reasons to eat an orange a day

Sweet and juicy to taste, orange is one of the most popular fruits in India as well as the world. Belonging to a group of citrus fruits called hesperedium, oranges have more health benefits than one. Here are the top 10 health benefits of the fruit.

1. Boosts your immunity

A single orange can meet more than 100% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C. This vital nutrient helps improve your immunity, keeping you free from diseases and infections. Here are some more immunity boosting foods. 

2. Good for your skin

As we grow older, our skin along with other body parts suffers from free radical damage. This process is similar to how metals rust after exposure to air.  Even though it is inevitable, oranges are packed with antioxidants and Vitamin C which slows down the process and makes you look younger than your age! Besides oranges, you can eat these fruits and vegetables for glowing skin! 

3. Great for your eyes

Along with our skin, our eyes too suffers from damage as we grow older. Oranges are rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C and potassium which are great for your eyes. So, if you want your vision to be just as good as it is now, eat an orange every day! 

4. Prevents heart disease

One of the reasons why people get heart disease is because their arteries are blocked due to unhealthy lifestyles and consumption of junk food. Oranges have flavonoids like hesperidin which reduces cholesterol and prevents your arteries from getting blocked. This, in turn protects you from heart attack and various other cardiovascular diseases. Alternatively, you could try these 8 natural cholesterol busters. 

5. Helps in brain development

Folate and folic acid present in oranges promote brain development and keep the vital organ in mint condition. In fact, these nutrients also make orange a healthy fruit for pregnant woman as it prevents the baby from having neurological disorders later.

6. Prevents cancer

Having cancer can be a tough and harrowing experience for both the patient and the caregiver. Research has shown that a compound called D – limonene present in oranges can prevent various types of cancer like lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, etc. Additionally, the antioxidants and Vitamin C help promote the body’s immunity which helps in fighting cancer cells. Here are some food habits to keep cancer at bay. 

7. Keeps you free from stomach ulcers

Oranges are a very good source of fibre which helps keep your stomach and intestines healthy. A diet rich in fibre will ensure that you are not affected with ailments like stomach ulcers and constipation.

8. Improves the quality of your sperm

Death is inevitable, but our legacy may live on through our offspring. The antioxidants and Vitamin C present in most fruits, including oranges improves the quality and motility of your sperm thus keeping you fertile. You can also try these foods to make your sperm a champion swimmer! 

9. Great for diabetics

People who have diabetes are unable to absorb glucose since the beta-cells present in their pancreas either fail to produce insulin or the body’s cells are unable to respond to the insulin produced. Oranges are high in fibre and have a high glycaemic index which makes it a good food option for diabetics. Also worth mentioning is that good oranges have a sweet taste, and since diabetics aren’t allowed to eat sweets or other sugary foods, they can eat oranges to tingle their taste buds.

10. Prevents hair loss

Orange has high Vitamin C content which is required for producing collagen which, in turn, is responsible for keeping the tissues in your hair together. Nobody likes bald patches on their head, and eating oranges can ensure that you do not have to part with your lovely hair as you grow older.

Tip: When you cut an orange, make sure you do it in a way that the inner peel doesn’t come off since it is very nutritious and has higher amounts of hesperidin than the flesh itself.  

Exam Nerves, Study Stress and Preparation for the Big Day

If you are spending too much time worrying about your studies or your exams, if you are feeling low in confidence and self esteem, if you are panicky or feeling depressed or anxious, then you know you will not be in a good learning state.

And you also know that your learning and performance will be hampered if you find it difficult to focus, if you're losing sleep because of the pressure, if you’re stressing out over your studies, or if you’re over anxious about the exam itself.

Neither will you make much progress if you have trouble with your motivation. You could be someone who will do anything to avoid getting down to some good solid revision. The most mundane of tasks somehow becomes fascinating if it can delay the moment when you just have to get started and apply yourself to revision.

Even if you are very conscientious, revise well and know your material, all that effort could be wasted if you are so anxious in the exam that you can’t put your thoughts together in a coherent enough form to answer the questions.

If your exams are really getting on top of you, there are three things you can do:

1. Read and act on my blog on ten simple steps for exam success.

2. Buy my download "Change your mind about exams" specially focussed on exam stress. It doesn't cost much and there's a 30 day money back guarantee. Or try one of our book suggestions.

3. Contact me by email or by phoning 01206 299 724 to discover how a few sessions with Life Changes Now can help you get back on course, relieve your stress, enhance your learning processes and performance, and generally prepare you for the success you deserve.

Quick checklist for stress

If you are troubled by any of these symptoms in relation to your study or exams then you may be suffering from stress. These are warning signs; your body and mind are feeling the pressure and asking for attention. Take some notice and take action so that you can be at your best when you need to be.

• Headaches
• Poor sleep or bad dreams
• Lack of appetite or comfort eating
• Mood swings, especially short temper
• Feeling constantly tired
• Feeling sick or plagued by 'butterflies' in the stomach
• Diarrhoea
• Dizziness or faintness
• Panic attacks
• Loss of motivation
• Feelings numb or depressed

about India

It is impossible not to be astonished by India. Nowhere on Earth does humanity present itself in such a dizzying, creative burst of cultures and religions, races and tongues. Every aspect of the country presents itself on a massive, exaggerated scale, worthy in comparison only to the superlative mountains that overshadow it. Perhaps the only thing more difficult than to be indifferent to India would be to describe or understand India completely.

Location, Geography, & Climate

Set apart from the rest of Asia by the supreme continental wall of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent touches three large bodies of water and is immediately recognizable on any world map. It is the huge, terrestrial beak between Africa and Indonesia. This thick, roughly triangular peninsula defines the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian sea to the west, and the India Ocean to the south.

India's puzzleboard of 26 states holds virtually every kind of landscape imaginable. An abundance of mountain ranges and national parks provide ample opportunity for eco-tourism and trekking, and its sheer size promises something for everyone. From its northernmost point on the Chinese border, India extends a good 2000 miles (3200 km) to its southern tip, where the island nation of Sri Lanka seems to be squeezed out of India like a great tear, the synapse forming the Gulf of Mannar. India's northern border is dominated mostly by Nepal and the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain chain. Following the sweeping mountains to the northeast, its borders narrow to a small channel that passes between Nepal, Tibet, Bangladesh, and Bhutan, then spreads out again to meet Burma in area called the "eastern triangle." Apart from the Arabian sea, its western border is defined exclusively by Pakistan.

India can be organized along the compass points. North India, shaped like a throat and two lungs, is the country's largest region. It begins with the panhandle of Jammu and Kashmir, a dynamic area with terrain varying from arid mountains in the far north to the lake country and forests near Sringar and Jammu. Falling south along the Indus river valley, the North becomes flatter and more hospitable, widening into the fertile plains of Punjab to the west and the Himalayan foothills of Uttar Pradesh and the Ganges river valley to the East. Cramped between these two states is the capital city, Delhi. The southwestern extremity of the North is the large state of Rajastan, whose principal features are the Thar Desert and the stunning "pink city" of Jaipur. To the southeast is southern Uttar Pradesh and Agra, home of the famous Taj Mahal.

West India contains the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and part of the massive, central state of Madhya Pradesh. The west coast extends from the Gujarat peninsula down to Goa, and it is lined with some of India's best beaches. The land along the coast is typically lush, with rainforests reaching southward from Bombay all the way to into Goa. A long mountain chain, the Western Ghats, separates the verdant coast from the Vindya mountains and the dry Deccan plateau further inland.

Home of the sacred Ganges river and the majority of Himalayan foothills, East India begins with the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, which comprise the westernmost part of the region. East India also contains an area known as the eastern triangle, which is entirely distinct. This is the last gulp of land that extends beyond Bangladesh, culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese border.

India reaches its peninsular tip with South India, which begins with the Deccan in the north and ends with Cape Comorin, where Hindus believe that bathing in the waters of the three oceans will wash away their sins. The states in South India are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, a favorite leisure destination. The southeast coast, mirroring the west, also rests snugly beneath a mountain range---the Eastern Ghats.

Because of India's size, its climate depends not only on the time of year, but also the location. In general, temperatures tend to be cooler in the north, especially between September and March. The south is coolest between November to January. In June, winds and warm surface currents begin to move northwards and westwards, heading out of the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Gulf. This creates a phenomenon known as the south-west monsoon, and it brings heavy rains to the west coast. Between October and December, a similar climatic pattern called the north-east monsoon appears in the Bay of Bengal, bringing rains to the east coast. In addition to the two monsoons, there are two other seasons, spring and autumn.

Though the word "monsoon" often brings to mind images of torrential floods and landslides, the monsoon seasons are not bad times to come to India. Though it rains nearly every day, the downpour tends to come and go quickly, leaving behind a clean, glistening landscape.

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Culture & People

With nearly 1 billion citizens, India is the second most populous nation in the world. It is impossible to speak of any one Indian culture, although there are deep cultural continuities that tie its people together. English is the major language of trade and politics, but there are fourteen official languages in all. There are twenty-four languages that are spoken by a million people or more, and countless other dialects. India has seven major religions and many minor ones, six main ethnic groups, and countless holidays.

Religion is central to Indian culture, and its practice can be seen in virtually every aspect of life in the country. Hinduism is the dominant faith of India, serving about 80 percent of the population. Ten percent worship Islam, and 5 perscent are Sikhs and Christians; the rest (a good 45 million) are Buddhists, Jains, Bahai, and more.

Facts About Mangoes

Mango, the king of fruits and our national fruit is native to South Asia. About 5000 years ago, cultivation of mangoes started in India. So mangoes and their delicacies are part of our culture and rituals. A basket full of mangoes is considered  a sign of friendship and the mango is also a symbol of love. Here goes a Hindu legend to prove this:

Once there was the Sun princess and from her ashes grew the mango tree when an evil sorceress burnt her to ashes. The Emperor fell in love with the mango flower and fruit of that tree. So when the ripened mango fell to the ground it turned into a beautiful princess.

There are hundreds of mango varieties in India from small ball like mangoes (chusa) to larger ones (langra) but are all delicious to eat. Not only raw mango but mango pickle, aam panna, mango lassi, chutney, mango rice, and a range of other dishes are popular in India.

More interesting facts about Mangoes

• All across the world, alphansos is the highest and the top-most variety of mango. Apart from this, in northern India, chausa, dassheri and langra varieties and benishaan or benisha, and kesar varieties in southern India are very popular.
• Close to half of the world’s mangoes are produced in India, making the country the top most producer of this fruit. But most of the mangoes produced in India are consumed by Indians.
• Do you know that the English word ‘mango’ has its root in the Dravidian language? It originated from the Malayalam word māṅṅa or Tamil word mangai or mankay. The name ‘manga’ was taken by Portuguese traders when they got settled in Western India.
• Importing real mangoes to America was not possible because there were not facilities of refrigerating the fruit. So these were imported in the form of pickle.
• Some of the mango trees can bear fruits even after 300 years.
• Apart from India, mango is also the national fruit of Pakistan and the Philippines. Mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh and a symbol of love.

Cultural importance

• Door of a new born baby’s room (especially baby boy in India) is adorned with mango leaves. This practice is also performed on certain festivals and celebrations like Ganesh Chaturthi.
• Ambika, the Jain Goddess in her traditional form is shown sitting under a mango tree
• Mango is also considered as a symbol of attainment and so held by Lord Ganesha.
• Ugadi pacchadi, a must-prepare recipe on the Telugu/Kannada New Year’s Day is incomplete without mango pieces.
• Vadai paruppu recipe cooked on Sri Rama Navami (Lord Ram’s Birth Day) has mango as a special ingredient.
• Kalidasa, the Classical poet in India sang the praise of mangoes.

Nutritional facts

• Per 100 grams of mango provide 250 KJ or 60 K Cal of energy.
• About 165 grams of mango contains 35% vitamin A, 100% vitamin C, 2% calcium and 2% iron.
• Mango fruit pulp is rich in vitamin C, pre-biotic dietary fiber and many kinds of polyphenols.
• Mango is free from fat, sodium and cholesterol.

6 Steps to Final Exam Success !!

After ten years of conducting Finals Preparation workshops, we have perfected a planning process that produces wildly successful results. If you have final exams coming up and want to make sure you get the grades you need, read on. 


Step 1: Start early! You want to set up your study plan and schedule about two weeks before your finals begin. You need time to get into the final exam mindset. Your life will be all about studying for a while, but it is for a finite amount of time, and the sacrifice is absolutely worth it when you achieve your goals. 

Step 2: Know your grade going into the final exam. At most high schools, the final exam is worth about 20% of the overall semester grade. With just a little bit of algebra, or this handy internet final grade calculator (ignore the snarky comments that accompany the results), you will know exactly what you need to get on each of your tests. 

Step 3: Set challenging, but realistic goals for each of your classes. If you have a 76% in a class, and want to pull off a B for the semester, you’ll probably need to get about a 96% on the final. Evaluate whether or not this is attainable for you: How difficult is the material? How much time and effort are you willing to put in for the final? 

Step 4: Determine exactly what will be covered on each final exam and how you plan to study for each subject. If it’s 13 chapters of Honors Biology, your plan might be to rewrite your class notes, make flashcards for the vocabulary, and test yourself using the chapter questions throughout the text book. If your English exam will ask you to write a response to one of five essay prompts, you may plan to do specific outlines for each prompt, or possibly even write all five essays to make sure you know them. Whatever subject it is, write down specifically how you intend to study. 

Step 5: Establish the total amount of time you estimate it will take to study for each test. For example: AP Chemistry: 12 hours AP US History: 10 hours Pre-Calculus: 8 hours English 3: 6 hours Spanish III: 4 hours We find that for their hardest classes, students need to allocate approximately ten – twelve hours of studying. While this may seem like a lot to some students, keep in mind that we are talking about a two-week period of time. You’ll see in the next step that the hours are spread out over many days and it’s really not so bad. 

Step 6: Set up a study schedule to map out your hours. In our office, we make special “final exam calendars” on big sheets of poster board, with the days of the weeks across the top, and the hours of the day down the left side. We have our students use bright colored markers and highlighters, so that it is as personalized and fun to look at as possible. Since you’re starting early, you should have about fourteen days on your calendar. You first want to block off the time you cannot be studying –  the time you’re in school, at swim practice, at a church function, sleeping, etc. Also, if there’s a certain time you definitely do not want to be studying, like a Friday night for example, block that time off as well. This will give you an accurate picture of how much time you have to study. Then, write down which finals you have on which days (Tuesday: Math & English, Wednesday: Spanish and Science, Thursday: History, etc). Begin adding study hours to the calendar by blocking off two hours the night before each test for review. Since you are planning ahead, you won’t have any need for all-nighters or last minute cramming sessions. Continue to add study hours to your schedule until you have accounted for all of the necessary hours for each class. Make sure to plan for meals and breaks! You might end up with a weekend in which you have six to eight hours of studying each day. This is possible, but you must let your brain rest. Know your own capacity for focus, and plan accordingly. It takes self-discipline, endurance, and determination to achieve your goals for final exams. Yet, the process can also be incredibly empowering. Testing the limits of your brain shows you its infinite possibilities. At the very least, you will be entitled to a well-earned celebration by the end

Developing self-discipline

Self-discipline
Self-discipline can be considered a type of selective training, creating new habits of
thought, action, and speech toward improving yourself and reaching goals.
Self-discipline can also be task oriented and selective.
View self-discipline as positive effort, rather than one of denial.

Schedule a small task for a given time of the day;
Practice deliberate delaying.

• Schedule a particular task in the morning and once in the evening.
• The task should not take more than 15 minutes.
• Wait for the exact scheduled time.
  When the schedule time is due, start the task.
• Stick to the schedule for at least two months.
  Advantages: Scheduling helps you focus on your priorities.
  By focusing on starting tasks rather than completing them, you can avoid procrastination.
  
  
• Schedule a task and hold to its time;
  Avoid acting on impulse.
• Track your progress;
  At the end of the allotted time, keep a record of accomplishment that builds over time.
  Advantage: Building a record will help you track how much time tasks take.
  
  
• If you begin to have surplus time, fill it with small tasks, make notes to yourself, plan other tasks, etc.

Harness the power of routine.

• Instead of devoting a lot of hours one day, and none the other and then a few on an another day and so on, allocate a specific time period each day of the week for that task.
• Hold firm.
• Don't set a goal other than time allocation,
  simply set the habit of routine.
• Apply this technique to your homework or your projects, you will be on your way to getting things done
  Advantage: You are working on tasks in small increments, not all at once. You first develop a habit, then the habit does the job for you.
  
  

Use self discipline to explore time management

Time management can become an overwhelming task.
When you do not have control over your own self, how can you control time?
Begin with task-oriented self-discipline and build from there.

Advantage: As you control tasks, you build self-discipline.
As you build self-discipline, you build time management.
As you build time management, you build self-confidence.

Maintain a self-discipline log book.

• Record the start and end times of the tasks.
• Review for feedback on your progress
  Advantage: This log book can be a valuable tool to get a better picture over your activities in order to prioritize activities, and realize what is important and not important on how you spend your time.
  
  

Schedule your work day and studies.

• When you first begin your work day, or going to work take a few minutes and write down on a piece of paper the tasks that you want to accomplish for that day.
• Prioritize the list.
• Immediately start working on the most important one.
• Try it for a few days to see if the habit works for you.
• Habits form over time: how much time depends on you and the habit.
  Advantage: When you have a clear idea as to what you want to achieve for the day at its start, the chances are very high that you will be able to proactively accomplish the tasks. Writing or sketching out the day helps.
  
  

Discouragement:

• Do not be intimidated; do not be put off by the challenge
• If you slip, remember this is natural
• Take a break and then refresh the challenge

Tricks:

Associate a new habit with an old one:
If you drink coffee, make that first cup the time to write out and prioritize your tasks.

Advantage: Association facilitates neural connections!

Mark your progress:

On a calendar in your bathroom, on a spreadsheet at your computer, on your breakfast table: Check off days you successfully follow up. If you break the routine, start over!

Advantage: Visualizing is a ready reinforcement of progress

Role models:

Observe the people in your life and see to what extent self discipline and habits help them accomplish goals. Ask them for advice on what works, what does not.

Time management

Developing time management skills is a journeythat may begin with this Guide, but needs practice and other guidance along the way.

One goal is to help yourself become aware of how you use your time
as one resource in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in your studies
in the context of competing activities of friends, work, family, etc.

First: try our exercise in time management:
How do you spend your time each day?

Strategies on using time:These applications of time management have proven to be effective as good study habits.

As we go through each strategy, jot down an idea of what each will look like for you:

• Blocks of study time and breaks
  As your school term begins and your course schedule is set, develop and plan for, blocks of study time in a typical week. Blocks ideally are around 50 minutes, but perhaps you become restless after only 30 minutes? Some difficult material may require more frequent breaks. Shorten your study blocks if necessary-but don't forget to return to the task at hand! What you do during your break should give you an opportunity to have a snack, relax, or otherwise refresh or re-energize yourself. For example, place blocks of time when you are most productive: are you a morning person or a night owl?
  Jot down one best time block you can study. How long is it? What makes for a good break for you? Can you control the activity and return to your studies?
• Dedicated study spaces
  Determine a place free from distraction (no cell phone or text messaging!) where you can maximize your concentration and be free of the distractions that friends or hobbies can bring! You should also have a back-up space that you can escape to, like the library, departmental study center, even a coffee shop where you can be anonymous. A change of venue may also bring extra resources.
  What is the best study space you can think of? What is another?
• Weekly reviews
  Weekly reviews and updates are also an important strategy. Each week, like a Sunday night, review your assignments, your notes, your calendar. Be mindful that as deadlines and exams approach, your weekly routine must adapt to them!
  What is the best time in a week you can review?
• Prioritize your assignments
  When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task. You'll be fresh, and have more energy to take them on when you are at your best. For more difficult courses of study, try to be flexible: for example, build in reaction time when you can get feedback on assignments before they are due.
  What subject has always caused you problems?
• Achieve "stage one"--get something done!
  The Chinese adage of the longest journey starting with a single step has a couple of meanings: First, you launch the project! Second, by starting, you may realize that there are some things you have not planned for in your process. Details of an assignment are not always evident until you begin the assignment. Another adage is that "perfection is the enemy of good", especially when it prevents you from starting! Given that you build in review, roughly draft your idea and get going! You will have time to edit and develop later.
  What is a first step you can identify for an assignment to get yourself started?
• Postpone unnecessary activities until the work is done!
  Postpone tasks or routines that can be put off until your school work is finished!
  This can be the most difficult challenge of time management. As learners we always meet unexpected opportunities that look appealing, then result in poor performance on a test, on a paper, or in preparation for a task. Distracting activities will be more enjoyable later without the pressure of the test, assignment, etc. hanging over your head. Think in terms of pride of accomplishment. Instead of saying "no" learn to say "later".
  What is one distraction that causes you to stop studying?
• Identify resources to help you
  Are there tutors? An expert friend? Have you tried a keyword search on the Internet to get better explanations? Are there specialists in the library that can point you to resources? What about professionals and professional organizations. Using outside resources can save you time and energy, and solve problems.
  Write down three examples for that difficult subject above?
  Be as specific as possible.
• Use your free time wisely
  Think of times when you can study "bits" as when walking, riding the bus, etc. Perhaps you've got music to listen to for your course in music appreciation, or drills in language learning? If you are walking or biking to school, when best to listen? Perhaps you are in a line waiting? Perfect for routine tasks like flash cards, or if you can concentrate, to read or review a chapter. The bottom line is to put your time to good use.
  What is one example of applying free time to your studies?
• Review notes and readings just before class
  This may prompt a question or two about something you don't quite understand, to ask about in class, or after. It also demonstrates to your teacher that you are interested and have prepared.
  How would you make time to review?
  Is there free time you can use?
• Review lecture notes just after class
  Then review lecture material immediately after class.
  The first 24 hours are critical. Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review!
  How would you do this?
  Is there free time you can use?

Select one of the ten applications above.
and develop a new study habit! 
Try something you have a good chance of following through and accomplishing.
Nothing succeeds like a first successful try!

Try the University of Minnesota's Assignment Calculator

Develop criteria for adjusting your schedule
to meet both your academic and non-academic needs