Treating your pet leaves an impact on Vastu

If you’re witnessing problems in your home or office this may be the result of a defective vastu, placing a fish aquarium is a very good option. An aquarium tends to relax your mind and create a calm atmosphere. It can be placed in North or East directions. Except for your drawing room an aquarium cannot be placed in any other room. Placing an aquarium in the kitchen or bed room can cause food and sleep related problems which in turn brings negative energies and disturbs the peace of mind. The number of fishes in an aquarium should be in odd numbers. Can be any fish or gold fish and one has to be a black fish. The tank or the bowl should be cleaned regularly otherwise it produces negative energy. Pay attention that anything that stored water has to be placed only at their designated place as per VastuShastra. An aquarium, if placed in a conflicting direction, can cause a major imbalance or a Vastu fault.

Keeping your pets happy also has an impact on Vastu. A dog that spreads positive energy is not treated well then it will have a negative impact. A bird that is caged will spread a negative energy as it lacks its own freedom. So it is advisable to release the bird during day times or atleast keep the cage in a central location than in a corner. Fish tanks are also to be cleaned and free from dirt. So it is not enough if you just have pets at home but the way they are treated also has an impact on Vastu.

Do not ignore this root!

We have all seen our mothers and grandmothers talk about the all important root – beetroot. Here are some reasons you should include them into your diet: 

Helps reduce blood pressure: According to the British Heart foundation, eating vegetables rich in nitrates could help reduce blood pressure drastically. 

Prevents plaque formation and reduces:bad cholestrol. Betacyanin is the compound that gives beetroot its purplish-red colour and is also a powerful antioxidant. It helps reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and does not allow it to deposit on the walls of the artery. This protects the heart from potential heart atatcks and stroke reducing the need for medication.

Is great for pregnant women: Another amazing quality of the root is that it has an abundant supply of folic acid. Folic acid is important for pregnant mums and unborn babies because it is an essential component for the proper formation of the unborn child’s spinal cord. Beetroot also gives mums-to-be that extra energy boost required during pregnancy.

Beats osteoporosis: Beetroot is packed with mineral silica, an important component for the body to use calcium efficiently. Since calcium makes up our bones and teeth, having a glass of beetroot juice a day could help keep conditions such as osteoporosis and brittle bone disease at bay.

 Keeps diabetes under check: For all you diabetics out there, fulfil your sweet craving with a little beetroot.

Helps relieve fatigue:  Because the root is a rich source of iron, it helps in improving a person’s stamina. Whatever the source, a pick-me-up at the end of a tiring day can be just what one needs.

Protects you from cancer:  It was found that betacyanin helped slow the growth of tumours by 12.5 percent in patients with breast and prostate cancer.  This effect not only helps in the diagnosis and treatment of cancers but it also helps cancer survivors remain cancer-free longer.

Beats constipation and keeps the stomach healthy: Because of its high soluble fibrecontent beetroot is a great laxative. It cleanses the colon and clears out the stomach helping in regularising one’s bowel movements.

Drinking water from copper vessel

According to Ayurveda water stored in a copper vessel has the ability to balance all the threedoshas in your body, (vata, kapha and pitta)  and it does so by  positively charging the water

When water is stored in a copper vessel the copper gently leeches into the water and lends it all its positive properties. The best part about this water is that it never becomes stale and can be stored this way for long periods of time.

Can kill bacteria:  Known to help prevent common water borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery and  jaundice, copper has been touted as the cheapest solution to cleaning water in countries that do not have a good sanitation system. Well, copper actually helps in the synthesis of phospholipids that are essential for the formation of these myelin sheaths. Thereby, making your brain work much faster and more efficiently.

Regulates the working of the thyroid gland:

Copper is one of the most important trace minerals the thyroid gland needs to function optimally. A lack in copper can send the functioning of the gland out of sync. So when you drink water from a copper vessel it makes up for this possible deficiency and regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland. 

Aids in weight loss: If your diet just doesn’t seem to be helping you lose weight, try drinking water stored in a copper vessel on a regular basis. Apart from fine tuning your digestive system to perform better, copper also helps your body break down fat and eliminate it more efficiently. Thereby helping your body keep only what it will use and throw out the rest.

Benefits of Garlic

Indian curries are incomplete without garlic – a simple ingredient with packed health benefits. It is very strong and bitter but adds an unbelievable flavour to the cuisine. Any description of garlic is incomplete without mentioning its medicinal values.i came across the benfits of garlic and thought i will share it with you! To those who did not know about garlic just like me.. here it goes!! 

Antibacterial and Antiviral

Garlic is most well-known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties. They help control bacterial, viral, fungal, yeast and worm infections. Fresh garlic is thought to play a role in preventing food poisoning by killing bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella enteritidis, etc.

To treat skin infections

Garlic may help treat fungal skin infections like ringworm and athlete’s foot.

Blood thinning

The anti-clotting properties of garlic help in preventing the formation of blood clots in the body. Hence, it may also increase the risk of bleeding after surgery.

Reduce blood pressure

Helps our blood vessels contract thereby increasing the blood pressure.Allicin

Protect heart

Garlic protects our heart against cardiovascular problems like heart attacks and atherosclerosis.

Combat allergies

Garlic is known to have anti-inflammatory property. It can help the body fight against allergies. Raw garlic juice may be used to immediately stop the itching due to rashes and bug bites.

Remedy for respiratory problems

Daily use of garlic might reduce the frequency and number of colds. Its antibacterial properties help in treating throat irritations. Garlic may also reduce the severity of upper respiratory tract infections. Its benefits in disorders of the lungs like asthma, difficulty of breathing, etc. make it a priceless medicine.  Its ability to promote expectoration makes it irreplaceable in chronic bronchitis.

Diabetes

Garlic increases insulin release and regulates blood sugar levels in diabetics.

Effective against warts and corns

Applying fat dissolving garlic extracts to corns on the feet and warts on the hands is thought to improve these conditions.

Cancer prevention

Daily intake of garlic has been found to lower risk of most types of cancer. 

Leaving pets on their first day care

Pets become the most important part of your family and they are more like your son/daughter, brother/sister or simply a friend! There always arises a problem when you have to leave this family member when you go on a vacation or to attend a function out of city. Many have heart feelings to leave their pet at kennels and this becomes a herculean task if you are leaving your pet for the first time when he/she has already grown up! One can relate this better to their dogs and cats. There have been instances where I have heard families losing their pet once they leave them in kennels. This news brought a panic in me when I left my pet in the kennel for three days.

If you are a family that goes on a vacation every year or every six months then be prepared to leave your pet right from his/her young age. Do a basic research on the kennel you want your pet to stay in. Though it cannot match your house, you must look for a kennel that he/she would be comfortable with. Ofcourse they would miss us when we leave them but they should not be denied any comfort. If your pet is used to a diet plan, make sure you write it in a piece of paper and give it to the caretakers. Let them know what time your pet goes for a walk as pets do maintain the perfect schedule and they do not disturb the care- takers at odd times. Give the bed that your pet usually sleeps on or a ball your pet loves to play with. It should be a home away from home. Call the kennel everyday and enquire about your pet’s well being. This can help you gain satisfaction and also keeping a track on your pet’s emotional status. Most of all welcome your pet when you are back home. Make them feel better and understand that you are back and did not leave them once and for all. 

Keeping away headache at odd times

Most of us would have experienced having headache at odd times, especially when you are out with family and friends. That could be the most displeasing moment, as you would prefer holding your head instead of laughing at the jokes shared or even missing gossips if you are a girl. These annoying moments can be turned into a memorable one if you keep the headache at bay. So what can one do to get relief instantly? A crocin or pain balm?? What if you don’t have them with you? So,here are few simple steps you can follow. You might have heard these before but not following it.. or this might be new an informative.

When suffering from headache, close the right nostril and breath through left nostril for 5 – 10 minutes. This will cure the head ache. This is a very simple remedy for headache that can be done wherever we are, whether in office or any other places or during travel also.

Palming for your eyes will help to relieve tension in eyes and head. Sit comfortably on a chair. Take a pillow and have it on your lap. Incase you don’t find a pillow just find a surface to rest your elbows. Close your eyes. Keep both the palm on your both eyes. The palm should be in the form of a cup, so that it is not touching your eyes. You can rest your hand on the pillow. Do this palming for 20 minutes. It is always good for people who have more strain on their eyes.

So next time you experience a headache when out, try these out and make yourself feel better!

South India at one spot

Longing to visit places in south India and you have no time? Then Dakshin chitra is the place for you to have a glimpse of all the southern states at one spot. Located in the East Coast Road, Muttukkadu, it is a museum of various arts, culture, lifestyle, crafts of the southern states.  Everything is set up for the visitors to enjoy and learn about the southern states. Architectural aspects have been focused on by setting up houses like Chettinad, Kerala, Karnataka etc. These houses resemble the ones in southern states. The houses have a life added to it by having the common households that these states would have. It is just like entering a person’s house in their absence. There are several boards that explain about the household and its purpose. So you don’t require a guide to take you all along and explain what everything means. Ofcourse, a guide can be arranged if it is a school or college trip to educate and give a clear idea about everything there. The houses are set up according to the states and each state has a particular area where the culture, art belonging to that area is set up. So when you are done with kerela you can move forward to Karnataka. Special architectural program is conducted at Dakshin Chitra to understand the traditional vernacular architecture. Different dance programs like folk dance are arranged according to different culture. Apart from just seeing the entertainment you can be a PART of it when it comes to pottery, glass painting, weaving , mehendhi etc. The artisans give a demonstration and you can try it out and take your work home. You have a restaurant to refresh yourself but it is not pallet friendly though it is purse friendly. Apart from the restaurant there are tender coconuts and water available along the path. It has also street scapes, i.e. the streets resemble the ones that are in other southern states. This is to give a feel that you are actually visiting that particular state. A COMPLETE ambience of southern states is given and you could feel the sense of originality though it is not. There wouldn’t be any confusion in visiting the place provided you have a map with you. Your trip would turn tiring if you choose to go in the noon. Always opt to go in the morning or in the evening after 4. The closing time is 6 p.m. It is a good place for a one day tour with your family or friends. Children would enjoy the entertainment there so there is no need to worry if your children might be experiencing the boredom. Plan your weekend to the museum of southern states.

Zha café- perfect place to hangout!

One evening me along with my friends were wondering as to where to hang out.  We were in the Besant Nagar area and all we could think of was the beach or more popularly known as “bessy” by youngsters. Suddenly a friend came with a suggestion, “hey how about zha café? “ We all had the “what is that?” look on our face.  And then we decided to go there just to see what is so exciting about the café that we haven’t heard of!  We see the entrance of the café and look puzzled if it is really a café or a home run café because the building was an ancient independent house. So as we enter with a sense of hesitancy, a waiter receives us. “Please come in mam, where would you like to sit?” We look around and find few tables in the hall and the waiter suggests that there are rooms as well. So we found a Rajasthani themed room, snake and ladder room ( yes! You read it right! A table that has the snake and ladder chart and you get to play it!), bean bag room and so on. So we chose the game room and the first thing that came to my mind was.. PRIVACY!! Yes, the café has a good privacy and it’s like you are entering a house that serves whatever you want that’s on the menu. So we check out the Menu card and to our surprise we find dishes like Karupatti coffee, sukku kaapi (coffee)vaazhaipoo vada, varieties of sandwiches, milkshakes  etc. The eyes that saw cappuccino, burger, samosas etc where surprised to see such traditional items that were just heard off from our parents or grandparents. So after a long discussion we decided on the menu. Next, we find the table that has the popular snake and ladder chart and yes what do a group of girls do when they find such stuffs? There we start playing. The order comes and we happily relish the dishes while playing. This gave a feeling as if we were at a friend’s place and not a café and we realized this when we received the bill. So, a happy one hour was spent with a different experience and we leave with a sense of satisfaction and that the evening was not wasted. 

For those curious to visit, it is right opposite to Bharath School, Kamarajar avenue, Besant Nagar. Mind you, the waiters do not kick you out so you can spend a real long quality time with your friends or your partner. It is also a good place for parties!

Gardening can be made easy!

You love gardening but you are worried about the material you require to nuture your plants? Well, let me give you some brilliant ideas you can use for keeping your environment safe and green!

I was once on my assignment on “safeguarding our environment” and I met a person who owns a terrace garden. To many who knows what gardening is would love this scene where a terrace is filled with varieties of plants ranging from vegetable plants to plants that bear different varieties of flowers. When I looked around the garden I was asking myself..how could this person manage to buy so many pots and nurture these plants. Just as I finished this question I heard a voice saying. “Please have a look at the materials we use as the base for plants.” (did she read my mind? Was the next question in my head). To my surprise, I found amazing materials that were used for these plants instead of those that were to be in the dustbin. Those were materials like an old suitcase that could not be used for your travel but can be a good base for your plant. Next, I saw empty water cans that were half slit and placed horizontally to make it a suitable base. There were other materials like helmets, school bags etc that were used for a good cause. Once I checked out these surprising things, I saw another huge stuff that really was an ad on to my surprise. A broken, old bath tub was used as a base for these plants!! This idea really instilled the thought that many things that we have in our house and that are useless can be useful. So all those who are interested in gardening but cannot invest much please do make use of these simple ideas!! It costs you nothing!