Environment

Children’s Action-Adventure Free Book Plus the visiting Dove

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on August 13, 2021 4

Independence day preparations are in full swing at home, and my daughter has just sent in her dance performance and artwork for school. I decided to gift two books for you to download and read over Freedom weekend. Hope you like them. Here are the links to free books this week Celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence.Read all about what I did,while writing my first Children’s Adventure book.

The new Children’s action-adventure book for free Royals of Rajasthan(Adventure series): Ashwin Rashi Mystery

One of my favorite topics to talk and write about for all my UBC friends and those on the Blogchatter Half Marathon

How to WALK, Write & Garden for the Healthy Life you want (Wellness Secrets Series Book 1): Mind Body and Spirit

For all my friends all over the world, here’s the link for Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Rajasthan-Royals-Ashwin-Rashi-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09CF3Q1ZV/

https://www.amazon.com/Write-Garden-Healthy-Wellness-Secrets-ebook/dp/B0814FXX32/

Now onto today’s update.

I have told you about the balcony garden in our apartment, right? I almost went soil less with hydroponics, but during the pandemic getting stuff from amazon was tricky. So preserving the soil we have is crucial. That’s the reason a few of my empty hanging pots with struggling plants stayed up. I was planning to plant some low maintenance climbers, and then one day, a grey dove and her mate came flying into the garden.They were the inspiration behind this new children’s actionm adventure series.

Nature inspires me in many ways and the more I spend time in nature ,the more that becomes evident.

They looked around, hopped here and there, and seemed to be checking the balcony out as well as us. They didn’t look too displeased. I almost felt like it was a home show, and I was being judged for the upkeep.

But I had no idea what they were planning.

The nature lover in me managed to capture their antiques on the mobile.

Dove in the balcony garden

That’s the great part of an excellent mobile phone. The Samsung A50s is my blogging friend on the move. I simply cannot do all my work sitting down, right?That’s why I need an excellent phone to capture my thoughts. Now where was I?

Oh yes, the bird and her mate were a talking point over dinner that day, and in the morning, I was in for a surprise.

Mother dove sitting on the eggs in her nest

The pair of doves came and laid a pair of eggs. It was an “Oh my goodness” moment. I was totally not prepared to take care of mommy dove and the babies-to-be. But my husband assured me that no work would be needed. The dove parents were self-sufficient. My daughter was ecstatic, and everyone she talked to heard about the dove family.

My daughter with the dove

My daughter with the birds

Now I suggested moving the nest.

My daughter googled that scenario and said the eggs would then be abandoned by the dove parent. Imagine birds orphaned because of me! It was unthinkable,

I was in a fix. The dove nest stayed put, and we waited for the 28th of July when the eggs were due to hatch. Hats what my daughter found out from google.

In the meanwhile, we saw the father dove largely being absent except for mealtimes when he came to sit on the eggs while mommy dove went looking for food. It is an interesting observation my daughter commented on, saying “my daddy spends more time at home than the dove daddy”.

Oh well, it’s all relative.

Then 28th July came, and we could see nothing moving.

My husband tried peeking and finally spotted a pair of feathery balls hardly 2cm in diameter at their widest snuggling close to the mommy. Every day we went looking at the family, and all this time, when the babies didn’t have their eyes open, the mother stayed put. Taking pictures were really difficult.

Then something happened which surprised us.

Look out for the next part of the bird story and the video .

This is part of the UBC and Blogchatter half marathon and Environment talks for #CauseAChatter.

Featured post

How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!

Health of the Nation Report — Apollo Pro Health

Air-pollution – A non-controllable risk factor for NCDs in India?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on July 22, 2021 14

Air pollution is a serious problem. It affects our physical and mental health in a multitude of ways. India’s largest primary healthcare survey covered 233672 and 673 public health offices in 21 states by ASSOCHAM India and TARI gave us several answers. Hypertension, Digestive Diseases, and Diabetes are the top three NCD.

We are facing a huge burden of non-communicable diseases. With over 6.3 million deaths in 2017, our country contributed 15.3% of overall global deaths due to NCDs.

According to India’s largest survey report on Non-communicable Diseases by Assocham India and TARI (Thought Arbitrage Research Institute), hypertension, digestive diseases, and diabetes are among the most prevalent NCDs in the country. This is followed by respiratory diseases, brain disorders, heart diseases, kidney disorders, and cancer.

S.No.	Unique Risk Factors	Highest %
1	Air Pollution	76%
2	Low Physical Activity	67%
3	Imbalanced Diet	55%
4	Stress	44%
5	Obesity & BMI	24%
6	Tobacco consumption	16%
7	High leisure activities	10%
8	Alcohol consumption	9%
9	Lack of sleep	4%

Data source ASSOCHAM

As per the report, air pollution is the most prevalent risk factor among people with NCDs at 76%. It is followed by a sedentary lifestyle, improper diet while alcohol and tobacco consumption come lower down the order as other major risk factors for NCDs at 16% and 95 respectively. The report further highlights that 3 out of 4 Indians are exposed to air pollution, and this is highest among people in the age group 36-50 years at 30% as compared to other age groups.

Air pollution includes ambient particulate matter, household air pollution . Air Particulate Matter (PM) pollution, PM 2.5 and PM 10 particles can slip past our body’s defenses, damaging our brain, heart, and lungs.
Air pollution is everywhere, and our exposure to it is irrespective of age and profession. This is confirmed by Greenpeace India which in its report says that 154 cities in our country have an average particulate matter level higher than the national standard and fail to match the air quality standard prescribed by WHO.

In our country, people working as field workers, shopkeepers, working laborers, and sales professionals who extensively travel for their work are more vulnerable to air pollution. These people are exposed to various sources of air pollution. This includes emissions from plants and factories, automobile exhaust, harmful gases like carbon monoxide emitted from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gases. Stubble or crop burning activities and mining operations are some of the other major causes of outdoor pollution in India.

Age group affected by air pollution in India — Data source ASSOCHAM

Non-working women and the young population living within the confines of the house are exposed to household air pollution. They are mostly subjected to air pollution caused by burning fuel such as kerosene, wood, and coal using basic stoves and to a lesser extent by secondhand smoke generated by tobacco smoking by the family members within the household premises.

Individually, we cannot control air pollution. This makes it one of the most common environmental risk factors associated with critical non-communicable diseases.

Air pollution affects pregnant women and kids as well. It causes pneumonia, reduces birth weight, lung growth, aggravates asthma, and adversely affects brain development in children.
Our skin plays the role of the barrier protecting the body from harmful things in the outside world is disturbed by air pollutants depending on the nature of the pollutant. People exposed to air pollution are found to be most prone to developing skin diseases.

Air pollution increases the chances of contracting skin diseases by as high as 52%. This typically happens when there is abnormal exposure to air pollution that exceeds the skin’s defensive potential. Acne vulgaris, Skin cancer, Contact Dermatitis Actinic Keratosis, and Psoriasis are common skin diseases that may be triggered by air pollution and other risk factors.

Air quality has an impact on the health of our lungs and the entire respiratory system too. People exposed to outside air pollution are 28% more susceptible to respiratory diseases while those subjected to indoor pollution are 17% more susceptible to such a disease. Air pollution at work, indoor air pollution, and air pollution on the road can make an individual prone to respiratory diseases.

The chances of developing hypertension are connected with air pollution. Air pollution accounts for increasing the chances of developing hypertension by 19%. This is due to the presence of other substances such as pollutants in the air besides oxygen.

With 12% of the relative risk percentage, air pollution is known to trigger diabetes in a significant manner among vulnerable populations. Air pollutants typically enter the bloodstream and react with tissues and organs. This disrupts the body and among other things, alters insulin sensitivity, and production. Such cases have been found mostly in low-income countries like India, China, and Indonesia where there is a lack of clear policies on air pollution.

With growing air pollution, today, we are more prone to developing cancer. It sparks defects in our body’s DNA repair function and altering immune response enhancing the relative risk of developing cancer by 6%. Globally, there are also concerns with airborne carcinogens that may increase the cases of lung cancer.

The awareness about the role of risk factors in the causation of NCDS is relatively poor in our country. This makes it important to generate awareness and amass knowledge about NCDs and mitigation.

Given that we have limited control over environmental risk factors like air pollution, lifestyle changes are essential. It’s equally important for all of us to undergo preventive check-ups for taking necessary precautionary actions and early detection and treatment if conditions of specific NCDs are setting in.

I attended a webinar by ASSOCHAM India on 22nd July during the launch of this survey report.

Illness to Wellness: webinar and Report launch on Rising Burden of Noncommunicable disease in India

I am also writing this as part of my #CauseAchatter journey with Blogchatter promoting the need for Environmental health .It’s never too late to start.

Jungle Garden: Earth Day Gift from me to you

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on April 22, 2021 0

Now if you are a new balcony gardener then having a jungle garden is not what you want.But if you have been gardening for a year or so and have several plants, have you thought of going a step forward?

But what is a jungle garden?

A garden which is allowed to grow naturally with each plant serving a useful purpose.Carefully careless,a green paradise and a productive space too.

If gardens are well organized,jungles are not so.But why would you want a jungle?And why you shouldn’t.

*Spotted an eagle in the mango orchard surrounding our village home*

First I will tell you why you shouldn’t

You don’t want birds visiting
You don’t like butterflies
You hate all sorts of insects and creepy crawlies(this makes being a gardener challenging not impossible.)
You don’t actually like taking care of the garden,you have people who do this (they will run away)
You don’t want plants to cause extra work.

Why would you want your own jungle garden?

With the COVID situation see sawing ,we are seeing hope as well as trouble.This makes having a long term vision essential.

*The kitchen garden produce:A variety of local saag/Amaranthus*

Getting back our Green lungs is important in more ways than one.

You want to have your own green oasis to keep your moods boosted.The probiotics that nature produces are naturally mood boosters.The balcony jungle helps create an ecosystem to not only purify the indoor air,but also improve wellness.

The plants also are happier grouped with their friends. But having a jungle in your balcony could ge troublesome, if not managed well.It needs regular pruning,and taking care of.But the green curtain is well worth it .On my journey to explore creating a balcony jungle my husband decided to restore their ancestral property.

This Pandemic project started in October and with apprehension we got the work done .Luckily in the villages the COVID situation was absent.Mostly because of the isolation and the sparse population.

Whatever the reason we felt lucky and started planning the garden.What to plant and how to plant?

We are starting with a few fruit trees.We planted banana,litchi,guava,jamrul,jamun,peppercorn,Bayleaf,ridged gourds,Indian black berry,bitter Gourd,Okra and many flowers.

A kitchen garden and flowers dotting the courtyard and the hedges.

Through many ups and downs the mango orchard in the family was saved.Thats reason to celebrate in these times,when we are all more or less stuck in location .Travel options are limited and full of stress.Thats when weekend travel to the village puts the smile back on our face and the zing in our steps.

More details later today I am leaving you with a video from the Garden project.

(Affiliate link in the following part of the post.)

Did I tell you this home is right in the middle of a mango orchard and was the inspiration behind Krishna Mishra Mystery What happened at Gour.

Life follows fiction or fiction follows life?I have no idea.Right now life is a Sci-fi movie going back to black and white era. Writing this for Blogchatter A to Z this is probably J!

Leaving you with my indoor balcony garden views and a glimpse of the kitchen garden

Update 2024 World Forestry Day

I don’t yet have a jungle or a mini forest but my village garden and the mango orchard is giving us good times,love and laughter .Sharing videos of the current project.

Growing Bougainvillea

The Mango orchards where we play hide and seek

Magic ?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on February 12, 2021 36

“Magic???Yes I have seen it happen,” whispered Ruhi

Rishi turned to look at her .

“What magic ?There’s no magic in this mango garden.That’s just a toadstool,you are dreaming as usual.”

“I know you saw her ,just know.That’s Sona pari, if you want to know .She has a sister lal pari.I saw them in my dreams.”

Startled Rishi now turned to stare at Ruhi.

The brother and sister had come visiting Indrapur a small village in Malda.It was their summer vacation and exploring the shady mango gardens kept them busy.

Rui was two years younger than him and kept tagging behind him everywhere. Usually that made him irritated.But today….

“Let’s go closer and have a look,”said Rui tugging Rishi’s hand.

They went slowly upto the mango tree at the northern edge of the garden ,with the little yellow toadstool dotting the area around the trunk.

Suddenly the wooden circle on the trunk popped open and out jumped a tiny creature.

Startled Rui and Rishi jumped back.

“Hair as bright as gold and smile as sweet as honey ,that’s me Sona pari” sang the little golden one.

“Dont be afraid Rui and Rishi.I just want to be friends.”

Rui was smiling and Rishi was staring rather rudely with his mouth open!

Rui stepped forward .

“Hi Sona pari how do you know our names and are you really a fairy ?Why did you hide last time?I so wanted to play with you.”

Sona Pari’s tinkling laughter took Rishi out of his stupor .

“Oh there are many naughty children who want to tear my hair or put me in a tin.So I follow kids around till I am sure they are nice and kind,”said Sona pari smilling.

Sona pari fairy doodle — *Sona pari:Illustration by Anuprita Misra*

“Come into my home ,I have some mango cookies and mango ice cream for you .I just made the ice cream and they are perfect on hot summer days.”

Who says no to ice cream right?

“I am ready, smiled Rui and Rishi.But we are too big,how do we go inside?”

As soon as she said this they saw they were inside a wooden cylindrical room.

It was the tree trunk.

*Inside the mango tree:by Dr.Amrita Basu*

“Your wishes are magical. Make them with care,”twinkled Sona pari.

Just then the room started shaking and a deafening noise could be heard.

“What’s that cried Rui?”

Sona Paris was crying now.

“Oh that horrible brother, he is back.

Thats the man who wants to sell this garden .

He doesn’t care for plants and trees.

The other brother is trying to stop him .But soon our home will be broken and we will have to leave Indrapur.This is why people see so few fairies nowadays.”

“Oh how can we help?”Asked Rui

Hmm ,you could help,said Sona pari.

“Don’t ou have a blog Rishi?Maybe you could write to the Government about trees being in danger .Nature keeps man alive.I wonder why humans keep forgetting that part.It’s magical that plants can make food and oxygen from carbon dioxide. That’s magic.We have all seen it .”

“I think I can do even better.Mom has a YouTube channel maybe she could help,”said Rishi

That was how two children and social media saved the Indrapur mango gardens.

Do you know of trees who need saving?

Let me know at dramrita@healthwealthbridge.com maybe we could do something. Together.

This post is written for StorytellersBlogHop FEB 2021 by Ujjwal ( https://mywordsmywisdom.com/short-story-about-happiness/ ) & MeenalSonal ( https://www.auraofthoughts.com/2020/12/story-of-misplaced-gifts-by-santa-claus.html )’.

EASY Plants for your Balcony Garden (Tested)

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on February 4, 2021 0

EASY Plants for your Balcony Garden (Tested)

How to create a secret garden at Home using the Miyawaki method?

By Dr.Amrita Basu(MBBS,MS) on August 16, 2020 0

How do you create your secret garden? How do you create a green corner even in a rental?

Growing up, we had a backyard. Our apartment was right in the middle of South Kolkata, and we were blessed to have a little place to roam free. The problem was waterlogging. This made having a proper garden difficult. The backyard was also entirely cement bound. But we had a big Jackfruit tree, which was so tall that I was sure that the Faraway tree must have been a distant cousin.

Featured post

How is the Health of the Nation: The report is an eye-opener!

The tree and its golden spiky fruits are part of many childhood memories. But I digress. This post is to give you some ideas to create your own secret garden or mini jungle. wherever you live.

Did you know just like humans plants like socializing? They like being close to companion plants. Do you know when planted together they enhance each other’s growth? This is the basis of co-planting. It’s also one aspect of the Miyawaki method. Not planting similar plants together and finding plants that will grow in that region. Green plants give oxygen, even when they don’t give colorful flowers or delicious fruits .they improve your overall wellness in multiple ways.

Read this: Effect of Gardening on wellness

The secret garden view

For example, Cucumbers don’t grow well with aromatic plants. Potatoes need to far away from other plants. Cucumbers, cilantro, and tomatoes don’t grow well together.

Cucumbers and lettuce grow well together.Beans and carrots too.

It’s mostly the veggies that can cause a lot of problems when planted together.
So in 2013, when we moved into this rental on the first floor of an apartment, t three little balcony on three sides were a pleasure. But they were empty, and the view everywhere was forlorn. It was a nice neighborhood, but I like looking at the greenery and that as missing on the streets.

Thats, when I read the book, Love the home you have by Melissa Michaels .that was quickly my stepping stone to finding harmony and grace even living in a rental.
So what was my goal? What did I do?

First up
I talked to the local nursery owner. He guided me about the plants that were shade-loving,indoor-outdoor, and those who needed full sunlight.
This helped me choose better.
I bought Bougainvillea, red, magenta, Tacoma yellow and orange, and alamunda yellow and Tagar(Crape Jasmine). Musanada, Mandevilla, rose are also part of the flower banquet. These flowering plants are not sensitive, can grow in hot dry or hot humid conditions. Where I live that happens alternately. They are also perennials. So you can watch them grow and flower year after year.

Tulsi(Holi Basil), Areca palm, Chinese Banyan, Variegated plants, Mother in laws tongue(Sansevieria) are for the green cover. I also have a Chikoo tree which fruits every year, and the monkeys eat the fruits before I can. But it gives me the satisfaction of having a fruit tree on my balcony.
Over the years, I have added Pumpkin creepers, a baby mango, green chilies, and lemons in various stages.

The chikoo tree trunk and the mini forest there

In the Lockdown, the green pumpkin shoots were in my collection for the bowl of green mixed veggies.
That was the plants.

What about potting medium and nutrition?

Then you need cocopeat, potting soil: bone meal, blood meal according to the soil your region has.It would help if you also had trays to protect the floors and the rails in your rental or home.

propagating the mother in -laws tongue — Propagating the mother in -laws tongue:The how to will be in another post

After that, you need to get going with the hard work and let then grow.
Remember to be easy on yourself, and the plants .you need them to have air circulation, sunlight, water, company, and conversation.
Always group your plants, That way they grow better .Group sun-loving plants close to the sunniest part of the balcony and shade-loving ones next to them.

How the sun falls on your balcony in different parts of the day is essential. But plants according to the sunlight you receive. They may not always be flowering, but they will make your indoor air oxygen-enriched air. The lowered indoor air pollutant levels and their shiny green, happy leaves will improve your wellness quotient.

The Miyawaki method of reforestation talks about growing native plants. Thats true for indoor secrets gardens and mini jungles too. Thats why it’s essential that while starting, you don’t start with the exotic plants, orchids, expensive high maintenance plants.
For me, Areca palms have always been high maintenance.

Bougainvillea and Ticoma are actually full-sized trees. But they are hardy plants and grow wonderfully well. I have them on both my south-facing and east facing balcony. The balconies get sunlight only one face, .so the branches all grow outwards, creating a green canopy. It’s visually calming.

What kind of pots should you start with?

For this, I suggest planting in eco-friendly pottery made of terracotta. You will support local and reduce plastic waste .Especially for growing edibles, I use only terracotta. You can have outer ornamental ceramic, metal planters for the decor element when you bring them into your living spaces.

I also like drinking tea and reading sitting on the balcony. I love spend time staring at the green canopy . It’s very calming.
But before you start on any creepers or crawlers, you will have to check with your landlord.

So how does this help me?

In the Lockdown, I realized one crucial thing. You need green nature to survive. I participated in three blogging challenges and published two books between April 2020 and August 2020. That’s was possible because of my family and my green friends. If you want true wellness, with a healthy lifestyle, you will need nature around to improve the wellness quotient.
We love visiting cafes with garden seating. If you are in Kolkata, you must visit Roasterie in Hindustan Park.

Next Sunday, I will talk about the easy DIY Terrarium I made with my daughter. If you haven’t activated the web notification, please do that. So that you don’t miss it.
By the way, remember I reviewed Pindfresh? I enjoyed the green lettuce fresh while the hydroponic solution lasted.
I have to restock on the hydroponic solution, and during Lockdown, that was a problem. I have thus invested now in another Made in India grow your own garden initiative. I Will share more about that in the months to come once I actually get it.

I even wrote a book about how gardening is in my toolbox for complete wellness. Then a few days back I read this article. It talks about how converting home spaces into a food garden has multiple benefits in COVID times. The health and psychological effect is immense. It also has economic and effects on productivity.

Careful plant selection is crucial.

Whats growing in your garden?Let me know in the comments below.

Environment, Garden, Home health, Lifestyle

Healthwealthbridge Health Wellness Education Wealth

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Children’s Action-Adventure Free Book Plus the visiting Dove

The new Children’s action-adventure book for free Royals of Rajasthan(Adventure series): Ashwin Rashi Mystery

How to WALK, Write & Garden for the Healthy Life you want (Wellness Secrets Series Book 1): Mind Body and Spirit

Featured post

Air-pollution – A non-controllable risk factor for NCDs in India?

Jungle Garden: Earth Day Gift from me to you

Magic ?

EASY Plants for your Balcony Garden (Tested)

How to create a secret garden at Home using the Miyawaki method?

Featured post

What about potting medium and nutrition?

What kind of pots should you start with?

So how does this help me?

Podcasts by Dr.Amrita Basu

Vishakha Talreja

Roshan Radhakrishnan

Environment

The new Children’s action-adventure book for free Royals of Rajasthan(Adventure series): Ashwin Rashi Mystery

Featured post

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Sharing is good Karma!

Featured post

What about potting medium and nutrition?

What kind of pots should you start with?

So how does this help me?

Sharing is good Karma!

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Healthwealthbridge Library

Categories

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Podcast

Testimonials

Vishakha Talreja

Roshan Radhakrishnan

ORS Awareness by WB IAP

Affiliate Disclaimer

Healthwealthbridge Disclaimer

Krishna Mishra and the Mysterious Movie Star(#Book 1) by Dr.Amrita Basu|Full Mystery Audiobook

Follow Us