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India Today- No.1 English Magazine Of India

Except India’s most-read English magazine,India Today, all other magazines in the top 10 list have registered growth in the fourth quarter of Indian Readership Survey 2011. While Pratiyogita Darpan, an English magazine, has made an entry to the top 10 list at No. 7, Femina and Filmfare are out of the top 10 list this time.

India Today has again registered a decline of 1.5 per cent and lost 25,000 readers in IRS Q4 2011. The weekly had lost 88,000 readers in IRS Q3 2011 while it had added 74,000 readers in IRS Q2 2011. The weekly’s current AIR stands at 16.11 lakh compared with 16.36 lakh in the previous quarter, 17.24 lakh in IRS Q2 2011 and 16.50 lakh in IRS Q1 2011.

General Knowledge Today, which made a comeback at the 2nd spot in Q3 2011, has been able to hold on to its readers and the No. 2 position in this round. The magazine has recorded an AIR of 10.92 lakh this quarter compared with 10.87 in the previous quarter, 9.77 lakh in IRS Q2 2011 and 10.02 lakh in IRS Q1 2011.

Reader’s Digest has grown by 5.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of IRS 2011. With the addition of 60,000 readers this quarter, RD has an AIR of 10.58 lakh against 9.98 lakh in Q3 and Q2 rounds. The magazine had added 28,000 readers in IRS Q2 2011.

At No. 4, Educational English monthly, Competition Success Review,has also registered a growth of 6 per cent this quarter. The monthly had an AIR of 6.97 lakh in IRS Q4 2011 against 6.57 lakh in the previous quarter. It had recorded an AIR of 6.54 lakh in IRS Q2 2011 and 6.84 lakh in IRS Q1 2011.

Weekly magazine Outlook has grown by 10 per cent in IRS Q4 2011. Its AIR now stands at 4.87 lakh compared with 4.44 lakh in the last survey, 4.56 lakh in IRS Q2 2011 and 4.38 lakh in IRS Q1 2011.

The Week has strengthened its position at No. 6 and grown by 13 per cent in IRS Q4 2011. By adding 51,000 readers, its current AIR stands at 4.38 lakh compared with 3.87 lakh in the previous quarter and 3.96 lakh in IRS Q2 2011. The magazine had recorded more than 22 per cent growth to acquire the 6th rank in IRS Q2 2011.

There is a new magazine at No. 7 – English monthly Pratiyogita Darpan. It has recorded an AIR of 4.04 lakh in IRS Q4 2011.

At No. 8 is the magazine for B-town, Stardust, which has added 18,000 readers in IRS Q4 2011. It had added 43,000 readers in the previous quarter too. Its current AIR stands at 4.03 lakh against 3.85 lakh in the previous quarter and 3.42 lakh in IRS Q2 2011.

Business Today has recorded an AIR of 3.57 lakh compared with 3.45 lakh in the previous quarter, 3.33 lakh in IRS Q2 2011 and 3.09 lakh in IRS Q1 2011.

Wisdom is at No. 10 with an AIR of 3.27 lakh in IRS Q4 2011 compared with 3.18 lakh in the previous quarter.

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Videos: Female Gendercide and Infanticide in India and China

Between India and China, 200 million girls have gone “missing” as parents abort female fetuses or kill and abandon baby girls. Several documentaries and reports cover this phenomenon, trying to explain the causes for this deadly gender discrimination and figure out what can be done about it.

With the tagline of “The three deadliest words in the world”, the “It’s a Girl” documentary is one which through interviews and on-location filming is figuring out why 200 million girls are “missing” in India and China, and why there has been no effective actions to this problem.

Born to Die is another film investigating the rise in female feticide and infanticide in modern India.

Poh Si Teng for Global Post also has a video on the relationship between ultrasound devices, gender screening and female feticide, and whether the laws banning portable ultrasound will help stop the selective abortions in India:

The BBC’s 2007 investigatory documentary on India’s Missing Girls and people who are trying to turn the tide on a cultural phenomenon that affects all of India’s socio-economic levels: the cult of boys, and the belief that girls are not worth the trouble to raise them. The documentary, split in 3 parts can be found online (1, 2, 3).

One of the organizations trying to make the difference is the Aarti Home in Kadapa, who take in abandoned children, most of whom are girls abandoned because they are girls, and also talking to expectant mothers of female children to encourage them to have and cherish them.

Aarti House hopes to be a home for girls who were already rejected once for being girls and make sure they have a safe haven. At the very beginning of this next video, a young girl talks about the disadvantages and hardships she went through just because she was a female:

World renowned Chinese-American novelist Anchee Min, who writes strong female characters admits in this next video how she didn’t want to have a daughter, and all through her pregnancy, secretly hoped that it would turn out to be a boy, despite ultrasounds and tests because “Who wants to be a girl in China?”

Taiwanese Next Media Animation explores the consequences of the gender imbalance in China brought on by the One Child Policy and a society which values males more than females with the video and song No Girls Born (In China Anymore)

Beginning of December, a program aired on ABC 20/20 about India’s deadly secret. It was about 40 million girls who have vanished. All aborted before they could take their first breath. Their crime was that they were girls. As you know the gender ratios is India are terribly skewed about 914 girls per 1,000 boys.
In Punjab it is about 833 girls per1,000 boys. Unfortunately this happens amongst the privileged and the educated also. The only woman who has brought cases against her in-laws and husband is Dr Mitu Khurana. Please watch her story and sign her petition for justice. Please give those 40 million girls silenced forever, a voice.
Please forward this to as many friends as possible.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/a-mothers-fight-to-save-her-daughters/
http://gendercide.epetitions.net/
and here is the link to her website-
http://www.mitukhurana.wordpress.com/
After you sign the petition, there will be a request from the site for a donation. This donation is totally discretionary and does not in any way or form affect or benefit Dr Mitu Khurana. All she is asking for is your support (signing this petition) so that pressure can be put on the Indian authorities that the whole world is watching them in total disbelief as they make a young mother run around in vain for four years in search of justice
Sign the following petition to end the GENDERCIDE in India
http://www.change.org/petitions/minister-of-health-and-family-welfare-end-the-gendercide-in-india-stop-female-foeticide

 

 

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It’s an unbearable burden being Markandey Katju

..pirouettes (‘Sunny Leone is blameless’) and pirouettes (‘Salman Rushdie is worthless’) and pirouettes (‘Media people are useless’)…

Retirement is a dreadful thing. The final voyage to this no man’s land does make cowards of us all.

And sometimes claims a few victims, who – unable to adapt to obscurity – spend their withdrawal bawling like toddlers for public attention.

Ex-Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju having tasted the heights of power throws his tantrums proportionately.

Bouts of anxiety and insecurity grip him often, to be released from which he must scream as hard as his aging constitution permits.

Then he must let emotions take over, making him say stuff capable of inducing embarrassment were it ever attempted in front of a mirror.

But of course the last thing Katju needs to see are theatricals of an incoherent old fogey trying to preach, ironically, the virtues of self-regulation.

He is a busy man who, barely a day after his retirement, embarked on a new mission to reform media in the role of the chairman of the Press Council of India. Since then there has barely been a day when he hasn’t prodded us, lest we forget his existence.

Katju sends shivers down people’s spines whenever taking to the stage. Setting his oratory to ‘full auto’ he pulls the trigger and pirouettes (‘Sunny Leone is blameless’) and pirouettes (‘Salman Rushdie is worthless’) and pirouettes (‘Media people are useless’).

‘Show me the scientific,’ asked Katju of Hazare last Saturday, and while his unsuspecting audience was still laughing at the activists’ fate, he pulled the rug from under them by calling 90 per cent of them fools.

An authority that claims expertise over everything induces boredom.

Katju has, through his persistence in speaking, inspired in his listeners an irrevocable dissension.

Whose patience finally gives way isn’t easy to predict. What is certainly unforeseeable, is a future without Katju.

(courtesy: SUHAS MUNSHI & mailonline India)

 

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A semi-satire on ‘How to publish your first book’

It’s every writers dream. It’s the only reason why writers survive in today’s times. It may be a cheap low price cost-effective book, worth less than Rs. 200/-. But when you actually hold the first copy of your first book, all the efforts, all the sacrifices seems to be worth it. In more than 99% of the cases, first book is always the stepping stone to – well –  the second book. And research proves that the authors who have published the first book invariably are one step closer to publish another one! Strange, but true!
Here, in this post, I will tell you how to publish your first book and take that first step to success. Now, I haven’t written a book till date (if you ignore the Engineering and MBA exam papers). You can follow two different ways – traditional and modern. Here’s the traditional way –
  • Content: Only 3 things are needed to write. Content, Content & Content! Nothing sells like genuine content. You have a story that’s different – pursue and publish it. You have a mystery, a poem,  – go for it.
  • Proof reading: No mistakes, please. It will hamper your writing career.
  • Acclaimed publishers: Better publishers, more is the reach, more sales, more publicity and hence, success. You know the cycle, don’t you?
And we have a winner here: It’s the latest technique. It’s 100% fool-proof. People claim, ‘nothing succeeds like success‘, I say this one surely does! It’s a long term process though, but the results are worth it. The pre-requisite is that you have to be an Australian, but even a non-Australian can follow this:
  • If you are a non-Australian, apply for their citizenship
  • After successful application, you become a Australian citizen. Now try to learn Cricket
  • Australian Cricket academy is very professional and strict. You might struggle for 5-8 years before finally claiming the baggy green
  • Play for the Australian team for few years. Ensure you also play the IPL for international fame. Plan your injuries accordingly
  • Retire from international cricket once you think you have achieved enough fame. But don’t leave cricket altogether. Continue playing in IPL matches
  • Once you realize your career in the IPL is over, retire gracefully with lots and lots of money. Go back to Australia
  • Think of one of the many controversies you think will affect the Indians. Try cricket as it is your ‘core competence’
  • Write about Indian cricketers, their likes and dislikes (in the dressing room), who lied to whom, who changed the decision after winning the toss, who had political backing in the team, how one player was preferred as the captain over others. Anything. The rest of the book can contain crap about your life. No one will read it anyways.
  • Before releasing the book, release a preview – especially to Indian media. You don’t need to pay the marketing costs, they will take care of publicity themselves.
  • You might have to go through many hate mails, but give them an incorrect e-mail id and an incorrect twitter handle.
  • Once the hatred towards you dies down, publish the book. To the same audience. You see, we Indians don’t believe in anything till we read it. The book will sell like anything in India. The hatred will continue for some more time. Since the contact details are incorrect, you will not come to know.
  • You should be concerned only with profits and the tag of a ‘best seller’. It’s yours! Congratulations!
If you don’t trust me, ask Greg Chappell. On second  thoughts, you need not be an Australian to succeed. If you are controversial, anything you write will sell. Ask Shoaib Akhtar.
(courtesy:  & Bloggers Park)
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Should we all take an aspirin?

There are numerous health benefits but it's not without risk

There are numerous health benefits but it’s not without risk

The benefits of aspirin are making headlines again, this time with research showing it prevents cancer. So we should all be stocking up, surely? Not so. There are numerous health benefits from taking this drug but it is not without risks. Here’s what you need to know.

Should we all be taking it?

No. However, over the age of 50 we know the risk of cancer increases, so it is possible that if you started taking it from that age onwards you might reduce the risk of certain cancers. If you have a strong family history of heart disease or cancers and are not on any medications that irritate the stomach (aspirin can further damage the stomach lining), it is worth considering. But always ask your GP first.

Will it really stop us from getting cancer?

Although the studies show it reduces the risk of cancers, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get the disease. So if you have a family history of colorectal or prostate cancer, you still need to be aware of the warning signs.

Who should take it?

Anyone for whom it has been prescribed – those at risk of stroke or heart attack, or any cardiovascular reason.

And who shouldn’t take it?

If you are taking any medication that irritates the stomach, you must seek medical advice. This includes steroids, antidepressants or regular ibuprofen for conditions such as arthritis. Ibuprofen once a week for a headache shouldn’t cause any problems but it might if taken more frequently. Haemophiliacs and those with stomach ulcers cannot take it.

What dose should we take?

One 75mg tablet a day on a full stomach. Take with a glass of milk – not, as many think, to reduce irritation to the stomach, but because the calcium helps with absorption.

What are the  side effects?

Some degree of stomach irritation is inevitable. Aspirin stimulates prostaglandins in the stomach but this won’t always cause a problem. Some will develop ulcers, especially those who drink or smoke heavily.

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In the name of Freedom: Tibetan protester sets himself on fire

  • Protester ran 50m before collapsing in flames outside Indian Parliament
  • Over 30 have performed self-immolation this year in protest at China‘s rule over Tibet

A Tibetan protester has been treated for severe burns after setting himself on fire in a demonstration during the Chinese president’s visit to India.

The unidentified male protester sprinted for 50m through New Delhi today engulfed in flames as hundreds demonstrated against China’s rule over Tibet.

The protester carried out the self-immolation as he ran near the speakers at a rally near the Indian Parliament in the country’s capital.

Scroll down for video

Demo: The unnamed Tibetan man ran 50m outside the Indian parliament before collapsing todayDemo: The unnamed Tibetan man ran 50m outside the Indian parliament before collapsing today

He collapsed after around 50m as fellow protesters beat out the flames with Tibetan flags they were carrying.

The man was later treated for severe burns at a New Delhi hopital, one Tibetan organiser said.

He made the dramatic protest as Chinese President Hu Jintao prepared to arrive in India later this week for a summit meeting.

The Tibetan exile, who had been protesting at China's continued ownership of Tibet, is being treated for severe burns at a New Delhi hospital
The Tibetan exile, who had been protesting at China's continued ownership of Tibet, is being treated for severe burns at a New Delhi hospital
 The Tibetan exile, who had been protesting at China’s continued ownership of Tibet, is being treated for severe burns at a New Delhi hospital

More than 600 protesters, carrying banners and posters, marched across New Delhi to a central plaza near the Indian Parliament to hold a protest meeting.

The Tibetan protest came as Chinese president Hu Jintao prepared to visit New Delhi for a summit meeting

Some carried posters saying ‘Tibet is burning’ and ‘Tibet is not part of China’.

At the protest venue a big poster featuring Mr Hu’s face with a bloody palm print on it said: ‘Hu Jin Tao is unwelcome’ at the summit.

As speakers addressed the crowd, the protester set himself ablaze and ran across the venue.

After witnessing the man set himself on fire, one onlooker, Tenzin Dorjee, said: ‘This is what China faces unless they give freedom to Tibet.’

At least 30 people in Tibet have set themselves on fire over the past year in protest at Chinese rule over their homeland.

The Dalai Lama has blamed China’s ‘ruthless policy’ for the self-immolations. China accuses the Dalai Lama of stirring up trouble.

China says Tibet has always been part of its territory. Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries.

Video: Photographer captures burning protestor on camera as the crowd try to put him out

 

(courtesy: Daily Mail & CHRIS PARSONS & Manish Swarup)

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Fears fish foot spa pedicures could spread HIV and hepatitis C

Fish foot spa pedicures could spread diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C, health experts have warned.

Those with diabetes, psoriasis or a weak immune system are particularly vulnerable and should not take part in the beauty craze at all, says health experts. They say the risk of infection for users of the increasingly popular treatment, in which dozens of tiny fish nibble dead skin from customers’ feet, is ‘low but could not be completely excluded’.

Fish tank water contains micro-organisms and believes problems could arise from bacteria being transmitted by the pedicure’s garra rufa fish, from the spa water itself or from one customer to another if the water is not changed. If a user is infected with a blood-borne virus like HIV or hepatitis and bleeds in the water, there is a risk the diseases could be passed on.

According to the health experts, the risk is ‘extremely low’ but it ‘cannot be completely excluded’. When the correct hygiene procedures are followed, the risk of infection is very low. However, there is still a risk of transmission of a number of infections — this does include viruses like HIV and hepatitis.

 Experts recommended that spa water is changed after each client. The equipment cannot be conventionally sterilised because the process could harm the fish, of which there are about 200 in every tank.

The pedicures – which have long been popular in Asia where the fad began – have been banned in some U.S. states, including Florida, Texas, New Hampshire and Washington, due to fears that infections could spread through open wounds.

The trend, which is meant to leave clients with smooth and attractive feet, has spread to beauty salons across the country and there are now around thousands of  fish spas in India.

The risk of picking up infections is minimal but people must be careful where they choose to go.

Provided that good standards of hygiene are followed by salons, members of the public are unlikely to get an infection from a fish spa pedicure, however the risk will be higher for certain people. Salons should first check their clients have no underlying health conditions that could put them at risk, and thoroughly examine their feet to make sure there are no cuts, grazes or infectious skin conditions.

 

Can aromatherapy oils poison you?

 Aromatherapy oils have also been found to worsen breathing problems in those with lung disease and to increase symptoms of asthma.

The essential oils used in aromatherapy treatments can release chemicals that react in the air to produce a 'mist' of pollutants that damage your airwaysThe essential oils used in aromatherapy treatments can release chemicals that react in the air to produce a ‘mist’ of pollutants that damage your airways

They are meant to soothe aches and pains, relieve stress and induce a sense of relaxation. But aromatherapy oils may in fact do more harm than good, according to scientists.

They have claimed that the extracts – used in baths, massages or burned in rooms – react with the air to produce tiny irritant particles. Researchers found that when the so-called essential oils were used in relaxation spas for massages, the concentration of these potentially harmful particles increased tenfold.

The scientists said that certain chemicals in the oils, called volatile organic compounds, mix with the air to form secondary organic aerosols.These particles irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and are also known to cause headaches, nausea, and damage to the liver and kidneys.

This study only examined the size and number of these particles released when people had massages in spas. However other research has shown they are also produced by burning essential oils in the home or office – although not to the same extent.

Essential oils such as lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint are extracted from plants and trees. The oils are thought to have a number of health benefits, including improving the skin, boosting the immune system and helping with sleep.

But the scientists from the  Chia-Nan University of Pharmacy and Science, Tainan, Taiwan, warn that the negative effects ‘cannot  be neglected’.

The study, published in the journal Environmental Engineering Science, measured the volumes of certain secondary organic aerosols when oils were rubbed in during massages in two spas in Taiwan.

All fragrant essential oils - used in aromatherapy massage treatments - release pollutant chemicals into the air, the researchers found. Ventilation in spas can help to control levels of the pollutantsAll fragrant essential oils – used in aromatherapy massage treatments – release pollutant chemicals into the air, the researchers found. Ventilation in spas can help to control levels of the pollutants. Oils which generated the highest number of aerosols were lavender, tea tree, peppermint, lemon and eucalyptus.

The scientists concluded: ‘As aromatherapy, used by the general public and some health institutes, has become one of the most popular complementary therapies, its impact on indoor air quality and health effects cannot be neglected.

‘Volatile organic compound degradation caused by the reaction of these compounds with ozone present in the air can produce small, ultrafine by-products called secondary organic aerosols which may cause eye and airway irritation.’

They added: ‘We compared secondary organic aerosol levels associated for the various fragrant and herbal essential oils tested and conclude that the layout and ventilation within a particular spa may affect the level of indoor air pollutants produced during massage with aromatherapy.’

In 2007, another group of scientists also from Taiwan showed that burning tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus oils in the office also produced large numbers of these harmful particles. Aromatherapy oils have also been found to worsen breathing problems in those with lung disease and to increase symptoms of asthma. And nurses have reported that they can cause skin burning and rashes – often because people put far too much into their baths or on to their skin.

Sceptics argue that many of the perceived benefits of the oils are caused by a placebo effect – and people just convince themselves they feel calmer and more relaxed. They also say there is little  scientific evidence that they can relieve pains, cure wounds or  boost immunity.

 

Indian Achiever: Rajendra Singh Gohil: Gujarati Artists Cooking Fusion Curries

Buffalo (USA): Raj Gohil earned his masters of fine arts in Cincinnati, but when he’s cooking dinner in his Buffalo kitchen, his spice cabinet is his palette.

Reaching into a shelf crowded with jars of whole spices like white poppy seeds, fenugreek and Malabar peppercorns, Gohil pulls out a jar half-filled with ivory powder.

“Asafoetida,” said Gohil, The News’ October Cook of the Month, unscrewing the lid. The scent of gastric distress leaks into his Parkside kitchen.

“Stinky stuff,” Gohil shrugged. “But a little bit brings out the flavors. In traditional Indian cooking, they compare this to truffle for seasoning. You put it in the food and it really brings out all the flavors.”

*******

Name: Rajendrasinh “Raj” Gohil

Residence: Buffalo

Go-to instant meal: Omelet stuffed with vegetables and cheese

Guilty pleasure: Indian sweets

*******

Gohil calls his artwork mixed media, a label that ably describes his cooking. He doesn’t like to follow recipes, preferring to use seasonal American ingredients, especially vegetables, with Indian spices.

The complexity of the Indian spice arsenal can be intimidating, he admits. Despite its reputation, however, Indian flavors don’t require large amounts of spices, he says — just judicious amounts of the right ones. “My background is in art, and I’ve written about how cooking is like art,” said Gohil. “The main thing is the balance.”

Gohil, who lives with his wife, Pratima Gohil, was born in the Indian state of Gujurat; his first name is actually Rajendrasinh. He came to the United States in 1971 as an art student. He moved to Buffalo in 1976 to untangle an immigration issue, and has lived here since.

Art remains his avocation, but it didn’t pay Gohil’s bills — baking did. Gohil put in 26 years at Kaufman’s Bakery before the company closed, ending his career there as a line manager.

Gohil chose a roasted butternut casserole to share with News readers, an able representative of his style because it uses a distinctly American vegetable enhanced with flavors of the subcontinent.

“There is no butternut squash in India,” he said.

It’s best to create your own spice mixtures, or masalas, because the flavoring power of spices can be fleeting, Gohil notes. That’s why he roasts and grinds his own garam masala spice mixture, with cardamom, cloves, pepper and other spices, making only enough to last a month. He makes his own custom curry powder as well, and explains how the two blends differ.

“You cook with curry powder, but you can sprinkle garam masala at the end,” Gohil said. “Garam masala spices are already roasted. Curry powder, all the spices are raw, so to get the raw smell out, you cook it.”

Guests at his house enjoy seasonal Indian-inflected dishes and hybrid desserts like passionfruit mousse cheesecake and chai masala cheesecake, flavored like milky Indian spiced tea.

Gohil’s repertoire includes treats like whole fish rubbed in a spice paste, then cooked in a banana leaf.

While more Americans are looking to the spices of Indian cuisine for health benefits, plenty of people still hesitate to cook Indian food, Gohil noted.

“Indian cooking in general is very holistic — every spice has got some kind of medicinal value in it, like turmeric and cumin,” Gohil said. “But people don’t like putting curry powder in their food, it changes the taste and the color. So now at the drugstore they have curry powder pills.”

 Baked Butternut Squash with Indian Spices

 6 cups butternut squash, skinned, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes (2 small ones)

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium red onion, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon dry and crumbled thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup washed dried and chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup lightly toasted and chopped walnuts

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Heat oven to 450 F.

Generously grease 10-by-14-inch glass or metal baking dish. Toss squash, peppers, onion and garlic into large mixing bowl with olive oil. Sprinkle in the spices, up to and including the black pepper, and mix the vegetables thoroughly. Spread the vegetables evenly in the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.

Carefully remove the foil and bake for another 40 minutes, stirring the mixture 2 or 3 times. Check it for doneness; a toothpick should easily pierce the squash. Remove the dish from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Just before serving, garnish with cilantro, walnuts and goat cheese.

 Apple Pine Nut Raita

1 Gala Empire or McIntosh apple, peeled cored and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon mild green chili, seeded and finely minced

20 mint leaves, cut into chiffonade

1 and 1/2 cups whole milk yogurt

1/4 teaspoon garam masala (blend of different spices)

Salt to taste

1 and 1/2 tablespoon lightly toasted pine nuts

Stir the apples, lime juice, chili and mint in small bowl.

Whisk yogurt until smooth. Stir in the apple mixture and season it with garam masala and salt. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Serve with pine nuts.

Water Therapy For Weight Loss

Water is the elixir of life. But many people, due to their love for soda and sugary drinks, do not consume enough water. Water therapy is gaining popularity in fighting several diseases. The focus of this article is to study the benefits of water therapy in aiding weight loss.

Our body is 75 percent water while our Blood is nearly 83 percent water. It is logical that our cells have to be refreshed and rejuvenated with a regular supply of water.

How does water therapy help people trying to lose weight? Basically fat deposits in the body go up when one drinks less water. Kidneys are unable to get rid of waste due to lack of water and the body ends up storing fats. Cholesterol also gets deposited on the cell walls and liver is overburdened due to kidney not performing as expected.

Consuming plenty of water enables the kidneys to function as expected. Appetite is naturally curbed toxins are flushed out and pH is balanced. Water facilitates the breakdown of carbohydrates and proteins from food and neutralizes fat thus aiding in digestion and weight loss.

The best part about water therapy is its low cost.

How to go about water therapy?

According to Ayurveda, water therapy is called Usha Kaal Chikitsa which means “drinking water early in the morning”. Ayurvedic doctors recommend drinking 1.5 liters of water, 1 to 2 hours prior to consuming breakfast.

“Usha Kaala Chikitsa” is the Sanskrit coinage for water therapy. According to this ancient system, 1.5 liters of water should be drunk without even brushing the teeth. It is very essential to note that no drinks (like tea, coffee, and milk) or any form of solid food should be taken within half an hour to one hour before and after drinking 1.5 liters of water. Using any form of alcoholic drink the previous night is strictly prohibited.

The water should be sipped slowly, should be at room temperature and should be clean and pure. Also consuming water before meals is recommended but not necessary. Some people notice tiredness and fatigue after starting this therapy but these symptoms vanish after a few days of doing it. Doctors recommend eating a diet rich in vitamin E like wheat germ, flax seeds, almonds etc.

Water therapy is a simple method to cleanse both the body and mind from toxins. Doing water therapy one gets more benefits than one can imagine. At the physical  level, various diseases are healed and at the mind level many  negative habits just fade away.

The simple method that we are going to tell you will also cleanse your mind not physically but through intellect. Like the body the mind is also affected by internal as well as external toxins. The internal toxins in the mind arise through thoughts of every day actions and external toxins come from outside as stimuli from the environment.  It is amazing how a simple method will cleanse both mind and body.

Drinking 1.5 liters of water daily first thing in the morning is water therapy. 1.5 liters is equal to 3.3 pints or 0.4 gallons of water or six and a half measuring cups (not tea-cups) of water.

What is Water Therapy?

Drinking 1.5 liters of water daily first thing in the morning is water therapy. 1.5 liters is equal to 3.3 pints or 0.4 gallons of water or six and a half measuring cups (not tea-cups) of water. (Details in the next few pages).

Diseases healed by Water Therapy


It is impossible to list them completely. It heals a number of ailments. These are some of the benefits that we experienced and some were reported by our friends.

Constipation, Headache, Anemia, Rheumatism, Organ Failures, General Paralysis, Over Weight, Arthritis, Improved Sexual Performance, Sinusitis, Tachycardia, Giddiness, Cough, Morning Sickness, Asthma, Bronchitis, Meningitis, Kidney Stones, Gall Stones, Dysentery, Leukemia, Hot Flashes Hyper Acidity, Gastro-enteritis, Eye Diseases, Wrinkles in Skin, Diabetes, Laryngitis, Breast Cancer, Prostrate Cancer, Colon Cancer, Esophagus Cancer, Uterine Cancer, Liver Cancer, Lung Cancer, Pre-cancerous Oral Lesions, Ovarian Cyst, High Cholesterol, Ophthalmic Hemorrhage & Opthalmia (red eye), Irregular Menstruation, Rectal Prolapse, Urogenital Diseases, Blood Pressure/Hyper Tension, Pulmonary, Tuberculosis (TB).

Remember, most of these diseases are healed not with water therapy alone but in combination with the earth therapy (Diet) and/or the other four elements.

It is an irony that we think of the tiniest chemicals that are needed for our body. Hence, we give much importance to vitamins, minerals, enzymes, hormones etc. We calculate calories of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. However, we forget water is the major ingredient of our body. It is this ignorance that causes many diseases. Water is the safest supplement one can take everyday to cure and prevent diseases. If this water supplement is taken regularly, perfect health can be achieved.
When should I brush my teeth while doing water therapy ?

The previous night before going to bed, if you clean your teeth and gums (gums with hand) and next morning if your mouth is not smelling bad then you may rinse your mouth with water and gently brush with your hands and do water therapy almost immediately. If your mouth has a foul smell and if you are not comfortable with the above approach, brush your teeth and then do water therapy after 5 minutes.

Should it be drunk all at once? Why not split the water and drink throughout the day?

To clean the body one has to take a shower. One cannot keep pouring little water throughout the day to clean the body. Similarly one cannot argue that water can do its cleaning action by drinking several cups of water throughout the day. To clean you have to shower the internal body with 1.5 liters of water in the morning. Drinking water throughout the day is for thirst. Water therapy is not for thirst but for flushing all the toxins out of body and to regain good health.