Natural Green Remedies

Green Remedies Alternative Energy Reaource

2011-02-21T00:17:00.002+05:30

The importance of renewable source of energy has been time and again stressed upon by us here at green remedies as they are not only very nature friendly and supports the Eco system , it also takes the load of from the replenish able sources of energy. We should always use energy sources renewable or otherwise as per our needs and not waste them. Go green electricity is one such campaign which focuses on people to preserve and use electricity as per their needs and not waste it , common example of such wastage being

Keeping the fan/AC on even when not in room
Keeping extension boards and mobile charges plugged in even when not in use ( this is very small negligence which can be easily avoided )
Keeping the all the lights switched on always
Improper usage of geyser, washing machine etc.

We should take of such simple ways to curb our electricity bills and conserve electricity as well . Maybe most of us are not aware but currently we are supplied electricity by our government at a subsidised rate to help us improve our living standards , but very soon if we continue to misuse electricity we will have to the actual high rates of electricity which for a normal penthouse with 4 occupants can go from 300 USD to 500USD.

If we keep this figures in mind we see this as a major expense in our monthly bills which can be cut a lot short if we all maintain a little more respect for electricity , it is important for everyone that they should manage things well with electricity. One should use all recognized products and equipments which are good with electricity for example they should only use the recognized products of which are marked by CE, also what can be done is especially if you own a mid size business or industrial unit is that get our power sources from a correct electricity dealers as you can make a great saving if you use cheap electricity providing companies, we already have such cheap electricity companies in Texas and many business owners are using it to their best potential , I will say be smart, stay smart and use electricity smartly.

Green Remedies Health Insurance Coverage

2011-01-25T00:23:00.006+05:30

Health Is Wealth ,goes a very old saying and as rightly said as its we the human who have made everything as long as they have their health as top priority. The key to good health is living a organic life and having a good diet and eating Healthy foods for Healthy Living , yoga helps a long way but we need to always have to have a back up plan in case our health falls or starts deteriorating with time, then the only way is to secure your health with affordable medical insurance .

Though there are many sorts of health insurance and most of them only covers fatal, near fatal and require a certain gestation period in hospital before they shall cover it. Hence getting a cheap full coverage health insurance is a key factor where there are family cover options at a low premium price along with dental coverage plans as well. Checking the online website of insurance providers I found medicalhealthinsurancetoday.com has a very professional layout, they provide free quotations and comprasion with five major insurance providers and such comprasion helps us get the best suitable affordable health insurance self employed. They provide long term, short term,business ,medicare insurance coverages. Medicare is a fee-for-service insurance provided by hospitals as well private doctors. It actually covers a number of health care services and certain drugs for this you have to pay a low monthly premium to the Insurance company offer. You can go to any doctor for your checkups, consultation etc and pay the amount through your card and make the co-payment by the medi-care plan. Business plan or know as corporate plans are the one in which a firm insures all its worker and assets so that they can get health benefits and also insures that their worker can get speedy recovery so that the firm's growth does not get shunted by health reasons.

.There website has a lot of literature and articles on insurance to help us understand us and normal people to understand the complexity of health insurance in a little more simplified way.Check their website for more information and details.

Natural home remedies for High blood pressure

2009-11-10T09:29:00.002+05:30

High blood pressure effects 3 out of every 5 men over the age of 40. Now the high blood pressure is started mounting on young people as well due to the stressful environment, polluted surroundings and very lazy lifestyle along with the unhealthy diet. These things causes high blood pressure. High blood pressure has no cure as such there are no pills to cure it maybe just curb it but it soon jumps right back at you if you dont a strict and stressful life . Natural way to control blood pressure is the best procedure here we shall tell you some of those methods.

Researchers from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil found that single session-3 sets of 6 low intensity resistance exercises of lifting weights can lower down blood pressure numbers and in the process reduce the heart risk as well. It is explained as lifting weights make our blood pressure increase temporarily. This cause the blood vessels to expand. This effect may last for a hours. This effects can make our heart to pump blood and ultimately lowering the blood pressure for a long period of time , if the exercise is done regularly then the pressure can be reduced permanently. So not just Cardio even lifting weights in proper proportions helps in improving our heart and blood pressure condition.

Natural prevention from infection and virus

2009-09-29T09:22:00.000+05:30

Prevention is better than cure, off late the H1N1 virus has again started created a big trouble for all people more so for the non-veg diet people, often such endemics start not too long ago bird flu was a big menace and now is swine flu. Some easy natural ways to fight daily infection and virus are.

3 main preventions for protecting yourself any Virus:

* Wash Hands
* Cover Nose and Mouth
* Minimize physical contact with people or public

Washing Hands

Wash hands often with soap or antiseptic. As hand washing facilities are not available, use an appropriate antiseptic hand cleaner or antiseptic towelettes.

Always remember to wash hand when :

* After going to washroom/toilets
* Before meal
* Before and when ready foods
* After exposed/touch with raw material, contaminated surface, face, nose , ear and other part of the body
* Anytime if you think the effort washing hands.

Many pandemics do not have any specific vaccine or cure is discovered till date as per the norms of WHO as for example influenza. Personal hygiene plays important roles in preventing from infection of this viral infection. Below are few steps which can be used by everyone for preventing purposes.

Natural healthy way to reduce fat Blueberries

2009-09-24T09:09:00.000+05:30

Obesity is the biggest problem of the present generation, more than 50% of alignment today are related to being overweight. It has been found that overweight people have a average life expectancy 6 years less that of fit human being. The fast food and snacking culture has only taken this obesity problem to children which makes matter worse. Though the internet and market has umpteen number of advises and tricks, most are either come with lots of toxic side effects and other require excruciating amount of physical endurance. Though we have found simple natural and home remedies which when followed shall in cutting your fat and over weight problems. read on for the tip

A path breaking research in 2009 reveled that taking Blueberries regularly can help us to lose abdominal fats.It has been showed that blueberries have a high content of antioxidant which changes the way the body assimilates glucose and sugar for energy, and hence cuts down the most of fat accumulated in abdominal region due to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It also advised that natural ones are the best and processed one are not as effective due the amount of preservatives added to it makes it very less effective.

Yoga Prayanam for natural healthy living

2009-09-11T08:59:00.000+05:30

Today the power of ancient Indian art of meditation YOGA is know to one and all. Big celebrities and starlets of west and Hollywood have been imbibed this yoga culture for what not be it relaxation, mental peace, dieting, rehab and even concentration. Yoga does mental exercise and makes our bodies fit. The most famous and easy to do of all yoga exercises is PRAYANAM.

PRAYANAM is the most basic and most effective of all yoga exercise and proves beneficial in one all conditions. Usually it is done in the morning in open air if possible for abouit 5-10 minutes.

The procedure for PRAYANAM is:

Set up your yoga mat and sit in the clean air in early morning air or evening. Take deep breath and release one by one from each nostrils slowly, pressing one nostril with your thumb and releasing from others. Repeat it 10 times. You would not only be charged up but also increase metabolism and makes you more charged up for the rest of the day.

Natural Gardening tips, tricks and remedies

2009-08-21T22:03:00.000+05:30

Gardening is becoming a very popular activity and some people have started taking tit much more seriously than just a time pass, hobby or a mid life crisis saviour. For all the plant and green lovers this is best way to help yourself and the mother earth as well. To ensure that your plants and flowers grow into healthy saplings in no time we should ensure to get the best quality seeds and give the good manures to the ground. Chemical Fertilizers are not been effective and leave a toxic waste in the ground which is most of the times more harmful than other. Natural manures are best fertilizers of all and helps the plants to grow fast and healthiest with no adverse effects at all.

Use crushed vitamins in our plants roots to the herbs and veggies grow the best.Though there is one more secret tips of natural home gardening I shall tell you today Use Children's Vitamins, for the very reason that they are much more soluble than adult vitamins. They do not have the "coating" that never dissolves and ensure no wastage at all, nor does it have any added colors etc to harm your plants. Crush the vitamins tablets and dissolve in your room temperature water and then feed this water to the plants.

If your gardens is having a lot of unneeded growth and weeds all around it , thanks to the great fertlizers tips we have just given you .The just use Vinegar, it kills annoying weeds within two or three dosages. Simply add vinegar to a spray bottle and spary it on undesired weeds. Works very well on weeds in sidewalk cracks , shrubs and climbers. Be careful not to spray any plants or grass that you don’t want to be killed. Just make sure not to spray Vinegar on to your ground every day, atleast 2 days gaps shoould be maintained so that the ground doesnt turn acidic.

Natural home remedy for pests and mosquitoes

2009-08-15T21:33:00.002+05:30

mosquitoes , flies and various other types of files are very troublesome and it has been found to be the biggest source of contamination and infection. These flies and mosquitoes are the biggest carrier of air borne diseases. Malaria and Dengue are accused by these flies as well. Apart from flies pests are a big menace as well if not to people mostly to crops , vegetation and is often seen more in countryside. Worry not all such trouble makers can be easily be kept at bay with simple home remedies for pests and mosquitoes which wont take more than 5 minutes of your time.Read on for the tips

For the mosquitoes all you have to do is use Listerine or any other mouth wash which suits you. Add this mouth wash in a spray type bottle, and spray on your porch, or wherever the mosquitoes are forming their hub and they should go away, though not as effective like this but you can use vinegar as well as a home remedy for mosquitoes

If you have a lwan or own a kitchen vegetation in your backyard and have had pest bugging it then try this small trick to do away with all pests from your gardens.Just Sprinkle some powdered milk all over the plants more so at the roots, this shall keep the bugs away for a lot longer than 7 days or so without doing any harmful effect to the plants or the flowers at all.

Home remedies for dark circles and stress marks

2009-08-07T03:06:00.002+05:30

Dark circles are often the biggest trouble along with pimples for any teenager as we have to deal with uncertain college hours , routines and deadlines not to mention all the late parties, getting dark circles is the biggest woo for one and all. Also the hormonal level causes acne and sometimes even stress can form marks on your face as stress marks. Lucky for you, we have just the right home remedy to deal with dark circles and stress marks easily.

For Dark circles take two used tea bags and soak them in lukewarm water for 4-5 minutes. Put them over your eyes and relax for 10-15 minutes, you can listen to some soothing music to help you relax during this time. This will reduce puffiness and soothe the skin around eyes. It shall also provide oxygen to the region near the eyes the dilute the darkness around the eyes.

For stress marks mix three tablespoons of honey with four egg whites along with two spoons of oatmeal to make a thick paste. Apply it on your face and let it set for 10-15 minutes. Wash it off with cold running water or Rose water and put a cool towel over your face it will reduce stress and tighten back pores .

How to remove Acne scars with home remedies

2009-07-24T05:12:00.004+05:30

Well of late we have been giving a lots of tips and homely remedies for better skin care and health care. Removing black head by home remedies was discussed some time back and now we are here to teach how to remove the ugly scars which stay behind even long after the acne are gone. Though there are many acne removing lotion such option are limited when it comes to getting rid of acne scars. Think no more just read this homely technique to cure acne scars easy and quick way.

The following home remedies is highly beneficial to any facial scars, blemishes, acne and even injury marks and make the skin texture very even and smooth.
All needed for this is are

1.) Buy some vitamin E capsules.(they are cheaply available at any general stores)

2.) Break them and take out the fluid. ( they are in powder form, mix thoroughly in water to make a smooth paste)

3.)Smear this fluid on the scars all across with a cotton dab.

4.)If you do not have oily skin you can further apply some honey and rub it into the scars. They act as moisturizer and help in healing quickly.

I am hoping this helps all the girls and guy and teenager who have to fight acne everyday, ask me if you have any more doubts.

Conserve energy and save on bills green natural remedies

2009-07-12T06:53:00.003+05:30

Every day ti is getting much more difficult to save and continue our stand against the global warming and conservation of perishable energy sources. Here i will try to give a few very basic and simple tips which can helps use save little electric energy at our homes. Though the tips is nothing very genuis but ti more about common and includes smart use of appliances (like a toaster and a microwave, iron etc)which consume huge chunk of power, always use apower strip and unplug that power strip when the appliances aren't in use. This is important as eletricity is consumed even by the wires, infact a mobile charger when not been charging but plugged in consumes enugh power in 12 hours which can light up a CFL tube of 20w for a hour.

While using washing machines use the capacity of the machine to the fullest ...using the machine to wash a few odd clothes is not advisable at all .

IF you ahve any more tips do let ys know i will update if i get any more tips in my mind.

Natural Balckheads Skin care tips

2009-07-06T22:01:00.002+05:30

Blackheads are the most common of the skins problem which plauges people from all over the world the plug filled with basically black and sometimes yellow and white bump. This is caused to the excessive oil accumulation in ducts and due to the bad hygiene. Blackhead are a special type of acne and normal type of procedure dont work well with blackheads. Though there are many , though there are many natural home remedies which can be very effective in removal of blackheads.

To remove and prevent blackheads use oatmeal
Make a thick paste of yogurt and oatmeal in cold water in a bowl. now Apply it over the affected area with cotton swabs and let it dry, after 15 minutes Rinse with plain cold water. do this every night for best effects.

Use honey to remove blackheads

Warm a spoonful of honey and add a few drops of lemon juice in it . Soak a cotton ball in this mixture and apply on the affected areas in a uniform layer form .Let teh mask dry for 15 minutes, dry in air and wash after 10-15 minutes with cold water.

Green Natural Remedies For Office Copiers , Printer

2009-06-29T04:21:00.003+05:30

The most Green remedies have been adopted by many firms like Cisco which has made most of it's office nature friendly and go by the slogan GO Green . In many office extensive use of electricity, coffee machine, computers, printers, copiers causes lots of global warming, heat production and add a lot of the carbon footprint mostly the copiers and printers. To reduce the carbon footprint the hard copies should be kept to miunimum and most documnets should be kept in soft copies which is very cheap and convienent too.

Most of the laser printers and copiers emit toner dust and ozone gas which is toxic, this toxic and footprints can be reduced very easily by some simple green home remedies.

One should ensure to have the office fitted with ozone filters and get them replaced periodically.All the copiers and printers machines should be kept in big, ventilated rooms for the proper spread of heat and dust particles attracted to it by static charge . Use toner masks while replacing them and have several plants in the office which can absorb toxic gases released by copiers/printers. Plants which can do so are Aloes, Diaolan, Homigot Lan, a Hippeophyllum, Guibei Zhu they are like natural scavenger also Diaolan can absorb more than 80 percent of the harmful gases like sulfur dioxide, chlorine, ethyl ether, ethylene, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides And other harmful substances, along with the ability to absorb formaldehyde.

Home remedies cure for itchy dogs

2009-06-21T03:23:00.000+05:30

Dogs are one of the most favored and widely used pets all over the world in fact Wikipedia claims over 60% family have dogs or would have dogs as the pet in their house. Dogs are not just pet but come very handy canine and very soon become part of the family and take small responsibility be it take care of securing the house, playing with kids, fetching news paper and many other trifle but significant chores. Though if not taken proper care of dogs they develop itchy rashes and skins troubles these can get compounded if not taken seriously. Though the market has many such creams treating your dog to such chemical and toxic is not a wise decision, when we do have a totally natural, organic cure for the itchy dogs.

The use of lavender oil rinse after washing with lukewarm water will heal the dog or even cat from the itchy skin disorder. Just mix warm water and some pure lavender oil(4-5 drops/bucket)and give your dog a bath with it, this will leave them smelling great, nice and soft and also helps to soothe their itches and reduce the rash skins marks due to itches like the one shown below in the picture

World climate Kyoto Protocol treaty and policies

2009-06-05T20:40:00.001+05:30

This years climate meet was held in Bonn, Germany here the strong international 181 member countries decided upon the new the climate treaty policies. The summary of the whole two day event has been divided as negotiations on two large sets. The thoughts were that of long term like 2050 and short term like 2015 . The long term plans have been pretty much remained unchanged thought the most hustle was on the short term plans which are currently under Kyoto Protocol.

The protocol has the fixed hindsight for 2008-2012 in which the rich countries are to curb there green houses emissions. Though this plans has not gone down well enough which has led to much hue and cry. The second phase of the plan which is to put curtain on industrial countries like India and other rapid developing countries from south east Asia. Though India has claimed it cannot go with the plans as per the protocol without finical aids from rich countries , though it is grossly difficult due to the hard pressed on recession currently affecting the global economy. The developed nations wants to force India and china among other nations into a signed treaty which would be able to put a quantified number on the emission from India and china . Though India and china are playing smart by sticking to UN norms and treaty which does not force them to reduce any emissions. Such turn around from flexi norms to hard bound policies is very difficult to get for the rich nations to force India and china into, experts predict a more of "enhanced" norms on UN policies is the best that could be pulled off, epically as no country as piles of finance to push it's demand all the way through.
Though in long term policy its India and china which are forcing rich and developed nations to stiff targets.

Though the picture would get more clear when the UN summit on environment takes place, due in spring 2010.

saline water threat and prevention to land.

2009-05-19T20:07:00.000+05:30

The impact of saline water on the land has many manifestations, the incursion of it leads to great damage to both agriculture and the fishery in the affected areas. the saline water wipes off the top soil region of most areas with high wind coast , high tide or the ones which experience frequent floods and storms. The effect salinity on agriculture shall take its time to show but the fishes and sea life is the first major victim of saline water.

Almost all the fish are swept off such areas as none can survive in the concentrated brine water.

To counter the saline water one has to start by pumping such water off the land fully, the water cant be left alone to evaporate on it's own as it will lead to salt going down on the soil which would make the soil barren. Test of crop and acidic content of the soil has to be measured to resurrect the soil damage , if any. Also depends on the vegetation of the soil as for the matter of fact dhonche cultivation, a saline soil is very productive and also make the vegetable saline which makes them much better in nutrients. Another great way to counter this by applying organic manure of the soil to desalinize the soil . Organic manure if basically made up of saw dust, ashes from rice and wheat mills, gypsum and basic slack lime is used as two tonnes per hectare to treat the soil of the salinity. To make matter more sure use salt-resistant seeds so that they don't wilt under little saline soil environment.

Techinques of Harvesting solar power energy

2009-04-29T20:19:00.002+05:30

Harvesting solar power to save environment and save money has been on awareness a lot of late. In order to help further we shall let you, our readers know on how to reap solar power at domestic level. A survey says that a normal city with about 6 millions house has more than 200 billion squares feet of roof space exposed to sunlight which is totally unused. This unused space can produce about 200 mega watt of energy. How to tap this energy source? well by solar energy harvesting . The new legislation order allows to generate and purchase 250 kilo watts of energy, the amount of energy which can be generated from a roof space of 35,000 sq feet. TO make this more of a incentive the electric board grid has promised to pay 4 times the unit rate it charges for every unit of energy one produces and amount generated from it shall be adjusted from your electricity bill. The floor and roof limits for it are 2 units to 250 units.

SOLAR ENERGY FACT FILE

The producer shall have to apply and get a green certificate before he/she can sell can green energy to make sure all the green energy rules and norms are followed. The certificate shall also let get carbon credit benefit and thus adopt a CDM (clean development management). A normal vineyard spread over a hectare if used to power 10,000 houses . The cutting edge innovation have allowed the green technology to get very financially viable with cheaper green materials and providing a better ecological balance . No doubt nuclear is still the energy to reckon with and all emanation of any radio active element are totally ruled out but the support and technology for it is still very expensive, thus the cleanest form of energy is still a vague idea and the green energy of solar power is the go with.

MODEL SOLAR HOUSE

WATER- the saviour of life

2009-03-10T00:54:00.003+05:30

Besides the Air we breathe, fresh Water is the most important sustainer of life. As river water has become too polluted to be used for human consumption, groundwater stands out our only hope. But sadly reservoirs of groundwater are fast depleting due to burden of rising population and effects of global warming.
At present our planet earth is home to nearly 6 1/2 billion people and going by present trends, it will soon reach 8 billion. As each human being basically needs food and water to survive, a constant increase in population will lead to surge in demand for food and livestock, which is both water intensive.
Studies over the last century reveal that where population has multiplied fourfold, the average availability of usable water has also decreased from 6000 cubic meter per capita per day to just about 1500 cmpc per day. The gravity of the situation can best be understood, with statistics showing, that giving scant regard to environment issues owing to our negligence and greed has led to decrease of upto 4 feet of groundwater annually.
Some straight facts about water resources and usage will make the matter clear :-

- 71% of earth's surface is covered with water.
- 97% of the earth i.e; 68.87% of the earth's water is in salt water oceans.
- 2.4% of the earth i.e; 1.70% of the water is trapped in glaciers, polar ice and underground reservoirs.
- The remainder, a mere 0.6% of the earth water is in surface water bodies, such as rivers and lakes.
- On an average human body needs between 2 to 6 liters of water per day.
- An average household of 4 persons uses about 560 liters of water per day.
- A toilet uses about 11 liters per flush - is the biggest user of water at homes.
- A dripping tap can waste as much as 60 liters per day or 22000 liters per annum.

With continued global warming there will be rise in sea levels as the glaciers and ice caps melt, causing global flooding, thereby further depleting the earth's crucial reservoir of clean, non-saline water. Once the ice melts and become saline, the earth will get a lot hotter with the ice caps and glacier loosing it's cool and streams and rivers turning dry.
Though 71% of the earth's surface is covered with water, but of that only 3% is non-saline fit for human consumption and that to is distributed across all forms of glaciers, rivers, lakes and groundwater. Groundwater in near future will turn more precious than oil as the water cycle will no longer be able to replenish the earth's water table. Going by United Nations report on global warming, we may soon witness "WATER WARS" on the horizon the world over, where hoarding of gold, oil or even arms will be insignificant when compared to water.

The present water crisis is the outcome of a host of interlocking problems arising under the larger heading of Global Warming. Water consumption behavior which are rooted in lifestyle choices leads to lack of appreciation of co-dependent eco-systems - a callous disregard for the consequences of polluting our water sources. Overdrawing of water from underground sources causes depletion to an extent that it disrupts the water cycle. As rivers and lakes begin to shrink, lesser precipitation means more droughts, leading to drawing more water out of ground with the use of technology. In this vicious cycle the end result is a water crisis because we are disrupting the water cycle an integral part of global eco-system.

The obvious fallout is the task of not only providing access to clean drinking water but also of dealing with waste management hygienically. Any slackness could lead to outbreak of water borne diseases and pollution of our surroundings which could be more pandemic than the HIV / AIDS.

We are already on the brink of a crisis but doing the following could help:-

-An environmental awareness coupled with individual contributions for harvesting rainwater today can make all the difference tomorrow.
-Use of modern technology to make our water consumption more efficient needs to be highlighted.
-Using household waste water for outdoor activity like gardening and washing cars
-Making sure that no taps are dripping in the house as well as in public place. -Drying clothes in the air instead of using a drier.
-Be more aware about different forms of water pollution and contamination and ways of preventing it.
-Be vigilant that all effluents are properly treated before discharge into rivers.

But most of all we must realise that water is truly the saviour of life which will soon run out if not used judiciously.

Know more about Garden Onion

2009-03-01T13:56:00.004+05:30

The origin of ONION remains a mystery? Onion according to archaeologists, botanists and food historians, was discovered even before farming or writing! It is believed to have been derived from a wild species found in the mountains of central Asia. Research claims that it was first cultivated in Egypt at around 3200 BC! Its botanical name is Allium Cepa but it's better known as the garden onion.

The garden or common Onion has a variety of uses in our daily lives at home, from culinary to curing Anemia and reducing hair fall, we just can't imagine a life without Onions! In the kitchen too the Onion is the most used ingredient. Onions add flavor to a wide variety of dishes and is the second most important horticultural crop after tomatoes.

Onions belong to the same family as garlic, leeks, chives, scallions and shallots. Onions may be red, white, yellow or green. An Onion can be sharp, pungent, mild or sweet depending on the variety. Usually the red and white ones are most commonly found and consumed. Onion's is a chefs delight as it lends themselves to a variety of options from being eaten raw, cooked, fried or roasted.

Besides Onions adding spice to our daily diet, it also has many medicinal uses.

- Onion inhibits tumor growth as it is rich in a variety of sulfides. Research shows that the Chinese with highest intake of onions & garlic have 40%less risk of cancer.
- As Onion contains essential oils like alipropyl disulphide, thiopropionoaldehyde, catechol and protocatechnic acid, it is beneficial for patients with coronary heart disorders.
- It also helps reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Onion contains chromium, which helps to decrease glucose levels and improves glucose tolerance.
- Onions also stimulate the immune system.
- Research by American Heart Association shows onion taken with garlic prevents thrombosis and reduces hypertension.
- Onions are also beneficial in cases of diuretic, expectorant and antiseptic usage.
- Onion can improve lung functioning especially in asthma cases.

Certain common ailments can easily be taken care of with the following home remedies.

- In cases of cold, cough, bronchitis and influenza, 4 teaspoons of equal amount of onion juice and honey helps in providing relief.
- Intake of 1 onion daily purifies the blood and cures anemia.
- A few drop of warm Onion juice dropped in the ear provides relief in aches.
- Eating raw onions quells thirst and increases appetite.
-About 30 gms of finely rubbed onion if taken with water along with 60 gms of sugar, is an instant cure for bleeding piles.
-If there is a black spot in any part of your body and face, apply onion juice over that area regularly and see the spot disappear.
-Onion juice helps in reducing hair fall. Hair can even grow on the bald part of your head by applying a mixture of honey and onion juice regularly.

Essentials about eating Nuts

2009-02-22T00:19:00.002+05:30

All nuts are basically seeds, but not all seeds need not be nuts. We do know that all seeds come from fruit which can be removed from the fruit, but nuts are those where both the seed and the fruit are together and cannot be separated.
Nuts are generally known to be large, dry, oily seeds/ fruits of plants consumed by both humans and wildlife for their nutrition value and culinary delight. As nuts usually have a high oil content, they are highly prized source of food for it's energy content. A large number of nuts consumed daily by humans in their diet are either eaten raw, cooked or roasted as a snack food.
One study found that people who eat nuts live two to three years longer than those who do not, as nuts have a balanced combination source of essential nutrition for all round health.

-Proteins for healthy growth of bones and muscles
-Minerals for maintaining vitality and repair of tissues
-Fats provide the body essential fatty acids vital for health

Apart from the nutritional benefits of nut consumption associated with favorable effects on cholesterol levels and reduction of risk in heart diseases, it is a great source of non-animal protein and also a rich source of micro-nutrients such as vitamin E and certain minerals including selenium for fight against cancer. Although the type of fat in nuts is a healthy one, people on calorie-restricted diet should be cautious where one is susceptible to allergies.

To know what's right for you, the body basics about following nuts is worth keeping in mind.
ALMONDS :-
Ingredients - Contains magnesium, calcium, fibre, potassium, phosphorus and folic acid.
Benefits - Almonds help treat respiratory disorders, constipation, impotency and skin diseases. As it has the highest calcium and fibre content, it's known the king of nuts.

WALNUTS : -
Ingredients - Is rich in calcium, iron, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, along with vitamin A, B and C.
Benefits - Walnuts help nourish the brain, strengthen bones and improve functioning of the intestines.

PISTACHIO :-
Ingredients - Has high concentration of fat & fatty acids, and is rich in protein, fibre, carbohydrate, sodium, calcium, iron, sugar, vitamin A and C.
Benefits - Pistachio taken in diet significantly reduces LDL in cholesterol levels and the antioxidant lutein helps prevent narrowing of the arteries.It also helps reduce the body's response to the stresses of everyday life.

CASHEW NUTS :-
Ingredients - Is an excellent source of iron, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A.
Benefits - Eating cashews helps in treatment of anemia, improves skin complexion and boosts the immunity system.

PEANUTS :-
Ingredients - Has lots of protein, fibre, calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamin A, B & C
Benefits - Peanuts provide a complete source of food protein, it also contains a nutrient called resveratrol which helps treat heart disease and improves immunity levels.

Though a fistful of nuts can change the way you look and feel, but too much can be overkill as nuts can be addictive. Once you start eating them, it's hard to stop and too much eating will end you up in weight gain.

Healthy Eyes through natural ways

2009-02-13T12:46:00.005+05:30

Which part of your body lets you see a rainbow, read your favorite novel, make you cry when you're sad and makes tears to protect itself? Which organ has muscles that adjusts itself to let you focus on things that are close up or far away? If you guessed the EYE, you're right! Eye's are one of the vital organs in our body and we really get worried when our eye specialist says that we need spectacles. One just cannot imagine leading a normal life without proper eyesight. But do we take care before the doctor advices us? No need to worry, now you can follow some simple exercises and natural ways to keep your eyes healthy and sharpen its eyesight.

If we follow a few simple habits on a daily basis we can say good bye to specs forever.

-Walk barefoot on dew-laden grass early in the morning for 10 minutes.
-Fill your mouth with water, then open your eyes and splash cold water 3-5 times.
-Don't strain your eyes while doing exercises, keep your facial muscles calm.
-Avoid direct exposure to light, cover your eyes when in direct sunlight or extremely bright surroundings.
-Avoid maintaining too bright or too dark an ambiance in your living room.
-While reading and working, always ensure that the light source is behind you, ideally towards the left, so that there is no shadow cast on your books.
-Carefully rinse your eyes at least two or three times daily.
-Always protect your eyes from dust, smoke and intense light.

The following home remedies is equally useful in taking care of your eyes.

-Add 1/2 cup water to triphala powder and mix well. Rinse your eyes well with this mix every morning.
-Soak 5 almonds in water overnight. In the morning peel it and grind them coarsely with black pepper or sugar and Chew well on an empty stomach.
-Soak cotton pads in rosewater, Close your eyes and place these pads over your eyelids. Relax for 10 minutes and you will feel refreshed instantly.

Some food items containing essential vitamins taken regularly in our daily diet can keep our eyes healthy.

-Carrot, apricot, turnip and green leafy vegetables i.e; spinach and broccoli containing good percentage of vitamin A helps in preventing night blindness.
-Orange, lemon, papaya, tomato, cantaloupe, strawberry, mango and broccoli being rich in vitamin C reduces the risk of glaucoma and muscular degeneration.
-Almonds, sunflower seeds/oil, peanuts, vegetable oil, whole grains, sweet potatoes, wheat germ and mayonnaise are rich in vitamin E and reduces risk of cataracts.

If these small things are kept in mind in our daily lives then the need to wear spectacles will never come and we can enjoy having healthy eyes with a strong eyesight.

Healthy legs through Yoga ways

2009-02-02T12:50:00.001+05:30

Pain is a familiar experience for everyone. Most pain is caused by inflammation, and most inflammation comes from tissue damage. Tissue damage may occur from different types of exposures. We feel tired at the end of day's work, why? because we sit for too long in too wrong a posture! no wonder our legs, hips and lower back are aching by evening. Leg and knee pain can make any brave soul feel lifeless and once idleness sets in you could be gaining weight before you know it. To overcome this, some simple yoga exercises/ asanas which if done regularly can help us do away with lower body stiffness and improving health in general.

TOE STRETCHES: Sit on the floor, stretch your legs forward and keep your hands on the floor slightly behind your back. Now stretch your toes away from your body and then pull them towards your body. Do this 8-10 times.

ANKLE STRETCHES: Keeping the legs stretched taut, move your foot at the ankle. Try and stretch it as far forward as possible and then as far back as possible. Repeat this 8-10 times.

ANKLE ROTATIONS: Stretch your legs, raise your right leg a few inches off the floor and rotate your foot in clockwise direction, making a circle with your toes. Repeat this 4-5 times. Then rotate it in the anticlockwise direction. Do the same for the left leg.

THIGH STRETCHES: Stretch your legs forward and bend them at the knees. Then spread them outwards and join the soles of your feet. Now press your knees downwards gently with your hands. Repeat this 4-5 times.

LEG BENDS: Keep your legs straight but not stretched. Raise both your legs slowly, bending them at the knees and return them to the floor with a little force. Make sure that your heels stay grounded. Repeat this 8-10 times.

BUTTERFLY ASANA: Stretch your legs forward. Bend them at the knees and spread them to join the soles of your feet. Interlock your hands and hold your feet at the toes. Now raise and lower your knees in quick succession, to stimulate the fluttering of a butterfly. Repeat this 15-20 times. This exercise helps to remove stiffness from leg joints.

Besides stiffness, to do away with cramps in your legs we need to remember :

Dehydration is one of the major causes of strains in ankles, calves and hamstrings.
Keep drinking water at regular intervals.
Potassium or calcium deficiency causes weakness in the joints and bones.
Have milk and banana as breakfast staples.
Don't go for long walks or spend hours on the treadmill just because you see someone doing it or read about it in a magazine.
Exercise to your capacity.
Don't spend long hours sitting or standing. There has to be a change of posture at regular intervals to avoid muscle stiffness.
Do a proper warm-up exercise before doing any leg exercises.
Wear shoes that are comfortable and appropriate for the exercise.
Massage your feet regularly.

All these asanas remove pain and weakness in the thighs, calves and ankles. They are extremely beneficial for the knees and heels as well. They help counter sciatica pain and boost blood circulation in the legs, thus reduce chances of strains or muscle pulls. They also help strengthen the leg muscles for having healthy and beautiful legs.

Kitchen remedies for Cough and Cold

2009-01-23T17:38:00.000+05:30

Among the many reasons for contacting cough and cold, when there is improper digestion, the food transforms into a mucus toxin and this circulates through the body and reaches the respiratory system, where it causes coughs and colds. People are also prone to cough and cold during change of season. With every season change, we go through a sneezing and coughing bout and the friendly family physician recommends dozens of tablets and cough syrups, right? Although having cold once or twice a year is a healthy sign as it helps the body get rid of toxins, but do you know that some simple food habits can soothe sore throats, relieve congestion and even cure cough? So if you are looking for natural remedies for cure and prevention from cough and cold, here are some little kitchen secrets that can safeguard you against these attacks.

-Having minimum 3 liters of water keeps the body hydrated
-Drinking warm water helps tremendously in flushing out toxins and germs
-Warm lemon water with honey helps to ease congestion
-Saline nasal drops can help alleviate congestion of stuffy nose
-Gargling with warm water salt water provides relief to sore throat
-Herbal tea with tulsi(basil)leaves helps prevent growth of bacteria
-Hot tea with honey and ginger provides relief from persistent cough
-Avoid sugar as bacteria feeds on it

Encouraging intake of warm milk is another wonder cure that all grandmas recommend and even doctors have found helpful in curing cold. It acts as anti-inflammatory agent by inhibiting the movement of immune system cells that participate in the body's inflammatory response. It also temporarily speeds up the movement of mucus through the nose, thus helping relieve congestion.

-The heat helps cure congestion
-The fat helps cure a sore throat

Having fruits with high doses of vitamin C help reduce the risk of cold by 50 per cent. Vitamin C boosts up the anti-oxidant reserve in the body and helps in building up the immune system. Fruits like orange, strawberry and kiwi are specially helpful and beneficial in such ailments.

-Helps in maintaining healthy tissues
-helps in building a strong immune system
-Aids in the absorption of iron

Intake of hot and spicy food helps in relieving sinuses and congestion of nose. Onion and garlic have a photochemical called Allison which is good for the overall health of the body and that's why they are one of the healthiest vegetables available today.

-Allison decongests the nose
-Allison is also an antioxidant

Having warm milk or beverage helps in curing cold. Intake of hot and spicy food is highly recommended because it decongests the nose and clears sinuses. Vitamin C acts as a natural antioxidant and is known to be an immune builder against cold. Chicken soup also works wonders and is a tried and tested remedy.

Change your nature to save environment

2009-01-16T16:22:00.002+05:30

The ice is melting, rain forests are shrinking and color green is getting paler day by day. Why? Because of us! It's high time people start changing their nature if you wish to save the environment and see future generations live in harmony with nature.
Any further destruction of nature will be destruction of humanity. Nature is our home and all form of life on this planet, including human-beings, was born out of this natural environment. Life on this planet was not artificially created, we are the products of nature.
We turn to nature to breathe clean air, just as a sunflower turns to the sun for its energy. We must recognize that any action which goes against the natural laws and basic tenets of nature is a terrible mistake. All the money in the world can't buy us the blue sky. The sun and the breeze belongs equally to all of us.
Though science has improved our lives but let not the harmful effects of global warming hinder our progress, we must match the advancements in science with our commitment to preserve and protect our environment. We need to balance our goals and priorities. One who loves nature will also cherish other humans, value peace and possess a richness of character unfettered by selfish calculations of personal gain. On the other hand, those who live in a calculative way will end up calculating their own worth in the same manner as human footprint has taken its toll on God's creation - MOTHER NATURE.

People might think that there is no reward for picking up trash which others have strewn about. But its important to take such actions out of love for nature without thinking about what one may or may not gain materially in the short run. Only through such actions can we live in sync and peace with nature on this planet. Its more important than ever for each person to develop an awareness for environmental protection.
According to the Buddhist principle about oneness of life and environment, a destructive mind produces a barren, devastated natural environment. The desertification of our planet is linked to the desertification of the human spirit. War is the most extreme example of this destructive impulse, destroying both nature and the human spirit. The twentieth century was a century of war, but we must make this new century a century of life, one in which we make life the top priority in all spheres of human activity.
In our arrogance we have flagrantly over-looked a simple fact, that we are dependent on the earth and not the other way round. As cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first person to see earth from space, declared it a blue planet. The blue of the oceans, the white of the clouds are proof that earth is the water planet, sparkling with life. Its important to follow a philosophy that recognizes everything in the universe as living, and sacred just as valuable as ourselves.
We are told "Be kind to the planet" but, in reality, the planet has been kind to us.
Behind each of us stands not just 4 billion years of kindness from the earth but also the compassion of the entire universe.
Therefore, its very important not to devalue our lives. Life is the most precious of all treasures. Each of us have been given this invaluable, irreplaceable gift. Those bearers of life -the universe, the earth, the mothers -all cherish their children. The essential teaching of Buddhism is that soul of life resides in every plant, every organism. Its a philosophy founded on a profound reverence for life. So its essential that in this 21st century to save our environment we first change our outlook towards life.

Green Technology

2009-01-07T01:07:00.008+05:30

Green technology is very new term and has been in news a lot more so since the international environment convention in may, 2008. Green technology is said to be the next big thing in environment after global warming. Environmental technology, green technology or clean technology as it is often put up as is basically the concept of using basic science along with environmental engineering and technology to conserve the natural environment, flora and fauna and counter any harmful elements which tries to disbalance this ecological balance. The idea is make the environment into a much better place to live with the use of science and technology while keeping the solution into the domains of socially acceptable, economically viable and practically feasible to implement.

The most often used Green technological advances are the ones which are now a part of most of our lives. The most common among them are recycling, water purification, sewage treatment, environmental remediation, flue gas treatment, solid waste management, and renewable energy. Apart from this any technology assisting in energy conservation and reducing the waste products shall be implicitly a part of Green technology. As a endeavor to produce energy form new sources which are more clean anaerobic digestion is used a new energy source so are hybrid electric vehicles. Green technology has now been used in green building to assist the basic architecture of the building, green computing is the new off shoring of green technology.

What are the raw materials of Green Technology?
As stated, nearly all Green Technologies rely on the use of new advanced materials. These new materials vary from metals commonly used today in many ways. First, elements on the periodic table such as copper, tin, iron and carbon are stepping aside in favor of less common metals, such as zirconium, yttrium, tellurium and the 14 elements that make of the group of metals known as the "rare earths". For example, batteries that were once made of lead are now made of lithium.

In addition to the use of new metallic elements is the use of these less common metals with common metals to form new super alloys with unique properties, such as scandium-aluminum alloy which can combine lightness, extreme strength and high temperature and corrosion tolerance in a single material. Another example would be newly developed carbides of various metals to create super hard and corrosive resistant materials with interesting properties. Similarly, the use of glass and ceramics in functional components of electronics and energy efficient systems is giving way to the use of crystal structures, semiconductors and super conducting materials.

What are the goals of green technology?

Sustainability - meeting the needs of society in ways that can continue indefinitely into the future without damaging or depleting natural resources. In short, meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

“Cradle to cradle” design - ending the “cradle to grave” cycle of manufactured products, by creating products that can be fully reclaimed or re-used.

Source reduction - reducing waste and pollution by changing patterns of production and consumption.

Innovation - developing alternatives to technologies - whether fossil fuel or chemical intensive agriculture - that have been demonstrated to damage health and the environment.

Viability - creating a center of economic activity around technologies and products that benefit the environment, speeding their implementation and creating new careers that truly protect the planet.

IN the recent Grease stock an event held yearly in Yorktown Heights, New York more new GREEN TECH was presented like green wireless technology which included:

Energy efficient radio access networks --- by NEC

Energy efficiency enhancement in radio access networks --- by Ericsson

Cliffside and Atom projects --- by Intel

WiFi with the Bluetooth function --- by Ozmo

Though the Green tech is still very nascent as they have no central "neural form" of technology which is very needful to further grow the scope of the Green technology.

Advantages of Nature friendly green buildings

2008-12-23T00:28:00.002+05:30

This is an article about making and sustainable development of buildings which are cost effective and eco-friendly and more appropriately termed as "GREEN BUILDINGS". In making of such buildings, particular emphasis is given to increasing efficiency by which the building resources are put to use, be it raw materials, energy or water and at the same time minimizing the harmful effects on human health & environment. Architects of green building projects attempt to safeguard air, water and earth by giving equal importance to environment and aesthetics for maintaining harmony with the natural surroundings. It's just not a random mix of resources with technologies but needs to adhere to the LEED benchmark (standard green building rating system) which requires careful planning over the complete life cycle of the building through its design, construction and operation by choosing nature friendly materials and construction practices.

What makes a building project be considered - GREEN
The golden rule to follow is to Reuse - Reduce - Recycle
It's always best to reuse materials, instead of producing a new one for saving on resources and energy. Reducing dependence on new materials and recycling of products after its useful life are all considered green practices.

GREEN BUILDING CHARACTERISTICS & PRACTICES :-

Planned landscape for maximum solar energy collection
Use of energy efficient lighting and appliances
Ventilation system for efficient cooling and heating
Water saving fixtures and devices
Alternate sources of power
Use of non-synthetic, non-toxic materials in construction
Minimal disturbance to the natural fauna and flora
Use of locally available materials for interiors
Designed for maximum availability of space
Adaptive reuse of older buildings

Green buildings could follow a variety of techniques to reduce its impact on our health and environment ranging from use of renewal energy resources to plants and trees for reduction of rainwater run-off and placing gravel in open space instead of asphalt for replenishment of ground water.
There are several key factors involved in designing of such "GREEN BUILDINGS".

GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS :
Besides recycled metal or stone, typical plant materials which replenishes itself are considered green building materials, such as wood, straw or bamboo as they are reusable, renewable, recyclable and non-toxic. Considering different geographical regions the list could include baked earth, paper/board flakes, sheep wool, linoleum, clay, flax, sea grass, cork, coconut, wooden fibre, sand stone etc; whichever is locally available so that energy is minimized in their transportation to the construction site.

REDUCING USE OF ENERGY :
Green buildings invariably use techniques for reduction of energy consumption across workplace and open space by making use of high efficiency insulation materials and passive solar designs. Effective window placement can provide more natural light and thus lower the need for lighting during daytime. Besides on site renewable source of energy significantly reduces the overall impact of building on surrounding environment as power consumption is often the most expensive component of building maintenance.

REDUCTION AND RECYCLING OF WASTE :
During construction as well as maintenance operations much thought is given in green buildings for reducing wastage of materials, energy and water. During construction period the architect's goal is to ensure that minimum materials are sent from site to landfills. An alternate to centralized water treatment plants could be through installation of rainwater collectors for non-potable purposes. For stopping run-off of human waste, the same can be settled into a carbon sink which will provide the soil with organic nutrients, besides remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and offset greenhouse gas emissions. Alternatively by putting such waste into a biogas plant along with other biological waste liquid fertilizer can also be produced, which is terms of energy cost is much cheaper than artificial fertilizer.

Mild but healthy Spring Onions

2008-12-15T18:50:00.001+05:30

A Spring Onion or 'SCALLION' , commonly also known as green onion, is associated with members of the genus Allium that lack a fully developed bulb. They are truly onions, only harvested very young while their shoots are still green and fresh. Onions contain a substance which is released when they are cut and causes the eyes to water. They tend to be milder tasting than usual onions and are typically steamed and set in salads in western cookery but also cooked in many Asian recipes. After removing the bottom half-inch of the root end, both the white bottoms and the green tops are used. Although it is best eaten raw, you can combine it with garlic and celery for great taste, blend it with vegetable juices or saute it lightly. Diced scallions are often used in soup, noodles, seafood and sauce in eastern dishes.

SPRING ONIONS CONTAIN A LOT OF MEDICINAL PROPERTIES :-

Besides tickling the taste-bud, it is good for health too =========
They contain vitamins B and C together with calcium, iron and potassium.
It is an excellent remedy for fever and asthmatic problems.
It's juice is excellent in lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
It is also known to give relief to joint and arthritic pain.
It contains cycloallin, an anticoagulant which helps protect against heart diseases.

While buying one should see that the green leaves are dark, fresh and clean. Onions, more than almost any other vegetable, keep well, provided they are stored in a cool, dry place such as a larder or outhouse. They tend to get limp if stored in the refrigerator for long.

The volatile acids in onions are driven off while cooking on heat. Frying an onion affects its eventual taste. Boiled or chopped onion has a stronger, more raw taste. Frying or sauteing briefly until soft and translucent gives a mild flavor both sweet and savory. That is superb with grilled meats and essential for a french onion soup. Spring onions though mild and delicate but is a better option in cooking and spreads than the usual variety for it's freshness and taste.

Why be an eggatarian

2008-12-09T19:46:00.002+05:30

Eggs are easily the most simple yet versatile ingredient used in cooking. Chicken eggs are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savory. Eggs can be refrigerated, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, scrambled, fried and pickled.

Whites of the egg are healthier as they are low in calories, high in protein and do not raise cholesterol levels. They are called the 100 percent reference protein since they contain all the essential amino acids required for growth and regular wear and tear of the muscles. Consuming egg whites daily will show a marked improvement in energy levels, stamina, weight loss, better hair quality and texture and reduced hair loss. Egg whites are strongly recommended to be added to every individual's diet for it's nutritional value and all round improvement in health. No wonder it's known to be a poor mans rich diet.

Raw eggs are not healthy food at all. An egg may be found to harbor salmonella bacteria which can be passed on by the hen or can enter through the cracked shells, so eating raw eggs should be avoided.
People with cholesterol should avoid eating egg yolk and people suffering from constipation should avoid eating eggs. Many people have egg allergies as they react to the protein in the egg.

If a boiled egg is overcooked, a greenish ring sometimes appears around the egg yolk. This is for the manifestation of iron and sulfur compounds in the egg. The green ring does not affect the egg's taste, but overcooking however harms the quality of the protein.
For those who do not consume eggs, there are other alternatives which can be used for baking or binding purpose such as, ground flax seeds, potato flour, tofu, apple sauce, arrowroot and banana.
The simplest way to preserve an egg is to treat it with salt. Salt draws water out of bacteria and molds, which prevents their growth.

Hidden secrets of Fruits and Spices

2008-12-01T19:09:00.003+05:30

Fruits and Spices are well known for its goodness and distinctive properties, but there are some facts about some fruits and spices which is not known to everyone.
You can enrich your knowledge about them from the following facts.

ASPARAGUS: They have aphrodisiacs powers and so it was even served to bridegrooms as early as 19th century .

FIGS: An open fig is considered to emulate the female sex organs and traditionally believed to be sex stimulant.

ALMOND: Considered a symbol of fertility down the ages, its aroma induces passion in women.

ASOEFETIDA: An Indian dried powdered herb, it was used as a sexual stimulant in Ayurvedic medicine. The herb has a strong garlicy flavor.

AVOCADO: The Aztecs called the avocado tree Ahuacuatl, which when literally translated means 'testicle tree'.

BASIL: Sweet basil is said to stimulate sex drive and boost fertility. It's also touted to produce a general sense of well being for the body and mind.

CORIANDER: The Arabian Nights narrates a tale of a merchant who'd been childless for 40 years and was cured by a concoction that included coriander.

GARLIC: The 'heat' in garlic stirs sexual desires.

GINGER: Ginger root raw, cooked or crystallized stimulates the circulatory system.

HONEY: Many Egyptian potions were based on honey, including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with Mead, a fermented drink using honey. Lovers on their honeymoon drank mead considered to 'Sweeten' marital ties.

MUSTARD: Believed to stimulate the sexual glands and increase desire.

NUTMEG: Highly prized by Chinese women as an aphrodisiac. Taken in certain quantity it creates a hallucinogenic effect.

How to keep fit in Hectic Schedule

2008-11-27T18:36:00.001+05:30

You want to eat 'just right' everyday,but chances are that a sinful fried snack sneaks up as a very tasty tea time temptation.But its high time we face the facts that only a small section of people who go to 9-to-5 jobs are living a healthier life than the rest of us,since they get up early, they have time for breakfast,as well as a proper lunch break,then back home early for a timely dinner.But people in other professions such as-journos,techies,marketing professionals,call center executives,advertising etc, wake up late to a rushed breakfast or skip it,rush to office and have a hurried lunch, then have coffee and cigarette breaks in between.By tea time we run for a burger,muffins,cafeteria snacks or some biscuits.Back home we are too tired to cook dinner,so we rustle up some instant noodles or sleep on an empty stomach,next day history repeats itself.
In daily rush-rush,healthy eating is kicked by the wayside.so much so that most of us don't live to eat but eat to live and we blame it on our busy schedule or call it a professional hazard?But its high time to think healthy and eat healthy...here are some tips to eating healthy..

On weekends we want to have something different,try out a fresh platter of salad rather than deep fried snacks or have grilled chicken,fish or cottage cheese if you want something tastier.On a daily basis have a low-fat meal.
Cut the caffeine out of your life,increase your anti-oxidant intake by replacing your coffee with a cup of green tea.Stock up on low-fat cheese,lettuce,olives,peppers,eggs,chicken/turkey ham and yogurt to make sandwich spread and filling.Try wholewheat,bran or soya bread to make a healthy sandwich.
Include more of healthy veggies like broccoli,peppers,corns,olives,sprouts,cucumbers,mushrooms and more in your diet chart.It doesn't take much time to put 1 or 2 fruits like banana,apple or pear in your office bag as it is a better afternoon snack than fried snacks and it also gives essential vitamins,minerals and fibre to our body.
If you cannot stay without having noodles or pasta,add some chopped veggies,some roasted chicken breast or an egg to it to make it tastier and much more healthier!
Keep assorted nuts like almonds,raisins,peanuts,walnuts,pistachios and cashews in your office cabinet in in roasted versions and have a handful of them instead of coffee and biscuits.If you want to have biscuits have wholewheat,fiber-rich biscuits than the regular sugary ones.
Bring lunch from home,when possible.Cook in good quality oil and go easy on the oil while cooking at home.
Choose to eat and drink healthy whenever and wherever possible.A lifestyle change is just a matter of habit.Start early to identify and curb unhealthy habits.Once you get into the habit of healthy eating,you won't even feel like eating junk any more!

FOOD FOR MEN

2008-11-18T19:43:00.002+05:30

We are what we eat or probably what we don't.Most of the time knowingly or unknowingly we end up neglecting certain foods which can go a long way in helping us stay fit and fine.it's a well known fact that the nutritional requirements of men and women are different.I have already mentioned about the food items that women need to stay healthier in my post FOOD FOR WOMAN.Now what men need is nutrients that can help them maintain muscle mass and prevent prostate cancer.

Men are more prone towards developing conditions like high blood pressure,cardiac disorders,prostate cancer and diabetes.Besides regular exercise,eating the right diet is the best bet to keep these lethal ailments at bay.Here are some food items that are beneficial for men:

OYSTERS:
Benefits:-Provides protection from prostate cancer and strengthens the immune system.
Oysters are packed with antioxidants.A few oysters every day provide a full day's supply of zinc.Studies suggest that zinc enhances sexual functioning of the male reproductive system and also repairs cells.One can either cook it or eat it raw depending upon their taste.

GRAIN:
Benefits:-Reduces BP,cholesterol,protects against colon and prostate cancer,regulates bowel movements.
Include sufficient quantities of whole grains everyday in your diet.They don't just provide you with essentials carbohydrates,vitamins and minerals but also soluble fibre.It is full of vitamin B, they lower bad cholesterol and also take care of the prostate gland.

BROCCOLI:
Benefits:-Helps prevent heart disease and cancer.
It might be a not -so- preferred veggie in your green shopping list,but the proven benefits of broccoli certainly makes this miracle food a must in every house.In fact,a recent Harvard study found that those who had five servings a week of broccoli were half as likely as others to develop bladder cancer.Broccoli is a very good source of phosphorus,potassium,magnesium and vitamin B6.

SOYBEANS:
Benefits:-Safeguard against prostate cancer.
A US study suggests that eating about 25 gms of soy protein a day decreases cholesterol!we can include it in our diet in the form of soy nuts,soy milk,soy cheese,veggie burgers and tofu.

FISH:
Benefits:-Prevents heart diseases,prostate cancer,arthritis and high blood pressure.
The American Heart Association recommends that men should make eating fish a bi-weekly deal. they are rich in omega 3 fatty acids which strengthens the heart and prevent blood clots.Omega 3 fatty acids are also found in abundance in flaxseeds,walnuts,soy,canula oil and eggs.

BANANAS:
Benefits:Reduces the risk of stroke,arthritis and urinary disorders.
Bananas are not just filling ,but also provide instant energy,vitamins,minerals which help to regulate heartbeat.A great source of vitamin B6,they also aid your immune system, form red blood cells and provide you with a healthy nervous system.

On the whole, a well balanced diet is not only healthy but can also enhance performance in ways more than one.

Opticals to protect Environment woes

2008-11-11T00:21:00.008+05:30

just as weather keeps changing day by day, the surrounding environment too is affected. When outdoors, we must take care to protect our eyes from harmful dust and ultra violet rays. Nothing can make good for loss of God's gift of eyesight in prime of life. Recently Zenni Optical a company which makes cheap and low prices frames was on FOX news offering own factory produced extensive range of great Eyeglasses for less and affordable prices starting from $8 , without compromising on quality, looks or comfort. To suit your fancy,nature friendly frames are now available.There are over variable dimension frames as per your choice, ranging from alloy, stainless steel, titanium or newest microfibers that suites you best.So make best use of it to help protect the environment this has made many people to afford many types of framers different colors and shapes which suits particular dress, occasion of time without having to spend a fortune on it. Zenni lenses are somewhat same as use and throw color lenses one sues for Dates.

Helpful Coconut Water

2008-11-01T19:16:00.002+05:30

Coconut water is one of nature's treasured gift found in abundance around the coastal regions. It's nutritional properties are well known for maintaining all round health. Besides nutrition value, it also acts as a coolant and helps in digestion. This wholesome beverage...the water from tender coconut is nature's finest gift to mankind. It's the best drink available in the tropics to fight off the hot and sultry weather, as it has a calorific value of 17.4 per 100 gm and contains sugar, minerals, fat and nitrogenous substance. Goodness of coconut water can best be understood from it's unique properties and wide application, such as ;

Coconut water promotes digestion.
It's more nutritious than whole milk, has less fat and has no cholesterol.
It's more healthy than orange juice and has less calories.
It's naturally sterile and is a significant urinary antiseptic..
It's very effective in treating intestinal disturbances in infants.
It kills intestinal worms.
It works wonders in case of dehydration.
It contains more potassium(294 mg)than most sports (117 mg) and energy drinks.
It has 5 mg of natural sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25 mg.
It clears the urinary path and helps in keeping check on urinary infections.
It is very effective in treating kidney and urethral stones.

External application of coconut water prevents prickly heat and summer boils. It is also helpful in subsiding rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox and measles. Above all it helps in keeping the body cool and can be readily consumed as a health drink in all weather conditions.

Ancient art of breathing for all round Health

2008-10-29T18:50:00.007+05:30

Is it true an ancient Indian art of breathing, better known as "PRANAYAM" when followed regularly can keep us healthier? Though we are getting to hear about this simple truth in recent times from yoga discourses, it is said that these magical yogic exercises of inhaling and exhaling which have been perfected over ages by revered saints can actually change our lethargic, sick, depressed, unhealthy lives into healthy ones. But simply doing the exercises will not help, we also need to know the correct pattern and sequence of the pranayam, or else the entire exercise may do us little benefit !
Here is the proper pranayam sequence to start our day with!!

All these pranayams should be done preferably in the morning on an empty stomach, one after another pausing for a while before beginning next one. One should sit comfortably in padmasana or sukhasana position i.e; to sit with crossed legs, straight back and closed eyes to get the best results.

Firstly we should start with Anulom-Vilom Pranayam, which helps to purify the 72,000 nerves in the body, it is excellent for the nervous system, lungs and heart, curbs hypertension, phobias, insomnia, nervous weakness and other mental disorders. This pranayam can be done by anybody and is good for all ages. One should start inhaling slowly through left nostril while keeping right one closed, then exhale slowly through right nostril keeping left one closed. Then repeat the sequence of inhaling through right keeping left one closed and so on for minimum of 5 minutes at a stretch till lungs become clear and fully expanded.

Second is Ujjayee Pranayam, which helps to curb snoring, benefits the lungs, counters heart and brain problems, strengthens the heart, removes blockages, regulates blood supply, fights mental fatigue and tackles thyroid problems. One should exhale fully, then inhale with both nostrils contracting the neck muscles to produce a continuous sobbing sound, low and uniformly pitched, inhale to the maximum capacity, hold the breath as long as possible then exhale through the left nostril closing the right nostril with the right hand thumb,repeat this 8 to 10 times.

Third is the Bhastrika Pranayam, which helps to supply maximum radiant energy to the body and removes impurities thus purifying the blood, balances the body essentials i.e; vata, pitta and kapha, helps counter constipation, indigestion, obesity, asthma, low blood pressure and depression. However people suffering from high blood pressure, heart problem and migraine should perform this pranayam slowly and without exertion. One should sit in a meditative position with both hands on their knees and exhale to the maximum capacity through both the nostrils, then inhale with full force. Repeat this process continuously till you feel tired keeping in mind that the inhaling and exhaling time should be equal to each other and when we breathe in our lungs should expand and not the belly.

Fourth is the Bhramari Pranayam,which counters mental problems like tension, stress, anxiety, insomnia and nervous weakness. It also improves concentration and mental stability. First we should sit and close both our ears with our thumbs, our index fingers on our forehead and the remaining three fingers on our closed eyes. Exhale completely, then inhale slowly to fill air in our lungs, then while exhaling hum like a bee and focus your attention on the sound. Repeat this 10 to 12 times.
Following this proper sequence one can live a tension free life and so everyone should include this in their daily routine for a healthy lifestyle.

Importance of doing things by RIGHT hand

2008-10-19T18:06:00.002+05:30

Have you ever wondered why people use their right hand mostly for doing any work. We see mothers teaching their child to use their right hand to eat or to hold a pencil, why is this so? Is it just out of habit or is there any valid reason behind it?
It's believed our right hand acts as transmitter through which Energy flows out, that's the reason why we instinctively use it so often.
People use their right hand to bless or to shake hands, to cook food or to give alms. In this process, we impart positive energy to others. We usually use our right hand to eat food, so besides the nutrition it also doubles the energy that food provides us. To balance the energy flow in our body, left hand acts as receptors to take in energy.

Besides eating and doing work, there is also mention in ancient eastern scriptures about the importance of right hand for doing certain breathing exercises, originally known as PRANAYAM. That's also the reason why one always initiates with the right hand for doing YOGA and ASANAS which is the modern age remedy for a healthy lifestyle.

In the practice of pranayam, its said the starting posture is vital, where one is required to cover the right nostrils with right hand thumb and inhale through the left. This awakens the senses with positive charge and allows proper circulation of oxygen and energy in the body without disturbing the natural left-right energy flow. But the whole process of breathing and using our right hand in this process will fall flat if we do not follow the proper sequence. The entire process will do us no good and prove to be futile if the breathing sequence is incorrect. To know more read post- ANCIENT ART OF BREATHING FOR ALL ROUND HEALTH.
So make sure you are following the correct pattern while doing pranayam and do start with your right hand while doing so.

What's magical about Yoga

2008-10-10T12:23:00.008+05:30

Practice of Yoga is believed to boost up and bring a new lease to life. It makes a person more strong and fit mentally and physically day by day. We all know that our ancestors were more hale and hearty and lived for a longer span of time than we people today, the reason behind it is the yogic exercises. Yoga in reality works really like magic. Different people practice yoga for different reasons and to achieve different goals, some do it to lose weight, some to increase muscle tone and definition, some to gain more resistance and energy, some practice yoga to control one's emotions and outbursts and others for management of stress.
The most suitable time to start yogic exercises is early morning between 4:30am to 5:30am. To practice pranayam and yogic exercises one should sit comfortably in padmasana or sukhasana position and should start with Surya Namaskar to boost one's cardiovascular endurance followed by specific body part training to get good results for all muscle groups.

For different body parts there are different exercises such as:-

For legs and lower body training: Utkatasana, Natarajasana, Virasana.
For back and toned abs: Naukasana, Bhujangasana, Merudandasana, Paschimottanasana.
For upper body training: Santolasana, Setubandhasana, Dandasana, Parvatasana.

To stay fit and healthy throughout life one must follow a strict schedule to do these yogic exercises regularly. Doing these exercises is just as essential like breathing and eating. It helps us in staying fit mentally by purifying our blood, lungs and heart, curbing hypertension, phobias, insomnia, nervous weakness and other mental disorders. Physically it gives us extra energy to do our daily chores more efficiently.
As it offers a one stop solution for proper functioning of all body parts and internal organs, no wonder it's known as magical yoga.

Save your environment, be vegetarian

2008-09-25T03:08:00.014+05:30

People world over is gradually realizing, being a veggie is not only good for health but can also act as savior to our already fragile environment. Although it may sound straight and simple, but it involves myriad ethical issues whenever we need to buy food. The process of selecting food which takes into consideration all of ecological factors which has an impact on our Earth and environment is the new buzzword of vegetarians better known as "ECOTARIANS". Its all about sourcing food which is grown locally, organically, in season without harming the Earths resources. Whether it is produced and marketed using fair trade practices in relation to labor, cruelty to animals, use of chemicals, recycled materials, energy and water conservation also matters. A noble attempt to save environment through our plates when regulations have failed to yield desired results. However, to save Earth the idea needs to grow into an international issue. To ensure security of future food supplies certain ethical issues of ecotarianism are required to be understood.
These issues could raise any of the following queries before making of a conscious decision!

Is the diet balanced in terms of nutrition and its environment impact.
Is the product produced locally or transported across countries and continents.
Whether the product was made through slave labor or by means of fair trade practice.
Is it produced organically or by use of harmful insecticides and pesticides.
Is the product made free of cruelty to animals.
Whether the packaging is made from recycled materials.
Has energy and water conservation measures been adopted in making of the product.
Is the product essential for our well being or an avoidable consumption.
Are the products branded by corporates, following ethical business policies.

Essentially the aim of an ideal Ecotarian is to maintain a flexible approach in deciding his daily consumption priorities and preferences by trying to live up to self established values in a sustainable way so as to reduce the impact on our environment and minimize the ecological footprint.
In our effort to strike an ideal balance certain do's and don'ts can be helpful.

CEREALS / MEAT - In principle cereals should be given preference over meat eating as raising of livestock leads to inefficient use of scarce land resource and production of lot of greenhouse gasses. Only meat produced from livestock raised on uncultivable land could be a viable option.
VEGETABLES / FRUITS - Preference for vegetables and fruits should be from the farmers market rather than those produced out of season in greenhouses and flown half way across the world. An alternative choice could be such stuff grown in season and frozen in natural environment.
OILS - Wrong choice of oil consumption is a major issue for destruction of forests and wildlife habitats across countries. Our choice should be consumption of oils produced in the same region rather than imported oils.
PACKAGING - Generally buy loose from your home store whenever possible, as most likely the product will be locally produced. Otherwise consider such packaging which are made out of recycled materials.
WATER - Choice of water for daily consumption should be fresh free flowing or from underground sources rather than bottled water which is packed in synthetic containers and transported from far off distance.
FAIR TRADE - Basically all our food purchases should be made out of necessity and not out of fancy. For all primary requirements make sure corporates marketing their products follow fair trade practices as socio economic considerations outweigh other factors for its abuse upon environment.
Keeping above views in mind ECOTARIANS hope to foster a relationship that attempts to coexist with and for the environment.

Be Your Own Doctor

2008-09-17T14:00:00.001+05:30

Every other day we come across more fatal deaths due to high fever, than road accidents in countries worldwide. This is no case of simple fever, rather it's symptom of typhoid, malaria or dengue. The reason is that by the time we realize whats wrong it gets quite late for treatment. Often we are clueless that we are suffering from these diseases, that is why many a times we are unable to prevent death taking place due to them. The seasonal weather conditions in many countries is conducive for growth of such bacteria, such that every other person is falling victim to these diseases. Don't you want to be your own doctor in these circumstances!!
Learn to listen to your own body from within and read the symptoms beforehand, so that you can react early enough to save a precious soul, before it is too late.

VIRAL FEVER:-

Symptoms: Fever, fatigue, body ache, inflammation of the throat, running nose, nasal congestion, headache, redness of the eyes, cough, muscle and joint pains, rash and swelling in the lymph gland.
Be alert when: You develop pneumonia, jaundice, joint swelling or tendency towards vomiting and diarrhea.

TYPHOID:-

Symptoms: Fever, headache, weight loss, lack of sleep, extreme fatigue and abdominal pain.
Be alert when: There's continuing high fever, diarrhea or severe constipation, considerable weight loss, delirium and sleeping with eyes half closed.

MALARIA:-

Symptoms: Fever accompanied by body tremors, headache, muscle aches and tiredness, sometimes even nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Be alert when: There are signs of anemia and jaundice due to loss of red blood cells. Infection with one type of malaria - plasmodium falciparum, if not treated promptly can prove fatal.

DENGUE:-

Symptoms: High fever, severe headache, shooting backache, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, rashes on the body and pain in eyes.
Be alert when: The fever lasts for 2 to 7 days, followed by hemorrhagic manifestation like bleeding nose or gum's and possibly internal bleeding as well. This is very serious and may prove to be fatal.

To take proper care of one's health keep a close watch on these symptoms in your body so that you can save yourself well in advance.

Healing and Curing effects of fasting

2008-09-09T23:46:00.008+05:30

Before one willingly abstains from food or water-(commonly understood as FASTING), it's necessary to know what are the merits and benefits associated with each type of fasting. A fast may be partial or total, practiced by an individual or community either at one stretch or at specified intervals. In spiritual traditions a genuine fast is considered a true prayer that cleanses the body, mind and soul. Traditionally, fasting for religious and cultural beliefs implied complete abstinence from food and water. However with advancements in science, the act of fasting has been put to many other good usage. Primarily, fasting can be grouped into following broad categories, each with a different and distinct purpose.

RELIGIOUS FAST
HEALTH FAST
MEDICAL FAST
POLITICAL FAST

RELIGIOUS FAST : Human beings have been fasting since times immemorial for religious and spiritual reasons holding following beliefs.
(1) Essentially fasting for spiritual reasons coincide with meditation and prayers, by which the individual refreshes his inner body to awaken the spiritual forces latent in his soul. It stands as a symbolic gesture and a reminder for abstaining from selfish and carnal desires while connecting with almighty. By forgoing food, drink and abstinence from sexual activity, the most cherished things in life, human beings show their sincerity of faith and devotion to god.
(2) Fasting is a way of repentance for committing sins such as false and indecent thought, speech or action and is believed to protect a person from going to hell after death.
(3) The basic goal of any religious fast is to decrease material desires, physical passion, to follow the path of non violence and attain purification of soul by meditation.
(4) To inculcate a sense of brotherhood for the needy and hungry by fasting in community mourning for alms-giving and moral support.

HEALTH FAST : In recent times, as people are getting busier day by day, the process of fasting needs to be understood for restoring our body to optimal health.
(1) Practitioners of Naturopathy Medicine ( read further in "NATURAL HEALING BY FASTING" ) believe that when food intake is restricted major beneficial changes take place in our body, as harmful toxins are removed and new cells are regenerated in the body.
(2) While on fast, initially sugar stored in liver is burned up and thereafter toxins contained in fatty cells are released as fuel to provide energy to the brain.
(3) In doing so blood gets thinner, which helps in better oxygenation of tissues and growth of new cells.
(4) To derive true benefit out of fast other therapies such as exercise, meditation and yoga, may also be practiced in combination to eliminate waste from our body.
(5) Some studies have shown that fasting when done properly acts as an antidote and can be an effective therapy in treating allergies, arthritis, headaches, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, lethargy, inflammatory and psychological conditions.

MEDICAL FAST : In several scientific studies conducted by University of California, suggest that fasting is beneficial under medical conditions and also for improving health and management of diseases. Following facts will help us understand the merits and essence for medical fasting.
(1) In medical science, its an accepted practice to put a patient on fast before surgery to remove possible food particles from within the persons system which may cause complications during anesthesia.
(2) Persons are required to fast for conduct of cholesterol testing for getting standard results.
(3) Taking juice while fasting helps in maintaining a minimum diet of 800 calories per day, essential for avoiding condition of Hypoglycemia / Ketosis, which can be fatal for the brain.
(4) Reduction of calorie intake is the only known way to slow the aging process for increasing lifespan of an organism.
(5) Some doctors believe, pure water fasting combined with a healthy diet can actually provide relief in conditions of cardiovascular diseases, asthma, rheumatism, diabetes, colitis and psoriasis.

POLITICAL FAST : Across continents,with Democratic governance getting prominence day by day, fasting is often used as a political tool by activists for expression of opinion. Issues which merit fasting for a political cause may range from any of the following.
(1) To make a political statement for change in policy.
(2) To bring attention before the authorities for a public cause.
(3) To protest and voice dissent against the government.
(4 To offer resistance in a non-violent way.

No matter what is reason for you to fast, whether it is to lose weight, cleanse your body of harmful chemicals and toxins consumed through normal food and drink, moral, philosophical or religious beliefs, the only requirement is your desire and self discipline and that to without any cost.

Godness of Green Tea | Elixir of Life

2008-09-05T03:34:00.015+05:30

Though consumption of tea as refreshment has its beginning almost 5000 years ago, the popularity of GREEN TEA of late is fast catching up among all sections of people around the globe for its several health promoting properties. Of all beverages, consumption of green tea is by far most popular as a stimulant for its antioxidant properties. With recent research corroborating century old traditional values showing tea as a stress reliever, it becomes the natural choice for management of anxiety in modern lifestyles. Scientific studies also suggest that rare chemical substances such as polyphenols and catechins which are specially found in tea leaves could be the answer for variety of diseases and health related problems of future years. Green tea is not only ELIXIR OF LIFE, but is now believed to be the preventive tool for future healthy living. Apart from reducing anxiety, additional health benefits are being reported day by day on basis of medical research ranging from simple living to cases of esophageal cancer due to its effective anti carcinogenic properties.

Knowing the fact that green tea is a treasure of antioxidants, its daily use can act as a preventive measure for following ailments as well.

TOOTH DECAY
GENERAL INFECTIONS
OBESITY
HIGH CHOLESTEROL / HYPERTENSION
DIABETES
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
FOOD POISONING

What makes green tea stand apart from black and blended tea ? Is it ingredients ! surely not, its brewing rather than fermenting that makes the difference in extracting EGCG chemical from catechins which is rich in antioxidants. Basically green tea in far east is classified into following categories, depending on the cultivation and processing technique to give its unique aroma and flavor.
SENCHA : It is most popular form of green tea. Sencha leaves are first steamed, then hand rubbed and later dried. When poured it has a distinct yellow color and refreshing aroma with a slight taste of bitter and sweetness, much depending on technique of rubbing.
GYOKURO : Gyokuro leaves are picked from trees grown under shade, the fields are covered with straw to control photosynthesis which results in high amino acid levels and adds up to the nutrition value with a richer taste.
MACCHA : Leaves from gyokuro tree is dried, steamed and then stone ground into powdered state. Though it may appear thick and green, it has a subtle bitter and sweet taste containing all the nutrition due to its unique style of preparation.
HOJICHA : Over sized leaves are roasted under high temperature in a large earthen pot to get its distinct smell. After brewing the liquor appears similar to black beer but recognizable from distance away by its lingering aroma.
KONACHA : Konacha or powdered tea is considered as most tasty and delicious of green tea's available at affordable prices. To enjoy its enticing aroma, one must put boiling water quickly into a pot and strain the liquor using cloth or paper bag.

There is much talk about the values of green tea. What's special about it can best be appreciated by the benefit one derives from making tea-drinking a daily habit. To understand the unique values of green tea, a listing of the merits will make things clear.

HELPS IN FIGHTING TOOTH DECAY

HELPFUL IN WEIGHT LOSS DIET REGIME

INCREASES GENERAL METABOLISM IN THE BODY

REGULAR INTAKE STRENGTHENS THE IMMUNITY SYSTEM AND PREVENTS ALLERGY

EFFECTIVE IN TREATMENT OF STRESS AND DEPRESSION CASES

IS RECOMMENDED AS HEALTH SUPPLEMENT FOR VIGOR AND VITALITY

HELPS IN REPAIR AND HEALING OF INTERNAL CELLS AND TISSUE

PREVENTS DEGRADATION OF CELL MEMBRANES / SLOWS DOWN AGING PROCESS

HELPS IN BOOSTING MENTAL ALERTNESS

REGULAR CONSUMPTION HELPS IN PREVENTION OF ARTHRITIS

USED TRADITIONALLY IN TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

EFFECTIVE IN CASES OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

HELPS IN PREVENTION OF DIABETES

IS EFFECTIVE IN DECREASING CHOLESTEROL / HYPERTENSION

IS HELPFUL IN TREATMENT OF THROMBOSIS / CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

TAKING GREEN TEA IS EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CANCER

DAILY 4/5 CUPS PROMISES CURE FOR HIV, DUE TO ITS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES
Though drinking green tea provides all the ingredients for healthy living but yet few precautions need to be taken to derive maximum benefit.

Drinking excessive amount of tea increases fluoride levels in our body which could cause osteoporosis, arthritis and neurological disorders.
Overuse of tea raises caffeine intake, leading to loss of appetite, sleeping problem (insomnia) and heart palpatation.
People with sensitive stomach may experience an upset tummy, as tea is a potent stimulant for gastric irritation.
As consumption of tea inhibits absorption of iron in our body, anyone known for iron deficiency should restrict his intake of tea.
Intake of tea should be restricted during pregnancy as it inhibits the metabolism of folic acid, essential for proper fetal development.
Drinking green tea is a concern for formation of kidney stones, as being rich in oxalic acid assists in calcium deposit.

SO IT'S BETTER TO FOLLOW A FEW PRECAUTIONS TO BE SAFE FROM THE ELIXIR OF LIFE, THAN BE SORRY FROM IT'S SIDE EFFECTS.

What is Green Fashion ?

2008-08-29T03:37:00.010+05:30

Buying a fashionable garment, did you know you are contributing to degradation of environment. Well not aware? but this is fast turning a reality,with leading fashion designers taking the "Earth Pledge" to use more environment friendly materials and socially responsible methods in producing clothes. This initiative is designed on principle that any product created should have minimum carbon footprint impact on the planet. Their concern goes by the fact that at least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw cotton to garment and 25% of worlds pesticides are presently used to grow non-organic cotton resulting in 20,000 deaths each year. To support this philosophy of sustaining environment with economics and social responsibility, industry captains have rightly called it Ethical clothes or more appropriately What is Green Fashion ?

Tracing the Life cycle, a piece of clothing spreads through various stages, from farmers who grow the cotton, workers who make the fabric and sew the material,toxic chemicals used in production to marketing and finally to the waste bin for recycling. In this entire chain the approach is to ensure that interest of none is harmed, without exploitation of natural resources and keeping environment top of mind to reduce the garments total carbon footprint. Though fashion may mean different things to different people but GREEN FASHION encompasses all aspects of design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing in a way which benefits all section of people and does not damage the environment.

To ensure a Fair Practice code of conduct, we need to understand the underlying ethics involved at various stages of garment production and how interest of different groups are affected:-
FARMERS CONCERN : As cotton is a natural and eco-friendly fibre supplying nearly half of worlds textile requirements, health of farmers need to be protected from regular usage of insecticides and pesticides that cause blood poisoning and also harmful to the environment.
DYING AND BLEACHING OF FABRIC : Day by day with increasing number of dyes, bleaches and chemicals being used to make fabric more appealing and acceptable to the consumer, the use of toxic pesticides leads to air, water and soil pollution besides also causing skin problems to workers.
STITCHING OF GARMENT : Normally clothing of better known brands are stitched among under-developed countries around the world, as labour costs are cheaper. Though it provides income and employment opportunities to poorer communities, it means unfair and unsafe working conditions as long hours of work is compensated with meager daily wage of below $1. This is much too low to even take care for the workers food and health care needs.
TRANSPORTATION : As markets of most branded clothes are in developed countries, transporting the finished garments over thousands of miles involves burning of fossil fuels, which pollutes our environment and is responsible for global warming.
BUYING AND DISPOSAL : Over the years price of clothes has gone down in high end stores in comparison to rising input costs and rate of inflation. This implies lessor money is going into the pockets of people who make the clothes on other side of the globe. Lower prices suggest consumers are buying and discarding more clothes than before which is creating more waste for disposal. Destroying or using such materials for landfill purpose creates environmental hazard as synthetic fibers do not decompose, while chemicals used in the garment leach into the surrounding soil and underground water, making it unfit for normal use.

To overcome the social and environmental problem at each stage, Fashion designers are incorporating several sustainable practices into making of modern clothing by taking a more ethical approach. Several such initiatives listed below could provide us the solution to a healthy living.

ORGANIC FABRIC : Adopt clothes which are made from natural fibre- cotton, hemp, flax, and wool grown / processed with minimum use of chemicals.
ECO LABELS : Support companies which are taking steps to improve workers health, working conditions and surrounding environment.
FAIR TRADE LABELS : Encourage garments sporting such labels as it implies better price to farmers and wages to workers.
RECYCLE GARMENTS : Remember to recycle used clothes through charity shops instead of throwing it away, as it results in energy saving and lessor pollution than in making the new fabric.

We as customers too should consider a few questions whether fashion companies are sincere in their approach on reduction of poverty and environmental footprint.

Are garment producers doing enough for communities where goods are produced.
Are all sections paid fairly in all stages of producing the product.
What levels of toxic chemicals have been used in the production process.
Is the garment produced with minimal environmental footprint with respect to raw materials, energy, water and waste disposal.
What role does the brand play for raising awareness on social and economic issues.

Considering the huge potential of branded garments, an honest approach and adoption of green fashion ethics by influential members of EFF, IFAT, BAFTS and ETI can hold the key for reduction of both poverty & environmental damage in the fashion industry.

Simple Ways to Reduce and Control Carbon footprint

2008-08-26T00:58:00.016+05:30

Have you ever wondered what effect your life has on the environment around you? Careful thinking is required to reduce greenhouse gasses, chief contributor to rise in global warming which is destroying our polar ice caps and altering the weather. To understand and tackle this universal issue, scientists and policy makers world over have debated their concern and opined, to keep track what impact human activities have on the environment. Thus, the measurement of total greenhouse gases released by human activities in units(tonnes) of carbon dioxide produced or accumulated over the full life cycle of a product or service is defined as "CARBON FOOTPRINT". Its a useful tool for individuals and nations to understand how much its contributing to global warming. The concept could also be used to offset CO2 emissions through commissioning of natural projects like reforestation. In overview we may say carbon footprint is refinement of an earlier concept of ecological footprint.

Under the aegis of UN, an honest effort for reducing greenhouse gasses (GHG`s) of industrialized nations have now got legal sanction with ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by majority of the nations in 2005.
Accordingly, carbon footprint can be effectively managed under two broad categories:
MANDATORY MARKET
VOLUNTARY MARKET
The following steps have been broadly outlined for reducing carbon footprint:

To determine current levels of carbon footprint
To identify high levels of CO2 emissions in terms of energy consumption
Where possible switching over to renewable sources for electricity
Optimizing energy efficiency, to reduce CO2 emissions
Identify solutions to neutralize CO2 emissions that cannot be eliminated by energy saving measures

In order to ensure adequate compliance is being made for keeping check of greenhouse gasses, certain guidelines and regulatory measures need to be framed, such as :-

A national energy policy is required to be supported with suitable legislation with respect to energy planning, generation,transmission and usage to keep check on greenhouse gasses.
A carbon label to show the life cycle of carbon emissions in a product can help one be conscious while buying.
Use of energy labels can help a person restrict his energy consumption without lowering his standard of living.
To encourage teleworking for reducing an individual`s carbon footprint by minimizing his daily commuting.
To establish ideal norms for both direct and indirect usage of water and distinguishing between blue, green and grey water consumption.
To lay down bench-marks as a tool for assessment of energy consumption, resource conservation and waste management by adoption of carbon footprint calculator.

No matter how strict a legislation exists, our efforts to reduce carbon footprint across the world can bear fruit only with active individual and community participation. There are many things which each one of us as individuals can do, to reduce carbon emissions.Here`s a list of some simple things to do and remember.

Commit yourself to plant at least 4 trees in your lifetime to sustain greenery.
Avoid daily travel to store for your household chores to cut fuel emissions.
Prefer online shopping for regular purchases to save time & energy.
Use public transport for short distances and check your Tyre pressure before a drive to cut fuel costs.
Turn down thermostat 2 degrees at night to reduce heating and refrigeration costs.
Switch-off while you are away from home to lower energy bills.
Reduce consumption of electricity, gas and LPG by switching over to power from renewable sources.
Eat food grown locally to encourage farmers keep the countryside green.
Prefer eating fresh and organic food which are good for health.
Avoid use of plastics while shopping or packing as they are not degradable.
Develop habit to reuse and recycle paper, glass, metal and materials of daily use for conservation of resources.

Let us conserve Nature by making right choice in our homes, our travel, the food we eat, what we buy and throw away, as all of it adds to carbon footprint and influence the stability of climate for future generations.

Tips for Effective Rainwater Harvesting

2008-08-21T01:58:00.004+05:30

Traditionally practice of gathering, accumulating and storing of rainwater in arid lands was customary for providing water during lean periods for domestic, livestock and irrigation purposes. Environmental changes rapidly affecting our climate, rainfall is getting erratic with each passing year. With rising human & livestock population demand for surface water has increased manifold, such that ground water levels cannot get replenished. This problem is even more acute in urban areas, where nearly 60% of rainwater is just washed away without being treated before draining into the river or unable to get filtered through the soil for recharging the water table due to sprawl of urban settlements. Due to non charging of rainwater during rainy season, urban areas experience floods which destroy infrastructure and crops in surrounding suburban areas. Hence there is a foremost necessity to propagate harvesting of rainwater in urban areas. As water is essence of life, we must learn to use this precious natural resource more judiciously.

Shortage of potable water supply in urban areas is a major problem being faced by countries around the world. As underground water is depleting day by day, we must find ways by which water levels in these natural reservoirs can be maintained. Any imbalance in the hydrological pressure could spell doom, for land mass above it could cave in at any time. Certainly having large lakes or building dams cannot solve our fresh water problem for the continuous spread of urban population. All this can be managed only through a sound water management policy both at macro as well as micro levels. The age old tradition of harvesting rainwater could be the ready answer for more efficient utilization of water for our daily necessity as well as for recharging back into the groundwater aquifers.

RAINWATER HARVESTING in urban areas can have manifold advantages. Besides domestic use for watering, flushing and laundry it can supplement the city `s drinking water requirements, help in increasing moisture in soil for greenery, increase the ground water level as well as mitigate urban flooding. Comparing the one time cost to build rainwater storage systems over constant rising energy bills for oil, gas and electricity, it is strongly recommended for any self-respecting home builder to buy this peace of mind as in future nothing is going to be tax-free.
A simple calculation can show the amount of waste we can stop if we learn to conserve rainwater in our daily lives. Taking a house of 100 sq mts, built in a place where there is 500 mm of annual rainfall and assuming that only 60% of it is getting harvested, could give us appox 30000 liters of water per annum.

As water conservation is becoming popular day by day, more people have begun to make their own homemade rainwater installations. These could range from the traditional rain barrel technique to more complex greywater systems in which extra pressuring equipment, inline pump controllers and distillation equipment are put to use.

Basically water harvesting techniques can be divided into two broad categories.
ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING :
Under this system rainwater collected on rooftop is transported through pipes to a settlement tank / soak pit for storage and future use.
STORM WATER RECHARGING :
Clear storm water is collected through separate drains free from contamination, which is then filtered before storing in recharge tank / well for future use.
This domestic model could similarly be put to wider use by making a community based approach in which larger apartments, schools, commercial complexes and civic constructions could help in better utilization of rainwater.
To be a responsible citizen, each one of us must vow to conserve freshwater for healthy living.

Intelligent Building Structures and Security

2008-08-19T00:37:00.013+05:30

Have you ever wondered what you should look for before moving into a new house? Normally we considered the environment of the locality, structure/ cleanliness of the building, security & maintenance measures, amenities, neighbors in and around the premises, proximity to workplace, markets, school and places of daily errands etc. and often had to settle down by sacrificing on a point or two out of above. Evidently , as purchasing a house is a lifetime decision, all aspects of this dream-home is now possible if you plan to live in "INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS". As such buildings are planned on a holistic concept following an integrated and futuristic approach to protect and enhance the environment, it is more responsive to user needs, maximizing on the efficiency of its occupants by allowing effective management of resources within minimum costs.

Considering extensive press coverage regarding high cost of energy and the need to preserve nature, intelligent buildings are increasingly becoming a necessity today, be it commercial or residential. With widespread adoption of digital technology, more energy-efficient automation systems alongwith intelligent communications and Building Management Systems (BMS), day-by-day all activities, whether personal, business services or commercial are increasingly taking place from our homes itself. In such a changing situation its high time we give our attention to building intelligent homes which is Eco-friendly and adds to ones comfort.

Abiding by the definition " Intelligent building combines innovation, technology with skillful management, to maximize return on investment " we can divide the high technology operations into the following four basic categories, where the ultimate objective is to integrate these into one single system ;

Energy efficiency
Life safety systems
Telecommunications systems
Workplace automation

ENERGY EFFICIENCY : Attention must be given to make maximum use of solar energy, a renewable source of supply which is environment friendly. Further with extensive use of computerized systems, energy consumption can be reduced to bare minimum and savings upto 40% in electricity bills can be achieved through efficient management systems for heating, lighting, closed circuit TV, alarm systems etc. by use of programmed switches, duty cycling, setpoint reset and optimal energy sourcing devices.

LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS : Besides having security booth at the entrance access to building be restricted, by use of password and smart cards. Fire alarm and security systems to use high-end technology for maximizing efficiency at minimum recurring cost. Other life safety factors involved in intelligent buildings will be reduced manpower dependence, closed circuit television, card access control at each critical operations area, intruder alarm, smoke detector, UPS and emergency control of doors, elevators and HVAC systems.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS : Efficient communications is an integral part of intelligent building system whereby intelligence among the occupants is shared at a minimal cost. Some of the telecom features which can be adopted are; PBX telephone system, cablevision, videotext and electronic mail.

WORKPLACE AUTOMATION : With widespread use of digital technologies there has been a profound change in the way we communicate, shop, manage our finances, conduct business and entertainment in our daily lives. As these activities are increasingly taking place at home, so home building management assumes greater importance where various automation systems from home theaters, door phones, intercoms, security systems, PC & internet networks, surveillance cameras, driveway sensors, thermostats etc. needs to be integrated to make our homes smarter in future. In this regard systems such as word processing, centralized data processing, information services and computer aided design need to be incorporated into intelligent building design.

Apart from the technological features for reduction of operating/ maintenance costs, advanced building design is adopted to withstand natural calamities, like flood, hurricane, fire and earthquake. Green landscaping of open space is also undertaken for conservation of the environment. Clearly building such smart homes in future that will improve quality of life and reduce stress levels will be worth purchasing even if it costs more than a traditional house.

Natural Cure and Healing by Fasting

2008-08-17T01:58:00.020+05:30

In ancient times when science was in its infancy, taking care of the sick, was the concern of chieftains and head`s of community. As knowledge was limited to few wise persons, people had to rely on words of such thinkers and philosophers for their wisdom on natural curative methods. Its been human custom since pre-history to practice FASTING as a form of natural cure across all religions and civilization. Even Hippocrates, Socrates and Plato revered physicians of bygone era recommended fasting for good health. Besides medical necessity fasting was widely followed for religious and spiritual traditions. In religious context from Christianity, Baha-i Faith, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains or Mohammedans it is considered as a means of self-purification, a genuine fast is a true prayer that cleanses the body, mind and soul. With such wide acceptance Fasting is considered as natures best, most effective and cheapest way of healing and treating diseases naturally.

In medical science its common knowledge that root cause to all diseases is accumulation of waste in our body. When we eat continuously without doing matching activity, the unburnt food clogs our system with impurities. Further digestion and excretion becomes slow, leading to overheating and malfunctioning of various organs in the body. Falling ill is Nature`s indication of getting rid of such waste from our body. Every disease can be healed if sufficient time is given to our body to expel the impurities from the system. Hence, Fasting for a small interval helps in this purification process in a natural way and is reason why a patient is put to fast before an operation.

In recent empirical studies there are indications that pure water fasting not only detoxify cells and rejuvenate organs but can actually cure diseases as arthritis, asthma, high blood pressure, allergies, headaches, bowel syndrome, type 2 diabetes, colitis, conditions of cardiovascular disease when alkaline juice instead of water is taken while fasting and combined with a healthy diet.

The efficacy of Fasting can best be understood under NATUROPATHY MEDICINE :-
- Fasting allows the digestive system and organs to rest and heal itself
- The body gets time to eliminate toxins
- At this time it is believed the body is under psychosomatic cleaning process
- Fasting helps in shedding weight
- Speedy recovery in mild/severe health conditions as new and healthy cells are speeded up
- Fasting ensures better sleep, gives more energy, healthier skin, gum's, teeth,
decreases anxiety and tension
- Fasting ensures reduction of aches and pains in muscles and joints
- Fasting has a rejuvenating effect on nervous and mental functions

As Fasting for periods beyond 12 hours weakens the body immunity level, it should be avoided as a matter of routine and is certainly not advisable for persons with diabetes, hypertension and in advanced stage of tuberculosis without professional supervision.
In brief we may conclude that Fasting is a natural healing process and Nature`s Restorer to healthy living.

Pathological Tests for healthy living

2008-08-13T00:59:00.028+05:30

In hurry to live life to the fullest, we often fall short of time to take care of our precious body. Everything works fine till our body permits, but turns hell once we land up in bed. As the saying goes "HEALTH IS WEALTH", it becomes all the more necessary to protect ourselves from numerous types of diseases and ailments right through birth to graveyard. Though children get specialized pediatric care, adults usually manage with normally a healthy diet. Hence the need to know beforehand irregularities in our body condition, so that emergencies to hospital can be avoided. Its exactly for this reason that preventive measures need to be taken to assist the doctor in keeping us fit.
Here`s a checklist of some preventive tests adults could follow, categorized differently for men and women.

NORMAL TESTS/CHECKS FOR MEN : (18-30 years) :
BLOOD TESTS :
- Blood test to identify one`s blood group
- Full blood count with peripheral smear
- Blood sugar test, both fasting and after meal
SERUM TSH TEST :
- Base line screening for thyroid diseases
- Liver function test
- Renal function test
- Lipid profile test
URINE ROUTINE EXAMINATION:
- For urinary tract infection & renal disease
ECG - For condition of heart
X-RAY OF CHEST - For condition of lungs,heart,airway,blood vessel,spine & spiral bones
ULTRASOUND OF ABDOMEN - For screening of stones in gall bladder, kidney and to look for aortic dilation
CONSULTATION WITH PHYSICIAN
CONSULTATION WITH EYE SPECIALIST
CONSULTATION WITH DENTIST
CONSULTATION WITH DIETICIAN

ADDITIONAL TESTS FOR MEN : (31-50 YEARS) :
TREADMILL TEST - For occult angina or coronary artery disease
PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST - For condition of lungs & airway passage
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY - For structural detail condition of heart

ADDITIONAL TESTS FOR MEN : (50 YEARS +) :
BLOOD TEST PSA - For screening of prostate cancer
STOOL FOR OCCULT BLOOD - For screening of gastrointestinal malignancy
***********

NORMAL TESTS/CHECKS FOR WOMEN : (18-30 YEARS) :
BLOOD TESTS :
- Blood test to identify one`s blood group
- Full blood count with peripheral smear
- Blood sugar test, both fasting and after meal
SERUM TSH TEST :
- Base line screening for thyroid diseases
- Liver function test
- Renal function test
- Lipid profile test
URINE ROUTINE EXAMINATION:
- For urinary tract infection & renal disease
ECG - For condition of heart
X-RAY OF CHEST - For condition of lungs,heart,airway,blood vessel,spine & spiral bones
ULTRASOUND OF ABDOMEN - For screening of stones in gall bladder, kidney and to look for aortic dilation
PAP SMEAR TEST- For detection of cervical malignancy
CONSULTATION WITH PHYSICIAN
CONSULTATION WITH GYNECOLOGIST
CONSULTATION WITH EYE SPECIALIST
CONSULTATION WITH DENTIST
CONSULTATION WITH DIETICIAN

ADDITIONAL TESTS FOR WOMEN : (31 YEARS +) :
BONE DENSITOMETRY- For condition of osteoporosis and osteopenia
MAMMOGRAPHY- For early detection of breast cancer
STOOL FOR OCCULT BLOOD - For screening of gastrointestinal malignancy.

Healing effects of Sleep on brain and Organs

2008-08-07T22:02:00.018+05:30

In one`s daily routine, living beings cannot keep awake or work around the clock like machines. For this drawback Nature has found an innovative way out to revitalize our body parts through periodic rest`s known to us as "SLEEP". Such rest is absolutely essential for efficient functioning of our bodies, whereby energy is restored back to the tired limbs and fatigued state of mind. While asleep our vital organs and basic parameters of body temperature, heart beat, blood pressure are reduced to minimal levels so that energy can be conserved within the body. Once we fall asleep how a complex in built mechanism sets in motion a process,that restores back levels of fallen energy and makes us cheerful when we awake,is still to be fully understood to science? Nothing is more satisfying than a good and sound sleep after a hard days work is well known to everyone. To maintain proper health we must distinguish it from mere body rest and ensure we get sleep for minimum 6 to 9 hours varying from person to person.

Sleep is thus a vital element in our daily life cycle just as breathing and eating,lack of which can cause irreversible damage to our memory and psychological mental state. So the saying sleep is NATURE`S CURE and restorer to energy and life is very much true.

Unless sleep is deep and restful, full benefit out of its restorative process cannot be derived. REM sleep which is associated with dream conditions does not give rest to the body, one must get non-REM sleep to wake up refreshed. Apart from normal benefit to physical health and restoration of our immunity system there are many other factors which make sleep essential to life. Normal sleep is also equally considered necessary for concentration, memory formation and for repairing the damage done to our body cell`s during the day by exposure to pollutants in air and cosmic rays of the sun.

To get full benefit out of sleep we need to understand how to sleep perfectly. One single habit is to turn off all electronic devises (evils) an hour before bedtime, as the light rays emitted out is not conducive to restful sleeping conditions. Apart from following fixed time to sleep and wake up, proper ambiance in the bedroom needs to be maintained either by subtle lights or soft music. Lying on back or stomach is not the idle posture to sleep. Daytime naps should be avoided as it breaks the body`s biological clock. Exertion or stimulants before or after dinner should be avoided as it revs up the flow of blood and body temperature. No activity from the living room be extended to the bed, like watching television, movies or surfing on net. In case you are restless in bed , do not pretend to sleep or else you`l get more tired. Its better to get up, read a book, do some yoga, meditation or deep breathing before you fall lazy enough to sleep.

To summarize we may say sleep is a natural restorative process that allows the body to recoup and regenerate its spent energy, so that it can continue to function normally and remain healthy. So to be healthy, sleeping is not a want, it is a must.

Healthy foods for Healthy Living

2008-08-05T23:34:00.009+05:30

To maintain proper health, its necessary to have a nutritious diet. The choice of food is essential for maintaining proper health and goes a long way in assisting various body functions, be it metabolic, physical, mental or hormonal. Apart from oxygen and water our diet basically comprises of 43 essential nutrients, lack of which makes our body susceptible to various diseases due to lower resistance in the body. A proper mix of all these essential elements classified into five main groups, i.e; carbohydrates, fat, proteins, minerals and vitamins required in our daily food intake is known as balanced diet. Research has shown that major nutrients are lost in the food we take due to extra refining of foods, use of insecticides , pesticides, preservatives and time lag between harvesting and consumption. Thus to have good health utmost importance must be given to a well balanced diet wherein combination of all the essential nutrients are present.

Its been widely believed that optimum diet for healthy living would comprise of a liberal mix of; GRAINS, NUTS and SEEDS , FRUITS and VEGETABLES commonly known as basic food.

Basically grains constitute the bulk of our diet and contains all the important nutrients needed for maintenance and growth for human beings. Through seeds and nuts most of the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids necessary for a healthy human being can be obtained. They also help in the rejuvenation of cells in the body and prevent premature ageing.

Vegetables and Fruits provide excellent source of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.As they contain high content of water and low percentage of protein they are easily digested and absorbed into the body.The full benefit of Fruits and Vegetables can best be had if they are eaten in their raw and matured state without being put on fire, however when unpalatable you may steam it without draining the water. Before eating, it must be cleaned with skin on as soaking in water will wash away essential minerals and nutrients.
However to have a perfect diet, the aforesaid food items need to be supplemented with milk, honey and unrefined oils.

Milk considered as natures perfect food, when taken in form of yogurt adds value to the food we eat for its prebiotic content which help prevent constipation and intestinal putrefaction. Honey is called nectar of nature as besides giving energy it is useful in retaining calcium in our body and also beneficial in managing common cold, skin problems, blood circulation, kidney and liver disorders. Unsaturated oils provide fatty acids and vitamins essential for our skin.

Considering the above basic foods along with supplements we can ensure a balanced supply of all the vital nutrients needed for a healthy living and prevention of diseases without fear of being inflicted with bird flu or mad cow disease from consuming animal protein.

Simple Solutions to global warming

2008-08-03T00:00:00.017+05:30

Though we are aware that greenhouse gasses are a major contributor to global warming, but give little thought to check the irresponsible burning of fuels and wasteful consumption of energy which is increasing the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. To mitigate these greenhouse gas emissions The European Commission, has set forth the environmental liability in its energy policy to limit the rise in global temperature to 2 degree centigrade to pre-industrial levels, by increasing fuel efficiency, reducing energy use and switching over to cleaner energy sources. At the core of the proposal is to initially develop newer technologies including ones on renewable energy and also the use of carbon sinks, carbon credits and suitable taxation rather than adopting more radical measures like population control, planetary engineering, carbon capturing and solar shading to lessen demand on land and energy resources.

In this uphill task we all can contribute in small measures by following some SIMPLE ACTIONS in our daily lives.

DRIVE LESS DRIVE SMART :- Every time you do not drive, besides saving money you also reduce air pollution and contribute towards better health. When you do drive, make sure your car runs efficiently to get maximum mileage out of gas. Avail public transport for longer trips and car pool for shorter ones.
USE LESS HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING:- Keep temperatures moderate at all times by adjusting thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer. Turn down heat while away during day or when sleeping at night. Use energy saving devises in appliances to turn off at preset levels.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE:- Take care to reduce waste as much as possible by choosing reusable products rather than disposables. Develop habit of recycling paper, plastic, glass or metal, as much carbon dioxide will be produced to manufacture new material again.
SWITCH OFF WHEN NOT IN USE:- Much electricity can be saved by turning off lights, fans and appliances when not in use rather than keeping it on idle mode whole day long. Water an essential natural resource could also be conserved by closing tap when not in use.
CHANGE YOUR LIGHT BULBS:- Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL or LEDs as they are more energy efficient and less expensive to use besides also convenient and safer to use.
INDULGE IN ENERGY EFFICIENT PRODUCTS:- While buying appliances and gadgets one must consider its energy efficiency and not be tempted by its looks. It must conform to standard energy consumption norms.
PLANT TREES:- Plant as many trees as you can, as they form an integral part of nature, absorbing harmful carbon dioxide and producing oxygen essential for life.
GO VEGETARIAN:- Eating more grains, fruits and vegetables and lessor of meat, eggs and dairy products will encourage us to grow more plants, which in turn will help in controlling greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. Besides a vegetarian diet is more appropriate to our digestive system.
PAY BILLS ONLINE:- Nowadays paying bills online can help us to eliminate much paper stationery besides saving time, money and administrative costs and thus assist in reducing global warming by helping to prevent deforestation.
ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO CONSERVE:- Share information on energy conservation measures with neighbors and friends that are good for the environment, which reduces our dependence on fossil fuels that create greenhouse gasses and contribute to global warming.

Need for Renewable Energy

2008-08-02T02:21:00.021+05:30

Environmentalists sounding death bell for end of fossil fuels from the world are frantically searching for alternative sources of energy. The cause of worry is understandable as on one hand conventional energy, whether from coal, oil or nuclear source have become major pollutants today on earth and on other hand, no single alternate source which can sustain our future power requirements is yet to be fully functional. Scientists and Engineers are making all out efforts to crystallize concepts and develop new technologies for renewable sources, which appears to be the logical alternative for today's fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere and contribute to global warming. Though RENEWABLE ENERGY , be it solar energy, wind energy, ocean energy, hydro power, biomass, hydrogen or geothermal energy is in abundance and inexhaustible, but cost of setting up infrastructure is prohibitive and hence not cost effective for widespread usage. Considering such limitations in present day technology, we need to earnestly think about other ways of producing clean green energy, as perfecting present technology for future needs could take anywhere around 20 years minimum.

Apart from Renewable Energy in its physical realm, the concept of producing energy from Hydrogen is theoretically possible, but the technology is in its early stage. Though Hydrogen is most common element in nature, its always found in combination with other elements. Only once it can be separated, can hydrogen be used as fuel for consumption or to generate electricity.

Basically energy from Hydrogen can be got by chemical reaction of fossil fuels usually known as Methane or alternatively via electrolysis of water as in the case of hydro power. Hydrogen as fuel can also be produced from innovative use of suns energy on landfill gas through sunlight focusing mirrors , where catalytic reactors convert methane, carbon dioxide and water into hydrogen. It can also be generated from energy supplied in heat form and electricity through high-temperature electrolysis (HTE). Besides the above predominant ways hydrogen can also be produced through Thermochemical processes as demonstrated in laboratories.

However, for "Hydrogen Economy" to become reality, technology needs to be transferred from laboratories to commercial production where issues relating to cost, storage, safety and environment concerns must be first taken care off before we can fully adopt it as another viable renewable source of energy for reducing greenhouse gasses in terms of 2005 Kyoto Protocol.

Advantages of Solar Power

2008-07-31T00:13:00.012+05:30

Man in his quest to learn and explore has made many remarkable discovery, innovation over the ages. The foremost among these is "ELECTRICITY " , without which many other could not be possible. In his blind pursuit to achieve and excel, he lost foresight that his goal to industrialization would one day itself choke us and lead to destruction of our mother earth and its resources. The very thing that lead us to progress- i.e; producing electricity has become a cause of concern to all, for its adverse impact on the environment. In order to combat the harmful carbon emissions, one of the primary causes of global warming, we must resolve to provide the world with an inexhaustible source of clean energy. There can be no better way than harvesting the radiant energy from the sun to produce an economically viable alternate source of power.

Among the many sources of renewable energy surely the prospect of generating pollution-free power from sun rays is most fascinating, as it could be easily available in every nook and corner of the world. However success of this mission would lie in increasing efficiency of present photovoltaic technology to make it more cost effective for mass use. Apart from better resource management, upgrading technology for common usage and wider acceptance will no doubt be a challenging task.

In this direction development of passive homes, greenhouses, hybrid solar lighting, solar cooking, solar chimneys, solar vehicle etc. now gives us ample choice to support its usage in our daily life. Adoption of solar power, besides being Eco-friendly, offers several advantages over conventional sources. Though set up cost may be high, but recurring cost is negligible, so ultimately it could be economical in the long run. Energy from sun source being inexhaustible, so its best alternative to limited reserve of fossil fuels that's polluting our environment. However as fossil fuels are expected to exhaust within a few decades, we need to go on immediate overdrive to upgrade technology and infrastructure in order to save our future generation from the pitfalls of harmful greenhouse gasses.

The idea of having a clean environment remedy is catching up fast on investors and venture capitalists, who are willing to pool resources for newer technology research in solar power generation, as this could become the most lucrative energy source of future and start-up to tomorrows energy behemoths.

Privacy Policy

2008-07-27T00:05:00.001+05:30

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You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.

Privacy Policy

2008-07-27T00:05:00.000+05:30

The privacy of our visitors to greenenviromentnews.blogspot.com is important to us.

Alternate Sources of producing Electricity

2008-07-25T23:30:00.010+05:30

We often talk about harm done on our environment by various means, of which carbon dioxide is the main gas responsible for climate change, every year. Little thought is given about the harmful effects of producing electricity by conventional burning of coal and gas in power station or from nuclear power which has even more severe environmental impacts. It is high time we think about producing "green electricity" from alternative sources which do not cause these impact on our environment. Surely it could be from renewable energy sources which is in abundance and almost inexhaustible in its natural form.

World all over is experiencing revolution in energy, where greater emphasis on preserving the environment and saving energy is the need of hour. Producing this so called green electricity from renewable energy sources, be it from solar, wind, hydro, wave, tidal or biomass has a major advantage that it does not pollute our environment. In this endeavor of providing ourselves a green environment we must harness our resources, build new infrastructure and develop newer technology to accomplish this energy mission. Financial resources need not be a constraint, which can be managed by a world-wide program to give incentive to consumers and industries alike who follow better environment norms by earning and trading in green energy credits.

In our fight against global warming we must not lose heart, a few simple decisions, like lessor dependence on conventional energy, shedding old habits of fuel consumption and choosing a green electricity supplier could be the environment remedy.

Passive Homes | Energy efficient houses

2008-07-20T15:19:00.014+05:30

In present times when building homes ,we need to consider many things than just plain comfort.As building a house is once in lifetime,we must keep in mind how to manage the scarce resources around us.The idea is to build environment friendly homes,keeping in mind maximum utility of resources.Today a building design can be custom built on scientific basis for optimum energy saving and human comfort.

An ideal solution in designing such passive homes requires a careful study of the solar path,much depending on the geographical location,besides integration of energy and heating requirements.The basic principle is to meet external energy requirement from solar panels and take care of air circulation, both in and out of the house through central heat exchangers to minimize on energy consumption.Further heat gain/loss through walls, doors and windows can be curtailed by proper glazing and insulation.Prudent selection of exterior colors combined with energy efficient landscaping materials including use of plenty natural green can give us the environment remedy for our homes.

One need not worry about high construction costs for such houses as they will be offset through specially pre-designed computer models for avoiding costly construction experiments coupled with nominal maintenance required over the long run.

Source of Future Energy

2008-07-12T19:15:00.010+05:30

The gas that comes out of exhaust from present day gas- guzzling cars could be used as a source of fuel for futuristic cars. The idea of running a car on CO2 sounds too good to be true. Well such fuel is seen will work as catalyst in neutralizing the rising carbon effect on our planet, besides providing a cheap and efficient mode of transport. Ultimately it will go a long way in helping us maintain a clean green environment.
It can be extracted from the atmosphere and used as green energy, thus reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.
Though it may sound bad news for business and consumers, it is an opportunity for investors to pitch in money for newer technologies which will set in motion a chain of developments. With oil becoming scarce day by day this could best be the alternate solution for green energy. Our habits may be hard to give up, but the sooner we think about future the better.

Solution to Global Warming

2008-07-05T19:31:00.023+05:30

Global warming is a phenomenon which affects us all, no matter which corner of earth we stay.Its a term to describe the various facets of nature which influences our daily lives. With advent of new technologies after industrialization, our desires kept on growing day-by-day.In our lust to achieve and fulfill our superfluous desires, we ignored rationale thinking for material benefits at the cost of mother nature.The present day situation we are facing today, be it changes in climate,loss of flora & fauna, pollution or health issues etc. is solely due to mismanagement of our environment.

Till now we lived in closed societies, but now human beings dwell in different regions of the world as per their choice of profession unlike other living creatures, but all have to live under one and same roof i.e; Earth. We all now belong to a single family called "GLOBAL VILLAGE". Any decision is felt across continents, be it technology, business, political or above all our environment.

Unless concerted effort is taken by all, no remedy can bear fruit for the varied problems relating to environment issues, no matter how innovative and sincere effort is put by any individual. It is high time all our thoughts and planning are made for universal protection of nature.
Only unified action taken collectively under the guidance of WHO and stewardship of G8+5 nations can rightly steer us to achieve this gigantic task.

Do Follow

2007-08-22T23:21:00.001+05:30

One good way to advertise ones site or blog is by helping others and the best way to do so is by commenting on others post in a blog or others threads in a forum. Webmasters include link to their site in their signature or name while writing comment. This acts as a back link to their site every time they make a comment that in turn will increase the site’s ranking on search engines.

For any link to act as a back link, it should be of type Do-Follow. Unfortunately, most blogs and forums do not support Do-Follow link. We believe that people who comment on us should also benefit from it. Hence, we decided to allow Do-Follow link on our blog. So any link present in comment on our blog will act as the back link.

So go through our posts and know about our environment around and comment on our post to increase back link to your site.

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2007-08-22T22:58:00.027+05:30

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2007-08-22T19:15:00.004+05:30

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