Relax your mind, body and soul with 'foot reflexology'

New Delhi: Feet require as much attention as any other part of the body, and experts claim that a session of `foot reflexology` can benefit your mind, body and soul.

It provides a person with calmness and serenity, improved circulation, increased energy and balanced emotions among many others benefits.

Rod Anker, director of Monsoon Salon and Spa, said that the technique has been exported for many years in India and is a very powerful natural way to relax and bring good health to the entire body and mind.

The "pressure therapy" involves applying focused pressure to certain reflex points located in the foot to cure or prevent disease and is intended for use alongside conventional medical care and not as its replacement.

Foot reflexology has been practiced for thousands of years in places such as India, China and Egypt and is appropriate for all ages for a variety of ailments.

And according to NYC reflexologist Deborah Flanagan, foot reflexology has incredible powers of healing the entire body through the use of pressure points.

At 39, Paltrow began skin care regime...

Los Angeles: Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 41, hasn`t always been devoted to maintaining her looks. She says she started taking care of her skin when she turned 39.

During a Twitter Q&A for Restorsea skincare brand, Paltrow answered a number of questions on beauty and skin care, reports eonline.com.

Asked when she first began taking care of her skin, she said: "39."

And she thanked her genes for her good skin.

"My great grandmother, my grandmother and my mother (had) lots of water," Paltrow said.

Now, she takes care of her skin and her regime consists of hot water, washcloth and moisturiser from the brand that she is endorsing.

When asked to give advice on how to keep skin fresh after a long work day, she said: "Put your face in a bowl of ice water and repeat to reduce swelling and bring fresh blood flow to your face. 

Tips for eating out on a diet...

London: Are you one of the calorie-conscious people who shun friends in favour of your figure? If you think socialising would ruin your diet, think again as it`s all about making the right choices.

Fitness and wellbeing expert Jessie Pavelka shares tips, reports femalefirst.co.uk:

* If you know you are going to be eating out, think about what you need to do to moderate what you’re having throughout the rest of the day. You can even look up the menu online first so that you order wisely. 

* Don’t be afraid to ask for your food to be adapted to suit your needs. Many restaurants are happy to adapt dishes to your needs.

* Look for dishes with lots of colour. If all else fails, eating lots of fresh and colourful ingredients means you’re getting a range of nutrients.

* Check out lower carbohydrate options as it is required for energy.

* It`s fine to treat yourself with a glass of alcohol, but don’t overdo it.

Get perfect beach holiday skin...

London: People love holidaying on beach, but they do not know how to keep their skin glowing. Expert gives tip to protect skin to have that beautiful beach holiday look.

Jill Zander, founder of the Jill Zander Skin Rejuvenation Clinic, shares tips to keep skin looking beautiful in the summer sun and beyond, reports femalefirst.co.uk:

* Sun protection: Use a sunblock daily. Always include your neck, décolleté and backs of hands and reapply frequently. Wear a hat and large lensed sunglasses. 

* Antioxidants: We become more sensitive as we get older to external stresses, as a result of free radicals produced by environmental pollution, car exhaust fumes, UVA and UVB and cigarette smoke. Invest in a scientifically proven home care regime to protect your skin with vital nutrients providing good antioxidant protection enriched with vitamins C and E.

* Repair sun damage: When it comes to sun damage, vitamin A is the most valuable skin care nutrients applied to the skin. Vitamin A helps to smooth sun damage, giving less wrinkled skin and also helps to even out skin tone.

* Use a good facial scrub: It is required to remove oil, dirt, impurities and dead cells to improve texture and restore natural glow. Do it at night only.

* Summer scent: Never apply fragrance to the skin in the day. Oil of Bergamot, often used as a fixative, can cause photo sensitivity and pigmentary problems. Only apply in the evening.

Mood swings: 5 quick ways to brighten up your day...

One minute you are all happy and care-free, but when suddenly something unwanted occurs, your good feeling and all your smiles are gone. It happens to all of us- mood swings.

Feeling sad and down is a common thing, which we all encounter from time to time. But, that shouldn't spoil your day. In other words, your bad mood shouldn't be allowed to last for the whole day.

Here are a few quick tips to help you get out of that crabbed mood and brighten up your day:

Laughter: Laughter is believed to be the best medicine to emotional problems. Research has shown that hearty laugh can have many health benefits. It improves mood, lowers blood pressure, reduces bad cholesterol and enhances immune system.

Exercise: Exercise can brighten up your day as it releases endorphins which improve mood. Studies have also linked exercise to low rates of anxiety and depression.

Sunshine: Spend some time in the sunshine or stand beside a bright window for a few minutes to get more vitamin D. Sunlight not only boosts your system but also improves your general mood.

Music: It can make us smile, it can excite us and make us dance, it can also bring us to tears. Listening to your favourite upbeat number can make you feel happy in seconds. While research has found a whole bunch of emotional and physical benefits of listening to music, it certainly has a powerful influence over your state of mind.

Photographs: Try having a look at your photographs/scrapbooks. It can actually make you feel happier and quickly boosts your mood. Also, upload your favourite picture to your computer and set it as a screensaver to keep your spirits high at work.

Try pole fitness for fit, flexible body...

London: Inspired by the benefits of an all-body work-out that improves strength, flexibility and confidence, several men and women are trying pole fitness, a gymnastic workout.

Pole fitness is said to be the most comprehensive and result-oriented workouts possible. It demands the strength of gymnastics, the focus of yoga and gets the heart racing faster than any treadmill, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

According to Aurelian Sports, a new pole fitness and premium fashion brand, the benefits of the regime include:

* Strength: Pole athletes have some of the best bodies in the world because lean muscles are developed through performing many sets of resistance exercises whilst practice for a routine.

While learning a three-minute routine during a pole fitness class, you will work multiple sets of muscle groups. The result is, after eight weeks, you’ll notice your arms getting stronger, your stomach becoming more toned and your legs looking better.

* Weight Loss: In an hour’s class you will burn around 300 calories. The big plus is you will build tone and muscle in your arms and legs and strengthen flabby areas such as your bottom and upper arms, which can be hard to target at the gym. It also improves balance, coordination and agility and core strength.

* Flexibility: It’s a fact - if you don’t stretch, the older you get, the smaller and tighter your muscles become leading to greater difficulty in movement. You basically start to loose ease of motion as your muscles become tighter.

* Builds self confidence: Pole fitness creates body awareness and develops self-confidence. You’ll learn to see yourself. You’ll regularly be studying your position on the pole in the mirror, examining your own legs, arms, tummy, bum and even your toes to work out what your best angles are, how to hold a position and what moves you can perform.

How to get luminous skin?

Pic Courtesy: -Thinkstock. Image for representation purpose only.

London: This season one of the biggest beauty trends is natural and glowing skin, the foundation of which is a good skincare routine.

Skincare experts Rabia Malik and Preema Vig suggest that exfoliation and increasing hyaluronic acid in your skin can show great results, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Malik says that one can begin with some gentle exfoliation as this will ensure removal of surface debris from the skin. 

“Following exfoliation, increase your skin`s level of hyaluronic aid to achieve a more luminous, brighter complexion. This can be achieved with topicals that contain high levels of molecular weight hyaluronic acid. Try using homecare products that contain peptides too as these help to achieve a brighter complexion,” said Malik.

Vig feels that hyaluronic acid helps to plump the skin and so does the intake of vitamin A.

“Vitamin A increases the skin cell cycle which brings new skin cells to the surface. Vitamin C helps in lightening, brightening and tightening the skin. Fruit acids at night exfoliate the top layer of skin,” said Vig.