Swathy and Sky

You are here: Home / Archives for Health

Health

Hand Sanitizers and their Effectiveness {Skin Care}

· · 17 Comments

A day back I talked about whether you wash your hands after your skin care routine or not? That time, Simran asked me my opinion on hand sanitizers. So, I thought I would rather do a post on it. I am not a fan of hand sanitizers. I like the feel I get from washing my hands instead.
Hand Wash vs Sanitizers
Sanitizers have hit the market with a vengeance and became popular within a very short time. The reason is because one doesn’t need to wash the hands and simply rubbing the sanitizer on the hands ensures no germs and clean hands. This seems pretty convenient and saves the hands from the harsh chemicals when they are repeatedly washed with water. So, why don’t I like the sanitizers?
The main ingredient of a sanitizer is ethyl alcohol. I remember that in Dettol hand sanitizer, it has around 65-75% of alcohol and its the first ingredient as well. And, as you all know, ethyl alcohol is drying for skin. No sanitizer can be made without alcohol coz alcohol is the ingredient which kills the germs so its an unavoidable ingredient. I did check out lifebuoy sanitizer as well which had around 30% of alcohol or something and that didn’t convince me. May be I am wrong here. Ok, while writing the post, I googled for the images and I went through one of the articles which says:
“I used to work in a virology lab,” Dr. Aiello said, “and we knew — it has been known for decades — that an alcohol concentration under 60 percent won’t kill the microbes. It’s really frightening to think that there are products out there that contain levels lower than that.” (Source)
So, beware and when you buy your sanitizer, always check for the concentration of alcohol in it. Second reason is that I am a person who likes my hands completely clean and with no stickiness. And, the few times I have used sanitizers, my hands have become sticky even though alcohol does evaporate pretty quickly. Well, it can be psychological as well. And, another is that sanitizers are not as effective as they are touted to be. I had read somewhere (forgot the source) that sanitizers are effective for all of 2 minutes at max and then, again germs start building up on the skin. And, nothing can actually beat the effectiveness of soap and water. 
Do I ever keep sanitizers?
So, those were my reasons for not relying on sanitizers. Now, comes the second question that if I keep the sanitizers with me. I haven’t till today but my mom does carry it during travel and yes, it does come as a saver when there is no water nearby or if you are having “meals on wheels” 😀 So, yes, I think a GOOD sanitizer is important when you have no access to water. Also, don’t forget to take a hand cream so that you can counteract the dryness. 
Do you like sanitizers?
Image Courtesy:nytimes.com

PS: Last two days to enter my giveaway so hurry up!!

Brown Rice vs White Rice {Health}

· · 7 Comments

Which rice do you like: Brown or White? Two years back, when I actually came across brown rice, I had done some digging up on its benefits which you can read here. Since then, I have had brown rice on and off with the white rice. And, in the starting, I did really find it a little weird in taste and texture but slowly I got used to it and now I actually prefer brown over white.

What’s Brown Rice?
For those who never had brown rice, it is the least processed rice and is brown in color. The reason is that the cover of the rice which is a fibre is not removed. That ensures that all its nutritional value is preserved when compared to white rice.
White rice undergoes a lot of processing and polishing which removes majority of its nutritional value and instead makes it harmful for consumption. Look at the figure for the comparison.
White Rice leads to Diabetes
“Higher consumption of white rice is associated with a significantly increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially in Asian (China and Japan) populations,” wrote the authors from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. White rice primarily contains starch, as the polishing removes most of the nutrients found in the bran such as insoluble fibre, magnesium, vitamins, and lignans (a group of chemical compounds acting as antioxidants). Insoluble fibre and magnesium, for instance, have been found to lower the risk of Type II diabetes. Unlike brown rice, polished rice has a high glycaemic index (an indicator of glucose-raising effect of a food) and is a major contributor of dietary glycaemic load. Higher dietary glycaemic load is generally associated with the increased risk of diabetes. Hence, the harmful effects of polishing are two-pronged — it removes the nutrients that would cut the risk of diabetes and at the same time pushes up the glycaemic index, thus increasing the risk of the disease. [Source]

Fitness Tips for Brides {Bridal Files}

· · 5 Comments

Simple routine changes in daily lifestyle can impact out fitness levels to a lot of extent. And, then, you really have to look fit and glowing on your D-Day. So, a little effort wouldn’t go amiss.
Sleep at 10 and wake up at 6
This is probably the best tip I can ever use on myself and give to someone. Why? Early Birds have benefits of controlled weight and higher energy levels and the skin also glows in better health.
I myself have seen difference in my skin when I used to sleep at 10. It revitalizes better if you sleep early. And, you don’t even have the danger of over-sleep because your daily need of sleep gets fulfilled by the time it is 6 or 7 in the morning. And, then, the early morning sun rays are really good for skin, hair and body overall.
Eat small and regular meals
Eating four times a day really helps your body’s metabolism and the better your body digests the food, the better it can extract nutrition from it and feed you from the inside. Make sure you take a lot of fiber and liquids as it is summers now. And, starch also doesn’t come amiss in this season so include rice in your diet. And, always chew your food properly before swallowing.
Breathe Deeply
It helps better intake of oxygen and improves the oxygen levels in the body which in turn helps in better functioning of the organs and better blood circulation. Also, it helps your brain function faster. Read more about how deep breathing helps the body here.
Hope these tips help you 🙂