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From the Archives : Do you clean your tongue? {Oral Hygiene}

Swathy · September 22, 2013 · 2 Comments

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I wanted to talk about how to detox your body and then, I came across an article which said that tongue cleaning was a habit which has been carried out since centuries and it actually has a great importance for our body according to Ayurveda.

I was a little surprised to read that because I had always thought of it as a habit which has to be carried daily after we brush our teeth and I thought its importance was limited only to hygienic purposes. But, what I came to learn about was that it is one of the ways to help our body get rid of toxins.

The question which pops to our minds is How?
During our sleep, body gets rid of all the toxins in our body, right. So, how do all these toxins get out of our body? Sweat, urination or excretion. Yes. But, some of the toxins also get deposited as a film on our tongue. So comes the ritual of tongue scraping in the morning to remove this film of toxins.

The bacteria present in these toxins are also the cause of bad breath. And, they prevent our taste buds from getting a proper taste of the food. How? Because, they get deposited continuously and if not cleaned, the deposits can become pretty thick and the food we eat is not actually tasted by our taste buds.

Ultimately, we do not get the feeling of satiety which the taste buds trigger to the brain because taste buds do not know that we are eating. So, we end up overeating and gaining weight in the process. So, I hope you realize how important it is for us to clean our tongues everyday.

Now, how do you clean your tongue? Using a plastic tongue scraper or your brush? Well, both of the methods are not advisable. Plastic is not good for health and the brush actually does not clean the tongue. It just disturbs the bacteria and sometimes, the bacteria can begin breeding in the brush too which is definitely not good for your dental health.

So, you should use a tongue scraper made of stainless steel or brass to avoid toxicity from metals. Be gentle while using the scraper but firmly remove the debris from your mouth. Hold the scraper on both sides and place it at the back of the tongue near the tonsils and start scraping from there. Repeat the movements 5 times. Clean the scraper properly and disinfect it occasionally using baking soda.

Today’s Lesson: Detox your body by making tongue scraping a habit.

So, do you clean your tongue?

Blogger Series Vol. 15 – Continuing with Monetization Methods!

Swathy · September 19, 2013 · Leave a Comment

So, last time, I had mentioned how I monetize my blog. Let me talk about various things which you can do. The list is exhaustive but I am going to talk only about things which actually appeal to me or I have a bit of experience with.

Sponsored Posts

Yes, this is one of the simplest way to earn quick bucks. The company contacts you and asks you to write a post. You negotiate the price and deliver the post by the said date. It pays well if you have a good page rank and fan following for your blog. More the reach, more you can charge.

But, the method has some serious drawbacks. Not all readers are happy with sponsored posts. Such a post can end up looking very advertising without any benefit for the reader. Excess of such posts can cause a fall in the readership. And, worse of all, the brand approaching you might not be related to your niche which is a waste. And, the last is quality of the website you will link back to.

So, before you start negotiating, do a proper research on the company, its product and if possible, try it out before doing a post on it. But, maximum sponsored posts are on services or websites which you might not always be able to give a try. So, the best option there remains to weave a creative and useful post around the theme of the product so that you can provide one unobtrusive link in between somewhere.

sorry but this is not possible in virtual world 😀

Also, be sure that the company is gonna pay you for the services. It is always good to get the payment before the post goes live. Otherwise, they might never respond back. Some companies approach the big bloggers directly for sponsored posts but for regular bloggers, you can check out sponsoredreviews.com and payperpost.com which provides an interface between the brands and bloggers and takes a commission from the amount you earn.

Ad Networks

Infolinks is not the only one which provides contextual links. There are small ad networks (generally closed) which when joined ask for the best ad space on your blog and pay you on the amount you fix (if they think it is worth it!) One which I know is blogher network which allows only women to join. But, I think googling would reveal a lot more.

Adspace Renting or Text Links in the Posts

Sometimes some companies may just approach you for adspace renting or would ask you to place some text links in some of your posts or insert some keywords with links.

You can rent out the ad spaces to them and charge them depending on the placement of the ad and the ad unit size. The only issue with such kind of collaborations is that you have to be extremely careful of the kind of websites you are linking to.

These are the ones I can remember right away. I shall put up ones I recall in another post!! So, what are your monetizing methods?

From the Archives : Acne – Home Remedies {DIY}

Swathy · September 19, 2013 · 12 Comments

Yesterday, I talked about how to take care of your skin and keep hygiene for preventing more acne outbreaks. Today, I would like to talk about some effective home remedies for acne. Hope these will be helpful for you.

Lemon juice is one of the best bets. It kills the bacteria in the acne and also reduces the oil production on the skin. In fact, all the citrus fruit family is great for acne. Oranges, strawberries, raspberries; take a slice of them every time you eat a fruit and rub it over your face and other affected parts of the body and keep it on till it dries off. Wash with very cold water so that it gives some relief from any burning or tingling sensation.

When I talked about lemon, tomato is the next follow up. Tomato juice is also equally effective for acne.

Remember one thing: Whenever you feel a tingling sensation after you apply any herbal or other product, it is a proof that it is working. If it starts irritating the skin or causes change in skin color, then it is probably time to get rid of the product or remedy.

Onion Juice and Ginger Juice is another great remedy for acne. Extract onion juice or ginger juice or cut a slice of onion or ginger and apply it on the affected parts. Wash off with cool water. You can even mix both of them.

To reduce any burning sensation or inflammation, use cooled tea bags and chilled cucumber slices. They provide a lot of relaxation. You can also apply sandalwood paste. It cools the skin and is an antiseptic. Mint juice is also very useful in dealing with the acne.

Mix 3/4th part of sandalwood and 1/4th part of turmeric. Make a paste with any fruit juice or mint juice and apply to the affected parts.

How could I forget aloevera gel. Plant an aloe at home and reap its benefits. The gel straight from the plant is great for acne.

Do not forget to use pomegranates. They too give you a lovely acne free skin.

You can also use something which will provide a cooling sensation or relief to the acne.

What home remedies do you use for your skin?