by what Ayurveda has to offer, extract or juice of two papaya leaves if consumed daily would work wonders for the dengue patient.

What the dengue patient should understand that there is no effective cure. Only with the correct medical supervision and keeping our body strong enough to fight dengue (by consuming healthy food, in taking more liquids coupled with proper rest) we could get rid of the dengue menace.

Is your cough more than just a cough?

Cough is a very common occurrence. Every one of us have caught cough many a times. The reason could be change in weather, too much intake of cold things or due to certain medical conditions. Mostly people avoid going to doctor instead they would prefer home remedies or take medicines on their own. But sometimes it could take much longer than anticipated. So what is the right time to visit a doctor for getting your cough cured?

See, cough is a natural process of cleaning the airways initiated by the body itself. Treating a cough would depend on the underlying cause. If you have got fever, antibiotics would help you get relief from the cough. Any cough which is a result of an allergy would get treated by treating the allergy.

Cough

For visiting a doctor for cough, the biggest reason would be that the cough continues for very long. The other symptoms for which one could visit the doctor could be:

·         Cough is accompanied with chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing

·         Yellow or green mucus

·         Coughing up blood or bloody mucus

·         Cough accompanied with fever of 101 or higher

·         Unexplained weight loss

·         Night sweats

Understanding the type of coughs

A cough which lasts for seven to 10 days is an acute cough.

A cough which is around for one to two months is a sub acute cough (the reason could be a respiratory infection)

Any cough which continues for more than eight weeks is a chronic cough and it could be due to certain medical conditions like:

·         Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

·         Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

·         Asthma

·         Lung cancer

·         Bronchitis

·         Congestive heart failure

·         Any damage to airways due to infection

·         Certain medications

It is necessary that if the cough does not get better within 1o days one should visit a chest physician. Better take precautionary measures well in advance and keep healthy than left to suffer.

Correct BMI and you are goanna live longer!!

Keep an eye on your BMI and stay healthy. This might looks you a simple statement but if implemented in the real life would give you amazing outcomes. Let us know more about BMI. BMI stands for Body Mass Index; it gives you the ratio between your body and height. It means that your weight should be in proportion to your height and vice a versa. BMI is considered to be a standard tool for helping you find out what should be your fat intake corresponding to your weight.

Higher the BMI, higher the percentage of fat in your body. Anyone could calculate his or her BMI. If you know your weight and height, you are done. The formula is:

(Weight in lbs / (height in inches X height in inches ) X 703)

Let us find out my BMI

Weight in lbs = 121.5 pounds

Height In inches = 66

Put all these values in the formula:

(121.5/ (66* 66))* 703  = 19.6

My BMI is 19.6

Now, let’s find out the healthy BMI range:

·         If the BMI is less than 18.5, you are underweight

·         If the BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9 you are normal weight

·         If the BMI is between 25 and 29.9, you are overweight

·         If the BMI is between 30 and 39.9, you are obese

·       If the BMI is 40 or over, you are dangerously obese

So, as per the range, my body weight is normal

What this BMI indicates?

If the BMI comes out to be more than the standards, you are at the verge of getting certain diseases which include:

·         Cardiovascular disease

·         High cholesterol and blood lipids

·         Type 2 diabetes

·         High blood pressure

·         Sleep apnea

·         Infertility

·         GERD

·         Urinary incontinence

Exceptions to BMI: BMI is an indicator of disease apart from body weight. But there are certain exceptions to BMI.

·         Sports persons, body builders, athletes normally have higher BMI because of the larger amount of muscle

·         Pregnant and lactating women should not be worried if their BMI is not normal

How BMI could be your mentor and guide?

·         BMI is a boon for all those who are working to reduce their weight. They can now know and work hard to reach within the normal limits

·         Lower BMI is also not good as your body is burning more energy than it is consuming. So knowing the right BMI you could now work on increasing your weight.

Remember right weight corresponding to the height is necessary for keeping the body fit.

Exercise essential for arthritis patients

Suffering from arthritis? Have confined yourself to bed? Have become dependent on your family and friends? Have you considered that arthritis would be there forever? If yes, let me share with you some simple health tips which would help you live happily and independent with arthritis.

Exercise: If you have arthritis, consider exercise as a necessity. Start with simple basic exercises like walking, riding a cycle and when you build on stamina indulge in weight training

Exercise would help you in big way. It will

·         Build up your stamina

·         Increase your energy levels

·         Keep a check on your weight

·         Strengthen muscle and bone

·         Reduce fatigue

·         Boost your confidence

·         Reduce dependency on others

Keep your joints mobile. Move your shoulder back and fro, raise your arms upward and downward. Little do you know mobility helps in smooth transportation of nutrients and waste products to and from the cartilage?

CARTILAGE: is the material which protects and acts as a cushion for the bones.

Which exercise you could perform?

Strengthening exercise: Increase muscle strength with Isometric and Isotonic exercise. Isometric exercise involves tightening of the muscle without moving the joints whereas in Isotonic exercises would involve joint movement.

Range-of-motion exercise: gently stretch your hands, feet, arms and legs. These exercises are very helpful for those who are suffering from chronic arthritis. Perform daily household activities like cooking, drying the clothes (do not indulge in washing the clothes/utensils) which are light on your hands could be performed.

Endurance exercises: such exercises would help you bring your heart beat to normal levels for 20 to 30 minutes. Those arthritis patients who perform these endurance exercises have been able to control the arthritis symptoms with increased muscle strength

Points to be considered: if you are an arthritis patient and considering exercise, consult your doctor first. After going through your reports and tests, the type of arthritis you suffer and other medical conditions, the doctor would advise you for the right kind of exercise for you.

You could even consider:

Walking: the simplest yet the most effective exercise which helps you build strength and keep you physically active

Tai Chi: originated in china this gentle martial arts exercise would help you keeping your joints in motion. You could perform fluid and flowing circular movements

Yoga:  This ancient Indian exercise would help you get rid of your pain, relax stiff muscles and improve joints conditions. Start with deep breathing exercises followed with stretching exercises. Do not perform those exercises which exerts pressure on the joints

Jogging: run slowly and that too on softer surfaces. Walk on wet grass. It is also effective for keeping your eyes healthy.

Bicycling: Do cycling at home or go outdoors. It is a good low impact exercise option which works wonders for the arthritis patients.

Go and try out these health tips and stay healthy!

October heat is back – take care of your skin!!

Monsoon has bid good bye and harsh and scorching summers are back in full swing. With the temperatures at all time high (during the day) and sinking humidity; it is tough to keep your skin and hair healthy. To braze the October heat, I have come up with certain tips which would prove beneficial for all.

So let’s get going.

·         Increase your water intake and keep your skin hydrated. Also to beat the heat, carry an umbrella. Avoid going out during the day if it is not that urgent.

·         Wear cotton clothes with lighter shades as it would help you keep your skin cool and would reflect the sun’s heat. Girls go for shorts and skirts and boys should opt for Capri pants/shorts , sandos

·         Eat right food. Since there is remarkable change in the day temperatures, it is best to avoid the street food. Our body is still coping with the sudden change and too burden it with street and junk food would only do more harm than good. Home cooked food which is not fried and light on your tummy is the best this season.

·         Include at least one whole fruit in your daily diet. Salads and Cucumbers are an healthy option for the travelers since the heat takes a toll on their health.

·         Go out with minimal make up. Do not overdo as the summer heat would make you sweat a lot. Go for bright shades if you are going out during the day while nude and neutrals would go for a casual outing. Opt for lipgloss with shimmer instead of lipsticks

·         Use lots and lots of sunscreen. Do not go for a sunscreen because your friend has bought it or recommended. You have a different skin type and the weather might also be different at the two places. So go for a moisturizer which suits your skin type and the weather also.

·         Take good care of your hair. In the October month, the hair becomes frizzy and dry and become hard to manage. Some tips for you: Go for short hair. It would not only help in better hair management but would also keep you cool. If you do not want to shorten the length, go for trimming and get rid of the split ends. Avoid shampooing everyday. It might help you clean the scalp but would also take away the scalp’s natural moisture. Carry an umbrella or wear a hat to avoid harsh sun rays.

·         Go for regular Pedicure: Your feet would once again come to life with regular pedicure. Choose colourful nail paints and do not forget to sprinkle powder before wearing the shoes/ sandals. Go for flip flops and beat the October heat bravely.

Do not cut out from the outer world. Instead brave it with these tips and keep glowing.

Keep your skin glowing this monsoon

Come this monsoon and you would suddenly find your glowing and fresh skin wear a dull and gloomy look. But hey! Stop being so upset. There are ways through which you could get back the same glowing skin and that too without spilling out money from your wallet. Today, I would be telling you some simple yet very effective tips for skin care during monsoon. I would be giving tips for oily as well as normal skin.

Skin cleansing:

·         For oily skin: Soap free cleanser or an oil free face wash would do wonders. Or if you are looking for some home made thing to work for go, apply papaya pulp or you could even make an oatmeal scrub. Apply it for 10 minutes and then wash it off with cold water.

·         For dry skin: Keep away from face wash which have deo properties in it. It would make your skin look further dry. A mixture of almond powder with honey could be applied for five minutes and then rinse it off with warm water.

Scrubbing:  

It is necessary to remove dead cells from the face. One should scrub the face twice a week. This regime should be followed for both oily skin and dry skin

·         For oily skin:  A paste of rice flour and rosewater would work as an excellent exfoliating agent. You could also take channa (besan) powder and mix it with milk or rose water and use it as a scrubber.

·         For dry skin: Rose water and glycerin paste would work wonders for dry skin

Toning: 

An alcohol free toner is what I recommend for both oily and dry skin. You could use it daily after face wash. What a toner does is it closes all the skin pores and restores the lost pH balance

·         For oily skin: You could make a homemade toner by mixing 10 drops of lavender oil with one teaspoon of water

·         For dry skin: One teaspoon of milk with 5 drops of chamomile oil could be used for toning on daily basis

Moisturizing:

The main reason for dull looking skin in the monsoon is dehydration. Keep you body hydrated with applying a good quality moisturiser. Remember that the people with dry skin would observe extreme dryness whereas oily skin people would feel that extra moisture is added up.

·         For oily skin: Mix oil (any oil of your choice) and water. For e.g. if you are using a fruit oil, take 2-3 drops of that oil and two teaspoons of rose water. Apply it for 10 minutes on your face and then rinse it off with cold water.

·         For dry skin: Take jojoba oil, yogurt (curd) and honey in equal quantity. Make a paste and apply it for about 10 minutes. Rinse it off with a mild face wash. A paste of wheat bran with milk or yogurt would leave your skin looking fresh and moisturized.

There are some other precautions which you could follow and benefit yourself.

·         Drink plenty of water.

·         Do not rub your face while drying. Just pat dry gently.

·         Do not go in sun without sunscreen protection

·         Keep away from fungal infection by maintaining a healthy and hygienic regime.