Mind – Page 2 – Health Edited

Friday Five: November 21st, 2014

Today, I’m delighted and thrilled to bring you our very first Friday Five guest post! Written by my dear friend, Seema Ramakrishna, this post is a personal exploration on the ideas and thoughts that are presently resonating with her. Seema is a mother to one, friend to many, a ball of passion and energy, and Head of Interiors of the well-known Brigade Group in Bangalore, India.

Morning Reflections
I particularly love that window of time, every single day, between 8 am and 8-30 am when I coordinate what I should wear. It is absolutely “ME” time. To choose from a wardrobe that houses a collection of clothes across 20 odd years, is no easy task. Surprisingly though, it does seem easy. Because I don”t care much for what might be the current trend or what impact my appearance would have on others.

I strongly recommend that every person should spend some time assessing oneself in front of the mirror. The mind will behold all that the soul has to bare. And voila! You will know exactly what you need to wear to lift the spirits. Wear makeup if you must but also wear the right amount of the right attitude!
Armed with all of the above, I for one, walk out of my home with a spring in my step, ready to face the world.

Indian Mantra
There is this tried and tested Indian way of handling difficult situations and that is to simply place the problem on the back burner. Father Time is the wholesome ingredient that resolves the concern on hand. Anger or any other negatively strong emotion is best managed by putting off a reaction on an immediate basis and paving the way for a response instead, all in good time.
It took me this long to realize this home truth but it sure works.

Sole mate – Size Matters!
The size of my feet has faced the brunt of many digs. One such was while I was getting a pedicure done, the therapist squealed with amusement that I have such tiny feet and I retorted with a, “What may thus be the discount?” And so when there are those freak moments that I chance upon the right fitting pair of shoes, the necessary measure of adrenalin pumps in and it becomes my coveted asset.
Sole searching is also very good for my soul!

Eat, Sleep, Live
My grandmother ate all that she fancied and lived all of her 83 years. She had casino online diabetes, high BP and what not but that did not deter her from indulging in food. The key to keeping her metabolism in check was to eat in moderation and at regular intervals and take her medication religiously. She took a nap every afternoon and slept well at night. Every meal, every chore was by the clock. She read novels before she went to bed. I have inherited her culinary skills on a willing note and her lack of height on an unwilling note. Am at that bend of the road when my metabolism is slowing down and nevertheless, I need to inherit her ways on a compulsory note.

Annual Pilgrimage
I work hard and I party hard. It is driven by external forces and I go with the flow, striving hard to meet work and home deliverables, as life would have it. And then comes that time of the year when I fall off the face of the earth for two weeks. I prefer to travel alone to seek peace in being with myself, on my terms. I always return home feeling a better person. Am sure my folks think so too in addition to thinking that I truly am a sweet person since I bring back a whole lot of chocolates local to the region of visit!

A trip like this reinforces me for what seems like a lifetime but it lasts exactly a year. And off I go, wanting to be with myself year after year. A pilgrimage of sorts to revive the mind, body and soul.

Friday Five: November 14th, 2014

I’m back with the Friday Five feature for this month. Here are five thoughts/ideas/things that are bringing joy and delight into my life. I had written about the possibility of including guest posts for this feature and it looks like it is going to happen. Stay tuned for exciting guest posts next Friday onwards!

Fresh Turmeric Root

The fresh turmeric root was an impulse buy. I have seen it sit next to fresh ginger root in grocery stores for years, but have ignored it thinking that powdered turmeric was all that I needed in my kitchen. Turmeric powder is good, but fresh turmeric root is extraordinary. The fresh version has a subtle taste, a slight peppery tang to it, but it would be remiss of me to call it turmeric lite. It is the creator of the powder after all. I have been julienning it, grating it and juicing it (in a garlic press) into my dishes, and my-oh-my, it adds glorious color, flavor and magic every single time. Just around the time I started buying fresh turmeric root, I had a scary-very-apt-for-Halloween cut on my finger. The few people who were allowed to peek under the band-aid said that it needed multiple stitches. Six weeks later, there are no signs whatsoever of the once upon a time cut. Our ancients were so certain of turmeric’s healing prowess, that they named the root, Kanchani, or the golden goddess in Sanskrit. You can also bring the goddess home today to heal your wounds, external or internal.

Medjool Dates

Deep brown in color with a caramel like flavor, medjool dates are embodiments of nature’s sweetness. Brimming with nutrients like vitamin A, B, potassium and iron, they make an energizing snack all by themselves or they make an excellent substitute for sugar. I have been using them to sweeten smoothies, truffles and puddings. Something magical happens when bananas, coconut milk and a touch of cardamom meet these dates in the blender. It is like they go on an awesome date (sorry, I could not resist) or something.

Hygge

It is that cold time of the year and if you are worried about plunging into Seasonal Affective Disorder, embrace Hygge. What is Hygge? It is a Danish word and it is hard to translate it into English. It is the reason why the Danes are considered the happiest people on earth despite long, dark and dreary winters. Describing the concept, Helen Dyrbye in the Xenophobe’s Guide to the Danes says that,

“It is the art of creating intimacy: a sense of comradeship, conviviality and contentment rolled into one.”

Simply put, it is the driving away of darkness and coldness through the luminosity and warmth of you and those around you. It is your everyday Deepavali or Christmas. Hygge is both a ceremony involving cozy candle light dinners as well as a feeling. So what will you do today to bring Hygge into your life?

Nag Champa Incense

Each stick weighs a gram and burns for one whole hour. Each stick is a special blend of resins, flower essences, herbs and natural sandalwood oil. Each stick is hand rolled. The scent is gentle, earthy and lingering, and is resonating with me, big time. I burn one stick every day; it wraps and cradles me with light, love and Hygge.

Maria Popova’s Literary Jukebox

It is a Brain Pickings project where quotes are imaginatively, reflectively and thematically matched with songs. When asked about the inspiration behind the project, Maria said,

“I have music on practically all the time and spend an inordinate portion of my waking hours reading, so it’s unsurprising that this synesthetic quality would manifest itself [for me] most powerfully in the relationship between literature and music.”

I have been spending an inordinate amount of time on this site. Here is one of my favorites, time seems to expand with this Proust with Murdoch pairing.

Sources:

California College of Ayurveda; Turmeric: The Golden Goddess
Dr. Mercola; What are Dates Good For?
Mother Nature Network; How ‘hygge’ can Help you Get Through Winter
Library Journal; Q & A; Maria Popova on Literary Jukebox

Squat

A scene from The Good Road, a film that I watched last weekend at a local film festival, was so evocative that it filled me with a visceral longing. What does one of the main characters in the film, a truck driver, do when he is at a difficult crossroads, both physically and emotionally? He perches on top a granite milestone, next to a never-ending highway, amidst an arid landscape, in a squat position and ponders.

Watching him squat on the milestone with ease left me with a yearning to feel that comfortable in my body again. I remember squatting with ease when I was a child to examine exciting objects on the floor or to play with sand on the beach. I squatted in malasana or the garland pose in my yoga classes. I also squatted regularly during my pregnancies in preparation for labor and birth. And then somewhere along the way, I stopped doing yoga, forgot about squats for years until I watched this film last Friday. It triggered a muscle memory of efficacy and familiarity with the squat position that I once possessed.

The benefits of squats are many. Touted as a complete workout in one single movement by fitness trainers and enthusiasts, the movement builds muscle not just in best online casino the lower half of the body, but deep down in the core and the upper half of the body too. Squats create an anabolic environment in the body that promotes the release of the human growth hormone, which in turn builds strength in the entire body. Just as it builds strength, the movement also improves flexibility in the joints, especially in the knees and the lower back. In addition, research studies link squats with increased athletic performance, specifically in the areas of jumping higher and running faster.

In its yogic version or malasana, the squat is considered grounding and centering. An ideal prenatal exercise, it helps stretch the ankles and feet and open up the hips, groin and inner thighs. This pose is useful for decreasing tension from the lower back and also relieving lower back pain. It is said that practicing the pose regularly, improves balance, coordination and concentration. In addition it helps with digestion and elimination. In fact, malasana is considered supreme for metabolism and digestion.

That got me thinking. On a daily basis, we digest so much more than the food we eat. We digest and metabolize the books we read, the music we hear, the air we breathe, the sights we see and the emotions we feel. Is that what that truck driver in the film was doing? Did the squat on the milestone help him metabolize the difficult circumstances around him? Is squatting elemental to the human condition? Without spoiling the film for you (just in case you decide to watch it), I’ll say that he decided to do the right thing. He decided to choose light over darkness.

Life poses big and difficult questions, and sometimes getting into a pose can help us process them. These days you will find me squatting or at least trying to squat with childlike glee. I have examined the contents of all the lower cabinets in my kitchen in the squat position (with support). I’m also brushing my teeth in the squat position. At least for me, the benefit of squatting is squatting itself, it is a reward in itself. It is deeply satisfying in and of itself. Strength, musculature, elasticity, balance, increased mobility, concentration, enhanced digestion and a better metabolism are just bonus.

Sources:

Dr. Mercola; Squats: 8 Reasons to do this Misunderstood Exercise
Mark’s Daily Apple; Why Squatting Is So Important (plus Tips on How to Do It Right)
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research; Concurrent strength and endurance training effects on running economy in master endurance runners.
Love my Yoga; Squat Pose
Image Credit: Rediff.com

Zen in a cup of Green Tea

I would like to make a case for green tea today. In today’s world of Vitamixes and exotic super-food smoothies, a cup of green tea is a simple, affordable and accessible source of drinkable nourishment.

The Japanese tea ceremony is a beautiful one. Also called chanoyu, it traces its origins in Zen Buddhism. Seeking to purify the mind and experience oneness with nature, the ceremony involves carefully choreographed steps, using special ceramics and performed in an intimate space, designed to hold no more than four to five people. The tea-room is usually modeled after a hermit’s hut and surrounded by a Zen garden; intended to give the participants, a space to retreat from the everyday world.

Although, we may not be able to regularly participate in elaborate ceremonies in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, taking the time to brew and drink green tea in a mindful way brings in a moment of contemplation and beauty into an ordinary day. Moreover, brewing the tea carefully, extracts more antioxidants from it and brings out its maximum healing potential.

The healing powers of green tea have been known in Asia for thousands of years and in recent times, all over the world. Green tea has been widely researched for its role in preventing and treating chronic medical conditions such as arthritis, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. The antioxidants in green tea have wonderful little compounds called catechins, the most angelic among them, epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which is at the heart of green tea’s medicinal fame. Recent studies indicate that EGCG may play a strong role in keeping dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at bay. The compound not only provides neurons with strong protection against the cognitive and memory impairments, but also encourages the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus (seat of memory and learning) region of casino online the brain, essentially reversing the disease.

The EGCG content of your cup of tea totally depends on how you brew your tea. Learning to brew tea with care is key; It not only helps in releasing the most antioxidants from tea leaves, but also gently nudges to you savor the mindfulness and serenity that is at the center of tea. Here is how you do it, both for medicinal and spiritual benefits.

Use good quality loose green tea leaves rather than bagged tea to release more antioxidants into your cup. However, if you have to use tea bags for convenience, make sure that the bag is completely immersed in the hot water.
Brew green tea in boiling water to extract higher polyphenol content from the leaves. Tea steeped in a temperature of 100 degrees centigrade or higher is reported to release more antioxidants than tea brewed at lower temperatures.
Allow tea to steep for at least for two minutes and up to five minutes to release the most polyphenols from it. The levels of three polyphenols in green tea called catechins, theaflavins, and thearubigins increase directly in proportion to steeping time.
Add lemon juice to green tea to increase its health benefits. Antioxidants in green tea that don”t survive the digestive process have a better chance of doing so with the addition of a citrus juice. Purdue researchers report that lemon juice, and other citrus juices like orange, lime, and grapefruit juices help in optimizing the antioxidant power of green tea.
Use filtered water to bring out the best taste of tea. Drink your green tea as soon as it is prepared to maximize its benefits. That is, don’t microwave it because your tea cooled down.
You may not have a tea-room, but you can allocate a quiet spot near a window with a view of a garden to savor your cup.
Hold the cup of green tea in both your hands. Savor its warmth and linger in a place of contentment where your thoughts and feelings gently reveal themselves to you, one by one.

The great tea master Sen No Rikyu said, “The Way of Tea is naught but this: first you boil water, then you make the tea and drink it.”

That to me is the simple wonder that is green tea.

Sources:

Zen Stories of the Samurai

The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Japanese Tea Ceremony

Life Extension; How Green Tea Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Purdue University; Citrus juice, vitamin C give staying power to green tea antioxidants

The World’s Healthiest Foods; Can you still benefit from canned or bottled green tea or does green tea need to be freshly steeped?

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture; Factors affecting the levels of catechins and caffeine in tea beverage: estimated daily intakes and antioxidant activity

Dr. Weil; How to Boost Green Tea Benefits

Friday Five: October 2014

I have five thoughts/ideas/things this Friday that you might want to add to your arsenal – for warmth, health, joy, serenity and inspiration. These five ideas/things have been rocking my world the past few days. I hope to make “Friday Five” (monthly feature for now) a permanent feature in my blog and possibly invite people to share their ideas too.

Traditional Medicinals Organic GingerZingiber officinale has to offer. If you love the taste of ginger, this tea is for you. It is spicy with just the right amount of bite and great for fighting all types of chills, whether they are real or perceived. It is soothing as an after or before meal drink for its ability to promote digestion. I have a cup or two just by itself and sometimes add a stronger brew to my stews and soups. I buy loads of fresh ginger, always have ginger paste and powder in my spice cabinet and also have this tea around to keep my days bright and gingery.

Walk

I celebrated a birthday recently and the only two things that I wanted to do on my day were to write and to walk. Putting one foot in front of the other is a primal need; it nourishes me deep down and fosters a true sense of joy. Mark of Daily Apple makes a moving case for walking by calling it an integral part of the human condition. He says, “Those walking genes, those urges best online casino to explore remain within us. We should honor, respect, and indulge them.”

This Photo Editor

An online photo editor called pho.to that not only performs basic functions like cropping, rotating and resizing, and correcting pictures, but also has fun filters, art effects and much more. It is fun, free, quick, and easy to use. You can download your masterpiece immediately (like I did for this post), and makes a handy little tool for bloggers, wherever you are.

Clear Clutter

Although I only manage to clear only a small area like a drawer or a cubicle in the closet, I have been consistently doing it for the last few days and the impact on my energy and wellbeing have been huge. Channels, that had not existed before, have opened up leading to new paths and delightful experiences! If you need inspiration, read this, Get Rid of Clutter and Change your life. Try it today, you have nothing to lose but clutter.

The Maptia Blog

You may have read the Maptia Manifesto and may have even signed it. I did. It is a great way to stay open to new experiences, follow your curiosity and trust your instincts. Their blog is brimming with wonderful posts like this one. You”ll learn more about the Scandinavian word Arbejdsglæde and get inspired to tell your own stories about spaces and places.

So this was my Friday roundup. What is yours? Do share. I hope to make “Friday Five” (do it once a month for now) a permanent feature in my blog and possibly invite people to share their ideas too.

Holy Basil for Stress

One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is that of following my grandmother around as she went about her daily morning routine of worshipping her Holy Basil (also called Tulsi) plant. Just like every other Hindu household, we had a Tulsi plant planted into a special four-sided structure that had a built-in niche to hold a tiny earthen oil lamp, in our small stone courtyard. The plant and the holy structure were as or even more adored and regularly tended to as the children of the house. Continue reading Holy Basil for Stress

Mid-Month Wellness News Roundup

If you don’t have the time to sift through all the wonderful trending health news and make matching changes (we call them edits around here) to your lifestyle despite being a health enthusiast, don’t fret. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it. Here are the top 4 write-ups (according to me) of the at least thousand pieces that I have read in the wellness world this mid-month. One of them is just a facebook update of one of my favorite health gurus, and the other a gist of a television show, but the information is just as exciting and the advice, just as sage. Continue reading Mid-Month Wellness News Roundup

Relieve Anxiety With Essential Oils

Essential oils can relieve anxiety and promote a relaxation response in the body. Used either as individual oils or as blends, these oils are surprisingly effective. A gentle and pleasurable way to soothe fear, restlessness, and negative emotions that often accompany anxiety, aromatherapy is a simple and drug-free way to induce a sense of well-being. While it is best to seek medical help for chronic anxiety and panic attacks, essential oils are certainly worth a try for short-term anxiety related to specific events. Continue reading Relieve Anxiety With Essential Oils

Healing Comfort Foods

My grandmother’s kitchen was warm and cozy. ‪In a corner of the kitchen was an age-old stove. On it sat a ancient copper pot that held an equally ancient grain. Ganji, a simple rice and water porridge was an all day affair. It was served with all the main meals and sometimes as a snack too. Our grandmother tended lovingly to the pot all day long and we could count on getting a bowl of the hot, steaming porridge whenever we cared for it. I remember once when I was all of six years old and my best friend declared that she had a new best friend, running into her kitchen to cry my heart out. While listening to my tearful outburst, she handed me a bowl of steaming ganji. ‬ Continue reading Healing Comfort Foods