FOOD, EXERCISE and SLEEP
"Food must be funny, not fussy."
-- Dr. T. Rama Prasad
"Without further ado, one may say that excess of anything is bad and that a little of many things is good. Consuming a variety of locally available farm food items is better than taking only the few so-called ‘good’ ones." -- Dr. T. Rama Prasad
PREAMBLE
Uncertainty looms large over most of the practices related to food, exercise and sleep. Information available to the public is mostly pseudoscientific, while science is still struggling to come to conclusions. There is science and a lot of nonsense too in this field. Hundreds of recommendations come to the people from hundreds of sources, citing scientific literature, ancient scriptures and anecdotes. Individuals seriously start following them. But, the initial enthusiasm fizzles out like the gas bubbles in a soda water bottle, as the suggestions are impracticable or ineffective in the long run. During the half-a-century after 1970, the enormously increased psychological stress in education and work had radically changed the lifestyle of people across all ages, making many of them lose their mental balance.
Industry takes advantage of all this and fills the glitzy malls and food courts with a bewildering range of alluring packs of processed, semi-processed and ultra-processed food (full of hazardous colouring, flavouring and preserving chemicals) with labels assuring of a myriad of imaginary benefits ! No wonder, a guest immediately on arrival gets a dose of a ‘soft drink’ which may be more fit to be used to clean a commode ! This would be followed by a range of junk foods, in line with today's conspicuous consumption. With wisdom wiped out, gullible people indulge proudly in the toxic stuff, reckoning it as a status symbol. Gone are the days when simple home-made food garnished with a lot of LOVE was offered. And, the 'pseudo-educated' people consume a particular food stuff for the health of a particular organ in the body, as recommended by 'pseudo-scientists' ! This trend had pervaded into the ‘exercise’ and ‘sleep’ field also.
"In the age of over-information, ignorance is a choice," said the US author Donald Miller !!!
We talk a whole lot these days about the perfidies of junk food, but it doesn’t crowd out a measure of sustained pique at all of the aggressively marketed fast-food industry, the snack-food industry and the soft-drink industry.
Ironically, nowadays, we are fed with a lot of 'scientific' evidence in favour of bad foods through sponsored (? ‘paid’) research. Not a day passes without the report of a scientific study making us think that the unreal is proved to be real, and the real is proved to be unreal ! With the advent of the Internet, WhatsApp, and social media sites, a lot of unauthentic information is spread. Industry takes advantage of this. Media also give distorted impressions to sensationalise study reports.
The Government of India issued an advisory on CATEGORISING the so-called 'HEALTH DRINKS' acting upon the 'food safety authority FSSAI's remark on April 2, 2024 to regulate misleading claims on food products. It's commonplace to see "Health Drinks" being promoted for "stronger, taller and smarter" growth in children. Some of the 'ultra-processed' products may be responsible for 'childhood-obesity' and 'teen age diabetes'. Users are mostly children across India, who reportedly consume three times more than the recommended values of added sugars. "White beverages -- such as Horlicks, Boost, Bournvita -- make up about 70% of the Rs. 14.4 billion market" (Editorial, The Times of India, April 15, 2024).
If you have the time to waste, go on, read this lengthy scribbling.
( https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/food-exercise-and-sleep_25.html )
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“There are three golden rules to healthy living – eating a well-balanced nutritious diet, exercising well and sleeping well.”
The rules appear to be vague – how much food ? How much sleep ? How much exercise ? What kind of food, exercise and sleep ? The need depends upon the individual’s biological constitution, activities and circumstances. On an average, a quantity of balanced diet to keep the weight and Body Mass Index within normal range, 6 to 8 hours of sleep, and an equivalent exercise of about 10,000 steps of walking, per day, are considered to be part of good lifestyle. It goes without saying that smoking and other bad habits are to be eschewed.
There is nothing new about the 'ideals' on 'ideal lifestyle'. But, there is a yawning gap between the ideal and the real. Most of us, yours truly included, do not follow what is 'ideal' because 'idealism' in food, exercise and sleep is an unrealistic and romantic notion. Many don’t practise what they pedantically preach. It is human weakness. It is not the dearth of literacy or knowledge, but the application of it leaves much to be desired. Scenario in developed countries is an example -- most of them are well-educated, and they eat, drink or smoke excessively. And so do the women there. The high literacy and awareness did not bring down bad lifestyle habits there in the West to the expected extent. Some say there is an increasing trend on to the negative side.
Let's be real ... no one is perfect. Not even the SCIENCE and LOGIC. Unfortunately, a lot of the so-called scientific evidence is bogged down in the mire of controversies and 'errors of inference'. Cholesterol also comes under this ambivalence and ambiguity. For more on this subject, read : Evens' article -- https://churchmousec.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/professor-philippe-evens-the-truth-about-cholesterol/ , and my articles -- https://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/04/science-and-nonsense-about-covid.html . (2) . Rama Prasad. T., COVID medical literature – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Antiseptic, 2022 September; Vol. 119; No. 9; P: 07-19; Indexed in IndMED – www.antiseptic.in .
Professor Evens said that Big Pharma, health professionals and researchers depend upon a fear-inducing industry and faulty studies to keep their jobs !!! He said that cholesterol often poses no danger and that high cholesterol alone will not cause a heart attack or stroke. Scientific information, sometimes, is far from truth. Going by the evidence, coconut oil is 'bad' and 'good' also as it contains short-chain fatty acids. 'Zero-cholesterol' in vegetable oils doesn't mean that they have no cholesterol producing elements. We know only the tip of the iceberg of human metabolism.
OLD STUFF
You would have already read a lot about health guidelines and listened to theoretical rhetoric umpteen number of times, but its reinforcement should hopefully make it sound important. A healthy balanced diet, at regular times, consisting of plenty of fruits and vegetables; a reduction in dietary fat, sugar and salt content; avoidance of red meat, animal fat, junk food and fried food; doing regular exercise (minimum 45 minutes of brisk walking every day); practising yoga (especially pranayam or deep breathing exercises) and meditation; cutting body mass index (BMI) to less than 25; regular sleep of 6 to 8 hours; etcetera (all these are for adults) are generally recommended. Unfortunately, most of us do not take perfection as a way of life.
Swami Vivekananda said: “When perfection is the way of life, then the whole life will be perfect.”
Yes, I can sense that you are leaving this page with a sense of déjà vu !
NEW STUFF
Wait, what was written above is the old stuff ! Now let us come to the new stuff. You might have read and heard a lot about the ‘new stuff’ – starving diets, unlimited non-vegetarian Paleo Diet, Atkins’ Diet, Detox Diet, Paleo Vegan Diet, nutraceuticals, trace-elements, amino-acids ultra-processed foods, health beverages, fruits only diet, fruits only on empty stomach, only olive oil, organic milk, organic vegetables and chicken, lab chicken, non-animal computer-printed meat, fifteen tumblers of water per day, 100 gram of dark chocolate a day, plenty of tea, 4 cups of coffee a day, virgin coconut oil, whey proteins, fat burners, ergogenic products, avocado, kale, brown rice, tofu, cold-pressed juices, CITY calorie apps, treadmill until exhaustion, Fitbit / Fuel Band pedometers, only yoga and meditation, aerobatics, cable crossover, lats pulldown, seated row, leg curls, pilates, cardio-toxic exercises, heart arrhythmia exercises, musical pillows. therapeutic music, massages, hypnotherapy, LED light and CFL light sleep disorders, ‘shift work’ morbidity – the list is endless -- confusing, contradictory, vague, pseudo-scientific -- looks very authentic with a ring of promise of results, yet a dicey business ! The global 'GOOD HEALTH' market is expected to reach $ 7 trillion by 2025, up from $ 4.37 trillion in 2020. And, health trends have quick expiry dates. A bewildering range of health products in alluring packs with labels assuring of a myriad of benefits entice us in the glitzy malls today. Ads make a tall claim of making children tall, strong, immune and intelligent through their beverages.
This is the health information and fashion that gets more and more confusing day by day. What LIFESTYLE to follow ? Trying to stay healthy has become a source of stress and anxiety, not a pleasure and satisfaction.
LIFESTYLE of CHILDREN -- a CONUNDRUM
LIFESTYLE of CHILDREN -- a CONUNDRUM
Children start their life with neither prejudice nor expectation. That makes them good learners. The unalloyed affections of a child must advantageously be made use of in moulding a child’s habits and mind set. Children, in general, typically imitate and acquire the habits, mind set and mannerisms of their parents, especially mothers, in their early childhood. If parents follow a bad lifestyle, it is very natural for their children to emulate them ... if parents are kind and empathetic, the mind set of children gets automatically moulded that way. If parents pray regularly, children may develop a spiritual orientation. If parents relish and crave for junk food, unhygienic street food and hotel food, their children would develop a taste for them and recognise such items as good foods. If parents don't exercise regularly, and are addicted to electronic screens, well, their children would become models of 'Couch Potatoes'. If children behave badly and live a bad lifestyle, don't blame the children ... after all, they are a reflection of their PARENTS and the SOCIETY around. At the same time, I hasten to add that we should not blame parents or children entirely. A child of a couple of atheist parents may become a devotedly religious person. A gluttonous child who doesn't exercise and keeps glued to the screens may remain lean and lanky. It's like blaming vegetarianism or non vegetarianism for all the nutritional faults. Nothing seems to be definite. Confusing and confounding ! Science can't explain everything. Bhagvan.
But, don't break your head thinking too much of what to eat and what not to eat; what oil to use and what oil not to use; what exercisers you should buy and what gymnastics you should avoid; what posture you should sleep in and what drink you should take before going to bed; to be on Vegan diet or Paleo diet, and so on. Writings in the magazines, suggestions on the social networks and programmes on the TV would already have confused you.
They talk about "no gluten, no sugar, no salt, no corn fructose." They stress on "gym, cardio, strength, trendy workouts, strict diets, stressful lifestyle modifications, impracticable rules of good health, CoQ10, glutamine, magnesium, zinc, nutraceuticals, very expensive supplements, and so on."
The clever manufacturers add a bit of a 'good thing' like a nut or a dry fruit or a bit of dark chocolate to an 'unhealthy whole' and call it a 'Health Building' cookie or roll ! And, add a little of a fruit juice to a 'hazardous whole' and call it a 'Health Drink'. If it is an imported item, a premium tag of high value is added on. 'Modern Educated' parents (especially moms) are a soft target. They easily fall a prey to the commercial designs and the luring pseudo-scientific literature printed on the alluring packs or promoted through ads ... And they feed their trendy children with all sorts of that processed, semi-processed and ultra-processed stuff to the detriment of their health ... and subsequently they go around hospitals to be further poisoned by a laundry list of drugs !
SELF DESTRUCTION
Are we overcomplicating health ? Yes. We would do pretty darn well by just sticking to the basics of food, exercise and sleep. Without knowing that they are scientifically sound, our forefathers were generally following a reasonably good lifestyle, good habits, good customs, good culture and good tradition -- many of these things have been proved to be good to a reasonable extent by scientific research.
Don't be influenced too much by the too modern suggestions, as most of them have vested interests. Stress of doing the impossibles and the stress of being guilty of not doing those things would ultimately destroy your health. Keeping it simple may be the best thing we can do for our health.
6,056 varieties of sweets displayed as 'Neyvedya offering'
to Lord Krishna at Mathura in 2018 !!! A reflection of 'pathological modernity' in devotion !
FORGET NONSENSE
FOOD
“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want to,
Drink what you don’t like, and
Do what you’d rather not.”
--Mark Twain
This quote reveals the truth that most of the tasty food is not a healthy food. A food-centric may ask: “What is life without tasty food?” Well, a balance is to be struck between what the palate demands and what the science dictates. Moderation should be the watchword. Anything in excess, even of a good food item, is hazardous. Indians spend 50 per cent of the total consumption expenditure on food, according to the ‘2015 FICCI-Grant Thornton India’ study. And ‘fast food’ eateries have a big market share of 45 per cent. ‘Junk food’ is engaged in an epic struggle against ‘mass food’. And the difference between the two goes beyond just linguistics -- it drives perception and a rapid change in India’s palate.
CHOICE OF FOOD
All said, written, or done, the finality of the choice of food lies in the tastebuds of an individual. Tastes differ as much as the fingerprints. Ten people living under the same roof may have ten different tastes. That's why we have hundreds of varieties of food in restaurants. One may even order for the meat of a particular snake ! In fact, there are restaurants which keep live fishes and other aquatic creatures in glass tanks of water for the guests to pick up the one of their choice to be cooked for their meal while waiting at the dining table. 6,056 varieties of sweets displayed as 'Neyvedya offering' to Lord Krishna at Mathura in 2018 !!! A great choice !!!
https://nypost.com/2020/04/18/americas-junk-food-diet-makes-us-more-vulnerable-to-coronavirus/
INDIAN FOOD and FASTING
Our biological systems, health and longevity are mostly programmed by genetics and individual constitution. Our Indian ‘stomachs’ may have been genetically tuned to digest effectively our ‘Indian type’ of food and our ‘bodies’ may be better with the type of manual work our forefathers were doing. It may therefore be beneficial to follow their working habits and traditional foods. Half-a-century ago, westerners said that Indian food was bad, containing too much of carbohydrate and all the bad things. Now, they say that it is good. More and more evidence is pouring in to testify that the traditional Indian food is nutritious and balanced. For example, the World Health Organization stated that ‘Idli and Sambar’ of south India is the most nutritious breakfast in the world (http://tamilnadu.com/food/idly-most-nutritious-breakfast.html). The ‘Roti and Daal’ . of north India is equally good. American Nutrition Association said that cooked rice soaked in water overnight would be the best for breakfast next morning, as was the practice in South India in good olden days. Even the old practice of ritual fasting may do good. And may even be scientific. Recently (2015), researchers from the University of Southern California found that fasting can slow down ageing, add years to lifespan, boost the immune system and cut the risk of heart disease and cancer. Scientists found that a gene called LOS1 is linked to a genetic master switch which has long been associated with calorie restriction through fasting which is related to increased lifespan. Deleting this gene itself may increase the lifespan by 60 per cent.
It is recently (2017) reported that western diet, high in fat and sugar, may influence the development of Alzheimer's disease in people who carry ApoE4 variant of a gene that codes for a protein, apolipoprotein E, which binds fats and cholesterol.
UNEXPLAINABLE
Science may not be able to explain, but faith and positive thinking in certain food habits may promote good health. We had seen some people, some tribal folk and some races living a long and healthy life on diets which the modern experts on nutrition may not approve. 'Munis' in Himalayas are an example ! And, perhaps, food is just one colour of the whole spectrum of life.
BANE of MODERNITY
During the last few decades, we have witnessed a trend, especially among the affluent, to switch over to ‘modern’ lifestyle and the eclectic mix of ‘modern foods’ – processed and semi-processed (or the so-called scientifically composed) packaged food items or cereals and oils new to our systems. Our systems may not be benefitted by a drastic overnight change from rice, idli, dosa, channa, chapathi, curd, etc. to oats, cornflakes, bread, beef, noodles, olive oil, etc. Biological systems are tuned by geographical and regional habits. They may get upset if a change is enforced. Recently, one learned medical professor said that increased consumption of wheat and chapaati in South India has increased the incidence of diabetes.
CONFUSED and CONFOUNDED
Some recommend VEGAN diet, and some PALEO diet; some olive oil only, and some 'animal fat oil' only. A common man is in a profound dilemma. Hundreds of discourses, courses, books and videos recommend hundreds of ways of 'good eating', making people mad. A couple of examples are detailed below, called 'Satvic' diet and 'Paleo' diet. They exemplify the vast divergence of views on food. Vegan versus Paleo.
SATVIC diet
PALEO diet
On April 24, 2016, I was at Erode to attend the wedding reception. . A few of my well-wishers joined me to relish the delicious dishes. During the gossip, they said that those on Paleo diet may not touch any of these vegetarian items. I was curious to know why. I was surprised to know from them that those on Paleo diet take essentially non-vegetarian dishes of unlimited quantity and almost nothing else -- no rice, no chapaathi, no idli, no dosai, no sweets, no ice cream, no grains, no potatoes, no peanuts, no vegetable oils and so on; and that hundreds of people in Erode had switched over to Paleo diet and lost excessive weight remarkably and got their high levels of cholesterol, sugar and blood pressure under control by eating lots of non-vegetarian stuff with no limit on calories; and that some hotels have Paleo menu ! Sounds strange, weird and wonderful, huh ?
Yes, wonderful and welcome diet. You get a plethora of meats and fishes without hunting like the poor soul, the caveman. And you lose weight while loading yourself with abundant calories and get rid of all the diseases too. Lard (animal fat) is permitted for cooking. It is quoted that this fat contains conjugated linoleic acid which burns our fat ! You seem to be jumping with joy.
Many of you may not have heard of this high animal protein and low carbohydrate diet which is becoming popular in some places across the world for losing weight, gaining good health and preventing diabetes, heart diseases and cancer. Paleo diet means the diet which the Paleolithic ancestors (Caveman / Stone-age man) were taking at a time when they had no idea of dairy products, agricultural produce, junk food, sugar, coffee, beans and the like. Animals and fishes were the staple food for the hunter-gatherers. But now, under the name, Paleo diet, varied regimens are 'trademarked' in various publications and eateries, as no one for sure knows what the Paleolithic humans ate.
In short, Paleo diet mostly includes unlimited non-vegetarian stuff and excludes grains / cereals, all dairy products, legumes / beans, peanuts, refined vegetable oils, refined sugar, processed / packaged / junk foods, potatoes, etc. Say goodbye to milk, curd and palkova; toss out rice, idli and dosai into the trash.
The following is the guideline from one author:
• 55% of daily calories from seafood and lean meat, evenly divided.
• 15% of daily calories from each of fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds.
• no dairy products, almost no grains, no added salt, no added sugar.
The diet is based on avoiding not just modern processed foods, but also the foods that humans began eating after the Neolithic Revolution.
Man started cooking with fire about 800,000 years ago, and we are not sure whether our brains (which now take up about 2 % of our body mass and consume 25 % of our energy) have disproportionately grown over the long period due to animal proteins or vegetable carbohydrates. And we don't know whether the ancient man suffered more diseases or less, compared to us. We don’t know of his biological systems or of his metabolic profile. For more on this subject read my article titled "Food, Exercise and Sleep".
People raved about the “Detox Diet”; swore by the wonders of the “Atkins’ Diet”; and are now embracing "Paleo" / "Modified Paleo" / “Paleo Vegan” diet for shedding excessive fat. No statistically significant data from robust scientific studies is available to date to draw valid conclusions about the goodness or badness and the sustainability of these diets in the short term or long term in the modern man. Is this another fad in the bizarre food court ? Any information from personal experience or observations from you all is welcome.
But as we cannot go back to that old lifestyle and habits, we may have to put up with some malfunctions of the systems. Over a long period of time the systems adapt as a part of evolution to the changing circumstances. For example, though the human anatomy and physiology of our system related to food is more akin to ‘herbivores’ (‘vegetarian animals’) than ‘carnivores’ (‘non-vegetarian animals’), over a period of time, the system learned to deal with non-vegetarian stuff. Perhaps, over a further period of time, our system may be able to cope up with the hazardous ‘junk food habits’ that are in vogue at present !! Some advise us to go to the very remote past, to the time of the paleolithic prehistoric ‘caveman’ and eat like him -- mostly non-vegetarian diet which is now fashioned as “Paleo Diet.” In March 2021, Chinese authorities ordered Deyin School in Chengdu city to give up its vegetarian diet for children following a controversy that vegetarian diet may lead to nutritional deficiency. Unlike all the other schools, this school was following a vegetarian diet.
JUNK FOOD
The inescapable and inevitable companion of ‘electronic screens’ is the junk food, which imposes hospital visits to get soaked in medicines. People slump in the chairs in the offices and as soon as they come home hit the sofa like couch potatoes with remote in one hand and junk food in the other. And it has become a fashion to munch at roadside (pavement / sidewalk) eateries which may make mouth-watering delicious dishes out of materials discarded asunfit for human consumption ! How many know that there is the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006 which stipulates numerous conditions on street food vendors which include prohibition of smoking, spitting and nose blowing by the vendors in the premises ? And there is no guarantee that food served in all hotels is safe either. Bad hotels are aplenty in India. Food items which are not fresh or partly decomposed find their way into some hotels at a discounted price. The bad and hazardous quality is masked by spices, flavours and aroma. Spoiled fruits which can’t be sold in fruit markets are converted into “tasty” juices in some hotels. One can imagine the quality of stale non-vegetarian stuff, sometimes from diseased animals, stored for long periods in freezers which never maintain optimum temperature. Through culinary tricks this dirty stuff is transformed into delicious dishes. Good brand name of a hotel is also no guarantee of good food. Recently (January 8, 2017), a day before my birthday, I along with my family members walked into a hotel for lunch. Before stepping into the hotel, my daughter-in-law asserted about the good quality of that hotel. During the lunch, to her dismay, she herself found a dead honey bee in her dish !!! It’s not usual to see such whole creatures in the food served, perhaps, due to frangmentation or grinding of the insects, inadvertently, of course ! The trade is flourishing, thanks to the fashion of eating outside homes.
A study revealed that the quality of some batches of packaged water was worse than the ordinary tap water. We see a dazzling display of packaged processed and semi-processed food items in the glitzy malls, with grand information about the goodness of various ingredients in them like nuts and fruits. They conveniently omit mentioning the badness of various other ingredients in the stuff. For more on this subject read under the heading: “ADs, COSMETICS and GULLIBLE MODERN FOLK”.
Some of the “modern” families are “junk food centric” and "street food loving." Naturally, the food culture is just passed on to the next generation. When the first button of the shirt is in a wrong buttonhole it would be wrong all the way down. Faulty parenting arises out of ignorance, arrogance, affluence, hypocrisy and ego. If the educated parents are ‘educated’ one can pull oneself up by the bootstraps (an American cliché ). Needless to say, the need has arisen to go around hospitals regularly to soak in hazardous medicines.
Parents are to be blamed as they themselves set a bad example for their children by excessively indulging in junk food, delectable tarts, sugary treats, ice creams, street food, packaged "health drinks," packaged processed or semi-processed solid food, etc. They soak them in junk foods and antibiotics alternately throughout their childhood. Junk food and electronic screens seem to have become the staple diet of many of the present generation. Consequent to getting glued to the screens, the kids lose out on exercise, out-door games, team spirit, sociability, even-temperament, physical co-ordination, mental maturity and moral perspective. Whims of palate and fashion sustain the bad habits. For more on this aspect read the 'scribbling' under the heading “MODERN PARENTS and TRENDY CHILDREN.” Many of the rich 'modern parents' have an obsession to fill their food shelves with "rich, costly and nutritious" foods. Most of such foodstuff may be in the form of processed and semi-processed foods which may contain hazardous chemicals, colouring agents and flavouring ingredients.
Considering the enormity of the problem of junk food, the Central Government came out (March, 2014) with a proposal to restrict the sale of junk food items such as chips, fries, colas, chocolates, burgers, somosas, etc. in and around schools in India. In a global first, the Baltic country, Lithuania banned 0n November 1, 2014 selling “energy drinks” to anyone under 18. Selling the energy drinks to minors attracts a fine of up to 400 litas ($146). The so-called energy drinks contain taurine and caffeine which could lead to hyperactivity and addiction in children.
There are the golden arches of McDonald’s and the like dotting the highways in the US from Seattle to New York, Detroit to Los Angeles. And there are ‘daabas’ (roadside eateries) and the like dotting our National Highways from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Mumbai to Calcutta. Metabolic or infective dangers lurk in all these food outlets. If many are not affected, it is because of their immunity and chance.
MONKEYS and JUNK FOOD
Therewas an interesting news (The Hindu, Aug. 31, 2011) about junk food and monkeys.It was reported that animal lovers and the Salem Citizens Forum urged imposition of a ban to feed monkeys with junk food by the tourists travelling on the Salem-Yercaud (tourist hill station) Ghat road, as the junk food would spoil the health of the monkeys ! So, the junk food which is our fad is not fit for consumption even by animals ! It looks that man is worse than beast, even in food habits!
FAT CHILD
In India, there is a curious mix of underweight and overweight children ... 26 million children suffer from wasting (underweight), more than any other country ... yet, the country has the second highest number of obese children in the world (14.4 million) -- China has 15.3 million obese children. . Bad lifestyle makes its contribution to obesity. Look at the ever increasing obese children and adults in the West (the U.S. tops the list with 79.4 million obese adults) who have a fad to gulp down gallons of packaged drinks and tons of junk food due to ravenous cravings. Thanks to our lower economic status, obesity in Indian children seems to be mostly limited to the well-to-do “educated” class who ‘ape the West’ and stock high calorie junk food, sugary soft drinks and packaged flavoured milk in abundance at home and who can afford to provide computer based educational material (with the hope of pushing the child ahead in the rat race) and games consoles which drastically deprive the children of outdoor games and exercise resulting in obesity and ill-health. Even then, India is home to second highest number of obese children in the world (India - 14.4 million; China - 15.3 million). The figures are from a paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine - 2017. Christopher Murray from the University of Washington said that excessive weight may cause cancer also in addition to the well known cardiovascular diseases and diabetes and other life-threatening conditions. In 2015, 2.2 billion children and adults worldwide were obese ( http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-has-144-mn-children-with-obesity/article19034478.ece. ).
Some parents overenthusiastically feed their children too much to enjoy seeing them chubby and ‘healthy’ without realising that a fatty child is not a healthy child. For the well-to-do, food guides and internet sites come out with a wide range of options – Italian, Chinese, Konkani, Bengali and so on. And it has become a fad to eat out on streets and restaurants serving food unsuitable for human consumption. The habit is sustained as the damage to the systems would be apparent only after a long time. As the public memory is short, the occasional episodes of ‘food-poisoning’ are soon forgotten.
A Chennai-based study (RSSDI 2012 – http://www.rssdi2012.com) shows that children from affluent homes and from upscale private schools have a higher prevalence of obesity which seems to be fuelling early onset of Type 2 diabetes. Also it is observed that this problem is more among girls than boys. With the government’s resolve to bring economic reforms like Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail (India’s retail business is around US $ 500 billion and is growing at over 20% on CAGR basis), our people would flock to eateries like KFC and McDonald in their thousands for junk food.
“A fat child is not a healthy child !” is the title of an article (www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/a-fat-child-is-not-a-healthy-child/article4085772.ece) The author, Dr. R. Prem Kumar, Interventional Paediatric Cardiologist wrote that excessive consumption of fatty foods and snacks, binge eating, watching television while eating and decreased outdoor physical activity are the predominant causes for obesity in children/adolescents and that 70% of them may grow up to be obese adults. Sharo Curhan, lead researcher of a recent study (2013) said that obesity may increase the risk of hearing loss while exercising may lower it. Fear, anxiety and mental overload may also be causes for obesity (http://www.csillinois.com/2013/10/10/probing-the-mental-causes-of-obesity/ ).Many children, nowadays, are grown on unhealthy junk / packaged / processed food which may promote obesity and sickness which in turn makes them take antibiotics frequently. And a research study from Pennsylvania has found recently (2015) that children who are given antibiotics frequently become fatty.
A recent (2016 – University of Connecticut, US) publication in the journal Eating & Weight Disorders says that commenting about excessive weight of children in their presence by parents may lead to a psychological complex resulting in unhealthy dieting behaviours, binge eating and other eating and psychological disorders. It may inadvertently reinforce negative stereotypes about weight that children internalise. A parent’s comments on a daughter’s ‘excessive’ weight (even when she is of ‘normal’ weight) can have repercussions for years afterwards, contributing to chronic dissatisfaction with her body. This is the bane of the weight-obsessed modernity of the world. The best thing is not to comment but to act in seemingly casual ways (not by pressurising) by gradually changing the lifestyle of the children and the food supply at home and outside. And don’t make comparative statements about the children’s classmates and friends.
SLIMMING DIETS
There is a lot of money and cheating in the business of the so-called ‘scientifically designed’ slimming diet preparations. People raved about the “Detox Diet”; swore by the wonders of the “Atkins’ Diet”; and are now embracing “Paleo”/ “Paleo Vegan” diet for shedding excessive fat (read my comment on “Paleo diet” (diet of Paleolithic ancestors – Caveman / Stone-age man) on my Timeline of the Facebook – 2016). It is reported that Mr. Umang Bedi, MD of India and South Asia of Facebook lost 26 kg in 8 months with "LeanScience" programme of diet & sleep without gym (BusinessLine, June 7, 2017).
“ … and the pills contain the powdered extract of an exotic fruit for which quasi-mystical claims are made. It blocks fat absorption, or at least it might. It suppresses appetite, or so a few people have reported. It regulates emotional eating, in unproven theory. … the aggressively marketed pills, products and plans fail to make us any thinner, despite their lavish promises and the money we plunk down. … Enhanced education and growing sophistication haven’t done away with fads. There is still too much favour to be curried and money to be made by trumpeting them. … millions of Americans duped annually into this manner of ridiculousness( http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/diet-lures-and-diet-lies/article6055203.ece ) ... ”
As I wrote elsewhere on this page, much is decided by genetics -- complexion, stature, figure, morbidity, mortality, etc. We can modify to some extent. The modifications do certainly help us. Looking good improves self-confidence and makes us feel good. Certain remedies may result in opposite effects. The ‘quick-fix-crash-starvation-diets’ supplemented with commercial preparations of dubious value may make you look gaunt and unhealthy instead of making you look better. And for how long is this speedy loss of weight sustainable ? Making changes in diet and exercise habits slowly on a long term basis would give more sustainable results. Hospitals and doctors with sound and practical knowledge would give appropriate advice on diet, dietary supplements / substitutes, exercise and lifestyle to suit the individual needs. It was revealed that a group of healthy Belgian women developed kidney failure and upper urinary tract cancer after ingestingAristolochia herbs to lose weight (The Hindu, April 12, 2012).
Dietary plans range from tapeworms to cotton balls, air to next-to-nothing in the plate. Many of the ‘starvation diets’ lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormonal imbalance, metabolic disturbances and reduced immunity. Most of them do not ensure sustainable weight reduction. People mostly discontinue the regimen only to gain more fat later. For more on this subject read under the heading: “ADs, COSMETICS and GULLIBLE MODERN FOLK”.
Recently many cell phone apps like CITY are introduced in the market to track calorie intake, physical activity and weight loss goals, and also offered weight loss tips and opportunities to connect with other users for social support. According to a recent study published in the journal Obesity (2015), even these apps are not effective in reducing weight.
Sometimes we see funny things on the Net. Read the following on the Net about 'special food items' during 'fasting' ! -- " .. You can still enjoy some excellent Greek desserts and sweets during Lenten or "fasting" periods. The list of desserts below include puddings, pastries and cakes. Whether you're observing religious tradition or suffer from food allergies, know that many of the desserts featured here are dairy-free and do not contain eggs, so you can enjoy them guilt free. .. "
Dieting increases weight !!! Funny, but scientific study says so -- University of Helsinki, 2018. The study says that if you are trying to reduce your weight with dieting, you may be wrong. While exercise and healthy eating habits are considered to be the cornerstones of weight management, the new study (2018) suggests refraining from dieting and observing regular eating habits could be essential to successful weight management in both women and men. Generally, weight management guidance often boils down to eating less and exercising more. The results of this extensive population study indicate that losing weight is not an effective weight management method in the long run. Dieting and skipping meals seem to actually accelerate getting fatter, rather than prevent it in the long term, the study concludes (Ulla Karakkainen, a researcher and nutritional therapist at the University of Helsinki)..
Sometimes we see funny things on the Net. Read the following on the Net about 'special food items' during 'fasting' ! -- " .. You can still enjoy some excellent Greek desserts and sweets during Lenten or "fasting" periods. The list of desserts below include puddings, pastries and cakes. Whether you're observing religious tradition or suffer from food allergies, know that many of the desserts featured here are dairy-free and do not contain eggs, so you can enjoy them guilt free. .. "
Dieting increases weight !!! Funny, but scientific study says so -- University of Helsinki, 2018. The study says that if you are trying to reduce your weight with dieting, you may be wrong. While exercise and healthy eating habits are considered to be the cornerstones of weight management, the new study (2018) suggests refraining from dieting and observing regular eating habits could be essential to successful weight management in both women and men. Generally, weight management guidance often boils down to eating less and exercising more. The results of this extensive population study indicate that losing weight is not an effective weight management method in the long run. Dieting and skipping meals seem to actually accelerate getting fatter, rather than prevent it in the long term, the study concludes (Ulla Karakkainen, a researcher and nutritional therapist at the University of Helsinki)..
STARVING CHILD
Paradoxically, at the other end of the spectrum we have children starving, while tons of food is wasted.
Paradoxically, at the other end of the spectrum we have children starving, while tons of food is wasted.
Fortunately (for my better half !), I am not an epicure with tastes for dainty delicacies. Not being fastidious about food, I thankfully eat, even today, whatever is available without complaining -- hot or cold; spicy or bland; less salt or more salt; a bit undercooked or overcooked. I feel bad when food is wasted in hotels, ‘receptions’, ‘kalyanamandapams’ and even at our home, but – you guessed right – there is nothing much I can do to prevent the gratuitous waste. Do you know that every year 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted ? The first in the table manners to be taught to children must be: “Never waste food, think of the world’s starving children.”
I am acutely aware that if I have some food to eat, some clothes to wear, and some shelter to sleep, I am richer than 75% of the people on this planet. A third of the world’s 820 million chronically hungry people live in India. Just think about the homeless children who are surviving by scavenging leftover food from Rajdhani Express or Leela Palace Hotel. Less fortunate children scavenge from smaller hotels, kalyanamandapams and garbage bins.
CONFUSING INFORMATION
We talk a whole lot these days about the perfidies of junk food, but it doesn’t crowd out a measure of sustained pique at all of the aggressively marketed fast-food industry, the snack-food industry and the soft-drink industry.
Ironically, nowadays, we are fed with a lot of 'scientific' evidence in favour of bad foods through sponsored (? ‘paid’) research. Not a day passes without the report of a scientific study making us think that the unreal is proved to be real, and the real is proved to be unreal ! With the advent of the Internet, WhatsApp, and social media sites, a lot of unauthentic information is spread. Industry takes advantage of this. Media also give distorted impressions to sensationalise study reports.
For instance, a newspaper carried a report under a big and bold heading “Three-Four Cups of Coffee a Day may Cut Diabetes Risk” (TNIE, 4 Dec 2015). It gave details of a study done at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. What all the study found is that some coffee substances (cafestol and caffeic acid) increased insulin secretion/glucose uptake in muscle cells in rat cell lines in the laboratory. It also said that coffee filters eliminate much of the cafestol in drip coffee. People reading the headline and the coffee manufacturers go on promoting coffee drinking, quoting the study out of context. There are different yardsticks in science and medicine to draw different conclusions. For example, take the results of a study by researchers at University of California who studied 200,000 persons for around 15 years (Annals of Internal Medicine - 2017). They found that those who drank about three cups of coffee a day lived longer and had a lower risk of death due to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory and kidney disease. Conundrum ! Read more about it under the title "Tea, coffee and commerce" on this blog. And, read about how they promote tea drinking among children on ‘scientific’ grounds in my article: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/of-tea-coffee-and-commerce/article5567951.ece .
And, Turmeric may help kill cancer cells. Turmeric is well known for its various health benefits since ages. The recent study published in the journal Nanoscale (2017) found that 'Curcumin', a compound found in turmeric when attached to nanoparticles can be used to destroy 'treatment resistant' neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in infants (Nemours Children's Hospital, U.S. / University of Central Florida). Curcumin has been shown to have substantial anti-cancer activity and is lots safer than the available modern medicines.
Curiously, wine, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, tea, various cooking oils, packaged health drinks, etc. are finding place on good food list. It is projected that dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) is found to reduce atherosclerosis and to improve heart health (http://guardianlv.com/2014/02/dark-chocolate-is-good-for-the-heart-says-scientific-study/ ). A British study (2016 – OCR in Luxembourg study – British Journal of Nutrition) indicated that taking 100 g of dark chocolate a day reduces the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. It is the cocoa from cacao seeds that makes the dark chocolate good. A recent (2017) review published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition concluded that the powerful 'flavanol' antioxidants in cocoa of chocolates improve the brain (cognitive) function. 'Brain food', dear 'chocoholics', which makes you smarter and sharper !
Human nutrition is a conundrum. What we say right today we call it wrong after sometime, and the vice versa. Here are some examples. A recent study by researchers from University of Georgia in the US (2017) indicated that a low-fat high-sugar diet (like many popular weight reducing diets in the market) may indeed increase body fat mass when compared to a balanced diet ! The belief that dairy products damage health is shattered by a recent publication (European Journal of Epidemiology 2017 -- University of Reading). It is concluded that cheese, yoghurt / curd and other dairy products are not associated with increased risk of heart diseases, stroke or death. Moreover, the study indicated about the potentially beneficial effect of fermented dairy products like 'curd' / yoghurt on heart health.
GLUTEN, BREAD, VITAMINS
For instance, a newspaper carried a report under a big and bold heading “Three-Four Cups of Coffee a Day may Cut Diabetes Risk” (TNIE, 4 Dec 2015). It gave details of a study done at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark. What all the study found is that some coffee substances (cafestol and caffeic acid) increased insulin secretion/glucose uptake in muscle cells in rat cell lines in the laboratory. It also said that coffee filters eliminate much of the cafestol in drip coffee. People reading the headline and the coffee manufacturers go on promoting coffee drinking, quoting the study out of context. There are different yardsticks in science and medicine to draw different conclusions. For example, take the results of a study by researchers at University of California who studied 200,000 persons for around 15 years (Annals of Internal Medicine - 2017). They found that those who drank about three cups of coffee a day lived longer and had a lower risk of death due to heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and respiratory and kidney disease. Conundrum ! Read more about it under the title "Tea, coffee and commerce" on this blog. And, read about how they promote tea drinking among children on ‘scientific’ grounds in my article: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/of-tea-coffee-and-commerce/article5567951.ece .
And, Turmeric may help kill cancer cells. Turmeric is well known for its various health benefits since ages. The recent study published in the journal Nanoscale (2017) found that 'Curcumin', a compound found in turmeric when attached to nanoparticles can be used to destroy 'treatment resistant' neuroblastoma, the most common cancer in infants (Nemours Children's Hospital, U.S. / University of Central Florida). Curcumin has been shown to have substantial anti-cancer activity and is lots safer than the available modern medicines.
Curiously, wine, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, tea, various cooking oils, packaged health drinks, etc. are finding place on good food list. It is projected that dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) is found to reduce atherosclerosis and to improve heart health (http://guardianlv.com/2014/02/dark-chocolate-is-good-for-the-heart-says-scientific-study/ ). A British study (2016 – OCR in Luxembourg study – British Journal of Nutrition) indicated that taking 100 g of dark chocolate a day reduces the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. It is the cocoa from cacao seeds that makes the dark chocolate good. A recent (2017) review published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition concluded that the powerful 'flavanol' antioxidants in cocoa of chocolates improve the brain (cognitive) function. 'Brain food', dear 'chocoholics', which makes you smarter and sharper !
Human nutrition is a conundrum. What we say right today we call it wrong after sometime, and the vice versa. Here are some examples. A recent study by researchers from University of Georgia in the US (2017) indicated that a low-fat high-sugar diet (like many popular weight reducing diets in the market) may indeed increase body fat mass when compared to a balanced diet ! The belief that dairy products damage health is shattered by a recent publication (European Journal of Epidemiology 2017 -- University of Reading). It is concluded that cheese, yoghurt / curd and other dairy products are not associated with increased risk of heart diseases, stroke or death. Moreover, the study indicated about the potentially beneficial effect of fermented dairy products like 'curd' / yoghurt on heart health.
ALMONDS & HEART DISEASE ... 24.04.2019 (reprinted from the FACEBOOK)
There is a news report today that almonds reduce heart disease (TOI, 24.04.2019). I wrote a few lines about this subject about 30 years ago in THE HINDU (see the photocopy above). Heart health is a resultant of multiple factors -- food is just one, and addition of almonds is just a fraction of it. Clever manufacturers add a little of almonds to their junk food items and call them 'heart healthy'. And our gullible public fall into the trap. Beware ! Click on: http://drtramaprasad.blogspot.com/2017/05/22.html
GLUTEN, BREAD, VITAMINS
may involve gluten which is basically a form of protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye.Our fetish towards consuming refined flours, refined sugars, processed foods combined with bad lifestyle is the cause for many of our diseases. Bread eating may involve gluten which is basically a form of protein that is found in wheat, barley and rye. In gluten-sensitive persons, gluten may cause damage to the lining of the small intestine resulting in Celiac Disease. Popping vitamin pills has become a fashion. There is no need for supplementation with these pills if good normal diet is taken. Excessive of the supplements may cause skin cancer and some other diseases.
FRUCTOSE -- an American problem ?
Fruits, vegetables and honey are supposed to be good foods which contain fructose (fruit sugar). It is documented that fructose is deadly causing a multitude of problems like those categorized under the umbrella of ‘metaboloic syndrome’. A recent study (2016 – University of California, Los Angeles) indicated that fructose, a sugar common in the western diet, can damage hundreds of brain genes in a way that could lead to a range of diseases -- diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression, bipolar disorder, and other brain diseases !! A study published in the Journal of Hepatology (2017) indicates that high dietary fructose with consequent build-up of uric acid is a potential risk factor for liver disease (NAFLD – non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). If fructose is bad for health, are fruits bad for health ? Excess of anything is bad for health, so also fructose. The reason for the fructose to be in focus is this: Americans consume excessive quantities of fructose, mostly in the form of "high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), not excessive in the form of fruits. Hence, fructose may be very relevant to Americanswhose fructose comes not much from fruits but from “high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)” and sugar in soft drinks and sweets. Their soft drink consumption has increased from 90 servings per person in 1942 to 600 servings in 2000. This is just another facet of the bad American food habits. Compared to the Japanese who live a longer and healthier life, Americans have bigger bodies, bigger health problems, bigger cups, bigger plates, bigger servings, ... quickly guzzling down gallons and gulping down kilos ... quickly, without giving the satiety centre in the brain to say "stop eating." In contrast, Japanese have things on the smaller side ... smaller cups, smaller plates, smaller servings, and importantly they eat slowly to allow their higher centres have time to say "stop."
APE THE WESTNot to be outdone, Indians have also taken that route ‘fashionately’ ! Ape the West is the fashion. We embraced the sweet beverages, pizza, pasta, biscuits, salty snacks, crackers, fast foods, junk foods and bakery products which may contain deadly ingredients. Children who gorge on bad foods and have a sweet tooth are more prone to sickness. Some blab on about a healthy diet involving avocado and kale, brown rice and tofu, and the newer, must-have-cold-pressed juices. Looks very authentic with a ring of promise of results (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/fitness-isnt-a-gym-member/article6158395.ece ), but not without drilling big holes in the pockets.
With increased database in nutrition, confusion has proportionally increased. For example, on one hand we are told that vegetarian diet is a very healthy one and on the other it is claimed that a predominantly non-vegetarian diet (like Paleo diet) is an ideal one !
Controversies abound in medical research. ‘Cherry-picking’ of the results to make them look better or worse for the drugs or foods is common depending on what one wants to conclude. In science one may argue either way. You may say that vegetarian food is good for health and is eco-friendly, citing innumerable studies. And you may say that consumption of vegetarian food is harmful to the environment and brings about adverse effects through ‘climate change’ because those foods require more resources to produce and have more greenhouse gas emissions per calorie (compared to non-vegetarian stuff), citing a study published in the journal Environment Systems and Decisions (2015). One may quote some studies and say that moderate consumption of alcohol is beneficial and that coconut oil which contains short-chain fatty acids is good for health. ‘Amul’, the giant business concern in dairy products, issued a full page ad (The Hindu, Jan 28, 2017) wherein it is stated that butter is a “health food” in many ways and that consumption of high-fat dairy products reduced the risk of heart disease by a whopping 69% and that consuming high-fat dairy products is not associated with obesity. They cited scientific studies which endorsed the goodness of butter due to fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin K2, healthy short and medium chain fatty acids, 4-carbon fatty acid Butyrate, conjugated Linoleic acid, etc. There is a lot of literature for and against ‘statins’. A recent study indicated that statins may prevent ‘venous thromboembolism’ in limbs and lungs. And, advocates of “Paleo Diet” profess that consuming unlimited non-vegetarian diet excluding almost all the vegetarian and dairy items is very good for health – reducing weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc. Delusions of relevance are thus created while specious arguments of novelty continue. And we don’t know the magnitude of the so-called “paid research.” They produced evidence that E-cigarettes were safe. Now (2017), there is evidence from researchers atTexas Tech University in the US that E-cigarettes may pose a higher risk of stroke than tobacco smoking !! Scientists at the University of Bonn in Germany and Hebrew University if Jerusalem in Israel found (2017) that ‘cannabis’, a narcotic bad one, helps to keep brain from ageing ! On the other hand, it is shown that even a small amount of caffeinated energy drinks may trigger serious heart problems especially in persons with familial congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). For a very long time, coconut oil as a cooking medium was considered bad. And for some time later, it was said to be good as it contains short-chain fatty acids, and that Keralites who use it widely didn't suffer more. And now(2017), the American Heart Association says that coconut oil is worse than animal fats (82% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated, 63% in butter, 50% in beef, 39% in pork lard).
Without further ado, one may say that excess of anything is bad and that a little of many things is good. Smaller portions of food is more important than the type of food one takes.
JAPANESE FOOD
It is found that Japanese live a longer and healthier life. It may partly be due to smaller servings in smaller plates, eaten slowly, apart from other factors. Compare this to the size of the cups, plates, servings, bodies and health problems in America .. quickly guzzling down gallons and gulping down kilos .. without giving time to the satiety centre in the brain to say 'stop'.
The longevity of Japanese is believed to be due to their good lifestyle of eating and exercise. The food is home made and consists of vegetables, plants, steamed rice, fish, fruits, miso soup, green tea, tofu, soya, sushi ... all cooked lightly and eaten in small quantities and slowly upto 80% of what they can eat. They avoid bread, sugary foods, processed desserts & foods, cakes, tarts, ice creams. They finish off a meal with fruits and green tea instead of sugary and creamy items. "Sushi" is a preparation of preserved fish / meat rolled with a covering of rice or soya / weeds paper. Some attribute their good health to this. The first 'Sushi' restaurant was opened in 1966 in the US -- Kawafuku Restaurant in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Since then various variants have emerged, mixed with cream, sugar ... and even vegetarian options as is the case with Paleo Diet !
The global average male life expectancy is 69.1 years, 73.8 years for women, and 71.4 for both sexes combined, according to World Health Organization report 2017. Longest is the long life for Japanese -- Japanese women’s life expectancy is 86.8 years and that of men is 80.5. Significant budget allotment for public health contributed to a health and hygiene conscious culture.
JAPANESE FOOD
It is found that Japanese live a longer and healthier life. It may partly be due to smaller servings in smaller plates, eaten slowly, apart from other factors. Compare this to the size of the cups, plates, servings, bodies and health problems in America .. quickly guzzling down gallons and gulping down kilos .. without giving time to the satiety centre in the brain to say 'stop'.
The longevity of Japanese is believed to be due to their good lifestyle of eating and exercise. The food is home made and consists of vegetables, plants, steamed rice, fish, fruits, miso soup, green tea, tofu, soya, sushi ... all cooked lightly and eaten in small quantities and slowly upto 80% of what they can eat. They avoid bread, sugary foods, processed desserts & foods, cakes, tarts, ice creams. They finish off a meal with fruits and green tea instead of sugary and creamy items. "Sushi" is a preparation of preserved fish / meat rolled with a covering of rice or soya / weeds paper. Some attribute their good health to this. The first 'Sushi' restaurant was opened in 1966 in the US -- Kawafuku Restaurant in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Since then various variants have emerged, mixed with cream, sugar ... and even vegetarian options as is the case with Paleo Diet !
The global average male life expectancy is 69.1 years, 73.8 years for women, and 71.4 for both sexes combined, according to World Health Organization report 2017. Longest is the long life for Japanese -- Japanese women’s life expectancy is 86.8 years and that of men is 80.5. Significant budget allotment for public health contributed to a health and hygiene conscious culture.
OKINAWA DIET : This is the diet habit of the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands (Okinawa is the biggest of them, belonging to Japan) which is believed to confer exceptional longevity. It consists of 30% green and yellow vegetables, Okinawa sweet potato, little rice, soy, other legumes, little fish, etc.
THE GREAT INDIAN FOOD
A book titled “ The Great Indian Diet” is launched on November 19, 2015 which emphasises the goodness of the original Indian food, even of ghee and curd. It is authored by Shilpa Shetty Kundra, a famous actress and businesswoman from India and Luke Countinho, a nutritionist at the world famous Mayo Clinic in the U.S. Luke is said to be introducing Indian food to cancer patients at the Mayo Clinic. At the launching ceremony of the book, the 73-year-‘young’ iconic mega actor Amitabh Bachchan who is praised for his fitness at this age to handle various projects said: “I stay fit by attending book launches about diets; I eat whatever comes my way; I am a bad eater; I didn’t go to gym until five years ago, as I had no time; I hope to pick up some tips from this book …” Interestingly, I too was born in the same year as Amitabh; I too didn’t respect rules of diet and exercise much; I too am busy with work, insignificant though.
So what is all this fuss about food and exercise ? Perhaps, constitution of the body and genetics play an important role in health and disease, and there are exceptions.
And the power of palate overrides principles of nutrition. Nestle India has sold 3.3 crore packs of its instant noodles Maggi in 350 towns across India in just one week since the re-launch of the product in November 2015, five months after it was banned in India by central food safety regulator FSSAI.
Actors Varun Dhawan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty and Anil Kapoor at the launch of “The Great Indian Diet” in Mumbai on Nov 19, 2015. — Photo: Vivek Bendre
One might have been thoroughly confused by the information and ads in the print and visual media on food and various dieting recommendations -- vague, contradictory, pseudo-scientific, biased, unfounded, commercial, enticing and theoretical. Manufacturers of some “health foods”, “heart healthy oils” and “health beverages” are playing cleverly on the psyche of the gullible public by projecting that the products enhance MEMORY of students, increase HEIGHT of children, protect HEART, etc. Such tricks certainly enrich the coffers of the manufacturers though may not the systems in the body. And, sometimes the theoretical benefits are unduly projected out of proportion and out of context – for instance, of the value of trace elements in diet for the starving poor, and of advising a diabetic to go to a footwear shop in the evening rather than in the morning for buying slippers (as the feet of some diabetics may be a bit swollen in the evening hours) – a theoretical nonsense for most in our country.
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| I love "MAGGI" |
One might have been thoroughly confused by the information and ads in the print and visual media on food and various dieting recommendations -- vague, contradictory, pseudo-scientific, biased, unfounded, commercial, enticing and theoretical. Manufacturers of some “health foods”, “heart healthy oils” and “health beverages” are playing cleverly on the psyche of the gullible public by projecting that the products enhance MEMORY of students, increase HEIGHT of children, protect HEART, etc. Such tricks certainly enrich the coffers of the manufacturers though may not the systems in the body. And, sometimes the theoretical benefits are unduly projected out of proportion and out of context – for instance, of the value of trace elements in diet for the starving poor, and of advising a diabetic to go to a footwear shop in the evening rather than in the morning for buying slippers (as the feet of some diabetics may be a bit swollen in the evening hours) – a theoretical nonsense for most in our country.
WHAT TO EAT ?
Basic traditional food fare is put on furlough and cuisine acquired some frills and furbelows. Coercing children and even adults to deny themselves their toothsome cravings is very difficult as the junk foods hold sway over the palates simply because they taste so good. It’s ok to indulge once in a way, but it shouldn’t become a routine. And it has become a fashion to go hung ho on gastro-pub fare of ‘lightly spiced potato wadiyan cutlets with amla, served with saffron paratta and the tastiest mango chutney’, ‘Ricotta and Panneer kababs’, ‘creamy pan-seared kababs, stuffed with peas and ginger, served with buttered pao and chutney, ‘phulka tacos stuffed with baingan pakodas’, ‘chocolat pot de crème, topped with crunchy salted caramel popcorn and the Monkey DBC – to mention a few of hundreds of delectable dainty delicacies for one who is an epicure. And, new-age gimmickry like liquid nitrogen, fake ice, foam boosters, etc. have come into vogue.
And now we have the omnipresent Internet. The more you browse the more confused you would be.
Don’t be very choosy about food. Nowadays, we have become very choosy about food and developed a great taste for all the bad food items which is the cause (along with lack of adequate outdoor exercise and restful sleep) for most of our ailments. We crave for sugary, salty and oily items which are detrimental to health. In fact there is no need to include sugar, oil and much of salt in our food. For palatability minimal quantities of these may be used. It is observed that Indians consume five times (10 gm) the WHO recommended intake of 2 gm of salt per day, leading to a rise of cardiovascular diseases and 23 per cent of all deaths. What oil is to be used is a matter of how much one is brainwashed by the commercial ads and the publications of studies of “paid” research. There is nothing much to choose between them (even between olive oil and coconut oil) when we use minimal quantities. Eat a variety of traditional natural (organically grown) food items that are available, depending on the season, which will take care of all the nutritional needs. Traditional food practices are time-tested for goodness and safety. Some modification (not a sudden and drastic change) may be made according to medical imperatives and scientific reasons. Regular intake of adequate quantities of available vegetables, fruits, berries, tree nuts, groundnuts, whole grains, variety of pulses and cereals, germinating seeds and dry fruits would keep one healthy. Unpolished rice has more nutritional value than the beautiful white rice. A few groundnuts, pumpkin seeds and almonds may be soaked in water overnight and eaten next morning along with a tomato, a carrot, and some edible leaves / vegetables and germinating seeds, all in raw form. Addition of a little honey, a few date fruits and a disc of dry fig fruit is also good. Jaggery and 'palm jaggery' are better sweetening agents than refined cane sugar. In some cotton-based companies here around, the owners give a bit of jaggery to the workers in the belief that it would prevent cotton-dust-related respiratory diseases. Papaya, pomegranate, tomato, carrots, garlic, turmeric, ginger, pepper, lemon, greens, well-cleaned raw vegetables have immense health benefits. One need not and cannot take all the good things everyday. A wide mix of the available ones is the best. Low salt, low sugar and low oil is protective. There is nothing like the best oil. Some may have olive oil on the top of the list. Changing the type of cooking oil now and then may be better than to sticking to one particular oil.
Flax seeds, walnuts, kiwi fruits, strawberries, raspberries and black currants have good nutritional value, but one need not waste money on sourcing costly, exotic and not commonly available food items (and some are imported) unless one can afford to buy. Many rich people seem to have more faith in processed and semi-processed foods than in natural fresh food items. These semi-artificial foods come in alluring packs with pseudo-scientific information printed on them. Some of them may contain dangerous chemicals, preservatives, flavouring agents and colouring substances.
If a little is good, a lot need necessarily not be better. Don’t obsessively take excessive quantities of any ‘good’ food item .. a variety of food items is the best way of balancing a diet. There is nothing like 100 per cent good food or 100 per cent bad food. And the overall quantity is very important -- more important than the kind of the food items .. smaller portions of food plays a greater role than the type of food one takes.
Even popping a multivitamin pill daily with no indication is hazardous as even consuming excessive water (some may say that taking 10 to 15 glasses of water per day is good for health). Take as much water as you feel like taking, unless advised otherwise by a physician.
Flax seeds, walnuts, kiwi fruits, strawberries, raspberries and black currants have good nutritional value, but one need not waste money on sourcing costly, exotic and not commonly available food items (and some are imported) unless one can afford to buy. Many rich people seem to have more faith in processed and semi-processed foods than in natural fresh food items. These semi-artificial foods come in alluring packs with pseudo-scientific information printed on them. Some of them may contain dangerous chemicals, preservatives, flavouring agents and colouring substances.
If a little is good, a lot need necessarily not be better. Don’t obsessively take excessive quantities of any ‘good’ food item .. a variety of food items is the best way of balancing a diet. There is nothing like 100 per cent good food or 100 per cent bad food. And the overall quantity is very important -- more important than the kind of the food items .. smaller portions of food plays a greater role than the type of food one takes.
Even popping a multivitamin pill daily with no indication is hazardous as even consuming excessive water (some may say that taking 10 to 15 glasses of water per day is good for health). Take as much water as you feel like taking, unless advised otherwise by a physician.
It has been a custom to gift sweets, cakes and various packaged junk foods on various occasions in India. It is ok to give and take ‘bad’ foods occasionally. But, to bring awareness, fresh fruits, dried fruits, groundnuts, tree nuts, almonds and the like may be given instead. From the long-term health point of view, presenting tree saplings would not only be a novel but also an environment-saving deed.
FASHION FOODS
It has become a fashion and convenience to consume packaged food items. There is no need for all those costly health drinks, soft drinks, aerated beverages, packaged ‘health foods’, fortified with all sorts of artificial vitamins and minerals, of dubious value. They may do more harm than good. Some of the aerated soft drinks are said to be more fit for cleaning toilet seats than for human consumption ! And the unnatural elements -- like preservatives, colouring and flavouring agents, ingredients of ‘fortification’, and other things in the beverages which may not be detailed under the ‘composition’ -- may be hazardous, even cancer-producing. Phenylalanine and aspartic acids are the two amino acids present in the common sweetening agent, aspartame. When consumed without other amino acids, they may cause cell death and infertility. Some contain excessive toxic elements like lead, and some contain harmful bacteria and fungi. Printing the word “sterilised” on the pack of flavoured milk or fruit juice may not be a guarantee of absence of harmful germs inside.
Who knows what dangerous germs are lurking inside these so-called ‘sterilised quality beverages’ and the mouth-watering delicious dishes. On the same pack (‘Tetra Pack’) you may see the sentence “Do not buy if the pack is puffed” which may mean that there is no guarantee that the contents are absolutely safe for consumption. ‘Puffing’ is an advanced stage of deterioration. In the earlier stages, signs of contamination may not be apparent. Even dry foods may not be safe. Even in the US where food regulations are very stringent, increased number of outbreaks of food-borne diseases linked to ‘low-water-activity’, or dry foods have been reported. Researches, recently (2015), in the University of Georgia (US) found that not only can harmful bacteria survive in dry foods, like cookies and cracker sandwiches, but they can also live for long periods (six months) of time.ome of the bg food companies ar known to adopt marketing tactics that build brands by entering through the back door, championing the cause of nutrition. There is a report in TNIE of June 6, 2018 -- "A group of prominent nutritionists and public health experts have slammed Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan for associating with Horlicks (a costly high sugar product) -- a multinational brand that has rendered support to Centre's 'National Nutrition Mission'."
ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS
A new tribe of foods has entered the market. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made by deconstructing natural foods into chemical constituents. The processing destroys the fundamental food matrix as fibre content is ripped off and sugars, fats, or salts ate added. The UPFs are modified with possibly hazardous cosmetic additives, emulsifiers, colouring agents and flavouring chemicals. The WHO has released guidelines to protect children from harmful impact of aggressive marketing of high sugar / fat / salt foods (HFSS) which are mostly sold as ultra-processed packaged foods.
SUGARS
And another recent (2015) study from the University of North Carolina in the US found that 74 per cent of packaged foods and beverages in the US contain some amount of some version or other of sugars, and the studies from the City University London in the UK indicated increase in sales of sugar-sweetened beverages around the world. It is well established that foods and beverages with added calorie- sweeteners are linked to an increased risk of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Excess sugar may even contribute to cancer by altering levels of insulin which regulates uncontrolled cellular growth. It may not be safe to take more than 6 teaspoonfuls (25 grams) of sugar per day for adults, 4 for preschoolers and 3 for those between 4 and 8 years. Natural is always better than processed – palm sugar, honey and dark organic jaggery are better. Dextrose, maple syrup, agave nectar, high fructose corn sugar, cane juice, glucose, sucrose and molasses mean sugar. Sugar addiction is now a well-recognised and documented clinical condition like any other form of substance abuse.
When fresh fruits are available, the best thing is to eat fruits, not packaged juice, not even fresh juice which is devoid of the good of pulp and fibre. Many peel (take the skin off) apples and eat. It is the peel which contains the most valuable nutrients. It is thrown away, senselessly. There are some misconceptions about fruits in India. People, even some doctors, think that fruits should be avoided during sickness. Generally, fruits give good nutritional support during sickness. Occasionally, one may be allergic to a fruit which has to be avoided. It is nutritionally senseless to spend 100 rupees for one litre of packaged juice when one can get many fruits worth many times the nutritional value of that one litre of juice for the same amount. All these ‘modern food items’ may not necessarily be tasty too. Some of them may be characterised, at best, as distasteful and at worst, as obnoxious.
POLLUTED FOODS
Fruits and vegetables that are generally available in the Indian market (except genuine organically grown produce) contain various hazardous elements due to use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and ripening agents. According to a recent (September 2015) report released by the Agriculture Ministry, residues of unapproved pesticides were found in 12.5 per cent of the 20,618 samples of vegetables, fruits, milk and other food items collected nationally, including samples collected from ‘organic’ outlets. On the whole, 18 per cent of the food items contained pesticide residues. In a recent publication ('Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety' journal 2018), researchers of the National Institute of Nutrition found that pesticide metabolites in the urine of Indian (Hyderabad) children is 40 times more than what is seen in children in Europe, US or Canada.
The Kasargode (Kerala) episode of indiscriminate use of Endosulfan pesticide is well documented. Cashew plantations were regularly sprayed for over two decades starting from 1976. Curiously, victims of Endosulfan staged a protest in front of the State secretariat as late as 2016 demanding immediate disbursal of compensation to them while a statement from the office of the Chief Minister said that an amount of Rs. 150.71 crore was already disbursed. Male infertility, birth defects and deformities, cancer and toxicity to liver and lungs may be caused by endosulfan. A study published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (July 2017) found that a number of pesticides, including endosulfan, caused the brain damage and deaths in children who consumed 'Lychee' fruits in Bihar (Muzaffarpur region). Surprisingly, an earlier study published in The Lancet Global Health (January 2017) unequivocally pinned the blame on the 'Lychee' fruit itself ! Modern research and modern medicine !!! India’s food chain is increasingly polluted by rampant and unrestrained use of pesticides.
The Kasargode (Kerala) episode of indiscriminate use of Endosulfan pesticide is well documented. Cashew plantations were regularly sprayed for over two decades starting from 1976. Curiously, victims of Endosulfan staged a protest in front of the State secretariat as late as 2016 demanding immediate disbursal of compensation to them while a statement from the office of the Chief Minister said that an amount of Rs. 150.71 crore was already disbursed. Male infertility, birth defects and deformities, cancer and toxicity to liver and lungs may be caused by endosulfan. A study published in The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (July 2017) found that a number of pesticides, including endosulfan, caused the brain damage and deaths in children who consumed 'Lychee' fruits in Bihar (Muzaffarpur region). Surprisingly, an earlier study published in The Lancet Global Health (January 2017) unequivocally pinned the blame on the 'Lychee' fruit itself ! Modern research and modern medicine !!! India’s food chain is increasingly polluted by rampant and unrestrained use of pesticides.
In India, due to poor awareness among farmers, pesticides are unnecessarily used in excessive quantities under the false notion that liberal use of them would result in better yield. This is the main cause for the problem. As agriculture won’t be economically viable without using pesticides, the agriculturists are to be educated to have the knowledge to use right quantities of right pesticides, through government initiatives (http://www.newindianexpress.com/editorials/Forget-Beef-Tackle-Real-Toxic-Food/2015/10/09/article3070056.ece). Many of the mangoes we eat are ripened artificially with dangerous chemicals like calcium carbonate / ammonia. Meat and milk may also contain dangerous hormones and antibiotics which are injected into the birds and animals to increase productivity. Fishes are preserved with formaldehyde, a chemical used to embalm dead bodies !
Food cooked with chloraminated/chlorinated tap water and iodised salt contains iodinated disinfection biproducts (I-DBPs) which may have an adverse effect on health, according to a study published in the journal Water Research (2015). Now (2017), there is a 'post-Brexit' issue as to whether Britain has to agree for the U.S. demand of permitting America's 'cheaper chicken washed in chlorine'.
Chemical inputs for farmland was banned in Sikkim which became the first ‘organic’ State in the country. Long-term benefits of organic farming are humongous – prevents irretrievable damage to mother earth; reduces health problems to the present and future generations; demolishes Frankenstein monster in the form of carcinogenic agents that cause cancer.
As Hippocrates said: “Thy food shall be thy remedy.” And as Thiruvalluvar said: “The best medicine is to avoid food which is unsuitable to your body.” This reminds me of one proverb in Kannada which says: “Oota ballavanige rogavilla; maathu ballavanige jagalavilla”. It means that “One who knows how to eat properly will have no disease; one who knows how to talk properly will have no quarrel.”
EXERCISE
As I mentioned above, our systems are programmed by genetics. Our forefathers were doing a lot of exercise ‘naturally’ by way of manual work for most part of the day whereas many, these days, slump in chairs during working hours and as soon as they reach home hit the sofa like couch potatoes with remote in one hand and junk food stuff in the other, which is the main cause for most of the diseases. And we foolishly think that taking just a walk for 30 minutes or so on 5 days in a week would compensate for all our inactivity. Brisk walking, no doubt, is good for health. But it is only a minimum basic exercise -- something like getting 40 per cent or so of the marks to be eligible to just scrape through an examination.
USE IT or LOSE IT. If you don't use your body, you will lose it ... if you don't use muscles, you will lose them. Underused muscles shrink in size and power. Why is our right hand more powerful than the left ? Because we use it more. Underusing muscles means underusing lungs and heart. And they also become weak. This also means that you are reducing the fitness and lifespan of these organs too. This applies to brain also.
USE IT or LOSE IT. If you don't use your body, you will lose it ... if you don't use muscles, you will lose them. Underused muscles shrink in size and power. Why is our right hand more powerful than the left ? Because we use it more. Underusing muscles means underusing lungs and heart. And they also become weak. This also means that you are reducing the fitness and lifespan of these organs too. This applies to brain also.
" Normal exercise can be done by spending nothing or alternatively by using expensive exercise equipment ! " --- Dr. T. Rama Prasad
EXERCISE ANYWHERE ANYTIME
You must do more. You can do it throughout the day even while travelling, while watching TV, while chatting, while waiting and while working – almost any work. Almost any activity -- even while walking. Just contract many of your muscles, now and then, against resistance by opposing muscles around the joints with a little or even no movement (isometric / static / resistance exercise ). In the process you would be keeping the muscles of limbs, body, hips, neck, etc. contracting tightly. And take a deep breath now and then, throughout the wakeful hours which would prevent lung diseases and provides the extra vital oxygen to the body. Don’t limply sit for long wherever you are. Sit straight and draw in your abdomen. Contract your muscles. Get up from the seat now and then, move about on toes even in the room itself, contracting all the muscles. You can exercise to a considerable extent indoors, even at your workplace during working hours, through static jogging / spotrunning – without moving much from the place; desk push ups, chair dips and many more (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/working-out-at-work/article6137290.ece ), in addition to the traditional exercises. A recent (2018) study from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise used a prototype of 'Pedal Office Desk' (one exercises by using pedals attached to desk) and found that exercising this way while working at office desks lowered the risk of diseases linked to physical inactivity, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Use stairs instead of lifts / elevators / escalators. In these frenetic days of mad rush and ‘targets’, we seem not to have the time. Going up and down the stairs, with or without purpose, is a very good exercise.
Use stairs instead of lifts / elevators / escalators. In these frenetic days of mad rush and ‘targets’, we seem not to have the time. Going up and down the stairs, with or without purpose, is a very good exercise.
Exercises mentioned above are much better than perfunctorily going for a lethargic walk for half an hour or so per day and sitting like potatoes for the rest of the day. Of course, indoor exercises would be devoid of the benefit of obtaining vitamin D through sunlight and of the goodness of better air outside (More than 80% of India’s population has vitamin D deficiency though plenty of sunlight is available which is a natural source of the vitamin. The deficiency may lead to osteoporosis, diabetes, cardio-vascular diseases and even cancer). And, of course, for the more fit and for those who can afford the time better options are there like gyms, aerobics, programmed exercises, swimming, sports, games, jogging, running, cycling, etc. Youngsters should actively participate in these activities. Simple ‘horizontal bar’, ‘parallel bars’ and ‘dumb-bells’ are not expensive and are very good aids for exercise. Excessive exercise is also not good for health, according to researchers at Loughborough University in the UK.
With the advent of TV and other electronic screens children are getting less exposed to outdoor games and exercise. Eating, especially junk food, while watching these ‘screens’ is a common association which has ruinous effects on health. This trend is to be reversed. Many elders have limitations to do active exercise due to joint and other problems. They may be able to do the isometric exercises and static jogging as mentioned above, in addition to walking, and if possible a bit of swimming and cycling.
WALKING & STEP TARGET
Walking is the most preferred exercise as it is simple, convenient and inexpensive and does not require any equipment. It is associated with lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancers. Even about 20 minutes of walking at a moderate speed or 10 minutes of fast walking per day is shown by studies to be sufficient to reduce morbidity and mortality to a significant extent.
Walking is the most preferred exercise as it is simple, convenient and inexpensive and does not require any equipment. It is associated with lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancers. Even about 20 minutes of walking at a moderate speed or 10 minutes of fast walking per day is shown by studies to be sufficient to reduce morbidity and mortality to a significant extent.
The daily step target of 10,000 brought into fashion the GPS watches and modern pedometers – small digital wrist gadgets like Fitbit or FuelBand – which register the number of steps of walking. In upscale societies, walking is reduced due to escalators, drive-through (drive-in) eateries, drive-through weddings and even drive-through-viewing of the dead at funerals. An average American walks only 5,100 steps a day; Japanese 7,200; Australians and Swiss 9,700 (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise – 2010 journal). A study published in Lancet indicated that even a 15 minutes a day of exercise can reduce all-cause mortality by 14 per cent and increase life expectancy by three years.
YOGA and MEDITATION
It is revealed that meditation increases the length of telomere which is an enzyme associated with aging. Dr Elizabeth Blackburn won the Nobel Prize by discovering this enzyme. It is in this context of ‘mind ruling over the body’ that ‘yoga & meditation’ may have a significant role to play in the health of the body and mind. But to reap the benefits of ‘meditation’, one should do it with full devotion and involvement. Otherwise it would be like praying to God with body inside the temple and mind wandering outside the temple !!
GYM
Gym and time-tabled exercise programmes are unsustainable for many. We see in many homes gym equipment gathering dust. The initial enthusiasm dies soon. Some megalomaniac and snobbish folk, in an attempt to keep up with the Joneses as a status symbol, own huge private gyms, tennis courts and swimming pools which they hardly make use of as is the case with their expensive libraries. They may even have personal trainers and gym memberships. In the gym you are given a schedule of fascinating combinations which include treadmill exercises, cable crossover, lats pulldown, seated row, leg curls, pilates, advice to take whey proteins, fat burners, ergogenic products (that are banned in many countries, but available in India), etc. Some blab on about a healthy diet involving avocado and kale, brown rice and tofu, and the newer, must-have=cold-pressed juices. Looks very authentic with a ring of promise of results (http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/fitness-isnt-a-gym-member/article6158395.ece ), but not without drilling big holes in the pockets. No doubt, gyms are excellent places for fitness, but snobbism and commercialism have entered in a big way into this field also. Your body is the best equipment. It is more practical to use it with minimum gadgets or no gadgets, anywhere and anytime, as detailed above. Brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming, aerobics, ballistic dancing and gardening need no costly equipment. The benefits of yoga and the part played by constitution of the body are mentioned in the previous page under the headings ‘Stress’ and ‘Genetics’.
‘BALANCED EXERCISE’
We see sometimes media-grabbing scientific information that high levels of exercise could be “cardiotoxic” damaging heart and producing fatal arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) (The Potential Cardiotoxic Effects of Exercise, Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2016). Excessive food is bad. Excessive dose of a medicine is bad. So also excessive exercise. The neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine which are related to exercise may even make exercise an “addiction.”
Like balanced diet, exercise must also be a good mixture of moderate quantity of many things -- many of the varieties mentioned above. It need not just be a 30 minutes per day focus on a particular activity. Exercise is not just for strengthening outer muscles. It strengthens bones, cardio-vascular system, respiratory system, metabolism, immunity, psyche, etc. Conventional or unconventional, time-tabled or not, exercise prevents diseases to a great extent. You must find time for it.
“If you have no time for exercise
You will have to find time for hospitals.”
This is the height of PHYSICAL FITNESS
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SLEEP
Sleep is the best ‘tonic’. It is a vital activity – shall we say inactivity – which is absolutely necessary for living. Fortunately there are not many rules for sleep unlike those for food and exercise. ‘Early to bed and early to rise’is one good old rule. Sleeping for less than six hours is likely to affect the health and work efficiency adversely, in most of the people. Ideal quantum of sleep is a matter of individual’s constitution and need. Some may need as much as 9 hours while 4 hours may be all that is required by some. Two full “sleep cycles” of 90 minutes each (3 hours) is deep and more important than the later part of sleep which is called REM (Rapid Eye Movements) or ‘dreamy sleep’. Too much sleep may, in fact, produce tired feeling called “worn-out syndrome.” Restricting sleep time to moderate number of hours may result in more alertness during the following day. Quality of sleep is more important than the quantity. Doctors recommend flat and firm beds, not soft and ‘sink-in’ types. But all may not be comfortable with them. Perhaps, by trial and error, one has to find out for oneself as to which type of bed gives the best quality of sleep. For those who can’t get into sleep easily, various people recommend various tips – scientific and unscientific – counting sheep, chanting Ram Nam, trying to read a book, watching TV, having a cup of warm milk and the like.
Tremendous strides and advancements have been made in various fields of medicine -- starting from the basics of nutrition, exercise and sleep to unimaginably complex surgical procedures. A lot of documentation is pouring in on the role of micronutrients ad antioxidants; a huge volume of literature on the benefits of varied types of exercise is available; and no less important is the advanced knowledge and technology connected with sleep which makes or mars one's health ... one may be surprised to see the advanced services in sleep physiology and medicine provided by organisations like 'Tuck Sleep' which is a non-commercial community devoted to improve sleep hygiene, health and wellness through creation and dissemination of comprehensive, unbiased and free web-based resources ( https://www.tuck.com & ksmith@tuck.com ).
According to a study from the Emory University in Georgia, published in the journal Sleep, sleeping for SEVEN hours a day decreases the risks associated with cardio-vascular diseases.
Tremendous strides and advancements have been made in various fields of medicine -- starting from the basics of nutrition, exercise and sleep to unimaginably complex surgical procedures. A lot of documentation is pouring in on the role of micronutrients ad antioxidants; a huge volume of literature on the benefits of varied types of exercise is available; and no less important is the advanced knowledge and technology connected with sleep which makes or mars one's health ... one may be surprised to see the advanced services in sleep physiology and medicine provided by organisations like 'Tuck Sleep' which is a non-commercial community devoted to improve sleep hygiene, health and wellness through creation and dissemination of comprehensive, unbiased and free web-based resources ( https://www.tuck.com & ksmith@tuck.com ).
According to a study from the Emory University in Georgia, published in the journal Sleep, sleeping for SEVEN hours a day decreases the risks associated with cardio-vascular diseases.
GOOD OLD ERA
“Our forefathers had no option but to sleep for long fixed hours as there was no electricity ! A blessing in disguise ! No electricity, no artificial light, no bad (blue & ultraviolet) light emitting LED and CFL bulbs, no blue light producing electronic gadgets (TVs, computers, cellphones, etc.), better sleep and long sleep. In that era, people, both men and women, used to do manual work in the sunlight with abundant benefits of natural field-work-related exercise and the sun-given vitamin D, and they used to eat natural food items fresh from the farm, and there were no fancy processed foods, junk foods and toxic street foods. As such, they didn’t suffer much from obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, stroke, stress induced morbidity and so many other diseases directly or indirectly related to ‘modern lifestyle’. Should we go back to that era ? Nope ? Yaa, we have become irreversibly addicted and incorrigibly modern ! God, help !
MODERN BULBS, ELECTRONIC SCREENS and NIGHT DUTY
Exposure to light, especially the “blue light”, particularly so in the night, suppresses secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences the ‘body’s biological clock’ (circadian rhythms like sleep cycles, etc.). Light from electronic screens (laptops, TVs, cellphones, etc.) and the ‘energy-efficient’ light bulbs (LED, CFL, etc.) produce considerable quantity of ‘blue light’. Studies found a link between night working and getting exposed to sleep disturbances, ill-health, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and even cancer including breast and prostate cancer. Using dim red light or the old incandescent light, not spending much time with electronic screens, avoiding night shift work, wearing blue-blocking’ glasses may mitigate the ill effects (http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/light-from-laptops-tvs-electronics-and-energy-efficient-lightbulbs-may-harm-health ).
It is recently suggested (Nature, May 23, 2013) that it is better to use the old type of incandescent bulbs instead of the modern LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs, especially after sunset, as the blue-rich light of the LEDs (even of TV, computers, laptops and various handheld devices) disrupts circadian rhythms and sleep pattern. The ‘intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells’ (ipRGCs) in the retina of the eye (which contains the better known ‘rods and cones’) are most sensitive to blue and blue-green light which makes these cells cause inhibition of sleep and promotion of wakefulness. In fact, children (who require more than nine hours of sleep) who sleep less become hyperactive than sleepy and have difficulty in focussing attention. They are often wrongly diagnosed to be suffering from ‘attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder’ (ADHD). Every technological advancement brings in its own deleterious effects. LEDs added another dimension of deterioration in the quantity and quality of sleep in our frenetic coffee-fueled lives of today. The ill-effects of bad sleep may result in increased risk of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, stroke, etc. (U.S. Institute of Medicine). No doubt, we save a lot on electricity bills by using LEDs, but we may lose more on medical bills ! It is a national saving which erodes the health of the citizen. (http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side ).
CFL BULBS
Even the CFL bulbs may not be as safe as the old incandescent bulbs. “The light produced by some single-envelope CFLs at distance of less than 20 cm could lead to ultraviolet exposures approaching the current workplace limit set to protect workers from skin and retinal damage.
MY SLEEP
But, it has become a habit (? necessity) for me to burn the midnight oil. I wrote most of my letters and articles between midnight and 3.00 am (my real free time) because I had been busy with my patients from morning to midnight, on most days during the past 40 years (touch wood !). On many days, I sleep four hours a day, from 3.00 am to 7.00 am or 2.00 am to 6.00 am. I go to bed at 3.00 am -- not because I feel sleepy, but because I don’t want to cut short the four hours of sleep. But sleep would embrace me within a few minutes of my hitting the bed, and I always go into a deep ‘power sleep’. And sleep like a log. It is the quality of sleep that may matter more than the quantity. It means that ‘mind’ should sleep going into deep depths of detachment from any thought with no dreams. Some are lucky in having such sleep ‘naturally’. Perhaps, it is the biological constitution rather than cultivation of a habit. In general, 6 to 8 hours of sleep is necessary for good health.
Contrary to expectations, my mind is more relaxed and more alert during these three hours (midnight to 3.00 am) to read, write, and do small creative and innovative activities related to art, decoration and even gardening. Occasionally I cross this limit of 3.00 am. Right now, when I am writing this, it is 4.30 am. Of course, I shall take my usual quota of four hours of sleep after some time. In this context, I remember Dr. C. H. Sivaraman,MBBS, FRCP, DTM&H who is a legend, a phenomenon, a great physician and an orator par excellence. I quote the following from his letter (the full letter is on this website) written to me 13 years ago in1999:
"...The quantum of sleep (4 hours) gives (you) the desired rest. Your reticence and behaviour prevents dissipation of energy. Most of us use only a small percentage of the function of the brain. But persons like you have the capacity to use a very high percentage of the function of both the lobes of the brain and it is not surprising that you stand apart as a genius.....pleasure in abundance has been received when you sent the compilation of what you choose to call "scribblings", which to me appears as "pearls of wisdom" and knowledge, worthy of preservation. Your knowledge is encyclopaedic making it possible to cover an extremely wide range of subjects well supported with facts and figures, using polite and highly desirable language which you have mastered skilfully...."
SLEEP LIKE A LION; don’t work like a donkey
Mr. N. R. Narayana Murthy, the czar of Indian software industry and the legendary giant of INFOSYS, is of the opinion that working for more than eight or nine hours a day is a waste of time. He says that overtime work only results in fatigue-related mistakes, which take enormous time of many people to correct those mistakes ! In the same way sleeping for less than six hours is likely to affect the health and work efficiency adversely, in most of the people. (Read under the next heading “WORK & RELAXATION” to know how working only four and a half hours a day is most beneficial. )
‘Shift work’ duty hours disturb the biological circadian rhythm and, according to various studies may cause various diseases – constipation to cancer, heartburn to heart attack, debility to diabetes, metabolic syndrome to mental disorders.
In this context, I remember one joke:
Moral: work less; Sleep more!
THIS IS AN ABRIDGED TEXT OF MY ARTICLE. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL ARTICLE. -- T. Rama Prasad |
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ReplyDeleteBalanced exercise, healthy foods are important to get good sleep. But still not getting good sleep then start taking herbal Medicine for sleeplessness. This is effective supplement for regularizing sleep cycle.
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