महफ़िल-ए-शेर-ओ-शायरी.....भाग ६

बिन सावन बरसात नहीं होती,
सूरज डूबे बिना रात नहीं होती,
इसीलिए ए दोस्त किसी का दिल मत तोडना,
क्यूंकि दिल के टूटने की आवाज़ नहीं होती..

क्यूँ ना आपके आने की आरज़ू रखें दिल में,
आप कदम जहां रख दें,मिट्टियाँ महकती हैं,
आपसे बिछड़े तो मुझे हो गयी है एक मुद्दत,
अब भी मेरी साँसों में आपके हाथों की मेहंदियाँ महकती हैं..

बड़ी आसानी से दिल लगाये जाते हैं,
पर बड़ी मुश्किल से जुदा किये जाते हैं,
ले जाती है मोहब्बत उन राहों पर,
जहां दिए नहीं दिल जलाए जाते हैं..

मोहब्बत की शमा जलाकर तो देखो,
दिल की रंगीनियाँ सजा कर तो देखो,
तुम्हें हो ना जाए इश्क तो कहना,
ज़रा हमसे नज़रें मिलकर तो देखो..

हँसी ने लबों पर थिरकना छोड़ दिया,
ख़्वाबों ने सपनो में आपना छोड़ दिया,
नहीं आती अब तो हिचकियाँ भी,
शायद अपनों ने याद करना भी छोड़ दिया...

मोहब्बत में किसी ने इस तरह दिल तोडा,
की लबों पर अब उसका नाम तक नहीं आता,
दिल तो हम कहीं और भी लगा लेते,
पर टूटा हुआ दिल किसी के काम भी तो नहीं आता..

नज़र ने नज़र से मुलाकात कर ली,
रहे दोनों खामोश पर बात कर ली,
सरे नज़्म उसने हमारे अलावा,
इधर बात कर ली,उधर बात कर ली..

खामोश पलकों से बहकर आँसू आते हैं,
वो क्या जाने वो कितना याद आते हैं,
आज भी हम उस मोड़ पर खड़े हैं,
जिस गली से वो निकलकर जाते हैं..

महफ़िल-ए-शेर-ओ-शायरी.....भाग ५

आपकी दोस्ती को एहसान मानते हैं,
दोस्ती निभाना ईमान मानते हैं,
और होंगे जो दोस्ती में जान देते हैं,
हम तो दोस्त को ही अपनी जान मानते हैं..

दोनों आँखों में अक्सर देखा करते हैं,
हम अपनी नींद तेरे नाम किया करते हैं,
जब भी पलक झपके तुम्हारी,
समझ लेना हम तुम्हें याद किया करते हैं..

तेरे दिल पर दस्तक कर रहा हूँ,
तुझे हर पल याद कर रहा हूँ,
आओगे मेरी ज़िन्दगी में,
मैं यही सोच कर हर पल तेरा इंतज़ार कर रहा हूँ..

मेरी धडकनों में तेरा एहसास है,
तू दूर रहकर भी दिल के पास है,
मेरी हर ख़ुशी अब तेरे साथ है,
एक दिन तू होगी मेरी,ये मेरा विश्वास है..

हुआ जो ग़म तुम्हे तो दर्द कहीं और होगा,
हँसो जो तुम तो खुश कोई और होगा,
सोचो तो ज़रा उस अनजान के बारे में,
वो अनजान दोस्त मेरे सिवा और कौन होगा..

ना कभी मुस्कराहट आपके होठों से दूर हो,
आपकी हर ख्वाहिश हकीकत का मंज़ूर हो,
हो जाओ जो आप मुझसे खफा,
खुदा ना करे की मुझसे कोई ऐसा कसूर हो..

महफ़िल-ए-शेर-ओ-शायरी.....भाग ४

जानेमन दिल को लगाना तो बड़ा आसान है,
रस्म-ए-उल्फत को निभाना बड़ा मुश्किल है,
शीशा-ए-दिल को तोडना तो बहुत आसान है,
इश्क में खुद को मिटाना बड़ा मुश्किल है..

वो प्यार जो हकीकत में प्यार होता है,
ज़िन्दगी में एक बार होता है,
निगाहों के मिलते ही दिल मिल जाए,
ये इत्तेफाक सिर्फ एक बार होता है..

तुम्हारी दोस्ती का क्या जवाब दूँ,
तुम जैसे दोस्त को क्या खिताब दूँ,
कोई अच्छा सा गुलाब होता तो ला देता,
पर जो खुद ही गुलिस्तान हो उसे क्या गुलाब दूँ..

मेरी किसी खता पर नाराज़ ना होना,
अपनी प्यारी सी मुस्कान कभी ना खोना,
सुकून मिलता है आपकी हँसी को सुनकर,
हँसते रहना,ज़िन्दगी में कभी ना उदास होना..

प्यार इंसान कि ज़रुरत है,
दिल पर प्यार कि हुकूमत है,
मैं तो आपकी वजह से जिंदा हूँ,
वरना यहाँ किसको मेरी ज़रुरत है...

हर एक सितारा हारकर बैठा,
वो आज छत पर जुल्फें सँवार कर बैठा,
मेरा कसूर था इकरार कर रहा हूँ,
मैं एक अमीर कि बेटी से प्यार कर बैठा..

तुझे भूल जाना है ग़ैर-मुमकिन,
मगर भूल जाने को दिल चाहता है,
हसीं तेरी आँखें,हसीं तेरे आँसू,
यूँ ही डूब जाने को जी चाहता है..


कवि :-मोहित कुमार जैन

महफ़िल-ए-शेर-ओ-शायरी.....भाग ३

नसीबों के खेल अजीब होते हैं,
चाहने वालों को आँसू ही नसीब होते हैं,
कौन होना चाहता है अपनों से जुदा,
पर अक्सर बिछड़ जाते हैं वो जो दिल के करीब होते हैं..

कुछ ज़ख्म ऐसे लगे दिल पर,
जो कि फूलों पर सोया ना गया,दिल चुरा ले गयी वो मेरा,
पर इन आँखों से रोया ना गया..

जानते हैं वो हमें याद नहीं करते,
फिर भी हम फरियाद नहीं करते,
उनकी आँखों में कोई और बसता है,
फिर भी हम किसी से आँखें चार नहीं करते..

दिल यूँ ही किसी पे आता नहीं है,
प्यार यूँ ही किसी से किया जाता नहीं है,
प्यार है अगर तो दर्द तो होगा ही,
पर फिर भी यह दर्द किसी से कहा जाता नहीं है..

मुद्दत हो गयी एक हादसा-ए-इश्क को,
लेकिन अब तक तेरे दिल के धड़कने कि सदा याद है मुझे..

कवि :-मोहित कुमार जैन

महफ़िल-ए-शेर-ओ-शायरी.....भाग २

कितना भी चाहो ना भुला पाओगे हमें,
जितना दूर जाओगे,नज़दीक पाओगे हमें,
मिटा सकते हो तो मिटा दो यादें मेरी,
मगर क्या सपनों से जुदा कर पाओगे हमें..

हम आपको पलकों में नहीं बिठाएँगे,
वहाँ तो सपने में बसते हैं,
बिठाएँगे तो सिर्फ दिल में,
क्यूंकि वहाँ तो सिर्फ अपने बसते हैं..

रोती हुई आँखों में इंतज़ार होता है,
ना चाहते हुए भी प्यार होता है,
क्यूँ देखते हैं हम वो सपने,
जिनके टूटने पर भी उनके साथ होने का इंतज़ार होता है..

तुम आये थे ज़िन्दगी में कहानी बनकर,
तुम आये थे ज़िन्दगी में रात कि चाँदनी बनकर,
बसा लिया था जिन्हें हमने आँखों में,
आजकल वो अक्सर निकल जाते हैं आँखों से पानी बनकर..

मेरी मोहब्बत तेरी खता बन गयी,
यही दीवानगी मेरी सज़ा बन गयी,
उनकी मासूमियत पर फिर फ़िदा हुआ ऐसे,
कि उन्हें पाना ही ज़िन्दगी कि रज़ा बन गयी...

कवि :-मोहित कुमार जैन

महफ़िल-ए-शेर-ओ-शायरी.....भाग १

तुम पावन प्रेम का प्याला हो,
नैनों में जादू,देह से ज्वाला हो,
पीता रहूँ मैं मय प्रेम कि उम्रभर,
तुम सचमुच प्रेम कि मधुशाला हो..

मेरे दिल में धड़कती है तेरे दिल कि धड़कन,
मेरी साँसों में महकता है तेरे बदन का चन्दन,
तेरी आँखों के उजाले से है मेरी आँखें रोशन,
तेरे प्यार में समर्पित है मेरा सारा जीवन..

हर ख़ामोशी का मतलब इकरार नहीं होता,
हर नाकामयाबी का मतलब हार नहीं होता,
क्या हुआ जो हम तुम्हे पा ना सके,
सिर्फ पाने का मतलब ही प्यार नहीं होता..

जो भी तटबंध तोड़े,प्यार है,
जिस्म को जो जान से जोड़े,प्यार है,
मैं रहूँगा जन्म-जन्मों तक तुम्हारा,
जो कभी साथ ना छोड़े,प्यार है..

उन्हें देखककर सारी ख़ुशी हमें मिल जाती है,
उनके चेहरे कि उदासी दिल दुखाती है,
उनकी ख़ुशी में हम कभी शामिल नहीं होते,
क्यूंकि बहुत जल्दी हमारी नज़र लग जाती है..

कवि :-मोहित कुमार जैन

तुम...........

मंदिर में मन के जैसे तू ही रहती बनके मूरत है,
आईने के सामने खड़े होकर,जैसे नज़र आती बस तेरी सूरत है,
मेरी ज़िन्दगी में एक बहार बनके आओ,
और महका दो इसे जैसे बगिया में खिला कोई फूल हो,
और कर दो पावन अपने स्पर्श से मेरे इस अधूरे से जीवन को,
कभी भँवरा बनकर,कभी रसिया बनकर,
जो ना पा सका इस जीवन में,
वो प्रेम रस भर दो मेरे जीवन में,
कभी प्रेम रस का गा ना सका जो कोई नग़मा,
वो गीत गुनगुनाना सिखा दो,और बना दो
मुझे परवाना और खुद को शमा,
मेरे अंतर्मन से निकली आवाज़ के जादू से ही,
पर छा जाओ मेरे जीवन में बनके इन्द्रधनुषी रंग,
कुछ राहत तो मिले इस भटकते जीवन को,
और पा जाऊं मैं अपने हम-दम का अनमोल संग...

कवि :-मोहित कुमार जैन

तुम मिले............

तुम मिले तो खिले गुलाब खिज़ाओं में,
माँगा था तुम्हे हमने दिन-रात अपनी दुआओं में,
चाहत है तुम्हारी,करते हैं तुम्हारी पूजा,
मूरत बनके बसे हो तुम मेरी सूनी निगाहों में,
रहता है हरदम दिल को ख्याल तुम्हारा,
खुशबू से बसे हो तुम साँसों कि फिजाओं में,
लबों पर नाम तुम्हारा, धडकनों को आरज़ू तुम्हारी,
तेरी महक ही रची-बसी है अब इन शोख हवाओं में....

कवि :-मोहित कुमार जैन

5 Habits of Healthy People

Have you ever wondered how thin, more importantly – thin and healthy people stay fit? Genetics might have something to do with it, but we’re not talking about naturally skinny people here, we’re talking about fit people with healthy lifestyles. Lifestyles that involve plenty of physical activity, adequate rest, balanced diets, and positive energy. And, of course, looking good is a great by-product of healthy living. What are these ‘healthy habits’ and can a lesser mortal hope to imbibe them in daily living? Let’s find out…

Healthy Habit #1: Pay attention to nutrition
If weight loss is your only goal, you can lose weight like the Twinkie guy…by eating cookies, chocolates, anything as long as you count the calories. But you’ll end up damaging your body in the long run. In the long run it is important that you eat food that is wholesome and nutritious that will keep you full and satiated. A tasty whole fish, a colourful salad with delicious dressings, tasty nuts, eggs prepared in different ways, it’s all part of the deal A plethora of delicious, wholesome food awaits you if you choose to make a change in the way you eat. Health, nutrition and weight loss go hand in hand. Not to mention the impact good nutrition has on your hair and skin too.

Healthy Habit #2: Portion control
Eat healthy food that you love, and what is convenient to prepare. Just eat less of it. No matter what you eat, if you eat too much of it, your body is going to store it. If you go out for lunch with a thin and healthy friend, do observe his or her eating habits. You will notice that she eats until she’s full and happily pushes the plate away when done. If you habitually eat long after your stomach’s full and how, it’s time to start working on portion control.

Healthy Habit #3: Daily exercise
Most of the healthy people you know are probably disciplined enough to stay active. Remember, if you can watch tv at night, you have the time to go for a walk. Evening walks, gym workouts, swimming sessions, yoga classes over weekends are just some of the activities that are not too hard to commit to. The idea is to keep moving and to use those muscles before the body starts shedding them.

Healthy Habit #4: Know good and bad carbs, fats
Don’t slash out an entire food group altogether, just because you are on a diet. That is neither sustainable nor healthy. Even so, we do need fewer carbs than are normally consumed on a daily basis. Unless we’re athletes or labourers, most of us won’t be able to burn most of the food we eat and the extra glycogen is converted to fat. However, carbs and fats in the right portions are essential to a well-rounded diet. So don’t believe anyone who tells you to cut out fats from your diet. Fat is high in calories, but being so nutritionally dense, it’s a smart, hunger-staving source of fuel. Just know your good fats from the bad ones.

Healthy Habit #5: Know what’s bad for hormonal balance
Huh? What’s this one doing in this list? Well understanding what roles hormones play in managing your weight is a subject for a separate topic altogether, but for now it’s important to know, that hormonal imbalance can cause weight loss, weight gain, obesity, and depression. An unhealthy lifestyle, which comprises of too much alcohol, starvation, junk food, lack of exercise, etc can throw your hormones out of balance, and cause a dysfunctional thyroid hormone and PCOS. If you’re doing everything you can, and cannot lose weight, it could have something to do with hormonal imbalance.

In order to truly lose weight, and keep it off, it is important to look at your lifestyle from the above mentioned points of view, and try and emulate healthy people, who appear to be managing their weight with ease.

Diet Facts Vs. Diet Fiction

From controlling your weight by going on a detox diet to using sauna belt waist slimming machines, there are endless tricks that claim to give you that extra edge in weight loss. The problem arises when you end up more confused than when you first started on your weight loss journey. You don’t know what to believe and which diet ideas to choose. Today we're talking about diet facts vs diet fiction - ideas and tips that will help you solve a few dieting myths.

Myth 1: Cold water contains more calories than hot water.

Truth: Water is the only substance that contains 'zero calories'. And, this universal fact has no relation to it being hot or cold. Cold water is suggested in-between your workout regimen because it helps in cooling your body temperature, which rises due to exercising.

Myth 2: Munching on chips at night is unhealthier than munching on chips in the day time.

Truth: The basic rule of eating is – that eating anything up and above your caloric requirement (which is based on your current age, weight and body type) will lead to fat gain and hence, weight gain. Nutritionists tell you to keep away from food at night because that's when your body temperature tends to dip (due to lack of activity), hence your body requires little food at night in order to function properly. Besides, sleeping right after eating doesn't work well for digestion since your body, at rest, is not active enough.

Myth 3: One should never mix cereals with pulses in their diet.

Truth: This is a complete myth. Combining cereals and pulses helps in compensating the levels of amino acids. It is amazing to see how our tradition Indian recipes balanced these two ingredients scientifically as if they were well aware of this fact already. Our bodies can handle a mixture of nutrients without any kind of discomfort and a combination of cereals and pulses should be the least of our worries.

Myth 4: The weighing scale is my ultimate fitness meter.

Truth: No! This is hardly the case. The weighing scale is important as far as the approximation of your body weight is concerned. Relying on a weighing scale to judge whether you’re ‘fit’ or ‘fat’, is like judging a book by its cover. Body weight is a sum total of your body fat and lean body mass, which includes muscles. In order to understand your exact fat mass, you must understand the composition of your body.

Myth 5: If all kind of fat is bad, then I’ll just strictly go on a boiled food diet.

Truth: Raise your hand if you have heard of the concept of ‘zero fat diets’. Yes, we all have at some point or the other in our healthy scheme of affairs heard about it. But are they really worth the trouble? Nutritionists completely negate the concept of ‘zero fat diets’ and place them neatly into the category of fad diets.

Perhaps boiled food, devoid of spices and oils, might work if you have a tummy upset, or are recovering from a series of heavy meals. But you definitely don't need to live on it. The news for you is - fats can be good too. Good fats aid in fighting infections and maintain cell membranes, amongst several other necessary tasks. They key lies in moderating your fat intake, not in completely negating it.

Healthy Oil Supplements for Fitness

Healthy fats are important for better health and sustainable weight management. Fats, after all, are an important source of energy and intrinsic to joint mobility. A few oils actually benefit us as dietary supplements as they balance out the - oh so important - Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio. We're talking about the fish oil in our diet (for those who don’t eat fatty fish regularly) and flaxseed oil if you are vegetarian.

Fish oil
Fish oil is the largest source of Omega 3 fatty acids. It all boils down to the Omega 6:Omega 3 ratio. The ideal ratio is 1:1, which is beneficial to keep inflammation at bay. Omega 6 is mostly found in vegetable oil, fake butter products, processed foods, fast foods and also in nuts like walnuts. Today, due to modern diets the Omega 6:Omega 3 ratios are quite warped in favour of Omega 6 and ensuring that we get enough Omega 3 (through fatty fish or fish oil) is all we can do to balance it out.

Benefits of fish oil
1) Lowers cholesterol – No matter what your current heart health, fish oil plays an important role in preventing coronary diseases and lowering cholesterol levels and keeping it in check.
2) Lowers triglyceride levels – Several researchers have found that one of the benefits of fish oil is lowering the triglyceride levels in the blood and hence once again lowers the risk of coronary diseases.
3) Reduction of inflammation – Many inflammatory diseases like thyroid inflammatory disease can be reduced with consuming fish oil supplements on a daily basis. Just a small amount goes a long way in reducing inflammation in many ways.
4) Eliminates joint pains – In the same vein that it reduces inflammation it also reduces joint pain and reduces the risk of arthritis later on.
5) Promotes weight loss – Promotes the weight loss and fat burning better than only diet and exercise. Scientists in Australia discovered that fat loss benefits of fish oil combined with diet and exercise were significantly greater than diet and exercise alone.
6) Reduces soreness from weight training – If you enjoy lifting heavy but do not look forward to the accompanying soreness, you had better start making fish oil part of your diet. The reduced soreness will make exercise not only more enjoyable, but also more frequent thanks to reduction in recovery time.

Flax Seed Oil
Though I maintain that fish oil is one of the best sources of Omega 3 that you can find, flaxseed oil is not far behind. At the risk of sounding repetitive some benefits of flaxseed oil are: lowering cholesterol, countering inflammation, better skin as it helps treat acne, guards against the effects of aging (read arthritis), help fight prostrate problems and reduce cancer risks.

Though both of these are good for vital Omega 3’s, meat eaters would be better off with fish oil as the DHA and EPA found in fish oil (which play a big role in the formation of brain and retinal tissue) are more useful than ALA found in flax seed oil.

Strict vegetarians, go for flaxseed oil, but for the rest of you, fish oil it is all the way.

भगवान के भोग में डाले जाते हैं तुलसी के पत्ते क्योंकि...

भगवान को भोग लगे और तुलसी दल न हो तो भोग अधूरा ही माना जाता है। तुलसी को परंपरा से भोग में रखा जाता है क्योंकि शास्त्रों के अनुसार तुलसी को विष्णु जी की प्रिय मानी जाती है। शास्त्रों के अनुसार तुलसी डालकर भोग लगाने पर चार भार चांदी व एक भार सोने के दान के बराबर पुण्य मिलता है और बिना तुलसी के भगवान भोग ग्रहण नहीं करते उसे अस्वीकार कर देते हैं।

भोग में तुलसी डालने के पीछे सिर्फ धार्मिक कारण नहीं है बल्कि इसके पीछे अनेक वैज्ञानिक कारण भी है।तुलसी दल का औषधीय गुण है। एकमात्र तुलसी में यह खूबी है कि इसका पत्ता रोगप्रतिरोधक होता है। यानि कि एंटीबायोटिक। संभवत: भोग में तुलसी को अनिवार्य किया गया कि इस बहाने ही सही लोग दिन में कम से कम एक पत्ता ग्रहण करें ताकि उनका स्वास्थ्य ठीक रहे। इस तरह तुलसी स्वास्थ्य देने वाली है। तुलसी का पौधा मलेरिया के कीटाणु नष्ट करता है।

नई खोज से पता चला है इसमें कीनोल, एस्कार्बिक एसिड, केरोटिन और एल्केलाइड होते हैं। तुलसी पत्र मिला हुआ पानी पीने से कई रोग दूर हो जाते हैं। इसीलिए चरणामृत में तुलसी का पत्ता डाला जाता है। तुलसी के स्पर्श से भी रोग दूर होते हैं। तुलसी पर किए गए प्रयोगों से सिद्ध हुआ है कि रक्तचाप और पाचनतंत्र के नियमन में तथा मानसिक रोगों में यह लाभकारी है। इससे रक्तकणों की वृद्धि होती है। तुलसी ब्रह्मचर्य की रक्षा करने एवं यह त्रिदोषनाशक है। रक्तविकार, वायु, खांसी, कृमि आदि की निवारक है तथा हृदय के लिए हितकारी है।

अक्षय तृतीया के दिन नया काम करना शुरू करना शुभ क्यों माना जाता है?

अक्षय तृतीया या आखा तीज वैशाख मास में शुक्ल पक्ष की तृतीया तिथि को कहते हैं। इस तिथि को आखातीज के नाम से भी पुकारा जाता है।पौराणिक ग्रंथों के अनुसार इस दिन जो भी शुभ कार्य किये जाते हैं, उनका अक्षय फल मिलता है।इसी कारण इसे अक्षय तृतीया कहा जाता है कि इस दिन शुरू किए जाने वाले काम का अक्षय फल मिलता है।

ऐसा माना जाता है कि आज के दिन जाने-अनजाने अपराधों की सच्चे मन से ईश्वर से क्षमा प्रार्थना करे तो भगवान उसके अपराधों को क्षमा कर देते हैं और उसे सदगुण प्रदान करते हैं, अतः आज के दिन अपने दुर्गुणों को भगवान के चरणों में सदा के लिये अर्पित कर उनसे सदगुणों का वरदान मांगना चाहिए।पौराणिक कहानियों के मुताबिक, इसी दिन महाभारत की लड़ाई खत्म हुई।

द्वापर युग का समापन भी इसी दिन हुआ। इसी दिन भगवान श्रीकृष्ण ने युधिष्ठिर के पूछने पर यह बताया था कि आज के दिन जो भी रचनात्मक या सांसारिक कार्य करोगे, उसका पुण्य मिलेगा। कोई भी नया काम, नया घर और नया कारोबार शुरू करने से उसमें बरकत और ख्याति मिलेगी। माना जाता है कि अक्षय तृतीया के दिन स्नान, ध्यान, जप तप करना, हवन करना, स्वाध्याय पितृ तर्पण करना और दान पुण्य करने से पुण्य मिलता है। देवताओं की पूजा करने को भी उन्होंने पुण्य बताया है। इसीलिए इस दिन कोई भी नया काम शुरू करना बहुत शुभ माना जाता है।

सिन्दूर का नहीं चंदन का तिलक लगाना चाहिए क्योंकि...

पूजा के समय तिलक लगाने का विशेष महत्व है और भगवान को स्नान करवाने के बाद उन्हें चन्दन का तिलक किया जाता है।पूजन करने वाला भी अपने मस्तक पर चंदन का तिलक लगाता है। यह सुगंधित होता है तथा इसका गुण शीतलता देने वाला होता है।

भगवान को चंदन अर्पण करने का भाव यह है कि हमारा जीवन आपकी कृपा से सुगंध से भर जाए तथा हमारा व्यवहार शीतल रहे यानी हम ठंडे दिमाग से काम करे। अक्सर उत्तेजना में काम बिगड़ता है। चंदन लगाने से उत्तेजना काबू में आती है।

स्त्रियों को मस्तक पर कस्तूरी का तिलक या बिंदी लगाना चाहिए। गणेशजी, हनुमानजी, माताजी या अन्य मुर्तियों से सिंदूर निकालकर ललाट पर नही लगाना चाहिए। सिंदूर उष्ण होता है। चंदन का तिलक ललाट पर या छोटी सी बिंदी के रूप में दोनों भौहों के मध्य लगाया जाता है।

वैज्ञानिक दृष्टिकोण से चंदन का तिलक लगाने से दिमाग में शांति, तरावट एवं शीतलता बनी रहती है। मस्तिष्क में सेराटोनिन व बीटाएंडोरफिन नामक रसायनों का संतुलन होता है। मेघाशक्ति बढ़ती है तथा मानसिक थकावट विकार नहीं होता।

क्यों और कौन सी पांच चीजें बनाती हैं पूजा को सफल?

शास्त्रों के अनुसार पूजा में दूध, दही, घी, शहद और मिश्री का उपयोग होता है इन पांच चीजों के बिना पूजा अधूरी मानी जाती है।

हिन्दू धर्म में इन पांचों को पवित्र माना गया है। और जब इन पांचों को मिलाया जाता है तब इसे पंचामृत कहा जाता है। पंचामृत यानि पांच अमृत।

पंचामृत का पहला भाग दूध होता है जो हमें गाय से मिलता है गाय में देवी देवताओं का वास होने से दूध को अमृत माना गया है।

पंचामृत का दूसरा और तीसरा भाग दही एवं घी दूध से ही प्राप्त होता है इसलिए यह भी अमृत माना गया है।

हिन्दू धर्म में शहद पूर्ण पवित्र रस माना गया है। भगवान को चढऩे वाले सुगन्धित फूलों के रस से ही शहद बनता है इसलिए यह पवित्र और अमृत के समान है। पंचामृत का पाचवां भाग मिश्री होता है जिसको इन सब में मिलाने से पूर्ण अमृत बनता है।

कहीं कही गन्ने का रस भी शुद्ध और पवित्र होने के कारण उपयोग किया जाता है।स्वास्थ्य की दृष्टि से देखा जाए तो प्रसाद के रूप में पंचामृत यानि इन सब चिजों से बने मिश्रण को खाने से सभी प्रकार के रोगों का नाश भी होता है।

दरअसल पंचामृत आत्मोन्नति का प्रतीक है। यह पांचों सामग्री किसी न किसी रूप में आत्मोन्नति का संदेश देती है।

दूल्हा-दुल्हन की मांग में सिंदूर क्यों भरता है?

हमारे देश में विवाह संस्कार से जुड़ी अनेक परंपराएं हैं। हिन्दू विवाह पद्धति में कुछ परंपराएं ऐसी हैं जिनका निर्वाह शादी में नहीं किया जाए तो शादी पूरी नहीं मानी जाती है जैसे मंगलसुत्र पहनाना, मांग में सिंदूर भरना, बिछिया पहनाना आदि।



इन रस्मों का निर्वाह शादी में तो किया ही जाता है साथ ही इन सभी चीजों को सुहागन के सुहाग का प्रतीक माना जाता है।इसीलिए हमारे धर्मग्रंथों के अनुसार इन्हें सुहागनों का अनिवार्य श्रृंगार माना जाता है। ऐसी मान्यता है कि इन श्रृंगारों के बिना सुहागन स्त्री को नहीं रहना चाहिए।



किसी भी सुहागन स्त्री के लिए मांग में सिंदूर भरना अनिवार्य माना गया है। हिन्दू शादी में बहुत से रिवाज निभाए जाते है।



शादी में निभाई जाने वाली सभी रस्मों में फेरों की रस्म सबसे महत्वपूर्ण मानी जाती है। फेरों के समय वधू की माँग सिंदूर से भरने का प्रावधान है। शादी में मांग सिंदूर व चांदी के सिक्के से भरी जाती है। मांग भर विवाह के पश्चात् ही सौभाग्य सूचक के रूप में माँग में सिंदूर भरा जाता है। यह सिंदूर माथे से लगाना आरंभ करके और जितनी लंबी मांग हो उतना भरा जाने का प्रावधान है।



यह सिंदूर केवल सौभाग्य का ही सूचक नहीं है इसके पीछे जो वैज्ञानिक धारणा है कि वह यह है कि माथे और मस्तिष्क के चक्रों को सक्रिय बनाए रखा जाए जिससे कि ना केवल मानसिक शांति बनी रहे बल्कि सामंजस्य की भावना भी बराबर बलवती बनी रहे अत: शादी में मांग भरने की रस्म इसीलिए निभाए जाती है ताकि वैवाहिक जीवन में हमेशा प्रेम व सामंजस्य बना रहे।

नई दुल्हन को शादी में गहने क्यों दिए जाते है?

हिन्दू परंपरा के अनुसार बेटियों की शादी में उसके मायके वालों की ओर से अनेक उपहार विवाह के उपलक्ष्य में बेटी को दिए जाते हैं। माता-पिता का यही सपना होता है कि उनकी बेटी ससुराल में हमेशा खुश रहे। उसे कभी किसी तरह की कोई कमी महसूस न हो। नववधु को माता-पिता की ओर से आभुषण दिए जाने का एक मुख्य कारण यह है कि उनकी बिटिया को जिंदगी में कभी भी अभाव का सामना ना करना पड़े। साथ ही इसके पीछे वैज्ञानिक कारण भी है।

पहले जब वधू को कमरधनी (तगड़ी) पहनाई जाती थी और गले में भारी हार पहनाए जाते थे और भारी-भारी पायल भी पहनाई जाती थी तो उसके पीछे तथ्य शारीरिक स्वास्थ्य को बनाए रखना था। ये विशेष आभूषण भारी होने से एक्युप्रेशर के पाईन्ट को दबाए रखने का एक महत्वपूर्ण साधन हैं और पायल रिप्रोडेक्टिव ऑर्गन को भी ठीक रखती है। यही कारण है कि आभूषण केवल स्त्रियाँ ही नहीं पहनती थीं बल्कि पुरूष भी बड़े और भारी आभूषण धारण किया करते थे। आज भारी आभूषणों की जगह हल्के और सुंदर आभूषणों ने ले ली है और इन सबके पीछे काल और परिस्थिति का बदल जाना है।

Proper food combination could prove a healthy diet-Ayurvedic surveys

It is important to know whether the given combination of food items that we consume is appropriate or not. Ayurvedic literature discusses in detail about various food combination’s and warns that many food items if eaten together combine to act like poison in the body. Did you know that honey and desi ghee when mixed in equal quantities and eaten, acts like poison?

Wrong food combination’s

Milk and curd with banana
Milk or curd with radish
Milk and curd
Honey with hot water or any other hot substance
Honey and radish
Khichdi and Kheer
Milk with musk melon(kharbooza)/watermelon/cucumber/sanke gourd(kakadi)
Bengal gram (Urad) and radish
Curd and blackberry(jamun)
Curd and musk melon(kharbooza)
Curd and paneer
Fruits with vegetables
Radish or curd at night
Curd after heating
Ghee kept in a copper pot for more than 10 or more days
Pulses with sweet potato/potato/kachalu
Musk melon(kharbooza)/watermelon with any other food item
Pulses and rice or pulses and chapati
Milk or curd with chapati
Chapati and tamarind

Right food combination’s

Mango and cow’s milk
Milk and dates
Rice and coconut
Guava with fennel seed(saunf)
Watermelon with radish leaves
Asparagus(bathua) and curd raita
Curd and pulses
Mix vegetable of carrot and methi
Banana and cardamom(small)
Curd and amla powder
Swetsaar with vegetables
Dry fruits with citrus fruits
Pulses and vegetables
Vegetables and rice khichdi
Fruits and small quantity dry fruits with vegetables
Chapati with green leafy vegetables
Sprouts with fresh coconut

Tomato – the world’s most popular fruit

Tomato is the world’s most popular fruit. Botanically speaking tomato is a kind of fruit, not a vegetable like the brinjal and the pumpkin. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced per year.

Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. The French people called it as “the apple of love” and the Germans “the apple of paradise.” Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber and cholesterol free.

New medical research recommends that the consumption of lycopene (the stuff that makes tomatoes red) and it may prevent cancer. Lycopene is the most powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family. They have natural compounds that create the colors of fruits and vegetables. They are rich in vitamins C and E; protect us from the free radicals that degrade many parts of the body. Tomatoes are used in many food product likely tomato sauce, pasta and pizza. According to the Council of Steel Packing survey in 1997, 68% of chefs use canned tomatoes for convenience and flavoring.

The scientific term for the common tomato is lycopersicon lycopersicum, and it mean “wolf peach”. Tomato is a cousin of the eggplant, red pepper, ground cherry, potato and also commonly known as nightshade or solanaccae. There are nearly 10,000 varieties of tomatoes.

Do not store ripened tomatoes in the fridge where cooked tomatoes have higher concentrations of lycopene than non-cooked tomatoes.

Eat fruits to cure acne naturally

Acne is one of the most common and irritating skin disorders. You can see bumps and more bumps all over your face in particular the places like right on your lips.

Do you look at other people’s faces and surprise what it will be like to have smooth and not be told by sympathetic friends and relatives trying to console you that “It’s not what’s on the outside that counts but what is on the inside”.

The best way to cure or prevent acne is to do an internal cleanse. Eat lots of fruits likely an orange or red skin to cure acne or pimples. Eating plenty of fruits is one kind of way to treat acne from inside.

Many kinds of fruits will helps to treat acne naturally.

* The first is Apple. As an old proverb says, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, in this case it will keep a dermatologist away! Be sure that you can eat the skin of the apple since most pectin is in the skin it helps with constipation.

* Eat a single banana every day. Bananas prevent acne as they tackle constipation well.

* The berries are helps for cleansing capability were helps to care for your facial skin. It also helps you to save from major skin diseases.

* Eat grapes during the daytime that helps to cleanse your skin as well as your body.

* Cherries contain Vitamin A and vitamin C that helps to maintain your bowel movements and good night sleep.

* Eat papayas that contain enzymes, helps for rejuvenating and repairing the skin.

* Apply lemon juice on your acne spots.

Reduce in the intake of caffeine; were it increase the stress hormones in your body and results in aggravated acne conditions. Try to avoid tea and coffee as much as possible. Avoid overcooking of food. It may delay the process of digestion that results in the forming of toxins in your body. Reduce the intake of red meat and dairy products. It contains high level of hormones that will generate more hormones in our body. Increase in hormones can result in the outburst of acne.

It will help you get rid of your present acne and finally you will be able to lead a completely acne free life.

Strawberries fruit facts

* Strawberries are the only fruit which has seeds on the outside.
* The fruits have low fat, low calorie and high in vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, potassium.
* It helps to reduce the risk of cancer and heart attacks where seven to nine-year-old picked strawberries as their favorite fruit.
* Strawberries are rich in nitrate which may increase the flow of blood and oxygen to the muscles by 7%. It helps to prevent muscle fatigue.
* Cut strawberries into high fiber cereal and calcium-rich low fat yogurt.
* Mix frozen strawberries with orange juice to make a tasty smoothie.
* Toss strawberries in a salad.

Health benefits:

* The anti oxidants like vitamin-C, Flavonoids, Phenolic Phytochemicals and Elagic Acid, present in strawberries can help avoid drying up of eyes, degeneration of optical nerves to a great extent. Strawberries contain potassium, which may also help to maintain pressure.
* Strawberries contain vitamin-C and the phytochemicals that helps to neutralize the effect of oxidants and also rejuvenate the system.
* Strawberries are rich in iodine that helps for proper functioning of brain and nervous system.

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism has become an increasingly popular dietary lifestyle in the United States. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, approximately 3 to 7% of people in the United States consider themselves vegetarians. The increasing availability of vegetarian foods and entrees in grocery stores and restaurants has made it easier for people who don't eat meat or animal products to create healthy diets and lifestyles.

Studies have shown that people who are vegetarians are at reduced risk of obesity, lung cancer and alcoholism, and may be at lower risk for coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and gallstones.

People who are vegetarians may also be more likely to practice healthy habits such as avoiding smoking, exercising regularly and drinking alcohol in moderation.

Types of Vegetarians
There are many variations of a vegetarian diet. Here are a few common types of vegetarians:

• Vegetarian: a person who excludes all or some meat and animal products from the diet
• Vegan: a person whose diet consists of only plant foods
• Lacto-vegetarian: a person whose diet consists of plant foods and some or all dairy products
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: a person whose diet consists of plant foods, milk, dairy products and eggs
• Semi or partial vegetarian: a person who doesn't eat red meat, but may eat chicken or fish with plant foods, dairy products and eggs

Special Dietary Needs
According to the National Library of Medicine, vegetarian diets that include dairy products and eggs are nutritionally sound, but vegans and other vegetarians that restrict food groups may need supplementation.

The Food and Drug Administration suggests the following substitutes for those nutrients most likely to be lacking from vegetarian diets:

• Vitamin B12: fortified soy beverages and cereals
• Vitamin D: fortified soy beverages and sunshine
• Calcium: tofu processed with calcium, broccoli, seeds, nuts, kale, bok choy, legumes (peas and beans), greens, lime-processed tortillas, and calcium-enriched soy beverages, grain products and orange juice
• Iron: legumes, tofu, green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, whole grains and iron-fortified cereals and breads, especially whole wheat. Iron absorption is improved by vitamin C, found in citrus fruits/juices, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, peppers, dark-green leafy vegetables and potatoes with skins
• Zinc: whole grains (especially the germ and bran), whole wheat bread, legumes, nuts and tofu
• Protein: tofu and other soy-based products, legumes, seeds, nuts, grains and vegetables

Making Vegetarianism Easier
The American Dietetic Association says it's a common myth about vegetarian eating that the diet makes it hard to get certain nutrients, such as protein. They offer these tips for vegetarianism made easy:

• Explore new foods at your grocery store. Pick out a different meat-free product - you'll find everything from vegetarian or vegan burritos to burgers - from the variety located in the freezer section to try at home each week.
• Load up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Reach for a piece of fruit or cut up fresh veggies when the urge to munch calls you.
• Buy a new cookbook or look for meatless recipes in the newspaper or food magazines. Try one new recipe each week. In just a few months, you will have tried at least a dozen new recipes.
• Be adventurous and try a vegetarian entrée at a restaurant. You may be pleasantly surprised at the number of meat-free dishes there are and at their delicious tastes, too.

Indian Fast Food Nutrition

In the present times, it is the fast food craze that has created sensation all over. The fast food has occupied a demanding position in the list of top hot fad foods. People are getting lured into trying yummy fast food dishes, without possessing adequate knowledge regarding Indian fast food nutrition. Well, there is a need for bringing forward some eye opener nutrition facts about fastfood.

These days, the fast food chains are booming in number and witnessing flourishing business. Abraham Lincoln had once said, "let the people know the facts and the country will be safe". Well, it also holds true regarding the information about fast food nutritional content. The prime motive is to make the people aware of the fact and then let them take conscious decision.

Here are some facts about fast food nutrition:

• In the list of fattening dishes, Korma and Biryani are on the top.
• If a sauce solidifies in room temperature, it's an indication that it consists of high saturated fats.
• Pappadums contain relatively high calories.
• Indian curry makes use of green chilies that are rich in Vitamin C.
• All food items like Tikka dishes that are cooked in dry oven contain low fat.
• Instead of creamy pasta sauce, eating tomato sauce is a better option, as pasta sauce contain high fat content.
• Lasagna contains multiple cheese layers; therefore it is a very fatty item.
• Chips are high in fat and calories.

Well, the basic reason that can be attributed to the increasing consumption of fast food is the fact that fast food is readily available, quick to make and easy to serve. Media truly deserves the credit for the wide publicity of fast food stuff. But it is always advisable to eat healthy nutritious food that can help maintain your overall fitness.

20 Things You Didn't Know About.....Sugar

1 The average American eats 61 pounds of refined sugar each year, including 25 pounds of candy. Halloween accounts for at least two pounds of that.

2 Trick: Sugar may give you wrinkles via a process called glycation, in which excess blood sugar binds to collagen in the skin, making it less elastic.

3 Or treat: Cutting back on sugar may help your skin retain its flexibility. So actually, no treats.

4 People in India have been crystallizing cane sugar for at least 2,000 years. When Alexander the Great’s companions arrived there, they marveled at the production of honey without bees.

5 In 1747 German chemist Andreas Marggraf discovered that the sugar in a sugar beet is identical to that in sugarcane. In 1802 the first beet-sugar refinery began operations, bringing cheap sweets to northern climes.

6 More than half the 8.4 million metric tons of sugar produced annually in the United States comes from beets.

7 Can you imagine eating 16 sugar cubes at one sitting? You probably have. That’s a little less than what is contained in a 20-ounce bottle of cola.

8 Soft drinks with artificial sweeteners may actually help make you fat. In a Purdue University study, rats drinking liquids with artificial sweeteners consumed more calories overall than rats whose drinks were sweetened with sugar.

9 The artificial sweeteners saccharin and aspartame were found accidentally when lab workers doing research that had nothing to do with sweetening put a bit of the test compounds in their mouths and liked what they tasted.

10 What kind of researcher sticks an experiment in his mouth?

11 At least he had an excuse. The scientists who discovered sucralose (now sold as Splenda) were originally trying to create an insecticide. An assistant thought he had been instructed to “taste” a compound he’d only been asked to “test.”

12 A compound called lugduname is the sweetest compound known—more than 200,000 times as sweet as table sugar.

13 Sugars are molecules of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. The simplest include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Table sugar is crystallized sucrose, a fusion of one fructose and one glucose molecule.

14 Can’t escape them: Sugars are the building blocks of carbohydrates, the most abundant type of organic molecules in living things.

15 Glycolaldehyde, an eight-atom sugar, has even been found in an interstellar gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way.

16 Glycolaldehyde can react with a three-carbon sugar to form ribose, the basis for both RNA and DNA, so the glycol­aldehyde found in deep space may be a chemical precursor to life on Earth.

17 That cloud also contains ethylene glycol, a sweet relative of glycol­aldehyde and the main ingredient in antifreeze. Either complex sugars can be synthesized between the stars or there is a truck stop at the end of the universe.

18 Sugar can help get you there to find out. Burn sucrose with a dose of corn syrup and saltpeter and you get “sugar propellant,” a popular amateur rocket fuel.

19 How do you spell relief? “Obecalp,” a sugar pill manufactured to FDA standards, is marketed as a treatment for children’s mild complaints. (Try reading the name backward.)

20 It’s not all mind games. The sugar glucosamine works as an immunosuppressant in mice, and xylitol (a sugar alcohol) can prevent ear infections in kids. Sweet!

20 Things You Didn't Know About.......Obesity

1. Child-safety seat manufacturers are starting to make bigger models after a recent study showed that over 250,000 U.S. children age 6 and under are too fat to use them.

2. According to a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, nearly half the 4,000 people responding to an online survey about obesity said they would give up a year of their life rather than be fat.

3. Between 15 percent and 30 percent also said they would rather walk away from their marriage, give up the possibility of having children, be depressed, or become alcoholic rather than be obese.

4. Five percent and 4 percent, respectively, said they would rather lose a limb or be blind than be overweight.

5. From 1991 to 2000, the average weight of Americans increased by 8.5 pounds.

6. In 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration increased its estimate of the weight of the average male from 170 to 184 pounds.

7. Airlines spent $275 million on 350 million additional gallons of fuel in 2000 to compensate for the additional weight of their passengers. Now we know why the peanuts are no longer free!

8. Stand by your man: More than a decade ago, Manuel Uribe, now weighing 1,200 pounds (the equivalent of five baby elephants) and bedridden for the past five years, was abandoned by his wife because she was frightened by his increasing size.

9. Virgin Atlantic paid Barbara Hewson from Wales the equivalent of US$24,100 in 2002 as compensation after she was squashed by an obese person sitting next to her on a transatlantic flight. Barbara suffered a blood clot in her chest, torn leg muscles, and acute sciatica and was bedridden for a month.

10. Duke University Medical Center found that women and men who lost 10 percent of their total body weight reported a significant improvement in their sexual quality of life.

11. Obesity ranks second among preventable causes of death. Tobacco use is number one.

12. According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, of the 7.5 million veterans who receive their health benefits from the agency, more than 70 percent are overweight and 20 percent have diabetes, which may lead to blindness, amputations, and kidney and heart problems.

13. Two years ago, the Hardee's fast-food chain introduced the 1,420-calorie 107-fat-gram "Monster Thickburger." It contains two 1/3-pound slabs of Angus beef, four strips of bacon, three slices of cheese, and mayonnaise on a buttered sesame-seed bun.

14. Mississippi is the home of the mud pie, Cajun fried pecans, sweet potato crunch, fried shrimp, and catfish. Mississippi is also home to the country's fattest people—more than 25 percent of adult Mississippians are obese. Coincidence?

15. Recent studies have shown that obesity can cause you to lose sleep.

16. On the other hand, a lack of sleep may result in obesity.

17. It's a vicious cycle.

18. Never forget your past: Aborigines and the Pima indians of Arizona developed obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension after transitioning to a Western lifestyle.

19. If the entire morbidly obese population of the U.S. lived in one state, it would be the 12th highest-populated state, with more people than Virginia.

20. A 2003 study reported that 21 percent of all New York City elementary students from all income levels are obese.

The Rare Art of Customer Delight(By Robin Sharma)

Was ready for a flight destined to Houston, en route to my home. I had a tight connection. But I’m an optimist by default. So I was in strong spirits. And set to fly.

The initial delay was 30 minutes. Something about the plane having to be towed from another area to the gate (not sure why someone didn’t tow it over earlier but no worries; there are worse things happening in the world). 30 minutes stretched to an hour. Nearly zero communication nor explanation. The gate agents just typed frenetically on the keyboards as in one of the final scenes of the pretty-much-hilarious “Meet The Parents” movie.

Finally, we boarded. The captain then came on the PA and advised us of a “minor mechanical problem that should be fixed in 15 minutes.” Four hours later we were still on the runway.

When we eventually took off, I’d missed my connection and resigned myself to the adventure of an unexpected evening in Houston (great city). Through it all, no one from the airline said “Sorry”, the gate agents promised at the arrival gate were invisible and no plans were made for hotel accommodations or ground transport. No one seemed to care (when a business treats its people poorly, its people treat their customers poorly – except for the one in one hundred soul who rises above it all because of their personal belief system and Leads Without a Title).

Look, I’m not complaining. Not at all. Delays and disruption are the price of admission for a professional traveler. I had books to read, water to drink and my iPod with hundreds of audiobooks just begging to be consumed. I’m not so special (and certainly no different from you) but I was able to maintain a sense of perspective about the whole thing. But the experience did fine tune and bring into clearer focus the gorgeous opportunity every business has to breed customer loyalty and all -new levels of trust when things don’t go as planned.

Here are some of my thoughts on what a truly world-class airline that really cared about their customers would have done:

4 Keys To Delighting Your Customers

1. Talk To Your Customers: A problem is nothing more than an opportunity to engage and wow the people who keep you in business. The gate agents and personnel could have quickly and regularly explained the situation and assured us all possible progress was being made.

2. Say You’re Sorry: I’m a fanatic about leadership language. Words have such power. The captain talked a lot about “some more bad news”. Better to just give us the facts – and hold off on the emotion. But even more importantly, say “sorry” when you need to say sorry. Many of us missed our connections and were caused inconvenience because of this mechanical issue. Yet no one took responsibility.

3. Show Your Customers a Little Humanity: While we waited, the agents could have handed out bottles of water. Or had some protocol that would make a challenging situation easier (or even fun). Maybe the Plan B could have been a boxed sandwich. Or some special chocolates. Or just walking around checking in with as many passengers as possible to make human connections (I saw one passenger buy Chinese food and share it with people around him…shared decency amidst adversity).

4. Go Beyond Expectations: Most businesses don’t even deliver on what they promise in their advertising and sloganeering. Imagine, when we arrived in Houston (it was nearly midnight), if we were provided with transport to a hotel, a healthy meal, and a letter on check in wishing us a great night, while thanking us for giving the airline our business.

Business brilliance is pretty simple. Maybe not easy. But pretty simple. And it begins with caring about the people who keep you going.

The 50 New Rules of Work(By Robin Sharma)

The global economy is in a state of acute disruption. Competition has never been more fierce. Consumers have never been so well-informed and loudly demanding. And what worked yesterday just might be obsolete today.

But this time is also a great time, for the astonishing few who are ready to show leadership. Leaders are at their absolute best during messy cycles versus during the easy ones. And messy cycles bring with them gorgeous opportunities.

As I sit quietly on this airplane at 40,000 feet, away from the rallying cries of a wired world filled with endless interruptions, I’ve distilled what I’ve been sharing in my presentations to clients across the planet over the past months, from Kuwait and Dubai to Paris, London and Dusseldorf.

Here are 50 powerful rules to amp up your game so this business cycle is one of your best business cycles yet.

The 50 New Rules of Work

1. You are not just paid to work. You are paid to be uncomfortable – and to pursue projects that scare you.
2. Take care of your relationships and the money will take care of itself.
3. Lead you first. You can’t help others reach for their highest potential until you’re in the process of reaching for yours.
4. To double your income, triple your rate of learning.
5. While victims condemn change, leaders grow inspired by change.
6. Small daily improvements over time create stunning results.
7. Surround yourself with people courageous enough to speak truthfully about what’s best for your organization and the customers you serve.
8. Don’t fall in love with your press releases.
9. Every moment in front of a customer is a moment of truth (to either show you live by the values you profess – or you don’t).
10. Copying what your competition is doing just leads to being second best.
11. Become obsessed with the user experience such that every touchpoint of doing business with you leaves people speechless. No, breathless.
12. If you’re in business, you’re in show business. The moment you get to work, you’re on stage. Give us the performance of your life.
13. Be a Master of Your Craft. And practice + practice + practice.
14. Get fit like Madonna.
15. Read magazines you don’t usually read. Talk to people who you don’t usually speak to. Go to places you don’t commonly visit. Disrupt your thinking so it stays fresh + hungry + brilliant.
16. Remember that what makes a great business – in part – are the seemingly insignificant details. Obsess over them.
17. Good enough just isn’t good enough.
18. Brilliant things happen when you go the extra mile for every single customer.
19. An addiction to distraction is the death of creative production. Enough said.
20. If you’re not failing regularly, you’re definitely not making much progress.
21. Lift your teammates up versus tear your teammates down. Anyone can be a critic. What takes guts is to see the best in people.
22. Remember that a critic is a dreamer gone scared.
23. Leadership’s no longer about position. Now, it’s about passion. And having an impact through the genius-level work that you do.
24. The bigger the dream, the more important the team.
25. If you’re not thinking for yourself, you’re following – not leading.
26. Work hard. But build an exceptional family life. What’s the point of reaching the mountaintop but getting there alone.
27. The job of the leader is to develop more leaders.
28. The antidote to deep change is daily learning. Investing in your professional and personal development is the smartest investment you can make. Period.
29. Smile. It makes a difference.
30. Say “please” and “thank you”. It makes a difference.
31. Shift from doing mindless toil to doing valuable work.
32. Remember that a job is only just a job if all you see it as is a job.
33. Don’t do your best work for the applause it generates but for the personal pride it delivers.
34. The only standard worth reaching for is BIW (Best in World).
35. In the new world of business, everyone works in Human Resources.
36. In the new world of business, everyone’s part of the leadership team.
37. Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.
38. You become your excuses.
39. You’ll get your game-changing ideas away from the office versus in the middle of work. Make time for solitude. Creativity needs the space to present itself.
40. The people who gossip about others when they are not around are the people who will gossip about you when you’re not around.
41. It could take you 30 years to build a great reputation and 30 seconds of bad judgment to lose it.
42. The client is always watching.
43. The way you do one thing defines the way you’ll do everything. Every act matters.
44. To be radically optimistic isn’t soft. It’s hard. Crankiness is easy.
45. People want to be inspired to pursue a vision. It’s your job to give it to them.
46. Every visionary was initially called crazy.
47. The purpose of work is to help people. The other rewards are inevitable by-products of this singular focus.
48. Remember that the things that get scheduled are the things that get done.
49. Keep promises and be impeccable with your word. People buy more than just your products and services. They invest in your credibility.
50. Lead Without a Title.

11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs(By Robin Sharma)

Recently I delivered a three-hour presentation for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization in Vancouver. I was really delighted to share my ideas on what it takes to be a world-class entrepreneur. The productivity habits of best entrepreneurs, and ultimately how you build a fast growth company while actually cultivating a better lifestyle. A lifestyle where you have more fun and more balance.

And I wanted to share the 11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs with you. Because I shared a lot of the ideas with them and I wanted to offer them to you so you can multiply your profits, build a truly great small company while creating a truly exceptional lifestyle.

The 11 Obsessions of Remarkable Entrepreneurs

1. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand the quality of the practice determines the caliber of the performance

The Pro Athlete Protocol: Prepare Yourself Mentally, Physically + Emotionally

2. Bureaucrats talk about people and problems, Remarkable Entrepreneurs talk about possibilities and solutions

Focus on results and get things done. What’s the opportunity here? How can we leverage this situation. Focus on possibilities. Results. Results. Results.

3. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand they are paid not just to work, but they are paid to be scared

The best entrepreneurs play out on the edges and take calculated risks. Challenge the way you performed yesterday. Take calculated risks.

4. To have what only 1% of the entrepreneurial population have, you must be willing to do what only 1% of the entrepreneurial population are willing to do

The best entrepreneurs do what’s difficult, what causes them to stretch and what requires commitment. Be committed. Be willing to do what the few do. Develop the leaders around you. Go into silence. Work on your customer experience. Have acute clarity on your 90 day goals. Work on your goals. Build relationships and trust. Persist.

5. Bureaucrats are threatened by change, Remarkable Entrepreneurs are inspired by change

The best entrepreneurs understand that a change is required to get to the next level of profits, success and fulfillment. Go through the confusion to get to the clarity.

6. Bureaucrats have jobs, Remarkable Entrepreneurs have crafts

Develop your talents and make a dent in the universe. Do something you are proud of. Elicit the best within you. The best entrepreneurs aren’t in it for the money, they’re in it for the pride they feel on creating world-class products and doing genius-level work.

7. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand an addiction to distraction is the death of creative production

The best entrepreneurs understand the key in business is to shift out of complexity + busy-ness to simplicity + focus. Focus on the few high leverage activities that will get you to where you want to be.

8. Bureaucrats wait until they get the energy, Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand that to get the energy you must first do the work

When you do the Work You Will Receive The 3 Entrepreneurial Gifts:
1. Release of more motivation 2. Release of confidence 3. Release of energy

9. Remarkable Entrepreneurs understand the bigger the dream the more important the team

Leadership is about influence – moving people to action by your example. Leadership is about impact – less talk more results. Leadership is about inspiration – grow other leaders

10. Remarkable Entrepreneurs populate their lives with people whose lives they want to be living

Surround yourself with people and environments that inspire you. Obsessive attention to excellence. Create worlds that inspire you.

11. Remarkable Entrepreneurs are obsessed fundamentally with giving

Ask yourself not what can I get, ask yourself who may I help. Business is about producing unusual value for as many people as possible.

5 Ways To Protect Your Business(By Robin Sharma)

Smart businesspeople are preparing for the possibility that the global economy will fall apart. No one knows what the future will bring but many pundits are growing more and more concerned with the ballooning debt of many nations. So to borrow from a focal point of GE’s CEO, “protect the enterprise”.

Protect The Enterprise. Whether you run a solo business or lead a team of 10,000, I suggest it’s worth your time and energy to think through how you will protect your enterprise – and actually grow it – while your market peers get bounced around in the waves of uncertainty.

Here are 5 practical steps to build a strong company:

5 Ways To Protect Your Business

1. Have a Board of Advisors. Find people who have built great companies and ask them to sit on your advisory board. Meet every quarter. Show them your numbers. Share your struggles. Listen to-and act on-their advice.

2. Set Up A Peace of Mind Fund. Install a reserve fund with at least 12 months (and ideally 24 months) of operating expenses. Set it up so a portion of your monthly sales automatically goes into this account. You’ll sleep better at night knowing your business can run even if income slows down.

3. Focus on People and Culture. The single best way to protect your business is to hire top talent and invest in training your people so they amp up their performance in good as well as hard times. And work on your culture. That’s the “special sauce” that brings out the best in a team.

4. Work On Your Business vs In It. The old Michael Gerber distinction is key here. I spoke at a YPO/EO event last week and met a young entrepreneur who’d just sold his company. I asked him for the single best move he made. “I worked on my business vs in it.” He explained his core concentration was on building systems and processes so the business ran superbly without him. (At the upcoming The Remarkable Entrepreneur™ SuperConference I’ll teach you exactly how to do this as well as execute flawlessly on each of these 5 winning tactics so your business is bullet-proofed against difficult times).

5. Become Obsessed with Value Creation. This is not some pie in the sky idea. It’s a hard-hitting business growth tactic. Obsess (yes, obsess) over how you can add more value to more people and the revenues will take care of themselves.

How To Build A Movement Around Your Business(By Robin Sharma)

In 10 years, we’ll look back at this time as one of the greatest periods in history to be in business. It’s never been so easy to deliver original value for massive amounts of people. It’s never been so important to show leadership in all that you do. And there’s never been a better time to grow a full-blown movement around the products and services that you offer to the people who put food on your table every night.

Smart entrepreneurs (and even people working in companies need to think and perform like entrepreneurs within their jobs if they want to excel) do the following 4 things to grow communities of fanatical followers around their brands:

1. They understand that every moment in front of a customer is a moment of truth. You either live the values your advertising sells. Or you don’t.

2. They avoid “Copycat Syndrome”. Starbucks and NIKE and Zappos and Google became iconic because they were unique. Not because they tried to be a better clone of a successful competitor.

3. The best entrepreneurs never lose the human touch. Yes, technology’s an awesome lever to build relationships and scale your business. But ultimately, people do business with human beings – not companies.

4. The best entrepreneurs grow movements by asking themselves “how may I best serve the most people” vs “how may I make the quickest money doing the least effort.” Helping people get to their dreams via the superb product you offer still remains the single best marketing strategy in this uncertain work of business we play in.

ABC of vitamins(Source:The Times of India,May 9th,2011)

The human body is like a power engine. Just as a machine needs to be fuelled constantly, our body must be replenished regularly with vitamins for it to function properly. Vitamins, which function as catalysts and coenzymes, protect cells and are important links in the metabolic armour. Yet, very little is understood about these essential components.

Each of the vitamins - A, C, D, E, K and B (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12) - has an individual role to play in the body. Barring vitamins B12 and D3, vitamins A, B, C, and E are dietary.

Most people believe that if they take a multivitamin tablet they won't fall ill, or when they cross 40 they must supplement their diet with one. Some people also believe that if they're stressed or dieting they must then double their dose of vitamins in order to compensate.

In fact, if the multi-vitamin contains iron and minerals it leads to gastric problems. So also, vitamins - A, D3, E and K - are fat-soluble. A highdose of these vitamins can become toxic in the body and in extreme cases may even lead to mental and neurological changes like memory lapses, tremors as well as urinary incontinence.

Deficiency
There is no clinical syndrome or arithmetic to prove that if you do not intake vitamins and food today there will be a paucity of it in a couple of weeks. A lot depends on your food reserves and how much you utilise your body.

The most dependable way to replenish your body with adequate amounts of vitamins you must follow a well-balanced diet. However, it is not enough to simply consume them. You should also ensure they get absorbed into your system.

Erratic lifestyles, eating late, not chewing the food properly, binging before going to bed, consuming too much oily stuff or junk food, antibiotics, caffeine, alcohol restrict the absorption of vitamins and nutrients in the body. Consumption of excess alcohol requires the vitamin B complex group for it to be metabolised.

When alcohol gets into the system, the liver gets too busy trying to metabolise it and doesn't find the time to do its natural work, which is manufacturing proteins. Likewise, people who smoke, go on crash diets, or intake other harmful substances can run down on vitamin reserves as well.

Diabetics have a highdeficiency of various vitamins. Vegetarians too have a lower reserve. One must go for an annual blood-test to check vitamins B12 and D3 levels as the two are unavailable in general dietary fibres. If you're low on these vitamins, you must take supplements as prescribed by the doctor.

Here are the vitamins you should ensure you get:

Vitamin A (Retinol/Beta carotene)
It's needed for healthy eyes and bone development. It also helps in healing infections as it strengthens the immune system and enhances the production of RNA (Ribonucleicacid).
Found in : Cod liver oil, egg, yellow fruits and vegetables. Carotene rich foods like spirulina, wheat grass, sweet potato, carrots, green onion, spinach, Chinese cabbage, melons, peaches, yellow peppers and mango.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
It helps in converting glucose into energy.
Found in: Brown rice, millet, wheat germ, nuts, wheat bran and sprouted grains.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
It helps in the conversion of fats, sugar, proteins into energy and the formation of red blood cells.
Found in: Milk products, yeast extract, organ meats, eggs, mushrooms and asparagus.

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
Your cells breathe because of vitamin B3. It promotes healthy skin and maintains blood sugar levels.
Found in: Whole grains, legumes, fish, chicken, turkey as well as mushrooms.

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
This helps in the production of anti-stress hormones. It also promotes healthy skin, hair and nerves.
Found in: Egg, chicken, mutton, fish and vegetables such as mushrooms, avocados, wholewheat, lentils and sunflower seeds.

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is considered to be an anti-depressant. It's also involved in blood formation, is fundamental for protein metabolism and nervous system function.
Found in: Meat, salmon, banana, broccoli, red kidney beans, asparagus, cauliflower, cabbage and all green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
This vitamin is important for pregnant women as it helps the synthesis of DNA and protein. It is also essential for red blood cell formation.
Found in: Whole grains, chicken, liver, spinach, red kidney beans, raspberry, beet root, asparagus, cashews, peanuts, chick peas, avocado, wheat germ, and tomato juice.

Vitamin B12
Helps maintain healthy nervous system, required for normal growth and production of red blood cells. It also helps break down fatty acids. Vitamin B12 is manufactured only in the colon, that too in inadequate quantities.
Found in: It is not a problem for meat eaters. Unfortunately, the only source for vegetarians is the faecal content in water and that doesn't help. Some fermented food like quick pickles, soya, tofu and spirulina have B12.

Vitamin C
This aids in tissue healing, formation of bones and teeth. It is also a rich anti-oxidant.
Found in: Fruits and vegetables like guava, lemons, papaya, strawberry, melon, grapes, sprouted seeds, beans, broccoli, bell peppers, oranges, parsley and cauliflower.

Vitamin D3
This is essential for metabolism, skeletal formation and teeth. It promotes the absorption of calcium. Yet only 10-15 per cent of the vitamin content comes from a balanced diet. The rest is derived from sunlight, which is absorbed through the skin.
Found in: Sunlight. Longhours in air-conditioned spaces and pollution make it hard. Even sunscreen lotion prevents absorption. We need supplements of Vitamin D3. Consuming fish, sardine, tuna, egg, and green leafy vegetables also helps.

Vitamin E
A healthy dose of vitamin E detoxifies the liver. It is an antioxidant, protects cells and helps maintain red blood cells.
Found in: Soya beans, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, sunflower seeds, whole grains, nuts, legumes, outer leaves of cabbage, asparagus, cucumbers and sprouted grains.

Vitamin k
It is important in the blood clotting process.
Found in: The cabbage family - broccoli, green and red cabbage, pack choy flower, cauliflower, turnip, knol khol (ganth gobi), legumes, potatoes, tomatoes, alpha alpha, asparagus and green leafy vegetables.

Tips to boost your energy levels!(Source:The Times of India,May 9th,2011)

Almost everyday we observe people complaining about feeling tired. Most of these complains arise post lunch where people feel physically and emotionally zapped.

Unfortunately, leading a hectic life has become a natural part of life, thus, many people cannot afford to be tired. The challenge, therefore, is to maintain health and vitality, which can only be done by preserving the energy we have and be sure that it isn't squandered by situations and behaviours that will ultimately present a challenge to our functionality. Though we are conditioned to expect such vitality to decline with age, there is much you can do to slow that decline by preserving your vital energy reserves.

Ways to increase energy levels

Bananas and watermelon
These revive energy as fast as sugary sweets do. In fact, ripe bananas rate almost as high as table sugar on the energy-upping index. However, unlike sugar, fresh fruit gives you a stamina boost plus the nutritional benefits of fibre, vitamins and minerals. An added bonus is that there's no food quite as portable as a banana. Since watermelon can be a bit messy to eat at your desk, cut some into chunks the night before and stash in a plastic container. (Dates, mangoes, papaya and pineapple also rank high on the energy-revving scale.)

Carrots and potatoes
Just like sugary snacks and soft drinks, carrots and potatoes can up your blood sugar to an all-time high. Unlike junk food, they provide a host of important nutrients (such as vitamins A and C, folic acid and potassium) along with that energy blast. Keep a bag of baby carrots in your desk drawer and you'll be less likely to make an afternoon trip to the vending machine.

Cornflakes and shredded wheat
Even without adding sugar, wholesome cereals such as muesli, corn flakes, instant oatmeal, puffed rice top the list of breakfast foods that provide quick energy. This morning meal tends to be digested slowly, which means that blood sugar levels stay stable.

Water
If you're not drinking at least 10 to 15 cups of water a day, especially in warm weather or if you work out regularly, you're setting yourself up for dehydration. Don't wait until you feel thirsty because at that point, your body is already suffering. Make a habit of setting a full glass of water on your desk all day long. Drinking nimbu paani is a healthy way to replenish nutrients that are lost after a workout.

Managing your energy budget
When you take the time to consciously rest, relax, meditate and eat well, you are preserving what vital energy you already have and are also taking the opportunity to cultivate more. This is of paramount importance to your quality of life, level of immunity and your physical and mental stamina. It is recommended you meditate at least 20 to 25 minutes daily. Make sure that you sleep for at least seven hours everyday. Try and squeeze in a quick a 15 to 20 minute power nap during the day to help you fight fatigue and low energy. One should also try and stretch for 10 minutes twice a day. When we stretch, we're actually contracting and relaxing our muscles, thus preventing any kind of muscle stiffness. This practice will allow blood to flow freely throughout the body thus giving us energy in minutes. Gently stretch your toes, legs, arms, shoulders, and neck. Make sure you do not have any medical conditions that can cause fatigue. These include low thyroid function, low haemoglobin levels, and a range of other ailments, which can be determined by blood tests. Go for a complete body check- up at least once in two years.

Suggested By:-Deepshikha Agarwal, Dietician and Sports Nutritionist

Internet Usage Statistics of India-A 2010 Report

Internet is emerging at a rapid pace and it’s already been a part in the field of business, economy, entertainment, social groups all over the globe. The rise of Internet usage all over the world unlocked various new businesses, products, services. Internet is constantly changing the way consumers shop and businesses sell their products. Every business related to any niche knows the importance of Internet and creating a website to show their products to potential consumers.

But still in India – a country of billion people has lot to do in the area of Internet usage to catch up with the global pace. According to a report by Point Topic in 2009, Hongkong – a region with a population of only a million people has more broadband connections than India. But year of 2010 can be a silver line in dark clouds as far as the Internet in India is concerned.


In December 2008, the number of broadband subscribers was only 5.52 million that was far short of target set by broadband policy in 2008. Our neighboring countries including China, South Korea and Japan are far ahead of India. This is mainly due to high broadband rates and the quality in our country. The average rate of Broadband connection is very expensive when it is compared to China, Japan, Western Europe and USA. The main reason for such expensive rates in India are a fraction of wages in the US – the minimum wage in US is approximately Rs.327 per hour while in India, it is only Rs.10. One more reason is Indian ISP’s are paying much higher costs for high speed Internet links to connect to the Internet worldwide.

But, Internet usage figures are increasing nowadays, because pricing are lowering down in comparison to 2008 prices. Still, these are on higher side in comparison to other countries.

Let’s see some interesting Statistics about Internet usage and penetration in India (2010):

◦1,173,108,018 (1.1 billion) population and 88,000,000(88 million) active Internet users in 2010
◦Total of 6.9% penetration rate (6.9 persons using Internet out of 100)
◦India has 10.52 million broadband users (till Oct.2010), constituting 6.0% of the population.
Diving dip in to these 88 million user base, we can get very important information and insight in to the penetration, usage, age/gender diversities and habits. Let’s find out.

Statistics about Internet usage considering Age Group and Gender :

◦2/3rd households have ‘multiple’ users in them
◦97% are regular users and 79% use daily
◦70% of people who know computer have used Internet
◦19-40 years age group constitutes nearly 85% among Internet users
◦85% of Internet users are male
◦11% of working women, 6% non-working women and 2% housewives use Internet which is not a very good sign
◦46% of net users are graduate, 26% are post-graduate
Statistics about Internet usage considering cities :

◦Mumbai has most number of Internet users nearly 3.24 million
◦Delhi holds the second place with 2.66 million
◦Top ten cities having most number of Internet users are Mumbai, Delhi, Banglore, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad, Surat and Nagpur.
◦These 10 cities has 37% of the total numbers of Internet users in India.
Statistics about Internet usage considering browsing habits :

◦94% of total users use Internet for Email purposes
◦72% of total users use Internet for download music (73%) followed by Chatting (56%)
◦Other major purposes for using Internet are job searching (56%), social networking sites(54%) and finding information on search engine (52%)
◦13,188,580 Facebook users on August 31/10, 1.1% penetration rate of total Internet users
◦Cyber cafes account for maximum Internet usage with over 37% of all users accessing Internet through cyber cafes
Major concerns about Internet usages in India :

◦Only 6.9% people use Internet in India which is on very lower side.
◦Most of the users are male, female users need to be increase
◦Low number of broadband connections
◦Internet popularity in urban areas is very less
This is the overall condition of Internet usage in India. I cant’ deny the fact that Internet popularity is increasing but still it’s very low because of high Internet charges, low broadband penetration and speed. The major reason behind there are India use foreign satellites that increases the end user cost.

If we want to have cyber revolution in our country, government has to use own network and satellites to strengthen the Internet infrastructure , then only the cost goes lower. If cost reduces the penetration will increase automatically. If you remember mobile was luxury when it was first come in India, it was viable to common man only when mobile usage charges become cheaper. So, we have to hope that Internet usage charges become cheaper and Internet become common for common man.

Census Posts(http://censusindia.gov.in/)

Population of India has grown by about 17.64% between 2001 and 2011



The population of India is almost equal to the combined population of USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together (about 1214.3 million)



India’s population in 1901 was about 238.4 million, which has increased by more than four times in 110 years to reach a population of 1,210 million in 2011.

Foods that help sleep better(Source:The Times of India,8th May 2011)

The meal you choose tonight could mean the difference between counting sheep and getting some serious shut-eye. So order the salmon.

There are certain nutrients in salmon, as well as in beans, yogurt, and spinach that help you sleep better.

Salmon
The healthy fats in this fish (namely docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA for short) may boost levels of the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin.

Beans
Beans and other legumes provide a nice sampling of B vitamins, including B6, B12, and folic acid, all of which help the body regulate sleep cycles and produce relaxing serotonin. In fact, studies have shown that boosting B vitamins may help people with insomnia.

Low-fat yogurt
Yogurt is a good source of calcium and magnesium – two important sleep-supporting minerals that together help you fall asleep faster and ratchet up your deep-sleep time. And skimping on both may lead to muscle cramps, higher stress levels, and worse sleep.

Spinach
Dark leafy greens are a great source of iron – a nutrient that may help protect against the sleep robber known as restless legs syndrome.