Control blood sugar levels with food

You can easily control your blood sugar levels with the foods you eat.

 

Regulating blood sugar levels is essential for good health, to maintain a healthy weight and to lower the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. According to new research published in the Public Library Of Science Medical Journal, people with high blood sugar levels are also at an increased risk of developing cancer.

Much of the food we eat is converted into blood sugar, which is used by the body for energy. Problems occur, however, when we have high or low blood sugar levels.

Here are the best ways to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

• Protein: One of the best ways to stabilise blood sugar levels is by including high-quality protein with each meal. The best sources include lean red meat, fish, chicken, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds and tofu.
• Chromium: Chromium helps normalise blood sugar levels and enhance insulin production. Sources include broccoli, wholegrain cereals, nuts, mushrooms and soy beans.
• Reducing sugar: Reduce your consumption of sugary processed foods such as chocolates, cakes, biscuits, sugary breakfast cereal and soft drinks. These foods give a sharp rise in blood sugar levels.
• Fibre: Fibre helps to stabilise blood sugar levels. It slows the absorption of glucose from food, which reduces the sharp rise in blood sugar levels. Best sources include wholegrain breads and cereals, brown rice, legumes, fruit and vegetables

10 Signs that You are Crazy About Makeup

1. While at social gatherings, you tend to go again and again to the washroom to  check if your makeup is intact and make sure that your face looks as pretty as it did when you entered. Your concealer is as handy as your cell phone.

2. While in kitty parties, you are more interested in discussing the latest new sun kissed bronzer and its availability rather than gossiping about your neighbor’s relationship status with her previous boyfriend. Makeup discussions are far more important to you than gossiping about other people.

3. You see your friend wearing winged eyeliner and the next time you take good ten minutes to make the winged liner look better than your friend’s. Competition in making it perfect proves you just love makeup.

4. Your favorite pass time at the airport after the security point is checking out the new shades of lipstick and the new travel collector kits from the latest collection. You want to be updated with what the latest brands have to offer

5. Your car, your handbag and your office have their own little mini makeup utilities to ensure that you have it when you need it the most. If you don’t find your desired lip color, you might get dis heartened so you make sure you have your make up essentials wherever you spend most of your time.

6. After you stop eating, you check if you still have your lipstick on. When you find out that you ate the lip-gloss and the lipstick, the first thing you want to do is to redo the lipstick. You think that something is missing when your lipstick fades away.

7. Your foundation shade is your lifeline. If you run out of your foundation, you will not go out unless you get your particular skin shade. You are too particular about the shade of the foundation because it could make you look fairer or darker depending on the shade

8. You put your eye shadow just like you are painting on a sheet, trying to make it look as pretty as you can. Making sure that it does not fall out of the boundary and looks clean and professional.  You watch tutorial videos on YouTube on the best color combinations to use for eye shadows.

9. When it’s the discount time of the year, before anything else, you will run to the cosmetic section to see if your favorite make up brand is on sale, so that you can stock up your vanity with your favorite make up essentials.

10. You eagerly wait for new international make up brands to open in your nearest mall. You would want to know everything about when and where it will open so that you can go and shop on the very first day of the opening.

Can Makeup Damage Your Skin? Not Really If Done Rightly!!!

So recently, I was at this bourgeois party  where heavily saree clad aunties were frolicking around, bedazzling in glittery rocks and even more glittery make-up. A particular auntie was not looking her best (poor her !!) and became the victim of, “itna make-up karti thi, yeh to hona hi tha” – So much make-up she did throughout her life, that her skin damage was sure!

As a bonafide chaperone and honorary Auntie, I was the all ears to these conversations which got me thinking – Can makeup really damage your skin?  I tried to chug in the old grey medical brain cells, and came up with some common mistakes we make in our everyday life and not so everyday make up:

1. Never Ever Apply Make Up on Unclean Skin

Imagine having dirt on your face and plugging that into the skin pores with makeup. Darling, you just made a cocktail. I would advice to first wash your face with a medicated soap and only then apply any kind of base. This will get rid of all the small zits we get after a night of partying.

2. Never Apply Makeup with Unclean Hands

This is the most common mistake we Indian females make . Not only is it essential to wash your face but I would recommend using a hand steriliser (beginning to sound like a surgeon) before applying any makeup . Especially with foundations and eyeliners.

3. Never ( I mean never ) Share Makeup

No matter what mummy/behen/bhai emotionally blackmail you, DO NOT SHARE YOUR MAKEUP. The love won’t spread but neither would the enormous skin bacteria and eye infections.

4. Customise Your Make up, Everybody’s Skin is Different

Women with dry skin use moisturising makeup, liquid foundations, creamy blushes. Oh yea, say hello to your new BFF’s. People with oily skin use mattifying mousses, they’re so you. You’ve not only got the porcelain skin now, but a complete skin treatment (hallelujah)

5. Buy Smaller Packs

I know you’ve just spend your monthly rent on those luxury makeup items. However, they all come up with an expiry date, don’t they? And once opened, their shelf life remains restricted. Experts recommends, changing makeup every 3 months. Well, I know it hurts and so next time when you shop for your make up, make sure you buy smaller packs.

6. Pamper Your Makeup Brushes

They need as much care as your lovely tresses m’lady. Wash your makeup brushes every week with baby shampoo. They will they not only save you from catching infection, but make you feel luxurious.

7. Stop Sleeping With Make Up On

Always remove all specks of makeup before sleeping. Never sleep with makeup on. I would recommend to use a potent cleanser to help your skin breathe.

Beauty 101 : Top 5 Foundation Mistakes to Avoid!

While travelling on the NYC subway today with my sister, an old bedraggled lady entered the train. I, being my old chivalrous self sprang up from my seat to let her sit ( She looked tired ) but this chick gave me the best stare down and walked off. Though, I was trying to gather my battered ego my sister whispered to me “I think it just was her makeup!”

And I was again back to my chivalrous spirit “I have to save the world from bad makeup!”

Which brings us to this article .. Today I will be talking about basic makeup mistakes regarding your foundation and simple tips to fix them

1. Not using a Primer

Problems : Makeup doesn’t stay long / Pores look bigger

Its a CRIME NOT TO PRIME , basically a primer is a foundation for the foundation. It helps form a base and fix up the skin before the makeup and basically provide a surface for the foundation to stick to . There are many types of primers.

The pore fixing primer : This is one which reduces the appearances of pores by blurring them out and helps your makeup appear more porcelain.

The mattifying helps absorb the excess oils and helps prevent your makeup from looking shiny and oily . Also since its mattifying it helps makeup from melting and helps makeup last longer.

The Moisturizing primer : This adds to your foundation excellent moisturisation so along with making your makeup blend better , It also helps prevent your makeup from looking cake-y

The brightening primer : Meant for dull skin .. these are mostly tinted and add an excellent sheen to your skin . They help give a healthy glow to your skin and are perfect for a night out.

Special needs primers are also available with SPF , redness and anti acne meds in the primer themselves . So go choose your pick !!

2. Cover Your Whole Face/Neck/DÉCOLLETAGE  !!

Problem : Face is a different colour than neck
Now ladies I know your foundation is expensive but if you’re applying foundation ,INVEST IN IT.

Pull your hair back with a scrunchie and apply foundation starting right at the hairline upto your neckline . Makeup should look like skin and not like something that is on skin .

3. Buy Makeup Same As Your Skin Color

Problem: Fake looking makeup/Makeup makes you look old

Now ladies let me break it down to you Foundation will hide imperfections/make u look brighter/younger BUT IT WILL NOT CHANGE YOUR SKIN COLOR. Buying foundation 2 shades lighter and then piling it on your face will not help . It just creates white patches and makes your skin look old and fake . You want people to think you’re beautiful and not your makeup.

There are different tones to each skin colour too . You may have fair skin but it may have either pink or yellow tones to it . For example if you have a pink toned skin and use a foundation for yellow tones this will just make you look pale and washed out . In the same way using a pink toned foundation for a yellow toned skin will make your skin look fake and old.

So always choose foundation the exact color as your skin not the colour of your wrist . Always test foundation in natural light before buying . If its the correct shade you won’t be able to see the foundation except the brightness from it . You’re skin will look healthier and not a different colour.

If there’s a shade that works for you and you run out , take the bottle along to buy your next foundation .. and choose the shade closest to it even if switching companies.

4. Adjust Makeup to Day and Night

Problem : Looking OTT in the day and Pale at night

Girls makeup is supposed to be changed whether you’re going to the sunday brunch or the saturday night out . One size doesn’t fit all. How to avoid mistakes ? If doing makeup for the day , step out into the balcony /garden and do makeup in natural light . Day makeup needs lighter coverage and subtle shades of blush. Makeup to paint the town red ?? Do makeup in bright light , add tones of shimmer and don’t be afraid to go va-va-voom .

5. Where does the bronzer/blusher go?

Problem: Bronzer makes you look dark/Blush makes you look like a school girl/badger

A bronzer has to simulate a tan , so it has to be applied to the sun kissed areas of your face . Roughly it has to be applied on the T zone of your face and neck and below your cheek bones.

A helpful tip? Never mix brushes for bronzer, face powder and blush. The’re supposed to be used separately for a reason.

BLUSH:

The purpose of a blush is to make your cheekbones stand out and to give you a healthy flush . Some beauty experts suggest using a blush according to the shape of your face . What I would suggest is apply the after sucking your cheeks in just along the lines created with a lighter cover just on the middle of your cheeks for a dewy day look.

Another tip for a blush is to try to match the tone of the lipstick with the blush. This helps simulate a healthy flush to your lips and cheeks .. the flush ought to be the same colour right ? But Please don’t use a lipstick for a blush ( have pity on me )

Improve Health By Lemon Juice

Why should one include lemon juice in his everyday diet?

You might have heard many health benefits of lemon by your parents and other elders. Some people say lemon helps to reduce weight, others say it is beneficial for skin diseases and so on.

There are numerous benefits of lemon. 

It strengthens immunity
Lemon contain vitamin c, which helps to absorb iron and many other nutrients from food

Improves Digestion
Lemon contains citric acid which is similar in structure to acids found in stomach. Hence it helps to improve digestion

Helps to get a glowing skin
Either rub a lemon directly on skin or drink it with water, it will do wonders for your skin.
It helps to remove excess oil from skin and removes tanning. It nourishes the skin with vitamin c and help to maintain skin tone.

It helps to get a good breath
Antiseptic properties of lemon kill the bad bacteria in the mouth. This helps to remove the bad breath.

Reduces stress
Regular use of  Lemon juice reduces stress and depression.

Acts as cleansing agent for the body
Lemon juice acts as a diuretic, stimulates the production of urine and cleans the urinary tract and the whole organism.

These were several benefits of lemon.

Now here are some ways to include lemon in your diet

Drink lemon water throughout the day
Squeeze a lemon in your water bottle and then drink it whole day. Don’t drink simple water, mix lemon with it.

Start your day with lemon and warm water
Instead of having a cup of coffee in the morning, try squeezing a lemon in a cup of warm water and drink it. This health drink will keep you refreshed and revitalized throughout the day.

Use lemon with your meal
Squeeze half a lemon into your dishes. This not only makes your food tasty but also helps to intake lemon without any inconvenience.