6 Tea Recipes for Common Ailments

So many of us associate a hot steaming cup of tea with comfort and relaxation, but did you know that your beloved cuppa can also cure common ailments? Yes, you don't need to pop a pill for all those niggling health worries - just put a pot of tea on the boil! Here are 6 tea recipes for common ailments that are quick and easy - and 100% natural!

6 Tea Recipes for Common Ailments

1. Bloating & Indigestion

Tummy troubles are quite common, and are easily soothed with some lovely ginger tea. Boil 2 cups water and add 1/2 tsp green tea, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 1/2 tsp squeezed lime. Let it steep for 5-10 minutes depending upon the strength you want, and slowly sip through the day.

2. Sore Throat

Lemon tea is a simple but effective remedy for many cold and flu-related symptoms like sore throat. Boil a cup of water with a 1/4 tsp of black tea. Squeeze in a quarter wedge of lime and strain. Add honey or sugar to sweeten and drink while still hot.

3. Insomnia

Chamomile has many benefits, including the ability to promote relaxation and sleep. Just boil a cup of water, add a teaspoon of chamomile and let it steep for five minutes. You can also add a teaspoon of lavender if you like. Drink it 30-45 minutes before your bedtime for good sleep.

4. Headache

For that annoying headache, forget medicine and try this tea. Place a teaspoon of your regular black tea and a teaspoon of rosemary in a cup. Pour boiling water over it and let steep for five minutes. Sweeten as desired and drink.

5. Dry Cough

Turmeric is known for its medicinal benefits, but few people think of it in tea! For persistent dry cough, boil a cup of water and add 1/2 tsp of black tea, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp black pepper. Let it boil for a couple of minutes. Strain, add a sweetener of your choice and drink it right away.

6. Puffy Eyes

Puffy eyes can occur because of many reasons, but the end result is a tired looking, aged face! Perk up your eyes with tea bags. Chill used tea bags (black or green) and place the cold bags on your eyes for 15 minutes. If the puffiness does not subside, repeat a few times through the day.

For these remedies to be truly effective, it is important to get the best quality teas, preferably authentic versions from their place of origin. So the next time you have a bugging health problem, you know what to do!

5 Tips to Keep your New Year Resolutions

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right." - Oprah Winfrey

Happy New Year! We're almost a week into 2016 and we hope it's been going well so far! If you're like most of us, then you've either already made your New Year resolutions or are in the process of doing so. Cynics may say that a new year is no big deal, but like Oprah says, we believe it is a chance to start over! 

Setting goals and making resolutions is great; it gives your life direction and a sense of purpose, while helping you achieve everything you really want. However, statistics show that making resolutions is actually the easy part; sticking to them is not! Only about 8% of people stick to their resolutions for the whole year, with the majority abandoning them by July. But if you're determined not to be another statistic this year, then this post is for you! Here are 5 tips to help you stick to your resolutions, not just for January, but the whole year! 

5 Tips to Keep your New Year Resolutions

1. Break it Up

If you plan to lose 10 kg by the end of the year, just thinking of that massive number can be enough to discourage you! It also doesn't give you a clear plan to follow, and you can feel defeated when the scale moves very slowly. So break up your grand plans into smaller, doable steps. Plan to lose 1 or 2 kg a month, resolve to write 2 pages a day or set a goal to save Rs. 5000.00 every month for that foreign vacation. Smaller numbers will seem much more realistic and you are more likely to accomplish them.

2. Write down the Why

You've made your resolutions, but why are you doing it in the first place? Make sure that all your resolutions are aligned with your long term goals, so that you aren't wasting your time and effort fulfilling someone else's dream. Write down all the good things that will happen when you stick to your resolution and make another list of all the consequences if you don't. Keep this paper carefully; there will be many moments when you feel discouraged, but one look at this paper will remind you of why you started in the first place.

3. Have a Reliable Tracking System

Meeting your goals feels great, but the journey can be a little lonely. Have a buddy or a partner with whom you can share your resolutions and keep tabs on, so that both of you have someone you are accountable to. Even if you can't find anyone suitable, ensure that you have some way of tracking your progress, like an excel sheet or a calendar where you mark each day with an 'X' or something. There are many apps you can use as well, with one example being the MyFitnessPal app to track your food intake and exercise. 

4. Expect Disruptions

Life doesn't always go the way we expect it to, and you can expect many obstacles on your journey to achieving your goals. It's very easy to get derailed during such circumstances, and it can be very difficult to get back on track; in fact, many don't. Be aware that such situations can pop up, but promise yourself that you'll find a way through it without hurting your goals. When you adjust your mindset in this manner, you won't feel overwhelmed during stressful situations and are more likely to make your resolutions work somehow. After all, where there is a will, there is a way!

5. Include Rewards

The reward here refers to the proverbial carrot on a stick; something to look forward to as you complete each milestone towards your goal. Set small rewards at frequent intervals, so that you are constantly inspired and motivated to work towards your resolution. This way, the end goal will not seem so far off, and you'll actually be happy to do the work! Just make sure that the reward isn't counterproductive; no point rewarding yourself with an entire chocolate cake when you've worked all that weight off! 

Like we said, resolutions give you direction; but don't forget to enjoy life in the process. Waiting to be happy only when you achieve your goals is going to make you miserable, so seek out happiness in the small things of everyday life. Like Omar Khayyam said, 'Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.' All the best for your resolutions!

6 Ways to make the Men in your Life feel special this International Men’s Day

If this is the first time you’re hearing about International Men’s Day, then you’re not alone. While International Women’s Day gets a lot of press and publicity, there is hardly a whisper and a nod to the male equivalent of the day. Now if you’re wondering why men need a special day seeing that they don’t need to fight for their rights as women do, well that’s not what this day is about!

International Men’s Day was created as a day to focus on men’s and boy’s health as well as to improve gender relations. In this world of changing gender roles, this day actually achieves more significance as the years go by. When women’s roles are being put in the spotlight (and rightly so), sometimes we tend to forget that the men do work hard for their families too!  This day attempts to focus on a man’s contribution to his family too, which goes a long way in fostering good gender relations, especially among boys.

So this Men’s Day, make it special for your Dad, brother, husband and son, and let them know that you acknowledge their efforts!  Here are a few ways you can make this day special for them.

6 Ways to make the men in your life special this International Men’s Day

1. Adventure Date

Plan a special adventure sports date for your husband, brothers and sons (if they are old enough) and your father and father-in-law (if they are active enough). They probably have fun in their own circles, but not with each other, so this will be a perfect opportunity to have some fun!

2. Laze-around Day

Let your husband have a day to himself. Okay, you probably think that he does have days to himself, but let this one not include any nagging about dirty coffee cups or wet towels! A no-nagging day will be super-appreciated by anyone, and you might just find that you enjoy it too!

3. Grocery Trip

Take a family trip to the supermarket, but let your husband and son take the lead. Let them check out the pantry and fridge, make a menu, list out groceries and get them. Let them do it the way they like and you can sit back and have fun clicking pictures! This is also a great way to get them more involved in the behind-the-scenes process.

4. Gifting Options

Get them gifts!! Women often tend to get men more ‘utilitarian’ gifts, but this time go for something whacky, but something that they’ll love – like a bobblehead of their favorite TV show character or a gun that makes fart noises!! Let all the women go shopping for this together – it’s a win-win situation for everyone!

5. Grooming Special

This month is also called ‘Movember’, a month-long event that promotes growing moustaches to focus on men’s health. Whether the men in your life have moustaches or not they can still enjoy a good grooming session! Book one at a luxe men’s salon and let them enjoy some well-deserved pampering.

6. Health Checkup

The best gift you can give anyone is of course, the gift of good health. Since the intention of this day is also to focus on men’s health issues (which many men ignore), gift your loved ones a full checkup at a reputed hospital. Make sure it’s tailored to their age, so that they’re up to date with all the requisite tests.

So there’s actually a lot you can do, from a simple supermarket visit to an elaborate adventure date. Pick one that’ll work for you and your family and don’t forget to tell everyone how much you love them!

6 Ways to have a Productive Weekend

When most people hear of the word ‘weekend’, images of people lazing around come into mind. Of course, there are people who paint the town red on weekends, but we’re talking more about regular folks like you and us! Then there are those of us who take a break from our work week, only to work more on weekends - doing chores and running errands! Of course neither of these serve the true purpose of having a couple of days off, which is to rejuvenate and refresh yourself for the coming week. You could spend your entire Saturday and Sunday binge watching your favourite show, but that’s hardly productive, is it? So today, we tread the middle path and bring you 6 ways to have a productive weekend – yes it’s possible!

6 Ways to Have a Productive Weekend

Play a Sport

Whether you workout during your weekdays or not (you should, really!), playing an hour or two of any sport on the weekends really makes a big difference to your overall wellbeing. Besides the cardio workout, you get to play in a team, which is good socializing – minus the alcohol and heavy snacks!

Join a Class

Everyone has got that deep seated desire to learn something they’ve always wanted to since childhood. It could be dance, pottery or photography. Whatever it may be, what are you waiting for? Life is happening now; take control! Most classes of these sort operate on the weekends, so you’re sure to find something suitable for you in your locality. Learning a new skill builds new neural pathways in your brain, which makes you more effective at processing new information.

Explore your City

You could always pack your bags and head away, but you don’t have to. There are likely to be many undiscovered treasures within your city itself. Plan a one day field trip with your family and explore all the little known places in your city; the journey itself will be an adventure, and who knows, you might even discover a brand new spot!

Set up a Kitchen Garden

There are people who think of gardening as a messy chore, but the truth is that you’ll be hard pressed to find something more relaxing! Spending time with nature, touching and feeling the soil and leaves is very therapeutic, especially after a stressful work week. It feels good to reconnect with the real world after spending all that time online. Not to mention, you end up with healthy, pesticide free herbs and vegetables!

Assess your Life Goals

A weekend is a great time to just sit back and think: are you where you want to be in your life right now? Is your current lifestyle in sync with your goals? Think about where you’ll be in 5 or 10 years if you continue the way you are doing now, in terms of all aspects of your life – health, family, finances, career etc. You need to be relaxed and free from everyday stresses for this exercise, hence the weekend.

Prep for the Week Ahead

Yes, we know we said that doing chores during the weekend wasn’t fun, but rushing like crazy through the week isn’t very enjoyable either! Designate some time during the weekend, about 1-3 hours, to do all your prep work for the coming week. It could include ironing work/school clothes, chopping or freezing vegetables or meat, confirming appointments, getting anything ready for any event etc. Allotting just a specific time slot for these activities will give you a much more relaxed week and won’t feel like you’re spending your entire Saturday doing chores!!

Sleeping in till noon on weekends may sound good in theory, but in practice, it just throws off your entire body rhythm. It messes up your sleep and you feel groggy and weird. Being productive on the weekend without actually ‘working’ relaxes you, improves relationships and refreshes you for the next week. So, which of these are you planning to do this weekend? Do tell us!!

6 Healthy Iftar Recipes for Ramadan

"Ramadan is, in its essence, a month of humanist spirituality." - Tariq Ramadan

The month of Ramadan is upon us and many of us are in full fasting mode! Besides abstaining from food, drink and other worldly pleasures, the holy month of Ramadan is also one of introspection, spirituality and prayer, along with helping people. Unfortunately, for many, this month translates into a 30-day fried food festival! Needless to say, this doesn’t do your arteries or your waistline any favours, with many people actually gaining weight by the time of Eid!

Bingeing on oily snacks at the end of a 15 hour day without food or drink is a bad idea for many reasons, such as:

• After many hours of no food, overloading your stomach directs most of your blood supply towards the digestive system leaving you feeling lethargic
• Your metabolism is operating in slow mode when fasting, and overloading it turns most of it into fat
• Oily snacks mean an intake of too many calories, contributing to weight gain
• With only a small window available for eating, stuffing it with oily snacks leaves no space for healthy foods, leading to malnutrition
• Overeating in the evenings can lead to an increase in visceral or belly fat

The solution to this is to opt for healthy, yet filling and balanced meals at Iftar, so that your body is not shocked and you still have energy to get on with the rest of the day. Here are some easy, healthy recipes that you can make for Iftar.

1. Stuffed Dates

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Across the world, dates are the preferred choice to break one’s fast, but you can take it a step further by stuffing them. You’ll need some larger, succulent dates for this.

1. Slit down the long side of a date, but not completely.
2. Replace the seed with a quartered walnut, and press the sides of the date together to hold it in.
3. Arrange beautifully on a platter along with some dried figs.

 2. Avocado Smoothie

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Avocados are rich in Vitamin E and are low in calories, making them a great option for Iftar. You can use any milk or yogurt of your choice.

1. Scoop out the flesh of a medium sized avocado.
2. Blend the avocado flesh with 1.5 glasses of cold milk, 2 tsp sugar and ¼ tsp vanilla essence.
3. If it appears too thick, add more milk. Pour into tall glasses and serve with straws.

 3. Broken Wheat Lentil Soup

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It is recommended to use whole grains rather than refined ones during Iftar, to ensure better metabolism.

1. Soak a cup of broken wheat and ½ a cup of lentils for 30 minutes.
2. Temper ½ tsp cumin seeds and fry a chopped onion till brown.
3. Add a tsp of ginger garlic paste, a chopped tomato, a tsp of chilli powder and ½ a tsp each of turmeric and garam masala.
4. Add the drained lentils, season to taste, cover and cook till completely done.
5. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

 4.   Almond Chicken

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Almonds are a great way to add an extra crunch to an ordinary chicken dish, and this one is much better than fried chicken.

1. Soak or blanch ¾ cup almonds so that they can be peeled easily. Keep aside.
2. Grind ¾ of the almonds and slice the rest. Keep them separate.
3. Marinate ½ kg chicken pieces in salt and ½ a tsp each of ginger garlic paste, turmeric, and chilli powder. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
4. In oil, fry a chopped onion till brown, then add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and 2 chopped tomatoes.
5. Add the marinated chicken and the almond paste and cook till done.
6. Serve garnished with chopped coriander and the remaining almonds.

 5.  Easy Vegetable Korma

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Vegetable korma needn’t be a thick creamy, heavy dish, you can make a simpler version with cashew nuts.

1. Soak 10 cashews in hot water. Grind to a smooth paste.
2. Fry 1 sliced onion till brown, add 1 tsp of ginger paste, 1 chopped tomato, 1 tsp of pepper, and ½ a tsp each of turmeric and garam masala.
3. Add 1 cup of chopped mixed vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, beans, peas and potatoes. Coat with masala and cook with a little water till done.
4. Add the cashew paste and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped coriander.

 6. Multigrain Methi Parathas

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Multigrain parathas are very easy to make right at home, and are much more nutritious than regular ones. Go easy on the oil to keep them healthy.

1. Grind ½ a cup of multigrain oats to a powder.
2. Mix the oats and 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour along with 1 cup methi leaves, ½ tsp ginger garlic paste and salt to taste and make a smooth dough. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
3. Roll out balls of dough into slightly thick parathas and roast on a flat pan or tava. Use a little vegetable oil to grease it on either side. Serve with homemade curd.

If you crave something sweet at the end of your meal, have a small piece of dark chocolate or a small bowl of a milk based sweet like sweet vermicelli or fruit custard without cream. Make life easier by planning ahead, prepping in advance, cooking in bulk & freezing. This way you can ensure you don’t spend the whole of Ramadan in the kitchen and can focus on the spiritual aspects of the holy month as well. Ramadan Mubarak!

6 Yoga Poses for the Monsoon

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life.” - John Updike

The first rain after a hot summer isn’t just rain, it is a shower of blessings!! There is something very upbeat about the rains that makes the child in us want to run out and get wet!! But as enthusiastic as that thought may be, monsoons are also a time of illnesses and we need to take preventive steps to ensure good health throughout the monsoons.

It’s a happy coincidence that we welcome the onset of the monsoons with International Yoga Day which is this week. Ayurveda prescribes a different way of eating during the monsoons, and in the same way, there are also certain yoga poses that can boost your immunty and protect you from common monsoon maladies. Here are the most effective yoga poses for this monsoon.

6 Yoga Poses for the Monsoons

Bhujangasana

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Benefits: Improves blood circulation, reduces fatigue and improves asthma symptoms

1. Lie on your stomach with arms and legs extended down the body, toes on the floor.
2. Place palms under the shoulders, elbows close to the sides and lift chest and abdomen off the floor, inhaling.
3. Putting your weight on your hands, push your torso up and away from the floor. Turn head up and away from your shoulders.
4. Hold and stretch your spine, breathing deeply throughout. 

Setu Bandhasana

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Benefits: Improves digestion, improves immunity by stimulating the thymus gland

1. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet 10 inches from the hips and arms by your side, palms down.
2. Inhaling, raise your back and hips, anchoring your shoulders and pushing down on your palms.
3. Touch your chin to your chest and keep your back parallel to the floor, the muscles in your buttocks contracted. You may support your back with your hands. Hold, breathing and release.

Naukasana

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Benefits: Improves immunity and protects from common illnesses

1. Lie on your back, arms by your side palms down.
2. Inhale and exhaling, lift your upper back and feet off the floor, raisng your arms and pointing your fingers towards your feet.
3. Contract your abdominal muscles as you go into a V shape, not straining the shoulders too much. Hold, breathing, and release.

Adho Mukha Svananasana

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Benefits: Rejuvenates body, increases blood to the brain, calms the mind

1. From standing, come on all fours, resting your palms and feet on the floor.
2. Exhaling, straighten arms, pushing hips into the air to form an inverted V.
3. Keep heels and palms firmly planted, extending arms and legs.

Kapal Bhati Pranayama

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Benefits: Improves digestion and blood circulation, calms the mind, clears energy pathways

1. Sit cross legged in a comfortable position with your back straight, hands on the knees, palms facing up.
2. Inhale deeply.
3. As you exhale, pull in your stomach sharply. Pull the navel towards the spine, keeping your right hand on your stomach to feel the contraction.
4. Release as your lungs fill with air. Repeat for 20 rounds.

Supta Vajrasana

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Benefits: Improves digestion, respiration and boosts immunity

1. Sit on the floor kneeling, with big toes touching each other, hands on the knees.
2. Bend backwards a little and prop up the back with elbows, one at a time.
3. Pushing on both elbows, lower the head, arching the back.
4. Slowly lower the crown of the head towards the floor.

While these yoga poses are safe for people in general good health, it’s always a godo idea to consult an expert first, particularly if you are prone to frequent aches and pains. Pregnant women and seniors should take special care while performing these poses. With the right exercise and diet, you’ll be able to stay healthy and enjoy the magic of the monsoons completely!