By Dietitian Manoli Mehta
Founder of Tattvum – Discover Wellness
It’s that time of year when Chai becomes less favorite and Nimbu-soda/ smoothies/cold drinks are seen everywhere. Yes summer is here! And with it, a whole host of skin/hair care issues too. Oily skin gets oilier, and dry skin gets patchy. Hair becomes frizzy, oily and sticky. There are pimples and breakouts, rashes and roughness and that acne just wouldn’t go away!
It is lovely to go out in the sun and enjoy a beach day with your folks but too much sun is bad for your skin and hair. Not only you get tanned but over exposure damage your skin and hair. So just like your wardrobe, your skin/hair care definitely needs a season change.
I’m a firm believer that beauty starts in the kitchen. The relationship between the food we eat and the way we treat our bodies inevitably reflects on our outward appearance. What we put in is what comes out, and that’s why these 6 beauty tips really makes a difference in how I look and feel.
Here are my 7 quick beauty tips for summer that I swear by as a nutritionist:
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Drinking is good if its water-
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!!
- Drink 2-3 litres of water. Try drinking 2 bottles of water, 1 glass of infused water and 2 glasses of buttermilk. This will suffice your hydration level.
- Drink lots of herbal teas and cut down on caffeine, alcohol and sugar. Beat the heat with fresh juices like water melon/ peach/ orange/ kiwi/ pineapple/ lemon, sweet lime, cantaloupe etc.
- Try making the juices at home so you can avoid putting any sugar/honey in the drink. Also note- Drink the juice unstrained only to get the fibre.
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Load up on fruits & greens-
- Try incorporating greens like spinach, kale, broccoli, asparagus, methi/fenugreek etc. in your diet.
- Colorful veggies like bell peppers, capsicum, beetroot, cucumber, corn etc. help boosting your immunity and provides with anti-oxidant properties.
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Make Apple cider vinegar your best friend-
- Have 1 tsp. of ACV with one glass water and a lemon wedge before each meal to fire the digestive juices and boost your metabolism.
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Ditch the make-up-
- OK, not every day- a girl’s got to have a little fun with! But the more you give your skin a break the better.
- Try making Home-made masks! Give my favorite Avocado & banana face mask a try or papaya & honey or multani mitti face mask.
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REST, REST, REST-
- I cannot emphasize enough on this one! Forget beauty for a moment: a stressed, exhausted body can’t function the way it’s supposed too.
- It isn’t a coincidence that sleep is associated with beauty and glow.
- Not getting optimum sleep leaves you more tired and unproductive than usual. Sleep for 8 hours.
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Take care of your gut!
- Your gut health is important as it will reflect on your skin and hair.
- Reduce gluten and sugar as well as stress and alcohol/smoking this will make a huge difference on how you feel and how you glow.
- Dark circles aren’t just caused by late night but also due to toxic overload in the liver.
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Don’t cheat on sleep.
- It isn’t a coincidence that sleep is associated with beauty and glow. Not getting optimum sleep leaves you more tired and unproductive than usual. Sleep for 8 hours.
Resist the urge of screens 2 hours before going to bed. Take a walk, talk to family, read a book – but turn off all your screens.