All posts by Sumana Rao

Don't worry about the people in your past; There's a reason they didn't make it to your future.
Plumeria geranium scented plants

Perfume your home naturally with these plants

Plant fragrances helps us to overcome many conditions related to mind. Aroma of plants helps us to keep calm, reduces anxiety, depression, brings alertness to brain and reduces stress. Instead of spaying synthetic air freshers, grow plants that helps your health.

Apart from rose there are many plants that produce good natural perfume.

These plants can be grown in pots or directly in the garden soil. Open the windows when they flower and the fragrance travels inside the house to make your day! Following plants helps you to perfume your home natural ways!!

Lavender perfume

  1. Lemon balm: Belongs to mint family. When leaves are rubbed between fingertips releases lemony scent. It is easy to grow lemon balm in pots. Place the pots near window and get benefits from its aromatic property.
  2. Plumeria: Is a small beautiful tree famously reminds us of Hawaii and Caribbean islands. Flowers are not only beautiful also highly fragrant especially during night time.
  3. Scented leaf geranium: Thick leaves of Pelargonium or scented leaf geranium when rubbed produces strong and sweet fragrance. Pot and keep them in bright sun.jasmine-gardenia-perfume-healthylife-werindia
  4. Lavender: Purple flowers in spike is a famous aromatic plant. English lavender has more aroma than other lavenders. It likes sunlight so, grow them in pots and keep in bright sun.
  5. Lilac: Lilacs are used as cut flowers for decoration. They produce sweet aroma that travels far long distance.
  6. Passionflower: Especially blue passionflower produces scent to attract bees. The colorful sepals and petals make it attractive and gives out minty, fruity aroma.Citrus perfume
  7. Jasmine: Known for its irresistible fragrance and beauty common jasmine or poet’s jasmine is very popular. Fragrance emitted by the flowers spreads to wide area. Flowers bloom throughout summer.
  8. Gardenia: Beautiful and gorgeous flowers of gardenia is one of the most wanted flowers for garden. When flowers it produces sweetest fragrant blooms. Growing gardenia is bit tricky, however if you are up to challenge try growing them in garden or in larger pots.
  9. Stephanotis: A beautiful plant Stephanotis has bright white fragrant flowers. Plant is a vine and flowers appear in cluster. It is good indoor plant.
  10. Citrus: Fruits and floral buds of citrus plants produce sweet aroma. One can grow dwarfed miniature trees of any type of citrus in large pots under good sunlight.
  11. Onicidum orchid: Also known as twinkle orchid, oncidium produces flowers that are emit spicy vanilla scent. It is easy to grow onicidum in pot under good sunlight.
  12. Ylang-ylang: A tropical plant yalng- yalng is one earliest known perfume tree in history. Essential oil of this plant has sedative effect and brings good sleep. Greenish-yellow flowers blooms profusely year round, producing exotic fragrance to the far long distances.
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: April 25, 2019
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How to handle peer pressure?

How to handle peer pressure?

When you are in schools our friends who are our age group are your peers. Sometimes your friends might ask you to do or say something against your will. You may feel pressurized to do things on your own or against your will. This is called peer pressure.

Peer pressure can be good or bad

When your friend asks you to participate and play sport with him it is a good thing. If he convinces you to participate in a school play for the first time, it is a good thing. Because it is encouragement and it will help you to grow both physically and mentally.

Sometimes the peer pressure can be bad – for example, if your friend forces you to participate in harassing or bullying a fellow student or a junior student and you know it is bad then it is bad! This bad peer pressure makes you think several time and brings fear and unhappiness in your mind. In bad peer pressure, one can try to convince you to do dangerous stuffs too. It is negative peer pressure and not good at all.

How to respond to bad peer pressure?

Your friends may try to convince you to do something which you don’t want. Then be strong and make up your mind not to do it. Don’t fall for it. The harder they push you to do, you must resist because you know it is either dangerous or can harm others or is not good for you.

When someone tells you behave negatively, walk away saying I cannot do it. It does not mean you are a loser. It means you are smarter, very careful and you are mature enough to understand the outcome of doing such things.

Sometimes they might use tactics to make you feel worse and sorry about yourself. For this they will use such sentences and might make you angry about yourself. Keep your balance, don’t give up. Always be alert and if someone pushes you to edge give it back nicely, politely.

While putting pressure, your friends may say several things. You should be able to answer firmly.

For example,

If you don’t want to do something that you were instructed to do by a friends, they may say “you are a loser” or “Don’t be a loser”

Your answer can be: “But this loser won’t bet benched for the rest of the season” or “I don’t like to be a part of it, sorry”

Another tactic of bad peer pressure is:

Someone may say “Oh, we are good friends and you should do it” Or “ If you are a good friend, you will”

Your answer should be: “a good friend will not try to make a friend to do something, which he don’t want to do” or “a good friend will not put other friend in trouble”

Another way they might try to force you or convince you with some logic

“Only babies are scared to do this” or “only girls are not allowed to do it”

You must answer “ I am aware of it, still I don’t want to do it”

While growing your friends may try to drag you to perform dangerous acts, smoking, drinking and they might say it is for fun. Your friend might try to convince you by saying  “No one will find out” or “Your parents will never find out”.

Your answer can be “Yes, You obviously don’t know anything about my parents” or “ They trust me and I don’t want to disappoint them”

As you are aware that smoking and drinking is not good, you can say “we don’t need these activities to have fun” or “Don’t force me, If you think it is fun for you, be happy to keep it to yourself” Or a simple, straight forward answer is “ I don’t like it, I don’t feel like it”

Another way is getting out of the situation by suggesting some other activities  like games, sports, movies, dinner, discussion or start hanging out with friends who don’t force you to do what you don’t want to do.

Practice these types of answers few time, you will get courage and won’t be under peer pressure.

Don’t be afraid to say no to negative (bad) peer pressure as it can put you in situation which can harm you and you may feel guilty about it and unhappy about doing such things. Instead, stand tall, be confident, resist and reject things which you don’t want to do. Be proud of yourself for resisting, for not getting into do things which your mind does not like.

For more: www.healthylife.werindia.com

 

Image credit: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: April 24, 2019
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Spinach soup hot and sou

Hot and sour spinach soup

A combination of Indian and Chinese flavors, hot and sour spinach soup is good for throat and helps in easy digestion. Adding finely chopped vegetables adds taste to this soup and gives comfort to stomach. It is a low calorie soup with almost no fat.

Ingredients:

  1. Spinach – One small bag
  2. Cilantro – Chopped ½ bunch
  3. Green chilli- 2 or 3
  4. Soy sauce -1 Tbsp
  5. Vinegar – 2 tsp
  6. Corn starch – 1 Tbsp
  7. Spring onion – Chopped for garnishing
  8. Chopped vegetable mix – Carrot, cabbage, capscium

Preparation:

  1. Wash and clean spinach leaves. Cut into pieces
  2. Blend spinach with coriander and green chillies to a paste
  3. Place a deep-frying pan on medium heat, add oil. Add finely chopped ginger and garlic pieces, sauté for few seconds
  4. Add spinach coriander paste and fry for couple of minutes
  5. Now add finely chopped carrot, cabbage and capsicum, continue frying
  6. Add 3 cups water and salt to the spinach mix and bring it to boil
  7. Add soy sauce and little vinegar
  8. To ¼ cup water add 3 Tbsp cornstarch, mix well and to boiling spinach vegetable mix. Continue stirring until thickened.
  9. Simmer for couple of minutes. Garnish with chopped spring onion and serve hot with bread, fried rice or spring rolls
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: April 18, 2019
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Remedies for eye sore

Remedies for eye sore

Eye sore in eyelids is one of the common problem people face during summer heat wave.  When we have this condition, it feels like a sand particle stuck in the eyelids. This condition is called blepharitis or eyelid inflammation.

Reasons for developing eye sore are:

  • Exposure to dust and airborne irritants
  • Rubbing eyelids
  • Exposure to chlorinated water
  • Smoke and pollution
  • Exposure to electronic screens that puts stress on eyes
  • Dehydration
  • Allergies
  • Foreign object in the eye

Other reasons could be due to conditions such as glaucoma, keratitis, chalazion, blocked tear duct, oil gland blockage etc. Some of the home remedies can help to cure or reduce sore eyes

  1.  Immerse a clean soft towel in hot water and remove excess water from towel. Keep hot towel on sore for few minutes. Repeat this few times and soreness will reduce
  2. Wash hands and rub palms to create heat. Place palm on sore
  3. Applying Aloe vera gel reduces swelling and puss formation- Aloe is anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial properties
  4. Gently wash eyes and using a clean cloth lightly clean the area. Use mild baby shampoo and water mixture, rinse well using slightly warm water.
  5. Place a drop of castor oil in eye before going to bed. Castor oil reduces irritation
  6. Cold compress: Place cold washed cloth on eyes for ten minutes. Repeat this throughout the day for few times.
  7. Include more fruits and foods that supply Omega 3 fatty acids such as flax seeds. These foods help to reduce dryness in eyes and reduces irritation.
  8. Drink plenty of water through out the day helps to keep moisture and reduces dryness of eyes.
  9. Wear sunglasses when stepping out in hot sun, wear cap/hat and carry umbrella for shade. While on two wheeler wear sunglasses to prevent dust entering eyes.
  10. Take regular breaks from computer and electronic screens to reduce irritation
  11. Blinking eyelids helps to squeeze extra oil sitting in oil glands. Repeat this few times.
  12. Refrigerate a clean tablespoon for few minutes. Place and hold cold tablespoon on eyelids for couple of minutes to reduce irritation.
  13. Dip a cotton ball in cold milk and dab it on eyelids to reduce inflammation.
  14. To reduce itchiness, dip cotton ball in cold rose water and apply it on eye sore to get immediate relief from irritation and itchiness.

If the condition keeps growing and does not go away within few days, see your doctor to make sure there is nothing serious going on with your eyes.

Image credit: https://www.needpix.com/photo/1748878/eye-blue-eye-woman-eye-lashes-portrait-skin-girl-vision-female (free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: April 17, 2019
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Piggy bank for child

Gift your child piggy bank

One of the most effective way for parents to teach children value of money and saving money is piggy bank. Rather than spending all the money that children get from parents, grandparents, allowances, birthday cash, gift from uncle and aunts’ parents should help children how to save money and piggy bank is a start. Gift your child piggy bank today for these reasons-,

  • Disciplinary about money: Adding changes every now and then in the piggy bank is an effective way to teach young kids about importance of saving. It might not be a big amount, but every coin and small amount they add helps to get a bigger amount. They will save up money for something to buy – a good book, video game, smart phone, a dress, instrument – it tells them how every penny they save has value. In fact, before asking you for something they want, they will think twice about the price and you spending money on it!
  • Penny saved is a penny earned: With piggy bank children will be able to watch the money grow and they will look forward to saving the money. It helps them to stop unnecessary spending as they grow and will be cautious about spending money on unwanted items and junk collection. As Benjamin Franklin said, “a penny saved is a penny earned” and helps throughout their life.
  • Put aside 10%: Whatever allowance children get, they should be taught putting aside 10% to save and should go in piggy bank. This will teach children about finance, numbers and taxes that they must pay in future. Children will learn that the best time to save money is when they have it.
  • No debt: In addition to saving, children learn to be debt free which is necessary for a good future. When they go to college or start living independently money that they saved comes in handy when they need it. They learn to live debt free without seeking or borrowing money from others.
  • Encourages kids to make money: Every time when child sees the piggy bank on the table, they will feel like filling it up with coins. This encourages them to be a little entrepreneur! They might want to open a lemonade stand, help in chores, do community work, clean house, baking cookies, become a paper boy or do babysitting – and it will give them idea how to make money and will show interest in finance.

It is also a great way to teach children why parents work hard to save money. For all these good reasons, get a piggy bank for your child today and help them to understand the value of money and your hard work. It ensures your child a wealthy and healthy life. Why wait? Present your child a piggy bank today!

Image credit: Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: April 11, 2019
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Spicy herb bread

Homemade spicy herb bread

Aromatic herb bread is tasty and easy to prepare. Adding certain herbs and little bit of green chili enhances taste of herb bread. If you have bread machine it is much easier to prepare herb bread. If not, try the old way, kneed the flour using a wooden spoon and hands until the dough ball cleanly separates from sides of the bowl. Try the spicy herb bread for evening snack or morning breakfast.

Ingredients:

  1. Bread flour – 3 cups
  2. Baked potato – 1 cup
  3. Salt – ½ tsp
  4. Instant yeast – 1.5 tsp
  5. Butter – unsalted 1 Tbsp
  6. Rosemary – chopped 1 Tbsp
  7. Thyme- chopped 1 Tbsp
  8. Chive – chopped 1 Tbsp
  9. Green chilli – chopped one chilli
  10. Olive oil- 1 Tbsp
  11. Water – warm 2 cups

Preparation:

  1. In a bowl add ¼ tsp instant yeast to one cup warm water and 1 cup bread flour. Blend the mix to create sponge texture. Cover with lid and leave it aside.
  2. Add boiled potato (keep little potato aside) butter, salt, yeast, chopped herbs, chopped chilli and warm water to stand mixer and mix. Add water or flour to make a dough ball.
  3. Remove the dough ball and knead the dough ball
  4. Now add remaining potatoes in the dough ball – insert in the center and edges of dough ball
  5. Apply olive oil, cover with lid and keep it aside till the dough ball doubles its size.
  6. Bake the bread at 400F for about 30-45 minutes. You can bake entire dough ball or make small balls and bake.
  7. Serve hot baked bread for supper or breakfast with butter.
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: April 10, 2019
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Selma Blair fights MS

Actress Selma Blair fights MS

Selma Blair actress who is known for her roles in Legally Blond, Cruel intentions recently appeared on a TV show and opened about her condition- multiple sclerosis (MS).  Last year in August after seeing a doctor for what she thought was pinched nerve, Blair diagnosed with MS. After her appearance in Oscar’s Vanity Fair after party with cane in hand to support, 46-year-old actress gave an interview on Good Morning America and spoke about her diagnosis for the first time.

Selma expressed how the chronic condition MS has changed her life. As she said in the interview, after her son’s birth she struggled to get doctor’s serious attention on her symptoms. After her diagnosis last year, doctors found 20 different MS related lesions in brain. The diagnosis gave her some relief – she said. What she initially thought her condition is a pinched nerve and her good friend Elizabeth Berkley urged her to see neurologist. MRI check up revealed lesions in her system.

Multiple sclerosis is an incurable disease of central nervous system. It affects how the brain and body communicate. MS is an abnormal response of the immune system, is directed against the central nervous system (CNS) which is made of brain, optic nerves and spinal cord.  In CNS immune system causes inflammation that damages myelin fatty substance that insulated nerve fibers and nerve fibers themselves. It also affects those cells that make myelin.

The damage in CNS produces varieties of neurological symptoms that will vary among people based on the severity and type of MS. Those damaged areas develop scar tissue and hence the name multiple areas of scarring or multiple sclerosis.  The cause of MS is not known and believed to be hereditary, abnormalities in immune system and environmental factors. As per National Multiple Sclerosis Society , an estimated 2.3 million people are living with MS worldwide.

Early symptoms of MS are like common disorders like sprain, strain or nerve pinches. The difference between the two are – symptoms related to MS does not resolve and should be treated. Sometimes doctors can misdiagnose MS condition with other common disorders. In Salma’s case, the disease took almost 15 years to diagnose.

Symptoms of MS: Fatigue, tiredness, tingling, weakness, vision problem, bowel problem, pain in the body, depression, difficulty in moving/walking and feelings of stiffness. Sometimes the symptom can get worse or flare up with new ones. These flares can last few days and cause new damages because of inflammation. These flareups can look like stroke with numbness, weakness, lack of coordination, instability.

There is no cure for MS. But the disease can be managed to slow down the progression. According to National MS society managing MS is an ongoing process, beginning with the very first symptoms and continuing throughout the disease course. Physical therapy, attention to quality of life, wellness and health are effective way to slow down the progression.

As for Selma, she is creating awareness about MS in various ways. She found a friend in Michael J Fox of ‘Back to the Future” fame, who is also suffering from MS from past many years. Fox guided and helping Selma with his knowledge about MS. Blair recently shared her first makeup tutorial to highlight that her “fine motor skills are not fine at this moment.” Her mobility issue is making it difficult to apply the products properly on face. Instagram of Blair on tutorial says “MS People: Brush. Big. Bronzer. There. Done. Stop. Bye”!  Blair is also talking about her struggle with spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder associated with MS makes a person speaking difficult.  

For more on MS:

https://www.nationalmssociety.org

https://www.womenshealthmag.com

https://www.prevention.com

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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