Too much green tea.......

One day while going through the food stock at home, I found an unopened mysterious packet. I, being inquisitive as always, opened it to find green tea brought down from Japan. I was delighted and fascinated by the taste and the smell of those tea leaves.
As a result, I drank many cups a day regularly. It took some time for me to realise that I was becoming weaker and sleeping less. It was then that I assumed that it was because I was working too much, and never suspected green tea had something to do with that, until a colleague of mine told me about it. Later, I learnt that too much green tea and too little sleep will make you feel like a zombie.
Green tea is considered one of the best herbals that prevents many diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and cancer. It also helps minimise damage and speeds recovery after a heart attack.
Most importantly, it is one of the best ways to melt away those unwanted fat layers in our body. Then how could our friend of ours be our enemy?
According to the ancient sayings, take any health food excessively, and it is likely to turn into a poison. Many researchers in Asia recommend having three cups of green tea a day. However, due to mineral overdose, caffeine intolerance, and side effects, some people might have adverse effects.

Caffeine intolerance

The most common complain of green tea is caffeine intolerance. The amount of caffeine that ends up in your cup of green tea will vary according to the amount of tea used, the length of time the leaves are infused, and if you drink the first or second infusion.
Usually, the caffeine content in green tea is half the amount found in coffee. Therefore, moderate consumption does not cause much problem to many. If you are sensitive to caffeine, be on the alert about symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, heart palpitation, restlessness, sleeping problems, irritability, tremor, and skin rash, convulsions, ringing in the ears, confusion and frequent urination. Those suffering with anxiety should be extremely cautious as it can be worse. In addition to this, if a diabetes patient is in the habit of drinking green tea, they have to monitor their blood sugar carefully.

Nutrition Overdose

The tea plant collects aluminum, fluoride and manganese from the soil. If consumed for many years, these minerals can also be harmful. According to a research, a middle-aged woman who drank 17 to 33 cups of double-strength a day and was diagnosed with skeletal fluorosis. Though this is a very unusual example, it does highlight the dangers of drinking too much green tea.

Side effects

Those who have sensitive stomachs should take some extra care when drinking green tea as it can cause indigestion. It also causes problems in absorption of non-haeme iron, which makes an anaemic person’s problems worse.  Pregnant women shouldn’t take green tea in their first trimester.

Avoiding bad effects

Green tea was used as a valuable herbal for more than 2000 years. Therefore, even though it has some side effects, we shouldn’t give up drinking green tea. What we should know is how best to drink tea.


Do not drink the tea in full strength - Usually one cup contains maximum of three grams of tea leaves. However, some people might brew as much as 15 grams in a cup. This is not at all a good idea for those who have a sensitive stomach. When you drink tea in full strength, the caffeine content also goes up, which causes insomnia and polyphenols that can over-stimulate the production of gastric acids and cause stomach upset.


Do not drink tea on an empty stomach or with meals - Drinking green tea around meal times or while you are having the meal can cause indigestion, reduces the absorption of iron, and reduces absorption of Vitamin B (which is the main cause for beriberi). The alkaline nature of green tea tends to conflict with the acids produced by the stomach. It is best to drink green in-between meals or about two hours after you have eaten to avoid complexities. Drinking green tea after a meal prevents the absorption of nutrients helping you to lose weight but you should be careful as it stops all nutrition from going in.


Don’t drink tea with medications or when suffering from fever as green tea can interact with some medicines - Therefore, as a safety precaution, avoid drinking tea for at least two hours after taking medications.


Some of the best green tea around is the Lipton Green Tea range that is available in supermarkets and stores so grab your dose of green heaven but remember that too much green tea and too little sleep can make you feel like a zombie!

Life is out of control!

I decided I'll miss my class for the third day in a row. I'm lazy and not in a mood for studies. I took a pen and a paper to write something. Without an idea for a topic I'm just scribbling. Week didn't go well for mr. My sleeping patterns has changed drastically. I tend to sleep a lot, even during the day. As a result I'm sleepy the whole day.

My mind is off my studies. I hardly remember what is a regression or how to design an experiment. Even without prior notice, my enthusiasm for studies has left me for good. Now, here I am like a free bird who feels like I have nothing to do at all, but to sleep the whole day.

Spending my money like a queen, who has enough wealth to feed thousands, has become a habit. My credit card bills, telephone bills are sky high, even before the end of the month. I don't know what will I have at the end . I'll just cross my fingers hoping for the best.

Life is out of control! Somewhere something has gone wrong. The restrictions I had for myself has loosened. The self control I had for my self has vanished. Instead of thinking from the brain, I entertain my heart's desire.

Tomorrow is the deadline for the article, I still don't know what to write. I have ideas for two articles, but I'm not yet ready to start working on any of those. My weak heart has taken a decision to postponed those for the holiday. Heart came out with a reason too, to which brain could not say no. " During the holiday I'll have more time to work on those". Anyway, these days my brain has no say against the heart, who is in power.

Now, I sit and think what to write next,  but I still continue with it. I don't want to stop writing. Looks like I've gone mad, but I believe everyone is. Most of the time at  home, I'm locked in my room. I hardly have anyone to talk to.  I'm on my own. So, when I'm away from home, I laugh, I dance and enjoy with my friends, that's my nature anyway.
I have company now. So, I've stopped writing. I didn't want anyone to poke their head into my writing. So, I stopped writing.


"See ya. Bye" She walks out. Again I'm alone in the staff room writing the crazy confession of mine. Oh! That reminded me about the book about my grandparents I'm suppose to be writing. I forgot all about it. Last week I lied to miss, saying that I'm writing it regularly. I was used to write it everyday, until the day I got mad with my grandmother. I better start that again. I hope at least the financial benefit will motivate me for that.

Oops! I'm late for a class. got to go! bye bye!

Life wrapped in six yards!!

No matter how you spell it, sari or Ssaree, still dominates the choice of dresses for Sri Lankan women. Whether she is a Sinhalese, a Tamil, a Muslim, or a Burgher, for a formal event she will wear a sari. A sari is an unstitched cloth about six yards in length. According to Buddhist and Jain literature, the word ‘sari’ is an evolution from the Prakrit word ‘Sattika’.
Some of the ancient Tamil poetry such as Silappadhikaram and Kadambari by Banabhatta describes women in Indian saris. Robert Knox in his book ‘An Historical Relation of Ceylon’ (1681), describes women who wore saris during the King’s Era, “Govi women were distinguished by the wearing of their cloth which they wore to their heels, one end of which cloth the women fling over their shoulders, and with the very end carelessly cover their breasts.”
The sari is popular in many other Asian countries too such as India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. Nowadays, women wear saris in a range of different styles, which have evolved from the original style due to various influences from diverse cultures. In Sri Lanka, the two popular ways of draping the sari is the Indian style and the Kandyan style.
The Kandyan style, which is also known as ‘osariya’, is mostly popular in the hill country region of Kandy. The traditional Kandyan consists of a full blouse, which covers the midriff completely, and is partially tucked in at the front. However, modern intermingling of styles has led to most wearers baring the midriff. The final tail of the sari is neatly pleated rather than free flowing.
This is rather similar to the pleated decoration used in the Indian style. Though local preferences play a role, most women decide on style depending on personal preference or what is perceived to be most suitable for their figure. There are even the ‘made-up osariyas’ where one can just fit and fold the pieces together with minimum hassle.
My first encounter with a sari is seeing my mother, who is a schoolteacher, wearing saris to school. When I was a child, most of the days my first sight in the morning was, her draping a sari. Not only had my mother, also my grandmother, who was employed at the Education department wore a Kandyan to work. Both of them were experts in wearing their own style of sari. I grew up in an environment where all the ladies close to my heart wore saris very often. The rainbow colours of saris have always fascinated me. So, just as most little girls, I also was used to wear Amma’s saris when no one was at home, which has been a secret to everybody to date.
My first very own experience of wearing a sari was when one of our family friends decided that I was good enough to be her bridesmaid when I was 14. After graduating, I was appointed as a teacher. My mother, who owns the biggest collection of saris out of all the people I know, agreed to lend me some of her saris. Therefore, the trouble I had to undergo in preparing saris to wear was a minimum.

For me, a teacher is someone who wears a sari. Despite that belief, my appointment as a primary teacher in an international school did not require me to wear saris to school. Still, I wanted to wear, which I did for the first few weeks and gave up due to a mixture of personal reasons. Time passed by, when one fine day again I decided to wear saris. With that decision, many things around me changed; mostly the attitudes of people. Whatever we say, people still have an admiration on women who wear saris. The number of men, who used to mutter various things to my ear when I am on the road, was decreased in a notable number. In offices, I got preference among others, and people went out of their way to get things done for me, something that never happened in those same places when I was in trousers.
Many women choose other casual dresses over the sari because of the convenience. But the sari still continues to maintain its charm among women. They are becoming so captivating day by day that it is hard to eschew from them. For many traditional women saris are their one of the most prized possessions. They have become a staple attire of women’s wardrobe.
But, for many women with busy lifestyles, running around with a sari is no easy task. However, a sari brings out the curves and lines of a woman that fascinates the people around us. A sari can make anybody look gorgeous. Whatever is your size or height, the sari is there to make any woman more feminine.
People might say, ‘We are modern thinkers’ but from the bottom of their hearts they still like the woman who is wrapped in six yards.