How to Measure Moisture Content in Rice

How to Measure Moisture Content in Rice

By Fahad A. Khan

Moisture content is basically the weight of water that is contained in the rice or paddy which is expressed in percentage. This is referred to the wet basis that means the total weight of the grain inclusive of water.

Why is it important?

It is extremely important to measure the content of moisture in the rice because of the managing and marketing of paddy and rice. Due to different purposes of rice that depends on different ideal moisture contents makes the testing of accurate moisture content essential. If there are inaccurate measurements of moisture content, it can lead to different serious scenarios:

If the grain is extremely wet in the storage, it will get spoiled.

In case the grain is too solid means very dry, it will result in the weight loss of these grains that means loss in profit.

If paddy is harvested wetter than what is required, it will lead to extra drying cost and also loss in harvesting.

When rice is milled at wrong moisture content, there is lower head rice.

If you dry the paddy too far, it results in extra drying cost along with loss in the quality of the rice.

How to measure the moisture content?

There are two methods of measuring the moisture of content in grain:

Primary Method - It is based on the weight measurements such as infrared moisture balance and oven method

Secondary Method - Electronic instruments are used in this method that makes use of electrical characteristics of grain

When it comes to measuring the moisture content, there are a number of portable grain moisture meters that can be used. Make sure, when you are selecting a meter for this purpose, that it is suitable for the activity that you are going to use it for, such as milling grain or harvesting paddy.

The type of portable moisture meter used in:

Harvesting - Here, to measure MC use a resistance moisture meter that can provide you quick results with small samples only. If you have low MC, you will have more losses from shattering and higher Mc will result in losses from poor grain quality.

Drying - The seeds should be dried below 12% and grains below 14% as improper drying will lead to low see and grain quality. In order to avoid any damage, dry the paddy within 24 hrs after the harvesting.

Storage - In the initial weeks and months, MC percentage should be 14% or less and in 8 to 12 months, it should be 13% or less.

Milling - The standard MC is between 13% and 14%.

Nextech Solutions is an Indian-based Rice Milling Plant Consultant with years of experience in the rice milling industry. They provide services like rice cleaning, rice processing, parboiling, drying, and grading.

Article Source: How to Measure Moisture Content in Rice

Options After Completing Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Options After Completing Bachelor of Arts (BA)

By Rakhi Singh Kaur

Completing a graduation can be termed as a penultimate step of your educational career, at least, regular formal educational career. Students after completing their graduation often get confused as to what exactly are the options going forward, whether they should go out for higher studies, prepare for competitive exams or go for some specialized professional courses. Choices are in plenty, however, the decision is often a difficult one due to the sheer number of opinions suggestions and information we get from various sources regarding different career streams.

More so, when a student has completed his Bachelor in Arts, i.e. such students face this difficulty in a more pronounced way. Their used to be a time when completing your graduation in Arts would have made you eligible for government jobs. However, the times have changed, the competition has intensified, and obviously many new streams and subjects have percolated the academic and the professional fields, which warrant through contemplation on the part of students regarding the career he chooses.

Some search opportunities after Bachelor of Arts have been mentioned below for helping students to make an informed decision:

Note: We will not be giving details about the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in this article because B. Ed. has been made more or less mandatory by almost all the states in India and is now-a-days, a prerequisite for entering into the education sector. So rather than being a career choice, it has become a compulsory preliminary screening platform for entering into a career i.e. education and teaching.

MASTER OF ARTS (MA)

This is the ideal choice for students who intend to go into professional teaching field. You can pursue Master of Arts in your respective stream and then can go in for Doctoral and Post Doctoral programs. There are many government vacancies in terms of teaching in Government colleges and Institutions and further into Semi Government Institutions with good monetary benefits. You can also opt for career in the Communications field by pursuing higher studies in Mass Communication and Journalism.

BACHELOR OF LAWS (LL.B)

This is also one of the options, which is exercised by a majority of the students who have completed their Bachelor of Arts. After completing LL.B you can opt for the career as a lawyer in specific technical streams including being a civil lawyer or being a criminal lawyer. If you opt for the stream of being a commercial lawyer then you can be hired as a Legal Advisor in the Private Sector as well as Government and Semi Government Sector. You can also go for the position of higher repute via becoming a judge after successfully cracking the judicial services exams conducted by the concerned bodies of the State and the Central Government.

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA)

One of the preferred career choices of today's students is MBA, a course that equips students with complex problem solving skills and managerial attributes to climb the ladder of success in the corporate world. After successfully completing your MBA, either you can join the private sector for professional excellence or you can also go for government jobs via appearing in the various exams conducted by Government Institutions who require knowledge of management related aspects.

MBA, if done through a good institution can be a lucrative career in terms of monetary benefits and professional satisfaction. The caveat is to go for institutions, which have established Alumni Network and well connected industry contacts for good placements.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL CAREER CHOICES

Students after completing their Bachelor of Arts irrespective of the specialization stream can go for preparation for various professional exams like in the Banking Sector, Armed Forces, and Paramilitary forces amongst others. When you prepare for entry into the banking sector, you have to crack the exam conducted by IBPS and when you successfully crack the exam, you get entry into the Government Banking Sector as a Probationary Officer.

Nowadays various private sector banks have also started giving importance to the successful cracking of the exam conducted by IBPS for their selection procedure. If you are someone who focuses on physical fitness and want to contribute to the security and well-being of the nation also, then you can go for the exams conducted by armed forces (Army, Air Force, and Naval) for entry into various positions. You can also go for professional studies in Social Work, Fashion Design, & Hotel Management and can make a successful career in these respective arenas.

SHORT TERM COURSES

There are various short-term or diploma courses, which have emerged as good choice for students who have completed their Bachelor of Arts. Such courses equip students with professional, managerial, technical, and complex problem solving skills, to make them fit and eligible for further professional advancement.

In today's rapidly changing times, such courses can provide students with handsome amount of monetary benefits and an option to be a part of the most innovative industries. Students can opt for such short-term professional courses in the fields of animation, video editing, documentary or filmmaking, artificial intelligence etc.

MISCELLANEOUS STREAMS

Bachelor of Arts can be also done with specialization in an area of your choice. When indeed you complete your Bachelor of Arts with a specific technical stream then there are further options available to you in terms of advancing in that very particular stream.

For example, if you have completed your BA with specialization in statistics then you can opt for Post Graduation in Statistics, if you have done your BA with Economics then you can go for Master of Business Economics (MBE) or MA in Economics and if you have then you are BA with psychology as your specialization then you can go for higher studies in the Psychology field and go on to become a professional Counselor in various institutions or the private sector.

The point is that there are many options available when you do your BA with the specialization of your choice.

We will be posting on a regular basis regarding the choices available in terms of such specialized fields, so make sure you regularly visit this page for most updated information. Check more career options after BA here.   https://www.tradejinni.com/

Article Source: Options After Completing Bachelor of Arts (BA)

All About Intermittent Fasting

All About Intermittent Fasting

By Blake Pennock

Intermittent Fasting (IF) refers to dietary eating patterns that involve not eating or severely restricting calories for a prolonged period of time. There are many different subgroups of intermittent fasting each with individual variation in the duration of the fast; some for hours, others for day(s). This has become an extremely popular topic in the science community due to all of the potential benefits on fitness and health that are being discovered.

WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING (IF)?

Fasting, or periods of voluntary abstinence from food has been practiced throughout the world for ages. Intermittent fasting with the goal of improving health relatively new. Intermittent fasting involves restricting intake of food for a set period of time and does not include any changes to the actual foods you are eating. Currently, the most common IF protocols are a daily 16 hour fast and fasting for a whole day, one or two days per week. Intermittent fasting could be considered a natural eating pattern that humans are built to implement and it traces all the way back to our paleolithic hunter-gatherer ancestors. The current model of a planned program of intermittent fasting could potentially help improve many aspects of health from body composition to longevity and aging. Although IF goes against the norms of our culture and common daily routine, the science may be pointing to less meal frequency and more time fasting as the optimal alternative to the normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner model. Here are two common myths that pertain to intermittent fasting.

Myth 1 - You Must Eat 3 Meals Per Day: This "rule" that is common in Western society was not developed based on evidence for improved health, but was adopted as the common pattern for settlers and eventually became the norm. Not only is there a lack of scientific rationale in the 3 meal-a-day model, recent studies may be showing less meals and more fasting to be optimal for human health. One study showed that one meal a day with the same amount of daily calories is better for weight loss and body composition than 3 meals per day. This finding is a basic concept that is extrapolated into intermittent fasting and those choosing to do IF may find it best to only eat 1-2 meals per day.

Myth 2 - You Need Breakfast, It's The Most Important Meal of The Day: Many false claims about the absolute need for a daily breakfast have been made. The most common claims being "breakfast increases your metabolism" and "breakfast decreases food intake later in the day". These claims have been refuted and studied over a 16 week period with results showing that skipping breakfast did not decrease metabolism and it did not increase food intake at lunch and dinner. It is still possible to do intermittent fasting protocols while still eating breakfast, but some people find it easier to eat a late breakfast or skip it altogether and this common myth should not get in the way.

TYPES OF INTERMITTENT FASTING:

Intermittent fasting comes in various forms and each may have a specific set of unique benefits. Each form of intermittent fasting has variations in the fasting-to-eating ratio. The benefits and effectiveness of these different protocols may differ on an individual basis and it is important to determine which one is best for you. Factors that may influence which one to choose include health goals, daily schedule/routine, and current health status. The most common types of IF are alternate day fasting, time-restricted feeding, and modified fasting.

1. ALTERNATE DAY FASTING:

This approach involves alternating days of absolutely no calories (from food or beverage) with days of free feeding and eating whatever you want.

This plan has been shown to help with weight loss, improve blood cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels, and improve markers for inflammation in the blood.

The main downfall with this form of intermittent fasting is that it is the most difficult to stick with because of the reported hunger during fasting days.

2. MODIFIED FASTING - 5:2 DIET

Modified fasting is a protocol with programmed fasting days, but the fasting days do allow for some food intake. Generally 20-25% of normal calories are allowed to be consumed on fasting days; so if you normally consume 2000 calories on regular eating days, you would be allowed 400-500 calories on fasting days. The 5:2 part of this diet refers to the ratio of non-fasting to fasting days. So on this regimen you would eat normally for 5 consecutive days, then fast or restrict calories to 20-25% for 2 consecutive days.

This protocol is great for weight loss, body composition, and may also benefit the regulation of blood sugar, lipids, and inflammation. Studies have shown the 5:2 protocol to be effective for weight loss, improve/lower inflammation markers in the blood (3), and show signs trending improvements in insulin resistance. In animal studies, this modified fasting 5:2 diet resulted in decreased fat, decreased hunger hormones (leptin), and increased levels of a protein responsible for improvements in fat burning and blood sugar regulation (adiponectin).

The modified 5:2 fasting protocol is easy to follow and has a small number of negative side effects which included hunger, low energy, and some irritability when beginning the program. Contrary to this however, studies have also noted improvements such as reduced tension, less anger, less fatigue, improvements in self confidence, and a more positive mood.

3. TIME-RESTRICTED FEEDING:

If you know anyone that has said they are doing intermittent fasting, odds are it is in the form of time-restricted feeding. This is a type of intermittent fasting that is used daily and it involves only consuming calories during a small portion of the day and fasting for the remainder. Daily fasting intervals in time-restricted feeding may range from 12-20 hours, with the most common method being 16/8 (fasting for 16 hours, consuming calories for 8). For this protocol the time of day is not important as long as you are fasting for a consecutive period of time and only eating in your allowed time period. For example, on a 16/8 time-restricted feeding program one person may eat their first meal at 7AM and last meal at 3PM (fast from 3PM-7AM), while another person may eat their first meal at 1PM and last meal at 9PM (fast from 9PM-1PM). This protocol is meant to be performed every day over long periods of time and is very flexible as long as you are staying within the fasting/eating window(s).

Time-Restricted feeding is one of the most easy to follow methods of intermittent fasting. Using this along with your daily work and sleep schedule may help achieve optimal metabolic function. Time-restricted feeding is a great program to follow for weight loss and body composition improvements as well as some other overall health benefits. The few human trials that were conducted noted significant reductions in weight, reductions in fasting blood glucose, and improvements in cholesterol with no changes in perceived tension, depression, anger, fatigue, or confusion. Some other preliminary results from animal studies showed time restricted feeding to protect against obesity, high insulin levels, fatty liver disease, and inflammation.

The easy application and promising results of time-restricted feeding could possibly make it an excellent option for weight loss and chronic disease prevention/management. When implementing this protocol it may be good to begin with a lower fasting-to-eating ratio like 12/12 hours and eventually work your way up to 16/8 hours.

COMMON QUESTION ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING:

Is there any food or beverage I am allowed to consume while intermittent fasting? Unless you are doing the modified fasting 5:2 diet (mentioned above), you should not be eating or drinking anything that contains calories. Water, black coffee, and any foods/beverages that do not contain calories are OK to consume during a fasting period. In fact, adequate water intake is essential during IF and some say that drinking black coffee while fasting helps decrease hunger.

IF YOU JUST WANT THE BENEFITS:

Research on intermittent fasting is in it's infancy but it still has huge potential for weight loss and the treatment of some chronic disease.

To recap, here are the possible benefits of intermittent fasting:

Shown in Human Studies:

1. Weight loss

2. Improve blood lipid markers like cholesterol

3. Reduce inflammation

4. Reduced stress and improved self confidence

5. Improved mood

Shown in Animal Studies:

1. Decreased Body Fat

2. Decreased levels of the hunger hormone leptin

3. Improve insulin levels

4. Protect against obesity, fatty liver disease, and inflammation

5. Longevity

For more about all things health and wellness visit http://www.pennockwellness.com

Article Source: All About Intermittent Fasting

Getting To A Place To Breathe Again

Getting To A Place To Breathe Again

By Ashley Thompson

I grew up in the church, and experienced God move in many ways. It was so much easier to experience God when I was younger, the more I grew up the more difficult it became. The more tainted my spirit became, the harder it was for me to dig to feel Gods presence.

I remember I would go in and out of churches and relationship with God. I could not decide what I wanted. Looking back I was so broken, hurt, low self-esteem and all I wanted was to be was accepted. I begged for acceptance not because my parents didn't give it, but there was something more that I was searching for. When searching for something in a dead place, can be so dangerous. I gravitated to wrong people, I battled court cases, and I lost friends while in such a dead place in my life. I often wonder how my mother felt. To be a ordained minister to work in the gift of prophecy and watch your daughter run with no life. Now that I am a mother of three, I can only imagine the hurt she felt. I wonder where I would be if I didn't have a mother who prayed. I remember long nights I would be out, and my mom would pace the hallway praying for me into I returned.

Through everything I have been through you would imagine it would have been easy to run to God's open arms. Unfortunately it was not, I would run sit at his feet for a moment and run back to my vomit. At moments, I would think when will God walk away from me. How many times can I slap him before he dust his hands from me.

Would it have been that fall night around eleven years ago when a shotgun was pointed at my head. Or maybe the time when the car flipped three times, when I was leaving the club. Regardless of how many times death knocked God sent his angels to protect. Even then, I turned my back and revisited my old vomit.

I am not sure at what point I surrendered. I do remember I started to become numb, numb to feeling, numb to pain. I felt as if I was going through the motion and with every bump, and bruise I felt as if it was deserved.

It all shifted when my mother hosted a women's conference and to be honest I didn't want to be there. With hesitation I drug myself to support. I sat in the back of the church and in the mist of praise and worship that's when my life changed. An actual encounter with God happened. Everyone in that room left and it was me and God. God spoke to me so clearly that day, and I could see him actually purging me. I felt his arms around me and at that moment I realized this is what I been looking for God's loving arms. God has always been there for me but I had to get to a place where I could receive his love. It took me being broken and mentally checked out to see. I was like a vase that was smashed into pieces and I kept trying to hold the pieces together, with using whatever was in sight. When water was poured into it the vase water would ease out and eventually it would destroy the vase again. But when that encounter happened, God took his hands and tweaked every piece and re molded me, re shaped me and placed me back on the potters-wheel. That day when I had a visit from God, it changed my life. That day I begin to live!

Article Source: Getting To A Place To Breathe Again

Exercises and Workouts - Three Workout Musts To Avoid Injury

Exercises and Workouts - Three Workout Musts To Avoid Injury

By Beverleigh H Piepers

Do you exercise even when you are tired from lack of sleep? Do you take your eye off when you need to do a warm-up routine? If so, you could be setting yourself up for a workout injury. Let us face it, injuries suck. If you have ever been struck down with an injury, you know just how frustrating this can be. You are seeing significant progress one minute, and the next minute, you are sidelined wondering what you are going to do to prevent muscle loss.

The great news is, for the most part, injuries can be prevented. You just need to know which steps to take to keep your risk as low as possible.

Here are three things you will want to start doing...

1. Warming Up Properly Before Each Lift. Be sure you are doing a proper warm-up before each lift you do. Many people are aware of doing a warm-up when they first get to the gym, but after that, they figure they are done with warm-ups. Not so.

You should be doing at least one warm-up set before each significant compound lift you do. Do not even think about rushing into any heavier weights as that is an excellent way to land yourself in pain.

2. Taking Regular Deload Weeks. It is also essential after every 4 to 8 weeks of training (depending on your workout intensity and recovery ability) you are taking a deload week. This means backing off your training and lifting about half of the amount you usually lift.

Think of it as a week off, but you still get to go to the gym. By doing a deload rather than an entire break, you will maintain some degree of tension on the muscles and prevent muscle loss while allowing for maximum recovery to occur.

Do not be afraid of time off from doing your regular training and heavy lifting. Time off or taking a deload week is where you continue to make progress.

3. Catch Up On Your Sleep. Finally, do not take your sleep for granted. Many people are under the impression sleep is just to feel energized to do your workouts, but rest also is a time where tissue repair takes place: this includes repairs to your bones, tendons, and ligaments.

If you are skimping on sleep, your risk of injuries will be increased no matter how you slice it. Start getting your eight hours a night.

There you have the main points to know and remember on the must-do's to avoid injury to your body. Are you including these points in your workout program?

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

For nearly 25 years, Beverleigh Piepers has searched for and found a number of secrets to help you build a healthy body. Go to http://DrugFreeType2Diabetes.com to learn about some of those secrets.

The answer isn't in the endless volumes of    available information but in yourself.

Article Source: Exercises and Workouts - Three Workout Musts To Avoid Injury