Peep at the treasure of talent inside you

So you think you'll never be able to get to grips with your finances or learn to sing in tune? Don't despair. We used to think that talent, or even genius, was all down to genes - but scientists are discovering that what we were born with isn't as important as we once thought.

Bestselling US author David Shenk, in his book The Genius In All Of Us, maintains that hard graft and keeping your eye on the ball - rather than genetics - lead to achievement. So does that mean we all have the potential to become geniuses like Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton or Leonardo da Vinci?

Well, probably not. They don't just hit targets others miss - they hit targets others can't even see.True geniuses come up with ideas that are groundbreaking, that's what marks them out from the rest of us.

Without Sir Isaac Newton's law of gravity we wouldn't have been able to progress to air or space travel.

Leonardo da Vinci wasn't just a great artist, he was a musician, engineer, sculptor, architect and scientist who was so ahead of his time that he made sketches of helicopters centuries before they were developed.

On the other hand, it DOES mean we can probably achieve far more than we think we can - if we're prepared to put in the time and effort.

Scientists are now finding that our genetic material (DNA) doesn't just stay the way it was when we were born - our experiences have the power to switch the genes we do have on or off.

For example, when it comes to our health, certain genes may make us more prone to lung cancer, but it may take smoking to switch on those genes, triggering the disease.

In the same way, something we do may switch on a gene that allows us to develop a talent we didn't know we had, say for music, art or football.

Take David Beckham, one of the football geniuses of our time. He wasn't born with the ability to play football. He played avidly from a young age and, at the top of his game, he'd still spend hours at a time practising to improve his brilliant free kicks. Who knows how many others among us could have been such great footballers if we'd practised as much? So what separates Becks from the rest of us may be as much determination and single-mindedness as innate talent.

We also used to think that the effects of whatever we've done in life aren't passed on to future generations. Now, increasingly, research indicates that our experiences may alter our DNA, which is then passed on to our children.

So look out for David Beckham's sons doing well on the football pitch in a few years.

Find your inner brilliance

Ban phrases like "I'm no good at..." It'll stop you even trying. If you dismiss things before you've given them a chance, you'll never know how well you can do. It's always possible to improve.

It's good to have a big goal but don't dwell too much on the ground you need to cover to get there - it will make it seem too daunting. Instead break down what you want to achieve into small chunks and take it step by step.

The phrase 'practice makes perfect' is used for good reason - it's true! As a species we would have died out if our ancestors had given up hunting after coming home empty-handed the first time. They often had to go out four or five times before they came back with a mammoth steak.

No matter how much you love an activity, there will be times when you can't be bothered. But you'll get nowhere if you give up too regularly. That's why it's vital to develop self-control. Push yourself when the going gets tough - you can reward yourself afterwards.

Thinking of someone you admire gives you the impetus to keep going. My own heroine was Grace Darling, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper near Bamburgh, Northumberland, where I was brought up. She rowed out into a storm to save people who'd been shipwrecked which, considering the restraints put on women in the 19th century, makes her pretty remarkable.

Help your kids shine

The younger a child is when they learn a skill, the more likely they are to excel in it. So encourage your kids to try activities early on.

The more self-discipline your child has, the more they're able to work hard. There's a famous test for four-year-olds using marshmallows - but you can try it with any treat your child loves.

Tell them they can have either one treat now or two if they can wait for 15 minutes. In a study, the kids who waited scored higher in school assessments when they reached 18 than the instant scoffers.

Don't despair if your child doesn't wait. You can help them develop self-control by not giving in to demands for sweets, TV or anything else immediately. However, it's much more likely to work if you set a good example of self-restraint.

I always told my kids that effort mattered more than results. If kids believe that, not only will they always try their best, they won't be as devastated when they fail.

Don't tell a child they'll never be able to do something. Killing self-belief limits their achievements. Nothing can be accomplished without faith.

Stay Motivated

Motivation comes from the word, movement and means precisely that, “being able to move yourself to where you want.” Most of us know what we have to do to achieve our dreams but we have 101 reasons not to act on our knowledge

Following are some motivational tips that may help you to work towards your goal:

• You can have anything you want in life if you are willing to work for it.
• Other people’s actions are not responsible for your lack of action.
• Anyone can try to make you angry, afraid or depressed but your response to another person’s actions can be controlled by you.
• Decide whether you are in control or are being controlled.
• Viewing life as an endless string of problems to be solved magnifies them. Treat them as little adventures that bring excitement, fulfilment and joy.
• When minor failures occur, shift focus to the big goal and assess the impact of the failure on the whole.
• If you have trouble getting your workday started, choose the task you find most appealing and do it first everyday.
• Do something nice for someone else.
• Avoid comparing yourself to others.
• Don’t give too much credit to other people’s negative opinions about your goals.
• You have to start somewhere and there is no better time than now.
• Find satisfaction in your daily life; don’t wait for your big break to come.
• Make a list of 10 favourite things you like to do. When you do things you like, you are happy and it motivates you to work towards your goal. Do not neglect your personal happiness.
• Ground yourself with solid principles so you don’t get distracted from your goal by trends or fads.
• Be able to readily identify the most common de-motivators like fear of failure, change in priorities, uncertainty, anger, jealousy, fear of the unknown and so on.
• Avoid identifying too heavily with what you currently are; it blocks your progress toward something new.

Natural Summer Shield

It is well known how drinking and splashing water as a shield against temperature changes and many opt to stay cool with frequent showers and drinking plenty of water. There are other simple remedies that can help you stay cool when the weather gets sizzling hot.

Medicinal mint

Guess what the Romans did to protect themselves from the harmful effect of heat? They tucked a spray of mint behind each ear!

Mint is a cooling and soothing remedy for indigestion, biliousness, flatulent colic and diarrhoea caused due to the soaring summer temperatures. Fresh leaf juice of mint mixed with a teaspoonful of limejuice and honey is recommended thrice a day by naturopaths for the aforesaid ailments.

Mint tea is a cool and comforting summer drink. To prepare mint tea:

• Add 10 – 12 mint leaves to a cup of water and let it come to a boil.
• Leave it covered for a couple of minutes.
• Add powdered jaggery as per your requirement.

Mango medicine

Excessive loss of sodium chloride and iron during summer due to excessive sweating can be easily prevented by consuming raw mango with a dash of salt. Eating a couple of unripe mangoes with salt and honey cures summer diarrhoea, dysentery, piles, chronic dyspepsia, indigestion and constipation.

Pineapple power

The most valuable healing factor in pineapple is its similarity to human gastric juices, which makes it an effective remedy for digestive problems, especially in the summer months as it also helps relieve body heat. Drink plenty of pineapple juice throughout the hot weather or freeze undiluted juice in ice cube trays and add to other beverages and juices.

Rice remedy

Thick gruel of rice mixed with a glassful of buttermilk not only makes a nutritious and easy to digest summer food but curative too in cases digestion-related disorders. Rice powder makes an excellent prickly heat powder and helps heal other inflammatory affection of the skin including burns and scalds.

Healing henna

Mehndi or henna flowers are an age-old antidote for headaches caused by the heat of the sun. Headaches are said to be relieved if a plaster made of mehndi flowers and vinegar is applied over the forehead.

The Arabs use henna on hands and feet not just to ornament these parts of the body but also to keep themselves cool and protected from the scorching desert heat. Mehndi soothes and comforts heat-related swollen ankles and scorched feet as well as burns and blisters.

Tamrind tea treatment

Tamrind pulp is cooling and antiseptic. Tamrind tea is considered to be very healing for summer colds and sore throat. To prepare the tea:

• Take a cup of tamrind pulp to one litre of boiling water.
• Cover and leave to infuse for two hours.
• Strain and drink, half a cup at a time, sweetened with a little honey, every four hours.

Simple sun-tan solutions

To remove a sun tan, try applying some lime juice mixed with rose water on the face before going to bed at night. Wash off with cool tap water in the morning. Another traditional solution to counteract sun tan involves mixing olive oil with equal quantity of vinegar and applying the mixture on the affected body parts an hour before bath.

Rose remedy

Rose petals are used to make an excellent cooling summer tonic popularly known as Gulkand. To prepare Gulkand, fresh petals of roses are cleaned and kept in a clean glass jar in layers. In between the layers of the rose petals, a type of sugar called khadishakar, is spread. (sugar quantity being twice the amount of petals). Alternate layers are thus prepared in the jar and left in the sun for fifteen days.

Rose water too can be prepared at home by using fresh rose petals or shade dried and powdered rose petals and some boiling water. Washing the face with rose water particularly after coming from the hot sun is very soothing and refreshing.

Margosa Magic

Summer boils, itching and prickly heat heal rapidly when neem leaves are used in the bathwater. Simply boil a handful of neem leaves in a container and add it to your bathwater. Use this as a last rinse.

Beneficial bilva leaves

These leaves are offered to Lord Shiva. If summer leaves you with an offensive body odour, a paste of these leaves applied all over your body an hour or so before taking your bath will get rid of your embarrassing problem.

Depressed? No anti-depressents, try this

I hate the way we increasingly look for medical solutions to treat normal, tough aspects of life. Even though one in three of us will suffer from mild depression during our lifetimes, I think we need to find ways to overcome the problem without resorting to drugs.

So I'm pleased that a new review of how we use antidepressants reaches similar conclusions, recognising that, while drugs do work well for severe depression, they have "minimal or non-existent" benefits for mild to moderate symptoms. And that's without considering potential side-effects such as foggy headedness, increased anxiety and dependency. I truly believe that, by learning the right self-help methods and making lifestyle changes, we can cope with life's ups and downs without relying on medication.

That said, you should always talk to your GP if you think you're depressed and take his advice on whether you need antidepressants - or whether some of the following alternatives could work for you..
MOOD-BOOSTING CHANGES

Increase vitamin D

Low levels of this vitamin have been linked to depression, so eating eggs and oily fish, and even taking a supplement, could help. When I felt very down after I was seriously ill last year, a girlfriend of mine recommended taking vitamin D and I'm sure it helped to lift my spirits.

Work it out

When I exercise in the morning, I find that the endorphin high (the natural rush of happy brain chemicals) lasts for up to seven hours afterwards, and the rest of the day seems easier and more manageable. Recent studies show that regular exercise is as effective as antidepressants for treating depression - without the negative side-effects.

Reduce your toxic load

Smoking, alcohol and caffeine all interfere with the production of the happy hormone serotonin, as well as your levels of tryptophan, the amino acid needed for serotonin to be produced. So cutting back or avoiding all three as much as possible can help ease your depression.

Eat little and often

This helps keep your blood sugar steady, which can ward off dips in energy and mood. A University of Leicester study found that people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to suffer with depression, which they believe could be due to unstable blood sugar levels.

Ditch junk food

People who regularly eat high-fat foods, processed meals and sugary snacks are two-thirds more likely to suffer from depression than those who choose fruit, vegetables and fish, says research from University College London. So aim for more home-cooked meals over takeaways or ready meals, and get your five-a-day fruit and veg.

THERAPIES TO HELP MILDER FORMS OF DEPRESSION

Watchful waiting

Giving symptoms of depression the time and space to clear up on their own is recommended by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence and is sometimes the simplest solution, but only for patients with mild depression where there is no risk of them harming themselves. If you and your GP choose this approach, make sure you book an appointment to come back in two weeks to review your progress.

Guided self-help

This is a new therapy programme that doctors are trying, in which you work through recommended self-help books with their guidance. Studies show that it can work for people who have mild depression. I'm all in favour of this approach as it can help to equip people long-term with the tools they need to manage mood dips by themselves, if done properly.

Meeting others

Many people with depression find it helpful to meet others who understand what it's like. It can be a great boost to recovery not only to receive help but also feel you're giving some to others. Sitting and talking is not the only thing that happens at meetings - many groups invite speakers and organise social events.

Talking it out

Counselling usually consists of six to 12 sessions, talking in confidence to a counsellor about how you feel about yourself and your situation. Their role is to listen, support you and offer practical advice. And your GP can refer you.

Retraining your brain

Latest guidelines state that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) should be the first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression, followed by drugs only if it's unsuccessful. I agree. During CBT patients are taught to break habitual negative ways of seeing things and to think more positively.

Going green

I've always found a sense of calm when I'm gardening. Planting a seed and watching it grow is life-affirming. Last year a study found that pottering in the garden really did lift mood, with some depressed patients saying its effects were as strong as the sense of calm provided by anti-depressants. 
Some forward-thinking GPs refer patients to gardening projects. Ask, or get growing - even if it's just a window box.

Having a good giggle

We know that laughing relaxes the body and releases mood-boosting endorphins into the blood stream, and now this positive effect is being channeled into a type of depression therapy.

A laughter therapist's aim is to help you laugh more easily - something we find harder as we get older. Therapy is available in group or individual sessions. 

Learning to meditate

Research earlier this year found that a treatment based on Buddhist meditation was "as good as or better than" antidepressants in preventing a relapse of depression. Studies also show that areas of the brain linked to controlling emotion are bigger in those who have meditated regularly for five years.

Meditation means learning to clear your mind of all troubling thoughts. Look for local classes or buy a book.

Exam Times: Eat Smart

When you are studying for your final exams, eating nutritious food always takes a back seat. Students feel it is easier to either have some junk food or skip a meal altogether as stuffing too much food can make you feel sleepy. But eating healthy should be a part of your study plan as it will help you better your scores. Here is a food guide that would keep you energised and help you crack the exams well.

Eating smart food
Meeting your daily vitamin and mineral requirement will prepare your body for better scores. Iron and Vitamin B are very important to maintain your physical and mental energy that is essential to score better. Foods high in iron like spinach, beans, fish, soya bean, kidney beans, eggs and dry fruits should be on your dinner table.

Treat on fruits
Having a good amount of real food that is rich in Vitamin C, beta carotene, fibre and other minerals are a must. Oranges, apples, bananas and carrots are good bets. And remember to opt for the real fruit instead of the packaged juices or canned fruit variety. So make sure that you pick up a whole fruit while going to the library or tuition class for that marathon study session. Komal Verma, a Mumbai-based dietician says, “Having a good amount of fruits like apples, oranges and bananas help since they keep the student active. Oranges and Sweet limes are particularly good as they help you fight stress.”

Cut it short
A heavy meal is a complete no-no when you plan to study hard. Break your meals into five or six small meals so that the small meals regularly supply your body with the nutrients required and keep your blood sugar levels stable. Reetika Mittal, a young mother says that giving kids healthy snacks is beneficial during exams. “I give my children a lot of small yet healthy snacks. This could be a sandwich, idli, fruit salad or milk shakes. This keeps them energetic and charged up throughout the study schedule.” Some other good snack options are muesli, a brown bread sandwich, atta biscuits, gurhana (roasted chana eaten with jaggery) or a cup of yogurt.

Break your fast
Considering your body has been starving for food all night while you were asleep you need to get up, eat well and prepare for the demanding day ahead. Cereal, egg toast, fruit, chilas, poha, steamed idli, dosas and upma are healthy breakfast options. Verma further adds, “Avoid having anything deep fried in the mornings to avoid lethargy to set in. Milk and fresh fruit juices should also be included in the first meal of the day for better results.”

Staying hydrated
Through this busy time staying well hydrated is important. Choose your beverages carefully. Limit caffeine and sugar intake. Ensure you do not have more than 2 cups of coffee. And include ample servings of fruit juice, milk, chaas, lassi, aam panna, fresh lime water and green tea in your diet. They are sure to keep you hydrated and relaxed during this hot summer study schedule.

So go ahead, follow this diet and see yourself score better results.