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Earth day 2017: Interesting facts about the earth day

Earth Day is celebrated on the 22nd of April each year, dedicated to generate and inspire awareness towards the health of our natural environment.

Earth Day is an initiative that was taken in 1970, in Seattle, Washington, by Senator Gaylord Nelson. Since then, this worldwide celebration targets awareness towards every global citizen's relationship with environmentalism. All over the world, there are grass-root level demonstrations of environmental concerns and the remedial steps that have been generated around each. Issues like overpopulation, environmental pollution, forest-land encroachment, desert encroachment, depleting ozone, and deforestation, are taken up at online and offline rostrums.

Earth day focuses on environmental issues plaguing our survival, and that of the planet. What started as an initiative to address the overpopulation issue, has now snowballed into deliberation over other serious environment-threatening issues. 

Earth Day Facts

• Earth Day celebrations all over the world address a number of problems that hound our survival and that of the planet. These include global warming, oil spills, increased levels of greenhouse gases, aftermath of war, biological warfare, and the human hand behind extinction of animals and toxic dumps.
•  The rising concern about environment degeneration has swept across the continents with an earnest intensity, integrating people and communities globally. There are teaching rostrums, forums for debates and deliberations, competitions, and numerous seminars and workshops organized in different countries by different student and professional groups dedicated to the cause.
• It is a designed and much-needed environmental movement that harbours and promotes the goal of a healthy and life-form sustaining environment. The rallies organized include students, teachers, housewives, professionals, and retired communities across the globe. The common offline forums include school and university campuses and offices of businesses that promote researched remedies within the scope of environmental science.
• Though participation is largely voluntary, every individual gets a chance to be a part of the larger picture and contribute towards the cause. Organized protests address deterioration of the environment, air pollution levels, water pollution, soil and noise pollution, raw sewage, overuse of pesticides, increased number of freeways, and an irreplaceable loss of precious natural resources.
• Remedial programs such as recycling and generation of clean energy via alternative fuel resources are addressed on public platforms. Spearheaded campaigns by activists interlink in effort and vigour to assimilate the support, monetary as well as in kind, of millions of people across the world.
• Earth Day celebrations across the globe are networked to promote environmental citizenship and dedicated progressive action. The idea is to function as a driving force to steer awareness towards the depleting environmental health and trigger subsequent change in local and national policies.
• Today, Earth Day networking integrates more than 18,000 organizations, in over 172 countries, worldwide. The groups of trained and volunteer educators help coordinate with community development initiatives already in place. The planned environmental protection activities move beyond nationalities and physical boundaries, religion and caste, and colour or creed.
• The celebrations are designed to transcend differences in political opinion, to preserve geographical integrity, and generate one resonating accord, in sync with technological development and the possibilities generated by the communication revolution.
• There are a number of metropolitan cities around the globe that schedule an 'Earth Week' instead of just one Earth Day. The week usually begins on April 16 and ends with special Earth Day celebrations on April 22.

Future celebrations plan to address the execution of the following remedial steps, to promote a healthier environment:

• Unconditional environmental sustainability
• Timely execution of pro-environment behaviour
• Increased recycling
• Improved energy-efficiency, globally

Lazoi Team wishes every one Earth Day and request everyone to plant more trees, save water and use encourage usage of bio degradable products like fabric bags instead of poly bags etc.

How Baisakhi Festival is celebrated in India?

Baisakhi is a festival of harvest celebrated by the Sikh community of India. It also indicates the merriment of the beginning of new solar year as well as the new harvest season also. It is one of the most significant festivals of Sikhs and they consider this day as the commencement of the Sikh New Year. Read on to know about the significance and celebration of the festival.

On this auspicious day of Baisakhi many people, besides Sikhs visit Gurudwara, the place of worship for Sikhs. They bring flowers and offerings and visit the temples and Gurudwara before dawn. Baisakhi usually falls on April 13 or April 14. There is a holiday in the state of Punjab on that day.

Importance of Baisakhi

Baisakhi is celebrated because it is on this day that the “Khalsa Panth” was established. It is considered as the community of the pure ones and was started on the day of Baisakhi by the last Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh. Long before that, the third Guru of the Sikhs had started celebrating Baisakhi as a special festival of Sikh Community.

How Baisakhi is celebrated

Whatever the history says, today Baisakhi is celebrated with all pomp and show. The Sikhs, rural and urban celebrate this festival with full enthusiasm and vigour. It is a social festival and involves lot of religious activities also. The main part is dancing, eating, enjoying and merry making. They wear colourful dresses and perform their special dance form called Bhangra, which depicts full energy and passion.

In the rural areas, it is the time for the farmers to enjoy their fruits of hard work and so is a remarkable occasion. They have all the rights to enjoy and have the benefits of their whole year's extreme hard work. In fact the entire North India celebrates this day and people visit their near and dear ones also. Nowadays people give and take gifts on Baisakhi and show their love and care to friends and relatives.

Traditionally, there used to be 'Baisakhi Mela' which means a carnival and this is still followed in many villages in Punjab. There are plenty of things to enjoy including different types of swings, tasty and spicy food items and dance performances as well. This festival is celebrated with family and those who stay away from their families try to reach their homes to enjoy the happiness and heartiness of the occasion.

It always makes one feel happy and contented to show love, care and respect to their family members and friends. On the other hand the recipient feels that he or she is very special in the eyes of his family. The main reason behind sending and receiving gifts is to express love. Today, if you are unable to reach your hometown on this auspicious occasion, you can send gifts so that your loved ones get a little relief, as they will miss you on this occasion.

The Baisakhi Mela has its own significance and it helps people meet and congregate at least on this occasion. It provides a platform where people can meet forgetting the rivalry, if any, and enjoy the fruits of harvest together.

Besides the Sikh community, Bengalis mark it as New Year’s Day or Nava Varsha and this day has also great significance in Buddhism. In Buddhist faith, it is believed that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment on this very day. The reasons are many but the celebration is only related to eating, dancing and merry making along with thanks giving to God. 

Health concerns related to Navratri fasting

Navratri, a nine night festival is celebrated in different ways across the country. Most of the believers fast for spiritual and physical cleansing and detoxification of the body. These fasts are seen to have several benefits but there are some related health risks as well.

People who are more prone to health risks due to Navratri include the following:

• Diabetics and the patients of hypertension
• People who have recently undergone any surgery
• Patients of bulimia or anorexia
• If you are anaemic
• Individuals with chronic health problems related to any of the vital organs such as heart, kidneys, lungs or liver
• A person with hyperglycaemia or any other blood sugar problems
• Pregnant women
• Lactating women

The typical foods of Navratri are of high calorie. For instance, fried potatoes, sabudana papad, kheer, sabudana ki tikki, pakodas are all fattening. Since the duration of Navratri is quite long there can be health risks due to navratri food. They may result in increasing weight and can even add to complications in people with problems such as diabetes and hypertension.

• Diabetics and the people with high blood sugar level must be very careful during Navratri. They must avoid both the overindulgence in festive food as well as fasting. If they wish to go for fasting then it is not advisable to take long breaks in fact they must take some food after short durations i.e. every few hours. By doing so the blood glucose levels doesn’t go up. The foods that can be consumed by diabetics during Navratri include kuttu (buckwheat), bottle gourd (lauki), pumkin (kaddu) and vegetables. Papaya, apples, citrus fruit, skimmed milk, berries, pears and almonds can be taken at regular intervals.
  
• The people with hypertension must keep check on the intake of salt in festive food.
  
• If you are more prone to acidity and heartburn problems you must avoid staying empty stomach for long hours. Take mini meals at regular interval. Banana, curd and cold skimmed milk can be taken as an effective antidote for countering acidity.

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Even though Navratri is time for indulging in variety of foods but it is advised to keep a health check. The person on fast on navratri must take healthy food that is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and proteins.

Pregnant and breastfeeding ladies should refrain from observing fasts during navratri as they require constant supply of essential nutrition, vitamins, proteins, folic acid, and minerals. They need to keep track of their nutrition intake for the wellbeing of themselves and their babies. Fasting in pregnancy carries certain risks for the unborn baby such as abnormal breathing movements, low birth weight, and reduced gestational period. Fasting during pregnancy could increase a woman's risk for premature birth. Mothers who experience extreme nausea and vomiting during first trimester should not consider fasting. Talk to your doctor and get an overview of your health condition, if you are feeling obliged to fast. Let your health care provider give you a clean chit. Your obstetrician or gynaecologist is the person who knows your medical history and health conditions very well.

Navratri Celebrations: 9 nights of worshipping the Goddess Mother

Navratri is the festival of nine nights in which nine incarnations of Goddess Shakti are worshipped. Each of them is worshipped on each of the nine days. The nine goddesses worshipped are:

MAA SHAILPUTRI- She is worshiped on 1^st day. The deity was born as Sati-daughter of Daksha and wife of Lord Shiva. She took rebirth as Parvathi- daughter of Himalaya and the consort of Lord Shiva and is closely associated with him.

MAA BRAHAMCHARINI- She is worshiped on 2^nd day. It means, under constant meditation. She is a peaceful form and is also known as Uma. This form was undertaken by Sati and Parvathi in each of their births to attain Lord Shiva as husband. Women all over India perform fasts based on the strict austerities followed by Brahamcharini.

MAA CHANDRAGHANTA- She is worshiped on 3^rd day. She is so called because of crescent moon worn by her on the head. This is the anger look of the goddess. It shows that, if the calm deity is provoked she can become terrible and malevolent.

MAA KUSHMANDA- She is worshiped on 4^th day. This Goddess has the energy of universe. As she has eight hands, the holy power is known as - Ashtbhuja. She is with a smiling face which is believed to end the eternal darkness and beginning of new light.

MAA SKANDAMATA- She is worshiped on 5^th day. She is the mother of Skanda who is also known as kartik. He is the general of Lord's army and most handsome God. The mother is holding the child on her laps. She is benevolent in this form.

MAA KATYAYANI- She is worshiped on 6^th day. She is so called as being daughter of sage Katya. Though she is daughter form of Durga and epitome of love, she can get angry to defend the righteous and good.

MAA KALRATRI- She is worshiped on 7^th day. This form of Shakti destroys ignorance and darkness. It is the most violent form of Shakti. In this, she likes the blood of the demon depicting that violent Mother Nature can create havoc and eliminate all the dirty evil.

MAA MAHAGAURI- She is worshiped on 8^th day. This form depicts purity. It was when Lord Shiva with water from river Ganga cleaned the soil and dust from the body of Parvathi when she did penance to seek Lord Shiva as her husband.

MAA SIDDHIDATRI- She is worshiped on 9^th day. In this form Mother Goddess showers knowledge on the devotee. She removes ignorance.

On the first day, the epitome of Maa Shakti is set up. She is worshipped with water and vermicelli sprinkled on her. Decorated with lots of flowers and festoon bestowed on her, the prayer service is started. A dry cow-dung cake is the main item of this ritual. It is lighted properly and then pair of cloves for each family member is burnt in that. The fire can be made fierce using camphor and ghee. The prayers and rhymes for the goddess are chanted. For next seven consecutive days, the devotees light the lamp and chant prayers. After worshipping these nine deities, comes the day of Ram Navmi. On the day of Ram Navmi, the ritual of inviting 7-11 girls with 2-3 boys under adolescence is prevalent. After serving food as an oblation in temple, it is served to the children who are considered as a replica of Gods and Goddesses.

Besides worshipping, Navratri is also celebrated as a grand festival of pomp and show, dance and music. Though it is celebrated all over India, Gujarat and West Bengal have a special position. In Gujarat, a dance style called Garbha is performed with sticks. West Bengal on the other hand arranges a great lavish prayer ceremony of goddess Durga.

Maa Shakti or Durga is omnipotent. If worshipped with true devotion she becomes benevolent and showers prestige, power and wealth on all her true devotees. So, feel devoted to this epitome of supreme power and brighten your life with the light of her blessings.

Lazoi wishes Happy Navratri to all!

World Health Day 2016: Beat the hell out of diabetes

World Health Day is observed on April 7^th every year and this year it’s focused on slowing the rise of diabetes worldwide. In both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, individuals have trouble producing insulin, potentially causing dangerous results if left unmanaged.

The World Health Organization has time and again published relative information about beating diabetes, as well as organised fun quizzes and put posters aimed at raising awareness. The disease disproportionately impacts poor countries.

Here are some facts about diabetes, which is expected to become the seventh leading cause of death globally by 2030.

The Numbers

About 350 million people worldwide have diabetes and about 1.5 million people die from it each year. More than 80 percent of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization reported. Ninety percent of diabetes cases are Type 2. 

Type 1 vs. Type 2

In Type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system destroys cells that release insulin, ultimately preventing the body from producing any. Cells are unable to absorb glucose without insulin, which is needed to produce energy. Type 1 occurs in children.

Type 2 diabetes is most common among adults, although it’s also on the rise among youth. It occurs when the body is unable to use insulin the right way, called “insulin resistance.” As it intensifies, the pancreas may produce a deficient amount of insulin.

What are the symptoms?

Hunger, fatigue, needing to use the bathroom more often than usual, dry mouth, itchy skin and blurred vision are all symptoms of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, according to leading diabetologists. Individuals with Type 2 diabetes may also experience yeast infections, slow-healing cuts and pain or numbness in the feet or legs. Those with Type 1 might experience unexplained weight loss or nausea and vomiting.

What are the risks?

Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can be dangerous if left untreated or poorly managed. Monitoring the disease can help significantly reduce risk, as both types increase risk of blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke. People with diabetes are also at risk of needing amputations.

How is diabetes managed?

The discovery of insulin in 1921 offered new hope for those with diabetes, who used to be expected to die within the first few years after diagnosis. It’s not a cure, but it helps manage the disease. Insulin injections or an insulin pump help manage Type 1. The amount of insulin is determined from the amount of food consumed and daily activity. Those who use insulin regularly monitor their blood glucose level. With both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, healthy eating, physical activity and blood glucose testing are important.

When to see a diabetologist?

It’s a good idea to see your diabetologist if you have to urinate frequently, if you’re feeling weak or constantly thirsty or if you have a bad stomach-ache. Breath that smells like nail polish remover is a sign of high ketones and is a good indicator that you should head to the diabetologist.