Is Walking Enough For Weight Loss?

Many people don't consider walking an exercise and often underestimate the health benefits of walking. But can any kind of walking be considered exercise? Can you stroll at a leisurely pace, and still knock off those extra kilos and get fit? Let's find out...  

To make walking an effective exercise for weight loss.....

"Stretch your muscles before and after walking. Muscles like the calf muscle, the quadriceps or the front thigh muscles and the hamstrings situated in the back portion of the thigh, need to be supple while walking. A good stretching session with "Vertical Yoga" can help these muscles give their best performance while walking. Vertical yoga is a set of standing Yoga postures, which can be performed before and after a walk."

"Strengthen your calf muscles by performing weight-training exercises, which will make your walk safe and prevent injuries. Exercises like heel raises, quarter squats, lunges can strengthen the muscles involved in your walk. Strong muscles also prevent degeneration of joints."

"Optimum speed while walking is required for you to reduce weight. The walk needs to be brisk to raise your heart rate to 'training' level. Very often people do not lose weight with walking because they stroll rather than walk with correct intensity. If you can sing a song effortlessly while walking, you need to speed up. If you are gasping for breath while walking, you need to slow down. A pulse monitor often helps you find your ideal speed of walking."

"The style of walking is important for your walk to be efficient and injury free. Correct striding involves touching your heel to the ground first, followed by your mid-foot before toe leaves the ground. Your body needs to be erect without slouching. Arms should be swinging comfortably in tandem with your strides. A good walker makes very little sound while walking. Too much sound while striding means too much impact on your joints."

"Your shoes can be your biggest allies while walking. Good shoes can usher in health, weight loss and happiness and bad shoes can invite knee or back problems. If you are a regular walker, please invest in good pair of shoes. Buy shoes, which are designed for walking. Do not buy "tennis" shoes for walking. Sports footwear companies have invested millions of rupees in making shoes specific for specific activities. So go and buy the best walking shoes, which you can afford. Your feet are worth it!"

"Walking is beyond health and weight reduction. Walking is a holistic experience. Whether it is a trek in the hills or along the seashore,walk transcends tensions and worries and sends me into another world".

முகத்தின் கருமையை போக்கும் இயற்கை பொருட்கள்

முட்டை : முட்டையை உடைத்து ஒரு பௌலில் ஊற்றி, அதில் சிறிது தேன் சேர்த்து கலந்து, முகத்தில் தடவி நன்கு காய வைத்து, பின் குளிர்ந்த நீரில் கழுவினால், கரும்புள்ளிகள் மறைந்துவிடும்.

பப்பாளி : பப்பாளியும் கரும்புள்ளியைப் போக்கும் பொருட்களில் சிறந்தது. எனவே நன்கு கனிந்த பப்பாளியை மசித்து, அதில் பால் மற்றும் தேன் சேர்த்து கலந்து, முகத்தில் தடவி உலர வைத்து அலச வேண்டும்.

கடலை மாவு : கடலை மாவை பால் மற்றும் எலுமிச்சை சாறு ஊற்றி கலந்து, வேண்டுமெனில் அத்துடன் சிறிது தேனையும் சேர்த்து, முகத்திற்கு மாஸ்க் போட்டால், இயற்கையாகவே கரும்புள்ளிகள் போய்விடும்.

கற்றாழை : கற்றாழையின் ஜெல்லை கரும்புள்ளிகள் உள்ள இடத்தில் தினமும் தடவி மசாஜ் செய்து கழுவினால், நாளடைவில் கரும்புள்ளிகள் வருவதை தவிர்க்கலாம்.

வேப்பிலை : வேப்பிலையை நீரில் போட்டு கொதிக்க வைத்து, அந்த நீரில் ஆவிப்பிடித்து, முகத்தை நல்ல சுத்தமான துணியால் துடைத்தால், கரும்புள்ளிகள் போய்விடும்.

சந்தனம் : சந்தனப் பொடியில், சிறிது மஞ்சள் தூளை சேர்த்து, தண்ணீர் ஊற்றி பேஸ்ட் போல் கலந்து, முகத்திற்கு தடவி 20-25 நிமிடம் ஊற வைத்து கழுவ வேண்டும்.

பட்டை : பட்டையை பொடி செய்து, அதில் தேன் ஊற்றி கலந்து, பாதிக்கப்பட்ட பகுதியில் இரவு படுக்கும் போது தடவி, காலையில் எழுந்து கழுவினாலும் நல்ல பலன் கிடைக்கும்.

பாதாம் : பாதாமை இரவில் படுக்கும் போது பாலில் ஊற வைத்து, காலையில் எழுந்து பேஸ்ட் போல் அரைத்து, முகத்தில் தடவி கையால் மென்மையாக மசாஜ் செய்து, 10 நிமிடம் ஊற வைத்து, மீண்டும் பாலை முகத்தில் தடவி, சிறிது நேரம் மசாஜ் செய்து, வெது வெதுப்பான நீரில் அலச வேண்டும்.

டூத் பேஸ்ட் : கரும்புள்ளிகள் உள்ள இடத்தில் டூத் பேஸ்ட் தடவி காய வைத்து, பின் மென்மையாக மசாஜ் செய்து, 5-10 நிமிடம் ஆவி பிடித்து, காட்டனால் தேய்த்து எடுத்து, இறுதியில் குளிர்ந்த நீரில் கழுவினால், சருமத்துளைகளில் உள்ள அழுக்குகள் வெளியேறுவ தோடு, சருமத்துளைகளும் மூடிக் கொள்ளும்.

ஆலிவ் ஆயில் : 5-6 டீஸ்பூன் ஆலிவ் ஆயிலில், 1 டீஸ்பூன் உப்பு சேர்த்து கலந்து, அதனை முகத் தில் தடவி 10 நிமிடம் மசாஜ் செய்து, பின் ஆவிப்பிடித்து, ஈரமான துணியால் தேய்த்தால், கரும்புள்ளிகள் எளிதில் நீங்கி விடும்.

A Green Treat For You

Straight up, the sharp taste of wheatgrass could put you off. You could add it to other juices or beverages, including tea or smoothies to mask the taste. You could also make a juice cocktail, by adding mint, celery, lime juice, a bit of olive oil and rock salt, advises Madhuri Ruia, Mumbai-based nutrition specialist. But if you are looking for something different and more flavourful, try this quick way to include wheatgrass in your diet…

Wheatgrass guacamole

Ingredients
6 ripe avocados salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons wheatgrass, chopped ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Method
1. Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Scoop out avocado with spoon into a mixing bowl. Mash avocado with fork until no large chunks remain.
2. Add seasoning to avocado mixture and blend with a fork. Add lime juice and water and mix further.
3. Sprinkle wheatgrass over mixture and blend.
4. Add half of the cilantro to the mixture.
5. Place guacamole in a serving bowl and sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top to garnish.

Go Drinking For Beautiful Skin

The way to get gorgeous skin need not involve getting expensive treatments and following fad diets. Your regular beverages can also do more good than you can imagine. Grab that cuppa right away.

Green tea
You have been reading about its numerous benefits. As unbelievable able as it may seem, a cup of green tea goes a long way in keeping problems like pimples, skin aging, inflammation in check. It is extremely high in antioxidants, so you are also protected against damaging free radicals which accelerates premature ageing.

Coffee
Coffee helps to get rid of acne and eczema by free radicals in the skin, which reduces the onset of skin-related problems such as acne and eczema. It further acts as an effective sun block and prevents sunburn and wrinkles. It also helps in treating redness and inflammation of the skin, reduces the appearance of under-eye circles and also helps get rid of cellulite.

Black tea
Worried about digestion? A cup of black tea helps in works with the gastric juices to help the stomach break down certain foods. Black tea is known for balancing the hormone levels in the body and it also has anti-inflammatory properties. 

Aloe Vera
Aloe vera juice helps in detoxify the body which helps clear up the skin.  It is also known to stimulate the growth of red and white blood cells.

Lavendar tea
In case of a stomach ache, a cup of lavender is known to soothe your senses. It can also help to deal with liver and gallbladder problems. One of the important uses of lavender tea is that helps induce sleep and cure insomnia.

Three Natural Tips For Better Hair

We all want better hair and smoother skin. Beside the parlour routine, there are couple of things you can do at home to nurture both—using kitchen ingredients and a mix of oils.

Saying that you want better hair also defines that you don’t obsess over it. On days when you come home thinking you had a bad hair day, you can improve the situation by softening those curls in the evening.

Moisturise with oils
Detangle your hair, and gently massage your scalp with your fingertips, even if you don’t want to apply oil. If you do, try using something light like a cold compressed geranium and rose flavoured one or even olive oil. Just the massage will stimulate your scalp and improve the quality of your hair. Shefali Mody believes in mixing different oils so she can benefit from the good properties of each—she does that for both her hair and her skin. While aroma oils relax your mood, a few of them can also set right metabolic disorders and hair problems when massaged to the scalp, says dr Sudha of Soukya

Hair tonic
Naturapathy expert Nirmala Shetty suggests a home remedy from the kitchen that has never gone wrong. A mix of amla juice, beetroot juice, curd, half and egg and a few drops of lime juice, applied to the scalp before the shampoo can do wonders to the quality of your hair. She uses fresh fruit juices and pulp, dry fruits, herbs and vegetable pulp that are rich in various properties to treat concerns like hair fall and dandruff among others. Aloe vera pulp makes for a great hair conditioner.

Exotic rub a dub
Beauty therapist Manjul Gupta who trained under Shahnaz Husain has created a range of eco friendly, natural powders using exotic fruit and herb, mixing them with different density oils and then customising it for each customer. Elements like seaweed, frangipani, avocado, oatmeal, green tea, coconut milk are used in their hair spa treatments to moisturise and nourish the scalp. These exotic ingredients tighten and rejuvenate your scalp, and make your hair glow.

Beauty Tricks Every Girl Needs

Stay one step ahead of the beauty pack with flawless makeup and perfectly styled hair with this beauty cheat sheet.

For killer cheek bones

Not all cover girls, ramp queens or beauty pageant winners can boast of great bone structure. Even they need a bit of help, from a makeup expert of course!

Insider trick: For a nice high-cheekbone effect, firstly, you have to suck your cheeks in and find your cheek bone. Then, use a darker shade of blush underneath your cheekbone and blend up till your temple. Finish with a lighter shade, which has a metallic undertone for that touch of high-fashion glamour.

Tip: The key is to find a blusher that works and complements your complexion. Now you know!

For the perfect glow

A perfect, blemish-free and even skin tone is something that makes celebs and models stand out and photograph well. Most of them follow a healthy diet, skin-care regimen and exercise regularly, which invariably results in fabulous skin.

Insider trick(s): Natural oxygen treatments and multi-vitamin infusions work wonderfully on the skin. Dermabrasions and peels are also easy and effective ways to complete skin care. If you’re not very pro skin treatments, a few makeup touches can give you a flawless finish too. Apply concealer on any odd scars, spots or dark circles if any. Blend it well with your foundation. It’s essential to blend in the foundation on your neck and any exposed area for an even and perfect look. Make sure you follow up the foundation with a compact.

Tip: Make a trip to the dermatologist, who’ll advise a treatment that suits your skin the best. Blend in your concealer and foundation for an even better coverage. 

For mesmerising eyes

Beauty queens often resort to using false eyelashes to help them get those dreamy eyes. That’s too much trouble for daily wear.

Insider trick: Instead, use an eyelash curler to accentuate your lashes. Apply two generous coats mascara for added volume. Use kajal in the upper inner lid to highlight your eyes.

Tip: Make sure to use a smudge-proof kajal so that the definition doesn’t fade out.

For salon-like hair

Start with a great hair cut. It’s important to choose a style that’s easy to maintain even after you’ve left the salon. 

Insider trick: Treat your hair to deep conditioning masks before attempting to style. They fill the hair with the essential moisture, which in turn leaves less scope for atmospheric humidity to get trapped in your hair and cause problems.

Tip: To look like a super model/screen goddess—just part a front section to create a sweeping fringe—and then loosely pin up the remaining hair, and you’re ready for the shutterbugs!

7 Healthy Food Items That Can Instantly Lift Your Mood

Had a bad day at work or are stressed about an upcoming interview? While you might want to grab chocolate ice-cream or drown your woes in a bottle of wine, try these healthy foods that will boost your energy and perk you up!

Nuts: Several nuts, especially almonds and walnuts, are known to decrease dopamine levels in the brain, leading to a calm, balanced feeling.

Avocado: The monounsaturated fats in avocados apparently help lower blood pressure, keeping your mood calm and balanced.

Whole wheat pasta: Whole grains are said to generate serotonin which helps balance your mood and satisfies your hunger. So, what better way to beat the stress than cook up some yummy whole wheat pasta with veggies or chicken?

Milk: Nothing soothes a worried mind like a glass of warm milk. It is known that dairy products contain Vitamin D, which is thought to boost serotonin and help with seasonal mood disorders.

Fish: Fatty fish like salmon contains a high level of Omega 3 which can help lower symptoms of depression.

Green Tea: While tea is emotionally soothing for many people, green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that can improve your mood and reduce stress.

Dark Chocolate: Known to have positive effects on brain endorphins, a dark chocolate dessert can go a long way in lifting up your spirits.