CHENNAI : After much time and careful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that a section of my memoir will be entitled The Ravioli Years. I know how this sounds. “Oh how romantic! This is about the part of her life where she learned how to make ravioli by hand. This was when she lived in Italy, and became fast friends with an old Italian grandmother who passed on an age-old recipe in broken English. Now this authentic wisdom must live in her mind and heart and she will use it to feed her future offspring. Wow, how authentic! Sounds so cute and dreamy.”
Nope, that is not what The Ravioli Years are like.
You see, I’ve spent a large portion of last week eating pre-packaged ravioli from the grocery store with a jar of shelf-stable sauce and call it lunch. (Yes, I’m aware that doesn’t completely make it The Ravioli “Years” but who’s really verifying my dietary details here?) Just boiled Ravioli and jarred sauce. The Ravioli Years were not romantic. They were kind of tragic.
Store-bought ravioli isn’t all that terrible. Sure, I’m in Italy and all I really need to do is go to the bistro down my street for a delicious meal. I will not defend my decisions here, (you will have to read the memoir for that) though I will tell you that this hasn’t been a very good one. The first thing to go out the window were my energy levels, shortly followed by the fantastic glow that comes from being a well-fed happy camper.
Thankfully, there are a bevy of ingredients that I incorporated to improve lustreless skin — my favourites being antioxidants and hyaluronic acids. This particular acid is a water-loving godsend that is great for skin renewal and dryness. It also sits well under make-up, which I don’t find in a lot of other acids. Vitamin C is another hot-favourite of mine, though I’ve noticed that topical remedies take longer to make a difference. There are no overnight miracles when it comes to skincare, so it’s key to stick to a product for at least a month before making a change. I take 1,000 mg of effervescent Vitamin C tablets every few days which does miracles. For both my skin and overall health. As Mama Chawla always says, it’s all about what you put on the inside!
What took me most by surprise is how my diet had an instantaneous impact on my skin. While these acids and serums might fix the issue for now, I shall go back to eating my greens like an unruly horse and giving myself enough rest. That is the only real way to look better. In the spirit of Christmas and true Italian excellence, I also made a fun Italian disco playlist (absolutely free of charge!) which you can write to me for. You’re welcome.