Goa, India

Best Lifestyle Blog of Goa

Month: August 2017

Healthy and Happy Living for Your Elderly Loved Ones

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Our parents and grandparents have dedicated their lives to raising us and ensuring that we are healthy, happy and well. But a time will come when it’s your turn to start looking out for them. As people age, they can begin to find difficulty in everyday tasks such as bathing, cleaning and getting about. So it’s important that you look out for them in their time of need. Here are a few ways to ensure that they have a high standard of living.

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Staying Active

As we grow older, it’s often tempting to stop engaging in physical activity in favor of staying home and relaxing. But it’s absolutely essential that the elderly stay active and mobile. Not only does regular exercise help them to feel energetic, but it also keeps them at a healthy weight, helps them to maintain regular bowel movements, aids in managing high blood pressure and angina and can stimulate a poor appetite. Exercise regimes should focus on four main areas: stamina, strength, flexibility, and balance. Good activities to tick all of these health requirements are swimming and yoga. Swimming is a great overall workout and perfect for sufferers of arthritis, as the water’s buoyancy relieves pressure on the joints and helps to support their body weight. Yoga is a gentle exercise which will stretch out the limbs and improve overall balance.

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Assisted Living

Many OAPs prefer to maintain as much independence as possible, so many are adamant that they do not want to be moved into an old people’s home. However, many are unable to effectively maintain large homes and can find the experience of living alone lonely. Nowadays there are great alternative options in assisted living. An assisted living center is progressive and active, ensuring that all of their residents have everything that they need to live fulfilling lives. Services such as those provided by Christwood Retirement Community include companion services (ensuring that your elderly loved ones always have company), skilled nurses at hand and high-quality cognitive care. Never again will you have to worry whether your loved one has taken their medication, whether their living conditions are adequately hygienic or whether they are getting enough exercise.

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Visiting Regularly

No matter where the elderly in your life live, near or far, it is important that you take the time out to visit them regularly. Everyday life can become hectic, but ensure that you book a day and arrange to meet them. If you have children, take them along. This day doesn’t necessarily have to be anything extravagant. You can just pop by for a cup of tea. But it will make all of the difference to your loved one’s mood. Remember that many elderly individuals don’t have social media or mobiles, so won’t get to see as much of you as others might when scrolling through your photos or messaging you online.

While it is important that you don’t patronize the elderly, it is also essential that you show them the love that they have shown you for your entire life. So make the effort to ensure that they are content and well at all times.

 

 

 

Expressing Your Personality Through Color At Your Wedding

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Congratulations; your big day is going to happen, and you’ll be able to enjoy one of the most exciting times of your life with the one you love. Weddings are a celebration of two individual’s love for one another, so they should reflect the character and personality that both parties bring to the relationship. Color is the perfect way to add style and individual preference to a wedding day and will ensure that it’s as unique as the bride and groom. However bright or muted you choose your wedding ceremony to be; the following are some areas to consider when you’re infusing the big day with your favorite shades.

Image found here: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-bouquet-of-flower-72634/

The Decor

Whether it’s balloons, flowers, or ribbons (or all of the above) you’re choosing to adorn your wedding day with; these are the first place to start regarding your color choices. You can easily mix together your favorite shades with an array of floral and foliage decorations, for a beautiful and natural palette. However, if you’re feeling like bringing the loud and bright colors into your ceremony; use bunting, streamers, and inflatables to express your personality and show off your fun side as a couple. Take a look here: https://www.everafterguide.net/rainbow-wedding-decoration for some ideas on a colorful wedding and start making a list of what you might like to introduce into the theme on the day.

If you prefer a subtle use of color; consider introducing metallic shades that will complement your chosen hue, Perhaps you could use silver along with your shades of pink and sage green, or a copper ribbon would look great against pops of blue and teal. Creating a moodboard will help you to find what works well together and you can begin mentally decorating the venue.

The Details

Alongside the larger decorations; the smaller details can create a big impact on the look and feel of your wedding. Therefore it’s worth considering the shades of your confetti, table decorations, and investing in colored wedding sand so you can combine the bride and groom’s character and personality. Sprinkling the table tops with colored paper shapes and glitter is another way to bring the color scheme into the wedding meal, and why not swap the traditional white candles for an orange to match the flowers or even black for a chic formal affair.

The Venue

The venue itself can play a huge part in the overall color and theme of your wedding, so bear in mind what surroundings you’ll be in as you say “I do.” If you’re married outside in nature, you could carry the palette of the plants and flora inside and onto the tables and chairs. You could pick out colors from stained glass windows in old churches and buildings, and infuse them into your bouquet, pocket squares, and wherever could use a colorful addition. Remember; it’s your big day, and you’re only doing this once, so be creative and be yourselves, so that you’ll have some beautiful photographs and memories of your special, colorful wedding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ED ed – Dealing With Your Partner’s Erectile Dysfunction

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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It’s one of those topics of conversation that men shy away from, especially if they suffer from it themselves, but erectile dysfunction can have a significant impact on a relationship. From the perspective of a partner, you will need to support and encourage them wherever possible as he is finding ways to manage the condition, but it’s also important that you do your bit too.

Do Research

The more you are able to dig deep into the issue the more you’ll be able to help your partner when it comes to finding methods to manage the conditions, such as lifestyle changes or sourcing the appropriate medical treatments. If you look at the Comprehensive Urology services website, there is a detailed list of what can cause erectile dysfunction. From diabetes or high cholesterol all the way through to an enlarged prostate, as well as lifestyle choices such as drinking too much alcohol and smoking too much. The more you know about the condition and its causes the better you are able to help your partner out.

Emotional Support For Your Partner

A lot of men will blatantly ignore the fact that it’s having an impact on their lives not just their sex life, so you as his partner needs to support him and reassure him. The vast majority of men may view this problem as a major impact on their masculinity. The pressure of performing in an intimate environment such as the bedroom can have a fundamental impact on their mental well-being, which can go on for a long time if left to fester. The issue with masculinity and erectile dysfunction means that if it is left to, in effect, rot, it can be a problem that is a lot more difficult to get out of in the future.

Making Adjustments In Your Sex Life

The pressure of performing is something that can build up in a man’s mind, so you need to find ways to take the pressure off and find other ways to satisfy each other. A man can feel as self-conscious in this department as much as their partner can feel self-conscious about their body, so you need to both find ways to not build it up as a stressful situation. You can make sure to focus on each other rather than “the problem.” This is a big topic to cover, but the one big take away from it is if you are left to focus on your own problems it will build up in the mind, regardless of who you are. So with something like erectile dysfunction which has a major impact on a man’s life, sex shouldn’t be the goal but rather the enjoyment of each other’s company needs to be a priority.

It’s widely accepted that a lot of men don’t talk about their feelings and will tend to avoid issues when it comes to intimacy. But, unfortunately, the best way to deal with it is to open up either to a medical professional to discuss suitable options to deal with it. And if it is a condition that will impact him for the rest of his life, this is the first step in approaching a way to live with the condition.

 

 

 

Back Up Your Back!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Your back is such an important body part, and yet the amount of people that neglect it is ridiculous. Taking the time to strengthen your back and keep it as healthy as possible is absolutely crucial to your long-term health and mobility. Are you doing what it takes to back up your back, or are you neglecting it like the majority of people out there? Read on to get a good idea…

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Exercise Your Back

Exercising your back will keep it strong in the long run, and help you to stay healthy and mobile. You don’t need to do anything too drastic either; walking, swimming, and weightlifting are all great exercises for the back. Doing these things regularly will help to reduce pain. Even if you currently have back pain, exercising your back is a very good move.

Never Lift With Your Back

Make sure you always use the correct lifting technique; you should never hunch over and lift with your back if you’re picking something up. You should hinge at the hips and use your legs to take the majority of the weight.

Maintain A Good Posture At All Times

Keeping a good posture at all times is a must for your back. Whether you’re sitting or standing, you should aim to have your shoulders pulled back and chest up. It can take some getting used to, but there are even harnesses you can wear if you struggle with this. If you don’t ensure this sooner rather than later, you could end up with huge problems later on down the line.

Visit A Back Care Professional

If you already have back problems, visiting a back care professional like Family Chiropractic Plus could be the way to go. Sometimes, a little professional advice and direction will help you to understand what’s going on and what you can do about it.

Get Up From Your Chair

If you work sitting down, aim to get up from your chair at least once every hour and stretch. Maybe even go for a short walk. This will not only help your back, but your mind and eyes too! Staring at a screen or sitting down all day is no good for anybody.  

Lose Excess Weight

The more excess weight you carry, the more strain you put on your back. Making an effort to lose those excess pounds will help you to keep a healthy back, and other joints overall.

Manage Stress

Managing stress is so important – it can affect every area of your life, from your career to your relationships. It’s also usually a big factor in a person with back issues. How people manage their stress varies, but finding a way that suits you will no doubt make a huge difference.

Start backing up your back today and you’ll ensure you stay healthy and mobile in the long run. You’ll regret it later on down the line, so eat well, avoid bad habits, reduce stress and exercise! Do what you can to be the best version of yourself. It will pay off!

Why a Healthy Body Is the Best Remedy Against Pain

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Most of us experience pain at some point in our lives. Be it a nasty stomach ache or something more worrying such as pain in our lower back, we’ve all had our run in with pain and we always swear to ourselves that we never want to be in the same situation ever again.

However, as much as we try to avoid pain, we can’t help but feel it now and then. Whether it’s because we’ve been working ourselves a bit too hard at work or because we simply ate too much food and caused a stomach ache, we (usually) only have ourselves to blame for our health and fitness which can ultimately lead to pain.

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What exactly IS pain? 

Most people think of pain as “that hurty thing that happens” but it’s actually a lot deeper than that. Pain is usually described as a highly unpleasant sensation that happens as a result of a physical injury. Because of that description, many people think of pain as a bad thing—but it’s actually trying to help us. You see, pain happens as a result of us hurting ourselves. When we fall over and graze our knee, that pain you feel is your body trying to fix itself and also letting you know that something’s happened to your body.

As unpleasant as pain can be, it’s a reminder that you’re pushing your body and doing things that you shouldn’t. You should be dealing with pain with a mix of therapy and medication. Painkillers are the most common form of medication that you’ll take when you want to deal with pain, and places like the Performance Therapy Institute are fantastic for helping you manage long-term and chronic pain. It goes without saying that these are two crucial methods in trying to deal with pain, but there is a third long-term option that will help you: health and fitness.

How does a healthy body help with pain?

Let’s go through a couple of reasons why a healthy body can help us with pain:

  • Training your muscles will make them hurt less when you use them. If you regularly use your muscles at work, such as walking or running a lot or carrying heavy things, then getting your body healthy and fit will help reduce the pain and swelling you encounter when using those muscles. Since you’re more used to using them, they’ll eventually hurt less because you’re pushing your body less.
  • Healthy food can prevent stomach problems. We all know what it’s like to binge on fast food and random snacks. It can quickly lead to stomach problems and if you continue those bad habits, then you’ll experience stomach aches more and more often. Sticking to a healthy diet can beat most of these problems and give you a much needed immune boost to help your entire body.
  • Stress can lead to a variety of problems, a healthy mind and body fixes that. If you exercise regularly, eat well and maintain good mental health, then you’re less susceptible to effects such as stress which can cause a myriad of problems in your body.

As you can see, keeping a healthy body is perhaps the best way to improve your defences against pain. Stick to eating healthy, make sure you exercise and keep your mind happy.

World-Class Living On A Budget In The Lion City

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

As far as travel destinations go, Southeast Asia seems to get something of a mixed reception from people looking to explore. There are gorgeous beaches, fantastic temples, lots of wildlife, and much more. But some destinations in the area also have a reputation for being dirty, dingy, or even dangerous. The world-class infrastructure and famous cleanliness of Singapore make it stand way above the rest, even if the reputation the area always gets isn’t always deserved. But just because it’s a world-class destination doesn’t mean you have to pay world-class prices.

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Setting up

Your bank balance is most likely going to feel the hotel bill heaviest of all. Singapore hotels are some of the best in all of Asia, with high-quality rooms, top-notch service, and more amenities than you can shake a stick at. Not to mention some truly unique stays like the pool deck at the Parkroyal. If you want to keep things budget, however, even the lower-priced hotels are impressive. The M Social is a more artsy, modern space, still containing facilities like a gym and spa, but it can be half as expensive as places like the Parkroyal.

Getting around

The sights of Singapore are hard to ignore. The Gardens by the Bay and Jurong Bird Park make for some gorgeous examples of the metropolitan meeting the natural beautifully. You can’t ignore the immense Sri Mariamman Temple, either. The taxis can be very expensive, especially to tourists, however, so it’s best to stick to public transport when possible. With an EZ-Link card, you’ll make plenty of savings on public transport, too. Bikes can be rented with helmets, locks, and lights, for as little as $3 an hour and give you the best way to travel while taking in some of the most colorful streets the city has to offer.

Take care of yourself

It’s easy to opt for the luxury experience in the Lion City, of which there are plenty of services to cater. Especially if you’re a foodie, it’s hard to resist some of the wineries and boutique cuisine shops offering Indian, Malay, and Chinese dishes. But it might be worth making those dining-out-nights a rarity, instead opting to buy grocery & foodstuff online in Singapore. Everyday shopping prices aren’t all that expensive and the fact that much of the country’s online business is in English makes it a breeze to use.

Take advantage of the free stuff

The Lion City has some expensive attractions, but it also has a lot to offer for free. There is a wide selection of gorgeous, well-kept parks like Labrador Park. It’s a culturally bustling city, too, so you’re likely to find free attractions like art displays, performances in public, and the occasional free day at the museums if you just go exploring. Also, it’s not like other Asian cities where you are told to avoid tap water at all costs. It’s perfectly safe in Singapore, so you won’t need to stock up on overpriced water bottles.

Singapore can be expensive, there’s no doubt about that. It is one of the most technologically and financially healthy countries in the world, so it should be expected. But being savvy about your budget can make it much more affordable.

 

My Rakhi Made Special by Dottedi

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

So I belong to the category of people who are single child of their parents, no I have no regrets as such, I love being alone, but certain occasions like Rakhi and all make you feel a little low. You want to have a brother to gift you some amazing stuff and shower his love. But its ok, I rather believe in self love, so whether its Valentines Day or Rakhi, I gift myself and make myself feel special indeed.

This year around, as I was looking at gifting options, I landed up on this awesome site called Dottedi and I was hooked. They have such an amazing collection of gifting options that it left me confused for a long time. They have gifts as per gender, relationships and also for special occasions. After a long stare and surfing through the pages, I settled for two things. I ordered myself a Mystery Box, which has a combination of gifts and goodies. There are consumables and also some beautiful gifts. In my mystery box I got Caramel Popcorns, a Beautiful Mason Jar, a Set of Shot Glasses, a Scented Candle, and oh how much I am in love with this box. I was amazed at the packaging, the box itself looked so gorgeous. The goodies inside were beautifully packed and it truly made me love myself more and feel very very special.

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The next thing that I picked was a Spa Bucket. Who doesn’t love a spa, and when given a chance to get yourself a foot spa, I am always a sucker for it. In fact I love collecting spa products and sometimes just dip my feet in a bucket and relax myself. This beautiful bucket consisted of foot scrub, foot softener, a foot soak and a body scrub. The bucket itself looked so beautiful and this indulgence felt totally worth it.

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I am in love with the products and their quality and in both the cases I was left overwhelmed. I am totally hooked to Dottedi and just waiting for another occasion to log in and make myself happy. What are you waiting for, log on and check out for yourself.

Health & Fitness Have To Be Holistic: Here’s Why

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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The quest for perfect health and fitness is not a simple one. If it was, there wouldn’t be a huge industry worth billions worldwide trying to bring solutions to the variety of concerns we have about our bodies.

One of the major reasons that overall wellness is such a problem is because we don’t treat it as overall wellness. Instead, we break down our issues into separate groups, usually along the lines of:

  • Weight concerns, primarily wanting to lose weight. Surveys have shown that at any one time, over 50% of women want to lose weight. Whether or not they are actively trying to do so is another story, but that’s still an overwhelming number of people who are fixated on weight loss.
  • We know that we should be fit due to the way it can control our health not just in the now, but in the future too. Sometimes weight concerns and fitness are grouped together, but not always.
  • Whether it’s for weight loss or just because you’re focused on consuming the right nutrients, diet is an important consideration for many of us.
  • Mental health. Depression and anxiety disorders are commonly diagnosed these days, with around one in three people having a direct experience of mental illness. In an ever-busier world, taking care of our mental health needs has become a priority.
  • Emotional health. This tends to encompass things like the need for meditation, self-care, and ensuring we’re thriving in life rather than just surviving.

Compartmentalizing Health Is A Problem 

A big problem.

Our bodies are a living organism; our very own ecosystem. Like any ecosystem, how one part of the system is doing has a direct impact on how everything else is able to function.

This is why looking at health and fitness as an overwhelming singular entity – rather than splitting it down into groups – is an essential.

An Example 

If you suffer from depression, then you have a chemical imbalance in your brain. That’s what medication and therapies try to correct. For you, your focus would be on mental health – and that’s fine.

However, the other areas influence your depression too. For example, exercise has been shown to be able to alleviate the symptoms of depression. There are also foods you can eat that can help ease depressive symptoms.

If you were just focusing on mental health, you’d never know about the exercise and food changes you could make that would also help your mental health. This is a fundamental reason why health and fitness should be approached as an overall, holistic concern. You don’t know what you could be missing out on if you choose to focus on one area selectively.

What Happens With Single Focus

If you do just choose to focus on one area, then the chances of success are slim. Let’s investigate another example to learn how focusing on a single area can be ineffective, and potentially even harm your progress.

If you make the decision to lose weight, you can throw yourself into a diet plan, count calories, and all those other activities. However, when you have a bad day at work, you forget all your good motivations and head right for the chocolate. Emotional eating is a real problem – but you wouldn’t know it, because you have only been focusing on losing weight. By not examining issues regarding how your emotions impact your appetite, you’re always going to be at risk of stymying your own progress.

So when you just drill down into a single area, it’s actually an inherently bad thing. The only way you can ever fix or improve your mind and body is by treating them as part of the same system – which, of course, they are: they’re all you.

How To Do It

There are numerous programs such as Thrive by Le-Vel that focus on bringing together all aspects of health. This can be extremely useful if you’re entirely new to holistic methods and need some guidance.

You can also self-manage holistic treatments. Start by taking an issue that you have and then looking for a solution in every one of the categories listed above. You can then tackle whatever your concern is from a multi-pronged stance, giving you far more chance of success.

This might take a little work, especially if you have previously been only focusing in one area. However, it might just be the key you need to finally solve issues that have plagued you for a number of years. So why not do something different, and give the holistic approach a try?

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Melanoclear Facial Experience at VLCC

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Melanin typically is the agent that is responsible for our skin colour. Though I am blessed with a fair skin, but pigmentation and blemishes are also often a result of melanin under our skin.

After spending lot of time in sun, due to marketing business needs, I was feeling a lot of pigmentation and tan on my skin and then one day my  friend recommended me the Skin Whitening Facial by VLCC called Melanoclear. You must be wondering if its relevant for fair skinned people or not. Yes it surely is, like I mentioned above fair skin in fact is more prone to tanning and pigmentation and also these effects are more visible on our skin tone than a darker skin. And hence I opted for this facial.

VLCC has a team of experts, who look into your skin and only then suggest whats best for you. Melanoclear is also a special treatment based facial and comes as a kit. One can either get this facial done at a salon or even do it at home. As it comes with a step by step guide as well. And in case you have any confusions, you can watch this video here, where in VLCC expert performed this facial on me, and answered all the queries people had in regards to this facial.

My skin felt really refreshed and whitened after the facial. These amazing products are brought to VLCC by Specifx and you can either buy them from VLCC Personal Care site or Specifix site. Another thing that amazed me a lot was the pricing of the kit, its available for just Rs 1250 and can be used for about 6 facials. Isn’t that amazing.

 

I loved the experience at VLCC, the way experts guide you and look after you, its just amazing. I am heading to VLCC soon for some more experiences, what about you?

Hanging Out at SummerHouse Cafe!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Recently when my blog completed 2 years, I though of celebrating the special day with my special friends and headed out to Summer House Cafe for the same. It was a Sunday evening, and Summer House was also organising a Salsa night and this gave us another reason to chose this place for our celebration. Music, Dance, Friends, Amazing Food, I mean what more do you need to celebrate an important day.

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Initially we settled ourselves on the Terrace and enjoyed some starters and drinks.  The terrace was a very cool vibe to it and feels like a perfect place to hangout and chill with friends.

A veg platter, Oriental Spring Rolls and Falafel & Hummus made for our starters while Mai Tai and Junniper Pimms were our selection for drinks. The veg platter included Paneer Tikka, Roasted Pineapple and Stuffed Soya Tikka along with mint sauce, kachumbar salad and yogurt dip. The paneer tikka and soya tikka were perfectly done and spiced. Though the pineapple too was good, very juicy and nicely roasted, but I found it too spicy, if it would have been a little less spicier, it would have been better, as too much of spiciness doesn’t gel with everyones tastebuds.

Oriental Spring Rolls were to die for, crispy on the outside, stuffed with sautéed veggies, it was awesome. I can gorge on them anytime. Falafel served with Pita and Hummus were good too, though I would have preferred if the falafel wasn’t too dry. If eaten alone without the dips, it didn’t go down too well with me because of its dryness.

As for drinks, Junniper Pimms was a gin based cocktail with chunks of cucumber which give it a very refreshing taste and Mai Tai was a rum based cocktail, which had both dark rum and white rum along with orange and pineapple juice. Both the drinks not just looked good, but tasted good as well.

After sometime, we came downstairs to explore the inside seating and also enjoy the Salsa night. We ordered Bloody Mary, LIIT, a Pineapple and Red Bull based Mocktail and one other Pineapple Mocktail, both of which were amazing. Then we also ordered some Nachos to go along and sat ourselves in comfortable couches. The ambience downstairs is also very alive and quirky. Paintings, artefacts and random quotes on the walls, make for an interesting decor overall.

By 9:30, the place was buzzing with people dancing away to some great music and showing Salsa moves with their partners. Those who didn’t have partners, also found like minded people, who were all set to explore and thump their feet on the ground. It was an amazing sight to see so many people dancing, looked like many poetries in motion together.

We further tried a thin crust Bell Pepper & Onion pizza and loved it. To end our evening at a sweet note, Banoffee Pie made for a perfect companion. The taste still lingers on. Well in the end all I can say is that I had a perfect evening spent at Summer House Cafe and for me this place will always remain on my go to list when hanging out with friends.

Summer House Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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