The latest craze is kinetic- rebounding,
Which involves a cardio, combat and
Strength exercise all done on a mini
trampoline. The bouncing allows for safe exercise and works wonders for toning, strengthening and weight-loss. A 45-minute
Burns up to 800 calories and 10 minutes of rebounding will give you the same benefits
As 30 minutes jogging!

– PLANT THE THOUGHT

Did you know that cardio-kickboxing
not only improves and maintains your
cardiovascular fitness, it also
increases flexibility, improves
coordination, sharpens reflexes and
gives you shapely legs………plus in it
sheds an average 500 calories per
hour!

This day of “equal opportunities” and “gender empowerment”, etc, the woman goes to work because it has become necessity to have two incomes in order to survive in these days of spiraling prices and runway inflation. Women are joining the growing new breed of workaholics, a title once bagged by hard-driving ambitious men. Women may stats off enjoying their job initially and get on the treadmill towards success. Then they realize it is like riding a tiger and if they don’t get off the work treadmill of long hours, the personal and social cost may be higher than that of any man.

An obsessive worker may be loved by her boss, admired by her colleagues and inspire awe in subordinates. This is often achieved at a staggering personal cost when work becomes all – consuming. Very often psychologists have determined that a man’s sense of self-worth is more tied to his work while a woman places higher priority on relationships i.e. security and family. Some women may be masculine in way of thinking but end up paying a much higher price. Male workaholics fit easily into the familiar role of the breadwinner. Women workaholics, on the other hand, go against the accepted image of a devoted wife, loving mother, and a dutiful daughter and therefore to the detriment of her social status – the role of the “nari” or the women, that has been formatted by history and tradition – set on a pedestal with a steep drop!


Who are the demon workers among the female ranks? Not the stereotype battleaxes that have fought their way into the inner realms of up management, and have deep scars to prove it. The “witches of fast track” are likely to be the young educated young women who are eager to make their mark – the female yuppies paying for their newfound independence that their mothers could not achieve. Or the older woman in their 30s and 40s who find it difficult to shrug off old habits, and is secretly afraid of being side-tracked or even laid off must, at all costs, hang on their niche.


There is a fuzzy line between hardworking and being a workaholic. A hard worker will put her job in perspective and strive for a balance. A workaholic, may start off as a hard worker, and then, lose track! She doesn’t slow down even when there is a lull. Workaholics start from mild 10-hour workdays and reach to serious, 14-16 hours workdays! Achievement driven, they strive for exceptional results, thrive on challenge, and demand control and lose her friends and family in the process. I suppose it is difficult when the workplace is more exiting than the home!


Sings pointing to workaholics differ little between the sexes, but there are underlying reasons peculiar only to women that sets them apart. An Asian women brought up to be supportive, accept extra work readily (they feel guilty in saying “no” because of being thought unprofessional or uncooperative and thus demeaning her status in the eyes of her colleagues) normally do not refuse work so as not to appear weak. Lacking the overriding ego her male counterpart, some women tend to be insecure about their abilities and need to prove their worth by trying harder higher, fuelled by the morbid fear of being typecast as the “typical” female. A stigma most women must bear like a cross!


With family and personal lives in a state of perpetual limbo, some women may have to re-think the end result and whether it is worth it. Having to “do” a job is perhaps a better option for some women rather than achieve greatness, which would allocate “ambition” to only the men. A driven woman would draw the wrath of her male colleagues – especially if she achieves position that they cannot.


Women who have either backing or collateral may achieve some heights in business or industry. She will have to work doubly hard to prove that she is worth the backing. By this argument, most men never achieve their goals but that is okay. Failures are an every-day thing but a women’s failure in a man’s world will spell death to her very soul! “After all, a women…”, and the smirking will go on. To avoid such condescension, a woman burns herself out to prove that she is perfect or on the other hand, takes the easy way out – which is to fit into the “typical” role of being “someone” one works with. Never – the boss!


Even banks hesitate to give a woman a sizeable business loan without a male signature backing her – either a husband’s or a father’s – it is in the application form! What if neither is available? Kiss bank loans goodbye! It does not matter that the female applicant has years of business experience or has a degree from Harvard. No man – no money…no Business! Micro-credit –OK! So, what should a woman do? Always but always, try to prove that she may be better than her male co-worker even though the society does not think so. Her excellent educational background or her record as a dynamic entrepreneur is mostly disregarded when funding is required. She is often tied to her fate of being born the ward of her father, then her husband and then her son’s – even today – even in the 21st century. Who will toll the bell?


Women tend to be perfectionists far more than men. She not only drives herself hard but also her subordinates. With burgeoning job market for women, as a result of mushrooming companies and globalization, faster telecommunications and general economic growth within the century, women have shot into the executive positions without learning the ropes. Women, have tougher time, as they learn on the job and spend more problems of the trade. Wanting not to look naïve, the woman works doubly hard to keep up with the men and be taken seriously. Especially in the male dominated workforce of Bangladesh.

-We have concocted for you a little energy drink to boost your body and hairs give it a try:

Cheers the vitality cocktail
2 ‘Tea-spoon’ of powdered protein
1 ‘Tea-spoon’ of granular lecithin
1 Large banana (or guava or mango)
1 Raw egg
2 Cups of low-fat or skimmed milk (Soya milk works too)
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and served chilled it is actually delicious!

-Did you know that your hair was incredibly stretchy, when wet it can stretch up to one third of its original length! So don’t attempt any home hairdressing when your hair is wet, you might end up cutting more than you bargained for!


-We always want what we can’t have, so try and look at your hair realistically! Make the most of your natural hair type; the key to fantastic hair is a good haircut. If you have very straight hair, boost its volume with a sophisticated layer cut that will lighten the hair mass and not be too bulky.
Your hair looks at its best when it’s healthy, embrace your natural style.


-Olive oil is a miracle remedy for dandruff; apply it once every two weeks for thirty minutes before rinsing it out with your usual shampoo. It helps clear your scalp and moisturize it.


-Hor-moans (hormones) sadly have a lot to do with the state of our hair. It starts with puberty and ends with menopause, throughout these cycles your body is changing and so dos your hair. Hormonal changes can be the cause for hair-loss constant greasy hair and general dullness. This is only cyclical, things do get better eventually!


-Hair is constantly growing, resting and falling out, so don’t get frustrated your hair is growing!
-Stringent dieting and fast weight loss can also affect your hair, be careful.
-Neem based shampoo are also a great natural relief for dandruff and dry hair.
“Make the most of your natural hair type”

The wedding day is a time in a girl’s life when she dreams of
shining like a star and dazzling everyone with her breathtaking
beauty. Tireless efforts spanning months together go into at-
taining that‘oh-so-perfect’ look for the D-day. But, while the
bride-to-be is busy scrubbing her face with that mudpack for a
rosy glow, her hands and feet are often crying for attention.
Hands and feet seldom receive the same care and treatment as the rest of the body. The bride should therefore, go for a beauty
care regime that looks beyond those once-a-month manicures and
pedicures.


Manicure Magic
Irregular shape of nails with cracking skin on the hands presents a shoddy image of the bride. Imagine flinching in embarrassment when asked by the priest to bring forward your hands during the wedding ceremony because they don’t shine as much as your face. Dr Apratim Goel, official dermatologist for L’Oreal Paris, recommends skin polishing once in two weeks. Apart from this, regular application of hand cream and sunscreen with moisturizer during the day is a must.
A SPA manicure with some therapy at the Christian Georgio SPA, Grand Hyatt, Mumbai, can also help rejuvenate and revitalise the skin and remove tan. It includes ‘reflexology’, done with special hot and cold stones on pressure points to improve blood circulation, and has a relaxing, detoxifying and de-stressing result.


Best food forward
No matter how regular she is with her pedicure appointments, the
feet are bound to develop cracks and coarseness over time. after
all it’s your wedding and you are spending maximum time shopping,
out in the sun and dust. AT night, before retiring, soak you feet
in hot water mixed with coarse salt, almond oil and shampoo for
about 20 minutes. This helps to soften the dead skin on the heels.
Rub the heels gently with a pumice stone or a heel scrubber, in
order to remove the dead cells. Avoid metal scrubbers. After
washing the feet, massage with a good cream, rubbing it into the
skin. Apply the cream generously on the heels. Bandage the heels
with a clean cloth, or cotton wool and surgical gauze and wear
cotton socks to bed. This way, the cream will remain on the heels
and not get smeared on to the bedclothes.
Apart from this DR. Goel from L’Oreal also recommend! different
pedicures like dry, wet, French, paraffin, ho oil, AHA etc.



Tale of the Nail
Marion clocheau, SPA manager at jean claude Biguine advocates the Biguine SPA manicure, “I would strongly suggest the Biguine Bio SPA manicure. This season indulge your nails and go for dark glamorous colours, metallic sheens and high glossy finishes that perfectly complimen jewel tones, moody greys, browns and lush blue-reds that are in fashion right now”.
A common problem that women often tend to face is that of nails turning yellow. To get rid of the yellowish tint on nails, Shahnaz Husain suggests that you scrape the surface of the nail with the finest-grain side of an emery board, so that the nail is not damaged and then use a UV-resistant or clear polish for protection. It will also add shine to dull nails. The nails can also be “buffed” to remove the yellow tinge and add shine. This is usually done with a piece of chamois leather by rubbing it gently. You can add backing soda to water and soak your fingers in the concoction daily for 15 minutes. Pieces of lemon can be rubbed on the nails, or dilute lemon juice with water and soak your hands in it for 10 minutes everyday.


The Bling and the Ring
The D-day is here! It is the day of the ring exchange ceremony and you have been so engrossed in shopping and visiting the boutique that it never occurred to you that your hands require singular attention for this special day. Shahnaz Husain suggests The Diamond Skin Polish, as it includes all treatments that make skin soft and radiant. The paraffin wax treatment, she adds, also brings softness and shine, as do the diamond products, which contain actual diamond dust, along with other herbal extracts and oils that can bring that special glow to your hands.
Or, just in case you do have time before D-day and are wondering which treatment will ensure those stunning looking hands then we have the answer. A little extra care of your hands will pay in the long run.
Shobha Sehgal, head of business, Day spa and beauty zone, VLCC advises “starting six weeks prior to the big day, massage the hands once a week with olive oil and a little table salt added to it. You can even go in for nail extension, subtle nail art or a paraffin or aroma manicure.”


Crack Attack
The winters can be particularly rough on your skin leaving it with a dry and lusterless feel. Special skin care is therefore, needed for all you winter brides. According to Shobha from VLCC, well-moisturised hands and feet with good quality hand cream helps keep dryness at bay. Washing them with lukewarm and applying glycerin, rose water and lemon juice before going to bed can also treat chapped hands.
Priya Kumar, beauty expert, Bella Madonna, recommends a rather appetising treatment for the winter chill-a chocolate manicure and pedicure. “A chocolate manicure and pedicure is a must for winters. Apply moisturiser twice daily. Try and keep your feet out of hard water”, she says.

Before and After
“One of the most important aspects of pre-wedding beauty care is to ensure that your hands and feet are receiving the same amount of attention as the rest of your body”, says from Biguring adding, “soaking your hands in warm oil is a luxurious and moisturising exercise. The skin on your hands will benefit from being gently exfoliated once a week. You could use your normal face scrub or a product specific one for this purpose”. The best treatment for hands and feet care according to Christian Georgio, Grand Hyatt Mumbai would be a professional SPA manicure and pedicure with stone therapy, complimented by some specific home care routines. Three months of three to six treatments of the royal, paraffin or SPA manicure/pedicure is sufficient time thoroughly improve the growth and texture of the nails.
The stunning image that the bride acquires during the time of her wedding should not be discarded later. Since the new roles adopted by the newlywed bride will keep her even busier, the least she can do is continue with her daily cleansing, moisturising and toning routine, suggests Priya from Bella Madonna.
A beautiful you are not just about a pretty face and smart dressing. It is also about actively caring for the most active parts of your body, your hands and feet. Well-groomed hands and feet go a long way in boosting a bride’s confidence and adding to that ultimate chic look.


Do It Yourself
 It is suggested that every bride-to-be should go in for a basic pedicure every two weeks. Feet dipped in warm water with a little shampoo and vegetable oil added to it, provides a good starting point. After soaking the feet for 10-15 minutes, rub them (especially soles) with a pumice stone. This is the time to clean the nails and remove all old nail polishes.
 As you prepare for the wedding day, be careful about biting or
chipping your nails, and don’t wear any polish. This prevents the
nails from yellowing.
 Quick pedicure tip: add a few (four to five) drops of vinegar to four or five table spoons (40-50 grams) of curd and mix well in a dish. Rub this mixture well on the feet, ankles, heels and the soles of the feet especially between the toes. Let it stay on for 10 minutes and then wash off with warm water.
 If you suffer from the tendency to develop cracks on your heels then your feet require regular care. Try this natural remedy every three days before going to bed. Immerse feet in warm water to which 10ML of lemon juice and 20ML of coconut oil have been added. Scrub the heel area after 20 minutes with a pumice stone. Dry thoroughly and apply a foot cream.
 You can even prepare a homemade moisturiser for the skin, especially the feet. Mix rose water and glycerin in equal proportions and store. Use it whenever required, especially after any kind of feet care treatment. Replace this mixture every month.

We have concocted for you a little energy drink to boost your body and hairs give it a try:

Cheers the vitality cocktail
2 ‘Tea-spoon’ of powdered protein
1 ‘Tea-spoon’ of granular lecithin
1 Large banana (or guava or mango)
1 Raw egg
2 Cups of low-fat or skimmed milk (Soya milk works too)
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and served chilled it is actually delicious!

-Did you know that your hair was incredibly stretchy, when wet it can stretch up to one third of its original length! So don’t attempt any home hairdressing when your hair is wet, you might end up cutting more than you bargained for!


-We always want what we can’t have, so try and look at your hair realistically! Make the most of your natural hair type; the key to fantastic hair is a good haircut. If you have very straight hair, boost its volume with a sophisticated layer cut that will lighten the hair mass and not be too bulky.
Your hair looks at its best when it’s healthy, embrace your natural style.


-Olive oil is a miracle remedy for dandruff; apply it once every two weeks for thirty minutes before rinsing it out with your usual shampoo. It helps clear your scalp and moisturize it.


-Hor-moans (hormones) sadly have a lot to do with the state of our hair. It starts with puberty and ends with menopause, throughout these cycles your body is changing and so dos your hair. Hormonal changes can be the cause for hair-loss constant greasy hair and general dullness. This is only cyclical, things do get better eventually!


-Hair is constantly growing, resting and falling out, so don’t get frustrated your hair is growing!
-Stringent dieting and fast weight loss can also affect your hair, be careful.
-Neem based shampoo are also a great natural relief for dandruff and dry hair.
“Make the most of your natural hair type”