Posts in category: Life Style

If you’re trying to build muscle tone or simply sharpen up your health, chances are you’ve come across amino acids. They’re often touted for everything from boosting metabolism and supporting mood to improving skin collagen and muscle growth. But what are they really, and do we get enough from food alone—especially if you’re vegetarian or vegan? And when does it make sense to consider a supplement? To find out, we spoke to Jo Woodhurst, nutritionist and director of nutrition at Ancient+Brave.

Why amino acids matter

Why are amino acids such a big deal for the body? Think of them as the “building blocks” of protein and protein itself as the scaffolding that holds us together. From repairing tissues to powering metabolic processes, proteins are behind almost every function that keeps us alive. Amino acids make that possible. Picture them as the alphabet: on their own they create letters with distinct roles–from producing hormones to regulating neurotransmitters—but when strung together, they form words (peptides) and eventually whole sentences (proteins) that carry out the body’s most intricate tasks.

What are essential amino acids?

Our body needs 20 different amino acids to function. Of those 20, nine are considered “essential” amino acids (EAAs) because the body doesn’t make them naturally. Instead, these nine essential amino acids must be consumed via food.

Each amino acid has different functions. When combined into a protein, the role expands further. The human body is believed to contain between 10,000 and 50,000 different proteins—each with a unique purpose, including:

• Structural materials such as muscles, skin, blood, ligaments, tendons, bones, collagen, and the walls of intestines and arteries.
• Enzymes that catalyse reactions essential for digestion, energy production and detoxification.

The nine essential amino acids are:

• phenylalanine
• isoleucine
• histidine
• leucine
• lysine
• methionine
• threonine
• tryptophan
• valine

What foods contain essential amino acids?

Essential amino acids cannot be produced by the body and must be consumed from the foods we eat. Luckily, plenty of foods that contain essential amino acids:

• Meat
• Fish
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Milk and dairy products
• Soybeans and derivatives (tofu, tempeh, miso)
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Hemp seeds
• Peanuts
• Peas

What are the non-essential amino acids?

If nine of the 20 amino acids can’t be made by the body naturally, that means the remaining eleven amino acids can. As you may have guessed, these eleven are thus called “non-essential amino acids”—not because they aren’t necessary, but because the body needs them conditionally, like during times of stress, illness, or intense physical demands such as pregnancy.

First come the clouds, then comes the hair fall. You find it on your pillow, in your brush or coiled around your bathroom drain. Monsoon hair fall isn’t just seasonal drama: it’s biology, scalp science, and sometimes, neglect. Rainwater dries on your roots, sebum gets trapped under sweat and your scalp turns into a damp buffet for fungal growth.

The good news is that it’s rarely permanent. The better news is that it doesn’t require a 12-step routine but a shift in how you care for your scalp when there’s high humidity.

Why monsoon hair fall happens in the first place

Monsoon hair fall can be a byproduct of humidity, inflammation and a disrupted scalp microbiome. “High humidity traps sweat and sebum, disrupting the scalp’s microbiome and encouraging overgrowth of Malassezia fungi and certain bacteria,” Dr Kalyani Deshmukh, dermatologist at Traya, tells Vogue India. “This leads to itching, inflammation and flaking. Think of your scalp in the monsoon as a tropical greenhouse—warm, damp and perfect for fungal overgrowth.”

And it’s not just seasonal chaos. As Dr Yogesh Gupta, celebrity skin expert and director of RSB Wellness Clinic, explains, your scalp is “a mini-ecosystem”—home to nearly 1,00,000 follicles and vulnerable to build-up from natural oils, sweat and product residue. “It’s important to treat the scalp like you’d treat your face.” Skipping too many wash days or letting rainwater dry on your scalp only worsens this imbalance.

How to reduce hair fall during the monsoon season

Clarify, don’t strip

Use a gentle exfoliating or clarifying shampoo once a week to dislodge build-up. Avoid harsh surfactants, but look for scalp-focused ingredients like salicylic acid, piroctone olamine or tea tree oil to counter fungal overgrowth.

Don’t let rainwater sit

Rainwater is often acidic and full of pollutants. Letting it dry on the scalp without rinsing can worsen flaking, itching and breakage. “Careful drying after every wash and avoiding rainwater on the scalp” are key steps, says Dr Deshmukh.

Keep conditioners off your roots

This should be the rule, regardless of the season. Apply conditioner only to mid-lengths and ends, and rinse thoroughly. If you have finer hair, a lightweight conditioner is enough. Skip leave-ins and heavy oils that weigh the scalp down or clog follicles.

Sunita Mani admits she’s easily starstruck. So, when the 38-year-old actor walked onto the set of The Roses, it was no surprise that she was overwhelmed. Directed by Jay Roach and boasting a star-studded cast including Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Samberg, Alison Janney, Ncuti Gatwa and more, Searchlight Pictures’ black comedy—based on the 1981 novel The War of the Roses—was without a doubt Mani’s dream gig. “I met Olivia, Ben and the whole production at this small dinner during my first week,” the Indian American actor recalls. “It was so surreal being on this side of the process after having consumed their work and been a fan for so long.”

Sunita Mani, Olivia Colman and Ncuti Gatwa in The Roses. Photo courtesy: ©Searchlight Pictures/Everett Collection

Mani appears in The Roses as Jane, a waitress (with perfect bangs) hired by Colman’s character, Ivy, at her newly-opened restaurant, We’ve Got Crabs!. Throughout the film, it becomes clear that she is not just Ivy’s employee but a close confidant as she spends several scenes glued to her boss and her onscreen colleague Jeffrey, played by Gatwa. “I’ve loved Ncuti so much on screen. I was really hoping we would click and we did,” Mani confesses earnestly. Despite it being a Sunday evening and her having a packed week ahead (“I have to get back to set straight from the film premiere”), the actor is radiant, enthusiastically remembering her time in London filming for The Roses, a little over a year ago. In the first week itself, she reveals, Colman, Gatwa and she ended up becoming a trio of sorts. “Just getting downtime with them while shooting helped me feel less nervous,” she reveals. “Olivia was so warm and fun, so British. We were having tea and scones together.”

Jeans that go viral and stay relevant are rare, but Uniqlo’s latest Curve jeans are proving to be just that. One can credit their popularity to the unisex silhouette, which leans into the popular baggy jeans styles that have proliferated heavily among the street-style set and content creators over recent years. The jeans feature a high waistband and a slight curve in the leg (hence the name) that subtly echoes the trending “horseshoe” shape of recent seasons – and like any good loose-fitting denim, the hemlines puddle perfectly around the ankle.

The curve jeans have already garnered a cult following on social feeds – and in the Vogue offices, multiple editors have already invested in them. If you feel inclined to welcome the Curve jeans into your wardrobe for the long term, see below some of our picks.

gul sohrab – Pistachio Gold Set

WASTED WRLD – Shokunin Denim

Givenchy- Mid-Rise Barrel-Leg Denim Cocoon Trousers

ALAIA- Barrel-Leg Round Denim Jeans

This article first appeared on Vogue.co.uk.

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Cosmic tip: You can heal past burdens with a new approach to life.

Sag, after a long period of rest, reflection and laying your swords down, you are ready to take charge. Your creative thinking ability is as high as your intuition. If you think you simply cannot select from the options available at your table now, rethink. You can let your active, action-oriented side take a back seat and allow your inner knowing to take charge. Your freedom lies on the other side of this bumpy ride. However stale, stagnant or disappointed you may be feeling beneath it all, remember that inner voice that is asking you to go on, will help you win.

Cosmic tip: Wishing for something to come alive in your life may need you to first listen to the prompts your heart is sending your way.

When you look into the ‘pensieve’ in your life currently, you will see shreds and remnants from your past in the form of people, patterns, habits or anything else. Now, Capricorn, you must realise one thing—you hold the choice to either repeat the past or to build afresh. You asked for this closing down, and your answers are here for you to claim. Now look into the far future and think of what you can and are willing to sustainably water over a period of time. It is okay to change your mind about the specifics along the way; however, what you are choosing now, ask yourself, is it something you may still want in the future in some capacity?

Cosmic tip: Keep facing your true north by cutting through the noise with your signature rationale and intuitive instinct.

Heart of heart-mind coherence, Aquarius? Try practising it today-inhale for 5 seconds and slowly exhale for 5 seconds, keeping your focus aligned with how the area in your heart feels. Now, Aquarius, here is one fact for you—the resonance field of what your heart craves when it is wide and open is way higher than what your brain and mind radiate at their optimum. Take this cue from the cosmos and fuse your heartfelt intentions with what your logic and intuition are asking you to do. When you follow the lead of your heart, you create magical opportunities not only for yourself personally, but also professionally, and in every other way.

Cosmic tip: Stand your ground, but stand at ease.

Overthinking may have got you spiralling down a rabbit hole you may feel queasy and uneasy about, Pisces. However, you know I always say—overthinking can be your superpower—how? You can choose to overthink about the solutions, the options available, the probable fantastic outcomes, but then also take action on them. Instead of drowning in a sea of worries, swim to the shore in your pool of endless possibilities. Get started with that idea and see where it takes you, and take one moment at a time to get by and keep moving. Your answers for freedom will arrive, and you will find justice and fairness being delivered your way—the point is, you must remember to keep swimming.

Cosmic tip: This new moon has seeded something in you—water it to make it grow.

Congratulations are in order for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

The pop superstar shared the news in an Instagram post on August 26, with a photograph of the couple surrounded by flowers. The caption read simply: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” Across the photos, Swift wore a striped Ralph Lauren dress and showed off her engagement ring, which featured a dazzling, elongated cushion-cut diamond.

Photo: Courtesy of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

The news comes nearly two years after they made their first public appearance as a couple in September 2023 at a Kansas City Chiefs game. Since then, the two have been constantly in the spotlight: Kelce is often in the audience during Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour concerts, while Swift memorably embraced Kelce on national television after he won the Super Bowl. (“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves, we’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care,” Taylor told Time after she was named Person of the Year. “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”) They are also frequently spotted out and about at restaurants in New York City.

Yet, despite their high profile, the two have been relatively low-key about their relationship itself. They’ve refrained from posting much on social media and have only briefly mentioned each other in interviews. “Obviously, I’ve never dated anyone with that kind of aura about them…. I’ve never dealt with it,” Kelce told JR Moehringer during an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “But at the same time, I’m not running away from any of it…. The scrutiny she gets, how much she has a magnifying glass on her, every single day, paparazzi outside her house, outside every restaurant she goes to, after every flight she gets off, and she’s just living, enjoying life. When she acts like that, I better not be the one acting all strange.”

Most recently, the couple made a joint appearance on the New Heights podcast hosted by Kelce’s brother Jason to announce Swift’s upcoming 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl. When will the world hear wedding bells? That remains to be seen. But Swift’s dedicated fanbase, the Swifties, will surely do some sleuthing.

This article first appeared on Vogue.com

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Giving the example of a client who wanted his gymnastics-loving daughter to learn the tabla as a musical gene ran in the family, clinical psychologist Dr Meghna Singhal explains how the girl saw pleasing her father as more important than her own desires, which ultimately eroded her sense of identity and left her unable to enjoy or master either of the two activities. “You can read your favourite Amar Chitra Katha to your four-year-old because that can spark interest. But insisting that they prefer it over Peppa Pig is not a good idea,” she explains. “In many Indian homes, parents try to pass on their own passions to their children, but enjoying it is framed as part of their duty. When your love for something becomes pressure, insistence or force, children begin to feel that parental love is conditional,” Singhal adds. Instead, she explains that allowing them to explore their own hobbies builds their self-confidence and strengthens the parent-child connection. “Even if they pick something different, celebrate their choices and show genuine interest. Keep the bond bigger than the hobby.”

It’s also important for parents to reflect on their own relationship with their hobbies to understand why using them to connect with their children matters so much. From Pilates and dance to outdoor sports, public relations professional Nimita A. Kapadia has always enjoyed physical activities and wanted her son to prioritise movement over screentime since his early years. To that end, she’s created mini obstacle courses for her 3.5-year-old at home, planned playtime on the jungle gym at parks and pencilled in dance sessions in the evenings after work. “We should lead with joy, not expectation. My son will happily climb, swing and slide on the jungle gym without hesitation, sometimes even teaching me his own moves. But if there’s a day he’s not in the mood, we skip it without fuss. For me, it’s more important to keep the association positive than to turn it into an obligation,” Kapadia shares.

Vasunia has simple tips for millennial parents wanting to share their hobbies with their children in a healthy manner: encourage them, make the activities fun, praise their progress, but also take time to work through any setbacks together. “Children value time with their parents, so make them feel like you’re creating something new together rather than asking them to fit into a part of your world,” she says.

Suhana Khan’s latest outing proves tweed doesn’t have to mean stiff suits or boardroom armour. In the hands of Sau Lee, the Hong Kong–based label known for splicing traditional craftsmanship with modern silhouettes, the fabric feels lighter, fresher, more city-chic.

Instagram.com/suhanakhan2

The co-ord set featured a cropped, long-sleeved jacket with hand-tied white pipa-knot closures, a signature of the label, and flap pockets, paired with a high-waisted mini skirt. Cut in tweed with a high slit, the ensemble is a nod to East-meets-West tailoring codes that Sau Lee often refines into eveningwear.

On paper, the combination recalled the primness of Chanel’s archival tweed suits, but in practice, the form looked far lighter and more lively. What could have easily veered into old-school territory was instead given a city-chic update. Mohit Rai’s styling loosened it up: the cream Hermès Kelly mini, an icon in its own right, added luxury without overpowering the look, while strappy Jacquemus heels cut through the primness.

Instagram.com/lensationnnnn

Her beauty notes were characteristically understated: bronzed skin, peach-gloss lips and mascara-heavy lashes. Hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with tousled ends for movement, loose wisps framing the face. Even her blush-pink nails echoed the unfussy mood. Nothing looked overworked, which is precisely why it landed.

From Vogue’s fashion desk

“Lean into the retro-preppy vibe. Pair the tweed set with sheer black tights and pointed pumps, then throw on oversized gold hoops. Keep the mini top-handle bag but wear the hair in a voluminous blowout. A headband is an option if you wanna go all out,” says Vogue India fashion associate Manglien Gangte.

Also read:

From trendy handbags to classic tweed jackets—all the times Ananya Panday wore Chanel

Tara Sutaria wore a white trench to add a dramatic flair to her monochrome co-ord set

Suhana Khan channels pin-up glamour in a Dolce & Gabbana corset and skirt