7 Dec 2013

An Reply email to the teachers from the students ( From: students@gmail.com - To:teachers@gmail.com)





 An imaginary reply mail from the students, to teachers

To: teachers@gmail.com

Subject: Re: Why you do not admire us (Teachers) from your heart?

Respected Teachers

You have always had an issue with us, ‘why we do not admire you fully? ’That’s because we do not respect teachers but respect ‘Good Teachers’ only. The hardest thing we face in this 21st century is to behave in a well mannered way without seeing ‘Good manners’ anywhere around us.

Dear Teacher- what you teach us is just not interesting. It is boring, uninspiring, repetitive, vague and unpractical. It is not your mistake. You are just teaching us our course curriculum. Unfortunately these curriculum do not train us to have a personality of our own. They do not make us confident, fearless, better in communication and hardly fulfill our needs for skills which are required of us to “make a brand in this world”. You teach us what is there in the curriculum’ but dear teacher do not forget to do that extra curriculum for us. We will love you and remember your contribution for our entire life should you go that extra curriculum to inspire us and show us the world.

Dear Teachers- we see the permanent teachers in our colleges hardly innovating inside the classrooms. We come to your classes for attendance most of the times .Sometimes we also respect you because you will mark us on our ‘internal assessment marks’.

Teacher may we give you a polite reminder that ‘what you wear to college’ may not remain remembered by us but at the same time ‘what you teach,  guide, advise and direct’ might remain with us even after years.

Dear teacher- please does not dupe us if the classroom is not an extension of your personality. We are sincerely less focused and need your severe attention. We will treat you like man from heaven if we see divinity in the way you teach your subject.

We sincerely hope that you are in this profession out of your own choice and no one brought you here on a gun point.

Dear Teachers- we want to see you happy about your salaries, positions etc. Please be comfortable as only then you can contribute to us better. You are one but we are many who are being impacted inside your classroom.

Dear Teacher- we need your motivation more than criticism. We want you to show us more elegant ways of living life and making careers. Now imagine if you know your responsibility – every nerves in our body will commit to respect you. We will crowd for your sessions by bunking our youthful stuff. We will adore you for that ‘EXTRA’ that you will put in for us. You have more experience than us, definitely you can prevent us from doing more mistakes in our own lives.

Please we are requesting you do that dear teacher. We need you to stand tall in our lives. We already are a slightly stressed up, messed up and an over informed but under estimated lot. Your genuine steps, care, advice etc definitely can profoundly change our entire lives and careers.
Yours faithfully                                                                                 
Student

On 12/07/13,Teacher <teachers@gmail.com> Wrote:
To: students@gmail.com
Cc: teachers@gmail.com

Subject: Why you do not admire us (Teachers) from your heart?

>Dear Student
>Choose the reason from the below why you are not admiring us from your heart?
1.       What we teach you is interesting or not?
2.       The way of teaching is interesting or not?
3.       Whether the curriculum is boring?
4.       Do you want to learn extracurricular?
5.       Whether you want innovation inside the class room?
6.       Do you want to become a respectable human by learning good manners or not?
>My dear student eagerly waiting for your reply .
--
Make your life a mission – not an intermission & A goal is a dream with a deadline

With Regards
Teacher’s world

3 Dec 2013

Beautiful






Hycoo Kavithai

மூட்டை தூக்கிக் கொள்ள
முன்பயிற்சி
நர்சரிப் பள்ளிகள்



சாலை முழுவதும்
பூக்கள்...
வரவேற்க அல்ல
வழியனுப்புவதற்கு!

World Class Dholera SIR Project @ Gujarat India

Dholera is a town in Gujarat, India. Dholera is an ancient port-city in Gulf of Khambhat, 30 km. from Dhandhuka village of Ahmedabad district. One of the original six temples built by Swaminarayan is located here.

National Highway 8 connects the Dholera Special Investment Region with Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar and Mumbai. Dholera itself has good connectivity with National Highway (NH) 8 (Anand) and 8A (Bagodra), augmenting Bagodra -Bhavnagar, Bagodra- Surendranagar- Radhanpur.
As a part of the Golden Quadrilateral, the 500 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Vadodara Express way connects the region.

Dholera SIR : Ideally located, widely connected...
  • Total Area: 920 Sq. km
  • Develop-able Area: 567.39 Sq. Km
  • High Access Corridor: City Center, Industrial, Logistic, Knowledge & IT, Recreation & Sports, Entertainment
  • World-class infrastructure & connectivity: within & outside
  • Central spine express way & Metro Rail to link the SIR with mega cities
  • Airport & Sea Port in the vicinity
  • Proximity to mega cities: Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Vadodara
  • Benefit of sea coast, nature park, golf course
  • Premium civic amenities
  • Capable to cater to both International & Domestic Market
  • Close to Guajrat International Finance TechCity (GIFT)
  • Close to Petro-chemicals and Petroleum Inv. Region (PCPIR)
  • Logistic support of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DMIC)
  • Benefits of the high impact Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
  • Public investment in core infrastructure
    
Salient Features
Dholera SIR : A Self governed global centre of economic activities...
  • Empowered mechanism for administration
  • Autonomy in operations
  • Flexibility in decisions
  • Freedom in planning
  • Commitment to adopt best practices
  • Full potential for private sector participation
  • Fully developed environment & framework for PPP
  • PSP modes : BOT, BOOT etc already operational


The nearest meter-gauge connection is Bhavnagar (34 km) and the nearest broad-gauge station is Tarapur (103 km)

Link: dholerasir.com

To develop Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) as global manufacturing and trading hub i.e. "The engine for economic resurgence of the country" which is supported by world class infrastructure.

"The Development Plan, taking into account the DMIC objectives and goals, should focus towards creating and enabling environment to protect local industries, enhance investment climate, improve quality of life, upgrade human skills, create world class infrastructure and attract global investment".

Project goals are to double the employement potential, triple industrial output and quadruple exports from the region in next five years

19 Nov 2013

7 Social Hacks For Manipulating People - PsychTronics

7 Social Hacks For Manipulating People - PsychTronics

Oracle Retiring Certification Exam

 The Oracle Certification Program plans to retire the certification paths and exams listed below. All Candidates pursuing a retiring certification path have until the retirement date specified to pass the retiring exam(s).


Retiring Certification ExamRetirement DateNewer Version of Retiring Exam
(these exams lead to the newer versions of certification noted in the table below, not the retiring certification paths)
1Z0-402 Oracle Linux FundamentalsOctober 31, 20131Z0-100 Oracle Linux 5 and 6 System Administration
1Z0-403 Oracle Linux System AdministrationOctober 31, 20131Z0-100 Oracle Linux 5 and 6 System Administration
1Z0-870 MySQL 5 Certified Associate Exam March 14, 2014None
1Z0-871 MySQL 5 Developer Certified Professional Exam, Part IMarch 14, 20141Z0-882 MySQL 5.6 Developer
1Z0-872 MySQL 5 Developer Certified Professional Exam, Part IIMarch 14, 20141Z0-882 MySQL 5.6 Developer
1Z0-873 MySQL 5 Database Administrator Certified Professional Exam, Part IMarch 14, 20141Z0-883 MySQL 5.6 Database Administrator
1Z0-874 MySQL 5 Database Administrator Certified Professional Exam, Part IIMarch 14, 20141Z0-883 MySQL 5.6 Database Administrator
1Z0-875 MySQL 5.1 Cluster Database Administrator Certified Expert ExamMarch 14, 2014None
Retiring Certification PathRetirement DateNewer Version of Retiring Certification Path
Oracle Linux Administrator Certified AssociateOctober 31, 2013Oracle Certified Associate, Oracle Linux 5 and 6 System Administrator
Oracle Certified Associate, MySQL 5March 14, 2014None
Oracle Certified Expert, MySQL 5.1 Cluster Database AdministratorMarch 14, 2014None
Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5 Database AdministratorMarch 14, 2014Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.6 Database Administrator
Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.6 DeveloperMarch 14, 2014Oracle Certified Professional, MySQL 5.6 Developer
NOTE: Exams 1Z0-141 and 1Z0-147 were originally set to retire on July 31, 2013. These exams have been removed from the retirement list. They are not currently scheduled to retire and will remain available after July 31, 2013.

3 Nov 2013

Which is the richest country in the world? 2013 status

The world richest country in the world in 2013 is Qatar.With the GDP rate of 102.768.60. The second richest country in the word is Luxembourg the current GDP rate of Luxembourg is $ 80,679.06. The rest of countries are listed below.:

3. Singapore
4. Norway
5.Hong Kong
6. Brunei
7.United States of America
8. Arab Emirates
9.Switzerland
10. Kuwait


1 Nov 2013

Why there is no lot of worship temple for Lord Brahma ?.(Largest lord Brahma statue in the world now @ bangalore)

According to a story in the Shiva Purana (dedicated to Lord Shiva), at the beginning of time in Cosmos, Vishnu and Brahmā approached a huge Shiva linga and set out to find its beginning and end. Vishnu was appointed to seek the end and Brahma the beginning. Taking the form of a boar, Vishnu began digging downwards into the earth, while Brahma took the form of a swan and began flying upwards. However, neither could find His appointed destination. Vishnu, satisfied, came up to Shiva and bowed down to him as a swarupa of Brahman. Brahmā did not give up so easily. As He was going up, he saw a ketaki (Sanskrit - Kaetakee) flower, dear to Shiva. His ego forced him to ask the flower to bear false witness about Brahmā's discovery of Shiva's beginning. When Brahmā told his tale, Shiva, the all-knowing, was angered by the former's ego. Shiva thus cursed him that no being in the three worlds will worship him

According to another legend, Brahmā is not worshiped because of a curse by the great sage Brahmarishi Bhrigu. The high priest Bhrigu was organising a great fire-sacrifice (yajna) on Earth. It was decided that the greatest among all Gods would be made the presiding deity. Bhrigu then set off to find the greatest among the Trimurti. When he went to Brahmā, the god was so immersed in the music played by Saraswati that he could hardly hear Bhrigu's calls. The enraged Bhrigu then cursed Brahmā that no person on Earth would ever invoke him or worship him again. Due to curse by Brighu) even Shiva is worshipped as Linga and no prasad is taken home from Shiva temple.

In the Brahma Purana and Hindu cosmology, Brahmā is regarded as the creator but not necessarily as God. Rather, He is regarded as a creation of God / Brahman. The lifespan of Brahmā is 100 Brahmā years, equivalent to 311,040,000,000,000 solar years. At the end of His lifespan, there will be a gap of 100 Brahmā years, after which another Brahmā or creator will begin the process of creation anew. This cycle is thought to repeat without end.

But your information is not completely true as there are few temples of Brahma.

1. At Pushkar, close to Ajmer. Once a year, on Kartik Poornima, the full moon night of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik (October – November), a religious festival is held in Brahmā's honour. Thousands of pilgrims come to bathe in the holy Pushkar Lake adjacent to the temple.

2.Thirunavaya, Thiruvallam in Kerala and The Trimurti temple and the temple dedicated to Lord Brahma accompanied by Lord Ganesh, located outside Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is also famous

3. In the temple town of Kumbakonam in the Thanjavur District of Tamil Nadu and in Kodumudi in Tamil Nadu and

4.In Asotra village in Balotra Taluka of Rajasthan's Barmer district, known as Kheteshwar Brahmadham Tirtha

 5. In Goa, in the small, remote village of Carambolim in the Sattari Taluka in the northeast region of the state.Regular pujas are held for Lord Brahmā at the temple in Thirunavaya, and during Navrathris, this temple comes to life with multi-varied festivities.

6.There is also a shrine for Brahmā within the Brahmapureeswarar Temple in Thirukkadaiyur, near Trichy

7.A famous murti of Brahmā exists at Mangalwedha, 52 km from the Solapur district of Maharashtra

8.Khedbrahma, Gujarat

9.In Sopara near Mumbai.

10There is a temple dedicated to Lord Brahmā in the temple town of Sri Kalahasti near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh

11. The largest and most famous shrine to Lord Brahmā may be found in Cambodia's Angkor Wat

12.The golden dome of the Government House of Thailand also contains a statue of Phra Phrom (four face) (Thai representation of Brahma).

13. In Java, Indonesia, the 9th century Prambanan Trimurti temple mainly is dedicated to Śiva, however Brahmā and Viṣņu also venerated in separate large shrines inside the temple compound, a single large shrine dedicated to Brahmā on southern side of Śiva temple. There is a statue of Brahmā at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok

14. One of the largest Lord brahma (7 feet height 4 faces) Chaturmukha statue in the world Constructed in bangalore. address: 93 and 98 , behind govt school, karivobanahalli, Nagasandra Post
Bangalore ; 560073 , Karnataka / India . NH4 Tumkur Road Ph: +91- 98454 76436. Courtesy:
www.lordbrahma.in Note:Temple Open 7.30 to 9.30 Am (Morning), Evening 6.30 to 8.30 pm, Precious day : Sunday


But number of Brahma's temples are rare. 

Note:

Prem Mandir

Prem Mandir, built in the holy town of Vrindavan is one of the newest temples dedicated to Shri Krishna. The temple structure was established by spiritual guru Kripalu Maharaj. The main structure built in marble looks incredibly beautiful and is an educational monument that reflects the true history of Sanatana Dharma. Figures of Shri Krishna and his followers depicting important events surrounding the Lord’s existence cover the main temple.

31 Oct 2013

Famous lord krishna temple in india

Famous temples of Lord Krishna in India: 
ISKCON temple: This temple is popular worldwide. You can find ISKCON temple around the world. The beautifully decorated and well maintained temples of Lord Krishna is visited by devotees of different caste and religion. ISKCON temples are there in Delhi, Vrindavan, Bangalore, Kolkata, Assam to name a few places. 
Dwarkadish temple: Dwarka is located on the west coast of Gujarat and is considered as a holy pilgrimage for devotees. Dwarka is the place where Lord Vishnu slew the demon Shankhasura. Also known as Jagat Mandir, Dwarkadish is around 2,500 years old temple. Do not forget to visit the temple of Rukmini (Krishna's wife who was believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi). Built in Dwaraka, a city named after the kingdom of Shri Krishna, which is now submerged under the sea, the Dwarakadheesh temple in Gujarat is a 5 storey structure held by 72 pillars
Vrindavan Temple: It is believed that Lord Krishna spend his childhood in this city. After King Akbar visited the city, he ordered to build 4 temples of Lord Krishna (Madana-mohana, Govindaji, Gopinatha and Jugal Kisore). Located near Mathura, you can visit famous Lord Krishna temples like Banke Bihari Temple, Krishna Balaram Mandir, ISKCON, Govindaji Temple, Madana Mohana Temple to name a few.
  
 Jugal Kishore Temple: Located in Mathura city (birthplace of Lord Krishna), you can visit this peaceful holy pilgrimage and find solace. Jugal Kishore Temple is one of the most popular and the oldest temples of Lord Krishna in Mathura. Jugal Kishore temple is also known as Kesi Ghata temple as Lord Krishna killed the demon Kesi and took bath on this ghat. An aarti to Yamuna Devi is offered every evening here. Mughal ruler Akbar is said to have visited this temple in 1570.
 Jagannath Temple: This is a famous temple in Puri (Orrisa) that is dedicated to the trinity of deities namely Jagannath, Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra. Worshipers of Lord Krishna and Vishnu often visit this holy pilgrimage to take the blessings of Jagannath (the Lord of Universe). Unlike other Shri Krishna idols, the Jagannath temple has idols of the Lord and his siblings- Balbhadra and Subhadra - made of wood. Their figures look incomplete. Built by Raja Ananta Varman Chodaganga of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in the 11th century, the Jagannath temple in Puri is one of the most sacred places of worship. The temple is also hugely famous for its annual Rath Yatra, which draws millions of tourist year on year.
Guruvayur Temple: Commonly called as the Dwarka of the South, this temple of Lord Krishna is very famous in India. It is said that the idol of Lord Krishna in this temple is even worshiped by Lord Brahma (Creator of the Universe). Located in Kerala, the temple owns 36 mighty elephants. Even brides and grooms visit Guruvayur temple to solemnize their marriage.Also known as the ‘Bhooloka Vaikunta’ or the abode of Lord Vishnu on Mother Earth

Rangji Temple

The Rangji temple situated in Shri Krishna janmabhoomi or Mathura is built in South Indian style. It is dedicated to Ranganathan, a form of Lord Vishnu who rests on Sheshnaag, the thousand headed serpent.

Nikunjavana

The Nikunjavana is not a temple in the literal sense but a divine place once frequented by Shri Krishna. The lord spent time with his consort, Radhika (Radha) here. The Nikunjavana is full of trees. Devotees do not visit the vana (forest) post sunset as it is believed that the lord comes to the spot every evening to spend time with Gopis (cow-herd girls) symbolised by the trees.


UDIPI

Shree Krishna Temple Udipi is first among the seven places of pilgrimages. Thousands of pious devotees throng the Udupi Krishna temple all round the year to catch a glimpse of Lord Krishna. The unique feature of Shree Krishna Mutt temple is that the Lord is worshipped only through a window with nine holes called the Navagraha Kitiki. The window is exquisitely carved and silver - plated. It has been a tradition in this temple to worship the Lord only through this window



A link to the karnataka visiting place

http://www.karnatakaholidays.net/heritage_holidays.htm

Festival of light ((deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights))

 
Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

The Origin of Diwali

Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepawali.' Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

These Four Days

Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.

The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.

The Tradition of Gambling

The tradition of gambling on Diwali also has a legend behind it. It is believed that on this day, Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband Lord Shiva, and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuing year. Diwali is associated with wealth and prosperity in many ways, and the festival of 'Dhanteras' ('dhan' = wealth; 'teras' = 13th) is celebrated two days before the festival of lights.

From Darkness Unto Light...

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities. If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light a diya, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.

 The Second Day is called Narak-Chaturdashi or more popularly as Chhoti Diwali which falls on the 14th day of the month of Kartik. This festival is observed to commemorate the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king, Narkasur. This day is also celebrated as the birthday of  Hanumanji or Hanuman jayanti. Also, on this day  Hanumanji reached Ayodhya to deliver the long-awaited message of Lord Rama’s return. Just like diwali people light diyas on chhoti diwali to fill their homes with light, worship Goddess Laxmi and offer prayers to Her and they also burst firecrackers but all these things are not as grand as they are on the day of main diwali .

 
Legends :
 
The Story of Narakasur :
 
The story goes that the demon king Narakasur ruler of Pragjyotishpur (Province to the South of Nepal) after defeating Lord Indra had snatched away the magnificent earrings of Aditi, the Mother of Goddess and imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods and saints in his harem. On the day previous to Narakchaturdashi, Lord Krishna killed the demon and liberated the imprisoned damsels and also recovered those precious earrings of Aditi. His destruction made all happy and the women in particular saw his end as a moral victory for them.
 
The Story of King Bali :
 
With his valour Bali conquered every bit of space, thus he became the most powerful king on earth. In his kingdom, justice was mere word, truth had no place and happiness was a dream. His form of charity was an occasion for pomp and show and those who went to seek Alms from the king Bali suffered the indignity of insults and humiliation. In fact, he felt that the vast wealth will remain and the pittance he handed out now and again could not affect even an iota of his asset. His false beliefs, arrogance and misrule ended when the Lord disguised as beggar and humble proved to Bali that his concepts were totally wrong and even his vast wealth could disappear in seconds. King Bali asked the dwarf beggar to ask for anything in his kingdom and with three steps even his crown vanished. With his first step Lord Vishnu covered the entire heaven and with the second step the earth and asked Bali where to keep his third step. Bali offered his head and became spiritually enlightened. Thus, this festival has a far deeper significance than a mere exhibition of gaiety and splendor. The Narak chaturdashi day therefore is dedicated to lights and prayers heralding a future full of joy and the elimination of greed.
 
Celebrations :
 
In South-India, people wake up before sunrise prepare a paste by mixing Kumkum in oil, which is called 'Ubtan', on their foreheads and then take bath. The breaking of the fruit represents the head of the demon King, Narakasur and the kumkum-oil paste symbolizes the blood that Lord Krishna smeared His forehead with.
 
In Maharashtra also, traditional early baths with oil and "Uptan" (paste) of gram flour and fragrant powders are a `must'. All through the ritual of baths, deafening sounds of crackers and fireworks are there in order that the children enjoy bathing. Afterward steamed vermicelli with milk and sugar or puffed rice with curd is served. 
 "In Bengal and east India, this day is called Kali Chaudas and celebrated as the birthday of Ma Kali. In Bengal Kali Ma's murti's are set up in pandals and Kali puja is performed on this day." 

19 Oct 2013

Healthier food habits:





1. Reduce oil used for cooking to half your current usage. Avoid buying cooking oil in bulk as there is a tendency to use more oil when there is plenty available on hand. Don't stick to one type of cooking oil (sunflower, peanut, mustard or olive); the healthier alternative is to use different oils on rotation basis - that way, you get the benefits of the different variety of fatty acids present in them.
2. Avoid making or buying fried foods like chips, pakodas/bajjis, mixtures, vadas, pooris, fried non-veg on a regular basis.
3. If you must, then buy the smallest available packs/sizes of fried foods, sweets, chocolates, cakes, so that there won't be any leftovers for snacking on later.
4. Use whole grains and pulses on a daily basis, as they have more fibre and nutrients.
5. You can replace white rice with semi-polished or unpolished rice. Make it a point to buy dalia (broken wheat), whole wheat or multigrain flour, oats, wheat bread and locally grown millet and grains like ragi/nachni and jowar. In Bangalore, unpolished rice is available at Namdhari's, Mother Earth, Nature's Basket and Food Hall while Nilgiri's stocks hand-pounded rice.
You don't have to go out of your way to get whole grains from these stores; in fact, most neighbourhood grocery stores such as Food Days, MK Ahmed, Ashirwad and even the local rice traders stock parboiled and red rice (known as Kerala matta rice or Rosematta). These varieties are more nutritious and have higher fibre content than regular white rice (polished rice). Cooking this requires double the time and more water (about 3 cups of water for one cup of rice) than white rice. I tend to soak the red rice for at least an hour before cooking it in a pressure cooker. Nature's Basket even has poha (avalakki) made from red rice.
Jowar flour can be used to make rotis (jolada roti) while ragi can be used in a variety of preparations like porridge, dosa, ragi mudde and ragi rotis. With summer just around the corner, drinking ragi malt/ ambli (a traditional ragi drink) is recommended to cool the body.
Dalia or broken wheat can be used for making vegetable upma instead of the Bombay rava/ sooji. Some diabetics even replace rice with dalia during meal times.
6. Munch on healthy snacks like fruits, salads, and a handful of nuts, or usali (sundal, usal/ channa chaat) made from cooked beans/pulses like kabuli channa, kala channa, rajma or green peas. Switch to eating fresh fruits for dessert instead of sweets.
7. Buy skimmed milk - ask for double toned milk (yellow packet, if you are using Nandini's), or regular toned milk (blue packet). To skim the milk further, boil the milk at night and keep it in the fridge overnight. Remove any visible cream before using it in the morning. You can even make low-fat curd by using this milk.
8. Drink water or tender coconut water when you are thirsty and with meals, instead of juices, aerated drinks, beer or energy drinks.
9. If you want to have juice occasionally, then buy only 100% fruit juices (the ones with no added sugar) or even better, you could make fresh juices at home. Eating fruit is always a better option as it has the benefit of extra fibre which is lost when you make juice out of it.
10. Include a variety of seasonal vegetables (and not just potatoes) with every meal. Try to include greens like palak, methi, sabsige or dantina soppu at least once or twice a week. One trick that I use is to add green leafy vegetables to the dal which makes it not just more nutritious but also gets the family to have one extra vegetable!
11. Avoid red meats like mutton, pork or beef and instead have fish or chicken (without skin).
12. Eat your meals together as a family and not in front of the television. Studies have shown that people tend to eat more when they eat while watching television.
13. Be a role model for your family where exercise is concerned. Try to inculcate an ideal of physical fitness by including the whole family in activities such as walking, trekking, hiking, cycling, swimming, dance or even playing outdoor games like cricket, volley ball, badminton and such.
14. Include kids and/ or your spouse when cooking, so that the resulting meal is a family effort and thereby appealing to all.
Old habits are hard to change; the trick is to be persistent! Try introducing one or two changes every week, and the changes may actually go unnoticed. The result will be a fitter family who will pass on healthy habits to the next generation. Just bear in mind that IMPOSSIBLE can easily turn into I'M POSSIBLE!!


FOOD FACTS
* Incorporate as many cereals as possible, especially oats, ragi and barley, into your diet.
* Don't add to the total cereal volume that you consume. Substitute staple cereals with other varieties whenever possible.
* Go in for whole grains; processing removes much of the vital nutrients.
* Parboiled rice is nutritionally richer than polished raw rice