Sunday, October 14, 2018

Biotique Bio Wheat Germ Youthful Nourishing Night Cream





Hello beautiful people. I am back with another product review, of another night cream from Biotique. So far its products have never disappointed me. Having tried the Biotique Neem Purifying Face Wash and Spot Correcting Anti Acne Pack, I randomly picked up the Bio Wheat Germ Youthful Nourishing Night Cream since I was hunting for one.



What does the brand claims 
This rich-feeling, firming cream is blended with pure Wheat Germ, Sunflower and Almond oils, vitamins A, B, C, D, E and extracts of Carrot and Galangal to moisturize and strengthen skin for a more vital, resilient, younger appearance.

Wheat Germ is one of the most sensitive oils in the botanical world, a natural antioxidant with vitamins A, D, more vitamin E than any other natural oil, plus lecithin. Its pampering properties also protect skin from dryness and environmental stress.



The magic of ingredients:

Having read a lot about the benefits of wheat germ, almond, and sunflower oil, I was inclined to try this nourishing cream. With its anti aging properties, wheatgerm also brightens complexion and reduces wrinkles. Almond oil helps to retain moisture and promotes flawless skin. Antioxidant rich sunflower oil effectively moisturizes, prevents skin damage and pre-mature aging.



My experience with the cream:
The cream with off white color has a smooth texture. The fragrance is soothing and does not irritate (Thank God!) It moisturizes and nourishes leaving skin soft and hydrated. You would actually feel your skin bouncing with good health after the first application. The cream comes in a plastic container with a green lid and label that claims Ayurvedic Recipe with 100% botanical extracts.  The 50 g cream is priced at Rs 230 (May be even lesser online).





Over a period of time, your skin would start feeling good and hydrated. This does not claim to remove scars or oily texture but nourishes skin well. Though it may not work on dark spots or fine lines, a daily massage can keep tour skin healthy. I mix a little cream on my palm with two drops of Avon Miracle Glow Facial Oil and massage at night. My skin feels soft and supple in the morning!

Read here about the best day cream experience of mine from Lotus.

What I liked
- Has a mild fragrance
-Skin feels nourished and healthy after first use
-Very little is required to apply on skin
-Gets absorbed onto skin when massaged gently
-The  plastic jar packaging is light weight, compact and easy to carry even in your travel kit.
-Reasonably priced
-Would work as magic in winters for dry/chapped skin as well as cracked heels.

What I did not like
-I did not like the plastic jar. Somehow I feel plastic does not keep the product fresh and it reacts with chemicals in some or the other way. Additionally, plastic is also not good for the environment either.
-The cream is not lightweight. Skin feels weighed down.
-This cream would not suit people with oily, combination or acne prone skin. This is meant for dry to normal skin only.
-Not recommended for humid weather

My overall rating - 3 on 5
A repeat purchase? I don't think so.

   

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

MeToo - Isnt the onus on us?



In the wake of the #metoo movement and the shocking incidents of digging out past sexual harassment cases, I felt the urge to share something. All ladies have had their "me too" incidents. The reason why girls don't speak about it is that they were never encouraged to, since childhood. Voicing their opinion or naming the culprit was never a part of the Indian culture. It might bring shame to the girl's family. Correct me if I am wrong?



A man who might have made sexual advancement towards you and did what he was not supposed to, got away with the crime because he knew about the loopholes of the "cultured" society we live in. Young girls are the easiest target for sexual predators. Reasons- One, the fear of not speaking up or the tender age when sexual abuse is beyond her understanding; and two, families/schools hush up the cases fearing defamation and three- law is a perhaps a joke. (Readhttps://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/startling-details-of-dehradun-school-covering-up-girls-rape/articleshow/65864937.cms )

The offender is not be blamed, but the crippled mindset of our very own society.

Our country has Khajuraho temple with statues of Kamasutra on display, but shies away from imparting sex education, at home or school alike. People use free internet to feed on porn, but wont use the same internet for sex education. (Workplaces are no different when a girl under pressure chooses to remain silent on such disturbing incidents. They choose to avoid such people, gatherings or switch jobs. And the cost of speaking up or resisting a sexual attack? Defamation of family, her job or even life.


Courtesy- https://www.army.mil

I thank my stars for protecting me from such creeps atleast in my corporate journey. The owner of a company (my first job) was always full of encouragement for ladies. He was totally against sexual harassment and trained us to be vocal about it. I still remember his words asking the female sales staff to be bold enough to walk away or slap a client if he asks for sexual favors in return for business. For him a woman's safety and self respect were more important than client business. Bosses like these are hard to find, especially in field of sales.

Here is another incident that made an impact on me. I remember, it was one warm afternoon, before lunch. I was in a conversation with my reporting manager (female) with my back towards the door and he (a senior colleague ex Army personnel)  had just entered office after a meeting. While passing by, he tickled me on my waist. It was barely for few seconds but I turned numb. The sudden movement of his fingers pinching my waist was least expected. Perhaps it was a jovial, fun gesture I thought, because he was smiling and he went to his workstation like usual. It wan't sexual harassment but clearly unwelcome and shocking. In a state of shock, I sunk onto my chair, feeling disgusted and angry. Since this happened in front of my reporting manager, she immediately reported to boss (the owner). Boss summoned the gentleman and blasted at him to everyone's surprise. Later he individually counselled me and encouraged me to stand up for my own dignity. "If something feels wrong, fight back, because there wont be a good human being everywhere to protect me", he said. My respect grew for him by many folds that day and since then I have been bold enough to fight sexual harassment. I refused to be touched inappropriately and ended up kicking or hitting guys on several occasions. I refused to be ogled at and ended up looking straight into the eyes of the ogler and asking him to back off. I refused to be sexually exploited and ended up fighting men in crowded buses, public places or parties.


Narrating one of these incidents to my mom once, she got scared of me behaving “boldly” and advised me not to react or speak on such instances. It was not mom speaking, but a person brainwashed by the society who feared for her daughter’s safety. After all our culture does not allow women to speak up or report while guys get all the liberty. That is exactly why a sex criminal walks off fearlessly whereas the victim lives in constant fear with her self-respect, career and life at stake. 

The struggle continues for many till date. Why wait for another "MeToo" to start? Ladies, you need to be the change yourself. Unlearn what was taught to you, because its high time. Speak up, fight back, report but do not let men use you. 


P.S- This post was selected for IndiBlogger's Featured Posts (Special Independence Week Edition), and was displayed on the homepage of IndiBlogger.

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Monday, September 24, 2018

Lotus Herbals Nutranite Skin Renewal Nutritive Night Cream




Lotus Herbals has a great product portfolio and is quite convincing when it comes to the product benefits. As I was super impressed with Lotus Herbals Day Cream's performance, I was looking for an anti aging, nourishing night cream and ended up buying Nutranite Skin Renewal Nutritive Night Cream.



What the brand says:

This is a luxurious nutrient-rich night cream that helps renew the skin while you sleep. It repairs the damages caused by dehydration and exposures during the day to give a supple and renewed skin. It boots skin's resiliency, strengthens natural defenses while restoring firmness and smoothing imperfections.

The 50 g pack comes in a sturdy glass jar.

Why should you go for a night cream?

We often wonder if night creams are useful at all. Little we realize that your skin that has gone through so much wear & tear during the day (UV rays, pollution, stress) and needs a repair formula at night. Night creams hydrate, moisturize and replenish renewed skins replacing the dead and worn out cells. 

Active ingredients: 





The benefits that Lotus claims: 
  • Consists of natural oxidants that make the cream highly antiseptic and astringent
  • Repairs skin cells by removing dirt and impurities
  • Helps in strengthening the skin's natural defense
  • Consists of nutrients that restores skin's firmness and resilience
  • Adds a gorgeous golden glow


Good things I experienced:  



  • The texture is quite silky
  • The density of the cream feels rich and smooth
  • A very little is required to apply on face and neck 
  • Moisturizes very well

Cons that I found  - I felt cheated. OOPS! 
  • The sales rep sold this Lotus Herbals night cream to me calling it anti aging cream, which is not one. (I read the same in reviews later). This is just a nutritive night cream that vitalizes, hydrates and adds glow to your skin. It does not tighten skin nor works on fine fines.
  • Secondly, this is too heavy as a night cream. The cream leaves my skin oily and sticky. It might suit those with dry skin type, but definitely not the combination or oily skin type. I am scared of using it as it may cause acne or breakouts. The cream is lying unused in my closet. (Sigh!)
  • Though the fragrance is mild, it is not pleasing. To me it smells of too much chemicals.
  • The jar is not travel friendly.
Price- MRP: Rs 455. You can get it a discounted price online. 

My rating- 2.5 on 5. Lotus Herbals can do a better job I am sure. This disappointed me.  

(If you are looking for nourishing creams, why spend so much on Lotus Herbals? If you are looking for anti aging benefits with night repair formula , there are way better products in the market in the same price.)

P.S- This post made it to the top on Indiblogger home page. 

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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Tourism destroyed the place- Dalhousie diaries




My first trip to Dalhousie in April 2014 had left me enthralled and excited about Himachal Pradesh. The natural unspoiled beauty and pleasant weather made me fall in love with the place and planted a thought in my head about exploring it more. And there after much convincing and complaining from husband who had never been to Dalhousie, I agreed to visit the place again in 2018.

While the valley was snow covered back then in 2014, it was dry and warm in 2018. Effects of global warming surely! The locals told us about scanty snow fall this year, that too in late December. We had packed woolens but could wear none, owing to high temperature and absence of snow. More resorts, hotels and guest houses have mushroomed, and the hills have lost more green cover. Coming years Dalhousie might bear a deserted brown look.

KHAJJIAR


Upon entering Khajjiar, it seemed we entered a gas chamber. The narrow roads smelled of diesel and petrol. Well, since there are no buses plying on the roads, tourists depend on taxi/personal vehicles hence causing more pollution. We cannot blame anybody else but our own. The good part was the pasture land looked the same. The tall pine trees and green patch of land were of much respite. Husband was disappointed to see no sheep grazing around. He had high expectations from Khajjiar as from what he had seen in my pictures from 2104. Better luck next time hubby.



How to reach Khajjiar- Khajjiar is 22 km from Dalhousie bus terminal. Hire a cab or rent a bike. The main attraction is the pasture land with a little pond in the centre, few eating joints at one corner, an ancient temple and activities like paragliding/ horse riding. The Govt. Guest House is not easily available for booking. Recommended to make your stay arrangements in Dalhousie or in a resort midway of Dalhousie-Khajjiar route.


KALATOP 


This was my visit to Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary, as I was totally fascinated by the beauty of the place from the Bollywood flick Lootera. The quiet vicinity of the protected forest is known for the thick green expanse and tranquility. The thought of capturing Himalayan birds and fauna through lenses was the motivation for hubby’s visit. As the taxi wheeled in through the narrow roads of the sun kissed yellow and luscious green hilly slopes, there popped out the glazing green beer bottles, plastic wrappers and soft drink bottles. We seethed in anger but kept quiet.




The main premises of the sanctuary houses the forest guest house where Lootera was filmed. It is breathtaking and is a perfect writer’s retreat. The main guest house is surrounded by private guest houses and eating joints. More the population, more the pollution. Needless to mention, the number of tress were chopped to build those hotels and restaurants. The place was supposed to calm us but we could not turn a blind eye to the disasters there.



How to reach Kalatop-
Kalatop is 8.5 km from Dalhousie and 7.1 km from Dainkund. You can visit both the places (Sancuary and Dainkund) in one day. If you plan to stay in Kalatop, make your booking in advance. Since the Forest Rest House is rarely available, you can settle with other resorts in the same vicinity. Oh by the way, we tried looking for the tree we saw in movie Lootera. The locals surprised us with the fact that the tree on screen was artificial, especially made to order for the movie.


DAINKUND



Dainkund was equally disappointing. Plastic waste is a huge turn off for us and we lose our focus on enjoying the trip. We start collecting the waste, going off the track and cursing those who litter.  When will public be civilized or get mature enough? Plus our authorities has no efficient way of safe garbage disposal.  Anyway, next came the weather. While in 2014 I had witnessed heavy snowfall, 2018 was warm, dry and no snow.


                                               Snow covered Dainkund in 2014


Same time of the year in 2018
To add to the misery was my knee injury which restrained me from hiking up the peak. Hubby enjoyed the hike alone, taking pictures wherever he could and soaking in the sun. As God answered his prayers, he spotted some snow in a secluded spot. Ofcourse he was happy and the hike seemed worth to him. Small joys to concrete jungle dwellers you see :) (I hail from Uttarakhand and not Delhi, so don’t get me wrong). While returning to the base, we resumed collecting plastic waste on the way. Once a conscious citizen, always a conscious citizen I guess.


How to reach Dainkund- Merely 12 km from Dalhouse is the Dainkund peak which has an Airforce base station and is on vigilance all the time. The 2km uphill trek is easy. Advised to wear flats or sports shoes. Heels would not work here. You are required to park your vehicles at the dedicated spot and walk up to the entrance of the trek gate which is less than 500 meters. In case you have senior citizens with you or those with joint pain/injury do not go up there.


The market places, Subhash Chowk and Gandhi Chowk, are polluted like any metro city. It feels disgusting to see what humans have done to the planet. The smoke choke and plastic dump are examples of sheer ignorance/recklessness that will lead to disaster. Thankfully vehicles are not allowed inside the narrow lanes of the markets, else it would be difficult to breathe.


This post also made it to the home page in Indiblogger among the top blog posts list.

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Thursday, April 12, 2018

An ode to the navigator



This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.

He used to chat with me for hours narrating stories of his tenure at Intelligence Bureau; shortened IB. Most of his stories were of his struggle in extreme conditions, especially around borders. Indo China Border, Jammu border, Arunanchal border and many more. For me those were hard days, whereas for him it was adventure! IB was not well equipped with modern machinery or techniques in those days. I am talking about an era of late 60’s. In spite of lack of technology or modern systems, our forces had manpower who were willing to lay their lives for the country. Their willpower, dedication, determination and honesty were the stumbling blocks for the agency. On the snowcapped mountains at the borders, when harsh weather and adverse conditions lashed them with all might, he often faced the challenge of navigating his way through knee deep snow between the bunkers and the watch stations. Just a walkie-talkie in hand was not always useful. Mountains and forests, even during summers were tough to navigate through.

With scarce natural resources and few manual equipment, they could rely on their instinct or gut feel for navigation.

“I stole a leopard’s food once,” he said and smiled, awaiting my surprised reaction.

“What! Really? But why? The leopard kills to survive. Why did you steal it? And how did you do that?” I exclaimed, while turning down the volume of the television to listen to him. I sat crossed leg on the sofa and leaned on the cushion. The story would be long I knew.

“Well you see, it was not intentional. I was patrolling the area, when my subordinate came running to me. He alleged spotting a snow leopard with a kill. It took us around 45 minutes to reach the spot from where the leopard had disappeared. Apparently the mountain goat was too heavy for the animal to pull, so he left his kill there. I shot in the air, tied the goat to our shoulders and moved at a higher distance instead to descending.”

I stared at him in sheer disbelief. “Why did you move higher?”

“Because the leopard would have pounced on us the moment we descended with the goat. The leopard watched us hiding somewhere. It’s safe to go on a higher distance and scare the leopard away. Inching higher, my subordinate realized we had lost our way. We kept moving and returned safely from the other side of the base camp.” He took a deep breath.

“How did you find your way then?”

“I had a fair idea of the altitude and had counted the number of trees on the way. Scaling the same height from the other side of the hill, I observed the declining number of shrubs, marking an end of the forest area. Since forests were cleared around the base camps, a complete round of the hill would bring us back to the same point. That’s how I navigated my way beta,” he said feeling nostalgic.

“Wow! You stole a leopard’s food, lost your way and returned safely to the camp. You are incredible dad!” I exclaimed.

He smiled with a calm expression.




“On another occasion we caught two terrorists who crossed Bangladesh en-route Pakistan. I was posted in NEFA, Arunanchal Pradesh. They claimed to be farmers and alleged crossing the border unknowingly. But I knew they were liars!” he said with his childlike enthusiasm.

He continued, “I asked them the routes they had crossed. They named a few. Then I asked them their village of origin. They said Bankura. My next questions cleared all doubts. I asked them the name of the road in Master Moshaai block and they ran a blank at me”.

“Who is Master Moshaai?” I asked him sipping my tea.

“Anybody from or around the village Bankura would know Master Moshaai, the school teacher who taught everybody for free. Master Moshaai’s statue was erected in the middle of the village and roads renamed after him. The adjoining village was Babu Graam with a river connecting Bankura. The two knew nothing, meant they did not belong to the place and were lying. They were handed over to IB head office, contemplating an attack.”

“We don’t need navigation in car if we have you,” I pulled his leg.

My father-in-law last narrated his stories in December 2015. An ode to the navigator who took his last breath on 15th Jan 2016.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Cut the paani, save the Earth



How many of us recognize the legend Rajendra Singh? Also known as the 'Water Man of India', Rajendra Singh has helped revive water table in the dry region of Rajasthan and contributed towards water conservation through several methods of rain water harvesting. Decorated with Magsaysay Award, he was instrumental in bringing water back to over 1,000 villages and revived five rivers in Rajasthan, Arvari, Ruparel, Sarsa, Bhagani and Jahajwali.  If Rajendra Singh could do it, why cant we? His foresightedness has helped villagers survive drought. When are we going to do something about the receding water table and shortage of drinking water?

An initiative by Livpure #CuttingPaani has created a buzz everywhere which aims to create awareness on cutting down water wastage for the larger good. The video conveys it nicely.


Not only in restaurants or homes, one can practice this at their workplace as well. Take a look at the video showing the same. 

Current situation of water: Grim



-Water table is fast depleting and drinking water is NOT infinite.

-2015 saw Cape Town the worst effected with drought. Possibility of Day Zero was declared in January 2018 when the municipality would be forced to shut down the water supply and residents would rely on water collection points for drinking water with a cap of 25 litres for each household.   

-Mexico, Jakarta, Sao Paulo are struggling with scarce supply of water. 

Future situation of water: Grimmer

                                    
  
-Human's increasing demands for freshwater and protecting the eco system will be perhaps the biggest challenges to meet in coming few years.

-Melbourne, Australia may run out of water by the end of the decade.

-Water stress is increasing in India, China and Sub Saharan Africa. Bangalore is next on the list to be hit by severe water crisis. 


Best ways to save water and the grim situation:

1- Cut down wastage of water


-Use wet cloth or sponge to clean your car. Using water through hosepipe to wash cars wastes approximately 20-30 liters of precious water. Hubby bought a portable car washer that uses less than 1 liter of water. The water scarcity news badly effected him and he stopped using the car washer machine. He switched to microfiber cloth to clean wipe his car. pledging to zero water wastage. He feels proud about it and I appreciate his little effort towards saving water for the planet.

-Always carry a water bottle. This will avoid wastage of water in glass and will prevent you from buying plastic water bottles while travelling. 

-Turn the taps off when not in use. Every 5 minutes of running tap water drains out 4-5 liters of water. 

-Mop, don't wash. Husband was visibly disturbed after the water crisis of Cape Town did the rounds in news channels. He pulled up his socks and decided to contribute with the smallest things he could. For instance, he instructed the maid to mop the backyard and porch instead of throwing water and wiping. After all every drop counts.  

-Practice half flush- Using half the water for flush will help save 2-3 liters of water in one go. Small efforts only go a long way.

-Do not leave tap open while washing utensils. Infact washing utensils under running tap accounts for a huge wastage. If utensils are stacked together and rinsed with water from a tub,an individual will contribute saving 9-10 liters of water everyday. 

2. Reuse water 

-Birds die thirsty in the scorching summer. Reuse the left over disposable water in earthen water bowls for birds. You can use it for your pet's water bowl too. Even better, I collect water in a bottle to spray on leaves of trees in my garden/colony.  

-Use the unused drinking water from glass for plants/trees. They need it the most during summers.
Pic courtesy: http://remax-pueblo-co.com

-The above picture has been very popular on social media. This arrangement will direct used water to the flush tank. A two-in-one benefit straightaway!

- The water used for mopping the floor can be put to use by sweeping the terrace or staircase.  


3. Rainwater Harvesting 
Photo credit: Wikipedia
This is an age old practice that can stock millions of gallons of water. Careful and smart ways of water conservation can save us from drought like situation. Communities/ residential associations should come together to adopt rainwater harvesting.  

4. Protect trees

Depleting water table and other climatic changes run in a vicious cycle. Increasing population has led to deforestation and that further adds to global warming and shortage of water. How about doing your bit by planting trees around you? You can start with an occasion like birthday or anniversary and plant saplings. In next twenty years, you would be proud of your contribution with some fresh air to the environment and home to birds/rodents. Save the old trees. No body should encourage wood chopping or felling of trees. Remember, more trees means less CO2 emission and more oxygen.

5. Solar Power 

Solar power is used to produce electricity and reduces the pressure on hydro electricity. More the use of solar power, lesser the use of water and lesser the electricity bills. Even if a single solar panel can produce electricity for tubelights or fans of household, imagine the reduction in use of water for electricity production. Streetlights these days use solar power. Cochin has world's first fully solar powered airport. The project costed 620 million rupees. Kolkata's international airport, is planning to build a solar plant covering around 70 acres land that would reduce its electricity bill by one third. While cost is a detrimental factor, it can be countered with mass use of solar panels on larger scale.


Every drop of water counts and saving each drop will save the planet. What are we leaving behind for the coming generations to see? Drought, floods, melting glaciers, no forests, dying fauna? Saving water will help living beings survive. Its a necessity and lets not waste it.
Mere words will not help. Our actions will help save water.  I took the first step by pledging to save water. Have you signed the petition by Livpure yet? Sign the pledge now  if you haven't. Sign it here  

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Prem Mandir: Magic in one minute

The iconic Prem Mandir made in Italian marble, is bathed in vibrant colors every evening. And trust me, it is a sight to behold! From soothing green and bubbly blue to glittering gold and soft pink, the colors enhance the beauty of the temple. Watch the magic unfold in 1 minute.

This is a daily practice in Prem Mandir after sunset.





Prem Mandir is in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh which was opened to public in 2012. See and know more about this stunning temple here in my blog

P.S- The post made to the list of popular posts on Indiblogger website.

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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Sweets for living

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A peda wala in Mathura, selling pedas for daily living. Peda is a soft milk based sweet, traditionally made with khoya, sugar and flavored spices. The brown ones are pure khoya which have shelf life of 2 weeks and the white ones (covered) have punch of cloves and they last for 2 months. Pedas from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh are the best in North India. 

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Sri Krishna Janmbhoomi Temple - Mathura diaries




Day 2: Sri Krishna Janmbhoomi Temple





So what if Mathura has bad roads and a serious traffic problem; that could not dampen my spirits to see the holy town. Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, holds high significance in the books of History and Mythology, drawing lot of tourists and devotees every day. The first of my three day trip comprised visit to Govardhan Temple, Sri Krishna Janmbhoomi and market hopping.

Read my post on Govardhan Temple here. I utilized the second half of the day in Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Temple. 


The main entrance gate 
Sri Krishna Janambhoomi is the very spot where Lord Krishna was born to Vasudev and Devaki in Kansa’s captivity.  The temple has parts of that historical jail, open for visitors. The huge temple premises is on a raised platform, which you can reach via a long flight of stairs.


Heavily guarded by CISF, the temple has a mosque in its close proximity. The main shrine of the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The walls have beautiful paintings depicting the life of Krishna and his various avataars. Everything inside is extravagantly pretty and outstanding. Even the roof walls caught my attention where Krishna Leela was painted in vibrant colors. You can spend time meditating or singing bhajans at the main shrine. The first level of the temple has a prayer hall where the ISKON group sing and dance to Krishna Bhajans. The rhythm of the mridang and manjeera takes you to trans! You end up feeling elated and full of positive energy.

The market within the temple complex boasts of sweets, colourful gifts, idols of God and lovely embroidery work on accessories.

The most interesting and visit worthy place in the temple is the artificial cave that exhibits Krishna Leela at different stages of his life. The dark cave echoes with a combination of sound and light effects to compliment the atmos.
Entry Fees for cave- Rs 5 per person

Tips for first time visitors
-Photography and carrying bags is prohibited inside. Cloak rooms outside the premises charge Rs 2 per item to deposit your bags, cams and mobiles.
-You would be frisked by security personnel twice. You cannot cheat them by hiding your mobile phones in your clothes.
-Though the temple has not mentioned any dress code, it would be wise to dress modestly covering your bare legs at least.
-Footwear is deposited at the shoe stand on ground floor for free.
-Monkeys and dogs are found in large number. Do not bother them, they would not bother you. Do not feed any animal inside.
-Temple opens at 6 am and shuts at 12 noon. Reopens at 4:30 pm till 8:30 pm. Plan your visit accordingly.

Outside the temple, do visit the local market. It turned out to be my best experience here.
Needless to mention, my eternal bond with sweets, brought me here to have the best Peda of North India. 





The little brown sinfully indulgent pedas which melt in mouth make me feel they were made for me. Infact every third shop I saw was named Brijwasi, one of the oldest sweet shop in Mathura. Leveraging the legacy, even the local vendors have renamed their shops to the same. 







Stroll in the market for the best chaat and tikki. We had a plate of golgappa and dahi vada each at Rs 20 from Paras Chaat Bhandar. The gentleman is the most humble vendor I ever met. Do give his stall a try when around Krishna Janambhoomi. 




The best dahi vada plate


Our dinner was from a small eating joint named New Madrasi where we had rawa masala dosa at modest price of Rs 60 each. I ended up complimenting the owner how much I liked the dosa.


Around 8pm, we walked back from Sri Krishna Janambhoomi premises to our hotel (Ganpati Palace), which was less than one kilometer, and the streets had started to bear a deserted look. It is advisable to head back to to your hotel and avoid strolling on roads after 9 pm.  


How to reach Mathura from Delhi- 
By Road:
Mathura and Delhi are 180 km apart. Take Noida Expressway for a smooth uninterrupted journey. The highway is good with thankfully no potholes or repair work.

An alternate route via Palwal is a shorter distance but the journey would be uncomfortable and bumpy due to pathetic road condition.



Trains:

Trains are also available from various stations of Delhi till Mathura Junction and Mathura Cant.
Check the website for trains’ schedule:
http://www.indianrail.gov.in/enquiry/TBIS/TrainBetweenImportantStations.html?locale=en

P.S- This trip of mine was in January 2018.
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Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The run for Vitamin E



We all have encountered bad health at some point in time among our family members or close ones. And most of the times these are outcome of health negligence on the pretext of ignorance. We clearly don't practice "prevention is better than cure". 


A balanced diet is always recommended for healthy dose of nutrients

Nutritionists and doctors, have always advised intake of balanced meals to compensate the loss of vitamins, minerals and other necessary ingredients required by the body. While calcium, protein and vitamin C or D are highly recommended by experts, there lies the lesser known but equally important Vitamin E. 

Until I started using under eye cream enriched with Vitamin E, I admit my ignorance about the same.
The eye cream helped to reduce puffiness and fine lines around my eyes. It was then I researched about the super benefits of Vitamin E.

Calcium or protein do not work in isolation. They essentially need vitamins and minerals to combine and together they provide goodness to human body. Hence why no food product is taken for a standalone benefit of particular vitamin/mineral. Vitamin E too stands in the same category. It is said to work the best with Vitamin C, as they support each other's antioxidant function and both control immune cell function.

Importance:
Vitamin E is extremely beneficial for hair, skin and eye health. The reason why anti-aging products are high on Vitamin E is that it disables the production of free radicals in tissues and protects cell membranes from oxidative damage. 


When applied to the skin topically, vitamin E can reduce or aging in skin which is usually caused by UV light exposure (Sun) or suppression of immune system. Vitamin E helps increase the production of beneficial compounds in skin.
It also speeds up the skin’s natural repair systems and controls further damage. The antioxidant vitamin is proved to substantially reverse discoloration and wrinkles of skin. To be more precise, Vitamin E helps  to regulate retinol levels, which is essential for healthy skin. It is also key for healthy immune system and healthy eyes. Hence I choose skin creams with retinol
My mum loves Anew Reversalist range. The right amount of retinol and patented technology helped smoothe out her wrinkles and fine lines. 

Human body needs Vitamin E to boost immunity. It aids in fighting the invasion of bacteria and viruses. 
Apart from the above  uses, Vitamin E is also used to treat diseases of heart and blood vessels like heart attack, chest pain, high blood pressure and hardening of arteries.

The fat soluble vitamin  is beneficial  in preventing cancer, particularly lung and oral cancer (for smokers) , gastric, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. 

At times Vitamin E is used to lessen the harmful side effects of medical treatments like dialysis (kidney damage) or radiation (cancer). It is also used to reduce the side effects of medicines causing hair loss or lung damage.

Deficiency of Vitamin E: may cause degeneration of retina causing blindness, muscle weakness and impairment of immune response.  

It can also cause your hair to dry, hair fall leading to baldness, weak muscles, a very slow tissue healing, ataxia (identified with loss of full control of bodily movements) and leg cramps ( which I at times experience)

The down side:
Excess of everything is bad, so is Vitamin E. High doses of Vitamin E causes oxidation which damages cells and may increase the risk of cancer or mortality. Long term high doses of the vitamin leads to nausea, diarrhea or vision deficiencies.  



Sources:
The daily recommended dietary allowance of Vitamin E for adults is 15 mg (22.4 International Units) which we can get from variety of sources.

I was following the age old ritual, inculcated by mom, of consuming soaked almonds each morning. The world knows almonds are a rich source of dietary fiber, calcium and protein. But hardly one is aware of the presence of Vitamin E in good amount. (100 g almonds supply 26.2 mg Vitamin E.)
No wonder why almonds enriched hair oils promise strong and healthy hair.


Pic courtesy- Pixabay

Another high source of Vitamin E is sunflower seeds, 100 g of which contain 35.17 mg of the vitamin. Easily available in the market, add these seeds to your salad, sprouts, sandwich, upma or in your diet mixtures. 



Available the whole year, we all love to have crunchy peanuts. A reservoir of healthy fat and protein, Vitamin E in peanuts constitute 20% of the nutrition value. These little nuts are good for heart health, excellent source of dietary fiber  and folate. 



Talking about other healthy nuts, walnuts comes to our mind essentially because of high presence of manganese, protein, carbs and omega-6. Not only these, walnuts are a great source of Vitamin E too! Research proves, walnuts, compared to other nuts, contain high levels of Vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol which prevent heart diseases, cataract, Parkinson's disease and glaucoma. 



Among all, my favorite has been raisins. While these tiny dry fruits are excellent source of calcium, instant energy and iron, 100 g of raisins also provide 0.12 mg of Vitamin E. Though this is roughly 1% of all nutrition content, it combines with iron for inhibition of blood clot.  


My bowl of good health contains raisins with flax seeds, peanuts, roasted black grams and fox nuts, which is my on-the-go snack of evening or between meals.

Come winters and the market is flooded with leafy greens. Spinach tops the list. Not only spinach is high on iron, vitamin A, K, and calcium but also has traces of Vitamin E, dietary fiber and manganese. Apart from making paalak paneer, I add blanched spinach to all possible dishes. For example blanched spinach to poha or egg besan chilla. (100 g serving of eggs have 7% vitamin E).
For both these dishes, I blanch about a cup of spinach leaves and add to the pan while cooking.  
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My version of healthy of poha fortified with spinach and egg
                          
Adding eggs and blanched spinach to chickpea cheela for healthy dose of Vitamin E and iron


Rich in Vitamin C and E, tomatoes not only add tanginess to food but has immense health value. Apart from cooking, you can use tomato directly on skin. The seedy pulp which I do not use in cooking, I rub the same on my face and neck, let it dry for 15 minutes and wash off with cold water. Your skin absorbs the goodness of tomato directly giving a smooth texture and radiance to skin. It has helped me get a glow and rid of acne marks as well. I do this quick tomato facial before party makeup or when I have no time to visit parlor. Just takes 15 minutes and I am done! Yay.
I bank on tomato facial

The source of Vitamin E's list goes on endless with things like Kiwi, Avocado, sunflower oil, canola oil, hazelnuts, turnip, sesame oil and many more.

Apart from the natural sources mentioned above, you can consume vitamin E supplements too. Evion is a pioneer brand for Vitamin E products. With a combination of Vitamin E with aloe vera, #Envion is India's number one selling cream. The brand also supplies supplements in form of capsules and tablets. To know more do visit   http://www.evion.co.in/.

This post is written for the #IndiBlogger campaign #TheABCofVitaminE by #Evion.