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Celebrate a Skin-Friendly Holi With Natural Colors

Protect your skin on holi

Holi is the festival of colours in India that also marks the arrival of spring – a season of joy and hope. The festival is famous for its colours and how people apply them to each other’s face. I remember one horrendous incident a few years ago that left my face scarred due to an allergic reaction and I was on anti-allergens for over a month. The culprit was a toxic paste colour that my skin came in contact with. I, therefore, thought I should share some good ways to enjoy a safe and non-toxic Holi this year.

In the last couple of years, chemical colours are being used to celebrate Holi as they are cheaper than natural colours. Chemical colours can be very harmful to the health and skin of individuals as well as the environment.

Use of safe, natural and eco-friendly colours, can help to save our environment and conserve our biodiversity. Natural colours are obtained from skin friendly sources such as turmeric, flower extracts, sandalwood powder, mehndi (Henna), etc and are safe to use. 

Here’s How You Can Create Safe, Non-toxic Colours

  1. Brown color: Brown is one color that is never spotted anywhere in the color markets during Holi. So go ahead and surprise your visitors with this different and amazing color! Acacia catechu (Kattha) – which is commonly consumed with betel leaves (pan) gives a brownish color when mixed with water.
    Other methods: Boil tea or coffee leaves in water. Cool it and use it.
  2. Saffron: Soak a few stalks of Saffron in 2 tablespoons of water. Leave for a few hours and grind them to make a fine paste. Dilute that with water as per the desired color strength.
    Other methods: The Flame of the Forest, commonly known as Tesu, Palash or Dhak, is the source of the wonderful, traditional color for Holi. For fragrant yellowish-orange colored water, the flowers are soaked overnight in water and can also be boiled.
  3. Green: Save a trip to the parlor by using green colored henna powder (Mehendi) this Holi. Either use it separately or mix it with an equal quantity of any suitable flour to get a lovely and natural green shade. Make sure to use pure henna that does not have Amla (Indian Gooseberries) mixed in it, as this would be brown in color. Dry henna will not leave color on your face and can be easily brushed off. When mixed with water, it will leave a slight color, thereby making it a fast color.
    Other methods: Dry and finely powder Gulmohur tree leaves or crush the tender leaves of the Wheat plant to obtain a natural green color for Holi. The color can also be obtained by mixing a fine paste of green leafy vegetables like spinach (Palak), Coriander (Dhaniya) or Mint (Pudina) in water.
  4. Blue: Dry Jacaranda flowers (Neeli Gulmohar/Jungle Badam) in the shade and grind them to obtain a beautiful blue powder.
    Other methods: The Blue Hibiscus, which is found in Kerala, can be dried and powdered just like the red hibiscus, or crush berries of Indigo plant and add water to it as per the desired colour strength.
  5. Yellow: Mix two teaspoons of Turmeric powder with twice the quantity of gram flour (besan). Turmeric and gram flour have magical qualities that are very good for the skin. Ordinary wheat flour (Atta), refined wheat flour (Maida), rice flour, ground nut powder, fuller`s earth (Multani Mitti) and even talcum powder can be used as substitutes for gram flour. Other methods: Flowers like Cassia Fistula (Amaltas), Marigold (Gainda), Yellow Chrysanthemums and Black Babul yield different shades of yellow. Dry the petals of these flowers in the shade and crush them to obtain a fine powder. Mix an appropriate quantity of the powder with gram flour or its substitutes and see your festival come alive without any harmful effects of chemically-loaded colors.
  6. Pink: Slice or grate one beetroot and soak it in 1 liter of water for a wonderful magenta. Boil or leave overnight for a deeper shade and dilute it before use.
    Other methods: Boil the peels of 10-15 pink onions in half a liter of water for a pinkish color. Remove the peels before using them to remove any unneeded smell. You can also soak pink Bauhinia variegate (Kachnar) flowers in water overnight or boil them for a bright pink color.
  7. Red: Red Sandal Wood Powder, which has a beautiful red color, is extremely beneficial for the skin and can be used in place of Red Gulal.
    Other methods: Dry red hibiscus flowers in shade, powder and add any flour to increase the bulk. For a bright orange-red, mix a pinch of lime powder with 2 spoons of turmeric powder and a few drops of water. Use the resulting paste only after diluting it with 10 litres of water. Peels of Red Pomegranate boiled in water, juice of tomatoes and carrots diluted with sufficient quantity of water to remove the stickiness also give a natural yet beautiful red color.
  8. Black: Last but not the least, comes black. Often derived from very dangerous sources like used batteries, this color may cause a lot of trouble later. However, for a safe black color, boil dried fruits of Indian Gooseberry (Amla) in an iron vessel and leave it overnight. Dilute with water and use.
    Other methods: Extract juice of black grapes and dilute with sufficient quantity of water to remove stickiness.

Tips For a Skin-Friendly Holi

  • Cover up: Nothing can beat covering the maximum part of your body with full sleeved clothes and trousers. But the old remedy of using Mustard Oil, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil or Vaseline over your entire body on the morning of Holi does wonders in removing the colours easily
  • No warm water: Do not use warm water for bathing/removing colours. This can lead to the fastening of colours. Instead, always opt for cold water to wash the colours off. You should also try to remove the dry colour powder with dry hands rather than using water as it spreads even more after water application.
  • Stay Hydrated: Drink lots and lots of water as skin tends to get dehydrated with the use of chemicals. You can try other refreshing water-based drinks too. For instance, a virgin mint mojito, or fresh lime and buttermilk, to beat the heat out of your body!
  • Hair Care: Before you use a shampoo, rinse your hair with water to allow the additional colours to wash off. It is extremely vital to condition your hair to prevent any hair damage. Make a simple hair pack by soaking a few Fenugreek (Methi) seeds in four tablespoons of curd. Apply this pack or egg yolk on your scalp and wash your hair with a good shampoo after 30 minutes. You can also apply a mixture of honey and olive oil for deep conditioning.
  • Face: Do not scrub the colour off with soap. Opt for a mild cleanser and follow it up with lots of moisturizing cream. If you feel any skin irritation during the process of taking off the colours then take 2 tbsps. of calamine powder and mix it with a few drops of honey and rosewater to make a paste. Apply this on your face and once it has dried up, wash it off with water and apply a moisturizer. You can also take off the colour with a mixture of Gram Flour (besan) and Milk. If you are unable to do anything else, simply apply a generous amount of Multani-Mitti on the entire face and body to revive your skin.
  • Natural body scrub: You can use a homemade scrub by mixing the following ingredients: 2 tbsp. Wheat Bran, 1 tbsp. Sandalwood Powder, 1 tbsp. Rice Flour, along with some Poppy Seeds (khus-khus), few drops of Honey and a mashed tomato. Scrub your body with this to clear off the colours and to bounce back to your fair and glowing skin. You can also rub a piece of papaya on coloured areas of the face and body to get rid of the colours. There is another good body scrub you can use to wash off colours. Mix curd, gram flour, orange peel powder along with little turmeric, a few drops of lemon and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. This will help clean your skin.  

Post Holi Skincare Regime

For the next two weeks, apply a Multani Mitti face pack every alternate day to ensure that your skin remains soft and supple. Do not go for any skin treatments like waxing, threading, facials, or apply any other external medication on the skin for 2-3 days after Holi. Your skin is very sensitive after Holi. These treatments may cause an adverse reaction.

Safe, Natural Holi

We hope these tips help you. For more, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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5 accompaniments to avoid to keep you healthy and to lose weight

I am a foodie! Being a Marwari, our meals are not simple staple food and contains lot of accompaniments along with basic roti, vegetables (sabzi), dal (lentils) and rice. In my quest for personal fitness and wanting to lose weight, I initially struggled for few months. I kept wondering why am I not losing weight in spite of eating at regular intervals, not cheating, not eating out, limiting high fat food intake, proper exercise routine, good 8 hours sleep and also resorting to meditation to remain stress free ?

These questions kept lingering in my thoughts and one fine day my health expert analyzed my routine, my diet and figured that there were few dishes that I should be avoiding or limiting my intake on if I need to lose or maintain my weight. That’s when I found the solution and achieved the best results on this journey!

I would like to share with you all about the most common 5 side dishes that people love, but, should be avoided or have it once in a while if you are on weight loss journey.

(1) Papad

Ahh!! That crunchy crispy papad.

Rice and dal seem like an incomplete meal without Papad on the side. Papads can be deep fried–extremely unhealthy – or roasted – which is equally unhealthy! They can be made from rice, flour, potatoes or chickpeas and are mixed with a variety of spices, salt, and oil. An uncontrolled serving of Papad can amp your calorie intake and exceed your daily budget. The increase in sodium can lead to water retention, bloating, and constant thirst and may even cause an increase in one’s blood pressure. Since, most of them consume more Papad in one sitting it may lead to acidity, and digestive problems too. When fried using same oil many times, the reused oil becomes transfat leading to cardiac issues and high cholesterol. When dry roasted, acrylamide is formed due to the presence of sodium benzoate. So, be mindful.

(2) Pickles

A spoonful of pickle can spice up any meal. In fact I have seen people can take their meal only with pickles without any veggies sometimes. It works well with curd rice; adds a punch to Potato Breads (Aloo Paranthas), and makes Theplas (Breads made of various grains) the best dish to snack on! Pickles stand out as flavorful, low-calorie vegetables and is high in vitamin K. However, pickles are loaded with calories because of the oil they are preserved in and their nutrition content is almost zero, as the vegetables and fruits are minced and dried, which takes away the nutritional value. Like Papads, they are high in sodium due to the use of excessive salt for preservatives which might lead to hypertension if taken in excess. So Again the same funda…Eat in limit!

 (3) Salad dressings  

Salad…salad and just salads!!! Most of the weight loss dieters say they are on some kind of only salads diet! But, still not losing weight?

If you think having salads at the start of your meal will help you eat one less parantha, then go ahead and have a bowl. But, this salad helps only if it is not loaded with high-calorie dressings. Adding dressing to a salad can make the calorie content soar. Dressings such as Thousand Islands and Mayonnaise are loaded with calories, most of them fat. Stick to olive oil, lemon or low-fat yogurt instead!

(4) Soups

Salads are mostly accompanied with bowl of soup. And, one is right in thinking that a soup can be a healthy meal. It can fill your stomach and make you go less on other carbohydrate foods. But, if the soup is loaded with toppings such as cheese, cream, and croutons, it’s far from being healthy. Stick to clear soup with pieces of veggies and meats; shun all cream-based soups. And never pick up the soup sticks or dinner rolls that accompany your soup in a restaurant. That’s another side you don’t need! Go for more of homemade soups without any corn flour and also avoid packaged one as they are also high in sodium being added as preservative. Rather you can add oats flour as thickening agent. You can also opt for healthy cold soups.

(5) Boondi Raita

This curd based mixture is a hot favourite with most of us. Curd is high in protein, calcium, probiotic and the perfectly aid in digestion. It’s good to have curd daily for a healthy gut. The problem begins when you add fried snack to it. Boondi is nothing but fried globules of chickpea flour. The addition makes it a high-caloric food. When fried in reused oil, it becomes transfat and thus may lead to heart issues. So you can opt for veggies in curd or spinach, cabbage, pomegranate, carrot, cucumber, onion and the likes instead of a friend snack in curd.

So be mindful with all these above foods and get fitter and healthier.

We hope this article helps you make informed choices for your weight loss journey. Have any tips on healthier accompaniments? Share them with us in the comments below. For more guidance on nutrition and weight management, explore Healthy Reads or consult a certified expert through GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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Getting Along with Difficult Family Members

difficult family members

When a friendship gets toxic or it starts to impact one’s peace of mind, one can choose to move on and change the status of the relationship from “friends” to “not friends anymore”, but family relations are a different story altogether. Whether you like them, dislike them, find them needy, toxic or frustrating, the relationship is often there to stay. Family relationships can be complicated with their unique histories and their potential to significantly impact the quality of our lives. So how do you deal with close family members who drive you mad?

First, every relationship involves two people and if we are talking about a relationship of your life then YOU are a 50% stakeholder. While it may seem like your relationship is like a car with the other person driving it and you relegated to being a hapless passenger, in reality, a relationship is more like a boat that requires two people to row, to keep it moving. So, despite how you feel, you do have an influential role to play in the ongoing and future quality of the relationship. Here’s a list of 7 steps that you can take to make things better:

1. Stop trying to change this person

When we witness the family member behave, repeatedly, in ways that we disapprove of, we would inevitably want to change them. There are three reasons why this strategy will bomb. One, it is practically impossible to change the behavior of another person unless they are motivated to change. Secondly, the constant need to change someone and the equally consistent failure to do so, can leave you feeling deeply frustrated and deteriorate the situation further. Thirdly, the more you point out mistakes or make suggestions for improvement, the more they will see it as your way of rejecting them and they could feel resentful or inadequate. Hence a better strategy would be to consider modifying your own thoughts and responses, so as to feel more at peace.

2. Recognize the trigger points and refuse to rise to the bait

There are bound to be certain topics that tend to drive you and probably even the other person into a tizzy. Identify these in advance and reflect on how you would ideally want to respond to them whenever they come up. Steer clear of engaging in heated arguments around these subjects. Whenever it does come up, pay attention to your breath and the rising temptation to react emotionally. Keep breathing deeply and exhaling completely and allow the moment to pass without an outward reaction. If possible convey to the other person in an even and firm tone that you would prefer not to talk about the matter or that you would prefer to do it later, when you are in a better frame of mind. If the other person still continues, repeat your message and move away physically.

3. Slowly wipe out the toxicity in the relationship

It may have been weeks or months or even years since you had a happy or positive interaction with the family member in question. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Take out time to list down the things that you like or had liked about this person, including the smallest and most insignificant of their positive characteristics. You may not be very motivated to think about this person’s positive traits but make the list anyway. Whether it is their warmth towards kids, trusting you with their finances, keeping things tidy, remembering dates important to you, getting repair work done, every single thing counts. Once you have the list, make a note every time you see these behaviors and genuinely appreciate these acts. Start small by acknowledging it to yourself and slowly progress towards expressing the appreciation to them verbally. Initially it may feel awkward. But as you continue it will feel more natural and easier. Genuine appreciation and acknowledgment are powerful ways of making people feel more valued and loved and create connection.

4. Review the story you are telling yourself

Thinking “My sister always makes fun of me because she loves putting me down and feeling superior” will make one feel resentful and hurt; A thought like “my husband keeps nagging me because he doesn’t trust me to do a good job” could lead to feelings of sadness and helplessness; Another thought like “my daughter doesn’t spend time with me because she thinks I am boring and stupid” may leave one feeling upset and powerless. The fact that your sister jokes about you may have nothing to do with you and may be her way of trying to keep things light; a nagging spouse may be doing so to hold on to a sense of connection. Similarly, the daughter’s indifference may have little to do with your capabilities as a parent and more to do with her preoccupation with what’s going on in college. Write down your assumptions and question their validity. As you can see, changing the narrative inside our heads has the power to change the way we feel. Opting for the most charitable interpretation of the other person’s actions can be empowering for you and lead to more harmony.

5. Listen deeply

Especially with family members we do not use our listening skills well. We judge them far more than the people we meet less often. Hence, even before they have completed a sentence we jump to conclusions about their message and their intent. Try to really listen. Don’t interrupt. Instead of thinking up of a fitting comeback, pay attention to what they are trying to convey. What are they feeling as they are speaking? What emotional need are they wanting fulfilled? Listening is a fundamental way of making a person feel respected and valued. This helps the speaker to calm down, become less defensive and if they feel fully listened to, they may even be willing to listen to your point of view. Good listening goes a long way in calming things down.

6. Have compassion – for yourself and for them

Charity begins at home and compassion begins with self. When you try to attempt the above steps there will be times when you don’t succeed and feeling frustrated as a result is only expected. Whenever you feel frustrated, remind yourself that you are suffering too. Offer yourself words of empathy, love and comfort. Here’s an example of how to offer yourself compassion – silently say to yourself, “This is painful for you. You are human and all humans make mistakes. I am here for you and I love you!”

When you practice compassion with yourself, it becomes easier to feel compassionate to others. Remember that they are doing the best they can, based on what they know and believe. They too want to live a good life and feel loved and valued by others.

7. The “Brahmastra” (ultimate weapon)

There are those times when a family member will keep saying hurtful things and/or continue to ceaselessly complain despite your repeated requests to stop. At this point, visualize the pain inside of that person and mentally keep sending them love and blessings. It may sound counterintuitive and silly. But this one method cannot fail you. As they continue with their rants, keep repeating words of love or blessings like “I love you, I love, I love you” or “May you find peace, healing and joy. May you find peace, healing and joy”, mentally. Visualize a loving energy flowing from your heart to theirs while doing that. You will feel a change in them, as well as yourself.

If all else fails and you still feel triggered by this family member, consider shifting your residence (if that is an option), at least temporarily. Even close family relationships may sometimes be beyond repair. In such cases the kindest thing you can do to yourself and the other, is to move away and with time forgive them and yourself. Remember that it is not people who are difficult, but contradictory views and behaviors that get challenging. At times the change required may be in you and not the other. It is easier to blame others for our frustrations than to bring about change in ourselves. Staying a victim can be a subconscious coping mechanism to avoid taking responsibility. That is not always the case though.

In conclusion people are designed to be different. These differences have the potential to make life more meaningful and interesting. Conflicts and disagreements, thus give us opportunities to widen our world view, transform our relationships and help us grow.

We hope this article helps you! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on Mental Health and Emotional Wellness, check out Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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10 tips to retain nutrients while cooking

Young lady chopping vegetables

We try different methods of cooking- boiling, sauteing, frying, grilling etc. Everyone has their own unique way of preparing a particular dish. Isn’t it? We never realize why one is following particular steps for cooking as compared to the other. Ever thought about nutrient losses that might be occurring while cooking?

I thought of writing this blog as I have seen my “cook” cooking in some different ways wherein you will end up losing all nutrients. I am sure many of us might be doing the same unknowingly.

Here are 10 simple tips which will help you retain nutrients while cooking. So that you can ensure highly nutritious food being served to your loved ones.

  1. When peeling the skin of vegetables do peel as thinly as possible. The nutrients in vegetables and fruits are concentrated just below the skin, so peeling before boiling increases the loss of Vitamin C, Folic Acid and other B vitamins. The peels of carrot, radish, gourd and ginger can be scraped instead of peeling. Peel only when absolutely necessary.
  2. Do not cut vegetables into very small cubes as the surface area of vegetable increases that comes in contact with oxygen, destroying more
  3. Don’t soak vegetables in water to prevent discoloration-Almost 40% of water-soluble vitamins and minerals are lost in the water. If you must soak, use up the soaking water to knead the dough, prepare soups and gravies
  4. Salads should be prepared just before serving and should be served in closed dishes to avoid excessive exposure to air.
  5. Do not throw away the excess water drained after boiling rice or vegetables. When preparing cottage cheese, the water left over after curdling (called whey)-is extremely rich in good quality proteins and vitamins and should be used up in preparing gravies, kneading dough or simply had as a refreshing drink after flavouring with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  6. Do not keep milk open or exposed to light, as a considerable destruction of riboflavin can occur.
  7. It is preferable to cook vegetables in a minimum amount of water keeping the vessel covered and to consume it as soon as possible. Reheating cooked vegetables further destroys vitamins.
  8. Root vegetables should be boiled with skins on and then peeled after boiling. This helps the nutrients to migrate to the centre of the vegetables, helping better retention of its nutrients. Do eat with skin on whenever possible.
  9. Baking soda makes cooking water alkaline and thus helps retain the colour of vegetables as well as speed up the cooking process, BUT it destroys thiamine and vitamin C.
  10. Deep frying and heating for a long time or heating at a high temperature should be avoided during cooking. If food material is heated above 700 C for a long duration, proteins become hard and coagulated. In this form, they are not easily absorbed by the body. Thus, overcooking results in loss of precious nutrients.

Do ensure you try these tips and make your food nutritious. Since Healthy food = Healthy you. These insightful cooking tips empower you to create meals that are not only delicious but also rich in essential nutrients. By adopting a mindful approach to cooking, you can preserve the goodness in every bite, contributing to a healthier and more balanced life. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and find more articles on Nutrition here. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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From Terminal Illness To Complete Wellness! Ananda Mukherjee Health Story

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