“Smile, even if your heart is in pain
Smile, if you are in trouble and in vain
But, when you hear the sufferings of Ya Aba Abdillah Hussain
Cry, and cry out loud as if you are insane“
Massaging your scalp with hair oil helps improve blood circulation, strengthens hair follicles, and nourishes the scalp. You can prepare your hair oil according to the requirements of your hair. Check out below to know about a miracle oil that will help treat many hair issues and has multiple benefits. After the first use, only you will feel your hair has become soft, smooth, and shiny. Just in few months, you can notice that your hair has become healthier and longer.
Ingredients
- Coconut Oil – 1 Cup
- Onion – 1 Medium size
- Curry Leaves – 8 to 10
- Fenugreek or Methi Seeds – 1 Teaspoon
- Black Seeds or Kalonji – 1 Teaspoon
Instructions
Take a wok or a pan and heat it on medium to low flame. Add all the ingredients and let it fry till the onions have become brown. Put off the stove and let it cool for some time. Strain the oil in an empty bottle, and you can apply this 1 or 2 hours before shampoo. You can store this oil at room temperature for even a month. Apply it once a week for good results, but if you can apply it twice a week, it will give double the benefits.
Benefits of the ingredients
Coconut Oil – This oil has several benefits if applied to the scalp and hair. It moisturizes your hair, reduces breakage, and protects your hair from protein loss. If you want your hair to grow longer and healthier, include coconut oil in your hair care routine.
Onion – It contains Sulphur, which is essential for the regeneration of hair follicles. It helps reduce breakage and thinning of hair. If used regularly, it will add volume to your hair and create a natural shine. It also contains antifungal and antibacterial properties that will help to reduce scalp infections.
Curry Leaves – They are known for many health benefits and works wonders on hair and skin. They are rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene, and protein that helps to prevent hair loss and strengthen the hair fibre.
Fenugreek Seeds – They are a rich source of iron and protein. They help nourish hair follicles for faster and healthier growth.
Black Seeds – They provide a wide range of health benefits. It helps to regulate the imbalanced hair growth cycle. It nourishes your hair and increases its shine. It helps reduce hair fall as it contains different nutrients that nourish hair follicles.
Do try this DIY and let me know in the comment box if you found it beneficial.
To have clear and beautiful skin, we take so many steps and use numerous products. While doing a simple process of facial icing can help improve your skin and keep it glowing. It is a technique that is done in any season and at any time. Read on to know about the several benefits of applying ice on the face.
- Puffy Eyes – Wrap an ice cube in a soft cotton cloth and apply mild pressure to the area. It will help in shrinking the dilated blood vessels and reduces the bags under the eyes.
- Acne – If you are dealing with acne on your face, try icing it and see the results. Applying ice will help in the reduction of redness and inflammation. It also minimizes skin pores and reduces excess oil production.
- Anti-aging – Icing your face helps reduce signs of aging, as it tightens the pores and limits the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving your skin a younger and firmer look.
- Skin Glow – Icing constricts blood vessels and soothes inflammation to give your skin an instant glow.
- Product Absorption – Rubbing ice before applying your daily skincare products helps it absorb better and reaches your deeper skin layers.
- Sun Burn and Heat Rash – It is recommended to apply a sunblock every day even if you are indoors. In summers, if you get a heat rash or sunburn, apply an ice cube to the affected area as this helps to reduce the redness and inflammation.
TIPS
- Always cleanse your face before applying ice to it.
- Rub the ice cube in circular motions.
- If your skin is thin, do not apply the ice cube directly but place it in a soft cloth.
- If you want your makeup to look smooth and flawless, rub your face with ice before applying your primer.
- Do not use ice on your skin for more than 10 – 15 minutes.
Icing with added ingredients
- Make ice with rose water to hydrate and soothe the skin.
- Using ice cubes made from green tea will give anti-aging benefits and reduces inflammation.
- To get a cooling effect on the skin, make ice with cucumber puree.
- Aloe Vera ice cubes help soothe your skin after sun exposure. It also calms your skin and reduces inflammation.
Facial Icing therapy has become a popular method as it is natural, affordable, and can be done effortlessly at home. To get its numerous benefits, you have to be consistent. Otherwise, it will not have much of an impact. If you have tried ice therapy, share your experiences below in the comment box.
It is imperative to replenish your body with nutrients after a workout. During exercise lot of our body’s nutrients and energy is used up. A super quick and easy way is to add nutrients to your body after a workout is to have a shake or a smoothie. It is effortless to make and will be digested by the body easily. Check out below for the recipe.
Ingredients
- Yogurt – 1 Cup
- Mango – 1 Small Bowl
- Strawberries – 1 Small Bowl
- Blueberries – 1 Small Bowl
- Dates – 2
- Almonds – 5 to 7
- Flax Seeds – 1 Teaspoon
- Chia Seeds – 1 Teaspoon
- Milk – 1 Cup Optional
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add some ice if you like it chilled. Pour in a glass and enjoy.
This delicious smoothie has many valuable ingredients that will refresh and replenish our body’s lost nutrients and give us an energy boost. Mangoes, Strawberries, and Blueberries are rich in vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants. They also contain magnesium and potassium that help to maintain a healthy pulse and relax the blood vessels. Almonds and dates provide a range of essential nutrients and also contain protein that helps to keep our muscles strong. Flax seeds and Chia seeds are both very nutritious and abundant sources of fiber and bone-strengthening minerals. This smoothie will aid in muscle recovery and provide you with hydration and anti-inflammatory properties. So add up all the ingredients to make a healthy smoothie after your workout.
Summer season is here and it’s time to prepare some cool beverages to refresh and replenish our body and to beat the heat. Due to high temperatures, our body gets dehydrated and fatigued as it loses water due to sweating at a fast pace. It is vital to keep ourselves hydrated to maintain good health. While water does the job of quenching thirst, you can also try the below healthy beverages to refresh as well as replenish your body with the nutrients present in it.
1. Watermelon Slush
Quick and easy to make, this drink will rejuvenate your senses. Watermelon has a very high water content (92%) and helps in hydrating and feeling full. It has fewer calories and is rich in Vitamin C, A and Carotenoids.
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
Watermelon – 2 Cups seedless cut in small Cubes
Mint Leaves – 4 to 5 for a refreshing taste
Lemon – 1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lime juice
Sugar or Honey – Optional
Instructions
Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend it till it purees. Pour it in the glasses and serve. Use refrigerated or frozen watermelon to make slush cold.
2. Lemonade
It is the most sought-after drink in the summer season, that is very easy to make and rich in Vitamin C. Sipping in icy cold lemonade will refresh and rehydrate you during the hot summer days.
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
Water – 2 Glass
Lemon – 1 Big
Mint – 3 to 4 leaves
Sugar – 4 teaspoons or Honey 2 teaspoon
Salt & Pepper – Just a pinch
Instructions
Pour the water into a pitcher and add sugar. Stir well till the sugar is dissolved, squeeze the lemon to remove the juice, and add mint leaves, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate it or add ice to make it chilled. Pour in glass and enjoy.
3. Raw Mango Juice or Aam Panna
It is a lip-smacking juice made with the king of fruits – mango. Drinking this in summers will help you prevent heat strokes and keeps your body cool. Raw mangoes are rich in Vitamin C and iron.
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
Water – 2 to 3 glasses
Raw Mango – 1
Mint Leaves – 3 to 4
Sugar – 4 teaspoon
Salt & Pepper – Just a pinch
Instructions
Wash the raw mango and boil it in 3 glasses of water. Once it becomes soft, remove it from the stove and let it cool. Discard the peel and squeeze the pulp in the water, strain the juice in a strainer. Add sugar, mint leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper, stir it well and refrigerate it. Pour it in a glass and enjoy it chilled.
4. Buttermilk or Chaas
Buttermilk is also known as chaas. It has cooling properties and keeps you feeling hydrated all the time, and is ideal for summer days. It will keep your bones strong as it is rich in calcium. It is also rich in probiotics, vitamins and minerals and helps in overall health.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 1 cup
Mint leaves – 3 to 4 leaves
Green chili – 1 chopped
Salt to taste
Instructions
Using a blender, blend yogurt, mint leaves, green chili and salt. Add 2 glasses of water and mix it well. Refrigerate it till it cools and then serve.
5. Lassi
It is a thick and creamy refreshment made from yogurt. It keeps your body cool and cures dehydration problems.
Ingredients
Yogurt – 2 cups
Sugar – 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Add 2 cups chilled yogurt in a bowl and whisk it well till the consistency becomes smooth. Add sugar and mix well till it dissolves. Pour chilled water into it and adjust according to your taste. You can add your favorite fruits like mango, banana, strawberries, or avocado to this to make flavored lassi and have variations.
6. Coconut Water
There are many benefits of drinking coconut water. It is low in calories and contains electrolytes, vitamins and minerals. Drinking it after your sweaty and hard workout or a day out in the hot summer, will hydrate your body and replenishes the electrolytes lost due to sweating.
So go ahead and try these drinks for a healthy and hydrated body. Let me know which one is your favorite.
Chickpea Salad is easy to make and has lots of health benefits. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans is a type of legume. It is round in shape and beige colored. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Additionally, chickpeas are high in protein therefore can be an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarians and vegan diets. Adding chickpeas to your diet will improve digestion, aids weight management and reduces the risk of several diseases. Include your favorite veggies in the chickpeas to make a great salad that can go well for lunch or as a side dish with your meals.
Let’s take a look at few benefits of this nutrient-dense chickpeas:
- It contributes to healthy bone structure and strength as it is an excellent source of iron, calcium, Vitamin C, A, E, folate, and other nutrients. Therefore helps prevent osteoporosis and anemia.
- Fiber, Potassium, B vitamins, Iron, Magnesium, Selenium present in chickpeas helps support heart health.
- It keeps the digestive tract healthy and promotes regularity as it contains soluble dietary fiber.
- Aids in weight management as it keeps you full for longer and reduces appetite.
- It controls blood sugar prevents sudden insulin spikes as it is low in glycemic index and presence of starch amylose.
Check out below for the recipe
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
- Chickpeas boiled or canned – 1 cup
- Cucumber diced – 1\2 cup
- Onion diced – 1\2 cup
- Tomatoes diced – 1\2 cup
- Corn frozen – 1\2 cup
- Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Chaat Masala – 1\2 teaspoon (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Wash and soak chickpeas overnight and boil them the next day. If you are using canned you don’t have to boil, use it as it is.
Step 2
Wash all the vegetables and dice them.
Step 3
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix them well.
Enjoy your healthy salad guilt-free with your meals or as a snack.
Environmental factors, hair styling and poor diet can have havoc on the condition of our hair. A hair mask can be a savior in such times. A hair mask mainly contains ingredients that hydrate your hair and gives smooth, soft, and shiny hair. Homemade hair masks can restore the balance of your hair without paying big bucks in the salon. Below is one of the hair mask that will treat dry and damaged hair and give you soft and smooth hair.
Ingredients
- Yogurt – 2 Tablespoon
- Mustard Oil – 2 Tablespoon
- Vitamin E – 2 Capsule
Instructions
Take a bowl and add yogurt and mustard oil then mix it well. Cut the Vitamin E capsule and remove the oil and mix it with the remaining mixture. Apply the mixture to the scalp and all the strands. Leave it for an hour and if you have time you can leave for 2 hours. Clean your hair with a mild shampoo and let your hair air dry. Conditioner is optional as the mask will deep condition your hair. Use this mask once a week and see the difference.
Benefits Of The Ingredients
Yogurt – It is very easily available in every kitchen and has lots of benefits not only for hair and skin but overall wellness of the body. Natural yogurt has protein that helps in the nourishment of the hair. The lactic acid present in it helps to moisturize your hair and combats dullness. It also helps in cleansing your scalp and clearing dead skin cells.
Mustard Oil – This oil helps to reduce many hair concerns like hair fall, dry or dull hair and hair thinning. Mustard oil contains alpha fatty acids that hydrates and condition’s your hair. It is a rich source of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins like A, D, E, and K. It also has zinc, beta-carotene and selenium that promote healthy hair growth.
Vitamin E – It contains antioxidants and nutrients which help stimulate hair growth, increases hair strength, and shine. It also balances the PH levels of your hair.
Try out this hair mask for soft and smooth tresses and do let me know in the comment if you liked it.
The month of Ramadan is the month of Allah. It is the most honorable of all months. In this month, the doors of heaven, gardens of Paradise, and mercy are opened while the doors of Hellfire are closed. In this month Muslims all around the world fast from dawn to dusk. Fasting is not just the abstinence from food and drinks rather, you should keep yourselves away from what is forbidden. The best deed in this holy month is the recitation of the Holy Quran. We need to prepare ourselves spiritually, mentally, and physically. Our main priority should be to please the Almighty, at the same time taking care of our health. There are many health benefits of fasting which include weight loss, lowering of blood sugar, lowering of cholesterol, and many more. Check out the below guidelines to follow during Ramadan.
- Hydration – It is very important to keep ourselves hydrated as lack of water in our body may cause tiredness, low energy and headaches. After opening your fast drink at least 2 glasses of water and try to add fruits with more water content. Drink 1 glass of water after every hour so that you can finish 8 to 10 glasses before you start the next day fast.
- Healthy Diet – It is imperative that we include healthy foods in our diet like fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts and grains. In Ramadan, we have a feast during iftar with so many dishes on our table but try not to add fried or oily items and keep your portion size controlled. If you break your fast with a feast then you might feel bloated and tired. Include protein-rich foods in your diet to help minimize muscle loss and to keep your appetite in check.
- Fizzy Drinks – This should be a strict No-No especially at iftar time as it will dehydrate your body. It is just empty calories loaded with sugar.
- Exercise – I know when we fast we do not feel like doing any sort of exercise but try to do some low-intensity exercises like walking for at least 30 minutes daily. The best time to exercise would be before you break your fast or an hour after iftar. Listen to your body, if you are not able to exercise during the fast then you can do it later.
- Supplements – During Ramadan we fast for 30 days continuously, we may miss out on some essential nutrients. It is always better to get your nutrients from whole foods but you can take a multivitamin daily to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
- Medication – If you are on any medication check with your doctor how you can adjust it with your fast.
Every individual is different, so what works for one might not work for another. It would be best to consult your doctor before fasting if you have any underlying health issues. Be sure to stay well hydrated, eat nutrient-dense foods, and get enough rest.
RAMADAN KAREEM TO ALL THE MUSLIMS
Weight loss is a journey and requires a lot of hard work physically as well as mentally. And once you lose weight, you have to continue working to maintain that weight or you will gain back if you follow an unhealthy lifestyle. In the process of losing weight, you will come across many myths which people follow blindly. Below I have debunked a few common myths that will help you to focus on losing weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Spot Reduction – Fat loss happens all over the body and cannot be localized. When you exercise targeting specific body areas, you build more muscle and get toned however it will not help you in losing fat in that specific area. Our genes and hormones also influence our body structure – men tend to store fat in the abdomen region whereas women store it in the hips, butt, thighs, and lower abdomen. Accept your body and take steps to make it more healthy and strong, as fit bodies come in different shapes and sizes. When you are working out try to focus on the entire body and involve many muscle groups in each exercise.
- Detox Helps You Lose Weight – “Detox” is a popular word in the dieting world. They are short-term diets that focus on juices and restrict less healthy foods or drinks. This is usually done to remove toxic waste from our bodies, especially after overindulgence in festivities. But this is a myth, if our body accumulated toxins in our body then we would fall ill. It is always best to follow a well-balanced diet and a proper exercise regime.
- Carbs Make You Fat – Yes, this is a myth too. People who are on a weight loss spree love to say that they are on a low-carb diet or a no-carb diet. But they tend to forget that carbohydrates are present in all plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. Our body requires carbohydrates for the energy and overall productivity of our body. Carbohydrates are the preferred source of fuel for our everyday activity, so cutting down on carbs means restricting your energy source and limiting your potential for muscle growth and your physical and mental performance. Carbohydrates will not cause weight gain but overeating will, so eat a healthy diet and in proper portion.
- Dietary Fat Makes You Fat – Eating fat doesn’t make you gain fat unless it leads to a long-term calorie surplus. Fat is energy-dense and provides us with 9 calories per gram. Fat also performs many functions in our body like transporting fat-soluble Vitamins and also protects our vital organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, etc. Consuming healthy fats in healthy amounts will ensure the proper functioning of the body and optimum fat burning. The fat you should avoid is trans-fat.
- Diet Foods Lead To Weight Loss – Foods that are labeled low-fat or low-carb do not mean that they are low in calories. Studies have shown that participants ate up to 50 percent more of foods that the researchers had falsely labeled “low-fat” than the same foods with real labels. This is because people assumed that diet foods contain fewer calories than their regular counterparts. So, it is always advisable to see the nutritional label and check how many calories are there in a serving of low-fat or low-carb and compare with the regular version of the same product.
- You Have To Eat Clean To Lose Weight – Yes, you have to eat clean to stay healthy and fit but not to lose weight. Weight loss happens when you are in a calorie deficit, that is, if you consume fewer calories and burn more, then you can lose weight. If you are consuming healthy food but your calories are more than your body needs, you will gain weight. So it all comes down to calories in versus calories out. It is always recommended to focus on healthy foods while being at a calorie deficit to lose weight and maintain a healthy body.
Starting your day with a healthy breakfast is very important as it is the first meal of the day. It should satiate you and give you all the nutrients required to get you going. What better way to start the day with eggs, as they are a rich source of proteins, healthy fats, and many essential vitamins and minerals. Adding vegetables will make the dish more nutritious and delicious. This vegetable omelet is very easy to prepare and takes very little time, so people who are in a hurry can have a healthy breakfast in no time.
Ingredients
(Serves 2)
- Eggs – 1 whole and 2 whites
- Cabbage – ¼ cup diced
- Corn – ¼ cup
- Carrot – ¼ cup diced
- Peas – ¼ cup
- Spinach – 1 leaf finely chopped
- Tomato – Half medium size diced
- Green Chili – 1
- Coriander – 4 to 5 strands finely chopped
- Oil – 1 teaspoon
- Chilli Flakes – Half teaspoon
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Step 1
Take a bowl and crack open the eggs to beat them with a folk (you can use whole eggs or just egg whites).
Step 2
Add all the vegetables which have been precut, and mix them well.
Step 3
Take a non-stick frying pan and heat it.
Step 4
Add Oil to the pan and put the mixture and distribute it evenly. Sprinkle salt and chilli flakes and cover the pan to let it cook for a minute.
Step 5
Once done, carefully flip it to cook on the other side. Remove it in a plate and enjoy with your cup of tea or coffee.
