Friday, 29 June 2012
Life Influence-holistic image consulting: STYLE
Life Influence-holistic image consulting: STYLE: " Style" is a very commonly used word. She or he is very stylish, he or she has her own style, she /he makes a style statement etc. Somewhe...
STYLE
" Style" is a very commonly used word. She or he is very stylish, he or she has her own style, she /he makes a style statement etc. Somewhere inside most of us want to be stylish, look stylish. But what does style mean....does one need to spend a lot or wear only expensive brands to look stylish? How to look stylish or leave a stylish image on others...These questions often arise in our mind...
'Style is a manner in which you present yourself, or anything for that matter. Style does not necessarily refer to clothing. It could be about speech, life, way of thinking, writing etc. The basic idea behind style is personal, every person is entitled to their own style and no style can ever be the ultimate. The only defining style, often called a style statement, is the one that is admired or adored by the majority. Other than that, style is an absolute individual thing'- wiki
If we talk in terms of clothes and accessories, you just need to be creative to create your own style. As Judith Rasband (ace image consultant) says 'your image should be authentic, appropriate, attractive and affordable'. So whenever you get ready everyday just ask yourself if you are fulfilling these 4 A's. If you are , you can move ahead with your day confidently. Here are a few things which you need to see after getting ready or before starting your day.
1. Make sure that you are not creating too many focal points or points of emphasis eg a bright lipstick and a bright eyeshadow , a big neck piece and big earrings too, bright colored lower body garment piece and upper body garment piece as well, too many big or prominent prints , a bright shirt and an equally bright tie etc. If wearing a bright eyeshadow keep the lipstick minimal and vice versa, if wearing a big neck piece then keep your earrings small or minimal and vice-versa. In this way try to balance and create harmony in whatever you wear. Even if you are an expert in creating unusual combinations , just take care that nothing should be unpleasant to the eye.
2. See to it that your clothes are well ironed and no loose threads , loose buttons etc are hanging.
3.Take care of your body odour, do not wear too strong perfume, you might be liking strong perfume but not everyone, also, some people are allergic to strong smells.
4. Its not just your clothes , even your footwear speaks a lot about you. Your footwear should be clean and well polished, not just from the front but also from the heels.
5. If going out for a meeting or work, see that all your papers your purse or laptop bag is arranged properly so that you are not clumsy in front of your client or boss. For women carry all your essentials in your purse, your makeup touch up, perfume or deodorant, sanitizer, wet tissues, moisturizer, mouth freshener, small mirror etc. Try to carry all these in small packs so that they do not make you purse too heavy which would in turn effect your shoulders.
6. Last but not the least "be yourself"!
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Life Influence-holistic image consulting: How to satisfy your food cravings during monsoons
Life Influence-holistic image consulting: How to satisfy your food cravings during monsoons: Monsoons are back and so are our cravings for hot fried food , we love the aroma of hot oil and specially "pakoras" being fried in it. In f...
How to satisfy your food cravings during monsoons
Monsoons are back and so are our cravings for hot fried food , we love the aroma of hot oil and specially "pakoras" being fried in it. In fact rain brings a reason for us to indulge in fried foods not realising that our digestive system becomes ' weak and sluggish' during this time and requires light food which can be digested easily. Here are a few tips which one should follow during monsoons to keep our digestive system healthy and protect ourselves from monsoon illness like food poisoning, diarrhea and various types of stomach infections. Also as our outdoor activities like walking, cycling etc decrease during monsoons we should keep our weight in control......
1. Whenever you feel the craving for fried food have grilled , baked or tandoori food instead.
2.Avoid having raw food during monsoons , instead of having raw salad you can have vegetables in sauteed form. eg take chopped carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and zucchini, saute all these in some olive oil, add black pepper powder and oregano (if you like) and salt in the end to keep the vegetables crisp.
3. Avoid leafy vegetables , have vegetables like bitter gourd( karela), bottle gourd (lauki), apple gourd(tinda) ,cluster beans, pointed gourd (parval) , corns for better nutrition during monsoons.
4. Use ginger, garlic, asafoetida, cumin seeds(jeera), fenugreek seeds (methi seeds), turmeric (haldi) as frequently as possible in your cooking. All these prevent infection and aid digestion.
5.Dry or fresh mint leaves also help in digestion , mix them in fresh curd or include in your cooking just see that they should be cleaned properly.
6. Make a decoction of tulsi leaves and elaichi and drink warm to prevent and heal sore throat and common monsoon illness.
7. Try to cook light, instead of adding too much of oil during cooking, add a few drops of home made ghee or a dollop of butter on hot food before eating or serving. The aroma and taste of ghee and butter will satisfy your taste buds.
8.You can have hot home made soups, steamed corns, pop corns instead of the fried food and can also have warm milk.
The mantra to keep healthy and fit with proper nutrition during monsoons is "fresh home cooked food", so carry your tiffin as frequently as possible. If you dont have a choice and have to eat out then stick to well cooked food items rather than raw food items. Also dont forget to satisfy your taste buds with hot fried food once in a while or you will end up binging one day.
1. Whenever you feel the craving for fried food have grilled , baked or tandoori food instead.
3. Avoid leafy vegetables , have vegetables like bitter gourd( karela), bottle gourd (lauki), apple gourd(tinda) ,cluster beans, pointed gourd (parval) , corns for better nutrition during monsoons.
4. Use ginger, garlic, asafoetida, cumin seeds(jeera), fenugreek seeds (methi seeds), turmeric (haldi) as frequently as possible in your cooking. All these prevent infection and aid digestion.
5.Dry or fresh mint leaves also help in digestion , mix them in fresh curd or include in your cooking just see that they should be cleaned properly.
6. Make a decoction of tulsi leaves and elaichi and drink warm to prevent and heal sore throat and common monsoon illness.
7. Try to cook light, instead of adding too much of oil during cooking, add a few drops of home made ghee or a dollop of butter on hot food before eating or serving. The aroma and taste of ghee and butter will satisfy your taste buds.
8.You can have hot home made soups, steamed corns, pop corns instead of the fried food and can also have warm milk.
The mantra to keep healthy and fit with proper nutrition during monsoons is "fresh home cooked food", so carry your tiffin as frequently as possible. If you dont have a choice and have to eat out then stick to well cooked food items rather than raw food items. Also dont forget to satisfy your taste buds with hot fried food once in a while or you will end up binging one day.
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Life Influence-holistic image consulting: Mangoes are not fattening
Life Influence-holistic image consulting: Mangoes are not fattening: Many people deprive themselves of this tasty, nutritious, king fruit 'mango' thinking that it will make them fat. Just because it looks rou...
Mangoes are not fattening
Many people deprive themselves of this tasty, nutritious, king fruit 'mango' thinking that it will make them fat. Just because it looks round it does not mean that it is going to make you round. Also we have this in our minds that anything which is tasty and delicious makes you fat. But i am sure after reading this you will not deprive yourself of this summer fruit.
It is true that mangoes are high in natural sugar but are low in glycemic load, thus they do not effect the blood sugar like many other fruits.
It may come as a surprise to you that mangoes are high in water and fiber. They provide a full feeling after we consume them for a few calories (74 calories per 100gms) . Fiber aids in healthy digestion , has cholesterol lowering effect and also helps in loosing weight!
Mangoes are also rich in vitamin 'c' which boosts our immune system, prevents heart and eye disease and promotes good skin.
They also have antioxidants in them (vitamin e and betacarotene in them acts as antioxidants) and we all know that antioxidants reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
Vitamin B6 in mangoes improves brain functioning.
Magnesium found in them plays an important role in lowering blood pressure.
100gms of ripe mango contains- 74 calories, 0.6 gms of protein, 16.9 gms of carbohydrates and only o.4 gms of fat.
It is true that mangoes are high in natural sugar but are low in glycemic load, thus they do not effect the blood sugar like many other fruits.
It may come as a surprise to you that mangoes are high in water and fiber. They provide a full feeling after we consume them for a few calories (74 calories per 100gms) . Fiber aids in healthy digestion , has cholesterol lowering effect and also helps in loosing weight!
Mangoes are also rich in vitamin 'c' which boosts our immune system, prevents heart and eye disease and promotes good skin.
They also have antioxidants in them (vitamin e and betacarotene in them acts as antioxidants) and we all know that antioxidants reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and certain cancers.
Vitamin B6 in mangoes improves brain functioning.
Magnesium found in them plays an important role in lowering blood pressure.
Sunday, 20 May 2012
Smart shopping ( in London)
Before I started for London to attend the spring festival this year, my friends guided me and also warned me about shopping in London. Some told me about the classic stuff that I could buy from there which would last for years and is difficult to find in India and some told me that I should refrain from shopping there as everything was too expensive , not to forget that we spend in pounds there. I thank all my friends for their valuable guidance which I followed up to a great extent. Being a 'woman' it is difficult to refrain from shopping but I followed the path of 'smart shopping' and bought gifts for others as well as myself. Just want to share the experience of smart shopping in London with my readers and friends. These basic ideas can be applied while shopping in other countries as well.
1. Take guidance from local people, residents of that place, do not hesitate to tell them your approximate budget or you can get wrong guidance.
2. Ask for the hypermarkets there like Asda walmart, Tesco and Primemark being quite popular in London,( eg carrefour in Dubai) . There markets are very good for buying gift items, souvenirs at times your basic clothing items also as the quality is good and you get different stuff. If you want to buy some fad items or things which are in fashion there you can pick from these places as they are not expensive and you can try new looks.
3.Keep a calculator with you so that if and when needed you can convert the currency and check the amount according to your currency without troubling the sales person again and again.
4. Always see the price tags to avoid embarrassing situations at the payment counters ( eg a 250 pound article will cost approximately 22,500 rupees)
5. Buy winter wear from countries which often have a cold climate ( the temperature in London in this month was 6- 7 degrees celcius which for Indians is quite cold but for them it is summers ) so I got a chance to buy winter basics like thermals , leg warmers, warm socks, jackets etc at a 50% discounted rate.
6. Oxford street is very famous for shopping in London. If you want to buy any basic garment pieces which would last for many many years you can buy from here. Selfridges , Harrods being the most famous places there. Such basic items are expensive but they last really long so you can invest in them.
7. Dont get carried away by the displays and dont hesitate to ask for discounts schemes. If you want you can invest in something which you will cherish forever.
8. Many countries have this provision of 'Vat return'. If you are a tourist whatever vat you have payed while shopping will be returned to you at the airport before you leave the country. So from whichever shop you make purchases ask for the vat slip. This is also applicable at some of the restaurants and fine dining places abroad.
9. You can also visit vintage shops and charity shops ( charity shops are run by charity organizations where they sell donated items and what ever money they earn goes for charity purpose). Also you can visit the local street markets for fun shopping.
So be a smart shopper and dont deprive your friends and yourself of gifts and dont forget those yummy chocholates which you can buy from duty free at the airports.
1. Take guidance from local people, residents of that place, do not hesitate to tell them your approximate budget or you can get wrong guidance.
2. Ask for the hypermarkets there like Asda walmart, Tesco and Primemark being quite popular in London,( eg carrefour in Dubai) . There markets are very good for buying gift items, souvenirs at times your basic clothing items also as the quality is good and you get different stuff. If you want to buy some fad items or things which are in fashion there you can pick from these places as they are not expensive and you can try new looks.
3.Keep a calculator with you so that if and when needed you can convert the currency and check the amount according to your currency without troubling the sales person again and again.
4. Always see the price tags to avoid embarrassing situations at the payment counters ( eg a 250 pound article will cost approximately 22,500 rupees)
5. Buy winter wear from countries which often have a cold climate ( the temperature in London in this month was 6- 7 degrees celcius which for Indians is quite cold but for them it is summers ) so I got a chance to buy winter basics like thermals , leg warmers, warm socks, jackets etc at a 50% discounted rate.
6. Oxford street is very famous for shopping in London. If you want to buy any basic garment pieces which would last for many many years you can buy from here. Selfridges , Harrods being the most famous places there. Such basic items are expensive but they last really long so you can invest in them.
7. Dont get carried away by the displays and dont hesitate to ask for discounts schemes. If you want you can invest in something which you will cherish forever.
8. Many countries have this provision of 'Vat return'. If you are a tourist whatever vat you have payed while shopping will be returned to you at the airport before you leave the country. So from whichever shop you make purchases ask for the vat slip. This is also applicable at some of the restaurants and fine dining places abroad.
Picture of a charity shop in London
 |
So be a smart shopper and dont deprive your friends and yourself of gifts and dont forget those yummy chocholates which you can buy from duty free at the airports.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)