Hair tips and tricks...

• Rinse hair after washing with ice-cold water with a dash of lemon juice.
• Shampoo should not be used prodigiously. It is ever so much nicer to mix a little bit of it in a small bowl with water before, and then repeat this step if necessary. Same goes for conditioner.
• Apply oil to hair ends before washing. I like 1 teaspoon of almond oil mixed with a few drops of jojoba, laced with a couple of drops of jasmine oil for relaxing effect. 

Turning Japanese...

At the family table today, conversation veered unexpectedly towards a certain female acquaintance renowned for her desire to stay trim and slim. 

"Well, you know, she is very keen on maintaining a perfect figure. Diets and everything." 

This got me wondering. Normally you are supposed to diet, deprive yourself and fast virtuously, if you want to be fit/healthy/chic. An almost medieval and monastic attitude, if you ask me... 

By far, I infinitely prefer the Japanese approach. Not so long ago, I laid my mitts on a neat little book by Naomi Moriyama, named somewhat cheekily Japanese Women Don't get Old or Fat. Despite the comical over-generalised name, it contains delicious (and easy) recipes to try at home (try the toasted spinach one), and has a great philosophy on dieting - which somehow strikes me as much more chic, easy to follow and elf-like than scary visions of subsisting on an apple a day. 

I was glad to find out that some of the principles from the Japanese diet are something I have been (unwittingly) using already. Like eating only until 80 percent full rule. Or loving buckwheat (though I eat mine as a grain rather than in the noodle form). Other principles still are extremely adorable and just right to try in 2015: how about going the extra mile and making sure your food is aesthetically presented like an artwork... and the portion is much smaller and doll-like? 

And this is the author's website:

http://naomimoriyama.com/

Meanwhile... I guess I just like the Japanese approach when it comes to health and beauty so much (not to mention that it looks extremely Elvish and natural too) - that this blog should probably have a whole section on Japanese beauty secrets! What do you think? 

Diet choices, wise choices... or Going out, staying fit.

My first hurdle in the first month of my challenge came today. Namely - how do you ensure that you keep your diet choices healthy and beneficial for you, when travelling, going out, being far from home, and so on? 

Last year was all about travel for me. 2014 was the year of the Horse - and boy, didn't this pony have to travel a lot! Commuting by over-crowded trains, hopping on and off inter-city coaches, setting up camp in rented accommodation and scouring strange sandwich shops or cafes for a (very) late evening substitution for dinner. And whilst it may have been an exciting time in many respects, it would have hardly done oodles of good to my overall health. 

The biggest culprit messing up the usual healthy eating style (for me personally) is dining out. Sometimes it feels a tad rude and joyless scouring the menu endlessly for the healthiest option, so you just pick whatever looks familiar, and voila! And then, of course, the desire to try something new and exotic... 

Overhauling my diet plan this year, my strategy when faced with a multitudinous array of temptations on an evening out is to look through the menu and immediately pick out the healthiest option (which I may not otherwise order). After all, it's fun to try new stuff rather than settling for old favourites! And no, it's not about eating salad all the time. If you have very specific diet goals, you can then scan the menu and at once see what would suit you best. 

My food goals for this year are:

• Less sugar (or cut down on it completely)
• Be mindful about gluten and white carbs 
• Go vegetarian whenever possible
• Ensure the portions are smaller 

So, it is all about tiny changes. Choosing figs in cinnamon syrup over a creamy fat slice of cake; a vegetable curry instead of lamb; no need to feel deprived and miserable, but doing infinitely better for my body. 

By the way, now it's middle of winter, opting for a salad is not necessarily the best option there is. With my northern ancestry, I have only been too aware that if we are in the northern hemisphere instead of a sunny beach in Thailand, food which is actually cooked (and warm) may in the long run do better for your metabolism. No need to reach for pizza either - just order that gluten-free vegetable lasagne, drink some herbal tea, and brave the colds with smugness. 

January Blues: or the month where I am going all-out Gwyneth.

It's January.

Peeking out my head from the cosy duvets of general wintery lackadaisicalness, I have decided (of course, no surprises here) that the first month of the year, kicking off my "12 months of Chic" experimental blog, would be dedicated - yes you have heard it - detoxing, wellness, and so forth. There is something tres chic in doing yoga stretches at 6 in the morning with the sombre English winter in all its beauty outside the window. Not to mention the more pragmatic fact that before we start attending to all the other areas of my life, it would only be sensible to ensure that my health won't let me down at the time when it's least desirable. After all, if you are starting on a journey which is likely to take more than a few hours, you'd better check if the car is up and running okay. 

There is lots of info floating about the web at the moment, all dedicated to the same topic of detoxing. Some of which is sensible, other still is a complete pile of, ahem, bovine manure, and other yet still is practical and good, only is so plainly obvious that we would not think of it. There is, of course, the ubiquitous Goop website, with its delightfully Elf-sounding, multi-ingrediented, seemingly simple (or complex?) recipes. Would I be hunting for kabocha and arugula in my local corner shop? Maybe I would... 

However, before the juicer and blender come out to play, let me briefly list my health goals for this year. 

• Maintain my general health and well-being in good condition, so that I can fully enjoy and participate in life. 
• Stronger immune system, being resistant to colds, infections and bugs (ah, the joys of public transport!).
• Healthy well-maintained skin, with adequate skincare regime which does not cost too much, or take lots of time. There are better things to life than making weird masks out of mushed tomato and yukky green clay... 
• Longer, shinier, healthier hair. There's no limit to perfection!
• Body - I guess I'd stick with maintaining a defined hourglass shape, and staying within a healthy BMI range. Trying to become Kate Moss won't work... 
• Better posture and maintained physical grace when moving, walking, dancing, etc. Being fit and agile.

In short, I guess the summary of my goals would be to become a bit of an Elf - agile, fit, resistant to nasty bugs and colds, looking great without too much help from the makeup department, and with fantastic hair to boot... 

Introduction... or what it is all about.

  Ok... as you know, most things have labels on them, telling you what chemicals they contain, if there are any allergens in them, or maybe even if they have been ethically sourced. And this blog is no exception. 

  Having found myself at the dawn of 2015, champagne glass in hand, staring at the fireworks and suddenly having a great deal of freedom on my hands (from university deadlines, essays that have to be handed in on this particular day sharp, or any similar administrative kerfuffle), I have decided to embark on a new project, which would hopefully bring in new experiences, friendships and other good things, whilst tending to all of the areas in life I might not have been giving as much thought to. Sounds like fun? 

For this project, I decided to split 2015 into 12 sections (months, more like it), each of which is going to be dedicated to a particular sphere or area of my life, to be improved/updated/simply revamped. Having always fancied myself as a bit of a life coach, I decided to try my system on myself first of all... at any rate, I am definitely excited about what it may bring me! 

Stay in touch for more stories, inspiration and excitement...