Swathy and Sky

How much weight do you want to lose?

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Ok, so I came across a story of Isabelle Caro. I am not sure how many of you have read the story so I am recounting it for everyone. Isabelle Caro was a French model who died in November, 2010 due to anorexia. She was 28. Anorexia is an eating disorder caused by losing too much weight and not partaking proper nutrition to meet the daily dietary needs.

 
Isabelle Caro was anorexic since the age of 13 due to her personal life. And, when she joined modeling, she was advised to lose 10 kilos to survive in the fashion world. She had been hospitalized at the age of 20 for the first time. In 2006, she had slipped into coma where it was predicted that she would not survive. At that time, she was weighing only 25 kilograms. Since she recovered, she has been trying to gain weight and was weighing 33 at the time of her death. The video is an interview of Isabelle Caro with Jessica Simpson for the documentary series “The Price of Beauty.”
 
 
The idea of telling you this story was not to discourage modeling or to show the fashion world as an unsightly profession. This thing of losing weight runs much deeper than that. First reason is to fit into that favorite dress which is only available for a size 2 or 4. Or, to equate yourself to some sexy gal who might be luring the guy you have your heart set on. We all want to become thin.
 
Recently, my father went to Baba Ramdev’s shivir. He told me an amusing incident which happened there. One of the girls present there asked him how to go about losing weight. He asked her what her weight and height were. They were proportional and the reply given to her was “What more do you want to lose?”
 
I would not deny that even I was a part of this brigade until I joined my college. The girls in the school were athletically thin and I was not. So, people did make fun of me. I still had my baby fat. As a consequence, I did feel bad and tried to exercise but I am so irregular at that so I could never stick around with it. But, gradually, I lost my puppy fat and grew to be fine proportioned though still on the heavier side. But, as I reached college, I came to an equation with myself that I can never get thinner than what I was and my only vow at that time was to stay healthy and well-toned. I have always been healthy but even today I am struggling with the well-toned concept. But, definitely, I am a big foodie and have never given up on food. I have fasted a couple of Mondays in my life but they were never done with the viewpoint of losing weight. Instead, I always ended up eating more in the night. Peer pressure and societal strictures dictate our outlook at life.Not only those, genes can dictate your body type whether you would be anorexic or elephantine. And, of course, there is always a psychological background to it all. Be happy with what you have. When ever you feel like throwing up the food for the sake of losing weight, think about the people who have no access to the luxuries you take for granted and thus, suffer and die of hunger.And, I mean this from the bottom of my heart without sounding preachy. So, the summary of the story is that there is no point starving yourself to lose weight. Follow a healthy routine and you would definitely remain in shape. On that note, I am leaving you with an extremely shocking ad. Check it out for yourself.

 
 
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Hand Creams, Foot Creams, Eye Creams…How many?

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Hey Guys!!! Ok, so I am not officially back but could not stay away any more so posting today. So, the topic is a little disturbing. I have always been suspicious about the various products being handed over by the companies to us. If I stretch my memory, I can remember face moisturizers and body lotions had always existed. Over the years, there have been a plethora of products developed and launched – face creams, face serums, eye creams, hand creams, foot creams, body lotions, body moisturizers, night creams, day creams. Have I left out any? Please feel free to add to the list. Now, I do not blame the companies for doing so. They are doing business and have to earn profits. They will simply cash in on the confusion of their customers. I always get overwhelmed when I see the huge range of only body lotions lying in the counters. I am not even going to talk about the other skin care ranges. That will make my head whirl.

I have a couple of questions – Do we really need all those things? Are we supposed to use these things because the companies are developing the products for us? Do they develop them because we use them? How many creams are we supposed to put on our bodies? Probably in the future we will also get arm creams and leg creams because apparently they are the driest part of our bodies. And, then special creams for elbows and knees because they are even more different.
I have always been cynical about these products in the market and have never succumbed to their lure though I have always felt I should. But, then my budget and pondering on the question of necessity stops me. Ok, so you might argue that every body part is different and needs a customized care. According to me, skin needs to be treated nicely and every part of your body needs the same moisturizing products. If you look at natural products we use – oils, shea, cocoa butters, beeswax – they all work for all parts of the body without overwhelming any part. So, why the distinction among creams. Ok, I accept that eye area is the most sensitive part of the body so why not use eye creams. Oh, there is a difference in the thickness of the lotions in various products. So, does that mean that our moms have not cared for their eye areas well. According to me, they have great skin and they do not even do much. My mom has survived on a single medicated cream for the past 15 years and she has a beautiful clear skin. Even she goes in the sun without sunscreen but her skin does not look older than what her age is. Why have we suddenly become so crazy about not going in the sun? Past 15 years have grown the cosmetic industry into a bigger giant than it was and the reason is that we are succumbing to whatever they give us. And, after applying these many layers of products on the skin, we cry out saying it is blocking my pores or is comedogenic (I hope I have got the spelling right !!) or that my skin is looking aged and tired and dull or it is breaking out. How much can the skin take?? Show some mercy to it too. Because, after a layer of these products comes the make up.
Recently, I came across the review of two products in the blog “Chic and Green”. The writer of the blog, Karley, had reviewed a night cream from Burt’s Bees and a hand cream from Seed. Finally, the writer concluded by saying the hand cream worked as a better facial moisturizer than the night cream. Not that Karley was intending to use hand cream on her face, she had put it on her face when she had to rush out and had nothing on hand. So, what does that mean? Well, the efficacy of the product depends simply on what it contains not what it has been labeled for.
The goal of the post is not to say that you should not spend unnecessarily. If you really want to splurge, you should definitely because you would not feel satisfied if you do not get the thing you want. But, for people who have limited resources, do not think that you are losing out on something. Stick to one product which works for you. Spending on these many creams does not really do anything. At the end of the day, you will look older and wiser or younger and foolish because of the life you have chosen for yourself not because of the beauty products you have used. You want to have younger looking skin – check out your diet. That is the key to a Beautiful You.Also read:
Make it a habit to read the skin care and hair care product ingredients to choose your products
Do you check the expiry dates of your products?
Should you use a body cream or a body lotion?

Skin Cancer due to Genital Warts

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I have posted about warts long back but then I only thought that it is due to viral infection but did not think it was a deadly thing. But, I was just going through this article which mentions that the cause of skin cancer is supposed to be only sun exposure but genital warts are even more deadly then I had to write this post without delay. Most women die of genital skin cancer. The virus, human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes warts can also cause skin cancer. And, not only skin cancer but also cervical and anal cancers. Worse of all, your immediate family members are also at risk because the problem is contagious. So, in case you have genital warts and have not yet gone to a doctor, please do so and get your skin checked by them to ensure that you do not have any symptoms of skin cancer.