Sudhir Ahluwalia's Blog, page 9

Lemongrass oil medicinal properties

Lemongrass oil‘s medicinal properties have been widely studied. It contains 65–85 percent citral and myrcene, which have antibacterial and analgesic properties. It also has restorative, digestive, antitussive, antiviral, analgesic, antiemetic,
anticardiopathic, anti-inflammatory (in urinary ducts), diuretic, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, and anti-allergic effects (Negrelle and Gomes, 2007).

Its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antimycobacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antifilarial, antiamoebic, and antimutagenic properties have been studied and validated in animal trials. The plant is also indicated to possess antipyretic, antiseptic,  anticarcinogenic, hypoglycemic, and insecticidal properties. Various active compounds, such as citronel, citronellal, geraniol,
terpenes, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds, have been isolated from C. citratus, which the U.S. FDA has classified as “Generally Recognised as Safe.”

The herb is also a traditional Brazilian medicine believed to help calm the mind and treat muscular spasms, cramps, and fatigue. In Ayurveda, it is used to provide relief in cases of respiratory distress, cough, sore throat, laryngitis, and fever. It is useful in preventing colitis, indigestion, and other gastroenteritis ailments.

According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Cymbopogon (the botanical name of the lemongrass plant), or xiang mao, has acrid and warm properties and is used to treat headaches, abdominal pain, and rheumatic pain.

Learn more about lemongrass in Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient PlantsSimilar Posts:

Are fennel seeds good for ulcers?Do fennel seeds raise blood pressure?Does the Indian costus root (saussurea lappa) contain aristolochic acid which can lead to bladder and kidney cancer?

The post Lemongrass oil medicinal properties appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

What is a holistic approach to digital marketing?

Marketing is all about communicating with your customers. Holistic digital marketing is the means to brand development and achieving strategic business goals.  As the world becomes more and more digital, digital tools are becoming a mode of choice for communication in society. Communication is getting facilitated by digital devices like mobile phones, computers, and tablets.
A host of applications have been developed to help us communicate with each other. Some popular ones that immediately come to my mind are WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tiktok, Reddit, YouTube, and Email. Each of these applications is preferred by people, sometimes interchangeably but often for a purpose.
Digital marketing is most effective when it uses all the tools and devices available to target and communicate with its target audience. The more comprehensive the communication, the more effective it tends to get.
Much of the communication described is done over the internet. Given the volume of messages, the challenge for a digital marketer and the consumer is to find and connect. Finding and communicating are facilitated by search engines like Google, Microsoft Bing, Baidu, Yandex, and others. Digital marketers frequently use SEO (search engine optimization) and search engine marketing (SEM) to explore, discover, and communicate.
Communication effectiveness improves as we deploy all available modes using various tools and techniques. A holistic digital marketing approach effectively communicates your brand message to your customers.

Supporting credentials:

Marketing strategy

Business strategy

Digital marketing Similar Posts:

How useful is Digital marketing over Traditional marketing?Digital marketing low-cost options for the natural product industryWhat is more productive organic or non-organic marketing?

The post What is a holistic approach to digital marketing? appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

Herbs in the Holy Anointing Oil

The Holy Anointing Oil contained pure olive oil and four spices: myrrh, cinnamon, cassia, and calamus. The specific composition in traditional literature related to the Old Testament is as follows: myrrh, 500 shekels (about 1 gallon); cinnamon, 250 shekels; calamus, 250 shekels; cassia, 500 shekels; olive oil, one hin (about 1⅓ gallons). Exodus and other Old Testament verses have used the words “sweet” and “pure” when referring to these spices. Scholars have interpreted sweet to mean fragrant and pure to mean high clarity and quality.

These plants contain gums or resins, which help protect the plant body. The gums and resins exude from the stems, branches, and rhizome (underground stem) when the plant is injured, naturally or artificially. They seal the wound and prevent pathogenic bacteria and fungi entry as they harden.

Myrrh is the aromatic gum or resin that exudes from the stems and branches of more than 150 species in the Commiphora genus of the Burseraceae family (e.g., Commiphora myrrha, Commiphora molmol, Commiphora gileadensis). These species, which are rare today, are distributed across Eastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, and Somalia.

Calamus is interpreted to come from multiple sources. One such is the Acorus calamus plant. It is distributed across many parts of the globe and has many common names: sweet cinnamon, sweet cane, myrtle grass, myrtle flag, and myrtle root. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the plant is native to India, China, Japan, Korea, South-eastern and Central Asia, Mongolia, Russia, and North America. It grows close to streams, lakes, and other water bodies.

Cinnamon is one of the more famous spices from Biblical and pre-Biblical times. It originates from several species, including Cinnamomum zeylanicum syn in the Family Lauraceae. Cinnamomum brumannii, Cinnamomum cassia, and Cinnamomum loureirii, classified as cassias, grow in Indonesia, China, and Vietnam, respectively.

Cinnamon and cassia have similar aromatic properties, but they differ in flavor, eugenol content, and the look and texture of the bark. Cinnamon is milder, with less eugenol and a thinner, light-colored bark. Cinnamon is more expensive compared to cassia.

Read more on Holy Anointing Oil and other Biblical herbs in:

Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to Ancient Plants Similar Posts:

Herbs In The Anointing OilHerbs In The Holy Anointing OilWhere can I get myrrh or frankincense tree to grow?

The post Herbs in the Holy Anointing Oil appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

How do I acquire new customers cost-effectively?

Customers come to a business when they find that you are providing them with a product or service that fits their requirements. A company understands this simple fact, studies the customer requirement, and creates a product that fulfills customer needs. The business offers the customer a product that is reliable and at a competitive price point. The company further ensures that post the sale of the product, it stays in touch with the customer and provides after-sales service to their satisfaction.
What I have described above is a simplified version of a business strategy. It is the foundation of customer acquisition. It is an outcome of studying, analyzing, testing, and implementing a product or service.
A product or service is offered using a delivery model, also called the business model. A business should select, test, and implement a business model before finalizing. Business models can be digital, traditional, or a mix of the two.
The next stage of customer acquisition is marketing the product or service. Based on my experience working on enterprises’ business growth, the most marketing effort is unpaid. It is directed towards making your target market segment aware of your existence, the product or service you offer, where and how you offer it and communicating your brand value and culture. Customers buy from an enterprise with compatible values, culture, and ethics.
Finally, the enterprise uses paid marketing channels and methods to reach customers. The channel choice, digital or otherwise, is aimed at moving a customer down the marketing funnel that starts from product awareness to consideration and finally to purchasing the product. Customers are happy with the product and get the required post-sale attention and service to stick with the brand.
To summarize, customer acquisition is a process. A major part of this process is unpaid. Cost-effective customer acquisition requires a sound business strategy, a business model, and an appropriate marketing model.

Supporting certification:

Business strategy

Business model innovation

Marketing strategy

Digital Marketing Similar Posts:

What is the best way for a new startup to acquire customers?Author and business consultant: How do I enhance brand credibility of my enterprise?How can you enhance your restaurant’s marketing strategy?

The post How do I acquire new customers cost-effectively? appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

Aerva spp medicinal plant

The ethanol extract of the roots of Aerva persica (Burm f) Merrill (Amaranthaceae) was investigated to determine its antiulcer and in vivo antioxidant activities in albino Wistar rats. The spp was observed to reduce (100%) ethanol- and pylorus ligation-induced hemorrhagic necrosis in rats. The plant appears to have anti-ulcer potential. (Vasudeva, N et al., 2012).

More studies will be required to validate this potential. The Aerva genus contains 29 species. Most plants are seen to possess medicinal properties. These plants are being studied for their antioxidant and other properties. The plants are widely distributed in arid regions of Asia and Northern Australia.

Read medicinal properties, history, and uses of select medicinal plants

 

 Similar Posts:

Medicinal plants with anticancer propertiesIs it true that ginseng is plant with miraculous medicinal properties?Is custard apple rich in antioxidants and can help treat cancer?

The post Aerva spp medicinal plant appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

What are the key factors determining selection of suppliers in large corporations?

I used to work for a very large system integrator. Deals required us to select products from large corporations like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and others. The following factors were taken into account when determining the product supplier:

Price per licenseTechnical support and trainingSuitability of the product for the overall solution

The SI team would review a product for its suitability. Once the suitability was established, management teams would negotiate pricing and lifetime support costs.

Let me share with you another example from my experience as a business consultant. We were developing a global sourcing model for a multinational food corporation. Suppliers from different parts of the world were visited, and the products they proposed to offer were examined for quality, cost, support, delivery time, delivery quantity, supply chain from farm to port, packaging, and taxes were all considered. We analyzed data from competing suppliers from different parts of the world and then made recommendations. Existing suppliers’ costs and quality were compared with new suppliers, and the best commercial deal was selected.

To summarize, the factors governing the selection of suppliers were the same irrespective of the sector. These were total lifetime cost, quality, taxes, and track record of providing uninterrupted supply throughout the requirement period.

Supporting certification:

Business strategy Similar Posts:

What are the best cost cutting ways for a business?I want to start a vegetarian food business in Bangalore; how do I go about making it a success?What are the main reason behind unsuccessful companies?

The post What are the key factors determining selection of suppliers in large corporations? appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

Can the world achieve its climate change goals without China’s support?

China is the leading consumer of energy in the world. According to IEA published data for 2019, its

Total Energy production was 113,848 TJ (Terajoules)Total primary energy supply 3389.3 MTOE (Million tonnes of oil equivalent)Electricity consumption TWh 7154Total CO2 emission M.T. of CO2 98765

Contrast this with the other large economy of the world USA data:

Total Energy production 90,316 TJ (Terajoules)Total primary energy supply 2034 MTOE (Million tonnes of oil equivalent)Electricity consumption TWh 4056Total CO2 emission M.T. of CO2 4286

The total energy production, electricity consumption, and Carbon dioxide emission of China far exceed that of the U.S.

To achieve the peak target in CO2 emissions before 2030, China is working to raise the share of renewables sevenfold between 2020 and 2060. It estimates that by 2060 renewables will account for 80 percent of the power produced. The primary energy source will be solar by around 2045.

The world cannot achieve its climate goals without the participation and support of China.

Supporting certifications:

Climate change: Financial Risks and Opportunities

Business strategy Similar Posts:

How will sustainable practices slow down the pace of climate change?How do I ensure that my company is sustainable in the long run?Why is it the world’s two largest economies have failed to provide climate leadership?

The post Can the world achieve its climate change goals without China’s support? appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

How will sustainable practices slow down the pace of climate change?

According to U.S. Environment Protection Agency (USEPA), the top greenhouse gas emissions come from the following sectors and activities:
1. Electricity and Heat Production is estimated to produce 25 percent of 2010 global greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions occur from burning coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat. It includes emissions from industrial electricity.
2. Industries in chemical, metallurgical, and mineral transformation processes not associated with energy consumption are responsible for 21 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. This segment excludes energy consumption and emissions from waste management activities.
3. Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land use are responsible for 24 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture includes the cultivation of crops and livestock, and deforestation is responsible for the bulk of emissions. The estimate does not include CO2 removed from the atmosphere by sequestering carbon in biomass, dead organic matter, and oils. These offset approximately 20 percent of emissions from this sector.
4. Transportation is responsible for 14 percent of 2010 GHG emissions. Ninety-five percent of the world’s transportation energy comes from petroleum-based fuels, large gasoline, and diesel.
5. Buildings which include onsite energy generation and burning fuels for heat in buildings or cooking in homes, produce six percent of GHGs
6. Other energy usages not directly associated with electricity or heat production, such as fuel extraction, refining, processing, and transportation, emit ten percent of GHG.
Sustainable practices must be implemented across the entire spectrum of business segments outlined above. The road to slowing climate change for the world will be hard. We are still in the early stages of the global climate change reversal transition.

Supporting certifications:

Climate change: Financial Risks and Opportunities

Business strategy Similar Posts:

How many trees do we need to plant to stop climate change?Will sustainable development lead to economic de-growth?How is sustainability catching on in your country?

The post How will sustainable practices slow down the pace of climate change? appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

Herb use in ancient Egypt

The Greek historian Herodotus (484 BC-425BC) described the mummification processes in Egypt. Jars filled with spices, herbs, and valuables were buried in the tomb with the dead because it was thought that the deceased person should have the best things available for use in the afterlife. Herbs, trees, and spices were among the most valuable commodities of that time. A mural on the temple walls of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut (1458 BC) depicts sacks of frankincense.

Read my book on the use of herbs in the Bible

Holy Herbs; Modern Connections to Ancient Plants Similar Posts:

Are there references to saffron in the Bible?Is there any proof that natural remedies work?Do fennel seeds raise blood pressure?

The post Herb use in ancient Egypt appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.

Greenwashing and its impact on brand image

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022 evaluated the transparency and integrity of 25 multinational companies’ climate pledges. The evaluation focused on four main areas of corporate climate action:

1. Tracking and disclosure of emissions

2. Setting emission reduction targets

3. Reducing own emissions and

4. Taking responsibility for unabated emissions through climate contributions or offsetting.

The 25 companies reported the GHG emission footprint in 2019 to be approximately 2.7 GtCO2e. It is equivalent to roughly 5 percent of global GHG emissions.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor reported that headline pledges made by these companies are often ambiguous. Emission reduction commitments are limited. It was found that “just 3 of the 25 companies – Maersk, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telkom have committed to deep decarbonization of over 90 percent of their full value chain emissions.

The surveyed 25 companies have committed to achieving net-zero status and zero-emission targets by a certain date. The evaluation found that the actual achievement of the 25 companies is less than 20 percent of their 2.7 GtCO2e emission footprint of their respective headline target years. The monitor noted a gap between promises and achievements and pleaded with regulators to develop monitoring mechanisms. They ask for standard-setting initiatives that will help find ways to distinguish and segregate climate leadership from greenwashing.

Given the adverse publicity that companies resorting to greenwashing have received, it is clear that ethics and transparency are critical to brand building.

Supporting certification:

Climate change: Financial Risks and Opportunities

Business strategy Similar Posts:

Why do businesses need to adopt sustainable practices?Why does a company need to set sustainability goals?How is sustainability catching on in your country?

The post Greenwashing and its impact on brand image appeared first on Sudhirahluwalia, Inc.