Health and food

Food and well being is related so much. Epidemiology is a science analyses the correlation between our food habits, life style and health. The recent scientific approach on diet is more supportive to vegetarians and vegans. The recent food crisis and thus related causes are also making vegetarians environmental friendly. So after with due consideration of all these factors, this is certainly a good news and an encouragement for people who want make diet rich in veg and fruits.
See the following food pyramid suggested to for healthy eating and well being suggested by leading epidemiology scientists.

Maintaining healthy eating habits with regular exercise and decent life style are the root causes for health and life span. Of course along with this peace of mind, self sufficiency and time management are major factors influence the health. The later one is resulted due to the former one. The former one is managed due to the later one. They both are correlated. Yoga, Thai-chi and Rekhi are the some techniques followed by many keep both physical and mental balance of the health.

BMI Body Mass Index is ameasure of our well being with respect to body weight and height. It shows the healthy range of the body weight with respect to the height. According to epidemiology this range is lower than the meat eaters. It is 17 to 22.
BMI= weight in Kilograms devided by height square in meters.
To maintain a healthy range of BMI, fruit,veg and grains take major part of the portion in a day we take. The grains provide the necessary carbohydrates. As we all know fruit and veg are packed with rich sources of vitamin and minerals. These are vital for boositng the immune system to protect the body from various deseases, heart strokes and cancers.

Tea and it's types

I bet those who don't like tea, definitely find them self in kitchen to prepare a cup of tea after reading this article.Those who can't agree, just leave/ignore it. Everybody is different!

As a tea loving nation, we Brits have always relied on a cuppa to calm us down and make us feel better. Many people also believe that tea has many health benefits, from protecting the immune system and fighting off flu to reducing stress and even aiding weight loss.

Different types of tea and their benefits:
Peppermint tea is most commonly linked with aiding digestion. The menthol content is widely believed to ease problems such as diarrhea, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches and is even thought to help control mild asthma, stress and protect us from the common cold.The team at Dundee University this week announced that several black tea constituents, known as theaflavins and thearubigins, mimicked the action of insulin.
While the scientists stressed that further research is needed, black tea is also full of free-radical fighting antioxidants which protect the heart and fight cancer.

An incredibly popular herbal tea, camomile tea is best known for aiding sleep, but has also been linked to fighting off colds, menstrual cramps, inflammation and muscle spasms. Camomile tea also has high antioxidant levels.
Indigenous to the South African herb 'rooibus,' red tea provides all the benefits of green tea and more - all without caffeine.

The wonder tea contains zinc and alapa hydroxyl acid for healthy skin, magnesium for a healthy central nervous sytem, and calcium, manganese, and fluoride for healthy teeth and bones.

Studies have also shown that red tea has a soothing property and can be used directly on the skin to relieve irritation.

Jasmine tea, made from green tea leaves with added jasmine flowers, comes with many of the same health benefits and is thought to be particularly good at lowering cholesterol levels.

New research suggests that white tea is now the healthiest of all. As the least processed of all teas, the health-benefitting ingredients of white tea are preserved instead of lost. It contains the highest level of polyphenols, known as disease-preventing antioxidants, and has ten times the antioxidants found in vitamin E and twenty times the antioxidants found in vitamin C.

Like many of our other teas, Oolong is rich in antioxidant polyphenols which prevent cancer and keep the heart in top shape. The added bnefit of Oolong, however, is that it has much less caffeine than black tea. I have to rush to kitchen to have my tea...:))

Food classification according to Ayurveda

Ayurveda classifies food based on your personality Food influences every aspect of your being including your physical and emotional being which means your body and your mind. Ayurveda, the ancient healing system in India had identified the positive and negative attribute of diets, which today is being recognised by modern nutritional science. Its knowledge is rooted in wisdom and not in technology.
According to Ayurveda, food can be categorised according to its basic qualities: Sattvic, rajasic and tamasic.
Sattvic Food: is always freshly cooked and simple. It is food that can be digested easily. It can bring one's mind to a state of balance. It helps build immunity and improves the healing response in those who are ill. It consists of foods that are closest to their natural forms. Sattvic foods include milk and milk products, fresh fruits as well as dried fruits. All unrefined whole grain cereals, most lentils (dals) sprouts and natural sweetness like jaggery, honey and natural oils such as homemade ghee, butter and cold pressed oils are considered sattvic.Sattvic food is moderately cooked with few spices (no chillies and black pepper) and less fat. The common spices used in sattvic cooking are turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, corriander, saunf and cardamom.Eating raw foods is not considered sattvic as they harbour a lot of parasites and microbes. Further more, raw foods are known to weaken the digestion according to Ayurveda. They reduce ojas which is synonymous with our vital energy. The proper functioning of the mind depends on ojas. Spiritual development also depends upon ojas, so small amounts of raw foods can be eaten according to sattvic rules but large amounts of raw foods are not allowed according to the sattvic diet. Ghee is allowed on the sattvic plan because it is considered important for the development of the mind. Oily and fatty foods are taken sparingly. Ghee is known to enhance ojas which in turn helps mental and spiritual development. A sattvic diet bestows knowledge and awareness in a seeker.

The Sattvic Personality:A person who follows the sattvic way of eating is known to be clear-minded, balanced, moderate in habits and is focussed. He usually avoids using intoxicants as in alcohol, stimulants like tea, coffee, tobacco and non-vegetarian food. He is extremely balanced and spiritually aware.

Rajasic Food: is food, which is fresh but heavy to digest. Those who indulge in heavy physical activity should eat this type of food. It includes non-vegetarian food like meat, fish, eggs and chicken.The Rajasic diet is also cooked fresh as in sattvic and is nutritionally-rich. Rajasic cooking may contain a little more oil and spice as compared to sattavic food. Such a diet may benefit people who believe in action and aggression in a positive way.

The Rajasic Personality: The Rajasic diet makes a person long for sensual stimulation. He is usually aggressive in nature (in a positive way) and full of energy. He is interested in power, prestige, position and prosperity. But he is quite in control of his life. He is a "go-getter" and knows how to enjoy life.

Tamasic Food: This includes all foods that are not fresh, unnatural, overcooked, stale and processed. They include all foods made from refined flour, pastries, pizzas, burgers, chocolates, soft drinks, rumali roti, naan, stimulants like tea, coffee, tobacco, intoxicants like alcohol and wines. Most canned and preserved foods and fermented foods come in this category. Fried foods, sweets made from sugar, ice creams, puddings and most modern day fun foods are included in this list. All spicy, salty, sweet and fatty foods form part of the tamasic diet. Overeating is a tamasic trait.

The Tamasic Personality: "Tamas" brings about stagnation in a person and degeneration in his health. Such individuals suffer from intense mood swings, insecurity, desires, cravings and are unable to deal with others. They tend to be very self-centered. Their nervous systems and heart do not function optimally and such individuals age fast. They usually suffer from degenerative conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and chronic fatigue. They enjoy packaged and processed foods. Such individuals would benefit from switching from a tamasic diet to a sattvic diet.Sattvic, rajasic and tamasic are more than just qualities in food. They are a way of life. How we choose to live and think responds perfectly with all that we receive in life both in terms of health and awareness. If you find what you are receiving from life is intolerable, you need to make better choices.

Inspiring article.

The Daffodil Principle
Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, "Mother, you must come to see the daffodils before they are over.'' I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. "I will come next Tuesday", I promised a little reluctantly on her third call.
Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and reluctantly I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house, I was welcomed by the joyful sounds of happy children. I delightedly hugged and greeted my grandchildren.
"Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in these clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see badly enough to drive another inch!"
My daughter smiled calmly and said, " W e drive in this all the time, Mother."
" W ell, you won't get me back on the road until it clears, and then I'm heading for home!" I assured her.
"But first we're going to see the daffodils. It's just a few blocks," Carolyn said. "I'll drive. I'm used to this."
"Carolyn," I said sternly, "Please turn around."
"It's all right, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience."
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand lettered sign with an arrow that read, " Daffodil Garden ." W e got out of the car, each took a child's hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner, I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as though someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it over the mountain peak and its surrounding slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns, great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, creamy white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, and saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in large groups so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue. There were five acres of flowers.
" W ho did this?" I asked Carolyn.
"Just one woman," Carolyn answered. "She lives on the property. That's her home." Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house, small and modestly sitting in the midst of all that glory. W e walked up to the house.
On the patio, we saw a poster. "Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking", was the headline. The first answer was a simple one. " 50,000 bulbs," it read. The second answer was, "One at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet, and one brain." The third answer was, "Began in 1958."
For me, that moment was a life-changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun, one bulb at a time, to bring her vision of beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop. Planting one bulb at a time, year after year, this unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived. One day at a time, she had created something of extraordinary magnificence, beauty, and inspiration. The principle her daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration.

That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time--often just one baby-step at a time-- and learning to love the doing, learning to use the accumulation of time. W hen we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we too will find we can accomplish magnificent things. W e can change the world …
"It makes me sad in a way," I admitted to Carolyn. " W hat might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty- five or forty years ago and had worked away at it 'one bulb at a time' through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!"
My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. "Start tomorrow," she said.
She was right. It's so pointless to think of the lost hours of yesterdays. The way to make learning a lesson of celebration instead of a cause for regret is to only ask, "How can I put this to use today?"
Use the Daffodil Principle. Stop waiting.....

Until your car or home is paid off

Until you get a new car or home

Until your kids leave the houseUntil you go back to school

Until you finish schoolUntil you clean the house

Until you organize the garage

Until you clean off your desk

Until you lose 10 lbs.

Until you gain 10 lbs.

Until you get married

Until you get a divorce

Until you have kids

Until the kids go to school

Until you retireUntil summer

Until springUntil winter

Until fallUntil you die...
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching.
W ishing you a beautiful, daffodil day!
Don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin. . .

Eradicating corruption and thus poverty in India.

Yes it is possible. There are various key factors which need to be implemented and changed to accomplish that. Inaddition to local Resident Indians, We NRIs' have huge responsibility. Most of us think that we are economy boosters by considerable financial contributions to India in various forms, can be through investments or uplift in the lifestyles. But at the sametime we are hugely lacking in many things..especially when it comes to ethical or moral contributions with our personal involvement either directly or indirectly. This is very important for any country at any stage. Being living in Britain I learnt one thing, go anywhere in the world for travelling, learning, exploring or earning. Stay there for many years but Come back to homeland. Every place has it's advantages and disadvantages. Like here especially in Britain, very conservative in encouraging employees for career growth. How? Simple example, In USA or India people are pursuing further studies while they are working. In UK no company encourages that in any form. Second thing is coping up horrible weather in winter without all the personal comfort, like nice car, nice reasonable comfortable housing[not a big one] at least. [A crude example is, in toilets, kitchens the taps are non mixing type. Having a temperature controlled taps is a luxury. Houses are very small very there won't be any cloth driers like the one we see in USA]
Migration of local whites to Australia, Canada and USA has been there and still continuing. Despite of all the problems most of them will comeback. What about we Indians??? Relatively vey low percentage are only willing to go back. We all knew the reasons and excuses for that.
So India should wait for another century for people like Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Chandra Bose to be reborn to reconstruct the Indian's lives from rotten Indian politics and system.

The climate change festival

This article is following to our discussion on conservation of nature and environment to protect the planet we live, from catastrophes, natural calamities and various other crisis. While I was browsing on this, came across Climate Change festival going to be celebrated in Birmingham 31st May.
Many of us are concerned about Carbon emissions, global warming, UV radiation and deteriorating Ozone levels. But what are the steps need to be taken to improve it. Having exploring and learning about carbon foot print, ecological foot print and various other key factors about environment we think it is possible only without using a car, no shopping, no travelling overall denying the things that makes us happy. But Sir John Sorell has different view on this. Being environment friendly does not mean to be denying the factors to live and enjoy. It is all about reinvention , redesigning and changing the way. How?
Reinvention: Reinventing the places i.e. the towns, cities the places where we live. Redesigning the the way they work. Changing the way we live. This is what all about the those 3 three factors. This is all about dare to dream a city with all these factors involved to cut the carbon emissions.
This can be through various ways like generation and storage of energy through Solar instead of hydro, thermal or nuclear etc. Solar energy is concluded as the best way to meet up our energy needs after with due consideration of environmental factors.Also wind and ground. This is all about harnessing and capturing the energy from sources which will cause minimal intervention to the biodiversity and environment.
Roof gardens is the one of the best ideas to make places where we live to be Echo friendly. This is also helpful to reduce the hot temperatures which will be retained by brick and concrete during summer night.Probably it should be encouraged more and more in Places like India.
These roof gardens are not just specific to apartments. In UK some public transportation services already implemented this. Bus with roof garden can be seen in Sheffield.
Providing better insulation to the buildings that need heating during cold weather. This effectively saves so much energy spend in heating. Especially in old buildings considerable wastage of energy due to leakage.
This is not all about how we live inside. This second thing about how we live. Car free life. This decides places we shop, work and meet friends. This is a crucial part. It influences our leaders decision about public transportation. It is bravery to design a transportation system to meet all classes of a place at all times. We all knew it is difficult but it is possible. Why our leaders are not looking into this keenly?? Probably they are thingking that it is not public mandate. This festival is all about this, to make our leaders it is time to consider this as a very important public mandate.
I strognly feel these kind of things should be encouraged more and more in India as well. Though there are some active organizations are working on this concept, it still needs encouragement and awareness among the people to encourage as many as possible to accomplish the mission.
Jai Hindh!

Decimation of life on this planet

Today I was so tired and thought of having a break with cup of coffee. As usual went to lounge and reading a newspaper while sipping coffee. After Reading couple of things I was so frustrated. Started thinking...As it was time to concentrate on work just put a stop to my thoughts . Now this is my time at home after dinner. So putting those thoughts into words in my scribble book.

We can earn money and save for future so that our children thus next generation can enjoy those financial benefits. What about the environment and this planet. Are we in a state to preserve it for our future generation?? Though I never worried about the first part i.e. better financial support for the future, started worrying about second thing i.e.conservation of environment and thus associated nature. This relates biodiversity and Decimation of life on the planet.

Are we responsible for this?
Yes we are. The ecologists are blaming the mankind for the loss of biodiversity and as a result of which decimation of life on this planet. There are various reasons for this. The human population has doubled between 160 and 2000 and animal population has declined by 30 percent. The main five reasons picked for this species decline are climate change, pollution, destruction of animal natural habitat, Over fishing, over farming and industrialization as well.
With respect to human life span this climate change and demise of life species can be looked slow but with respect to history this is happening rapidly. Rapid impact putting it mildly. According to scientists it is 10000 times more than what was recorded as normal historically.[i.e. with respect to extinction of dinosaurs].
The reports of endangered species according to ZSL[Zoological survey of London] is as followed.
Land species by 25 percent, marine species by28 percent and fresh water species by 29 percent.
In that few for example: Polar bear, green parrot, wetern lowland Gorilla,Hart beest etc..
Much of this can be avoided by controlling global emissions, conservation of animal habitat, avoiding over farming, over fishing, industrialization, etc. In addition to this gap between policies and science despite of clear scientific evidence is cause for further decline of biodiversity.
Mankind already started facing the drastic effects of biodiversity like increased food crisis, climatic catastrophes, few option for new medicines, global warming.
The Ecological foot print per person for a nation is as shown below in the list.
US, Canada, Australia, UK,....then India, Pakistan, Somalia and Afghanistan. So Mr Bush whom should we blame for increased fuel price, food crisis?
As we all knew Ecological foot print is a measure of occupation of farming land, fishing land, building area, fuel consumption, Fossil, Fuel emission etc. So nations who are in the top list of the ecological foot print should take greater responsibility to stop this pillaging of this biodiversity by doing all the needful not just in their area but in this entire planet. It's pity that for the luxury of some peers al others' facing these drastic effects of changes in climate thus global warming, rapidly deteriorating bio diversity, UV radiation and pollution in the environment!!
There is a huge responsibility of whole mankind to work and change the life styles towards conservation of environment, nature and species to preserve the biodiversity , climate for the next generations.

Ideas for future

Clean and Green

Spreading awareness about Drastic changes in Weather and Environment over the coming 10 years time.
How to reduce pollution ?
How to protect environment ?
Importance of Trees and Hygienic around the residential areas !
How the temperature is going to be in the coming 10 years ??
Encouraging people to use bikes and bicycles!
Awareness about separate bike lanes .
Extra caution while riding bikes

Heritage:
What kind of environment you are going to keep for future generations ??


Food and Health

Nuts Seeds:Their benefits
Dried fruits
Various vegetables and Fruits
Different kind of cancer screening program awareness
Different kind of Healthy diet program awareness

Fitness
Importance of Swimming programs in rural areas!!

Groups and Hypocracies

Why do people start community networks? The community networks can be of various forms: Web based or Personal. These will be coming up with an intention to bring all the people who are from similar back ground. Sometimes is to meet people with same hobbies or taste, irrespective of the people's back ground, ex: Biking, trekking groups.Sometimes to resolve a social needs, ex: Red cross, blue cross. The community I mean here is the one to meet people of similar back ground and ethnic origin.
This kind of communities are getting popular in this globalised era where people are away from their home. The basis of this is to bring the like minded people together to share the ideas and thus information exchange. However these groups are organising some cultural events accompanied by good food. Concept is good. As we all know the conspiracies and hypocrisy play vital role when it comes to publicity and fame. This is diverting the basis for the group. This is leading to many people to keep them away from involving and contributing. We never know what NEW IDEAS ONE COULD BRING TO THE GROUP. Though it is ideal to make everybody participate in the group, the efforts should be towards encouraging as many as possible.
Another issue is possessiveness. This will cause envy and fear of loss feeling to the initiators. To get hold of the grip on the group they will try their best.
Being staying in much reformed and well infra structured countries, we all talk allot about the things to be changed back home. What about us?? Here we are ending up with same political mimics and hypocrisy!!Before we see a change, you have to become a change...

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This is to open new ideas and discussions from anybody who are willing to join this.