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                                                 HEALTHY FOOD

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                                                 HEALTHY FOOD

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It’s easy to get confused about which foods are healthy and which are not.
We need to understand what is meant by Healthy food .

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Check out the video by National Council on aging and try to understand what you mean by making healthy food choice.

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TASK - Watch this video and discuss in 250 - 300 words about the risk associated with organic food.

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Check out these organic food stores in poznan!

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Check out these organic food stores in poznan!

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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TASK - Take the test below comprises of quiz and long question to find out your understanding about healthy food.

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TASK - Take the test below comprises of quiz and long question to find out your understanding about healthy food.

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                                                HEALTHY BODY

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                                                HEALTHY BODY

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Read the presentation.

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Want to go for a walk in Poznań? Check this out.

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Want to go for a walk in Poznań? Check this out.

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Trudno zachować w tej materii obiektywizm. W szczególności, że patriotyzm - już nawet nie lokalny, co osiedlowy, podpowiada, aby wybrać miejsce najbliższe sercu i (oczywiście) miejscu zamieszkania. Przedstawiamy Wam zatem 10 subiektywnie najciekawszych miejsc na spacer w naszym mieście, licząc jednocześnie na Wasze propozycje.
1. Malta
Niedaleko centrum, we wschodniej części miasta, znajdują się ulubione tereny rekreacyjne mieszkańców Poznania. Ich centrum stanowi Jezioro Maltańskie, czyli sztuczny zbiornik wodny powstały w 1952 roku ze spiętrzenia wód rzeki Cybiny. Warte uwagi jest również to, że wzorem śródziemnomorskiego odpowiednika, poznańska Malta stała się miejscem, w którym tradycje i historia pozostają w symbiozie z naturą. Bogate zasoby przyrodnicze, urocze zakątki, rozbudowana baza gastronomiczna oraz profesjonalnie przygotowane do uprawiania rozmaitych dyscyplin sportowych zaplecze techniczne, składają się na niezwykle urozmaiconą i adresowaną do różnych grup mieszkańców oraz turystów ofertę aktywnego wypoczynku i rekreacji. Ta umieszczona w centrum ruchliwej metropolii „wyspa" każdego dnia przyciąga zarówno osoby lubiące aktywnie spędzać czas: rowerzystów, miłośników sportów wodnych, jak i tych, którym potrzeba odrobiny wytchnienia.
2. A po drugiej stronie Malty?
Oddalamy się jeszcze bardziej na wschód. Tam, właściwie po drugiej stronie Malty znajdują się osiedla Antoninek i Kobylepole. Wybierając się tam na spacer, można zapomnieć o tym, że jest się w mieście. To mekka biegaczy, rowerzystów, miłośników nordic walking czy po prostu spacerowiczów. Można tu spotkać także wędkarzy i rozmaite gatunki zwierząt. Przepiękne tereny są idealnym miejscem dla osób ceniących odpoczynek na łonie przyrody. Staw Olszak, przed nim jeszcze trzy: Antoninek, Młyński i Browarny. Wszystkie pełnią funkcję biologicznych oczyszczalni wody rzeki, zanim wpadnie do Malty i wszystkie są malownicze, głównie dzięki wyjątkowo urozmaiconej krajobrazowo dolinie Cybiny.

Budowla pietrząca pomiędzy stawem Antoninek a Młyńskim Stawem facebook.com/poznan.antoninek 3. Park Sołacki
Udajmy się z powrotem w kierunki centrum. Tam w dzielnicy willowej znajduje się jeden z piękniejszych i uwielbianych przez poznaniaków Park Sołacki. Urządzony został w krajobrazowym stylu angielskim, na uwagę zasługuje bogaty i zróżnicowany drzewostan. W parku znajduje się szereg mostków i mostów (w większości drewnianych) oraz wodospad. Przy szeregach alejek spacerowych umiejscowione są stylizowane na początek XX- wiecznych ławeczki oraz latarnie.
Piękny krajobraz nieopodal centrum miasta. 4. Szachty
Trudno odmówić im uroku, chociaż wcześniej tak pięknie nie było. - To był teren całkowicie dziki. Praktycznie żadnych wytyczonych ścieżek, ludzie się tam po prostu bali chodzić, było tam dużo dzikich wysypisk. Tam można było normalnie wjechać samochodem, także wjezdżały ciężarówki z gruzem, ludzie wyrzucali odpady. Czasami też wieczorami dochodziło do pobić, do bójek. Był to obszar niebezpieczny i nieciekawy. Chociaż to był teren Miasta, tak naprawdę Miasto nic z tym nie robiło - wspomina radny miasta Tomasz Wierzbicki, zaangażowany w zagospodarowywanie tego obszaru. Obecnie wiele osób wybiera Szachty na spacer. - Muszę przyznać, że w poprzednich latach tam naprawdę można było siedzieć godzinę, dwie i nikogo nie spotkać. A teraz wszystkie ławki były zajęte, właśnie dużo młodych osób wychodzi i bardzo się cieszę, że np. nie siedzą przed komputerem, tylko wyjdą, posiedzą, jeżdżą na rowerze, na rolkach. Bardzo cieszy takie spędzanie wolnego czasu wśród przyrody - dodaje radny.
facebook.com/szachty Alejki na Szachtach 5. Rusałka
To ważny ośrodek rekreacyjny dla mieszkańców miasta. Odbywają się tam imprezy sportowe różnego szczebla m.in. Grand Prix Poznania w biegach przełajowych czy noworoczne spotkania cyklistów. Ciekawostką jest to, że jezioro było kilkakrotnie wykorzystywane jako plener przez filmowców, np. w filmie „Ogniem i Mieczem" „wcieliło się" w Dniepr.
facebook.com/RusalkaSamaFrajda 6. Park Cytadela
Największy w mieście, jego powierzchnia wynosi ok. 100 ha. W 2008 roku park wraz z innymi częściami miasta został uznany za pomnik historii. Od strony centrum miasta, na Cytadelę prowadzą monumentalne schody. Na ich szczycie znajduje się Pomnik Bohaterów, liczący 23 m. wysokości. Na terenie parku znajdują się trzy alejki: al. Braterstwa Broni, al. Cytadelowców oraz Republik.
zdjęcia z Cytadeli: poznan.pl 7. Stare ZOO
Wstęp na teren ogrodu jest bezpłatny, więc można dowoli korzystać z uroków, jakie oferuje. - Można tu zaczerpnąć świeżego powietrza, miło spędzić czas oraz zapoznać dzieci z różnymi gatunkami zwierząt i przeprowadzić mini lekcję przyrody - opowiada Agnieszka, mama dwójki dzieci. Obecnie na terenie parku dostępne są dwa bezpieczne i nieźle wyposażone place zabaw dla dzieci, dodatkowo jest też karuzela oraz park linowy. O najważniejszym, czyli o obecności zwierząt nie wspominamy.
Plac zabaw, fot. zoo.poznan.pl zabytkowa grota, fot. zoo.poznan.pl 8. Park Dębina
Pisał o nim red. Maciej Szefer w artykule: niedoceniany park Dębina Wspominał, że to park niedoceniany, a tymczasem znajdują się w nim pomniki przyrody, cztery stawy i setki ptaków. Do tego mnogość ryb, bunkier i przestrzeń. A to wszystko, jak zaleca nasz redakcyjny kolega - trzeba poczuć.
fot. poznan.wikia 9. Strzeszyn
Jego południową część zajmują lasy położone w dolinie Bogdanki, Strzeszyn stanowi część golęcińskiego klina zieleni. Ponadto z północnej części tych lasów znajduje się położony nad Jeziorem Strzeszyńskim Strzeszynek, który jest jednocześnie jednym z ośrodków wypoczynkowych Poznania.
Park Edukacji Ekologicznej Strzeszyn 10. Warta
Miasto powróciło nad rzekę, co widać i co zresztą cieszy nie tylko wodniaków. - Wygląda to sympatycznie, wreszcie porządnie i estetycznie. Oczywiśćie w przyszłości, gdy powstanie tam marina, będzie to musiało ulec rozwinięciu. To pierwsze kroki, choć jak słusznie powiedział Bosman Starego Portu, niejako po wielu latach odbudowujemy port od podstaw - przekonuje wiceprezydent Poznania Mariusz Wiśniewski.

Będzie jeszcze piękniej! Wodniakom i ich sympatykom bowiem pomysły się nie kończą!
facebook.com/mariniarze
Drodzy czytelnicy, a jakie są Wasze ulubione miejsca na spacer?

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10 NAJPIĘKNIEJSZYCH MIEJSC NA SPACER W POZNANIU

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Trudno zachować w tej materii obiektywizm. W szczególności, że patriotyzm - już nawet nie lokalny, co osiedlowy, podpowiada, aby wybrać miejsce najbliższe sercu i (oczywiście) miejscu zamieszkania. Przedstawiamy Wam zatem 10 subiektywnie najciekawszych miejsc na spacer w naszym mieście, licząc jednocześnie na Wasze propozycje. 1.

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Interaktywna rowerowa mapa Poznania

Mapa GEOPOZ jest na bieżąco aktualizowana przy współpracy z Zarządem Dróg Miejskich w Poznaniu. Dostępna jest pod adresem: http://sip.geopoz.pl/sip/nmap/mapa/10/rowery

Ustawienie odpowiednich warstw na mapie pozwala sprawdzić:

lokalizacje dróg dla rowerów, ciągów pieszo-rowerowych, chodników z dopuszczonym ruchem rowerów, buspasów z dopuszczonym ruchem rowerowym, ulic z kontrapasami i kontraruchem

turystyczne szlaki rowerowe

strefy ograniczonej prędkości i zamieszkania

parkingi dla rowerów, stacje Poznańskiego Roweru Miejskiego i stacje naprawcze

Rowerowa mapa Poznania 2019 w PDF

Co roku na wiosnę ZDM wydaje specjalną wersję mapy przeznaczoną do druku. Można ją dostać za darmo m.in. w siedzibie ZDM na ul. Wilczak 17 w godzinach pracy (dni powszednie od 7:00 do 15:00).

Rowerowa mapa dostępna jest również w Internecie w formie pliku PDF.
Link do mapy Poznania (5,5 MB) >>
Chociaż powyższa mapka ze względu na czytelność nie uwzględnia ulic z kontraruchem, to można na niej znaleźć inne praktyczne informacje:

jak działa Poznański Rower Miejski;

jakie są atrakcyjne miejsca wypoczynku w Poznaniu (opisy i dodatkowe mapki z powiększeniem);

opis typów infrastruktury rowerowej;

kluczowe przepisy i obowiązki rowerzystów;

podpowiedzi, jak zabezpieczyć rower przed kradzieżą.

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Rowerowa mapa Poznania - Rowerowy Poznań

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Interaktywna rowerowa mapa Poznania Mapa GEOPOZ jest na bieżąco aktualizowana przy współpracy z Zarządem Dróg Miejskich w Poznaniu. Dostępna jest pod adresem: http://sip.geopoz.pl/sip/nmap/mapa/10/rowery Ustawienie odpowiednich warstw na mapie pozwala sprawdzić: lokalizacje dróg dla rowerów, ciągów pieszo-rowerowych, chodników z dopuszczonym ruchem rowerów, buspasów z dopuszczonym ruchem rowerowym, ulic z kontrapasami i kontraruchem turystyczne szlaki rowerowe strefy ...

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Yoga For Complete Beginners - 20 Minute Home Yoga Workout!

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Beginner's Guide: How To Salsa Dance (No Experience Needed)

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Chat about your favourite outdoor activities in Poznań. 

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Chat about your favourite outdoor activities in Poznań. 

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Using padlet create a map of the most interesting places in Poznań which you can visit on a bike.

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                                                HEALTHY MIND

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                                                HEALTHY MIND

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In a rush to be fit quickly, we forget that good health is not just about absence of disease or fat, but it also involve healthy mental growth and healthy ways of relating to all living beings and nature.
Check out some ways below to keep your mind healthy and active.

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Hobbies keep your mind active.
TASK - Pick a new hobby today and write in maximum 250-300 words what you like most about doing it.

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Ah, the hectic lifestyle that we all lead in the 21st century! It leaves nothing to the imagination simply because we have no time for imagination. We are all busy with our schools, jobs, practices, family chores, etc. Sometimes, we just need to take it down a notch, relax, and let the stress and the pressure of such hectic lives just flow out of our bodies.

However, it is not always possible to simply wind down. No matter how hard you try, you just can't stop thinking about all the obligations that you have. The brain (that stubborn little piece of gray matter that won't work with you sometimes, even though it's supposed to be you) needs some distraction- something that will occupy it and make it forget all about the troubles both ahead and behind. Taking up a hobby is a perfect way to do this. It will give you something fun to do while relieving you of the obligations of the serious stuff in life.

The benefits of having something to do in your free time are numerous from helping you take a break, making you physically active, to producing eustress (which is a "positive" kind of stress that keeps you excited about life).

Of course, you can't just pick any hobby and stick with it. If you don't like it, it will never work. The point is to find something that you like doing. This way a hobby will be a stress-relief. Here are some of my recommendations for something to do in your spare time which are both productive and stress-relieving.

1. Start writing

Every list that I've seen on the internet regarding hobbies does not fail to mention reading books and listening to music as something that you can do for relaxing. Don't get me wrong, these are great hobbies, but you can take it a step further and really engage the creative side of your brain.

If you start writing you will get a window into a completely new world- a world that you shape and where everything is according to your rules. You don't have to be an expert writer. Write whatever you want not caring about a single literary device. There are no rules if it is just a hobby. At the same time, it will give you a way to write down your sorrows and the things that keep you on edge. It can also give you a way to examine and thereby deal with those things, if you are creative enough.

The best thing about this is that it is practically free. All you need are some pieces of paper and a pen (writing on your computer is not as relaxing as you'd think). The feel of actually writing is incomparable to anything else. If you are unsure how to start there are creative writing classes available, most of them for free usually as a part of a larger program.

2. Gardening

My sister and I are two very different people. For example, while I'm writing this, she's in the garden plucking the grass, watering the already grown plants and planting new ones. I could never do something like that (I don't like to get dirty), but I can see the happiness of having a well-nurtured garden in her every move when she's outside. She does not tire from all the digging, bending, plucking and all the other activities connected to this.

When I ask her how this activity relaxes her, she says it's all in the subtle symbolism of the flowers and what feelings it evokes in her. She also says that she can activate both the left and the right side of the brain as nurturing the plants needs analytical skills, while arranging them requires creative thinking. Add to this the fact that it provides regular physical activity and you'll see that she's right - it really can do wonders for your mind and change your life for the better.

Also, did I mention that you can actually provide for your family this way? There is a woman in Italy who manages to provide for a family of five by producing everything on her own, in her garden. The whole family lives on €5 per day (that's €150 per month - for comparison, Italy's minimum wage is €800), but they have everything they need from bread to soap, all homemade and- most of it- from what is grown in the garden. While what she's doing is more than a hobby, it just goes to show how productive gardening can be.

3. DIY

There are some (like my sister) who dislike writing and think that they have no talent for it, and there are others (like me) who dislike gardening because of the dirt, the hard work and the insects. For those who dislike both, there are other options. Are your hands crafty? Have you tried making things on your own?

Doing it yourself does not always mean making things completely from scratch. You don't have to be a carpenter and carve a piece of furniture out of a tree trunk all on your own (although, if you think you can do it, go for it, but take some lessons first). You can choose simpler things which will still give you something to do and think about. For example, you could refurbish what you already have. The idea does not have to be yours. There are plenty of suggestions for DIY things online.

I have found some ideas for hand painted wine glasses and- being an artistic soul- I sat down and re-decorated all my wine glasses. While I was doing it, I was focused on the task and it made me oblivious of all the other problems in life.Whenever I'd drink from them, I'd be delighted that I've managed to create something new and exciting out of something that I've been looking at for years. All it took was a few dollars' worth of acrylic paint and some time to focus on the painting, and that was it.

4. Hiking

When you mention hiking, some people immediately think of a person climbing up a tall mountain with 45-50 pounds of gear strapped to their back, but this is just one way to do it. For the less hardcore out there,( e.g. people like me who can only spare an hour a day for fun physical activities), there are easier trails available. If you have your gear ready to go and live near some good hiking trails, you can hike nearly every day without messing up your hectic daily schedule.

While running or some exercise should be done daily for the sake of your health, they can be monotonous activities. Hiking on the other hand, can take you places you've never been before away from the urban jungle of your city/town and into unspoiled nature.

Wherever in the world there is elevated ground, there are hiking trails available. It can even be something as simple as a long walk up a small hill. What's better, most of these trails are free - all you need is to join a couple of hiking enthusiasts who will take you along. Once you're at the top of that hill, you'll feel free like never before and you'll forget all about the stress that's been gnawing at your mental health.

5. Sewing and knitting

Finally, for those among you who are physically active enough (constantly living on a hectic timetable can be an extremely tiring activity on its own), settling down in a chair and working with your hands only probably sounds like a 5-star-hotel holiday. That's exactly what knitting and sewing bring to the table. Add to that the fact that you can create your own wear and be your own fashion designer - what else does a woman need?

Knitting is something that you don't need to invest much in, although it is a bit more complicated than sewing. You need to buy some down and learn some knitting patterns and you're good to go. However, it takes great skill with your hands to make every pattern as good as it should be.

Sewing, on the other hand, will probably require you to purchase a sewing machine (there are even special sewing machines for beginners), but having a machine will make the work much easier (for those who are a bit clumsy with their hands). Once you've gotten the hang of it, you'll be able to give a proud answer of "Oh, this? I've made this!" when people ask you where you bought that wonderful and unique dress.
In my opinion, hobbies should be somewhat old-fashioned. This will help us stay in touch with nature and take a step back from the ever-more-frenetic world that we live in. Life used to be a lot slower-paced way back when there were less technological marvels around. Adopting some traits from those simpler times will help your brain defragment, improving relaxation and stress-relief, thus helping you cope with all the hardships that everyday life brings.

Featured photo credit: http://unsplash.com/post/93258573139/download-by-s-zolkin via pexels.com

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5 Old School Hobbies that Will Help You Stay Stress-Free

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Ah, the hectic lifestyle that we all lead in the 21st century! It leaves nothing to the imagination simply because we have no time for imagination. We are all busy with our schools, jobs, practices, family chores, etc.

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A great way to escape to a new world.
Here is a list of good motivation and fiction novels enjoy!!

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Do you know that glowing feeling you get after you finish the last couple pages of a really inspirational book?

You know, that sense of wonder, the goosebumps, the moment when your creativity seems to know no limits and you imagine yourself facing all of your challenges - and succeeding.

I think you should have that feeling more often.

Recently, when I was scouring the web for motivational books, none of the lists I found really made me want to pick up one of their books, mostly because:

I knew all the books already,

the books were only for a specific demographic (entrepreneurs, women, etc.), or

they didn't even tell me why the book was going to motivate me in the first place.

What's more, every single list I found was limited to either fiction or non-fiction books only. So I thought: "Why not create one with both?"

To keep it fair and square, I limited myself to include only books I either have read, or am currently reading. This way I make sure I only present you with books I have a solid understanding of, and, which are, to my best, 25 year old knowledge, utterly motivating.

After digging deep (and I mean really deep, I even called my Mum), I've come up with a list of what I believe to be the 31 best motivational books ever written, that'll unleash your inner greatness.

Note: This list is massive. It's more a book of motivational books than a blog post (you're looking at well over 10,000 words). For easier reading and future reference, I've created a PDF of this post that's easy on the eyes. You can download it along with a bonus video, where I reveal my number one picks in both categories,

For every book I've included:

title

author

year of publication

an image of the cover (with a link to the book on Amazon)

number of copies sold

a curious fact

a summary

the best quote from the book

a shareable image with the quote

why it's so motivational

two ways to share the book, depending on whether you've already read it, or not

...and of course a link to read its summary right here on Four Minute Books. For the fiction books I've included Amazon links, since I only read non-fiction for this site.

Note: Don't be surprised to see quite a few children's books and books for teenagers. Since I'm only 25 years old, I still remember a lot of those. Plus, kids are the most motivated human beings on this planet. As adults, we've lost most of that lighthearted, curious, motivational mojo, and these books are a great way to get it back.

Now, without further ado, enjoy what I think are the top 31 motivational books of all time!

The 31 Best Motivational Books Ever Written

To make navigating this post super easy, you can jump right to any book that sparks your interest from the table of contents below. Below the box containing each book, you'll find a "back to top" link to come back up here and pick the next one 🙂

Hidden Bonus:
#31: Secret Bonus Book
Book #20 - The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Book #28 - The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Title: ?

Author: ?

Type: ?

Published in: ?

Number of copies sold: at least 1 🙂

Curious fact: This book motivates you more than any other book in the world, for one simple reason: it's your favorite. Nobody else might know it, it might have sold only 17 copies, or you might even have written it yourself. But none of that matters, because it's your favorite story in the world. Nobody can take that away from you, and whether you read it for the first or 50th time, every time you close it you feel inspired, confident, and ready to work on the goals that matter the most to you.
Best quote from the book:
Summary: I bet your gears are already spinning. "Hm, what is my favorite book?" Here are some indicators to help you figure it out and "sum up" the book.

It's the book you've read at least three times. You know the blurb on the back and the flap text by heart and can somehow find a quote from it to fit any life situation. If there's a movie for this book, you've seen it not only in your own language, but also in English and potentially Korean with English subtitles, just because. You've raved about this book to at least 50 people, some of whom have already gotten annoyed at how obsessed you're with it. You've given this book as a gift at least once, or your copy is all weathered and wrinkled, because you've passed it around so much.

Most importantly, even after years and years, you never feel like a second of time is wasted when you open it again. Like Oscar Wilde said: "If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all."
Why is it such a motivational book?
The answer is simple: because you picked it. The biggest power to motivate you comes from within yourself, and by picking this book as your all time favorite you've bestowed an infinite capacity to motivate you upon it. How we respond to different stories is very subjective. Therefore, there are as many motivating books as there are people, because every book's power to motivate a person is unique to them. Your favorite book speaks more to you than anyone else because of when you read it, how many similarities you discovered between yourself and the hero of the story, what you were going through at the time, how others perceived you while you read it, and so on. Millions of little factors come together in a single experience, the sum of which makes it your favorite book of all time.

What are YOUR favorite motivational books?

You might be asking yourself:

"Wow, that's a lot of books. Which one do I pick up first to not lose time and get the most out of this list?"

No worries, I'll help you 🙂 I put together a BONUS for you (no email required).

It's a quick video, in which I reveal the one book I would read first and why, if I were to go through all of these again - in BOTH categories. PLUS, you'll get a downloadable, easy-to-reference, read-on-your-Kindle PDF of this post - a book of motivational books, so to speak.

After you're done, please take a second and leave a comment below.

Looking at #31, I'd love to know what your favorite motivational book is and why. Who knows, it just might end up on a future version of this list 😉

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The 31 Best Motivational Books Of All Time To Inspire You

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Do you know that glowing feeling you get after you finish the last couple pages of a really inspirational book? You know, that sense of wonder, the goosebumps, the moment when your creativity seems to know no limits and you imagine yourself facing all of your challenges - and succeeding.

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Check out these stores below in the map.

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Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

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There is immense importance of sleep in our life and we are destroying it with new era technologies and because of work pressure.
Check out this video explaining about some important phase of sleep cycle and some benefit of sleep.

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The brain benefits of deep sleep -- and how to get more of it |  Dan Gartenberg

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Check out this video below about how simply you can meditate

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How To Meditate For Beginners (Animated)

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Check out link below for some mind games that you can play in your mobile phones.

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Let's face it: as a species, we're pretty much glued to our phones at this stage in our evolutionary development. Having a tiny machine with all of our species' combined knowledge in the palm of our hand is pretty addictive, after all.

While some people worry that our dependence on this technology is making us weak, others feel that we can use our mental powers for good. Enter the booming field of "brain training," software that purports to engage our neurons and toughen them up to make us even smarter. In many cases, these mental exercises even take the form of addictive games, to make learning fun.

Cell phones are a perfect medium for this stuff - typically sessions are short and can be done anywhere, and don't require any special input devices. If you're going to be staring at your screen, why not do something that could maybe make you smarter? You don't learn anything from Flappy Bird except new ways to combine profanity. Numerous researchers have been exploring the possibility of using "gamification" to make learning and training easier, and the fruits of their labors are all over the App Store.

Check out the slideshow for 10 games that will get that old gray matter pumping and amp up your mental abilities.

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Further Reading

Mobile Game Reviews

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Let's face it: as a species, we're pretty much glued to our phones at this stage in our evolutionary development. Having a tiny machine with all of our species' combined knowledge in the palm of our hand is pretty addictive, after all.

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Talking poses many benefits including you feel more connected and you can share about your problems with your family and friends which make you feel stress-free.
TASK- Talk to your family and friends and try to tell about how you are feeling today and your unpleasant feelings.

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Check out a short video for some more ideas on healthy well-being of mind.
and remember to take breaks between the course :) because its totally okay to take a break .

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How to relax | 8 relaxation tips for your mental health

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                                          HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

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                                          HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

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Saving energy, saving water, sorting waste

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Saving energy, saving water, sorting waste

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Read the presentation

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Do You Know How to "Go Green"?These 10 questions will test how well you understand what it takes to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

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Do You Know How to "Go Green"?These 10 questions will test how well you understand what it takes to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

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Go to this link and try to test yourself.

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These 10 questions will test how well you understand what it takes to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

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So what would a world without plastic looks like ?

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So what would a world without plastic looks like ?

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TASK - Watch this video and write a paragraph of about 300 words in your own words about your imagination of world without plastic.

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What Would A World Without Plastic Look Like?

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You will be surprise to know that we can replace plastic!!
Read the article to find out more

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While plastic has been a good friend to humanity for more than half a century, its single use variety is rapidly becoming an enemy. Plastic straws end up in sea turtles' noses, nets and bags in bellies of whales, and microplastics in soil, water and even our bodies.

Reducing the production and consumption of plastic is the only way forward, so the European Parliament's vote to ban single-use plastics by 2021 is a step in the right direction. But it's not going to be easy to convince 7 billion people around the world to give up the convenience that plastic packaging affords.

So what are the alternatives, with all the best qualities of plastic, but not that one annoying downside - that it's ruining the planet?

PLA - Polylactic acid

PLA is one of the best known biodegradable polymers. It's obtained from renewable sources like corn starch, and products made of PLA can look exactly like those made of PET or PS plastic.

That strong likeness could help popularise it, but as long as traditional plastics from fossil fuels are still around, it might actually be a problem. If a PLA cup is thrown in with plastic recyclables, it can contaminate the recycling process. Single-use PLA items are biodegradable and suited to industrial composting. Italian water brand Sant'Anna produces Bio Bottles made of PLA, which go into the organics bin. That in itself is great news, but the cap on the bottle is made of traditional plastic and should be thrown out separately. That's explained on the company's website, but not on the half litre bottle itself - an example of how clearer information on a label could play a vital role in the recycling process.

The fact that an item is compostable doesn't mean it'll quickly decompose in just any environment. The process depends on temperature and environmental conditions. According to a recent study, for example, PLA immersed in room-temperature water takes over a year to decompose, while other sources claim that, in the ocean, it takes between six to 24 months. While that's a definite improvement on the hundreds of years that traditional plastic takes, you shouldn't be throwing bottles into the sea.

As it's made from plant starch, PLA also has a low carbon footprint - the production of traditional plastic releases around four times more CO2 emissions than PLA. On top of that, PLA needs little farmland to be produced, since it has a very efficient yield. To produce 1 kg of PLA you need 1.6 kg of biomass, whereas the same amount of bio-PET - the polyethylene made out of renewable sources - requires 5 kg.

Mater-Bi

Mater-Bi, a highly versatile material patented by the Italian company Novamont, is on the same wavelength as PLA. Its chemical composition is different, but it's also obtained from corn starch and plant oils, which the company says are grown in Europe and not genetically modified.

Most biodegradable bags around are made of Mater-bi, and, according to Novamont, the biodegradability time of Mater-Bi plastic film is nine months in marine sediment.

Mater-bi single-use biodegradable tableware exists, but hasn't taken off yet because of its relatively high cost. That isn't necessarily a bad thing - we should try to move away from using single-use items on a daily basis anyway, even if they're not terrible for the environment.

Ooho

You may be familiar with videos of Ooho balls - round water capsules you're meant to gobble down in one. A research group at Imperial College London managed to find a way to wrap portions of water into an edible film made out of seaweed. The material is called Notpla, and its creators are keen to highlight its superior qualities compared to other bioplastics, including PLA. First, the brown seaweed it's made out of can grow by up to a metre per day, making it a more efficient source than crops like corn. Notpla also biodegrades in the ground in only four to six weeks, and doesn't require industrial composting to be disposed of.

Nopal juice

The nopal cactus is a ubiquitous plant in Mexico, where a professor of chemical engineering at the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac patented a new biopolymer, made by mixing the juice obtained from the cactus with other elements, like plant wax. The resulting material can be used for edible packaging that biodegrades in the environment in just a few weeks.

According to its inventor, Sandra Pascoe Ortiz, the material is brilliant for many reasons - cacti grow in arid environments and don't take up land that could be used for agriculture, for example. They don't require chemical fertilisers, nor huge amounts of water to thrive.

At the moment, the cactus-polymer is not as durable as plastic, but it's very useful as disposable packaging.

Banana leaves

Polymers are not the only sustainable alternatives to plastic. There are materials we can use that have existed forever - we just need to rethink their purpose. Throughout Asia, the problem of plastic waste is deeply felt, as Western countries have been dumping their trash all over the continent for years. Recently, several Asian countries began terminating contracts with those Western nations, who will now have to start dealing with plastic waste on their own soil.

To avoid at least part of the problem linked to "overpackaging", supermarkets in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Bali have started packaging food in banana leaves. This solution has several advantages - first, banana trees are native and plentiful in the region; second, both the cost and the carbon footprint are radically lower than with traditional modern packaging.

Mushrooms

Though the idea that fungi could be an alternative to plastic isn't new, it's only recently that Meadow Mushrooms, a family business in New Zealand, started trialling packaging made from mushrooms for its mushrooms.

The material is more breathable than traditional packaging, allowing mushrooms to stay fresh for longer and absorb humidity. This type of packaging could potentially be used for other kinds of food, and on a much larger scale.

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Plastic Is Dead. Here's What to Replace It With

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While plastic has been a good friend to humanity for more than half a century, its single use variety is rapidly becoming an enemy. Plastic straws end up in sea turtles' noses, nets and bags in bellies of whales, and microplastics in soil, water and even our bodies.

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Read the presentation

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Read the article about "Zero waste" philosophy. What do you think about it? How would you apply it in your own day to day life? Write a papier, 350 words.

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Read the article about "Zero waste" philosophy. What do you think about it? How would you apply it in your own day to day life? Write a papier, 350 words.

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This story is part of Planet or Plastic?-our multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis. Learn what you can do to reduce your own single-use plastics, and take your pledge. Join a conversation with Kathryn Kellogg on zero waste on Reddit at 2 pm ET May 18.

Imagine 15 grocery bags filled with plastic trash piled up on every single yard of shoreline in the world. That's how much land-based plastic trash ended up in the world's oceans in just one year. The world generates at least 3.5 million tons of plastic and other solid waste a day, 10 times the amount a century ago, according to World Bank researchers. The U.S. is the king of trash, producing a world-leading 250 million tons a year-roughly 4.4 pounds of trash per person per day.

And yet there are a growing number of people-often young millennial women-who are part of a zero-waste movement. Their yearly trash output can be small enough to fit inside an eight-ounce mason jar. These are not wannabe hippies, but people embracing a modern minimalist lifestyle. They say it saves them money and time and enriches their lives.

Kathryn Kellogg is one of those young millennials who has downsized her trash pile-anything that hasn't been composted or recycled-so two years' worth literally fits inside one 16-ounce jar. Meanwhile, the average American produces 1,500 pounds of trash a year. (Learn more about Kellogg in the recent plastic issue of National Geographic magazine.)

"We also saved about $5,000 a year by purchasing fresh food instead of packaged, buying in bulk, and making our own products like cleaners and deodorant," says Kellogg, who lives with her husband in a small house in Vallejo, California.

Kellogg is one of several zero-waste bloggers who share online the details of their efforts, along with practical tips and encouragement, for others looking to embrace a zero-waste lifestyle. In three years, she has gained 300,000 monthly readers on her blog goingzerowaste.com and on Instagram.

"I think many people are ready to cut their waste," says Kellogg. However, she doesn't want people to fixate on trying to stuff all their trash into a jar. Zero-waste is really about trying to minimize your trash and making better choices in your life, she says. "Just do the best you can and buy less."

A Thriving Community

A breast cancer scare in college led Kellogg to start reading labels on personal-care products and finding ways to limit her exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. She found alternatives and started making her own products. Like her own readers, Kellogg learned from others, including New York City's Lauren Singer, who has the very popular Trash is for Tossers blog. Singer started reducing her waste footprint as an environmental studies student in 2012 and has turned zero-waste into a career as a speaker, consultant, and retailer. She has two stores dedicated to making trash-free living easier for everyone.

There's an active zero-waste community online sharing ideas, challenges, and support for those struggling with unhelpful friends and family who think it's weird to worry about trash. "There's a fear of being rejected when you try to do things differently," Kellogg says. "But it's not a radical act to clean up a kitchen spill with a cloth towel instead of a paper towel."

Many of the solutions to cutting waste use practices that were commonplace before the era of plastics and disposable products. Think cloth napkins and handkerchiefs, vinegar and water for cleaning, glass or stainless-steel containers for left-overs, cloth grocery bags. These, and similar old-school solutions, produce no waste and are cheaper in the long run.

Questioning What's Normal

Going zero-waste means questioning what's normal and thinking outside the box, Kellogg says. As one example, she mentions that she loves tortillas but hates making them. But as part of her zero-waste quest, she didn't want to buy packaged ones at the grocery. Eventually, she hit on the solution: buy a bunch of fresh-made ones from her local Mexican restaurant. The restaurant was even happy to put the tortillas in Kellogg's container because it saves them money.

"Many such solutions to waste are insanely simple," she says. "And any step to reduce waste is a step in the right direction."

Cincinnati's Rachel Felous took more than a few steps in January 2017 and cut her waste to one bag for the year. Felous was surprised and delighted with the impact it's had on her life.

"Going zero waste has been great," she says. "I found an amazing community, made new friends, and new opportunities have come my way," says Felous.

Although an environmentally aware nature lover, Felous hadn't really thought about how much waste she produced until she moved. That's when she realized how much stuff she'd accumulated, including a dozen half-used bottles of shampoo and conditioners. Not long after reading an article on zero-waste she vowed to take more responsibility for her own footprint. Felous also documents her struggles, challenges, and successes on Instagram during her quest to slash the trash.

By weight 75 to 80 percent of all household trash is organic matter that can be composted and turned into soil. As an apartment dweller, Felous deals with her organic waste by putting it in the freezer. Once a month, she takes her frozen lump to her parent's house, where a local farmer picks it up to feed animals or for composting. If the organic waste went to a landfill it likely wouldn't compost, because air can't circulate enough there.

Felous, who runs her own web design and photography business out of her home, advises others to approach zero waste with small steps and show themselves kindness. Making a lifestyle change is a journey, it doesn't happen overnight. But it's worth the effort, she says. "I don't know why I didn't start sooner."

A Regular Family

Shawn Williamson started ten years ago. While his neighbors in the suburbs outside of Toronto drag three or four bags of trash to the curb on cold winter nights, Williamson stays warm inside watching hockey on TV. Williamson, his wife, and daughter have taken just six bags of trash to the curb in those 10 years. "We live a very normal life. We've just eliminated waste," he says.

Contrary to what most people think, cutting out waste isn't a lot of work, he adds. "We buy in bulk to cut down on shopping trips, which saves us money and time," Williamson says.

The only unusual thing about their small, 20-year old house is the amount of shelving used to store bulk purchases of rice, flour, dried beans, nuts, toilet paper, and other products-enough to avoid going shopping for a month, he estimates. "It's not cluttered. I still park my car in the garage."

Williamson, a business consultant specializing in sustainability, says his goal is simply to be less wasteful in all aspects of life. "It's a mindset of looking for better ways of doing things. Once I figure it out there's little effort to maintain it," he says.

It helps that his community has a good recycling program for plastics, paper, and metals and he has room in his backyard for two small composters-one for summer and winter-that produce lots of rich earth for his garden. For everything else, he shops carefully to avoid waste and notes that throwing things out costs money: packaging pushes up the cost of the product, and then we pay for disposal of packaging in our taxes, he says.

Buying local makes it easier to buy foods and other products without packaging, from meat to soap. And when there is no choice, he leaves the packaging behind at the checkout counter. Stores can often reuse or recycle it, and leaving it sends a message: many customers don't want their avocados wrapped in plastic.

Even after ten years of slashing waste, new ideas still pop into Williamson's head. And here he means waste in the broader sense-not getting a second car that's parked 95 percent of the day, or shaving in the shower to save time. His advice: take a good look at what you might be wasting in your life. "If you eliminate it, you'll have a happier and more profitable life," he says.

Five Principles of Zero-waste From the Experts*

1. Refuse - refuse to buy things with lots of packaging

2. Reduce - don't buy things you don't really need

3. Reuse - repurpose worn out items, shop for used goods, and purchase reusable products like steel water bottles

4. Compost - up to 80 percent of waste by weight is organic. But this rarely decomposes in landfills

5. Recycle - It still takes some energy and resources to recycle, but it's better than sending stuff to the landfill or allowing it to become litter

*These are listed in order of importance

Editor's note: We corrected the spelling of Kathryn's name from an earlier version of this story.

This story is part of Women of Impact, a National Geographic project centered around women breaking barriers in their fields, changing their communities, and inspiring action. Join the conversation in our Facebook group.

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How Zero-Waste People Make Only a Jar of Trash a Year

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The growing zero-waste community is radically slashing their waste output, while living more fulfilling lives.