Health obsessed, product junkie, cosmetic hoarder, beauty expert: As the former-Beauty Director of leading women’s magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and Women's Health in India, I’ve been all these things at once. And even after writing on health and beauty for over 15 years, my appetite for delicious skincare and sumptuous makeup hasn’t dimmed...

 
 
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Soul connection with this special lady @kaverimukherji ❤️
Sustainable, biodegradable and packed with ayurvedic herbs such as neem and turmeric. 100% organic cotton woven with satin to give it an ultra luxurious texture. Love my @ayurganic tunic, which I’ve worn with my favourite @urvashikaur pants. #ethicalfashion #biodegradablefashion #sustainablefashion #ayurveda #ayurganic
Enjoying my @ayurganic wraparound skirt made with the softest organic cotton. Rolled down the waist to make it more 💥💥💥 #ayurganic #ethicalfashion #organic #kerala #ayurveda
Not being super sanskari and stuff (LOL @otherwarya) but I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with these beautiful Gir and Sahiwal cows this afternoon. I’ve been drinking a HUGE glass of A2 milk by @back2basics.net.in everyday and so far it’s been suiting me. No reactions on the skin or in the gut. in fact it feels rather healing. The cows have large areas to roam free at the Back2Basics farm and are given a diet of jowar greens, chana, cottonseed, dalia with herbs such as neem and giloi to prevent infections. Honestly, I used to be the first to make beef jokes but after spending time with cows at my panchakarma centre, I’ve really understood how intelligent and loving they can be. Truly mata-worthy IMHO. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Meditate when you can how you can ❤️. Been practising @transcendentalmeditation for some time now and I think I’ve found the perfect technique. TM has brought so much magic into my life, I’m so grateful it came my way 💖. 📸 @seemasondhiyoga 💝 ————- A five day course costs about Rs 5,000 in India (it’s costs about a 1,000 dollars abroad!).
My yoga practice is sacred to me. Other than typically learning asanas and other Yogic aspects it teaches me to fall and rise again. I was talking to a friend this morning about how I’ve had to restart my yoga practice every few years or sometimes even months because I may have injured myself or because of some health issues. After panchakarma I had lost all my strength and muscle tone and it’s taken me a few weeks to really get on my mat. Some people learn techniques, others become better at what they do, my yoga teaches me to never give up. It gives me the space to think about where I’ve been going wrong and make adjustments to begin again. ———————- After my recent experience with Ayurveda and realising that I am Vata dominant I have made my yoga extremely gentle and have bought in a couple of oils, which I use before and after my practice. One of the Ayurveda doctors at the centre told me to apply body oil before I exercise to prevent injury and lactic acid buildup. And then apply oil again afterwards to keep the skin and bones supple. Additionally, I like to use a cleansing powder in the morning followed with just rosewater on my face - no Skincare because I want my skin to breathe when I sweat. Here’s the ritual: 1. A cleansing powder in the morning like the Kama Mridul. 2. Spritz of Rosewater in my face and eyes. 3. A rubdown with an oil. I’m enjoying the Kama Hansdhvani Energising Body Oil these days. 4. Sunscreen only after I finish yoga (on my way home from the studio). 5. A dense nourishing oil after a bath to nourish the skin (Vata can be balanced with oil). I’m using this Kama Muscle tone treatment to reduce post-surgery scars. (This isn’t suitable for pregnant women). ——————- What are your fitness/yoga rituals? I’d love to know. —————- PS: This book - The Garden of Life by Naveen Patnaik - is such a collector’s item. I think it’s out of print now but you still get used copies on Amazon.
#30daysofbeautifulskin My ‘30 days’ is looking more like 100,000 days of beautiful skin, but hey, I only post about things I really want to talk about rather than randomly filling the blanks.Today I want to talk about the powers of vitamin D. ————- Have you guys watched that movie - Death Becomes Her? Do you remember that scene when Meryl Streep looks into the mirror after drinking the ‘elixir of youth’? Her skin repairs itself and her hair becomes full and shiny. That’s what happened to me when I OD’d on vitamin D. (Also, you know you’re REALLY old when you start ODing on vitamins). ——————- I started taking high dose vitamin D last year for my endometriosis. I was supposed to take about 5,000 IU daily, but I stupidly misread the zeros and ended up taking far more than was prescribed. Anyway I realised within a month that I was accidentally taking massive amounts of vitamin D. I have stopped since, however my skin and hair went though a complete transformation. There was no redness or congestion, my nails were smooth and my hair was stronger and fuller. That is the power of vitamin D. ——————— Vitamin D is marketed a boon for bone health but nobody talks about its skin benefits. Because it calms down inflammation, it repairs skin from the inside. This means less rosacea, reduced acne and dryness; plus more moisture, elasticity and an even skin tone. We Indians are genetically predisposed to being deficient in vitamin D. I was talking to @drnigmatalib for an feature on thyroid and she told me that women who have autoimmune disease (such as endometriosis and thyroid) will have low levels of D in their systems even if tests results reflect otherwise. One of my friends also got vitamin D shots as she was severely deficient and she also saw the same results as I did. Having said that it’s important to supplement vitamin D after getting your tests and with the help of a doctor or a nutritionist. Vitamin D is oil soluble so it doesn’t get thrown out of your system like the water-soluble vitamin C, so the chances of toxicity are high. Supplement carefully and watch your skin undergo a transformation. ————- What are your experiences with supplements? I’d love to know.
Raw food is NOT recommended in Ayurveda, especially if you have high Vata like me. Still, it’s too hot to eat a proper meal so Aditya Rai @lazyvirappan has kindly shared three recipes for delicious, ‘ayurvedic’ salads that they make at @pathyamayurveda. Here are the recipes: -Roasted Carrot Salad w/ Jaggery and Sesame Ingredients Carrots Cumin Onion Lemon Oil (Sunflower) Salt Pepper Toasted Sesame seeds Jaggery Method • Peel, wash and cut carrots into thick julienne sticks. Add salt, oil and cumin and roast for 15-20 minutes at 250 c. • Prepare vinaigrette by mixing 20 ml oil, 20 ml lemon juice, salt and pepper. Emulsify the vinaigrette by shaking it in a container. • In a bowl, add roasted carrots, toasted sesame, chopped onion, crumbled jaggery and vinaigrette (to taste). Mix well using your hands. • Garnish the salad with sesame seeds. - Broccoli Salad w/ stems and moringa Ingredents Broccoli Moringa Leaves Lemon Oil Salt Pepper Toasted Melon Seeds Method • Cut broccoli florets into medium size. Blanch them in boiling water for 15-20 seconds, put in ice water immediately. • Prepare vinaigrette by mixing 20 ml oil, 20 ml lemon juice, salt and pepper. Emulsify the vinaigrette by shaking it in a container. • Take the stem of the broccoli, clean it from outside and cut irregular green skin on the outside. Using a mandolin, take out thin shavings of the stem. • Deep fry the shavings at high temperature till golden brown. • Clean the moringa leaves and shock them in hot oil for a second or two till crispy. • In a bowl, mix together broccoli and vinaigrette well, season if required. • Garnish the salad with fried stem shavings, crispy moringa and toasted melon seeds. - Lettuce salad w/ sesame dressing Ingredients Romaine Lettuce Roasted Sesame Seeds Lemon Oil Salt Pepper Onion flowers Raw mango Toasted Melon Seeds Method • Make a dressing by blitzing together 50 Grams of toasted sesame,20 ml oil, 2 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper. • Wash the lettuce thoroughly, and break the leaves into small pieces, Save the romaine heart for garnish. • In a hot pan, add few drops of oil and grill the romaine heart whole for 10 seconds. Season. (CONTD. IN COMMENTS)
Happy, but tired, but happy. This is me - no makeup, no filters, after only three hours of sleep. While my head is usually in the clouds, I’m obsessed with what’s real. And that’s why I’m more about skincare than makeup, more about food than supplements, and more about everyday rituals than one big skin treatment. I’ve written this in my book and I’ll repeat it again here: outer beauty is just a manifestation of inner health. It begins with the thoughts you feed on everyday and ends with skincare you use. Everything I do comes from a place of health, because of which good skin is definite outcome and not a fluke. Still, I never deny myself anything. I always get a spot whenever I eat chocolate but I never stop myself. If I’m happy everything looks good. Plus, I have my armour of amazing skincare. —————— I’ve been using the Clinique ID moisturiser for the last two months or so. I chose the Hydrating Jelly, my favourite out of all their moisturisers, with the active cartridge for lines and wrinkles. This lavender beauty contains whey protein to plump the skin, plus it doesn’t interfere with my vitamin C serum in the day or my retinol at night. My other favourite combinations include the Dramatically Different Moisturiser with the orange active cartridge for fatigue - this is for those who want radiance. If you want to unclog and reduce the appearance of pores then I’d say go for the Dramatically Different Oil Control Gel with the blue active cartridge for pores and uneven skin tone. A lot of you also asked me about the cartridge for pigmentation. I asked the team at Clinique for the white cartridge. I don’t have pigmentation but I LOVE this combination because it keeps my skin clear and pairs well with other serums. —————— When it comes to great skin, the most important (and sometimes elusive element) is happiness. In this photo I’m tired and sleepy, but so content to lay down under the sun. At this moment I don’t need anything, because I have #justhappyskin. #findmyID #CliniqueID #ad #nomakeup #nofilter
#sarinotsorry
I’m back from my panchakarma but I’m missing @tanmanayurved terribly. Reasons to love this place: 1. The amazing team of doctors who handle serious medical conditions, helmed by Dr Subhash Ranade who has written over 129 books on the Ayurveda. 2) The purely organic produce, most of which is grown at the centre. Cow manure is used as a fertiliser and cow urine as a pesticide. 3) The YUM food! Their chef @lazyvirappan and his lovely team are warm and great fun. 4) The Indian cows who give fresh A2 milk and ghee, which is used in all the food and treatments. You will love feeding the calves gur and roti everyday and you should. 5) My therapist Blessie who was very concerned about my health. Swipe to see a photo of her with her husband (also a therapist) - they’re so in love with each other that they buy and wear matching clothes everyday (swipe to see pictures). 6) The clean air and beautiful sunsets. 7) The room amenities (especially the shampoo) are quite good. They are all paraben and phthalate free but contain a tiny amount of sulphates. 8) The staff are all warm and very decent. I felt safe enough to keep my room unlocked most times. Side note: It is important to drop the city dweller attitude and expect perfect service. You may have to remind them to clean your room or send a fresh bunch of towels but you’re here to relax and not get involved in non-issues. Be nice, and you’ll be treated like family. 9) Most of all I’m missing my besties - Teddy the pup (who was christened by me) and Samrat the bull. 💖💖💖 (swipe to see photos) ............ The prices are about 7,500 a night, which is a bit high for a panchakarma centre but unlike other places that only offer treatments in the morning, Tanman treats you to various therapies that are tailor made for your condition twice a day. The rate includes your room, food, therapies and doctors visits. .............. Also if you’re wondering why I put the selfie between all the photos, it’s just to show you that I didn’t use a single Skincare product for three weeks - just soap and water. .................. Have you guys had panchakarma done before? What are your favours centres? I’d love to know.
My panchakarma is almost over and one of the best things about @tanmanayurved is the amazing food at @pathyamayurveda. While the chef Aditya Rai @lazyvirappan whips up a dope traditional thali, he is even better at experimental combinations such as these delicious vegan ragi and whole wheat dumplings. Stuffed with turai (ridge gourd) and carrots, in a peanut broth they have a strong umami flavour, which Rai says comes when you roast the veggies well. Here’s the recipe (makes 10-12 medium sized dumplings): ............... Ingredients: For the dumpling cover -Ragi Flour 200gms -Whole Wheat Flour 200gms -Salt -Water For the filling -Carrots (Chopped fine) 100 gms -Luffa (Turai) 150 gms -Garlic 4-5 Cloves -Onion (chopped) 50 gms -Coriander Powder (Fresh roasted and crushed) -Cumin Powder -Salt -Pepper For the Peanut Broth -Carrot Scrapes -Celery -Onion -Radish with heads -Garlic -Kokum (Salt dried) -Coriander Roots (Thoroughly rinsed) -Peanuts (Roasted and coarsely grinded) -Bay Leaf -Pepper corns -All spice leaves Method: For the dumpling dough: -Mix both the flours and a pinch of salt. Knead into a soft dough using water. -Wrap and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes. For the filling: - In a hot pan, add a tsp of oil. Put in onion and garlic. Saute till light brown. -Increase the heat, add carrots and Turai. Saute on high flame to get some colour on the vegetables. -Once the vegetables are properly roasted and cooked, add the spices and season it. Let it cool. For the broth: -In a pot, add oil. When hot, add all the vegetables and scraps (scraps from any vegetables in your kitchen can be added to this. Root vegetables will help develop a more intense flavour). -Roast the vegetables till good brown colour and roasty aromas start coming. -Add the kokum and spices. -Add enough water to cover the vegetables and some extra. -Let the broth simmer for 30-45 mins. At this stage, add the peanuts to your broth. -Let it simmer for 10 mins more. -Strain and season the stock when done. (Continued below in comments):