The last couple of 2020 are here and it's time to put those weird memories behind. The worst thing to suffer in 2020 (apart  from our mental  and physical health and finances) has been travel. And we simply can't wait to hit the roads again! I don't know about you but I haven't stepped out of my home in the past  10 months. I shut my clinic and have been giving my patients online consultation. No outings ,no events; only blogging and shooting at home. Although normal travel is yet to resume, we have to modify our habits accordingly. It's going to be more roadtrips and isolated stays. If you want to go abroad, then opt for lesser affected nations like Indonesia, Thailand, Maldives, etc. And yes, I would prefer Air B n Bs with 5 star cleanliness rating over commercials budget hotels.

According to me, a pool villa is the perfect way to unwind. Even if you are not a water baby, then too you can just relax on the loungers by the water. The pool villa we booked in Bali has been my favourite so far; both in terms of aesthetics and money. So here I am sharing a few tips what we kept in mind while doing so; I am sure we all are looking forward to a pool break soon!

 So how to select the perfect pool villa on a budget?

There are many websites that offer homestays, but personally we have always booked on Air B n B. Make sure you use the filters properly. You can set the budget and amenities accordingly.

When you have a handful of properties to select for, start browsing the pictures. The ones with less number of images are rejected by me because I feel that they are not pretty enough.

Amenities definitely matter but some of them have to be compulsory. Like for us it has to be free Wifi, a kitchen (husband is a vegetarian; I cook for him), clean bathroom and of course a beautifully landscaped pool. Things like breakfast (complimentary or paid ) are secondary for us as I cook anyway.

Make sure you carry a variety of pool wear with accessories like hats and sunnies. If you can, carry some fancy tumblers too where you can pour your drink. I know memories mean everything but in this world of Instagram, our holidays have to be picture perfect; right? So why not put some efforts and reap stunning benefits?

Let me know about your post covid travel plans. 

 It's wonderful to be a woman but with every great thing comes its share of challenges. God has blessed us with beauty, endless options to dress ourselves with and the magical power of procreation. But he has also bestowed us with those 5 days every month which some us dread for various reasons.

First of all, let me acquaint you with the various terminologies associated with periods/menstruation. Sorry dearies, but being a medico, I can't help but jump into scientific terms.

Amenorrhea: Absence of periods is called amenorrhea. This can be of two types:

Primary amenorrhea: When a female has never got her period. This means the prepubertal phase (ie before menarche) and for some females delayed menarche (after age of 15)

Secondary amennorhea: This means stoppage of monthly periods after months/years of regular flow.

This is normal during pregnancy.

Abnormal because of various reasons:

Stress

Sudden weight loss and anorexia

Endocrinal/ Hormonal reasons: PCOS, Pituitary, Hypothalamus, Hypothyroidism, Sheehan's syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, etc

Tumors in Pituitary gland, Hypothalamus, ovaries etc.

Hypomenorrhea: Very light or scanty periods; lasting for a day or two.

Menorragia: Just the opposite of hypomennorhea: very heavy periods or long lasting flow. Causes can be tumors, Adenomyosis, etc

Polymennorhea: Frequent periods. Usually flow within 20 days.

Oligomennorhea: Delayed periods usually after 35 to 40 days. Commonest cause is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS.

Dysmenorrhea: Painful periods.

How to manage different menstrual irregularities without medicines?

Although any irregularity should be taken seriously and should be consulted with a gynae, some lifestyle modifications can play a huge role in regulating them.

Exercise. Weight gain has been a big reason in delayed periods. In fact 50% treatment of PCOS constitutes of losing weight scientifically. Also if there is drastic loss of weight, exercise would help in healthy weight gain.

Diet modifications: Refrain from junk and over processed food. Try consuming greens and legumes and a rainbow diet too. Items like chickpeas and yams are proven to be beneficial in female problems.

Stress management: Women have already been burdened with so many responsibilities that stress is an inevitable part of our lives. And with 2020 being a total disaster and this pandemic breaking hell on our lives, stress levels have gotten only worse. It has been seen that amenorrhea due to stress during this lockdown has increased many folds.

Although events like this pandemic are out of our control, we can control our stress levels to some extent like taking out time for ourselves. Going for short walks, meditation, mindful breathing, reading a good book, home facials and small things can help us combat our stress levels to a large extent. Remember you need to take care of yourself first in order to be able to nurture others.

Go the Ayurvedic way:

Ayurveda has answers to almost all bodily ailments in a scientific way. We should tap the magic of our ancient science in every way possible and Namyaa is doing a great job is doing so.

Namyaa has launched the Period Care Kit which consists of 3 essential products:

Namyaa Aarthava Kshaya- For PCOD and PCOS: