Saturday 30 October 2010

Dispelling the Vitamin C myth

It all starts with a scratch like feeling in your throat,like somebody sandpapered it and now,you're left with soreness.You see it coming and abhor it.You know what's going to follow.It's a ritual for most of us.Soreness,blocked nose,runny watering eyes,snuffles and the mother of all-a heavy head!Colloquially,it's called the Common cold.Common,I understand but cold I do not.I have known many people(including myself) to suffer from it even in the scorching heat.But let's not go in the semantics.


The things is,India being India where everybody is adept at imparting gyaan will tell you every possible home remedy to cure it.Good for me because when it comes to cold I am all for adrak wali chai,kadhi,honey and clove and the rest.While I don't mind the dos it's the dont's which I don't mostly agree with.The don'ts like,orange?No way,they cause cold.Custard apple?Are you nuts and that too at night?No,avoid sweet lime and lemon.Also,tamarind,guava-gala lag jayega!!

But being being me,I painstakingly explain each time how these savoury fruits and vegetables are rich in Vitamin C and anti oxidants and help in body's defence against infections.That they must be consumed especially if you have a cold.So,I work on my favourite recipe,making a piping hot,tamarind enriched,replete with a dozen tomatoes,flavoured with generous helpings of garlic and ginger pods-rasam.I do get advised against that by some because it has,you know,tamarind which could lead to gala lagna.I proceed nevertheless.Taking in the rich aroma while I stir the ingredients and feel the fumes going right up my pharynx via my nose,soothing it.And just before I am ready to consume it,I sprinkle lemon juice in it.

It's the moment when that tangy rasam touches the back of your throat making its way through the hard and soft palate and you can taste mustard that world is going to be alright,that there is going to be no heavy head and no blockade.Not just that,I end up gorging on every citrus fruit and to annoy some especially at night ;).It works though,really!And let me share my secret quirk with you.I drink cold water,sometimes even have an ice cream during a bout a cold.Yes,the warm liquids do sooth the throat mucosa,providing relief against pain the cold works for me!Something on the line of loha hi lohe ko kat ta hai *chuchkle*.There is no scientific basis to that(and certainly none that I know of) but I take it as the cold compression which in many cases relives the oedema and inflammation.I strongly advise you against it though-Do as the doctor says,not what the doctor does.

And all said and done I do pop in my favourite orange antibiotics and anti inflammatories.

Sunday 10 October 2010

This must be the season of giveaways

I can't rave enough about the girl,Mehak from Peaches and Blush I mean.I got my first sort-of-giveaway via her blog and now she is doing the same on hitting a century on followers.Firstly,congratulations girl and many more centuries to follow!And she's got a battery of makeup products for the celebrations to give away(though there are rules to follow).Let's makes things simpler.Just visit her post on the giveaway here and fill out the form.
Here,I am done!

Wednesday 6 October 2010

It SO pays to take part in giveaways and contest

I wasn't huge on participating in random internet competitions but then I won.I WON!!I am so excited,I can't even begin to tell you.I mean,would you believe I won?!Today,when I logged on my facebook,the first item on my feed said that I had won this quiz hosted by Clean Start by Dermatologica!This is by far,one of the best things that has happened to me in the past few days.

And I owe this to the lady behind the super blog-Peaches and Blush.I used to follow her blog via Google reader where she spoke of this contest and just like that I participated.Of course,I got all my answers right ;) and hey!there they told me today that I get to sample their goodies.Seriously,I am so bummed about it that it's even difficult to write a proper blog post today.Just go have a look on their Facebook page and keep participating in everything that comes your way because now I know Lady Luck does smile sometimes!