Home made vs off-the-shelf food

I wrote this last year during Maggie row....

Let us see following criteria to understand the difference.

Preservatives: It is an open secrete that most of the processed and fast food has some amount of chemicals to preserve the food longer or increase it's shelf life...Some of them are GMO with or without labeling. This includes the regular flour (atta) we buy at store. Do you want to check the quality of flour which is used to make burger or noodles or pizza base or many more items...why it remains unaffected whereas the homemade flour at home doesn't last more than 2-3 weeks...

Salt: The salt content is very high in ready made that is used for flavor, addiction and preserving the food longer. We usually don't use this amount of salt in freshly cooked food.

Oil: Most of the oil we buy are refined or super refined that is bad for heart. The Indian style unrefined oil is not used by anyone (except in rural area) anymore. 

Are you aware that the oil in fast food resultants...most of them change once in a week. The oil once changed is heated for whole day for entire week, restaurant workers just add additional oil when the quantity is reduced. Do you want to check the quality of oil which is over heated several times on continuous basis???

Meat: Ever though of what kind of meat is used and how it is produced and processed? If you ever see the videos how sausages are made, will you be able to consume them?

Pickles and sauces: Pickles (Indian) or sauces in store are overloaded with oil, salt and preservatives. 

Calories: There is huge difference in the calories you consume when you eat food at home or outside. The home food may have average calaries (400-600) per meal considering moderate diet of lentil (dal), rice, vegetables, and salad. However, the same could be twice if you eat meal in the restaurant and unknowing about hygiene and other criteria.

What we can do?

I remember, my grandma and even my mother did for while....used summer vacations to prepare all those papad, pickles, noodles/simaya and many more items for the entire year.

Now, girls will say - it is outdated and time consuming process...but well, NO. Because there are modern equipments available... There are latest technology based grinder, atta makers and other equipments...one don't have to spend so much time in the kitchen.

I was talking to one of my friends in Mumbai. She mentioned about making atta, besan, masala at home using mini-chakki atta...she is doing it once in a week. 10min work. Masala / bensan once in month...why don't we use the latest technology to ease out daily stress instead of giving-in to outside poor quality food...

I make chivada, namkin, mysor pak, kheer (not using MTR), many sweets and namkin at home whenever I get time. I enjoy doing it too...No matter how much you are busy, you can always spend an hour or two in a week for this.

Indian street snacks made by smaller vendors are better as most of them consume what they cook for the day before closing the shop. Next day they start with new preparation like vada pav, samosa, chat kachori. Most of them do not know how to preserve the food longer using chemicals, so, they are cautious about the quantity. Only part you need to check is - water source.

Eating good food is a part of happiness...so enjoy your life with good food not with disease that will bother you and your finances during old age....

In the article - Nestle, PepsiCo and others 'use public funds to develop harmful snacks' Guardian mentioned Tim Lobstein, director of policy at the World Obesity Federation“While there may be good reasons to encourage companies to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, we also urge that the health impact of the products should be the first criterion for giving out public funds,” he said. “Why are we helping multinational corporations to make chocolate and snacks cheaper while obesity and diabetes rates are rocketing?” 

The most shocking part was the article by Dailymail, UK, "As obesity costs Britain £50bn a year and rising companies including Nestle and Pepsi given money to improve products" quoted Professor Philip James, chairman of the charity’s trustees, said: ‘Some of these grants are greater than the amounts spent by local health services tackling overweight in adults and children.’

In the paper - Biased, conflict of interest in Science controversial Industry funding of infant feeding studies by Lorretta Kopelman has alleged that it impacted the research (conducted by Popkin on infant mortality) in way of collecting, interpreting and reporting the work. It was also mentioned that Nestle promoted their baby food-formula during late 80s and early 90s...

Make health at home...with low cost, with less effort and with long lasting one...

‪#‎notomaggie‬ ‪#‎nestle‬ ‪#‎fastfood‬ ‪#‎processedfood‬ ‪#‎MaggieMuddle‬

Sanskrit Shlokas on Mothers Day

Here are few lovely Sanskrit shloka on MOTHER to share with you on Mother's Day! This will help us realize how we treated or expected to be treated 'mother' and 'women' in our society during ancient days.

1. आयु: पुमान् यश: स्वर्ग कीर्ति पुण्यं बलं श्रियं ।
    पशु सुखं धनं धान्यं प्राप्नुयान्मातृ वन्दनात् ।।

A man who serve mother truthfully will be blessed with long life, success, haven, fame, Laxmi, wealth, cattle, food grain, and everything.


2. जननि जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसि 

After Ravana's defeat, lord Rama said to Laxman, "Own Mother and birthplace are beautiful and greater than haven."
When Laxman, younger brother of Rama asked Lord Rama to acquire the kingdom (Sri-Lanka) after they had defeated and killed Ravana in the war, Lord Rama advised him to hand over the kingdom to Bibhishan, Ravana's younger brother, a rightful king as it was his mother land and Bibhishan inherited it after his elder brother's death. We must respect others' land or wealth (or women) without thinking of acquiring it in anyway. 

3. मातृपितृकृताभ्यासो गुणितामेति बालकः । 
    न गर्भच्युतिमात्रेण पुत्रो भवति पण्डितः ।।

Indian mother and father insist on studies so that their child gain adequate knowledge and skill to lead a respectable life. There is a saying - a king is respected within his kingdom, but a knowledgeable person is respected everywhere.

4. मातृवत परदारेषु परद्रव्येषु लोष्टवत्। आत्मवत् सर्वभूतेषु यः पश्यति स पंडितः।। 

A noble people treat and respect all the women (except his own wife) as mothers. They consider others' wealth as dust and have no intention of acquiring it in anyway. In addition, they also treat and love every living-being or creature and cause no harm to them in anyway.

5. माता मित्रं पिता चेति स्वभावात् त्रतयं हितम् |
    कार्यकारणतश्चान्ये भवन्ति हितबुद्धय: ||

Mother, father and friends are the only people who are interested in your well-being in real way. Thinking of 'good' about you is part of their nature and they do it without any condition or expectation or personal gain. So, value them as others in your life may have business/professional relationship based on certain spoken or unspoken terms and condition/benefits.

6. आदौ माता गुरौ पत्नी ब्राह्मणी राजपत्निका
    धेनुर्धात्री तथा प्रथ्वी सप्तैता मातरः स्मृतः

The ancient Indian tradition teaches us to respect our own mother first, then others in following order - teacher's wife (a brahmin lady), a queen, a cow, a foster mother and the mother earth.  We consider them as MOTHER and respect them at par...

7. मातृदेवीम नमस्तुभ्यं मम जन्मदात्रिम त्वम् नमो नमः ।
    बाल्यकाले मां पालन कृत्वा मातृकाभ्यो त्वम् नमाम्यहम ॥

I salute my mother who gave me birth; I also salute my other mothers (women) who added knowledge and wisdom to my actions and life to make me a good human being.

8. मातृ देवो भव् पितृ देवो भव्
    आचार्य देवो भव्, अतिथि देवो भव्

Let you be one who worships mother, father, teachers and guests as 'God'.

When we study our ancient scripture, we realize that there is profound respect given to mother and women in general. So, read the original scripture to know yourself.

Mother's Day

Brahmagupta’s contribution to Mathematics - Rules for "zero"

Against the popular perception, I would say that none including Aryabhat has invented ‘zero’ because the concept of ‘zero’ was always part of our life in different way academically or professionally since the origin of the universe.

Brahagupata’s major contribution to modern science and technology was - how to use zero in mathematical calculations that is used as base to calculate every field. He has formed the set of rules in the mathematics for positive and negative number in addition to forming the rules for using zeros in calculations and that has become the basis of mathematics and rest of the field including economics, finance, physics, chemistry, astronomy and so on…

Brahmagupta was born in 598 CE and died in c. 670. He lived in during king Vyagrahamukha in Bhillamala (modern Bhinmal) a capital of Gurjaradesa Chapa dynasty, one of the largesst kingdoms of Western India in parts of southern Rajasthan and Northern Gujarat.

He studied 5 traditional siddhantas in Brahmapaska in one of top schools for the astronomy during those days.

He also studied his predecessors’ (Aryabhata I, Latadeva, Pradyumna, Varahamihira, Simha, Srisena, Vijayanandin and Vishnuchandra) work to continue their research work. His rules of zero is in continuation of Aryabhata I ‘s work.

Brahmagupta gave the solution of the general linear in chapter eighteen of Brahmasphutasiddhanta,

bx + c = dx + e equivalent to x =< (e−c) / (b-d)


In chapter eighteen of Brahmasphutasiddhanta, Brahmagupta describes operations on negative numbers. He first describes addition and subtraction,

18.30 (Additions)

· 3 + 4 = 7 (a positive number)

· -3 + (-4) = -7 (a negative number)

· -3 + 4 = 1 (positive number)

· 3 + (-4) = -1 (negative number)

· -3 + 3 = 0 (zero when both positive and negative numbers are same)

· -3 + 0 = -3 (negative number)

· 3 + 0 = 3 (positive number)

· 0 + 0 = 0 (no difference)

18.32 (subtractions)

· -3 – 0 = -3 (negative number)

· 3 – 0 = 3 (positive number)

· 0 - 0 = 0 (no difference)

· 3 - (-4) = -1 (negative number is added)

· -3 – 4 = - 7 (negative number is added)

18.33(Multiplication)

· 3 * - 4 = - 12 (one negative and one positive product becomes negative number)

· 3 * - 4 = 12 (two negative becomes positive)

· 3 * 0 = 0 (any number multiplied with zero is zero)

18.34 (Division)

·     3
     ----  = 1 (positive number)
      3

·    - 3
       ----  = 1 (positive number)
      -3

·    0
    ---  = 0 (zero)
     0

·     3
     --- = -1
     -3

·      -3
      ---  = -1
       3

·    √0   =  0

·    0 square   = 0

·    0
    ----
     0

·    3
    ---- = undefined
     0

Except the last definition of zero, we use all his rules in the modern mathematics.

Watch out this space for part II on his other contributions in calculating complex mathematical formulas.

References:

Brahmagupta (598–668)," Department of Mathematics, Simon Fraser University (British Columbia, Canada), http;//www.math.sfu.ca/histmath/India/7thCenturyAD/Brahmagupta.html (February 17, 2006).

"Brahmagupta (ca. 598–ca. 665)," Wolfram Research, http://www.scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Brahmagupta.html (February 17, 2006).

"Brahmagupta," School of Mathematics and Statistics, St. Andrews University, http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/∼history/Mathematicians/Brahmagupta.html (February 17, 2006).

"Brahmagupta," Vidyapatha, http://www.vidyapatha.com/scientists/brahmagupta.php (February 17, 2006).

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Brahmagupta.aspx

भारत की संस्कृति - Vedic Knowledge

०१ ) दो पक्ष- कृष्ण पक्ष , शुक्ल पक्ष !  ०२ ) तीन ऋण - देव ऋण , पितृ ऋण , ऋषि ऋण !  ०३ ) चार युग - सतयुग , त्रेतायुग , द्वापरयुग , कलियुग !  ०४ ) चार धाम - द्वारिका , बद्रीनाथ , जगन्नाथ पुरी , रामेश्वरम धाम !  ०५ ) चारपीठ - शारदा पीठ ( द्वारिका ) ज्योतिष पीठ ( जोशीमठ बद्रिधाम ) गोवर्धन पीठ ( जगन्नाथपुरी ) , शृंगेरीपीठ !  ०६ ) चार वेद- ऋग्वेद , अथर्वेद , यजुर्वेद , सामवेद !  ०७ ) चार आश्रम - ब्रह्मचर्य , गृहस्थ , वानप्रस्थ , संन्यास !  ०८ ) चार अंतःकरण - मन , बुद्धि , चित्त , अहंकार !  ०९ ) पञ्च गव्य - गाय का घी , दूध , दही , गोमूत्र , गोबर !  १० ) पञ्च देव - गणेश , विष्णु , शिव , देवी , सूर्य !  ११ ) पंच तत्त्व - पृथ्वी , जल , अग्नि , वायु , आकाश !  १२ ) छह दर्शन - वैशेषिक , न्याय , सांख्य , योग , पूर्व मिसांसा , दक्षिण मिसांसा !  १३ ) सप्त ऋषि - विश्वामित्र , जमदाग्नि , भरद्वाज , गौतम , अत्री , वशिष्ठ और कश्यप!  १४ ) सप्त पुरी - अयोध्या पुरी , मथुरा पुरी , माया पुरी ( हरिद्वार ) , काशी , कांची ( शिन कांची - विष्णु कांची ) , अवंतिका और द्वारिका पुरी !  १५ ) आठ योग - यम , नियम , आसन , प्राणायाम , प्रत्याहार , धारणा , ध्यान एवं समािध !  १६ ) आठ लक्ष्मी - आग्घ , विद्या , सौभाग्य , अमृत , काम , सत्य , भोग ,एवं योग लक्ष्मी !  १७ ) नव दुर्गा -- शैल पुत्री , ब्रह्मचारिणी , चंद्रघंटा , कुष्मांडा , स्कंदमाता , कात्यायिनी , कालरात्रि , महागौरी एवं सिद्धिदात्री !  १८ ) दस दिशाएं - पूर्व , पश्चिम , उत्तर , दक्षिण , ईशान , नैऋत्य , वायव्य , अग्नि आकाश एवं पाताल !  १९ ) मुख्य ११ अवतार - मत्स्य , कच्छप , वराह , नरसिंह , वामन , परशुराम , श्री राम , कृष्ण , बलराम , बुद्ध , एवं कल्कि ! ( २० ) बारह मास - चैत्र , वैशाख , ज्येष्ठ , अषाढ , श्रावण , भाद्रपद , अश्विन , कार्तिक , मार्गशीर्ष , पौष , माघ , फागुन ! ( २१ ) बारह राशी - मेष , वृषभ , मिथुन , कर्क , सिंह , कन्या , तुला , वृश्चिक , धनु , मकर , कुंभ , कन्या ! ( २२ ) बारह ज्योतिर्लिंग - सोमनाथ , मल्लिकार्जुन , महाकाल , ओमकारेश्वर , बैजनाथ , रामेश्वरम , विश्वनाथ , त्र्यंबकेश्वर , केदारनाथ , घुष्नेश्वर , भीमाशंकर , नागेश्वर ! ( २३ ) पंद्रह तिथियाँ - प्रतिपदा , द्वितीय , तृतीय , चतुर्थी , पंचमी , षष्ठी , सप्तमी , अष्टमी , नवमी , दशमी , एकादशी , द्वादशी , त्रयोदशी , चतुर्दशी , पूर्णिमा , अमावास्या ! ( २४ ) स्मृतियां - मनु , विष्णु , अत्री , हारीत , याज्ञवल्क्य , उशना , अंगीरा , यम , आपस्तम्ब , सर्वत , कात्यायन , ब्रहस्पति , पराशर , व्यास , शांख्य , लिखित , दक्ष , शातातप , वशिष्ठ ! *********************

प्राण (Pran) - Interpreting the misinterpretation

'प्राण' word is grossly misinterpreted by West started with Germans. प्राण is not breathing as most of us misinterpret/understand as we associate with word प्राणायाम because the meaning is interpreted through a very narrow prism of breathe-in and breathe-out, that is incorrect. The reason is, there are exact words for breathe-in (श्वास) and breathe-out (उच़छवास).

The meaning of word 'प्राण' goes beyond breathing-in/breathing-out, because, it consists of 'expression of life' through body and mind or manifestation of life. This is controlled by 5 senses along mind in the form of intellectual and emotional expression.

When we say his प्राण is gone simply means he is dead. His life is gone along with all physiological activities (seeing, hearing, eating, smelling, touching, sleeping, breathing, moving, excreting, grasping) knowingly/unknowingly and expressions in various forms.

प्राणायाम precisely means we exhale and inhale life. When we exhale an old breathe, we do it along with all the expression, perception and thoughts related to the past i.e. we are leaving out the past memories and feelings associated with it.

When we inhale a new breathe, we do it along with new expression, perception and thoughts i.e. welcoming the new life. This is a practice of letting go the past and welcoming new life to reduce stress of past burden and bring in peace and freshness in our life.

Morning - New Beginning (picture taken in Bali, April, 2015 (C) Vedic Gyan)

(Source: interpreted from Chinmayswami's discourse on Gita)

Yoga and Modern life

While many people debate and discuss over Yoga, there is one indisputable truth is - no previous Indian government took effort to preserve or promote yoga in anyway, which is one of the richest Indian legacy and a gift to the world. Actually, yoga should have been a part of our early education to build the correct attitude towards healthy lifestyle. However, prior to late 90s, the knowledge of yoga in India was available to exclusive few. 

Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri's made huge contributions by bringing people from all the backgrounds into yoga fold...they easily made it available to the commoners during last decade. PM Modi took this to the next level and got UN / global recognition creating a bigger appeal among common citizens across the globe, especially developing and poor countries. (pls check out the pictures from Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt and so on)...

Most of us would have been shocked if we new how people in small towns in USA practically knew yoga and made it as a part of their fitness regime decades ago....and today we are still debating over yoga - right or wrong, secular or communal, good or bad....what is wrong with us?

Sharing my personal experience.... My elder sister and I were first introduced to yoga through a proper 20 days yoga camp during our high school days where the Mr Iyangar, the yoga guru taught us following 4 limbs of Yoga (Yamas, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama). 

When we attended the camp, we didn't realise how much impact that camp would make in our lives...but it indirectly kept us away from unhealthy lifestyle, because along with yoga, life-style change was big part of teaching. All that helped us build the attitude towards creating a balanced life.

BTW, the yoga, we learned was much closer to the original form and is different from what we understand from media and modern gurus in a gym as the yoga taught these days is sort of commercial and Americanised, may be for creating a wider appeal.

For example, PM Modi's video on 'Shavasana' had only physical activity (lying down and relax) but missed the mind relaxation process that is integral part of 'Shavasana'.

But, at least, we have started somewhere...Hope we take it to the next level by introducing it into the schools to build the right attitude towards life...

#Yoga #modern #healthy #life #sandhya, #sandhya jane #patanjali yoga sutra #balanced #positive lifestyle #Vedic Knowledge #vedic #gyan

Hindus see divinity in all living creatures.

Through the centuries, Hindu religious scripts, stories, and rituals have attempted to drive home the importance of preserving nature by deifying every form of it.

For us, Ganga is not just a river but a mother, a goddess, and much more. It’s considered holy because it sustains life on a huge and fertile delta.

Peepul, Banyan and Neem are not just trees but they are regarded as the embodiment of deities and we worship them. The Bel leaves and fruits, Mango leaves, Tulsi leaves and Coconuts are offered to the God during worship. The Lotus is a sacred flower for Indians. The banana plant and leaves are used for decorating the temple and worship. Ayurveda tells us that all plants and flowers have medicinal value.

The bond between Indian people and trees is very strong. Ramayana and Mahabharata have innumberable descriptions of trees and forests. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna compares the world to the Banyan tree because it is so large and provides a home to many different creatures. The Mahabharata says that ‘even if there is only one tree full of flowers and fruits in the village, that place becomes worthy of worship and respect.’

In Indian iconography, there is a close relationship between the various deities, and their animal or bird mounts. Each God or Goddess is associated with a particular animal or bird, and this lends a special dimension to the animal kingdom.

Krishna is worshipped along with his cow who gives us so much yet asks nothing in return. Shiva is worshipped alongwith his bull Nandi. Vishnu flies on Garuda the Vulture. Saraswati is worshipped with her swan and peacock and Laxmi is worshipped with her owl. When you seek blessings from Ganesha, you seek blessings from his companion –mouse - too. Ganesha, the son of Shiva, is a combination of elephant and man; the elephant is worshipped in this country and even today forms an integral part of many temples and festivals.

We do not look upon cattle as mere beasts of burden, but treat them with dignity and gratitude; On the harvest festival in many parts of the country, bullocks, which are an integral part of the village economy, are honored, decorated and taken out in processions across the village.

The concept of ahimsa prevents a Hindu from causing harm to any creature, and therefore, many Hindus are vegetarian.

In Hindu pantheon, God incarnated himself first in the form of a fish and then a tortoise. His fifth incarnation was a man-lion.

The Atharva-Vedic concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam includes human beings, animals, and all living creatures. It says that human beings cannot command or demand mastery over other creatures and are forbidden from abusing and damaging the nature. People did not spring fully formed to dominate lesser life, but evolved out of these forms and are integrally linked with them. They are expected to live in harmony with Nature.

Ahimsa does not only mean no violence to human beings. It also means no violence to air, rivers, oceans, plants, trees, forests, mountains, birds and animals.

But somewhere down the line, we forgot who we are and what is our relationship with nature. We thought worshipping trees is what uneducated rustic people do. We thought Ganga is a just a river and not our mother. We thought that the story of Ganga descending into the earthly planet as a result of severe austerities performed by Bhagiratha is a myth. We forgot how Yamuna was an important part of Krishna’s consciousness. We started mocking those who said that mountains are abode of Gods. We started treating Cow as just an animal and not our mother who gives us so much yet asks nothing in return. We forgot that lions and tigers are our God’s transport and not to be hunted. We thought vultures presented an ugly sight and we didn’t care as they were getting wiped out.

It’s time we woke up.

It’s time to recall who we are.

It’s time to recall what our ancestors taught us.

It’s time to recall we are part of this Nature of which birds, animals, trees, forests, rivers, and mountains are part too.

It’s time to understand that we cannot destroy the Nature without destroying ourselves.

It’s time to seek our own security!

It’s time to save the Earth!

It’s time to internalise the mantra of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam!’

It’s time we start seeing divinity in all living creatures.

Written by - Mr Rakesh Shrivastava 

‪#‎WorldEnvironmentDay‬