Swati

Why is Skin Care Regimen Important?

December 19, 2018 Swati 1 Comment

People who have diabetes and auto-immune diseases are prone to skin damage and wounds which when left untreated can result in serious health issues. One of my friend’s parents underwent something similar when they visited a dermatologist for help with extremely cracked feet. While taking the necessary treatment, it turned out that some infection spread from the cracked heel to the entire leg immediately within a day and pus started to pour out of the wound. It has been over a month and the wound is still undergoing treatment.

This is when I realized skin care is not just about vanity but has a long term impact on your health. Skin is the biggest protection against germs and environmental assaults on our body. Over time neglect, from a few weeks to few years, can damage this barrier and the effects are usually visible instantly when you begin to see your skin cracking or turning extremely dry. What we do not realize is that if we let this damage continue, especially when we are above 30 and our skin repair capabilities reduce, we are putting our health at jeopardy and no critical illness cover or health insurance for parents takes care of those expenses.

How to create a basic skin care regimen?

1. Moisturizing is Important.

Whether you are a guy or a gal, applying a body lotion is not just about looking good. It keeps skin from cracking and stops the dead skin build up. One of my friends also shared that not applying lotion caused a lot of itching when she was pregnant which in turn lead to a lot of stretch marks.

3 Reasons for Fasting during Navratri

October 12, 2018 Swati Leave a Comment

dusshera, durga puja, navratri, fasting, indian festival, — Image Courtesy : Prasanta Kr Dutta via pexels.com

Are you honoring the tradition of fasting in these days of navratri? It is said that the process of fasting is more scientific than a religious belief, may be a good post in itself. But, today, it is about why you should be fasting during navratri? For me, fasting is always a time when you detox your body. Though, in case of navratri, you could always say we end up eating more oily food comparatively. But, are you aware that there is a reason why we are supposed to eat more oily food in these days? Yes! But, more about that later. Let me start by giving you three really good and healthy reasons why you should fast during navratri.

3 Reasons for Fasting during Navratri

You avoid eating Junk

The idea for this post came to me when I came across this acronym called CRAP (carbonated soda, refined carbohydrates, added sugar and processed foods). In fact, this is trending so much these days.

So, the whole idea of fasting is to avoid eating anything of the above in these nine days. In fact, we also eschew garlic and onion making our diets more sattvik which should be the case according to ayurveda. More sattvik our diet becomes, more is our intake of fresh and seasonal foods which means more ‘life force’ or energy in our body. To summarize, we end up preparing food at home or eating freshly prepared food as opposed to ordering it right away on a food delivery app.

Eating in Moderation

3 Morning Rituals to a Great Day

October 8, 2018 Swati 1 Comment

how to wake up in the morning, morning rituals — Who wouldn’t want this view from their window or balcony? *Image Courtesy : Saif Selim via pexels.com*

It is advised to cultivate rituals instead of habits to make them a part of your lifestyle. Rituals have a sanctity associated with them where as habits are more enforced and, thus, easier to break. Morning Rituals have a great impact on how your day goes and how you feel.

Getting up in the morning is a chore for most of the people. Even half of those who are forced to get up early in the morning do it because they do not have a choice and spend their morning doing chores in an almost robotic way. Well, to be frank, most of us are living in the same manner as well. There is hardly any joy left in simple daily routines let alone setting morning rituals.

So, no matter what time you get up, having a good start to the day is absolutely essential. I tried out setting these morning rituals and they do help me wake up and set the tone for the day. May be you could give them a try and then decide whether they are your cup of tea or not. I still do not follow waking up in the morning religiously but when I do, I always find my day went better and I spent the day in a happier frame of mind.

3 Morning Rituals to a Great Day

Washing my Face, Brushing, Flossing and Oil Pulling

This is the first thing I do in the morning. Nothing wakes you up like a splash of water on the face in the morning. Brush and floss. A fresh breath always helps. And, if possible, try out oil pulling at least twice or thrice a week to reap its advantages. Along with all that, flash your teeth wide in the mirror and smile! You could try out affirmations for the day or for yourself.

A Warm cup of Green Tea

3 Signs Your Skin is Dehydrated

October 5, 2018 Swati 2 Comments

skin care tricks, dehydrated skin, skin is dehydrated — Image Courtesy @ Moose Photos via pexels.com

Skin dehydration is one of the major reasons why your skin looks dull and lacks that fresh and glowing look. This is a common mistake to not understand what your skin actually needs. For any instant pick up, make sure you slather on a good hydrating serum. Moving on, there a few signs that show your skin is dehydrated. Some are pretty obvious and some are not so obvious or you might fail to notice in the rush of your work. So, let me list them for you.

3 Signs Your Skin is Dehydrated

Feeling Stretchy

Your skin feels stretchy and this is the universal sign that your skin is dehydrated. Our immediate reaction is to slather on a body lotion or a moisturizer and drink loads and loads of water. As funny as it sounds, drinking water barely helps with skin dehydration. It only helps with retaining fluids in the body. And, body lotions are only a temporary solution. What you actually need to do is address the deeper issue of why is your skin losing the ability to retain moisture.

Darker Skin

Do you love midnight snacks?

October 3, 2018 Swati 18 Comments

midnight snacks,midnight cravings — Image Courtesy : Clem Onojeghuo via pexels.com

Updated from September 19, 2012. I can still picture myself sitting on my single bed and writing this post. I was probably hungry and gorging on some snacks late night during the weekend and that would have given me the idea of doing a post on the topic. Life has come a long long way since then!! But, yes, my love for midnight snacks remains unchanged and undisputed.

I totally love to gorge on midnight snacks. Making my disclaimer – having snacks late in the night is not recommended and is an unhealthy habit with long term implications.

You should have a light dinner two hours prior to bed time and should be fast asleep by the time it hits 11PM. Being awake till midnight is bad for your health, ruins your sleep, wreaks havoc on your body clock and helps you put on the extra flab.

Revisiting this post after so long has actually made me also realize how much I have changed in the past six years. Most of the days I am fast asleep or extremely sleepy by 11 and even if I remain awake by stroke of midnight, I usually take a comfort food which reminds me of childhood, have water or green tea which calms me down and helps induce sleep. Well, I have definitely aged and am wiser now!!