Hair care tips:

• Brush your hair regularly before going to bed each night. 
  
  
• Wash your hair with a mild shampoo. Use very little but enough to cover hair completely with lather. Use a conditioner to keep hair manageable.
  
  
• Avoid brushing wet hair. This will cause the hair to stretch and finally break. Finger-dry, or use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush to gently remove the knots. 
  
  
• Restrict blow-drying your hair. The process of blow-drying is harsh on hair as it robs it of moisture. 
  
  
• Avoid dyes. Use mehandi (henna) instead as a conditioner and colouring agent. 
  
  
• Take a calcium supplement or drink two glasses of milk a day. 
  
  
• Always hold hair dryer away from your hair. Direct air from the hair dryer down hair shaft and not directly into the roots and keep it moving. 
  
  
• After a perm, never brush your hair. Instead comb hair gently. 
  
  
• Trim your hair once in 7 weeks  to avoid split ends. 
  
  
• Avoid pulling back your hair tightly. 
  
  
• Never use a rubber band on your hair as it can pull and damage hair considerably. 
  
  
• Never go out in the sun without having your head covered. 
  
  
• Stimulate circulation by massaging your head with oil to which some vitamin E has been added. This will make hair soft and silky.  
  
  
• Never wash your hair with very hot or very cold water. 
  
  
• Learn to relax. Hair loss can happen because of stress. Eat foods that are rich in vitamin B, C and E. 
  
  
• Add iron and minerals in the natural form in your diet. 
  
  
• If your hair is oily, cut down on fried food and fat. Drink plenty of water.

5 ways to beat summer weight gain:

1. Get going with goals. When we don't have a plan, it's easy to spend summer moving from couch to computer, with regular stops at the fridge. Avoid this by aiming for a specific goal, like volunteering, mastering a new skill, or working at a job. Just be sure to plan for some downtime so you can relax a little!
2. Stick to a schedule. With school out, we lose our daily routines. If you don't have a specific job or activity to get up for, it's easy to sleep late, watch too much TV, and snack more than usual. Make sure your summer days have some structure — like getting up at the same time each day and eating meals at set times. Plan activities for specific times, like exercising before breakfast, for example. If you have time on your hands, offer to make dinner a couple of nights a week so your family can enjoy a sit-down meal together.
3. Stay busy. When we're bored, it's easy to fall into a trap of doing nothing and then feeling low on energy. In addition to helping you avoid the cookie jar, filling your days with stuff to do can give you a sense of accomplishment. That's especially true if a dream summer job or planned activity fell through. Limit your screen time — including IM and video games — to no more than 2 hours a day (write it in that schedule you put together!).
4. Beat the heat. Don't let summer heat put your exercise plans on hold. Move your workout indoors. If a gym isn't your scene, try bowling or an indoor climbing wall. If you love being outdoors, try joining a local pool or move a regular run or soccer game to early morning or evening.
5. Think about what (and how) you eat. Summer means picnics and barbecues — activities that revolve around an unlimited spread of food. Pace yourself. Don't overload your plate. Avoid going back for seconds and thirds. Choose seasonal, healthy foods like fresh fruit instead of high-sugar, high-fat desserts. Make catching up with family and friends your focus, not the food. Another good tip for summer eating is to limit frozen treats like ice cream to no more than once a week.

Meal - Planning tips

1. Serve larger portions, especially of high-kilojoule foods.


2. Enrich whole milk by adding a cup of dried milk to each litre.


3. Provide frequent snacks, such as dried fruit and nuts, toast with jam or honey, ice-cream, a peanut butter sandwich or pizza.


4. Offer a high-kilojoule snack shortly before bedtime.


5. Serve juices or nectars instead of water with meals.


6. Add extra eggs, which are easy to digest, to puddings, custards and smoothies.

Ten ways to cut saturated fat.

1. Choose low fat or reduced fat milk and yogurt. Limit cheese and ice-cream intake to twice a week. Avoid butter.


2. Choose lean meat and skinless chicken and remove visible fat. Avoid sausages and delicatessen meats such as salami.


3.Include fish, especially ocean fish, twice a week.


4.Include legumes(dried or canned beans)in two meals a week.


5.Cook with olive oil(or canola,peanut,sesame,sunflower or soy bean oil)instead of butter or margarine.


6.Snack on fresh fruit or nuts,especially almonds or walnuts.


7.Make vegetables and grain-based foods(bread,cereals,rice,pasta)the major part of every meal.


8.Make your own salad dressings using extra virgin olive oil,wine or cider vinegar oil or lemon juice,pepper and mustard.


9.Limit take-away foods to no more than once a week..where possible,select those with less fat    such as sushi or sashimi,or fresh salads or sandwiches.


10.Limit cakes,pastries,biscuits,chocolate,chips and crisps to no more than once a week.