All of us have experienced stress at one point or another, infact it wouldn’t be incorrect to say that most of us experience some form of stress everyday in our lives. Stress is debilitating. It saps us of our energies, affects our general well-being and our productivity. And so we can either choose to accept its inevitability in our lives and live with it, letting it affect our general health OR we can get up and do something about it the moment we see it creeping over us. I prefer to sit-up and take notice of it when I am stressed and then do something about it. Different things work at different times. So while there isn’t a single potent recipe to beat stress, I find trying one of these helps me:

• Laugh – find something to laugh at, however stupid and idiotic and irritating it might seem, just smile at it and laugh away your blues. Even if you can’t find anything to laugh at around you, think of something amusing that happened in the recent past and treat yourself to a good laugh. It works wonders for me.
• Take a few deep breaths. If you are angry, close your fists tightly and then release them slowly, telling yourself that you are releasing all the stress and tension when you let go.
• Is it worth fretting over? We often get stressed over small things that appear to be really BIG then but pretty trivial in hindsight. Next time, try and figure whats the worst that could happen if things weren’t to turn out the way you intend them to be! Often, its not something critical and more of what one terms a ‘lifestyle issue’.
• Go grab a bar of chocolate.
• Exercise. Everyone knows the benefits of exercise in beating stress, so I won’t go into the nitty-gritty. Exercise also helps us become more active and hence capable of handing tasks more efficiently during the day. Make it an imperative part of your day. Do it the way you like it – an early morning jog in the park, sweating it out in the gym or taking up an active sport. But get up and do something when you feel stressed!
• Go for a chat. Call up a friend, chat online, meet up in person – but remember to do it with someone who will make you feel positive. Avoid talking about what stresses you or othe other person. Make the talk light and happy and ofcourse short too. You don’t want to end up spending an hour chatting and then fretting over time wasted and work piled up in the meantime.
• Retail therapy – Sometimes, nothing works like shopping, even if it is window shopping
• Listen to soft meditational music.
• Think of something you loved doing as a child. Now, go ahead and do it, yep even if it seems stupid. Just follow your heart and you won’t go wrong
• Help someone. Ever noticed how good it feels when you help someone do something they had been struggling with? It feels good to be of use to others. It feels good to be of help. It feels smarter. It feels smug. Thats exactly what you want to feel to be able to get out of that stressed feeling!
• Count your blessings. If you are reading this, you are waaaaaaaay luckier than most people in the world. It means you have access to resources which more than half the world is probably not aware of. Make a list of all that you are thankful for. Remember there is a lot to be thankful for in life. We have just forgotten about the good things and started taking them for granted. Don’t get stressed over your child not eating enough! Thank God that you have a family to take care of! Feel blessed. Its all in the mind. And all in our attitude and what we make of it.

Tags: beat stress, how to destress, natural health, stress busters

Now that we are ready to say goodbye to winters, its time to start packing woollens and bring out the summer clothes. And this time, instead of the standard napthalene balls, why not try a natural moth repellant? Neem leaves which are abundantly available (almost every neighborhood has a Neem tree) can be dried and used in place of moth balls. I have been using them over the last couple of years and find them great as there is no residual napthalene smell when I take out the clothes next winter season. Has anyone else tried them? Tried anything else?

Tags: green living, natural cure, natural repellants, neem

Oftentimes, we read certain things which seem interesting, and then before we know, they get imbibed in our mind and we seem to follow them consciously or sub-consciously. Like, there was this snippet I read somewhere which said what is good for eating is good for applying too and it went on to suggest how applying tomato juice, potato juice, honey etc. is good for the skin! And now invariably after I have grated tomatoes or cucumber, I find myself applying the leftover on my hands to my face, before washing my hands off.

And then there was this article I read on the benefits of Amla (Indian gooseberry) - which are a plenty, including the well known fact that Amla is an excellent source of Vitamin C and a very good anti-oxodant. So come winters, when Amla is in abundance, I make it a point to add a chopped amla to the gravy of vegetables I make. Gives it a very slight tangy taste and a darker colour to the gravy. You can add a chopped amla while steaming chickpeas – gives a nice sour taste and turns the gravy dark brown without the need to add extra spices.

Instead of Amchur, one can use amlas with mint, coriander, green chillies, tomatoes and garlic to make green chutney – personally its my hot favorite, taste with all the goodness of greens and amlas. You can also put a couple of amlas in Sarson ka Saag!

My mother who doesn’t like the sour taste of Amla, makes Murraba and sugar coated candies using diced amla. You can get as innovative as possible with Amla and yet not go wrong! I make my own Amla hair oil as well. Just grate a few amlas, add to mustard or coconut oil and store for a few days. This hair oil is really good and makes your hair dark, lustrous and strong. Though while using it, be sure to put disposable or pvc gloves on else you might stain your hands black. If that happens though, don’t worry. Just rub a lemon peel on to the affected fingers and you should be fine.

Tags: ayurveda, Indian gooseberry, natural cure, Natural detox, natural health

The strike by oil refinery employees some time back has thrown up a few questions. Infact these questions have been around for quite some time now but we have been ignoring them. Concerns have been raised that oil stocks won’t last beyond a few years and authorities have been asking us to use it wisely.

What became really evident was that we are moved only when we are subjected to discomfort. It is human nature to get used to the comforts of life and in that comfort zone we are not giving due attention to the issue. A few days of strike threw life out of gear across the country. there were queues on almost all petrol pumps and most ran out of stock in the first couple of days. While we waited for our turn at the petrol pump, we cursed the oil sector employees (for being so indifferent to our sufferings) and the government (for its failure in resolving the matter quickly). However, it was time for some deep thinking also. We have to understand that oil supply is limited and the only way to make it last longer is to use it wisely.

Also, each one of us has to take the initiative. We can’t shirk our responsibility by thinking that if others don’t use wisely, how will I alone solve the problem. 

Imagine life without oil/gas/fuel. Difficult!!

Now think about life without water. Nigh impossible.

Let’s respect nature for what it has given us and not take it for granted.

Tags: Save Earth, save oil, Stop Wasting, Sustainable Living

Ever noticed how many times we open a wrapper, see a gift and then later rewrap in a new shiny gift paper and keep aside to pass on to someone else? Most of us know gifts are a terrible waste – you end up giving and receiving things one is not likely to use and the gifts often get recirculated or shoved away somewhere for use later and are just forgotten about. Yet, we all buy gifts – and yes it causes global warming in the production and distribution of the smallest of products. And then we drive down to a mall and waste time, energies and money (and increase our carbon emissions) in buying a gift and wrapping it up in one of those fancy, non-biodegradable wrappers. I feel its against the diktat of common sense and thankfully most of my friends and family agree with the view. We have, with mutual understanding, stopped exchanging gifts at general get-togethers, dinners, festival times. And in the rare case that I do buy a gift, I wrap it in newsprint or used A4 sheets.

Till about two decades back, most people I knew would use natural homemade cleaners at home, primarily because at that time it was rare to find on the shelves, the now widely available range of branded chemical household cleaners. And then we were barraged with these nicely packaged and wonderfully marketed chemical cleaners that promised to make our lives easy. And they did make our lives easy, for all these years. No mixing of stuff and creating homemade cleaners. No hard scrubbing. Just pour a bit of stuff on to a piece of cloth and wipe – that easy! However, we are all now waking up to the fact that most of these chemical household cleaners contain harmful chemicals, including carcinogens that cause cancer. 

And that gets one thinking – for a little bit of convenience, is it worth risking your and your family’s health? Although I am not yet completely off these wonderous cleaners, I have started moving towards homemade cleaners whenever and wherever possible. Ofcourse I still use Harpic for all toilets, but say to wipe a fridge clean, I have gone back to what my mum would use – baking soda.

Here are a few alternatives I discovered – most of it is like going back to what we did a score of years back or what our moms and grandmoms used all the time. Even if we can follow a few of these household cleaning tips, it would reduce our exposure to these harmful chemicals. If you know of any other cleaners, do share. Would love to hear!

• Use baking soda and a wet cloth to scrub and clean refrigerators, mixers and kitchen stove.
• Use Imli (tamarind) or lemon peels as scrubs to give shine to brass or copper decoratives.
• To clean silver, take a used toothbrush. Take some warm water in a small bowl. Dip the toothbrush in warm water and apply some toothpaste. Scrub the silver with the brush.
• To clean silver chains and small objects, I just dip them in a mixture of baking soda and warm water and keep overnight. Take it out in the morning and wash in clean water.
• When something spills, wipe it off immediately. Don’t let it dry and make it worse for you to clean later.
• Put a bit of salt in the water to be used for cleaning floors.
• To give shine, use some vinegar instead to the water used for mopping floors.
• To bleach clothes, don’t throw away the lemon peels that have been squeezed of juice. Put them in a bowl of water. I do so for the whole week and then on the weekend I use this water to soak any clothes that need to be bleached.
• Instead of a chemical starch, use rice water to starch clothes.
• To deodorize bathrooms, I put a big blob of rock salt in a glass in one corner. I also keep half a glass of vinegar with some decorative artificial flowers in it.
• To give a no-streak look to glass surfaces, I wipe with a wet cloth and then wipe the surface dry with old newspaper. 
• For furniture, I wipe wood surfaces with a bit of mayonnaise when need be.

Again, if you clean your home and equipments regularly, and not let the dirt and gripe settle, a damp cloth is more often than not just enough to clean. And I can’t underline enough the importance of everyday cleaning in keeping one physically active. The days when I start my day lazy and skip household cleaning, I feel nearly drained of energy at the end of the day and a whole ot of inertia. Its almost like what happens when I skip my morning walk or yoga session. I don’t feel active as much.

And come to think of it, doing the above also helps us save money and positively impacts global warming by the simple virtue of reduced consumption!

Tags: environment conservation, green living, healthy eating, homemade cleaners

Okay, here goes another one of the email forwards. It said forward to those you care for, so I thought why not post it here where more can see! So, here it is…and remember the S,T,Rs

STROKE IDENTIFICATION: 

During a party, a friend stumbled and took a little fall – she assured everyone that she was fine and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. (they offered to call ambulance). They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food – while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid’s husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital – (at 6:00pm , Ingrid passed away.) 

She had suffered a stroke at the party . Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. 

Some don’t die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead. It only takes a minute to read this… 

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:  

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke…totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. 

RECOGNIZING A STROKE 

Remember the ’3′ steps, STR . Read and Learn!  Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions : 

S * Ask the individual to SMILE .. 

T * = TALK. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently) (eg ‘It is sunny out today’).

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS . 

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call the ambulance and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher. 

NOTE : Another ‘sign’ of a stroke is 

1. Ask the person to ‘stick’ out their tongue. 

2. If the tongue is ‘crooked’, if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke. 

A prominent cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved. 

and it could be your own..   

PASS THIS ONE…to People you care for !!!!!!

Most deodorants and antiperspirants available in the market have harmful chemicals, that harm both us and the environment. Sweating is our body’s way of getting rid of toxins. Antiperspirants interfere with this natural process of toxin removal. They may also contain CFCs that we all know affect the ozone layer. So we know deodorants aren’t really good, yet we all use them for the obvious reason. 

Is there anything like a natural deodorant that deodorizes, reduces sweat, is gentle on the skin, and easy on the environment? 

The answer is yes! And no its not difficult to make, or messy to use a natural deo. Here are some of my favorites.

• Take a heaped table spoon of sandalwood powder and add a few drops of rose water. Mix by adding some distilled water. Use after shower.
• If you have dry skin, take some oatmeal powder and add a few drops of an essential oil of choice. Use this as a scrub in shower. Will leave you with a soothing lingering fragrance.
• If you have oily skin, use Fuller’s earth (Multani mitti) instead of powdered oats.
• At the peak of summers, you could try this as well – Powder dried mint leaves and keep in a jar. Use some of this mint powder with fuller’s earth and rosewater for shower. You can also add some rock salt.

Caveat: Do a patch test with any of the above to check for any allergic reactions.

To naturally avoid body odor:

• Drink a lot of water.
• Increase intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Exercise regularly – exercising helps rid our body of toxins.
• Have a glass of warm water with honey and lemon.

Tags: natural deodorant, natural health

Ever noticed how certain colors perk us up when we are in a bad mood? Ever wondered why the words “Sale” or  ”Order Now” are mostly colored red? Ever wondered how a walk in a beautiful park soothes your senses? Ever wondered why festival decorations anywhere in the world are always as colorful as can be?

That our mind responds differently to different color stimulii is perhaps common knowledge. What is interesting is that the belief, that colors also affect our health, is fast gaining ground. I got particularly intrigued by the subject when my daughter-in-law felt a remarkable change in herself after a few sessions with her friend who is a professional healer and uses color therapy in her treatments. Colors, according to some, also help in healing. The color of the light in the room we sit, the colors of fruits and vegetables we eat, the colors we see around us, the colors of the clothes we wear – all impact us in some way. Color therapy is based on the premise that any disease or discomfort in our body is a consequence of certain energies being missing. Using color therapy, like eating foods of certain colors(called color food therapy), wearing clothes of certain colors, sitting in certain colored lights (called color light therapy) or drinking water out of colored bottles (color activated water) or applying color to specific acupressure points(color spot therapy) can help us absorb the missing energies from the appropriate colors.

It is believed that people working in a grey coloured office tend to be less alert and active than those working in an office that has yellow or ivory theme. Some believe that if you surround yourself with green light, it will help reduce any heart problems. If you drink water that was kept in a green bottle in the sun for a few hours, it is likely to have a good effect on your digestive system. Blue – the ‘cooling’ color, is healing in case of ulcers and other inflammatory disorders. Blue is also believed to help in high blood pressure conditions and stressful situations. Orange stimulates the nervous system and the appetite. Red is good for those who feel low levels of energy. Its also supposed to be good in alleviating bladder infections. Yellow (stimulator) is the color used for muscle cramps and gallstones. Violet for scalp diseases, rheumatic pains, kidney and bladder weaknesses. Looking at green grass is said to be therapeutic for tired eyes. Indigo is supposed to be a soothing color

It is perhaps, all about belief. I couldn’t come across any research that conclusively proves the health benefits of color therapy. But then, as someone pointed out, if there is no harm in trying something, then why not give it a shot?!

Tags: color therapy, natural cure, natural health

The Delhi Government on January 9, 2009 effected the ban on use, sale and storage of plastic bags in Delhi. Green campaigners have welcomed the move, terming it as long-overdue. Earlier the Government had banned the sale and use of plastic bags less than 40 microns in thickness and those that did not use eco-friendly dyes. The problem with plastic bags is that they end up in landfills or sewage and worse get consumed by stray animals, including cows with their food, often causing death of the animal in the process.

The ban on plastic bags is applicable to:

• Four star and five star hotels
• Food stores with a capacity of more than 50 seats
• Liquor vends
• Shops in shopping centers and main markets
• All Mother Dairy outlets
• Hospitals with 100 or more beds
• Shopping malls

Excellent piece of news and will be great if the Government can actually impose the ban. Remember the maximum penalty for using a banned plastic bag is a  monetary fine of Rs. 100,000 or a 5 year prison term. 

What are the alternatives available?

• Paper bags
• Jute bags
• Non-woven bags
• Cloth bags

Pros and cons of paper bags

• They are expensive as compared to plastic bags and while the big stores can afford them, for small shops it may not be economically feasible to give a Rs. 10 paper bag for someone making a purchase of goods worth Rs. 100. The alternative in such a case is to charge customers extra for the bag. This will ensure eventually that shoppers will bring in their own bags for shopping. A compromise on shopper’s convenience and a step back in time, some would say BUT lets not forget that environment is as much the responsibility of the person dispensing a plastic bag as it is of the shopper who happily takes it, uses it and throws it into the trash can. We must and will learn to carry our own bags when we step out.
• A lot of paper bags being given out by stores  today come with thin coatings, which definitely make the bags look fancier and stronger BUT are not eco-friendly. Most of these coatings are apparently not bio-degradable.
• An explosion in the use of paper bags will mean an explosion in the demand for paper. The direct consequence will be felling of more trees. A good alternative therefore will be to ensure that paper bags are made of recycled paper. 

Other options

Jute and simple cloth bags are sturdy and you have plenty of very nice designs available in the market now. Most jute and cloth bags come from the small scale organizations, often NGOs that support and help keep alive local handicrafts like jute making, embroidery, sewing, patch work craft etc. 

Of all the above, paper bags, though being largely touted as the next alternative, have the shortest life and are the least eco-friendly as compared with other options. Agreed, non-woven bags aren’t bio-degradable but then they hardly snap or break and can be easily washed to be used again. They have a pretty long life and the issue in their case is more of proper use – if people adapt the use-and-throw instead of use-keep/wash-use policy, then non-woven bags will pose a huge disposal problem.

Tags: alternatives to plastic bags, green living, Save Earth, say no to plastic, Stop Wasting, Sustainable Living