Kitchen-Kollections

I know that its quite strange to put a fitness section on a website which is completely dedicated to FOOD..but exercise is essential for a healthy living. Keep checking this space for articles!

 

KITCHEN BEAUTY FIXES

Sunny days are here again. Along with the fun and games it also brings along unwanted skin and hair problems. Here’s an easy way to beat summer woes with ingredients straight off your kitchen shelf!

 
A – Aloe vera is the perfect cooling remedy for a sun-burnt skin. All you have to do is pluck a fresh aloe vera leaf and extract its gel. Apply it to the sun-burnt area and rinse it off after it dries. Repeat the procedure for some days.
 
B – Besan is the hindi equivalent for chickpea flour. If the fallout of a sunny day at the beach is an unwanted tan, fret not! All you have to do is mix besan, a few drops of lemon juice and curds. Apply it to your face and other tanned parts of your body. Leave it on till it dries and rinse of with cool water. Repeat this procedure for 10 days.
 
C – Here’s a quick glow tip, especially if you want your make-up to remain fresh.  Extract the juice of a small piece of cucumber, add few drops of lemon juice to this. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Apply on your face in a gentle circular motion and leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Now you can apply your make-up.
 
D – You need to take extra care of your tresses during summer as it’s a time when you sweat a lot and your hair’s likely to get dry and rough. Powder dried amla and mix it with warm coconut oil and a few drops of lime juice. Apply this to your hair. Leave it for an hour. Rinse off with a mild shampoo. Regular use will give you shiny and healthy tresses.
 
E – Is summer making your skin ooze oil? Mix together egg white, honey and a few drop of lime juice. Apply it to your face and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse well with cold water.
 
F -  All fresh fruits can be mashed well and applied directly on the skin. It will give your skin a fresh glow.
 
G – Get into the green tea drinking habit. In addition to its numerous health benefits, it is said to do loads of good for your skin as well. It is especially said to be beneficial during summer as it provides sun protection and also prevent ageing. Prepare a green tea brew, remember green tea is never had with milk or sugar. Freeze the brew to form ice cubes. Rub the cubes gently all over your skin.
 
H – Apply 1 tsp of honey and a tsp of lemon juice to your face every day after coming in from the hot sun. It will considerably reduce the darkening of skin due to sun exposure.

I- Ice cubes in any form are welcome during the fiery summer days. Here’s how you could use it as a beauty remedy. Freeze 1 part of milk mixed with 3 parts of water. Cover these ice cubes with a cloth and rub it over your face. It will help in providing relief in case of sunburned skin. Follow this procedure every two to four hours for about a week. It will also tighten your pores and stimulate blood circulation.
 
J – If you have sun damaged hair, turn to jojoba oil for relief. Try out this recipe for healthy and soft hair. To one cup of pure rose water add a tbsp of jojoba oil, and  eight drops of vitamin E oil. Warm the rose water on a low flame in a double boiler. Switch off the gas, add jojoba and the vitamin E oils. Leave it on your scalp for an hour. Then, rinse it thoroughly plain warm water. Wash it off with a mild shampoo and cool water.
 
K – Pure Kohl or kajal which is chemical free works wonderfully to protect your eyes from the sun. There are a lot of ayurvedic kohls available in the market, one with almond oil as the base is especially good. Be sure you pick up a trusted and reliable brand.
 
L – Fill a spraying bottle with 1 part lemon juice, 1 part rose water and 4 parts of chilled water. Spray it on your face regularly during the hot summer days. It will keep your skin dew fresh and cool.
 
M – Multani Mitti or Fuller’s earth is the mainstay of beauty packs, especially summer beauty packs. Its an excellent skin cleanser and is rich in minerals to nourish your skin. If your skin is oily, try this soothing and cooling pack. Mix 2 tbsp of multani mitti with half a tablespoon of sandalwood powder and 2 tbsp of chilled rose water.Apply even on your face and neck. Leave it on till the mask dries. Rinse off with cool water and find your skin refreshed and clean. Regular use of this mask will bring out the natural beauty of your skin.
 
N -  Neem has numerous beauty benefits. Boil a handful of fresh neem leaves in water. Rinse your face with this water upon cooling. Regularly following this routine will give you problem free skin. To get rid of dandruff, another common summer woe, mix the extract of neem leaves with lime juice and leave it on your scalp for 30 minutes.
 
O – Powder sun dried orange peel and mix it with milk. Apply this to your face regularly and watch your skin glow.
 
P – Raw potato juice is an excellent remedy for treating marks and scars on your skin.

R – Rose water is one of the best natural skin toners.
 
S – Sugar crystals mixed with lemon juice makes an excellent face scrub.
 
T – During summer apply fresh turmeric powder mixed with milk, to reduce facial hair and get rid of a stubborn tan. 
 
U – Application of mashed unripe papayas as a face mask is an excellent way to prevent premature ageing that comes with constant exposure to the sun and it also helps eliminate dead skin cells. 
 
V – Apply one tbsp of vinegar mixed with 1 tbsp of lemon juice on the scalp for 30 minutes after rinsing with shampoo. It will give you silky and shiny tresses.
 
W – Make your body soft and smooth with this weekly scrub. Make a not-so-fine paste of 10 tbsp of walnut powder, 2 tbsp of lemon juice and five tbsp of honey. Mix well. Apply this paste in gentle circular motions all over your body. Leave it for 20 minutes and rinse with cold water. Keep up this practise throughout the summer.

Y – Yoghurt has many beauty benefits. A soon as you step in home from spending a day out in the hot sun, apply chilled yoghurt all over your face and neck. After it completely dries up, rinse off with cold water. It will make your skin soft and prevent tanning to a great extent.
 
Z – Zzzzzzzzz….yes, sleep well. This remedy’s a personal favourite and never fails to give your skin a fresh look!

 

 

CALORIE TRAP:BEWARE OF THESE GOODIES!

Because they’re sold as a ‘diet’ product, it’s easy to think: ‘Let’s just have another and another.’ Before you know it, you’ve eaten the calorie equivalent of a high-calorie chocolate bar.

 

CUT THE CALORIES

If it’s a nutty, crunchy snack you’re after, have a small handful of nuts.

A recent study revealed nut eaters consume less overall because nuts are packed with protein and keep you feeling full for a long time.

SMOOTHIES

Studies have shown that smoothies don’t fill you up as much as the whole fruit equivalent because some of the fibre gets wiped out in the smoothie-making process. They can also pack a real calorie punch. Many a times, a pineapple, banana and coconut smoothie can be as high on calories as any normal sandwich.

WHOLE GRAINS AND FRUITS

Stick to whole fruit, which is just as quick and easy to eat as a smoothie. Or limit yourself to one a day and see it as a between-meal snack, not a drink to go with a meal.

SALADS

Salads are another food that people automatically assume are perfect. But ones with rich dressings or potatoes are anything but perfect. They can contain more calories than a high-calorie burger.

HAVE YOUR CHOICE RIGHT

Go for a salad that contains protein (such as egg or chicken) and plain veggies. Oily potatoes and anything white (such as mayo) is best avoided.

A little fat is good for a salad, as it helps your body absorb the nutrients from the veggies better. But stick to ‘good’ fats, such as those found in fish and olive oil. If you’re in a restaurant, always ask for your dressing on the side and add it sparingly.

DIET DRINKS

Artificial sweeteners used in low-calorie drinks can make you put on weight, according to researchers in the US.

They say the sweeteners used in these drinks trick the body into thinking it’s about to get a huge surge of calories — and when it doesn’t, you get hungry and over-eat.

Also, when one eats diet foods, he/she gets lulled into a false sense of security. People think they’re being good and hence, they ‘deserve’ some extra calories elsewhere in their diet. You can cut the calories in drinks by keeping few things in mind.

It’s healthier to stick to plain water but if you’ve got a taste for the fizz then satisfy the urge by mixing fresh fruit juice with sparkling water, gradually increasing the amount of water you use each time. Also, add a squeeze of lemon juice. It will boost your digestion.

MUFFINS

Even muffins described as ‘low-fat’ are packed with butter, sugar and fat. Only that they have slightly less butter, sugar and fat than your regular muffins. Low-fat coffee shop muffins also contain a lot more sugar than regular ones.

Manufacturers often take out some of the fat and replace it with sugar for taste. This stimulates hunger so you’re likely to be looking for food within an hour. And they’re still packed with 300 or 400 calories.

Avoid them if you can or share one with a friend. If you fancy something sweet with your coffee, go for a low calorie biscuit.

BREAKFAST BARS

Low-fat cereal bars look tempting with their ‘low calorie’ promises but avoid them if you can. Many are packed with artificial sweeteners and sugar. They give you an instant hit of energy and then crash your blood sugar levels, leaving you feeling tired and hungry. Those tiny little bars rarely satisfy hunger either, so one is never enough.

 

 

PRANAYAMA 

Pranayama forms a vital step in the path to ascendancy through Yoga. Pranayama is derived from 2 Sanskrit words – Prana (life force) and Ayama (control). Therefore, in its broadest description, Prananyama would mean the control of the flow of life force.

Breathing Components that form the basis of Pranayama
 
During breathing for Pranayama inhalation (puraka) stimulates the system and fills the lungs with fresh air; retention (kumbhaka) raises the internal temperature and plays an important part in increasing the absorption of oxygen; exhalation (rechak) causes the diaphragm to return to the original position and air full of toxins and impurities is forced out by the contraction of inter-costal muscles. These are the main components leading to Pranayama which massage the abdominal muscles and tone up the working of various organs of the body. Due to the proper functions of these organs , vital energy flows to all the systems. The success of Pranayama depends on proper ratios being maintained between inhalation, exhalation and retention.
 

YOGA ASANAS FOR PREGNANCY

Yoga works great for pregnancy. Yoga has 5 vital tools for pregnancy. When followed together, they work wonders on your health and your capability to have a smooth pregnancy.

Smooth pregnancy and a natural childbirth are just some of the benefits of yoga. But more importantly, yoga does wonders on the physical and mental development of the foetus.  Ensuring a healthy baby is every woman’s dream and yoga helps you do just that.

So what are these 5 tools: 

1.  Yoga Exercises – These gently work on the reproductive organs and pelvis to ensure a smooth pregnancy and a relatively easy childbirth. At the subtle level, these ensure optimum supply of blood and nutrients to the developing foetus.
2. Breathing or Pranayama – These powerful techniques ensure the abundant supply of oxygen and a better life force for you and your child. These methods work on your fitness during pregnancy.
3. Mudras and Bandhas – The psycho-physical stimulation of these gestures and locks have powerful effects on a woman’s reproductive organs.
4. Meditation – As a therapeutic tool, meditation will help you resolve the deepest of neuroses, fears and conflicts, which are so common during pregnancy. Meditation brings with it an incredible awareness which helps you connect with your child in a way that is impossible to explain.
5. Deep Relaxation – Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep) is particularly effective during pregnancy for physical and mental relaxation as well as for childbirth preparation.
    
   To get the phenomenal benefits of yoga on your pregnancy, practice these easy routines regularly. Not only will you be on your way to a delightful pregnancy but you will give your child an opportunity for best development.

 

 

YOGA ASANAS

Suryanamaskar or sun salutation – The Sanskrit word surya means sun. Namaskar is the Hindi word for Namaste, from the root nam, to bow. Namaskar means salutation, salute, greeting or praise. There are 12 essential steps of suryanamaskar.

1. Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.
2. Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
3. Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
4. Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
5. While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
6. Exhale and lower the body to the floor until the the feet, knees, hands, chest, and forehead are touching the ground.
7. Inhale and slowly raise the head and bend backward as much as possible, bending the spine to the maximum.
8. While exhaling, bring the left foot together with the right. Keep arms straight, raise the hips and align the head with the arms, forming an upward arch.
9. Inhale and move the right leg back away from the body in a wide backward step. Keep the hands and feet firmly on the ground, with the left foot between the hands. Raise the head.
10. Exhale slowly bending forward, touching the earth with respect until the hands are in line with the feet, head touching knees.
11. Inhale and raise the arms upward. Slowly bend backward, stretching arms above the head.
12. Stand facing the direction of the sun with both feet touching. Bring the hands together, palm-to-palm, at the heart.

 

 

THE THREE CORE MUSCLE BUILDING EXERCISES

   

When it comes to building muscle I like to keep things simple. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of hot new products and exercises that promise to be the next best thing in muscle building. Theses fancy exercises and products use long “scientific like” words and explanations to show you they work to build the most muscle.

In this article I am going to get back to basics. I am going to show your three muscle building exercises you can’t afford not to do and why you should be doing them. These three exercises are the grass roots of building muscle and are essential for any serious training program.

You might find it hard to believe, but with these three exercises alone you can pack on a serious amount of muscle. I refer to these exercises as the “core” to any good program. When I start planning I muscle building program for a client I always start with these three basic exercises and build the program around them.

Squat

The squat is the biggest exercise for packing on serious poundage. There’s no argument about it. The squat is primarily a leg building exercise. You start the exercise with a barbell resting across your shoulders standing straight up. Then bending at the knees and hips you lower the barbell down until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. And then push the barbell back to the starting position.

The main muscle groups pulled into action for the squat are your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. Secondary muscle groups include the lower back, adductors and to a certain extent your shoulder muscles. As you can see many muscle groups are recruited for this exercise making it the biggest exercise and biggest potential muscle builder.

Like all the core muscle building exercises, you should make the squat the first exercise you do on your leg training day. Because it’s the biggest exercise you want your legs to be fresh and ready. If muscle building is your goal, aim for about 8-12 reps on the squat. Because you’ll be lifting heavy weights a good warm up is vital. Squatting is very stressful for the lower body, especially the knees, so 5-10 minutes on the treadmill and some lights squats first up are recommended.

Bench Press

 

The bench press is the king of upper body building exercises. For years the bench press has been used to measure a lifter’s strength. How many times have you been asked “how much do you bench?” I bet you’ve never been asked how much do you squat or how many chin ups can you do.

The bench is a simple yet extremely powerful exercise that targets the entire chest (pectorals), front shoulders (deltoids) and triceps. To perform a bench press you must lie on your back on a flat bench, grip the barbell at slightly wider than shoulder grip and press the bar straight down to your chest.

The bench press is the biggest upper body builder because it allows you to move the most amount of weight possible. This is its advantage over the dumbbell press. With the help of a spotter you can also push yourself to lift heavier weights. There are also other advanced bench press techniques like board presses, bench press negatives and chain presses. See our link at the bottom for more details.

Wide grip Chin Up

 

If you were only going to do one exercise to work your back this would be it. The wide grip chin up is the ultimate test of a lifters power to weight ratio. This muscle building exercise is very demanding on the body.

The wide grip chin up primarily hits the lats, but also targets the entire upper back, biceps and forearms. To execute this exercise you need a chin up bar or assisted chin up machine. Hold the bar in a wide grip (greater than shoulder width) with your palms facing away from your body. Start in a “hanging” position with your arms fully extended. Pull yourself up until your can get your chin over the bar and lower back to starting position.

Most people will not be able to do wide grip chin ups without some lat/back training first. You can use the assisted chin up machine or lat pull down machine to strengthen your lats before attempting wide grip chin ups. This is the most demanding back exercise you can do so it must be the first exercise in your session.

When you should be doing these exercises

Like I mentioned previously in this article, these exercises are the biggest muscle builders and also the most taxing on your body so they must be done at the beginning of your workout to get the maximum benefits. I recommend that you do up to 5 sets on each exercise and vary the way you perform these sets each week. For example, the first week you do pyramid up sets, the second week you pyramid down and the third week you do straight sets. This keeps your muscles from getting accustomed to your routine. Good luck packing on some serious pounds!

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