7 Healing Herbal Teas

1. Chamomile — Soothes the tummy—and the soul

Chamomile is a relaxing tea that contains oils that relax the smooth muscles in the stomach, it can help with digestion, irritable bowel problems and colitis.

Directions: Use 1 tablespoon of flowers per cup of boiling water. Take for 2 months or more for chronic problems.

2. Lemon Balm — Reduces anxiety and restlessness

Lemon balm is a citrus-fresh tea that will help you feel sleepy and also tames tension, nervousness as well as lifting a mild case of the blues.

Directions: Use 1 tablespoon of leaves per cup of boiling water, and drink as needed.

3. Passionflower — Eases you into restful sleep

Passionflower is recommended for insomnia thanks to the sedating substances found in the flower, vine and leaves.

Directions: Use 1 teaspoon of dried herb per cup of boiling water.

4. Peppermint — Helps banish indigestion

Peppermint contains the digestive aid menthol that eases stubborn indigestion and gas to quell nausea and vomiting

Directions: Use 1 tablespoon of mint leaves per cup of boiling water.

5. Rosemary — Can ward off headaches

Rosemary wards off some stress-induced headaches, it also prevents headaches caused by vasoconstriction, since it helps keep blood vessels dilated, and this fragrant herb also perks up roasts and poultry.

Directions: Use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary per cup of boiling water.

6. Sage — Banishes night sweats

Sage will help you get a good night sleep and relax by reducing night sweats, it also seasons poultry stuffing.

Directions: Use 4 heaping tablespoons of dried sage in 1 cup of boiling water. Cover tightly, and steep for 4 hours or more. Strain, then drink.

7. Thyme — Reduces cough, bronchitis, sinus pressure

Thyme tea is perfect to relax the bronchial spasms caused by the trigger coughing due to colds and similar afflictions.

Directions: Use 2 teaspoons of dried thyme per cup of boiling water, steep for 10 minutes, and drink three times a day.

Disclaimer: All content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be considered to be a specific diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual situation. Use of this website and the information contained herein does not create a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult with your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

This Energy Goal Could Save the US Over a Trillion Dollars

Last December, world leaders made an unprecedented pact to wean their countries off fossil fuels this century. The oil lobby says such a transition would be an economic death sentence. But a new study paints a sharply different picture: Working toward the Paris goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius could save the US over a trillion dollars in the next fifteen years by preventing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths.

That's according to climate researchers at Duke University and NASA, who examined the public health and economic impacts of implementing clean energy policies that would get us toward the Paris goal-a goal, mind you, that's far more ambitious than the one espoused in Obama's Clean Power Plan. 

Indeed, while the Clean Power Plan seeks to cut power plant carbon emissions by a third by 2030, the US needs to reduce its entire carbon footprint by 80 percent by 2050 to keep us on a two degree warming path. Doing so will require dramatic short-term emissions cuts in both energy production and transportation. Opponents argue such cuts would spell an economic disaster.

But while disaster may cometh for oil investors, the public health benefits of meeting the Paris goal haven't been assessed. Simulating scenarios in which transportation emissions are reduced by 75 percent and energy sector emissions by 63 percent over the next fifteen years, the new study finds that aggressive clean-energy policies would greatly reduce regional concentrations of particulate matter and ozone, air pollutants that contribute to a host of respiratory problems. 

Drawing on epidemiological studies, the authors show that the air quality improvements translate into roughly 36,000 fewer premature deaths each year.

Overall, nearly 300,000 premature deaths could be prevented by 2030, if a Paris-minded clean energy transformation began today. Near-term, the national cost savings in the health care system are valued at $250 billion (with a range of $140-1,050 billion) per year. For comparison, the Clean Power Plan, which gets us about halfway toward the Paris goal over the short term, is reckoned to cost between $7 and $9 billion.

"Although costs might increase as reductions deepen," the authors write, "this suggests that at least for the first half of the energy sector emissions reductions the net societal benefits are roughly 20 to 80 times the implementation costs."

This isn't to say an energy transformation will be easy: It won't. Embracing clean energy may be the largest technological and infrastructure project our country has ever tackled, impacting everything from the way our buildings heat and cool to how we cook and shower. 

We won't need to scrap and replace all the buildings, pipes and power lines of the fossil fuel era (at least not immediately), but we will need to change how we manage them. Doing so will take an enormous shift in societal attitudes and political will.

Still, if the life savings and economic benefits are a fraction of what this new report figures, the future envisioned in Paris is a future well worth our effort. [Nature Climate Change]  - gizmodo

Health Benefits Of Ginger Black Tea

A cup of fuming tea during winter days gives you the ultimate pleasure. It is said that tea or coffee are the beverages that contain caffeine. Caffeine is not good for health. 

However, if you have green or black tea, the level of caffeine is very low. Rather, these types of teas are full of antioxidants.

Now, when you add ginger to black tea, you get several additional health benefits associated with it.

So, what are the health benefits of having ginger black tea? Actually, with the low level of caffeine, black tea is good for your blood circulation. 

Besides, it has fluoride that helps to strengthen your bones and teeth. If you eat apples just because they has flavonoids, you can also go for black tea, as it contains this component too. 

Benefits of ginger black tea are the combination of the goodness of black tea and ginger. So, instead of having more and more cups of tea with sugar and milk, you should have black ginger tea whenever you can.

From treating your skin problems to balancing your hormones, the health benefits of ginger black tea are far more than you can think. 

Therefore, to boost up your immunity system and have a healthy body, go through these amazing benefits of ginger black tea and share it with your friends too.

There are 9 benefits of Ginger Black Tea:

1.Relieves Nausea: 

Do you have motion sickness? Then always carry ginger black tea in a flask. Take small sips and it will prevent the vomiting tendency. Pregnant ladies can also have a cup in the morning to get relief from morning sickness.

2.Controls Cholesterol Level: 

This is one of the most important benefits of having ginger black tea. Medical studies have shown that black tea reduces the level of LDL cholesterol up to 7.5%. So, consuming it can reduce the risk of heart diseases

3.Helps In Digestion: 

If you've eaten too much, a cup of ginger black tea can help you not to bloat. This is a quick remedy for indigestion or any kind of a stomach problem.

4.Good For Diabetes: 

By increasing the level of insulin, black tea controls the level of plasma glucose in the blood. Besides, ginger has anti-cancerous properties that prevent the growth of tumour. Obviously, this has to be one of the wonderful health benefits of having ginger black tea.

5.Reduces Inflammation: 

The anti-inflammatory objects in black tea treat heartburn, back pain, joint pain, inflammation, etc. The ginger also has such properties. The combination of these two will be the best remedy for inflamed joints and organs.

6.Cares For Your Kidneys:

Health benefits of ginger black tea also include this one. A recent medical study has shown that people, especially women, who drink black tea with ginger are less prone to having kidney stones than those who don't.

7.Fights Respiratory Trouble: 

Each year, you suffer from congested nose, cough and cold. But not anymore. A cup of hot ginger black tea can clear the air passage and make it easier to breathe. Also, this tea treats allergies that may occur due to pollen or dust.

8.Strong Immunity: 

Consider this among the most important health benefits of having ginger black tea. The antibacterial properties in ginger and black tea fight against the germs and bacteria and also strengthen your immunity system. The antioxidants in both make you stronger to fight diseases.

9.Relieves From Stress: 

A cup of ginger black tea, after a tiring day, boosts up your energy and gives you a relief from the stress of your job. Take the aroma and sip it slowly. It will soothe your senses and prepare you for the next go.

India's first bullet train project: List of fastest trains

                                                Japan will build India's first bullet train

NEW DELHI:  After Japan won the contract to build India's first bullet train that will link the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad, it has been reported that work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train is slated to begin by late 2017 and will be completed in five years.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad stretch will be 508 kilometres long and will run at a speed of 300-350 kilometres per hour. It has also been said that it will also reduce the travel time to only three hours. Bandra-Kurla complex has been chosen for the construction of the railway station.

Now that India too will have a bullet train, let's take this opportunity to know of some of the fastest trains in the world:

Maglev bullet train, Japan

The fastest passenger train in the world can run at a speed of 603 kilometres per hour. It has a previous record of running at 581 kilometres per hour.

TR-09, Germany

TR-09 has been designed for 500 kilometres per hour voyaging speed but for the safety reasons, the train is run at 450 kilometres per hour.

Shanghai Maglev, China

Shanghai Maglev has a maximum operational speed of 430 kilometres per hour and an average speed of 251 kilometres per hour.

Harmony CRH380A, China

This train is designed to operate at the speed of 380 kilometres per hour while in operation and it was tested to run at 480 kilometres per hour.

TGV Reseau, France

TGV Reseau can run up to 380 kilometres per hour but the approved top speed of this train is 320 kilometres per hour.

Siemens Velaro E/AVS 103, Spain

Although the train usually runs at a speed of 350 kilometres per hour, during its test trip, it achieved a whopping speed of about 400 kilometres per hour.

Talgo 350 (T350), Spain

Initially named RENFE AVE Class 10, the Taglo 350 achieved a speed of 365 kilometres per hour during its trial. However, it normally runs at a speed of 350 kilometres per hour.

Your phone can now detect earthquakes

A new app developed by US scientists can turn your smartphone into an earthquake sensor and potentially save lives.

Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley and Deutsche Telekom AG have built an app that uses a smartphone's motion sensor to feel earthquakes. The app, called MyShake, records the time and amplitude of a tremor and sends its data and the phone's location to Berkeley's seismological lab for analysis.

The more people use the app, the better the system will work. The goal is to create a global seismic network - a collective seismograph if you will - that will eventually warn users ahead of time of incoming jolts from far-away quakes.

"For many earthquake-prone developing countries such as Nepal or Peru, MyShake could warn potentially affected persons valuable seconds earlier and, ideally, save lives," Deutsche Telekom said in a statement on Monday. "These countries currently have either only a sparse ground-based seismic network or early warning system, or none at all - but do have millions of smartphone users."

MyShake can be downloaded for free from Google's Play Store, and an iPhone app is planned, Deutsche Telekom said. - khaleejtimes

PM to inaugurate Make in India week tomorrow,big investors to attend

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Make in India Week at the NSCI Auditorium at Worli in central Mumbai, tomorrow.

Over 2,500 international and 8,000 domestic companies will be participating in the week-long multi-sectoral industrial event, which will be attended by foreign government delegations from 68 countries and business teams from 72 nations.

The participants at the event also include foreign heads of government and states, prime ministers of Sweden, Finland and Deputy Premier of Poland, besides other Cabinet ministers.

"We have for long been known as a service-led economy as the sector contributed over 60 per cent of GDP. But this expo will prove to the world our manufacturing prowess," DIPP Secretary Amitabh Kant told a select group of reporters during a media preview here.

The government has pulled out all the stops for the event, which is scheduled for February 13-18, as it has set aside Rs 80 crore for the jamboree.

Modi is expected to interact with the industry captains like Ratan Tata, Cyrus Mistry, Mukesh Ambani, Ajay Piramal, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Anand Mahindra and Gautam Adani.

As many as 17 states, mostly BJP-ruled ones, will be participating in the expo and there will be 52 seminars, which will be attended by top executives of leading firms, both domestic and global.

Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and Punjab will have dedicated state-centric sessions.

"Its for the first time that around 3,000 bilateral meetings -- business to government and business to business -- will be held during these seven days," Kant said.

"Maharashtra has been at the forefront of industrial development and the initiative comes at a very pivotal juncture."

"This one-of- a-kind event will showcase Indias talent to innovate and deliver high-quality investments in real estate, financial services, infrastructure and pharmaceuticals,"  said Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal. 

Make in India Week not just about the rich: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.  India Today

Mahatma Gandhi - a good reminder

When Mahatma Gandhi was studying law at the University College of London, a professor by the name of Peters disliked him intensely and always displayed animosity towards him.  And because Gandhi never lowered his head when addressing him, as he expected, there were always "arguments" and confrontations.

One day Mr Peters was having lunch at the University dining room when Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to him. The professor said, "Mr Gandhi, you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat.  "Gandhi looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly replied, "You do not worry, professor. I'll fly away," and he went and sat at another table.

Peters, red with rage, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions.

Unhappy and frustrated, Mr Peters asked him the following question:  "Mr Gandhi, if you were walking down the street and found a package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?"

Without hesitating, Gandhi responded, "The one with the money, of course."  Mr Peters, smiling sarcastically, said, "I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom."  Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded, "Each one takes what he doesn't have."

Mr Peters, by this time, was fit to be tied. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi's exam sheet the word "idiot" and handed it back to him. 

Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk, trying hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move.  A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, "Mr Peters, you autographed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade."

37 dead, 27 injured as bus plunges into Purna river in Gujarat

                                          Bus plunges into Purna river in Gujarat. (TOI photo)

SURAT: Feb 5, 2016: 37 passengers including many students were dead and more than 27 were injured as the Gujarat State road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) bus in which they were travelling plunged in to Purna river from Khad Supa bridge on Navsari-Bardoli road some 10 km from Navsari town and about 40km from Surat in Navsari district.

The bus was on its way from Navsari to Songadh via Bardoli. Since it was an evening bus, many students were returning home after their schools and colleges from Navsari.

Officials said that the incident took place between 5.30pm and 6.00pm and the bus was carrying about 50-60 passengers on board. Several passengers were grievously injured and are being rushed to different hospitals of Navsari town.

Navsari district collector Remya Mohan who rushed to the spot on hearing the news said, "According to locals incident took place as bus driver driving at full speed tried saving a rider. May be he took a wrong turn and the bus plunged into Purna river breaking the RCC railing."

As there was not much water in the river, the vehicle plunged in the empty river with very high impact.

Initially rescue workers who rushed to the spot had to cut out the top of the bus to bring out injured survivors . As there were no big size cranes available to lift the bus such a step was taken. It was only after the big crane was summoned from Navsari that bus was lifted of the river bed.

Remya Mohan also said, " We have summoned all possible help from all private and government hospitals of Navsari and everybody is cooperating well." She also said that as there are large number of grievously injured people death toll could mount.

Narendra Modi ✔ @narendramodi

Bus accident in Gujarat's Navsari is tragic & deeply upsetting. Condolences to families of the deceased. May the injured recover quickly.

10:22 PM - 5 Feb 2016

  826 826 Retweets   1,702 1,702 likes

According to primary information 10 injured were taken to Mulla hospital, 16 to Navsari civil Hospital, 4 were rushed to Parsi General Hospital and some people were taken to Yashfin hospital too.

Collector Remya Mohan said, "The bodies of all the deceased are kept at four different hospitals namely Parsi General Hospital, New Civil Hospital, Mulla Hospital and at Mulla hospital of Navsari town. Till the relatives of all these people come it will not be possible to identify all the deceased."

Sources also said that number of students belonged to Naran Lala College and Agarwal college of Navsari as their ID cards have been found. However their official confirmation would take place only when their family members come and identify. -  TNN

5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Nepal, Tremors Felt In Bihar: Reports

At least five people have been reportedly injured in the earthquake.

NEW DELHI:  An earthquake measuring 5.2 hit Nepal tonight at 9.50 pm.

Tremors were also felt in adjoining Bihar, bringing back memories of the massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal last year on April 25.

There are no reports yet of damage to life or property.

The US Geological Survey or USGS said on its website that today's earthquake measured 5.2 on the Ritcher Scale and the epicentre was found to be 16 km North-North West of Nepal's capital city Kathmandu.

The capital city and adjoining areas had suffered extensive damage in last year's quake on April 25 that killed nearly 9,000 people, injuring many more and rendering people homeless. - indiatoday

Crane Collapses in New York City, Killing 1

Moment of Fatal NYC Crane Collapse 

New York:  One person died and three others were injured after a construction crane fell in downtown Manhattan this morning.

The crane, which fell around 8:25 a.m., toppled parked cars on Worth Street in the Tribeca neighborhood.

One person was pulled from a crushed vehicle, ABC owned station WABC reported. New York City's Office of Emergency Management said three individuals were injured in the crash, two seriously. A fourth individual was killed. None of the injuries are life threatening.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference this morning that a full police investigation was underway. He said this was the first crane collapse in the city since 2008.

"This is a very sad incident. Thank God it was not worse," the mayor said. "Our hearts go out to the family of the individual who was lost."

De Blasio said the crawler crane collapsed as it was being "lowered into a safe and secure position." The manufacturer of the crane requires that the crane be moved into a "secure position" if winds top more than 20 miles per hour, according to de Blasio. New York City is currently experiencing a winter storm with wind gusts in the 20 mile per hour range. The crane had been inspected as of 6:20 a.m.

The mayor noted that FDNY officers and personnel of utility company Con Ed are sweeping nearby buildings in search of gas links after gas odors were reported in the area. Gas has been temporarily turned off in most buildings in the area as a precaution, de Blasio said.

The force of the collapse also caused a water main break at Worth Street and West Broadway. - abcnews

The Latest: Heavy Snow Likely Won't Hit Iowa During Caucuses

Flagstaff resident Audrey Reichstadt of Flagstaff, Ariz. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016. A storm dropped snow and rain on the region, shuttering schools and making travel difficult. (AP Photo/Josh Biggs)

DENVER — Feb 1, 2016, The Latest on a storm system moving across the West (all times local):

3:10 p.m.

Heavy snow and strong winds from a storm blowing across the West are expected to move into Iowa, but likely not until after voters gather for the state's leadoff presidential caucuses.

Possible blizzard conditions could complicate candidates' plans to leave Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the system was bringing steady snow to the Denver area on Monday, and forecasters warned that the evening commute could be difficult. Up to about a foot of snow could fall along Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region by the time the storm moves out Tuesday.

The system also is bringing snow to parts of Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

It dumped about a foot of snow in southern Utah and on the ski resorts in the mountains east of Salt Lake City.

———

12:40 p.m.

A weather system that unleashed strong winds, snow and heavy rain on California is promising to bring the first big snowstorm of the season to the Denver area before heading across the Plains.

Up to about a foot of snow could fall along Colorado's heavily populated Front Range region by the time the storm moves out Tuesday.

The system also is bringing rain and cool weather to Nevada and snow to parts of Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico.

It's expected to drop snow on Iowa during the caucuses and become heavier soon after people cast their votes.

In California, a driver was killed by a falling tree in San Diego County on Sunday and at least 40 vehicles got into a pileup near Lake Tahoe. - AP

Are we getting closer to understanding where the moon actually came from?

The full moon sets beyond the Rocky Mountains beyond Denver on Sunday. The moon may be the closest object to us in space, but scientists are still struggling to understand how it got there. Charlie Riedel Associated Press  BY DEBORAH NETBURN

The moon may be the closest object to us in space, but scientists are still struggling to understand how it got there. Most planetary researchers think the moon was created as the result of a collision between the Earth and a long-hypothesized protoplanet called Theia about 100 million years after the birth of the solar system.

But whether that impact was a glancing blow or a full, head-on crash is still up for debate.

This week researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles provided new evidence in the journal Science that the collision was head-on, and so powerful that materials from both bodies mixed completely before settling into the Earth-moon system we know today.

To come to that conclusion, the researchers analyzed seven lunar rocks collected by the Apollo 12, 15 and 17 missions, as well as six volcanic rocks that include material from Earth’s mantle. Specifically, they wanted to see if the ratio of oxygen isotopes in lunar rocks was the same as that in the terrestrial rocks.

More than 99.9 percent of Earth’s oxygen is O-16, which means each atom has eight protons and eight neutrons, but there are also small amounts of the heavier isotopes O-17 and O-18 in our planet’s oxygen mix.

“Every rock in the solar system we’ve ever found has a unique fingerprint of oxygen isotopes,” said Edward Young, a geochemist at UCLA and the first author on the study. And yet, his analysis shows that the moon and Earth have the exact same oxygen isotope profile. The only way to explain this finding is if Earth and the moon are made of the exact same material.

And herein lies the challenge.

The easiest way for computer modelers to explain the physics of the Earth-moon system, such as how fast our planet spins on its axis and how fast the moon orbits Earth, is to have Theia giving Earth a glancing blow strong enough for both bodies to become molten. In this scenario, most of the Theia material mixes with the Earth’s, but a small portion of it forms the moon.

If that’s the case, the moon and Earth should have a different chemical fingerprint. Although scientists expect Theia and Earth to have a similar oxygen isotope ratio, they would not expect it to be identical, Young said.

“Even if the proto-Earth and Theia were very similar, they couldn’t possibly be this similar,” he said.

Back in 2012 two groups of scientists presented computer models that show an alternative story of Earth-moon formation. In their simulations, the two bodies collide head-on, allowing for extensive mixing between Earth and Theia. Those models have since been dismissed as “too special,” said Sarah T. Stewart of the University of California, Davis, who was a coauthor on one of those studies.

“The odds of getting one of these perfectly mixing impacts is so low that it is probably not the best solution,” she said.

But Young thinks the team was on the right track. “The collision must have been very energetic for everything to melt together,” he said.

Stewart, who was not involved in the new study, said the work by Young and his colleagues provides the best measurement yet of the oxygen isotope ratio in the two bodies, and provides a challenge to her and her colleagues.

“We have a very big science problem of how did our neighbor form,” she said. “The geochemists have told us the answer, but the physicists have not been able to get us there.” - Los Angeles Times