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With the Indian winter well underway, here are some tried and tested winter health tips to keep you feeling active and upbeat!
With the Indian winter well underway, here are some tried and tested winter health tips for women to feel active and upbeat!
Chilly weather, bonfires with a smoky, woody fragrance, the mothballed smell of woolens, warm hearty meals – my favourite season winter is here! This year, the mercury has plummeted more than usual and I am loving every bit of it.
There is nothing like snuggling in a blanket on a chilly winter morning, taking brisk walks, enjoying the fresh crisp air and curling up on the sofa with a hot mug of hot chocolate. Winter brings with it all these luxuries and delights.
However, the long cold winter months also bring along chapped lips, dry skin, a runny rose, a sore throat and so on. When the sunlight is reduced it can make you feel dull and gloomy and even the best of us can feel the ‘winter blues’ and experience mild depression, mood swings, a lack of motivation and low energy.
However, by taking adequate protection, you can keep yourself and your family healthy and happy. Here are my simple solutions to keep the winter blues and bugs at bay.
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And now for those tried and tested winter health tips!
What you eat not only strengthens your immunity but it can affect your overall mood and energy. Have more seasonal fruit and vegetables (one does not need exotic ones) – cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, tomato, guavas, papayas, sweet lime, oranges, tomato, amlas (gooseberry) and lemon are all loaded with vitamin C which fights off infections.
Garlic in its raw form is excellent for colds and a sore throat. I have always been prone to sore throats – having a garlic clove everyday works wonders (chop it finely and place it at the back of your tongue and swallow it to minimize odour). Dry fruit like dates, nuts like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, dried chickpeas (chana) with jaggery, keep your body warm in the cold weather. Herbal supplements such as Chyavanprash and Dasamoola Rasayan improve your body’s immunity too.
It is very tempting to sleep in during winter, but one needs to set aside some time for yoga as yogasanas will help keep you warm and prevent aches and stiffness in joints. Regular yoga helps strengthen immunity and keep bacteria at bay. You can start your day with a few rounds of Surya Namaskar. Also, include Sukshma Vyayam, which can prevent rigidity in joints, which is a common occurrence in winter, particularly among the elderly. Practicing pranayamas (breathing exercises) helps clear congestion, which is common during winter and boosts immunity.
It is important to have sufficient water not just to flush out toxins but also to keep your body and skin hydrated in this dry weather. Having lukewarm water all day helps clears congestion and relieves a sore throat. Ginger tea, warm milk with a pinch of turmeric before bedtime, gauti tea(lemongrass tea) and kadha (medicinal herbal tea) are proven home remedies which provide relief for congestion, sore throat and sniffles.
When it is cold outside, one may have the tendency to close doors and windows. While this can make us feel cozy, what you need to remember is, a closed room has a very poor circulation of fresh air and there can be a million microbes in a constantly closed room. Let in some sunlight and allow its UV rays to disinfect the room. Similarly sun your mattresses, razais and woolens, which tend to attract dust mites and be hazardous for people suffering from allergies and asthma.
Make sure you get your daily dose of vitamin D by engaging in some outdoor activity like a brisk walk, gardening or simply by basking and gazing at the early morning sunlight.This not just helps build immunity and strengthens bones but most importantly, sunlight can help you avoid winter depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Serotonin levels increase when you are exposed to bright light and tend to elevate your mood. Even a daily 10-minute meditation can help you relax and is an instant mood changer. Having a good massage with mustard oil and then sunning yourself is very soothing and beneficial for dry skin and hair.
Choose to wear warm bright colours this season, to keep you jolly and upbeat. Winter also gives you an opportunity to flaunt your fashionable winter wardrobe like shawls, bright mufflers, trendy monkey caps, boots and coats.
If the murky weather gets you down, do not underestimate the power of your friends. Something as simple as a phone call or a chat over coffee can cheer you up and brighten your mood and day.
Winter is the best time to travel, as the weather is pleasant in most parts of the country. These holidays will give you a well- deserved break, help you rejuvenate and keep you peppy. If you have never seen the snow and wish to enjoy heavy snowfall or engage in snow sports like skiing or ice-skating, here is your chance to go on a vacation to one of the winter resorts in North India.
What are your best winter health tips? How do you stay well and positive in winter? Do share with me!
Winter with hot chocolate pic via Shutterstock
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My house-help asked excitedly, “I am going for wedding. Can you let me wear your red & black saree? To be honest I was stumped for a moment; I didn’t know what to say but I still said yes.
I lent a gorgeous saree to my house-help for a wedding in her family. Soon I stated getting questions if I would wear that saree again or if I was okay to be seen wearing the same saree my house-help was wearing?
We are all so conditioned to give our used clothes to our house-helps but are we okay to wear the clothes they were wearing?
A few days ago she came excitedly to me, “I am going for a family wedding. I want to wear your red & black saree, Ill wash and give it to you after the function. Please can you let me wear it?”
Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum (SISP) is an ode to all of the lost women, who could have been sports stars, singers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, just... happy, if they hadn't been enslaved in matrimony, and then forgotten all about.
One of the cool things about my mother was that she was an ace athlete and a champion sculler as a young woman in the 1950s and 60s. I only found out about this side of her a few years ago. I imagine her in a paavaadai dhaavani, taking on the mighty Kaveri river so many decades ago.
I recently watched a Tamil film anthology on SonyLiv that she would have liked to watch – Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum, (SISP) that has 3 stories of 3 different women – Saraswathi, Devaki, and Shivaranjini.
Like all the heroines in the anthology, my mother’s talents were sacrificed at the altar of matrimony. She pawned her gold medals and silver cups one by one to pay for expensive textbooks for us or a gift for a niece on her wedding, money for which she didn’t dare ask my father, because it was her niece… I remember how she caressed the cups and how her face hardened as she shoved them into her bag to take to the jewellers.
Winter has come and with it come a number of parties. It also brings in unhealthy food habits. But fret not, follow these 5 rules for a healthier you!
Weight gain during the winter season seems like a mandate. During winters the intake of lip-smacking delicacies seems to be on a rise while your physical activity schedule goes for a toss. You are also likely to witness weddings, a bunch of parties to ring in Christmas and the New-year.
Not to forget the cold weather compels you to reach out for some hot and warming comfort foods namely burger, pizza, fried chicken, and fries. While it might satisfy your hunger and make you feel good and happy for the time being, you would most likely, gobble up infinite calories. You might not realise it, but it’s a huge cause of weight gain during the cold weather. But fret not! Keep the following tips in mind and you are good to go.
Burning hearth and a hot cup of coffee – are some of the things that come to the mind when we think of winter evenings. But don’t you want to make them better and special?
Chilly weather, burning hearth and a hot cup of coffee – are some of the things that come to the mind when we think of winter evenings. But don’t you want to make them better and special? If you are nodding your head but have no idea how to do so, folks worry not as we are here to help you.
We all know that good food can make any season a great one and if you get a good platter while tucked in your blanket, it is no less than heaven on earth. To make your chilly winter evenings special, I have brought to you some of the easiest and best food recipes that you can relish with your loved ones.
You will fall in love with this simple, yet savouring dish made with sweet potatoes. Though it can be prepared in many ways, if you want to try something new with this, then make this dish and earn praises from your family. One of the popular vegetables of the winter season, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamins and minerals with a high amount of fiber content that is beneficial for the body. So, make it today and relish a tasty evening!