Tag: Health

Hate milk? Opt for these milk-free sources of the bone builder — calcium. Milk and milk-products are considered to be a rich source of calcium. But what do you do if you are not too fond of it, and more so, if you are lactose intolerant? Not many of us know this, but there are there are certain foods that are a great-vehicle for calcium — fish, nuts, dried beans, green leafy vegetables and seeds. When you have fish, you should chew on their bones too, to get the most out of it, and munching on a few nuts and seeds every morning can supplement your daily calcium requirements.

Sesame seeds

These seeds are nutrient-rich. Munching on just one tablespoo can get you around 50 mg of calcium. A handful can provide necessary minerals, vitamins, phenolic antioxidants and protein. 100 GM OF SESAME SEEDS: 975 MG

Almonds

Though you have to eat this nut in moderation, because is rich in calories — half-a-cup is around 500 calories — the almond is a rich calcium source. 100 GMS ALMONDS: 264 MG

Chinese cabbage or Bok choy

This plant is a rich source of calcium. Use it in generously in your salads. 100 GM OF BOK CHOY: 105 MG

Sardines

This fish is a great source of Vitamin-D, not easily seen in our regular diet. Vitamin D plays a very crucial role in increasing calcium absorption and therefore, is great for bone health. 100 GMS SARDINES: 382 MG

Orange juice

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, in May 2005, published a study that said, that of two types of calcium sometimes used to fortify orange juice, your body absorbs calcium citrate malate better than a combination of tricalcium phosphate and calcium lactate. There are many different brands of fortified orange juices available and one needs to the check labels. HALF A CUP OJ MAY HAVE: 175 MG

Okra/ladies’ fingers

This green vegetable is rich in calcium and other nutrients. One could have it raw, when tender, organic and freshly plucked off or when lightly steamed and quickly stir fried. 100 GMS OKRA: 81 MG

Tofu

The way tofu is made, determines the amount of calcium it may contain. Silken tofu has around 130mg while firm tofu may contain around 230mg. When using tofu, make sure you press the water out of it by keeping in between kitchen towels. Avoid adding too much oil to tofu dishes, try oil-free ones, because it absorbs a lot of oil. 100 GMS TOFU: 350 MG

Salmon

Most fish are a good source of calcium, more so when you chew on the bones. Half a tin of salmon has around 440 mg of calcium. 100 GM SALMON: 9 MG

Chia seeds

Chia seeds, touted to a be health food, are a good source of calcium too. One serving of these super seeds has around 18% of the recommended daily intake for calcium. These seeds help you maintain oral and bone health, and prevent osteoporosis. They are rich in Omega-3, make you feel full faster and are good for weight loss. They can be eaten raw, used in porridge and in baked food items. 100 GMS OF CHIA SEEDS: 631 MG

Did you know?

Calcium is one of the most important minerals found in our body. If you want to get the most calcium from food products keep this is mind — while cooking, use very little water and very little time.

Working out and staying fit is a lifestyle many people desire, but many of them just find the environment of the gym intimidating and boring. An expert suggests that water exercises can be a nice variation to loose weight and stay active. Cristiana Pipoli, aqua aerobics trainer at Jaypee Vasant Continental, feels that aqua aerobics can work wonders for those who do not believe in “working out” in the conventional way. “This water workout reduces the weight of a person by up to 90 per cent, thus reducing the stress burden on your body’s joints.

The water also provides a natural resistance to your movements, making your aerobatics workout intense without you realising it. Aqua Aerobics also provides you with cardiovascular and strength training,” Pipoli said in a statement. “Another great advantage of Aqua Aerobics is that water makes you less prone to the exercise injuries. It does not matter what age you are, or at what level of fitness you are, it is suitable for all and is an enjoyable method of exercise, that can be altered to your specific needs and or fitness levels to ensure a safe and effective workout,” Pipoli said in a statement.

Some of the water exercises suggested by the expert:

Those who doze off during the day to catch some ‘missed’ night sleep, beware! According to an alarming research, middle-age and older adults who take daytime naps at office or home may be at increased risk of dying. In particular, naps were linked with an increased risk of dying from respiratory diseases. Those between ages 40 and 65 were nearly twice as likely to die during the study period if they napped for an hour or more, compared to those who did not nap, the researchers from University of Cambridge said.

“Excessive daytime napping might be a useful marker of underlying health risks, particularly respiratory problems, especially among those 65 years of age or younger,” emphasised Cambridge epidemiologist Yue Leng and lead author of the study. It may not be napping per se that is unhealthy, but rather, that those who tend to nap also have undiagnosed medical conditions that affect their risk of dying, the researchers noted. The study involved more than 16,000 people in Britain who answered questions about their napping habits between 1998 and 2000, and were followed for 13 years.

People aged 40 to 79 who napped daily, for less than an hour, were 14 percent more likely to die over a 13-year period, compared to those who did not nap. People whose daily naps lasted an hour or more were 32 percent more likely to die over the study period, the research, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, added. The researchers took into account many factors that could affect people’s risk of death, such as their age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking, exercise, and whether they had certain pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer or asthma. “Further studies are needed before any recommendations can be made,” the researchers concluded.

Aleading specialty hospital has demonstrated that bone marrow stem cells can cure blood disorders like leukemia, thalassemia and aplastic anemia, a bone marrow failure. “Bone marrow transplant has emerged as an effective cure for cancerous and genetic blood diseases through transfusion of its stem cells from a healthy donor to an affected patient,” Narayana Health City consultant hematologist Sharat Damodar said.

The corporate hospital in the city’s southern suburb claims to have performed about 300 bone marrow transplants with over 80 per cent success rate. Bone marrow can be collected from a related donor (siblings), matched unrelated donor (non-family members) and haploidentical donor (father or mother). “As it is a challenge to find donors in India, there is need for greater awareness to donate bone marrow to needy patients,” said Damodar. A person suffers from leukemia when the bone marrow starts producing abnormal white blood cells. “Though leukemia can be treated with radiation and chemotherapy, in case of relapse, the option is a bone marrow transplant,” he added.

In case of thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder which makes less hemoglobin, the treatment option is regular blood transfusion or bone marrow transplant. “We are partnering with Cure Thalassemia, an Italian organisation, which pioneered bone marrow transplant for thalaseemia patients,” Damador said. Aplastic anemia (bone marrow failure) occurs when the quantity of each of the three blood cell types is much lower than normal.

Activate the right energies by following vastu tips for your main door. Vastu Shashtra begins with the entrance to your house. The main door of any house is the dwelling place Gods and Goddesses. It must be accurately located for the activation of beneficial energies. Select an auspicious day when you want to fix the main door of your house. Divide the width of the building in nine equal parts.

The main door should be fixed from the fourth section on the right side to the sixth section on the left while facing the house. Experts recommend the east, west and north direction to be more beneficial for the dwellers though each has its own benefits. North and west brings wealth in your life, east is all for good benefits and South resembles liberation. Avoid locating the doors in the corners of the room.

And the main door should be the largest in compared to the other entrance doors of the house. If there are two external doors in a building, it is recommended to fix them in a straight line. Decorating the doors with auspicious signs and pictures or Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi brings good luck to the family. It is better to avoid directly facing of the opposite house and the front door must not face any demolished or abandoned property There should not be any underground tank under the main entrance.

Avoid self closing doors which are available in the market nowadays. Instead of wood from Peepal and Coconut, wood from Teak, Honne and Matti must be used for the main door. Anything which brings peace and happiness in your life is good. Apply Vastu tips in designing the entrance of your home and once that is perfectly built according to the rules, it’s a better life that begins thereafter.

Instead of buying expensive cosmetic products, why not try these natural treatments at home to get rid of suntan? A mixture of lemon juice, rose water and cucumber juice works wonders on your face. Lemon juice helps remove the tan and cucumber and rose water are natural cooling agents.

Apply a paste of raw milk, turmeric and some lemon juice on your face as well as the affected areas and let it dry. Wash it off with water. Prepare a mixture of oats and buttermilk and use it to exfoliate the skin. Mix gram flour and lime juice with some curd, and apply it on the affected area on a regular basis to get best results against tanning.

Apply some fresh lemon juice on the elbows, knees or patchy areas, and keep it on for at least 15 minutes to work on the tan. Regular use of fresh coconut water on the hands and face can be very effective in getting rid of a tan. It will also make the skin healthy, supple and soft. Apply a paste of turmeric powder and lime juice thrice a week. This will lighten the skin colour considerably and remove the tan.

Soak almonds overnight and grind them into a fine paste the next morning. Add equal quantity of milk cream to make a paste and apply on the affected area. Apply a paste of oatmeal, yogurt, a few drops of lime and tomato juice. Wash it off with cold water after half an hour to get glowing skin.

Mash papaya to a pulp and massage the sun-tanned area with it. Papaya is excellent for the skin and also has antiaging properties. Applying multani mitti on the face helps reduce tanning considerably.

Taking a shower in a very glammed up and pleasant bathroom is a rejuvenating experience. Here is how can make your bathroom the best place in your house:

Deck up the interiors
Starting from the bath tub to the bathroom fittings, make sure there is class and plan the combinations out. Match the colour of the walls with that of the bathtub or choose reverse colours or contrast colours if you like it to be spunky.

Colour code the bath place
Taking from the bath linen to colours of the tiles and the wash basin, plan what colours will pep up your mood and get your bathroom designed accordingly. Color therapy works everywhere, even in the bathroom. So pick up the colour sheet and work out some best colour combos for tiles, fittings as well as walls.

Jazz it up with tech
Starting from installing a wireless phone to making the bathroom a wi-fi zone to installing a touch screen panel with internet connectivity and to touch sensitive bathroom fittings, you can think of all the high end stuff that will totally revamp and make your bathroom an envious special zone. This will only pep up the atmosphere of your bedroom.

Stock up some spa essentials
Essential oils, body and face scrubs of your choice and a little bit of aroma therapy. What else do you need? A sauna? Well if you can install it, wonderful, otherwise a hot shower or a hot water bath in the Jacuzzi will let you rejuvenate equally.

Come summer, and sweaty feet become a common problem with many of us. Follow these simple tips to keep stinky feet at bay.

• While washing your feet, use an antibacterial soap. Dry the feet completely, making sure you dry the area between the toes. Fungi and bacteria can develop between the toes if the area is not dried completely.
• Put antiperspirant on your feet before you put on your socks. Antiperspirants are quite effective in reducing foot perspiration.
• Dust your feet with foot powder. Follow the antiperspirant with foot powder, which absorbs excessive sweat and reduces odour.
• Wear cotton socks. Natural fibres allow more air to reach your feet.
• Change your socks often. When your socks feel damp with sweat, wash your feet and put on a fresh pair of socks. Keep baby wipes with you, and use them to clean your feet at work or while you are in public places and can’t wash your feet.
• Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to four cups of water and soak your feet in the solution for 15 minutes to reduce perspiration. Not only does the vinegar act as an astringent, it exfoliates a thin top layer of the skin of your feet. You’ll experience dryness for hours after this soak. Plus, the acid in the vinegar neutralizes odour-causing bacteria deep in your feet.
• Go barefoot as often as possible to allow your feet to breathe, and wear sandals and open-toed shoes. Exposing your feet will help reduce sweating to a great extent.

All of us love to eat red tomatoes but as unlikely as it sounds, green tomatoes may hold the answer to bigger, stronger muscles. Natural compound from green tomatoes stimulates muscle growth, improves muscle strength and endurance and protects against muscle wasting, research reveals.

A team of University of Iowa scientists has now discovered that tomatidine, a compound from green tomatoes, is even more potent for building muscle and protecting against muscle atrophy. “Muscle atrophy causes many problems for people, their families, and the health care system in general. Exercise certainly helps, but it is not enough and not very possible for many people who are ill or injured,” said Christopher Adams, an associate professor of internal medicine and molecular physiology and biophysics.

Muscle atrophy, or wasting, is caused by aging and a variety of illnesses and injuries, including cancer, heart failure, and orthopaedic injuries, to name a few. It makes people weak and fatigued, impairs physical activity and quality of life, and predisposes people to falls and fractures. Adams and his team zeroed in on tomatidine using a systems biology tool called the Connectivity Map.

Adams discovered that tomatidine generates changes in gene expression that are essentially opposite to the changes that occur in muscle cells when people are affected by muscle atrophy. After identifying tomatidine, Adams and his team tested its effects on skeletal muscle. They first discovered that tomatidine stimulates growth of cultured muscle cells from humans. Their next step was to add tomatidine to the diet of mice.

They found that healthy mice supplemented with tomatidine grew bigger muscles, became stronger and could exercise longer. And, most importantly, they found that tomatidine prevented and treated muscle atrophy. “Interestingly, although mice fed tomatidine had larger muscles, their overall body weight did not change due to a corresponding loss of fat, suggesting that the compound may also have potential for treating obesity,” Adams noted.

“Green tomatoes are safe to eat in moderation. But we still do not know how many green tomatoes a person would need to eat to get a dose of tomatidine similar to what we gave the mice.We are working hard to answer this,” Adam explained.

What can I eat for dinner? Should I even eat dinner? Maybe, I should eat a ‘nocarb’ dinner… Don’t these questions perplex most of us? Especially those who believe that ‘food = calories’. Food is the magical fuel that not only nourishes us to live a satisfied, accomplished and happy life but is also the reason you and I are alive. But fearing food is the best way to lose the plot.

And this fear of food doubles when we think of eating at night. Why? Do you believe that when the sun sets, your breathing, circulation or vision reduces? No! This beautiful human body is constantly working, even through the night when we are sleeping. The pumping action of the heart, the breathing through the lungs, the excretory system – all work 24*7, a feat no machine can ever match. Thus, fuelling this body is essential, be it before or after the sun has set.

Don’t sleep on an empty stomach
agree dinner meals should be smaller as compared to our breakfast or lunch; only because our activity gradient reduces as the day progresses (unless you are working night shifts). But dinner is also an important meal, which must never be skipped. Skipping this meal will result in a very large gap between your last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day.

This can cause ravenous hunger, severe acidity, nausea, blackouts and a disturbed sleep to name some of the most basic sideeffects. Skipping a meal as important as dinner can also be the reason you give in to temptation and crave ‘something sweet’ at night. This happens because you have not filled your bowl well through the day with the right calories (read carbs) and thus will reach out and fill it with the wrong ones (read desserts) – instincts of survival, remember?

What’s the right time to eat?
The earlier you eat your dinner, the better it is, only because you are awake longer and perhaps, a little more active than you’d be too late in the night. When we are awake, our body works at BMR (basal metabolic rate) but when we sleep, its slows down to RMR (resting metabolic rate).

The longer you are awake, the more your body will be able to burn versus burning lesser at rest. But as I said earlier, dinner is an important meal and it should not be skipped. So, definitely eat a light dinner and stay awake for at least two hours post that. Yes, sacrificing your sleep may be the price you have to pay, but you can’t win everywhere.

Ever wondered why gyms have blaring music? It is because music helps in working out better. Here’s how it helps. Listening to music while you workout not only makes your workout session more interesting and less boring, it also helps in extending your workout sessions. While you are listening to music, time passes faster than expected and without getting bored you can finish your workout regimen.

Listening to your favourite music while working out also enhances your mood which in turn helps in putting more effort into exercising. And you can up the tempo if you want to work harder, depending on the mood and type of exercise. It helps in maintaining a tempo. Music also has been reported to have good effect on your heart. If you listening to the right kind of music, it helps in maintaining the heartbeat.

This can be especially positive while doing fast and strenuous exercise in the gym. For those who are on the regimen to lose weight, music can be really helpful as they can go that extra mile to lose an extra pound. It not only encourages you to continue till your favourite song gets over, but also uplifts your mood to come back with renewed energy the next day as well.

Women born with a special gene are at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than men with the same disease, a study reveals. While women with ApoE4 gene were 81 per cent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease when compared to women who did not have the gene, in men, the gene increases the risk only by 27 per cent compared with men without the gene, the study said.

“Figuring out the reason for this sex difference may help researchers better understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease,” said researcher Andre Altmann from Stanford University School of Medicine. For the study, the researchers examined information from more than 5,000 healthy older adults in the US who did not have Alzheimer’s or other types of cognitive problems, and about 2,200 people with mild cognitive impairment.

The researchers noted that about 950 healthy older adults progressed to developing Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. The study, that appeared in the journal Annals of Neurology, indicates that doctors may need to change the way they interpret the finding of an ApoE4 gene in people, depending the patient’s sex.

You can actually bring home some cool comfort with a very own waterfall at home. And it’s not all that difficult…Just get cracking right away…

Research properly
Start off by researching ponds. Before you start to build know what you want to build. Get a good understanding of the different styles and design options. You decide on the design of your pond and the types of aquatic life you want in it.

Location matters
First it is important to decide wherein your yard you would most benefit from a pond and/or waterfall. Walk through the home and yard, the places you spend the most time and try to visualise where you would get the most enjoyment for the water feature, both indoors and out. You will also want it in an area that has some shade and does not receive direct sunlight all day long.

A little sunlight is fine, however, too much sunlight will promote algae growth and can dry out aquatic plants. You want to choose a location that receives approximately 4-6 hours of sunlight a day. But be aware that trees may be difficult to dig around because of their roots, and the leaves that fall will clutter your pond, in turn creating more work for you!

Measure placement and distances
Before you pick up that shovel use a hose or rope to mark where you’ll be digging and the general shape of your pond. This is also a good time to educate yourself on the placement of water and electric lines in the yard.

Dogged digging
Now it’s time to excavate your pond. It is good to make several tiers to your pond, so you have a sturdy siding. One steep wall is more likely to collapse than several shorter ones. This is also appealing to the eye, and beneficial to the plant and aquatic life who like different depths of water.

When you dig the soil from the ground, place it where you need to build up the landscape for your waterfall. Dig out your pond to the desired depth and width within the stakes and markings. It is important to make sure that the pond and waterfall you are building are level.

Install the liner
Line the dug out pond with sand, raked smooth and then lay a protective underlay before you place the liner on the floor of the pond. With the help of a few other people, spread out the unfolded liner in an open space, and carefully pick it up to carry it to the pond. Avoid dragging the liner on the ground; this could cause scratches or punctures. Lay the liner in the pond, fitting it into each corner appropriately.

Installing the equipment
After the pond lining is in you’ll want to install any water pumps, filters, skimmer for the water garden. The use of electricity in the pond will usually require the aid of a proper electrician. You won’t be able to run an extension cord out to the pond in order to run these features. It’s not practical or safe, so you’ll need the electrician to install an outdoor outlet with the safety switch.

Rock on!
Now lay some excess underlay on top of the liner and place small boulders to keep the liner in place and cover up the edge. By placing the underlay on the liner you are protecting the liner from friction and the potential from being punctured by the rocks.

Do not pull the liner tight so it lifts away from the ground because if it is not supported from underneath it will cause troubles when you fill the pond. Trim the liner back after all the rocks are in place. By adding rocks, boulders, and gravel to the entire bottom of the pond you will give plant and animal life great resting places. This also creates a more natural looking pond.

Do you smoke or have quit recently? Chances are that you may not taste and appreciate the bitter taste of caffeine in your cup of coffee. According to research, smokers and those who have quit cannot fully appreciate the full flavour of a cup of coffee because many cannot taste the bitterness of their regular caffeine kick.

It is already known that smoking, and especially the toxic chemicals in tobacco, causes a loss of taste among smokers. To extend knowledge on the matter, a team of researchers from Pitie- Salpetriere Hospital APHP in France tested the ability of 451 participants to recognise the four basic tastes of sweet, sour, bitter and salty, as well as the intensity of each taste. The participants were grouped into smokers, non-smokers and people who had quit smoking.

It was found that smoking status had no influence on a person’s ability to recognise salty, sweet or sour tastes. “It did however have an effect on people’s ability to taste the bitter taste of caffeine,” said Nelly Jacob of the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital. One in every five smokers (19.8 percent) could not correctly recognise the taste, while the same happened one in every four times (26.5 percent) that former smokers were put to the test.

Only 13.4 percent of non-smokers could not correctly identify the bitter samples they were asked to taste. “The accumulation in the body of some tobacco or combustion products may hamper the regeneration of taste buds, and, therefore, still impair a person’s ability to recognise certain tastes even after they have stopped smoking,” Jacob explained.

Women who frequently consume fat-free or low-fat milk may delay the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, research indicates. The findings showed that women who ate cheese saw an increase in knee OA progression. Yogurt, however, did not impact OA progression in men or women.

“Milk consumption plays an important role in bone health,” explained lead author Bing Lu from Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. OA is a common, degenerative joint disease that causes pain and swelling of joints in the hand, hips or knee. For the study, 2,148 participants with knee OA were recruited.

At the start of the study, dietary data was collected and joint space width was measured by x-ray to evaluate OA progression. As the intake of milk increased from none to less than 3, 4-6, and more than 7 glasses per week, the joint space width in women also decreased by 0.38mm, 0.29mm,0.29mm and 0.26mm, respectively. Results persisted even after adjusting for disease severity, body mass index (BMI) and dietary factors.

No association between milk consumption and joint space width decrease was reported in men. “Our findings indicate that women who frequently drink milk may reduce the progression of OA,” Lu said in the study published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research.

There are two kinds of people – those who drink tea and those who drink coffee. While both the beverages come with their individual health benefits, the argument never resolves as to which beverage is better. But here are some health benefits and reasons why you should have a cup of coffee everyday.

• Antioxidants: Coffee contains many antioxidants which purify the body and make one feel fresh.
• Good for the liver: Coffee is very good for the liver,especially for people who drink alcohol.
• Stress-buster: People who drink coffee daily say that even the smell of coffee can relieve them from stress and tension.
• Reduces the risk of cancer: Coffee helps reduce the risk of cancer – be it skin or prostrate. Of course there are no proven guarantees, but no harm in having a cup everyday no!
• Diabetes and Parkinson’s disease: Coffee is also known to reduce the risks of diabetes and that of Parkinson’s disease in a human being.

First of all remove all clutter so positive energy can flow throughout the room. Clutter blocks the flow of ch’i. You should also remove anything reminding you of past lovers. Photos, love letters, presents and gifts, anything that reminds you of the past should be removed. You might want to go as far as getting new bedding and even a new mattress, especially if you shared you current one with a long term love who is no longer part of your life. Get rid of items associated with loneliness.

You should not have just one of an item, not one flower in a vase, or one single photograph or one painting and definitely not one night stand. Everything should be arranged in pairs to symbolize a union. Have two candles on a dresser, two paintings on a wall, two end tables, etc. You should also avoid paintings or photos depicting one thing. Pointy items should be avoided; they produce too much yang (male) energy. Replace pointy items with softer items representing natural curves. Plants, whether they are living, dried, or artificial should be avoided in the bedroom. Water is prohibited in the bedroom according to feng shui.

It clashes with the fire element, the element of passion. Avoid having any water features such as fountains or fish tanks in the bedroom, also avoid any photos, painting or sculptures depicting water scenes such as waterfalls, rivers, lakes, streams, etc. Water in the bedroom can lead to financial loss and loss in a relationship. Try to keep computers and televisions out of the bedroom. If you can not keep them out of the bedroom try to hide them in a cabinet or armoire that has doors that can be shut at night or cover the television and computer monitors with screens or thick cloth at night to block the yang energy that they emit.

The bedroom should be full of yin energy, not yang. Feng shui says the bed should be placed diagonally opposite to the entrance door. You should be able to see the door but not be in front of it. Do not sleep with your head toward the door. Have your headboard against a sturdy wall and your bed up off the floor with nothing underneath it to impede the flow of energy. Do not sleep next to a window because feng shui concepts say it disturbs the energies around you. You should also avoid having a mirror directly facing the bed.

The mirror should not reflect the bed. You should not be able to view your bathroom from your bed. Bathrooms should be screened or the door should remain closed. Feng shui principles suggest bathroom plumbing drains energy. Keep all exercise equipment out of the bedroom. According to feng shui the bedroom is not the place for the excitement and flow of yang energy used during exercise. Feng shui places a lot of emphasis on colour selection and use. Stay away from cool colors in the bedroom such as blues, grays, whites, and blacks.

Warm colors are best for the bedroom such as browns, beiges, reds, apricots and yellows. Red, the colour of love and passion, is best for sexual energy. Yellow is also another very good colour for the bedroom because it symbolizes communication. Women should avoid filling the bed with lacy pillows, dolls, and stuffed animals. The bed should be comfortable but uncomplicated. Feng shui suggests including materials derived from animals such as fur, leather, and wool.

Do not use polyester or other synthetics. For your bedding you should use natural cotton or silk. For an erotic bedroom incorporate the fire element of feng shui by using candles and oil lamps. You can add passionate energy in your bedroom with objects and paintings in shades of red, pink, and garnet. Feng shui principles suggest placing a red object on the female night stand to increase eroticism in the female partner.

On the male’s night stand place a tiny jar of copper scraps or something made of copper. Copper represents the male essence and enhances eroticism to its fullness. To preserve sexual receptivity place a ruby or garnet on or hanging over the night stand. These stones are very energizing and powerful in attracting the opposite sex.

Worried about dark lips, here are some home remedies. Dark lips can make you less confident and mar the beauty of a smile. Here’s how to get naturally pink and healthy lips.

Lemon
Rubbing lemon juice over darkened lips can help lighten them. Being a natural bleaching agent, lemon helps remove pigmentation and dark spots on skin also.

Cucumber
Cucumber juice is cooling and can help bring the colour back to darkened, dry lips due to their moisturizing qualities also.

Beetroots
Rub some beetroot juice onto your lips and leave it on for 5-10 minutes allowing the skin to soak it all up. Wash it off and repeat this for a few days until you see the pinkness coming back in your lips.

Olive oil
Massaging your lips with olive oil before bed can help to not just lighten the lips but also bring moisture and flexibility to them.

Sugar
Sugar is an excellent exfoliating agent and can scrub all your dead skin cells away. You can make a sugar lip balm by mixing two spoons of granulated sugar with one spoonful of butter and use it several times a day.

Replete with medicinal benefits, neem leaves have a special significance during Gudi Padwa when it is eaten with jaggery. The bittersweet mixture symbolises the acceptance of sorrow and happiness. Here are some reasons to include neem in your daily routine.

Clears acne
Using neem water as a skin toner regularly will help in clearing acne, scars, pigmentation and blackheads. Boil about 20 neem leaves in half a litre of water till the leaves are soft and discoloured, and the water turns green. Strain and store in a bottle. Dip a cotton-ball into it and wipe your face.

Lightens skin blemishes
Apply a paste of neem powder, tulsi and sandalwood powder mixed with rose water, on your face. Let it dry before you rinse it off with cold water.

Treats dry skin
Did you know that neem has moisturising properties? Mix neem powder with water and a few drops of grapeseed oil, and apply it to your face as a moisturiser.

Delays ageing of skin
With its regenerative properties, neem helps the skin fight pathogens below its surface. As a result, your skin remains supple. Reduce the effects of ageing by applying neem oil on your face or adding neem powder to your face-pack.

Treats dandruff
Neem has medicibal properties. Boil neem leaves with water until the water turns greenish. Use it after shampooing. If you are suffering from dandruff, you could also apply a paste of neem powder and water on your scalp and wash off after an hour, followed by shampoo and conditioner.

Cures dark circle problems
Neem helps in reducing pigmentation and also acts as a moisturising agent. Mix water and neem powder to make a thick paste and apply it around the eyes.Wash it off after 15 minutes.

Cures asthma
According to experts, neem oil is extremely beneficial when it comes to curing breathing problems or asthma. Have a few drops of neem oil every day, increasing the intake gradually. It also helps in controlling phlegm, cough and fever.

Heals ulcers
According to various studies, neem bark extract has been found to cure stomach and intestinal ulcers. Researchers believe that consuming the bark extract twice daily for 10 weeks, practically heals ulcers. The bark also helps cure malaria and many skin diseases.