On Friday April 17, Oxfam India launched, with the Indi rock band Euphoria launched a special music video Payenge Aisa Jahan on climate change.

The aim of the music video is to create awareness among people at large about the perils of global warming and the resulting climate change. The launch also had farmers from AP and UP recite their real life stories – on how reckless industrialisation and commercialisation has changed their lives and livelihood.

An online climate change signature campaign at www.climatechange.com was also launched by the Oxfam ambassador and actor Rahul Bose.  I logged in this morning to be a part but looks like the site is under construction. Anyhow, the campaign has been designed to create enough public pressure for the upcoming UN meeting in Copenhangen in December 2009.

Tags: environment conservation, Global Warming, green living

Mango, also known as the king of fruits, is eagerly sought after every summers. Though savoured mainly for its taste, it is a little known fact that mango has several health benefits. 

• Mangoes should be dipped in water for a few hours and then kept in the refrigerator before consuming. Eating cooled mangoes provides a refreshing feeling and fight dehydration.
• Mangoes are good sources of energy.
• Mangoes, being fibre rich, are good for digestion. They help prevent constipation, piles etc.
• Mangoes are rich in Vitamin A, and C. 
• Vitamin E and K are also found in mangoes.
• Mangoes are rich in antioxidants and hence good for skin.
• They are also rich in beta carotene and so protect skin from tanning in summers.
• Mangoes, being rich in Vitamin B, iron and folate help boost metabolism.
• Mangoes are good sources of potassium, calcium and iron.
• Mangoes have low sodium content!
• Mangoes are also good at fighting acidity.

Tags: ayurveda, healthy eating, natural health

Ok, here is an interesting piece of advice I got from a gym trainer. She suggests vociferously that one shouldn’t over-exercise. Doing so can leave one dehydrated and hence cause nutrients to be sapped from the skin. This results in premature ageing of the skin. If there is substantial loss of fat, the facial skin begins to sag!

Moderate exercise though is very important. It increases circulation and helps metabolism and therefore helps body get rid of toxins and helps keep the skin clean and refreshed.

Tags: Natural detox, natural health, skin care

Warm up 1 tsp. of mustard oil. Make sure its lukewarm and not very hot. Now, using a cotton ear bud or your index finger or a dropper, whatever you find convenient to use, put 1-2 drops of this lukewarm mustard oil in the ear that is aching. It works!

Using Ajwain (carom seeds): Boil 1 tbsp. of milk. When it boils, add ½ tsp. of Ajwain seeds. Filter it once it cools and use as ear drops.

Ajwain, Mustard Oil and Garlic: Add ½ tsp. of Ajwain seeds to 2tsp. of hot mustard oil. Add one or two flakes of crushed garlic. Keep heating oil till garlic turns red. Cool and filter. Use as ear drops.

Ofcourse, consult an ENT specialist if the pain persists.

Tags: home remedies, home remedy, natural cure

Do you find yourself tossing in bed for a long time before you fall off asleep? Do you get up in the mornings felling tired and drained of energy? You may not be getting proper and the  required amount of sleep. A good sleep acts as the best natural rejuvenator. Lack of enough sleep or insomnia can result in lethargy and lack of concentration and also affect overall health. It is important to get atleast 6 hours of sleep every night and an hour of sleep before 12 am is worth two after 12 am. So sleep early, sleep well and sleep enough for good overall health.

Here are some tips to help you do just that…

• Avoid having tea or coffee at night.
• A glass of warm milk before retiring to bed helps.
• Make sure you have your meal atleast 2-3 hours before sleeping.
• If possible, have a warm water bath just before sleeping.  Use a calming essential oil (lavender, sandalwood) in bath.
• Try to sleep at the same time everyday.
• Wake up early. If you get up early in the morning, you fill feel sleepy and tired by the end of the day. And thus be able to sleep in time and get sound sleep too.
• Exercise during the day. Physical exercise done earlier during the day will help you get a good night’s sleep.
• Eat well during the day but make sure you have a supper of a pauper. However, do not go to bed on an empty stomach.
• If you find it difficult to sleep because you are too stressed or too excited, switch on some soft, meditational music. Switch off all lights and try and relax. Imagine each muscle of your body relaxing and breathe slowly and deeply as you do so.
• Avoid watching TV in bed or just before sleeping.
• If you have a habit of reading just before sleeping, make sure its something light.
• Lavender has a soothing, calming effect on the nerves. Drop a couple of lavender oil drops on your pillow and see if it works for you.

Tags: home remedies, natural cure, natural health

Our sedentary lifestyle and invariably wrong sitting posture often cause back pains. While the main attempt should be to attack the cause, that is not sit for long hours, get some exercise, sit on an ergonomic chair and ofcourse sit in the correct posture, we do need an immediate way out when the back becomes stiff with pain.

• Lie down and rest: If you are at work, you do need a pain reliever for immediate effect. However, if you can afford it, get some bed rest.
• Get a soft, soothing massage with lukewarm mustard oil. Better still, make your own massage oil…you can make a good quantity and keep for future use. Here is how you make the massage oil at home:

Heat 1/2 litre of mustard oil. Put 25 gms. fenugreek seeds, 10-15 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp. ajwain (carom seeds) and 10-12 neem (margosa) leaves into the oil. Now, heat over a slow flame taking good care that no oil spills. Otherwise it can be hazardous. When the oil is well heated, the ingredients will turn black. Remove from fire and let it cool. Once it cools, sieve and bottle.

Note that massaging with this oil is good for relieving joint pains too.

Tags: ayurvedic remedy, home remedies, natural cure, Natural healing

Recently my little nephew, he is six going on seven, was diagnosed with nearsightedness. Came as quite a surprise to me…he doesn’t watch that much of TV and nor is he addicted to computers. Does his home work in a well lit room…Ok, he is a fussy eater but one can’t really say his diet is seriously deficient in vital nutrients. His mom never suffered from myopia and dad developed it well into his late teens. So, what caused it really? It got be searching the net and I chanced upon this article on research on the relationship between outdoor activity and myopia in 6-12 year olds.

The article says that it is the time spent outdoors in the Sun that is important rather than engagement in some form of active sport. Thats exactly what my nephew does not do. He likes to play indoors and more often than not the only time he steps out of home is to go to school (where he is indoors again) or to visit a friend at his home (again indoors) or for an outing in the evening with his mom and dad.

According to the research it is the intensity of outdoor light that may be an important factor. And they use it to explain the lower prevelance of myopia in children in Australia. It goes on to suggest  that public health measures would do well to encourage children to indulge in some form of outdoor activity, to reduce their chances of developing myopia. 

Alright, gives me enough reason to push him to go outdoors and play. And just be! All the synthetic environment gets to me anyway and I can’t imagine why kids these days want to be indoors all the time, when they can very well be playing out in the open! Perhaps we need to introspect and see if we are creating an environment of too much comfort for them indoors and if it is that which gives them little reason to step out.

Tags: cause of shortsightedness, healthy living, myopia, natural health, prevent nearsightedness

Halitosis is a term used for bad breath. My fellow contributor gave some interesting home remedies to counter bad breath. I am going to take it a step further and elaborate on what causes bad breath.

There are several causes of bad breath. The most common being:

• Dry mouth – Not having enough water, taking medication that causes dryness in the mouth can cause bad breath. The reason is simple. Our saliva controls the growth of oral bacteria. A dry mouth helps bacteria to build up and hence causes bad breath
• Certain foods, for example taking raw red onions can cause bad breath
• Smoking
• Consuming certain drinks (even tea and coffee) can lead to bad breath
• Poor oral hygiene, not brushing often or well enough can cause halitosis
• Any gum diseases
• Stress

Home remedies for bad breath:

To counter bad breath, attack the root causes. And so if you look at the list above, here is what one needs to do to remedy bad breath:

• Have plenty of water. And have frequent sips.
• When you consume foods and drinks that cause bad breath, make sure you brush your teeth soon after.
• Avoid smoking Its not good for your health anyway.
• Try and brush your teeth after every meal, if possible. If not, then atleast after breakfast and before retiring to bed.
• Use a dental floss every night to clean your gums.
• Bust stress. 
• This one is more reactive than preventive, but popping peppermint, clove or an elaichi(green cardamom) helps.

Know of any more natural, easy ways to tackle bad breath? Do share!

Tags: ayurvedic remedy, bad breath, home remedies, natural cure

This is a very simple and convenient remedy that I heard from a fellow tweeter @emergencyoh. When you have a headache thats driving you crazy, try chewing on a cinnamon stick. As simple as that? Wow! Sounds like something thats quick and easy to do even when you are at work, though you need to carry a few cinnamon sticks in your bag. Am going to try it the  next time I have a headache.

Headaches inflict us so often and for different reasons. Some of the common ones are:

• Flu
• Lack of sleep
• Lack of oxygen and natural light
• Stress
• Excessive heat

Honestly speaking I don’t like the idea of taking medicines anytime headache strikes. And so try one home remedy or another. I’ve found different things to work for me at different times. And the most common ones:

• If at work, the first is to treat myself to a cup of strong tea.
• Use a herbal headache balm. I always keep one in my bag.
• Get up from my desk and take a shortish walk. 

But my all time favorites are:

• Apply a herbal balm on the forehead. Take a short nap. Get up and have a good cup of tea or coffee. Super if its flu
• Or go out into the open for a walk. Nature walk works wonders if the headache is because of lack of O2, natural light or because of stress!
• Catch up with someone you like to be with, go out, have a good chat and a good laugh even if its over trivial things. Sounds odd but it often works for me. Especially when I am stressed.

Tags: healthy living, home remedies, natural cure, Natural healing

Age spots or liver spots or sun spots are pretty harmless discolorations* that normally occur on the face and neck, arms and hands. However, they are not very pretty looking and those of us who have them want to leave no stone unturned to get rid of them. But before I go into what can be done to get rid of them, let me point out that age spots take years to form, and hence don’t expect them to instantly disappear with any of the natural, home remedies. 

Why are age spots or sun spots formed?

Age spots, unlike what their name suggests, are not exactly age-related. Yes, they are common in those above 50 years in age or so but are also found in 30 year olds. The main reason behind the formation of age spots is exposure to Sun. And hence the name sun spots. And that also explains why they appear on sun exposed parts of the body. 

How to prevent age spots from forming?

• Cover the Sun exposed parts of your body with a good sunscreen half an hour before you step out.
• As with any other skin trouble, drink plenty of water to flush out toxins.
• Include antioxidants like aloe vera, citrus fruits and nuts in your diet.

Home remedies for age spots -

If age spots or sun spots have already developed on your face or hands, you could try one of these home remedies. Remember though that they won’t act like a magic wand!

• Take the skin of a lemon (should still have some juice in it) and rub the inner juicy part on the age spots. This will lighten them considerably if used regularly.
• Rub onion juice on the affected areas. This will cause the upper layer of skin to peel off and its acidic nature, like in the case of lemon, will cause the spots to lighten.
• Garlic juice, for the same reasons as in the case of onion juice, helps with the Sun spots.
• As in other skin conditions, applying aloe vera pulp on the spots helps too.
• Apply Apple Cider Vinegar on the age spots. Because of its acidic nature again, it acts as an exfoliator and lightens the spots.
• If the spots have a rough texture, applying castor oil helps.
• Almond oil can also be applied on the liver spots. It is rich in Vitamin E and helps smooth out and lighten the blemishes.
• Potato juice or orange juice can also be used to lighten the liver spots.

*It is advised to have a Doctor examine the spots as spots on the skin can sometimes be related to certain diseases, deficiencies or liver malfunction.

Tags: ayurvedic remedy, healthy living, home remedies, natural cure, Natural healing