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.

Although having your period monthly is such a pain in the head; but not having regular periods is a worrisome issue for a female. Yes, regular periods is a sign of normal health and any irregularity should be dealt immediately and scientifically. There may be an underlying cause and it may be serious too.

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: 

 The year 2020 has been difficult for every one; be it individuals, families, businesses and economies. Every sector has been suffering but the travel, leisure and hospitality have been hit the worst. The edible oil industry especially the palm oil have been affected quite adversely.

I have been to Malaysia thrice in my life and have loved every moment of it. During my first time, we travelled by road to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur and saw palm trees throughout our journey. The second time, we took the airport metro from KL Airport to Putrajaya and the entire route was lined by palm trees. Then in early 2019, I came to know about the story of the palm plantations. Yes, I attended my first ever conference with the Malaysian Palm Oil Council and learned absolutely myriads of things about palm oil. Did you know that Malaysia is the second largest producer of palm oil? Well Indonesia is the largest. And that explains the hundreds of acres of palm plantations that I have seen in Malaysia.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending a webinar by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council with Dr Bhavna Shah as the speaker; country head for India/Sri Lanka for Malaysian Palm Oil. The discussion was really eye opening with respect to the effects of COVID 19 on the vegetable oil industry; especially palm oil.

Dr Bhavna Shah

For the uninitiated, palm oil is the oil derived from palm kernels and is a widely used vegetable oil and cooking medium. It is rich in carotenoids (precursor of Vitamin A) and in tocotrienols and tocopherols (components of Vitamin E). Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and is vital for healthy skin and eyes and so is Vitamin A. In fact Vitamin A is essential for immunity and is anti carcinogenic too. In fact palm oil has the highest quantities of tocopherols and tocotrienols amongst all the vegetable oils.

Palm oil is widely used as a cooking medium and is an important component of numerous items in our daily lives. It's used in chocolates in place of cocoa butter, ice creams, toothpastes, lipsticks, soaps, etc etc. It's widely used in the catering business and since palm oil has a neutral flavour, it's excellent for whipping up fancy dishes. It's rich in calories and hence great as an energy source.

Apart from all the above facts, Palm oil industry is an essential part of the economy. However Covid 19 has played an enemy in the export, packaging and transportation of Malaysian Palm oil.

The HORECA (Hotel, Restaurant, Catering) sector has suffered a huge blow owing to less number of people eating out and ordering in. Thousands of bakeries and kitchens have shut down and has a result the demands of palm oil have plummeted. As a result, imports had been reduced and the prices of crude palm oil have dropped in Indonesia and Malaysia. 

There are so many aspects to this. There has been excess of palm oil in Malaysia which is because of reduced import to India. Pakistan offered to procure the excess oil but it could not buy at the same price. The demands continue to be low in India and unless the Corona situation gets under control, the HORECA sector would continue to suffer. International crude palm oil prices have dropped by 20%. Imagine the impact of this on the Malaysian economy.

You can find more information at mpoc.org.my   Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

 Have a big day ahead and tired of your bulging stomach? We all have been there. Especially when you are mom, you learn to live with the bulging tummy but whenever there is a celebration or fitting of your favourite outfit, you just cannot seem to hide that bulge and start cursing yourself for not paying enough attention. Well being a mom of two myself, I am far from happy with my body but I have learnt a few tricks that help me look presentable in pictures. So here I am sharing with you.

1. Cut off salt from diet. Whenever you come to know that there is a big day ahead, cut off salt from your diet immediately. Salt causes water retention and this would help shed the water weight. This includes table salt as well as salted foods like namkeen, chips, pickles etc. I swear it would be worth it!

3. Switch to liquids at night. If you are ready to take up more pain, quit having solid food after 6 PM. I am not asking you to starve, just don't eat solids. You can have skimmed milk and a protein smoothie/shake or whatever you like. But remember, don't put anything in your mouth after 8 PM.

4. Choose dark colours for your tummy area. Light colours will amplify the bulge more. Black, brown, navy blue, etc will help conceal it. I abused this trick to hide my baby bump.

5. Invest in waist trainers. After trying all the diet and workout tricks, the easiest way to get a flat tummy is through waist trainers. They flatten out any bulge very smoothly and the outfit looks absolutely perfect! Summing up a couple of my favourite trainers:

1.  Waist and thigh trainer plus size: Don't worry if you are plus size 

as this will take care of all your needs!

* Benefits and Features:

> Spots on waist thigh and butt training

> Reduces the appearance of cellulite

> Trims appearance of thighs

> Helps shed excess water weight

> Great for working out

> Tone your waist & thighs while losing inches

> Lifts Butt

> Three fasten Velcro straps and a long torso waist trainer with 2 belts

> Adjust straps for a snug fit

> Very comfortable for bedtime or just lounging around the house

b. Waist trainer for women: This one is for normal size females.

The NeoSweat™ Workout Camouflage Waist Trainer increases thermal activity and stimulates sweating, accelerating the belly fat burning process to shape & reduce the waist and abdomen.

> Seven steel bones support the waist and abdomen

> Double belted design provides easy adjustment and super control of the abdomen and waist.

> Excellent fit for short torso and normal torso body types

> Zipper front closure plus adjustable waistband with Velcro closure

> High Compression, reduce waistline up to 3 sizes instantly!

> Boosts thermal activity and gently lifts under-bust

> Targets the Tummy, Love Handles, & Back

> Great for Losing Post Pregnancy Weight

> Increases Perspiration & Creates an Intensive Workout

> Reduces & Shapes Your Waist

> Helps Defines Curves

Note:  Choose a size up.

How to clean these trainers?

> Using a wet cloth and soap, wipe down the inner lining several times. Rinse off soap using lukewarm water and dry.

> DO NOT wash this fitness kit in your washing machine as it may stretch or damage the fabric.

> DO NOT machine dry or iron Thigh Trimmers, as it may melt the fabric and weaken the neoprene.

Now time for a great news! Shapellex is having a special sales on their site! The Black Friday waist trainer sales 2020 is live and make sure you take the perfect advantage! 

Get free shipping when you order goods worth more than $80

Get an extra 10% off for signing up on their website

Get an extra $8 when you buy two items with the code SAVE8

Get an extra 15% off when you buy three items using the code SP15

 

Are you ready to get rid of your bulge?

 

Name of the show: Poison 2

Cast: 

• Aftab Shivdasani as Aditya
• Raai Laxmi as Sara
• Pooja Chopra as Isha
• Rahul Dev as Sikander (Guest appearance)
• Vin Rana as Oscar
• Zain Imam as Harsh