Sunday, 30 December 2012

Why parboiled rice or brown rice is good?


Why parboiled rice or brown rice is good?

Paddy farm

Paddy getting ready for harvesting

Rice is one of the best grains used throughout the world for centuries. Paddy is pressure steamed and then dried in its natural husk. Later the husk is removed by milling it. That is the way parboiled or brown rice is made out of paddy. While pressure steaming, a portion of the vitamins and minerals in the bran enters inside the soft rice. Some rice millers keep the bran. This bran is used to produce rice bran oil cattle feed, and certain vitamins. Higher the bran content, more the vitamins it contain and better the rice will be. 

Research has shown that people who take plain bran-free rice ( white rice) has got higher risk of diabetis , and people who use parboiled rice has better chance of preventing diabetes. Same is the case with cancer . According to Dr.Thomas Varghese, Cancer Research Centre in Kerala "five white things are responsible for the increasing cancer in Kerala . They are white rice, sugar, salt, Milk and Maida"

Look at the picture below. Avoid No.5. which is white rice, the bran is removed at the rice mills to make   rice bran oil and  some other vitamins. It is mainly starch only.

So next time you buy rice ask the shop keeper that you want the rice with full bran, and not the polished one which is merely starch. You hold the key to your health. Your  requirement and demand should drive the market and not the seller's.
Milled rice different  varieties.
  #1US style parboiled brown  ,# 2 is red cargo  rice with full bran      # 3 is wild rice with full bran (# 2 &3 is rice with full bran) ,
  # 4 Palakadan Matta parboiled brown         #5 Basmati raw rice (white rice) the starch only rice ( avoid it).
#3 Is Wild rice, most expensive rice. The best rice is one with full bran. Bran contains vitamins and minerals. Now brown basmati with bran is available

Sunday, 18 November 2012

Role of parents in keeping a healthy family


Role of parents especially mother in keeping a healthy family.





A healthy flower is a joy for all.
A healthy family is a happy family
Health is a personal and joint responsibility of a family. All family members should be health conscious. Parents especially mother has got a major role in keeping good health of whole family. Mother plans and prepares the food for the whole family. This determines the health and sickness of the family. In addition to teaching the best values, mother has a major role in teaching the best eating habits too. Most of the illnesses are due to bad eating habits. The best eating habits is to be taught from child hood. Teach the children that the best nutritious, natural, and unadulterated food is from the nature not from the supermarkets or food factories. The best cooking is the simple cooking, where the nutrients are not lost, not the complex one. High temperature cooking spoils the enzymes and nutrients. Boiling is better than deep fried, or baked. Teach our children to cook at least ten healthy dishes. Giving unhealthy diet, making the children obese and unhealthy is a kind of  child abuse. Children need our wisdom till they grow up. Sometimes we have to sacrifice taste for nutrition. There is no gain without pain.
Grow food in your backyard.

In a study it has been observed, children in US schools study more about health, but at home as well as outside they eat more junks. There are many families who suffer from ill health and realize it at a later stage. So it is better the whole family has to read and learn good health books at the earliest possible on: how to cook without losing the nutrients, what are the nutritional foods, how to eat, when to eat and what to eat and what not to eat. Simple cooking is better than complex cooking.

Love nature.
 Enjoy the beauty of it.

To drive a vehicle we should be a certified license holder who has passed the driving test. To run and manage a family efficiently the mother has to learn   nutrition, eating habits, healthy cooking habits etc. to keep the whole family healthy. Good books will be the best guide in this. Learn the traditional wisdom. If our grandparents lived over 90 years, with very less medicines throughout their life, learn the wisdom from them. Their wisdom is  worthier than  a university degree. Remember mother holds the key to eating habits, and health of a family. Find the wisdom in this old saying “you are what you eat.” Mother keeps and lubricates the wheel of life to role  it freely and continuously. The wheel of life is powered by many gears. The gears are healthy food, better relations, good habits, discipline, organizing, planning and values. 

We, Keralites are living in a society where anything sweet is considered as food and anything bitter or pungent is not food. (Read the article on tastes of food).We teach our children that way. We got the highest density of bakeries in the world. We are the only people on earth who fries fruits. We make fried banana chips from riped banana fruits.  We want everything oil cooked. Nenthra kai (Big banana) is eaten by South Americans, Asians but only we make the banana fruit chips.  Are we wise or stupid? We eat maximum starch and trans fats (fried food), with very less vitamins and minerals in it. We are overfed, overstressed, undernourished, and under exercised. These are the reasons for increasing obesity, diabetes, frequent illness and cardiac problems at an early age. We claim to be educated than our old generations. Yes, we got degrees, but we are short of wisdom on simple and  happy living. These are not taught in universities. Do we use our time proven traditional wisdom, or holding on to the ego that "I know everything" because I got a few university degrees?


Organic food is the best. It is  from kitchen garden.
 Kitchen Garden food is better than farm food (no pesticides)
Good food comes from the farm, not from super market shelves.
 Processed food is  engineered, contaminated by inorganic chemicals .

Let us be a part of shaping a  healthy and happy family, a community, and a nation. Healthy life is a team effort. Healthy living starts at kitchen, mother is the doctor and food is the medicine.  Let us teach our next generation food is food, and medicine is medicine. We can avoid medicine if we take healthy food and follow healthy lifestyle. Do we want  a future generation with lots of money and ill-health, or a generation that is healthy and happy? We hold the key for it. Show them the light.

Papaya- One of the best Indian fruit in nutrient content


Which is the best Indian fruit  in nutrient content?




The nutrient density is the ratio of nutrient content to the total energy content. The following nutrient Density index is made  from  100 gms of the fruit.








Nutrient Density index ranking


  1. Kiwi fruit
  2. 
    Papaya tree- So beautiful  and nutritious
  3. Papaya
  4. Strawberries
  5. Mango
  6. Lemon
  7. Orange
  8. Grapefruit
  9. Pineapple
  10. Grape
  11. Plum
  12. Banana
  13. Watermelon
  14. Peach
  15. Cherry
  16. Apple
 One of the recent report says Guava is the best fruit.  In the above chart guava is not shown. Any way papaya ranks one of the top three.

It is really amazing why we don't realize the importance of this exotic fruit. The following table shows the price of papaya in different countries. The price in India is less because of very less demand. People are unaware of its value.


Papaya is so cheap in India
Papaya price for 1 Kilogram

Country
Price of 1 KG papaya in Rupees
India
   20-35
UAE
   100
Canada
   250
USA
   250
Caribean island
   170

For the price of 1 kilo apple in India, we can get 5 kilos of papaya which may be ten times more nutritious. It was an old saying in the west that 'Apple a day keeps the doctor away'. But in India it is “ Papaya a day keeps the doctor away”. Kiwi is not common in India, and is expensive. Papaya is very cheap, grows locally  and best in nutrient content and Vitamins. It does not have any pesticides too. 
 

Nutrients in Papaya
Papaya contains an enzyme called papain. Papain helps digestion, tenderizing meats, clear beverages, prevent adhesion during wound healing.

Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin A , Potassium, vitamin C and bioflavonoids. It is known as the No.2 fruit in nutrient content. 100grams of Papaya contains 39-calorie energy; 234 mg potassium 1750 IU of Vitamin A and 56 mg of Vitamin C.  Studies show that high intake of potassium can help keep blood pressure normal.

 Encourage papaya farming.

 Papaya is a fast growing short-lived tree. It requires full sun, windbreaks, well-drained fertile soil and warm and humid climate. Peak production life of papaya is only a few years.

It can be used as vegetable as well as fruit. The green one can be used as vegetable and to tenderize meats.   Fruit can be eaten fresh, squeezed, candied, dried and make in to jellies.

Let us grow minimum three papaya trees in  a house to get regular supply of fruit and vegetable. Or grow two trees per person.You can grow them even in your garden. A small tree in between the bushes, and flowers looks beautiful.  Look at picture of the tree above. If you are student grow  a few trees in your school or college  grounds near the fence. Plant on the yards of churches, temples, offices, parks, police stations etc, where ever there is little land. Students and adults can form a club to grow this fruit tree in public parks like Trivandrum park, Ernakulum parks,  and Thekinkadu maidan, Trichur etc.

This is one of the fruit which does not require pesticides to grow, and rich in vitamins.

How to market it.
 Arrange to sell in the local shops. Form papaya growers society. Sell direct to the customers to get good price. Put a sign board "Papaya for sale"  Now  we are importing papayas in Kerala  from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. If we grow more we can export papaya to other parts of India or  Gulf countries.

How to grow more new papaya trees from the  existing tree or  from the one you like to cut?


Mount layering papaya tree to produce new one.

Mount layering.       1 Cut the papaya  tree      2. Wait for the shoots to grow.  3,Mount with soil,
                                          4) New roots emerge                        5) Cut the each shoot  and plant it.









 

Free tomato plant from the sucker branch cuttings?

Free tomato plant from the branch cuttings?

We have to prune the tomato plants for getting more yield. Cut the sucker leaves and branches. While cutting the branches keep the branch shoots for developing new plants. Cut the bottom leaves. Keep them in bottle for a week. You will see new roots are forming.  Plant them in ground as a new plant . It will start flowering with in two to three weeks. You save your time too.

Happy gardening.


Cut unwanted branch shoots



Keep in bottle of water for one week
- immerse 1.5 inch  in water



Watch it. New roots are  developed


New plant grown from branch is planted on ground. This is cherry tomato growing in the middle of kale.
Tomato fruits from the bottom of the plant. It saves time too.

Friday, 26 October 2012

Vertical gardening, the best choice for cities

Vertical gardening-the best choice for today.

Land is limited in cities. Same is the case with most populated areas. Kerala is not an exception. Like the buildings are growing upwards, gardening too has to grow vertically to reap the sunshine and utilize the limited land. Growing upward is a good choice when you don't have room to grow outward. You get more yield per square feet when doing vertical gardening. 



Vertical gardening on fence rail
Vertical gardening on fence
Tomatoes grow on fence rail- no need of support

The above pictures show how I made use of the space. Plant where you got soil, take the vine or branch to where you got the sunlight. Plant koval, pole beans, bitter gourd etc. on the ground and take the branch to your terrace. Make use of the fence, trellis, terrace etc.   to creep the plants. This is the ideal way in cities and most populated places. This is ideal for Kerala, where land is limited. I used my fence to grow tomatoes especially cherry tomatoes and pole beans. 




Vertical gardening.
Are you ready to start one? If I can, you too can. Learn & Enjoy. Do you want to know much? I will be more than happy to help you. 

Other Garden photos
Swiss chard- grows everywhere


"Though I am small I will do what I can" Apple tree- with 45 apples

The sunflower is the same size of a dinner plate
 




Monday, 22 October 2012

Happiness of growing a kitchen garden


Happiness of growing a vegetable kitchen garden!

Beatutiful Njali poovan- from  K.S.Abraham's  garden,
 Kurathikadu, Mavelikara.
Kerala imports more than 80 % of the vegetables from other States, creating jobs for others. What we get is vegetable   infested with pesticide which contains poison more than the human body can handle. You may remember there are few occasions in last year   Saudi Arabia banned the curry leaves exported from Kochi which was coming from Andhra and Tamil Nadu. The reason was that it contains more insecticide than the allowed limit. The poison content in vegetables leads to frequent illness and high rate of diseases like diabetes, kidney failures, cancer etc. Kerala is the world capital of diabetes now.  Moreover research has shown vegetable we buy from supermarket  loses up to 57%  of nutrients on its ways  from the farm to kitchen. It is high time that we have to do something to change our life style.  We are left with a choice: our life or our present lifestyle?
To quote Nikhil Swami Nathan in a recent article in "Psychology today" Nov 2012. published from US, " the U.S uses 22 percent of the world's pesticides to produce 4 percent of world's agricultural output."  The EPA sets safe levels.  "in reality we are exposed to multiple pesticide residue at one time. They lower IQ in kids and may cause ADHD".  In India the case  may be  worse.
Why do we grow a Kitchen garden? Look at the expressions of garden owners: “there is an intense flavor in my home grown vegetables” “They are fresh and delicious” “No pesticides”” Organic” “Self-reliant” “satisfaction of eating your own produce is immense” “I love peace and solitude in my garden” “Look at the miracle of a tiny seed growing to big plant” “It revitalize the energy, be with nature, what a privilege!”  “bye-bye to frequent illness, and avoid diabetes, and cancer” "I am happier and healthier now" How happy they are. Do you want to be?

Swiss chard- George Joseph , Thoppans garden,
 Kanthalloor, Munnar


Apple- George Joseph , Thoppans garden,
 Kanthalloor, Munnar, Kerala India.














If there is a will there is a way. Most of us like to give a lame excuses: ‘we don’t have time, or land, or expertise’ etc. All those big kitchen garden growers have started from a small way. Every day experiences  added up to their expertise and knowledge. The same will be your case too. There are people who are ready to help. Teachers are there when the student is ready to ask. Ask to learn.

Kale, George Joseph's Thoppans garden, Kanthalloor, Munnar
Look at the small gardens set up by a few, mostly retired Engineers in Kerala. If you cannot grow them, at least grow a few papaya fruit tree in your yard. It will give green papaya as a vegetable and an exotic riped papaya as fruit. It will make you happier and  healthier.

 "The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.  Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." 2 Timothy 2,6-7, Bible.

Malabar spinach , Sethu's garden, Ayswarya,Pettah Trivandrum.


Tomatoes & red spinach, Sethu's garden,Ayswaria, Pettah Trivandrum.

Kale- in plastic bag on terrace- Anish, BSNL, Trichur.

Avocado tree at the back of banana , in
Verghese Kankalil 's garden,Kurathicadu Mavelikara.


Cauli flower , Mathunny's garden, Kattanam.Kayamkulam, Kerala.

Monday, 1 October 2012

The secret in tastes and colors of healthy Food.

The secret in tastes and colors of healthy food. 

There is wisdom in the old saying “You are what you eat”. The nutritious the food we eat the better the health will be.

Six tastes of healthy food.

It is a paradox; we Indians don't give much importance to Ayurveda, which is originated in India. Around 1500 BC, Ayurveda's fundamental principles got organized and enunciated. People from various countries came to Indian Ayurvedic schools to study. Learned men from Rome, Greece, China, Egypt, Tibet, Persia travelled to India to learn the wisdom and taken that knowledge back to their countries.
 
Most of us know Ayurveda as means of healing. But more than  that, it is a way of living to prevent illness. Prevention is better than cure. Ayurveda is the art of daily living in harmony with the laws of nature. It is the ancient wisdom on health and healing: a science of life. It deals with both prevention and healing. According to Ayurveda all food can be categorized in to six basic tastes. All six tastes have to be consumed daily to get a balanced diet for a healthy living. Six different tastes represent all the nutritious food for healthy living.


Tastes
Food that contain the tastes
1
Sweet
Tubers and grains. Potatoes, yam, Sweet potatoes, tapioca, carrots, rice, wheat ,barley, peaches, melon
2
Salty
Salt- table salt, sea  salt, rock salt
3
Sour
Yoghurt, tomato, vinegar, cheese, green grapes, lemon and citrus fruits, tamarind, fermented soybean paste, wine.
4
Bitter
Fenugreek, bitter gourd, turmeric root, greens such as romaine lettuce, chard, kale, amla (gooseberry)etc.
5
Pungent- hot
Chilly, pepper, radish
6
Astringent
Unripe banana, cranberries, pomegranate, okra, beans, parsley, saffron, basil


The problem of today is that we mainly eat food with the first three tastes only- sweet, salty and sour; mainly sweet. This makes an imbalance in the nutrient content and body's requirements.  All grains like  rice,  wheat,  tubers like potatoes, tapioca  sugar contains starch, which is categorized as sweet. We get more of carbohydrates and less of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals.  We encourage our children not to try bitter, hot and astringent tastes. So they don’t get enough nutrients and at the same time they eat more  starch. Our parents and grandparents ate all the six tastes. Most of them lived long without much diseases. We are overfed, undernourished and over stressed. Our body cells are starving for nutrients leading to a shocking increase in the incidence of degenerative diseases especially diabetes and cancer. The present generation  starts treatment for the common multiple illness like diabetes, BP etc. around the age of 50. Our next generation if not properly taken care of, may start regular medicines at the age of 35. Is it progression or regression?


All the colours in vegetables.
Chinese scholar Hu Sihui, in his book “Principles of Correct diet” suggests five tastes.
“What determines human life is mind, which is the master of the body. If the body is at ease and in harmony with its environment, the mind will be able to deal with all changes of life. Thus it is important to keep the body in good repair and maintenance, the essence of which is to keep the golden mean. This is not to be deficient in nutrition and not indulge in excesses. Use the five tastes (saltiness, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, pungency) to temper the five vital organs. If these are at peace, the vital fluid in us will flow smoothly, then our mind will find its equilibrium, and the whole person will find himself in a state of supreme well-being.”
Hu Sihui, Principles of correct Diet- 1330

Tomatoes- different colors-different tastes.and nutrients.
Is our food naturally colourful or artificially coloured?
The modern nutritionists suggest a diet program that contains food rich in natural colors: the rainbow food. This is the same wisdom of Ayurveda.
The greater the naturally colorful  food we eat,
greater the likelihood that  we will receive a rich diversity of nutrients.  The world’s healthiest foods are naturally colorful. The rich phytonutrients provide them with the colors. These phytonutrients are anti-oxidants and, anti-inflammatory that helps to reduce aging and increase immunity.

These phytonutrients give carrots and squash their rich orange- red color, make orange the orange color, make beets a red and provide green to  leafy vegetables like kale and chard green. Imagine the different colors of fruits. Enjoy the food in colors enjoy the life in a healthy way.

Radiant red- tomatoes, papaya, watermelon,  pink grape fruit, pink and red guava etc. are rich in lycopene, a carotenoid, with powerful antioxidants properties that may help your heart healthy and may protect against cancer. To absorb lycopene from tomatoes add little oil with it.


Vivid yellow & orange- pumpkin, carrot, orange, mangoes, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, peach, squash, apricot etc contains beta carotene that is coveted to vitamin A . Vitamin A is an antioxidant, essential for your skin, bones and teeth.

Bright purple- red cabbage, blueberries, raspberries, blackberry, black currants, plums, red cranberries, concord grapes which contains anthocyanin, which acts like antioxidants to protect cells from damage.  It may help brain function and protect your heart.

Green- Kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, Malabar spinach, cabbage etc. contain chlorophyll which may detoxify the body. They are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium.

The processed food is added with artificial colors, processed by mechanical processing, and genetically engineered that have very less nutritional value.
 Do you like to have a naturally colorful vibrant food or artificially colored food? Your choice determines your health. Be your own light.




Different colours -rice
Rice- #1US style parboiled,# 2 &3  is rice with full bran ,# 4 Palakadan Matta boiled #5 Basmati. #3 Is Wild rice, most expensive rice. The best rice is one with full bran. Bran contains vitamins and minerals.



Rice- all with bran


 

Tuesday, 25 September 2012

Calm sutra in Burnaby backyard garden


 ‘Calm Sutra’ in Burnaby backyard garden!
 What is meant by ‘Sutra’in sanskrit? It means a collection of rules.
Tomatoe




Kale- King of leafy vegetables, the super food of tomorrow. 










Do you feel stressed ? Do you want to know there is a way out? Stress means lack of calmness, or relaxation. Do you know there is relaxation at your own backyard? Do you think your backyard garden is something you can ignore? No, your backyard is the place where you can learn the realities of life, relax your mind, and make you stress free. It is here that you can transform yourself to a happy and healthy human being. Gardening is an anti-dot for ageing. It makes you sweat and detoxify. It keeps you physically, mentally and spiritually healthy. It connects you to the nature and God.  It is the place where God has told you to grow your healthy, delicious, nutritious, and diversified organic food. It is the best supermarket to get the finest vegetables and fruits without pesticides on earth. It is the place where you can grow healthy kids and families with team spirit. It is the place where you learn basics of micro-economics of saving.
According to Bible God created first the ‘Garden of Eden’ then Adam, the first man on earth.
Tomato on electric post!. One bucket .
2 plants-one on top, another at bottom
Vertical gardening best suited for
cities where ther is  no much place to grow.
32 tomatoes
 The Garden of Eden was created for mankind. “God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food” Genesis 2.9, Bible.
Onion flower


Grapes-  'Vitis Vinefera' variety - in our backyard, Burnaby, Vancouver, Canada

Land is limited to modern urbanites. Why are the villagers healthy, when the urbanites are quite often sick? There are many reasons. One of the reasons is that the vegetables urbanites get from faraway places or countries are pesticide and preservative infested and vitamin depleted. Do you know the vegetables available in supermarket coming from far away countries lose almost 50 % of the nutrients on its way from the farm to your kitchen?  Do you know frozen vegetables are better than the fresh we found in supermarket? What is the solution for this? Start your own vegetable garden in your backyard. Grow your own food.God meant your backyard like ‘Garden of Eden’.  God intends it to do physical exercise, love nature, relax your mind and to grow food. Look at your backyard for organic food not at the supermarket.
 I started this in a small way. I researched many plants, books, videos, observed the plants growing for years to learn how to grow them. I tried, failed at times and reached success. When I failed my inspiration was Thomas Alva Edison who failed 10,000 times. I found that if I can grow a good garden anyone can grow a few vegetables at their backyard easily anywhere on the planet.
Our cat Yohan certifies the crop.
It is not only a place to grow food.  It teaches me the universal truth of living. It teaches the lessons to remain calm. This is what the universities won't teach you. 
What did I learn from my backyard?
 1.        What I sow is what I will harvest. I am the creator of my destiny. I cannot expect tomatoes when I plant watermelon. I planted tomatoes. I got them in abundance.
 2.            Life is an Echo. When I give love, I get love in abundance. When I take care of my lovely plants they greet me with its beauty and yield. Is it an answer for the increasing divorce rates, unhappiness, and depression in our society.  Give first, then take. Find happiness in giving rather than take or show the attitude of  let others give. 

When blueberry is filled with fruits it bows its head "Nameste""I bow you".
Humility comes when one is full and great.
 3.            Our life will be successful when we create all the positive ingredients for it.  When sun shines and temperature is warm my pole beans grow 4 to 6 inches a day. They open themselves to greatness and absorb the energy of the universe. Are we open to absorb greatness and energy from this universe? 
4.            When one is filled with greatness he/she becomes tolerant, humble and simple. My blueberry, when it ripens with plenty of fruits it will bend its branches to say “I bow you.” “Namaste”
Garlic- flower & seed. The wonder drug!
5.            Inner strength is better than outer protection and decoration. I give my plants self-made diluted enzymes, green tea rather than protecting by spraying insecticides. They don’t have much pest attacks.Their inner strength resists pests and diseases.

6.            Silence is better than argument, criticism, judgments, blame and quarrel. When weather turns harsh, my plants remain silent. When heavy wind blows, or sun gets hotter it remains silent. It always dreams of a better day. When the water gets dry the roots go silently deeper searching for water. 
7.            Be thankful to others. My plants give me fruits and vegetables for the care I give. When you see an 'iphone' think of the hardships Steve Jobs has undergone to produce  a super product and be thankful to him. Think of the days he has waited for a good meal in front of Hare Krishna temple, the days he had been pushed out from Apple Board of Directors, think of his sleepless nights and dedication and finally fall under the grips of cancer. What we enjoy today is the result of sacrifice of our parents and those who contributed to this world. Be grateful.
Currant
 8.            We are all born for a purpose. Plants give happiness from the day they shoot from the seeds. When it ripens it rewards with its fruits. When they die they fertilize the earth for the next generation. They say “I am born to make others happy, not to give any troubles”. We are the ones who make a brighter day.
Pole Beans, Leaf size - 12 inch
9. Give to others rather than take everything for you. My backyard is filled with different plants. Some of them I keep mainly for bees, some for birds and some produce for my friends. Imagine a world there is no bees. Then there is no pollination, no fruits, no reproduction and no food for mankind.  Help other creatures on earth which helps us in its own way. We are part of this uni-verse. A single song. Let us sing the song of life together in this planet.
10. Imagine a universe of unity, divine power and peace. That is the way to God. We got different vegetables, fruit trees and herbs in our garden.  They all live and grow together in harmony, no difference based on species, gene, colour, creed, religion or nationality. Sometimes the creepers climb on trees. They kiss each other, embrace each other, lean each other and hold each other. When they breath oxygen, when they photosynthesize with sunlight, when they get fertilizer and water from the soil, they feel the holy presence of God. They enjoy the divine power. Our backyard garden has a gift to share. It is the essence of collectiveness and harmony between creatures: earthworms, bees, plants, birds and humans. "I am; because of you". All our garden plants have a prayer for the whole humanity.
Fig tree with fruits riped

Om asatho ma  sath gamaya
Tamaso ma jyothir gamaya
Mrithyor ma amrtham gamaya
Om Santhi, Santhi, Santhi

O Lord! Lead me,
From untruth to Truth
From darkness to Light
From death to Immortality
Peace, Peace, Peace be with you

Juicy fig

When you realize the realities of life, you will learn the art of calming yourself, and the art of reducing stress. You won't react, but pro-act. You won't get angry fast. You won't show ego, pride, rudeness and arrogance. Instead you create a sense of universal love, patience, sacrifice and simplicity. There lies basics of calmness and godliness. Only in calmness lies the power of relaxation, health, creativity, and happiness. Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha, Vivekananda, Albert  Einstein, Thomas Alva Edison etc. shown that through their life. Let us learn from them. This is the way to relax your body, mind and spirit. This is the sutra to calm down in your busy life. This is the mantra of life. This is the way to inner peace and happiness. Look at your backyard garden. Explore peace and happiness there.

Om Shante . (Peace be with you.)

'Namaste'  "I bow You"
Gold plum 5 years old  plenty fruits shared with others.


Gold plum fully riped