DRINKING WATER FOR GOOD HEALTH !

Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.

You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating. If you are very active, you lose more water than if you are sedentary. Diuretics such as caffeine pills and alcohol result in the need to drink more water because they trick your body into thinking you have more water than we need.

Symptoms of mild dehydration include chronic pains in joints and muscles,lower back pain, headaches and constipation. A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color indicates that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B Vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow. Thirst is an obvious sign of dehydration and in fact, you need water long before you feel thirsty.

A good estimate is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces of water per day that you need to drink. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink at least 80 ounces of water per day. If you exercise you should drink another eight ounce glass of water for every 20 minutes you are active. If you drink alcohol, you should drink at least an equal amount of water. When you are traveling on an airplane, it is good to drink eight ounces of water for every hour you are on board the plane. If you live in an arid climate, you should add another two servings per day. As you can see, your daily need for water can add up to quite a lot.

Twenty percent of your water need will come from the foods you eat. The rest of your water need should come from the beverages you drink. Water is the best choice. Sodas have a lot of sugar in them, so if you drink sodas, you may take in more calories than you need. Herbal teas that aren't diuretic are fine. Sports drinks contain electrolytes and may be beneficial, just look out for added sugar and calories that you don't need. Juices are good because they have vitamins and nutrients.

Caffeinated beverages will also add to your daily water need. Even though caffeine is a diuretic, if you regularly consume caffeine, your body will regulate itself to that diuretic effect.

It may be difficult to drink enough water on a busy day. Be sure you have water handy at all times by keeping a bottle for water with you when you are working, traveling, or exercising. If you get bored with plain water, add a bit of lemon or lime for a touch of flavor. There are some brands of flavored water available, but watch for extra calories.

WINES FOR THAT GLOWING SKIN !

The indigenous wines that are made from everything ranging from saunf (fennel seeds),kesar (saffron), strawberry, cardamom, rose and orange are fast making its way into beauty salons and how! Beauty therapists in Jaipur are using these wines to give their clients a glowing skin, and those getting the facials seem to love the effect!

Beauty expert Sabeljeet Singh has been using aromatic heritage wines sourced from wine makers in and around Jaipur to give facials to her clients. “Nothing can beat the glow of heritage wine facials. They have a purely herbal base and cure infections. They bring out clear, unblemished skin that has a pink tinge to it. I mix almond for dry skin and aloe vera for oily and acne prone skin while giving the message. This enhances the skin softening properties of the wine multifold,” says Sabaljeet.

“Gape wine rules the roost since it contains polyphenols, a very effective anti-oxidant and resveratrol that fight against free radicals, bacteria and fungi,” adds Sabaljeet.

Pinky Ahuja who has been regularly getting wine facial done at a city based clinic says, “I was quite curious to know how wines can work wonders for the skin. I got it done once and just loved the results. Wine gave an instant glow to the skin and also made my skin look clearer. I make sure I get a wine facial done every time I have to attend a party.”

Aroma therapist Hitendra Chhabra has an interesting story to share about his discovery of heritage wines as a beauty product. A girl who had accidentally spilled some wine on her hand came to Hitendra with a little itching on her skin. While treating the skin, Chhabra noticed that her skin was glistening.

Hitendra wondered what effect wine could have on the skin and researched on wine treatments being carried out in some countries. To his surprise he found that wine has a magical effect on the skin. Now Hitendra uses wine made of saunf (fennel seeds), kesar (saffron), strawberry, cardamom, rose and orange which he sources from Jaipur while he imports grape wine from other countries.