DocDivaTraveller: March 2020

March 27, 2020 8 comments

And we thought 2020 would be the best year ever. Well it's definitely not. But we can surely prevent it from being the worst of our lifetime. We all, all the citizens of this world are are in a difficult situation right now. The future is certainly uncertain as we don't know when all this is going to stop. However one thing we have to take care of particularly is our and our loved ones' health. While it's best to stay confined within our own homes, many of us find it difficult to stay calm. But stress is a major immunity depleter and that would be the last desirable thing. So here I am summing up a few important points for a calmer and healthier life at home.

1. Wake up at a fixed time everyday, preferably at the same time when you wake up during office days. Working from home is difficult; especially when you have a big family/kids at home. Don't make it a habit to continue working till late night to finish those deadlines only to wake up at an erratic hour the next day. Our body has a Circadian rhythm which functions best when we stick to a schedule. Try to wake up early in the morning, irrespective of weekday or weekend. Get up, take a shower, get dressed. Make up and perfume also help.

2. Go to bed at a fixed time, do not stay up late: Just because you can work from the comfort of your bed the next day, does not mean you can stay up all night netflixing. Sleep is one of the biggest immunity boosters. People deprived of sleep fall sick very often and during these stressful times sleep is a mandate. However given the hostile environment right now with thousands of weird thoughts crossing our minds, we may find it difficult to get a sound sleep. Here are a few tips to do so.

a. Take a warm bath before bedtime. This practice is highly effective.

b. Switch off screens 3 hours before bedtime. Our brains find it difficult to switch off from all the current feed so three hours prior is the minimum downtime. Screens include television too.

c. Apply drops of essential oils on both sides of your pillow. This has has been scientifically proven to calm our senses.

d. Read a book before sleep or listen to soothing music.

e. Practise meditating before bedtime or listen to guided meditations.

f. Do not take caffeine or alcohol after 5 PM. You can take jasmine/chamomile tea before bedtime.

g. Light a soothing candle or an essential oil diffuser. That calms the senses.

h. Take Nature Sure Somni before sleep.

Nature Sure Somni calms our mind, relieves stress and hence help induce sound sleep. It's an Ayurvedic medicine made from completely natural ingredients.

What is Nature Sure Somni made of?

It is made of Brahmi, Shankhpushpi, Vatch, Kali Mirch, Khurasin ajwain, Amla (Indian gooseberry) and Piper longum (peepli). In short all the ingredients that has a soothing effect on our minds.

These are rare herbs that are traditionally known to help manage sleep disorders, fatigue, nervous debility and stress.

How to take?

Take one or two tablets with water before going to sleep or as advised by the physician.

Precautions:

Pregnant and lactating mothers should consult their physician before intake.

Do not take Somni upto three hours of any major activity like driving and swimming; to be on the safer side.

What does Somni do?

It induces a sense of relaxation and calmness.

It helps alleviate mental stress.

It removes fatigue and nervouse debilty.

It helps in getting a sound sleep.

Nature Sure Somni is priced at 780 INR for a bottle of 90 tablets.

With sleep being the major relaxant, a good night's snooze is all what we need in these uncertain times.

3. Take a nutritious, wholesome diet: Apart from the fact that a nutritious diet would help boost immunity and fight against Corona virus, it's very important for our mental health too. It's easy to fall in a slump and gorge on chips and biscuits but this practice would increase the intake of empty calories and lead to weight gain. Fresh fruits and vegetables keep our mind calm apart from good skin and hair. Drink loads of water, at least 3 litres a day. Don't forget to take your multivitamins. Develop a habit of eating a carrot everyday. It's the best immunity booster. PS Research has found Vitamin D to be effective against COVID 19.

4. Workout at home: We need to keep our bodies moving for two reasons: Firstly switching to a sedentary life suddenly (we are working from home or homebound) poses a threat to our bodies. Secondly workout releases endorphins or feel good hormones which are indispensable during this stressful times. Good metabolism would be an added benefit.

5. Stay away from too much News: It's important to be in the loop to know what's going on in this world but too much News can induce negativity and spoil mental peace. Designate an hour to know about the current affairs and watch something positive for the rest of the day.

I could go on and on about the various things that are tried and tested and I am practising to alleviate my anxiety. Meditate, listen to soothing music, take this time to deep clean the house, give more time to your kids, cook your favourite meal, pick up a new hobby, read as much as you can, stitch, weave, craft a new DIY etc etc. I know it's easier said than done. But we have to remain positive. Remember Shakespeare wrote King Lear when he was in quarantine.

Stay positive. This too shall pass!

March 25, 2020 6 comments

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March 24, 2020 2 comments

Title: The Chennai Killings

Author : Chital Mehta

Genre: Suspense, Crime, Fiction

Pages: 194

Publisher: Qiugnog

Thrillers are my eternal favourite. I have grown up reading suspense novels. Starting with The Famous Five in my childhood to Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys in early teens to graduating to Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Sidney Sheldon etc etc; a major chunk of my library consists of this genre. So I was really excited to devour this book. From the cover, it looked like a series of Chennai murders without any apparent reason. How mind boggling? Thankfully the reason of the murders could be traced out and this book turned out to be my favourite read of 2020 so far.

The book: The story starts with the brutal murder of a young girl Sandhya. CID Vikram Rathi is given her case to solve the mystery. However Vikram has his own long buried grievings. His baby sister, Priya (the only living member of his family) was killed brutally two years ago. Her murderer could not be traced and life was never the same for Vikram, who immersed himself in sorrow and depression and resorted to smoking and alcohol. His family started suffering; his wife and his son, the only people in his life. So when Vikram was handed over Sandhya's case, he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

A twisted case of a love triangle, an illegitimate child and a series of deaths. For once you would think that you have solved the case as it's easy to rationalize a lover's remorse. But there is more than meets the eye. Beneath a series of murders and an apparent suicide, there is a deep rooted motive. But the plot gets really hair raising when you start sniffing a connection between Sandhya's and Priya's murder. How could that possibly be?

What I loved about this book: Every character is very well etched out. The chapters are not numbered, they are about a particular character and are named after the same. The novel starts with a gory murder, builds suspense and the thrill multiplies higher and higher as the story progresses. The mystery gets solved very logically and the ending is far from happy. However the father son union lightens up the much tense atmosphere in the end.

Also at the conclusion of every chapter, there is a tiny revolver..depicting murder and mystery. I appreciate such minute details.

My Rating: 5/5

About the author: This is Chital Mehta's fifth novel. She is a Gujrati who has been brought up in Chennai (that explains the topic of her current book) but currently resides in Massachusetts, USA with her husband and two children. Her affiliation to Chennai can easily be absorbed from her book. The neighbourhoods and the nooks and crannies of the city have been described so vividly that you feel that you are actually wandering in Tamil Nadu; despite the city you are reading in.

March 18, 2020 8 comments

Smooth, hairless skin...a desire or a necessity? We all are petrified of unwanted hair and have devised a number of ways to get rid of them over the course of generations and years. While the older generations resorted to home DIY methods like applying gram flour and all, the epilation industry went to a completely new level in the 90's.

Let's see what all have been done in the hair removal industry:

Laser Hair Removal technique: Laser Hair removal became revolutionary but even after more than 20 years, it's still not that doable. The reasons range from being really expensive, to painful to a time consuming process. It's just not that easy to schedule an appointment every month, shell a lot of money and taking out that much time (especially if you are a mom like me, I hope you understand!)

Epilators: The electric epilators too are great but again they are painful and bit time consuming. It's a bit of an investment on the first go. Also the usual hassles: battery charging, cleaning, etc etc. Not a very popular choice.

Waxing: Whether it's salon waxing or at home, this is popular among Indians. Salon waxing being way cheaper in India because in the West, a visit to the salon burns a hole in your pocket. However, it's again time consuming as well as painful. For busy bees and mommies like me, we hardly get any time to schedule a salon appointment. So I can safely say that it's for the privileged girlies.

Depilatory creams: Now this is a revolution. It can be used anytime, anywhere, at the convenience of our homes. How cool is that? But I have a better news for you. NEUD Xpose Yourself has come up with a much needed Hair Remover Spray! After their revolutionary Hair Growth Inhibitor, this hair remover spray is like a 'Dream Come True'!

How to use NEUD Hair Remover Spray?

Shake well before use.
Spray widely over the required areas (for arms and legs; not intimate areas)
Wait for 5 minutes.
Wipe gently
Rinse with water

Getting rid of unwanted hair has become as easy as this. Dreamy, ain't it?

Precautions:

Do a patch test before use.

Do not keep for more than 10 minutes.

Do not use on intimate areas. For those areas, use Everteen Bikini Hair removal cream

Priced at 290INR for a 100 ml spray, this indispensible product is available on all major E commerce sites like Amazon and Flipkart.

Could life get any easier? This hair removal spray is like a boon to me! Goodbye to full pants and sleeves!

March 17, 2020 6 comments

A very Happy Holi to all my lovely readers! I hope you had a wonderful celebration! As much as everyone loves the vivid hues of Holi, a part of ourselves equally fear them...they are our skin and hair! Now a lot is advised as to how to protect your skin and hair before drowning them in colours. Because prevention is better than cure. However still we land up as victims because either we are unprepared or the wrath of colours is too much for the measures we took. So here I am with a few Post Holi hair care tips.

Also read: Last year's crazy Holi celebration!

If your hair is with just dry colours or gulaal, then first brush them off with a napkin and a wide toothed comb before hitting the shower.
Once you are in the bath, wet your hair and apply soap all over your scalp (a baby soap is preferable) The scalp needs to be cleaned thoroughly to avoid any aftermath.
Wash your head (and rest of the hair) with luke warm water. Don't use hot water even if you are tempted to do so.
Now dilute the required amount of shampoo in a mug and apply all over your hair. Then rinse off.
You can repeat this process twice or thrice depending how stained your hair is.
Now time for deep conditioning. Apply a good coat of conditioner and keep it for 5 minutes.
Rinse off and then apply a hair mask and keep it for 10 minutes.
Rinse off and towel dry. Do not blow dry. It would make your hair more rough and drier.
After two days, make a homemade hair mask with eggs and yogurt and keep it on your hair for 15 minutes before washing it off with a mild/diluted shampoo. Don't forget to deep condition.

Oil well afterwards before washing your hair. You can use the homemade hair mask till your hair achieves the softness. Your hair may even turn out better what you had pre Holi form all this TLC!

After all these years of trial and error, the best oil I have found to combat the harmful effects of chemicals and restore health in Nature Sure Thumba Oil.

So how does Thumba Oil work?

Thumba Oil is made of Bitter apple and other natural ingredients which are known to stimulate hair follicle activity. Thumba is medically proven to bring back 70% hair follicles back to growth phase successfully. It has also been found to significantly reduce the time to initiate hair growth.

How does Thumba Oil help?

· Thumba is medically proven to help boost hair growth
· Helps prevent greying & hair fall as well as increase hair count & length
· Excellent for hair nourishment as a rich source of essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid, proteins, antioxidants, alkaloids, flavonoids and leucine
It also prevents premature greying of hair.
· Thumba has a naturally anti-infective effect
· A 100% natural oil from Nature Sure™, made with top-grade ingredients at GMP & ISO-certified units approved by Directorate of AYUSH

How to use?

Gently massage your hair with Thumba Oil everyday for 15 minutes. Make sure it penetrates the roots nicely and give your scalp a nice massage. Wash off with a mild shampoo the nest morning. You can also use Shikakai juice.

Precautions:

This is for internal application only. Do not ingest and keep away from children.

Price: 340 INR for a bottle of 110 ml. Available on all major e commerce sites.

So now you know how to prevent that post Holi hairfall/ roughness with Nature Sure Thumba Oil. Do you have any other tips?

March 11, 2020 4 comments

Whether you are a boy or a girl, lips are precious. I know, the foremost instrument in expressing our love..whether it's our better half or our bundle of joy, beautiful, soft and pink lips are a gift. However like every other body part, our lips also need TLC and by that I don't just mean fancy lip colors and balms. These, in fact, conceal the flaws but to bring out the best, we need to follow a lip ritual.

Why do our lips get darkened?

Smokers of course have black lips because of the nicotine. But non smokers too become a victim of darkened lips because of various reasons.

Tanning because of unprotected exposure to the sun.

Non usage of sunscreen containing lip products.

Accumulation of dead cells

Hereditary.

So how to get back that pink colour back?

1. Use a lip serum: After trying out many products, I have zeroed down to Namyaa natural lip serum.

Why do I like it?

It's completely natural. It is made of olive oil, peppermint oil, Aloe vera, camelia extracts, Vitamin E and many other natural plant based ingredients. It is completely organic and does not contain any harsh chemicals.

It has Advanced Brightening therapy. Hence it ensures we get back the brightness of our lips.

It repairs damaged lips.

It improves tone of darkened lips because of excessive smoking.

It moisturizes and smoothens cracked and chapped lips.

Brightens and evens out skin tone to natural pink.

It is priced at a reasonable rate of 240INR for a 30 gm tube and available on all major E Commerce sites.

2. Scrub your lips regularly with a natural ingredient like sugar. You can also use a mixture of honey and lemon. Lemon has bleaching properties.

3. Look out for SPF when buying lip products.

4. Drink lots of water and consume fresh fruits and vegetables.

5. Remove lip colour at home and especially before going to sleep.

6. Last but not the least, try to quit smoking.

Do you like pink lips? What's your secret to achieving them?

March 09, 2020 6 comments

If you are born with XX chromosome, then you can relate with the title. Puns apart, I mean it's an uphill task for every female in the world to remain happy and above all stress free on those days of the month. I keep giving a number of advices/wellness tips to my patients and try to incorporate in my life as well. Although I know very well that being a mom of two, pampering tips like a home mani pedi can quite be imposible. So let's get started with the basic mandates.

1. Choose a Sanitary pad that would make you feel pampered.

Looking at the blood stains on the pad is the grossest part of periods. Do you agree? Well not any more! Because Sirona has come up with black sanitary pads!

Yes, you heard it right. Sirona hygeine has come up with Black coloured sanitary napkins. So you simply don't have to look at those stains. Also a lot is being said and done regarding using biodegradable options wherever possible. Thankfully, these black sanitary napkins are made from natural resources like Corn, Sugarcane, Cassava and Straw Bale which makes them decomposable.

So why Sirona Sanitary Napkins?

These napkins are super absorbent and ultra thin (very important).
These are anti bacterial and locks the period smell.
They are chlorine free, paraben free, toxins free and have no artificial colours.
They don't cause rashes.

I tried the Large variant (290mm) and it cost me 259 INR. Apart from the fact that it is super absorbent and rash free, I really loved the black colour. It's a whole new luxury! Sirona pads are available on all major E Commerce sites.

Girls you should definitely try these black pads. You would never go back!

2. Eat clean and drink lots of water.

Food habits are found to be associated with mental health. Junk food (read processed, over salty, sugary or deep fried) cause mood swings more. It's seen that when you eat more greens, fruits and unprocessed food, our brain works in a more sensible way and hence it's easier to deal with hormonal mood swings.

However I know it's tough to cook a full fledged meal on those days, especially when you are alone. So try to stock up on your favourite fruits, greens and nuts beforehand so that you can have a healthy portion along with takeaway.

3. Give yourself a break from the gym

Don't workout on the first three days. Instead go for a walk in the evening after work in the park listening to your favourite music.

4. Put on makeup and pamper ypurself

Light your favourite scented candle while getting ready. It's aromatherapy. It's scientifically proven to uplift your mood. Soak your feet in warm water. Put on a face mask.

5. Wear pretty clothes with dark bottoms.

I am sure everyone would be able to relate. Nothing is more stressful than a stained dress. No matter how efficient our pad is, let's not take any chances and wear a dark coloured bottom for a calm mind.

So girls, what is your cheat code for sailing through these days?