Nutrition Asanas Rest Insights

Rainstorm fueled mountain stream in West Virginia

2021-05-07T16:39:00.001-07:00

Just some streaming content Haha!

Rent a Living Christmas Tree or Recycle Yours the right way

2020-12-11T07:29:00.003-08:00

There is a movement to rent living trees that can go back to a farm after a 3 week stay at home

"Union Square Xmas Tree" by cogdogblog is marked with CC0 1.0

"Renting a christmas tree" is a slow-growing (　) movement. This article is for the UK, but there are some vendors in the US too. 

https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/interiors/a29695669/rent-christmas-tree-cotswold-fir/

Central CA https://rentxmastree.com/rent-a-christmas-tree-frequently-asked-questions/

Eastern PA (Philadelphia, Philly area)

https://thechristmastreestand.com/

A list of farms in Western Pennsylvania that provide tress

http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/PAxmaswest.php

Recycling and disposal

http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/PennsylvaniaTreeRecyclingDisposal.php

Groupon's Vegetarian Restaurant Deal - Really?

2014-01-05T13:48:00.001-08:00

I get a "suggested post on facebook" from Groupon, alerting me to Great Deals on vegetarians restaurants.

This is the teaser picture:

Fine. Nice teaser picture, looks like a great vegetarian entree.

I click on it, it takes me to Groupon's deal page and this is what I get!!

Really, Groupon? You can't build a query to actually pull up vegetarian restaurants? Instead you go one step beyond to 180 degrees and show a juicy steak? I personally don't care, but it defeats the whole idea of targeted marketing! The picture in the right bottom is ceviche.. fish, which sometimes is forcibly thrust as a 'vegetarian' option in some places, but come one. A fish is a fish.

The deals look very appetizing but Miami is hardly the vegetarian capital of the world. I am not sure if it was facebook or groupon, who did some mistaken targeted advertising and failed at it!

Can you avoid the flu?

2013-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Tips for Preventing/Dealing with Cold/Flu etc

We need to be more Proactive in preventing the flu than just trying to shield ourselves from the virus (which seems to be the basic cdc recommendations). I am fine with that, because we don't need the government to tell us everything, right? (insert political joke here).

So, the flu (influenza) happens because the virus is able to take advantage of a weakness in our immune system. We need to be proactive and make our immune system strong.

Below I reproduce some tips that have worked over the years for me in avoiding the flu and cold etc. In order to bolster my opinion, I searched the internet and came up with some good pages written by medical doctors that reiterate some of these symptoms well.

Reduce your Sugar/Fructose and grain intake (at least as soon as you see cold symptoms)
(most grains get broken down to sugars in the body, this is soups such as chicken soup or vegetable soups with lentils are good for during these times)
Get more natural sun based Vitamin D (go for a walk when sunny and wear half sleeves!) or working out at a sunny location indoors? at the least, take an occasional vitamin D multivitamin.
A cup or two of green Tea every day!
Get enough rest - aka proper and good quality sleep!
Address your emotional stress issues! (this is huge one)

Recently, however, I slipped up on some of these tips (especially getting good rest) and I promptly got hit by some flu/cold and have lost several productive days in January. However, I have been more conscious in February, especially with my sleeping pattern, and feel more healthy!

For being proactive on the "Common Cold" it is beneficial to add these things to your diet: Turmeric, Black Pepper, Ginger.

For sore throats and cold though, the best (imo) remedy is to cut fresh ginger, take some whole black pepper kernels, add these to a spoon of honey and chew it up.

(For Vegans) Another manner to ingest turmeric powder in raw form is to take 2 tbsp of the powder and add it to ~200 ml coconut water and shake it up and drink. I usually added some fresh ground black pepper also to it.
Note that I did this last year for 15-20 days when I wanted to reduce antibiotic usage during some bacterial infection I had in my foot that started from cutting into an athlete's foot scale. While that may or may not have been the reason for the cure, it helped with an overall immunity boost.

Some of these tips were adapted from: www.mercola.com

Disclosure: Would like to point out that the site mercola talks at length about the (in)efficacy of flu vaccines. I am staying neutral on that topic so far as I do not have my own evidence to draw a solid conclusion. I have also not reviewed the evidence discussed on that site.

Farmer's Market vs Conventional Chicken

2013-07-19T05:55:00.001-07:00

Some days back Penn State Research posted on my facebook page, a link to an article in Poultry News which referenced a study published in the Journal of Food Safety [1], by some researchers at the Pennsylvania State University. The poultry news article, give credit to them, only said - Farmers Market chickens may contain more pathogenic bacteria.
After reading through the news article, I downloaded the journal article itself and started preparing this post. This morning I see a more sensationalist titled article in the ny times blog. A statement: Farmers Market Chicken Higher in Bacteria".

Note: This article discusses bacteria found in chicken. Specifically salmonella and campylobacter. The underlying links under the words for these pathogens take you to the Center for Disease Control (CDC websites).

Primarily, the journal article and at a larger level the "Poultry Site" both project the idea that food from farmers markets may not be "safer" as commonly believed. It is interesting they try to twist the data of naturally occuring bacteria content in raw meat/produce and try to connect that to "health".
By and large, a lot of people tend to go for organic or locally raised foods - especially the ones that have not been treated with synthetic chemical pesticides/insecticides/antibiotics during the production cycle [2]. This "lack of chemicals" (in common parlance) is viewed as one major benefit from locally raised/organic food. Locally raised foods fit this criteria on many occasions based on a trust that gets built up between the farmer(s) and the consumers . In many cases, local farms get weeding help from community members and these kind of interactions establish the framework of trust that the weeding is indeed done in an organic farming method and not using weedicides (true test by a skeptic) [3].

Coming to the article in the Poultry site, what I notice is that the first paragraph itself has a gross error in reporting the data from the journal paper. The report in the poultry site has some of the numbers in the table mixed up though. On the poultry site they mention 52% of conventional chickens to contain salmonella - but that is not what the study in the journal states (see screen shot below).

There seems to be no easy to way to add comments or point out errors to that poultry site so if anyone knows how to contact the article authors there, please shoot me an email at psusaver at gmail dot com. Thank you.

Link to Article on Poultry Site (note that the article at the site may eventually change and I hope it does, to be accurate).

the useful part of these articles: Bacteria that cause foodborne illness, such as Campylobacter and Salmonella, are destroyed by proper cooking (at 165 C) of poultry products; however, they also can cause cross-contamination if they come in contact with other foods through contaminated cutting boards, sinks, countertops or utensils.

Other Notes

The headline at the Poultry site as well as in the NYT blog article (published on July 18th 2013), miss the fact the conventionally processed chicken contain campylobacter in 52% cases in this study [4]. This is a matter of great concern, because "store based chicken" are supposed to be already under strict health/agriculture department regulations. The percentage of population that consumes foods bought from conventional stores is substantially higher than those that consume food from farmers' markets.

The existing regulatory machinery as well as the conventional agribusiness needs to do more to fix the issues with the regular supply chain, before trying to overburden themselves targeting much smaller segments that reach only a smaller portion of the society.

The NY Times article is way more sensationalist and just attention grabbing and frankly, is quite deplorable to see NY Times acting like - Sun in UK or Midday in India.

Bibliography/Notes:

[1]: A Microbiological Comparison of Poultry Products Obtained from Farmers' Markets and Supermarkets in Pennsylvania. Joshua Scheinberg, Stephanie Doores, Catherine N. Cutter.

Article first published online: 3 JUN 2013. DOI: 10.1111/jfs.12047

[2]: Based on conversations with other consumers as well as farmers in Villingen-Schwenningen, Southern Germany (2002), Delhi/Chennai, India (2010) and State College/Boalsburg, Central Pennsylvania, USA (2005-13 and on going).

[3]: Invitations to help out in weeding by local organic farms via Facebook and at Farmers markets in State College, PA United States (Summer 2013). A basket of produce is offered in exchange for volunteering to help.

[4]. New York Times - Wellness blog article. " Farmers’ Market Chickens Higher in Bacteria"

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/18/farmers-market-chickens-higher-in-bacteria/ accessed on July 19, 2013.

Electric Run - Philly July 20, 2013

2013-06-03T08:56:00.001-07:00

I heard about Color Run sometime back.. the next thing is Electric run (5k)! -nighttime running with neon lights etc...

http://electricrun.com/
http://electricrun.com/locations-new/
Columbus June 21
Houston June 29
Philly - July 20

running/dancing your run in the evening could be fun..lil pricey (at $55 per person if you are in a team)! #party - Philly anybody?

Nutritious Lunch - Steamed Vegetables with Sesame Oil

2013-04-04T20:12:00.004-07:00

Steamed Veggie Salad Seasoned with Sesame Oil, pepper and Salt
I had a very simple, but tasty lunch today. Later on, I realized that what I had made was actually vegan. Here goes, I steamed some frozen broccoli, cauliflower (5-6 mins), then added some kale - let that steam 2 mins, then finally added some mung sprouts and almonds to the top of the veggies in the steamer, turned off the heat and closed the lid.

After a minute, I laid out these steamed items in a bowl - sprinkled some pepper and salt and drizzled some sesame oil and chowed it down fast. Wait, after two bites I also brought out a wedge of lime and squeezed that over this "salad?".

Anyway, the main thing i realized was that it was the first time I had used unheated sesame oil to season vegetables (I do olive oil usually) and the flavor was great! Has anyone else tried that? A picture of what I made with the ingredients in roughly volumetric proportion is attached!

Some of the images are a montage from the following flickr cc users. Many thanks to these users!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lablasco/5398414094/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hulagway/5941767410/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurelfan/89790979/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/conskeptical/2343262086/

Microbes, good and bad, and fish oil vs flu

2013-04-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

This is a general post linking you (the reader) to two different articles that I read recently. One of them was a specific article about flu (viral flu) and the ability of fish oil in helping us fight flu.

I read the first one in the Chemical and Engineering News magazine, a publication of the American Chemical Society. Excerpts reproduced below (hoping for a fair use pass here acs!)

Influenza disables and kills people, and current drugs don’t work well in late-stage and severe cases. A Japan-based team now describes a lipid derivative that could inspire a new way to stop the virus, possibly even in late-stage and critical cases. Such a drug is still far from reality, but the findings point to a day when flu might be fought more effectively.........Polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oils are the core structures of lipid cell-signaling compounds such as protectins, which exert powerful anti-inflammatory effects in response to tissue injury. But scientists did not know what role protectins play in flu.

Now, biological informatics and experimental therapeutics professor Yumiko Imai of Akita University, in Japan, ......... report that that the protectin D1 isomer 10S,17S-dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acid blocks replication of the flu virus by inhibiting export of viral genomic material from host-cell nuclei (Cell, DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.02.027). They found the compound by screening a lipid library.

.......When the team administered additional protectin and an antiviral drug to mice with flu, symptoms and survival improved. .... conclude that the protectin D1 isomer could thus “serve as a novel antiviral drug as well as a biomarker for severe and lethal influenza virus infections.”

The second one is about an emerging viewpoint in the research community about microbes- one that does not treat them as sworn enemies alone. I am glad this viewpoint is garnering some traction in the microbiology community now as I personally had believed for a long time in becoming adapted to microbes rather than trying to keep our surroundings sterile and fail at it. This personal view of mine had been reinforced by some of my friends' opinions as well as some discussion in the scientific community (notably here: last year and here (NW study). There is also a general ongoing debate about the excessive use of antibacterial soaps (to be cited).

The recent psu research news article discusses a opinion/hypothesis of Dr. Harvill on this subject. You can read the interview and discussion here. (full link below the snippet).

Researchers have historically focused on microbes in the body as primarily pathogens that must be fought, said Eric Harvill, professor of microbiology and infectious disease in the College of Agricultural Sciences. However, he said that recent evidence of the complex interaction of the body with microbes suggests a new interpretation of the relationship.

"Now we are beginning to understand that the immune system interacts with far more beneficial bacteria than pathogens," said Harvill. "We need to re-envision what the true immune system really is."

http://news.psu.edu/story/270294/2013/03/26/research/researcher-suggests-declaring-truce-our-microbiological-frenemies

Eisman Lecture on Plant Based Diet - Apr 8th Mon, 7pm

2013-03-24T13:21:00.001-07:00

NUTRITION LECTURE/EVENT

Health Benefits of Plant-based Diets - by Dr. George Eisman

Scheduled for Monday April, 8th at 7p.m. Location: 160 Willard, Penn State

This would be an informative lecture, relating to how we can eat healthy for ourselves, while eating an environmentally sustainable diet. Directions to the location are at the bottom of the page.

George Eisman is the director of "Nutrition for the Coalition for Cancer Prevention" and has been a Registered Dietitian for over 30 years. He has served as a public health nutritionist for three State Health Departments. He has taught nutrition at several colleges, and is the author of "Don’t Let Your Diet Add to Your Cancer Risk", and "The Most Noble Diet".

Don't Let your Diet Add to Your Cancer and The Most Noble Diet

Getting there, Maps:

It is simpler if you park in Downtown State College (in one of the garages - closest on Fraser Street or Free parking on street after 6pm - you have to parallel park! ).

Maps: Fraser Street Garage Or Parking Along College Avenue. To reach an accessible location, you can drive on to campus near the Willard building and park in the lot behind the building. Link to psu ADA site.

View Larger Map

Revolution in the Egg Industry (Plant Protein)

2013-03-04T12:57:00.001-08:00

A new development of plant protein based egg-substitutes brings about the idea of egg-free eggs!

Fast Company, the magazine company for entrepreneurs, also runs other ventures are coexist, co create and co lead. One of those, co.exist, has a neat story on egg substitutes (Beyond Eggs egg-substitute) that can take place of eggs in lot of processed foods that are still consumed in huge quantities (like mayonnaise)

http://www.fastcoexist.com/mba/1681440/you-cant-tell-that-this-new-cheap-egg-substitute-is-made-from-plants

Below are excerpts from the Fast Co.Exist article.

"Our food system is abysmally broken," says Josh Tetrick, CEO of San Francisco-based Hampton Creek Foods, maker of the Beyond Eggs egg-substitute. "It’s not about the morality of eating animals or not. It’s about the conditions that a lot of these animals are raised in. These hens are kept inside a cage for two years, pumped full of feed and antibiotics, and it’s just cruel. We don’t all have to stop eating eggs. But we should ask if we want to participate in that."

Tetrick’s team has deconstructed the egg, analyzed its 22 special functions, and replicated it with plant-stuffs like sunflower lecithin, canola, peas, and natural gums from tree sap. By all accounts, the substitute tastes just like the real thing--even if it doesn’t look like it. It’s sold as a gray-green powder that you need to hydrate before use.

Free yoga thursday - done!

2012-06-29T12:56:00.001-07:00

That Yoga Stretch Out was Good!

I have been doing some running and pushups/pull ups etc with some of my buddies (as part of a half-Murphy workout). That has been kicking my a$$ and I was also feeling tight in the muscles after the first time around 2 weeks back. I did it a second time this Tuesday and followed up stretching at home on wednesday, then a wonderful free yoga session on Thursday.

The yoga was led by Lila Yoga's Erica Kaufman at Applachian outdoors (fb page). My heartfelt thanks go to both of them. The yoga was led by Erica, assisted by Mark (of Lila yoga) and Deepak of Applachian outdoors facilitated the event. The other staff at work that day at App Outdoors also deserve thanks!

Earlier in the day, I also ran into two yoga teachers from Doug's yoga studio right on Allen St. In State college, there is lot of yoga happening around Allen St and Beaver Ave. There is also lot of yoga opportunities on campus with Penn State yoga club and Fitness Yoga (part of White Bldg Fitness pass). (links to be added soon).

Colorful Food is Appetizing!

2012-06-17T13:31:00.002-07:00

A good mix of colors in the food I eat is always very appetizing to me. Even a simple salad made out of carrots, cucumbers (and you can add spinach, cilantro, walnuts or almonds) looks great simply due to the contrast of bright colors. That is one of the items I made today for lunch along with a lentil-rice "pie" and a stir-fry with assorted vegetables.

Carrot-cucumber salad: Washed carrots (scrub well), washed cucumbers and then peeled. Sliced both into small pieces, mixed them up in a salad bowl with some lemon juice and sprinkled salt to taste. Also added some almonds to my salad to give some crunchiness. Picture shows what is left of the salad after we ate it while waiting for the stir fry to get ready.

Stir-fried Vegetables: Will add procedure soon. This included potatoes, zuccini, red peppers with cilantro seasoning at the end. Spices used were garlic, ginger, cummin seeds and asafoetida (optional).

Lentil-rice "pie": Not really a pie, but I just shaped the rice and lentils that I had cooked to softness in a pressure cooker (with 1 tbsp butter added) into the shape of a pie. You can also make this in a crock pot but start preparing the lentils first and then add the rice in about a 1/5th into your estimated total cooking time. So if you wanted to cook lentils for 60 mins in a slow cooker, then add rinsed rice and appropriate amount water about 12 mins into cooking cycle.

A different angle

Note: usually I add 2.25 cups water per cup of dry lentils and 2 cups water per cup of brown rice. these amounts may vary with your rice/lentil type.. add less and you can add more later if needed.

Digital measuring cup and scale: Deal!

2012-05-09T10:02:00.005-07:00

I saw this deal on Eversave (which is a deal website) and I think it is a great deal!

Today's Save: $18 for a digital measuring cup scale — shipping included
http://eversave.com/share/h0KQ

this is something I am PLANNING on getting very soon! If you cook/bake
a lot, I think it is a great deal! or a great gift..for a mother who
bakes cakes and pies and cookies!

NYT Opinion Column About the Egg Industry

2012-04-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Kristof - who write on many topics for the New York Times, just wrote an opinion column about eggs and the egg industry - in the light of an upcoming expose to be revealed by the Humane Society.

In that, he describes the observations of an undercover worker at a large commercial egg farm and processing facility, which describes the unsanitary and unsafe conditions at the factory farm.

One thing we do an "modern human beings" is that a lot of us eat eggs, meat and dairy on a daily basis (in fact on multiple occasions in the same day). This is vastly different from the ancient humans who had to literally hunt for food. They got more exercise and their diet was more regulated. Now, we sit around more (like I am doing right now) and we eat more! wow....

No wonder health care is a huge problem - when prevention is not practiced much but pills and knives (and lasers) are seen as panacea.

Good diet (ie reducing meat/animal product intake to twice a week and increasing plant based food to a higher frequency, coupled with exercise should improve over all health fast enough. If you are asking me for scientific proof - I will just say this - please join the study group - not as a control, but as the study subject! And we'll find out for ourselves soon :)

Comments on NPR Article/Radio Piece on Yoga (Apr 2012)

2012-04-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who is a yoga teacher and practishioner in Eastern USA, asked me to comment on this NPR piece. So I am just posting some of my thoughts on the fly. What I am posting here is the general understanding of many things seen and learnt over the years. In no way does this paint any religion in bad light.

To Some Hindus, Modern Yoga Has Lost Its Way

by MARGOT ADLER

April 11, 2012About 20 million people in the United States practice some form of yoga, from the formal Iyengar and Ashtanga schools to the more irreverent "Yoga Butt."
But some Hindus say yoga is about far more than exercise and breathing techniques. They want recognition that it comes from a deeper philosophy — one, in their view, with Hindu roots. (More at NPR.ORG )

The question my friend posed was:

"Would you explain to me if this idea I have is correct or not? When missionaries go to India in the name of Jesus, and the people there accept Jesus and celebrate Jesus...is it because that's how Hinduism is (it accepts and celebrates all enlightened beings), not because they have necessarily "converted" to Christianity and now only see Jesus?"

Regarding your question, Hinduism as practiced for many many years in India has baggage from the caste system. So a lot of people who had been neglected and treated as non-equals and lower class, were the ones that embraced Christianity because it offered them hope, respect and some education. This was when the missionaries were first coming in; of course now the Indian Christian community has its own problems and class levels, but my understanding is that conversions worked (both Islamic conversions, Christian conversions) to remove some caste inequality for the downtrodden who were under control of organized religion.

However, the interesting cultural aspect in India is that people of ALL religions celebrate a lot of the local cultural festivals - many of which may seem to be linked to Hinduism.

In the US, yoga as is practiced in many fitness centers is mostly just the stretching part - not even focusing a lot on breathing or preparation to better breathing. However, there are in many universities as well the ISKON movement linked places- where yoga is practiced in a more wholesome manner, including the spiritual aspects quite well.

The people who are converted might still celebrate ALL enlightened beings still, but they just don't care about the "high priests" in Hindu temples and religious hierarchy anymore.

Ways to Combat Allergies

2009-11-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

20 Ways to Combat Allergies (Repost)

Stop being sneezy with these simple strategies

Reproduced in entirety from Reader's Digest Hat tip to original author: Stealth Health

Annoying Allergies
If the drip, sniff, sneeze, and itch of allergies have you thinking of buying stock in the company that makes Kleenex, dry your eyes and prepare to take action.

You're going to wage battle inside your house and even inside your body to reduce the number of allergy attacks you suffer and minimize those so-annoying symptoms. Allergies may not be life-threatening, but they're nothing to sneeze at either. Here are 20 of the best ways to protect yourself.

1. Choose chicken instead of beef. A two-year study of 334 adults with hay fever and 1,336 without found those who had the most trans oleic acid in their diets, a form of monounsaturated fat found primarily in meat and dairy products, were nearly three times as likely to have hay fever as those who ate the least. Don't worry, olive oil is okay; although it's got a lot of oleic acid, it's not the "trans" form.

2. Pop a fish-oil supplement every morning after you brush your teeth. A study of people with allergic asthma (asthma caused by allergies) found those who took daily fish-oil supplements for a month had lower levels of leukotrienes, chemicals that contribute to the allergic reaction.

3. Turn on the AC. Air conditioners remove mold-friendly moisture and filter allergens entering the house. Just make sure to clean or change the filters often or you'll just make things worse.

4. Eat one kiwifruit every morning. They're rich in vitamin C, which acts as a natural antihistamine. Some studies link low levels of C with allergies. When your allergies are flaring up, consider taking a vitamin C supplement.

5. Steam vacuum your furniture and carpets and include a solution of disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT), a boron-based product, in the water. A 2004 study published in the journal Allergy found DOT cut dust mite populations and their associated allergen levels to undetectable levels for up to six months.

6. Take 250 milligrams of quercetin three times a day. This natural supplement is a potent anti-inflammatory flavonoid, and it is widely used in natural medicine practices to fight allergies.

7. Clean out your gutters and make sure they're not clogged. Clogged gutters can result in water seeping into the house, leading to mold growth, which can exacerbate allergies. Next time it rains, check your gutters. If you see water leaking out of end caps, flowing on the outside, or dripping behind them, it's time to get out the ladder.

8. Always run the exhaust fan and/or leave the window and door open when taking a shower or bath. Another option is to run a small portable fan (away from water sources) during and after showers. Again, you're trying to keep surfaces dry and prevent the growth of mold. Also, check to see that the vent on the outside of your house where the exhaust exits isn't blocked by leaves.

9. Wash the shower curtain in hot water and bleach every month. Or use a shower liner that you can replace every couple of months for just a few bucks.

10. Keep your thermostat set above 65°F in the winter. If you set it too low, you're encouraging the growth of mold in damp air. The heat dries out the air, preventing mold growth. Of course, too-dry air can also irritate your lungs and sinuses. The perfect humidity in a home is around 50 percent.

Locate and Destroy
11. Wash all your bedding in very hot water every week. It's the best way to kill those pesky microscopic dust mites that love your bed even more than you do.

12. Follow your dryer vent and make sure it's vented to the outside. For every load of laundry you dry, 20 pounds of moisture has to go somewhere! If your dryer is vented to the garage or basement, you're just asking for mold buildup.

13. Clean the tray under the fridge with a bleach solution and sprinkle with salt. The tray is a veritable mold magnet. Adding salt reduces the growth of mold and bacteria. Also, clean under the refrigerator occasionally; food can become trapped there, become moldy, and the mold spores are blown into the kitchen every time the compressor kicks in.

14. Water your plants sparingly and put pebbles on top of the dirt to discourage mold spores from getting into the air. Overwatering houseplants can contribute to the growth of mold. Also, water might leak through the plant onto the carpet.

15. Spend this weekend decluttering. Throw out or give away coats and other clothing you haven't used in the past year. Put sports equipment in the garage or basement where it belongs. Slip shoes into hanging shoe bags. When you finish, you should be able to see all your closets' floors and back walls. Now give everything a good vacuum and you'll have significantly reduced the amount of dust in your house.

16. Keep your bedroom door shut so your dog and/or cat can't get in. Let him bark or meow. You spend more time in your bedroom than any other room of the house, and this keeps down cat and dog dander, to which many people are allergic.

17. Choose a doormat made of synthetic material. Doormats made of natural material (wicker, etc.) can break down and become excellent feeding grounds for mites, mold, and fungus, and then get tracked into the house. Wash all mats weekly.

18. Clean all dead insects from your porch lights. As they decompose, they can become an allergen source.

19. Put a shelf by the front door for shoes and encourage your family and guests to remove their shoes before entering to reduce the amount of dust, mold, and other allergens tracked in. Keep some soft slippers in a basket by the front door for people who don't want to walk around in their stocking feet.

20. Read labels and avoid foods that contain the additive monosodium benzoate. An Italian study found that monosodium benzoate triggered allergy-like symptoms, including runny, stuffy nose, sneezing, and nasal itching, in adults without allergies. The preservative is often found in juices, pie fillings, pickles, olives, and salad dressings.

ROOM BY ROOM DE-ALLERGIZING

People are rarely allergic to the things that make up a house -- that is, the paint, wood, steel, plastic, and such. Instead, it's the microscopic things growing and accumulating in the house that cause allergies. Those unwanted occupants come in several forms, but the most prevalent in-home allergies are dust and its components (primarily dust mite and cockroach droppings -- yuck!), molds, fungi, and pet dander. Our room-by-room plan will help you identify allergy "hot spots" and get them under control.

ENTRANCE

Use a doormat made of synthetic material. A doormat made of natural material (such as rope or other fibers) can break down and become a good environment for mites, mold, and fungus, which then get tracked into the house. Wash all mats weekly.
Clean dead insects from porch lights. As they decompose, they become an allergen source.
Put a rack by the front door for footwear. Encourage your family and guests to remove their shoes when entering. This will reduce the amount of dust, mold, and other allergens that are tracked in.

BEDROOMS

Tackle the dust. Clean behind the bed and dressers, under the bed, and on the top of the ceiling fan. Always use a damp cloth; dry cloths just spread the dust around.
Eliminate the following items, which are dust and dust mite magnets: wall-to-wall carpeting, blinds and curtains, down-filled comforters, anything made with feathers, stuffed animals, and upholstered headboards.
Make the bedroom a no-pet zone. Keep your door shut so they can't even cross the threshold.
Strip your bed. Wash everything, including the comforter or blankets, in 130°F water. Wipe down the mattress with a damp rag.

CLOSETS

Keep clothing in zippered plastic bags and shoes in boxes off the floor.
Forgo mothballs in favor of cedar chips, or store clean woolens in sealed plastic or airtight containers. You can also place garments in the freezer for several days to kill moths and larvae.
Check corners and walls for mold. You may have a leak you've never noticed because it's in the back of a dark, crowded closet.

BATHROOM

Check under and behind toilets to make sure there's no mold growing because of condensation. Make sure toilets are installed properly so water doesn't leak into the walls or floors, which could encourage mold.
Wash the shower curtain in hot water once a month. Or use a shower curtain liner that you can replace inexpensively every couple of months.
Wash the bath mat in hot water every week. The dampness from stepping onto it wet from a shower can attract dust mites and cause mold growth.
Run the exhaust fan or leave the window and door open when taking a shower or bath.

LIVING ROOM

Get rid of your overstuffed couch. Replace it with leather or vinyl, which will not be as hospitable to dust mites and other allergens.
Consider replacing the carpet. Solid-surface flooring, such as laminate, vinyl, or wood, is much less likely to harbor allergens. For the same reason, consider swapping fabric window curtains with simple shades.
Check your houseplants. Put pebbles on top of the dirt to prevent mold spores from getting into the air too easily.

KITCHEN

Put the contents of all open boxes of food in airtight containers to discourage insects.
Clean the tray under the refrigerator with a bleach solution. It's a mold magnet. Add salt to the drip tray to help reduce the growth of mold and bacteria.
Check under the sink. Quite often, a sink sprayer leaks around the fittings, and water drips under the sink, soaking everything down there and creating a perfect environment for mold.

BASEMENT

Inspect every inch of your basement, including crawlspaces, for signs of dampness and mold. If you find any, clean the area with bleach solution.
Check all belongings stored in the basement. Anything that is stored directly on a concrete floor -- such as boxes, newspapers, clothing, or wood -- is vulnerable to mold and rot from condensation.
Measure the humidity with an instrument called a hygrometer, available in most hardware stores. You want a reading below 50 percent.

List of Helpful Yoga Poses for Common Illnesses

2009-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Sinusitis
Yoga Poses
One website that carries a list of useful yoga poses and other natural techniques that help in preventing common illnesses is the Health and Yoga site. Note that this site lists many techniques that may sound completely new to you. In such a case, locate a trained yoga practitioner in your neighborhood and consult with them accordingly, before proceeding into any self directed program.

Another book that is titled "Yogic Cure for Common (sic) Diseases" also provides information relevant to diet and health. [In "indian english", the author means illnesses, not really 'diseases'.] The interesting part is that this book actually links abdominal disorders to sinus problems and recommends the same diet for both (no fried foods, avoid milk, less spice in food, etc.) This book carries a recommended meal plan (bkfst, lunch, snack time, dinner) with detailed list of items to eat and to avoid. It is a short book divided into multiple illness-related chapters, so it is a quick read.

A link to the book on Amazon.com's website can be found on the left hand side of this post.

Nasal hygiene
The other important tip towards avoiding sinus problems is nasal hygiene. Since the nose is the filter for all the air we breathe, excess mucus needs to be removed from the nose. (Some amount of mucus is normal and needed for keeping the nasal air passage moist and well lubricated.) This book as well as my yoga teachers from India have recommended a procedure called Jalneti Kriya, which is basically saline irrigation of the nose. For the past few years I have been (irregularly) rinsing my nose with either a neti pot or the Neilmed bottle. Penn state's UHS pharmacy as well as the local CVS pharmacies carry this item.

Neti pot video.

Herb Supplements & Other remedies

Quercetin, Bromelaine. Usually avaiable as a combination at Whole Foods, Nature's Pantry (penn state area).

Wellness.com's review on bromelaine

Acupuncture: This is out of my league, but I should give credit to the acupuncturist (Daniel Greenberg) of my friend who told me about quercetin and bromelaine.

Naturopathy: Black pepper smoke inhalation, munching a few kernels of raw black pepper first thing in the morning help clear sinuses. Extremely risky, do not attempt unless you love black pepper.

WSJ and Alternative Medicine

2008-12-26T07:27:00.001-08:00

When people talk about Alternative medicine, they usually refer to treatment methods that are non symptomatic in nature and differ from conventional allopathic medicine. They don't mean to imply some form of ideological, faith based treatment and medicine methods, like the ones (blood letting, etc.) from medieval times.

However, I saw a quote recently that an "article" in the Wall Street Journal that discussed the efficacy of other forms of medicine vis-a-vis conventional medicine. I write "article" in quotes because although it is listed as an article in WSJ, it seems more like an opinion piece to me. Why?

Because the author chooses to quote statistics only for conventional medicine and makes the $1 billion spending appear as a huge amount. In contrast conventional medicine, peer reviewed studies and all, accounts for a $ XXXXX billion dollar industry and the efficacy of conventinal medicine is no greater in statistical terms.

If we look at many of the major problems, "conventional medicine" has been great at diagnosis but at cures or prevention. Cancer is yet to be cured, so maybe we are better off trying to prevent. Incidentally the author conveniently misses discussing therapies which have been having excellent responses, not to mention that vitamin D bills - sold by conventional medicine, can be acquired by naturally suggested therapies themselves.

However for all the articles faults, the author makes some excellent points, one being that natural medicine therapies should also stand up to the test of peer review.

I end with a quote:
George D. Lundberg, a former editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association, who said: "There's no alternative medicine. There is only scientifically proven, evidence-based medicine supported by solid data."

Yoga and stretching

2008-11-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

The first post is just to talk about yoga. I will add more later.