5 Foods For a Glowing Skin.

You have tried every possible cream and treatment in the world that promises you a healthy glowing skin but still end up looking like a dried peach; trust me I know how it feels. I was one of those kids whose adolescent years were masked by insecurities and acne, and although I have reached an age where these things should be passé, they are anything but! It’s true that beauty comes from within, and while there are a lot of reasons like stress, hormonal imbalance, genetics etc., there are some things that you can definitely do (food wise) to improve the health of your skin. These are my top 5 foods for a glowing skin:

1. Sardines: These little swimmers contain great amount of omega 3 fatty acid that has an anti-inflammatory effect and can greatly uproot the main cause of acne, i.e inflammation. The oil in the fish also restores elasticity in the skin and makes it suppler. Don’t loose heart if you are a vegetarian. You can opt for Flax seeds or walnuts, which are also a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

2. Green tea: In a study published in the ‘Journal of Nutrition’ in 2011, people who drank green tea daily for 12 weeks had skin that was more elastic and smooth, and had one quarter less sun damage when exposed to UV light as compared to those who didn’t. The catechins in green tea, which are high in antioxidants, boost the blood flow and oxygen to the skin, which makes the skin even more radiant.

3.  Tomatoes: The antioxidant ‘lycopene’ in tomatoes improves skin’s natural SPF thus protecting the skin from sunburn (though they cannot replace sunscreen for a complete protection). Lycopene also help combat acne and reduce blemishes. Tomatoes also contain good amount of Vitamin A and C, which act as great antioxidants. Tomatoes have also proven to be helpful in preventing skin cancer to a certain degree. Now that’s one superfood for skin!

 4. Soy: People who consumed soy or soy products, like soy milk, tofu, tempeh etc., as part of their daily diet, developed fewer fine lines and had improved skin elasticity. This is because of the ‘isoflavones’ present in soy that stops collagen from breaking down which prevents skin from sagging. So bye bye wrinkles and hello younger skin!

5. Brown Rice: If you see the packaging of most beauty creams, you’ll likely find ‘ceramides’ as one of the ingredients. These are lipid molecules that help keep the moisture of your skin intact. Brown rice is one major source of ceramides. When you consume naturally occurring ceramides, these get incorporated in the outer layer of the skin and help it remain hydrated.

Water was an obvious contender for the list above and it goes without saying that drinking enough water is important for maintaining a healthy skin. Along with this it is important to have a healthy diet low in junk food as nothing kills a beautiful skin more than unhealthy fats going in your system. Try and exercise everyday even if it is just for 15 minutes. Along with other benefits, exercising helps regulate hormones in your body and people with hormone related skin issues can greatly benefit from this simple lifestyle change. Exercising also leads to sweating, which opens up the pores and helps remove toxins from the body.

So with the power of these 5 super foods and some useful tips, I hope you get that flawless looking skin soon! If you have any more suggestions from your own experience, do share in the comment section below!

5 Ways To Be Beautiful -Instantly!

     Wow that sounded like a Fairness cream commercial! But now that I have your attention, let me clarify, the 5 ways I am going to mention will not bring results immediately, because hello, I am not advising a cosmetic surgery!  But nonetheless these are ways and mean, and simple things that one can include in daily life which can bring about miraculous results and can actually leave you feeling beautiful.
1.       Seasonal Fruits:
-This had to be on top of my list coz (a), I m a nutritionist and fruits play an important part in most of the recommendations and (b) they are the Pandora ’s Box of benefits.
Fruits are the warehouse of all the essential vitamins and minerals which may/ may not be present in other food group but in lesser concentration and hence become pivotal to a good health.  Also it is very important to consume fruits during their natural season because they are most dense in nutrients (sans pesticides and artificial ripening chemicals) during this time.
-Fruits are also very nutrient specific during weather change. This basically means that you will get Oranges and Guavas, which are rich in Vitamin C, only in the winter season because this Vitamin helps boost Immunity- which is most susceptible during winters; and you will get a watermelon only during summers because its High water content and minerals help you stay hydrated and fresh! (yes Nature has some Kickass Logic)
-Also the rich vitamin content (read vitamin C and E especially) make your skin glow and helps maintain its natural elasticity and suppleness.
-You can also watch your weight with fruits because the high fibre content of fruits make you feel satiated faster and helps you consume lesser calories. So thumbs up to a fit physique!
2.       Water:
- Minimum 3 litres and counting. That should be the mantra (unless you have edema or a kidney disorder, in which case you should restrict your intake). There are innumerable benefits of this wonderful liquid. Our body is 70% water (debatable to a higher percentage). It is  a natural detoxificating agent that helps flush out all the toxins from our body (which is also the reason why you are made to drink lot of water after an alcoholic binge as it dilutes the toxin and washes it out). It makes your skin hydrated and brings out a beautiful glow.
-Water is also a very important player in fat metabolism. So if you are really working hard in the gym, trying to get away with the lumps and not getting any results, time to check your water intake.
3.       Omega 3 Fatty Acid:
-This ‘sophisticated sounding oil’ is required by the heart to carry out its functions smoothly. This fatty acid basically helps to increase the Good Cholesterol in our body and take over the bad cholesterol thereby preventing cardiovascular diseases. Healthy heart is healthy you (now I sound like a cooking oil commercial!)
-This omega 3 Fatty acid also improves luster and texture of your hair while also has anti-ageing effect on the skin.
-The easiest way to consume omega 3 fatty acid is to introduce fish in your diet (if you are a non- vegetarian) or flax seeds which can be roasted and chewed-on during the day. Walnuts and soybean are other sources.
4.       Exercise:
-I cannot stress enough on how important exercise is to stay healthy and remain beautiful. Fitness reasons apart, Exercising in any form releases Endorphin- the hormone which make you feel exhilarated and happy and blocks any kind of pain. That's why people become addicted to strenuous forms of exercises and experience "runner's high."
- Working out also releases Dopamine- which is a pleasure hormone( the ‘dope’ in dopamine actually justifies the name;) ) Dopamine helps you relax and makes you feel happy and light, and everyone knows that a happy soul is a beautiful soul.
- Exercise also makes you sweat a lot which opens up the pores in your skin and helps it to breathe. It also increases your blood circulation which can fight skin problems like zits and acne.
5.       Smile:
-This is a cheesy one but so damn true. Even on your worse day, when you know you aren’t feeling your best, a simple smile can make you look gorgeous and wonderful. And this is just not a poetic extract, it is scientifically proven too.  When you smile, even a fake one, your face stretches and the muscular movement helps trigger endorphin (the happy hormone) which make you feel good and boost up your mood. So when you smile, not only are you making others happy, you are doing a huge favour to relieve yourself from stress!
 So Stay Happy, Stay healthy … Stay Beautiful!
 

Why I love Weddings! (Read the article before Judging me)

Ok so yes i am writing after what seems like a decade to me. And ok I admit this has also been my opening
line in most of the posts. But honest to god i have been extremely busy planning my life. And you would be happy to know that after months of struggle i have managed to conclude that planning really is crappy exercise to kill quality time, and that it should only be left to corporate strategy makers for the never ending boardroom discussions ,because hey, lets face it, they get paid for it!

Any ways let me not set the tone of the article as frustrating. Moving on to what i actually did in the past few months. I happen to attend a lot of weddings..a hell lot (read half-wardrobe-now-filled-with-clothes-i-would-never-wear Lot) Now don't judge me for being judgmental but i hate the whole paraphernalia surrounding Weddings. The extravagant obnoxiously priced outfits, the meeting of distant relatives whom you wish never existed, the fake hello how are you, you have grown so big (like thats against nature), the fake muah muahs, you get the tone. But one thing i love about the wedding is the  pre- prep that goes behind the making. And i am Not talking about the shopping and card printing, I am talking about the phase where the bride and the groom get on to the  mission of ..WEIGHT LOSS!

Now i really don't understand the point of trying to get in shape just because one is getting married. I mean isn't the whole point of getting married that you take the other person in health and sickness? Anyways, it still heartens the fitness freak in me, a little that at least there are 2 more people in this world, at this particular time, who are trying to get fitter (Always find a silver lining in every negative thing- check)

What dissapoints me a wee bit more (apart from the short term fitness fad) is that, in a hurry to lose weight, people go on all sorts of crazy diets and start expecting wonders. While the crash diet might even work, you actually loose a lot of muscle mass, feel weak and end up looking much older than you actually are. All thanks to lack of nutrition which is much needed by your skin and hair as well. So all you pretty brides to be, you don't wana look 5 years older on your D-day do you?

Here is what i would rather suggest. What people don't understand is that getting into shape is not by just not -not eating, on the contrary its actually eating all the time. Remember the good old diet rule of eating small meals 5-6 times a day? Well that is a rule for a reason- because that works. And trust me if you have 4-6 months time in your hand, this kind of a diet and a good workout plan will actually work wonders for your weight and your skin.
As far as diet is concerned, cut all the whites out (bread, maida, rice,sago etc) include a whole lot of fruits (read less calories for your body but loads of antioxidant and vitamins for a luscious skin), Eat as much raw vegies as you can. Replace caffeine with green tea, go very low on sweets (only to be later forcefully fed by your delightful relatives at your wedding), drink atleast 3-4 ltrs of water (coz no detox diet works better than flushing down your toxins with plenty of water). Remember this Rule of ratio- Proteins: Carbs: Fats- 3:2:0.5 (strictly for those who are on a weight loss diet). Most important of all, bring a change in your diet every fortnight and especially at that juncture where your weight refuses to go down further after losing a little. This change could be anything, like changing your snack timings, introducing salads as dinners, high liquid diet or cutting down that one favorite sinful delight you just can't stay without (yes with great body comes great sacrifice...umm Did i just revamp Spiderman's quote?!)

Do not forget exercise. This has always been my mantra. Never ever let diet alone play a part in your weight loss, you lose muscle mass which make you look saggy older and weaker. Exercise in some way- go for a run, hit the gym if that is convenient, go for brisk walks, do yoga, pilates, take a dance class, join a sport- there are endless ways to get fit, you just have to explore them. And trust me with all the wedding stress and anxiety , you could really take the happy hormone endorphin's help which gets released as a result of workout :)

So to all my beautiful ladies and all the dashing debonaire men, hope you take a leaf out of this article and not go insane in the battle against weight. And for God's sake don't let your heart sink if you are not able to achieve what you aimed for; the expensive facials and spa treatments will any ways make you look your best on the D day! And oh yes your going to be spouse's love will help too :)

Note to self:  never write a blog about marriages again. Their population is on the higher side and you might get seriously hurt.

Zeroing down at 'Size Zero'

Size zero, size zero, size zero...seems to be the buzz word everywhere, whether its the bollywood beauty Kareena Kapoor who just got famous because of it, or Louise Redknapp who dieted till she starved to get into a size zero! The fad is spreading out fast ( or maybe I am a liltle wrong at saying 'spreading' because it has already spread and is now killing people around!)


I am sure by now everyone knows about the size zero; and even those who prefer to remain untouched by the 'health world terms' have a fair idea as to what it is..thanks to our celebraties. So I really won't bother to talk about that here.What really amuses me is that how fast people get carried away by such fads and become desperate to achieve a phsique like their much hyped celeb idols!I have come across various  perfectly healthy people come up to me and beg and plead to shell out the secret of getting into a size '0', and i find myself a little 'word deficient' when I want to tell them that You are mad! It's plain stupid, I would say to, to want to achieve something worse when you already have the best.Celebs, I can still understand, not because it is harmless for them  but because -
a. They have a cut throat competition around and being a good actor is just not enough.
b. They do not have to travel in rush hour by trains, or do any laborious work- they have helpers for everything.
c. It works as a free and the best PR tool for them; and finally
d. They get paid for it !


So it's irrelevant for the common realistic people to even want to achieve such insensible aims in life! It will only leave them struggling with food and exercise, or impatient, or depressed or in worst case fatter if you succumb to binging! We also hear news about celebs suffering anorexia nervosa and bulimia due to the killing competition, yet this evil doesn't seem to drill in our heads. We only like to be associated with the more socially appealing and acceptable ways.


We have better things to do in life than being stick things and looking like hangers in the wardrobe.Why don't we aim for more realistic and achievable things like eating healthy and staying fit, by simple everyday measure of keeping a check on our diet and making sure that include little bit of exercise in our schedule.
So forget the size zero, the curves are back ladies...ask any man and he would second me! 

FIGHT STRESS

EFFECTIVE WAYS TO BEAT STRESS:
Certain level of stress actually keeps you going. In fact this certain level is actually a driving force behind most of our daily activity. This is good stress and not the kind you should get worried about. However when stress goes above the threshold that is when you should be alarmed and start doing something about it.
TIPS FOR MANAGING STRESS:

• EXERCISE: exercise is one of the most effective ways of beating stress and should never be neglected. Get out of your sedentary living; join a gym, or do kickboxing, pilates or aerobic yoga. Think of exercise as something to unwind rather than as a chore. It is your first step against your battle with stress.
• RELAXATION: simple solution- take 2 minutes mini breaks twice or thrice, everyday. Eliminate distraction and enjoy peace. Stretch your hands and legs. Rotate your neck clockwise and then anti clockwise. Breathe deeply.
• DIET:
  Ø Eat foods high in fiber e.g. fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals.
  Ø Cut down on salt, sugar, nicotine and caffeine, red meat, alcohol and saturated fats. No one is saying to give them up completely just limit.
  Ø Increase your antioxidant intake. Include fresh fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with these.
• SLEEP: try going to bed 30-45 minutes earlier than usual. It makes a difference.
• HUMOR: it is a wonderful stress reliever. Laughter releases tension. A simple smile relieves your stress as well as that of others!

DAILY HEALTH TASK LISTS:

Just like brushing your teeth, healthy habits should be cultivated in a daily basis. Following is a guide to daily tasks.

• Activity should be a daily occurrence. Walk, run, jump or skip for a minimum total of 20 minutes every day.
• Eat fruits, vegetable, grains, low fat dairy products and protein. Avoid sweets and processed foods.
• Meditate or spend a minimum of 5 minutes daily in a quiet place.
  Find your spiritual self. Discover what inspires you, raises your level of consciousness, motivates you and satisfies your soul.
• Exercise your brain. Read, study, solve problems and learn new skills. Just like your body the brain also degenerates with lack of use.