#BLOGCHATTERA2Z2023

 

All about Amla

 I hardly knew anything about the Indian Gooseberry or Amla until four years ago when I incorporated Amla into into my diet. It has been a tremendous help. 

The Indian gooseberry or Amla as it is commonly known is a powerhouse of goodness and nutrition and is great for overall health. Scientific research has confirmed the many health benefits of Amla. The fruit's botanical name is Emblica Officinalis and is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Light green in colour with an almost translucent skin that is marked by 6 to 8 striations, the Amla is sour as well as bitter in taste. The fruit ripens in autumn and the harvesting is done manually. The skin is thin but tough. The flesh is juicy and tastes both sour and bitter. In the centre of the Amla lies a hexagonal-shaped stone with six small seeds. 

The tree is commonly found growing in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and some Middle Eastern countries.

Nutrition:

·        Amla is an excellent source of vitamins C, D and A.

·        Rich in calcium and iron.

·        Packed with phenols, flavonoids, tannins and anti-oxidants, the Amla can do wonders for your health

 

. Health benefits:

·        Helps in control of Diabetes – Amla is said to have hypoglycaemic effects and is said to regulate blood sugar levels.  

·        Aids digestion – Amla is a rich source of fibre and works as a natural laxative regulating bowel movements.

·        Reduces inflammation - Free radicals in the body damage the heart and skin and reduce immunity. The antioxidants in Amla help to neutralize the free radicals in the body and reduce inflammation.

·        Boosts immunity –The vitamin C present in Amla is said to boost immunity and fight infections.

·        Good for skin and hair -Incorporating Amla into your diet may also promote collagen production which in turn improves skin elasticity, and reduces fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and pigmentation.

 

                                                                                        

 

Sour, not sweet

The amla is hardly a treat

It is good for your health

And your health is your greatest wealth.

 

Amla can be consumed fresh, in supplement form or in powder form. By consuming the Amla you are helping your health but it would be a good idea to consult with your health care provider too.

Amla is available as Murabba, powder, Chawayanprash, Amlaprash and fresh fruit itself. Pickled Amla is a hot favourite of mine. I also add a tsp to my morning water concoction. From the plethora of Amla recipes, my personal favourites are the recipes of YouTubers Nisa Homey and Nisha Madhulika.

This post is part of#BlogchatterA2Z2023

Theme Reveal

 I've had a few health setbacks in the recent past. Through some good guidance, I was able to restore my health and have been able to sustain it so far. My A2Z posts will revolve around foods and practices that have been instrumental in helping me get my health back. 

     This is the first time that I am participating in such a challenge. I am unsure how far I shall go, but I will give it a shot. 

The Tree

 

Once upon a time

There was a tree

Deeply rooted in the earth

Its branches spreading wide

Thriving in the sunlight.

It provided shade and shelter to man and beast

Home to chirping birds and scampering squirrels

Its green leaves gently danced in the breeze. 

 Then shorn of its beauty and grace

It longed to be upright again

And feel the freshness of the rain.

 

No birds, no nests,

No little children

Climbing up in zest. 

 

Beloved tree!

You were in pain

Felled were you for trade and gain.

 

This post is part of the blogchatterbloghop link. 

Virtual Friends I would Like To Meet

  As you journey through life, you meet people of varying personalities, shapes and sizes and nationalities. You relate to some and slowly but surely a friendship may be forged. Some friendships last a lifetime and some just fizzle away. 

A strong and true friendship is generally based on qualities such as generosity, kindness, honesty, loyalty, empathy and other positive traits that will strengthen and hold the bond of friendship. However, every human being comes with his share of quirks. Friendships are forged in spite of the quirks and varying interests. The quirks may draw you to one another. 

Your friend circle will include, chaddi - buddies, friends made in school and college, work friends, neighbourhood friends, and train friends, if you happen to commute by train. Virtual friends are the latest addition to your friend circle. 

Virtual friends are those friends made on the internet. You haven't met them in person. You communicate with virtual friends through messages and chats. You and your virtual friends are not really aware of each other's temperaments until you meet. When and if the meeting happens, you could be delighted or you could be disappointed.

I would love to meet this bunch of very lively and spiritual ladies with whom I have been engaging only virtually for the past 3 years in a Bible study class once a week. After so much virtual interaction, I would be happy to see them in the flesh. The meeting could go any way and I must be prepared and I am. 

  I read this rather interesting article about 'losing friends along the way' The writer received a forward that said, 'if you are not losing friends then you are not growing up.'

 No man is an island and friends are an elixir to live. Life happens, you make friends and somewhere along the way you begin to lose touch with some of them, you find that you have very little or nothing in common, your goals and dreams differ, and you walk different paths in pursuit of your goals and dreams and you make new friends along those paths.  Hence in order to achieve your dreams and goals and to grow, says the writer losing friends is inevitable. "In order to move on, you need to outgrow people and situations. You don't need to break friendships, you stay in touch but just about." 
 My significant other swears by the fact that your only friends are the friends that you made in childhood and the college gang that you hung out with. By and large that belief contains many grains of truth.  There are however exceptions to the rule as chaddi-buddies are also known to have drifted apart. 
Social media has helped us find long-lost friends, and made reunions happen but many on our friend list remain faces and names on the list with no action or interaction. Some virtual 'friendships' are most disconnected. 
Count your friends when your life has been engulfed by storm clouds and you are sinking into the depths of despair. How many will help you weather the storm? Of those that hung out with you how many will hang in with you helping you weather the storm? I am thankful to those who have hung out with me in good times and bad. 
 

This post is part of the #BlogchatterBlogHop link.

 Another Women's day is just around the corner. It sure feels good to have a day dedicated to you and to have so many nice things said about you.  Yet the undercurrents like a fly in an ointment remain - the atrocities, as in the rapes, the injustices, harassment. It would be Women's day every day if these atrocities ceased. On one hand, you have the Ashok Leyland advertisement, encouraging and uplifting women and on the other, you have a woman in search of a makeup artist for her soon to be wed daughter and shown pictures of only very fair girls wearing makeup. 

Women's day would be more meaningful if women pledged to empower and uplift one another... says a friend. 

The Dark Side of Fair.

Woman is often referred to as the fairer sex. ‘How fairly am I treated?’ is the burning question in most women's minds. There are creams to brighten her skin tone and matrimonial advertisements ask for ‘fair brides.’ That’s as far as fair goes.  The Indian woman doesn't have it easy at all and yes she is angry, very angry at this gender bias. Her very birth is sometimes looked upon with disappointment. Her choice of career may not go down well with her family. Her single status is fodder for gossip mongers or she may be forced to marry a man of her parents’ choice. , she is told what kind of clothes to wear, where she must or must not be seen.  Parents are afraid of 'log kya kahenge?

  "Being human" is a popular tagline.  How humane is Indian society towards the Indian woman? Will she ever be treated without prejudice? When was the last time that a man was frowned upon for the clothes he wore or the habits he cultivated or the friends that he hangs out with?   While volumes are spoken about the upliftment and empowerment of women, a noticeable change is yet to be seen. Crimes related to dowry, rape, acid attacks, molestation, incest etc are inflicted on her every day. There is never a day when a newspaper does not carry a report on crime against women. 

The educated Indian woman is on a better wicket. In the professional field she has entered male dominated bastions; her wage quite often equals or exceeds that of her male colleagues. She is capable, smart, efficient and talented. However these qualities appreciated in men, will be subject to raised eyebrows as far as the ‘fairer sex’ goes.  Her every action and reaction is judged.

Kudos to the parents of the Sindhus and the Sakshi Maliks who have allowed their daughters to bloom and have not “married them off.” Being financially independent or at least contributing to the income of the house is a huge plus point for a woman today.  They have stood firm and have allowed their little girls to grow into women of substance.  Wonderful would be the day if more parents followed in their footsteps.

 The plight of the rural Indian woman is no better.  More often than not, she is simply a doormat to be trampled upon, used and abused.

Movies like Toilet..Ek Prem Katha  mirror the plight of our rural sisters.It is perfectly okay for a woman to defecate out in the open and cover her face with a ghunghat when a male passes by.Keshav(Akshay Kumar) first cajoles his educated state topper wife into joining the ‘lota party’ but she will not have it. His extremely rigid and orthodox father is scandalized by the thought of having a toilet in the house. Jaya ( Bhumi Pednekar) is finally successful in changing his attitude and Keshav is finally able to convince his father about the necessity of having a toilet in the house. Lipstick under the Burkha unveils the suppressed passions of four women in different age groups.  Rural or urban, it is time that Indian society recognizes the worth of the Indian woman and treats her with respect, care, and dignity.

 In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “It is very difficult to understand why in this country so much difference is made between men and women whereas the Vedanta declares that one and the same conscious self is present in all human beings. You always criticize women but say what have you done for their uplift? "