Exam 2013: Exam v/s Food.

Exam time has almost arrived and every parent wishes to help their children stay physically and mentally healthy throughout this time.

Why eat breakfast?
Children should never skip breakfast as it causes lack of concentration in studies and weak memory. This meal is very important since it meet the needs of breaking the fast of 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
Breakfast can include oats, wheat flakes, milk, stuffed vegetable or panner chapattis with curd or sandwiches, egg or sprouts or idli. Avoid butter, ghee, cheese, and other oily foods.

Reason: These foods contain high level of protein that activates neurotransmitters and stimulates memory.

Why fruits and vegetables?
The best diet food during exams is lots of fresh foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouted pulses, fish and egg.

Reason: These foods help to activate memory by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters, brain chemicals involved in receiving, processing, storing, and accessing information optimally which are needed most during exams.

What to drink?
It would be good to have health drinks or soya drink instead of tea and coffee since tea and coffee are stimulants and cause sleep disturbance, muscular tension, anxiety. Also a few crushed almonds blended with milk or fresh fruit juices can add as energy drinks.
The best liquid to drink before and during an exam is water as it speeds up brain function.

What to do for physical fitness?
Eat a light meal if you plan to stay awake throughout the night. Also avoid oily or fried snacks as they will make you sleepy.
Remember gentle walking, swimming, jogging, cycling and jumping supports memory function and help in reducing the stress level.

What are worst foods?
The worst foods are all the processed ones that include soft drinks, cookies, cakes and junk food that should be avoided as they inhibit brain function.

Credit: http://www.indiancolleges.com/career-news/Exam-2013-Exam-v-s-Food/3547

Is it Too Late for You to Learn How to Play the Guitar?

It is a common misconception of many people that you have to start young to learn a skill, since you won't have the flexibility (and the time) when you try to learn at an advanced age. While this may be true in some talents like ballet dancing and contortionism, anyone can learn the guitar at any age.

Guitar is among the most popular instruments and the easiest to play that is why many musicians prefer guitars as their constant companions in composing songs and performing in gigs. However, you do not need to be a musical genius to be able to master the guitar. By attending guitar lessons for beginners, you
 can get the hang of the stringed instrument in a short time depending on your dedication.

Why Is It Never Late To Learn the Guitar?
No matter how old or busy you are now, it is still not late to learn how to play the guitar. First, since guitar-playing is a kind of music, it helps ease your emotions. It can be your creative outlet from your day job and every day responsibilities. Learning guitar from a group class can also be a great way for you to socialize with people who has the same passion as you.

If you are not into group classes, you can just opt to make your guitar classes as a way to bond with your child (if you are a parent). If your child is fascinated with learning the guitar, you can also pitch into his or her classes, so you learn the instrument together.



How Long Your Lessons Should Last?
Typically, if you regularly attend your classes in a span of one to two months, you should be able to learn how to strum a couple of chords and pluck single string songs, making it possible for you to play easy guitar songs. By continuing your lessons for three to six months, you'd be able to play more difficult songs
 with more complex technical elements. Such songs require hammer-on, pull-off, and other simple techniques in lead guitars.

For a year of continued classes, you should be able to play intermediate level songs such as those popular guitar songs, riffs, blues, and more. As you progress with your lessons, you'll discover that you get to learn new things about your instrument day after day. All you need is a reliable teacher or a friend who is patient enough to teach you the basics and answer your queries about the process of guitar-playing.

source:http://www.articlesbase.com

Best Wines for Indian Cuisine.

                     Finding wines to suit Indian dishes rich in spices involves tasting sessions and exploration of flavours. Many well known wine drinkers and good food specialists have  conducted such research and have discovered particular wines that do give the palette an enjoyable union when consumed with Indian cuisine.

Here are some of the popular wines chosen to pair with Indian and South Asian cuisine:

• Gewürztraminer - A white wine from the region of Alsace in France which is mildly sweet. Particularly suited to South Asian dishes that are tandoori based or rich in masalas, herbs, ginger, garlic and cardamom.
• Sauvignon Blanc, Cotes Du Rhone or Australian Shiraz – Good accompaniment for tikka dishes and tandoori Prawns and paneer dishes.
• Riesling - White German type is the best. Often fruity wines, flavored with apples, plums, and peaches, they have a high acidic content and are mildly sweet along with being tart. It is best paired with curried dishes such Rogan Josh, masalas and red meat dishes which are rich and heavy in flavour with spices.
• Rose – These wines are pretty dry. They have the depth of a red wine as well as the acidity of a lighter white wine. Hence, go great with heavy meat dishes, like lamb but not poultry.
• Pinot Noir – This is one of the most popular red wines for Indian cuisine. Mainly available in fruity flavors, this red wine is smoother and silkier in texture compared to other high-tannin wines. It is also a wine that goes well with all types of dishes, whether spicy or tangy, chicken, seafood, vegetarian dishes or paneer.
• Champagne or Sparkling Wines - Champagne and other sparking wines can be paired with several types of Indian cuisine, including vegetarian. If you have a rich & creamy curry, or something heavy like saag, makhani balti dishes, paneer and potatoes, Champagne goes well with it, as it offers a nice change-of-taste due to its bubbly acidic texture.

Other good pairing wines include, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Verdelho. Wines of a tannic nature are not a good choice for Indian and South Asian cuisine such as Merlot.

It is very important to serve wines at a suitable temperature. Typical temperatures are, white wines at 5-8 degrees and reds at approximately 15 degrees. Spicy foods taste much more nicer if the wines are cooler. Also, the alcohol content of the wine should not be above 12% proof. Most wines vary between 10.5-12.5% alcohol.

Choosing a wine for a meal is always down to personal preference but we hope the tips have given you a little guidance to finding that right pairing for one of the most wonderful and popular cuisines in the world.
 

Credit: http://www.desiblitz.com/content/best-wines-for-indian-cuisine