14 steps to a healthy summer diet!

Here are some useful lifestyle tips you can follow to beat the summer heat.
1. Water is the best option to quench thirst.
It is a key ingredient in keeping the body cool. With high humidity levels, sweat will not evaporate quickly. This prevents the body from releasing heat in an efficient manner. This is why it is necessary to hydrate and drink water, even when you are not thirsty. Increase water intake regardless of your activity levels.
2. Avoid caffeinated or carbonated beverages, alcoholic beverages, and those high in sugar.
All these drinks contain preservatives, colours and sugars. They are acidic in nature and act as diuretics. They cause loss of fluids through urine.
Many soft drinks contain diluted phosphoric acid, which damages the inner linning of the digestive tract and, therefore, affects its functions.
An excessive intake of soft drinks increases phosphorous levels in the blood. This separates calcium from the bones and moves it into the blood.
This calcium displacement from the bones makes them porous and brittle. It also causes plaque on the teeth, kidney stones, arthritis and bone spur.
Soft drinks also reduce mineral levels in the body to such an extent that enzymes are unable to function well, resulting in indigestion.
3. Do not drink very chilled liquids.
They do not really help cool you down in summers, though they make you cool for some time. Drinking really cold liquids when feeling hot may lead to a slight constriction of the blood vessels in the skin and decrease heat loss, which is not advisable when trying to cool down.
4. Limit all strenuous activity.
5. Eat light, nutritious and non-fatty meals.
6. Reduce intake of heaty vegetables and fruits, like spinach, radish, hot peppers, onions, garlic, beetroot, pineapple, grapefruit and ripe mangoes (if you cannot resist mangoes, soak them overnight in water).
7. Minimise the intake of dried fruits. Increase the intake of fresh fruit.
8. Use sabza (tulsi seeds) in your drinks -- this has very cooling effect on the body.
9. Include lots of fruits and vegetables in the form of salads and fresh juices, preferably without sugar, in your diet.
10. Drink lemon juice, coconut water and thin buttermilk, to replenish the fluids that are lost in sweat.
11. Avoid sugary foods, especially honey and molasses, and stick to natural sugars available from fruits and veggies.
12. Minimise the intake of hot, spicy foods and extremely salty foods. The body retains salt in the organic form found in fruits and veggies; the inorganic salt, meanwhile, is digested and needs to be thrown out of the body. And this is why you need to drink water!
13. Cut the intake of fried foods, like vadas, samosas, chips, bhajias, farsans, etc. Fat has a thermal effect.
14. Maintain good hygiene levels.
Since the sultry heat of summer increases with each degree rise in the mercury, by rooting ourselves to nature's provision of healthful food choices we can experience the bloom of our health and vitality.

Apna Khayal Rakhna!: How To Look Younger & Beautiful

Apna Khayal Rakhna!: How To Look Younger & Beautiful

How To Look Younger & Beautiful

1. Make sure that you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. It will help your body stay hydrated and flush it free of toxins as well. At the same time, it will make your face glow and shine. 

2. Always wear a sunscreen lotion when you go out in the day, to protect your skin from harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. Make sure that you are using a sunscreen with at least 15 SPF.

3. Visit your hairdresser for a younger hair makeover. Rather than sticking to an old-fashioned hairstyle, go for a younger and more carefree look. You will drop years from your age, this way.

4. Pay attention to the lipstick color. Always avoid bright red and brown shades and stick to neutrals, like beiges and pinks.

5. Do not overdo with your eyebrows outlining. Subtlety is the key when it comes to eye makeup that makes you look young.

6. Get manicures and pedicures done on a regular basis. Go for a facial sitting at least once in a month.

7. Avoid wearing round neck blouses, which may draw attention to a drooping posture. You should always prefer wearing V-neck clothes, which direct the eye up.

8. Always maintain a proper and confident posture. It not only makes you look younger, but also help you appear slimmer than you are.

9. A young fragrance always makes you seem much younger than you really are. According to a survey, women wearing scents with pink grapefruit in it appeared, on average, 6 years younger than their actual age.

10. Try to get at least 7-8 hours sleep on a daily basis. It will help you feel younger as well as extremely refreshed.

11. It is said that love can make you feel as well as look years younger than your age. Fall in love with your spouse once again. Better yet, fall in love with yourself.

12. Avoid processed foods as well as those food items that have too much sugar in them.

13. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Increase your consumption of food items that are rich in proteins.

14. If you are overweight, try to lose those extra pounds, by sticking to a healthy diet and indulging in exercise. No crash dieting please!

15. Include the basic steps of cleansing, toning, moisturize and nourishing your skin, in your daily routine.

How to Apply Makeup in 10 Easy Steps

Put your best face forward armed with beauty secrets from cosmetics industry pros. These 10 simple makeup tips are sure to speed up your daily routine with head-turning gorgeous results.

1. Apply a concealer that is one shade lighter than your foundation. Dot it on over any blemishes or under-eye circles and blend with your fingertips or a makeup sponge. If your concealer tends to cake, apply eye cream first.

2. Choose foundation that matches your skin tone exactly. Apply it in dots over the central part of your face, and then blend it out with a makeup sponge or your fingertips until it covers your entire face.

3. Use a loose or pressed powder to keep foundation and concealer on longer. Use pressed powder to touch up when you're away from home.

4. Do your eyebrows next. Use powdered eyebrow shadow on brows instead of pencil, which can often look unnatural. Apply it with a hard, slanted brush.

5. Choose three colors of eye shadow: light, medium and dark. Use the dark only to line your upper eyelid, in a fairly thin line along the upper lashes. Use the medium shade for the crease and the lightest shade for the area under the eyebrow. There are many variations on eye shadow application techniques.

6. Apply eyeliner. Use cake eyeliner with a damp, thin liner brush, or an eyeliner pencil, and line the lower lid below the lashes. Line only the outer two-thirds of the lower lid, or all the way across if you're trying to achieve a darker look. Line all the way across the upper lid (just above the lash line and as close to the lashes as possible), or start the line where your lashes begin.

7. Apply mascara to upper and lower lashes, in two thin coats to avoid clumpiness. Choose brown mascara if your coloring is fair; black or brown-black works well for darker coloring. Or try a colored mascara such as navy or plum for fun, but don't go too bright if you want to be taken seriously.

8. Smile to find the apples of your cheeks, and apply blush to the apples or below, whichever you prefer. If you have to blend in blush, it's too bright.

9. Choose a lipstick color that's suited to your skin tone and that's perfect for your day look. You can mix colors and textures to suit your moods and your outfits.

10. Line lips after applying lipstick, not before. That way you won't end up with a dark circle of lip liner after your lipstick has worn off. Avoid combining very dark lip liner and pale lipstick.

Tips & Warnings

·        Follow the steps in the order given, and remember to clean and moisturize your face before applying makeup.

·        Choose brighter or darker tones for a stronger look.

·        Clean makeup brushes by gently washing them in warm water and mild gel shampoo. Air-dry them overnight.

·        Don't skimp on makeup tools. High-quality tools make application easier and faster.

·        If you decide to curl your eyelashes, do this just before applying mascara, never after. Insert your eyelashes into the curler, squeeze just once, and hold for a few seconds.

·        Bacteria can grow in older cosmetics, which can lead to infections. Be on the safe side: Toss anything that's seems old, especially mascara, and avoid sharing products with others.