Author: Sindhu Vinod Narayan

Ex IT professional. Now a freelance writer, editor, translator & influencer. My blog is a reflection of my thoughts on skincare, fashion, book reviews and wellness.
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A’s which help in skincare #blogchatterA2Z

Like they say in alphabets A is for apple let’s start with Apple cider Vinegar shall we?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV)



A staple in pantries, ACV is not used as salad dressing but a widely popularity gaining skin care ingredient. It isn’t innocuous to incorporate this darling ingredient in skincare regimen for a clearer and brighter skin. Most importantly it has to be used the right way. It is rightly agreeable to smell like a salad dressing if it promises you flawless skin. Don’t you all agree with me?

WHAT DOES ACV HELP IN?

Balances skin PH
The pH of the outer skin layer can be made to be balanced by making use of ACV. It helps the skin to maintain pH at the right value so that it secretes only necessary amount of oil. It also helps fighting against acne causing bacteria.


Exfoliates
ACV is an excellent chemical exfoliation. The malic acid present is ACV is almost similar to the AHAs. They work effectively against acne causing bacteria by unclogging pores and eliminating them.


Helps in fighting blackheads
The anti-bacterial property of ACV when mixed with baking soda and water helps exfoliate and reduce blackhead formation.


Improves hyperpigmentation.
The malic acid in ACV helps decrease the production of melanin which is responsible for the skin getting its pigment. So once melanin production is reduced gradually there is also considerable reduction in dark spots.

How to use?

FOR ACNE


Mix raw unfiltered ACV with water in a bowl. Soak cotton ball in this mixture and apply on affected area. Wash after 10 minutes.

SUNBURN


Mix half a cup ACV to four cups water. Dab a cotton cloth and apply on affected area. Gently massage. Repeat to see results.



EXFOLIATION


Mix ACV in your bathing water specifically bathing in tubs. Let it soak your skin. This is to maintain the pH.

TONER


Mix ACV with three parts water and essential oil if you wish to. Apply on to skin with a cotton ball. Leave to dry and wash off after ten minutes or massage gently with moisturizer.

ALOE VERA


Known as the “universal panacea” by Greek scientists and “Plant of immortality” by the Egyptians, Aloe vera is one of the most widely used topical ingredient in skincare. This thorny plant in your backyard can make you go awe for its innumerable benefits it has to offer. Though not many have this plant at home in that case people resort to getting the OTC variants. But if you are someone who uses the OTC variant make sure that the main ingredient is aloe vera gel.
The plant by nature gives you a transparent gel which helps heal sunburns, frost bites, psoriasis. But some of the OTC variants are green in colour which is where you need to be conscious of the other ingredients that go in.
Whatever may be your skin type, this miracle ingredients does wonders is a blessing for skincare woes.

WHAT DOES ALOE VERA HELP IN?

  • Helps to cleanse the skin.Mild exfoliation
  • Fights acne and helps reduce blemishes.
  • Soothes sunburn
  • Reduces skin irritation
  • Helps treat mouth sores
  • Delays signs of ageing
  • Good moisturizer

DIY PACKS WITH ALOE VERA

CUCUMBER PACK


If you’re a person with dry skin, this pack is for you. Blend cucumber slices in a blender. Mix in aloe vera gel and honey. Can be applied all over the face and on neck. Wash off after 30 mins.

BANANA PACK


This pack works for almost all skin types especially the normal and sensitive skin. Mash banana in a bowl. Add in aloe vera gel and rose water. Apply on to face and neck. Wash off upon drying.

ESSENTIAL OIL SLEEPING PACK


This is especially if your skin type is oily. This is a sleeping mask that can be applied in the night and washed off in the morning. Mix in tea tree oil into aloe vera gel. Apply evenly and massage until it gets absorbed. In the morning wash of with warm water. Oily skin is prone to acne. Anti-bacterial properties in tea tree oil and the soothing effect of aloe vera help lessen the acne formation and oil secretion in skin and help heal acne prone skin.



Aloe vera shouldn’t be used on infected skin since it hinders with the healing process of the wound though it is said to anti-microbial properties.



I’m sure most of you have ACV in your pantries and aloe vera in backyard or balcony. If not I’d suggest you to get this wonder plant ant thank me later for the innumerable benefits it has to offer to you.


These are two most commonly used “A” ingredients in skincare. I have some more but I think I’d make a part 2 of this post to bring out more ingredients in A that help in maintaining good skin.

This post is written as part of Blogchatter’s A2Z challenge.

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Do structured meals help achieve growth parameters?

Picture source pexels


Gone are the days where a chubby kid was termed to be healthy. We were all once brought up with the notion that a kid was healthy and was of the right growth for his/her age if they are chubby. On the contrary, a lean child was thought to be sick or ill.



We are now in the time wherein the child’s growth is tracked with Growth Parameters. These parameters are the weight, height, head circumference, and now with the inclusion of BMI. I wasn’t aware of any instances where my parent or my pediatrician mentioned BMI. But yes, today it is also one of the growth parameters. Welcome to the world of Millennial parenting.

Picture source: pexels



The worry about growth parameters doesn’t start when your kid starts eating by self, but when you conceive. The ideal weight for the fetus, the length of the thigh bone, and the head circumference for each week is already there on the charts, anything less than that is something of a worry that your doctor lets you know.



The concept of structured meals is not only when the kid is out but starts from when they’re inside you. An ideal weight gain is a parameter that is fixed for pregnant mothers and her diet varies whether or not she is providing enough for the fetus. So, a healthy baby comes from a healthy mom.


Growth parameters and structured meals for kids in India are interconnected. Structured meals or proper meal planning must begin when you start solids. This not only helps the kid achieve the right growth parameters but also brings in a good eating discipline. Failing here in the first step slowly molds a fussy eater or a picky eater.


The child achieving the age-appropriate milestones also quite has a dependency on the growth parameters. Nowadays, visits to the doctor involve a mandatory graph plot against the WHO standards and a question on the milestone being attained age-appropriate.



This not only happens during the doctor visits but also since information is now available on our hands all the time, you also check instantly by making a google search or making it much easier you even have apps to plot them for you and give you a comparison report. The Grow Right Tracker from PediaSure is one such option. Just enter the data and download the report. It helps you identify the gaps and plan ways to ensure your kids #GrowRight. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? If you still have questions you can take the report along whenever you visit your child’s doctor. It reduces stress for the mothers. Try it now!



Talking about information available to us, imagine the kids, their exposure to media, peers, and the influence that can have on their eating habits. Healthy eating through properly structured meals must be practiced right from a young age. Providing kids with healthier options in a tastier and much appetizing way sure will make an impact on their food habits. By structured meal plan, I would like to stress upon planning their meal in such a way that it has all the nutrients in a right, balanced way.



But if you still do have a picky eater, don’t worry you could supplement their eating and make them achieve the right growth parameters.


Post eight months a child should have a meal pattern which should comprise three proper meals and two snacks in between them. A snack should be something wholesome and made at home. Say fruit bowl, popsicles, multigrain, or dry fruit-based snack which is all the more, healthy.


Also, make sure you observe the patterns and intervene if you see any distractions or deviations. No mood swings, tantrums during mealtime. Most importantly no gadgets or bribing with sweets to finish a meal.



Right from birth or even before that is when the body gets into rapid growth mode, both physically and mentally so make sure that the child gets what he/she needs necessarily from the beginning. Like I mentioned above your picky eater could also have proper growth with a supplement. A supplement that offers proper growth, immunity, and brain development. PediaSure could be your adequate nutrition provider supplement that helps merge the nutritional gaps of your fussy eater. Along with nutrition you also get to keep track of your child’s growth and achieve the necessary parameters.

Image source: PediaSure website



Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not reflect the views of any brand. Any omissions or errors at the author’s end does not assume any liability or responsibility on any party mentioned in the blog.

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Gender stereotyping what needs to be changed #causeachatter



When I was young, the word gender was seen or heard only once a year. I hope I would bring back nostalgic memories to all of you. That was a filed in DATA SHEET in school diary. I really could not understand whatsoever was the reason to have the field, cause can’t we identify them with the names? Do we specifically require a field? This was way back in the 90s when we did not know there was something termed “gender stereotyping”.

UNISEX NAMES


But now are the times when people say we have chosen a unisex name. I was like “What the hell is that?”. I thought the term “unisex” was used only for dresses, shoes or salon. May be this is why schools had the field on their forms procrastinating such a situation that both genders can use the names. Don’t get me wrong that I have a wrong opinion about unisex names, I am all okay with it, but just that it was something new to me and discrimination based on gender with regards to naming was so very new.

Where does it all start?


At home is definitely the straight answer most people would give you. And why would that be? It’s because we were brought up that way.We I mean the previous generation But during the course of us growing up and getting exposure to information of all kinds, somewhere down the lane we realized that this is not how it should be.


We as humans have evolved a lot and especially with concepts like gender stereotyping, sustainability, saying no to patriarchy. But we still have a long way to go in making our parents or grandparents understand the same. We have to be patient and understanding to make them absorb the concept on why we do not agree upon gender based discrimination. Making them understand that it has to be corrected from the roots I.e. home is another herculean task.


The Millennial parents, may be I’d say a 50% of us depend on our parents to help raise kids. Most parental conflicts arise here where our methodologies of thinking with respect to bringing up kids differs.


We believe in gentle parenting, no gender bias however that might sound weird to them because them and their forefathers had an entirely different way of parenting.


Our ways of treating kids, bringing them up to understand that a boy playing dolls and girl playing with a car is totally acceptable is kind of hard for them to process. But in a slow pace they would understand that in today’s way of life it is more necessary that both man and wife contribute and take up roles that are not looked down based on gender bias.


In a nuclear set up a man doing laundry and helping with chores around is totally acceptable, Their way of lifestyle of being there for each other taking up or swapping each others role is definitely making them good role models for their kids and a bad portrayal for the elders who still aren’t aware of the gender stereotyping.



Gender stereotyping could have adverse negative effects on children because of early environmental influences in their life. Any kind of genetic bias could be termed as insignificant and can be overcome by positive environmental influences.



Recently I came across books that support gender stereotyping. As a parent I would never opt to do something like that. But in this case my daughter received this as a birthday gift. Drawing book for girls with bright pinks all over. I was dumbstruck looking at the level of how even books try to thrust such notions. Shouldn’t girls colour dinosaurs or vehicles and only stick to princesses and flowers. I was totally not okay with her getting this book having been raised in a gender neutral environment.


Leave alone books, if you look at toy section in most outlets you do have separate sections based on gender. Where house keeping and cooking ranges are placed for girls; boys will conquer the world with scientific experiments and robotics. Why can’t girls play with robots and boys with kitchen sets? It sad to know that parents and kids these days don’t bring in gender discrimination but that feeling creeps when you enter the toy stores. This should definitely change.

How to handle kids and raise them in a gender neutral environment?


Support the choices they make –Let kids take up what might interest them and not discourage them from playing with toys and activities they show interest. On another note, if your kid is following stereotypical choices by nature, do not intervene. In order to prove gender evenness do not offer different stuff to girls who love to cook and boys who love to ride. Offering them cross-gender alternatives is a definite must. Do not influence them in a gender stereotypical manner be it a toy, dress, activity, friends or making choices in career. Asking them to evaluate their strengths, encouraging and respecting their choices is definitely a good way of upbringing.


Battling Social and Peer pressure – Kids often make mistakes in making choices at schools or more based on what their peers choose and even if that is something that doesn’t make them happy, they make the choice for the sake of making them feel accepted. Teach them how to be true to themselves by making choices that make them content rather than pleasing others.


Encouraging positive traits which the kids have irrespective of the gender something like being fearless or nurturing. Boys being of a nurtured nature and girls going out to conquer is totally acceptable.


Being okay with dressing practically – A girl needn’t be in skirts and frocks all throughout her life. Dressing up in shorts and pants when practical or when she needs is acceptable. And for boys hot pinks and reds are definitely must wear colors. If not they’re definitely missing out on something.


Say no to – toys and activities that are openly sexist. Take to social media to influence your vision so that brands realize that changes should be made.

‘This post is part of #CauseAChatter with Blogchatter’.

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Theme reveal – A to Z of natural skincare #blogchatterA2Z



Skin is one of the most important organs of our body. We have seen people often saying that “ I have good skin or my skin is healthy” ; nobody says “ I have a healthy heart or healthy liver”. So now you know the importance.
Your inner health reflects in your skin. If you are hale and healthy you have glowing skin but if you’re prone to breakouts, acne, dry skin, flakes and cracking up you also need to pay attention to your health.
Your skin is divine and the organ that needs utmost care. Be it sensitive or no, it isn’t a laboratory to keep trying on new chemicals or stuff from shiny bottles, tubes or tubs. Most important point when you plan to choose a new skincare product is to check the ingredients on the label for presence of harsh chemicals that could harm your skin. Next on the list would be to confirm if the product would suit your skin type.
Most of the chemicals that you apply on skin can enter your bloodstream.Skin being the largest organ can absorb toxins and lead to skincare problems like irritation, allergies and sensitivities. If we dare not drink crude oil, why would we put it on skin. Whatever you use is typically food for the skin and the body.
Identifying skin type is one of the mandatory checks one has to do. Whether you use high range or low range knowing skin type is definitely a must in order to choose products that suit your skin.
Brands nowadays make it clear on their labels the skin type the product suits and warnings on who shouldn’t use.
Leaving aside everything, ‘Did you know that your kitchen, pantry or your house is the biggest warehouse of skincare ingredients?” When you have so many options that are easily accessible at home, why should we fall prey to tubs and tubes.
Almost every ingredient in our kitchen has a unique skincare property. Our ancestors knew this from the very beginning. And it is all coming back into trend with companies bringing in products based on ubtan, sandalwood, besan and aloe vera. People are hesitant to use it from kitchens but are happy when the same is bottled and given in brightly labeled packs.
This April I bring you ingredients from home and their skincare purpose so that you could make the switch sooner. Say goodbye to chemicals and hello to skincare from in-home ingredients.

This post is for the theme reveal as part of Blogchatter’s A2Z this April.

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BYJU’S Review- IS BYJU’S Good for Kerala Department of Higher Secondary Education


BYJU’S for Kerala DHSE (Department of higher secondary education), is it good or bad? But before we answer this question, you need to know more about the DHSE. The DHSE conducts exams for Plus 1 (grade 11) and Plus 2 (grade 12) every year. But according to recent statistics, the number of students who appear for the DHSE board exams have dropped significantly. This trend seems to be happening over the years. It could also be attributed to less access to quality study materials.

With the competition getting tougher each day and students not taking a liking towards rote learning, it is high time educators implemented new and innovative modes of learning. This is where BYJU’S steps in by providing a practical and holistic approach to learning.

BYJU’S for Kerala DHSE



BYJU’S offers world-class learning resources for KSHE starting from kindergarten to grade 12th and beyond. The lessons can be accessed by using mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. They are available in offline and online modes.

5 Reasons Why BYJU’S is good for Kerala DHSE

BYJU’S courses are available in Malayalam as well.
BYJU’S study materials are prepared by subject matter experts by analyzing the syllabus, previous years’ trends, and weightage of each chapter. The study materials also teach students the best way of presenting answers in the exam, which will help them score better marks.
BYJU’S courses are loaded with e-textbooks, previous year question papers, important questions, and model papers that allows students to revise and practice well for the exam.




BYJU’S movie-like videos and game-like interactions enables students to grasp the concept easily.
Individual attention is one of the star features of all BYJU’S courses, which makes them the best learning platform for online education. For example, the doubt clearance sessions by BYJU’S mentors help students to clear all their doubts at any time.

BYJU’s makes learning more interesting for students with their unique and innovative approach. It is one of the most reliable learning partners for students. To know more about BYJU’S for Kerala DHSE visit https://byjus.com/kbpe/

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Introspecting Excess baggage- a book by Richa S. mukherjee

A book that is going to take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions and also will make you run out of tears. Just kidding, I meant in the sense that it’s a laughter riot out there so get yourselves ready .

Mother-daughter duos are always fun and the relationship between them is truly incomparable. They could be friends, sisters, enemies and what not. But definitely one of the deadliest combination.

The title ‘excess baggage’ definitely rings a bell in your mind and the cover resonating your thought with two ladies running with their luggages. All you could relate is only the physical luggage which they carry that is evident from the cover. What we do come to know once after reading the book is the emotional baggage that each of them carry along.

Anviksha, the protagonist is a 30 year old who is signing off her second divorce. She is a person who had strong-headed attitude which lands her into trouble at workplace as well.

Her mother Smitha, on the other hand is an easy go typical mother you see all around. She is overbearing which is kind of suffocating for Anviksha to take it. Anviksha who is currently navigating in her own conundrum of relationship, things also not looking good at workplace she decided to go on a solo trip to clear her mind of.

But what she was unlikely to expect was her mother piggybacking go join her on the trip. It is this place where the book picks up pace where Anviksha’s dreamily planned solo trip gets shattered and she sets out to continue her journey taking her mother and their excess baggage along.

The two bizarre personalities who go on a tour, finally sort out their differences amidst a lot of interesting experiences. This is where I felt this could have been done at home and why go on a trip.

The author also brings about and touches social issue with ease which brought out a good feel. A soul searching experience becomes a life changing one for Anviksha and her mom.

I really liked the way how the author handled humour in the script. It truly makes you laugh your lungs out.

” I wasn’t diagnosed with bubonic plague, it’s just a divorce”, this actually shows how the author handles divorce and that is something commendable instead of making it a social Taboo.

It was as a fast-paced vocabulary course for me but at some places I felt it was out of force. The writing style and narration is subtle but powerful. The author takes your on a virtual trip to London with her picturesque description.

Though the novel screams humour majorly I’d also like to point that there are a lot of hidden life lessons to be taken.

Overall it’s a light hearted plot with no clichéd dialogue in the relationship and the adventures they set out to explore.

Grab this book here

This book review is part of Blogchatter’s book review program.

This post is part of the blog challenge ‘ BlogaberryDazzle ‘ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla and sponsored by Bugshield clothing- Enjoy outdoors more.

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Backaches and chiropractic

Back pain

People with a desk job , IT professionals and couch potatoes usually face frequent backaches. I missed to add people who travel for longer distances. They count in as well.

It all starts with incorrect posture combined with prolonged pressure on your spine especially the tail bone. I’ve also heard from a lot of women about the persistent backaches post caesarian section delivery. I cannot comment on that since I didn’t undergo nor did I came to know of anyone close to me undergoing it. Maybe I will take time to know more about it and make a separate post.

Getting back to the backaches, some happen periodically and some only when the spine is over stressed. A general advice would be to make sure you sit in an erect posture and take breaks at regular intervals so that the spine is not overpressured.

Calcium intake on a daily basis also helps in the longer run. I don’t just mean drinking up gallons of milk so that your calcium levels are high. Make sure to include foods that are rich in calcium, not just the regular milk for calcium.

Adamant creeper which I heard recently or which is probably unknown to many is a great source of calcium especially very good for women to strengthen your pelvic area.

Calcium depletion leading to osteoporosis is altogether a different topic that needs discussion separately.

I recently came across the term ‘chiropractic‘ and the person who practices ‘a chiropractor‘. I’d thought why not share it with you all here so that many would be made aware of such medical treatment that is going to help you with backaches or spinal issues.

Chiropractic and chiropractors

Chiropractic is categorised as Complementary and Alternative Medicine ( CAM) . Mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system with specific focus on the spine can be diagnosed and treated with chiropractic.

Another interesting fact is that a lot of general health issues crop up when there is a disorder in the musculoskeletal system through the nerves. The therapy mainly involves manual manipulation of the spine. Shocking isn’t it? Yes when I actually saw a video of an ongoing therapy I was wondering how would it actually feel to someone actually moving your spine with force.

It is also called as bone setting as it actually involves correction of the discs. Some chiropractors also claim that chiropractic could cure irritable bowel syndrome and asthma.

Vertebral subluxations or simply termed vertebral joint misalignment seemed to interfere with the body’s function and it’s capability to heal itself with an inborn ability.

Chiropractors use x-ray radiography to examine the bone structure. But the subluxation or the misalignment is mostly unseen this is because it’s not something structural that can be captured on x-ray rather something functional that shows up as a limp or a headache.

When it comes to treatment it usually involves one or a couple more manual adjustments on the joints which have the misalignment. The chiropractic manipulates and uses a controlled sudden force on the joints. The goal is to include prevention of injury and restoration of the specific function in addition to treatment of back pain relieving.

Post the treatment a good nutritional diet and an exercise regime goes hand in hand for the continued benefit. This is best suited to treat acute back pain which are the ones that happen due to furniture movement or lifting and tackling an attack. The pain arise due to the sudden injury in any of the above cases.

It’s a strict no-no for people who suffer from osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis and compression in spinal cord.

Following the treatment people generally give feedback about their ease of mobility, improved pain relief and great sense of general well-being.

Spinal checkups need to be done regularly to make sure future health issues can be avoided in prior.

Conditions that can be treated

  • Slipped disc
  • Low back pain
  • Frozen shoulders
  • Elbow pain
  • Knee pain
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Neck pain
  • Mid back pain
  • Sciatica
  • Numbness
  • Tingling sensation
  • Ankle pain

Chiropractic is hence not a conventional medical treatment but could be combined with conventional medical treatment at times to help relieve certain conditions.

India is slowly picking up on establishing many authorised centers for chiropractic so make sure of you are opting for the treatment you get it done after thorough understanding and enquiry on the facility and the chiropractor.

So maintaining a good posture is all that is needed to save yourself from this chronic condition and treatment to get it relieved.

How to improve posture

  • Don’t slouch. Not on the sofa and the work desk.
  • No soft mattresses. Use something that is firm and keeps your spine stiff.
  • No high heels often and save it for the big night.
  • Beware of text neck. Never heard of the term? Don’t tilt your head to look down at your phone . Just lift it up and move the eyes and not the head.
  • Make sure you exercise and keep your abs toned. A packed up belly is definitely going to put pressure on your spine.
  • Frequently check for spinal issues. If you seem to be doubtful get it checked by the physician right away.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and generously SPONSORED BY Bugshield Clothing – Enjoy Outdoors More!

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Microgreens and environment

Microgreens

The last time you visited the restaurant and your salad has tiny plants on the top , made you wonder what this is?

After taking a small bite, did you feel that you tasted the vegetable or the grain? If yes, you had yourselves a serving of microgreens. Haven’t heard ?

What are microgreens?

Microgreens are vegetable greens which are bigger than sprouts but tiny than baby plants.

Their tiny size can noway be compared to the amazing nutritional benefits they have to offer. Would you believe that they offer more nine times higher nutrients than mature vegetable greens? That’s indeed true. So the next time your given a choice for microgreens or vegetable greens make sure you choose microgreens. But if you can have them both together that’s even better. Microgreens are great addition to any diet.

They are about 1-3 inches tall, but rich in nutrients, aromatic and available in variety of colours and textures.

You needn’t confuse them with sprouts. Sprouts do not have leaves whereas microgreens do. 2-7 days is the grow cycle for sprouts whereas it’s 7-21 days post germination the microgreens are harvested. This is after their first leaves appear.

Microgreens are rich in potassium,zinc, iron , magnesium and copper. They’re also a great source of antioxidants.

They could also help in reducing risk to a number of diseases if included in diets.

  • Heart diseases – Microgreens contain polyphenols a type of antioxidant that helps reduce risk of heart disease. Studies also prove that they help in lowering LDL or bad cholesterol.
  • Diabetes – Microgreens help in reducing stress which help in preventing sugar from entering cells . This is in particular study pertaining to fenugreek microgreens.
  • Types of cancer – microgreens which contains certain type of polyphenols also help in reducing cancer risks.
  • Alzheimer’s disease – Foods rich in antioxidants which are forms of polyphenols helps in reducing risk to Alzheimer’s disease.

Incorporating into diets

Microgreens can be incorporated into diets by a number of ways. Most common would be to include them with salads to give the crunch and texture. They could also be added to sandwiches, pizza toppings and soups.

They could also be included to juices and smoothies. Wheatgrass is one such example.

Microgreens and sustainability

Crops grown to maturity on large farms use pesticides and chemicals because they need to stay fresh to be transported to long distances. Compared to these crop grown to maturity, microgreens are more sustainable. That degree of sustainability would increase if you use organic seeds to grow them.

Microgreens are not an expensive way of lifestyle or something that needs to be consumed at high end restaurants. People often resort that crops that feed us like rice and corn need to be cultivated rather than microgreens that only is for high end lifestyle. The answer is a simple no. My response for that would be below.

Food production on our planet is happening in abundance. But the problem we face is it’s not at the right place. We seem to lose more of it while harvesting, transporting and processing.

One such industry that brings in a lot of waste would be the food industry as per what I had mentioned above. We do not need more staples we need to make food available from what exists.

They’re space saving compared to their conventionally grown peers which are raised to maturity. Microgreens can be grown indoors or in controlled environments where in the mature crops cannot be grown.

They enable you to increase the amount of space that you put into food production.

Most often when you pick up a salad outside all the ingredients like the vegetables,greens are sourced from long distances. They’re bulkier, heavier and could also lose nutrients on their way to the destination. However, microgreens on the other hand can be just transported as seeds to a local farm and cultivated. They can be consumed fresh immediately after harvest compared to matured grown crops that are transported from long distances. In this way, microgreens help in sustainability.

Mature grown crops are sometimes grown with pesticides, chemicals and there are also those which are grown from GMO . These types grow to give yeh perfect yield but only with the use of specific chemicals or fertilisers that were produced by the companies which created the genetically modified seeds in the first place. Imagine the amount of harm they do to the soil.

You don’t use more of peat containing compost that is non-renewable while cultivating microgreens. They can also be grown hydroponically. So, microgreens don’t harm the soil.

Usage of water is very minimal when it comes to microgreens. On fields or farms you end up watering larger areas where water is lost due to evaporation. Water used to nutrient ratio for the microgreens is very much high.

So if you’re wondering to grow your own produce I’d suggest you start with microgreens.

Why growing microgreens at home is easy ?

They don’t require much of equipment or dependent on time. They can be grown indoors or outdoors. This makes it very easy and convenient.

What do you need to grow microgreens?

  • High-quality seeds.
  • Growing medium. This could be a container with soil or growing mats specifically designed for growing microgreens.
  • Good lighting that could be sunlight or 12-16 hours of UV light.

How to grow?

  • Fill your container with soil and lightly water it.
  • Evenly sprinkle seeds on top.
  • Mist the seeds not generously watering them. Cover with lid.
  • Keep a check on them daily and mist the seeds. The seeds need to be moist.
  • After they germinate in a couple of days, remove the lids and expose to light.

Given that they’re easy to grow at home, stating convenience and the ease, they’re an especially cost-effective way to boost nutrient intake without having to purchase large quantities of vegetables.

I’d started including microgreens into my diet thanks to Indian Organiko from Chennai. I enjoyed varieties of microgreens that were freshly harvested and made me indulge in nutrient rich food.

‘This post is part of #CauseAChatter with Blogchatter’.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘ blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
And sponsored by Bugshield clothing – Enjoy outdoors more.

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Self-discovery through Jasmine builds on shifting sands

Fiction and self-help are two of my favourite genres of books. I really don’t know the time ticking when I settle down in my reading corner with books in any one of these genres.

What I look for in self-help books is strategies, lessons, case studies which tell you what to and what not to do.

When I came to know that this book has both self-help and fiction entwined I knew I definitely had to pick it up.

What I could also relate is that the book is set in modern period and so is something everyone of us millenials could resonate to.

It takes a lot of time for us to understand ourselves in a better way. The process of understanding oneself, about what we can and what we cannot, how we can and when we can is called self-discovery. Not everyone of us do this at the same time. Time plays an important role in making us realise this. This book embarks you on Jasmine’s journey of self-discovery.



The picturesque views of Himalayas while describing the journey to Kedarnath, would make you embark on a virtual journey. The pure relationship between the author and his spiritual teacher , their conversations mentioned provide a lot of learning.

Jasmine who was about to land into a professional career eventually landed into the world of modelling. So how does she handle it ? Does she succeed or fail ?

She had her parts of failures, jealousies, competition, wrong ways and finally rose above all of it. The author has a lot of learnings from life which he’s penned out beautifully through the story of Jasmine.

Everyone of us has a dream, a goal or an aim. We pursue our actions towards them . Did you know that the universe also has a major role in making our dreams come true?

A motivational book that helps you to stay focused and have a positive approach to rise above hurdles and accomplish the dream. The connection to the universe and it’s integral part in making our dreams come true also is a lesson to be learnt.

I love the writing style of the author which he serves to keep it lucid and brief. Overall a good guide for self-motivation and self-discovery.

The QR code scanning of certain chapters, through e-micro-learning is a completely different experience which is suggest all book lovers and people who are digital fan boys must check out.

Following our passion by overcoming hurdles should definitely be made a mandatory life skill to be possessed.

About the author

Sanjay is an entrepreneur and an ex-banker, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and a Chartered Accountant. During his successful career, Sanjay has been integrating the essence of a parallel spiritual journey with his material pursuits. He has now set out to share the ways and means of seamlessly traversing through the material and spiritual world. Thereby, enriching each journey.

Click on the book cover below to purchase this motivational guide .

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Review of Jasmine builds on shifting sands

Jasmine builds on shifting sands

BLURB

Integrated with hybrid multimedia learning tools, Jasmine Builds on Shifting Sands is a unique self-help fiction offering. Its captivating narrative ties two seemingly distinct tales in an intertwined journey that explores the manifestation of dreams. At the center of the book is Jasmine’s journey of making it as a successful model in the cut-throat world of fashion. Her tale of victory and failure is enveloped within the master narrative of Sanjay, an erudite knowledge-seeker who meets his spiritual guru- Ma. Set between the esoter ic location of the Himalayas and the urban bustle of Mumbai, the book offers an enhanced learning experience which is further amplified through the embedded microlearning content that is interspersed throughout the text, making for a truly immersive experience.

MY REVIEW

Jasmine builds on shifting sands

Fiction and self-help are two of my favourite genres of books. I really don’t know the time ticking when I settle down in my reading corner with books in any one of these genres.

As much as I enjoy fiction, I also enjoy reading self-help books and try implementing principles which suit my way of life. That’s what they’re written for right?

What I look for in self-help books is strategies, lessons, case studies which tell you what to and what not to do. They should make you feel that you could try attempting to implement lessons learned. Examples which state what went wrong and how could that have been handled to make it successful are stuffs which anyone would basically look for in self-help books.

When I came to know that this book has both self-help and fiction entwined I knew I definitely had to pick it up.

What I could also relate is that the book is set in modern period and so is something everyone of us millenials could resonate to.

It takes a lot of time for us to understand ourselves in a better way. Not knowing about ourselves and instead looking out for others to accept us is something that is not plausible. The process of understanding oneself, about what we can and what we cannot, how we can and when we can is called self-discovery. Not everyone of us do this at the same time. For some of us this process happens early and for some later on. This book embarks you on Jasmine’s journey of self-discovery.

The Prologue and the Epilogue add value by providing a powerful context arising from the author’s own personal experience.

The realistic description of the travel to Kedarnath, the picturesque views of Himalaya would make you embark on a virtual journey. The divine relationship between the author and his spiritual guru , their conversations mentioned provide a lot of spiritual learning.

Jasmine who was about to land into a professional career life eventually landed into the world of fashion. Now that is two extreme opposite fields. So how does she handle it ? Does she succeed or fail ? Is she happy or keeps brooding ?

The field that she landed was something completely new to her. She had her parts of failures, jealousies, competition, wrong ways and finally rose above all of it. The author has a lot of learnings from life which he’s penned out beautifully through the story of Jasmine.

Everyone of us has a dream, a goal or an aim. We pursue our actions towards them . We chart out a goal plan to achieve the results. Did you know that the universe also has a major role in making our dreams come true? Now that is what the author tries to convey.

A motivational book that helps you to stay focused and have a positive approach to rise above hurdles and accomplish the dream. The connection to the universe and it’s integral part in making our dreams come true also is a lesson to be learnt.

I love the writing style of the author which he serves to keep it simple and crisp. No beating around the bush or extravagant descriptions. Overall a good one for self-motivation and self-discovery.

About the author :

Sanjay is an entrepreneur and an ex-banker, an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and a Chartered Accountant. During his successful career, Sanjay has been integrating the essence of a parallel spiritual journey with his material pursuits. He has now set out to share the ways and means of seamlessly traversing through the material and spiritual world. Thereby, enriching each journey.

Click below on the thumbnail to buy yourself a copy.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla, and generously SPONSORED BY Bugshield Clothing – Enjoy Outdoors More!