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!
 

Seasonal Foods II

Make your food choices according to the seasons:

• In summer, include light, cooling foods. You can enjoy fruits like strawberries, apple, pear, and plum; vegetables like cucumber, gourds, leafy vegetables, and citrus fruits like oranges, watermelons; and spices and seasonings like peppermint and fresh coriander leaves.
• In rains, turn toward the more warming, autumn harvest foods, including carrot, sweet potato, onions, and garlic. Also, emphasize the more warming spices and seasonings including ginger, peppercorns, and mustard seeds.
• In winter, turn even more exclusively toward warming foods. Remember the principle that foods taking longer to grow are generally more warming than foods that grow quickly. All of the animal foods fall into the warming category including fish, chicken, beef, and lamb. So, do most of the root vegetables, including carrot, potato, onions, and garlic. Eggs also fit in here, as do corn and nuts.

Reasearch Supporting Seasonal eating:

In a research study conducted in 1997 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in London, England, significant differences were found in the nutrient content of pasteurized milk in summer versus winter primarily due to differences in the diets of the cows. With more salt-preserved foods in winter and more fresh plants in the summer, cows ended up producing nutritionally different milks during the two seasons. Similarly, researchers in Japan found three-fold differences in the vitamin C content of spinach harvested in summer versus winter.