Ok, here is an interesting piece of advice I got from a gym trainer. She suggests vociferously that one shouldn’t over-exercise. Doing so can leave one dehydrated and hence cause nutrients to be sapped from the skin. This results in premature ageing of the skin. If there is substantial loss of fat, the facial skin begins to sag!

Moderate exercise though is very important. It increases circulation and helps metabolism and therefore helps body get rid of toxins and helps keep the skin clean and refreshed.

Tags: Natural detox, natural health, skin care

Today is World Health Day. And I thought why not just remind ourselves of some basic do’s and don’t for good overall health. And in the process make some resolutions

So here goes my list of resolutions…

• Exercise – Build any form of exercise into daily routine. Meditation and deep breathing, yoga exercises, aerobics, walking, running, gyming…could be anything. 30 minutes of exercise, especially in the morning help improve our metabolism and also keep us fresh and active during the day.
• Five to ten minutes of Kapalbhati pranayam over and above the above. It improves the functioning of the respiratory system, improves blood circulation, improves digestive system, tones abdominal muscles, cleanses and purifies both the mind and the body, fights stress and helps lose weight.
• Eath healthy – Include nuts and fruits in breakfast and salads in lunch.
• Have a hearty breakfast so I have energy for the day. Also helps improve metabolism to have a good breakfast after the night long gap.
• Go in for a decent lunch but have a frugal dinner.
• Avoid skipping meals even when there seems to be no time for one. Am going to carry a banana or some almonds or one of those Protein bars and po-in any time I feel there isn’t time for a sit-down meal.
• Better still, try and have 5-6 small, healthy meals during the day.
• Have atleast 8-10 glasses of water every day. I find it difficult to have so much of plain water. So am going to try lemonade, RoohAfza, orange squash to get my full quota of water for the day.  Worth doing for good metabolism and happy skin!
• Avoid stress – That is something that is going to be tricky for me. And this will probably be my most important Health Day resolution.
• Avoid late nights as far as I can – whether it is for work or partying. Am going to follow the “Early to bed and early to rise…” dictum. That isn’t going to be tough though as I am mostly a morning person.
• Get atleast 6 hours of sleep everynight. A good, sound sleep allows the body to heal itself and get ready for the next day.
• Catch 40 winks, if I can, during the afternoons. Its like a quick refuel for me!
• Go for nature walks, and just immerse myself in the sights and sounds of nature…pure bliss!
• Laugh as often as I can…not waiting for a big joke to be cracked.

Ok, so thats my list. What’s yours? Do share!

Tags: ayurveda, healthy eating, healthy living, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health

Some of us continue to have acne well into our adult hood, even though we are long past our teens and even though we long gave up on binging on chocolates, fried food and spicy snacks. Adult acne is a common problem and one or more of these could be its precipitating causes:

• Stress – Bust that stress. Skin is one of the first body part to show the effects of stress. Make sure you have your to-do list ready when stress strikes. A few minutes of deep breathing and other meditation exercises in the morning can help you keep your cool during the day.
• Pollution is a common cause of adult acne – Make sure you use a good protector against pollution. Calamine acts as a good defense against pollution and is also soothing for the skin.
• Seasonal changes can cause adult acne – Well, can’t really help this one  
• Allergic reactions could also cause a break-out. For example, my daughter is sensitive to heat and standing next to a heat source makes her skin break out into a rash. Sometimes, it isn’t too difficult to figure out what is causing the allergic reaction. If you are prone to an allergy, try figuring out if there is a pattern every time your skin develops acne/rash.  Once you have identified the cause, its easy to tackle it. Well, almost! I know of a friend who underwent some allergic tests and was found to be allergic to plants. Nothing much you can do in that case unless you decide to stay indoors all the time!!
• Using wrong make-up is another big cause of a break out in adult women. What suits one person’s skin may not suit another. Its as simple as that. Make sure you do a patch test before you use it on your full face. And steer clear of any brands or products that don’t suit your skin. 
• Avoid greasy creams and lotions. Products containing lanolin, propyl myristate sodium lauryl sulphate can be too greasy for some skin types.
• Keep your face clean. Make sure you wash your face when you get back home with a good cleanser. If you use make-up remove it thoroughly before you retire to bed. Let your skin breathe.

Once you have pimples, make sure that you 

• do not keep touching the pimples.
• do not squeeze the pimples.

In terms of dietary habits,

• Drink lots of water. Can never over-emphasize this!
• Have a fibre rich diet.
• Include fruits and salads in your daily diet.
• Keep your stomach clean.
• Have some aloe juice or pulp every morning. 

You can also try some of these home remedies* for acne:

• Rub garlic paste on the pimples. Helps tackle acne scars as well.
• Mix rose water in fullers earth and apply every evening. Wash off gently when it dries.
• Mix one tsp. turmeric powder, one tsp. honey, a little bit of curd(just enough to cover your face), one tsp. lemon juice. Apply and leave on the face till it dries. Wash off.
• Take a tsp. of gram flour and add half a tsp. of turmeric powder. Make a paste with rose water. Apply on face and leave till it dries. Wash off.
• Use a paste of fenugreek (methi) leaves on your face.
• Wash acne with this leaf infusion. You can make it by boiling some finely chopped neem and guava leaves in water for 10 minutes.

* Do a patch test with these before you apply them on your face. It is common to be allergic to honey, lemon juice and other common ingredients when applied on face. A lot also depends on the condition of your skin at that time.

Tags: ayurvedic remedy, fruits and health, home remedies, natural cure, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health

Lemon has a special place in home remedies. And it carries a special meaning for those of us living in hot climes. A glass of Nimbu Pani (lemonade) is all you want after a day out on a hot summer day. Lemon has significant therapeutic properties and finds use in a wide variety of treatments, some of which I have tried to list below.

As a cooler

• Lemon makes for a refreshing drink in summers. It cools the body and lemonade with a pinch of salt helps replenish body salts lost due to heat.
• Lemonade with salt & sugar is recommended in loose motions.
• Sweet lemonade is recommended in fever.
• Essential oil of lemons is used for cooling.
• Its essence also finds use in soaps, body washes and deodorants to convey a “cooling effect”.

For the skin

• Lemon acts as a natural bleach. Applying lemon juice on face regularly brings glow to the face.
• Because of its high Vitamin C content, lemon helps ward off scurvy.
• Used with glycerine, it works as a good moisturiser.

As a cleanser

• Rubbing the inside of a rind of lemon on elbows and knees cleanses them.
• Lemon rinds have long been used for cleaning brass and copper utensils.

For healing

• Lemon has antiseptic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.
• Lemon juice creates a soothing effect when applied on insect bites and stings.
• Lemon taken with honey, ground black pepper, crushed cardamom and hot water helps heal sore throat.

In detox

• Lemon, because of its acidic nature, cleanses the system. It acts as a blood purifier and helps the body get rid of toxins.
• Lemon strengthens the immune system of the body and helps protect against infections.
• Its high potassium content makes it useful for brain and nerve cells, and safer for those with heart troubles.
• Lemon taken with warm water and honey, on an empty stomach early in the morning, is known to assist in weight-loss.
• Lemon detox diets, which consist of fresh lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup are known to help cleanse the body of toxins and thus help lose weight quickly while improving general health and well being.

Tags: ayurvedic remedy, benefits of lemon, lemon in ayurveda, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health

Are you spending thousands of bucks on those oh-so-attractively packaged anti-ageing creams that claim to have potent combinations of aloe, gold, diamonds, sea weeds and what have you! May be they work, may be they don’t. May be they’ll suit your skin, may be they won’t. May be you can spend thousands every month on these creams and botox, may be you can’t. But if you fall in the latter category and yet, like everyone else, want to keep the glow in your skin, try one of these natural anti-ageing treatments.

• Plant an aloe plant at home and use its juice as a face pack.
• Apply a swab of almond oil under your eyes every night.
• Mix 3 tsps of almond oil with 1 tsp each of apricot oil and soya oil. Massage your face and neck with this mixture. Take a face towel and dip it in warm water. Squeeze and spread on your face. Keep for 10-15 minutes, after which you can wipe the extra oil off your face and neck.

Tags: ayurveda, healthy living, Natural detox, natural health

Garlic has numerous medicinal values and is often used in Ayurveda. Its role in blood purification and heart ailments is acknowledged even in allopathic medicine. Indian cuisine commonly uses garlic as an ingredient that aids digestion. Garlic is known to aid against digestive issues like belching, flatulence and constipation.

Consumption of garlic helps reduce arthritic pain as it inhibits the formation of free radicals that can damage joints. The normal dosage is a clove of garlic taken with water in the morning.

Garlic slows down the ageing process as it purifies blood due to its detoxifying properties. Garlic also improves blood circulation and prevents clotting of blood. It reduces bad cholesterol and the blood pressure. It is recommended to chew a clove of raw garlic every day.

Garlic paste when applied on acne, boils, eczema and rash for 5 to 10 minutes has curative powers, because of its strong sulphur content. However, it may also irritate certain skin types and should be used with caution.

Garlic also has antibiotic properties and is also sometimes used to treat bronchial troubles.

Tags: ayurveda, ayurvedic remedy, garlic, green living, natural cure, natural cure for heart ailments, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health

For the heart: Garlic purifies blood and improves circulation of blood. It prevents blood clotting and reduces bad cholesterol and blood pressure.

In digestion: Garlic has curative powers for problems such as belching, gas and constipation.

In Arthritis: Consumption of garlic helps reduce arthritic pain.

For the skin: Garlic paste applied on acne, boils, eczema and rash for 5-10 mins. has curative power. However, do a patch test before you use garlic on face. Some people are sensitive to garlic application on skin.

Anti-ageing: Garlic purifies blood due to its detoxifying properties and slows down the ageing process.

Tags: ayurveda, ayurvedic remedy, garlic, healthy eating, natural cure, natural cure for heart ailments, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health

Oftentimes, we read certain things which seem interesting, and then before we know, they get imbibed in our mind and we seem to follow them consciously or sub-consciously. Like, there was this snippet I read somewhere which said what is good for eating is good for applying too and it went on to suggest how applying tomato juice, potato juice, honey etc. is good for the skin! And now invariably after I have grated tomatoes or cucumber, I find myself applying the leftover on my hands to my face, before washing my hands off.

And then there was this article I read on the benefits of Amla (Indian gooseberry) - which are a plenty, including the well known fact that Amla is an excellent source of Vitamin C and a very good anti-oxodant. So come winters, when Amla is in abundance, I make it a point to add a chopped amla to the gravy of vegetables I make. Gives it a very slight tangy taste and a darker colour to the gravy. You can add a chopped amla while steaming chickpeas – gives a nice sour taste and turns the gravy dark brown without the need to add extra spices.

Instead of Amchur, one can use amlas with mint, coriander, green chillies, tomatoes and garlic to make green chutney – personally its my hot favorite, taste with all the goodness of greens and amlas. You can also put a couple of amlas in Sarson ka Saag!

My mother who doesn’t like the sour taste of Amla, makes Murraba and sugar coated candies using diced amla. You can get as innovative as possible with Amla and yet not go wrong! I make my own Amla hair oil as well. Just grate a few amlas, add to mustard or coconut oil and store for a few days. This hair oil is really good and makes your hair dark, lustrous and strong. Though while using it, be sure to put disposable or pvc gloves on else you might stain your hands black. If that happens though, don’t worry. Just rub a lemon peel on to the affected fingers and you should be fine.

Tags: ayurveda, Indian gooseberry, natural cure, Natural detox, natural health

Am compelled to share another one of those gems of emails I am forwarded by friends and family. This one deals with the natural process of detoxification that our body undertakes everyday. Incredible! I have no idea about its origins or authenticity but some of things in this mail I could relate to well enough…like one does tend to cough more in the wee hours of the morning and the text below (presented as-is) tells us just why…

Evening at 9 – 11PM :

is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music.

If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health.

Evening at 11pm – 1 am :

is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 1 – 3 am :

detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 – 5 am :

detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.

Morning 5 – 7am :

detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.

Morning 7 – 9 am :

absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time.

Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30 am , for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30 am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 – 10 am rather than no meal at all.

Sleeping late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good sleep and don’t sleep late.

Credits: To the Anonymous composer of this mail.

Tags: natural cure, Natural detox, Natural healing, natural health