Green tea and its wonderous health benefits

Herbal Green Tea

Green tea originates from China^[1] and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where they are grown.(Wiki)


All you need to make a cuppa Herbal Green Tea is green tea, some fresh herbs, some spices, and the ubiquitous water and freshness is a herbal drink away! With Indian herbs that are known to soothe. This is kind of a herbal remedy for almost everything - cold, cough, indigestion...a feel good drink or to detoxify yourself from last night's food/drink overdose. Season and holidays have their hangovers and you need relief - a quick fix one. Why not try this herbal way. No milk or sweetners and it helps weight loss. In China and other asian countries this is used as a flavour - just a pinch of it in an omelette or the flower flavoured ones can be used in desserts.


Give your Plants some good health, too
Don't throw away the dregs and pour it into the soil. There pamper your plants and watch them grow and glow. Discover ths and other benefits of green tea  in the complete guide to green tea which is a treasure of information.


Not only is it a good refresher - it has health benefits that are innumerable. diabetics, cholestrol even cancer patients find a difference in their health.

Ingredients:

In a vessel, add 3-5 glasses water. Add ¼ inch piece ginger, 1-2 peppercorns, ¼ inch piece cinnamon, ¼ tsp cumin, caraway/ carom/caraway seed (ajwain ), a clove, basil leaves (tulsi), a few drops lemon juice.

Method: Boil water. Add the spices and herbs. Then add 1-3 basil leaves just before you pour it into your cup.

Plus, add  1/2 (very little in fact) a spoon of green tea. Now pour the boiling herbal concoction.. Put a lid on the cup or vessel immediately. Let it stand for 3 minutes. Strain into a cup. Add lemon juice for a tangy flavour.

Sip this brew hot or cold. This is excellent as a morning freshen-up for the body…and it is detoxifying, too!

It helps digestion, and has a lot of anti-oxidants and huge health benefits!


You could try boiling these herbs for 5-1- minutes and drink that early morning or night , infact anytime you wish.

For more info on detoxifying diets - before and after check this:http://slimfastdietblog.com/why-detox-dieting/recommended-meal-plan-after-detox-diet

Kids ahoy - martian creative prompt

Kids are so fresh and open minded. they have their dreams and ideas about the world. And, I am convinced someday they will change it. While doing a course in Early Childhood Care & Education, I discovered the most amazing ideas with the kids I taught, before I became a Copywriter.

 Let's help remain creative always.

Creative Prompt Write: What if a Martian came up to you...read more

Create a room within a room. Space saving ideas

Create room within a room! Get More space with  Dividers or screens. Separate areas without space eating walls… you could use them wherever you need a little privacy or want to demarcate an area.

 Screens divide spaces, give you privacy or it could be a design element in your décor to create that ‘special corner’, where you transport to a world of your own. Put some plants, candles, books, music, incense and getaway for a while… 

• Lightweight Materials: 

Separating an area might be as simple as using a curtain of beads. Beads as a divider are also an exciting choice to segregate an area. Available in various colors and materials - wood, crystal, plastic… they are perfect for the passage area creating a visual perspective of space beyond the divides.

• Folding screens: 

Folding screens are a great option. Rosewood is still popular for that old world charm. Just fold it and keep it in a corner when not needed. It is practical, as it looks good even when folded.

• Cane Dividers

A cane divider is another ethnic option and in great demand. A cane element could add that cozy look to your room. There are many styles available.

•  Double-Sided Divider

A super idea would be to take the divider and make it a storage space, too. Standing on wheels you could take it from one room to another easily. Just see it does not get too unwieldy and big. Books on one side and other knick-knacks could be the side that a visitor sees. . 

• Green Dividers: 

Plants on a wooden or metal platform with wheels could serve as a refreshing divider. Choose plants of various sizes and creating a free-flow element with colors and the right indoor plants. You could also choose artificial silk plants, which need no upkeep like watering everyday. Clean the leaves when they get dusty or give them a wash occasionally.

Maintenance of Dividers:

A wooden divider can be kept looking brand new with a slightly wet cloth and a little oil, add a drop or two of any aroma oil like sandalwood, lavender …A wafting of this fragrance with the circulation of air is refreshing.. Wash the cane divider with water and liquid soap and kept in the sun once a year. Let it be bone dry or it will sag. Divide and Rule Decide what your ‘divide’ or ‘screen’ requirement is and create a design element that cannot be the same because it depends on your creativity and how you use it. 

So make your choice to separate various areas the living/dining bedroom/study any room in your home. Take a look at the choice of dividersand ideas for there is not time to stand and stare… cane dividers look ethnic and transforms an area 

Source: Valsa pics

Simple Steps to create a Sparkling, Beautiful HOME,

Festivals are near and loads of cleaning to be done. Sometimes you just do not know where to start. You dream of sparkling clean home and guests going ‘wow’. Then you say ‘OMG where do I start!

Start with one room

Curtains, window, doors…!

Take off the curtains to dry clean or machine wash, Put on old curtains…then out comes the vacuum; remove cobwebs, dust that couldn't be seen during your weekly/monthly dust-over…Once that’s done - take a break! Have a cuppa and you’re one-step closer…so move to the next dust buster job - windows!! 

Wash them clean and wipe with old newspapers. Don’t spray heavy solvents -they have formaldehyde that cause breathing problems. A glass wiper and liquid soap is all you need to wipe them.

If there are dirty crevices, in the sliding grooves, then wipe them off with a cloth. Stubborn ones will take some time with a toothbrush or makeshift materials –cotton, paper anything handy. Your vacuum’s tiniest brush should work fine, if they are able to reach those areas.

Now, you have the curtains off; the cobwebs off; and the windows clean - so go for the doors! Hope your better half and kids are sharing -its great fun, maybe a little messy but you gain quality time! Moreover, jokes and laughter make work faster to complete.

WASH

Rugs, carpets; hand wash; or delicate wash them, without spin… the bed sheets and festive furnishings bring them on. Sun them iron and keep ready...

CUPBOARDS, STORAGE

Don’t cringe - every once in a while; clothes just have a habit of messing up. So - out with all of them!Keep the hangers and place the ironed ones neatly.. Arrange your clothes in order of use- daily wear, night wear, office and party wear - give a shelf to each and stick to it…of course we know it’s going to change when its rush time, but, if kept in strict order and everybody follows the rules then its smooth sailing!

Then it’s the FURNITURE!

Wooden, Steel furniture, kitchen modular units, and all the artifacts wash them clean sun them until bone dry. Take care of the delicate articles. Vacuum clean everything else. Am sure you have the paint job done. If it is just one area, which is jarring, you could go for wallpapers or if you want a focal point get those textured walls – DIY or call the paint guys – they have a 24 hour service! See that it goes with theme of your home or of the room…

Things feel better already!

It is D-day and all you have to do is regular dusting. Then spray on some aroma (sandalwood, lavender. cinnamon, apple, orange, jasmine, are wonderful. Choose one that you like – light the candles, diyas in the evening(earthen lamps), fresh flowers, decorations…and get ready to welcome festive times that enchant everyone –and makes you feel- oh so proud and happy!

Isn’t it a SPARKLINGLY BEAUTIFUL HOME

Do let us know your favourite cleaning and decorating tips! Wish you Happy Festivities for you and your near and dear ones. Enjoy! Have Fun!

How to create your ad portfolio for a job in advertising

Getting a job in advertising as a Copywriter or in the art department needs your portfolio tostand out. So what are the ads, campaigns to create. What if you do not have experience? What categories should you include. Inspired by what I have seen in 15 years of advertising as a Copywriter and the youngsters preparing for BMM (Mass Media) or any global equivalent. Your portfolio is your step into the wonderful world of advertising. So if you have passion, get a portfolio that beats the competition!


Read about creating you ad portfolio here

Low fat. Low on Calories, Vegetable Pattice

Vegetables are extremely healthy for all. And, make it into a shallow fry-steamed vegetable pattice, it serves as a tasty filler in between. Add to whole-wheat bread with a vegetable pattice. It is filling  nutritious snack or eat - in-between meals.

Low fat. Low on Calories, Vegetable Pattice

Steam the vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas, bottle gourd

Add onions, Channa(chickpea flour) atta, salt, pepper, chaat masala, green chillies chopped, finely chopped coriander

Shallow fry. 

You could use soya beans granules cooked or minced mutton, too

Eat healthy stay healthy

Do share your recipes which are healthy, saves oil and which are easy to make.

Salad Days -Tangy Salad Delight

This salad was a real delight. Tangy and crunchy it had veggies and fruits that go beautifully together. Plus, it helps with the oily food served at parties. Choose a nice salad without too much dressing. So here goes:

Super Tangy Salad

• Chop veggies like cucumber, onions, baby tomatoes or regular tomatoes
• Squeeze lime juice
• Peel orange segments
• Tear the iceberg lettuce leaves
• Sprinkle pepper
• Squeeze a few segments into the salad
• Dribble extra virgin olive oil

Mix with wooden spoon

Serve chilled

Simple, easy and delicious!

Write away with Free-Writing

FREE WRITING!

Writers block anyone...It happens to each one of us so I think the answer would YEAH! But, there are ways to get through the hurdles. So let nothing stop you from expressing yourself, this New Year.


One of the ways to get the thoughts flowing is FREE WRITING! Free writing is where you start and write non-stop until you exhaust your ideas for the moment. But, to be really Free and let the thoughts spill and pour out you need a small stopper!

Time yourself.

Put a stopwatch, alarm or whatever but if it is 5 minutes then stop writing as it rings - don’t even try to finish the word!

Write away

Open your notebook and just start writing whatever comes to your mind, however disconnected they are. Don’t think! Do not let thoughts to interfere just ignore them. soon it will become a habit. Just write…or should i say  - just Free Write. You could also use prompts.

One word prompts

Or you could use a cue or prompt.The cue or prompt is to take any word that comes to you any word you think of on the spot and start writing without pausing to think of grammar, spelling…

Other Prompts

Alternatively, open a page from the dictionary and close your eyes – point to a word. Open your eyes and use that word. Leave aside what you have written for a while if you do not want to read it right now, for this is our brain warming exercise. If you wnat just delete or tear up the paper. But, if you can - just file it away and come back to it later.

Later, you might be inspired to write more on a different track or actually find a poem, a story idea hidden or a non-fiction piece within. But, don’t write with any expectations of these. Write to express yourself, to relieve some emotions hanging over.

Don’t be a hard on yourself
When you read, you will find that in a hurry you have overlapped words or cannot decipher what you have written but mostly you will find you have expressed yourself from the heart a feeling of taking that first step and that's all that counts...for now. No one to stop you, no one to ask you to correct it! So keep it or crumple it – the important thing is the brain has that one thing it probably never had in school, college and later – The Freedom to express!

Start your diary
You could also start writing your diary in short sms language, to get across your thoughts; others take their time and write it very neatly. Lock it if you must. If you are using a computer keep it in your folder name uh – ‘free writing’ (too obvious, then choose anything as long as only you know where it is!). Until you get confident, you might not want anyone to read, and your secrets should be safe with you!

Make your Free writing sessions fun and playful rather than a serious, tense moment. Have Fun!