Nature photos

Home on the water

The Children's Place, Japan

Starfish

Monumental Storm

Flame Trees

Source: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/nature-weather/

Eco-friendly attire

The clothing we buy in the commonplace in the boutiques is usually created by using synthetic or artificial fabrics. Such attire looks attractive when worn, but it is not good for the skin and  from an ecological perspective.

Natural fabrics include cotton, wool, silk, bamboo, hemp, jute and more. For instance, cotton protects from harmful UV rays and is 100% breathable and non-hypoallergenic fabric. Whereas, silk is soft and feminine, it usually has a sheen to it and mostly worn by females.

Perhaps, many of us are not aware of such things which is why we continue to spend excessive amount of money on clothing without looking at the fabric we wear. Sometimes, individuals spend money excessively on clothing which is not ecologically sustainable.

It is our responsibility as citizens to take care of our environment and buy only natural fabrics instead of synthetic ones. It is advantageous for our skin in an unhealthy way and allows us to be eco-friendly citizens.

Image Source:  http://cache.alexiasouto.com/images/

In brief, many of us do not know where the products we buy were created and when we ask the employees they say they don't know.

Health benefits of green tea

1. Increases physical stamina

Green tea boosts muscle endurance and stamina for exercise. Ithe increases the metabolism of the body and allows it to burn more fat resulting in weight loss. Thus, helps fight obesity.

2. Improves cardiovascular health

Green tea helps fights against heart diseases such as heart attack or stroke and other heart related diseases since it reduces the amount of fats in the body.

3. Cancer-fighting

Reasearchers and scientists state that green tea improves the immune system of the body and helps fight various cancers such as skin, breast, skin, lung, stomach, pancreas, intestine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

4. Oral health

Green tea keeps the oral cavity and teeth clean, white and free of germs. It also decreases inflammation of the gums during gingivitis ( gum disease).

5. Body Hydrator

Green tea contains some amount of caffeine, yet it is useful in hydrating body

6. Lowers the risk of degenerative diseases

Drinking green tea daily is associated with lowering the risk of degenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease. Green tea also reduces the risk of high blood pressure as it lowers the blood pressure in both men and women.

The risk of Alzheimer's disease, which affects the learning and memory of individuals can also be lessened by drinking green tea on a regular basis.

7. Treats diabetes type 2

Since green tea processes body sugars and regulates a lower body weight it controls diabetes type 2 and keeps the diabetics healthy.

8. Anti-aging

According to recent studies, green tea has antioxidant properties which reverses the aging process of the skin and improves skin texture.

9. Reduces effects of Smoking

Smoking causes a lot of adverse effects on the body which are reduced by the green tea by detoxifying the body and reducing the risk of lung cancer.

10. Increases bone strength

Researchers observed an improved bone strength and density in regualr green tea drinkers.

11. UV ray protection

Green tea protects against the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun which produce harmful effects on skin such as hyperpigmentation and skin cancer.

12. Body mass index

As stated by a study, green tea helps individuals in keeping a low to normal waist circumference and maintains the body mass index to a normal level.

13. Protection against radiation

Green tea protects from radiation such as X-rays.

Tips:

1. Green tea should always be served cool.

2 The steeping time is 2-3 minutes.

3. Green tea can be flavored by adding lemon, orange or other citrus fruits.

Source: http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/04/13-reasons-to-love-tea/

Mindfulness

We should practice mindfulness because it makes an individual capable of staying focused on the task at hand and improves concentration.

     There are various steps one can take in becoming mindful:

• Eating clean food.
• Meditation; it brings peace to the mind
• Creating to-do list
• Yoga
• Keeping a coping box
• Volunteering
• Taking a cool shower
• Talking to a friend
• Reading
• Going out in the sunlight; improves mood
• Breathing
• Spending time with family
• Doing what you enjoy each day
• Visual thinking
• Daily reflection
• Doodle; to improve memory
• Drink 2 liters of water for women and 3 litres for men
• Sleep for 8 hours at night, but not more than that
• Take short breaks (10-15 minutes) while studying or working
• Practise smiling
• Brainstorm
• Laugh
• Practice gratitude
• Prioritize
• Travel
• De-clutter your surroundings
• Keep a journal
• and more...

Education quotes

" Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth".

Chanakya

Personal response: Education allows a person to earn respect in the society. An education is more valuable than beauty or wealth. 

" Education is learning what you didn't even know you didn't know".

Daniel J. Boorstin

Personal response: Education results in a learning mindset, where one does not get affected by failures but uses them as an opportunity for improvement.

" Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking".

Albert Einstein

Personal Response: A well -read person uses his own brain along with reading.

" The purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one".

Malcolm Forbes

Personal response: Open-mindedness comes from an education. 

" The illiterate of the future will not be the person who cannot read. It will be the person who does not know how to learn".

Alvin Toffler

Personal response: The only uneducated person in the future will be who does not develop a learning mindset.

" He that loves reading has everything within his reach".

William Godwin

Personal response: Reading is an immense source of knowledge which allows resources at hand with ease.

" The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and change".

Carl Rogers

Personal response: An educated person is flexible and owns a growth mindset.

Source: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html

Indian recipe: Chicken tikka masala

"Chicken tikka masala is chicken tenderized with yogurt, marinated with spices and infused with flavors".

Ingredients:

4 tsp Ground turmeric

2 tsp Garam masala

2 tsp Ground coriander

2 tsp Ground cumin

1 T  Salt

1  1/2 Cup whole milk yogurt

4 tsp Finely grated and peeled ginger

6  Garlic cloves, finely grated

1 Small onion, thinly sliced

6 Cardamom pods crushed

1/4 cup Tomato paste

1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes

2 cups heavy cream

Steamed basmati rice

3/4 cup Cilantro  with sprigs for garnish

2 Pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise

3  T ghee (clarified butter) or vegetable oil

1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

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Serves: 6            Prep: 30 mins         Cook: 60 minutes           Ready  : 2hrs 20 minutes

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Method:

• Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture.
• Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste has darkened and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add remaining half of spice mixture and cook, stirring often, until bottom of pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes with juices, crushing them with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until sauce thickens, 8-10 minutes.
• Add cream and chopped cilantro. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set a wire rack inside sheet. Arrange chicken on rack in a single layer. Broil until chicken starts to blacken in spots (it will not be cooked through), about 10 minutes.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, add to sauce, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Serve with rice and cilantro sprigs.

Review

The recipe was delicious, but a bit spicy for those who are not used to eating spicy food. I used to dine out with my family on the weekends and we used to order chicken tikka masala.But looked up one on the internet and decided on cooking at home. My family loved it! 

The recipe is time-consuming, but the results are great.  One can even alter the recipe by adding or eliminating a few things according to your taste and see how it turns out. 

Source: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-tikka-masala

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Prose & Poetry: Daffodils by William Wordsworth

Personal  response

I like the aforementioned poem because I love nature. 
Daffodil or narcissus flower ( botanical name) is used in the poem as a metaphor of rebirth and is an emblem of future prosperity. It can be found throughout the world. 

At the beginning of the poem, the poet is isolated because he is not using his imagination. When the poet starts imagining about daffodils he feels serene within himself. The poet seems to be isolated and personifies daffodils throughout the poem. In the beginning, he uses cloud as a simile to represent his isolation.

Next, he creates a simile by comparing the quantity of daffodils to the “milky way” galaxy. Also, he personifies daffodils to represent a crowd in order to eliminate his feeling of isolation.

Also, Wordsworth uses “dancing” to personify the daffodils. Since, daffodils don’t dance, but humans do.

Furthermore, the poet uses exaggeration or hyperbole to represent the “never-ending” line of daffodils. But, in fact, nothing is permanent. Everything comes to an end.

Then, he personifies the daffodils by using the word “head”. Since the head of the flowers is larger than the stem, he wonders how wonderfully the flowers support themselves.

Additionally, Wordsworth uses “dancing” of the waves as a personification by the poet, but the daffodils seem more prosperous than the dancing waves. Even the yellow color of the daffodils represent “happiness”.

In conclusion, uses the metaphor “inward eye” to represent his personal spiritual vision of the daffodils.