Health tips for care in winter

Win the winter and go into the spring with health tips:

- In general, immunity-boosting foods include those that are fresh, organic, easy to digest, pure and wholesome. These include fresh, organic milk and yogurt, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and ghee (clarified butter).

- Foods that nourish and balance the body in the cold, dry, winter season are the sweet, sour and salty tastes. It's best to eat less of the astringent, bitter, and pungent tastes in winter, although all six tastes should be included in the diet.

- Warm, home-cooked, unctuous foods are ideal, as long as they are not deep-fried and are cooked with easy-to-digest oils such as ghee or olive oil.

- Drinking ginger tea helps to keep the body warm.

- Chew a small slice of fresh ginger root dipped in sea salt before meals to keep the digestive fire balanced.

- Avoid heavy foods & eating in excess to exaggerate kapha humor.

- Avoid cold drinks and drafts.

- Add ghee or good oils to your food to counterbalance dryness.

- Avoid excess mucus forming foods such as dairy and sugar;

- Add warming spices to your diet

- Maintain a disciplined routine that includes exercise, yoga and meditation;

- Practice Pranayama (breathing techniques) to strengthen and cleanse your respiratory tract.

- Doing a daily self-massage (Abhyanga) will also help enhance immunity. Self-massage stimulates all of the organs of the body, flushes out impurities, and builds resistance to stress and disease.

- Pamper your skin in winter with face mask of paste made from one teaspoon of honey with half a teaspoon of lemon juice. The paste imparts bright color usually masked by the cold temperature.

- To get rid of Dryness apply mixture of rose water & turmeric with few drops of olive oil.

So this winter, try giving your immunity a shot in the arm--and spend the cold season staying warm and healthy!

Facts about Honey & Cinnamon

Simple……but it just might help you.

It is found that mixture of honey and cinnamon cures several diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a "Ram Baan" (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients.Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada, in its issue dated 17 January, 1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists.

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, chapati, or other bread, instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart at tack. Also those who already had an attack, if they do this process daily, are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat.In America and
Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalizes the arteries and veins.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.

TOOTHACHE: Make a paste of one teaspoon of cinnamon powder and five teaspoons of honey and apply on the aching tooth. This may be applied three times a day until the tooth stops aching.

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of cinnamon powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10% within 2 hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken 3 times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. As per information received in the said journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold and clear the sinuses.

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India & Japan, it is revealed that if honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts.Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION:Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food, relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ingredient which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take 4 teaspoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder and 3 cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, 3 to 4 times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age.

PIMPLES: Mix three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon to make a powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Apply honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts to cure eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning 1/2 hour before breakfast on an empty stomach and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

CANCER: Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one
month 3 times a day.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body.Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon power in equal parts are more alert and flexible.

Dr. Milton who has done research says that a half tablespoon honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powde r, taken daily after brushing your teeth and in the afternoon at about 3:00 p.m. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body
within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America first thing in the morning gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

PLEASE DO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR/PHYSICIAN BEFORE TRYING ANY METHOD AS WRITTEN ABOVE.

Wonders of NEEM (Indian Lilac, Azadirachta indica)

Wonders of Neem Neem is a multipurpose herb, which is recommended in every type of ailment. Following are the wonders of neem, which ayurveda has to offer to this world and modern life style of living. Local action: · Neem act as anti bacterial, anti parasitic, anti fungal, anti protozoal and anti viral thus helps in protection from all the microorganisms, which are always ready to invade in our body causing serious ailments. · Local application of neem powder or neem oil has miraculous results. As it is a famous anti microbial herb, it renders all the microorganisms inactive therefore helping in proper healing of wound without causing any infections and septic conditions. · Taking bath of neem leaves water is a very common sight in Indian homes that helps our body to counter mild infections, which our body might get in day-to-day activity. · Its tropical application makes us relieved from acne, eczema and even ringworms · In skin related diseases, neem works as blessing of God on mankind. It has an action on almost every kind of skin disease thus making its indication in eradicating every kind of itch, rash, infection and allergy. · Neem water is extensively used in burn injuries, thus to protect them from any kind of infection and also promote healing. · Neem oil is extensively used in hair fall and early graying of hairs with very satisfying results. It also find its application in dandruff and in lice growth · Its local application on arthritic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, Osteoarthritis, lower back pain, and musculo skeletal pains is highly recommended with good results Internal action: · Due to presence of tickt rasa it is beneficial in indigestion, constipation and restoring taste of mouth. · It helps in fighting with the intestinal worms there by act as a deworming agent · It is highly recommended in hyperacidity and epigastric pain as it suppresses pitta that is the main culprit in the aggravation of such illness. · Good results have also been seen in gastritis · Widely and extensively used as blood purifier as it possess the properties like tickt rasa which helps in detoxifying any toxins floating in our blood stream which may lead to illness. · It gives wonderful results in diabetes incipidus and diabetes mellitus due to presence of tickt rasa. · It is very helpful in curing urinary tract infection · It stimulates liver for proper functioning therefore helps in maintaining proper secretions of liver · It acts on all kinds of skin disorders and provides great relief. · It works as an anti inflammatory and pain relieving agent · It also helps in suppressing extra heat generated in body due to any reason thus helps in maintaing normal condition in hyperthermia. Very useful in suppressing fever. · Anti malarial action of neem has also been seen · Since old times neem leaves have been used as an agent that helps in increasing vision as it helps in suppressing kapha disorders thus releasing congestion on eyeballs caused due to mucus accumulation in sinuses. · Coughing is relieved by use of neem water · It helps in reducing excess micturation · It has given very good results in diseases like gonorrhea and syphilis · It works as an immunoboosting agent therefore making our immune system very strong and efficient to fight against any foreign invasion making our body strong and disease free. Heart Disease:Including high blood pressure, blood clots, cholesterol, and Arrhythmia/rapid heart beat. Blood Disorders: Including poor circulation, blood poisoning, and kidney problems. Digestive Disorders: Including heartburn/indigestion, peptic/duodenal ulcers, gastritis, and hemorrhoids. Nervous Disorders: Including anxiety, epilepsy, and hives.

Similarity between Orissa & Cambodia

The tragic accident in ‘Water Festival of Cambodia on 22-11-2010 drew my attention to similarity of festivals in Orissa. We are accustomed to think only about Bali dvipa-that was only the capital of vast area called Shunda-dvipa in Ramayana (in shape of elephant trunk). Even now islands of Indonesia are called in 2 groups-greater and smaller Shunda. In fact the whole south east Asia has same tradition as in Orissa. Real name is Kambuja = Shankha in Sanskrit which is anglicized to Cambodia. That is one of weapons of Jagannatha and His dhama is called Shankha-kshetra. Its ruling group is called Khmer = Khamari of Orissa, coming from incarnation of Kurma in about 15800 BC as per Mahabharata, vana parva (230/8-10-Karttikeya calendar).

Water festival is on karttika Purnma-same as balijatra of Orissa. This too is a boat festival. Boat is originated from vahitra = Boita = Boat. Pchum Ben is same as Pitri-paksha of Orissa and all over India.

Khmer’s new year day is same as Chaitra shukla pratipada in Indian calendar.

Royal ploughing day and Ploughing the Holy Furrow (Late May) are same as Akshaya-tritiya of Orissa.

Persian film screened by IFTDA & Film Society

The well acclaimed Persian film PANAAH-Baroye Zinda Mondan (SHELTER-A Reason to Survive), was screened by IFTDA & Film Society on 5 March 2010 at Bhavan’s S P Jain Auditorium. The Chief guest was H.E. Mardan Ali Qasemi, Consul General of Afghanistan. He was accompanied by his family & colleagues. Mr. Chetan Mathur felicitated him with a bouquet of flowers. The film is Directed-edited by an Indian Director, Sundeep K Mohnot.The screening was well attended by the members of IFTDA & Film Society. Everybody applauded the film & its subject. The chief guest showered praises on the film, Bollywood, & wanted more people to come to Afghanistan for their film shooting as in the past for some famous movies like DHARMATAMA, KHUDA GAWAH, KABUL EXPRESS, etc. He appreciated the Director’s understanding of Afghan culture & the theme chosen which is very close to all its citizens. His words had an ever lasting impact on the audience which was spell bound during the film – “For you all it’s a story and a film but for us it’s reality. What has happened in reality was much more which cannot be depicted on the screen but we have experienced it”

SUN-TAN : How to take-off the Sun Tan.

“There are various ways and methods to avoid or take off the newly acquired and much envied SUN TAN.”

1. Apply pure sandalwood paste on face 10-15 minute before shower. Its soothing to the skin. You may add some drops of rose water for fragrance and coolong.
2. Kitchen idea is to apply some Besan (gram flour) and rose water on tanned area. Leave it till it dries. Wash with luke warm water.
3. Make a paste of papaya, cream and sugar. Apply this on tanned area and leave for 15 mins. Wash with luke warm water.
4. For darker tans, mix juices of tomato and cucumber and apply daily
5. Grate cucumber and strain the juice. Add some grated potatoes and spread evenly on face. Leave for some time and wash with luke warm water.
6. Mix sugar with lemon juice. Add little glycerin. Scrub on the affected area and apply in circulated motion. Wash with luke warm water.
7. The other and last best way is to use a sunscreen with spf15 to 35. Also nowadays waterproof lotions are available which should be used before swimming.

SILVER : Household methods for preserving silver

Silver items tend to have a blackish look after some time and thereby losing it's shine. Here are some simple tips to get the gleam back.

Tip 1 : Use toothpaste (white one) to clean the silver. Apply some on brush and scrub

the jewellery with it.

Tip 2 : Clean silver with mild soap. Pat dry with soft cloth. For more stubborn dirt,

use a silver cleaner that you can get at any silver jewellery store.

Tip 3 : Make sure the silver is not dumped together. It may get entangled. Keep every

piece separately in felt cloth or tissue.

Tip 4 : Don’t wear silver when doing your household chores. Chlorinated water can

take away all the luster.

Tip 5 : Clean your silver in vinegar to find it looking brand new.

Tip 6 : Don’t use any abrasive cloth or paper to wipe the jewellery. It can develop

scratches. Use earbuds.

Tip 7 : Body lotions, perfume and cosmetics can ruin the silver jewellery. Always

wear jewellery after you beautify yourself.