Healing with hills- Health Book : Day 118

Hill stations bring a  pleasant change in our lives. We breathe free in the relaxing & calm surrounding,  break free from the monotony of our life and get rejuvenated. Hill stations are a must visit for all, especially those who have practically lost themselves in stress and crazy city rush. The pure air magically heals your body. The mystique view rejuvenates you mentally, emotionally, physically.

My three days visit to Dalhousie and McLeodGanj did the same to me. The magical bliss was not only of the beautiful nature but of the lovely resort as well which made our stay so memorable. I will write about the trip in some other post. Let me share some positive things about hill stations and the wonders that can happen there.

-Have you often heard doctors advising patients to take a break and recover in hill stations? As I said, hill stations offer you serenity, much required for you mentally and physically. Hill stations have clean air. Not that the air is pollution free, but the pollution level is much less as compared to cities. Clean air means clean oxygen and clean respiration.

-No or scanty use of plastic in hill stations is another blessing. Everything is so pure & neat! The pollution free roads are

-Physical activity- Roads at hill stations are curvy and inclined. Imagine walking on a treadmill inclined with few degrees. It takes more efforts to walk on inclined base than on a flat base. Hence you get a healthy heart, more muscles and stronger body. Get fit with the hills!

-Mental peace- Wake up to the noise of chirping birds, beautiful sunrise view, rustling of trees in the morning breeze and you are automatically refreshed. A quiet ambiance gives you a chance to spend some time with yourself. That explains why writers choose hill stations as a destination while they write their books. Ruskin Bond, Kiran Desai are legendary examples from the literary world who went to the hills looking for a peaceful environment and apt location for their stories. Hills are magical you see!

-Spiritual connect- While you can find solace and mental peace, at the same time you connect spiritually. Mediation and spiritual healing is a calmer experience in hill stations than cities.

-Exotic beauty- Newly wed couples should visit a hill stations for their honey moon. The exotic beauty of the place naturally brings two people closer. Create a strong bond of your relationship amid the mesmerizing beauty of hills. You will remember the sunrise, sunset, vibrant flowers and lush greenery forever. Remember, flora and fauna always have a positive effect on your minds!

-Medicated water- Did you know that water from mountains have medical properties that heals diseases! Not all, may be few do. Subhash Chandra Bose stayed in Dalhousie for 8 months. He was suffering with TB during that period. During his daily morning walks, Netaji is said to have regularly consumed water from a spring which cured his TB! A similar place called Shastradhara in Dehradun has source of Sulphur water, called Gandhak Kund which is said to be good for curing skin infections. Many such healing features make hill stations popular.

So what are yo waiting for? Plan a vacation and pack off to hill station for few soothing days of your life. Heal in the hills, stay healthy, stay blessed.

Tanned? Health Book- Day 101

Pull up your shirt sleeves and see the difference in the skin tone. Body parts exposed to the sun are dark as they are tanned, while the covered ones appear normal. This is one of the worse effects of summers. Okay, don't panic, keep calm and read the home remedies to de-tan yourself. Tried and tested grandma's methods and approved by health/derma experts.

Lighter complexion with lemon

-When life throws lemons at you, use them to de-tan!Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent that helps skin to get rid of tanning.

Rub fresh lemon juice on your face, elbows or hands. If lemon juice sounds messy or those who think why to waste lemons, they might as well utilize the used/squeezed lemons. Despite the juice already gone, the remains of the lemon cover/shell still retains the rich content of vitamins. Rub the lemon peel on your tanned parts, elbows or knees. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash with cold water.

-Pass on the papaya! Did you know that papaya is a skin lightening agent? No? How could you not know that? Papaya is full of antioxidants and Vitamin A&C that gives your skin a glowing fair texture. Rub the flesh of papaya on skin or mash a portion of papaya and use as mask. Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash with cold water. Discover a de-tanned and soft skin!

-Potential potato- If you have a mild tan, rub peeled potato skin on the affected area. See how well the peels work on your skin before being trashed! You can apply raw potato juice as well. Rich in vitamin C, potato works really well on dark circles around the eyes which look darker on tanned facial skin.

Exfoliate with almonds

-Expresso exfoliate - When you are tanned, exfoliate to remove the dead skin cells. Soak a few almonds in water

overnight and the next morning, grind them till you get a fine paste and add equal quantities of milk. Apply this mixture to your hands, face and feet for 20 minutes. Sounds expensive? Well yes, almonds are expensive. See an economical method then- Apply a paste of oatmeal powder, yogurt, lime juice and tomato juice and wash it with cold water after keeping it for half an hour. A 100% guaranteed de-tan is assured!

-Cuddly curd- Curd is not only refreshing and good for stomach but works wonders on skin during summers.  Mix curd and chickpea (besan) and apply on tanned areas. Wash with cold water when dried.  Tanned skin will disappear.

-Toss the tomato- Enriched with Vitamin A, C& astringent properties, tomatoes help ypu get a clear skin

Tomatino Facial

complexion and rid of acne as well. Rub tomato pulp or a slice of raw tomato on your tanned parts. Alternatively mix a tablespoon of honey in tomato juice to make a thick paste. Wash after 15 minutes of application. Your tanned skin will be history!

With the advent of cosmetics and skin care products, we land up doing more harm than good to our skin. There is no better remedy than the natural ones, keeping the harsh chemicals at bay.

Stay healthy stay blessed! 

Summer Mocktail- Year Health Book- Day 99

Soaring temperature eh?

As summers silently creep into our lives, we can't help but live with it. We leave no stone un-turned to beat the heat and land up doing harm than good. Ice creams, carbonated drinks may give you temporary relief from the heat, but certainly causes no good in the long run. You literally gain nothing from them, apart from calories or flu-cold.

Sharing an easy and refreshing summer drink here- Watermelon cocktail. I did not call it mocktail, since there was no other fruit mixed in the drink. It is neat fruit juice !

Preparation time- 10 mins

What you need- Ripe sweet watermelon, 1 lemon, black salt, mint leaves

Method-
1. Cut the water melon into halves, scraping the pulp from the cover. Chop them into pieces and sort out the seeds. Place the pieces in a juicer or mixer.
2. Juice the pulp in the juicer. Keep it thick or thin as per your choice.

3.  Squeeze one whole lemon into the juice.

4. Stir with a teaspoon of black salt or chaat masala.

Pour in a glass. Do not add water or sugar.

Garnish with mint leaves. Add ice cubes if you like it chilled.

This is the easiest fruit mocktail you can make at home. For those who find eating the big melon boring, will definitely find this an interesting & refreshing drink. To top it all, I don't need to remind you the benefits of watermelon, do
I? Alright, for the sake of Year Health Book, let me do a small one -

• Watermelon is rich in antioxidants
• Reduces body fat
• Boosts immune, reduces cell damage
• Improves eye health
• Boosts energy level with time.
• Gives you younger looking skin and protects from sun damage.
• Arginine content in Watermelon boosts nitric acid that helps treat cardiovasular problems and high blood pressure.

So don't shy away from the watermelon treat. Stay healthy, stay blessed.

Know how's of cardio- Health Book: Day 97

This post for those who don't know what is cardio exercise and why should it be done. While talking to a friend yesterday, who had no clue about cardio exercises, I realized the need to enlighten others about the same.

What?

Cardio or cardiovascular exercises are those physical movements of your body where your heartbeat accelerates.

Why?

If you have desk job, how does your body feel at the end of the day? You may have tight muscles, an aching back, and you feel exhausted even though you haven't done anything physical. Perhaps your shoulders are heavy with tension and head giddy after staring at your computer screen for the whole day. You do not feel the same post a good workout. Your muscles become warm and flexible, the blood circulation becomes good, providing oxygen and energy. You feel energized, refreshed, confident and  proud of yourself and ready, don't you? The reason is that our bodies are made to move, and not sit around all day. This is exactly what we do and ruin our bodies.

Benefits?

• Cardio exercise is a great way to burn calories and help you lose weight
• Did you know that cardio makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood?
• More the cardio, better is your lung capacity
• It helps reduce risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
• It makes you feel good, energetic and confident.
• It helps you sleep better and reduce stress
• It increases your bone density

How?

Joining a gym or aerobics may not be possible for everybody. So try these without joining a gym-

brisk walk, running/jogging. cycling, skipping, using staircase or something as easy as jumping. Cardio workout is also important before lifting weights. Do not rush to weights without warming up or cardio. You can only stay fit if the right direction is followed.

Stay healthy, stay blessed.