Monday, October 29, 2012

Health Tips links, Recipes For Kids

http://www.bookmydoctor.com/health_tips_list.php

Recipes For Kids

Healthy and nutritious meals are necessary for everyone. But for kids it is much more important because they are in the growing phase of their life and require each and every nutrient in adequate amounts for the proper growth and development of body. Due to same taste and monotonous meals children often avoid the healthy foods. So following are some of the recipes which are very healthy for the kids and they will also enjoy them:
Broken Wheat Upma:
Ingredients: ¼ cup broken wheat (Dalia), 1 onion finely chopped, 1 green chili chopped, ¼ cup green peas, ¼ cup carrot cubes, 1 tbsp oil, salt to taste.
For the garnishing: 2 tbsp chopped coriander.
Method: clean and wash the broken wheat thoroughly and blanch in 2 cups of hot water for 4 minutes. Then drain it and keep aside. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add onion and green chili and sauté till the onion turns translucent. Add the peas, carrots, broken wheat and salt and sauté them for 3-4 minutes. Add 1 ½ cup of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Garnish it with the coriander and serve hot.
Sweet Oatmeal Pancakes:
Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour, ½ cup milk, ¼ cup quick cooking rolled oats, ¼ tsp cinnamon powder, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, ½ tsp fruit salt, 1 tsp oil and a pinch of salt.
Other ingredients: 2 tsp butter for cooking.
For serving: 2 tbsp honey, 1 cup orange segments.
Method: Combine all the ingredients except the fruit salt in the bowl with enough water. Whisk into smooth batter. Heat the non stick pan and lightly grease it with little butter. Add the fruit salt to the batter and mix gently. Pour a ladleful of batter on the pan to make a pancake, cooking on both sides with little butter till golden brown. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more pancakes. Serve hot with honey and orange segments.
Rice And Moong Dal Idli:
Ingredients: ¼ cup rice, ¼ cup yellowish moong dal, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds, a pinch of baking soda and salt to taste.
Method: Soak the rice, dal and fenugreek seeds in water for 5-6 hours. Grind the soaked ingredients in a mixer and leave the batter aside for atleast 8 hours or preferably overnight. After that add the soda bicarbonate and salt and pour a little mixture into the cavities of a small idli maker. Steam in a cooker for a few minutes and repeat the same with the remaining mixture. Serve hot with the chutney.
Tinny Tikkis:
Ingredients: 1 cup moong dal (split green gram), 1 cup sweet corn kernels, 3 tsp whole coriander powder, 2/3 tsp of lemon juice, 2tsp of ginger paste, 2 green chillies paste, salt to taste and oil for frying.
Method: grind corn and moong dal coarsely and sieve out the excess water. Mix ground moong dal, corn, Dhania powder, lemon juice, ginger and chilly pastes with salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Make 1 inch diameter thin tikkies. Heat the oil and deep fry on the medium heat till they turn golden brown from all sides. Serve with the toast and tomato ketchup.

How to Improve Kids Memory ?


Every parent wants their child to be good in academics but sometimes due to the lack of memory and concentration the child does not perform very well at school. This can be very disappointed for the parents. For the lack of memory and concentration many factors are responsible. Some children do not get the proper environment while in others there can be the lack of balanced and healthy diets. Some other serious reasons can be depression, anxiety, use of certain medications and seizers. Here I am discussing about the some of the tips which can help you to improve the memory and concentration in the child:

• Let your child solve puzzles, crosswords and memory games. This will be the brain exercise and the concentration and memory of the child will be improved. Crossword puzzles can improve the attention while picture puzzles can improve the attention and concentration.
• Adequate sleep is also very much important for the good memory. With the proper sleep brain can relax properly and the functioning of the brain will also be improved.
•  Physical exercise is important for the better functioning of the brain. Exercise supplies fresh oxygen to the brain which helps the brain to relax and unwind.
• Story telling can also be made more interesting and a good concentration booster by asking the related questions between the stories or let them recall a previous story. This will help to increase the concentration of the child and they can also become active listeners.
 Keep the environment free from distraction while the child is studying. Turn off the T.V. and also see that the other child is not playing in front of him. These things can distract the mind of the child and he will not be able to concentrate on the studies.

• Do not humiliate the child in front of others. It can be the loss of self esteem to the child and can affect the development of the child. Even if he is not succeeding keep motivating him and tell him that you have faith in him. Praise your child when he does something good this can be the best reward for the child and it can also motivate the positive thinking in him.
• Repeating the matter at home always reinforces the retention. So always repeat the things which he has studied in schools. By this way the things will be stored in the long term memory and the child will not forget it.
• The foods also play a very important role in the memory and concentration. Always keep in mind that the child does not skip his breakfast as this can also lead to the poor concentration at school. The diet of the child should be consisting of almost all the food groups that are cereals and pulses, sugars, milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables and nuts and oils. Almonds and walnuts are very good for boosting the functioning of the brain. So give them to the child to increase his efficiency.
 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

improve memory power concentration tips kids

Want to Improve Your Memory and Concentration? 10 Easy Tips


http://theadventurouswriter.com/blog/want-better-memory-ways-improve-memory-power/

Improving your memory and concentration means never having to hut for lost car keys again. These brainy tips range from memory vitamins to cognitive games — they’re all from Alex Colket, the creator of PlayWithYourMind.com. His site features over a hundred brain fitness games, all designed to improve memory, concentration, clarity of thought, and brain plasticity.
Before his tips, a quip:
“Every man can, if he so desires, become the sculptor of his own brain,” says Santiago Ramon y Cajal.
You have the power to improve your memory, concentration, clarity of thought, and problem solving skills. Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. Here’s what one reviewer says:
“When I started reading this book, I anticipated that it would be a boring read because I couldn’t imagine how a non-fiction book about the history and biology of human memory could be interesting. I was delighted and surprised to find out that this book is loads of fun to read. It features a cast of interesting characters, some useful tips about how to improve your own memory, and a premise that is compelling: turning someone with an average memory into a world-class competitive memory champion in less than a year. Although the book is well-researched, the subject matter never seems dry. The author presents it with lots of humor and anecdotes that had me chuckling out loud.”
And, read on for Colket’s ten ways to improve your memory and concentration…

10 Ways to Improve Your Memory and Concentration

Guest post – Alex Colket
Long-believed to be static, science has now conclusively demonstrated that our brains are plastic and ever-changing. Our brains are constantly being shaped by our thoughts and experiences, and by choosing these wisely, we can become smarter and healthier.  These tips for improving memory power will increase your memory and concentration.
If your memory is particularly poor, read 10 Brain Fitness Tips to Reduce Memory Loss.
1. Set and achieve your goals — it will improve cognitive health. Every time you set a goal and achieve it, you mentally reinforce the notion that you have the power over your life. It makes you feel strong, capable and better prepared for the next challenge. Accomplishments — both performance and self-improvement goals – remind you of the great potential of your mind and your life, and increase your desire to create a better memory.
2. Meditate to increase problem solving skills. Talk to anyone who practices this regularly, and they will extol the benefits of meditation on improving memory power! Talk to a neuroscientist about meditation, who will explain that it has a profound effect on the mind and the power to transform the physical structure of the brain.
3. Eat and exercise to boost memory power. Exercise is great for physical health, and it’s also an important way to improve your memory and concentration. Don’t underestimate the value of blood flowing to your brain. Get that heart pumping by jumping rope, taking a swim, or dancing around your apartment!  Avoid sugars and processed foods; instead eat whole foods such as grains, fruit, veggies and nuts. And, don’t forget the benefits of eating Omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Listen to music or make art to sharpen brain connections. If you aren’t used to playing music, take a seat at the piano or the drumset. If you don’t usually create art, grab that paintbrush or clay. Just do it – doing new creative, artistic things will give you more and better memory power.
5. Learn a new language to improve concentration. Yes, the “best” period for learning a new language is well past you. You will most likely never be able to make or hear all the sounds necessary for fluency. But don’t worry about that — learning a new language is great mental exercise and can be very useful for work, travel and making friends.
6. Find new hobbies to make your brain stronger. Picking up a new hobby or learning a new craft has many benefits.  Almost any new activity you pick up will provide you with meaningful challenge and stimulation, which are brain or memory “vitamins” that improve memory power.
7. Play brain games to improve memory and problem solving skills. Games have great potential to sharpen your mind, as they can be fine-tailored to a specific task and engaging enough to keep you working at it. With the advent of online brain fitness programs, you can now exercise your memory, verbal skill, attention, problem-solving, visuospatial ability and more all in one convenient place.
8. Challenge your balance and motor skills to boost brain power. Play with balls, whether it be juggling, ping pong or a game of catch. Learn to tie knots. Practice standing on one leg or walking along balance-beam like objects (better yet, do yoga or dance). These are fun activities that will help you develop a better memory.
9. Write to improve your cognitive health. If writing isn’t a regular part of your life, it should be (and I am not talking about business emails). Do something creative or expressive. Start a blog, keep a diary, compose a poem or find a pen pal. Or, write about something in your life – such as how illness has affected your brain and memory.
10. Feed your brain with sleep — it improves cognitive function. Insufficient sleep affects mood and performance considerably. Having a well-rested and well-fed brain is the foundation for all these other steps; without that, you may not have the energy for much else.
“Exercising our brains systematically is as important as exercising our bodies,” says Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, Clinical Professor of Neurology at New York University School of Medicine. “In my experience, ‘Use it or lose it’ should really be ‘Use it and get more of it.’”
For more memory and concentration tips, read How to Find the Right Brain Games and Brain Exercises.
If you have any thoughts improving your memory and concentration, please comment below…
Alex Colket is an amateur neuroscientist, professional game developer, and brain fitness junkie. Visit Play With Your Mind to check out his 100+ brain fitness games and tips on neuroplasticity, sustainability and cognitive health.

Friday, October 26, 2012

How Being Unreachable Makes Me More Productive


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How Being Unreachable Makes Me More Productive

Want to know a secret? I am not always reachable. I don't always answer my phone. Sometimes, I don't check email all day. And I get a lot more done because of it.

Knock, Knock…and Knock

One day I was in my office having a meeting on an important topic. Meanwhile, a colleague emailed me. Then he texted. Then he rang my desk phone, followed immediately by my cellphone. (I am not making this up.) And finally, he came downstairs and knocked on my door. At this point, I figured that something critical was going on, so I stepped out of the meeting to see what was so important.
It turns out he was simply looking for a reference document that he had misplaced. It was not urgent. Yet, this individual did not see the issue in repeatedly pinging and interrupting me. In fact, he was frustrated that he could not immediately reach me.

Limiting the Interruptions

I am a big believer that our communication tools are there for our benefit. Not for the benefit of others to constantly interrupt our lives. The answer to the question, "Why didn't you answer your phone?" is, "Because I was busy."
When I am working on something important, I tend to shut out all outside interruptions. I go to my unreachable island of isolation so that I can get work done.
Here are some of my favorite tactics to limit interruptions:
  • Don't Answer That Phone: If I don't know who is calling, I don't answer it. Plain and simple. That is what voicemail is for.
  • Use Privacy Mode to Limit Callers: I take control of who can ring my cellphone by usingPrivacy Mode. That way only the people who I allow can actually ring my phone.
  • Only Read the Important Email: I don't read email very often. When I do, I make sure that I read the important ones first. I use the new VIP Inbox and a great service called Saneboxto make sure that my most important email is what I see first.
  • Don't Read Unsolicited Email: Lots of people complain about spam. I don't get much. But, the ones I do, I just don't read. Delete, delete, delete.
  • Use Quick Forms of Communication: A quick IM, text, or tweet can be much more efficient in some circumstances. Sometimes it is not necessary to get on the phone or have a face-to-face chat.
  • I Shut My Door: When I am working on something that needs concentration and uninterrupted creative time, I shut my door. Don't let some misguided open-door policyprevent you from getting your work done.
  • Set Expectations: One of the best ways to limit interruptions is to set expectations with your team. Ensure they know the preferred methods of communications and when it is appropriate to interrupt.
  • Practice the Right to Decline: Many people feel guilty if they do not answer their phone or immediately respond to an email. Give yourself permission to decline the interruptions.
  • Isolate Yourself When Necessary

    I can go to my own island to avoid interruptions. And I may be unreachable, for a time, while I am getting work done. You are welcome to join me.
    Just make sure you turn your phone ringer off.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

How to Have More Free Time in Your Day


How to Have More Free Time in Your Day


Do You Need More Free Time in Your Day?

Having more time in your day is easier than you think. Often, all it requires is making some tweaks in your everyday habits. 5 minutes gained here and there can make a big difference when added up over a week.

Be Smart With Your TV Viewing

Watch TV Online

If you’re not careful, watching TV can chew up a lot of hours in your week and can become a major cause of procrastination. Obviously the easiest thing to do would be to cut down your tv viewing. However, If you’re not prepared to do that, how about watching them online instead?

Most free-to-air television stations (in Australia anyway) stream shows online for around a month after it airs on TV. The greatest benefit of this is no ad breaks! So watching a drama which would ordinarily consume 1 hour of my time now only consumes 40 minutes! So if there are 20 episodes in a particular season I would have saved myself 4hrs of ad viewing!

Make Use of Ad Breaks

If you do end up watching TV shows with ads, make the most of those commercial breaks. You could do quick cleaning bursts around the house, or do some quick push-ups or stretches in the breaks. Maybe there's a a drawer in the house you've been meaning to spring clean. If you do a little bit (say 3-5 minutes worth) every ad break, by the end of the show you should be done.
Breaking down jobs into small manageable chunks makes it appear easier to achieve, so set aside a few of these jobs for your TV ad breaks to get them done effortlessly.

Don't Let Emails Take Over Your Life

I've had the same email address for years, and have signed up to so many sites; especially those annoying daily deals type sites that email you each day; that it was common to get hundreds of emails a week. These days my email is far better under control. My 'junk' email is down to a minimum and it's only promotional emails that I have approved to receive. More importantly, I no longer waste hours a week sifting through useless emails to find legitimate ones.
A lean email inbox is an easy way to get more time back in your day, as not only are you not having to sort through junk email, you are less likely to be distracted by junk emails which can easily lead to procrastination.
Unsubscribing to email lists is the easiest way to get control of your inbox. If that sounds overwhelming to you, try to unsubscribe to at least 5 lists a day. (The unsubscribe link is at the bottom of the email.)I did this daily for around a month. It's amazing to think that It took me about a month of unsubscribing to 5 email lists a day to get my inbox under control. That's around 150 email newsletters that was cluttering my inbox! I still get the odd junk email coming in, but it's much easier to control these days.

Additionally, have 1 email account for the sole purpose for joining sites and another email dedicated just for personal correspondence and important emails. You could also have a third email for work colleagues.


Source: Audible

Listen to Audio Books

I love learning about new things and further developing my skills. Whilst I do like to read a good book from time to time, I much prefer audio books and podcasts as it means I can multitask at the same time.

I get most of my audio books fromaudible, as they have really cheap introductory offers and free trials where they give you a free book. Most of the audiobooks has been narrated by the author themselves which is a nice bonus.

Track Your time

This exercise is not for the lighthearted. For a few days, a week if you can handle it, track how you spend every minute of every hour. Now I don't mean checking your watch constantly and monitoring minute by minute. rather, check in with yourself every half hour or hour (maybe use an alarm on your phone or clock) and write down how you just spent that last 30 minutes.
Yes this is a very tedious task, but often patterns emerge that reveal ways in which we could save more time. For example, your time diary could reveal that in the course of a week, you go to the store several 3 times a week for groceries. Condensing this into 1 trip would save you a few hours.
Often examining how we spend out time reveals that we are more productive at certain times of the day. Which would mean you could adjust your schedule to fit in with the way you work. I personally work better on tasks that require high attention and focus in the afternoons, so in the morning I usually schedule lighter tasks and errands that don't require much focus.

What Are You Going to Do With This Free Time?

What are you going to do with your free time? Spend more time with your family, learn a new skill? Even an extra 15 minutes a day can make a big change to your life. Imagine if everyday this year you spent 15 minutes learning a new skill or learning to play an instrument, by the end of the year, just imagine how much more skilled you would be in those areas!
Alternatively 15 minutes a day spent mediating will make your days more productive. It needn't be mediation in a traditional sense, it could be painting, listening to music or going for a walk. it could be anything that gives you a sense of peace.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) Smarter


By Whitson Gordon

Whether you're trying to survive an intensive college schedule or just want to seem smarter in front of your friends, you can do a lot of things to both look and be smarter. Here are ten simple tricks for boosting your real (and perceived) brain power.

10. Read Faster and Better

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterObviously, one of the best ways to boost your intelligence is to read more! You can read faster (and thus consume more knowledge) by getting your speech mechanism out of the equation. So give your mouth something to do, like eating, humming, or chewing gum to get through that stuff quickly. Then, take some time to absorb and reflect on what you read to keep it in your memory. Whether it'sWar and Peace or just the Wikipedia Random button, you'll be surprised by how much more you learn when you're reading not just fast, but well. Photo by Zitona.

9. Speak Up (and Do It With Expression)

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterThe more you can contribute to a conversation, a meeting, or other discourse, the smarter you'll come off. Even if it means admitting ignorance or asking questions, you'll still look better than if you stay silent—and you might actually learn something in the process. Expressive speech is key: you can boost your credibility a lot by simply making sure you speak with an engaging tone. Change your pitch and volume as necessary, and try to minimize the number of pauses as you speak. A little confidence goes a long way. Photo by MagneticNorth.

8. Don't Fall Prey to BS

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterWhen someone's trying to convince you of something, they can often resort to logical fallacies, appeals to your emotion, and other "workarounds". Learn the most common forms of BS so you can detect them as they come up. By knowing what they are, you'll also be able to avoid dishing out those same fallacies yourself, which can be a big hit to your credibility if someone catches you.Image remixed from Evan Vucci (AP) and Pablo Martinez Monsivals (AP).

7. Focus on What You Know

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterWhen engaged in a heated discussion with your friends, you're bound to stumble upon a few holes in your knowledge. It's okay to admit when you don't know something, but if you're feeling particularly self-conscious and want to keep up the appearance of intelligence, the key is emphasizing what youdo know. If you're in an argument, don't stress disagreement so much as agreement—that way, you aren't straying away from things you know about. You're stressing the parts you do know while still taking part in the discussion. Photo remixed from originals by auremar andartenot (Shutterstock).

6. Get Some Exercise

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterA healthy body means a healthy brain. So, in between all the reading and mind-expanding, make sure you're leading a healthy physical life, too. That means eating right and getting regular exercise. A number of studies. have shown links between regular activity and intellecual capacity, productivity, and creativity. Will spending all day at the gym make you smarter? Not quite, but sitting around all day will not only kill you, but hinder your brain from being at its absolute best.

5. Talk to Yourself

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterWhile mumbling to oneself is often looked at the behavior of a crazy person, a recent study showed that talking out loud to yourself can help give you a temporary cognitive boost when trying to find something. The theory behind it: when you give yourself verbal labels to a task you're performing, you focus better on the task at hand at any given moment. So when you feel the need to open your mouth, don't fight the urge—it might help you get things done faster.Photo by atomicjeep.

4. Learn a Second Language

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterPeople who know a second or third language are often perceived as smart by others, but research shows that it can actually make you smarter, too. If you know a second language, you're able to adapt to and switch between certain mental tasks better than those that only know one, so if you want to give your brain a real boost, learning a new language is a real (and useful!) way to do so. It's not actually hard to do, either: all you need is this simple four step method to learn in just a few months.

3. Do Things the Hard Way

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterTechnology really has made our lives easier (after all, that's what Lifehacker's all about), but sometimes it's worth doing things the hard way. Take GPS navigation, for example: it's great that you can essentially never get lost, but if you rely on it too much, you'll never truly learn your way around. Instead, wean yourself off your GPS dependency and actually learn your way around town, develop a sense of direction, and learn to navigate using your brain. Doing things the hard way can help keep your brain sharp, so don't be afraid to forgo the easy stuff once in a while. Photo by Ramunas Geciauskas.

2. Know What Won't Make You Smarter

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterThere's a lot of work going into researching what makes us smarter—much of which we've mentioned here—but it's also important to know what won't make you smarter. Check out our list of nine stubborn brain myths that just won't die to see just a few examples, like "the internet is making us dumber" (it isn't, if you use it properly), "listening to classical music makes children smarter" (unlikely), or that "brain games make you smarter" (don't waste your time). The less time you spend on silly myths, the more time you can spend actually expanding your brain, so get these out of your system now. Photo by Igor Nazarenko (Shutterstock).

1. Just Believe You Can Be Smarter

Top 10 Ways to Make Yourself Look (and Be) SmarterThe last step? Just believe you can be smarter. Studies have shown that this simple belief can actually make it true. That isn't to say you should be pompous: you need toassume you aren't that great yet, which will leave you open to learning new things and asking new questions—the exact sort of things that can make you smarter. But it'll never happen if you believe your intelligence is somehow fixed, so once that roadblock is gone, you may find you're much freer to pursue the level of intelligence you want. If you're having trouble doing that, it may be time to recalibrate your reality—attitude is everything. Title image remixed from Alberto Zornetta (Shutterstock) and Petr84(Shutterstock).
Title image remixed from Malchev (Shutterstock).