Stay safe during Covid-19

Writing after years. Not really to revive this blog, but I found there are people still looking at this blog. I haven't written for over 5 years and  yet there was a view as recent as yesterday. So I decided to share what I have been currently doing for myself and my family to protect from the Covid -19.  Just for those of you who still check.

 This is not based on any medical evidence but only on personal experience. So I do not make any claim that this is the/a way to combat the corona virus. But still for all you know, it just might be the reason why we have remained safe. No harm trying to stay safe, is there? 

Besides the mask and sanitizer and social distancing (though the last one I find surprisingly missing in public places!), these could be a few steps you can take to improve immunity and keep your system clean.

Steam inhalation

A regular routine. When? Bedtime and on waking if possible. And my family particularly follows this if we have had a reason to be exposed. Like going to the airport, railway or bus station, theatres, hospitals etc. Also if you are in India and your Aarogya Setu app tells you that you have had a contact with an infected person, steaming then is an absolute must. Oh yes, it does. But only if the bluetooth has been turned on on your mobile. It even tells you the time and place. 

Gargle 

Warm saline gargle at bedtime. That's a regular routine. There are bonus benefits with this! A clear voice, makes you a much better singer! And you won't catch the common cold as well and even if you do, you'll get over it much faster than you usually do. If you have to keep clearing your throat now and again, well... that will be a thing of the past! 

Triphala

This is an ayurvedic medicine which can usually be taken by anyone. Except maybe someone prone to hypoglycemia. This is a bitter medicine and can be your biggest challenge. All the same, it is better to take any medicine after consulting an ayurvedic doctor. I tried a few methods and I found the best one to be gulping it down with warm water. It works just perfect for me. I suggest not to mix this with other sweeteners like jaggery as the effect changes, and it may not be appropriate for summers. 

Himalayan Garlic

This is a wonder pod. It is a single clove garlic with a hardy skin. It doesn't have the pungent flavour or taste of the regular garlic. As garlic, it can't be completely free of the smell. But it's not that bad. Trust me. Try it. You may be surprised. It heals many physical conditions. To know more about its benefits, you could google "himalayan garlic or Kashmiri garlic"

Frankincense or other tree gum incense or smoke.

The air inside your home is kept fresh and considerably healthy with these measures. I have not tried sage smudging, but that could be done also. Burning neem leaves also are beneficial. Only be careful, there's no asthmatic person around when you do this. If anyone has breathing issues or smoke allergy, then you could avoid this or do it when they are not around. 

Stay healthy. Stay safe. Take care. 

Online Support Groups?

When you turn vegan, one of the first steps you take is to join an online vegan chat group – to find support of course. And then, surprisingly, you witness group members at loggerheads with each other. You wonder if you’ve missed something here. Here are people who talk about compassion for animals and all that, but where is their patience, tolerance and compassion to hear out genuine doubts. Of course, many times there are troublemakers, whose purpose is just that. But not all who ask difficult questions are troublemakers.

There will be questions that challenge one’s idea of veganism, but should that call for aggressive reactions, or for careful thought. You are laying the foundation of a concept. Instead one finds the attitude of –‘how can anyone even get a thought that uses animals, its sacrilege!’ I feel it does more harm than good to the cause. You, as a beginner, get scared to verbalize your concerns! Furthermore, instead of providing support, all it provides is guilt, fear, self-doubt. One cannot dare to ask what to do when a dilemma presents. You know the reply. Every situation is seen in one light. “The meaning of veganism should not get diluted.” Period. That is most sacred to a vegan.

Should it be so? Should it induce fights and name-calling? Here is someone who is trying to take baby steps towards a good cause. But God forbid, if he loses his balance, he’s going to be kicked on his butt! Well..?!

Compassion is about extending one’s love. Before aggressive reactions, one needs to separate the wheat from the chaff! Is the person really a troublemaker or is he faltering and looking for support? Does he need a firm hand to put him in line or does he just need a hand to steady himself? Is veganism about external appearances or a personal choice? One needs to understand that veganism for everyone may not mean – proving a point to the world or displaying a loftier than thou attitude. It takes all kinds of people to make a world. The vegan world too will have all kinds. Don’t expect everyone to be an activist and be prepared with a lecture – even to enlighten others! One ought to accept those people too who are satisfied with self-change only. They want to enjoy that feeling within, that comes from a positive transformation of any kind. Have the compassion to understand that; to let him enjoy in his own space. Maybe when he has derived all the pleasure from his transformation he’ll come with a bang!  ….or maybe not!

Accept him anyway.

I might accept physical aggression on the field, in an attempt to save an animal from slaughter, but on a chat forum for presenting a thought – no I don’t. Veganism is about love and compassion, not about the precision of its definition. Agreed it’s a concept just taking shape, so spread its definition, rather than negativity. If vegans have to resort to name-calling, which, by the way, is aggressive too, then where is the compassion?  ….or is compassion just a word to use for convenience's sake? When a heart is truly filled with love and compassion, it behaves without aggression – with all. There is nothing like selective compassion. If a person gets aggressive on chat forums, does that make him/her more vegan?

Note- The pronoun him is not meant to refer only to males but to people of all genders. Him is used only for convenience of writing. 

Simple Eco-Friendly Steps to Prevent Dengue, Malaria

Currently with the Dengue going on in the city, it is imperative that we use some method to keep the mosquitoes away. And we end up using the various chemicals available off the shelf. Reluctantly or not we use them in the form of repellant creams, liquid repellants, sprays or coils which not only harm our own health but the environment too.

Here is an eco-friendly, and a simple tried-and-tested method.

A few drops of citronella oil in half a bucket of water for mopping the floors ensures a no-entry for these blood suckers. You may want to use it in diffusers around your home. If you wish you might even use it in a spray bottle with half a bottle of water and a few drops of the oil and spray it on surfaces that easily attract mosquitoes, like in balconies, around plants etc.

And when you go out, instead of using a repellant cream, just wiping the exposed area using a damp towel with a few drops of the citronella oil dropped on it, keeps you protected.

It is not only effective but also an economically, environmentally, chemical-free and natural solution to this mega problem. A word of caution here. Please do a patch test before using it on skin. Use skin-friendly oil as it comes in different forms, not all of which may be skin-friendly. 

A trip to Pune

I was looking for a hotel in Pune, somewhere that I would be able to get vegan food at least if not anything else (though tea was something I wished I could get, but I let that be for a while). So anyway with great trepidation I booked us into a hotel near the airport…called New Leaf. But I must say that they were a pleasant surprise. It’s a compact, decent, new property and their high point is their staff. A highly motivated, dedicated, caring, courteous and simple lot. Extremely helpful too. Their warmth is to be experienced, so I wouldn’t like to tell too much…Interiors are neat, functional and pleasant except for their bathrooms, which I personally found a bit too small. Food-wise, the chef was quite helpful and they did tweak the dishes to veganize them so it was a very nice stay I had there, except for one little mishap as my mother tripped right at the entrance and was in pain for most of the stay. But the caring attitude of the staff saw to it that she was well taken care of. It would be really great if someone from Pune went and spoke to them about veganism as they are quite open to introducing a vegan menu too!

http://www.newleafhotels.com/#/splash-page/

Getting the best out of your taste buds

Hi all,
I know its been a long time since I posted, but I was waiting for something worthy of being posted...! Got for you just the kind of knowledge that many of us would like to be armed with. The secret to get the best out of our taste buds..!

Did you ever experience that at one time you find a certain taste that is strong or sharp on the taste buds and the same taste is fine at other times...? Well, here is the secret revealed...:) ! Just check your oil intake. Your taste buds can experience very subtle tastes when you are consuming less of oil in your diet. The lesser your consumption of oil, the more the tastes are enhanced, therefore, even the most subtle of tastes is enhanced when you are specially on an oil-free diet, and when you return to oils...there, you guessed it.... and then the more your oil intake increases the more sharper tasting foods you want to have...The ability of the taste buds to do their job is inversely proportional with your oil consumption. Try it. It would be nice if you could share your experiences on this..TC.

More vegan home remedies for cold

Herbal cough syrup

This helps to slowly get rid of cough and strengthen the respiratory system. I have tested it time and again but do not expect instant results. So if u want to you may use lozenges for immediate relief alongside though not just before or after taking this.

Requires - 2 cups of water, 9 black peppercorns - crushed, a small bit of licorice- coarsely pounded, 1/2 tbsp of palm sugar, a small bit of dried ginger - coarsely pounded, 9 dried black currants, 1 dried fig, 1/4 tsp of aniseed

Put all the ingredients in water and boil until 1/2 cup remains.

Drink this just before going to bed and as hot as possible. Preferably do not take anything else after this. Take this for 9 or 11 days. If it is persistent then it can be taken for longer too as it has no side effects. But after about 11 days leave out the dry ginger and take the rest. In winter though, the dry ginger can be continued if the physical constitution does not have heat related issues. Dry ginger is beneficial in drying out phlegm, so if the cough has dried out then it is not required anymore. Taking it when it is not required can accumulate heat in the system and create problems arising out of excess heat, even in thick winters.

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