Beauty and Personal Grooming

Even an innocuous, grooming task such as trimming nails is not left untouched by superstitious beliefs. An ancient European belief forbids a person from cutting nails on Sunday and Friday; cutting nails on Friday invariably brings bad luck and on Sunday attracts evil spirits. Another superstition doing the rounds in 19th century Europe was that a mother should never cut the nails of the child before it's first birthday and if she does so the child will grow up to be a thief.  India too has its share of superstitious beliefs regarding nail cutting. In India, at least in the part of South India where I grew up, there is a belief that cutting nails after dusk is a bad thing. Moreover clipping nails on Saturday and on the day of the week you were born is supposed to bring bad luck. So most people avoid cutting nails on these days.

This one's for the workaholics who work for long hours incessantly, unmindful of the devastating effects it can have on their health. Don't work for long hours incessantly.

If you find yourself or your dear ones often forgetting things, don't panic. While in most circumstances, memory loss is associated with stress, dementia etc., there could also be other reasons for forgetfulness and memory loss.

Today, let's talk about something super common, yet often misunderstood: PMS and "brain fog. " You know, those days when you feel a little… off.  Maybe you're a bit forgetful, your mood's a rollercoaster, or you're just not feeling your sharpest. Sound familiar? We've all heard the jokes, right? " Is it that time of the month? " or " Someone's having a case of the Mondays, huh? " But let's get real for a minute.  Is there actual science behind this, or is it just another stereotype? And what about those "sexy" remarks that are often thrown around? They're not only dismissive, but they also perpetuate harmful misconceptions. The Hormonal Rollercoaster: What's Really Happening? It's true that hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle are real. Progesterone levels rise in the luteal phase (the second half of your cycle), and this can indeed lead to some changes.  It's often linked to a drop in serot...

Discover science-backed cooling techniques that go way beyond the usual summer advice. Summer has arrived with all its glory—the longer days, the vacation vibes, and yes, that relentless heat that seems to sap every ounce of energy from us and leaves us grumpy by noon! We've all heard the standard advice a million times: drink water, wear cotton, find some shade. But what if I told you there are some fascinating, unconventional ways to beat the heat that go beyond the obvious? From ancient breathing techniques to the surprising power of our own minds, there's a whole world of cooling strategies that most of us have never even considered. Let me share some discoveries that might just change how you think about staying cool this summer. The Mind Trick That Started It All I love skimming through the Sunday Edition of Times of India supplement to read Vinita Dawra Nangia articles. She always has some wonderful insights to share in her column O-Zone. In one of her Sunday articles,...

In this scorching summer heat, our parched throats yearn for cool water to quench our thirsts. This liking for cold fluids and beverages could well be evolutionary in origin if we go by this PubMed study . While the Internet is replete with articles about how drinking cold water is bad for your health, interferes with digestion ,  causes dreaded diseases such as cancer , there seems to be little truth in this statement. Unless a person is in a state of hypothermia (low body temperature) or severe dehydration, there is no reason to believe that drinking cold water could harm a person. So go ahead and consume cool, chilled drinks without any guilt. Also cold foods and beverages do not harm any of our internal organs, so no need to worry. However consumption of  too much of water / fluids after an intense workout or after spending several hours in hot sun should be avoided. [Refer to this study ]

A Very Happy Mother's Day to All. A particular day dedicated to a mother is never enough to let her know how special she is. But then in our busy schedule we hardly get to spend time with the family. So at least on special occasions like these we must make a point to let her know how much we depend on her and love her. No need of showering her with expensive gifts; just do your bit to make her feel special!