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.
TEN ESSENTIAL OILS FOR BODY AND MIND

TEN ESSENTIAL OILS FOR BODY AND MIND

Essential oils are the fragrant, highly concentrated natural constituents that are found in plants. They are what give the plant its characteristic odor and contain the healing power of the plant from which it was extracted. An oil is “essential” in the sense that it contains the “essence of” the plant’s fragrance—the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. Essential oils enter the body primarily in three ways—applied to the skin, inhaled, or ingested. Within each of these, there are many different kinds of application methods. For example, you can apply essential oils topically using compresses, sprays, baths, or massaging them into the skin. Next few slides explain ten types of essential oils that can be used for various conditions.

Image courtesy: http://cdn.biasunstudio.ro/wp-content/

Lavender essential oil (anti-anxiety)

Lavender essential oil (anti-anxiety)

Geranium essential oil (balancing)

Geranium essential oil (balancing)

Mndarin essential oil (calming)

Mandarin essential oil (calming)

Bergamot essential oil (relaxing)

Bergamot essential oil (relaxing)

Ylang Ylang essential oil (sedative)

Ylang Ylang essential oil (sedative)

Neroli essential oil (anti-depressant)

Neroli essential oil (anti-depressant)

Jasmine essential oil (sedative)

Jasmine essential oil (sedative)

Patchouli essential oil (helps with stress-related issues)

Patchouli essential oil (helps with stress-related issues)

Sandalwood essential oil (sedative)

Sandalwood essential oil (sedative)

Palmarosa essential oil (calming mind)

Palmarosa essential oil (calming mind)

Note and Disclaimer

The information and opinions provided here are for general educational purposes only and do not replace medical advice.

References:

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 9, 2023
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Playing scavenger hunt helps kids

Playing Scavenger Hunt Helps Kids

Scavenger hunt games are popular play in parties and picnics for children. These games can be played by either individuals or teams where kids compete to see who can find all the items from a list. Person or team who collects all the items is pronounced the winner.

Scavenger hunts, is about finding different items on a list. The items are often very simple things such as  pebbles, toys, tools, balls, shapes etc.

Some parents hesitate to send children for such “adventurous” games because they think child will get hurt. There is a solution for this –plan a scavenger hunt and accompany your child in scavenger hunting so that you can watch how your children play in group and observe their development.

Participating in Scavenger hunt has many benefits for kids.

·         Gives exercise for both mind and body: It is a good exercise for the body. Most scavenger hunting games need kids running and moving around from one place to another place. Wondering in the field, around trees, climbing hills, climbing tree, stepping in stream – these are all exercises. It develops curiosity, improves thinking capacity, and reinforces problem solving skills that are essential for their future life.

·         Easily to customize as per kids wishes: Kids love certain characters. Taking part in scavenger hunt helps them to develop their creativity side Because scavenger hunt can be customized it improves children abilities and interests in subjects. For example, if you child is poor in math, scavenger hunt with number problem could make the child to think and proceed. They will start using numbers to reach destination. If child likes math, then it helps child to build math skills.

·         Helps to build problem solving skills: Scavenger hunt teaches kids problem solving skills in a tangible way. It makes them think and act wisely. Problem solving helps them to develop confidence and face the world without any hesitation.

·         Teaches teamwork: Many of the scavenger hunt games need more than one kid. So, it teaches kids the value of team and teamwork. While solving clues, kids need to work together to reach destination. Teamwork is an important tool that is essential for kids to succeed. This is a fun way to teach them important of teamwork.

·         Improves communication skills: While solving clues, kids must communicate with each other. Goal is to find all items and reach the destination. They will think together, discuss, and share ideas. It teaches effective way of communication with each other.

·         It is educational: As it involves numbers, colors, shapes, science, environment and problem solving.

Scavenger Hunt―A traditional scavenger hunt easily can be adapted according to the age of the children. Here are few examples of scavenger hunt games for kids for age group 6-11 (Ref: cdc.gov)

·         Sorts objects by shape and color: Tell the children to collect something green, something blue, and something red. When they bring the objects to you, have them make piles of the items according to color. You also can substitute shapes for colors.

·         Animal hunt: Place plastic animals around the house and give the list that contains simple riddles. For example, I like mouse, I meow, I like to purr – kids will identify it as cat and will look for it.

·         Nature hunt: Prepare a list of items from nature. It could be leaf, stone, flower, stick, fruits etc. Tell the child or children to look for it with some riddles or clues.

·         Grocery hunt: Have a grocery list. Take children to grocery store, tell them to find the items in the store. Let them tag along with you while finding the item.

·         Party items hunt: List a birthday party item list. Hat, ballon, cake etc. Give clues and let the child find the items based on clue.

·         Toy hunting: List out all the toys with riddles. Jeep, car, stuffed animals, dolls etc – give hint including child’s memories, like “your favorite toy, given by uncle”, “toy gifted for your birthday” toy that makes sound, toy that you lost and found in a place etc. – clues will help child to find the toy.

Even parents and family with grandparents, uncles and aunts can participate with child in scavenger hunt. It makes children happy and look forward for such games.

 

Image credit: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/933609 (CC by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 8, 2023
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How to fix salty dish

Tips to Fix Salty Dish

Sometimes you might realize that the dish you just prepared which is almost ready to serve has more salt in it. We all make this mistake. Tail end of cooking when we taste the dish, due to salt the dish is inedible. Instead of panicking try some of the tips to reduce the salt in the dish.

Reasons for foods get salty

  • If we don’t pay attention to the ingredients and the quantity of the ingredients, little salt could also end up in making dish very salty.
  • Measurement of salt- If you directly pour the salt from the salt container, more salt could fall in the dish.
  • Salt granules and table salt: Kosher salt generally has larger granules than table salt. If you are using table salt instead of Kosher, you should know that you must put less table salt.
  • If you are using precooked veggies from cans you must know that these veggies will have salt and preservatives. Adding salt might increase the saltiness in the dish.

How to fix salty dish?

  1. Add raw potatoes: Cut one or two raw potatoes and simply add to the dish. Potatoes absorb the excess salt from dish
  2. Add boiled potatoes: Boil one or two potatoes and mix with dish.
  3. Add lemon juice or vinegar: Adding acidic ingredient like lemon juice or white vinegar cuts the saltiness of sauces and soups. Little bit of either one of them should do magic.
  4. Add cream: Adding cream or creamy ingredients reduces saltiness in certain types of food. Adding cream to soup reduces saltiness. Sour cream is good option too for tomato-based dishes.
  5. Add flour dough: Make few small balls using flour dough. Add it to liquid or gravy. Four will reduce salt in the dish
  6. Add milk: Adding milk to yogurt-based dishes or to sauce and soup reduces salt.
  7. Add onion: Cut one or two onions, add it to dishes during cooking. Onion counteracts on salt content.
  8. Add jaggery: adding jaggery or sugar to dishes brings up sweetness a bit and balances salt
  9. Add water: For some food you can add boiled water and little spice to reduce salt.
  10. Add extra veggies: Cut some quick cooking veggies like carrot, peas, cauliflower and add it to the dish.
  11. Add tomatoes: Cut and throw few tomatoes to dishes. Tomatoes will absorb salt and decreases salt taste
  12. Add starch: Adding corn starch is a good option too. Mix starch in water and add it to the dish.
  13. Add besan powder: Mix one or two tsp of besan or chickpea powder and to the dish. Let he content boil for couple of minutes.
  14. Add greens: cut some green leaves like spinach, amaranth, kale and add to the dish.
  15. Soak canned veggies: Before adding to dishes, soak canned veggies in water for at least half an hour to remove extra salt.
  16. Increase quantity: If nothing works out, increase quantity of the dish. Store extra food in refrigerator for next day.

If a person need to take extra salt, there could be some medical reason behind it. Too much salt consumption is not good for health. It results in high BP and weight gain. Reducing salt intake helps in various ways.

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

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on:
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Benefits of chrysanthemum

The Many Health Benefits Of Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum flowers are one of the popular and most desired flowers used in decorations and garlands. Generally, chrysanthemum flowers bloom during fall season. Varieties of chrysanthemum or mums bloom between February to October months. Attractive flowers come in different colors – white, yellow, peach, green, orange, pink, red, purple and many combinations of colors. All these varieties of chrysanthemum are not just used for decorative purposes, they are also used for traditional home remedies.  Particularly yellow mums are used for various health conditions.

One of the main benefits of chrysanthemum is because of its cooling and relaxing effect. It is used calming and relaxing purposes.

How to use Chrysanthemum flowers for various conditions?

Chrysanthemum flowers teas has multiple health benefits –

  1. For mental stress and insomnia: Boil half liter water, seep two yellow mum flower petals. Filter and drink tea once a day before going to bed.
  2. Drinking chrysanthemum tea reduces stomach ache
  3. For mouth ulcer – gargle and rinse mouth using mum’s tea.
  4. For irregular periods – Take about 20 grams of flowers and boil in 250 ml water. Filter and drink twice a day.
  5. For kidney stones – Boil 500 ml water, add 25 grams of flowers, Bring water to half. Filter the concentrated tea and drink twice a day.
  6. Cold symptoms- Having chrysanthemum tea during early stages of fever and sore throat reduces fever, headaches.
  7. Promoting metabolism – Chrysanthemum tea improves metabolism and promotes weight loss. Presence of vitamin B in these flowers helps to digest fat.
  8. For healthy heart – Potassium in chrysanthemum promotes heart and kidney health. It is known for its anti-hypertensive action. It lowers blood pressure. Tea is known to increase blood flow.
  9. For skin – Because of its cooling effect, chrysanthemum tea is recommended during skin care treatment. It prevents heat related inflammation, skin redness, itchiness and in some eczema.
  10. For vision – Presence of vitamin A and beta carotene in chrysanthemum flowers helps to improve eyesight and diabetic retinopathy. It is also helpful in reducing age related macular degeneration and reduces itchy dry eye condition!
  11. For diabetes – Chrysanthemum tea is recommended for high sugar condition as it helps to balance insulin and promotes metabolism.
  12. Immunity booster – Both vitamin A and C in these flowers helps in eliminating free radicals and promotes function of body’s natural defense mechanism. Drinking this tea once a day or three times a week (twice a day) helps to boost immune system. It also contains potassium, magnesium and calcium – all elements required for healthy immune system.

How to prepare chrysanthemum tea:

Some varieties of chrysanthemum may have little bitter or astringent taste. Some will have refreshing and sweet aroma. To prepare tea – Boil three cups of water. Steep 3-4 dried flowers for couple of minutes. Filter and drink.

Adjust seeping time according to your taste. If you want stronger taste, then seep for some more time.

If you prefer you can add brown sugar, honey, jaggery or agave syrup to tea.

Direct flower application:

  1. Collect petal juice by grinding flowers with minimal amount of water or no water. To two tsp of juice add 1 tsp honey. Take this once a day to get relief from stress and tension.
  2. For swellings in body – prepare paste of mum petals with dry ginger. Apply this on swollen area.
  3. For diarrhea – grind two flowers with rock sugar, add cumin powder (equal quantity). Have this mix once or twice a day to reduce diarrhea.
  4. Flower paste can be applied to face to reduce acne, rejuvenates skin by reducing wrinkles
  5. To reduce irritated, sun stroked mark apply mum flower mask. It has cooling effect and helps skin to glow back.

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/clear-glass-bowl-beside-yellow-flower-1638280/ (cc by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: June 5, 2023
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Tinda chutney

Delicious And Spicy Tinda Chutney

Here is a delicious chutney recipe you should try this season. Tinda belongs to Cucumber family, It is also known as tindora, tondekai or Coccinia.  One can prepare varieties of dishes using tondekai – vanghi bath or spicy rice bath, curry, can be used in mixed vegetable curry or one can prepare delicious chutney. Like cucumber tinda serves zero calories and is good for weight loss.

Tinda chutney recipe

Ingredients:

  1. Small cut Tinda (Tondekai) – 1.5 cups
  2. Channa dal – 1 Tbsp
  3. Urad dal – 1 tsp
  4. Cumin – ¼ tsp
  5. Green chilis – 4-5
  6. Coriander – 1/2 cup
  7. Tamarind – small lemon size
  8. Curry leaves – few (about 10)
  9. Salt – as per taste
  10. Asafetida (hing) – pinch
  11. Oil for seasoning

Preparation:

  1. Wash and remove tip of tinda and cut into small round pieces
  2. Dry fry channa dal, urad dal, cumin till they turn golden brown. Add curry leaves and continue frying for a minute. Transfer to a plate and allow the contents to cool.
  3. Place same vessel on medium heat, add 1 Tbsp oil. To heated oil, add cut tindora, green chilis and coriander. Fry till the tinda turns golden brown color. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.
  4. Transfer cooled dal and tindora mix both to mixer jar. Add salt and tamarind. Grind the content to coarse paste. Remove and transfer to vessel.
  5. Heat oil and prepare seasoning with mustard, red chili, asafetida and transfer seasoning to tinda chutney.
  6. Serve tinda chutney with rice, chapathi, bread or as a side dish for curd rice.

Image credit: Indiamart

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: May 26, 2023
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Why teenagers need yoga?

Why teenagers need yoga?

We know yoga provides many benefits for both body and mind. Yoga is a practice for both body and mind and helps body get into shape, gives flexibility and improves mind’s ability to focus by giving clarity. Yogis everywhere are devoted to yoga in daily life to reap both spiritual and physical award.

Yoga helps to overcome stress in all!

Many schools – elementary, middle and high schools adopted yoga to improve children’s performance.

Study shows that high school students who are practicing yoga are happy, tension free, depression free and can be handling anxiety well. These children are also reported to have fewer negative emotions and showing improvement in studies. More teenagers are practicing yoga with parents, friends and teachers.

If you are a parent, encourage your child to practice yoga. Understanding the benefits of practicing yoga might help parents to convince children to hit the mat.

Reasons for why teenagers need yoga –

  1. Education: Teenagers are always surrounded by drama and tension. Distraction around them can bring their grade down and disturb their studies. Yoga practice helps increases concentration, reduces ADHD and helps them to focus on the moment. It gives sense of balance and helps to achieve their goal.
  2. Physical: Those teens who are athletes can gain flexibility by practicing yoga. It also builds strength, tones muscle, increases balance and helps in coordination. It also reduces obesity, gives stability to core and reduces body stress.
  3. Emotional: Teen life can be stressful. Peer pressure, career goal, homework, pressure of performance can cause stress and bring them down emotionally. Yoga helps to bring positive thoughts, positive energy in their mind. Too much stress can bring suicidal thoughts, depression – in fact these are two serious conditions that are attacking teenagers. Body image is another struggle of young minds. By practicing yoga, they will be able to understand feeling and what is worth in life. Yoga can be a guide to bring happiness, sense of accomplishment,  confidence, self-love, self-acceptance and peace in teenagers’ life.
  4. Social: Yoga helps to connect people with world. Yoga helps children to connect to the world. Teens who practice yoga will start accepting other individual and learn social skills. Yoga prepares them to face the world, to be non-judgmental and to be compassionate.
  5. Discipline and self-regulation: Another benefit of practicing yoga, yoga teaches how to be mindful and reduces impatience. It also brings discipline and teaches to be organized, less messy in day to day life.
  6. Helps to be creative: Practicing yoga increases imagination of mind, mind becomes flexible just like body. This develops confidence and brings out inner talent. Teen becomes creative and focused too!

If you have teenager at home, introduce them to yoga today. If you are a teacher, teach them how yoga can bring benefits in teens life.

Image courtesy: Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: May 23, 2023
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Three parents baby

Three People Babies – Baby With DNA From Three Persons Born In UK

From parents’ genetic disorders can be passed to offspring. This is the risk parents face when they plan on having babies. To prevent passing genetic disorders researchers at UK performed an IVF procedure which involved transfer of mitochondrial DNA or also known as Mitochondrial donation treatment MDT and therapy is called mitochondrial replacement therapy MRT.

Doctors at Newcastle Fertility Center in UK aimed to help women with mutated mitochondria to have healthy babies without genetic disorders.

HFEA: Mitochondrial donation treatment can be used by people with severe mitochondrial disease to avoid passing the condition onto their children.

Mitochondria which are known as powerhouse of the cell help in producing ATP which is source of energy for the body. Mitochondria being an organelle inside the cell contains its own DNAs or genes. Certain mutation in mitochondrial DNA has impact on energy supply and affects brain, heart, liver and muscles. Humans inherit mitochondria from their mother. If a woman has any such disorder in her mitochondrial gene, it could pass onto offspring leading to severe and progressive diseases. If the baby inherits a very small or tiny proportion of the mutated mitochondria, then baby might born healthy.

To prevent such diseases in future generation, UK researchers used Mitochondrial donation treatment. In this treatment the tissue from eggs of healthy women donors is used to create embryos by IVF method. Mitochondria of these women will be screened before proceeding with procedure. During IVF procedure donor nuclear material will be removed and destroyed and parents’ nuclear material will be placed inside donor egg where only the healthy donor mitochondria will be present. Fetus that develops will have DNA from both parents (99.8%) as well as a smaller portion of mitochondrial DNA that is, about 37 genes from the donor. Because of presence of three types of DNA in babies it is termed as “three-people babies”.

Newcastle clinic is the first and only center licensed to perform the procedure in UK. According to the reports, there are more than one babies born using this procedure that is approved by UK’s Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority – HFEA. How many babies are born is still not revealed to the press due to patients’ confidentiality. In 2016 Dr. John Zhang from New Hope Fertility Center of New York, attempted the mitochondrial transfer to get healthy baby in a couple. This was done in Mexico under the care of US fertility specialists. They had chosen Mexico because there was no rule and regulation in Mexico where as in US regulations were in place to do such IVF procedures. Out of five embryos doctors created, only one developed normally. In UK parliament changed the law in 2015 to permit MDT procedure and New Castle hospital is the first and only place MDT procedure is performed.

Peter Thompson, chief executive at the HFEA, said: “MDT offers families with severe inherited mitochondrial illness the possibility of a healthy child. The UK was the first country in the world to allow MDT within a regulatory environment … These are still early days for MDT and the HFEA continues to review clinical and scientific developments.”

General steps involved in the procedure are:

  • Sperms from father is taken and used for fertilization of both mother egg and healthy donor egg.
  • The nuclear material from donor’s egg is then removed
  • After fertilization of parents’ egg, fertilized egg is transferred to donor’s egg.
  • Donor’s egg will now have nuclear chromosomes of parents and mitochondrial DNA from donor.
  • Healthy egg is implanted in donor’s womb.

Mitochondrial donation treatment:

There are two techniques involved in MDT – Maternal spindle transfer or MST and Pronuclear transfer PNT. In both eggs are created using nuclear genetic material and healthy donor mitochondria. In MST mother’s genetic material is removed from egg and transferred to donor eggs which will have previously nuclear genetic removed. These eggs are later fertilized with sperms to form embryos.

In PNT eggs are fertilized with sperms to create embryos. From the embryos nuclear genetic material is removed and transferred into embryos created by donor eggs and sperms. The original nuclear genetic material is removed from donor embryos, only healthy mitochondria is retained.  

Risk factors: Sometimes the tiny portion of mitochondria inevitably carried along with mother’s egg showed multiplication in donors’ womb. This is named as reversion. Reversion could lead to similar genetic disorder as mother. What is the solution: Those women who have mitochondrial gene mutation can screen the IVF embryos for such mutations. Or can go with IVF procedure using donor egg itself.

This research was commenced few years ago, however recent COVID-19 pandemic caused delay in the research as donors were not coming forward for obvious reason. Mitochondrial donor will not have any rights on the child born as the DNA that is used is less than 1%.

As for as future research – more studies or prenatal testing and long-term observation of children born with this technique is needed. It is essential to observe baby’s growth, development and activities. This will also help to understand if there is any reversal occurred by mitochondrial genes of mother.

References:

https://www.hfea.gov.uk/media/2611/fourth_scientific_review_mitochondria_2016.pdf

https://www.bbc.com/news/

https://www.nature.com/

https://www.newscientist.com/

https://www.hfea.gov.uk/ (for more images and articles)

Image credit: Imagen de Elena Έλενα Kontogianni Κοντογιάννη en Pixabay(cc by 0)

Imagen de PublicDomainPictures en Pixabay (cc by 0)

Imagen de SkieTheAce en Pixabay (cc by 0)

Author: Sumana Rao | Posted on: May 19, 2023
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