Turn over a green leaf

GARDENING IS GOOD FOR YOU Living in a city can get claustrophobic after a while. Studies suggest that most of us are putting our health at risk by not spending enough time in an outdoor space or garden. Negative emotions such as stress and anxiety, are a result of being confined in the same spaces and not getting enough exposure to sunlight and fresh air.No matter how much place you have in your home, you can try and make room for a small garden or nursery corner. From youg kids to grand parents, all types of people can enjoy the benefits of gardening. you can either take it up as a weekly hobby or you can opt for small, easy-to-manage plants that need watering just once a day. Either way, you will reap the benefits of your green space. TAKE TIME OUT Gardens are places that engage all our senses in a variety of ways. Simply spending time in an open space can do you wonders. When we nurture a garden, we increase our connection with nature and our sense of well-being. so next time, spend a little time with your plants, and take in the smells and sights, Exposure to a natural environment can help you relax. PHYSICALLY INVIGORATING If you have a good garden space, you have the opportunity to plant whatever you feel like. From vegetables, fruits, herbs, spices to flowers and plants, the options are endless, It is a great form of exercise for the body. Gardening can in fact help burn those extra calories and promote better sleep at night. EAT RIGHT A garden often can be used to grow fresh organic fruits and vegetables, which is far better than the processed foods most of us consume. Try growing something basic like herbs and spices or even easy -to-grow vegetables. You will have lots of fun using your grown produce in your cooking. Vegetables grown at home are also known to taste better and can be picked when you need them.You will also save a lot of money in the long run and eat food with minimal fertilisers and pesticides. further, plants provide natural oxygen which is healthy for you, bringing in fresh air everyday. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SPACE Even if your garden simply comprises of a line of potted plants, it's a good idea to keep it.Use any possible space whether a window box, balcony or terrace to grow something and enjoy the positivity. SOCIAL BENEFITS If you can manage to grow some pretty flowers in your little green space then these can be gifted to family and friends on special occasions. Those who have a garden terrace can even have barbecues or potluck parties. you can exchange gardening tips with your friends and find out how they grow a certain plant. MENTALLY RELAXING Gardening creates an environment of relaxation and enjoyment. It helps lower blood pressure and minimises the possibility of depression. Over all, it can make you feel really calm and positive. GET SOME FAMILY TIME Maintaining a garden can be a great learning activity for the entire family. It will teach you patience and hard work.  Some plants require more attention than others and need to be cared for on a daily basis. Get your kids and spouse involved as well. Kids will love learning about the new kinds of flowers and plants available and will love watching their seeds grow.

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HOT 'N' HAPPENING: Vikram

DOUBLE DELIGHT        Viram's double role, so to speak, in Mani Ratnam's Raavan and Raavanan has won him critical acclaim and  a bigger fan following.           Industry sources say it will undoubtedly open doors for the actor in Bollywood.           "Both versions of Raavan hve helped me showcase my skills as an actor. They've been the best platform tht I could ask for to showcase my skills. The fact that I have done diamettically opposite roles in these versions has evoked curioity among audiences. the movie is going to be screened at all major festivals. I can't wait for international audiences to see my work. I'm sure a few doors are just waiting to be open even in Hollywood," says Chiyan confidently. Way to go, Vikram!

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EXCITED: Ragini Dwivedi

Twice as lucky!           Ragini Dwivedi (of  Ariyaan Ifame) is just back from Ooty, where she was busy shooting for Major Ravi's Kandahar (with Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan). and she is busy packing her bags again. "I'm off to Malaysia to shoot for a Tamil film, which will also be directed by Ravi. The untitled film is with Arjun, and I play a journalist in it, " she says. It's not often that actresses are cast in two back-to-back films by the same director.              "It's an achievemnet it a director repeats you immediately after seeing your performance in your first film," she says. Ragini is still on a high from working with Amitabh Bachchan. "I was looking for Ravi on the sets of Kandahar when I happened to come across Amitabh's room. I went in, introduced myself, gave him a big hug and told him about my films," smiles Ragini. This girl surely seems to be going places!

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Laagi Tujse Lagan

Dutta Bhau and Nakusha to meet with an accident        He may be tough from the outside, but Dutta Bhau (Mishal Raheja) of Laagi Tujse Lagan  on Colors, has had a change of heart. The recent chain of incidents between Dutta and Nakusha (Mahhi Vij) help him krealise that Nakusha truyly cares for him and that she was never part of any ploy against him. In order to apologise for his misdeeds, he decides to free her from their relationship and give her and her family a house with the best of comforts. A source informs. "When Dutta Bhau goes to drop her family, Anna's men, who have been after Dutta's life, chase them and their car is forced to the edge of a rocky cliff. While Dutta tries hes best to save Nakusha, she refuses to leave him and the car eveentually falls off the cliff." The gripping tension and the fight for life soon builds up. Will they get a second chance? Let's wait and watch!

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Health Issue: SHORT CUTS

SHORT CUTS: Now, telescope inside eye to  fight age-related blindness    US health officials have approved a first-of-its-kind technology to counter a leading cause of blindness in older adults - a tiny telescope implanted inside the eye. The implantable Miniature Telescope aims to help in the end stages of incurable age-related macular degeneration, a creeping loss of central vision that blocks reading, watching TV, eventually even recognizing faces. The telescope is surgically inserted into one eye nfor better central vision, while leaving the other eye alone to provide peripheral vision.The brain then fuses two views into a single image. The Food and Drug Administration said 90% of telescope recipients had their vision improve by at least two lines on an eye chart. 'US Songbirds carry low-risk bird flu':    Songbirds such as sparrows and thrushes carry various forms of bird flu and could potentially spread the viruses to pigs and poultry, US researchers reported. The birds carried low-pathogenic avian influenza - the less dangerous form of bir flu - but flu viruses can and do swap genes and mutate into more dangerous forms, the researchers said. A mojor risk is that the birds would infect pigs, which are suspected "mixing vessels" for new strains of influenza - notably the ongoing pandemic of HINI swine flu, researchers wrote in the Biomed Central journal BMC infectious Diseases.

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Health Issue: EU HAs Issue Cholesterol drug for kids

Pfizer gets EU nod for kids' cholesterol drug Trenton, New Jersey: The European Union has approved a new chewable form of cholesterol block buster Lipitor for children 10 and up with high levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, a type of blood fat, Pfizer said on Tuesday.      The approval includes children whose high blood fats are due to an inherited disease that causes extremely high cholesterol levels, familial hypercholesterolemia.       New York-based Pfizer Inc. won US approval for Lipitor use in children 10 to 17 with that conditionin 2002. Lipitor is the world's top-selling drug, with 2009 sales of about $13 billion, but its US patent expires at the end of November 2011. Pfizer, the world's biggest drug maker, will quickly lose most Lipitor revenue once generic competition hits, so the company has been trying to boost sales where possible before then.       Pfizer said last fall that it plans to apply for a six-month extension of its patent in European countries, after doing studies of Lipitor in youngesters.       As in the United States, the European Union allows drug makers to seek an additional six months of patent protection for medications if they test them in children, who generally are excluded from the drug studies performed to win approval for a new medication.       Pfizer already won such an extension for its crucial United States patent on Lipitor, for blockbuster drugs, those extensions can easily bring hundreds of million of dollars in additional revenue. Normally. they are for drugs that are widely used by different age groups.       Until recently, cholesterol drugs have been promarily taken by adults with heart disease, but their use has expanded to younger patients as more obese, sedentary teenagesrs and adolescents develop heart disease and diabetes.       Lipitor is approved to lower risk of heart attach and stroke, but can cause dangerous muscle pain or weakness, and it cannot be taken by patients with liver problems or by nursing or pregnant women.

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Health Issue: LIQUID TREATMENT

   

Drown stress with just two spoonfuls of sugar in tea London: Stressed at work? Fret not, Just have two spoonfuls of sugar in your tea - it'll help anxiety sip sway, says a new study.        Researchers from University of New South Wales and Queensland University found that sweetened drinks make people less aggressive and argumentative as the sugar rush provides the brain with the energy it needs to keep impulses under control, stopping people from lashing out when under pressure.        "When provocation is likely, for example, when encountering a difficult supervisor at a meeting, drinking a sweetened beverage prior to this encounter effectively inhibit aggressive impulses. " Consuming a sweetened beverage prior to thisencounter might increase one's ability to effectively inhibit aggressive impulses. "Consuming a sweetened beverage on the commute home following a stressful day could reduce aggression toward family members or fellow drivers," the researchers said.          They gave lemonade to a group of people. Some was sweetened with sugar, the rest with an artificial sweetener. The volunteers were set a series of stressful tasks, culminating in preparing a speech. After giving their talk, some were provoked by being told the content was boring and disappointing. Those who had drunk the sugary lemonade rose less to the bait.

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