Decoding a spa menu is all about picking the right kind of massage that your body needs

Whether you’re looking at a massage for fun or for therapy, it’s important to understand what your body needs.We spoke to experts, Dr Issac Mathai, holistic health expert and founder of Soukya International 

Holistic Health Centre, Bengaluru, and Ritu Srivastava, spa manager, Kaya Kalp, ITC Grand Bharat, Gurgaon, who helped us decode all the jargon and explain the techniques. Here’s all that you need to bear in mind while looking for a massage:

To relax sore muscles

If the soreness is a result of exertion, perhaps a long journey or even working out, try an aromatherapy massage. Dr Mathai suggests you pick from lemongrass, calendula or eucalyptus oil, all of which help release tension in the muscles.

But if you’d rather go the Ayurveda way, Srivastava suggests the Choorna Swedanam, a poultice massage with neem, castor, tamarind and rock salt.These ingredients, in combination, create a warming effect, thereby relaxing sore muscles and improving flexibility.

To rid yourself of stress

“Lemongrass, orange and lime are all calming essential oils,” says Dr Mathai. “Especially lime, which is why it is also used to relieve nausea and motion sickness. It calms the nerves and relaxes the body.”

He suggests a light aromatherapy massage with any of these oils.

Also effective is the full-body Abhyanga massage.

“A light-pressure massage, with flowing strokes, the Abhyanga uses a coconut and sesame-based oil. This treatment relaxes the body, eliminates toxins and improves sleep patterns.”

To ease heavy-duty physical training

If you’re training for a marathon or an intense hike, you need to show your muscles some extra love. “Not only does a massage relax tense muscles, it also aids in building muscle tone,” says Dr Mathai. “A simple massage, which is soft and relaxing, with arnica oil, works extremely well.” A deep-tissue massage is great, too. “It reaches the tension-retaining areas of the muscle tissues of the back, neck, shoulders and legs,” says Srivastava. But opt for it only if you have been getting regular massages.

To get your zzzs

If you’re battling insomnia, opt for a detoxifying treatment. One of the best-known treatments for sleep (and also hormonal) issues is the Shirodhara. “A steady stream of lukewarm ksheerabala herbal oil is poured onto the point where the proverbial third eye is located,” explains Srivastava. “We start with a relaxing head massage, followed by a warm-up body massage, and then, the oil-pouring process begins.”

To protect mental health

“Shirodhara has been effectively used to relieve conditions such as anxiety, depression and memory loss,” says Srivastava. “The pouring of the warm medicinal oil nourishes the brain cells and stimulates the hormonal —hypothalamus and pituitary — glands, located in the brain.” To counter depression, you can also opt for regular massages with jasmine essential oil. “Jasmine stimulates the brain, so helps fight depression,” explains Dr Mathai.

To aid in weight loss

Srivastava recommends Pizhichil, wherein, a warm herbal oil is poured over the body, in a rhythmic movement, to stimulate the digestive system and control the digestive secretions, which helps improve metabolism. If you’re looking to lose weight, post-baby, there is a proper protocol for it, in Ayurveda, says Dr Mathai. “However, this is a therapeutic treatment and must be done under proper guidance. You can start around two weeks post a normal delivery, but you need to wait at least three months, if you’ve had a C-section,” he adds. “This combination of oil and herbal water helps tone the abdominal region, and reduce fat deposits.”

To get away from the world

If you’re going to a spa, Srivastava suggests you pick an uplifting combination of a scrub and a massage, such as pomegranate and lime, that will relax you and that also has beauty benefits. If you’re getting the massage at home, by a therapist, or a traditional maalishwali, Dr Mathai suggests that you avoid too much pressure, and stick to coconut or olive oil.

go for mason jar lunches for a whole stash of essential nutrients that look and taste good

A whole stash of essential nutrients that look and taste good. Move over Mason jar lunches. The Buddha bowl is claiming lunch and dinner menus in restaurants and cafes world over, and is being lapped up and marketed as a fabulous ‘new’ way to eat. The concept is not altogether new.

Everything from Burmese khow suey to Hawaiian poke and Indian khichri is really a meal in a bowl.

So what’s so hot about the Buddha bowl? The fact that it conserves resources by minimising food waste as well as fuel. People are more likely to put a healthy mix of grain, fruit and veg in a bowl than fried chicken, which would stick out like a sore thumb! Plus, it’s the perfect makeover for leftover food.

But there’s more.

You eat just the right amount. If the idea doesn’t grab you instantly, give over at least two meals in your week to this way of eating. They offer your whole family an opportunity to get creative and explore the kitchen; they also help you discover tastes, as you mix a little of this and a little of that. Boiled chickpeas get interesting with roasted red pepper and crumbled feta.

Exploit the variety. Most chefs love bowl meals, as they are customisable and versatile enough to eat every day. Not only do they offer variety and a chance to use interesting (exotic) ingredients in small quantities, but they are also a great way to blend multiple flavours in a single dish: think roast chicken over red rice with plum sauce, sesame seeds and fresh red chilli.

Plus, they can be tailored to individual preferences — skip the plum sauce and drizzle with stock, for a child who doesn’t like the clumpi-ness of the plum.

Build a bowl. They are quick and easy to cook. Choose a grain, a green and a bean (or a meat). You can do them as a salad with a dressing or as a meal with a gravy. For a salad, start with a base of vegetables (any mix), add a protein (cheese, legumes, chicken), then add a dressing and seasoning.

It’s perfect office fare. For dinner, layer ingredients in a bake-proof bowl and bung it in the oven for an hour until you’re ready. Try mashed potato, crumbled paneer seasoned with garlic powder, and topped with thin brinjal slices. Once it’s out, add a dollop of salsa.

Balance the meal. A bowl is a great way of getting your proteins, carbs, fibre and nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in the right proportion. Even if you’re doing a snack in a bowl, with roasted beaten or puffed rice, you could add in a little shredded carrot, some peanuts and a green chutney, and so up the nutrient quotient. Or a breakfast bowl: muesli, yoghurt, fruit and honey.

The good thing is that if you feel you’re missing out on a nutrient, you can simply plop it in. For instance, if you’ve got corn, tomato, onion, olive oil and lime juice in, and you feel you’re missing a protein, boil an egg and toss it in. Want a sweet element instead? Throw in some raisins.

Try out something new. Since you’re experimenting, go the whole way, by introducing something from another culture. Gujarati Undhiyu is a one-pot delicious hearty meal, mostly cooked in winter. A combination of root vegetables like yam, sweet potato and potato, it sometimes has brinjal, gourds and peas too. It’s all cooked in a coconut-based curry in an earthen pot, sealed and placed upside down in a fire pit. You could try the kitchen version to pour over rice. Another idea: cooked amaranth and veggies with tofu and tahini.

The writer is a nutritionist, weight management consultant and health writer based in Delhi. She is the author of Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People

Nurpu.

loom sounds were an integral part of 1010 Colony, a village in Erode district, two decades ago. But, IT professional-turned-entrepreneur C Sivagurunathan is gradually rousing the looms from their sleep through his venture, Nurpu.

According to Sivaguru, it is a fabric that breathes and is ideal for our weather. By wearing the fabric, we not only support an eco-friendly lifestyle, but several families of weavers. For details, visit https://www.face book .com/Nurpuhandlooms

Sivaguru markets his products through social media and in places such as Chennai to create demand. Once that’s set, his profit will be divided amongst the weavers and himself.“I visited Arachalur, Kangeyam, Chennimalai, Kallipatti...

“I visited the Janapada Seva Trust’s weaving centre and school for weavers in Melkote in Karnataka,” says Sivaguru. “It was an eye-opener.” He saw how the Trust worked with 10 women weavers. “Their curriculum consists of the kind of thread, the tools to be used...”

Sivaguru wants to follow their system of rewarding weavers. “I hope to establish a school for weavers as well,” he says. Right now, though, he is busy taking Nurpu’s products to cityfolk. “We weave khadi saris, dupattas, running fabric, dhotis and towels,” he says. Extracting an earthy-brown dupatta with a tie-and-dye pattern at the border, he explains how its colour came from the kadukkai seed. “For pink, we use pomegranate seeds and onions. We extract dyes from flowers and plants for various shades,” he explains.

Sivaguru knows he will have a tough time convincing each of the families in 1010 Colony to get back to weaving. “But, if we give them an idea of what they can earn in Nurpu’s system, I’m sure we can revive what was lost.”

Ajinomoto India factory.

Andha Japan companies-ah…ipdi ponga (Head this way to reach the Japanese companies),” says a guard. He might as well have said just ‘Japan’. For, OneHub Chennai – a sprawling 400-acre project – is practically a Japanese enclave, housing companies such as Hitachi, Takasago and Ajinomoto.

“The main challenge before us is to dispel common misconceptions by giving facts to the general public,” says Mishuku.

monosodium glutamate (MSG) Enjoy the fried rice at the small Chinese restaurant down the road? Its flavours have probably been rounded and amplified by Ajinomoto’s MSG.

jackfruit, taro, colocasia leaves

I am particularly overjoyed when nutrition advocates and doctors suggest going native when it comes to planning meals. An article by Rujuta Diwekar on the benefits of jackfruit seeds in particular, has me thrilled. Not because she speaks positively about jackfruit seeds as a superfood, but because, this is also one of the dishes I love eating. It is healthy and a powerhouse of nutrition, but it is also really tasty.

To me, the seeds of the jackfruit are more alluring than the fruit itself. Memories of dishes where the jackfruit seed was the star surface when I look at stalls selling the fruit: From roasted jackfruit seed chutney, to jackfruit seeds in tangy curries with colocasia stems and leaves.

Tender colocasia leaves or taro leaves cooked with jackfruit seeds and finished with a gentle squeeze of lemon is a dish hard to resist. Taro leaves, though found all through the year, are best consumed during the hot, dry months. The heart-shaped leaves aren’t difficult to identify. Attached to a thick stem, they are easy to cook and are rich in dietary supplements.

Benefits

Taro leaves are a rich source of protein, ascorbic acid, dietary fibre, and other important minerals, including thiamin, riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, copper, and manganese.

Some studies have suggested that they also have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, and they are supposed to be one of the oldest-known vegetables.

As I recently discussed recipes with friends over lunch, I learnt that taro leaves, besides being a natural provider of iodine, are also consumed because they help in healing urinary tract-related issues. Jackfruit seeds, on the other hand, are high in many mineral content and a good source of protein and dietary fibre.

Taro leaves are a rich source of protein, ascorbic acid, dietary fibre, and other important minerals