5 Products Challenge

Tags

"5 Products", "Challenge", "DavidOff", "Green Tea", "Henry George", "HGL", "Lipton", "Maserati", "Nikon D5100", "Photography", "Sheaffers", "The NorthFace"

Thanks to Nik for this great challenge, its all about taking photos of 5 products which would speak themselves.

Drink positive

The power of cool

Never stop exploring

A Gift that matters

Excellence through passion

The ‘Tree of Life’

Tags

"Alappuzha", "Backwaters", "Coconut", "Facts", "Henry George", "HGL", "How to survive in an island", "Nikon D5100", "Photography", "Tree", "Water", building a raft, coconut fruit, Kerala, natural energy booster, Sun set

Tree of Life

Below coconut trees are taken from Alapuzha ‘The Venice of the East’ one of the best, most beautiful and world famous backwaters of Kerala.

 

Coconut tree is considered to be the tree of life. From root to head everything and anything could be used. Say the roots are used as medicine for dysentery and even sometime could be used as a tooth brush. The trunk is best known for salt resistance and are hard durable wood used to make small bridges, bench, table, roof and frames. The leaves are used as roofing materials when nicely weaved together to form sheets. Most importantly the coconut fruit is the nut/seed of coconut tree is high in protein where as milk is refreshing, light and low in sugar. Its an amazing natural energy booster ideally and highly recommended for fatigue.

I always wonder (those knowledge I acquire from movies) how coconut trees are grown in the most remote islands in the sea; because the coconut fruit floats readily and have been dispersed widely by ocean currents. The coconut palms flourish best close to sea with abundant sun and rain, for the best growth they also need to be in a highly humid environment.

If you are ever trapped in an island this is the tree you should be looking for. Climb up (if you can) and look out for any ship. Get some coconuts dry it and squeeze them to get some oil to be used as the best natural sunscreen or suntan lotion. The coconut fruit milk or water is the only fresh liquid you can manage to sustain your life, other than rain water. And yes the safest food you can get would be the meat inside the coconut. Once you are settled with enough food and drinks, and has no chances of any ships around; the best bet would be to start thinking and building a raft.

All Green

Tags

"Banana", "Green", "Henry George", "HGL", "Leaves", "Nikon D5100", "Onam", "Onasadya", "Photography", festival celebrations, Henry G L, Kerala

There is nothing more amazing than the natural textures and the best are always on green leaves. Very much green and more detailed with a fantastic backlit, banana leaf is my choice for our Sunday Stills challenge ‘Texture’ this week.

Banana leave back in my home town are used as plates to serve our meals (usually cooked rice and around 11 to 13 essential dishes, on main occasions the number of curries would go up to 18-28) and as a part of food a banana is also served after the meal. The first thing comes to my memories associated with Banana Leaves are our traditional yearly harvest festival called Onam, the festival celebrations last long for 10 days and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. The most impressive part of Onam celebration is the grand feast called Onasadya a nine course meal. Onasadya is served on banana leaves and people sit on a mat laid on the floor to have the meal.

Banana leaves are used for many purposes such as for decorative elements, wrappings, plate mat, and employed in cooking method. It is used as a decorative element for special ceremonies in Hindu and Buddhist cultures. It is also used as a plate to serve food in countries including India and Indonesia. Banana leaves, though commonly thrown away, contain large amounts of polyphenols, including EGCG, similar to green tea. They also contain polyphenol oxidase, that could be used treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

SundayStills (Water droplets)… Droplet

Tags

"Apple", "Droplets", "Facts", "Henry George", "HGL", "Macro", "Photography", "Water"

(Please click on image for full size & on title to coment)

The word apple comes from the Old English aeppel.

Archaeologists have evidence of people eating apples as far back as 6500 B.C.

China produces more apples than any other country.

There are more than 7500 varieties of apples grown in the world. About 2500 varieties are grown in the United States.

Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. They are however contain no saturated fats or cholesterol; but rich in dietary fiber which helps prevent absorption of dietary LDL cholesterol in the gut. The dietary fibers also help protect the mucous membrane of the colon from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon.

One medium apple contains about 80 calories.

Apple skin contains more antioxidants and fiber than the flesh.

Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta carotene. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.

Tip:

Ever thought of why a Sliced apple turns brown on exposure to air? its due to conversion in iron form from ferrous oxide to ferric oxide. If you have to serve them sliced, rinse slices in water added with few drops of fresh lemon

Flower power

Tags

"Droplets", "Henry George", "HGL", "Photography", "Tips to keep flowers fresh", "Water", Flower, Sony H50

You know about those first trials…”the flower & droplets”…its the most exciting challenge a beginer will get through with the photography. Below was the result of my attempt.

Apart from photography aspect of Flower and Water, I got curious about how they makes it; just for us to enjoy them and finally cut them up to decorate our life. Now its flashes through my mind those things we learned in schools, but never bothered. Got many tips as well.

Flowers normally absorb water through their roots, which are attached to small tubes called xylem. These xylem act like thin straws, pulling water up through the plant to the leaves and flowers. When the flower is cut, it no longer is in contact with the roots but it can still absorb water through the xylem. Having a source of water can keep a cut flower in bloom for days or even weeks before it finally wilts and dies. To know more about keeping the flowers alive, read more…

 

Transpiration

Transpiration helps keep the water moving. Plants have small holes in their leaves and flowers. If a plant has excess water, those holes open, allowing some of the water to evaporate. This creates a vacuum, aiding capillary action by pulling more water up the xylem. Plants also use water in photosynthesis, turning water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar. But cut flowers usually do not photosynthesize much, because they generally have few leaves and are usually not put in bright sunlight.

 

Keeping the Flowers Alive

Once a flower is cut, it slowly dies. How long this process takes depends on the flower and the way it is cared for. Sometimes, the xylem can get an air bubble at the bottom of the stem. This prevents the flower from sucking up any more water, and as a result, it can wilt in just a few hours. To prevent this, florists cut stems diagonally to prevent air from getting stuck on the underside, and they cut the stem under water so no bubbles form. Because cut flowers rarely photosynthesize, they don’t receive any food. Plant food with sugar in it is often added to the water to nourish the flowers and keep them alive longer.

 

 

(SundayStills : Meal Time) – Kappa n mathi curry

Tags

"Food", "HGL", "Kappa and mathi curry", "Kappa curry", "Meals", Henry George Lappakkaran, Sony H50

Tapioca (Kappa) with fish curry (sardine) is the most common & ‘poor man’s meal’ widely consumed in the state of Kerala and some of other states in India. Although I had to say it’s a poor man’s meal, I believe it is one of the top delicacy kerala is known for, and surprisingly one of the most admirable dish you might find in the menu in all star resorts & restaurants in Kerala. It is served either boiled or cooked with spices. Having a kappa meal in a house boat at backwaters of kerala or a toddy shop in Alappuzha could be one of your unforgettable experience in life.

Nutrition facts about Tapioca:

Low in Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol

The nutritional value of tapioca makes it somewhat suitable for weight gain

Avoid including tapioca in your diet if you’re interested in weight loss

Tapioca is gluten free, and almost completely protein free