Regain Your Nail Strength

Luckily, it’s pretty easy to protect nails against these damaging factors.

• Wear gloves when handling any chemicals, doing the dishes or hand-washing clothes to avoid water exposure.
• Steer clear of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. They’re very drying. Instead, wash hands with moisturising soap.
• Keep your nails short to minimize surface area where water and chemicals can be absorbed.
• "The only supplement that has any scientific evidence [to improve nail health] behind it is biotin. Nails take six months to replace themselves.
• Use cuticle oil or cream to avoid dry skin and hangnails. Cuticles help prevent water from getting into your nails, which can create an environment for bacteria to grow. So don’t cut away at them – keep them moisturised and simply push them back to avoid infection and let them do their job.
• Take a nail-polish holiday. If you've tried other precautions and still are suffering from brittle nails, take a break from polish to give your nails some time to get back into shape. How long is appropriate? "Nails grow slowly so unfortunately it takes time," Stern says. "I’d say consider a three-month holiday."

Source: Dr Ozz Show

SKIN CARE TIPS FOR AGE DEFY

FOR FACE

• Apply primer to your entire face. Start in the center and blend outward.
• Mix foundation with highlighting illuminator and then blend from the center of the face outward toward the cheeks, forehead and chin.
• Apply concealer to the under-eye area, focusing the most coverage on the inner corners of the eyes. If necessary, place concealer on any additional sunspots or discoloration on your skin.
• Set your makeup with a finishing powder.
• Next, contour your complexion. Use a fluffy brush to blend bronzer underneath the cheekbones and out toward the hairline, sweeping across the jawline, temples and finishing with a dusting across the forehead, close to the hairline.
• Apply blush to the apples of the cheeks and outward toward the bronzer.

FOR EYES:

• Apply cream eye shadow as a base over the eyelids from the lash line, up toward the brow bone.
• Next, blend long-lasting eye shadow onto the outer edge of the eyelid, blending slightly inward.
• Then, apply eye pencil into the lash line from inner corner to outer edge.
• Finish by applying two coats of mascara to the tops of the eyelashes and one coat to the bottom lashes.

FOR LIPS:

• Apply one coat of lipstick to the top and bottom of the lips.
• Finish by lining the lips with a long-lasting lip pencil.

Mix Veg- African Style

Ingredients:

1. 1 Red onion Sliced
2. 2 carrots, peeled and halved
3. 2/5 cup green beans, ends cut off
4. 1 tomato
5. 1 small potato, ends cut off
6. 1/3 cup cauliflower, cut in florets
7. 1/3 cup turnip (shaljam), peeled and halved (if available)
8. 1/3 cup red pepper, cut into 2cm strips
9. 1/5 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
10. 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
11. 1 tsp salt
12. 1/2 tsp black pepper
13. 1/2 tsp ginger powder
14. 1/2 tsp turmeric
15. 1 1/3 tbsp fresh ginger (finely grated)
16. 3 tbsp olive oil/ cooking oil
17. 1 fresh chili
18. 1 pinch saffron strands 
19. 1/2 bunch coriander

Direction:

1. In a Non-stick pan, add oil as the oil heats up add garlic & Ginger, when the mixture turn golden, turn the flames at the lowest point, add all the spices and vegetable (except Onion & Tomato). Mix them well so that spices is coated well in vegetable
2. Remove the coated vegetable in a pot. 
3. Now Add the remaining oil to the non-stick kadhai on slow flame, place the sliced onion on the bottom, then stack of carrot slices, portato, pepper, and cauliflower in a pyramid shape and add 1/4 cup water. 
4. Bring to a boil on the stove and cook for 25 minutes with the lid on, occassionally checking to make sure all the water does not boil away or burn. If you need to add a little more water, do so. 
5. Next, arrange all the other vegetables (except the tomato and chili) on top of the hard vegetables, keeping a pyramid shape. 
6. Now, put the whole chli on top and add the lid before cooking for another 20 minutes with another 1/5 cup of water. Check to make sure it does not burn dry. 
7. Slice the tomato into 1/2 cm disks and place around the tagine. Continue to cook for five minutes and serve with chapatti, Naan

Image Courtesy: Dr Ozz Show

Get Energize in Summer

1. Watermelon- Keep it cool this summer by having juicy watermelon. A bowl of watermelon works like magic on a hot day. Considering its' summer and one has to hydrate themselves on a regular basis, watery fruits like watermelon can be a substitute for water. With the fruit boasting several health benefits, you can take it in the form of juice as well
2. Buttermilk-What's a better way to beat the heat than treat yourself to buttermilk? Add some rock salt, powdered or roasted cumin along with some coriander leaves to make your buttermilk taste better. Having every day works well for your system as buttermilk helps yours digestive system run smoothly.
3. Yogurt-High-on protein, Yogurt is made for summer consumption. Carry one to work every day and you are sorted. It has a cooling effect on your stomach and keeps a check on your calories since it is low on fat.
4. Cucumber-They didn't say 'Keep it cool as a cucumber' without a reason. It is high on water content and one can have cucumber in several ways. Carry a box of cucumber sprinkled with salt and pepper, or take it in the form of juice/soup as well.
5. Tomato-Many people don't know that tomatoes act as a natural sunscreen protecting our skin from harsh sun rays. Include tomatoes in your everyday meal — as a salad or add it to your regular meal.
6. Oranges-Citrus foods work well during summer and oranges are a must during summer. They are high in fibre, vitamin C and also provides necessary sugar to your body.
7. Coconut water-You will find numerous shops selling coconut water during summer. Reason? It keeps you cool during summer. It quenches your thirst and boasts several health benefits too.
8. Sugarcane juice-In order to retain water in your body, have a glass of sugarcane juice. It also helps in cooling off body heat, which is beneficial during summer. Since it already has sugar, don't add extra sugar to the juice. This way, you can keep a check on your weight.

Ref:TOI

Summer Evening Sandwich

Time Taken: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

1. 16 slices of wheat bread
2. 1/2 cup of butter softened 
3. 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives 
4. 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 
5. 2 tsp lemon juice 
6. 2 medium cucumber 
7. thinly sliced carrot curls

Method:

1. Remove sides from bread slices and cup them into the shape of your choice.
2.  In a small bowl, combine butter, chives, parsley, lemon juice and salt to taste. Blend well. 
3. Spread the herb butter mixture on each slice. 
4. Top with cucumber slice, close the sandwich and garnish it with a carrot curl.

Ref: TOI

Healthy Beetroot Drink

Ingredients:

1. Carrot-4
2. Beetroot-1
3. Tomato-1
4. Juice of half lime
5. Ginger 25"inch
6. Salt to Taste

Method:

1. Wash all the vegetable nicely and extract juice of all the vegetable with the help of mixer 
2. Sprinkle some salt and juice is ready to serve.

Oinion Stuufed Bitter Gourd (Pyaaz bharwa karela)

Serving - 4

Ingredients

For Filing of karela (Bitter Gourd)

1. Hing-1/4 tsp
2. Finely chopped 2 onion
3. Finely chopped 1 green chilli
4. 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
5. 1 tsp of Onion seeds (kalonji)
6. ½ tsp of turmeric
7. 2tsp of Oil
8. Salt to taste

For Sabzi

1. 4 tsp of oil
2. 1 tsp of jeera (cumin seeds)
3. ½ lemon
4. 8 medium size Karela (bitter Gourd)

Method:

1. Scrape Bitter Gourd (karela), Add salt and lemon and keep it aside of ½ hour
2. Cut bitter gourd from mid, remove the seeds of Bitter gourd (karela) and then rub them with salt and lemon and keep it aside for ½ hour
3. After ½ hour was Bitter gourd and scrape with lot of water.
4. Now take a fry pan, add oil for making filling on medium flame, add hing, green chilli, onion, ginger- garlic paste, turmeric, half wash scape of bitter gourd (karela) for 2 minutes.
5. Now add Onion seeds, salt and cook the saute for 4 minutes, then keep it aside for cooling
6. After cooling of saute, fill this stuff in bitter gourd.
7. Now again take a fry pan on slow flame, add oil, as the oil heats up add jeera (cumin seeds), then add the filled bitter gourd (karela), cover the fry pan with lid and let it cook for 3-4 minutes from each side.
8. Add other half scrape of bitter gourd to fry pan and then let it cook for 3-4 minutes and squeee lemon to the ready vegetable.
9. Yummy Onion stuffed Bitter Gourd id ready to serve with Chapatti,  Paratha.

Tips

1. After stuffing karela you can even tie a thread round the karela so that fling doesn't come out while cooking

SPINACH YOUNG LOOKING SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

1. Washed Spinach Leaves-30-35
2. ½ Avacado
3. ½ Apple
4. ½ glass of coconut milk
5. 1/2 lemon
6. Salt to taste ( if required)

Method:

1. In a blender mix all the ingredients and make a smoothie .
2. Have this drink daily, its age defying drink, you drink this smootie daily and after 90 days you will see its effect. Its completely calories free, it helps to reduce weight, helps in maintaining Iron in body.