La' Dolce Vita Fulfilled !!!

Italy is not only about pasta and pizzas. Italy brings to mind many more things. Such as Bruschetta, Risotto and Mushrooms ’ la grecque. Today, at Cappuccino (Park Sheraton Hotel) began the Cooking Fiesta. Rohit Ghoshi, leading chef from Kerala along with Roy, chef of Park Sheraton started the fiesta with the demonstration of new dishes from the Italian cuisine.

The hall was packed with women of all age groups who were interested in cooking. The evening started with the demonstration of the making of the light starter, Fresh Tomato Bruschetta. It’s a new dish which could be tried by any person at home. This wonderful appetizer is easy to prepare and makes a great snack. The main element of the dish is the tomato rich mixture on the crispy baguettes along with the garlic flavour that drew the attention of the ladies.

The Rosemary and garlic flavoured Mushrooms a’ la grecque was well demonstrated by chef Rohit. Many substitutes for mushrooms were also suggested by the chef.  When asked about the garnishing, chef said “Garnishing depends on our imagination. Be it palak or cheese or green olives, you can use any edible elements suiting our taste buds.”

Chicken nugget is another usual dish prepared by chef Rohit in an unusual way. This dish is prepared with less oil making it healthy with barbeque sauce to make it juicy. Chicken could be replaced with paneer, vegetables and mushrooms.

Risotto is another dish prepared with Arborio rice, Parmesan cheese, peas, chopped onions, etc., which triggers our taste buds due to the presence of white alcohol which gives you the original taste.  “This is the fifth time Cooking Fiesta I am attending and my interest levels keep increasing every year. I am looking forward to know about more dishes this year also” says Jyotsana.

LILTING MELODIES FOR A CAUSE

‘Idhaya Geethangal’, a musical event in the aid of Sri Sankara heart Foundation (a trust which helps to conduct surgeries for patients afflicted with heart illness), will be starring the two evergreen singers Padma Bhushan Dr S.P. Balasubramanyam and Padma Shree Dr. K.S. Chithra. There have been many occasions for which these eminent singers have performed. But, this is for a valuable cause they will join hands to entertain the audience giving them the option to select their favorite songs to be sung. Lakshman Sruthi will render the orchestration. This fund raiser will help the foundation to reach more needy people with serious heart ailment and for their medical aid. The Foundation provides treatment to people who are afflicted with serious heart and other ailments. It has been conducting awareness programmes and medical camps in rural areas. “Anytime any help, we are present. I am happy about being a part for this valuable cause” said singer Chithra. Support the cause along with blending your souls with the music.



@ Nehru Indoor Stadium, on June 30 at 6 pm


Tickets available at landmark (all branches), Naidu Hall (all branches), Lashman Sruthi (Vadapalani), m6 (West CIT Nagar, Near Nandi Statue). For corporate and bulk bookings contact 9841907711, 9841907744, 9941922322 or mail to info@msix.co.in. For online booking log on to www.msix.co.in , www.lakshmansruthi.com, www.ticketnew.com, www.bookmyshow.com, www.undianstage.in.

ART TALK

New Language of Colors

Painting is the mode of creative expressions. When passion and dedication goes into it, it becomes marvelous like the works of C.Rajarajan, who has exhibited his works in our city. The comfortable mediums for this artist are water color, oil, acrylic, pastels, pencil, charcoal, color pencils on various types of papers, canvas etc. “I paint what ever I observe. I don’t restrict myself to any theme. The main source of inspiration and motivation has always been Artist A.Z. Ranjith”, says Rajarajan. He has also showed off his other talents in his Ad films such as Tamil Valarppom, Littering and Child sexual abuse. “My journey started in my 10^th grade of schooling, when I won the Painting competition in Madurai district which motivated me to put up the first exhibition in 2009” he adds.  With continuous hard work and creativity, he continues his artistic journey.

Check his exhibition cum sale till June 30, at ‘La Galerie D’Expression, Hotel Ambassador Pallava, Egmore. For details call: 9840614061

Brace yourselves

GYM GYAN There are many germs that can attack your skin while you exercise. Tips to ward off the germ attack. HARINEE RAVIMARAN 

While you are trying to lose those extra calories by going to the gym, you may be actually exposing yourself to a range of dermatological risks. Dermatologist Dr. Gomathy, talks about about the gym germs and ways to tackle them

Fungal foot
The most common disease lurking in the gym is the Athlete’s foot, a fungal skin infection. The main cause behind it is excessive sweat in the body pores. Symptoms include cracked or blistered skin along with burning or itching sensation. Solution: wear clean and dry socks and shoes. Never walk barefoot in the gym.

Miliria
Miliria or sweat rash is another common problem. Often visible in the skin folds, its symptoms are an intense prickling sensation and itching. Solution: Have a cold shower after a workout to cool down. If you know you’re suffering from miliria, avoid taking a steam or sauna as it will cause more sweating.

Wrestle the jock itch
‘Jock itch’ is a fungal infection that usually occurs in women who sweat a lot or wear tight synthetic clothes. It mainly occurs due to friction of the thighs. Solution: keep the affected area clean and dry. Use a separate, clean towel for that area and apply anti-fungal cream.

Protein shakes
Most trainers suggest protein shakes. But if you indulge in substandard ones, they may contain steroids or medication that cause acne-like lesions on the chest and face. Solution: Consult a dietician or a doctor before taking these protein powders and shakes.

Bandage those blisters
Weightlifting or running on the treadmill can often cause blisters on the palms and feet. Solution: Apply petroleum jelly on the blister and keep it bandaged. Wear gloves or moisture-wicking socks to avoid blisters.

Dos and don’ts

• Wipe gym equipment before use. Some gyms provide disinfectant spray but, if you’re really particular, carry your own. Always cover the seat of your bench with a towel before using it. This reduces the chance of infection.
• Use a clean workout towel to wipe off the sweat. Never share your towel; it’s the easiest way to catch infection.
• Breathe correctly while exercising. It is important to breathe through the nose when working out as it is more effective in trapping airborne germs than the mouth.
• Before joining, question the management about hygiene standards. And once your checklist is all ticked, get on with those fitness routines. Consult a dietician or a doctor before taking these protein powders.

http://www.go-nxg.com/?p=9931

This is my lifestyle article on Gym germs attack. It was published in Nxg, a supplement of THE HINDU newspaper. Hope it is useful for my blog readers too

2011- a start for the end??

I have been hearing about many misunderstandings in relationships nowadays (ie) from this year beginning. Every relationship like husband and wife, between friends, mother and daughter, a guy and a girl, etc., is found to have many misunderstandings leading to fights. But what is the reason behind this?  Is it the lack of communication or God’s play? A few believe that the world is going to end in 2012. A few don’t. But these fights and chaos in relationships make ‘those few’ to believe that the world is really going to end in 2012. A relationship must not have an end. We live just to retain our strong bonds with people and we think that those bonds should last forever. Though the job of proper communication is in our hands, something is basically wrong with the time factor. This makes people impatient. Impatience is not the solution for anything. I have been coming across many people posting emotional status messages, relating it to the relationships, in a few social networking sites. What is the exact solution for all this?  I feel it is the same ‘time’ that will heal everyone’s misunderstanding and problem. So give it sometime. Do not hurry up. Try to spend some time with yourself. Think positive and act positive too. It is not too late. Analyse things with at most patience.

Kolhapur special

Kolhapur is well known for its textiles and cottons, in particular Kolhapuri saris. But it is of course most famous for its jewellery and leather sandals or the famous Kolhapuri chappals. You could easily get five pairs of sandals for less than Rs. 500. The age old Leather and Footwear Industry in Kolhapur is a unique identity of Kolhapur in India. Apart from exporting Leather raw material in a big way, the traditional Chappals made here have a unique ethnic look and have been equally popular in India and abroad. These Chappals are still mainly prepared by hand, which helps them retain their unique appearance. Places like Kapashi, Kurundwad and Airoli in Kolhapur district have roughly 500-700 Small and Large scale Industries where these Chappals are manufactured. Regular kolhpuri chappals are ideal for daily wear. Kolhapuri chappals adorned with gold cord, zari strips, pom poms or gota could be also worn on special occasions such as weddings and parties. 


Kolhapuri chappals are made from processed leather. Hides of buffalo, goat and cow are processed and grazed. Grazing of leather makes the leather hard enough for daily wear and tear use. Using specific templates, the basic chappal design is then cut out. Depending upon the final product, the cut outs are kept in natural color or dyed as per specifications. An amazing thing to note here is that not a single iron nail is used in the entire manufacture process. The sole and the upper body of the chappals are joined together by stitches which are done with a leather cord. Other embellishments and adornments then follow in making a fancy pair of Kolhapuri chappals. Some of the traditional designs of Kolhapuri chappals include Kachkadi, bakkalnali, and pukari. 

Harmful effects of cell phones

It was observed that people using cell phones were prone to high blood pressure. A study at the University of Montpellier in France was carried out on 6000 chick embryos and suggested that the heavily exposed chick eggs were five times less likely to survive than the control group. A study brought out that longer the people used mobile phones, the more likely they were to report symptoms such as hot ears, burning skin, headaches and fatigue.
The study did not include a control group (that is people who do not use mobile phones, to make a comparison); therefore the symptoms reported could have been caused by any number of other factors in the mobile phones users' environment, such as working with computers, stress, driving or reading. There have been various studies into the connection between mobile phones and memory loss. A study looked into the effect of radiofrequency (RF) on the section of rats' brains that is linked with the memory. The results showed that RF could modify signals in the cells in a part of the brain that is responsible for learning and short term memory. Some researchers claim that holding a mobile phone between the raised shoulder and the ear could have a damaging effect on muscles, bones, tendons and discs. These problems would apply equally to a cordless phone or a landline phone as to a mobile phone and are the effect of bad posture.

Rejuvenation Therapy or Rasayana Chikitsa

Rasayana Chikitsa is a unique therapy in the science of Ayurveda. It helps keeps the body young and agile. The various cell and tissue components of the body undergo changes as age advances. Hence, it is necessary to rejuvenate the body systems for a better harmony of the “Body, Mind, and Soul”. Rasayana Chikitsa is also known as rejuvenation therapy, which decreases comparatively the rate of degradation and thereby rejuvenates the body.


The treatment is a process that enables to relieve tension, overcoming sexual debility and improving vitality. This treatment consists of body massages with hand and foot by two masseurs with medicated oil and cream, internal rejuvenative medicines and medicated stem bath. The time constraint for this therapy is for 90 minutes to 2 hours per day for 7 to 14 days. This therapy is to rejuvenate mind body and soul, to tone up skin, to strengthen all systems so as to achieve ideal health and longevity.

It is recommended for all ages between 16 and 70 years. The major benefits and advantages of the treatment are increase of lifespan, improved memory and intelligence, better complexion, restoration of youthfulness, enhancement of endurance levels and better and improved sensory perception.

The Rasayana therapy is taken in two different ways

• Kutipravesika(Pronounced as ‘Koo–ti–praa–vey–shi–ka’). Regards to this particular therapy, the person has to stay indoors while taking the rasayan. Elaborate arrangements are made for the construction of a special type of cottage where the individual is to be confined. The person or the patient has to diligently follow the diets and other directions of the physician. He should undergo Panchkarma therapy before taking the rejuvenation. This type of therapy is, therefore, not very suitable for a person who has to carry on his profession or job.
  
  
• Vatatapika
  
  (Pronounced as ‘Vaa–taa–ta–pi–ka’) This method is best for people who are time constraint and who do not have time to stay in the Ayurvedic clinic to take the first kind of rejuvenation. This type can be taken while doing your daily work. It comprises of different types of Ayurvedic herbal preparations which are taken as prescribed by the physician. On an empty stomach, these medicines should be taken at dawn. It can be taken without undergoing Panchkarma therapy