Health is Wealth – Page 4

21/11/201321/07/2020

Milk- a difficult choice

Milk continues to a part of human diet right from childhood, for adults and well into old age. Yet few years ago we heard of ‘artificial’ milk flooding parts of India. There are reports of dairy owners giving estrogen shots and other ‘special’ feeds to cows and buffaloes to boost milk production. The substances find their way into the milk and from there into our bodies. It is said to be one cause of obesity in children among others.

What then are mothers to do? Is organic milk the answer?

A 2004 study by the University of Aberdeen found that organic milk contained 71% more omega-3 fatty acids than regular ‘non-organic’ milk. Another study by the Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative confirmed that organic milk had 68% more fatty acids. Read more about this news here. Being organic, this milk is free of estrogen and other substances.

Yet organic products are much more expensive than inorganic produce, at times up to 70%. Organic milk is no exception.Quantities available are often limited. Yet there is an increasing trend among urban consumers to buy ‘organic’ milk, as described in this article. Further, some experts say claims of higher nutritional content depend on what comparisons are based on. Here is another article that discusses if organic milk is worth its higher price.

Consider what this price could do to the budget of a home maker struggling with soaring prices and a limited budget yet keen to offer the best to her loved ones. Her position as she makes a choice is not enviable.
What does she do?
What would you do?

11/09/201321/07/2020

Do we let traditional music forms die?

Its a veritable treat to watch them in action but it can
be auditory nightmare for some. Yes , I am referring to the Dhol pathaks that are a standard and now important feature of Ganeshutsav in Pune. Participants- both boys and girls each of whom plays either the dhol or
other percussion instrument they have practised for a couple of months come rain or sun. Dressed in simple attire and they walk the entire distance of the Ganesh immersion procession. They are totally possessed by their drum beats oblivious
to the vibrations of their drums and the high decibel beats that they create.

Yes, these Dhol pathaks are always in the news for the ‘noise pollution’ they create and less for the tradition they represent. The dailies devote almost equal space to articles and photos that ‘glorify’ these pathaks and articles that describe how ‘bad’ the dhol beats are for our ears, for the participants’ ears and indeed for our entire body. According to this article, a typical 28-inch dhol generates sound in the 3-4Hz and tasha in the 3-22Hz range (peaking at 11Hz). This Times of India article (published on 11 Sep 2013 in Pune) quotes audiologist Kalyani Mandke as saying “Long term exposure to these vibrations can affect a person’s circulatory and/or urological systems. The person playing the instrument is at highest risk, but people in its vicinity cannot escape its effects either.” Read it for more details about a study that describes ill effects of vibrations and frequencies on the human body.

Being a health professional, I understand the gravity of the situation. Just under an hour at a dhol practise venue left my ear drums in a protective ‘shut down’ for two hours. Some of the beats actually cause a wierd feeling in the chest (probably due to the vibrations mentioned in the above article).

Does that mean the ‘Dhol tasha’ are to be eliminated all together? Do we let this tradition die?

Dhol

On another note, I would like to know if DJ’s also face similar health hazards? Or technicians who work near aircraft on runways? I have seen them use ear defenders at civilian airports and at military bases where we were posted. And what about people who work with heavy-duty drilling equipment?

Drums Circle is a new trend that is used for team building and stress relief and it has immense therapeutic value as well in differently abled children. Obviously the sound levels there must not be as high as created by the dhols.

Is it possible to use some kind of ear defenders that will afford some amount of protection and allow the dhol to be played in a safer manner? Instead of criticising and rejecting the dhol tasha, should we not try to find a golden mean? Ideas anyone??
Think rationally.
Preserve our heritage and culture and stay healthy!
Cheers!

30/04/201321/07/2020

Zzzz

Almost universally everyone will know these alphabets to indicate sleep. Sleep is a very important part of our lives, its the time when our body recovers energy spent through the waking hours and the brain too gets to carry out and complete certain functions. I guess that is a very simplistic explanation of complex electrical activity in our brain cells that helps our memory. Sleep is the time when certain hormones are released in kids and young adults, it can stimulate creativity, can help reduce stress… This is just the tip of the a long list. ‘

Thus being deprived of sleep can obviously create havoc with our systems. Read this Huff Post article that has a slide show describing the benefits of sleep.

Those of us in stuck in the rat race, need to pause and think. What are we earning for if we cannot get one of the basic human requirements?

I don’t know about others, but I am surely going to catch up on my sleep now and not later.
Good luck!

23/04/201321/07/2020

The Power Nap

Adequate sleep at night or an afternoon nap itself is a priceless luxury for those in the fast lane. In many cases a small duration ‘shut eye’ or the so-called Power Nap can be a huge refresher. Everyone has different indications when the body cries out for a pause and we often ignore them. These symptoms range between moodiness/drooping eyes/ lethargy/ difficulty in decision making or communicating to name just a few.

It works best if one can comfortably lie down in a quiet place. Generally a maximum of 30 minutes of sleep works best to recharge both body and mind. Longer can take a person into deeper sleep stages which can lead to sleeplessness at night. Solution: set the alarm even for a 20-minute nap.

This does not take away the importance of adequate sleep at night. Some experts opine that if a person gets adequate night sleep then there is no reason to feel tired during the day. Others recommend the power nap as a simple mid day relaxation technique.

Either way there is no reason for not grabbing 40 winks provided work efficiency remains high and its not an excuse to shirk work. Listen and understand your body and choose what works best for you.
Cheers!

13/04/201321/07/2020

Loaf cake

To me a cake is not something that is covered in tons of cream but something that can be enjoyed solely for whatever magic the baker can create with the maida (flour). A cake loaf fits these requirements and there are umpteen recipes that are available. Here is my favourite. A chocolate loaf which you can read about in detail here.

A loaf is ideal for picnics, to take on a journey or simply tuck into between mealtimes. No guilt feelings particularly if I don’t stand on the weighing scale thereafter.

Here is the recipe that I have reproduced from the above blog with consent.
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups plain flour
2⁄3 cup Cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp instant coffee
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup soft butter
3 Eggs
1 1/3 cups water – chilled
1 tsp Vanilla essence

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. In a bowl, add the butter and
the sugar, and cream the two together for about 5 minutes until it is
light.
2. To the creamed mixture add the eggs one by one and beat for about 2 minutes. Then add the vanilla essence.
3. Sift into this, the flour, cocoa, coffee, baking powder and baking soda. Combine it gently till you get a smooth batter.
4. Add the chilled water to the batter and mix again. Fold the batter slowly, just till all of the water is incorporated.
5. To a lined loaf (or cake tin), Pour the chocolate cake batter. Bake
for about 20 minutes or until the cake has risen and a cake tester
comes out clean.
Tuck in!

09/04/201321/07/2020

Honey Honey Honey

Honey is well known to offer several health benefits, I need not really go into them all here. For a long time I assumed that all honey was the same. Yet some years ago I found a vendor selling honey of different types… I mean one that was based on different flowers. So there was orange blossom, jambhul, etc.

From experience I know that honey that is derived from Jambhul flowers is especially helpful for dry chronic cough. The irritating cough that often keeps kids awake at nights. I can vouch that this works like magic for adults suffering from dry cough as well. I use Madhusagar Honey

While simply eating a spoon of honey works it is best had as described below. I learnt it from my mother and she from hers.

So here goes…
You will need equal quantities of cardamom and cloves. Hold each with a pair of tongs and let it ‘burn’ on the gas flame. Pound the blackened cardamom and cloves in a mortar and pestle, add a generous quantity of Jambhul Honey and you’re ready to go.

Its a sweet spicy tasty concoction that kids and adults will devour without any complaints!
Try it!

Disclaimer: I have no vested interests in mentioning the above brand of Honey. Its one that I have used and trusted over the years. Any other one will give same benefits!!

02/04/201321/07/2020

Bicycle

I grew up in Mumbai (then called Bombay) and a cycle was
never used to commute to school (as it was in Pune- then called Poona). So to
learn this particular vehicle one had to hire it for five rupees an hour,
ensure the tyres were properly inflated, try to learn your skill in those 60
minutes and then walk back home after you have returned the cycle… A couple of
grazed knees and a dented ego quite effectively and rapidly ended my cycle
learning attempts.

Years later, I realised that my limited efforts had imparted a certain
sense of balance and I actually took up cycling but as an exercise. Erratic
and heavy traffic is a huge deterrent but it’s been thoroughly enjoyable so
far. I am told Spinning is another option to exercising using a static cycle.
It allows the person to simulate going uphill, downhill, he can stand up on the
cycle and even move arms around without fear of being hit by a careless driver
or worrying about being chased by stray dogs. The psychedelic lights and
pulsating music only completes the sensory experience while exercising. Some clubs even offer a simulated program that imitates the Tour de France. Wow!

Its sole
drawback seems to be that that it’s done indoors which is a good thing during the monsoon. I might even give it a try this year…

You can read more about Spinning here and here.

26/06/201221/07/2020

Red rules at Sinhagad

Is this Peepal?

Heart shaped leaves

Asana shoots

Awwww Not agaaaaain…
Is that what I hear on seeing the post title?

But I am sure you will enjoy this post. The majestic Sinhagad offers something new each time one treks up (note: trek up, not drive up)- maybe a self revelation, some new aspect of its geography, changed landscape or as in my case, simply being able to recognise trees.

We climb up the Kondana Fort (aka Sinhagad) almost at any time of the year. The difficulty level soars in the monsoon due to rivulets of water, moss on the rocks, slush etc but some find this enjoyable. The other difference is in the trees growing on its slopes. They are totally bare (most are the deciduous kind) in summer which makes the climb all that more difficult as the rocks become terribly hot. Come monsoon, they burst into full green glory and flower as per their own individual seasons. Thus one gets a different visual treat each time, the backwaters of the Khadakvasla dam forming a steady constant in each.

The Kanda bhaji, Bhakri pithle, Dahi, Taak, Bhajalele Kanees (Bhutta/Corn on the cob) Nimboo pani, fresh fruits like Jambhul, Karvanda, just ripe-local mangoes are heavenly.

Like the last time, I found the fort to be quite clean, free of garbage (in areas that I walked) and people were generally disciplined. The stone track made walking easier and the road going up is under construction presently. The latter part towards Sinhagad is complete but the earlier part of the climb is still full of potholes with rocks and mudslides on the periphery. I did notice some cutely decorated Jeeps (Similar to those seen in some Rajasthan forts) ready to ferry people down.

My single complaint against lack of a proper toilet for ladies.

Last week, it was Red that ruled the climb. Several trees had lovely red shoots all bursting forth anticipating the rain gods to bestow their offering. I have compiled some photographs for you to enjoy and maybe tempt you to climb up as well… Besides red, green and brown were the predominant colours.

Karvanda

Asana

Ficus

Pithocelobium dulcae

Cheers!
Archana

20/06/201121/07/2020

Sinhagad (again)

Sinhagad holds a special place in the hearts of Punekars and I dont mean for its history. If one has not been there, its simply not done. And I do not mean driving up in a vehicle to this hill located at about 25kms from the city. Nah! That’s for non-Punekars! Any self respecting Pune resident will climb up the about 800m (please recheck for precise figure).

Note: its a good idea to double click and view these images…
We had not ‘logged’ a visit for a long time and could finally trek up only recently. The climb up and down was as exhilarating as always. However this time I did find several interesting developments…

For a start the base was swarming with cars with no space to park even at 630AM. This probably is a good sign of people preferring the outdoors… The path that leads up now boasts of solar powered lamps. These must be tremendously useful for several Sinhagad enthusiasts who go up as early at 530AM. You see the true Sinhagad ‘fans’ take the first early morning bus from Swargate, climb up and then come down to the fort- in time to board a bus on its return journey.

As soon as you reach the top the vendors tempt you with dahi, buttermilk, roasted bhutta, nimbu pani, groundnuts, mangoes and cucumbers – all of which I must add are excellent to revive an exhausted trekker! Further ahead one can savour pithla bhakri, bhajee.

Over the years their offerings have remained the same. I cannot say if this a success of desi over FMCG but the cost to transport packaged goods to the peak and then manually carry them to stalls cannot be an attractive proposition for marketers. You see, despite a tarred road going up to the top of Sinhagad, one has to walk all the way inside.

These vendors physically carry their ingredients on their shoulders or head to their stalls so visitors can enjoy a piping hot meal. This dissuaded us from arguing about the price of a cup of tea or dahi!

Looking around I was pleasantly surprised to find the area quite clean, no garbage and surprisingly was free of the usual unpleasant odours. I did not peer into the valleys or the undergrowth but that surely must have had a wonderful plastic collection! But I did find signs that Homo sapiens have not lost their ability to damage nature- note the engraving on the Agave.

The climb down is tougher than going up, or may be as tough. If you are lucky you can get ride downhill in a jeep. All in all, a trek up is highly recommended in this season or the next for that matter!
Dont delay!
Ciao!

This is the link to my earlier post about Sinhagad: https://yenforblue.com/2008/04/sinhagad-calling.html

31/05/201121/07/2020

The big fat Indian wedding…

May is the wedding season for us Maharashtrians… The wedding ceremony itself may have withstood the test of time but that’s about all. Everything else related to weddings is nothing like what was seen probably about 60 years ago. The event is totally ‘nationalised’ for want of another word as celebrations are spread over many days with tid bids added from wedding festivities of other states. So now we have a dedicated ‘mehendi’ some even have ‘sangeet‘ something quite unknown in this area- during weddings at least (and I don’t mean the barat)!

Prime time telly serials have increased our exposure to such events (though I am told some Hindi serials increasingly portray stories about Marathi families) and hey why not! As most families now have one or two kids, there is every reason to ‘celebrate’ in this manner. Splurging on flowers, clothes, jewelery and food seems the order of the day…

An upcoming wedding means women may go on a crash diet to best show off their zari and crepes and are not keen to lose it all in the high-calorie, deep-fried, sugar rich menus that such events usually offer. Others may have ‘weighty’ issues like diabetes, cholesterol (an increasingly common condition among Indians) hence again will not really ‘tuck into’ meals. Gone are the days when the hosts would go round to serve their guests – the exercise mostly consisted of them ‘coaxing’ (the closest possible English equivalent I can think for the Marathi word आग्रह) the protesting individual to eat some more of the sweet. So one often found the occasional guest ‘manfully’ demolishing a plateful of jalebis or several bowls of shrikhand while the ‘lucky’ others had long cleaned out their plates. Instead we now have buffets which has is own plus and minus points…

Most Maharashtrian weddings stick to our typical menu for the wedding lunch। Yet come reception time and most weddings offer a bewildering range of foods ranging from Italian, Chinese, north and south Indian delicacies, chaat, salad bar, fruit and desert spreads.

At some recent events, I found most guests had helped themselves to few preparations and some stalls were almost ignored. I shudder to think of the extent of leftovers at such events. Considering cost of food, is it really morally and ethically correct to be a party to such wastage? Are we worried about being called as ‘less hospitable’ if we offer fewer but well-prepared dishes? Are these ostentatious food spreads meant to be some kind of a statement about our social or economic status?

Do we have the ‘courage’ to stand apart from the crowd?
These are difficult questions with even more difficult answers.
But they demand some introspection…
All the best!