Saturday, October 16, 2010

What food craving really means?

Always craving for sweets? Forever reaching out for yet that packet of greasy crisps?


This could be your body's way of telling you to stock up on vitamins and minerals, claim nutritionist Joanna Hall and Nadine Masseron of the British Naturopathic Association in an article. These are the healthy alternatives they feel you could opt for.

You're craving: Burgers, chips and takeaways
Your body wants: Salt

"When your body is working hard, through exercise, stress or even working in an air-conditioned office, it loses salt," says Hall. "Fast food is an instant way of getting it, but you're taking in more than you need, which restricts your blood vessels and raises your blood pressure, as well as piling on calories."

Dig into : Sushi. This is full of sodium-rich seaweed and fish.

You're craving : Crisps and bread
Your body wants : Protein

"A high metabolism means you burn food quicker so you crave carbs that will fill you up," explains Masseron. "But you'll be hungry again soon after. Protein takes longer to digest, so you'll feel satisfied for longer."

Dig into : Meat, fish, chicken or eggs - have one of them in every meal (and as 50% of your meal portion).

You're craving : Chocolate
Your body wants : Magnesium

"Magnesium helps the body's metabolic system give you energy," says Hall. "When we're tired, chocolate is tempting as it contains magnesium, but sugar will just make you lethargic. Avoid."

Dig into : Nuts, seeds and wholegrain (found in wholemeal bread and porridge).

You're craving : Caffeine
Your body wants : Iron

"Women lose a lot of iron during their menstrual cycle," says Masseron. "If you don't replace it quickly, you'll feel tired because it helps distribute oxygen around the body. You may crave coffee to perk you up, but after the caffeine wears off, you'll feel tired again."

Dig into : Crudités, such as raw broccoli, or dried fruit, such as apricots and figs.


source: Times of India

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Flat stomach food guide

Tired of not knowing what kinds of foods to eat? Not sure how much fat, calories and sodium you should be consuming everyday? All the tips you need are here....
  • In addition to regular exercise, you'll also want to add some fat burning foods to your diet to help trim your waistline.
  • Foods that are high in protein and fibre are the best kinds of food to eat if you want to burn fat around your middle.

Did you know that it takes more energy to digest protein than it does to digest fat? So the more protein you eat, the more calories your body burns.

Eggs
Eggs are super high in protein and can help you burn that unwanted belly fat. They contain the vitamin B12 – a great supplement for breaking down fat cells.

You may have heard all the warnings about eggs and your health. That's because a couple of eggs will put you over the recommended daily amount of cholesterol.

Well, more recent studies have shown that dietary cholesterol has a minimal impact on blood cholesterol. Dietary fat is the real culprit. It's what raises your bad cholesterol levels.

However, if you're still worried about your overall cholesterol intake from eating too many eggs, you can remove the yolk and still benefit from the high protein contained in eggs.

Low fat dairy products
According to an article in Obesity Research, women who ate low-fat dairy products, such as nonfat yogurt and low-fat milk, three to four times a day, lost 70 per cent more fat than low-dairy dieters.

In another study done at Purdue University those who consumed 3 cups of fat-free milk gained less weight over the course of 2 years than those on low calcium diets.

So, not only do dairy products help you strengthen your bones, they can also play an essential role in burning that unwanted body fat.

If you are a regular consumer of milk and other dairy products, that's great, just watch your proportions and perhaps switch over to the low or no fat varieties.

Beans
While beans are often associated with the gastrointestinal disturbances they may cause, they are also very good sources of protein, fibre and iron.

Some of the best kinds of beans to eat are:

- Navy beans
- White beans
- Kidney beans
- Lima beans

And as always, limit baked and refried beans in your diet as refried beans contain tons of saturated fat, while baked beans are usually loaded in sugar. Sure, you'll be getting your protein but you'll also be consuming a lot of fat and sugar that you don't need.

Here's something else to remember. Be sure to cook your beans thoroughly because our digestive tracks are not adapted to breaking down some proteins that are contained in certain beans.

Tip: A vegetable called Edamame (pronounced ed-uh-ma-may) – an organic soybean in a pod often served at Japanese restaurants.

All you do is boil them for three minutes, add a pinch of salt and eat the soybeans out of the pods. They are surprisingly tasty and very good for you. One serving contains 10 grams of soy protein. The best place to find them is at a store that sells organic foods.

Oatmeal
While it may not be the tastiest thing you can eat, oatmeal definitely has some great nutritional qualities.

You may have noticed that many of the oatmeal brands are now boasting that eating more oatmeal will help lower your cholesterol level. That's because oatmeal is loaded with soluble fibre which helps reduce blood cholesterol by flushing those bad digestive acids out of your system.

The best kind of oatmeal to eat is unsweetened and unflavoured. While it's tempting to select the apples and cinnamon flavour and load it with butter and sugar – you really lose out on all the health benefits. If you must sweeten your bowl of oatmeal, do so by adding fruit.

Or add a spoonful of honey (much better for you than sugar) and a handful of raisins or dried cranberries.

Oatmeal is also beneficial in fighting colon cancer and heart disease.

Olive oil
Certain fats are good for you and your body needs them. Olive oil is one of those 'good fats'. In fact, it's so good that it helps you burn fat and keeps your cholesterol down.

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that researchers are finding provide outstanding health benefits. One ounce of extra virgin olive oil contains about 85 per cent of the daily value for monounsaturated fat.

So instead of taking a swig of orange juice in the morning, many dieters are picking up a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

Whole grains
These days everyone seems to be screaming "No carbs!" It's as if the world has gone no-carb crazy and everyone is running from sliced breads and pastas.

Well the truth is, your body needs carbohydrates. If you go without them completely your body will start to crave them. So it's not a good idea to exclude all carbs because the right kinds are actually good for you.

It's the processed carbohydrates that are bad for you – the white breads, bagels, pastas, and white rice to name a few.

The above foods have all been processed, thus stripping out all the nutrients leaving you with loads of starch.

The key is to eat 'whole grain' foods because they haven't been processed and contain the fiber and minerals your body needs.

So don't be fooled by a loaf of bread labeled 'wheat'. Regular wheat bread is still lacking in vitamins and minerals. Manufacturers add molasses to it so it turns brown.

Don't let them trick you. The only kind of bread that's good for you is the kind that's labeled 'whole grain'.

Meat and fish
Turkey and beef are great for building muscle and boosting the immune system, but as always you have to be careful as:

Basted turkeys are usually injected with fatty substances while beef contains saturated fat. If you are going to eat beef, be sure to consume the leanest cuts you can find by looking for 'loin' or 'round' on the labels.

Salmon and tuna are also good sources of protein. They both contain omega-3 fatty acids which may sound bad, but are actually healthy fats. These two foods are also good for giving your immune system a nice boost and should be consumed at least thrice a week.

from The Times of India

Sunday, August 29, 2010

चिली में सुरंग खोदने की तैयारी

चिली में खदान में फंसे 33 खनिकों को बाहर निकालने के लिए तैयारियां ज़ोरों पर हैं.
इस कोशिश में एक हाइड्रौलिक नली के कल पुर्ज़ों को जोड़ने का काम किया जा रहा है जिसके सहारे एक शाफ़्ट को खदान में नीचे उतारा जाएगा. इसी शाफ़्ट में बैठकर एक एक करके खनिक बाहर आ सकेंगे.
हांलाकि घटनास्थल पर राहत के इंतज़ाम के लिए खुदाई रात-दिन हो रही है लेकिन इस बचाव कार्य में कई महीने लग सकते हैं.
चीफ़ इंजीनियर आंद्रे साउग्रे ने कहा है कि "हमने मशीन के प्लैटफ़ॉर्म को बनाने का काम पूरा कर लिया है.हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि रविवार और सोमवार के बीच हम शाफ़्ट को नीचे उतारने का काम शुरू कर देंगे."

खनिकों को हो रहा है डिप्रेशन

चिली की धंसी हुई खदान में फंसे 33 खनिकों में से कुछ अवसाद का शिकार हो रहे हैं.
चिली के स्वास्थ्य मंत्री जेम मनालिच का कहना है कि इनमें से पाँच लोग ठीक से खाना नहीं खा रहे हैं और उन्होंने स्वयं को फ़िल्माए जाने से इनकार कर दिया.
स्वास्थ्य मंत्री का कहना था कि मनोवैज्ञानिक इंटरकॉम के ज़रिए इन लोगों के उपचार की कोशिश करेंगे.
इंजीनियरों का कहना है कि इन्हें बचाने के लिए सुरंग बनाए जाने का काम सोमवार से शुरू होगा हालाँकि उसे पूरी तरह तैयार होने में चार महीने तक लग सकते हैं.
पिछले तीन हफ़्ते से फंसे इन लोगों का पता केवल 22 अगस्त को ही लग पाया था.
खनिकों को बुधवार को बता दिया गया था कि उन्हें बाहर निकालने में चार महीने तक का समय लग सकता है.
स्वास्थ्य मंत्री का कहना है कि उस समय तो उन्होंने शांत भाव से इस ख़बर को सुना लेकिन इसमें कोई संदेह नहीं है कि मानसिक रूप से उन्हें भारी चुनौतियों का सामना करना पड़ेगा.
हमने मशीन के प्लैटफ़ॉर्म को बनाने का काम पूरा कर लिया है.हम उम्मीद करते हैं कि रविवार और सोमवार के बीच हम शाफ़्ट को नीचे उतारने का काम शुरू कर देंगे.
आंद्रे साउग्रे,चीफ़ इंजीनियर
एक छोटी सी सुरंग नीचे तक खोदी गई है जिससे इन्हें खाना और पानी पहुँचाया जा रहा है.

स्पेन और ऑस्ट्रेलिया से वे उपकरण मंगाए गए हैं जिनके ज़रिए इन्हें बाहर निकालने के लिए एक बड़ी सुरंग तैयार की जाएगी.
इन खनिकों ने स्वयं ही एक फ़िल्म तैयार की जिसका चिली के टेलीविज़न पर प्रसारण हुआ. इतनी बड़ी मुसीबत से जूझने के बावजूद इनमें से अधिकतर शांत नज़र आ रहे थे.

लेकिन, जैसाकि चिली के स्वास्थ्य मंत्री का कहना है इनमें से पाँच लोग इस फ़िल्म में दिखाई नहीं पड़ रहे हैं.
उन्होंने कहा, इन व्यक्तियों ने ख़ुद को अलग-थलग कर लिया है. वे फ़िल्म में दिखाई नहीं देना चाहते थे और वे ठीक से खा भी नहीं रहे हैं. मैं तो यह कहूँगा कि इसके लिए सही शब्द डिप्रेशन यानी अवसाद है.
सभी 33 खनिकों के परिवार खदान के बाहर पहरा दे रहे हैं.
बीबीसी के जेम्स रेनॉल्ड्स का कहना है कि रिश्तेदारों से कहा जा रहा है कि वे खान में फंसे अपने प्रियजनों को उनका मनोबल बनाए रखने के लिए पत्र भेजते रहें.
इस बीच खनिकों के परिवारजन इस बात पर सवाल उठा रहे हैं कि जब एक दुर्घटना के बाद खान बंद कर दी गई थी तो फिर एक साल बाद 2008 में उसे दोबारा खोलने का निर्णय क्यों लिया गया.
अट्ठाईस खनिकों के परिवार वालों ने खदान कंपनी के ख़िलाफ़ मुक़दमा दायर किया है.
हालाँकि कंपनी के मालिकों ने इस दुर्घटना की ज़िम्मेदारी लेने से इनकार कर दिया है.
अपने लंबे इंतज़ार के दौरान उन्हें मानसिक और शारीरिक रूप से चुस्त रखने के लिए विशेष कसरत और खेलों के कार्यक्रम तैयार किए जा रहे हैं.
खनिकों से यह भी कहा गया है कि वे रात और दिन के बीच फ़र्क़ करते रहें.
अगले हफ़्ते अमरीकी अंतरिक्ष एजेंसी नासा के वे डॉक्टर वहाँ पहुँच रहे हैं जो अंतरिक्षयात्रियों को उनके लंबे मिशन के दौरान स्वस्थ रहने के गुर बताते हैं. ये डॉक्टर चिली में चिकित्सा अधिकारियों की मदद करेंगे.


:- बी बी सी हिंदी के सौजन्य से

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Communication in India (1950-1985) (Lohita's Homework)

Before 1950 i.e. during the British period all major cities & towns in India were linked with telephones.

It was actually between 1950 & 1985 that communication in India saw significant growth. 

Facts:
First Telex services were introduced in 1953 in Mumbai.

 

In 1960 first S.T.D. (Subscriber Trunk Dialing) route was started between Kanpur & Lucknow.


It was in 1985 when the first modern Mobile Telephone Service was started in Delhi.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Dealing with backstabbers

Backstabbing at workplace certainly devastates individuals, especially when a person doesn’t know ho to deal with it. Now, career guru Kepcher has offered some advice on how to identify and cope with backstabbers at workplace.
Credit stealer
Seemingly helpful team player who will enthusiastically support your suggestions and work to make the project a big success – particularly because she intends to take credit.

This will include magnifying her own role, using personal pronouns such as “I” and “me” as substitutes for “we” whenever possible.

The chameleon
He, too, will appear to be a helpful team player, offering encouragement and support in private.

However, the chameleon will launch into his command performance whenever bosses are present and criticize ideas he supported some time back, including subtly accusing his peers of failing to notice the problems.

His every move is an effort to make himself look good — by making others look bad.

Backstabber-In-Chief
Occasionally, the Backstabber will also be the boss. Sigourney Weaver nailed this role in the movie "Working Girl.”

The most encouraging boss imaginable will steal the assistant’s potentially career-making idea.

How to handle all kinds of backstabbers at your office, by Kepcher, reports the New York Daily News :

- Stay calm. Do not let them make you emotional and defensive.
- Don’t wander through the jungle alone. Beware of private conversations that can be misquoted later.
-Use mail and group meetings to document your contributions.
- Be polite, but persistent. Learn to say no.
- Use direct phrases such as, “I’m perplexed you have so many negative comments about our idea since you were so supportive when we spoke privately yesterday. Is there a reason you didn’t bring up your concerns until now?”

By being direct and careful, you can help push the Backstabber species in your workplace to extinction as quickly as possible.

Seduce through your eyes!!

Seduction is not just a mind game, your eyes play as important a role. We help you perfect your moves...


All that talk about first impression and lasting ones... well, that’s not all jazz you know. Whoever said it sure knew what they meant. And guess what, if you want to seduce someone, you’ve got to do more than just dress and speak the role, you have a secret yet powerful tool at easy disposal, your eyes. Making the right eye contact and giving the right signals via your eyes to the person you are interested in means about 50 per cent of your work done. The truth is that most of the communication that occurs between two people who are interested in each other is wordless, it’s all about the looks.

Even the experts will vouch for this. In fact, communication and body language counsellors opine that the basic components of eye behaviour are easy to master once a person knows how they work. So, if you want to ensure that you always use your eyes fluently and with dazzling effect, here are four simple steps you need to follow.

Establish : The first thing you need to do when you meet is to look into the eyes of the other person. A confident look will create a positive first impression. Establishing eye contact is a specially handy tool when you’re trying to gain the attention of an unknown hottie or cutie. In this case, don’t keep staring at him/her, it may feel like you’re stalking them. Instead, make short frequent glances. If the opposite person reciprocates your move and holds your gaze, it a silent signal that you have the ‘permission’ to go ahead and initiate a conversation. Start of with introducing yourself.

Maintain : Now that you’ve started a conversation, it’s time for step two. Yes, we agree you can’t keep looking into each others eyes forever, but try to maintain eye contact for as long as it’s possible. Studies say the average gaze time for an average listener is a minuscule three seconds. But you need to go a tad further, try to hold your partner’s gaze for at least five to seven seconds. This will make it look like you’re paying attention and care about what the other person is saying. How does this work? It’s a two-way effect. While is makes the person opposite feel important, it will make you more ‘attractive’ in their eyes. Mission accomplished!

Maximise : You know your mission and you know that it’s your eyes that are going to be in focus. Hence, it’s most important that you pay attention to how your eyes look. Ladies, don’t hesitate to do them up to best effect, there are tons of products available in the market to help you. And it is a know fact that kajal gives the eyes a certain depth while clearly defining one’s eyes.

Widen : There’s something about large eyes that catches the attention of the person opposite. And ladies, though it may be a tad exaggerated in movies, fluttering your eyelashes does have that devastating effect on the opposite sex. There’s also a technique that will help you make your eyes appear larger; raise your brows and slightly lower your eye lids. If reports are to be believed, Marilyn Monroe herself often used this highly successful technique.

There you have it, now that you’ve mastered the formula, it’s time for you to try it out.

RIM's 'BlackPad' Tablet: Why It'll Succeed, Why It Won't












Despite growing competition from Apple's iPhone and Google's Android platforms, Research In Motion (RIM) reigns supreme in the U.S. smartphone market. Its market share tops 40 percent, and it's shipped more than 100 million BlackBerry devices. RIM's new BlackBerry 6 operating system and rumored Bold 9800 handset will likely debut on Tuesday at a media even in New York City. And the company's a major player internationally too.

RIM's lacking in the tablet department, however. Apple's iPad is a proven hit, and a varied assortment of Google Android-based slates will arrive before the end of the year. But RIM may be gearing up to launch its own tablet in November. According to a recent Bloomberg report, the device will be called the "BlackPad," feature iPad-like dimensions (including a 9.7-inch screen), and sport Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity.

But can RIM segue from smartphones to slates? Let's take a look:

Pros

Huge market share: Since BlackBerry rules the business world, RIM is in an excellent position to parlay its smartphone success into strong tablet sales in the enterprise market.

Best business tools: RIM's new Enterprise Server 5 software has some of the best mobile management tools in the industry, including the ability to separate business and personal content on a BlackBerry phone. For instance, an IT administrator can remove corporate data from an employee-owned BlackBerry without touching the worker's personal information and apps. Those features could prove appealing on a RIM tablet too.

Cons

Uncertain market: The iPad is primarily an entertainment device for consumers. It won't print (at least not without some third-party help), won't run Flash, and it really isn't built for business use. It remains unclear how business users will take to tablets.

Few apps: The BlackBerry App World catalogue has a sparse selection of 8000-plus apps, according to RIM. (I counted just over 8700 a couple of weeks ago.) Compared to Apple's 225,000 apps in its App Store, and the 60,000-plus apps in Google's Android Market, BlackBerry's store shelves look practically bare. However, these three platforms will probably be on a more even level (with the iPad taking the lead) when we start comparing apps written exclusively for tablets.

Dumb name: BlackPad? Sure, I get the synergy with "BlackBerry," but the tablet sounds like something right out of a 70's blaxploitation flick. Does a baaad mutha like John Shaft use a BlackPad?