COOL DOWN YOUR BODY FOR SUMMER

It is summer again and it’s time for cotton clothes, cool drinks and chilled food to make an appearance everywhere. You can reduce the effects of the heat by including in your diet, plenty of greens, leafy vegetables, fruits, sprouts, fresh fruit juice. A tall glass of butter milk or chilled lassi or fresh lemon juice is ideal.

 Melons can be very refreshing in the hot summer months and can make a great summer diet. 

Make a banana, musk melon milk shake and enjoy them.

Eat cucumber, spinach, mint, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes and other fresh vegetables regularly -these have plenty of water.

Avoid foods that increase your thirst and weight. Excessive body weight can be more uncomfortable in summer, try to avoid high fat foods fried food, meat and junk food.

Have the herbal tea with mint leaves added to it, to keep cool in summer.

The juice of dry grapes (soaked overnight), tossed with cucumber must be taken along with the water.

Milk is cooling and it supplies nutrients to your skin and helps to keep out from drying. Drink a cup of milk everyday.

Tomatoes and bell peppers of all colors deliver large amounts of vitamins A and C. A medium tomato, for example, is low in carbohydrates and has only has 35 calories but gives you 40% of the vitamin C and 20% of the vitamin A you need for the day.

Tomatoes have other benefits, too. "Consuming a diet rich in tomatoes has been shown to decrease the risk of prostate and other digestive tract cancer.

Berries in general are convenient to eat, tasty, and easily eaten by themselves or mixed with yogurt for smoothies.

Yogurt can even help you slim down, three servings of dairy a day can help promote weight loss.

Flavored, plain, or low fat, you can eat yogurt as a snack or as the protein source at a meal. Yogurts make a great dip for fruits and vegetables and a delicious dessert topping instead of ice cream.

 For the best of smart and tasty eating, combine low-fat yogurt and fresh berries for a summer smoothie.

Keep your skin nourished with an herbal moisturizer, look for ayurvedic based skin friendly herbs such as sandalwood, brahmi, turmeric, Aloe-Vera and amla. (Gooseberry).

Refreshing chilled home made drinks to go with hot summer:

·         Raw mango juice (panna)

Make the raw mango juice by first boiling the mango and then mixing the pulp,

water and adding a pinch of salt, jaggery and sprinkle roasted and powdered  

Cumin seed.

·         Thandai-

1 lt. milk, 2-cups of water,  sugar to taste,  aniseed ½ tsp,   8-10 almonds  10 Pepper corns, few  strands of saffron, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds 1tbs. water melon seeds & 1/4 cup fresh rose petals.

Method: Soak aniseed, water melon seed, rose petals, almond, poppy seed in 2 cups of water. Boil the milk and let it cool. Make a smooth paste of the soaked ingredients by grinding them in water. Pour the remaining water in this paste and strain through a strainer or muslin cloth.

Add sugar, pepper corns (slightly broken), powdered cardamom, few strands of saffron soaked ½ cup milk.  Now mix it with the remaining milk and keep it in the fridge for sometime, before the serving.

Tips for dressing:

Always go for cotton wears, this extra special effort will help you to be more comfortable and gives a stylish look. A pair of white shorts, with bright colored kurtis that spell c-o-o-l.   

You can always wear a soft blazer over a flowery printed frock for a more comfortable look. A pair of shorts, loose pants, mix in a bold pattern, will set for the fashion game.  A great printed dress, with a legging, is excellent for cooler evenings.

A cute polka dotted tops, striped pocketed shorts for summer and this will help you to standout. These outfits will give you a feel of freshness too.

Go for plain softer shades.  However, orange is the more stylish color and a cooler shade for the evening wear.

JEWELERY:

Costume jewelry is best during summer, as it is the simplest way to dress up with the basic outfit. Stock up on colorful pieces that can be used to dress up with your basic clothes.

SHOES:

A great pair of high heels can be worn with dark denim, a dress or a skirt or shorts to add instant glamour.

Buy a new polish for your toes, toenails can be painted much bolder & cooler than you usually put on your finger nails.

Few tips for summer:

Splash water on your skin, use a body scrub and hit the shower. It is very important to exfoliate your skin, once a week of skin care, will give year-round beautiful skin.

Pat & dry your skin instead of rubbing with towel.

Use cleanser, then the toner and a rub a piece of ice on your face. It helps close the pores and tightens the skin.

At least once a week, treat yourself to a fruit or vegetable face mask, appropriate to your skin type.

Avoid caffeine and hard drinks. Drink lots of water, to avoid dehydration due to sweating.

Keep your bedroom dark, cool and comfortable and 

sleep on cotton or linen sheets.

HAIR CARE:

 Exposure to sun can be just as damaging, like super hot blow dry of hair. When you find yourself out in the sun the beach or the pool-side, reach for a hat to cover your delicate strands. Take care of your hair during summer.

Drink plenty of fluids during summer months, as hair needs more moisture. Limit the use of hair chemicals, such as hair color & bleach, as much as possible. Hair needs to be treated more gently during the summer. Switching to a more gentle shampoo is essential.

FACE PACK

Blend equal quantities of sandalwood powder, rose petal powder, oats powder and mix with milk. Apply on your face and leave it for half an hour, before wash.

For dry skin, mixed with ½ tsp. honey and for oily skin -1/2 tsp. lime juice should be added.

Apply the pulp of any fruit on the face. These fresh fruit pack, is good for removal of dead cells and stimulates the blood circulation. This helps to give a glow to your skin and removes the sun tan.

Applying yogurt on your face as well as your arms and legs, will soften the skin, as it works as a cooling agent.

Dab fresh milk on your face with cotton balls, this works wonder for your sun burns.

Sandal wood Pack: 

Prepare chandan (sandal wood) paste by adding some rosewater. Apply this paste on your face. Keep it overnight and then wash it off with cold water the next day. It has a cooling effect.

Multani Mud Pack

Take a spoonful of finely ground multani mud, a spoonful of rose water or cleansing-milk and prepare a thick paste. Apply a thick coat all over the face. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and then wash it off with tap water.

Mint Pack: 

Apply a paste of freshly ground green mint all over the face. Leave it on for fifteen minutes and then wash it off. This pack will absorb the internal heat of the skin.

Cucumber Pack:

Mix together some cucumber juice or ground cucumber with milk and apply on face. Cucumber is a natural astrigent that tightens the pores of the skin.Wash it off after 15minutes.

MAMA

I'm trying to read a book on how to relax, but I keep 

falling asleep:)