Fenugreek Health Benefits (Vendhayam)

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

What is Fenugreek?

Fenugreek (also known as Greek Hay and Fenigreek), is an herb that is commonly found growing in the Mediterranean region of the world. While the seeds and leaves are primarily used as a culinary spice, it is also used to treat a variety of health problems in Egypt, Greece, Italy, and South Asia.

Fenugreek seeds have been found to contain protein, vitamin C, niacin, potassium, and diosgenin (which is a compound that has properties similar to estrogen). Other active constituents in fenugreek are alkaloids, lysine and L-tryptophan, as well as steroidal saponins (diosgenin, yamogenin, tigogenin, and neotigogenin).

What are the Benefits of Fenugreek?

Due to its estrogen-like properties, fenugreek has been found to help increase libido and lessen the effect of hot flashes and mood fluctuations that are common symptoms of menopause and PMS. In India and China it has also been used to treat arthritis, asthma, bronchitis, improve digestion, maintain a healthy metabolism, increase libido and male potency, cure skin problems (wounds, rashes and boils), treat sore throat, and cure acid reflux. Fenugreek also has a long history of use for the treatment of reproductive disorders, to induce labor, to treat hormonal disorders, to help with breast enlargement, and to reduce menstrual pain. Recent studies have shown that Fenugreek helps lower blood glucose and cholestrol levels, and may be an effective treatment for both type 1 and 2 diabetes. It is also being studied for its cardiovascular benefits.

Uses of Fenugreek

Home Remedy for Balancing Cholesterol

Studies have found people who took 2 ounces (56g) of fenugreek seed each day had significantly (around 14 percent) lower cholesterol levels after 24 weeks, and had lowered their risk of heart attack by more than 25 percent. Therefore, a recommended remedy for lowering cholesterol is to take 2 ounces of seeds throughout the day. The seeds can be sprinkled onto prepared food, or they can be consumed with water if they are in capsule form. 

Treating Diabetes and Lowering Blood Sugar Levels

Studies have shown that participants with type 2 diabetes had significantly lower blood sugar levels after eating fenugreek. Therefore, a recommended home remedy for treating Type 2 diabetes is to consume 500mg of fenugreek twice daily. 

Herbal Cure for Skin Inflammation

Research has shown that Fenugreek is an effective topical treatment for skin problems such as abscesses, boils, burns,eczema, and gout. Therefore, a simple skin inflammation remedy is the following:

• Take a spoonful of fenugreek and grind it into a powder.
• Mix the ground powder with warm water.
• Take a simple piece of clean cloth and soak it into the mixture.
• Apply the soaked cloth directly onto the affected skin as a poultice.

Natural Cure for Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Fenugreek seeds contain a lot of mucilage, which helps sooth gastrointestinal inflammation by coating the lining of the stomach and intestine. Therefore, for an effective remedy against heartburn or Acid Reflux, simply sprinkle 1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds onto your food. Another option is to take one teaspoon of seeds and swallow them with water or juice before any meal. 

Home Remedy for Fever

The Fenugreek herb has been known to help reduce fever when taken with lemon and honey, since it nourishes the body during an illness. Therefore, to treat a fever, simply consume one to two teaspoons of Fenugreek seeds three times a day along with an herbal tea (such as green tea) with a teaspoon of honey and lemon juice. Some health food stores also sell herbal Fenugreek teas, which can be used instead of the green tea. 

Breast Enlargement

Fenugreek is often used in many teas and other products that help balance women's hormones and/or enlarge the breasts. Therefore, a simple home remedy for breast enlargement is to make Fenugreek a part of your regular diet. A common suggestion is to consume up to 3g of Fenugreek per day. 

Remedy to Ease Child Birth for Pregnant Women

Fenugreek stimulates uterine contractions and can be helpful to induce childbirth. However, pregnant women should only use this remedy for inducing labor after consulting with their doctor. 

Remedy to Aid Milk Production in Lactating Women

Fenugreek has been known to increase milk production in lactating women. Research has even shown that milk production can increase by over 500 percent within 24 to 72 hours after consuming this herb. Although it is not known why this happens, researchers speculate that the oil contained in fenugreek seeds plays a role. Therefore, a recommended remedy to increase milk flow is to consume one capsule of fenugreek seed (at least 500mg) three times a day. 

What are the Side Effects of Fenugreek?

While Fenugreek is generally considered to be safe when used moderately, there have been reports of a few minor side-effects. Nausea is one common side effect, while other people have reported gastrointestinal discomfort (diarrhea and/or gas). Also, when using this herb topically on the skin, it is important to watch out for skin irritations and rashes.

Fenugreek use during pregnancy is not recommended, since it has the potential to induce labor. If you are pregnant and wish to take it, you should do so only after consultation with your doctor.

If you are currently taking any oral medications, you should always use this herb at least 2 hours before or after these drugs. This is important since Fenugreek fiber has the potential to interfere with the absorption of oral medications due to its mucilaginous fiber (which gives it a moist and sticky texture).

I HAVE TRIED MY MOM PREPARED FOR ME SPECIALLY, AND I'M TAKING IT DAILY 

Former Miss Venezuela dies of breast cancer at 28

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

CARACAS, Venezuela(AP) — Former Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall, whose struggle with breast cancer was closely followed by Venezuelans, has died at age 28.

Her family said Ekvall died Saturday at a hospital in Houston.

Ekvall was crowned Miss Venezuela at age 17 in 2000, and the following year she was third runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico. She went on to work as a model, actress and television news anchor.

She also authored a book, "Fuera de Foco" ("Out of Focus"), about her struggle with cancer, which included images by Venezuelan photographer Roberto Mata.

She told the newspaper El Nacional in an interview last year after the book was published that "I needed to send the message of the need for cancer prevention."

On the cover was a portrait in which she appeared with makeup and her head shaved. The book also included images of her while going through chemotherapy.

"I hate to see photos in which I come out ugly," Ekvall told El Nacional. "But you know what? Nobody ever said cancer is pretty or that I should look like Miss Venezuela when I have cancer."

At the time, she was hopeful of overcoming cancer and wanted to write more.

Ekvall's family said in a statement Sunday that her remains were being cremated in Houston on Monday and that a service is to be held in Venezuela once her remains are returned to the country.

Ekvall said in a 2007 interview published in Venezuelan news media that although her mother is Jamaican and her father is American of Swedish and Hungarian descent, "I feel more Venezuelan than anybody."

She was married to radio producer John Fabio Bermudez and had a 2-year-old daughter.

In her book, Ekvall had described her joy at the birth of her daughter saying "that happiness, although (the daughter) may not know it or understand it, keeps me alive today."

The book included emails that she wrote to friends providing updates on her treatment and thanking them for their support, as well as short essays by relatives and friends reflecting on her ordeal.

Her father, Eric Ekvall, recalled in the book that his mother, also named Eva, had died of the same type of cancer at age 39.

"Those who know Eva know she doesn't give up," he said of his daughter. "She fights for what she wants."

Her death brought an outpouring of condolences from Venezuelans, including from some prominent artists and politicians who praised her in messages on Twitter.

One drawing posted online depicted her as an angel with white wings and a pink ribbon on her chest.

Ekvall's husband posted a photo on Twitter Sunday showing a close-up of his hand holding hers, resting on a bed, with the words "Always together ... I love you wife."

AUSTIN, Texas (Dec 19, 2011): Former Miss Venezuela Eva Ekvall, who appeared bald and without makeup in a recent book about her struggle against breast cancer, died in Houston on Saturday after losing her battle with the disease, according to Venezuelan TV news network Globovision. She was 28.

The former beauty queen had worked to promote cancer awareness since being diagnosed in 2010.

The hospital in Houston where she reportedly passed away, and the funeral home there where her body was taken declined to comment on news of her death.

Ekvall won the Miss Venezuela title in 2000 and was a third runner-up for Miss Universe in 2001. She also worked as an actress and television anchor.

Although known for her beauty, Ekvall was depicted bald and without makeup in her book Fuera de Foco (Out of Focus) released this year, which chronicled her fight with breast cancer for readers around the world.

Photographer Roberto Mata showed the beauty queen throughout her cancer treatment and as her illness regressed. She wrote the text of the book.

SenosAyuda, a Caracas-based breast cancer awareness organization, said in a tribute on its website that Ekvall's legacy will pave the way for thousands of Venezuelan women.

"Thank you for so much in so little time," the tribute said in Spanish.

Ekvall is survived by her husband, her daughter, her parents and her brother, according to SenosAyuda. -- Reuters

SARAPANDIAN BLOG: 9 Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime

SARAPANDIAN BLOG: 9 Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime: Warm Regard, Sara Pandian   Interesting to note and very true too..... Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on ...

Warm Regard,Sara Pandian

9 Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

 

Interesting to note and very true too.....

Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come .....

1. The Post Office 
Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
2. The Cheque
Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with cheque by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process cheques. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the cheque. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
3. The Newspaper
The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.
4. The Book
You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.
5. The Land Line Telephone 
Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it. But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes
6. Music 
This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalogue items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."
7. Television
Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.

8. The "Things" That You Own
Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.
9. Privacy
If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have left that can't be changed are "Memories"...

And then probably Alzheimers will take that away from you too !

26 'OTHER' uses for tooth paste!

26 'OTHER' uses for tooth paste!

Although the primary use of toothpaste is to clean and improve the aesthetic appearance and health of teeth, there are also 26 other things that you can use it for. Every household has one and every household uses it at least twice a day. And because of the common availability of toothpaste, you can try everything below. Remember, use only white paste.

1.Removes stain from cloth

To take out all kinds of stain like ink or lipstick. Squeeze some on the spot, scrub and rinse.

2.Even out scratches on CD / DVD

If the screen freezes, take out the disc, put some toothpaste on it, scrub and clean it off.

3.Cleans diamond ring

Just squeeze a little on a used toothbrush, wet the ring, scrub gently, rinse and your diamond ring should be look sparkling new.

4.Cleans silver

Toothpaste can be used to polish any kind of silver. It really does bring out the shine in silverwares.

5.Placate burns

Right after you get burnt, put it on. It helps to relieve the sting.

6.Removes crayon from painted walls

Rub the marks with the toothpaste and a damp rag. Wipe with water to get rid of residue.

7.Remove carpet stains

Squeeze some onto the carpet, scrub, rinse and let it dry.

8.Relieves insect bites

Spread a little over either of these and you’ll feel soothed and no itches. Mosquito, flea and ant bites work especially well.

9.Keep girl babies’ bows in their hair

If they don’t have much hair this is particularly useful. It doesn’t pull it out, it just washes out.

10.Clean your nails

Teeth and nails are made of the same material. To clean your nails, squeeze some on top of a toothbrush, wet your nails and brush them thoroughly. Be amazed by the sparkle.

11.Clean shoes

Scrubbing toothpaste with a wet toothbrush over the boots, working shoes and rubber part of sneakers will work. It can also be used to remove scuffs.

12.Put up posters

You can use toothpaste to put up posters without damaging the wall. However, avoid using it for collector posters. It can damage the ink over time.

13.Use it to temporarily seal holes

Can be used as a spackle to fill nail holes. This sounds evil, but you can use it right before you move out of your rented apartment. =P

14.Clean around the bathroom

Use it to clean shower doors and rings around the bath tub. It has an abrasive so that is why it works good.

15.Clean your vehicle’s headlight lenses

Put some toothpaste in a bowl with some water. Use a buffer pad and clean off fog caused by dirt and bugs hitting them.

16.Clean model cars

Hobbyists who collect and build model cars, robots and action figures can certainly use toothpaste to make them nice and shiny.

17.Remove scratches on your watch crystal

Dab some on the watch and scrub it with tissue.

18.Treat acne

Be very careful when using this. Use it at most once a week. Just dab a small amount on a pimple before bed, wake up and it will dry up.

19.Prevent fog in your swimming goggles

Just wipe it on, clean it off. Works well for me.

20.Clean piano keytops

A dab of toothpaste, a soft cloth and some rubbing will usually clean piano keytops and turn them white again.

21.Deodorize smelly hands

Wash your hands with a dab of toothpaste and it will remove smells like onions and other unpleasant odors.

22.Remove scratches on glassware

Polish with a squeeze of toothpaste. Your glassware should be shining in no time.

23.Remove beach tar

Getting that black beach tar on your feet can put a small crimp in your vacation, but it is easy enough to remove. Just rub it with some non-gel toothpaste and rinse.

24.Deodorize baby bottles

Works for sour smelling baby bottles. Scrub with toothpaste and a bottle brush and the bottles should end up smelling clean and fresh.

25.Cleans clothes iron

The mild abrasive in non-gel toothpaste is just the ticket for scrubbing the gunk off the bottom plate of your clothes iron. Apply the toothpaste to the cool iron, scrub with a cloth, then rinse clean.

26.Remove water marks from furniture

To get rid of those telltale watermark rings left by sweating beverages, gently rub some non-gel toothpaste on the wood with a soft cloth.




Warm Regard, Sara Pandian

SURASAMHARAM AND HOLY WEDDING FESTIVAL

SURASAMHARAM AND HOLY WEDDING FESTIVAL 
AT BATU CAVES
"HISTORICAL EVENT IN BATU CAVES, SRI SUBRAMANIAR SWAMY TEMPLE".
 ALL DEVOTEES ARE CORDIALLY TO INVITED TO WITNESS THE 1ST SURASAMHARAM EVENT AT THIS WORLD FAMOUS BATU CAVES TEMPLE.

DATE : 11-12-2011-SUNDAY
TIME : 5.OOPM  ONWARDS
 
The festival takes place at the foot of 140 ft. Lord Murugan Statue.
 
The battle depicted with huge images of demons appear before Lord Muruga on their chariot and Lord Muruga encounter them and destroy one by one by using HIS VEL.
 
The festival ends with divine marriage (THIRUKALYANAM) between Lord Muruga and Valli, Theivanai on the same day .
 
All devotees, are requested to be present with your family and friends to celebrate this festival and get the blessings of Lord Muruga.
Note: Holy Prasatham and light refreshment will be served at the end of the Holy Wedding.
 

 
The Management Committee
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam Kuala Lumpur
163,Jalan Tun H.S.Lee 50000 Kuala Lumpur
 

 

Warm Regard, Sara Pandian