All posts by Sumana Rao

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Amla Thokku

Delicious Amla Thokku

Amla, Indian gooseberry is known for its rich nutrients and medicinal properties. It contains vitamin C in abundant.

Benefits of consuming amla is : It is good for eye sight, hair health, reduces blood sugar, good for skin, supplies digestive fiber, cures sore throat, has diuretic activity, increases metabolic activity and it is an immune system booster.

Gooseberry also has culinary properties and many traditional dishes are prepared using amla. Today we are presenting a delicious traditional recipe “gooseberry or amla thokku”. It is a variety of chutney and goes well as a side dish with several main dishes like dosa, rice, roti etc.

Ingredients:

  1. Indian gooseberry – 10
  2. Green chillis – About 15
  3. Fenugreek seeds – 1 Tbsp
  4. Salt – As per your taste
  5. Asafetida – ½ tsp
  6. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  7. For seasoning:
  • Oil – 1 Tbsp
  • Mustard – ¼ tsp
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Red chilli – 1 or 2 broken

Method:

  1. Wash gooseberries and dry them on a paper towel. There should not be any water content left.
  2. Grate or cut gooseberries into small pieces. Discard seeds
  3. Dry roast fenugreek seeds and prepare powder.
  4. Add all ingredients – green chilli, asafetida, salt, fenugreek powder, turmeric powder and grated gooseberry into grinder and prepare spicy gooseberry paste. Do not add water.
  5. Heat oil on a seasoning pan, add mustard, curry leaves and red chilli – prepare seasoning.
  6. After cooling add seasoning to gooseberry paste. Mix well.
  7. Transfer spicy, gooseberry tokku to a clean, dry jar and store in refrigerator.

Gooseberry tokku can be mixed with rice and ghee, idli, dosa, chapatti. When you prepare lemon rice add little gooseberry tokku to enhance the taste.

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: December 3, 2018
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Kids stomach pain relief

Home remedies for kids stomach pain

Young children might not be able express their pain well. When it comes to stomach pain, toddlers feel pain for several reasons. If parents know the reasons and can try few home remedies for stomach ache in toddler to give relief and bring back smile.

  1. Compress: Use hot compress like heating pad with low heat and apply on child’s stomach. Before placing the compress check the temperature of compress to ensure child feels comfortable with heat.
  2. Curd: Curd or yogurt is a probiotic food. It contains good bacteria that has a friendly effect on digestive system. Give half a cup of probiotic to child when there is pain.
  3. Asafoetida : Asafoetida is also known as hing. Add ¼ tsp hing into little warm coconut or sesame oil, prepare a paste. Apply this paste around child’s belly button. Do not apply this paste on navel. Give light massage around the belly in clockwise motion. This reduces pain.
  4. Honey: A teaspoon of honey with very little fresh grated ginger. Give this to kids, they like honey taste. Ginger and honey both reduce not only inflammation, reduce gas too.
  5. Castor oil: Warm 1 tsp of castor oil and apply around belly button. Massage gently, slowly.
  6. Betle leaf & castor oil: On low flame warm betle leaf on both sides. Apply couple of drops of castor oil on the upper surface. Place it on the child’s stomach. It helps to relieve the pain.
  7. Gentle massage: Use your fingertips to give gentle massage around the stomach area in clockwise direction. This not only enhances the blood circulation and relieves nerve pain.
  8. Mint: Boil a cup of water with 2 mint leaves. Cool and give 2-3 tsp of light mint water to baby. For child over 2/3 years add very little grated ginger in the tea while boiling.
  9. Foot reflexology: By holding child’s left food in hand, apply slight pressure on the central arch using thumb for couple of minutes. This method has a therapeutic effect on baby’s stomach pain. Left foot central arch is linked to tummy region.
  10. Exercise: Help child to move the body. Taking small stroll inside the house while holding your hands gives a comfort. Moving body helps to move digestive muscles and releases gas.
  11. Constipation related pain: If child has constipation, give one or two prunes. This helps in motion. Give adequate liquid to child. Teach them to learn drink water and fresh juices. Drinking liquid solves dehydration and constipation problem. Constipation is one the reason for stomach pain in children. Keeping them hydrated reduces constipation and stomach ache.
  12. Carom seed water: Also known as ajwain water, carom seed water reduces gas, indigestion, heaviness and stomach pain in children and adults. Add ¼ tsp carom seed to 1 cup water and boil on low flame. Let the color turn slight brown. Strain and give 1 or 2 tsp of water to child.

If any of these remedies does not work and the child’s pain is consistent then talk to your child’s pediatrician to understand what could be happening. Stop home remedies if you are planning to OTC or prescribed medicines or if there is any allergic reaction.

Image credit: Image by  Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay  (free for commercial use)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 30, 2018
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Indoor plant care

Tips to keep indoor plants happy during winter

Indoor plants not only help decorating house, also give clean environment inside the house. During winter time change in light and lower temperature has impact on indoor plants. It is hard for many indoor plants to adjust and survive. Plants need help in adjusting to changed weather conditions to survive.

Here are tips to keep indoor plants happy and healthy during cold, winter days.

 

  • Light: During winter days day light is short and temperature inside house drops. Light levels near windows also drops. Transfer plants near windows that are in South or West side of the house. During winter both these directions will have more filtered light that is like summer and will be able to withstand direct Sun.
  • Artificial light: Fluorescent bulbs give good amount of light for plant growth. Look for plant lights and position bulbs half feet away from plants.
  • Clean windows: Dusty, dirty windows will hold sun rays entering through windows. Before winter sets in and shifting plants, clean windows and let light fall on plants without any block.

 

  • Remove dust from plant leaves: Dust off plant leaves using water or duster. Clean will absorb light easily.
  • Humidity: Humidity is less during winter. Indoor plants near 40-50% humidity to be healthy. If not, insect pets will survive on plants. Place humidifier often in the plant rooms.
  • Temperature: Temperature inside house should be between 66 to 73 F during day, if temperature is below 62 F plants will wilt and die. If you have heat vents, do not place plants near heat vents.
  • Watering: Do not overwater plants. When the soil is dry up to 2 inches water plants. Another way to test is, when there is not enough water and soil is dry, pot feels lighter. Wet soil adds weight to pot. Some plants need watering consistently. Ferns and citrus plants need water. Do not allow water to collect in in drainage saucer as it can root health.
  • Pruning: Winter growth gives less leaves and longer stem. Cut plant tips to promote side branching.

 

  • Repot: Adding new soil or changing soil of indoor plants should not be carried in winter. Wait for spring or summer.
  • Fertilizer: In harsh winter do not fertilize indoor plants. You can add fertilizers to soil during spring when other plant start coming up. If winter is mild where you live, then fertilize plants once or twice a month.

Keep indoor plants healthy and happy. This not only adds beauty to house, also gives positivity in your life and helps to beat winter blues.

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

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Cataract Vision

Must know answers to your cataract questions

As we get old our eyes start getting more blurred and vision becomes poor. Either we will need reading glasses to read or may end up permanent eye glasses for all types of work. The common reason for this change in eye vision is development of cataract in one eye or both eyes.

Must know answers to your cataract questions:

Cataract is a clouding of the eye lens that affects the vision and is very common in elderly and older people. By the age 80 most of elderly population throughout the world will face this problem and many will undergo cataract surgery. Most cataracts that occurs are related to aging. However, at age of 40-50 one can get cataract based on several conditions and exposure of eyes to various situations.

What exactly is lens? Lens is the clear part of an eye that helps to focus light, an image on the retina. Retina is the light sensitive tissue present at the back of the eye. In a normal eye, light passes through the lens to retina. In retina light, will be changed to nerve signals and send to the brain. Lens must be clear to perform their work and to receive sharp image by retina. If the lens is cloudy we get distracted images. The cloudiness is nothing but cataract.

Causes of cataracts:

Lens is present behind the pupil and the iris and works as camera lens. It adjusts the eye’s focus and helps us to see things clearly from far and closer distances. Human eye lens is made of water and protein. Proteins are arranged in such a way that they keep lens very clear for passing of light through lens. As we age some of the proteins will clump together and accumulate appear as cloud. This is called cataract. Initially cataract will be small and grows larger as we get old and completely covers the lens making them hard to see.

Some other causes support cataract development: Smoking, conditions like diabetes, wear and tear of the protein in lens, eye abuse, exposure to more UV light, hot weather, addiction to alcohol etc. Cataract also can be due to high steroid use!

 What happens to the vision?

  • Blurred and duller vision due to protein clumping’s and cloudiness
  • Lens will change color to yellowish/brownish color with brownish tint to vision. Person will be unable to distinguish certain color: Purple or dark green or blue may appear as black color

Symptoms: Common symptoms of cataract are:

  • Cloudy or blurry vision.
  • Faded color vision – unable to distinguish colors
  • Glare of lights: Headlights, lamps, or sunlight may appear too bright. A halo may appear around lights.
  • Poor vision during evening and night.
  • Double vision or multiple images in one eye
  • Frequent prescription changes of eyeglasses or contact lenses.

All the above symptoms can be of cataracts or other eye problem too.

Cataract detection: Through eye exams – eye care professionals will perform tests on your vision and will check health of your eyes.

What are other types of cataracts one can have?

  • Secondary cataract: Cataracts can form after surgery for other eye problems, such as glaucoma. Or people who have conditions such as diabetes.
  • Traumatic cataract. Eye injury may result in cataract after few years too.
  • Congenital cataract. Babies may have born with cataract in both eyes. These cataracts may be so small that they do not affect vision. If they do, the lenses may need to be removed.
  • Radiation cataract. Exposure to certain types of radiation results in cataract.

 Treatments:

  • Symptoms during early stages may be improves with new eyeglasses, bright lights, anti-glare sunglasses or one can use magnifying lenses to reduce stress on eyes.
  • Surgery is only effective treatment for cataract – it involves removing the cloudy lens and replacing with artificial lens. During surgery, lens inside the eye that has become cloudy is removed and replaced with an artificial lens (intraocular lens) to restore a clear vision
  • Cataract will be removed only when it interferes with a person’s everyday activities – driving, reading, tv, or stress in eyes.
  • If any of these measures does not help talking to doctor and understanding the pros and cons of cataract surgery is better. Doctor’s suggestion will help to make right decision – to go through surgery immediately or it can wait.
  • Cataract need to be removed immediately or as soon as possible only in those cases where a person is facing age -related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.
  • How effective is cataract surgery: It is one of the common surgery people undergo in the world. And is considered as the safest and most effective type of surgery. It will help in regaining clear vision. It is like removing the dust accumulated on the mirror.

What are the risks of cataract surgery?

  • May be infection, bleeding are two types of risk one can expect. If the person has any condition, during surgery time he/she may need to stop take medication that interferes with bleeding during surgery. Washing hands and keeping away from dust particles is very critical after surgery or infection may develop. A slight risk of retinal detachment if one already has high myopia or nearsightedness. This retinal detachment is a medical emergency and must be attended by a surgeon as soon as possible. Your eye must be examined by an eye surgeon as soon as possible.

How to take care of vision?

  • Stop smoking – if you are a smoker
  • Reduce alcohol consumption
  • Wear sunglasses and a hat to block UV light exposure
  • Eat green leafy vegetables, fruit and foods rich in antioxidants. All orange and yellow color fresh produces are good. Consume food that are rich in Vitamin A.
  • Include carrot in your diet: Carrots contain beta carotene. Our body converts beta carotene to a type of vitamin A called “retinal,” – it is a key molecule involved in maintaining normal vision.
  • Go through eye exam once in 3 to 4 years between age 20-35. After 35 have an eye checkup – dilated eye exam once in two years.
  • As you age, ask your doctor to check for age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other vision disorders. Early treatment for many eye diseases may save your sight.

References:

  1. http://www.allaboutvision.com
  2. https://nei.nih.gov
  3. Image credit: https://www.retinaspecialistsnj.com/surgical-treatments/cataracts
Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 27, 2018
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Neem flower rice

Tasty Neem Flower Masala Rice

Neem is one of the most popular medicinal plant and has several health benefits. To understand the health benefits of neem plant please read this article in grandma’s remedies category.

Today we are presenting a tasty Neem flower masala rice recipe. It is easy to prepare and has unique taste and nutty flavor into it.

Ingredients:
1. Cooked rice – 1.5 cup
2. Dried neem flower – 2-3 Tbsp
3. Cashew – Few
4. Pepper – Crushed 2 tsp
5. Curry leaves – Chopped ½ cup
6. Salt – As per your taste
7. Clarified butter or ghee – 1 Tbsp
8. Grated coconut – ¼ cup
9. For seasoning – 1 tsp urad daal, 1 tsp chenna daal, 1 tsp mustard, chopped 2 green chillies
10. Chopped cilantro -1/4 cup
11. Asafetida – pinch

Preparation:
Dry neem flowers are available in stores. If not, collect neem flowers, rinse in water and dry under sunlight for 3-5 days.
1. Heat a pan under medium heat and add ghee.
2. To heated ghee add cashews and seasoning items.
3. Add dried neem flowers and curry leaves and roast it for couple of minutes.
4. Add crushed pepper and asafetida continue mixing under low flame
5. Add cooked rice and salt, mix well under low flame.
6. Now add chopped coriander leaves, grated coconut, and little lemon juice (option).
7. Turn off the heat and serve neem flower rice with your choice of raita.

Adding few fried buttermilk chillies adds more taste to neem flower masala rice

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Diabetes Complications

How to manage diabetes complications

Thanks to awareness and guidance, people with diabetes are living longer with much lesser complications. Diabetic patients are leading a normal life. Better control of risk factors are helping them to take precautions and take control of their lives. In past few years the major complications associated has come down throughout the world. As per CDC there is a decline in heart attack and stroke – the two complications associated with diabetes. However, there is an increase in number of diabetic in the world. It means, for people who suffer from both type 1 & type 2 diabetes, it is important to learn how to manage complications associated with diabetes.

Complications associated with diabetes acts on health and still millions of people are suffering from the complications. The reason for suffering is, one complication can make other complications worse. People with diabetes who has high blood pressure can suffer from kidney conditions. An increase in bad cholesterol leads to heart conditions and increases risk of stroke.

The major diabetes complications are listed below. Taking note of these complications could help diabetic person to prevent further complications arising from these diabetes complications.

Heart disease and stroke: Diabetic patients are more at risk of having heart disease or a stroke. Giving attention to diet, exercise can help them.

Blindness and other eye problems: Diabetic retinopathy or damage to blood vessels of retina, cataract, glaucoma can result in loss of vision. Early detection helps them to save their eye.

Nerve damage: It is one of the common complication – the numbness, pain and sometime disabling can result in unresponsive nerves. Nerves present in legs and feet often suffer from this condition and can be seen in digestive system and heart. Regular check up and monitoring nerve system helps to take care of nerve complications.

Kidney disease: An increase in blood sugar level damages kidney and causes chronic kidney condition. It gets worse and results in failure if not treated. As per reports about 1 in 3 adults have this complication. Earlier treatment can save the kidneys.

Amputation: Damage of blood vessels and nerves is another complication arises in high diabetic condition.  This leads to hard to treat infections and ganglions. To stop spreading infection, amputation might be the only option in many. Taking control of blood sugar and giving attention to feet and leg helps to prevent amputation process.

Gum disease: Increased blood sugar leads to tooth loss and increases chance of gum disease. Gum disease increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Going through dental checkup helps to reduce gum disease complication.

Depression: Mental health problem arises with risk of growing blood sugar level. Depression worsens diabetes and vice versa. Learn to manage stress.

Gestational diabetes: In women diabetes development during pregnancy can cause serious complication for both mother and babies. This include high blood pressure, birth related trauma and birth defects.

To prevent all above mentioned complications follow a healthy lifestyle that includes – healthy diet, managing stress, exercising regularly and go for regular checkups. Controlling blood pressure has higher benefits – it reduces risk of heart conditions as much as 50% and risk of eye, nerves and kidney by 33%.

Be physically active and get into a habit of exercising 30 minutes everyday.

If you are overweight lose weight by portion control, reducing fatty foods.

Take prescription medicines regularly. Watch for any change in symptoms related to your condition.

Learn and practice ABC’s (ref: CDC)

A: Get a regular A1C test to measure your average blood sugar over 2 to 3 months; aim to stay in your target range as much as possible.

B: Try to keep your blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg (or the target your doctor sets).

C: Control your cholesterol levels.

s: Stop smoking or do not start.

Learn to manage your stress levels. Practicing meditation and yoga helps.

Learn how to check your blood sugar level at home. Keep regular appointment with your doctor and follow the advice.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/

Image credit: Photo by PhotoMIX Company from Pexels (CC0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: November 15, 2018
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