GASTRIC TROUBLE

Gastric problems has become very common.It may be accompanied by heartburn, abdominal bloating and pain and indigestion.

The causes of gastric problems may be
excessive alcohol intake
digestive disorders
over eating or not chewing food properly
too spicy food
anxiety & stress

These are some simple home remedies.
1. Ginger
Ginger is considered to be best to cure indigestion. Add fresh or dried ginger to your meals. Drink ginger tea two to three times a day.
2.Buttermilk
Drink buttermilk with a pinch of salt and asafoetida.
3.Garlic
Roast fresh garlic directly on fire and consume it. You can also have garlic soup.
Make a solution using some freshly ground garlic and add some black pepper,cumin seeds & water and boil it. Strain it and drink this after it has cooled.
4.Fennel & cardamom
Make tea with fennel seeds and cardamom. Drink this tea 2-3 times a day for relief.
5.Lemon juice

Keep these points in mind :
-Have your meals at fixed timings.Try not to skip any meals, have a fruit atleast.
-Drink lots of water.
-Never sleep immediately after having a meal.
-Chew your food properly.
-Have early dinner.

CRAFT IDEAS FOR KIDS

Paper plate fish

Pencil holders

Decorate empty cans with paint, paper, ribbon or lace to make cute holders for pens, crayons or pencils.

 Play with egg carton

Make flowers, caterpillar, turtles, chicks .....

Planters from plastic bottles

 Cut out plastic bottles. Use an old cd as the base. Decorate with spray paint.

Lolly sticks

NATURAL BEAUTY TREATMENTS

These treatments use ingredients that contain the elements to keep your skin healthy.

Some people can be allergic to the natural ingredients mentioned here. If you are not sure, always do a patch test to see how your body reacts.

Before applying masks on face, clean your face thoroughly.



Fair and even skin tone
Mash a ripe banana. Add 1 tablespoon honey and mix it well. Apply this on your face. Leave it for 20 minutes and wash it off in cold water. This removes blemishes and gives a glow to your skin.

Mix rice flour and honey with tea water. Apply it on face and neck. After leaving this on for about 15-20 minutes, massage in circular motion to remove dead cells. Then wash it with cold water.

Apply a mixture of yoghurt and orange juice on face for 5 minutes and wash it gently.

Mix 2 tablespoons gram flour and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric. Add honey and milk to form a smooth paste.Leave the mask on for 20 minutes. Wash it off with cold and then warm water.

Exfoliating keeps skin fresh, prevents wrinkles and improves blood circulation. Do this once or twice a week using natural face scrubs at home.
- Make a scrub using 6 tablespoons of sugar and 5 teaspoons of olive oil.
- Make a paste of oatmeal and warm water.Gently rub in circular motions. Leave it for 10 minutes and wipe off with a soft cloth.
- Squeeze the juice out of half of an orange. Mix it with 4 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon honey. Scrub gently for 2-3 minutes.

Get rid of dark circles - Soak cotton pads in raw milk. Let them cool in the fridge. Leave the pads on eyelids for 20 minutes. Repeating this daily will reduce the dark circles around your eyes.

Dip cotton pads in cucumber juice. Place them for 20 minutes around the eyes. You can also use a mixture of cucumber juice and potato juice.

Extract tomato juice and add 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, pinch of turmeric and 2 teaspoons of gram flour/besan. Apply this paste on the dark circles.Wash off after 15 minutes.

Massaging the under-eye area using almond oil diminishes dark circles.

Some words of caution
A lot of fruits contain citric acid. Lemon,lime and orange (juice) in specific. When you use them in a skin treatment always be careful with how much you use. Too much can cause acid burns. Also if you have sensitive skin be extra aware with these ingredients.

HOUSEHOLD TIPS

Cleaning glass windows
Add one teaspoon of corn flour to one litre of water. Wipe down glass and dry with a soft cloth or newspaper.                                    
Rub windows and mirrors with newspaper dampened with 1 part white vinegar to 10 parts water.

Cleaning microwave
Bring a cup of water to boil in it. The steam will help to loosen the dried-on food and can then be easily wiped away. Adding little baking soda in the water also helps.

Place a half lemon cut-side down on a microwaveable plate with little water. Microwave until the inside is steamy and lemon is hot. Now wipe the inside with a paper towel.


Longer life for flowers
Cut the stems in water at 45 degree angles using a sharp knife. To make cut flowers last longer, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar to the water.Aspirin tablets also works.
Change the water every other day.
Its good to give the flowers a daily mist of water. Keep the flowers way from hotspots in your house.
                                   

Removing nail polish stains
Apply hairspray on the stains. Peel the nail polish off and wash. Repeat the process until the stain is completely removed. This works on clothes and carpet.

Cleaning oven
It is easier to clean the oven when it is warm than cold. Make a paste of baking soda and water and spray it all over the inside. Let it sit for 20 minutes,then rub it off with a sponge.

Kitchen odours
Pour white vinegar in a small bowl on the kitchen counter overnight.

Get rid of the lingering smell in the kitchen by baking orange peel in the oven.

Unblocking the sink
Unblock the sink by putting a handful of bicarbonate of soda down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar, pour in a kettle full of boiling water after a few hours.

Shiny bathroom taps
Shine up your bathroom taps with a dab of white toothpaste.

Cleaning chopping boards
Rub with a slice of lemon to disinfect the chopping board.

Removing stains from plastic
Rub lemon juice on the stain and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse it off with water.

Removing stains from clothes
Cover the stain well with white toothpaste. Rub it vigorously, rinse with warm water and then launder as usual.

Deodorize containers
Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into lunch box or plastic containers, seal it and leave overnight.

Cleaning iron
Toothpaste will pull grime and grunk off your iron. Using a mild cloth, dab a bit of white toothpaste onto the iron. Scrub gently and rinse with water.

Shoe odours
Putting dry tea bags in smelly shoes takes away the unpleasant odour.

FOR THE PICKY EATERS...

Bread pizza
Cut out the edges of wholewheat bread slices. Spread pizza sauce(sauce made of ketchup,garlic powder,little chilli sauce). Put some fillings on top,can be anything like minced chicken,mushroom, paneer,corn,sausages according to your child's taste. Grate cheese on top. Bake in the oven till the cheese melts.

Noodle cutlets
Cook and drain noodles.
Coarsely mash cooked corn and green peas. Add to gram flour and cooked noodles to it.
Put salt and little pepper. To get the right consistency, you may add little milk.
Make round cutlets. Coat them with breadcrumbs and shallow fry.


FRUIT & NUT SMOOTHIE
Blend  pineapple, apples, strawberry,bananas together with pistachios and golden raisins. Add little mixed fruit juice or water to it as well.

BANANA & PEAR ICE LOLLIES
Mash ripe bananas and pears. Put sugar if needed.  Add custard to liquidise.
Pour in lolly moulds and freeze.

You may try other fruit combinations as well.

Serving ideas to attract kids