- by Paul Lavakis

© Paul Lavakis - All Rights reserved

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Hydroponics is the system in which plants are grown without soil. Using hydroponics to grow plants can be beneficial for many growers. Hydroponics allows plants to be grown faster and with less of a hassle. In hydroponics plants are grown in a solution consisting of water and nutrients required for a particular plant, or within a system that uses a substrate or growing mix medium. There are several hydroponics techniques and systems that exist for producing plant crops.

Hydroponics systems include the nutrient film technique, aeroponics, and the aeration technique. In the aeroponics method plants are anchored using screens, rigid pipes, or films. The required nutrients are mixed into the plants’ water supply artificially. The plant roots are suspended within the water by various designs and the crop obtains the food nutrients directly from the water, or from an air mist sprayed directly unto the plant roots. Hydroponics also requires the use growing media. Hydroponic systems use various mediums that are composed from relatively inert materials that have the ability to retain the food rich moisture and have the ability to physically support the plant roots. Growing media for hydroponics includes, expanded clay, rockwool, perlite, vermiculite, Styrofoam, sand, pea gravel, and other mediums.

There are many types plants that can be grown in a hydroponics system. Some plants will grow better in hydroponics system than others. Many growers use hydroponics systems to grow tomatoes, lettuce, watercress, cucumbers, herbs, and various other edible plants. Beginning growers will be satisfied with the quality of their crops, and the rates at which they will grow. Flowers and tree seedlings can also be grown using hydroponics. Hydroponic greenhouses produce millions of plant seedlings each year, which are transplanted and grown at other locations where they are later planted into soil.

There are many benefits to growing your own plants in a hydroponics system. Many growers use hydroponic techniques for food and ornamental plant production. Hydroponics doesn’t require a large water supply or fertile farmland for growing crops. You can grow vegetables and plants year round using hydroponic techniques. Hydroponic plants can be grown in basements, on an apartment balcony, or in almost any small space. Of course hydroponics plants can be grown in greenhouses and nurseries as well. The sterile medium used in hydroponics systems give home gardeners the benefit of not having to remove weeds, and minimizes soil-borne pests and diseases. If your plants are grown hydroponically, they will be healthier than plants grown in soil, because all of the growth elements and nutrients are made readily available during growth.

Hydroponically grown plants also grow and mature faster, yielding an earlier harvest of vegetable, herbal and flower crops. The hydroponics systems also require less space, because the plant roots don’t have to spread and search for food and water. The small space requirement makes hydroponics perfect for limited space home gardeners. The greatest benefit to hydroponics is the ability to automate the hydroponics system with timers and remote monitoring equipment. Automation of the system reduces the time it takes to maintain the plants and growing environment. The automation also provides flexibility to the grower, allowing the grower to leave their system for long periods of time without worrying about watering plants. Hydroponics systems can be used in almost any environment, and new growers will find the benefits of the system outweigh the drawbacks of the system. Growing plants hydroponically is not simple, but with time it will become an easy routine. Hydroponics offers the advantage of many techniques that can be beneficial to your plants, and beneficial to the grower, making their job easier and plants healthier.

Paul Lavakis has been an avid gardener
and since discoverring Hydroponics
has been a experimenting and evaluating
the best ways to grow almost any fruit
or vegetable without soil
For More Information download FREE EBook on How to Grow Something the Hydroponic Way

There is magic in a garden. It is a thrill to see sunlight and water make a little plant grow and spread its leaves. The beauty of nature rejuvenates and inspires.

The quiet thrill of gardening can be enjoyed by planting fresh herbs in pots in the kitchen, patio or backyard. A kitchen herb garden. I like to plant basil, parsley and cilantro in pots and here’s how I do it. Follow a few simple steps and you will be picking delicious fresh herbs in few days.

First, I pick up some clay pots and saucers, organic potting soil in a bag, and some small starter plants at a garden center. This time of year, they should have a nice selection of starter plants. Fresh herbs are a great choice because you can plant them in fairly small pots and they are easy to grow.

At home, I put a few pebbles into the bottom of the pots for drainage, and place the pots on saucers. I scoop potting soil into the pots, about ¾ full.

Then I carefully remove a little herb plant from its container, transfer it to the pot and place soil all around the plant with my hands. You want to pack down the soil to give the plant a sturdy base. A sprinkle of water, about one cup, and it’s done.

Herbs are great to grow in or near the kitchen, so you can pick a few leaves while you are cooking. Herbs seem to like a mixture of direct sun and some shade. Give them a little water each day to keep the soil moist, and move them into a shady spot if the leaves get burned by the sun.

I use herbs in many of our recipes in The Fat Resistance Diet. I recommend having herbs often, for their wonderful flavor and ability to reduce inflammation. Nourished by your attention and care, your kitchen garden will be good to grow!

Wishing You Best Health!
Jonathan and The Fat Resistance Diet Team

By now, most people know they should be eating more vegetables. But are there ways to get more from the vegetables you already eat?

A growing body of research shows that when it comes to vegetables, it’s not only how much we eat, but how we prepare them, that influences the amount of phytochemicals, vitamins and other nutrients that enter our body.

The benefits are significant. Numerous studies show that people who consume lots of vegetables have lower rates of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, eye problems and even cancer. But how should they be served?

Surprisingly, raw and plain vegetables are not always best. In The British Journal of Nutrition next month, researchers will report a study involving 198 Germans who strictly adhered to a raw food diet, meaning that 95 percent of their total food intake came from raw food. They had normal levels of vitamin A and relatively high levels of beta carotene.

But they fell short when it came to lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes and other red-pigmented vegetables that is one of the most potent antioxidants. Nearly 80 percent of them had plasma lycopene levels below average.

“There is a misperception that raw foods are always going to be better,” says Steven K. Clinton, a nutrition researcher and professor of internal medicine in the medical oncology division at Ohio State University. “For fruits and vegetables, a lot of times a little bit of cooking and a little bit of processing actually can be helpful.”

The amount and type of nutrients that eventually end up in the vegetables are affected by a number of factors before they reach the plate, including where and how they were grown, processed and stored before being bought. Then, it’s up to you. No single cooking or preparation method is best. Water-soluble nutrients like vitamins C and B and a group of nutrients called polyphenolics are often lost in processing. For instance, studies show that after six months, frozen cherries have lost as much as 50 percent of anthocyanins, the healthful compounds found in the pigment of red and blue fruits and vegetables. Fresh spinach loses 64 percent of its vitamin C after cooking. Canned peas and carrots lose 85 percent to 95 percent of their vitamin C, according to data compiled by the University of California, Davis.

Fat-soluble compounds like vitamins A, D, E and K and the antioxidant compounds called carotenoids are less likely to leach out in water. Cooking also breaks down the thick cell walls of plants, releasing the contents for the body to use. That is why processed tomato products have higher lycopene content than fresh tomatoes.

In January, a report in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry concluded that over all, boiling was better for carrots, zucchini and broccoli than steaming, frying or serving them raw. Frying was by far the worst.

Still, there were tradeoffs. Boiling carrots, for instance, significantly increased measurable carotenoid levels, but resulted in the complete loss of polyphenols compared with raw carrots.

That report did not look at the effects of microwaving, but a March 2007 study in The Journal of Food Science looked at the effects of boiling, steaming, microwaving and pressure cooking on the nutrients in broccoli. Steaming and boiling caused a 22 percent to 34 percent loss of vitamin C. Microwaved and pressure-cooked vegetables retained 90 percent of their vitamin C.

What accompanies the vegetables can also be important. Studies at Ohio State measured blood levels of subjects who ate servings of salsa and salads. When the salsa or salad was served with fat-rich avocados or full-fat salad dressing, the diners absorbed as much as 4 times more lycopene, 7 times more lutein and 18 times the beta carotene than those who had their vegetables plain or with low-fat dressing.

Young adults will eat vegetables if they like the taste. “Putting on things that make it taste better — spices, a little salt — can enhance your eating experience and make the food taste better, so you’re more likely to eat vegetables more often,” Dr. Clinton said.

Because nutrient content and taste can vary so widely depending on the cooking method and how a vegetable is prepared, the main lesson is to eat a variety of vegetables prepared in a variety of ways.

As Susan B. Roberts, director of the energy metabolism laboratory at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition put it, “Eating a variety of veggies is especially important so you like them enough to eat more.”

Adopted from an article by TARA PARKER-POPE
well@nytimes.com

EDITORIAL, NY TIMES,
Published: May 22, 2008

The willingness of doctors at several major medical centers to apologize to patients for harmful errors is a promising step toward improving the quality of a medical system that kills tens of thousands of patients a year inadvertently.

For years, experts have lamented that medical malpractice litigation is an inefficient way to deter lethal or damaging medical errors. Most victims of malpractice never sue, and there is some evidence that many patients who do sue were not harmed by a physician’s error but instead suffered an adverse medical outcome that could not have been prevented. The details of what went wrong are often kept secret as part of a settlement agreement.

What is needed, many specialists agree, is a system that quickly brings an error to light so that further errors can be headed off and that compensates victims promptly and fairly. Many doctors, unfortunately, have been afraid that admitting and describing their errors would only invite a costly lawsuit.

Now, as described by Kevin Sack in The Times, a handful of prominent academic medical centers have adopted a new policy of promptly disclosing errors, offering earnest apologies and providing fair compensation. It appears to satisfy many patients, reduce legal costs and the litigation burden and, in some instances, helps reduce malpractice premiums.

At the University of Illinois, for example, of 37 cases where the hospital acknowledged a preventable error and apologized, only one patient filed suit. At the University of Michigan Health System, existing claims and lawsuits dropped from 262 in August 2001 to 83 in August 2007, and legal costs fell by two-thirds.

To encourage greater candor, more than 30 states have enacted laws making apologies for medical errors inadmissible in court. That sounds like a sensible step that should be adopted by other states or become federal law. Such laws could help bring more errors to light. Patients who have been harmed by negligent doctors can still sue for malpractice, using other evidence to make their case.

Admitting errors is only the first step toward reforming the health care system so that far fewer mistakes are made. But reforms can be more effective if doctors are candid about how they went astray. Patients seem far less angry when they receive an honest explanation, an apology and prompt, fair compensation for the harm they have suffered

What are our priorities? Food, shelter and clean water are what aid agencies emphasize. But human excrement is a weapon of mass destruction. A gram of human feces can contain up to 10 million viruses. At least 50 communicable diseases — including cholera, meningitis and typhoid — travel from host to host in human excrement. It doesn’t take much: a small child, maybe, who plays in soil where people have been defecating, then dips his fingers in the family rice pot. The aftermath of a disaster like Cyclone Nargis — with masses of weakened people on the move — is a communicable disease paradise.
A substance common to all of us, and as vital to life as breathing, has become unspeakable, and particularly in the polite and powerful circles that could do something about its deadly effects.

Celebrities like Matt Damon and Jay-Z line up to talk about water. Shiny taps and clean water make good pictures. Have you ever seen a movie star pictured in front of a new latrine? It can double its user’s life span.

Of course food and water are crucial. But feces can undermine both. If people are eating fecal particles, no amount of high-energy biscuits will make them well. In poor countries, diarrhea is the reason you find malnourished children in well-fed families. It’s why millions of girls drop out of school, and why millions of dollars’ worth of productivity is lost from workers sick with this week’s bout of dysentery.

Good disposal of human excreta can reduce diarrhea by 40 percent. Washing hands reduces it still further. Health economists reckon that every dollar invested in sanitation can save $7 on health costs and lost productivity. No wonder the readers of The British Medical Journal last year voted sanitation the greatest medical milestone ever, over penicillin and anesthesia.

Adopted from ‘Send in the Latrines’ By ROSE GEORGE

Published in New York Times

Laughter reduces muscle tension, distracts attention from the pain, has a positive effect on a person’s attitude and can actually stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. In addition, laughter stimulates the cardiovascular system thereby increasing oxygenation of the blood which further promotes healing.

Laughter is a form of internal jogging. In responding to the initial phase of a typical joke, comedy routine or story, muscle tension increases in anticipation of the climax of the story or punch line. Immediately following the story climax, the thorax (chest), abdomen and face get a vigorous workout. In convulsive laughter, where the individual really breaks up, even the legs and arms are involved. During this phase, heart rate, breathing and circulation are speeded up. When the spasm of laughter subsides, the pulse rate drops below normal and the skeletal muscles become deeply relaxed. During the laughter response, the body is revitalized by what sometimes is called internal massage.

Humor can be a powerful tool to moderately treat depression, physical illness and reduce tension.

Many companies are beginning to see the wisdom in fostering a certain amount of measured fun in the workplace to boost loyalty, enthusiasm, and productivity in the employees. These tactics can range from familiar activities like company picnics, Christmas parties, athletic events, and casual dress days to the more outlandish “costume” days.

A company in Redmond, Washington, that makes heart monitors and defibrillators lightened up their dull workplace by having an employee dress up like a clown and pedal a tricycle towing a little red wagon that carried a siren and a banner announcing production of $500,000 worth of goods every time they reached this mark in production. While this created a temporary disruption of work, sometimes as often as three times a day, overall production soared.

Adopted from Feebee A. Clown - RN, Laughter Is The Best Medicine

Stress affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, and influences all our behaviors. Stress may be defined as a demand for adaptation. It has been shown, however, that we humans respond to demands not as they actually are, but as we perceive them to be. A stress may be real or imagined.

There are many types of stress we constantly face. These stress factors may be physical (exposure to the extremes of temperature, injuries, or accidents), chemical (exposure to pollutants, allergens, poisons, toxins, and drugs), microbiological (germs, bacteria, viruses, fungus, and other microorganisms), psychological or extreme emotional states (fear, anger, sadness, or a sense of loss), mental functioning (suppression or repression), as well as inborn drives to hurry, to succeed, to compete, as well as sociocultural (work pressures, crime, IRS, regulations, financial crisis and peer and parental pressure). Stress affects practically every organ in the body and if not controlled can certainly aggravate and complicate most any known disease or illness. You can better cope with stress and relieve stress in your life. Following methods help you reduce stress, relax better, and enjoy life more.

• Develop a positive attitude about everything you do.
• Tell yourself to relax totally.
• Practice breathing exercises to relax.
• Cultivate a good sense of humor.
• Listening to relaxing music will dissolve your tension.
• Call a relative or friend.
• Exercise or take a brisk walk to lift your spirit.
• Stretch or yawn for better relaxation
• Take a nature break.
• Take a vacation or a weekender.
• Get proper rest.
• Prayer will break the anxiety cycle.

Of course, there are other stress-relieving techniques such as getting a pet ( Excellent for Many ), but the important thing is to Do Something To Relieve the Existing Situation !

Adopted from Mental Attitude and Self Image
By Gus J. Prosch, Jr., M.D.

How would you react if you are informed of the following deals?
A Bentley Continental GT for $85,000 against its actual price $1,59,000
Or
A Lamborghini Gallardo Spider $144,000 against $230,000
If you are planning to buy a car, why not use what’s inside NEW “Top Secret Car Secret?”
The secret works just the same as when you buy a car like everybody else - only you do a couple of things a little differently.
And when you do it “my way” you save as much as 30%, 50% and even often as much as 90% OFF what you’d paid otherwise.

You can concoct your own beauty products in the convenience of your home by mixing a few ingredients from your kitchen shelves. This statement might seem so oft-repeated and cliché, but surely we all have no second thoughts about the veracity of this claim. While olive oil olive oil is one such versatile product with a number of beauty uses, baking soda baking soda is another. Though it’s a known fact that baking soda is widely used in baking, deodorizing refrigerators, microwaves and in household cleaning, let’s look into some common as well as uncommon health and beauty uses of this household ingredient.

#1 Revitalize and smooth skin with baking soda
Deep clean and refresh rough skin on your hands, elbows and knees with a gentle, invigorating scrub. Mix 3 parts baking soda with one part water to form a thick paste; apply in a gentle circular motion with your hands.

# 2 Foot care with baking soda
To pamper your feet mix 2 tbsp of baking soda and 1 tbsp table salt in a tub of bearably hot water. Soak your feet for 15-20 minutes. This removes all the embedded dirt and grime from your feet. You can then gently scrub your feet with the non-gritty blend mentioned in #1. This works as a great smoother for skin on feet and heels.

# 3 Baking soda in a bath
Add ½ cup baking soda to warm bath water. Baking soda naturally cleanses your skin while leaving you feeling silky smooth all over. Its white crystals are often a key ingredient in commercial bath salts. (If you have a very dry skin, be sure to rinse well; as alkaline residue may irritate skin.)

# 4 Baking soda as face wash
Washing your face with dilute baking soda solution is a great way to remove old make-up and slough off the dead skin cells for a fresher look.

# 5 Baking soda to clean your hair
Remove residue that styling products and shampoo may leave behind: Add a½ a tsp of baking soda to your shampoo. Rinse and condition as usual.

# 6 Baking soda as dry shampoo
If your hair has become too oily and limp and you don’t have the time for a wash, just sprinkle baking soda, a bit of talcum powder on your hairbrush and comb through your hair. This will absorb excess oils and freshen up your hair instantly.

# 7 Baking soda to ease heat rashes
Take a lukewarm bath without using harsh soaps. Pat dry with a towel and apply a paste of baking soda on any area that has prickly heat rash. Leave the paste on for an hour or two.

# 8 Baking soda to relieve sunburn pain
To relieve that sunburn ouch, apply a paste of baking soda and water to soothe and cool the affected area.

# 9 Baking soda to freshen combs and brushes
To clean these without leaving a soapy film, fill a small basin with 1 liter water and dissolve 4 tbsps baking soda in the water. Soak combs and hairbrushes for a few minutes, then swish, rinse, and air-dry. This removes the hair spray and oil buildup from them. Similarly you can soak toothbrushes also in a baking-soda solution overnight to clean them.

# 10 Baking soda for teeth whitening
For dazzling white teeth, brush your teeth with a pinch of baking soda and table salt. Rinse out your mouth with water when finished. This even acts a mouthwash and helps with bad breath. Gargling with baking soda water also heals mouth sores.

# 11 Baking soda for nail care
To clean your finger and toe nails, apply baking soda to your nail brush. Now, scrub your nails and cuticles with these to soften the cuticles and for great looking nails.

# 12 Baking soda as an antidote for insect bites
For any kind of insect (mosquitoes, ants etc.) bites apply a little baking soda over the area for a quick heal.

So for an easy, inexpensive beauty treatment, look no further than your refrigerator or kitchen cupboard. Make that little box of baking soda to work for you in the above mentioned time-and money-saving ways. Who knows, you might never need to buy another beauty product again! While this statement is certainly an exaggeration, do not forget to give some of these a try and see what you think.

Learning how to read food labels is like looking at a prescription for your health and your life. Dr. Oz says to look for red-flag ingredients—if they’re listed among the top five ingredients overall, steer clear!

Sugar

When you eat or drink sugar, Dr. Oz says the sudden energy surge your body experiences is followed by an insulin surge that rapidly drops the blood sugar level—so two hours later, you feel famished and tired. To keep an even keel, Dr. Oz says to replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones so the absorption is more controlled and you experience long-term satiety. “Sugar is supposed to be eaten, of course,” says Dr. Oz, “but it should come together with fat or some element like fiber—as you would find in fruit—so you can absorb it a bit more slowly.”

High fructose corn syrup

Although they taste sweet, Dr. Oz says food products that contain high fructose corn syrup should be avoided. Dr. Oz says the body processes the sugar in high-fructose corn syrup differently than it does old-fashioned cane or beet sugar, which in turn alters your body’s natural ability to regulate appetite. “It blocks the ability of a chemical called leptin, which is the way your fat tells your brain it’s there,” says Dr. Oz. “It’s not so much the 150 calories in the soda pop—it’s the fact at that same meal you will normally consume an extra hundred calories of food than you would have.”

Enriched wheat flour (white flour)

Contrary to what its name suggests, Dr. Oz says enriched flour is actually poor in nutrition because most of the grain’s nutrients are destroyed in the refining process. “The reason they enrich it is because they already stripped out anything that was worth a darn in it, and they add a little bit back so it doesn’t look so bad,” says Dr. Oz.

Instead, he says to look for labels that say “100 percent” whole grains and whole grain flours. “It has its kernels, it has its B vitamins—all the things you want to be in there,” says Dr. Oz.

Saturated fat

Found mainly in animal products, Dr. Oz says to avoid saturated fats that are solid at room temperature, like lard. “You can actually use this kind of material for furniture polish—lots of fun things—but don’t put it in you,” he says.

Hydrogenated oil

To increase their shelf life, Dr. Oz says certain oils are hydrogenated. This process turns the oil into a solid at room temperature, but it also makes the oil unhealthy. “This stuff is great because it doesn’t go bad, but it’s very bad for you,” says Dr. Oz. Avoid food products that contain hydrogenated oil, often labeled as “trans fats.”

Healthy oils

Dr. Oz says there are many healthy oils, such as olive oil, sesame seed oil, flaxseed oil, grape seed oil and canola oil. To maximize their health benefits, Dr. Oz says good oils need to be used properly. “Keep it in a dark bottle or in your refrigerator—that’s how to keep it healthy so it doesn’t go rancid,” says Dr. Oz. “Healthy oils are delicate, you have to treat them delicately.”

Dr. Oz also says overheating good oils during cooking can damage them. “Don’t cook the oil, cook the food,” says Dr. Oz, “which means put a tiny bit of oil in the pan, put the food in the oil and then put the food with the oil on it in the pan—that way the oil is preserved. It doesn’t heat up and it doesn’t get damaged by the heat.”

Garlic

Dr. Oz says garlic is great for our bodies. “It actually helps the bacteria in your intestines and it also relaxes the arteries and it has a benefit with cancer,” says Dr. Oz. “It’s a great thing to add to your diet. It’s present in a lot of cultures—we’ve forgotten it in America.”

Salad dressing made with fresh garlic, lemon and olive oil is one of Oprah’s favorites. “It’s a perfect dressing,” says Dr. Oz. “It’s the best way to have olive oil because you haven’t heated it and you haven’t damaged it.”

Tomato sauce

Dr. Oz recommends eating 10 tablespoons of tomato sauce per week. “Inside the tomato is a chemical called lycopene,” says Dr. Oz. “This chemical has a wonderful effect—it’s an antioxidant.”

Dr. Oz says there are added benefits from eating tomato sauce or paste as opposed to plain tomatoes. “A raw tomato is fine, too, but if you get a little fat with it—either with some nuts or a little olive oil and dressing—then it’s perfect,” says Dr. Oz. “It helps you absorb it better into your intestinal system.”

Spinach

Jam-packed with nutrients, Dr. Oz says spinach is out-of-sight. “This is the best thing for your eyes,” he says. “It’s better than carrots, and a lot of macular degeneration—which is a tragic ailment that affects vision—can actually be avoided by eating these kinds of foods that are rich in carotenoids and also have folic acids and a lot of other benefits.” Sauté spinach with a little garlic and olive oil for a perfect side dish.

Raw nuts

To maximize the benefits of the healthy oils found in nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts, Dr. Oz says they should be eaten raw and stored in the refrigerator. “When you roast a nut, the healthy oils that are in there become damaged,” Dr. Oz says. “The oils aren’t supposed to be heated and damaged—they’re supposed to be taken in their natural form.”

Pomegranates

Dr. Oz says research on the health benefits of pomegranates has shown promising results. “We’ve done studies on them showing how they actually can change the way your arteries age—it’s a very potent antioxidant,” says Dr. Oz. “It also probably affects cancer rates, especially prostate cancer, but those studies haven’t been finished yet.”

Not only do pomegranates have extraordinary health benefits—they taste good, too. “It’s a little sweet for me so I mix it with water, but pomegranates or their juice are worth trying out,” Dr. Oz says.

http://www.oprah.com

Need A Program To Get In Shape Fast Click Here!

Looking good costs money, right… Or does it?

If you are feeling too broke to splurge on a facial at the salon, let Mother Nature come to the rescue. All you need is to do is invest some time and effort once a week, and use the ingredients available in your kitchen to concoct your own facial at home.

You can decide which facial to opt for, depending on your skin type and on the availability of the ingredients. These facials can be done once a week, or before going for a party or for an occasion.

Note of caution: If your skin is sensitive to any natural product, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist before using any of the given remedies. Also, please wash your face before using any of these face packs.

Normal skin

~ Extract the juice of half an orange or tomato, mix with two teaspoons of curd. Lightly massage onto your face in an upward direction. Let it dry. Then, wash your face with cold water and wipe dry. This will give your skin a nice glow.

~ Rub the inner part of the skin of a papaya on your face. Let it dry. Then, wash your face with cold water and wipe dry. This will give your skin a nice glow.
Whenever you cut a papaya to eat, save a small portion of the peel for this purpose. You can store the peel in an airtight container for about two days in the fridge; however, it is preferable to use it fresh.

~ Grind 50 grams (around half a cup) of cabbage and extract the juice. Apply this on your face. After it dries, wash with cool water and wipe dry. This helps tighten your skin and prevents wrinkles.

~ Grind one small carrot and squeeze the pulp to remove the juice. Apply the juice on your face and let it dry. Then, wash with cold water and wipe your face dry. This helps to rejuvenate your skin.

~ Whenever eating an apple, do not discard the skin. Use it as a skin cleanser.Just rub the inner side of the peel in an upward direction and let your face dry. Then, wash with cool water and pat dry. This helps tighten your skin.

~ Take an ice cube and rub on your face. Then, pat dry. This helps to improve blood circulation and keeps your skin healthy.

Variation: Boil some lemon grass in a small container of water and cool. Pour it in the ice tray and freeze. Later, rub the ice cube on your face.

~ Beat the white of one egg and apply on your face in an upward direction. Once it dries, wash with cold water. It helps tighten your skin and delays wrinkles.

Oily skin

~ Make a paste of 2 tbsp of wheat flour using as much water as needed. Apply on your face in an upward motion. Leave to dry. Then, wash with cool water and pat dry. This helps remove excess oil from your skin.

~ Mix two teaspoons of raw milk, around the same quantity of cucumber juice and few drops of lemon. With a cotton ball, apply the solution on your face and leave to dry. Then, wash with water and pat dry.

~Soak two to three teaspoons of methi (fenugreek) seeds overnight. Grind into a paste, then rub on your face. Once it dries, wash with cool water.

The granular effect helps remove blackheads. Methi also helps remove excess oil from your skin.The excess paste can be stored in the refrigerator but should be used within a week.

~ Soak two to three teaspoons of whole masoor dal (red gram) overnight. Grind into a paste and apply on your face. Once it dries, wash your face with cold water and pat dry. It gives the same effect as methi. The excess paste can be stored in the refrigerator but should be used within two days.

~ Grind half a cucumber and squeeze to remove the juice. Apply the juice on your face and leave to dry. Then wash with water and pat dry. It helps refresh and tighten your skin.

For dry skin

~ Mash half a ripe banana, add a teaspoon of honey and make a paste. Apply on your face. Once it dries, wash with cold water and pat dry.
This acts as a moisturiser and helps in tighten your skin.

~ Soak khus khas (poppy seeds) overnight. Grind it with just enough milk to make a paste. Apply on your face. Once it dries, wash with cold water. The natural oil present in khus khas helps to moisturise your skin.

~ Just before boiling milk, remove two tablespoons. Massage it lightly on your face in an upward motion. Leave to dry, then wash with water and pat dry.

This helps to keep your skin supple.

Variation: Add a pinch of salt to the raw milk and follow the same process. However, avoid doing this if you have pimples on your face.

~ Make a paste of 2-5 tablespoons of raw peanuts with milk. Add very small quantity of honey to it. Apply on your face. Leave to dry. Then wash with cold water and pat dry. The natural oils present in the peanuts help moisturise your skin.

~ Make a paste of one teaspoon of malai, a pinch of turmeric and four to five drops of olive oil. Apply on your face, leave to dry. Wash with cold water and pat dry.

Malai(milk cream) acts as a natural moisturiser and turmeric and olive oil helps rejuvenate your skin.

Combination skin

~ Mix 3-4 tablespoons of Multani mitti (Fuller’s Earth) with 8-10 ground pudina (mint) leaves. Freeze the pack overnight. Keep outside for 10-15 minutes and then apply on your face. After 10-15 minutes, wash off and pat dry. It helps in cooling and cleansing your skin.

~ Boil a handful of lemon grass leaves in one litre of water, until you get the aroma. Then, place in an ice tray and freeze. After returning home from work or an outing, rub a lemon grass ice cube all over your face. It cleanses the dirt and grime accumulated in your skin’s pores and shuts them.

Whisk away black spots and pimples

~ Make a paste of either half a piece of nutmeg/ six to eight jamun seeds with water/ rose water. Apply on your face. Leave to dry. Then, wash with cold water and pat dry.

~ Squeeze half a fresh lemon into one glass of freshly boiled milk. Leave for half and hour, then apply on your face before retiring to bed.

~ Take 125 ml of tomato juice and squeeze in half a lemon. Add five to seven mashed mint leaves and black salt to taste. Drink this every morning and evening for at least one week. It will help detoxify the body.It also helps to relieve constipation and worm infestation.

For blemishes

~ Rub a slice of lemon or the remains a squeezed lemon on your face. Allow it to remain overnight, then wash with cold water, in the morning. It will restore your skin’s softness and lend your complexion a glow.

~ Squeeze the juice of one lemon into one ripe tomato (in which a hole has been made). Rub the tomato on your face. Leave to dry. Then, wash with water and pat dry.

Diet tips

Diet can play a major role in imparting glow and freshness to your skin, some of the tips that can help are:

~ Drink 12 to14 glasses of water everyday.

~ Avoid eating too much of fried foods . Stick to fresh vegetable salads or fruit salads.

Depending on the seasonal availability, eat all types of fresh, green vegetables and all types of fresh juicy fruits (except for strawberries and mangoes. Its excessive consumption can lead to acne).

~ Avoid consuming too much of food like chillies, garlic, non-vegetarian items or dried fruits like dates.

~ Detoxify once a month by consuming fresh vegetables, fruits and liquids all day.

Seemaa Tarneja and Priya Khanna are consulting nutritionists. They are based in Mumbai.

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Radiant, glowing skin is the first step to looking great.

And that skin can be yours for the asking, sans expensive skin treatments, high-end skin products or layers of makeup.

The secrets to good skin are much more basic; they have to do with a well-balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, the two most important factors that influence the condition of your skin.

Practice these diet dos and lifestyles tips and get that glowing skin the natural way.

Vitamin power: Revitalise your skin with a regular intake of vitamins.

i. Vitamin A helps repair body tissue, prevents skin dryness and postpones ageing. Make sure you get lots of Vitamin A by supplementing your diet with milk, cheese, eggs, butter, spinach, broccoli, carrot and fish oils.

Vitamin A is fat soluble. This kind of fat gets stored in the liver, so make sure you do not have it in excess.

ii. Vitamin B improves circulation and skin colour. It is found in yoghurt, brown bread, wheat germ, yeast, cereal and green leafy vegetables. Vitamin B is water soluble, which means it can be taken daily.

iii. Vitamin C helps maintain levels of collagen, a protein constituent of skin that is essential for healing the skin as well as keeping it smooth, firm and healthy-looking.
Eat lots of citrus fruits, strawberries, blackcurrants, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli and sprouts. Vitamin C is also water soluble and can be taken on a daily basis.

Water, water everywhere

Water flushes out the toxins, so drink plenty of water. Consciously make an effort to have at least eight to 12 glasses daily.

Sleeping beauty

Your skin, which is prone to damage during the day, is repaired as you sleep. Some people require as much as eight to nine hours of sleep every night; others can make do with just five.
Remember, there is so substitute for sleep if you want great skin.
Say good-bye to stress

Stress and tension accelerate the formation of lines around your eyes and can even produce abnormal skin conditions like eczema (where the skin gets dry and itchy; it can even result in broken skin and bleeding).
So try to keep a tab on your stress levels.

• Practise power yoga, reduce stress

The environment and your skin

Pollution and exposure to ultraviolet rays can harm your skin.
It’s important that you use a good sunblock cream or lotion to protect your skin.
Read the instructions on your sunblock and choose one with a Sun Protection Factor (it will be given as SPF) suited for your lifestyle. If you spend very little time outdoors, then a sunblock with SPF 15 will do.
If you spend between one to two hours continuously, then a sunblock with SPF 30 is what you need.
If your outdoor activity exceeds two hours a day, go for a sunblock with SPF 50 or more.
Pack those vices

Needless to say, alcohol, smoking and drugs are not really the way to having great skin. If you are fond of any or all of these, you know why your skin looks so unhealthy.

Dr Rohini Wadhwani, is a cosmotologist and medical director of the skin clinic, Bare Necessities based in Mumbai.

In The Science of Orgasm (Johns Hopkins University Press), neuroscientist Barry R. Komisaruk, endocrinologist Carlos Beyer-Flores, and sex researcher Beverly Whipple share some secrets of the female variety. Lauren Dzubow reports on the five things you should know about the female orgasm.

Most women need about 20 minutes of clitoral or G-spot stimulation to hit the jackpot. But an estimated 24 to 37 percent of women can’t climax (and smoking, drinking, emotional disorders, medications, and menopause can make things worse).

There’s hope for the orgasmically challenged. Cognitive behavioral therapy, testosterone treatments, the herb ginkgo biloba, and the nutritional supplement ArginMax (which includes Korean ginseng, ginkgo biloba, vitamins, minerals, and an amino acid) have been shown to improve sexual satisfaction.

Some researchers believe that having an orgasm during sex increases the chance of conception. The theory: Oxytocin, a hormone released in peak levels during orgasm, causes uterine contractions that coax sperm toward the egg.

Besides its obvious perks, masturbating is good for your health. Studies show that orgasm can reduce sensitivity to pain, relieve menstrual cramps, and alleviate stress—possibly due to a surge in oxytocin and dopamine.

From ancient Greece to Freud’s time, doctors stimulated orgasms in women via “medical massage” to treat the catchall female ailment known as hysteria. In the late 1800s, the vibrator was designed for the same purpose.

From Five Facts on Female Orgasm in the December 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine.

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The way your office is set up, where you place your desk, the colors you use, and even the lighting all have an effect on how you do business.

Authentic Feng Shui can help you clear away negative energies — and energy blockages — that can sabotage efficiency, productivity and profitability. Advanced Classical Feng Shui formulas can even forecast where and when risks and opportunities might arise and what you can do to assure the greatest possible benefit. While these calculations and even basic furniture placement are tied to the unique energy makeup of you and your office, these three general principles can help you create a supportive work environment.

1. Clear away objects that sabotage energy flow. Clutter isn’t just messy; it’s a magnet for attracting negative energy.

If your desk and floor are scattered with unfinished projects, papers, files and mail, energy can’t flow freely. Trapped energy either goes stagnant or builds up into a force that can make you feel jittery, overwhelmed, irritable, fatigued or depressed. In such an environment, you’ll find it’s hard to concentrate and complete tasks. Problems build up, creativity suffers and conflicts arise. Every item should have a designated home where you can find and easily access it. Take time to organize your files and use them so you don’t have to keep pieces of paper “in sight” just so you’ll know where they are. Clear the jumble from your desktop so that your eye — and the energy in your space — have calm places to rest. And don’t forget the jumble on your computer: regularly clear away unnecessary email and files.

2. Reposition your desk.

A sizable and neatly arranged desk attracts power and confidence. As a general rule, the best position for a desk is in the far right corner diagonally opposite from the door with your back to the wall or catty corner to the wall. In addition, try to avoid these three situations:

Don’t put your desk in a direct line with the door.

The energy coming from another office or hallway can cause discomfort. You may find yourself unable to concentrate and want to leave your desk.

Don’t sit with your back to the door.

You should have a clear view of the room and office door. This gives you energetic control over the space which, in turn, attracts energies that support you in feeling capable, relaxed, and confident.

Don’t sit at a desk that places you directly under an exposed overhead beam.

That beam can concentrate energies in the area right over your head. If you spend eight or ten hours at your desk, you could find you suffer from headaches and you could literally feel you are “under too much pressure.”

3. Balance your office lighting.

Lighting doesn’t just affect your eyes or even your mood. It also affects the energy in your office. Light – even sunlight – that is too bright creates an excessively “yang” energy that can cause agitation, conflict, and difficulty concentrating. By the same token, light that’s too dim creates an excessively “yin” energy that can produce fatigue and make it difficult to project a confident, capable presence. Feng Shui principles help balance your office’s lighting so that it’s bright enough to energize the space without disrupting harmony and concentration. Consider using natural spectrum light bulbs — they provide a more balanced light than traditional bulbs. Outfit windows with blinds that can filter and direct sunlight to prevent harsh shadows and glare. Consider desk lamps — they give you more flexibility in adjusting your overall lighting and then help balance the glare your computer screen can produce.

Looking for more tips on using Feng Shui and Vaastu to create a more productive and profitable office, check out past issues of “The Prosperity Report.”

: Feng Shui and Vaastu Expert Rupal Turner publishes “The Prosperity Report,” a biweekly ezine that reveals Feng Shui and Vaastu secrets for a thriving business and personal life. If you’re ready to improve your finances, health and relationships by using the forces in your environment, get your FR*EE tips now at http://www.ClassicalFengshui.com

Richard Gordon, Founder of Quantum-Touch, best selling author and impassioned promoter of Life-Force Science is dedicated to showing us all – believers and skeptics alike - not only how powerful energy healing can be, but how easy it is to learn, regardless of your age, culture, religion or belief system.

The body has an extraordinary ability to heal itself and Quantum-Touch helps to activate this process. People have reported a wide range of organic conditions that have been helped through Quantum-Touch. To give some sense of the spectrum of things we have encountered, practitioners have reported varying degrees of success with cancer, reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, reducing liver enzyme levels, infections, hydrocephalus, improved eyesight, and much, much more. However, Quantum-Touch does not claim to treat or heal specific conditions. Ultimately if the body can, it will heal itself and Quantum-Touch may accelerate that process.

Healing is a fascinating process which is generally very poorly understood. While many people think they can heal other people, it is of utmost importance to realize that all healing is self-healing. Ultimately, cells heal themselves. Cells desire to be well, and given the right energetic, emotional and nutritional environments, they will do just that. The body has an extraordinary intelligence and ability to heal itself. My favorite definition of a healer is someone who was sick and got well; a great healer is someone who was very sick and got well quickly.

By doing the breathing and body awareness exercises, the practitioner lifts his or her vibration to a very high pitch. Then by holding their hand over the affected area, the body responds by doing its own healing. But you don’t really heal other people. All you do is hold the space, hold the resonance for them to heal themselves.

We see the bone move and we go, “Uh … the bone moved.” But we’re actually affecting all the levels of your body healing itself. The bones will spontaneously glide into adjustment. But they’re the very last thing that’s changed. Everything else has been affected before that.

An 88 year old woman was in a great deal of pain suffering from osteoporosis. One of her hips was massively higher than the other, and she could barely walk. I asked the elderly woman to stand up and I gently placed my hands on her hips with absolutely no pressure, and started to run the energy. Running energy involves the use of specific breathing and body awareness exercises to raise one’s vibration. This energy has been described by numerous cultures for thousands of years – it is most commonly called prana, chi or ki. In about 10 minutes the woman’s hips had completely evened out and she could now walk without pain.

I explained that when the body receives a high vibration, it responds in whatever way it chooses in order to accelerate the healing process. Quantum biologist, Glen Rein, Ph.D. from NY has found that healers were capable of affecting the very winding of DNA. In order to accomplish this, healing must first begin on a quantum or subatomic level and work its way though the rest of the body.

Have you ever watched children play? They seem to always say, “Watch me!” So whether you are from the child’s culture or any other culture, whether you speak the language or not, if you sit there simply watching that child, he or she will feel loved. Simply giving your attention to a child is automatically experienced as an act of loving.

Intent is something that happens so automatically, most people just miss it. When you simply walk across the room, you already generated the intention to do so. You see, love and intention are among the most natural qualities we have. If you are learning to do healing, you already have sufficient love and intention to do a wonderful job.