Clay Body Mask {DIY}

Multani Mitti is easily available and very cheap and is a type of a clay. And, as I have said, clays are very important for detoxification of the skin and body masks are of growing demand at the spas. So, why not make a body mask of your own. Ok, may be the treatment is not as pampering but is of equal value. And, you can add a little treat for yourself by adding essential oils and various things available at home. I did try out this DIY twice and I would say it does take time but results are fab!!!

Ingredients

• Multani Mitti (or any other clay)
• Water (I like Amla Juice)
• Essential Oils (optional)

Method

Mix the ingredients and spread the mask on your skin starting from the feet and proceeding upwards.Cover the entire body. You may also include the neck and face and let it stay on the skin for 15 minutes. Wash off with warm water. The mask wouldn't dry in the bathroom coz its humid but that's fine. Instead, you can make the bathroom steamy and enjoy a mini-sauna like experience.

Results

The entire body has a superb glow. Its just awesome.

Detox your home this Diwali

Diwali is just a week away. And, I am damn excited about it :) It is my favorite festival in whole of the year. And, it is a age old custom to clean our homes inside out before Diwali. I have seen that this custom has lost its importance over time due to our busy lifestyle and hectic schedules. But, there is more to this custom than just being a tradition. You can call this 'Detox your home' to make a more specific effect on people. In a sense it is what we do, removing all the junk piled up in the house over the course of year, taking the house inside out, buying new things for the house to welcome the new year. So, what all can be done while doing the detox of the house: 

• Start with the entrance of the house. Do you wash your door mats regularly? They becomes so dirty due to constant usage and dirt being accumulated. They are potential source of infections in the house so it is advisable to either wash it regularly with an antiseptic solution using a vacuum cleaner or you can even replace it with a new one every year. 
• Do you place door mats in front of your bathrooms? I know most of the people do but do not know how regular they are in washing it. So, same goes for washing these bathroom mats.
• Now, lets go for bathrooms first. We do wash bathrooms really regularly. But, do you remember to wash the walls of the bathrooms, the shower head, the taps, soap holders and other cabinets in the bathroom. Do not forget it this time. Oh, by the way, do wash the shower curtains too if you have one. Of course, toilet rims are most prominent places to wash but do you wash inside the commodes? Then, again the buckets and mugs and other things we use. 
• Lets move to the bathing accessories. The flannels, loofahs, scrubbers, dry brushes, combs, hair brushes, makeup brushes and any other accessory which you use should be washed regularly and kept in sunlight for some time every week. Even 15 minutes is enough. That kills the bacteria in them. And, dry them every day before storing. 
• Do not forget to dry the tooth brush with hair drier or in sunlight before storing it to prevent molds and bacteria growing in it.
• By the way, do you open the windows in your bathroom if you have any? Do open them at least once a week for a complete day to allow fresh air circulation. It also allows sunlight to come into your bathrooms.
• Now, let us go to laundry. You wash clothes then put them in the drier. Today's automatic washing machines give you fully dried clothes which you can simply put on and go. But, drying them in shade once a while or even in sunlight for 15-290 minutes helps them smell fresh and last longer.
• Same goes for bed sheets. Change the bedding every week. And, if you suffer from acne and other breakouts, change bedding in 3 days at max making sure to use clean pillows almost everyday. 
• Do you launder your carpet? Do not forget to expose it to sunlight for a day this Diwali for a clean floor. Removing the carpet also helps the cleanign of the floor properly and removing the dirt in the carpet.
• Same goes with the mattress. You can not launder your mattresses so keep them in sunlight for a day or two at least twice a year or once in three months.
• Lets move to curtains. Curtains are ones which go completely beyond attention unless one day you are trying to remove it and find a plethora of dust settled on it. Change the curtains once in three months. That brings freshness to your rooms also in matters of look. You can use dark colored curtains or double curtains for bedrooms and light curtains for drawing room. 
• Now, cupboards are one places which are dark and become smelly quite easily. So, take out all the material from the cupboard, clean it nicely once in three months or every season change. Use a disinfectant with water while cleaning. After cleaning, leave the cupboards open to let lot of air inside. Then, after half a day, you can replace all the things inside the cupboard again. This way you can get the unnecessary junk out of the house regularly too. And, do not forget to donate the things which you do not need. 
• Place moth balls inside your cupboard every month. Always try to keep the cupboards in an orderly way but I know it is very difficult because I face the same problem. The more I try to be methodical, the more messy the place becomes.
• When you remove the things from your cupboards whether it is clothes, suitcases, blankets, simple accessories, keep them in sunlight too for a day. This is again a nice way to freshen up things.
• Before winters, always keep your winter clothes in sunlight for a week to freshen them up. This also includes the blankets and your jackets and other stuff too. 
• Open all the doors and windows in the morning to allow maximum natural light inside. Do this daily to reduce the usage of artificial light and hence, electricity. 
• Avoid using air fresheners as they have chemicals which are not good for you. Instead, keep your houses clean by using dried neem (margosa) leaves or homemade potpourri from rose petals and jasmine flowers. Also, keep lots of plants outside the house. Plants purify the air. If you can keep some inside, you should do that too.
• There is a tradition of using mango tree leaves int he houses before any festival. The reason for this is because mango tree leaves are considered auspicious and control the evil elements for one and the second is because they are anti-bacterial and prevent the insects from entering the houses. 
• Use soap nuts or baking soda to clean your homes instead of any chemical detergents. You would be surprised by the results!!

Thus, detoxing your home is as good an idea as detoxing your body. Obviously, it is the basic hygiene which should be observed. A weekend is a perfect time to do this. So, happy detoxing and do share with me your own tips for cleaning out your houses.

Health Benefits of Buck Wheat (Kuttu ka Atta)

Did you know that this 'Kuttu ka atta' is really very nutritious. It is a fruit not a grain as you all must be aware of. But, it is equally rich in the nutrients it possesses. Buck Wheat is especially high in fiber. And, fiber is important for our body to clean out all the toxins making detoxification of body easy and weight loss. More the fiber, better the digestion and better we look.  Fiber also helps in curbing our cravings. If you eat an appropriate amount of fiber in all your meals, you tend to eat less in between your meals and you would likely not munch on junk foods any way.

Not only that, buck wheat is very rich in its proteins content and B vitamins apart from minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. The good news for all is that Buck Wheat is also rich in essential fatty acids for our body which keeps our skin soft and glowing from the inside. It lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and manages diabetes as it is low in glucose. Buck Wheat has been known to reduce hemorrhaging in people with high blood pressure due to the presence of a chemical which stranghtens the capillary walls in the body.

So, are you enjoying these Navratras eating a lot of Buck Wheat and helping your body to detoxify?

Detox while fasting this Navratra

Wish you all very Happy Navratras.

Navratras are touted to be the most auspicious days of the year. Many people are used to fasting for either all the nine days or tend to opt for specific days like the pair of first and last, even days, odd days and many other combinations whichever suits them. Whatever your choices be, you need to look your best on these days too. The general norm is to eat once in the evening or at night. And, the food is not the regular grains and rice but made from the flour of a fruit which is called 'Kuttu' in hindi. And, it is extremely tasty. No doubt  about it. So, since you would be sticking to a  diet which includes no junk and additives, you can as well take this time off to get a detox session for your body. You do not have to try hard to do anything. There are only two scenarios: one is if you eat only the evening food and abstain from everything in whole of the day or other is if you take fluids whole of your day.

• If you are among the category to abstain from everything until evening dinner, not only your stomach will get the much needed relief but also your liver. 
• If you are among the category who indulges in fluids all time in the day, keep on drinking appropriate amount of water and fruit juices. Keep away from heavy fruits like banana and papaya. Citrus fruits and berries are the best. Or, watermelon, pomegranate and apple juices will also do a good job. 
• If you can indulge in vegetable juices, stay away from fruit juices as they have high sugar content and may cause blood sugar spikes. Spinach juice, tomato juice, carrot juice are among the best to fill you. 
• Stay away from dry fruits as they are heavy for your body.
• Buttermilk is a great way to go about. 
• You can also drink coconut water as it is extremely healthy and filling for the body.
• Now, during your evening food, eat as much as you can. Take a lot of yogurt. Do not bother with sugar and salt. Generally, it is only 'sendha namak' which is used but some people are used to having yogurt with sugar. Avoid that. Another tip is to replace whole potatoes with baby potatoes. Baby potatoes are rich in many vitamins which the big ones miss and they are not very heavy on carbohydrates too. And, of course, they are much more tasty than their counterparts. 
• Avoid fried items like kuttu pakodas and puris. Stay with kuttu parathas made with less or no oil and sabudana khichdi which requires no oil. Use oven to make the parathas. 
• Do not forget to overfill yourself with parathas or whatever you are having because it helps curb your cravings as well as hunger. 

Following these guidelines for all days you fast will help your body to relax and throw away as many toxins as possible. And, do not become a couch potato in your fasting days. Stay reasonably active without overtiring yourself. A little activity as getting up from one chair and sitting down in another after every half hour also helps.

Another issue which I want to address is that people tend to overeat a lot during fasts which is absolutely normal and will not affect you if you eat properly. But, many restaurants and stalls are offering 'vrat ka food' these days which includes a whole range of delicacies from kuttu ka pakoda and puris to desserts acceptable during fasting. This whole menu adds up to more calories than you should eat in a day which ends up making you fat rather than helping in cleansing your body and overtaxes your system also. A home made food is always healthy and delicious so stick to it and make your fasts worthwhile.

Ginger-Fennel Detox Drink

Detoxification diets are supposed to clean and free your body from every kind of toxins which you have been having since years. You can either hold a detox diet for a day in a month or follow it every day by doing simple changes to your routine like drinking a detox juice. More regular you are in your detox program and more you eat healthily, the cleaner your body will be. Today I would be sharing with you a detox drink made from ginger and fennel seeds. 

Ingredients: 

1 Big Ginger Root

1 tablespoon of fennel seeds

Boil them in a glass full of water. Add salt to taste or you can avoid salt too. You can improvise this drink by adding fenugreek seeds, spinach leaves juice and lemon juice. 

Drink the juice every morning to keep your system clean from the inside.

Fasting for better Health

Have you ever tried fasting? I know many people do it for religious reasons. Many people tend to refrain from it also because they can't stay hungry for a whole day. But, apart from the religious reasons, there are scientific reasons also for holding fasts. Regular or weekly fasts are actually supposed to be really good for your system. If you are one who observes weekly fasts, you might have noticed that your body feels more livelier and you feel good. Your mood gets rejuvenated. This is just one of the effects of fasting.

Regular fasting is good for detoxifying your body. Not eating anything for a whole day helps your body to feel rested especially your digestive system and also helps your body to clean up the toxins and regulate the functioning of other organs of the body like liver, kidneys and other parts. The metabolic process also slows down apparently to give your body a little rest. So, rejuvenation also accompanies the fasting ritual. Other positive effects of fasting include improved immune system, efficient protein production, reduction in body temperature and improves the healing process of the body. So, you can also expect anti-aging effects from fasting too. Due to lack of proper nutrition, the body breaks down the fat reserves in the body so a controlled fasting routine would also help in weight loss. And, it also helps in increasing the life span of the person.

Thus, a weekly observed fast can help to clean your body and make it better. But, a prolonged fast is actually very harmful for the body and all the positive aspects would become negative actually. So, in case you are planning on a crash diet or anything, I would like to warn you that it would not actually help you in anyway. While observing fast, you need not starve your body completely. You can have fresh fruits, fruit juices and other nutritional liquids as they would also fulfill your nutritional  needs for the day. Eating and drinking light fruits and fruit juices will be good for your system. That would include citrus fruits, kiwi, avacado, figs, berries, cherries, litchi, apple, water melon and other light foods. You can also take fresh homemade soups made from spinach, cabbage, carrot, tomato and any other veggies you prefer. I would advise you to avoid heavy fruits and foods like bananas, dairy products, mango, papaya, dry fruits and nuts, any heavy vegetables like potato, chocolates and other junk food too. You should also avoid intake of salt and sugar. Choose a particular day in a week and make it a regular routine to avoid eating any solid food on that day. Some people observe fast by not eating anything in the day time and eating in the evening.

Daily Body Massage to cleanse your body

Body Massage is one of the oldest ways to detoxify your body. It has been recommended in Ayurveda as one of the best ways to keep your body and skin soft and radiant. It is touted that one should make body massage a daily habit. It helps relieve stress, muscle pains, improves blood circulation, nourishes skin, lose weight and detoxifies your body. A daily massage also helps your body become immune to muscle spasms and sprains and all other kinds of injuries. A warm oil body massage is even better. It helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines and blemishes, not only on your face but also on your body, and helps you take years off your body. It helps make your skin more elastic, firm and flexible preventing any aging signs for a longer time. Oh, the best benefit of daily body massage is that it helps you sleep and also helps get rid of insomnia.

We might want to indulge in spa massage luxuries as frequently as possible but the main hitch comes  as lack of time and money. So, the simplest way is to include a 5 minute daily massage into your daily routine. Of course, the relaxation and soothing effect of a masseuse would be missing but at least you can gain a little benefit than nothing at all. And, you can always ask your spouse or friends to help with it. Making kids walk all over your back is another great way of providing acupressure relief.. Just make sure your kid is below 5  and you can handle the weight otherwise you might end up breaking your back. I have been trying to make the body massage a daily routine for a week and would say that I have found many differences in my body in a week only. My skin has become more radiant, luxuriant and soft. And, it does not get dry skin bouts which I used to get from time to time. The fine lines under my eyes and on my neck have started diminishing. And, I have also done a little experiment by leaving the massage after a week. And, I have also noticed the effects of leaving the daily body massage. The skin is not so soft and smooth and luxuriant and of course, the fine lines and other aging signs are not any more vanishing. So, I have decided to stick on to the daily body massage regime.

In case pampering yourself with massage daily seems too much difficult due to reservations on your time, you might consider going for a professional body massage once in a month.  Find out a spa which has professional and trained masseurs. Kerela massage therapists are one of the best available in India so in case you re going for vacation there, reserve a day for their massages. I have heard that it costs anywhere between 15,000 - 30,000 for one sitting. And, a sitting is for around 3-5 hours.

Now, how to massage your body?

• First dilemma I faced with massaging my body was the time of massage. I, first, thought that body massage after a long day would be the best as it would help me relax. But, soon, I realized that the skin is not clean after all the exposure to sun and dust and pollution in the day. So, I figured a shower at night and massage in the morning would be a better routine. 
• Warm a bowl full of your favorite oil in the morning. Close all the windows and the doors to prevent exposure to cold wind. 
• Divide your body into 6 parts: chest and stomach, back, arms, legs, feet and face and neck. Now, start massaging your body starting from legs and arms. Use long single upward strokes on your arms and legs. Work towards the middle of your body or towards your heart. Use circular motions on your chest and back. You could ask anyone else to massage your back for you because it is not easy to reach your back. 
• Do not forget to massage your feet. This would relax your feet and prevent the skin to turn hard and crack in the heels.
• While massaging your face and neck, use the facial massage techniques.
• Keep massaging your body with your palms with even pressure applied from whole of your palm. I know that finger pads provide better results but you might get tired easily while doing self-massages so your might want to stick to using palms. You can spend two to five minutes on each of your body parts and you would get finished in fifteen minutes at max. 
• Wait for half an hour or so before you go for a shower. You can take a sauna or lie in a bath tub full of warm water to help your body absorb oil. 
• After the waiting period, you can take a shower. Just make sure you do not slip on the bathroom floor. You might want to wash your feet before entering the shower. 
• Use a mild soap to wash off the oil. You need not moisturize your body afterward. Or, you can, if you wish.

A tip: Sesame Oil is the best for an oil massage. Sesame oil is the only oil which can get absorbed in the blood stream and removes the toxins from inside. You can also infuse your massage oil with herbs like lavender, jasmine, rose, sage or other herbs. Read this post to know how to infuse oils with herbs.

Update: After a hot shower at night, you can devote 10-15 minutes to massage your body. Do not be generous with your oil. Instead use 5 drops of oil for each part of the body.

Breathing: a way to lose weight and detox

Today's Habit: Breath deeply.

Detoxification and losing weight are becoming too similar these days because the habits or the lifestyle which one should lead to achieve both the goals are same. When you help detoxing your body, you tend to lose all the unnecessary fat in the body which has been accumulated just as a result of the unhealthy lifestyle one has been following. There is one simple habit which one can follow everyday to help your body detox and lose weight.

Breathing is an art which is best learned by watching the sleeping babies. If you notice them, you will find that they breathe from their abdomen/stomach. That is actually the correct way of breathing. Over time, we get so engrossed in our life that we forget to breathe and our breaths become shallow which is inadequate for the proper functioning of the body. The way we breathe (from the chest) does not allow the body to take in enough of oxygen which is important for the proper functioning of the body.

So, every time you breathe, remember to breathe from the abdomen. To help you with the habit, you can perform pranayam or breathing yoga postures. The best bet is anuloma-viloma posture which I have already talked about in one of my earlier posts.Performing this exercise and pranayam everyday by taking deep breaths early in morning as soon as you get up, you would be in-taking more oxygen into your body. This will also help in proper blood circulation all over the body and hair growth. To help you with deep breaths, you can also resort to heavy and intense exercises if you like.

Use ginger to get rid of acne

Ginger is a very useful spice. And, it has great anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties along with its astringent properties which comes handy when you are dealing with a stubborn problem like acne. Acne can come in form of pimples, outbreaks or even worse. So, let us discuss what all you can do from ginger.

Ginger is great as a drink every day. Yes, it is pretty bitter in taste but it improves your skin from inside. It helps your body fight the free radicals and keeps your digestive system in order. It cleans out the toxins from your system. Ginger improves the blood circulation throughout the body and also cleans out the blood. Not only this, it also improves the skin tone and helps in getting rid of blemishes and spots. 

Squeeze out a little of ginger juice and apply it on your face or just the acne-affected areas and see your skin improve in a matter of days. It works very well for unexpected outbreaks and pimples. You can also use the juice as a face mask for blemished and sun-burnt skin. And, you can also help your body by including this spice in your daily diet. A little every day goes a long way. You can also use a little ginger in your spinach-lettuce juice in the morning. Pass a small slice of ginger along with spinach and lettuce while making the juice. It would give a spicy taste to your drink. And, not to mention, ginger is really good for throat infections, dry coughs and colds.

Fennel Seeds: For digestion and detoxification

Fennel Seeds (saunf in hindi) have become increasingly popular these days to aid in digestion. Well, they do deserve their popularity because of the immense health benefits they provide. You would be surprised to hear that something so insignificant can help us stay healthy for a long time. Everyone knows that it is used as an after-meal breath freshener. But, there is more to this natural breath freshener. 

This herb or spice is very much rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium and vitamins like B1, B2 and B3. It helps with proper digestion of your food and also controls your appetite. It cures the acidity or bloating problems of the stomach. Not only that, it also relieves the respiratory problems so people having problems in the respiratory tract or lungs or even sinus problems should take fennel seeds. It also relieves of heartburn and intestinal cramps and spasms. Fennel seeds are great for women especially as they promote growth of the breast tissue and relaxes the uterus helping in menses period. They are also used to treat the hormonal imbalances in the body and stimulates milk production in the nursing mothers.

Since the seeds are high in fiber, they are also great for detoxification of the body and also in losing weight. Regular intake of the seeds help in dealing with the problem of water retention in the body helping in losing weight and also, as said earlier, reduces the appetite. And, foods with high fiber content always helps the body to get cleanse well. So, start chewing a tea spoon of fennel seeds from today and clean your body naturally. Caution: Make sure you are not allergic to the fennel seeds. It is rare but possible.

Brown Rice: Benefits

Brown Rice is a better substitute to the stipulated white rice. Why? Because it comes with a whole lot of health and beauty benefits instead of just helping in increasing the carbs in the body. 

Brown Rice is very useful in detoxification and losing weight. How? Because of its fibrous nature. When brown rice passes through the oesophagus and the intestinal tract, it absorbs all the toxins along with it and flushes them out of your body. Similarly, due to its fibrous nature, it helps you in losing weight instead of gaining. Since fibre is actually just passed out of the system rather than being absorbed, it is mainly useful in taking out the unnecessary waste from the body. Eating more fiber is actually very healthy for the body. It keeps your body metabolism in check and regulates your bowel movements for one. It helps in lowering the cholesterol and blood sugar levels. 

And, the best benefit of all is that it helps you in losing weight. How? Fiber is actually pretty heavy on stomach and takes a lot of time to chew so while you are busy chewing your food, your brain takes time to register when you are full and consequently, you end up eating less food, most of which passes out of your system. So, you can maintain weight. And, since it just passes out of your body, it clears up all the toxins. Thus, it makes your skin look good from the inside. So, next time you think eating rice, look out for brown rice and it is actually more delicious than the white rice too. And, you think of detoxifying your body without giving up the food, you might want to gorge on brown rice.