That Madras Mom

February 10, 2021February 11, 2021

Microgreens and environment

The last time you visited the restaurant and your salad has tiny plants on the top , made you wonder what this is?

After taking a small bite, did you feel that you tasted the vegetable or the grain? If yes, you had yourselves a serving of microgreens. Haven’t heard ?

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are vegetable greens which are bigger than sprouts but tiny than baby plants.

Their tiny size can noway be compared to the amazing nutritional benefits they have to offer. Would you believe that they offer more nine times higher nutrients than mature vegetable greens? That’s indeed true. So the next time your given a choice for microgreens or vegetable greens make sure you choose microgreens. But if you can have them both together that’s even better. Microgreens are great addition to any diet.

They are about 1-3 inches tall, but rich in nutrients, aromatic and available in variety of colours and textures.

You needn’t confuse them with sprouts. Sprouts do not have leaves whereas microgreens do. 2-7 days is the grow cycle for sprouts whereas it’s 7-21 days post germination the microgreens are harvested. This is after their first leaves appear.

Microgreens are rich in potassium,zinc, iron , magnesium and copper. They’re also a great source of antioxidants.

They could also help in reducing risk to a number of diseases if included in diets.

Heart diseases – Microgreens contain polyphenols a type of antioxidant that helps reduce risk of heart disease. Studies also prove that they help in lowering LDL or bad cholesterol.
Diabetes – Microgreens help in reducing stress which help in preventing sugar from entering cells . This is in particular study pertaining to fenugreek microgreens.
Types of cancer – microgreens which contains certain type of polyphenols also help in reducing cancer risks.
Alzheimer’s disease – Foods rich in antioxidants which are forms of polyphenols helps in reducing risk to Alzheimer’s disease.

Incorporating into diets

Microgreens can be incorporated into diets by a number of ways. Most common would be to include them with salads to give the crunch and texture. They could also be added to sandwiches, pizza toppings and soups.

They could also be included to juices and smoothies. Wheatgrass is one such example.

Microgreens and sustainability

Crops grown to maturity on large farms use pesticides and chemicals because they need to stay fresh to be transported to long distances. Compared to these crop grown to maturity, microgreens are more sustainable. That degree of sustainability would increase if you use organic seeds to grow them.

Microgreens are not an expensive way of lifestyle or something that needs to be consumed at high end restaurants. People often resort that crops that feed us like rice and corn need to be cultivated rather than microgreens that only is for high end lifestyle. The answer is a simple no. My response for that would be below.

Food production on our planet is happening in abundance. But the problem we face is it’s not at the right place. We seem to lose more of it while harvesting, transporting and processing.

One such industry that brings in a lot of waste would be the food industry as per what I had mentioned above. We do not need more staples we need to make food available from what exists.

They’re space saving compared to their conventionally grown peers which are raised to maturity. Microgreens can be grown indoors or in controlled environments where in the mature crops cannot be grown.

They enable you to increase the amount of space that you put into food production.

Most often when you pick up a salad outside all the ingredients like the vegetables,greens are sourced from long distances. They’re bulkier, heavier and could also lose nutrients on their way to the destination. However, microgreens on the other hand can be just transported as seeds to a local farm and cultivated. They can be consumed fresh immediately after harvest compared to matured grown crops that are transported from long distances. In this way, microgreens help in sustainability.

Mature grown crops are sometimes grown with pesticides, chemicals and there are also those which are grown from GMO . These types grow to give yeh perfect yield but only with the use of specific chemicals or fertilisers that were produced by the companies which created the genetically modified seeds in the first place. Imagine the amount of harm they do to the soil.

You don’t use more of peat containing compost that is non-renewable while cultivating microgreens. They can also be grown hydroponically. So, microgreens don’t harm the soil.

Usage of water is very minimal when it comes to microgreens. On fields or farms you end up watering larger areas where water is lost due to evaporation. Water used to nutrient ratio for the microgreens is very much high.

So if you’re wondering to grow your own produce I’d suggest you start with microgreens.

Why growing microgreens at home is easy ?

They don’t require much of equipment or dependent on time. They can be grown indoors or outdoors. This makes it very easy and convenient.

What do you need to grow microgreens?

High-quality seeds.
Growing medium. This could be a container with soil or growing mats specifically designed for growing microgreens.
Good lighting that could be sunlight or 12-16 hours of UV light.

How to grow?

Fill your container with soil and lightly water it.
Evenly sprinkle seeds on top.
Mist the seeds not generously watering them. Cover with lid.
Keep a check on them daily and mist the seeds. The seeds need to be moist.
After they germinate in a couple of days, remove the lids and expose to light.

Given that they’re easy to grow at home, stating convenience and the ease, they’re an especially cost-effective way to boost nutrient intake without having to purchase large quantities of vegetables.

I’d started including microgreens into my diet thanks to Indian Organiko from Chennai. I enjoyed varieties of microgreens that were freshly harvested and made me indulge in nutrient rich food.

‘This post is part of #CauseAChatter with Blogchatter’.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘ blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
And sponsored by Bugshield clothing – Enjoy outdoors more.

February 5, 2021February 11, 2021

Self-discovery through Jasmine builds on shifting sands

Fiction and self-help are two of my favourite genres of books. I really don’t know the time ticking when I settle down in my reading corner with books in any one of these genres.

What I look for in self-help books is strategies, lessons, case studies which tell you what to and what not to do.

When I came to know that this book has both self-help and fiction entwined I knew I definitely had to pick it up.

What I could also relate is that the book is set in modern period and so is something everyone of us millenials could resonate to.

It takes a lot of time for us to understand ourselves in a better way. The process of understanding oneself, about what we can and what we cannot, how we can and when we can is called self-discovery. Not everyone of us do this at the same time. Time plays an important role in making us realise this. This book embarks you on Jasmine’s journey of self-discovery.

The picturesque views of Himalayas while describing the journey to Kedarnath, would make you embark on a virtual journey. The pure relationship between the author and his spiritual teacher , their conversations mentioned provide a lot of learning.

Jasmine who was about to land into a professional career eventually landed into the world of modelling. So how does she handle it ? Does she succeed or fail ?

She had her parts of failures, jealousies, competition, wrong ways and finally rose above all of it. The author has a lot of learnings from life which he’s penned out beautifully through the story of Jasmine.

Everyone of us has a dream, a goal or an aim. We pursue our actions towards them . Did you know that the universe also has a major role in making our dreams come true?

A motivational book that helps you to stay focused and have a positive approach to rise above hurdles and accomplish the dream. The connection to the universe and it’s integral part in making our dreams come true also is a lesson to be learnt.

I love the writing style of the author which he serves to keep it lucid and brief. Overall a good guide for self-motivation and self-discovery.

The QR code scanning of certain chapters, through e-micro-learning is a completely different experience which is suggest all book lovers and people who are digital fan boys must check out.

Following our passion by overcoming hurdles should definitely be made a mandatory life skill to be possessed.

About the author

Sanjay is an entrepreneur and an ex-banker, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and a Chartered Accountant. During his successful career, Sanjay has been integrating the essence of a parallel spiritual journey with his material pursuits. He has now set out to share the ways and means of seamlessly traversing through the material and spiritual world. Thereby, enriching each journey.

Click on the book cover below to purchase this motivational guide .

February 3, 2021February 5, 2021

Review of Jasmine builds on shifting sands

BLURB

Integrated with hybrid multimedia learning tools, Jasmine Builds on Shifting Sands is a unique self-help fiction offering. Its captivating narrative ties two seemingly distinct tales in an intertwined journey that explores the manifestation of dreams. At the center of the book is Jasmine’s journey of making it as a successful model in the cut-throat world of fashion. Her tale of victory and failure is enveloped within the master narrative of Sanjay, an erudite knowledge-seeker who meets his spiritual guru- Ma. Set between the esoter ic location of the Himalayas and the urban bustle of Mumbai, the book offers an enhanced learning experience which is further amplified through the embedded microlearning content that is interspersed throughout the text, making for a truly immersive experience.

MY REVIEW

Fiction and self-help are two of my favourite genres of books. I really don’t know the time ticking when I settle down in my reading corner with books in any one of these genres.

As much as I enjoy fiction, I also enjoy reading self-help books and try implementing principles which suit my way of life. That’s what they’re written for right?

What I look for in self-help books is strategies, lessons, case studies which tell you what to and what not to do. They should make you feel that you could try attempting to implement lessons learned. Examples which state what went wrong and how could that have been handled to make it successful are stuffs which anyone would basically look for in self-help books.

When I came to know that this book has both self-help and fiction entwined I knew I definitely had to pick it up.

What I could also relate is that the book is set in modern period and so is something everyone of us millenials could resonate to.

It takes a lot of time for us to understand ourselves in a better way. Not knowing about ourselves and instead looking out for others to accept us is something that is not plausible. The process of understanding oneself, about what we can and what we cannot, how we can and when we can is called self-discovery. Not everyone of us do this at the same time. For some of us this process happens early and for some later on. This book embarks you on Jasmine’s journey of self-discovery.

The Prologue and the Epilogue add value by providing a powerful context arising from the author’s own personal experience.

The realistic description of the travel to Kedarnath, the picturesque views of Himalaya would make you embark on a virtual journey. The divine relationship between the author and his spiritual guru , their conversations mentioned provide a lot of spiritual learning.

Jasmine who was about to land into a professional career life eventually landed into the world of fashion. Now that is two extreme opposite fields. So how does she handle it ? Does she succeed or fail ? Is she happy or keeps brooding ?

The field that she landed was something completely new to her. She had her parts of failures, jealousies, competition, wrong ways and finally rose above all of it. The author has a lot of learnings from life which he’s penned out beautifully through the story of Jasmine.

Everyone of us has a dream, a goal or an aim. We pursue our actions towards them . We chart out a goal plan to achieve the results. Did you know that the universe also has a major role in making our dreams come true? Now that is what the author tries to convey.

A motivational book that helps you to stay focused and have a positive approach to rise above hurdles and accomplish the dream. The connection to the universe and it’s integral part in making our dreams come true also is a lesson to be learnt.

I love the writing style of the author which he serves to keep it simple and crisp. No beating around the bush or extravagant descriptions. Overall a good one for self-motivation and self-discovery.

About the author :

Click below on the thumbnail to buy yourself a copy.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and generously SPONSORED BY Bugshield Clothing – Enjoy Outdoors More!

January 30, 2021January 30, 2021

Do you blame others? – Read this to take care

Mental health can not only be at stake when you pipe things up on your mind about yourself or at behaviour people exert on you .

Did you know that your way of thinking about others can also cause issues to your mental health. Yes by this, I mean pointing out at others.

While there are people who only think about themselves, there is another category that people fall into that’s much more dangerous. Some people can’t be or cannot keep quiet without pointing fingers at others or blaming others. They fail to notice that it is only one of their fingers that points to the other person and the remaining point to them.

This way of pointing out is not only for things that happen to you, but even otherwise they are habituated to pointing out at people’s mistake or at how stupid they can be.

It’s a habit that can ruin yourself where people bother you easily which puts you in a situation where you can’t stop from sharing your thoughts of judgement. Most importantly it could be happening even without you knowing about it. Doesn’t it sound dangerous?

But the good news would be that once you realise or if somebody helps you understand what’s actually happening by making you pay the price for the self-harm that you have created it can definitely be avoided. Now that’s something you could be relieved of.

Why is pointing out at others put you in serious risk?

Peaks the negativity in your body and kills the cells.
People can’t get close to you because this behaviour of yours is turning them off.
The behaviour inadvertently creates and perpetuates depression.
Definitely starts limiting your happiness.
Creates a band of negative energy around you and name you as a negative energy radiator.
Will be a hurdle in your important relationships and isolates you.

Our way of upbringing or the way we are brought up definitely contributes to our sensitivities. Finally it all comes down to whether we have a monitor system to make you aware of how and when you share what bothers you about people around you.

Quite often if you see the prime candidates list who take the blame would be the kids, parents, spouse and friends.

Blaming your husband for not being outgoing and that bothering your social life.

Blaming kids behaviour for not inviting guests at home.

Blaming relatives for relationship issues and your perspective of viewing a relationship as healthy.

The ones I stated above are just some of the examples.

It could be really tempting to go blame others , your habits , thinking habits for things going wrong in your life. But that’s definitely not leading you to the root cause of the problem.

Blaming others for emotional and mental issues can make you rely on the habit to such an extent that it is the permanent pathway to sabotage the ability of you keeping yourself and others who surround you happy.

Your aversion or pet peeves provide the pathway of how to interpret to see the world and something that you use to look through other people’s action.

So when you’re in a group and you have the habit of blaming others, I’d bet you would be the most unhappiest person in the whole group. The habit typically makes you a fault finding radar and literally pushes you to keep finding faults on others.

Why does this habit make you unhappy ?

Insecurities

Most probably people are seen pointing out faults in which they’ve struggled during childhood. It totally points to insecurity of things that people find faults in others. A person who finds faults constantly is characterized as someone who finds it difficult to apologize and denial of responsibility.

It leads to negative and pessimistic environment around you. Instead of focusing on people’s good deeds you seem to find faults. So this is something like instead of proceeding to solutions you choose to stay with the problem.

Memories of influential parents

If you make people recall they would have inherited this behaviour from their parents or a close relative. A resentment towards this parent or relative who was critical on them often shows up in this behaviour.

Instead of working on ways to curb this negative behaviour in present scenario, this will make you stay in the past.

Makes feel superior but brings unhappiness instantly

When people find faults with others or point fingers at others it gives them a rush or a feeling of superiority. But with minutes you can notice that it changes the mood to unhappiness instantly.

“Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.”

Leads to depression

It takes very little time for you to spoil your mood if you keep finding faults in others. Self – devaluation or finding faults on others can lead to depression.

How do you solve this ?

Start pointing out the goodness in people or their deeds even if it’s something small.
The more you do invest in recognising others you could also see an improvement in self recognition.
Having difficulty in apologising cannot be wiped out in seconds, it takes a lot of effort to understand that it could be a way of clearing out the mass.
Make sure you avoid to show people how you inherited the tendency to judge other people and their actions.
Create an imaginary filter that helps to separate what to express and what not to.

“If you don’t have something nice to say, keep it to yourself.”

Too much bothering or finding fault in others problems or issues is definitely a sign that you definitely need to spend more time on doing what you need to achieve. This may be your goals to achieve personal growth.
Make a list of things every morning that you’re grateful for.
This habit in the long run might be Blogchattereating you bit by bit. So it’s better to avoid it to keep yourself and your body safe.

This post is part of #CauseAChatter with Blogchatter’

January 27, 2021January 27, 2021

Lip smacking vadacurry

Vadacurry is a South Indian dish that can be paired with idly, dosa and poori. A tomato onion based gravy wherein you find bits and pieces of lentil/Dal vada soaked gives you a perfect compliment taste to the idlis or dosas. In most hotels this is made with leftover vadas. But you can choose to make fresh vadas for this recipe as well. You could keep some for snacking and add in the remaining into the gravy , so it serves two purpose.

Popularly paired with set dosa you can see this combination on most hotel menus in South India as set dosa vadacurry.

I will share my age old recipe that has been passed over generations. Read till the end where I give you a quick tip.if you are lazy to make vadas but still would want to relish vadacurry.

Ingredients :

For vada:

Channa Dal – 1 cup soaked 2 hours
Fennel seeds -1 tbsp
Green chilli or red chilli – 2 numbers
Garlic – 2 cloves

Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves -1 tbsp chopped
Salt – as required

Gravy :

Bay leaf -1

Cloves -1

Cinnamon -1/2″ inch
Ginger garlic paste or ginger and garlic crushed – 1 tbsp each
Chilli powder -2 tbsp
Turmeric powder -1 tbsp
Coriander powder -3 tbsp
Tomato -3 chopped

Onion -2 chopped
Mustard seeds -1 tbsp
Oil- for tempering
Fennel -1 tbsp

Salt – as required
Asafoetida – 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Green chilli – 2 slit
Coriander leaves – for garnish
Coconut milk (optional) – 1/2 cup

Method

To make vada

Once the channa Dal is soaked grind with the rest of ingredients. Grind coarsely and not as smooth batter. Deep fry in oil or cook in appe pan. If I’m pairing with idlies I steam it along so it gets cooked and then mixed with gravy. This gives a unique taste go the dish than the deep fried vadas.

Gravy

1. Temper mustard seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves , asafoetida , cinnamon, clove , bay leaf and green chillies.

2. Add in chopped onion and ginger garlic paste and saute for two mins until onion turns pale.

3. Add in chopped tomatoes and saute until tomato gets mushy. You could also add in some salt or sugar to speed up the process.

4. Once this is mushy start adding the spice powders one by one. Mix well and add some water for maintaining consistency.

5. The vada already has salt so adjust salt in gravy accordingly. After about 7-8 mins the gravy is well cooked. You can choose to pour in some coconut milk if you want else it’s completely fine.

6. Gently mix and when it starts to mildly bubble turn off add the vadas give a stir and close.

7. Let the vadas soak in the gravy. Remove lid and garnish with coriander leaves.

Absolutely lip smacking vadacurry is ready and can be had with idlies, dosa or pooris.

So and yes for the little secret tip, if you want to relish vadacurry but not in mood to make vadas or have any leftover vadas you can choose to add Kara boondi in place of vadas. They work amazingly well as replacements.

Variations to the vada would be steaming along with idly or cooking in appe pan and then crumbled to be added to gravy.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy and Noor Anand Chawla, and happily SPONSORED BY RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.

January 20, 2021January 20, 2021

Book review of Doctor’s kitchen 3-2-1

Doctor’s kitchen 3-2-1 by Dr. Rupy Aujla

Food and lifestyle go hand in hand. This is a hard reality but that is what it is. Most of us tend to ignore or take proper care of what we eat. The food that we eat is what fuels our body, so we should be careful in knowing what goes inside.

It shouldn’t be destroying the body in the process of consumption.

On the contrary, stopping to consume as part of a diet plan is not going to be of any help at all.

A good diet and a great workout routine go hand in hand to make you achieve a strong and toned physique. If you do not pay much attention to what goes into your body, it is going to show up in your physique and metabolism. Foods rich in sodium, sugar, and fats can help you curb hunger pangs, make you eat more than what is required making your body pile up the pounds but in the long run, will also be the reason for you to succumb to chronic illness. This is the main reason that you should be aware of what your food is made of before it goes inside your body. So a balanced diet that has carbs, proteins, fibers, and vitamins is the right choice.

Plan and cook your meals I’m in advance so that you don’t run hastily at the last minute. Most importantly this would help you in avoiding reaching out to unhealthy food options such as ready to eat, sugar, and sodium loaded foods. Choose a meal plan that suits your body type and one that would help you in reaching your goal.

Rupy Aujla is a medical doctor, home cook, and a portion of food as a medical advocate. That brings us to another point that the food we consume not only plays the part of fuel but also helps in healing conditions and ailments in the notion that food is medicine.

In his recent book, the author brings about a concept 3-2-1.

What is 3-2-1?

A three-part meal with fruits and vegetables for two people cooked in one pan. In this formula or way of cooking the author promises a change in life. The formula aims at ensuring health benefits to optimize healthy living and to streamline the process of cooking. As someone who wants to be fit and healthy by not slogging in the kitchen to cook meals that claim to help in losing pounds, I think this would definitely be a game-changer in cookbooks.

As a working mother of two and also a conscious member of the family who wishes to provide healthy meals to her family, the book does seem to be a quick go-to for me to cook a no-fuss recipe that would yield multiple health benefits. And what took me in awe is the one pan mention which also saves me from the horrendous task of the sink piling up with vessels to be washed. Isn’t this something that all we ladies wish for?

A daily dose of fresh produce, good quality fat, grains, and fibers is what a balanced meal needs to be comprised of and I think the 3-2-1 could be the best way to get this done right. The food that we eat can change the way we think, help in making our mood better, build or boost immunity levels and reduce infection.

When you say you eat well it not only means that you remove unhealthy stuff it is also about taking in foods that help to safeguard yourself from ailments. There is so much to understand between the communications that happen between what you see on your plate and the inner ecosystem. By ecosystem, it means the body that accepts whatever we eat and provides us the necessary energy needed to toil. We also need to understand that in reality we as people find it difficult to continue eating healthily. There is a roadblock somewhere in the form of work, stress, or time that hinders the habit of eating healthy meals in the longer run. Keeping this in mind is what the author promises that his 3-2-1 strategy can help us, in the long run, to eat healthy meals and cultivate an inner chef.

Eat the colours

The author talks about the colors in foods that need to be taken and their health benefits.

Red foods help in relaxing blood vessels and blood pressure.

Green foods help in brain and heart functioning. Green foods that are termed cruciferous have anti-cancer compounds. Green foods like broccoli help in the detoxification of the body.

Yellow and oranges foods are sources of vitamin C and beta carotenes they help in boosting immunity, load the system with anti-oxidants, and also lowering inflammation.

So the next time when we come across the term eat the rainbow or rainbow plate, we must remember it means food that covers all nutritional needs of the body.

The author also provides a lot of recipes ranging from salads, oats, curries, soups, stir-fries that would be in the formulation of 3-2-1 helping us achieve the goal of healthy living. A 100 recipes that guarantee to eat healthily and leading a better lifestyle. So always keep in mind that food is medicine and food is fuel.

What I like about the recipes are that you also get to swap the ingredients with variants that would suit us, By this, I mean a healthy swap or swapping due to non-availability.

Health is something that we need to practice daily and the meal that we consume is what would guide us through this journey of leading a healthy lifestyle. So make sure you make the meal preparation minimal and maximize the utilization of what goes inside us.

You can buy this book here.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy and Noor Anand Chawla, and happily SPONSORED BY RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.

January 13, 2021February 3, 2021

LIFESTYLE CHANGES TO HAVE A STRONGER AND TONED PHYSIQUE

Being thin like a chopstick or appearing and being a size zero is no longer the ideal achievement that every woman yearns for. A strong and toned physique is the need of the hour and something that would keep you going. Wonder why? Because when you have a stronger and toned physique you appear to be more confident and powerful.

Being a strong and independent woman can give you the power and confidence to achieve anything. Given any situation, you would be able to handle that with ease. What also comes with having a toned physique is that you’d look great in whatever you choose to wear. Isn’t that a double bonanza?

But does getting a stronger and toned physique to be achieved overnight? Remember ‘ Rome was not built in a day’. It takes patience, strategy, willingness to adapt to make it happen.
Also, keep in mind that the gym is not the only way or the only solution that would yield you a toned physique.

Here are a few tips which could help you on this journey.

1) Goal setting
A journey needs a plan to make it happen. Not knowing the destination and route will leave you being lost. So get your goals set on what you want to achieve. If you are on the higher side or obese make sure you focus on losing weight and toning down your body. On the other hand, if you are thin your focus should be on gaining enough weight and muscle building. All this should be done the right way at a consistent pace. Doing it in haste or opting for plans that guarantee quick results will land your body in trouble if not now somewhere in the future too. So make sure you decide to do it the right way by making a conscious choice. So your workout routine and the diet or meal plan that you follow makes you remain focused throughout the journey and setting goals is the first and foremost step that rewards you.

2) Charting out the right meal
Food that we consume is something that helps to fuel our bodies. It shouldn’t be destroying the body in the process of consumption.
On the contrary, stopping to consume as part of a diet plan is not going to be of any help at all. Remember food is fuel.
A good diet and a great workout routine go hand in hand to make you achieve a strong and toned physique. If you do not pay much attention to what goes into your body, it is going to show up in your physique and metabolism. Foods rich in sodium, sugar, and fats can help you curb hunger pangs, make you eat more than what is required making your body pile up the pounds but in the long run, will also be the reason for you to succumb to chronic illness. This is the main reason that you should be aware of what your food is made of before it goes inside your body. So a balanced diet that has carbs, proteins, fibers, and vitamins is the right choice.
Plan and cook your meals I’m advance so that you don’t run hastily at the last minute. Most importantly this would help you in avoiding yourself from reaching out to unhealthy food options such as ready to eat, sugar, and sodium loaded foods. Choose a meal plan that suits your body type and one that would help you in reaching your goal.

3) Workout routine
A great workout routine sets the crux on your journey. Eating right and working out with a proper routine helps you in achieving the goal the right way. Chart out a consistent routine, which will help you keep the momentum of making you reach the goal. If you do not have a routine set you will probably lose track and interest in moving ahead in the journey. So always remember consistency is the key.
If you cannot set a routine on your own, you could ask the gym instructor to help you out with a routine that will make you stay on track and push you further.

4) Keep clean
Sweating is probably going to happen when you start working out. So make sure that you keep yourself clean and well hydrated. This will help flush out toxins the right way.
Be it home or gym always takes a shower post working out. It would help you cool down and also relax the muscles.
With us being in the middle of the pandemic, it is important to maintain social distancing, washing hands frequently, and always carry a face mask and hand sanitizer.

5) Choosing the right Gym gear
Nothing gives you much pleasure than seeing how well you fit into gym gear. The more you work out it’s going to make it even better. Choosing fashionable and functional gym gear is a must. With numerous clothing lines in this gym gear business, you sure do have a big ocean of choices.

6) Weight lifting is not something to be afraid of
Lifting weights is not to gain weight and appear to be bulging. This is a notion that needs much clarity. Lifting weights makes you athletic and makes you appear toned. This way of packing muscles also helps in bringing down the risk of osteoporosis. This muscle build-up will help in supporting your spine thereby yielding a benefit in lifting weights. So make sure that you include lifting weights into your workout routine.

7) stay sober
Alcohol is going to make you gain and pile up empty calories, disrupt sleep cycles, and increase cortisol production that’s going to cause stress. Drinking alcohol during this journey would lead to a derailment. Save your drinks only for special occasions. Your Friday and Saturday nights can wait but not before your journey to attain the toned physique.

Women often tend to gain more weight on the lower body. Your butt, thigh needs to be toned to not make you look like a money bag.

So how do you achieve a firmer butt or lift it to make it appear toned?

Once you achieve your goal, make sure that you remain consistent to maintain the health and continue to train and this will in turn become your lifestyle.

Women could be seen as resorting to taking treatments to make them appear young and fit.
Treatments for toning, enhancement, reduction have been doing rounds lately. The bum, breasts, and hips are where women put on a lot of weight. Toning them, enhancing them are the bodily changes people often take.

Namyaa Brazilian bum cream

Namyaa Brazilian bum cream works in increasing the volume, look and feel of the butt. Helps in elevating the curves and contours to give you a toned fuller butt. It’s easy to use and developed with certified products.

Ingredients: Chamomile, Nutmeg, Macadamia seed oil, Glycerine, Anemarrhena asphodeloides (Root) extract.

Directions to use:
1) Apply the required amount onto palms.
2) Gently apply on the bum and massage until it gets absorbed.
3) Do it twice a day for at least six weeks to see visible results.

Price: Rs.599 for 100gm

Available on Amazon and their website.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and happily SPONSORED BY RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021

Five habits of people with good skin

Some people when you look at them, the immediate thought that strikes up your mind is “my my, how clear is the skin?” . Sit down and think if you have asked this question at least once.

For some people, they are blessed with genes who have clear luminous skin. But if you still want to have that beautiful skin that would make eyeballs roll, you need to make sure the below pointers are what you follow. You need to religiously take good care and simple steps to maintain skin. Glowing skin doesn’t appear in a jiffy. It needs your dedication to keep you devoted to follow that regimen.

Here are five most common habits which people who have good skin follow.

1. Hydration

The key and the foremost habit that you need to cultivate if you aren’t doing. At least two liters of water a day. Drinking plain water is the natural way to flush out toxins. If you still don’t drink enough water, you would probably making way for the toxins to pile up and result in clogged pores. Your skin needs to have proper elasticity, be supple enough and free of any wrinkles. For this, drinking water is the first and easiest habit that you can cultivate. Not only good for your skin and great for your body too. Not drinking enough water makes skin dry and lose its shine. The skin deserves its dose of nutrition every day and no better simple food that giving it enough water.

Therefore hydration is the most easiest and first step to good skin.

2. A goodnight’s sleep

Have you ever wondered why the term is coined as ‘beauty sleep’. The repair process of the body needs sleep to be a most important factor. An essential routine that boosts blood circulation and takes care of skin repair. So make sure you have a goodnight’s sleep and sleep like a baby.

3. Sunscreen or SPFs for the rescue

Photo aging refers to skin damage caused to longer exposure to sunlight and UVA /UVB rays. Invest in a good sunscreen and your skin will thank you later. Fine lines, pigmentation showing up as blemishes are often result of sun exposure leading to premature ageing. So make sure before you take your wallet next time you step out, apply a generous amount of sunscreen on face, neck and other exposed parts of body.

4. CTM- Cleanse, Tone and moisturize

Cleanse– Washing off impurities and thereby unclogging the pores.

Tone – Toner removes last trace of dirt or impurities from skin post face wash. When done regularly you could see a visible difference in skin tightening due to lesser pores.

Moisturize– A gentle way to keep your skin hydrated and not becoming dry. You could avoid using soaps often and go on to opt for a humidifier.

Above in short in known as CTM routine and is predominantly carries out before bedtime. Doing this religiously helps skin heal of any skin related problems and provides a routine for it to run the repair and regeneration process during the night time.

Also one important point to keep in mind is to choose products for CTM according to your skin type. This will not only prove beneficial but also prevent any side effects by using products which don’t suit your skin type.

5. Eating a healthy and a balanced meal

A proper meal that has all vital nutrients aids a lot of benefits to your body. So when your body feels good, it immediately shows up on your skin. Not only eating nutrient food, eating right food in the right way is what I’d want to suggest. Foods rich in anti-oxidants like oranges, tomatoes and berries provide a lot of skin benefits. These foods help delay skin ageing and improve collagen building. Avoid foods having excess oil, sugar, preservatives and foods that are processed to flaunt that healthy skin.

As mentioned above, these are five most common habits that are followed by people around the world to maintain good skin. The priority or importance is not strictly based on the order that I have mentioned.

Make sure you do a patch test every time you try out a new product. Do not go by blind recommendations. Make sure to check the ingredients and suitability to skin type before purchasing a new skincare product.

If you experience or suffer from a skin problem do not hesitate to reach out to a dermatologist. Do not go by following everyone’s advice. Until and unless they have experience in the field, do not reach out to random people on social media asking for skincare advice.

Not all highly priced products give you good results and those which are priced less result in failures. Keep that in mind and start taking care of your skin.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and happily SPONSORED BY RRE Studios and SHOWCASE Events.

December 15, 2020December 15, 2020

Lockdown: what it had in store for women?

Every woman out there needs support and a bit of encouragement to sail through. Although we do say that we do not need the constant push cause it’s usually in our genes that I’d say that we make sure that everyone else gets what they want and finally settle down to get something for us. We don’t complain or brood about it. Self contented is what id chose to explain that emotion.

When was the last time you sat down to have a hearty laugh and eat along with your family? If the answer is we do this all the time I’m certainly happy for you. But there are a lot of families where this wouldn’t have happened at all. It’s time for them to sit down think and make sure you give that woman some rest and joy of having a meal with you without a worry in her mind.

The lockdown not only brought every thing to a standstill but also made a drastic lifestyle change which brought in a lot of health complications. When it comes to a woman,the first thing that strikes you would be her reproductive health. Yes that’s a major lifestyle induced medical conditions that saw a lot of incoming cases and hospital visits.

Did you know that the lockdown stress had about 25% of women experience irregular periods? Blame it on the lifestyle change that involved a change in food sleep and physical activity totally resulting in this. Stress induced by this and to top it all taking care of the house and children played its part in fiddling with the delicate monthly cycle. A no-show at the end of the month brought in a lot of worries.

While the no-show brought in a lot of smiles for many yes I did come across a lot of lockdown pregnancy announcement for whom I’m happy for. For the rest it really did play with their reproductive health and the stress hormone cortisol levels causing a major disruption in their mental health. A lot of women with controlled PCOD jumped over the wall due to the improper sleep cycle and untimely food habits. Women experienced varying symptoms but all pointing to stress induced illnesses. So next time there is a no-show don’t ignore. This is not something to worry only when you plan on having a baby.

The lockdown also lowered socialising to a great extent. People feared to venture out even for genuine causes. Being a new mother myself, I had a lot of things running in my mind to handle delivering a baby during the lockdown. Thank God that the hospital was well prepared to handle the crisis and everything went on smooth and we came back to our nest safely.

But what was running in mind was a lot of doubts . Being a second time mother I was confident that I could handle this and I had things under control, but there was also the slightest doubts on one corner bothering me. What do I do ? That’s when hospitals had equipped themselves for video consultations. What a boon technology is? Not to forget that we also saw rising number of WhatsApp groups for new mothers which had doctors guiding them then and there. I was glad I had professional help handy and made life much easier for me. So thankful for the women who initiated the groups to help out other women.

Career options poured in from all directions. People who lost their livelihood and companies who couldn’t continue paying employees left a hole in many families. Thankful to opportunities that were freelance and those which offered upskilling people equipped themselves well to be prepared to take up good opportunities.

I’d seen that schools and educational institution were willing to take in women to help cope the demand for online classes. A lot of women with basic qualifications were employed.

Education portals opened access allowing the population to stay up to date, make the time useful and learn or upskill themselves.

Womenpreneurs bloomed, small scale, large scale , women who dreamt of coming up with their own venture came out of the shell proved success . I did see a lot of women supporting them through Instagram lives handling pop up sales and expanding market.

On my part I did Collaborate with a lot of small scale , local ,men/woman owned brands and helped with promotions. Happy that I could bring a smile and some orders for them.

These are my observations of what the lockdown had in store for us women especially and turning them to fruitful opportunities. The lockdown did bring in a lot of mental challenges but we sure did strive through successfully.

This post is part of #wswbloghop . I am a part of the #WSWBlogHop and I truly believe that we should support, empower each other and grow together.

December 10, 2020December 12, 2020

Simple period care regime to take care of PCODs and irregular periods.

Do you experience any of the below?

Irregular periods
Infrequent bleeding
Issues in ovulation
Thinning hair
Excess facial and body hair growth
Dark patches
Pelvic pain
Increase in body weight
Acne
Lipid abnormalities

If you have answered yes to most of the above symptoms, you could have PCOS/PCOD and would be necessary to check with a gynecologist to confirm the possibility.

What are PCOS and PCOD?

Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome is a common condition among women in the reproductive age group due to higher levels of androgen interfering with egg development and is transformed to cysts on the ovaries which prevents the ovaries from functioning normally.

Poly Cystic Ovarian Disorder is a collection of mature eggs not being released leading to cyst development. This is due to hormonal imbalance.

Ever since we had the pandemic in place and a lockdown being announced many of our metabolic clocks startled. Be it male or female, the majority would agree that their entire lifestyle took a jolt and would take a lot of time to recuperate back on track. Females had yet another clock that wasn’t spared by the pandemic and the associated stress meter that came into the picture.

Sudden isolation from kith and kin, no outdoors, and no helping hands for domestic chores, managing kids, and working from home skyrocketed the stress levels. Untimely meals which could be junk, no proper sleep cycle added more fuel to a burning medical problem amongst women. Would you believe that there have been reports that at least 25% of women in the country have been experiencing irregularities in periods?

Stress from any trigger be it at the office, travel, or at home could have an impact on your monthly cycle. The so-called new reality hit the female population hard that Doctors reported more cases of disrupted menstrual cycles which were either irregular cycles or severe menstrual cramps of varying intensities.

A no-show at the end of the month brought out smiles to many but brought trouble to the others. The fear of getting infected and the inability to venture to hospitals to get the irregularities checked worsened the condition for many.

Doctors reported that many patients who had PCOD under control had their conditions jumping over the wall due to lockdown stress. Binge eating, no physical activity, and stress have been attributed to have caused the major malfunction.

Doctors have also mentioned that increased levels of cortisol (stress hormone) were messing up the monthly cycles in women when tests were taken. A regular mealtime with nutritious food, physical activity, and a good sleep cycle could help keep the condition in check. More importantly, finding ways to relieve stress and maintaining good menstrual health is a must for women.

Though PCOD and PCOS cannot be completely cured, you could keep them at controlled levels so that they do not bring in complications.

You could bring in tremendous changes by inculcating the below habits.

11 habits to control PCOS and PCOD

Keep a check on your weight.
Addressing triggers of stress be it a human or a situation.
No junk food.
Being sure of the food portions, eating only when you are hungry, and not skipping meals in between to end up binge eating.
No desserts which include sweets, chocolates, or bakery items.
Limiting intake of wheat, dairy, and minimizing simple carbs.
Not ignoring an irregular period.
Increasing intake of fiber and bitter foods.
A good amount of physical exercise.
Good sleep cycle.
Leading a slow and joyful life.

I also came across a period care kit that I would love to share with you here.

Deal PCOS and PCOD with Namyaa Period Care

Namyaa natural care’s newest launch is their period care range. Comprising of three products under the name of Namyaa period care the products help in treating the root cause and aid in keeping the hormone level in balance.

Namyaa Aarthava Kshaya for PCOD and PCOS – These are tablets that are 60 in number packaged in a bottle. Prepared by following the Ayurvedic principles of Stree Roga Chikitsa.
The product claims to address the root cause of PCOD and PCOS, helps in restoring hormonal balance, and aids in timely ovulation. The product has no chemicals, is prepared by using all-natural ayurvedic ingredients, and hence safe to consume.

Price: Rs.399 for a bottle of 60 tablets

Namyaa Anartava – For delayed and irregular periods – An exclusive syrup that treats irregular periods. The product claims to be a permanent solution for delayed periods and help maintain a regular menstrual cycle. Not only regularize the monthly cycle but helps restore a proper balance of hormone and thereby eliminating toxins for blood purification.

Price: Rs.449 for a 500ml syrup bottle

Namyaa Shwetkanika for white discharge– A pack of 60 tablets that help in controlling white discharge. Instructed to be taken twice post breakfast and dinner for 90 days to achieve the results. Also helps in balancing hormone and eliminating toxins.

Price: Rs.399 for a bottle of 60 tablets.

All the above three products part of Namyaa period care are available on the brand website, amazon, and Flipkart.

Next time you have irregular periods don’t ignore and take care of your health. Remember that you are important to run the show. And a no-show could ruin things for you.

Keep regular, be healthy. Happy periods!