Pet comes home

I have always been a bit sceptical to bring pet animals home as it is a lot of responsibility and a life comes into the equation. But when my grandson insisted adamantly, I had to cave in. Who can resist such sweet torture?

His choice were two little fishes in a fish bowl and I must say he proved to be a good owner. He really took serious interest in keeping the bowl clean, the room aerated, the fishes fed, and the interior decorated.

For a five year old, he is amazing. With him I grew to care and love the fishes as part of my family. Its nine months since and slowly the bowl grew into a medium table tank, and is now home for more than a dozen fishes.

I love them all.

Pet comes home

I have always been a bit sceptical to bring pet animals home as it is a lot of responsibility and a life comes into the equation. But when my grandson insisted adamantly, I had to cave in. Who can resist such sweet torture?

His choice were two little fishes in a fish bowl and I must say he proved to be a good owner. He really took serious interest in keeping the bowl clean, the room aerated, the fishes fed, and the interior decorated.

For a five year old, he is amazing. With him I grew to care and love the fishes as part of my family. Its nine months since and slowly the bowl grew into a medium table tank, and is now home for more than a dozen fishes.

I love them all.

Care for your heart

All will agree with me that heart is our lifebuoy. If it is healthy then we are fit and fine. So, a few general tips to maintain good heart health.

* Avoid emotional and psychological pressure as it directly affects our heart. Long duress will weaken its functions and stamina.

* Exercise regularly. Esp. Jogging and walking in a happy spirit.

* Eat fresh vegetables and fruit in your daily diet.

* Avoid fat where protein and fibre are not involved.

* refrain from alcohol and smoking. It does you no good.

* Sleep well and follow a hobby. It's exercise for your mind and heart.

* keep your hypertension and diabetes in control.

Happy living! :)

Fresh water for fishes

One of the two benefits of the incessant rainfall of last fortnight was that it gave us a relief from water shortage, and we could collect fresh water for our pet fishes.

I did my research. It's safe, healthy and good for the fishes. But before you follow suit, Here is what you must keep in mind:

* collect the water in an opaque container and cover the mouth with double clothes to keep the dust particles out.

* aerate the water for two days in open to let carbon dioxide and dangerous gases mixed during downpour to escape.

* pour in slowly to avoid temperature shock for the tank's glass panels.

Fat is good.

Yes, that's right. Fat is good when it's not trans fat and when it is not unnecessary or in excess.

We need fat to digest our food, maintain good metabolism, skin health and even to lubricate our nervous system. So, keep it in your daily diet. But in moderation and in sensible cooking.

Fat is must:

In soups and salads to digest their fibre and absorb their nutrients.

In preparation of greens or high fibre, high protein foods to break down their hardness and help digest.

In marination of poultry meat, and cooking grains like rice, ragi, jowar, bajra, etc.

Its raining woes

Situated near the border of Karnataka and Tamil nadu, my hometown is always affected when cyclone or heavy rainfall hits the coastal state.

And last fortnight was horrible even here. It was so damp and dull whole day everyday even when it wasn't raining that the walls, roads and clothes didn't even dry up.

The mist is so dense, you wonder if a few more temperature drop will bring on hail or even snowfall.

It is freezing cold even indoors that we can even feel the heavy fog surrounding us.

The market's slack, fruit and vegetables are rotting, and even mobile phone signals are dropping.

God! Bless our land and deliver us through this with safety and peace.

Care for your eyes

Eyes are precious, eyes are delicate, and eyes need to be cared for.

* Wear sunshades when outdoor.

* do not expose to dust, fire and smoke for long minutes. Always wear protection.

* do not watch TV or computer in a dark room. It needlessly stresses your retina.

* always try to maintain generous lighting, unless you are trying to sleep.

* stay in well lighted rooms and avoid prolonged darkness.

* when reading in artificial light. Try to keep the source of light behind your back or away from your direct vision. It will otherwise damage your eyes beyond repair.