Give Your Health A Boost With These Spiced Oils:

Have you tried spicing up the oils you use to add an extra zing to your daily food? Making infused oils will not only enhance the flavor of your food but will also be providing a host of therapeutic benefits because of the herbs and spices that are infused into the oils. There are many health benefits of herbs and spices that help to keep your loved ones be in the pink of health.

How To Make Infused Oils At Home:

When making infused oil at home, you need to ensure that the bottles are clean. Wash the bottles well and rinse with a good sterilizing solution. You can try using the sterilizing solution available at the local chemist for sterilizing baby feeding bottles. To cap the bottles, using cork stoppers is a good choice, as it helps to retain the aromatic flavor of the oil.

Once the spiced oil is ready, you can strain it and transfer it into another clean bottle. This way, the flavor of the oil gets stronger after some time and adds yet another dimension to your cooking. However, it if gets too strong for your liking you can always add more oil to make a milder version.

The Different Types Of Spiced Oils Use aromatic oils for pickling or for Indian, Mediterranean, Chinese, Continental cooking, or even as a salad dressing. They can add a different element to your marinades, gravies, salad dressings, and sauces, etc.

Procedure To Make 5 Different Infused Oils:

1. Spicy Garlic Oil:

In the winter months, most people are prone to upper respiratory tract infections due to the higher amount of pollutant particulate matter in the air. Spicy garlic oil helps in the prevention of colds and can benefit the entire family.

Ingredients:

• 5 red chilies
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1-litre virgin olive oil
• 5 bay leaves
• 4 cloves of ginger and garlic

Preparation:

1. Fill a one-liter clean bottle with virgin olive oil up to two inches below the rim
2. Add 5 red chilies, 10 black peppercorns, 5 roasted bay leaves, and 4 peeled and halved cloves of garlic
3. Cover and store for two-three weeks or until the flavor is well pronounced
4. Use it for lamb, chicken and lentil gravies

2. Star Anise Onion And Ginger Oil:

As energy levels tend to dip during the rainy season, ingredients such as star anise, onion, and ginger oil are perfect for those grey monsoon months as they are particularly helpful in giving you an energy boost!

Ingredients:

• 1-liter sesame oil
• 3-star anise
• 1 onion
• 20 g ginger

Preparation:

1. Fill a 1-liter clean bottle with sesame oil up to two inches below the rim
2. Add 2 inches of cleaned, peeled and lightly crushed ginger, 3-star anise and 1 small peeled and diced onion
3. Cover and leave aside for two-three weeks until the flavor is well pronounced
4. Use to cook Chinese dishes, especially seafood and chicken. It can also be used to cook tofu, paneer, and soybeans

3. Celery Clove And Lemongrass Oil:

All those who need to keep their high blood pressure in check can benefit from this oil.

Ingredients:

• 1-liter groundnut oil
• 2 stalks fresh celery
• 3 cloves
• 2 stalks lemongrass

Preparation:

1. Fill a one-liter clean bottle with groundnut oil up to two inches below the rim
2. Add 2 stalks of fresh celery (after discarding the root and the leaves), 3 cloves and 2 stalks of lemongrass (after discarding the root)
3. Cover and leave aside for two-three weeks or until the flavor is well pronounced
4. Use this oil when cooking vegetables, dals, and fish

4. Orange Walnut And Cinnamon Oil:

This oil acts as an antioxidant and a detoxifier.

Ingredients:

• 1-liter sunflower oil
• 2 crushed walnut halves
• 2-inch quill of cinnamon
• Orange rind

Preparation:

1. Fill a one-liter clean bottle with sunflower oil up to two inches below the rim
2. Add 2 walnut halves that have been slightly crushed, a 2-inch quill of cinnamon and a couple of cleaned orange rind pieces
3. Cover and leave aside for two-three weeks or until the flavor is well pronounced
4. Use this oil to make salad dressings, mayonnaise and also as a marinade for chicken, fish, and paneer

5. Cardamom And Fennel Seed Oil:

When you’re feeling blue, depressed, hurt, or anxious, all you need to do is start cooking in cardamom and fennel seed oil to feel happy again!

Ingredients:

• 1-liter rice bran/ groundnut oil
• 5 green cardamom
• 1 tbsp. roasted fennel seeds

Preparation:

1. Fill a one-liter clean bottle with rice bran or groundnut oil up to two inches below the rim
2. Add 5 green cardamoms and 1 tablespoon of roasted fennel seeds
3. Cover and leave aside for two-three weeks or until the flavor is well pronounced
4. This oil is best suited for Indian gravies

7 Promising Benefits Of Marula Oil For Skin And Hair:

Marula oil is obtained from the Marula fruit kernels, a fruit native to South Africa. It is considered as an elixir that has been used for centuries to treat different skin conditions. amazing oil has many benefits to offer and also helps rejuvenate the skin. Here are a few marula oil benefits.

What Are The Benefits Of Marula Oil?

1. Fights The Signs Of Aging:

Has Anti-ageing Properties. Are you struggling to get rid of those wrinkles that appear on your face as you age? Marula oil is a wonderful elixir with antioxidants and for its ability to fight different signs of aging. By applying this oil regularly, you can retain the suppleness and the lustrous look of your skin.

2. May Protect Against Environmental Damage:

Fights off Environmental Damage. Our skin is prone to many damaging effects of the environment like pollution, sun rays, cold wind, etc. Marula oil defends our skin against these environmental damages and helps rejuvenate it, by bringing back its natural luster.

3. May Suit All Skin Types:

Benefits All Skin Types. Whether your skin type is dry, oily, normal, or even sensitive, you can apply this oil without any worries, as it heals all types of skin. Men too can use it for softening rough skin.

4. May Smoothen Skin:

Makes Your Skin Smooth. Marula oil penetrates deep into the skin and reaches even the thickest areas. The presence of some skin-boosting elements like vitamin C and monounsaturated fatty acids replenish and help regain the skin’s elasticity. This oil also helps fight acne, pigmentation, and scars and gives you smooth and flawless skin.

5. May Keep Your Hair and Scalp Healthy:

It Benefits The Hair And Scalp Too. The benefits of Marula oil is not only for the skin. This oil can also give you shiny and lustrous hair. The presence of some powerful nutrients, minerals, fatty acids, and antioxidants in this oil fight against UV rays damage. Additionally, the cellular regenerative properties of Marula oil keeps your scalp healthy, promoting hair growth. So, massaging your hair regularly with this oil will give you gorgeous hair.

6. May Heal Chapped Lips | May Treats Brittle Nails:

Good For Your Nails And Lips. If you have brittle nails that are prone to crack or break, a regular massage with Marula oil will help nourish and regain the vitality of your nails. Moreover, applying Marula oil on chapped lips makes it soft and supple.

How Do You Use Marula Oil On Your Face?

Simply massage 3-4 drops of Marula Carrier Oil twice daily into the preferred area of skin.

As Facial Moisturizer:

• Marula oil, as a daytime and nighttime moisturizer, irrespective of your skin type. Pout a few drops of cold-pressed pure marula oil on your fingers and apply it on your face.
• Apply before makeup because it is nongreasy and absorbs quickly.

As Body Lotion:

Marula oil, with its oxidative stability property, is an ideal ingredient for many cosmetic formulas such as skin lotions, scalp conditioners, and eyeshadows. Use as an overall body lotion. Try applying it after bathing for better results.

How Do You Apply Marula Oil To Hair?

Rub a few drops of marula oil into the ends of your hair to help eliminate split ends and dryness. It also works well on dry and irritated scalps. Try applying a few drops of marula oil to your hair prior to heat styling to use it as a heat protectant.

More Info About Marula Oil:

Historically, the marula tree played a major role for nearly 10,000 years. It is known as the “marriage tree” symbolizing purity and fertility. That is why it was used in purifying rituals before a wedding.

The marula nut was the food of kings, and it is from this the “miracle oil” (i.e., marula oil) comes and continues to be a cold-pressed oil.

Before you start using marula oil on your skin and hair, check out the safety precautions you need to keep in mind.

Safety Precautions

There are no proven specific and scientific risks of using marula oil yet. But, people who are nuts allergic may tend to be allergic to marula oil.

As the first precaution of using any new product. A patch test is recommended before using marula oil. Here’s what you need to do:

• Apply 3 or 4 drops of marula oil on your inner forearm and wait for 24 hours.
• You can use marula oil on other parts of your body only if there is no sign of hives, redness, or irritation.

Avoid contact with eyes and stop using it in case of irritation.

Conclusion:

Marula oil is rich in essential nutrients with numerous benefits. Several cosmetic products use this ingredient. It has anti-aging properties and protects your skin from getting damaged. Take the safety precaution test only then use the marula oil is recommended quantities to reap its benefits. Consult a doctor in case of any side effects.

Brain Exercises To Strengthen Your Mind:

The brain is a ‘control room’ that helps the rest of the organs and limbs to coordinate seamlessly. Therefore, it is the most important part of the body. However, with time, it loses its strength due to overuse and lack of stimulation which may, in turn, cause dementia or memory loss, lack of motor control, seizures or difficulty with speech and comprehension.

The brain’s cognitive reserve, i.e. its ability to withstand neurological damage due to aging and other factors without showing visible signs of slowing or memory loss, diminishes over the years, making it difficult to perform mental tasks. Nevertheless, with some simple activities, this issue can be addressed. Regular, targeted brain exercises can also increase the brain’s cognitive reserve.

1. Brain Nourishing Diet:

We all know eating healthy is vital for our mental and physical wellbeing. Know more about gut brain connection. One sure-shot way of increasing your brain’s cognitive ability is through healthy lifestyle choices like not smoking, optimal weight and height ratio of the body (BMI), high fruit and vegetable intake, regular physical activity and low-to-moderate alcohol intake. Additionally, a well-balanced diet low in fat, low in cholesterol and high in antioxidants helps the brain to remain active.

But there’s more to this process, learn the benefits of probiotics and there is a strong gut brain connection. Not only probiotics there are other foods too, some foods that reduce stress and some brain foods to have at the moment of stress to calm down.

2. Exercises That Stimulate The Brain:

Only good nutrition is not enough – the regular exercise of the brain promotes vascular health to help protect the tissues in the brain.

Besides, the brain wants to learn new things so avoiding boredom is also critical: A brain that is passive is more likely to degenerate. Therefore, prolonged sedentary and relatively passive activities, such as sitting in front of the TV for hours a day, can be detrimental to brain health.

Real-life activities that need your brain to strain a bit are a good tool to start with – for instance driving home via a different route.

3. Sudoku And Mental Maths:

The morning newspaper can be a good place to start this practice. Try to complete a sudoku table or word puzzle, as solving a puzzle keeps you practicing logical thinking processes and eventually improves your number skills and reduces the chances of you developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s by keeping your brain active.

Doing simple maths in your head also helps — without the aid of a pencil, paper, or computer, your brain will work harder to solve a problem. You can also make this more difficult and athletic by walking at the same time.

4. Learn Something New:

Music, martial arts, cooking, painting, and foreign languages the list can be exhaustive when it comes to what interests you. Whatever it is, go for it, as learning a new skill or language stimulates the brain. Cooking uses a number of senses like smell, touch, sight, and taste, all of which involve different parts of the brain. While learning a foreign language, the listening and hearing involved stimulating the brain, while a rich vocabulary has been linked to a reduced risk for cognitive decline.

5. Practice Recall Exercises:

Make a list of grocery items, things to do, or anything else that comes to your mind, and memorize it. An hour later, try to recall it and see how many items you can remember. A more challenging list will promote greater mental stimulation. Similarly, visualize the spelling of a word in your head, then try and think of any other words that begin (or end) with the same two letters. Or, draw a map from memory after returning home from visiting a new place and repeat this exercise each time you visit a new location.

6. Positive Thinking And Continuous Practise Of Brain Gymnastics:

Your mind is at times as good as you are. So, remain positive and push your brain to think positively. By doing this, you will boost your confidence level, improve self-esteem, revitalize natural healing mechanisms and thus, restore health and harmony.

Some of the common ways of practicing brain gymnastics are by doing neck rolls, belly breathing, brain buttons, and cross crawl to name a few. Brain gymnastics also improve eyesight and increase creativity and communication skills. However, make sure you regularly practice brain gymnastics to reap the maximum benefit.

In conclusion, don’t forget that adequate sleep is a prerequisite of a healthy brain. So, make sure you get seven-eight hours of sleep every night.