While you were sleeping…

With so many FMCG companies introducing dozens of products at regular intervals, it becomes very difficult to judge what is necessary for skincare and what isn't. Night creams are one such product. Many feel that they are just a mere waste of money, but night creams can also help you in some ways.

There are two basic types of night creams available in the market. One meant for anti-ageing and another for deep moisturising. The anti ageing range of creams contains basic ingredients like retinol, glycolic acid, salicyclic acid and retinyl acetate. All of these ingredients help your skin to increase turnover, which can help diminish the appearance of age spots and fine lines and wrinkles. However, these ingredients can irritate our skin, increasing its exposure to UV rays.

While, deep moisturising creams have hydrating, deep nourishing and restorative effect on the skin. These are just like your usual moisturising creams with extra levels of emollients so that they are more moisturising. So if you use a good quality daily moisturiser, then you likely don’t need a separate night cream. 

 But choosing these creams is tricky. All the creams available in the market are designed keeping in mind the age, skin type and requirements of your skin. Not all night creams are designed for you. Every cream is formulated keeping your age in mind.

So first consider your age. In your 20s, creams with natural ingredients are more advisable. Choose a cream that contains natural ingredients like aloe vera, honey and other essential oils. People in 30s need more chemical active ingredients like amino acids, ceramides, retinol and others. They are known for their antioxidant properties which are well suited for that age group. When in 40s, go for creams containing peptides, soy extracts and vitamins. Your night cream should be able to fight puffiness, wrinkles and pigmentation.

Then the next important thing to be considered is your skin type. If you have a dry skin texture, opt for a cream that contains maximum moisture. Glycerin-based creams are ideal. Creams that contain avocado, almond oil and shea butter are great for this skin type. For oily skin opt for an oil-free cream, it will not trigger acne or rashes. People with sensitive skin should use a night cream which contains lightweight formula. Natural ingredients like neem, cucumber, tea tree and aloe vera creams are your best bet.

To reap the best benefits out of your night cream, first cleanse your face with a gentle cleanser. Then apply the night cream in gentle, upward strokes in circular motion. Avoid the area around your eyes, but cover the area around your neck. And most importantly, apply it half-an-hour before you go to bed

Popular Fad Diets – nothing miraculous about them

Just like the year gone by, this year too there must be resolutions made and funnily enough many people will have weight loss as a resolution – possibly again.  For weight loss to be a realized dream, one must be extremely conscious of the consequences of going on a diet, especially fad diets that would be in ‘vogue’ or the latest ‘fad’.  These diets would make tall promises of quick and long term weight loss with minimal effort, miraculous fat reducing ideas and ‘secrets’ to shedding loads of unwanted weight.   The truth is fad diets sound really good and that is the catch – they only ‘sound’ good and can actually be quite harmful.  Most of these fad diets cause more harm than good to their ‘followers’.  Such diets promote very rapid weight loss, the users will consume less calories than required for the body each day, increase in fatigue and decreased energy levels, irregular eating habits, lack of vital nutrients like fats, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals.  Let’s look at some of the ‘fad diets’ popularised yet again in the year gone by:

Paleo diet: It consists of fish, vegetables, meat, fruit and roots and disallows legumes, grains, salt, dairy, refined sugar and oils.  There is hardly any scientific evidence to support its benefits.  The fact is, it a just a restrictive eating style and not even a fad diet.

Atkins diet: This again is an eating style and eliminates food groups choosing high-protein and high-fat over carbohydrates - may not be suitable for everyone.

Raw diet: A highly monotonous, restrictive and excessive diet it supports the eating of sprouted grains, plant oils, sea vegetables, herbs, nuts, seeds, organic fruits, vegetables and their juices.  No animal products are allowed and anything subjected to temperatures of 115F are not allowed.  Again, there is no scientific evidence to back up its utility.

Cabbage soup diet: Only cabbage soup three times a day for 7 days – that does not even sound right!

Master Cleanse diet: Highly constricting and cramping this diet again has no scientific support.  The user can have nothing but a brew of tea, lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper for a whole week.

When people are desperate to shed those stubborn pounds, they will do anything that promises those results.  The truth is these fad diets have tell-tale signs and we give you a list of what those would be.  Knowing these facts would prevent you from following these ‘harmful’ fads: 


- No exercise is required.  Lose weight by following the diet alone
- Eat ‘whatever’ you like (including junk foods) and ‘continue’ to lose weight
- Eliminating whole food groups including those that have a high nutritive value
- Super pills ‘designed’ to block the absorption of fat and suppress the appetite
- The fastest weight loss ever – designed for everyone!
- Suggestions that eating particular and regular foods is a bad idea.  Only some should    be eaten and in certain combinations  
- No scientific backing only over-enthusiastic testimonials from people claiming the  immense benefits they received. 
- Offering a product that is a miracle in the world of weight loss foods


We do hope that with this list, people would be able to identify a fad diet from one that is backed by science and is proven useful medically.  Enlist the help of a professional and save yourself a lot of trouble related to health and the effort put in.  We are certain that you would be able to spot fad diets and steer clear of them.  Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy 2015 and beyond!

Control your portions – Enjoy the festivities

The festive cheer is in the air and with it brings a feeling of elation and stupor.  It is during such times when families and friends unite, people tend to ignore normal diets and tend to overeat.  But that’s not surprising – with the elaborate and scrumptious dishes prepared during festivals, it does get hard to resist. 

The other factor is that these mouth-watering goodies are around for a limited time only making people indulge excessively, lest they lose out. The result - overeating, weight gain and other health issues. 

Don’t get me wrong, as this is not an attempt to make you stay-off these tempting goodies completely.  Rather, it is an endeavour to help you continue eating these heart-warming delights by keeping in mind the portion size.

What is portion size or portion control? It’s not about carrying around a food list or measuring containers but rather using sensible and common visual prompts and techniques that will allow you to treat yourself without going overboard. 

• Try dividing your plate in to three portions – 

One part must certainly be for fruits or vegetables, one for carbohydrates and protein and one for your festive goodies.  This way you are eating right and yet able to satiate those celebratory pangs.

•    Use smaller plates and spoons –

Even if you desire a second helping, it will be smaller.  The fact is that if the plate is big, the normal tendency is to fill it up. Eat less and as slow as you can.

•     Healthy food before the festive food - 

If the temptation to indulge in the festive sinful dishes is too much to resist, eat something healthy before the festivities begin.  A crunchy salad, a fistful of nuts or a bowl of low fat yogurt will do the trick – they will fill you up partly leaving only some space in your tummy to eat just a small portion of the happy yet not so healthy dishes.

•  More dishes need clever choices –

Celebrations means that the number of dishes churned out will also be more.  Make clever choices – the more you see, the more you will desire to have it.  Fill your plate with a maximum of 2-3 foods only to satiate your craving and yet not eating everything just because it’s there.

•  Festivities don’t mean not being healthy – 

If you are the decision maker on who eats what in the home, wield your power to ensure that everyone eats right by buying healthier options and cooking smaller portions of high calorie foods.  Stock up on fruits, salads, nuts and other low fat snack options.  There is no reason not to maintain your health even during festivals.

• Tricks to eat less -

On many occasions people eat and serve themselves more because everyone else is doing it too.  That’s a silly reason – serve food on your plate and eat slowly.  Engage in lively conversations to keep your mind off the food.  Avoid sitting down to eat at such occasions – sitting relaxes you and keeps you focused on the food.  Instead walk around and engage with people instead of your food. 

•      Don’t gorge on the disrupters -

Although it may seem tough at first, try heading straight for the healthier options on the menu before gorging on the ‘disrupters’.   The portion-control strategy is about eating as much as you want of the foods good for you and leaving only just enough room to indulge in the festival temptations.  At home too, keep candies and cookies hidden, while keeping nuts, salad and vegetables in full view. People eat what they can see. 

Enjoy the festive season to the fullest by being mindful. Remember that there is no substitute for drinking enough water, eating right and skipping meals. You cannot save space to gorge on the goodies later. Portion-control is your secret weapon against the ‘ravages of those festive tempters’.