Health Food Blog

Mon 23 January, 2006 6:40 PM

COCONUT WATER, FEVER, AND BEVERAGE USE

Coconut water has a very cooling effect when taken during fever. A lot of fruits help as well. Skipping the morning bath, and altering the daily schedule helps a lot to relax.

Yesterday's newspaper carried an article on beverage use, and the author wished if these could be banned or stopped. But the continued use was ascribed to human weakness. She finally settled for moderation as the key to health!

Dictatorial tendencies too submit to moderation, when it is not possible to control things.

Sat 21 January, 2006 4:09 PM

DRINKING LOTS OF WATER

I am back! Sorry for the interruption in blogs, but I thought there should be some period of rest.

There are many people, in my experience film actresses, who say drinking lots of water helps. I normally consume at the most three glasses of water in all forms combined. And haven't seen any adverse effects. But I took the advise and have been drinking at least six to eight glasses. The way to do this is to drink half a glass or more every time you empty your bladder. The cycle goes on throughout the day. So far I haven't noticed any major change in my level of activity. But it seems like a healthy habit to drink lots of water and let it drain all the waste and toxic material out of the system.

Sat 31 December, 2005 9:31 AM

NY BANS AYURVEDIC DRUGS

This was going to come sooner or later. High levels had been noticed and damage to internal organs found. Some ancient formulations in this system contains mercury and lead. And due to lack of testing, unawareness of health hazards, and lack of refining process/quality assessment, these may contain levels of metals that we know are harmful, in the short or long term.

The makers say the drugs are not to be taken for long terms during which levels of metal may accumulate. But these 'natural' or 'herbal' drugs are supposed to be 'safe', aren't they? And then how do you prevent people from taking them continuously thinking that they are safe? We don't see antibiotics or other drugs as safe, so we do not take them beyond a point.

Our bodies are not just physical bodies. They contain a self, a 'me' or ' you', and perhaps a soul. But is the self a part of the body? Or is the body a part of my self, the way we all see it? Both are going to end, the body may persist a little longer. That is the question that occured to me a few days back.

Asking questions is good for health. In the new year, I will make it a habit to ask questions.

Fri 30 December, 2005 9:57 AM

WALKS AND HEALTH

Walking is man's best medicine. - Hippocrates (460 BC - 377 BC)

Our two legs give us the natural right to walk. There is no secret in its benefits, apart from fresh air, and a moderate amount of exercise that it provides to the body. An office location can give you an opportunity to walk - either to the bus/train station, or to the office itself. It also gives our minds a free space to observe the activities around, and think - which is most important.

My traveling bug keeps me taking out from time to time. And young age is meant for traveling, seeing the world, broadening one's mind and outlook.

The CSIR in Australia recommended a book that prescribed an Atkins-like diet to lose weight - lean red meat, etc. And Nature has just criticized the diet for its long term negative effects on kidneys, and links to breast and prostate cancer. I was wondering if any diet in the world does not have any long term side effects.

Thu 29 December, 2005 9:35 AM

FAT AND HAPPY

A report in The Guardian by Zoe Williams says fat is good, and Bristol scientist say they are less likely to be depressed or kill themselves. The image of the jovial, funny, round figure is quite familiar. Reading the article, I think the writer equates eating well with excess eating, and puts moderation in line with denial. Food and drinks make for a merry people. But an obsession with food is not healthy.

The debate on intelligent design v/s evolution. May I add some food for thought here? Intelligence is a product of evolution. We should find out how that has happened. Putting it as the source of all - another form of Divine origin theory - is like ascribing our intelligence to the creator, which may not be the case. Why do we think the creator had the same intelligence as ours? Are we like him, or is he like us? The same image, or a photocopy? What Dostoyevsky said about god applies here. If the designer was not intelligent, we would portray him/it as such. (Don't take this seriously.)

Wed 28 December, 2005 9:39 AM

IVAN ILLICH AND HEALTH CARE

I have just written a synopsis and review of Ivan Illich's article on health. Haven't really read his writings on education, but I have come across his name as a reformer. He is against the pursuit of health - calls it a sickness. And I was thinking, really, we do not have to chase this chimera called 'health' or 'good health.' We should be 'health conscious' and that should be the end of it.

A blog on health I browsed asked the question - What is health food? And could not come up with any definition that was special in any way than we might assume it to mean.

From my own personal experience of working in a hospital, I can say that health care system is a part of a larger nexus of social relations, and status and money rule it as they rule things elsewhere. A poor man is not just denied good health care, but also other services. Health services are not exempt from our prejudices and faults, like any other service we might offer.

But I believe private health care can provide egalitarian care much better than government run institutions. Government will not see you as an individual, and its first concern is to rule. Health is an individual concern, and a private system can take care of individuals much better. This I say from my experience, like most other things on this blog.

The nine most terrifying words in the English language are,
'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'

- Ronald Reagan

The quote to remember throughout the 21st century as long as you live. Are there just nine words in there?

Enjoy the new year. Eat lots of fruits.

Tue 27 December, 2005 9:54 AM

YOGA AND HEALTH

I did yoga when in college. I do not find it of any interest now. It looks more like taking refuge in yourself.

Threre are two aspects to yoga - the health related and the mystical. I was attracted to the mystical part, the chakras and the kundalini with their mystical powers. All that sounds nonsense now.

The only health aspect I see is that it can calm youself down. Especially the breathing techniques. Even this comes with some talk of the union of body, mind, and soul. What are already united by nature can not again be reunited. And a certain disjoint is always healthy. You don't want your physical ailments to pass on to your mind, do you? We carry on with pain and discomfort our life.

Mon 26 December, 2005 9:43 AM

FOOD AND MODERATION IN ODYSSEY

The Odyssey is full of descriptions of wining and dining. The first thing guests are treated with are food and wine. But the central issue of the whole story was excess - an utter lack of moderation displayed by the suitors of Odysseus' wife. The primary complaint against them was that during their stay they slaughtered the animals without any respect, and depleted the resources of the country. Of course, they also plotted to kill his son, but that remains on the side.

Moderation in food therefore plays a central role in the main epic of the west.

Eumaeus, the loyal herdsman, also gives a lot of health advice. Like, too much sleep is harmful. And the most famous remark on our stomach - it is for the sake of this cursed belly that men wander and suffer.

If only we can discipline our food and our sex, our lives would be much more happier, I guess.

Sat 24 December, 2005 6:44 PM

HOODIA - THE WONDER APPETITE SUPPRESSENT?

Hoodia in the past few years has attracted major attention from everywhere, and millions of dollars have been spent, and continue to be spent.

Hoodia is a cactus-like plant that grows in Kalahari desert!

A BBC reporter went there to check and found that it worked.

After eating the flesh, one does not feel like eating afterwards, sometimes the whole day.

So all obese people are hoping some mass produced version can come out, Unilever being the company interested. The present products are all dubious and cost upwards $50 for a bottle.

Some people are calling it diet supplementary, when it is going to kill all need for a diet!

If this formula - P57 - could be incorporated in the diets of teens and adults, they would not overeat and remain in good health. So is hoped.

The edible plant is used by tribesmen when they go to hunt in the desert - where this is probably their only recourse for any kind of food.

Obesity is being described as an epidemic - a disease to be cured with this medicine.

It looks doubtful if obesity is a disease. It is a consequence of not being able ot control. And once you know this compound can save you, there would be no stopping afterwards. Hoodia or no hoodia, the habits would never die.

Sat 24 December, 2005 9:35

MIND AND BODY

The season for apples is getting over. The varieties now in the market are smaller and paler, but the price tag remains the same. Apple juice concenterate would be my choice once apples disappear.

How much our mind influences our physical health? Can one get sick just by 'trying' to become sick? Or take on an illness on oneself? How our mental afflictions go down into our body and produce ailments? That is the one mysetrious aspect of our body that no one has discovered.

Our mind is connected to our body, but we do not know how. What connnects it? Our thoughts? Or may be nerves. For my part I think our nervous system plays the agent between our moral part and the physical part. Just think how we go down physically when we suffer a defeat. Some people say it is the other way round. We first go down physically, and our mind perceives it as a defeat (James-Lange theory). Will get back to this topic later.

Fri 23 December, 2005 9:46 AM

FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND MEMORY

A research done at Utah University says those who eat more fruits and vegetables are likely to have better and longer memories than those who do not, especially the older generation.

What it amounts to saying is those with better or balanced nutrition with vitamins and minerals are likely to have better memories. So that means those who scored less were lacking in something. The study was conducted for 8 years, and four tests were taken. The newspaper report did not specify if the study tried to rule out other factors like general intellectual activity of the group.

I first experimented with herbs to boost my vigor in high school. The info came from a magazine on naturopathy(ayurveda), and I got the herb - called ashwagandha, meaning horse smelling - from somewhere, along with other herbs. It is supposed to boost your sexual drive. Then I made a powder of it, and one night had it with milk.

Next day, I still vividly recall, while going toward the library I felt a sudden upsurge of energy running all over. The herb had worked. It is now easily available in many formulations, but I am not interested now.

Why do I need to take such a supplement and activate my body? This herb probably works by irritating the pelvic organs. I would rather keep myself in good health with good food and some exercise, coupled with some hard work.

I have got cavities developing on my front teeth, looking more like craters. How I got them is quite instructional. On a college field trip to the country side, I got a farmer to give me sugar canes from his field. I ate all of them and slept peacefully. When I returned to the hostel, one morning I felt painful sensations whenever anything touched my front teeth. Even opening the mouth was difficult as fresh air touched the enamels causing the same sensation. In the mirror I saw a 'brownish cut' on one of the teeth.

That brown cut has now spread, eating the enamel out, going deeper and exposing the inside whiteness. Now whenever I drink grape juice, or eat something sour, I get the same sensation. This enamel corrosion seems to be spreading to other teeth as well.

I plan to go for cementing or crown or whatever the doctor says in the coming six months.

The mistake was not cleaning the mouth after eating sugar cane. The sugar attacked the enamel and started eating it up.

Just survived an attack of cold with fever. Any other time and I would have fallen sick. But this time I am in a much better shape. Not that my health is good. I am really weak. But a couple of apples and a few push ups mean you don't fall sick too often, and recover very fast. Drank coconut water to cool myself, and it really helped a lot in fever.

Mental health is now big business. It is actually a sick business, with all kinds of target groups being identified for all kinds of disorders. The terminology itselft sounds suspicious and pseudoscientific. Read szasz.com for more critical views.

Good people face as many problems as bad people, and that is a fact. Being good does not entitle anyone to escape hardships of life. Then why categorize people and enforce treatments down their throats when they are not able to cope with problems? Is that a punishment for their being weak? Are we in a world where the strong rule over the weak? That would be the kind of hell no one would like.

The UK has made cannabis a Grade C drug last year, means it is now considered less harmful, and the law enforcers have been instructed to go soft on its possession. It has even been made legal at some places to carry a certain amount. Now 'reports' are in the newspapers - the eyes and ears of the government - about the association between cannabis and schizophrenia. Data is beind debated, research methods under scrutiny, and concepts being analysed.

For 2005, 44.8 percent of 12th graders at some time in their lives down 0.9 percentage points from 2004.

I have seen people smoking this herb - ganja - young people away from their homes trying to make a living in a big city.

Schizophrenia is a big word - a 'scare word.' It is meant to scare people, like many such medical terms. People who take drugs have issues to settle with many things outside. The purpose is as varied as there are people. Let them come to terms with their world in their own way.

The Atkins diet tells you to eat only fat-protein-rich food to lose weight. How it worked was a mystery, even to Dr. Atkins who died a few years back, tripping on the street.

I read the transcript of the BBC documentary Horizon on the net. It seems to reveal the mystery - that such food items actually make you eat less, hence lose calories.

It shows that you do not need high-unda explanations like ketosis and metabolic theories to do scientific research. Just by doing common thinking one can arrive at basic explanations. Science is only refined common sense. Einstein said this? But he would have certainly agreed.

The only exercise I have been doing for the last week is push ups. It firms the body up. Gives confidence. Makes shoulders stronger. And easy to shove and push while taking the peak hour train.

It takes some discipline to do regular exercises. My longest period was one year - without fail everyday. But once we stop, the body returns to its pre-exercise state.

By 'disorder' they mean sleep deprivation. It wouldn't be difficult to tell who the target market would include: late night partyers, students and their parents, late night tv watchers, sales and marketing people! Have they not always suffered with insomnia? How could it be on the rise? You mean the percentage of people reporting? OK. But that means a lot of people have chosen these activities. Why should it worry anyone? Are these people not aware of their own health concerns? Or do we need people to keep a watch over us? That too, the ones with monetary interests.

This kind of report looks more like a covert ad, telling people to come to health professionals, where they would be given medication, perhaps unknown to them, as they may originally come just for counseling.

I had beef only once, and I cooked it myself! The energy I felt flowing through my spine the following day is indescribable. I used a pressure cooker, and added some spices. It prouduces a lot of sour vitamin c, so there was really no need even for the spices. Beef contains a lot of easily digestible iron and other vitamins.

The kind of health news we get to read these days is hilarious. Read today's sample:

God wanted man to be happy. Proof is beer. That is what some old American president (Benjamin Franklin?) said about beer. It is the best defence I have come across for alcohol use. But the most imporant thing here is control, and our attitude toward these drinks. Do we drink to enjoy a few good moments, or do we drink because we can not control the urge to drink? A pint of beer a week is just what makes one happy for the rest of the day. Wine is best enoyed at the year end.

Organic food has become a multi-billion dollar industry ($25 billion, say some sites), bigger than 'traditional' food sector, and growing 20 percent every year. To some extent I see the point in eating food fresh from the farm, without chemicals going into my body. But if this is merely because of a dislike for science, industry, and the modern age, then it smells fishy to me. If chemicals are harmful, lets decrease their use, or search for alernatives. But it seems mass production with its cheap rates would require their use.

I went through some material on the net on this issue. It seems the claim made for organic food - that it is nutritionally richer - may not really be significant.

Very nutritious! One of these is just good enough for the night, helped with a cup of tea. Cheese is something I discovered only recently. It seems to fill me up as much as my usual meal. Whenever I have to eat snacks or the like, I go for the cheese addon over it. The first time I tasted cheese, I did not like its taste. May be it was the type that gave it that peculiar taste. Now I just love the taste of cheese. It is good and wholesome. And always available whenever I need to skip my usual meal.

The first time I ate ham (in Blackpool), I thought it came from some bird! But it is the most delicious meat one can have. Pink cut slices without too much fat were just the thing that I ever wanted to eat. That was the best breakfast I ever had. I now think a good breakfast is the key to good health, and something I always avoided. My poor health is just a result of ignoring it.

The first time I realized how good meat was for the body was when I was recovering from an illness and decided to go for chicken. Hardly did I walk out that I felt a surge of energy running up my legs. The meat did the trick. Many of the meat bashers are really motivated by the humanitarian angle of killing animals for food. But there is really no good competition for meat. It is a raw bundle of energy waiting to be sucked up. Good for digestion too.

I do not eat meat regularly as it is a bit costly, but if I could , it would be a part of my reguar daily diet.

The old english saying was -
Eating an apple before going to bed,
makes the doctor beg for his bread.

Eating at least 2 apples a day is a good habit, even for weight loss. Apples contain good amounts of vitamins and minerals, and specially boron that is needed by our bones. The fiber content is another plus point. Recently studies have shown how good the anti-oxidants of apples are, equivalent of 1500 mg of vitamin c.

I eat apples regularly, and they keep me in a good and active frame throughout the day.

Eating a good breakfast makes one forget about food till lunch. And provides good energy for the rest of the day. A chicken burger is just the right thing, along with a cup of tea, or a fruit like apple. The only thing to remember is the oil in the burger. That must be low.

If you feel hungry, or de-energized in the mornings, it means you need a proper breakfast. A chicken burger fills the stomach, and it really shows in the levels of energy it provides for the next 4-5 hours.

My first health blog! Just yesterday I read in the newspaper about health blogs on the net. There seem to be many of these centered around dieting. This blog would be about good, nutritious food that one can stick to without worrying about how good or bad it is. The first thing about food is that it requires habit formation. Once we get into a good habit, one need not worry about oils and cholesterol.

That is up to you. The most important thing about food is self-control. If we do not control what we eat, then what other behavior can we be expected to control? No one can tell you what you should eat and what not. But overeating and self-denial are both extremes to be avoided.

This blog is about some of the good food items somebody has found in his experience. It has not been 'doctored' ! There was even a comment somewhere on the net that to plan your food, go and consult a doctor! Nature has given us excellent faculties to determine what is good for us. It makes more sense to trust nature.