akshay

How to develop strong body?

2012-02-17T03:55:00.000-08:00

“Sound Mind in a Sound Body” is an age old, but true saying. But how many of the younger generation are interested in a strong body? The younger generation of today is neglecting their physical health and proper diet. They are resorting to fast food, junk food, smoking and chewing tobacco, and drinking carbonated drinks and alcoholic drinks and several other vices. On the whole the health of the young population is at stake. By the time they are thirty years old, their body becomes the host of several diseases ranging from severe cardiac problems to HIV.

The younger generation is ignoring certain very important aspects of life which will help them to remain healthy throughout their life. They are: Home cooked food, proper physical exercise, good sleep and good positive thoughts. Positive thoughts can be nurtured in our heart if all the other remaining conditions are satisfied. Sedentary life style and lack of physical exercise makes one obese, disproportionate with extra flab in the body. This is a sure sign of malnutrition, viz, under nutrition.

They will also show no enthusiasm and interest in their work and life. Altogether they are leading a no better than a vegetable life. Exercising the body regularly helps the body

Lose weight, shed unwanted fat around waist, hips thighs etc.
The vital organs like heart and the lungs perform better.
Immune system of the body gets a boost.
Unwanted toxins that are accumulated in the body are removed through sweat.
The blood sugar level and blood cholesterol level will be lowered and blood pressure is maintained constant.
Diseases are kept away because physiological and metabolic activities of vital organs are complete.
Physiological processes like digestion, excretion, circulation and respiration will be improved.
Lung capacity improves.
Essential nutrients and fresh oxygen is supplied to each and every cell.
The body becomes fit, mind becomes active and alert
Thought process become clear.
The mind is filled with positive energy.
Perfectly fit body aids proper cognitive development, and motor development.
The body muscles becomes perfectly proportionate, skin glows, eyes shines.

The great Arnold Schwarzenegger, great body builder and an actor once that, “Body building is much like any other sport. To be successful you must dedicate yourself 100% training, diet and mutual approach”. This sport of Body Building is an art. If this art is practiced with dedication and hard work along with scientifically planned diet and exercise one is bound to develop strong body with six pack abs which is the dream of many young people all round the world.

You should make several life style changes that include diet, and exercise to develop six pack abs. Exercising Abdomen is the first step to make it perfectly flat. Good nutrition and abdominal training like cardio- vascular conditioning are required to develop six pack abs.

The anatomy of the abdomen is as follows: The abdominal muscles are made up of three layers. The deepest layer is Transverse Abdominus, which helps in exhalation and also provide support and stability to the body. The next layer of muscles is Transverse Abdominus which contracts spine. The closest layers to the wall of abdomen are Internal and External Obliques. These muscles help in rotation and turning of the body.

It is the dream of several young people all over the world to get six pack abs. Proper nutritious diet and cardio vascular exercises play very important role in achieving it. Six pack abs is not so easy to achieve as it requires motivation, hard work and good knowledge about diet. Sacrifices have to be made with respect to diet because you have to forego fast food and junk food to attain the macho look.

Nutritious diet includes fifty percent fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and water. If you are aiming for six pack abs, meals should contain all these in proper proportion. No meal should be heavy. There should be a gap of three to four hours between two meals. Snacking should be done smartly with vegetable, whole grains or fruits. On the whole a low carb diet should be adopted. In a day five to six times meals should be eaten to help the body release sustained energy to the muscles. It will steady the metabolism and help in losing weight.

Water is part of diet. 2 to 2.5 liters of water should be drunk every day to keep the muscles hydrated. Sometimes, after doing certain cardio exercises the body will sweat profusely and there will be loss of essential minerals and salts from the body. So water should be supplemented with barley water, fruit juices and vegetable soups. Of course no carbonated drinks!

In addition to following proper diet plan it is very important to adopt suitable exercises primarily, to shed weight. Simple exercises like cycling, walking, running; jogging and aerobic exercises should be practiced with dedication to lose weight, to maintain optimum weight and to shed extra flab accumulated in the abdomen. Abdominal crunches should be done religiously to train abs to flatten it. By these simple exercises the muscles get aerated with oxygen.

The next step in developing six pack abs is cardio vascular conditioning of the body. This includes exercises in like reverse crunch, treadmill, scissor twists with exercise ball, and rowing. These exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles and back muscles. Exercising on corkscrew and Jackknife stabilizes the muscles in the abdomen, tones up the muscles in the abs and back and strengthen it.

Lastly, taking rest from the routine cardio exercises is very important. During the abdominal workouts there may be injuries to muscles. Therefore giving rest to the muscles once a week will help muscles to repair and recover from the injuries. Resting from exercises will also make the muscles to refuel and grow strongly. Follow all these suggestions. Developing six pack abs is just a step away.

Wellness Tea- ELIXIR for HEALTH

2012-01-30T08:58:00.000-08:00

People all over the world are habituated to drinks like tea, coffee etc. They act like stimulants. They are not good for health if taken several times a day. They cause sleep disruptions and disorders, stomach ulcers, anxiety, depression, frequent urination, accelerated heart beats, restlessness, etc if taken in large quantities, because of the presence of toxic substances called caffeine and nicotine.

Here is a recipe for wellness and well being. It can be taken at any time of the day. It does not cause any side effects. It boosts our immune system and helps in removing toxins from our system. It is easy to prepare and store. The ingredients used in it are not very expensive. The ingredients are easily available in any provision or any departmental stores. All the ingredients are used in our kitchen.

Ingredients required:

Coriander seeds (Coriandrum sativum)	4 teaspoons
Cumin Seeds (Cuminum cyminum)	1 teaspoon
Dry ginger (Zingiber officinale)	1 small piece
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)	2 pieces of 2 cms long
Cardamom (Elettaria cardamom)	1 unit
Jaggery/honey	1 teaspoon
Milk	Half glass
Water	Half Glass

Method of Preparation:

· Roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry ginger, licorice root, cardamom in a thick bottomed pan in low flame without using any oil.
· Coarsely grind them together in a mixer grinder.
· Boil half glass water in a flat vessel, adding 2 teaspoons of the powder.
· Filter the extract add half glass milk and jaggery or honey. When the drink is warm, drink it.

Importance of the Ingredients:

Coriander seeds have citrus or orange flavor due to the presence of an organic compound called Terpenes Linalool, pinene. Coriander seeds contain antioxidants. It is a rich source of dietary fiber, vitamins like A and C. It contains minerals like copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium.

Cumin seeds have distinct aroma. It is due to the presence of cuminaldehyde, an aromatic compound. It is rich in dietary fibers. It has Vitamins A, B complex, K, E and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and Zinc.

Ginger has pungent odour and flavor. This characteristic odour and flavor is due to the presence of zingerone, shogaols, gingerols and volatile oils. It contains Vitamin B6, minerals like manganese, copper, magnesium, & potassium. It is rich in dietary fibers.

Licorice has sweet taste. This taste is due to the presence of an organic compound called glycyrrhizic acid. It contains vitamins B complex and K. It contains minerals like Phosphorus and manganese.

Cardamom adds flavor to the drink. Cardamom contains many essential volatile oils like pinene, sabinene. It is a good source of manganese, potassium, calcium magnesium and iron.

Health Effects and Medicinal Properties:

· This drink is carminative, an aid to digestion and helps in the assimilation of nutrients.

· It boosts the immune system. It helps in increasing the level of haemoglobin in the blood as it helps in the assimilation of iron.

· Flavonoids present in it make it a potent drink for scavenging free radicals and helps in detoxifying the system.

· It is a drink for general well being and for maintenance of health.

· It can be used in the treatment of cold, different types of flu as it is antibacterial and antipyretic.

· It is very effective in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, acidity, and helps in clearing intestinal gas and removes constipation.

· It is very useful in the treatment of joint pain and arthritis as it is analgesic.

· It releases insulin into the blood stream and hence useful for diabetic patients.

· It has cholesterol lowering properties and prevents heart diseases.

· It lowers LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and increases HDL cholesterol as it has hypolipidemic effect in our blood. It also acts as a blood thinner.

· It regulates the heart beat, rhythm, blood pressure and prevents blood clots.

· It is a diuretic as it increases the production of urine to cleanse the kidneys hence useful in the treatment of kidney stones and to remove excess of salts like urea, uric acid etc from the system.

· It is anti carcinogenic as it helps in preventing several types of cancers.

· This drink is useful in curing respiratory disorders like cough, bronchitis etc as it thins the mucus and helps in getting rid of it. Hence, functions like an antitussive and anti inflammatory agent.

This drink will have remarkable impact on our health when continuously taken for sufficient number of months and made a part of diet in our daily diet plan. This drink can be taken either along with food or after food or before food. It can be taken hot during winter months as a nourishing drink to produce heat in our body. It can be taken ice cold as an energizing drink during summer months. It can be taken by people in all the age groups including children, and the aged.

It can also be taken either with milk or without milk. When the extract of the drink is filtered, cool it and add drops of lemon juice and honey. It is a vitalizing and rejuvenating drink. Jaggery or honey added to the drink not only increases the taste but also increases the energy value of the drink.

It is a drink for improving, maintaining, rejuvenating Health. This preparation may be similar to the preparation of tea that gives us health and well being. It is a fortifying, energetic ELIXIR for HEALTH. When taken every day regularly, it will be an ELIXIR of our LIVES.

Open the Flood-Gates of Learning in Schools

2012-01-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

“The future of a country lies in its schools”. “Today’s children are tomorrow’s nation-builders”. Prime Minister Sri Manmohan Singh has rightly emphasized that the future of India will be prosperous only when the children of our country are provided with proper Education. So, the parliament, on April 1, 2010, affirmed Right to Education Bill. April 1, 2010 is an historic day for the children of India. Education has becomes the Fundamental Right for all the children aged 6-14 years age. Accordingly, no child will be denied admission, no child will be asked to take any admission tests, and even children with disabilities would be given admission.

Are the children of our country deriving any benefit out of this ACT? Is education really free and compulsory? Have the states implemented RTE in all the schools and even in the remotest villages? Have the private schools in all the states allotted seats to the poor children? The answer to all these questions is simply, “NO”.

RTE ACT has paved way for compulsory free Education to all the children across the country. But it is not reaching the children in every nook and corner of the country. The ACT has given facilities and provisions for educating children belonging to the weaker sections. But it is not reaching them in toto.It is really unfortunate that we know to make rules and laws but we fail to implement them effectively.

Let us see, how the school system works and what the conditions of teachers and students are. The present system of schooling is not flexible. It is a mixed bag of studies, tests, exams, activities-curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular. All the activities of the schools revolve around some kind of a fixed format or a schedule. Teachers are busy preparing their lessons, question papers, or assessing children’s answer books and evaluating their performance. Schools work as per the directions of the Education Board.

Children are busy learning by rote. They like their teachers and friends but not their studies, Examinations and marks. Their minds are full of Whys and Hows. They are not getting answers for all the queries that they ask either academic or non academic.

The present day schooling is very rigid and has fixed timings, time table, prescribed text books, uniform code of conduct for all the students, and fixed pattern of examinations etc. If the child misses a lesson due to illness the child has to depend on his classmates or his parents. The teacher has no time to revisit the lesson again for the sake of the child. On the whole the present day schooling is absolutely not learner-centric.

The present day schooling is biased, not objective. Since human elements are involved, schools cannot avoid conflicts in inter personnel relationships. Children feel that the teachers are partial and they are not getting what they deserve. Teachers feel that some of their students are boisterous, dominating and notorious. The inter personnel relationship is weakened and learning process is slowed down.

Schools and the Education Board should become more flexible. The Govt should direct all the schools to go online and periodically upload their lessons and assignments in their web portals. These lessons should be made freely accessible to all the students. Even children working as laborer or a peon or an office boy in some remote village should be able to access the lessons, learn easily and write their assignments and submit them online. Similarly, tests and examinations should be conducted. Evaluation can also be done online. Children may be asked to attend their face to face sessions as and when required. Now, education becomes learner-centric.

When schools go online, learning becomes OPEN and has several advantages for students.

School timing is no more rigid. Children who are working for their livelihood can access their lessons during their free time from anywhere and anytime.
Children are saved from the drudgery of carrying heavy load of books in their bags.
Both studies and examinations are online and interactive. Hence there will be no failures in the examinations in future. The student will be repeatedly prompted to get the correct answers to questions. This will boost the confidence of students in examination system. They will no longer fear their examinations.
Children need not have to travel to their schools, hence save their time.
Children need not spend money for buying books or study materials.
Children’s performance can be easily measured and monitored by the teachers effectively.
Inter-personnel relationship between teachers and the students is strengthened.
There is no failure in Examinations. Children will not be the victims of pass-fail syndrome. The psychological fears about exams and suicidal tendency will be eliminated.
This system will be cost-effective provided children are given free laptop or PC and free internet.
This type of web enabled technology will open the learning system to all children including earner learners.

In this system of learning, they are competing with themselves. So, there are no hard feelings and comparisons with their class mates. Children will grow with stable, steady and sound mind.

· School dropouts will be drastically reduced.

· Teachers will not face behavior and discipline problem of children.

· Children will not face corporal punishments from their teachers.

· Web enabled learning makes the school system geographically INCLUSIVE reaching even the remotest village in the farthest part of India.

The advantages are too many when schools go online and open their learning programs to students. Millions of children who are not attending schools will be benefited by this step. This type of Blended Learning and Learner-centric Schools will produce citizens of high caliber. It should be noted that the present day children are living in the era of Technology and Internet. But Education is outdated and not in par with the progress in technology. Such technology and Internet enabled schools are the need for the day to impart Quality Education to our future leaders.

Is Education FREE?

2012-01-23T06:46:00.000-08:00

After independence, we have gone through several literacy drives. Only 75% our total population is literate. That means we have not achieved cent percent literacy in our country. It took sixty three years to declare free and compulsory education for all the children of India as Right to Education bill became an ACT last year.

Right to Education Act emphasizes that all the private schools that are taking plump fees should also give admission to disadvantaged, underprivileged, weaker sections of the students. So, eight years of elementary education becomes the responsibility of the states. This Act has also set several norms and standards for all Educational Institutions in India to nurture poorer and weaker section of the society and to prevent young children from dropping out of the schools.

Govt of India has directed all the states to implement RTE ACT. But several states are hesitating to implement the ACT because of large number of private schools having vested interests. Private schools are not willing to admit children with lesser fees or no fees. Though Education is the Fundamental Right of all children, it is alarming that a large number of children are either dropping out of schools or they are not enrolled in any schools.

Several states have not implemented the RTE ACT. Education Boards are not insisting on the schools to implement the ACT. It is very clear that politicians want certain percent of our country’s population to be illiterate and uneducated for the sake votes. ASER, facilitated by NGO Pratham has released several alarming but interesting facts with respect to children not attending the school or dropping out of schools; the number of children leaving govt schools and joining private schools, etc.

The statistics by Pratham, an NGO, shows that either many children are dropping out of the schools or not joining any schools. Another finding by Pratham is that children living in the rural areas are leaving Government schools and joining private schools. Government and the concerned boards of Education should analyse the situation and speed up the implementation of RTE in schools.

The following table gives us a complete picture on the number of children not attending schools.

Age Group in years	Sex	% Not in Schools (Not enrolled and dropped out)
7-10	Boys	1.8
7-10	Girls	2.1
11-14	Boys	4.4
11-14	Girls	5.2
15-16	Boys	14.6
15-16	Girls	16.1

Children not joining any school or dropping out of the schools should be of great concern for the nation. Dropping out of school or not joining school implies poor economic background. Many a time children drop out of their schools not on their own but they are pushed out of the system because of certain rules and regulations laid down by the schools and concerned Education Boards.

Extremely poor class manual laborers or workers are not sensitive to the need for education of their children due to abject poverty. They push their children also into a work culture for earning a few more rupees. Schools are not supportive to child laborers. So, poor working children do not feel comfortable and do not have the sense of belonging to their schools. Schools also in turn want to get rid of such children to improve their Board Exam pass percentage. So, Children dropping out of schools and not joining schools are mainly due to poverty.

Children are the building blocks of a nation. In our country children are the most neglected lots. What will be the condition of our country after a decade or two if children are not given proper education and training? Govt of India should appoint officials and separate governing bodies to inspect schools in villages and towns to ensure proper teaching and instruction in schools. They should also verify whether RTE ACT is implemented in spirit and NOT in paper.

Revitalize and Enrich School Education

2011-11-05T00:52:00.000-07:00

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela. This statement is true as far as our country is concerned. The Indian School Education system has undergone several changes over the last few decades. Primary Education and Secondary Education still need several changes with respect to class room teaching, methods of teaching, learning outcomes, the method of evaluation, etc.

Many private schools have come up all over India. Schooling fees vary from school to school and region to region, generally unaffordable for the large number of poor students. Each school insists on different visions and missions of Education and ultimately the students who are the receivers of Education are not receiving Quality Education. Therefore, School education is lacking luster and interest for both teachers and students.

School Education lacks the following:

Well designed spacious, ventilated, bright class rooms.
Good, competent and tech-savvy teachers interested in understanding the learning process.
Well written text books and the courseware.
Well equipped activity oriented syllabus for all the subjects.
Video and audio communication tools essential for teaching-learning activities.
Failure to utilize technology in Education.

The design of class rooms in several schools has not changed at all. The class rooms do not have natural daylight. The arrangement of furniture is also traditional and not flexible. Pupils are arranged in horizontal and vertical rows and columns. This type of arrangement cannot promote any group activity. It has created several health problems to our school children.

Teachers are using black board and chalk piece as a visual communication tool in schools. In a class of fifty and odd students, not all children can see the black board clearly. There is no 180 degree view for all the children seated in the class. This has caused defective eyes, short sightedness for students. Most of the children use spectacles. The use of chalk piece has created health problems like skin allergy and asthma for both children and the teachers.

Since we are not using technology, we are unable to get rid of heavy school bags that children carry. School bags are loaded with note books, text books and all other day to day requirements. As a result, children suffer from severe head ache, shoulder pain, stiff neck and back ache at the end of the day. Most of the children end up their day with health problems. They find it difficult to do their home work and other school related work. So their performance is poor. Over a period of time they develop hunch back and spinal disorders.

The schools and the Education Department have not taken any measure to rectify this. Both black board and school bags are creating health hazards. School children will perform better in their studies if some of these draw backs in the Education System are removed. School Education will have to change for the better and become children- friendly. The Education Department should do away with school bags and black boards in the schools. How?

The method of teaching should be changed. The class room teaching should cater to the 5E’s of Education: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. Children should be motivated to learn by self. Self study habits with a facility for interface and interaction with their teachers make the children curious and they learn and explore on their own. Moreover, it is important that they become self-styled independent learners by methods best suited to them. As far as possible “Learning by Doing” should replace “Learning by Rote”. Group learning facilities should be encouraged because children learn better in their group and they develop team spirit. Brain- storming and Group Discussions should be encouraged to make learning interesting.

We have to revolutionize Education through technology. The teachers should use multimedia to do their class room teaching. Multimedia uses text, sound, animation and graphics in proper proportion. Learning outcome of high percentage can be achieved only when children are made to visualize. Teachers should design their lesson plans in PowerPoint presentation format. Teaching through multimedia will have a lasting effect in the memory of children. This type of teaching through multimedia will cater to all the types of learners at all levels.

Ministry of Human Resources has introduced low cost Tablet PC for school students. The Education Department and the schools all over the country should make use of this golden opportunity. Each student should be given a free tablet PC with subsidized internet. The courseware and the activity sheets of all the subjects should be fed into the tablets in Word and the Excel format for the entire year. Children should type their answers in the activity sheets, which teachers can access through networking facility of the school. School tests and examinations can also be conducted online.

Education and Technology should go hand in hand. Technology should be a tool of learning to impart Education in schools. It is ironical that education has helped technology to evolve and grow, but technology is not being used to promote and improve education.

Enriching Education with Technology will certainly make teaching-learning process joyful experience for both teachers and students. Then school education will become more meaningful and purposeful. Let us remember John Dewey’s Quote-“Education is not preparation for life. But Education is life itself”

We should not forget that India is a poor country lacking “Inclusive growth”. Inclusive growth requires Inclusive Education. Inclusive Education requires Inclusive Technology. Technology and Education are interdependent variables. Each should promote the other. They are not competitive but complementary.

School Projects —Aid or Hinder Learning!?!?!?

2011-10-17T00:26:00.000-07:00

Recently, eminent professor C. N. R. Rao said that India has Examination System and not Education system. He also said desperately, “When will the young people stop taking examinations and do something worthwhile?” This outburst of Prof. Rao was due to several Entrance Examinations at various levels that are prevailing in our country today.

The students of today are very busy preparing for some Examinations or the other. This applies to all the age groups of students, right from KG class till PG course. The system of Education is dominated by Examinations. The intelligence of students is measured by a few hours of these Examinations.

Today, in schools, the number of working days allotted for examinations is more than the number of days allotted for teaching the subjects. Students are interested to learn only in the capsule form, in the form of work sheets or notes or guides. Teachers are also not interested in elaborate and extensive teaching. They have ultimately become very brief and precise in teaching and simply hurry to complete the portion in hand to fit the tight schedule of examinations.

Teachers have become more monotonous because of continuous assessment of answer books, practical records, and home work books for internal assessment, individual projects and group projects of students. There is absolutely no time for them to increase their knowledge. It is very difficult for teachers to venture into teaching by new methods, or to conduct any remedial coaching for weak students.

Today passing an examination is considered more important than acquiring knowledge. Students and parents are only interested in the examinations, home work, and project work as they all add weightage to their final results. Now the situation is that students, parents and teachers are sapped mentally because of tests and examinations.

Few years ago, the focus of education was student and now the focus of education is examinations and the scores involved in it. Class projects are compulsory and students have to actively participate in it to get good grade in the final examinations. The main idea behind the school projects is that the children should learn by doing using their hands and brain simultaneously. But this objective has failed.

Students of all age groups from KG class to twelfth standard in schools across India must compulsorily do the projects. However, only their parents or some elderly persons in their family are forced to complete the projects so that their wards do not suffer in the exam. Alternatively making and selling standard projects has become a commercial adventure for some.

In the past, the project based evaluation was compulsory only for students doing professional courses and not for school going kids. But today project based evaluation has become a compulsory method of assessment of pupils. The method is as follows:

In the Lower Primary classes each kid is assigned a specific project in the form of home work which ultimately becomes parent’s home work. The child simply submits what the parents prepare without understanding the underlying values of the project. But in the upper primary, secondary and in the higher secondary classes projects are given in two forms: Individual project and group project.

In the individual category the child selects any topic that interests him and do some copy paste work. Many of the students take the old note book from their seniors. Only one percent may do something new with some interest. In the group project, teachers give them various topics and divide them into groups to enable them to do the project. But all students are not well equipped. They have to spend money for doing their project or purchasing their projects from the market. Rich parents only can afford the cost.

In case of few students who are not equipped with money and knowledge or educated parents, they struggle and do a shabby work. In a group project all students cannot afford to spend time and money. There are fights and quarrels amongst these students. Some of the students dump the work on other students and leave their group.

Do the schools and the concerned Education Department know about this? What is happening to the completed projects of the students? Does the school keep them? There is no space to keep the children’s projects. These projects are sold off as scrap. A large sum of money, effort, and knowledge is thrown in the dustbin.

The project based evaluation in schools is of no use either to the pupils or to the schools. Those projects which are prepared by the parents or the professionals stand out and get better marks but those projects that are done by the pupils without any help do not stand a chance for good marks. This is gross injustice to the poor students.

Ultimately, only the middle men and the traders who sell standard projects benefit. The students, who buy the project just to get marks, may or may not know anything about the preparation and the execution of the project. Hence, the very purpose of project based learning and evaluation is defeated.

Educators must think of reforming this aspect of school education. Education Department can insist schools and teachers to take up the project work in their regular teaching sessions for teaching a lesson in their curriculum. The project work of school pupils should be a tool for teaching-learning process and it should not be a tool for measuring the knowledge and skill. Here is a suggestion:

Let the teacher decide the projects based on the syllabus for her class. Let the class be divided into groups. Let the children bring the necessary materials to prepare their project. The children should do their projects using their hands and brain together inside their class in the presence of their teachers. Let the weekends be utilized for the project work. Based on their project work the next week’s lesson can be planned. Teachers can now easily assess the performance of each pupil by careful observation.

In this method of group project work in the class room, the school children learn to adjust with their friends. They learn to use their hands and the brain simultaneously. They are happy because they are discovering knowledge. Moreover, involvement of parents, any other elderly person or any professional agency is totally eliminated. Education now becomes child centric as he is fully involved in searching for knowledge and acquiring it by his own efforts.

Students enjoy learning and feel satisfied because they are learning by doing under the guidance of their teacher in the class. The learning objective is achieved fully. This modified form of school projects may be implemented for better teaching-learning practice and will strengthen teacher-pupil relationship.

Now the students will say:

“Tell me I’ll forget; show me I may remember, involve me I will understand”.

A Green salad for Wellness

2011-10-07T01:06:00.001-07:00

Today man’s life has become fast paced. His life is full of hassles, demands, deadlines and frustrations. He has become career oriented. He is spending most of his time in his office. As a result he is not able to eat fresh and delicious food. He is eating either pre-packed food from hotels, or shops or from home. He hardly enjoys freshly prepared steaming soup or any other homemade dishes. Fresh homemade food has become a dream in his life.

The hectic life and lack of proper nutritious homemade balanced diet have caused several health disorders like High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, heart and respiratory problems, digestive problems, cancer, skin problems, obesity, imbalance in lipid profile etc. Ecological degradation and environmental imbalance have also added to the health problems. The entire body of man requires an exhaustive and thorough cleansing. No doubt there are several health centers. Health clubs have come up with various packages which are time consuming and expensive. So, most of us can not afford those costly packages for rejuvenation.

At this juncture, we can bank on Mother Nature for a remedy for our present day health problems and disorders. One of the remedies is the green vegetable- Bitter gourd. Bitter gourd is a tropical or a sub-tropical vine. It is abundantly grown in Asia, Africa, and Caribbean. It is an annual, herbaceous plant. It bears thin stem, tendril, and simple alternate leaves. It has bisexual yellow colored flowers. The edible fruit has a warty exterior and is oblong in shape.

The plant is classified as follows:

Kingdom-Plant; Order- cucurbitales; family-Cucurbitaceae; Genus- Momordica;

Species: M.Charantia; Botanical Name: Momordica Charantia

The Bitter gourd is called in other languages as follows:

Karela in Guajarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Sanskrit;
Pavakkai in Tamil and Malayalam;
Karle in Marathi;
Hagalakai in Kannada;
Kakara in Telugu;
Kugua in Chinese
Nigauri in Japanese.

Bitter gourd has several medicinal values. It is very low in calories. Energy is only 17 Kilo cal/100gms. It is rich in phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. Regular consumption of this vegetable will rectify several health disorders.

This vegetable is rich in folates. This helps in reducing severe anemia, and increasing the percentage of hemoglobin content in our blood. It is an excellent source of vitamin C which is powerful and natural antioxidant. It helps the body in scavenging the free radicals.

This vegetable also contains polypeptide p, a phytonutrient which is plant insulin that helps in lowering the blood sugar level. It contains charantin, a hypoglycemic agent and helps in fighting Type 2 diabetes. In addition to this, bitter gourd contains certain Flavonoids like alpha and beta carotene, Luetein, Zeaxanthin which promote the proper functioning of sense organs. It also helps in the elimination of toxic waste of our blood.

Bitter Gourd is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K. This vegetable is a Multivitamin Capsule of Mother Nature. Eating this vegetable helps in preventing ageing, cancer etc.

Bitter gourd contains a sizable percentage of dietary fiber helpful in relieving indigestion, constipation and other stomach related problems. Since it is a good source of minerals like sodium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, etc., it purifies and rejuvenates our blood. It stimulates liver and boosts the secretion of bile juice which is important for the metabolism of fats. It purifies and restores liver as it is an antidote for alcoholism.

Bitter gourd is an immunity booster because it increases the body’s fighting power against infection. Severe skin ailments like Eczema, psoriasis, respiratory problems like asthma and bronchitis can also be tackled by the use of this vegetable. Regular intake of this versatile vegetable helps in weight loss and controlling blood pressure.

Bitter gourd helps the body to fight against several infections. It is an immune modulator in fighting against diseases caused by gram positive and gram negative micro- organisms, like virus, bacteria etc, .It protects the body from the dreaded disease, HIV.

Bitter gourd contains mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fats. This brings down the level of triglycerides in the blood. Fat content of the blood is reduced. Blood circulation improves and this ensures proper functioning of the heart. Hence, it is cardio protective.

All the vital ingredients of Bitter gourd will be damaged by boiling and cooking. This vegetable should be eaten daily at least in a small serving in order to derive all its medicinal values. Here is a simple recipe of the Green Salad made from bitter gourd:

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd: 200 grams

Methi/fenugreek powder: 2 teaspoons

Turmeric Powder: 2 teaspoons

Lemon juice: 2 lemons

Salt to taste

Method:

Wash Bitter gourd. Make very thin slices. Add salt and marinate it for 4 to 5 hours. Wash it under tap of water to remove the salt and squeeze out the water from the slices.
Add Methi Powder, Turmeric Powder and a little salt. Turmeric Powder is added as a preservative and Methi powder is added as a flavoring agent and increases nutrition value of the salad.
Add the lemon juice to fortify the content of vitamin C in the salad and also to reduce the taste of bitterness.
Mix it well; store it in an air tight container. Keep it in the refrigerator. Make it a habit to take a few slices after meals or along with meals daily.

Health and vitality will improve. Quality of life will also improve. Visiting the doctors and taking medicines will slowly reduce. This Green Salad restores healthy life.

Mother Nature has remedies and answers for all our health disorders. Bitter gourd is an inexpensive gift of Mother Nature. “An Apple a day keeps the doctor away” is the old saying. But “A few pieces of Bitter Gourd eaten every day will keep the diseases away” is the new saying.

Caution: Those who suffer from chronic IBS, GERD, Gastritis, acidity etc, should consult their doctors before taking this salad.

“Go Green!”

Algae- Green Fuel of the Future

2011-09-26T02:02:00.000-07:00

Petrol prices in India are going up once in two months. The increase in petrol prices increases the cost of transporting food and other important commodities necessary for our daily life. As a result common people are facing the problem of price rice of their day to day needs and necessities. Our country’s Inflation index is increasing every now and then. People are very much unhappy about the price rise.

Petrol is a fossil fuel. Oil wells are fast drying and replenishing is not possible. It is the most demanded commodity that is becoming scarce. World population is also increasing .At this rate petrol and diesel may become historical relics. Today we are facing Fuel Crisis.

Now, we should think of an alternate fuel that is reusable and renewable. The fuel should be Green Fuel that should protect and preserve the environment. The fuel should be cost efficient and cost effective. It should be easy to use and there should be no side effects of health hazards or any other environmental degradation. All of us are aware that in the past few people tried to extract petrol from Jatropha leaves and they did not succeed in their attempts.

Pond scum or the aquatic plant that grows very quickly is called Algae. It is Microscopic and unicellular organism. They do not have root, stem and leaves. They grow in both marine water and fresh water environment. They are photosynthetic and fastest growing plant. They can be grown also using contaminated water or sewage water apart from marine water or fresh water.

Like other plants, they convert sunlight, water, CO2, and other nutrients into energy and biomass and release large amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere. They are tiny biological factories that use Photosynthesis to transform carbon-di-oxide and sun light into energy.

Algae can be cultivated or cultured. Algae culture is a form of Aqua Culture. Water, Carbon-di-oxide, minerals, light are the important requirements for their cultivation. The basic reaction is:

CO2+Light Energy+ Water= Glucose+ Oxygen+ Water.

The temperature of water must be adjusted to optimum level, to help the growth of Algae. Light will penetrate the system and algae grow and multiply. Nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, Potassium can be added as fertilizer.

Algae can be grown in open ponds or in a closed container called a Bio-Reactor. Growing Algae in open ponds is not preferred because of contamination by other microbes. Open ponds are exposed to direct sunlight and temperature cannot be adjusted.

Algae are cultured in Photo- Bio- Reactor for the production of Bio-fuels. Algae are processed in a processor. Algal oil is extracted by chemical process and it is separated by mechanical crushing.

The vegetable oil from algae can be used directly refined into various biofuels, including renewable diesel and jet fuel, in addition to other chemical ingredients for products like cosmetics. The carbohydrates (sugars) from algae can be fermented to make additional biofuels, including ethanol and butanol, as well as other products such as plastics and biochemical. Biomass from algae can be used for pyrolysis oil or combined heat and power generation.

Using Algae as the fuel has following advantages:

· Algae are renewable resources for biofuels that can be grown on non‐arable lands, using saltwater or brackish water.

· They grow very well when they are fed with Carbon-di-oxide gas, the most important green house gas.

· Using algae for biofuels does not displace farmland used for growing food crops.

Algae also efficiently recycle atmospheric carbon. Through photosynthesis, they produce up to 50 percent of global oxygen.
Algae Bio fuels do not corrode the engines and the motors of the vehicles.
It is cost efficient and cost effective.
Algae can be harvested within two days because they are fastest growing plants.50% of their weight is oil.
Algae do not compete with other land for crops for soil and water.
One acre of Algae can produce 10,000 gallons of oil per year.
Algae can be grown anywhere with sunlight, water, and carbon-di-oxide.
They do not contain sulphur. Therefore they are non-toxic.
They are Bio-degradable.
With the increasing concern for Global Warming and Climate Change now, we need to initiate a change. Sooner or later, petrol and diesel will become extinct. So, not only Algae are the most dependable source of energy, but also eco friendly fuel of the Future.

Switch over to a Bio-Green Fuel, will Nurture the Atmosphere and Nourish our Environment!!!

Happy schooling Promotes Happy learning.

2011-09-20T01:39:00.001-07:00

School is the second home for our children. School is a place where not only knowledge is given but also moral, ethical and social values are learnt by the children. All children enjoy their schooling years. They love and enjoy the company of their friends for a sufficient number of years. They also show love and affection towards their teachers.

When children are taught efficiently they learn their lessons well. Their only fear is EXAMINATION. For most students it gives them sleepless nights. Almost all of them have nightmares about exams. During the examinations several students complain of ill health, problems like head ache, nausea, fever etc. Parental pressures also cause worries and tensions to the students. A peer group pressure also adds to their problems.

The present day system of Education is more Examination oriented than Learning oriented. If the system of Education is learning oriented then the students will certainly show interest in learning. They will learn their lessons well and also try to explore the realms of knowledge to learn more on their own.

World Wide Web is very easily accessible today. All information and knowledge can be very easily reached with a mouse click. So students of today do not require traditional type of examination. Traditional Exams are based on knowledge and rote memory. Learning capacity of the students is not measured. Only memory recall is measured in terms of marks in the limited time. Students are evaluated by marks only.

Today students don’t like to be compared with their friends and classmates. Each one wants to be unique. Each one of them wants to do something differently so that he wants to show that he is different from the others. They hate comparisons and criticisms.

Students welfare oriented schools should introduce different mode of assessment. Examinations or the assessment of students should be at the end of each chapter or lesson. The tests should be carefully designed by the teachers covering all the teaching concepts. The questions should be of multiple choice varieties, matching variety and true false varieties. Long answers and short answer types can be given as Home assignment only. Questions should be based on knowledge, understanding, skill and application aspects of Education.

The tests should be computer aided and interactive. Interactive Computer aided tests permit the children to reattempt the wrongly answered questions any number of times till they get the right answer. This creates a sense of adventure and search- ability prompted by computer aided interaction. It perfects their subject knowledge. Their scores should be given on completion immediately. This reduces the long waiting and tension for results.

In this system of Examination, “students copying” answers from their friends or from pre-written materials are avoided. Both the students and the teachers will not be in the awkward position after the incident of copying. So the teacher- pupil bond is strengthened to a large extent. The teacher actually becomes a friend and a guide. So learning will be at its peak.

In this system of Education the aim and the goal of Education is Learning and not marks or Examinations. Schooling for learning becomes the objective of the parents, teachers and the students. This system of Examination promotes self study habits, search and analytical ability. Children become enthusiastic and self-motivated. There will be positive vibrations amongst the children. The schooling years of our children become a Happy Learning Phase in their lives.

Education is one field that requires a lot changes. People and the schools should modernize Education by bringing technology into Education. Computer aided Tests and Examinations in schools and colleges will certainly revolutionize and modernize Education. The aim and the objective of any school in our country should be to grant happy schooling years to our children and to make Learning very happy.

Six Super Thinking Tools

2011-09-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

Man has progressed in all spheres of knowledge. Man is also harvesting the fruits of his success in all walks of his life. In the entire bio-diversity of this planet he is enjoying the kingly state in this century. He has established his supremacy over the other members of the planet. This is because he is blessed with a vital thinking organ, Brain. Man is a thinking animal. He can plan, organize, execute, reassess, analyse, implement, and evaluate his thought process.

Man is the only thinking animal in this universe. Brain is not only the seat of knowledge but also a thought processing organ. Cerebrum is the thinking part of the brain. Brain is a complex machine like the CPU of a computer. Brain can process information, analyse, synthesize and assimilate. The main difference between the computer and brain is our brain can think and computer cannot as it is just a machine.

Our thinking process works on these parameters. They are: Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation. The human brain has separate sectors for governing each type of thinking skill. Thinking Skills can also be categorized according to the levels, our thought processes can reach.

Thinking Skills like remembering, repeating the ideas or definitions and recalling from our memory are based on the skill of Knowledge.

Thinking Skills like finding out the meaning, interpreting a graph or explaining a diagram are based on the skill of Comprehension or Understanding.

Thinking Skills like implementing or applying the knowledge learnt in situation successfully in another situation are based on the skill of Application.

Thinking Skills like deducing, examining, differentiating, categorizing and experimenting are based on Skill of Analysis.

Thinking Skills like making judgments, drawing conclusions from the information gathered are based on the skill of Evaluation. This type of thinking is also known as Critical Thinking. It is important type of thinking required when we come across crucial situations in our life. Evaluation of our self helps us to better manage our life and working environment.

Thinking Skills like putting all the parts in different ways or reorganizing the existing system in a different way are based on our Creative Thinking Skill. This is the most important and difficult type of thinking.

Certain other types of thinking Skills like intuitive thinking, divergent thinking, convergent thinking, parallel thinking, lateral thinking etc, are higher levels of thinking. All the discoveries and inventions of Science and Technology are the products of these levels of thought of the respective scientists.

Man has devised certain tools of thinking. They are six in number. “What? Where? Who? When? Why? and How?” are the simple tools that enhance the power and the performance of our Brain. If the thinking process dwells in the planes of Whom, What, Where, and When then our thought process is only knowledge based. When we think in this level not much can be achieved.

When the thought process has to be elevated to a higher plane, then it is in the line of “how and why”. When our brain is trained to think in that higher level then we start advancing and achieving. These six super tools are the best aids to human progress.

Therefore, children should be trained to think with these simple tools to progress in their studies. The day to day lessons should be taught using Activities, puzzles and games in the schools to enhance the power of Brain. Children should be encouraged to think in the plane of “How and Why” to increase the pace of their curiosity. Curiosity and inquisitiveness are the two qualities unique to children. Therefore teachers should bank on those and bring out the best from children. Children with maximum level of curiosity show high level of creativity. They become Innovators. They invent and discover new ideas, products, methods, systems and processes.

Innovative thinking and creative thinking is the very essence of human life that has promoted progress and growth. It is this type of thinking that has made our life very comfortable, science & technology has become a tool in the hands of man.

Always remember: Who, What, Where, When Why and How are Six Super Thinking Tools to help us progress in Life.

Endangered Honey Bees!!!

2011-05-31T23:31:00.001-07:00

Honey Bees are flying insects. In the animal kingdom they belong to the Phylum Arthropoda and the Class Insecta.They are economically, commercially, and environmentally useful to plant and human life. There are several species of Honey Bees all around the world. Five important species of honey bees are as follows.

The rock bee, Apis dorsata (Apidae).
The Indian hive bee, Apis cerana indica (Apidae).
The little bee, Apis florea (Apidae).
The European or Italian bee, Apis mellifera (Apidae).
Dammer bee or stingless bee, Melipona irridipennis (Meliporidae).

They live in colonies. They are social insects. We can find them in the flower and fruit gardens, vineyards and orchards. They live in hives constructed in trees out of wax secreted from the wax glands in their abdomen. Bee keeping is called Apiculture. It is a commercial activity of economic importance.

Bees are attracted to the colorful flowers because of their fragrance. They have a special gland called scent gland to smell the scent of flowers. They have long feelers in the head region to suck the nectar from the flowers. During the process the hairy hind legs will be brushed with pollen grains. When they visit another flower to suck nectar, the pollen grains in the legs will fall into the ovary of the flower and bring about pollination. Hence, they are useful to farmers and helpful for agriculture to thrive and flourish.

Honey Bees are the most important insects of our ecosystem, without which agriculture will not survive. Nearly 90% of the flowers are pollinated by Honey Bees. Now we are experiencing the decline of agriculture because Honey Bees are endangered and now we are experiencing Bee's Colonies Collapse Disorder. The reasons for their decline are many. The foremost is the use of chemical insecticides and pesticides. Honey Bees are sensitive to those chemicals and they die.

The next reason is the industrialization of rural areas. Green fields and gardens are destroyed for housing colonies. These housing colonies have replaced Bee colonies. Bio tech crops also have contributed to the death of Honey Bees. The Biotech crops do not attract Bees as the flowers do not have the scent and the honey.

Organic farming is still another reason for the decline of Honey Bees. In this method of farming activity external climatic conditions like temperature, rain, severe heat etc, are controlled, which means that crops are grown under laboratory conditions.

Honey Bees require moderate and cool climate to sustain their life. In this century there is a steep increase in the day temperature by 4 to 7 Degrees due to global warming. So global warming is also another factor for the decline of Honey Bees.

Another very important reason is the ever increasing number of cell phones and the cell phone towers. The powerful radiations and signals emitted by them have caused Honey Bees to forget the route to their hives as Honey Bees move about with the buzzing sound.

The decline of honey Bees is also be due to the parasite called varroa mite, a bloodsucking parasite that attacks young and adult honeybees. Attacked bees often have deformed wings and abdomens and a shorter life span. The varroa mite is also really effective at transmitting disease, particularly viruses. Another major bee pest is the tracheal mite, which gets inside adult bees and clogs their breathing tubes, suffocating the insects.

The death of bees has resulted in poor growth of crops and poor quality of flowers, fruits and vegetables. To put it shortly, agriculture is in crisis. This has resulted in remarkable increase in food price with reduced yield and poor quality of agricultural produce. If the situation is not taken care then the entire bio diversity of the earth will be destroyed.

The rich bio-diversity of the earth has to be preserved. Honey Bees are one of the very important and useful members of this bio-diversity. The most important work of pollinating crops will come to a standstill if they die. Certain permanent measures should be undertaken to restore the population of Honey Bees. The food of these crop pollinators are nectar and pollen. So colorful, attractive flowers rich in nectar, fragrance and pollen grains should be cultivated to attract Honey Bees. A vegetable, flower, or herb garden, with a diverse assortment of plants, is a good source of food for these pollinators.

Sunflower plants are very attractive and rich in nectar and pollen grains. Cultivating them with other crops in different sections of the field in all seasons will increase the number of visiting bees.

Their shelter is a hive usually housed in trees. So trees in the garden should not be cut. Preferably flowering trees should be planted to nurture and nourish the Honey Bees. The dead trees, if any, in the garden should not be cut off. Instead, certain wooden structures may be placed to attract the Honey Bees to build their hives.

The use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and herbicides should be reduced. Excessive chemical herbicides destroy the plant and the insecticides kill the Honey Bees. So these chemicals should be used sparingly. Eco friendly and herbal insecticides and herbicides should used to protect the crop pollinators. We have to till the soil carefully because soil shelters the eggs and young ones of Honey Bees.

Fencing the fields and the gardens with trees and bushes cools the climate, thus optimizing the temperature for breeding of Honey Bees. A fence formed by a row of closely planted shrubs or bushes with a wide variety of plants that have different flowering seasons will provide a suitable habitat for Honey Bees, increase their population and protect them from natural enemies of crop pests.

Like this, the dwindling population of Honey Bees can be improved by taking appropriate steps. If Apiculture is promoted, the economy and agriculture will prosper. Agriculture and the Bio-diversity of the Earth can be preserved only if Honey Bees are saved from extinction.

"Save Honey Bees to preserve Agriculture"

"Save Agriculture to preserve the Bio-diversity of the Earth"

Hunger and Malnutrition

2011-05-11T02:59:00.000-07:00

Food is the basic necessity of life. Food provides us energy and nutrients required for various body functions, growth and physical activities. So it is essential that we have to eat a proper balanced diet to keep us healthy and fit. Balanced diet comprises of proper proportion of grains, pulses, vegetables, fruits, oil, ghee, butter and water. While cooking food, care should be taken to include proper proportion of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals and finally the elixir of our lives, the WATER. After all, “We are what we eat”.

If the diet is balanced with all the components of food then it is a nutritious food. Following are the benefits of eating Balanced diet daily:

It helps us to lead a healthy and meaningful life.
It prevents diseases and improves our immune system.
It reduces body fat, lowers bad cholesterol and controls weight.
It helps the body in meeting the nutritional needs so that there is no starvation for various organs of the body
It improves the functioning of various essential organs of the body.
It helps us to get proper sleep.
It helps us to lead good and quality life that is free from stress and fatigue.
It helps us in maintaining our energy level at optimum level throughout the day
It also helps us to reduce our medical bill and saves our money.
It extends old age and increases longevity.

· It promotes overall wellbeing and helps us to contribute to the society and to the nation.

The questions here are whether all the people across the globe are able to eat safe and a proper balanced diet? Are they taking care to prepare the balanced diet daily? Are they getting enough food to eat? According to the recent survey more than 925 millions are hungry in the world today. There is yet another startling fact that 10.9 million Children under five die in developing countries each year. Malnutrition and hunger related diseases cause 60 per cent of the death of children. Why? What causes hunger for a very large population? But anyway this is current critical problem still to be resolved.

Hunger means the state of wanting and craving for food. Hunger also denotes the state of scarcity of food. It is certain that hunger has affected the well being of the people, nation and the world. If we watch the map of hunger across the world and observe carefully it is very clear that hunger manifests in several regions and those regions do not have proper access to the developing world, where food is in abundance.

The hunger affected areas are draughted with less rainfall and it is difficult to grow food crops required for the people. Water scarcity in several hunger prone regions has resulted in scarcity of food. Lack of proper transportation to the hunger prone areas has deprived them food. Extreme and severe climatic conditions and after effect of certain natural disasters are also playing a crucial role in causing hunger. Poverty is the prime cause of hunger. People are poor because proper industrialization is not achieved in those areas.

Climate change due to global warming and environmental disorders have also contributed to the world hunger problem. Sowing pattern, long summers, shift in the rainy season, lack of rainfall or no rainfall and other weather related problems have accelerated hunger. On the one hand there is an increase in the global population and on the other hand there is a remarkable decrease in the resources, especially agricultural. The common scenarios throughout the world are diseases due to vitamin deficiency, micronutrient deficiency and protein energy malnutrition. Several deaths of millions of people due to hunger related diseases and malnutrition. In short, Hunger and Malnutrition coexist and are the two sides of the same coin.

Malnutrition is a condition in which certain micro and macro nutrients are either lacking or are in excess. It is a universal problem and affects all age groups. It is commonly prevalent in all the hunger prone regions because it is caused by lower food intake and lower intake of micro and macro nutrients. Of late it is becoming a global epidemic. Therefore, this problem should be tackled carefully otherwise it will lead to the destruction of humanity.

The consequences of Malnutrition are disability, discomfort, diseases and death. It affects every organ of the body. The symptoms of Malnutrition are weight loss, weakness, dry skin, brittle nails, bone and joint pain, anemia and retarded growth especially in children. All these symptoms will slowly transform into diseases if not taken care of. Some of the commonly prevalent diseases of insufficient food and poor nutrition are:

· Protein Energy Malnutrition: This condition refers to inadequate protein intake. This condition causes fatty liver i.e. kwashiorkor, stunted growth, chronic diarrhea. This type of malnutrition is common in children. If the problem is acute then it may result in the death of children.

· Deficiency of Micronutrients: Vitamin A deficiency causes eye defects and blindness. It also causes several illnesses and death from infections. Iodine deficiency is due to malfunctioning of thyroid glands, causes goiter, mental retardation and brain damage and fertility problems. Iron deficiency causes nutritional anaemia, stunted growth and very low resistance to infections. Deficiency of sodium and potassium also causes several imbalances in the functional life of a person.

· Overeating is also a nutritional risk. This causes Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Cardio vascular problems and obesity. This is common health problem in developing countries.

Malnutrition is a global epidemic. It is very important that proper measures are taken to curb it. One such is educating people about the importance of eating well balanced diet everyday. It will not only cut the cost of medical bills but also help them to maintain a good quality of life. Educating the people about the preparation of good quality foods, and safe foods without contamination should be undertaken by healthcare professionals periodically. There is a need to emphasize that Food is Medicine and Medicine is Food.

In the hunger prone areas fortified foods should be made available at subsidized cost. Advanced techniques of agricultural practices like Bio-farming methods, etc, should be adopted to fight against Hunger and Malnutrition.

TISSUE CULTURE, AN INSTRUMENT OF AGRO REVOLUTION

2011-05-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

A small tissue excised from any part of the plant is called explants. It is grown in an aseptic environment. The aseptic environment comprises of nutrient medium of inorganic salts, organic nutrients like sucrose, vitamins, minerals, growth regulators –auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins. Growth factors like Light and Temperature are regulated by using artificial conditions. These explants will develop roots, stems, and leaves. Then they are planted in the outdoor conditions. This type of micro propagation of plants is known as Tissue Culture.

The aseptic environment should be free from contamination of Microorganisms. The glassware, explants, medium, and any other instruments used should be free from microorganisms like bacteria, fungi etc. All the materials involved should be sterilized well before culturing.

The Components of Tissue culture medium contains both micro and macro nutrients. The Micronutrients are the minerals like Iron, Molybdenum, Zinc, Copper, Boron, and Manganese. The Macronutrients are Nitrogen, Calcium, Magnesium, Sulphur and Phosphorus. The energy source of the medium is the sugar--- sucrose or Fructose. Vitamins like Thiamin, Nicotinic acid, Pyridoxine, Panthothenic acid etc, are added to the medium to bring in optimum growth as they are helpful in carbohydrate metabolism. In addition to this amino acids are also added to stimulate the growth of cells.

This type of culturing plants produces clones of plants that do not involve pollination, fertilization or seeds. The plants produced are genetically identical. Growing the plants in the artificial medium implies that each cell of the plant has the potential to regenerate into a complete plant. Care should be taken to select healthy plants for tissue culture. Several complex organic compounds like Casein hydrolysate are added to produce desired growth.

The four major growth hormones used are auxins, cytokinin, gibberellins and abscissic acid. Their addition is a must to the culture medium. Auxins induce cell division, cell elongation and adventitious root formation. Cytokinins promote cell division and stimulate growth of shoots. Gibberellins are used for merristem growth.

The solidifying agent used for keeping the explants in the nutrient media is preferably Agar. It provides right contact with the nutrient medium and it provides aeration to the explants. Agar is a high molecular weight polysaccharide derived from the sea weeds. It is preferred because it does not react with the nutrient media nor it is digested by the plant enzymes. An optimum pH level of the medium should be maintained for the various components present in the nutrient medium.

The modes of Tissue culture are: Callus culture, Cell suspension culture, Single cell culture, Root culture, Anther culture, closed and open culture.

The technique of Tissue Culture has the following advantages:

· Plants can be rapidly multiplied from a mother plant of known desirable characters.

· Selected and screened plants can be maintained free from serious diseases and pests.

· 98% survival of the plants is certain under field conditions and the plants grow faster.

· Flowering of the plants is uniform. They have short harvesting period.

· Yield is increased by 20% as compared to conventional methods.

· Plants that are difficult to grow under normal conditions can be propagated by this method.

· Tissue culture Method is useful for the cultivation of medicinal plants and spices.

· This method of propagation is very useful in reviving the endangered species of plants.

· Draught resistant and high quality nutritive varieties can be cultivated.

· Several copies of genetically identical plants can be produced from single explants.

· Tissue culture method is economical in time and space.

· By tissue culture methods we can propagate new varieties of plants.

· The entire process is very quick. In short time plants can be grown and maximum yield can be achieved.

· High nutritive and good quality plants can be grown and cultivated by this method by adding suitable vitamins and minerals in the culture medium.

· Since plants are grown in the controlled temperature in the laboratory, season and climate change will not affect the growing crops.

· Tissue culture can be practiced anywhere including arid, semi-arid or desert countries under controlled laboratory environment.

World is facing several geographical problems in the form of climate change due to global warming. We see lot of changes in the climate throughout the world. Season and whether patterns have undergone critical changes. So agriculture is facing a setback. Food has become insufficient for an ever growing population. The problem of hunger and malnutrition are common amongst children all over the world. Children are dying due to hunger, and malnutrition. So, food being one of the essential needs of humanity it should be secured and conserved.

We should promote Tissue Culture practices in agriculture to ensure food security, to remove world hunger and malnutrition. Hence, Tissue culture is a solution to revive agriculture all over the world.

“There is no hope of doing perfect research---Griffiths 1998-p97”

2011-04-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

My answer is an emphatic NO to the statement.

In this planet Man is the only thinking animal because he has a very well developed brain. His mind is full of variety of questions on what he observes. So he tries to explore around to find answers for his doubts. He also has a natural tendency to inquire into the realm of knowledge. He is curious to find out HOW and WHY of all the phenomena that is happening around him. Therefore he is able to establish supremacy over other forms of life.

Man is not only thinking all the time but also analyses the situation critically and weighs its pros and cons and formulates his own conclusions to perform better in all spheres of life. The process of thinking, analyzing, etc arises out of the fact that man is a very curious animal and that curiosity has helped him to progress and achieve in life.

Initially man’s writing tools were palm leaves and nail. He slowly ventured through paper and fountain pen, refill pen and now he is in the age of electronic Notepad. Man was sending message through pigeons. He established postal system of communication involving letters, telegraphs, speed post etc. He went on to evolve satellite communication system.

Man has progressed in all the spheres of life. He has evolved better technology than yesterday and the day before to make life enjoyable on this planet. We owe all our progress to scientific, creative, and lateral thinking of Man that has lead to research in various branches of knowledge. After all, life without imagination is meaningless.

Now we are living in the period when Man is trying to conquer Nature. Man’s growth and progress would not have been possible without his rational thinking for doing perfect research. Research means to search again. Research is defined as search for knowledge with an open mind to establish novel facts. Research is a critical enquiry into facts for principles of life.

To conduct research one has to adapt certain scientific methodologies to get meaningful results. Scientific method is a general problem solving method for all Domains including our personal lives and is unbiased. Thus it is a creative suite for problem solving and decision making. Scientific Method involves the following stages –viz. 1.Observation and Description of the problem, 2.Collection and analysis of data. 3. Formulation of Hypothesis.4. Test of hypothesis 5. Drawing conclusions.

On the basis of the above method several problems were tackled by me during my teaching career in school. Every class room is a laboratory. Teachers are the research scientists. The various students with varieties of problems are the data.

My observation was that students who were not eating balanced and nutritious breakfast were not able to perform well in the examinations and tests. The class was divided into two batches. To one batch balanced food was provided and to the other batch balanced food was not provided. Then the lessons were taught together for both the batches. At the end of the week test was conducted. Students who ate breakfast did better than the students who did not eat. Then all students were instructed to eat healthy breakfast before the school begins.

In another instance my students were losing foot ball matches to the opponent school. Out of three games each school was winning one each. The last one was the deciding game. My students were playing very well but somehow they were not able to clinch the trophy. This was a common problem for several times. On queries were raised, all students said that towards the end of the game they started becoming uncomfortable in their dress and they were not able to hit the winning goal. Our school students were wearing Navy Blue T shirts and opponents were wearing Bright Yellow T shirts. Foot ball matches are played in the afternoon under scorching sun. I understood that the Navy Blue T shirts were denying them the trophy. When all students were asked whether they are feeling very hot and sweating inside their dress. All of them confirmed. Going by the principle” Dark colors absorb heat” , the color of T shirt was changed to White. The very next match was own.

In all our walks of life there is a lot of scope for research. Inquiry and Investigation will always improve the standard of living and the quality of life.

“Research always tends to Perfection”

Probiotics for Healthy Life

2011-04-25T03:44:00.000-07:00

Bacteria belong to the large domain of Micro-organisms and are unicellular. They are universally present everywhere. They are of different shapes. They are invisible to our naked eye because they are microscopic. Scientists are still not able to classify them either under plants or under animals. There are beneficial Bacteria or Friendly Bacteria and Pathogenic Bacteria or disease causing Bacteria.

The friendly Bacteria present in the soil bring about decaying of dead organisms. They fix atmospheric Nitrogen in the soil. Several of them are beneficial to mankind and animals as they support life. They prevent diseases and cure them. The term Pro means for and biotic means Life.

Probiotics are the Friendly Bacteria helpful to man in many ways. Conversion of Milk into curd, Fermentation of food products are brought out by beneficial bacteria. Lactic acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria and certain Yeasts are a few friendly micro-organisms that help man to fight against diseases. Certain Lactic acid Bacteria are Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus johnsonii. So, Probiotics are “live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”

Just as Bacteria play a vital role in bringing about cleaning the Earth’s atmosphere, air, water and soil, there are several types of Bacteria living in the human body cleansing our organ systems. Some of the diseases caused by Bacteria are diarrhea, dysentery, tuberculosis etc. To cure the infectious diseases antibiotics are administered. They cure the diseases but some amount of damage is done to the epithelial lining of our intestine. To offset the damage and to reduce the symptoms like gas, stomach cramps etc, Probiotics or the friendly bacteria should be taken in the form of food like Curd, Yogurt, Soya milk, capsules or diet supplements.

Research conducted on several individuals show that the Lactic acid producing Bacteria have many beneficial effects to promote health. The major metabolic activities of Probiotics are: Breaking down of fats, Proteins and conversion of Lactose into Lactic acid. These changes are effected through Bacterial Enzymes. Probiotics in the GI tract help human beings suffering from impaired digestion or dysfunction of the digestive enzymes. This property of Probiotics is useful for infants, old people, and convalescents. It is also useful for people who are suffering Lactose Intolerance.

Health benefits of Probiotics are many. They are useful for curing Infectious Diarrhea, IBS, Infection caused by H. Pylori, Vaginal infection, Tooth decay, skin infection, Stomach and Respiratory infections in kids, the maintenance of healthy blood pressure level, proper functioning of the Liver, pain relief, etc. These can be effectively managed by the administration of Probiotics. Probiotics are also useful in obesity management, maintenance of Cardio-Vascular health and their well being, and they also work as anti-inflammatory agents. They also help to control several types of cancer. Therefore, Probiotics are vital to our immune system.

The Probiotics have the following characteristics:

· Non-pathogenic to human beings.

· High tolerance to bile and gastric juice.

· There are no side effects after taking them.

· They do not react chemically with other enzymes present in the intestine and do not produce any adverse effects.

· They protect the intestinal eco system when pathogens invade.

The Probiotics have a wide range of health applications. With the increasing knowledge and research on known and emerging probiotic strains, future trends envisage their increased inclusion in dietary supplements and functional foods targeting diverse and preventive health maintenance needs.

Current innovations in functional foods with Probiotics are yogurts, beverages, bakery products, preservatives, and pickles, breakfast cereals, nutrition bars that can be purchased and consumed as a food supplement. Buttermilk or Lassie is a rich source of Probiotics and any amount of it can be taken to maintain good health and well being.

Phytochemicals- Energize Health & Life

2011-04-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

“Phytochemicals” are the chemicals found in the plants. “Phyto” is a Greek word for plants. They are naturally occurring in plants. They are Plant’s Bio-active components. They act as a defense system for the plants. They provide colour, aroma and flavor to the plants. Phytochemicals not only protect plants but they also help human beings to lead a healthy life. They are power packed plant nutrients as they protect human beings against dreaded cardiac diseases and cancer.

The sources of Phytochemicals are Plants and Plant Products. Some food sources of Phytochemicals are: carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, water melon, soya beans, mangoes, papaya, oats, barley, brown rice, grapes, whole wheat, ginger, mint, green tea, apples, pomegranates etc,. The intake of phytochemicals should be from the dietary sources and not from the supplements. Nearly Four thousand phytochemicals are identified in plants.

They are classified and grouped based on their function or based on the food source. They are Flavanoids, Phyto-estrogens, Phytosterols, and Carotenoids. Alkaloids, Phytophenols, and sulphur compounds. Flavonoids enhance the effects of vitamin c and function as antioxidants. They are abundantly found in vegetables, fruits and tea. They are biologically active against liver toxins, allergies, inflammation, tumors and other viruses.

There are several types of Flavanoids. Their functions are: They reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, by increasing the level of good cholesterol. They protect lungs from the harmful effects of pollutants and cigarette smoke. They reduce the risk of blood clots in cancer and heart patients. They help to prevent urinary tract infections. They induce the death of cancerous cells in leukemia patients.

Phyto estrogens are plant compound that counteract the effects of estrogen. Isoflavone is a type of Phyto- estrogen present in soy helpful in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Phytosterols are abundantly found in seeds of green and yellow vegetables. They reduce the dietary cholesterol absorbed by the body and facilitate its excretion from the body. So, they reduce the chances of getting sudden cardiac arrest.

Carotenoids are the type of phytochemicals found in yellow, orange, red fruits and vegetables. There are two distinct types of carotenoids. They are Xanthophylls and Carotene. Carotenes protect vitamin A and vitamin E from oxidation. They eliminate the toxins and pollutants from the body. Hence, they enhance the immune system. Xanthophylls protect the skin from sunlight, promote the growth of beneficial bacteria and help in blood clotting.

Alkaloids are found in tea, coffee, cocoa, green tea. Anthrocyanin, an alkaloid is present in dark purple grapes. They stimulate our nerves. Phytophenols protect us from ultra violet radiation. They are powerful antioxidants. They boost our immune system.

Phytophenols are abundantly present in strawberries, Blue berries, grapes. Phytochemicals belonging to the group of Sulphur Compounds are available in Garlic and Onion. They help us fight against cancer, heart diseases.

Present day life style has changed to a large extent. Both men and women have work to fulfill the needs of the family. Employed mothers find it difficult to balance both family and work. Therefore children are eating fast foods and junk foods. Fast and junk foods contain fats, sugar, sodium and other chemicals. Consuming these foods every day, urban school going children are suffering from diseases like Blurred vision, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity, High cholesterol level in their blood, Kidney problems as kidneys cannot filter the salt and eliminate it through urine, Pain in the abdomen, Head ache due to tension or indigestion.

School going children eat pizzas, burgers, chocolates, cakes, wafers, biscuits, candies, cheese, ice creams and varieties of soft drinks. These food items contain either Trans fatty acids or saturated fatty acids. All these food items have high percentage of fats called triglycerides. Soft drinks contain pesticides and high percentage of alcohol.

Foods containing Trans Fats and saturated fats are not essential food items as they do not promote growth in children. Saturated fats and Trans Fats increase the risk of cholesterol and coronary heart diseases If we analyse the fast foods available critically, they are sold in plastic bags or tin cans. Both plastic cans and tin cans are bad storage materials as they involve unfriendly chemicals that will harm the stomach and the intestine of young kids.

To prepare the fast foods vegetable oils like palm oil and hydrogenated vegetable oils are used. Though palm oil is an unsaturated fat it contains high amount of triglycerides. Therefore it will reduce the level of good cholesterol and increase the level of bad cholesterol.

Hydrogenated vegetable oils contain Trans Fats, saturated fats and nickel in its fine form in traces. Research shows that the presence of Nickel in fine powder form in foods prepared from hydrogenated vegetable oil is responsible for blurred vision in children.

The junk food items are prepared by reusing the burnt oil. All types of vegetable oil degrade when heated because majority of them do not have high tolerance to heat. Prolonged consumption of burnt vegetable oil causes diseases like thickening of arteries, inflammatory joint diseases, etc.

With several health disorders children are unable to cope up with their studies. All these diseases appear as symptoms. It results in memory loss or forgetfulness and poor performance in studies. They have short span of attention. They also do not show any interest in sports activities. They feel Lazy forever. They are unable to concentrate in studies and other academic activities due to sedentary life style. This is because blood with essential nutrients is not reaching all the tissues and cells.

Children are facing lot of tension because of Tests and Examinations. They are very anxious about their performance in their studies. Life has become more challenging to them because there is a lot of competition and they face parental pressures. Therefore they require lot of stamina to withstand any type of emergency.

With the changing life style one has to change the diet to face the life’s challenges. Their diet should be more of fruits and vegetable servings. That will help them to get proper quota of plant compounds daily to withstand the stress and strain of life. After all, the essential plant compounds are “Phyto Protectants and Energizers of our health”.

Think Differently

2011-04-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

Science and Technology have revolutionized man’s life. Man is not only living and interacting with fellow human beings, he has to live with several small, medium and big size gadgets which he has invented for his comforts. Though life has become simpler, living has become complicated. In day to day life, he comes across several problems but he is unable to find suitable solutions.

Man should improve the thought process of his brain to solve his problems.“Think” is the intellectual activity bringing about a change in life style. Thinking generates Ideas. Ideas that are simple to operate are really good. The process of thinking varies from person to person as problems are not unique.

The very purpose of thinking is to progress in life. Man has very good imagination and creativity. He can think and critically analyze all the situations and problems. The technique of problem solving by creative approach is called Lateral thinking. In this method we try to look at the problem from many angles. Man is searching for the solution to his problems from known ideas to arrive at many new ideas. Discovery is the result of the thought process. Lateral thinking leading to discovery of new ideas is called Heuristic Method.

In Heuristic method solutions are arrived at by intuition or by discovery. Man has to think divergently to get many new ideas. Our brain can be exercised and trained to think differently. Solving the problems of life by this method encourages us, to innovate ideas, generate new solutions, develop new concepts and treat all problems as a challenge. Therefore Heurism is an approach to solve problems in all walks of life by lateral thinking.

Inhalers have replaced medicines in the treatment of Asthma. Nano- medicines are replacing surgeries. Robots are used in complicated surgeries. Non-invasive laparoscopic and laser surgery have replaced invasive and intrusive traditional surgery. Cosmetic Dentistry has replaced traditional painful tooth extraction.

Several computer programs like Anti- virus programs, C –cleaner, drawing software, accounting software, etc. have simplified work. SMS and internet on mobiles are the result of man’s innovative thinking.

Boring lecture method of teaching is replaced by smart digital class rooms. Online interactive teaching methods and e-learning courses have revolutionized the system of Education and made learning easier and interesting. Now students can access and listen to the lectures of any university by sitting at home with a laptop or a PC.

Marketing strategy is now revolutionized by social media websites like face book, twitter etc. In corporate enterprises brain storming sessions improve decision making, interpersonal relations and team spirit.

Heuristic thinking should be developed from childhood. Let the child cut the paper with the plastic ruler to replace paper cutter. Let the child learn by intuition and discovery. Let the child question to solve his curiosities and discover solutions. What is learnt in childhood will last forever. Parents and teachers have a vital role in encouraging children to think differently and solve their problems by novel methods.

Benefits of Organic Food

2011-03-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Organic food is the product of Organic Farming. Organic Farming involves the use of green manure, compost and biological pest control. Chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides are not used for cultivation of crops. Organic Farming requires less energy and produces less waste. It is a sustainable farming technique because water and air pollution are avoided. It is eco-friendly because it nourishes the soil, water, local terrestrial and aquatic life. The production cost of organic food is very less as the bio-degradable waste is recycled as fertilizer. Therefore, it has a high yield of agricultural produce.

It is a very safe agricultural practice. There is no risk involved to the health of the agricultural workers as chemicals are not used. Organic foods are produced by environmentally safe methods. They are free from artificial food ripening agents, food additives, genetically modified ingredients, and irradiation techniques.

There are numerous Benefits of Organic Foods. They are very tasty. Grapes produced by organic farming are sweeter than the grapes produced by Chemical Farming. They retain their natural flavor and aroma. This is because chemical fertilizers are not used.

They have a high nutritive value. In organic Citrus fruits Vitamin C is more. They also contain double the quantity of flavonoids, an important antioxidant. Organic Chikku contain more antioxidants than the normal chikku.

Organic Food contains lower agrochemical residue because no chemicals are used. So less carbon is released into the atmosphere. There is a substantial reduction of Green House Gases in the atmosphere. In other words, Organic Foods reduce the effect of Global Warming.

The shelf life of Organic Food is longer. The quality and the nutrient value last longer. They do not require refrigeration. Hence the cost of energy for storing is negligible. They do not require special packing. So cost of packaging is reduced.

Both animals and human beings can safely consume the produce without any side effects. There will be no food related health problems like, Intestinal infection, GERD, Obesity, Hormonal Problems, Diabetes, Cancer etc. Organic Food bless us with GOOD HEALTH. After all, HEALTH is WEALTH.

2010-04-04T10:01:00.001-07:00

The Superlatives!

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The Superlatives!

2010-03-20T03:42:00.001-07:00

The Greatest Joy ------------------------Giving

The Greatest Loss -------------------Self-Respect

The Most Destructive Habit------------- Worry

The Most Satisfying Work------------ Helping Others

The Ugliest Personality Trait---------- Selfishness

The Most Endangered Species----------- Dedicated Leaders

Our Greatest Natural Resource------------ Our Youth

The Greatest Problem to Overcome------------ Fear

The Most Effective Sleeping Pill ---------------- Peace of Mind

The Most Crippling Disease----------------- Excuses

The Most Powerful Force in Life ------------------- Love

The Most Incredible Computer-------------------- Brain

The Deadliest Weapon-------------------------Tongue

The Mightiest Weapon------------------------- Pen

The Greatest Asset------------------------ Faith

The Most Worthless Emotion--------------- Self-Pity

The Most Beautiful Attire--------------- Smile

The Most Prized Possession-------------Integrity

The Most Powerful Words------------ I Can

The Most Contagious Spirit--------------- Enthusiasm

The Powerful Channel of Communication-----------Prayer

The Supreme Force of our Life----------- God

Be the change you want to see in the world

2010-03-16T01:16:00.001-07:00

Be strong enough to face the world each day.
Be generous to those who need your help.
Be frugal with your needs.
Be willing to share your joys.
Be willing to share the sorrows of others.
Be a leader when you see a path others have missed.
Be a follower when you are facing uncertainty.
Be the first to congratulate an opponent who succeeds.
Be the last to criticize a colleague who fails.
Be sure where your next step will fall so that you will not tumble.
Be sure of your final destination in case you are going in the wrong way.
Be contended with what you have.
Be grateful to the people who make you happy.
Be wise enough to know that you do not know everything.
Be wise in deeds and in words.
Be wise enough to know that you cannot do everything alone.
Be kind to those who are unkind to you.
Be who you want to be and Not what others want you to be.

Hibiscus for Health

2010-03-11T01:13:00.001-08:00

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is a perennial shrub.

It grows in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions of the world.

The flowers are large, showy, and colorful and attract bees.

The colors of the flower is ranging from white through yellow and orange to scarlet and shades of pink, with both single and double sets of petals .

Classification of Hibiscus rosasinensis:

Kingdom: Plant kingdom

Subkingdom: Tracheobionta (vascular Plants)

Division : Angiospermae (Flowering Plants)

Class : Magnoliopsida

Order : Malvales

Family: Malvaceae

Genus: Hibiscus

Species: Hibiscus
rosa-sinensis

Hibiscus, especially White Hibiscus and Red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), is considered to have medicinal properties in the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda.

Roots of the Hibiscus plant are useful in the treatment of cough.

The flowers are boiled in oil along with other spices to make a medicated hair oil to prevent graying and hair loss.

The leaves and flowers are ground into a fine paste with a little water and the resulting lathery paste is used as a shampoo plus conditioner.

Hibiscus tea is an herbal tea drink made by boiling a large quantity of dried petals. Sugar is added to sweeten the drink. It is served either hot or cold. It has the characteristic red color. The tea has medicinal value.

Hibiscus tea contains 15-30% organic acids, including citric acid, maleic acid, and tartaric acid.

The characteristic deep red color is due to the presence of cyanidin and delphinidin , a polysaccharides and flavonoid in the flower

Hibiscus Tea acts as a natural diuretic for people with kidney problem if taken without sugar.

Hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in a group of pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Three cups of tea daily resulted in an average drop of 7.2 point in their systolic blood pressure.

Drinking hibiscus tea can reduce high blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes.

Drinking hibiscus tea also lower blood cholesterol and prevent the oxidation of LDL (Bad) Cholesterol.

Hibiscus Tea can be prepared in combination with lemon, ginger, mint, to give different taste and different flavor to increase its medicinal value

According to the traditional medicine, the flowers of white Hibiscus can be dried in the shade of neem tree. Then they can be powdered and it can be used to fight all cancers.

The buds of the white Hibiscus flowers if eaten raw in empty stomach should cure all the diseases.

Hibiscus Plant is a gift of Nature.

Grow Hibiscus in pots in your homes and

make the best use of this beautiful Nature's Gift.

Nature in pencil

2010-03-02T00:22:00.001-08:00

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Nature in pencil

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Mighty Mountains?

2010-03-01T08:42:00.001-08:00

Mountains are a common sight on this planet.
They make up one-fifth of the world's landscape.
Mountains are an important source of water, energy and biological diversity.
About 80 per cent of our planet's fresh water originates in the mountains.
Mountain ecosystems are essential to the well-being of the global environment.
Mountain environments are essential to the survival of the global ecosystem.
Mountains are the home for several natural resources.
The wild vegetation is surrounding the mountains.
The beautiful and rich greenery of the mountains and the rare medicinal plants of the mountains are endangered.
Mountains are rich in minerals.
Mountains are blessed with rare and valuable metals.
The precious stones of mountains find their application in modern living.
The thick forests of the mountain ecosystem bring rainfall. This prevents increase in temperature.
Mountains are susceptible to rough weather and accelerated soil erosion.
This has resulted in degradation of mountain ecosystem.
This has caused rapid loss of habitat and genetic diversity.
Due to increasing water scarcity, it is becoming increasingly important to protect the mountain ecosystem.
It becomes man's responsibility to protect the beauty, serenity, tranquility and peace of Mountains
Climate changes, population growth, deforestation, are the problems confronting the "water towers of the world".
Modern activities like tourism, hiking, trekking, development, mining, urbanization is eroding the landscape of many mountain ranges and has resulted in Concrete Jungle!!!

"Save our Mighty Mountains "

"Grow without damaging the environment"

Confluence

2010-02-28T00:46:00.001-08:00

WE see in Nature, rivers of different countries merge or flowing together.

We also observe the common sight of sea meeting the sky.

Nature dose not show any discrimination of people or country or race or creed.

Oh! Man, "Why are you not learning from Nature not to discriminate fellow human beings?"

"Why are you not launching a mission of knitting people together from all over the world for accomplishing Global Peace? "