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.
Household tasks for young adults

Household chores for young adults

There is nothing wrong in telling your child to help you in house chores. Assigning teenagers some of the work that they can do easily is going to help them to understand, appreciate the hard work that a mom does. It helps them to prepare for future and teaches the importance of contributing to community too. If you are worried what chores you can assign to adolescent here are few tasks list you can think of.

  1. Organizing their belongings
  2. Doing their laundry -washing and folding- Have them separate colors
  3. Dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping
  4. Helping to set table for dinner
  5. Washing dishes
  6. Cleaning kitchen counter tops
  7. Taking care of trash and recycle
  8. Keep things back in refrigerator
  9. Taking care of pets – walking and feeding pets
  10. Scrubbing sink, bathtub
  11. Washing car and removing trash from car
  12. Getting ready with their school lunch – packing lunch
  13. Helping in garden – removing weeds, leaves
  14. Bringing certain grocery from the shop
  15. Making their bed
  16. Helping younger siblings and making sure they complete homework

Talk to children and direct them how to do these chores, Give them some house cleaning tips. Make them understand the importance of completing these tasks. Doing house work and helping parents brings confidence and they feel valued. In addition, it helps parents to focus on other important tasks that might need their attention.

Image credit: Image by Andrzej Rembowski from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: August 5, 2019
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Helpful study tips

Helpful study tips to study smarter

For some children schools are already started for this calendar year and for some schools will reopen soon. Children want to study well and to do well they need proper guidance. What children need to understand is, study does not start they night before the exam or night before assignment due date. To perform well child need to develop hobby of reading and studying. It should be a daily routine for couple of hours to get most out of the study.

Helpful study tips to study smarter

Pick time and place: A comfortable place and time both are essential for studies. Place can be study room, library or a place where there is less distraction. For some studying at evening hours feels better. After evening sports and relaxing time, start your reading, homework etc. After dinner continue couple of hours and get good sleep. Do not push yourself to study late hours. Early morning hours if you have time before your school bus comes, pick up where you left off and do some work.

Planning time: One can set alarms to remind study hours. Use your smart phone to set up alarm and also mark it on your calendar. Stick a note on your study room that you can see to remind you about assignment, exams, lab work due dates etc.

Listing: Keep a note book to list study related work. Do it once or twice a week. Make a to do list helps to start study session and after completing task put a mark infront of the completed task.

Set time limit: Depending on the subject you might need extra time to complete the work. Based on your time needs put a time limit for your all home works. Each task that you are going to attend must have set time to spend on the task including completion of work.

Reviewing and revision: Every week at least once review your work and revise by quizzing, questioning and answering. Ask your siblings, family or friends to ask questions. Have flash cards and look at flash cards to review what you have read. Thinking  over and over few times will help you to understand subject material easy.

Learning style: Everyone has a preferred way of learning. Some want to just read books, some want to take notes while reading – find out what helps you to understand and keep materials in your memory. New technologies gives us an option of listening to audio records of many subjects. You can take help of visual aids to  learn. Some prefer discussion with friends and teachers on subject. Develop group of friends who has similar interests and discuss with them on various topics.

Write it down: It is a well-known practice – write down important points in a note book. This will help you during a quick revision. Create test questions and answer it  the way you do at your examinations.

Seek help: If you don’t know or don’t understand subject, topic – ask your teacher or a subject expert to help. Sometimes friends, seniors can help you to solve problems and understand the subject. Browsing on computer too will give you answers for those questions that you might need help with.

Take break and move around: Continuous study is not good for brain memory. It always needs a break. Sometimes too much studying can cause frustration due to not understanding the material. Take a break between studies. A physical stretch or a game with friend or participating in sports – all will help to refresh. After break when you revisit the material, you might study it with clear mind.

Apps will help: There are many apps available for students to help in study. Educational apps that are aimed at different school levels are available. Ask your teacher about the app that might be able to help you in your studies.

Motivation: Do not give up on your studies. Education is an important step in everyone’s life. Stay motivated. Always remember the goal and remind yourself why are you studying. Write down inspirational quotes and paste it on the wall.

Come up with your own strategies and see how it helps you to study. While studying look after your health, your well being and stay relaxed. Learning what works and helps you study – create that environment. Enjoy your student life, because it is golden life.

Image credit: Image by lil_foot_ from Pixabay 

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: August 1, 2019
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vegetable Hakka noodles

Vegetable Hakka Noodles recipe

One of the most popular Chinese dishes is Hakka noodles. Hakka noodles made from unleavened dough of wheat or rice flour. Noodles cooked in boiling water is further stir-fried with vegetables on high flame. The slight smoky flavor adds to the taste. Noodles are high in carbohydrates and good as a lunch or an evening snack item for children to give energy to tired young body. Adding varieties of vegetables will bring more taste into hakka noodles.

  1. Hakka Noodles – 1 Pack
  2. Garlic – 1 tsp
  3. Ginger – 1 tsp
  4. Spring onion – ¼ cup
  5. Small cut carrot – ¼ cup
  6. Small cut green beans – ¼ cup
  7. Grated/chopped cabbage – ¼ cup
  8. Colorful capsicum – ¼ cup
  9. Green Chili Sauce – 1 Tbsp
  10. Crushed pepper – 1 tsp
  11. Soy Sauce – 1/2 tsp
  12. Salt – To taste
  13. Chopped cilantro – 2 Tbsp
  14. Oil – 3 Tbsp.
  15. Olive oil – 1 tsp

Optional: Vinegar – 1 tsp.

Preparation:

  1. Cut/break noodles to medium size pieces. Boil water in broad, deep pan and add salt and 1 tsp olive oil. To boiling water add noodles – noodles should take up to 10-15 minutes to cook. Before it cooks too much remove and transfer noodles to a colander.
  2. Hold colander with noodles under running water to remove any wax coating that might be present on hakka noodles.
  3. Transfer noodle to a vessel and add a tsp of olive oil to prevent stickiness.
  4. Get ready with all vegetables. Separate white and green portions of spring onion.
  5. On high heat place a frying pan, add oil. To heated oil add garlic, ginger and white portion of spring onion.
  6. Except capsicum add all other cut vegetables and sauté for few minutes, let vegetables cook slightly. Now add capsicum and continue sauting few more minutes. Vegetables including capsicum should not be overcooked – for better taste veggies should be cooked crunchy.
  7. Now add soya and green chili sauce followed by little salt. Mix vegetables well. If you prefer add vinegar.
  8. Add crushed pepper to cooked noodles and mix once. Now add cooked vegetables and place it on high flame and toss it couple of times.
  9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green portion of spring onion. Serve hot with your choice of  mild or hot sauce.

Tips:

  • Do not over cook hakka noodles and vegetables
  • Add all suggested vegetables for better taste
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 31, 2019
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Extended side angel pose

Utthita Parsvakonasana Extended side Angle Pose

Extended side angle pose is beginners pose with multiple benefits. Apart from strengthening both legs and arms, this pose helps to build stamina, relieves backache. It is a suggested pose for pregnant women. One need to understand how to get into pose, balance and properly bring neck into position. Other benefits of the pose is, it stretches abdominal muscle , reduces sciatica pain and increases metabolism. It is a recommended pose for all age grouops (www.healthylife.werindia.com). In Sanskrit:  (oo-TEE-tah parsh-vah-cone-AHS-anna) utthita = extended, parsva = side, flank, kona=angle

Type of Pose: Standing, Hip opener

Benefits:

  • Strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles
  • Stretches the groins, chest and lungs, shoulders
  • Stimulates abdominal organs
  • Increases stamina
  • Relieves backaches, especially through second trimester of pregnancy
  • Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, infertility, osteoporosis, and sciatica

Step by Step

1. Step the feet out 4 – 4 ½ feet. Turn the left foot slightly in toward the body (about 60 degrees) Turn the right heel in, toes out to 90 degrees. Align the front heel to back arch. 2. Externally rotate the front thigh so that the knee aligns with center of foot (allow for pelvis to turn forward slightly and back foot to turn in slightly to accommodate this action).

3. Inhale, stretch the arms out fingertip to fingertip. Anchor your weight into the back leg & heel. Exhale, bend the front knee & lower down into Virbhadrasana II. (Be sure that the front knee does not extend past the heel and that it stays in line with the center of the foot).

4. On another exhalation, hinge at the hip, extending the bottom torso long, and take the forearm to the thigh (palm face up or down). For a deeper variation: lay the torso down onto the thigh and take the fingertips to floor or block on the outside of the foot. Resist the urge to crunch/collapse the lower side of the torso to get your hand to the floor. Instead, keep both sides of the waistline long.

5. Extend the top arm alongside the ear, palm facing down. Reach actively through the extended fingertips as you draw the shoulder blade down the back. Use the leverage of your knee against the bottom arm to help you roll the upper chest open. Gaze forward or up at the extended arm. Draw the chin slightly down toward the chest to lengthen through the back of the neck.

6. Squeeze the right sit bone forward and press the left thigh bone back in to space to open the hips. Draw the lower belly in and up, and lengthen from tail to crown.

7. Stay for 3-5 breaths. Inhale, reach through the top arm and straighten the legs to come up.

Anatomical Actions:

  • Center of foot aligns w/center of knee, center of knee aligns with center of thigh
  • Strong Tadasana legs – hug the muscles to the bones
  • Front leg externally rotates, back leg slight internal rotation, back & out
  • Counter-rotate the arms (eyes of elbows pointing up to ceiling).
  • Revolve the skull around the center line

Preparatory Poses:

  • Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
  • Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
  • Baddah Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)
  • Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
  • Supta Padangusthasana (Reclining Big Toe Pose)

Contraindications and Cautions: Contraindications and Cautions: Do not perform this asana if you have

  • Diarrhea
  • High blood pressure
  • Neck problems: In case you like to perform then, don’t turn your head to look over the front hand; continue to look straight ahead with both sides of the neck lengthened evenly.

This article is as published in http://physiomaterials.karnatakaphysio.org/ physiotherapeuticspdfs

Image courtesy: Image by Amit Kumar from Pixabay 

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 26, 2019
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Beware of artificial ripened fruits

Beware of artificially ripened fruits

Fruit ripening is a natural process. When they mature fruits are either taste sweet or sour.  Generally, the result of natural ripening is always great. We get to eat sweeter, less green, palatable and soft fruits. Fruits contain fiber, water, vitamins (like vitamin C), minerals, phytochemicals and sugars. These compositions helps us to be healthy, disease free and to reduce risk of cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer, eye conditions and general inflammation. Fruit ripening which is a natural process will take place on the plant and several biochemical reactions help in the process. While ripening fruits will undergo several chemical changes including enzymatic breakdown and polysaccharides hydrolysis. During hydrolysis process starch breaks down to fructose, sucrose and glucose.  As fruits keeps ripening the enzyme activity continues. Some fruits will ripen further after harvest and some will not.   To get best result one should harvest fruits while it is close to ripening. After harvesting the chemistry of fruits changes.

In today’s market we come across many tasteless, artificial ripened fruits. The chemical agents that used by traders, farmers and transporters will artificially ripen the un-ripened fruits well before the time. Certain methods that are in practice to ripen the fruits for making money are inappropriate techniques and associated with health risks.

Image credit: Image by bluebudgie from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

What are artificial ripeners? Read more

Artificial fruit ripeners

Unsavory signs of artificial ripened fruits: Read more

Unsavory sign of artificially ripened fruits

 

Common artificial ripeners examples: Read more

Common artificial ripeners

Health effect of artificially ripened fruits: Read more

Health effect of artificial ripened fruits

How to distinguish artificial ripened fruits: Read more

Identifying artificially ripened fruits

Precautions & safety measures: Read more

Precautions for artificially ripened fruits consumption

References:
·         https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/
·         FSSAI_News_Fruits_Hindu_15_05_2019
·         www.healthylife.werindia.com
·         https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
·         https://www.indiatoday.in
·         Images: Google courtesy

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: July 24, 2019
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Artificial fruit ripeners

What are artificial ripeners?

What are artificial ripeners?

Fruit ripening depends on the season and attracts birds, animals and humans. The skin color changes with change in pigment. During natural ripening, the starch breaks down to sugar. Enzyme amylase hydrolases starch to sugar and pectin. Pectin is the substance that keeps fruit hard and eventually with ripening fruit pulp starts getting soft. Such ripened fruit cannot be stored for longtime. This is the reason farmers pluck fruits raw. The natural ethylene helps fruits to ripe. When the fruits are not ripened farmers take help of artificial ripeners.

What these artificial ripeners do?

Artificial ripeners will accelerate ripeneing process and will bring color changes. While doing so, they also change the composition of the ingredients.

Image credit: Image by Mohan Nannapaneni from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Unsavory sign of artificially ripened fruits

Unsavory signs of artificially ripened fruits

Unsavory signs of artificially ripened fruits

  1. The skin of artificially ripened fruits will have uniform color with no trace of green
  2. Chemically ripened fruits are harder than the naturally ripened fruits
  3. Fruits will not have normal, regular smell that attracts our nose
  4. Inside fruits flesh will not have uniform color (Example: Mango)
  5. Less juicy and tasteless
  6. Skin of the fruit remains tight for many days
  7. Both sweetness and flavor will be less.
  8. Fruit may appear ripe, inside it will be immature and sour
  9. Short life of fruits and black fungus might appear on the skin

Photo by HOTCHICKSING on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Common artificial ripeners

Which are the common artificial ripeners

Which are the common artificial ripeners

Calcium carbide stone and ethephon are widely used by the traders. Chemicals or agents that are used for ripening fruits early are artificial ripeners. Chemicals such as calcium carbide, carbon monoxide, potassium sulfate, ethephon, acetylene gas, putrisein, oxytocin, protoporphyrinogen, dihydrogen arthoposphate  are few examples for artificial ripeners.  These chemicals are used during preharvest, postharvest of fruits, during transportation, capping, storage etc.

  • Calcium carbide: is used to ripen fruits like: Mangos, banana, apricot, papaya, plums etc.
  • Ethephon: used for early maturity of wheat, coffee, cotton, pineapple, rice, cucumber, groundnut, tomato
  • Ethylene: Promotes ripening in Tomatoes, banana, pineapple, dates, pears, apple, melon, mangoes  papaya, avocado
  • Putrescine: used as pre harvest ripener in Japanese plum fruit
  • Aminoethoxyvinylglycine: Applied to apple fruits 3-4 weeks before harvest to delay fruit ripening and to reduce fruit drop.
  • Carbon monoxide: Used in various fruits for ripening purpose

Image credit: Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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