Remember that the food you eat is the main source of energy for your baby growing inside. There is no special diet for a pregnant woman, but eating foods that provide all the nutrients to your baby to develop and grow is recommended. For the first 3 months, the diet of a pregnant woman should include foods rich in iron, folic acid and calcium. Prunes are of immense value during pregnancy for several reasons. Pregnant women usually experience constipation because the entire digestive system is influenced by hormonal changes during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body produces more oestrogen than normal to ensure proper fetal growth; however, these hormones tend to slow down the intestinal movements leading to constipation and hard stools. One of these hormones, called progesterone, acts by relaxing muscle. The outside wall of the bowels is made up of muscle which relaxes and is, therefore, less able to move food and bodily waste along. Fiber is important because it pushes the intestines to work harder. It also absorbs liquid and ensures that the stool is soft. Prunes provide the critical amount of fiber required to help intestinal movement. Nausea (often accompanied by reflux) is common in the first trimester of pregnancy and may even carry forward to the advanced stages of pregnancy. Prunes can provide a tasty and nutritive snack while providing several essential nutrients in significant quantities. Iron is a key nutrient that is needed to develop a healthy baby. Prunes contain high levels of iron that help build hemoglobin in both the mother and baby, which not only prevents anemia but builds immunity, and combats fatigue. Prunes help maintain energy levels and calm the nerves. Iron requirements go up significantly during pregnancy (from 18 mgs to 27 mgs) and because it is usually not possible to get this from your diet, it is recommended that an iron supplement be taken. However, this can lead to gastro intestinal irritation and further aggravate the situation. Prunes and prune juice are a safe way of combating this issue. Potassium in prunes is known to reduce high blood pressure and act as a natural depressant as anxiety levels can be extremely high during pregnancy. Beta-carotene and Vitamin A is proven to promote eye development and healthy skin, boosting the immune system and assisting with blood production and prunes are known to be a good source of both. Prunes are a portable fat-free snack and can be easily had when hunger pangs strike during pregnancy.

Feng Shui is an exciting space management science evolved in ancient China and has been successfully applied internationally duly helped by continued research in context of modern times and technological advances. Feng Shui can be used not just as a tool for living, but also as a tool for enrichment. It can be used effectively as a management strategy as is being done in Hong Kong, Malaysia and other places all around the world. Many corporates in Hong Kong and Malaysia have engaged full time Feng Shui experts.

As to general tips, blended colours are good for corporate offices. They may always have white in them. Primary colours may be avoided. In an open floor offices workstations in circular clusters is best because of the equal distribution of energy. Workstations in rectangular groupings lead to an uneven distribution of energy. Stressful environment is created by sharp edges continuously hitting the people all the time. To promote stress free atmosphere use music and plants.

To promote growth it is better to recruit young people, nuture their energy with water. Water may be moving water and a small water feature to generate energy. A carpet with blue and white blend colour is very harmonious. Quartz crystal clusters and objects help improving relationships. Six rod metallic wind-chimes are good to energize the areas further. Water symbolises wealth, but don't overdo it. Shelves should be avoided as they send out killing energy i.e. chi. Store the documents in cupboards not in open shelves. Kitchen and toilet should be small.

Select your office the back of which has a tall building. Water view is good but cranes are not. Well nurtured plants can do wonders as they grow and produce energy continuously. Generally, the offices must be brightly lit to promote adequate energy flow. Better still the natural light flowing in through glass. Avoid a glass front door. Left-hand side of your desk should always be higher than the right-hand side.

Place your table such that there is a wall behind you without a protruding column or overhead beam. Glazings are better in front or on the sides. The table should not face the door of your room or cabin. If you are sharing your cabin or room with your spouse or partner avoid siting on a single table or a joined table. The passage to your respective tables may be best from in between the two tables. Try these and start reaping fruits of success.

E-mail: parasjain1940@gmail.com
Blog : jyotishgurgaon.blogspot.com
Website : www.GurgaonJyotish.com & www.GurgaonVaastu.Com

 

Feng Shui, the Chinese version is different in some respect as compared to vaastu, in the light of differences in climate, topography and local beliefs. India is a hot country mostly with a flat terrain, whereas China cold country with mountainous regions.

Yin & Yang (godly and demonic energies in vaastu), in Feng Shui, are basic components of universe and or responsible for creation and sustenance of all objects - living and non-living. Chi (pran in vastu) is the force produced due to the interaction of Yin and Yang. Feng Shui believes that with the manipulation of landscape we can get the best and balanced form of Chi. It also believes that all the four directions should have different levels to create excellent Chi.

Feng Shui ensures that Chi moves slowly and flow continuously towards all directions to enrich life in those desired happiness such as family harmony, growing career, good relationship, name, fame, children, etc.

Remedies in Feng Shui

Feng Shui believes that the necessary objects used by mankind, when used to enhance flow of Chi can be immensely helpful to fulfil the aspirations of the inmate in an abode or a workplace. There are 6 basic cures in the mode of Feng Shui Technology i.e. Mirrors, Plants, Fountains, Lights, Wind Chimes and Colours

1. Mirrors: Minors represent a doubling of revenues for the business. That is why Restaurants are also fond of using mirrors to symbolize a busier environment. In a house or an office mirrors serve good purposes, the bigger the mirror the better. A mirror can balance an L shaped home or room. In business if property hung they can increase profits.

2. Plants: Plants the best energy creators and dispersers on either side of entrance enhance not only personal energy but also the financial prosperity for the inmates of residence or workplace. It promotes good health personal as well as organizational.

3. Lights: Lights are another effective method of correcting imbalance of Industrial ventures associated with irregular shapes or defects of columns and beams. Lights create balance and harmony within the surroundings. crystal chandeliers are also excellent in the centre.

4. Fountains: Water is immensely helpful as it represents wealth, abundance prosperity and riches. By placing water fountains in water element direction, it enhances family happiness, wealth, prosperity for the inmates.

5. Wind Chimes: Wind Chimes intensify and opens new career prospects, material relationship and also for enhancement of new business avenues.

6. Colours: The use and choice of colours can help to create a smooth household, harmony, some of which are detailed as derived from out of five elementary colours:

• Red Denotes happiness, warmth, strength & force.
• Purple Auspicious to inspire respect.
• Yellow Promotes Power.
• Green Represents growth.
• Blue Inculcates hope.
• Grey Signifies balance and resolution of conflict.
• Brown Gives a heavy feeling.
• Orange Promotes Happiness and Power.
• White Gives Peace, happiness & smooth environment.

Feng Shui application is not expensive as the gadgets are inexpensive and easy to follow, especially when the changes cannot be made in an apartment or a rented property.

Pyramids:

Pyramids are sacred geometric shapes – pyramids are simple among them to attract or generate energy and radiate efficiently. This fact was known to the ancients as these exist all over the world in one shape or other in the top of temple, mosque, church and any other worship places.

Pyramids of Egypt are based on simple geometry as the two base angles of the pyramid are 58 degrees each and the third angle at the apex is 64 degrees. Interestingly, the four triangular sides and the square base radiate energy, as also the cosmic radiation are received by its apex surface. All the energy fields through radiation, rays, fields of force etc. do mingle with each other and to create a new powerful energy field invested with great power. This power is utilized with the help of pyramids made different sizes and materials. Plastic pyramid is the least effective while the crystal pyramids are most powerful.

Application and installation of such useful objects in several industries/farm houses and large residential bungalows prove successful in minimizing the negative effect of Vaastu deficiencies or defects, promoting the following positive results.

1. Amicable settlement of property disputes with tenant or others.
2. Favourable decision in litigations or relief through its end.
3. Relief from debts or loans.
4. Improvement in cash flow and attaining cash rich status.
5. Harmony between management and workers.
6. Optimum capacity utilization and least rejections.
7. Promotion of quality and good return on products.
8. Improvement in delays in function of the company.
9. Harmonic relations in family and at workplace.
10. Improvement in management-labour relations.
11. Happy and harmonic growth in family and business.

The right knowledge of energies or natural natural powers such as solar energy and earth gravitational power, as well as the right use and enhancement of this to the benefit of mankind is the essence of vaastu and feng shui.

Construciton of a building for any purpose under vaastu friendly rules and principles and its energy flow enhancement through the feng shui rules and principles can be a great help in promoting the growth and success rate in our life, with harmonic development of our health – physical, mental, material and spiritual.

Pregnancy is a time of joyful anticipation.But this joy may be mingled with a bit of awe and anxiety over the responsibility of nurturing another human life.

Eating Right for Both

Every day, the baby  grows and develops within the mother’s body. She/he is counting on the mother to provide the nourishment she/he needs.  So it's up to the mom to eat right, for both !

There are a lot of good reasons why prunes can play an important role in the health of women during pregnancy and nursing. Pregnant women need fluids to carry nutrients through the body and to wash away waste products. Nursing mothers also need fluids to aid in producing milk. Nutrient rich natural prunes serve as an ideal source for fluids – there’s nothing artificial and no added sugar.

Iron is important to enrich a mother’s blood supply. Baby must store extra iron for the first four to six months when his/her diet consists of breast milk, which has little iron. Prunes are considered a good source of iron and potassium.

Constipation is common during pregnancy. After pregnancy, a woman who has had an episiotomy may be fearful of bowel movement because of her stitches. Many women find that prunes prevent constipation, which may also prevent formation of painful hemorrhoids.

California Prunes : More good news about nutrition

• California Prunes have vitamin A, important for healthy eyes and skin, vision, growth, reproduction and the immune system.
• California Prunes contain potassium, necessary for nerve impulses and muscle contractions and magnesium, vital to many basic metabolic functions, as well as to maintain the health of bones, nerves and muscles.
• California Prunes provide iron, a crucial nutrient for red blood cells, which transport oxygen to tissues throughout the body.
• California Prunes contain copper, which helps the body to metabolize and use carbohydrates to generate body energy.
• California Prunes contain soluble fiber, pectin that helps reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels and also may help control blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with diabetes.  California Prunes also contain insoluble fiber, which may protect against certain types of cancer.
• California Prunes rank number one in antioxidant power compared to a wide variety of commonly eaten fruits and vegetables, on an "as consumed" basis.
• California Prunes can contribute to healthier bones and help win the battle against Osteoporosis.

Is it bane of Bacchus or simply laws of Karma in action? Two people died in Mumbai the other day for no fault of theirs. Yes, I am pointing towards the Nooria - Drinking and Driving case. 

First and foremost two papers of the same group have reported the same incident with dissimilar facts. But that is besides the point. 

My issue is that what was going on inside the mind of a 27 year old female (who has stayed on her own in US too) to drive a vehicle after drinking around 6 - 7 large pegs.  You are not 14 or 16. At 27, many people get married, already have kids and move ahead steadily in their profession. In my opinion, someone who can down 6 - 7 pegs and move around is not an ocassional drinker. I am not passing a judgement here. My point is that if you are going out with friends and it is evident that you are going to drink then why not hire a cab and move. Drink to your heart's content and then come home safely. Mumbai is flooded with Meru and Mega cabs apart from the usual taxis. There is no dearth and the lady who can afford to drive a Honda CRV definitely does not have dearth of funds. 

And what kind of friends does she have? Are they worthy of being called as "friends" or they are just acquaintances? They are friends for Gods sake not relatives. We get to "choose" our friends atleast. 

I hope people drink, binge, party, do everything but not end up messing up their lives when they are just spreading their wings. The anguish that the parents and loved ones feel in these circumstances dont go away easily. The people who lost their lives because of her action - what explanation do we have for their families? Faith is shattered and take ages to get resurrected. And many lives change forever. 

Am I passing a comment or criticizing like we usually do while watching cricket or lawn tennis on TV or Nooria could have actually used her mind and evaluated this before she set out of her house? Only God and she knows. 

If you drink, just catch a cab and fasten your seat belts.  

 

Here's an interesting forward if found, thought I'd share it here  Whether uncomfortable, embarrassing or just plain weird, there are some pretty funky things that our bodies do. Curious about the causes of such reactions as hiccups, goose bumps and eye twitches, we spoke with Eric Plasker, DC, author of The 100 Year Lifestyle, to get the real scoop. Read on to discover the common reasons for 14 peculiar bodily functions.

Yawns

If your body is low on oxygen, your mouth opens wide and tries to suck more in. Yawning is a way to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen in your blood. Unfortunately, yawns are nearly impossible to stifle.

Eye Twitches

Serious eye twitches can be a symptom of neurological disorders, but often there is a more mundane explanation. Common causes for eye twitches include stress, lack of sleep, extended staring or eye strain. Before you get frantic, try reducing your stress level, cutting back on caffeine and catching up on sleep.

Itches

According to Dr. Plasker, our skin most often gets itchy because of dryness associated with the environment or over-washing—water and soap can strip skin of its natural oils, thus sapping moisture. Face or body lotion should be able to keep these types of itches under control; also look for body washes and soaps labeled “moisturizing..” If you still have itchy patches, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to a chemical, plant, food, animal or drug. See an allergist if the itching is persistent.

Hiccups

If you’ve frequently got a case of the hiccups, try slowing down when you eat and drink, suggests Dr. Plasker. Doing either too quickly causes your stomach to swell; this irritates your diaphragm, which contracts and causes hiccups. You may also get hiccups in emotional situations or if your body experiences a sudden temperature change. In both of these cases, the hiccups are a result of a glitch in your nerve pathways, which is why a sudden scare—which might shake up and reset your nerves—can sometimes end an episode.

Goose Bumps

Those tiny bumps that cover your skin when you’re cold or scared are actually a defense mechanism. Goose bumps occur when the arrector pili, a tiny muscle that connects the hair follicle with skin, contracts and makes the hair stand on end. If you had more hair—like cavemen did—the upright hair would trap air to keep you warm or make you look bushier and therefore more threatening to predators.

Sneezes

Sneezes happen when your body is trying to expel an irritant from the nasal cavity. If you have allergies, pollen or pet dander is usually to blame. If you have a cold, your body makes mucus to trap the virus, and sneezing helps force it (and the sickness) out of your body. An over-the-counter allergy or cold medicine helps suppress your reaction to allergens or reduce mucus production, which should prevent sneezing fits.

Coughs

A cough is another mechanism your body uses to get rid of irritants. There are special cells along your air passage, says Dr. Plasker, that recognize irritants and force them out. Common colds, sinus infections and pneumonia all increase your body’s mucus production, which triggers coughing. Smoking and asthma also tend to irritate the cells. To help cut down on chronic coughing, exercise regularly and practice good posture to keep your air passage open.

Charley Horses

These sudden, super-painful muscle spasms can be blamed on several things, including dehydration or electrolyte imbalances—often from strenuous exercise. After a demanding workout or an extra-long run, sip a sports drink to keep your system running smoothly. If you experience this type of cramping, walk around to help relieve the pain.

Shivers

Shivering, says Dr. Plasker, is full-body muscle twitching. When your temperature drops too low, your body shakes all over in an attempt to generate heat. The only way to cure these kind of shivers is to get your temperature back to 98.6°F.

Ear Ringing

Ear ringing, or tinnitus, can happen for two reasons. If you have fluid or an infection in your middle ear, you may hear a constant buzz. However, the more common cause is damage to the microscopic ends of your hearing nerves, which often happens when you’re exposed to loud noises. To prevent permanent damage (and preserve your hearing), wear earplugs at concerts and sporting events—or even when you mow the lawn.

Stomach Rumbles

As food, liquid and gas move through your digestive tract, your stomach muscles and intestines contract and cause rumbling noises—borborygmi is the scientific name. Everyone’s stomach makes noise during digestion, but if you have extra-loud rumbles, a teaspoon of olive oil or a cup of herbal tea with lemon may help ease them, says Dr. Plasker.

Limbs Falling Asleep

When there’s consistent pressure on part of a limb—like when you sit on your feet or rest your head on an arm—the pressure squeezes your nerve pathways and scrambles messages sent to your brain. The mixed messages make you lose feeling in the squished body part because your brain has trouble telling it what to do. To prevent a case of pins and needles, avoid sitting or lying in positions that compress your nerves.

Seeing Stars

If you stand too quickly, suffer a blow to the head or are stricken by a migraine, there’s a good chance you’ll see stars as blood surges to different parts of your body. Generally these tiny flashes of light will fade in a few seconds. If you see stars for more than a few moments, you could have a tear or tiny clot in your retina, and you should consult a physician immediately.

Ear Popping

The Eustachian tube in your inner ear is responsible for maintaining equal pressure on both sides of your eardrum. When you experience a rapid change in altitude—during takeoff in an airplane or when riding an elevator in an extra-tall building—the Eustachian tube opens to release pressure, and you hear a pop. To force the tube open (and “pop” your ears), squeeze your nostrils closed while exhaling forcefully through your nose!

 

Stress is a part and parcel of today's life especially in urban areas primarily because of the tremendous changes in the lifestyle of people over the last decade or so. Its primary reason being trying to meet demands which are beyond our capabilities. Leading a stressful life for a long can create a lot of other disorders. Stress is difficult to deal with because its not something which can be cured by taking a few pills prescribed by a doctor.

Stress requires more effort, it actually means a complete change in the lifestyle. Over a long period we have become used to a lifestyle which is not in harmony with our true nature. As a student, as professionals, as parents we become used to satisfy the demands required by our roles and somehow in almost all cases we tend to put our health (physical and mental) last.

Now this is where the root cause of stress lies. Our priorities needs to be looked into and we need to create harmony so that health prospers, however, in this mindset of wealth creation we end up paying a huge price of losing our health.

Cure - Cure is actually not the right word to be used here, an ideal word will be prevention, though we can not be idealistic. Simple way of looking at this problem is to visualize that our energies are always moving outwards it. We need to shift focus from outside to inside. We need to keep a small portion of day reserved for us to not only do physical exercise (most advisable would be yoga which helps remove harmful chemicals and hence balances our body equilibrium within the body, also it is tested tool for many centuries now) but above all we should also do meditation as it gives mind some time to relax and energize itself so that we are ready to face the challenges ahead with more vigor.

Autism is a kind of problem where the children could not interact properly with others, where they have problems in social interactions and problems in communications where they are not able to able to express themselves properly and they have a repetitive behavior where they repeat the activities again and again.

The repetitive activity might be a stereotyped behavior like making same kind of sounds repetitively or body rocking, or compulsive activity like following strictly certain rules such as arranging objects in a line , sameness in behavior, they are resistant to change or following a kind of ritual or restricted behavior such as preoccupation with television program, toy or a game and sometimes self injurious behavior such as hand biting , skin picking or head banging.

Though, they find it difficult to interact socially, still they believe in quality of friendship rather than the number of friends. They feel lonely sometimes and would like to interact with others but since they do not understand that why the other person is smiling at him and even if they are able to understand it they find it difficult to communicate with them as they found it difficult to find words and express themselves.

Sometimes they also have speech defects or deficits and they are not able to communicate due to this. For the treatment basically the speech therapy and behavior therapy and occupational therapy is recommended besides psychoactive drugs as prescribed by the clinical practioner.

Dr Smita Pandey Bhat
Clinical Psychologist
Gurgaon, Delhi - NCR, INDIA
Email : dr.smitapandey@gmail.com
Url : http://child-psychologist.blogspot.com

Speaking to youngsters, one can clearly see the dooming credibility of the institution of marriage. Couples today admit that they had issues even in the courtship. How can the undealt issues be dragged in a marriage, which in India is a 7 birth committment. So that means the issues will have their impact for next 7 seven births.

With a stranger , we do not take 7 seconds to flare up and react irrationally, but we can be indifferent to our partner who will stay with us for a lifetime. Marriage is somewhere lost its purpose, and why not, no one is there to tell and no one is there who knows it. Marriage is only confined to wedding function and frills. It is all about a fancy dress competition and the celeberation. What for, no one knows. People forget the couple, and the whole show is about "the hitek buffet", the glamour. Nowhere the couple are told why are they following all the processess.

Couples come to us( marriage counsellor) with issues which sometimes they laugh reciting. Deployed at senior management levels in big corporates, they make billion dollar decisions, excute country wide plans, resolve grave issues amongst a 1000 employees. But to their own life, they act indifferently, when at work, they talk about employee engagement. They practice theories of rewarding and compensation in HR departments, but fail to acknowledge small , precious gestures of their life partners.

Why is all this happening ? Because they are themselves starving for love or they do not know what is love. Their work profiles have educated them to sense what they are entitled for - the CTCs, perks. But they have somehow lost human touch. It is all about emails, chats, video conferencing. They have their team huddles, but no family dinning table talks. And this is what they have to offer or not to offer in their marriage.

They result is marriage starving for love. A mass movement needs to be brought in this country around re-inforcing the meaning, purpose of marriage. Couples need to be oriented to the councept of marriage. The system should help individuals and couples to grow. People like us should come up together and fight against this indifference to such a vital part if life.

 

Stress is the physical or mental demand upon a person that exceeds the capacity of the body. It means stress the pressure on the person that makes the person loose his balance.

During stress - heart beat increases, palpitations increase, the person starts breathing heavily, or one can have butterflies in his or her stomach, the person starts blushing, sometimes, the person also stammers while speaking.

Stress is the part of life. Basically, it is of two kinds:- Eustress and Distress.

Eustress is the stress or tension which comes into the events or incidents of happiness like marriage, birth of a child, getting a new job etc.

Distress is the stress or tension which comes due to the effect of unpleasant events like loosing a job, or death in a family or getting divorced etc.

1. The first thing is to realize that you are under distress. You should be able to catch the symptoms like having excessive fatigue, increased palpitations, facing sleep problems, inability to relax and so on.
2. The next thing is to find out the sources how to relieve it. Find out somebody with whom you can talk out your stress. Talk out with the significant others and have their support. This is the kind of social support you are gaining and thereby reducing your stress. Also, you can take their suggestions or physical help if you require it.
3. The next thing is to do some physical exercises, like going to gym, run or exercise or practice swimming, jogging etc.
4. Sit and relax. Listen to your favorite music, , take out time for yourself and most importantly listen to your body.
5. Indulge in pleasurable activities, which you enjoy to do e.g.: go for riding, go for outings, go for movies.
6. Spend time with your family. That is another way of reducing stress.
7. Do not carry the burden of your work to home. Do not convert your home into office.
8. Be calm and maintain your cool. If your heart has started beating faster, take your time and relax. Practice any of the techniques of relaxation twice daily.
9. Give yourself positive self statements e.g.: “I will be able to make it, I can do this"
10. Have proper sleep and practice methods of sleep hygiene.
11. Finally, a little stress is a booster but excessive stress is unhygienic so recognize that unhealthy part and remove it from your life. Crack jokes, spend some time leisurely and enjoy your life as much as possible.

Dr Smita Pandey Bhat is a Counselor and Clinical Psychologist.

U - 51/8,
DLF Phase 3,
Gurgaon, Delhi - NCR,
INDIA
Email : dr.smitapandey@gmail.com
Url : http://child-psychologist.blogspot.com