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Types of Grief

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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0
old lady

Have you experienced Grief ?

Do you know how to deal with grief?

Do you know how to help someone who is grieving?

All that you need to know about grief, its symptoms, types and dealing with it are penned below, read on —

What are the symptoms of grief?

Grief can affect every aspect of your being- emotionally, physically and behaviorally.

Emotional symptoms —

  • People who are grieving often describe the grief emotions as “coming in waves.”
  • You may feel detached from your emotions and operate on autopilot.
  • You can even experience conflicting emotions-for example, you are sad that a loved one’s gone but relieved that they’re at peace.
  • Guilt, sadness, anger, excitement, happiness, relief, empathy, indifference
  • Feeling no emotion or numbness is also an emotional symptom of grief.

There are no right or wrong emotions when it comes to grief. Acknowledge and feel every emotion, that’s the only way to heal.

 Physical symptoms —

Loss can be felt physically as well. Grief can overwork your nervous system and take a toll on you physically.

  • Headaches
  • Nausea, diarrhoea, an upset stomach
  • Restlessness, insomnia, constantly sleeping
  • Heart palpitations, a racing heart beat, tightness in your chest
  • Weak muscles, joint pain, fatigue
  • Reduced or increased appetite.

Behavioural changes —

Grief can affect your behaviour as well.

  • It can cause confusion and affect your ability to stay alert
  • Trouble thinking or making decisions.
  • Feeling hopeless. No sense of direction.
  • Difficulty focusing, remembering things and fulfilling your responsibilities.

Stages of grief —

There are five stages of grief in the grieving process.

  1. Denial- In this stage you find it hard to accept the loss.
  2. Anger- the second stage is full of anger, at God, yourself, the world and the universe or even no one in particular.
  3. Bargaining- The third stage of grief is bargaining. You think of ways you could have spared yourself from this loss.
  4. Depression- The fourth stage is when you feel immense sadness, emotional detachment and depression.
  5. Acceptance- The last and final stage is when you eventually accept reality. The loss becomes real. The pain is still there but you have finally accepted it.

 However, there are common experiences that people go through which has allowed experts to identify different types of grief —

 Normal grief —

There is no such thing as normal grief. Everyone experiences grief in their own way. Some feel it physically, others emotionally or behaviorally or maybe a combination of all three. People who are grieving in a healthy way, go through all the stages of grief, moving towards acceptance at their own time and pace.

Abrupt grief —

Abrupt grief is due to a sudden or unexpected loss.  This can be due to sudden death, loss of a pet, job loss, a relationship ending or any form of loss that wasn’t expected and comes as a shock. Abrupt grief can happen any time anywhere.

 Anticipatory grief —

This type of grief is inevitable. When you know that the loss is bound to occur. Situations of long-term illness, relationships where divorce is inescapable or other situations of impending loss, the grief is often anticipatory in nature. To prepare for the imminent loss, you tend to begin envisioning a life without them and start grieving before the loss even occurs.

Absent grief —

The absence of feeling grief after going through a loss is also a fairly common type of grief. Absent grief often occurs when you’re unable to process the loss. This can be because you are numb from emotion, in denial or even disconnected emotionally as a coping mechanism.

Denial is often the force behind this type of grief. People whose grief presents as absent grief often come across as though they haven’t experienced a loss at all. While absent grief is normal initially, it should be addressed if it continues for an extended period of time.

 Delayed grief —

Delayed grief is often the second part to absent grief. Instead of remaining unexpressed, you experience a delayed grieving process. This often happens once the initial shock of the loss wears off.

 Abbreviated grief —

Everyone processes grief differently and sometimes you’re able to process it rather quickly. Abbreviated grief is the case in point. Abbreviated grief often follows anticipatory grief, where you are able to grieve quickly because the loss was expected. Just because you are able to grieve quicker than most does not diminish your emotions. Abbreviated grief can also occur when you are able to accept the loss straight away or if you have a strong connection or attachment to the loss.

Prolonged grief —

When it comes to grief, we’re all on different timelines. People struggling with prolonged grief may feel like a part of them has died and this grief stays with you long-term. This type of grief interferes with your daily life and in some severe cases it can lead to Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). If PGD occurs, it needs to be professionally addressed.

Chronic grief —

Chronic grief is when the intense reactions felt due to a loss do not subside. There is no progress while going through stages of grief. The distress caused by the loss can often become worse instead of better. A person with chronic grief must seek professional help. Without treatment, chronic grief can lead to serious situations like substance abuse, alcoholism, crimes, depression or even suicide.

Cumulative grief —

A person experiencing cumulative grief is working through multiple losses at once. For example, the loss of a child may lead to divorce. Here you are grieving not one but two losses. Cumulative grief happens when you experience a second loss shortly after the first loss. This grief overload is much harder to overcome and definitely needs therapy and guidance.

 Silent or Disenfranchised grief —

Silent grief is when people can’t fully express their feelings after a loss due to societal pressures or from a belief that no one will understand their pain or suffering. This is also called disenfranchised grief where the loss is considered to be taboo or stigmatised.

Disenfranchised or silent grief can also occur when the loss doesn’t necessarily mean death. It can be due to traumatic situations like a traumatic brain injury, substance abuse or a mental health condition that changes things forever.

 Inhibited or masked grief —

Inhibited grief is when you repress your emotions and don’t allow yourself to feel the grief. These repressed emotions often manifest into physical symptoms. In this type of grief you are unable to effectively move through the stages of grief.

Traumatic grief —

When you are processing a loss and trauma at the same time it’s known as traumatic grief. Traumatic grief is often accompanied by survivor’s guilt or moral injury. In this case it is important to get help from a trained trauma therapist.

Secondary loss grief —

Grief experienced indirectly from a loss is considered to be secondary loss grief.

For example, death of a loved one, can lead to strained familial relationships and friendships which can affect several areas of your life. The final result being that you are actually experiencing several losses due to one primary loss.

Collective grief —

Sometimes loss can affect a nation, a culture or the entire world. Community-level form of grief is known as collective grief. The recent Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees. This is a prime example of collective grief. Events like war, mass shootings, political situations, hate crimes, climatic devastations, fires, pandemics, epidemics and violations of human rights can cause collective grief. Coming together with people is a powerful way to move through the grief as a whole.

That’s a whole lot of types of ‘Grief’ for you to identify with and some tips to cope.

 Tips to cope with grief

  • Honour your loss- It’s important to find ways to honour the loss you have suffered and find closure and peace.
  • Journal- Expressing yourself through writing can help you process your feelings and understand what you’re going through.
  • Stick to a routine and have boundaries- grief can disrupt your sense of normalcy. Following a routine can keep you on track. Boundaries help you from feeling overwhelmed.
  • Pay attention to your emotions- Resist the urge to distract yourself from difficult emotions. Feel every emotion and work through it.
  • Speak to a mental health professional- a therapist can give you the right tools to work through your grief.
  • Support groups- interacting with people going through similar situations can help you feel less alone and make it easier to talk about what you are going through.
  • Calling a trusted family member or friend if you need immediate support and comfort.

 FINAL NOTE —

Grief is a natural response to losing something you value, it leaves you with a sense of loss and a void.

Grieving is an individual process.

No two people grieve the same way.

There is no right or wrong way to process a loss of any kind,

Grief is a very emotionally complicated response.

It’s natural to grieve loss and go through all the feelings and emotions of grief.

Yoga for your well-being

By
Dr Noor Gill
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0
Dr Sheetal Goyal

On 17 Jun 2023, Seniors Today hosted their weekly Health Live Webinar with Dr Sheetal Goyal, a Senior Neurologist and Yoga Expert who spoke on and answered question about Yoga for Better Health of Seniors, to mark the occasion of Yoga Day which is celebrated on 21 Jun, 2023.

About Dr Sheetal Goyal

Dr Sheetal Goyal is a well-known senior consultant neurologist in Mumbai. She has done her MBBS and MD Internal Medicine from Guwahati Medical College, Guwahati  Assam, and DM Neurology and PDF in Cognitive Neurosciences from NIMHANS Bangalore. She has to her credit both National and International publications. She has also obtained separate training in the treatment of various memory and movement disorders, skills of Inj Botulinum Toxins and Deep Brain Stimulation. She is a certified yoga instructor. She is a certified ‘Raja Yoga’ trainer of hearfulness.

She has done many certification courses of which prestigious ones are VEEG Certification by the Indian Epilepsy Society and a one-year learning course by ‘World Headache Society’. She is also trained in Botox injection given for writer cramps, cervical dystonia blepharospasm, etc. She is an ex-consultant Neurologist in Nemcare Superspeciality hospital, Guwahati and Apollo Clinic Ulubari, Guwahati. Dr Goyal is currently working at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, Mumbai.

Yoga is a union, integration and oneness with your inner and outer state of being.

The lack of integration is not natural and leads to personality disorders- which is the opposite of a holistic way of living.

There are 8 limbs of yoga. Patanjali was an ancient Rishi who introduced Ashtanga yoga to us. Where he says that you need to practice these 8 forms of yoga to live a spiritually content life.

The 8 limbs include:

  1. Yama- good conduct
  2. Niyama– regularity and keen observation
  3. Asana- posture
  4. Pranayama- breath regulation
  5. Pratyahara- inner withdrawal
  6. Dharana- mental focus
  7. Dhyana- meditation
  8. Samadhi- balance

We tend to confuse yoga with only one of the 8 elements, which is asana, however it is more than just that.

Yama

The word “Yama”  means regulation or self discipline.

Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, a renowned rishi wrote, “Giving up untrue feelings and untrue thought is Yama. Yama means to give up.”

It is the act of giving up unwanted things from the heart and the removal of everything that is unnecessary for our spiritual journey.

There are 5 sub limbs in Yama

  1. Aparigraha
  2. Ahimsa
  • Satya
  1. Asteya
  2. Brahmacharya

Niyama

Yama tells us about the things that we are not supposed to do.

Niyama on the other hand, tells us about the things that we should do.

Just as Yama denotes destruction of all that is unwanted.

Niyama is the embracing of the required qualities in the heart.

Its sub limbs include

  1. Shaucha
  2. Santosh
  • Tapas
  1. Swadhaya
  2. Ishwar Paridhan

Asana

This limb of yoga is probably the most popular and also the least understood limb.

This is the limb that is confused with the entirety of yoga.

Here are a few ways in which you can proceed to inculcate asana in your daily routine:

  • Wake up early
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Surya Namaskaras- for warming up
  • Asana- to stretch your body
  • Pranayamas- to freshen up
  • Meditation- for mental peace and joy

Surya Namaskara has 12 different positions, and every position in the surya namaskar has its individual as well as cumulative benefits.

The benefits include:

  1. Enhancement of blood circulation
  2. Improves the functioning of the digestive system
  3. Weight Loss
  4. Helps you detox
  5. Helps in lowering your blood pressure
  6. Glowing skin and luscious hair
  7. Helps to strengthen muscles and joints
  8. Calms you and your body
  9. Activates the heart
  10. Solves heart problems

6 asanas you can add into your daily physical activity routine to improve your health and the quality of your life:

  1. Parsva Uthanasana
  2. Dvipada Pitham
  3. Mahamudra
  4. Jatarapariritti
  5. Veerabhadrasana

A few signs to know that a particular asana is not right for you or your parents/ grand parents:

– Shortness of breath

– Feeling dizzy

  • Experiencing sudden weakness

Balasana– has been proved to help in patients with hypertension.

To be avoided in pregnancy, knee injury, stomach infection and severe spondylitis

Shavasana- you need to feel the entire length of your spine relaxing towards the floor.

A good savasana should last for at least 10 minutes.

20 minutes is even better.

It allows you body and mind some time to relax.

Virasana (Hero Pose)- rest your hands comfortably on your thighs and close your eyes.

Bring your attention to your breath- extended exhale breathing

Baddha Konasana- bound angle pose

Also known as the butterfly pose

It is helpful for hypertension

Paschimottanasana- forward seated bending pose

This is a good asana for individuals with dementia and hypertension

It also enhances cognitive functioning

Yogas for patients with diabetes:

  • Viparita Karani- leg up the wall pose. Recommended to stay in this position for a minimum of 10 minutes.
  • Shoulder stand
  • Reclining bound angle pose
  • Halasana
  • Upward facing dog pose
  • Ardha Matsyendrasna- this also helps you calm down

Pranayama

The word Prana is derived from Sanskrit which means ‘to move or to breathe with the prefix of Pra which is generally used to intensify the meaning of the root word.

The word Ayama means ‘expanding, extending, stretching’. Thus. Pranayama means to extend or expand the life force or breath.

Ayama also sometimes means ‘restraint or control’, in which case it can also mean controlling or restraining the breath.

The purpose of pranayama was to regulate your breath and draw your attention inwards, to calming your mind and help dissolve scattered thought patterns.

When you are at work and want to activate your brain and logical thinking- breathe through your right nostril, the surya nadi.

When you want to calm yourself down- breathe through your left nostril, the Chandra nadi.

Pratyahara

It is the most neglected, but the most important if the 8 limbs

It helps in refining attention and helps in aligning the senses inwards

Dharna, Dhyana and Samadhi

They are the last 3 limbs of yoga

There is no clear operation between the three, they are closely interlinked with one another.

Inflammation and “Inflamm-ageing”

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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0
Inflammation

Did you know, if you’ve ever twisted your ankle, jammed your thumb in a drawer, been plagued by Covid-19, been bitten by a mosquito or suffered from viral fever, your body has experienced inflammation?

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is a normal bodily response of your body’s way of fighting off infection and healing the damage. Your immune system creates inflammation to protect your body from infections and injuries. Inflammation is a vital immune system response but too much inflammation in the body can be detrimental.

Unfortunately, not all inflammation is protective, sometimes your body can attack itself and the healthy cells in your body which leads to autoimmune diseases.

Fortunately, certain lifestyle changes can reduce and control inflammation in your body.

But first, it’s important to know the two kinds of inflammation, symptoms of inflammation and how to diagnose inflammation.

Inflammation is classified into two main types:

  1. Acute inflammation- this is inflammation for a short period of time, often two weeks or less.This type of inflammation is to ward off infections or injuries and restore your body to its original state.
  2. Chronic inflammation- is a slow and less severe form of inflammation. It can occur without illness or injury and persist well beyond the healing period. Chronic inflammation is linked to autoimmune disorders.

Symptoms of inflammation:

Heat, pain, redness and swelling, loss of function in the inflamed area, body pain, cognitive problems like loss of memory, numbness, tingling in your joints and nerves, stability and balance problems, constant fatigue and insomnia, depression, anxiety and other mood disorders, gastrointestinal issues like constipation, diarrhoea, bleeding ulcers and acid reflux, weight gain or weight loss and frequent infections in illnesses.

Look out for these signs and symptoms to tell if there is any inflammation in your body. The specific symptoms that appear depend on the location of inflammation in your body. Long-term inflammation can lead to serious problems so it’s important to check by a health professional without any delays.

How is inflammation diagnosed?

The first step to diagnosing inflammation and reducing it is to assess how much the inflammation affects your body.

  1. Blood tests- There are a few non specific markers that can help diagnose inflammation in the body. This means that they pick up abnormal levels in your body and show that something is wrong but it can’t point out what exactly is the cause of inflammation. The names of these blood tests are
  • Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE)
  • C-reactive protein (CRP)
  • Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
  • Plasma viscosity
  • Your doctor can recommend other specific blood tests based on their diagnosis.
  1. Other diagnostic tests- other tests like a CT scan, MRI, X-ray or sonography can be used to diagnose an inflammatory response in your body.

Inflamm-ageing —

Ageing is part of life and slowing down (both physically and mentally) is a part of ageing.

Unfortunately, with it also comes physical ageing like weakening organs, tissues and muscles.

“Inflamm-ageing” is a type of inflammation that is age related. The good news is that you can manage inflammation as you get older. The rate at which you age all comes down to your actions. These actions can either accelerate or delay ageing. Take the following steps to help you age gracefully (inside and out) and slow down inflamm-ageing.

How to age gracefully and avoid inflammation by making some lifestyle changes

  1. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet- Your diet should be jam packed with antioxidant foods which manage inflamm-ageing incredibly. Opting for a Mediterranean diet is also a good idea to keep your inflammation levels low. Foods like blueberries, cherries, oranges, strawberries, salmon sardines, kale and spinach, almonds, walnuts, tomatoes, olive oil (virgin and extra virgin) and whole grains should be included in your diet.                       Steer clear of refined carbohydrates, high fat dairy, sugar,  fried foods, red meat and processed meat, these have inflammation written all over them.
  2. Spice it up- Curcumin, the active compound found in turmeric, is bursting with antiinflammatory properties. Spice up your curries, veggies, milk or grains with turmeric for an added anti “inflamm-ageing” boost.
  1. Boost your omega-3s- Omega-3 fatty acids boast of anti inflammatory properties. You can add it to your diet through salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, flaxseeds, extra virgin olive oil and walnuts.
  2. Supplementing- While eating a colourful diet is important, we can miss out on some essential nutrients. This is when supplements come in. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, cayenne, curcumin, ginger, garlic, resveratrol, spirulina, turmeric are some supplements known to reduce inflammation. However, be sure to consult a health professional before taking any vitamins and supplements.
  3. Say no to smoking- Smoking is injurious to health. Its time we listen to the advertisement that plays before every movie in the cinema hall. Smoking introduces thousands of toxins into your body which increases inflammation and puts you at risk of cancer, heart and lung diseases and other health issues.
  4. Move your body- Exercise is so important for your mind, soul and most importantly your body. Physical activity can significantly reduce inflammation in your body by flushing out all the toxins. Walking, light stretching, dancing, yoga, going to the gym, swimming or cycling, do whatever works for you. Household chores like vacuuming or gardening also count as exercise. Any exercise is better than no exercise.
  5. Sleep- Lack of sleep can cause inflammation. Getting enough restful sleep, restful being the keyword is essential for your body to recover and keep inflammation at bay.
  6. Say “Sayonara” to stress- It’s impossible to have a stress free life but limiting it can help stamp out excess inflammation. Meditate, practice mindfulness, do things that make you happy, spend time with people or animals, go outdoors or listen to music. Whatever helps you unwind and lower your stress levels in your life is what you should be doing.

Finally…

Start small. You can make a few changes in your diet, start exercising and practising stress free activities. These small changes can have a big impact on your life.

Inflammation is a normal and natural part of your body’s immune response. But if you’re concerned about inflamm-ageing affecting you, incorporate these lifestyle changes and notice the difference it can make.

Stay consistent and stay healthy!

Weekly Predictions – 19th to 25th June 2023 By Chirag Daruwalla – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

By
Chirag Daruwalla
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0
Horoscope

AriesAries

Ganesha says there is a strong possibility of getting married to unmarried people. Take important decisions wisely. There will be profitable prospects in business. Hard work will be intense in education competitions. The enthusiasm will increase with the emotional support of the parents. Spiritual interest will increase on Tuesday and Thursday. The mind will be influenced by good and progressive thoughts. Marital happiness will increase. Success will be achieved in endeavored areas. Difficulties are possible in traveling for any important purpose on Friday and Saturday.

TaurusTaurus

Ganesha says new business relations will intensify on Sunday and Monday. The job environment will be a bit distasteful for government employees. Difficulties are possible for politicians due to the strength of their opponents, but with restraint and patience, all the work will be completed properly. , Interest in religious work will increase on Thursday and Friday. Will be popular with sweet behavior. The emotional affection of a life partner will make you energetic. Possible to have some arguments with the borrowers.

GeminiGemini

Ganesha says with good plans, we will make the tasks meaningful even in difficult situations. Hard work will be intense for economic strength. Despite working hard on Sunday and Monday, you will be worried about not getting the desired results. There is a possibility of minor tension in the domestic environment. Students should not be negligent in education competition, otherwise, the results can be bad. There will be an increase in happiness and enthusiasm in the mind on Thursday and Friday. Will make the plans fruitful. Popularity and dominance will increase in the job profession.

CancerCancer

Ganesha says bring maturity to the workplace. Do not do such work, due to which the image is tarnished. Problems are possible due to the behavior of a colleague or officer on the job. Do not do any work in haste on Monday and Tuesday. This week will be enthusiastic due to the affection of family members and close relations on Thursday and Saturday. A long-distance journey will be planned. Your participation in social and auspicious works will increase. If you are working in the technical field, then take advantage of the good opportunities available to you.

LeoLeo

Ganesha says negative thoughts about the future will bring down enthusiasm. Will be worried about proper devotion in fulfilling the responsibility. With economic difficulties on Sunday and Tuesday, it is possible for the opponents to prevail, but will handle every situation with a fighting attitude. Proximity with administrative people will increase. The domestic environment will be excited by a sudden pleasant event on Thursday and Saturday. Married life will be happy if any problem related to a life partner is resolved. Intensity will increase in romantic relationships.

VirgoVirgo

Ganesha says be alert from secret enemies this week. Bring sweetness to married life. The mind will be worried due to proper devotion to fulfill the obligations. Do not mind the small things of the family members on Sunday and Monday. Negative worries in the minds of the students will bring down their enthusiasm. There will be chances of fulfillment of some important family obligations. Possible differences with a colleague in the job on Thursday and Saturday. Don’t take any decision in a rush. A mind focused on romantic relationships will be emotionally deprived.

LibraLibra

Ganesha says this week your mind will be troubled by some future related concerns. Will complete difficult tasks with good plans. In an important situation, childish nature will tarnish the image in the workplace. Students should not be negligent in education on Sunday and Monday. Ideological differences are possible with the spouse. It will be a good time for politicians. Will be worried about excessive expenditure on Wednesday and Saturday. Be a little careful in transactions. Consult experienced people before investing capital in any new business.

ScorpioScorpio

Ganesha says with high morale, will balance income and expenditure and will be able to fulfill all the obligations in spite of limited means in odd situations. Stop living in imagination on Sunday and Wednesday and walk in favor of the physical world. Do not criticize others unnecessarily. Some domestic concerns will bother you. You will get the benefit of hard work in the field of livelihood. Do not waste time on unnecessary work. Progress is possible due to the implementation of new schemes in the economic sector on Thursday. The mind will be focused on proper education.

SagittariusSagittarius

Ganesha says the mind will be focused on new tasks but a confused mind will be unable to focus on any one task. Employment will increase. Difficulties are possible in the casual field. Take care of the life partner’s health. Will be popular with creative works on Monday and Tuesday. Will get the support of parents. The job environment will be pleasant. The mind will be worried about the desired success in education on Thursday and Friday. Difficulty in important tasks will create negative thoughts in the mind.

CapricornCapricorn

Ganesha says expenditure is possible in the discharge of social work. If you leave some minor problems, then there will be an upbeat atmosphere in the house. Sociable nature will bring closeness in relationships. There will be busyness in domestic and auspicious works. Will get the affection of the life partner. Do not mind small things in close relationships on Monday. On Tuesday and Friday, the people of governance will get opportunities for profit. Efforts for some important work will be worthwhile. Be health conscious on Saturday. Spoiled relations will improve with the mediation of a friend.

AquariusAquarius

Ganesha says trouble is possible from a colleague or officer on the job. The mind will be worried about arranging resources to fulfill the responsibilities. Efficiency in the workplace will make you eligible for praise. People in governance will have to face some difficulties. Will be happy with the favorable situation in the workplace on Monday and Tuesday. Politicians may have to face some upheavals. Be aware of your health on Thursday and Friday.

PiscesPisces

Ganesha says this week the mind will be filled with good imagination. Government employees will find some changed conditions in the job pleasant. Will be saddened by feeling incapable of meaningfulness of high aspirations beyond reality. Politicians will benefit from some windfall advantageous situations. Be careful in eating a little on Sunday and Thursday. It will be a good time for the students. Be careful while traveling on Friday and Saturday.

Birthday Predictions – 19th to 25th June 2023 By Chirag Daruwalla – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

By
Chirag Daruwalla
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0
Birthday

19th June

Ganesha says you are capable of juggling both your personal and business lives. It’s time to apply your prior knowledge and skills learnt in the next new places. You will be followed with admiration and praise. You should possess refined manipulative skills and be a technical person. You will be forced by circumstances to work hard and relocate your company to a country that is constantly growing abroad. Your routine existence will abruptly alter, and you’ll embark on a journey.

20th June

Ganesha says god has given you a tremendous amount of talent, which you must develop through unrelenting effort. Your capacity for retrieval is extraordinary. As your focus shifts to some frolicsome activities, you’ll be in good physical and mental health. You have new opportunities if you use them wisely. You decry the degradation of the environment because you love it.  Your friends will assist you as soon as possible. You will be accompanied and congratulated by family and friends.

21st June

Ganesha says family will provide a long-term investment they made for you. Academically speaking, things will go in your favor, and you probably will enlist. Your area of interest promises to bring you a lot of harmony, support, name recognition, and celebrity in the near future. Your reputation at work is built on how you handle the little things. You make efficient and effective use of your precious time to achieve your objectives. For both you and others, your advice is crucial.

22nd June

Ganesha says you are shrewd enough to create large bugs for both you and your employer. You do the assignment in your own manner. You are a one-man army. By listening to some spiritual and philosophical talks, your mental and physical health will be improved. You hold modern views and detest bigots. You hold your employees to a very high standard of excellence. You force others to uphold their obligations and rights as you are well aware of your own.

23rd June

 Ganesha says your split personality aids in establishing recognition and popularity in all facets of life. You are always there for your family and friends. Your charitable disposition is strength of yours. Your superiors and coworkers are expected to respect and value you. You probably adhere to the western cultural practices of not worrying about the future. There are many high-end, branded goods in your wardrobe. Everyone’s life is made happier by your jovial disposition.

24th June

 Ganesha says you make your decision with the speed of a bullet train, and everyone will probably support you. Your efforts alone will always point you in the direction of achieving your goals. Your natural tenacity dispels any questions you may have regarding any task given to you. Everyone, including your home and your gaffers, loves the way you work and speak. You will be the perfect role model for your juniors. Everyone’s life is made happier by your jovial disposition. You make a positive, friendly impression.

25th June

 Ganesha says you are in high demand at all times. If you practice psychology, you will set standards for others. Your grilling prowess will keep you away from your adversaries and con artists. In a nutshell, you are an expert in your field. Your husband turns out to be lucky for you because after your wedding, you receive several gifts and financial increases. After your marriage, you’ll sense a rising light within of you. You make the most of your time by developing your capacity to solve complex problems intellectually.

Spot the differences #77

By
Seniors Today Network
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0
spot-the-difference

Spot the difference 77

 

Solution for Spot the difference #77

 

Solution for Spot the differences #77

By
Seniors Today Network
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0
Spot-the-difference-solution

Differences are:
1. T Shirt Colour
2. Handle is missing
3. Jacket colour changed
4. Boy is missing
5. Extra Bag
6. Shoe color

Spot-the-difference-77-solutions

Entertainment Review: Kandahar

By
Deepa Gahlot
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0
Kandahar2

For Indian viewers, Kandahar would evoke memories of the hijack episodes. For an American film, shot in Saudi Arabia passing off as Afghanistan, it just lends a dash of the exotic.

Starring Gerard Butler, playing the scruffy, glum action hero for what seems like the hundredth time, goes undercover in Iran to blow up a nuclear facility, in Ric Roman Waugh’s Kandahar.  The arrogance of the Americans is such that they can cause death and destruction anywhere in the world. Because to them bearded brown Muslim men with guns are not even human

After exiting from Afghanistan, leaving it in a Taliban-controlled mess, the Amercians– read CIA– still carry out covert operations there. When Tom (Butler) is on his way home, picking duty-free shop gifts for his daughter, he is pulled in by his handler Roman (Travis Fimmel) to do one more job in Herat, Afghanistan, for loads of cash.

Tom’s cover is blown, however, and he has to escape with his translator Mohammad Doud (Navid Negahban), to make his way across the desert to the extraction point in Kandahar. The Iranians want to capture him for obvious reasons, but there is a Pakistani ISI agent Kahil Nasir (zipping around on motorbike, hoping to catch and sell Tom to the highest bidder.  As a character says, present-day Afghanistan is teeming with spies, like Cold War era Berlin. Incidentally, Kahil gets to take off his helmet and glare into the middle distance several times, like a macho model for leather jackets, aftershave or cigarettes. Good to see an Indian actor in a major role. The film also casts other Irani or Arab actors in an admirable show of inclusivity.

The 400 miles to Kandahar is fraught with danger and a lot of briskly shot action sequences are laid out every few miles.  However, like the progressive dialogue-spouting Kahil, who is sick of the desert, the film has one ambush too many with jeeps kicking up clouds of sand.

Overlook the jingoism and the white male superiority that dictates that the brown man will have to change a punctured tyre,  Kandahar is a slick actioner in which the hero is shot at, bombed and beaten, but comes out none the worse for the wear.

Kandahar
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh
Cast: Gerard Butler, Elnaaz Norouzi, Travis Fimmel, Ali Fazal and others
On Amazon Prime Video

June 2023 Issue

By
seniorstoday
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How well do we know each other?

By
Seniors Today Network
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family

In India, economic necessities force parents and their grown-up children to live together under one roof, unless children are in transferable jobs. In the lower middle class families, housing is a big problem and sometimes the veil of privacy is paper thin and one can hear what one would rather not.

How well do we know each other on a deeper level, the closest and most important people in our lives? Living together and yet living in a world of their own. Covid-19 changed the dynamics of relationships. Suddenly, parents, children, and grandchildren were all locked up together and didn’t know what to do. There was death in close proximity either within the family or in the circle of friendship. Tempers often reached a boiling point and yet there was a feeling that one needed to know something more meaningful about each other.

Team Seniors Today put together questions, conversation pieces that would foster deeper connection, and understanding and create lasting emotional connect. These questions are designed to spark interesting and entertaining conversations to help family members know more about each other through their thoughts and experiences. We hope you can create an environment where trust and love can flourish when you show genuine interest in each other’s lives, feelings and perspectives. This would lead to greater empathy, compassion making it easier to support each other during difficult times.

Each family has a unique heritage and a sense of shared identity. Conversations can offer valuable insights into your family’s traditions, values and stories that may otherwise be lost to time. Dive deep into heartfelt conversation and uncover the stories that make your family unique.

  1. How do you define family?

Reflecting on the meaning of family can help clarify your values and reinforce your connections to one another. Interesting discussions could be held on second, third and fourth cousins, one could include in the extended family.

  1. What moment in your family’s history brings a smile to your face?

Recalling joyful memories can create a positive atmosphere and reinforce your family’s bond. There is always an incident that happened at a wedding or at a family gathering that is funny that one recalls over and over again.

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  1. Which family member do you think you share the most similarities with?

Reflecting on resemblances and distinctions can foster an appreciation for each other’s unique qualities. It can also lead to competitive comparisons.

 

  1. What shared family values do you see in each other?

Identifying shared values can reinforce your connection to your family’s history and encourage the preservation of important traditions.

  1. Which famous person, living or deceased, would you want as a sibling? William Shakespeare? Daaku Mangal Singh? Rani Laxmi Bai? Birbal?

Imagining a celebrity as a family member can lead to amusing conversations and reveal unexpected connections. There is always a stingy aunt or a quirky uncle whose strange habits become a part of family folklore.

  1. What are some family traditions that have been passed down through generations?

Talking about family traditions can strengthen your connection to your heritage, hometown and any celebration, pooja, temple or annual fair where your family plays an important role. A conversation based on age-old traditions can provide an opportunity to preserve or revive meaningful customs.

Chakra

  1. Do you know any stories about your ancestors? Do you have any famous or infamous relatives?

Every family has an ancestor who fought in the war.  Sharing ancestral stories can deepen your understanding of your family’s past and create a sense of shared identity. Uncovering notable ancestors can add excitement and a sense of connection to your family’s history.

  1. What were your grandparents like?

Learning about your grandparents can offer valuable insights into your family’s values and history while also honouring their memory.

  1. How did your family come to live in your current city or country?

Discovering the origins of your family’s location can reveal fascinating stories about migration, perseverance, and adaptation.

  1. Were there any family businesses or unique occupations in your family history?

Understanding the work history and entrepreneurial spirit of your family can be both inspiring and informative and entertaining.

  1. What was life like for you growing up in the current location, what changes have happened over the years?

This question invites older family members to share personal anecdotes, helping younger generations appreciate and learn from their experiences.

  1. Are there any heirlooms or traditions that have been passed down in your family?

Discussing meaningful family traditions can help to keep memories and stories alive for future generations.

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  1. What’s the most interesting or surprising fact you’ve learned about your family history?

Sharing intriguing discoveries can pique everyone’s curiosity and encourage further exploration into your family’s past.

  1. What challenges did your ancestors face, and how did they overcome them?

Learning about your family’s obstacles can inspire resilience and a deeper appreciation for your shared history.

  1. FoodAre there any family recipes that have been passed down through generations, Amma’s Biryani Recipes or the Sarson ka Saag that tastes best in our home because of Dadi Ma, etc.?

Sharing cherished recipes can help preserve your family’s culinary heritage and create opportunities for bonding over delicious meals.

  1. How did your parents or grandparents meet? Is there a love story about an aunt running away with an uncle?

Uncovering the love stories of your ancestors can provide insights into your family’s values and history and may even inspire your own romantic journey. It is always a very entertaining conversation.

  1. What historical events have shaped your family’s story?

Discussing the impact of significant events on your family’s history can foster a deeper understanding of the world and how it has influenced your lives.

  1. What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to the next generation?

Discussing valuable lessons can help preserve family wisdom and inspire future generations.

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  1. What was the toy you cherished the most during your childhood?

Remembering childhood favourites can evoke nostalgic feelings and promote a deeper understanding of each other’s upbringing.

  1. What’s a personality trait you think you inherited from your ancestors?

Identifying inherited traits can create a sense of connection to your family’s history and help you understand yourself better.

  1. What are your favourite childhood memories?

Sharing cherished memories can strengthen bonds and offer insights into the moments that have impacted your family members the most.

  1. Can you share funny stories about each other from your growing up years and how do you think we have changed since then?

Exchanging amusing childhood and adolescent anecdotes can create a light hearted atmosphere and foster a deeper connection. Reflecting on personal development over time can lead to meaningful discussions about your journey and the experiences that have shaped you.

  1. Which of our achievements or accomplishments are you most impressed by? Recall a moment that made you feel proud?

Sharing your accomplishments can highlight your family’s values and interests while fostering a sense of pride. Hearing about moments of pride can create feelings of appreciation, love, and support within the family.

  1. What family member, past or present, do you think you resemble the most?

Exploring resemblances can offer insights into shared characteristics and reinforce a sense of family identity.

  1. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

Talking about unfulfilled dreams can inspire motivation and encourage family members to pursue their passions.

  1. What have been life lessons? What’s a difficult experience that ultimately made you stronger?

Reflecting on significant experiences can foster deeper connections and offer valuable wisdom for personal growth. Sharing stories of resilience can inspire strength and support in the face of challenges.

  1. What has been the happiest moment in your life?

Sharing joyful experiences can create positive connections and provide a glimpse into the moments that have deeply impacted your family members.

  1. SuccessHow do you define success, and do you feel you’ve achieved it?

This question can lead to insightful conversations about personal goals, aspirations, values, and achievements.

 

  1. What are some goals you have for the future?

Sharing future aspirations can inspire and motivate family members while fostering a supportive environment.

  1. How has your perspective on life changed over the years?

Reflecting on personal growth can encourage deeper understanding and appreciation of the journey each person has taken.

  1. What do you wish you knew when you were younger?

Sharing insights from personal experiences can offer valuable guidance and wisdom for younger family members.

  1. What’s a regret you have, and what would you do differently?

Reflecting on regrets and past events can offer opportunities for learning, growth, and empathy.

  1. What does love mean to you?

Exploring personal interpretations of love can lead to heartfelt conversations and a deeper understanding of each other’s emotional needs.

  1. What do you believe happens after we die?

Exploring beliefs about the afterlife can lead to engaging philosophical discussions and a deeper understanding of your family’s spiritual perspectives.

  1. Where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world?

YouTube allows you to travel all parts of the world and talking about dream destinations can help reveal each other’s interests and might even inspire future family trips. This is a great conversation piece and one can have fun talking about all the adventures one aspires for.

  1. What song would you choose for a karaoke night?

This question can evoke laughter and may lead to an impromptu singing session, creating entertaining memories.

family dinner

  1. How do you want to be remembered?

Contemplating one’s legacy can encourage self-reflection and meaningful conversations about the impact we have on others.

 

 

  1. What’s something you’ve forgiven or would like to forgive? It’s important to speak to the family about incidents concerning other family members who have tried to harm or create problems.

Discussing forgiveness can provide emotional healing and foster empathy within the family.

  1. How do you practise gratitude in your daily life?

A gratitude practice can encourage positivity and help family members appreciate the blessings in their lives. It’s also important to tell family about the good things that have happened because of others’ kindness.

  1. What’s one thing you would change about the world if you could?

Talking about meaningful change can reveal your family’s values and inspire important conversations about the state of the world.

  1. ladies play cardsWhat’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?

Sharing thrilling adventures can add an element of excitement to your conversation and might uncover hidden interests or talents.

  1. Do you have a favourite board or card game?

Sharing about games you enjoy can pave the way for future family game nights and opportunities for quality time together.

  1. What’s a hidden talent you possess?

Revealing unexpected skills or quirky abilities can be both surprising and amusing for everyone involved.

  1. Can you recall the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you?

Laughter is infectious, and exchanging humorous anecdotes can lighten the mood and create lasting memories.

  1. Which character from a book or movie do you identify with the most?

This light hearted question can offer insights into a person’s personality, values, or aspirations.

  1. What is something you think you are really good at?

Hearing about your strengths from a loved one’s perspective can be empowering and help you appreciate your unique qualities.

  1. What’s one of the most difficult decisions you’ve ever had to make?

Discussing challenging choices can reveal personal values and offer insights into the experiences that have shaped your family members.

  1. How do you cope with stress or difficult situations?

Sharing coping strategies can create a supportive environment and offer helpful tips for managing life’s challenges.

  1. What do you believe is the key to a happy and fulfilling life?

Exploring this philosophical question can lead to engaging conversations about personal beliefs and the things that matter most to your family.

dhyan

  1. Do you give some time for the spiritual stuff?

Talk about spirituality. Your own experiences or that of your parents or ancestors, events that provided solace, soccer and help. Conversations about spirituality are a great binding factor and often open the inner window.

It is important to find the best time and setting for asking these questions. Dinner table conversations, family gatherings, holidays, reunions, birthdays and another celebrations can provide the perfect opportunities to initiate meaningful conversations.

family in car

Road trips and weekend outings – Long car rides offer an ideal setting for in-depth talks, as everyone is together in a confined space with limited distractions. Weekend outings – Bring up these questions during a family walk or picnic to spark enjoyable conversations while enjoying the outdoors. It’s important to choose the right type of questions for the situation you are in. Fun, light hearted questions are great for casual settings or as ice breaker; while deeper questions may be more suitable for quiet intimate moments.

Remember the goal is to foster connection and understanding of each other. So listening is as important as asking the right questions. Be the person in your family who takes the lead in initiating these conversations.

These 50 questions are just the beginning and you never know what you learn and discover about each other.

A jug-eared prince, a pantomime villain, and now: a caretaker king

By
Vickram Sethi
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Prince charles

In a moment of reckless driving, Prince Charles ran over one of the queen’s dogs. He was convinced that this would end any hopes of his ever becoming the king. Just then he remembered that on a visit to Saudi Arabia he was gifted with a bottle that had genie. He was told that the genie once released from the bottle would only fulfil one wish. Charles got out that bottle and asked the genie to make the dog alive again. The genie said, “I am sorry we don’t look into matters of life and death.” Charles then asked if he could make Camilla beautiful, the Genie had one look at Camilla and said let’s look at the dog again. In Hindi, we have a very appropriate saying “Jab pyyar hua gadhi se to Pari kya Cheez hai“ (If you fall in love with a female donkey, then what’s a beautiful fairy).

King Charles III was crowned on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey, in an event full of all the pageantry Britain could muster. Enrobed clergymen handed over the medieval symbols of power — the rod, the scepter and the orb. Brass bands and soldiers in bearskin hats trooped through the streets. And the new king and queen ended the day on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave to cheering crowds.

The purpose behind the pomp, the pageantry was to buttress the Crown’s foundations and show that the people of the United Kingdom still support their monarch. It was a celebration as well as a test of how the public sees the new sovereign.

“A lot of critics around the world especially from the Commonwealth countries, the Asian, the African, and the Caribbean, where Britain’s track record of human rights is at its worst. In India Churchill was responsible for the Bengal famine and let’s not forget the Jalianwala Baug massacre,” a Professor of Black Studies in the UK commented, adding: “If this isn’t the biggest celebration of white supremacy, I can’t think of what is, especially when you think about the lengths, the pageantry, the jewels and all this stuff, right?”

Prince-Charles1

Charles’s crowning was the world’s biggest religious pantomime, dramatising the relationship between the divine and the royal family and by extension with Britain itself. What is surprising is the amount of people who showed up on the streets to wave the British flag on the royal procession despite the rain. But then, most of Britain grew up believing in the stories of kings, queens, and Cinderella’s evil stepmother and prince charming, Barbara Cartland’s love stories of dukes rescuing maidens in distress. Not to forget the queen and Alice in Wonderland.

Put a tiara on a person’s head and you will have crowds who will gravitate towards crowns because we aspire to be like them. We would like to be kings and queens ourselves even if it’s only in our little universes.

However, few could have imagined over the years of careful campaigning that will finally lead to Queen Camilla being anointed and crowned next to the king on Saturday, that one fly-in-the-ointment would be the king’s own son. Camilla is an adulterous woman, a marriage-breaker who broke a fairytale marriage to be queen. It would be unwise to ignore this fact. One wrong step and the media would tear her apart — the question is would this be end of the monarchy. Everyone hates the wicked stepmother. I wonder what kind of effect this would have had on William and Harry that both their parents were running around to find sex.

The coronation ultimately boils down to the spectacle of a hereditary billionaire riding in a solid gold coach to an abbey, where a diamond-encrusted crown was plonked on his head in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The coronation cost Britain approximately £250 million (If there is no bread, let them eat cake).

Once upon a time, and not so very long ago, the case for the monarchy could be summed up in just two words: The Queen.

Throughout her 70-year reign, which ended with her death in September last year, Elizabeth II sucked the raison d’être out of the republican cause. Morphing from the nation’s sweetheart into its kindly grandmother, she was a reassuring presence in British life who opened parliament and popped up on our TVs every Christmas day to offer sage, Yoda-like observations.

The Queen

The queen worked hard at her image. Appreciating that her role lived and died on its mystery, she remained deliberately aloof; never giving interviews, never expressing opinions, never getting embroiled in scandals and rarely putting the wrong foot forward. That dedication resulted in the extraordinary outpouring of affection after her death, and the sense that an era had passed.

Now, a new chapter in the British storybook has opened, and on May 6, the late queen’s son was crowned King Charles III at Westminster Abbey. But even as the final preparations were being made, dark clouds both real and metaphorical were gathering, threatening to rain for even his most stalwart defenders would have to concede that the new king is no Elizabeth II.

The extraordinary, unchallenged transfer of power from mother to son, legitimised by a feudal tradition of primogeniture (absolute primogeniture since 2013), which gives one family the right to be the heads of state of the United Kingdom and 15 Commonwealth nations — in perpetuity — has passed almost entirely uncontested. In today’s day and age, it is extraordinary that the thing like this has passed without a vote.

While his mother grew up in an era of extreme deference for the monarchy, Charles was raised in the unforgiving glare of the mass media age

The awkward 1960s teenage prince morphed into the world’s least likely jug-eared playboy in the 1970s, before getting recast as the pantomime villain in the tragedy that was the Princess Diana show in the 1980s and 1990s. And throughout that doomed soap opera, as Charles conducted an affair with the married Camilla Parker-Bowles — while demonstrating epic callousness toward his first wife, he fell out of favour with the public.

At the time of Diana’s death, in Paris, August 1997, just 40 percent of the British population had a favourable attitude towards him.

But Charles hardly helped his own cause, and across his 53 years as Prince of Wales, dignity, sympathy and mystery were often in short supply. Dysfunctional relationships with his sons and extended family then, of course, there were his traditionally minded views on architecture, compost & climate change.

Queen Victoria spoke of the “disturbing oscillation” of the gold state coach, a phrase that speaks just as well to the events leading to the coronation. If the coronation was ludicrous, it was also magnificent, the pomp, the trumpets, the Pageantry, the Marches, if it reduced you to laughter, it may also have made you cry. Like millions of people, I too watched it on television. Charles and Camilla looked like a couple of elderly polar bears on tour, the ermine-cloaked majesties were the centre of a day that was huge and hideous, exquisite and sacred, all at once. For a movement on the balcony they were so close to each other that I thought they would kiss, unfortunately they couldn’t even tilt their head to watch the ariel parade. Uneasy lies the head etc etc. As the soft drizzle in London gave way to a downpour, the feeling came over many if not all, that some things are the more marvelous for being a bit silly and unfathomable.

King Charles

So, while reports of the monarchy’s demise might be exaggerated, any assessment would surely leave royal courtiers exchanging concerned looks. The class system, and the attendant culture of cap doffing, still runs deep in 21st-century Britain, while the prevailing influence of the House of Windsor and the old establishment it represents is such that almost nobody questions it.

In the meantime, a ‘Not My King.’ protest has started in Britain. According to a Washington Post report, one noticeable difference between the reigns of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II is the splash of yellow at almost all of Charles’s public engagements. A gaggle of protesters, sometimes shouting and booing, hold aloft bright yellow signs that read “Not My King.” They are hard to miss.

The justification for monarchy is that it “brings in tourists”, provides stability and makes Britain the envy of the world. But other equally advanced countries seem to have managed to get by, and thrive, without a king or queen. At 74, most men in England would be planting tomatoes or cabbages and enjoying their pints. At 74, Charles is a caretaker King.

But one look at the current figures, and a sense of the general mood, suggests that the momentum and the demographics seem very much set against the reign of Charles III. The same is not true, however, of his son William and his wife Kate, who remain popular with both pollsters and tabloids, and perhaps the time will come when Charles steps aside to secure the future of the throne for another generation.

In India, we have our own Raja-Rani stories and yet without standing for election, no king can enter parliament and that’s how far we have progressed. Britain at last accepts that the Kohinoor was forcibly taken from Maharaja Duleep Singh. The empire has finally struck back with Rishi Sunak, a Hindu prime minister. India must demand an apology for the Jalianwala Baug massacre.

Say These Things Instead of “Sorry”

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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apologizing

The first three words that every parent is in a rush to let their children learn —‘Please, Thank-you, Sorry’

We take these words with us through life and flippantly use them without knowing the depth or intimacy that goes along with the use of these words, often not being able to differentiate between the use for a personal heartfelt deed or misdeed or  business jargon

“Im sorry’ rolls off our tongues so smoothly, without the slightest bit of hesitation. intentionally or unintentionally. While showing remorse when you have caused pain is important, there is a big difference between saying sorry and apologising.

Oftentimes, we say sorry without cause or reason. While you may think this reflexive apology shows respect or empathy, it can actually make you appear ingenuine or even under confident.

If you struggle with chronic over-apologising, It’s time to start taking a different approach to express what you truly mean and consider a few alternatives to the “I’m sorry” stuck record.

Here are a few ways of expressing feelings —

Show understanding —

It’s common to apologise to show sympathy for another person’s situation but instead of saying sorry, try to offer understanding or even some validation to create a more meaningful heart to heart.

Example: I hear you.

Thank you —

Apologising is for remorse. An earnest thank you expresses gratitude. Instead of instinctively saying sorry, opt for a thank you. A genuine “thank you” can be more appropriate than an apology in some situations.

Example- If you are late, don’t apologise for being late, say “Thank you for waiting for me.”

Be relatable —

Show compassion and understanding with a relatable statement instead of an apology.

Example: if someone is talking about a fight with a friend or an altercation with a colleague, choose to say,

‘That sounds frustrating,’

 ‘That’s unfortunate,’

‘How disappointing,’

 instead of saying “I’m sorry”.

These statements show support without unnecessarily taking the blame for something that is not about you.

Use unfortunately —

When inconvenient circumstances are out of your control like a traffic jam, an accident or unforeseen situation, DO NOT APOLOGISE. You may feel the impulse to apologise but remember you aren’t to blame. Instead of apologising in these situations, simply acknowledge the unfortunate occurrence of these situations. If something is not in your control, don’t blame yourself.

Example: Thats unfortunate or unfortunately this happened.

 Pardon me —

You can simply say ‘Excuse me’ or ‘Pardon me’ in certain situations instead of   “I’m sorry”.

apology

In times of conflict or differing opinions —

If you experience conflict or a difference of perspective and opinions with someone, you may feel the instinctive urge to apologise. Remember that this is unnecessary. Instead of saying sorry in these situations, try acknowledging their views while maintaining yours.

Example: ‘I understand your point of view’ or ‘I appreciate your input, but…’ are effective alternatives to “I’m sorry.”

Apologise without using the word sorry —

An apology is about taking responsibility for your wrong actions. Next time you feel compelled to say “sorry,”  don’t use that word. Apologise without it.  Here are some synonyms for sorry.

I can’t apologise enough.

I’m regretful.

Pardon me.

Forgive me.

My mistake

My bad.

Practice empathy instead of sympathy —

“I’m sorry” usually shows sympathy. Instead, practice empathy. Try to understand what the other person might be feeling and share their experience.  Sorry often conveys sympathy, which rarely makes the other person feel better, heard or valued.

Example: a warm smile, a nod, a pat on the shoulder or hand holding are the perfect body language you could use if words don’t come easy.

 Talk about how you will make it right or make it up to them —

It can be challenging to talk about citations where you have hurt someone or made a mistake. Rather than apologising in these instances, be accountable for your actions. “I’m sorry” can often become a statement without meaning.

Example: May we talk about the sequence of events, discuss what went wrong and rectify what went wrong so we can put it past us.

Don’t apologise for bothering people or asking for help —

There’s no need to apologise for having questions, needing assistance or asking someone to help you. All of us struggle from time to time and you’ll be surprised at how helpful people actually are.

Example: to comprehend, to understand, to converse clearly, builds social connections. Never shy away from talking about anything you are unclear about.

Be self aware —

If you feel like you constantly say sorry, ask yourself, ‘why?’ Consider a more emotionally intelligent approach to situations. Certain instances require an “I’m sorry” but most do not. Weigh the outcome of using the word ‘sorry’ versus other words like ‘I’m disappointed,’ ‘I’m dismayed, ‘I’m disillusioned’ to express your true feelings.

Actions speak louder than words —

Using sorry as an occasional, heartfelt response to disappointment can be very effective. But overusing it is often viewed as excuse-making.  Sometimes your actions can show you are truly sorry much louder than your words.

Conclusion —

There’s a time and place to say sorry and it most definitely isn’t in every situation. Pick one of these alternatives the next time you’re tempted to say “I’m sorry”

Break the sorry habit, expand your vocabulary to match your feelings.

The dangers of an expanding belly

By
Dr Nandini Saini
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health

We tend to accept weight gain, and by association, an increase in the waist circumference, as a part of growing older.  Little do most people know how dangerous that expanding belly can be.

Belly fat is of 2 types:

  1. Subcutaneous

This layer of fat is just under the skin, the one you can easily pinch between your fingers.

  1. Visceral

It’s the hidden abdominal fat- the fat that surrounds the abdominal organs and the intestines. It usually isn’t visible externally; even a flat bellied person could be having visceral fat.

Because it isn’t easily detected, we end up ignoring this fat – and it can lead to serious complications.

Reasons for excessive visceral fat:

Genetics – Research shows that genetics could play a role in a person’s metabolism and influence obesity.

Gender – researchers have found that men have a higher tendency to collect visceral fat than women.

Age – Interestingly, fat storage changes with age, especially in women. Whereas premenopausal fat collection is usually subcutaneous, post menopause, fat starts accumulating around the abdomen.

Ethnicity – It has been observed that Europeans tend to have excessive visceral fat, as compared to other ethnic groups.

Diet – a diet high in calories and low in proteins leads to formation of excess fat, which can get stored as visceral fat.

Alcohol – Excess alcohol can cause inflammation and fatty deposition around the liver, leading to chronic liver disease. Studies have shown that men are more susceptible to alcoholic liver disease than women.

Lack of exercise – Calorie intake and exercise always affect each other inversely, too many calories and less exercise will lead to fat build up.

Stress – Increased stress levels release the hormone cortisol in the body- this hormone affects metabolism, resulting in fat collection around the abdomen.

Sleep – Lack of good sleep or short sleep can send you on a spree of unhealthy eating habits, leading to fat collection in the body, especially around the abdomen.

How to Measure It

There’s no way to know precisely where and how much visceral fat is hidden in your body without expensive imaging tests.

Waist size.

This is an easy way to get a rough estimate. Wrap a tape measure around your waist over your belly button. (Don’t suck in your stomach!) In women, 35 inches or more is a sign of visceral fat. In men, it’s 40 inches. This, however, is a crude tool, especially if you’re a very big person. And if you’re of Asian origin, the benchmark for visceral fat drops to 31.5 inches for women and 35.5 inches for men.

BMI.

Body mass index is a formula for how much you weigh relative to your height. Online calculators can calculate for you. A BMI of 30 or higher is overweight. That could be a sign of visceral fat. If you’re Asian American, a BMI of 23 or higher could be a concern.

Hip-to-waist ratio.

You divide your waist size by your hip size. While some think the number gives a good idea of your risk for visceral fat, studies suggest it may be no better than a simple waist measurement.

Body shape.

Look in the mirror. If your body is an apple shape — a big trunk and slimmer legs — it often can mean more visceral fat. This body shape is more common among men. Women are more likely to be pears — with bigger hips and thighs. Research shows that upper body fat is more dangerous to your health, which might be one reason why women usually live longer than men.

Imaging tests.

These expensive scans are the only way to check the exact amount of visceral fat you have. If your doctor orders a CT scan or an MRI test to check for another medical condition, a detailed picture of your visceral fat can also be obtained.

Health

The dangers of visceral fat

While it is safe, even necessary, to have a few layers of fat which provide warmth and protect the inner organs of the body, too much fat can trigger health problems.

Besides storing energy, fat cells also produce certain hormones and other inflammatory substances; over a period of time, these can cause or increase complications in the body.

Presence of visceral fat in the belly is a sign of metabolic syndrome, a collection of disorders that include high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol and insulin resistance. Together, these increase the risk of stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Researchers suggest that even those with a normal weight but more fat around their stomach have an almost 80 percent increased risk of problems, compared to those who don’t store weight around their middle.

Increased insulin resistance

A high amount of visceral fat is known to be associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. Researchers have found that visceral fat secretes a protein called retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), known to increase the body’s resistance to insulin.

Hyperlipidemia

Substances released by visceral fat, including free fatty acids, enter the portal vein and travel to the liver, where they can influence the production of blood lipids. Visceral fat is directly linked with higher levels of total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as lower HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

 Hypertension

Visceral fat is known to be associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activity, which is associated with elevations in blood pressure. Moreover, VAT contributes free-fatty acids through the portal vein, which may result in increased insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, in turn, can be associated with prevalent and incident hypertension

Atherosclerosis

Obesity is a risk factor for atherosclerosis as well as its complications, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Recent studies have demonstrated that the vascular risk associated with obesity is correlated with visceral fat.

Liver disease

Visceral fat is located near your portal vein, which carries blood from your gastrointestinal tract to your liver for processing. It transfers fatty acids, inflammatory proteins, and other dangerous substances to your liver.

As such, visceral fat is associated with liver inflammation and higher amounts of liver fat, which increases your risk of developing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Heart attack and heart disease

Visceral fat pumps out immune system chemicals called cytokines — for example, tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 — that can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Type 2 diabetes

Insulin resistance means that your body’s muscle and liver cells don’t respond adequately to normal levels of insulin, the pancreatic hormone that carries glucose into the body’s cells. Glucose levels in the blood rise, heightening the risk for diabetes.

Alzheimer’s disease

Increased fat around the belly/waist can shrink the hippocampus area of the brain. As it shrinks, memory function can be affected and the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease increases.

Cancers

For postmenopausal women, lower estrogen levels can change the way your body stores fat- more fat around the abdomen than the thighs. This extra tummy fat can disrupt your hormones and increase your chances of breast and uterine cancers.

fat

Treatment

It is important to take the necessary steps to reduce this visceral fat-

Exercise

Exercise can help you shed both visceral fat and subcutaneous fat you can see and pinch. Exercising for at least 30 minutes every day (for example by brisk walking, cycling, aerobic exercise and strength training) can go a long way toward reducing fat.

It’s also important to keep and to build your muscles. Workout with weights, do resistance training like push-ups and sit-ups, or practice yoga.

Diet

Concentrating on portion size, and emphasizing on complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and lean protein over simple carbohydrates such as white bread, refined-grain pasta, and sugary drinks can reduce visceral fat.

High fibre diet

Fibre is the part of plant foods that your body can’t digest easily, so it helps you feel full longer and keeps your digestive system healthy. People who follow high fibre diets tend to have less belly fat than those who don’t. Indulging in a high fibre diet may help you lose excess belly fat

Fibre-rich foods include fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (like beans and lentils).

Include calcium

More calcium and vitamin D in your body may be linked to less visceral fat. So load up on leafy greens like collards and spinach. Tofu and sardines are also good picks, as are dairy foods like yogurt, cheese, and milk.

More protein

Dietary patterns that are higher in protein may help promote belly fat loss.

Avoid added sugar

Drinking too many sugary drinks like soda has been linked to increased visceral fat accumulation and a larger waist circumference. It’s in everything from ketchup and salad dressing to bread, pasta, and yogurt.

Try swapping sugary drinks with water or sparkling water. Read labels carefully. Pay special attention to ingredients listed at the end of a list — these are things manufacturers add for flavor or texture, so they’re often full of added sugars.

Reduce alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol may harm your overall health in a number of ways, including contributing to excessive accumulation of belly fat.

Avoid Trans fat

Certain foods seem to encourage belly fat. One of them is trans fats, which are found in meats and dairy as well as in deep-fried or processed foods.

Try intermittent fasting

A new and popular fad, Intermittent fasting is a weight loss strategy that involves going through periods of eating and going without food. It may help reduce your levels of visceral fat.

Get plenty of sleep

Not getting enough sleep may increase cortisol, increasing your risk of additional visceral fat. Insomnia also increases the appetite hormone ghrelin, so you crave sugary foods and eat more. As you gain weight from eating sugary foods, your body stores some of it as visceral fat.

Make sure you get at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night.

Reduce stress

Stress activates a hormone in your body called cortisol. More cortisol activates your body’s “fight-or-flight” response, which triggers the storage of more visceral fat. Try yoga or meditation to lower your stress level.

relax

Balance Sheet of Life – A Story of a Tale # 3

By
Nagesh Alai
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0
Saint

D Subramaniam Iyer, hailing from a middle class conservative family from Karur, a charming little town, rather a glorified village of yore, now famous for textiles and an eponymous bank to boot, is an erudite person, knowledgeable in spirituality and science. He had consciously taken up the profession of a priest to serve temples and homes with the objective of spreading India’s ancient scriptures, scientific thought and wisdom. It was not just about the Hindu scriptures, but also about the texts and teachings of Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrian and Jewish in which he was proficient.  Subbu, a fond moniker used by his family and friends, was secular and syncretic at heart in all the talk and the walk and could hold forth unequivocally and unbiased at any debates across religion forums. Not just him, his two siblings, a younger brother and a sister, were equally wise and adept at these, though they went off to corporate careers to earn their fame and fortunes. His great grandfather and family had migrated in circa 1905 to the de rigueur city of commerce and opportunities, then called Bombay. His grandfather had found a job in a well-known cotton mill of those days, run by the British and had settled down in the sylvan and shaded suburb of Chembur, a bastion of the South Indian families in those days. He had ensured that his children got the best of education from well-regarded schools/institutes, believing firmly that there can be no better investment.

Subbu was different from his growing up days, unlike his two siblings. Like his father, Subbu too believed that the real growth of a person lies in the traverse from education to knowledge to wisdom and the extent to which one can share that wisdom for societal transformation. He had been greatly influenced by his virtuous great grandfather, who was a well-regarded ‘vadhiyar’ ( a priest ) in the community and by the simple living of his own father, a practising chartered accountant of high integrity and his mother, a loving homemaker famous for her heart-warming generosity and cuisines.

Subbu was frugality personified and saw nature holistically as a sharable and preservable cosmic gift. He never compared himself with anyone nor did he ever rue his financial condition with the firm belief that the divine will provide him with enough sustenance to manage life. So it was, the temple management and his patrons for whom he performed religious rituals and ceremonies were relatively generous in their ‘dakshina’ to him and he somehow managed providing for his family, nary a wrinkle or a furrow on his forehead. After all he had a roof over his head, courtesy the prescience of his father, and a loving family in his wife, Ranjana and two gifted children, Raghavan and Ragini. Like his father, Subbu too managed to secure and ensure some good foundational education for his two children who were about to finish their college graduation and looking forward to post graduation programmes abroad. Little did the children realise that while Subbu and Ranjana could manage their children’s basic education, they had no resources to fund their expensive overseas studies. Neither did it ever occur to the simple living and high thinking couple that their children would want to take wings and cross the seven seas. Their firm belief was that India had enough to offer to every aspirant. After all, did not Subbu’s two siblings make a mark for themselves in India, having passed the best of the competitive examinations and making a mark in their envious careers?

Subbu and Ranjana were pensive, as they sat in their sunny balcony on a Sunday morning, quaffing the ubiquitous filter coffee and discussing how to cope with their current situation and satisfy their children’s dreams. It was daunting to say the least. They personally were very happy with their lot and have had a wonderful life of limited needs and manageable wants. Their children too had been happy and contented and excelled in their studies, but of late had started thinking differently about the paths they want to tread and experience life beyond the borders of Mumbai and the shores of India. The fact is also that neither Subbu nor Ranjana were comfortable asking anyone for help or financial support knowing fully well that they will never be able to repay it. They believed firmly that no one should pass with unpaid debts.

In this state of helplessness, Subbu could not help recalling and sharing with Ranjana the story of his grandfather that his father had often recounted to him in his childhood.  His grandfather was apparently holding an important position in the mill that he was employed in and the chief manager had entrusted him the job of scrutinising all cotton purchases for their quality and quantity and passing the invoices for payment only after ascertainment.  As a necessary internal process, the mill had three suppliers for the purchase of the cotton. One of the vendors was a person named Iman who had founded Iman Cotton Enterprises and had been supplying cotton to some of the best known mills of those times including the one where Subbu’s grandfather worked.

Iman was an adventurous trader and was financially highly geared. Because of this, he always chased his clients for early payments so that he could turn around his cash flows faster and trade more. Iman in the course of his dealing with the mill had developed a bond with Subbu’s grandfather. Iman knew that Subbu’s grandfather was a very principled man and would not do anything out of turn or out of process and all his actions were merit based. Many times, due to the cash flow pressures, Iman would often approach Subbu’s grandfather and badger him for early payments. At times, Iman had also gone to the extent of offering him a percentage of the payment, as a quid pro quo. Subbu’s grandfather was much agitated at this, but never accepted the offer, as a firm believer in ethics and integrity. He was very happy with the salary that the mill paid him. But he never wrote off Iman as unscrupulous since the quality of his cotton supply was impeccable and as per the specifications and the quantity supplied was always a bit more, never less than what was invoiced.  This quality had gained Iman the immense respect of most of his clients, including Subbu’s grandfather and would perhaps explain his successful business expansion and diversification. With an intent to help Iman, Subbu’s grandfather had in fact approached his superiors to agree to an early payment discount, which benefitted the  mill as also met Iman’s cash flow needs of the hour.

Cloth

Soon, Iman’s respect and regard for Subbu’s grandfather grew and a close bond developed between the two families, continuing down the generations. The fact that Iman’s family had flourished and grown ultra-rich over the decades, did not come in the way of their close relationship with the Iyer family. Iman’s grandson, Imran, was a contemporary of Subbu and his siblings, and was now the head of the Iman Group of Companies, which had presence in India and abroad. He maintained a close friendship with Subbu and his family and the mutual relationship was one of deep respect and love.

Imran too had heard from his father about his grandfather, Iman and Subbu’s grandfather’s deep friendship that developed as a result of the latter’s  professionalism and integrity at throwing away an opportunity to grow rich by refusing outright Iman’s offer of commission for every payment cleared and instead helping him with official early payments to fuel his expansion. Iman had been deeply touched and attributed his growing wealth to Subbu’s grandfather’s integrity and honesty of purpose. Iman had kept an account of all the payments that Subbu’s grandfather had cleared in the course of his service tenor at the mill. The amounts cleared ran into several crores of rupees and the commission that Iman had  offered Subbu’s grandfather, but was refused, would have run into thousands of rupees, a princely sum in those days. Iman had kept an account of this and every year he would keep aside an equivalent amount, in denominations of Rs. 1,000, many of them of the British India rule, issued during King George V’s rule and King George VI’s rule, and some of the Indian Republic’s early period, in a large sealed envelope with a hand written note. Rich as  Iman’s family was, none ever bothered or remembered the envelope and it was lying somewhere in one of their many bank lockers and passed down the generations.

Hindu-Muslim

As Subbu and Ranjana were ruminating, they heard a doorbell and in walks Imran and his wife, Aaliya, with their customary box of sweets. Truth be told, Imran and his family loved the tasty idli and sambhar made by Ranjana and welcomed themselves to the Iyer’s spartan home to partake of the sumptuous breakfast, as often as possible. It was their way of going light once a week and what better than idli on an idle Sunday at their close friend’s home, followed by the aromatic filter coffee. Subbu’s and Ranjana’s pensiveness was not lost on Imran or his wife; they knew from their own children about Raghavan and Ragini’s wish for overseas studies and it was not difficult to put two and two together to understand and empathise with the Iyer’s worries.

After a hearty brunch, Imran and Aaliya left the Iyer’s home and on their way back home were discussing how to help their friends, knowing fully well that the Iyers will be loath to seek any help. They went to their bank the very  next day and were going through their four safe deposit lockers to select a few and valuable heritage jewellery out of the collection that Iman family had collected over the decades, with a view to raise some monies. As they were rummaging through the lockers and the many jewellery, they came across an old sealed envelope. Imran and Aaliya opened the envelope to find a note in Urdu that his grandfather, Iman, had written decades ago. As they read the note, incredulity and smile spread on their visages and they were visibly moved. They immediately knew what needed to be done. They put the old envelope in a sealed pouch and couriered it to the Iyer’s home.

Subbu and Ranjana received the courier the next day at lunch. With much curiosity they opened the envelope and were shocked to see the wad of crisp old Rs.1, 000 notes from the British India era and the early Republic India times. Since Subbu was well versed in Urdu, he could understand what Iman’s note said. Essentially, it was extolling Subbu’s grandfather’s integrity and simplicity and attributing his own business empire’s success to the good intent and wishes of Subbu’s grandfather. Iman’s intent was to keep these notes aside for the Iyer family, should it ever be required by them for any just cause. As it turns out, the Iyer family found out that the old numismatic notes were worth a huge fortune of over Rs. 60 million, many times over the overseas education expenses of Raghavan and Ragini.  Subbu and Ranjana could only wonder and marvel at the divine intervention at the right time via the munificent Iman family. They sauntered out for a visit to the temple and to Imran and Aaliya’s abode of love for a warm tete-a-tete over a phirni.  God does pay unexpected visits to the conscientious mortals in immortal ways.

A Story of Tale #1

A Story of Tale #2

Revisiting Heaven on Earth

By
Malti Gaekwad
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0
Kashmir

 “Gar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast”
Mughal Emperor Jahangir is reported to have spoken about Kashmir, recalling the words of poet Amir Khusro. Jahangir is said to have visited the valley 8 times during his reign.

The Kashmir Valley lies between the Karakoram, Zanskar and the Pir Panjal Ranges. It was said to be a huge lake which got drained due to tectonic shifts, that explains why there are still so many lakes.

Having spent my childhood in Kashmir, I was really looking forward to visiting it one more time, especially after hearing that conditions have improved and lakhs of tourists have been visiting the valley in the last couple of years, be it to see the Tulip Garden, enjoy winter sports, do the Amarnath Yatra or just for a holiday. Tourism had suffered a major setback in Kashmir for over two decades and then the pandemic struck, giving a further blow. Fortunately now things are looking up in a big way.

There was a time when Kashmir was the destination for Bollywood movies in its Golden days with countless movies of Shammi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor, Rajinder Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor to name just a few. Then there was a lull due to unsafe conditions as we all know. Film shootings have once again started with younger actors like Siddharth Malhotra, Kartik Aryan, Tapsee Pannu and Kaira. Most recently the Badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan was also shooting there. So once again the valley is literally blooming with a lot of people, colour and activity.

Every effort is being made by the administration to provide a good experience to visitors and tourists. The natural beauty of Kashmir was always unmatched but infrastructure and facilities were lacking. Development has been taken up in a big way. Srinagar is even slated to soon become a Smart City and these days all the main roads are being redone for one of the G20 meetings which is to be held here sometime soon.

Since my last visit a few decades ago a lot has changed for the better. The countryside is changing…… among the fields, fancy big bungalows have been built, where there were smaller houses.

Kashmir countryside

People seem more educated and aware, even the women. Girls are seen riding two wheelers, driving cars and going to the bank independently.

ladies

Shopping arcades and malls have come up where small shanties used to be.  Yes, there are no cinema halls, but hotels have come up everywhere catering to all categories of tourists. Taxis are available to add to the convenience. In earlier days tourists had to take the government buses to go to Gulmarg or Pahalgam in absence of their own conveyance. Plenty of houseboats are also available to suit different pockets. Spending at least one night on a houseboat is part of almost everyone’s itinerary. Couple of decades ago staying on a houseboat was a luxury few could afford and it was limited to few rich and famous or to foreigners. Today all the houseboats are well furnished with walnut wood furniture, Kashmiri carpets, typical curtains and bed covers made of hand embroidered patterns in crewel work, running hot water, bathtubs and flush toilets. On request, guests can order a delicious Kashmiri meal and enjoy it on the boat itself with soulful but modern Kashmiri music playing in the background.

A shikara ride on the Dal or Nageen Lake is a must. There are enough shikaras to cater to everyone. On the Dal Lake Boulevard alone, there are at least 20 shikhara stands and each one properly numbered and classified. Tourists and their baggage are transported to their houseboats in an organised manner, earlier it used to be quite a chaos. Another observation is that the locals providing most of the services are young and educated and have realised the importance of pampering tourists and visitors professionally and treating them with courtesy. Most young Kashmiris speak in English now; some attempt Gujarati and Marathi too, having picked up a few words from the visitors.
Shikara

All roads leading to popular tourist destinations are very good and well maintained. In fact the villages along the route too have a modernized look now. A big boon is good toilet facilities everywhere whether the big shop owners have made it for use by their customers or they are the pay-and-use ones.(In earlier times lack of toilets was a major problem tourists faced.) Driving through the countryside while enjoying nature’s bounty is a memorable experience. In this season, white Apple blossoms and rich yellow mustard flowers greet us everywhere. The picturesque scenery forces you to stop time and again to click photographs.

Apple Blossom

The major places for visiting are Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Gulmarg etc these are destinations everyone goes to but the biggest attraction during April-May is in Srinagar itself. Asia’s largest Tulip garden. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden is attracting hordes of people. This year an estimated four lakh people were expected to visit during one month! The garden was set up in 2007 in roughly eighty acres of a slope at the foothill of the majestic Zabarwan range overlooking the scenic Dal Lake. The garden boasts of over seventy varieties of tulips in various colours brought from Holland and Amsterdam. It’s a magnificent sight to behold. Rows and rows of neatly planted tulips are breathtaking.  What we had seen in movies like Silsila, it is a great feeling to see it personally in our own country and we are standing among this riot of colours –  it’s almost surreal.

Tulip garden

All these flowers do not claim any particular fragrance, however there is an intoxicating floral aroma touching your senses with every whiff of cool mountain breeze. Each colour of the tulips is so attractive that one can easily go crazy going from bed to bed to take a closer look. The colours range from pure white to whites with streaks and stripes of pink and yellow, to every shade possible that you can think of from yellow to orange to pink, red, crimson to purple to what can be called black. The best part is that wheel chairs with attendants are available for a nominal cost and the attendant will oblige by stopping to take photographs of you as and when you want.

Tulips

Much has been written about the Mughal Gardens of Kashmir and we all have memories from Bollywood movies which were shot here especially in the 1960s. Mughal Emperors Shahjahan and Aurangzeb used Srinagar as their summer capital and built many beautiful terraced gardens accompanied with pavilion-like structures, which added to the beauty and grandeur.  With water channels and tanks with fountains, colourful fragrant flowers and the mighty Chinars trees, these Gardens make for a beautiful experience. There is an interesting sound and light program at the Shalimar Bagh recreating a romantic Mughal era. This show is conducted between May and October. Shalimar and Nishat Bagh are the famous ones, while Chashme Shahi and Pari Mahal in Srinagar as well as Achchabal and others have Mughal lineage as well. Elsewhere too nice gardens have been developed. Manasbal, Aaharbal, Pahalgam, Betab Valley are but a few to name. A visit can be planned to all these places depending on the time you have on hand.

Pahalgam meaning pahla gaon (first village) on the way to the holy Cave of Amarnath has its own beauty and charm with the gushing waters of river Lidder which is formed by melting glaciers. It has big round boulders and the water makes a roaring sound as it hits these rocks. Interestingly in Pahalgam, the entire market consists of just one straight road about 1 km long flanked by small eateries and shops where you can buy just about any handicraft item of Kashmir.  Bargaining helps as every other shop is selling similar objects and competition is stiff. Suggestion is, if you like a thing, buy it at a price that suits you, after all, the stuff is handmade. So it is unique and you won’t find a duplicate. Tourists love to buy Kashmiri pherans and bags etc. and flout them there….. right away. You also have popular places where tourists can wear a Kashmiri costume and pose for photographs carrying with them a memory for a lifetime.

Dress

At the other end of the market is a small temple, a gurdwara and a mosque all one after the other. We went into the gurudwara where the Bhaiji offered to take our picture when we were struggling to take a group selfie. Places to visit beyond Pahalgam are, Aru Valley, Betaab Valley, Sheshnag and Chandanwadi, the last two are campsites enroute to Amarnath.

While driving through this magnificent valley, you will see the towns dotted with big and small mosques, which stand out due to their green painted tops, but many are not aware that prior to the Muslim conquests, Kashmir was a centre of Shaivism philosophy and the seat for Sanskrit learning and literature. So you come across many temples as well. Mostly dedicated to Lord Shiva, but there are others too. The most famous from architectural heritage point of view are the Martand Sun Temple and the Avantiswami Temple both are currently in ruins and have not been reconstructed or renovated although they are protected under ASI.

Ancient temple

The Martand Sun Temple is one of the four main Sun Temples in the country. It was built in the 8th Century by Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota Dynasty. The Avantiswami Temple also lies only a few kilometres away. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu it was built between 855-883 AD, during the reign of king Avantiraman of the Utpala Dynasty. Although patronized by different kings, both temple complexes housed many shrines with the main structure in the middle, built on a raised platform and adorned by graceful figural sculptures. These were destroyed by Sikander Shah Miri in the 15th century. The ruins and the remains were further damaged due to several earthquakes.

Another small temple attributed to king Avantiraman was recently found near the Manasabal Lake. This is unique as it is half submerged in water within a small tank, which has a spring within.

Temple2

Other famous temples which people visit and pray at are Shankaracharya, Mattan Martand and Mata Kheer Bhawani temple. Shankaracharya temple is said to be the oldest of all. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva, situated on top of a hill in the city of Srinagar and attributed to king Gopaladitya around 371 BCE. It is believed that this temple was visited by Adi Shancracharya in the 8th century, hence its present name.

Mattan Martand Temple is dedicated to Martand Rishi son of Rishi Kashyap (from whom Kashmir derives its name) Martand is another name for Sun God so some people call it the birthplace of the Sun God. The temple complex has two three small temples with different deities, but the main stands inside a tank which has lots of fish in it. These fish are considered sacred. By feeding the fish, they say, one is absolved of all the sins! So it’s a popular destination. Traditionally this temple was home to the Pandits who kept the family records of generations (as per one’s gotra) of people….. Our ancestors who had earlier visited the temple, much like in Varanasi or Kashi.

PujaThe Mata Kheer Bhawani temple is one of the most revered places for the Kashmiri Pandits….but not much is known about its history. The present complex was built by the Dogra ruler Maharaja Pratap Singh around 1912. As the name suggests it is dedicated to Goddess Durga (Bhawani) and the water in the small tank surrounding it usually remains a milky white, because Kheer (a preparation of milk and rice is offered to the deity.)  It is believed that in times of danger, war, and calamities the colour of the water turns red as a sign of danger.

Among the most popular destinations is Gulmarg which is totally different from Pahalgam except that both are flanked by snow covered mountains. Gulmarg is a small valley of grassy meadows. It is like a bowl, which has one circular road all around and no vehicles are allowed on the green grassland.  One side has a street with eateries and shops which also sell/rent woollen clothes, windcheaters, jackets, raincoats and gumboots. The climate in Gulmarg can change at the drop of a hat, after a nice sunny morning it can suddenly rain and get pretty cold. The circular road is dotted with hotels suitable for every pocket.

While Gulmarg is a famous destination for skiing and winter sports when the whole valley is white with snow, summer has its own charm. The meadows will have patches of colourful wild flowers. In the middle, prominently lies a beautiful 18-hole golf course, made popular by the British since 1920 and a small Shiva temple. There is also an old church nearby. Gulmarg boasts of having the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering.

Gondola ride up to Khilanmarg provides for some fantastic views of the valley Pines and snow covered mountains. Phase 1 of the Gondola takes you to a point which has a wide open area halfway up the mountain and the second phase takes you up to Apharwat which has even more snow everywhere as well as a beautiful high altitude lake. The best time to see this lake is during August and September. Lots of exciting snow activities can be enjoyed, like sledging, skiing and a ride on the snow scooters. Senior citizens can also participate in these sports with the help of local guides, provided you are in good health. Gulmarg is at a height of 2652 m and Apharwat is 3800 m above sea level.

Gulmarg

Sonamarg is another popular destination for a day trip. If you like to stay overnight there are a number of hotels. This picturesque place lies on the road to Kargil and Ladakh and also provides an alternate but the more difficult and arduous route to the Amarnath Cave via Baltal.  The Kolhai Glacier is situated near Sonamarg.  After a small trek one can enjoy the snow of the glacier and the ice cold waters of the steam formed there with.

Yusmarg, known as the little valley of flowers, is a green meadow. After the snow melts in the summer it is full of wildflowers in different hues. It is a place ideally suited for a relaxed holiday away from the din of vehicles and towns.

People driving down from Jammu like to take a detour to Verinag. A small place with big significance as the river Jhelum starts from a spring in the tank here. A small arched construction around the tank resonates with Mughal architecture.

These are the common places most people like to visit. But for the nature lovers, bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts there are places like The National Park at Dachigam where one can easily see the Hangul – the Kashmir stag, and if you are lucky you see the Musk deer, Himalayan Brown bear, Himalayan Black bear, even snow leopards have been spotted. You can also find many other animals and birds in different seasons. Besides Dachigam, there is also the Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary with similar animals. Anchar Lake is a much loved destination for bird watchers and photographers. Hokersar Wetlands are an important staging ground for medium and long distance migratory shorebirds, geese, cranes, ducks and other species that breed in Siberia and Central Asia. Duksum is known for Trout fishing. There is much to see and savour, so let Kashmir be your next holiday destination.

TIPS FOR SENIOR TRAVELLERS:

 Carry adequate inners, woollens, caps, mufflers, leg warmers, jackets and socks. Room heaters and bed warmers are provided in most hotels for extreme cold weather.

  • A windcheater/ rain coat can be useful anytime in the mountains.
  • Hats, caps and shades/goggles are a must – the glare in the sun can be unbearable at times. The sun feels really hot and can tan you easily. Do carry sunscreen with you.
  • At least two pairs of comfortable walking shoes. Sandals are not a good idea even in the summers.
  • Gum boots are available on rent in snowbound tourist spots like Gulmarg, Khilanmarg, Sonamarg
  • A folding walking stick Is advisable even if you don’t need one regularly, it can be helpful while climbing steps and slopes especially in the Mughal gardens and elsewhere. It provides additional support and a lot of confidence.
  • ATVs, ponies, wheel chairs, sledges are available at most places on extra payment for tourists/visitors. Sometimes even if you can walk, you’ll want to rent one just for the fun of it and the convenience!
  • No prepaid mobile connections will work in the valley. Ensure you have at least one post-paid one in your group. Wi-Fi connectivity is available in most hotels and houseboats.
  • Finally – Remember to carry all your prescribed and general medicines. Your particular ones may not be available easily. Please carry as required.

Love at first sound: One woman’s tribute to the God of Rock ’n’ Roll

By
Radhika Vaz
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Tine Turner

I was 11 years old when I first met Tina Turner. It was 1984, I was in boarding school in Ooty and her photograph was on the cover of a cassette tape. At the moment of reckoning she was wearing black leather and red lipstick and singing a song called ‘What’s love got to do with it’.  This, I learned much later, was a song expressly not about love but about it’s much more fun cousin S.E.X. But at 11 I had no clue nor did I care. I wasn’t obsessed with the song because of the lyrics I was obsessed by the voice that sang them.

If you have never heard a Tina Turner song let me prepare you – her voice is like thunder. It is raw, powerful, dangerous. And just like her voice Tina looked like thunder too. She was the most glamourous thing I had ever seen in my young life, instantly displacing Zeenat Aman from the pedestal upon which I had placed her a few years before. And I knew there and then that when I grew up I wanted to be Tina Turner.

Music2

Tina Turner was made for women like myself. She was a huge success in a field where looks matter yet she was not a conventionally pretty woman – in fact she wasn’t pretty at all, in fact I wonder if she would be annoyed by that word itself! Tina was not beautiful, she was beauty. There is a difference.  She embodied strength, power and grace – qualities that are timeless and neither feminine or masculine. Tina showed us that conforming to any standard set for us and by someone else would be wasting our time. Tina Turner became my hero.

Then I got older and I forgot my hero. Life happened. I got married, I moved countries, I started and restarted my career, I moved countries yet again, I turned 40. Then this year I turned 50. I don’t know if it’s a mid-life crisis or an existential crisis or just plain old depression but the last twelve months have not been easy. I have struggled personally and professionally, telling myself on more than one occasion to stop writing and performing. That nobody wanted to hear from some middle-aged woman who was out of touch with all things cool.

flower

And then right in the middle of my panic ridden pity party, on May 24th Tina Turner died.

I never thought she would die. I know that sounds so stupid but I really thought I would be reading about her doing amazing things until I died. That maybe one day before I turned 70 I would watch her perform. Ah the fantasies we live to regret!

Once I got my breath back, I went down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos listening to her songs and inadvertently reliving my own life. I spent several days reading or watching as many interviews as I could find on the internet and of the many wonderfully insightful things I read or saw, one in particular stood out. When asked what she thought her legacy was, this humble woman who had won multiple Grammys, been inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall Of Fame, and had a film made about her life, said that her legacy was that she never gave up on who she was.

I realized then that  I owed Tina. That I would have to keep writing and performing. That I would have to get up, dust off, and keep it moving. Because what we all ultimately leave behind are not our accomplishments but a path.

Suddenly I felt calmer knowing that my job here on earth is to simply keep going. To carve my path to the very end. This path may be narrow, thorny, overrun with weeds, and ridden with potholes. It may not be lined with awards and recognition but if it is a path that lets one other soul think ‘maybe I can’ then it was a path worth having run, walked, and yes, on some days crawled.

tina4

Tina Turner did not simply become the Goddess of Rock-n-Roll. She had to overcome poverty, abuse and a host of other setbacks. If she had allowed any of it to stop her I would not have the soundtrack to my life. And unless I willfully walk my path I may never find those little surprises along the way. Those hidden waterfalls or the views from the top of the mountain.

I have decided that every day, especially the hard days, I will wake up and tell myself to just work on my path. Who knows what I will encounter – perhaps a storm, but also perhaps a rainbow.  But if I don’t beat that path daily then I was never a true Tina Turner fan, I was just a tourist and I never want to be a tourist, not anywhere in this world and especially not in my own life.

And so, I promise myself and you dear reader, that when things are ugly, painful and hard I will simply summon Tina Turner and remember always that if Tina could then I can.

The engineer and army gunner who gunned for the Pandavas: Gufi Paintal

By
Dr Srinivasan Ramachandran
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Shakuni

The Shakuni Mama of BR Chopra’s epic serial Mahabharat Gufi Paintal alias Sarabjit Singh Paintal was three years old and in Lahore when he was suddenly yanked from his roots, put in a military truck from Lahore and taken to India. By the time they had reached the border town of TarnTarn, young Sarabjit had seen too many dead bodies to his comfort but realized how important a role the army had played in his life and wanted to wear the fatigues as he grew up.

The option was to be an actor. But his father – who had grown up as a cameraman for the noted Punjabi filmmaker from Pakistan Dalsukh M Pancholi at the Pancholi Arts Studios – was not keen that his son do any of that. “Back in the day, we all had to do what our fathers wanted us to do. There were very few options then. My father was keen that I take up engineering. I was not someone who opened his mind to my father back and though I was disinterested, went on to do mechanical engineering,” Gufi told this writer once.

Suddenly there was a clarion call for Indians to join the army when the unfriendly neighbours China and Pakistan started skirmishes and then wars with India and Gufi along with 59 others from his college, left their studies to join the army for a few years. “Back then patriotism had a different meaning, we were a young country free from the clutches of the British. A list of patriotic stories were being imbibed into us and hence we had to respond to the call of joining the army and one of my childhood ambitions was fulfilled,” he added.

Having said that, Gufi one met his uncle – who retired later as a Lt General then the latter was on an inspection and he was surprised to see him there. “I was only a gunner in the artillery division of the Territorial Army and even my uncle’s younger brothers later on retired as LT Gens. I told him that I had become an engineer because dad wanted me to do so,” he revealed. In 1967 he left the army and returned to the engineering college, wrapped up his studies and joined Tata Engineering and Locomotive which was the time when he connected with Ratan Tata. “I met him at the hostel. He was and still is a fine young man. There was one more Bakshi in my college who was related to the Kashmir Prime Minister Ghulam Mohammad Bakshi,” Gufi had told back then.

One day Gufi received a call that changed his life and that was when his brother Paintal a.k.a Kanwaljit Paintal popularly known as the king of mime back then called him up after becoming an actor in the Hindi movies. Paintal told his brother to stop his “nuts and bolts” job and enter films.

Gufi-Paintal

That is when Gufi decided to become an assistant director because he always wanted to be a director as he along with Paintal indulged in shadow play during childhood. He also did a bit of modelling for money and even doubled up as a casting director at times. Gufi got his first big break as an assistant director when he assisted HS Rawail in his film Laila Majnu starring the heart throb Rishi Kapoor. Later he got to work with his son Rahul Rawail in the classic hit Love Story starring Kumar Gaurav. Then came his big break when he got to assist Raj Kapoor in his films and managed to learn a lot from the showman.

The film, that however changed his life, was the BR Chopra backed and Ravi Chopra directed one – The Burning Train. Gufi had joined BR Films – a company that was to give him his permanent identity. He was assisting in the movies and also involved in the casting, took care of the newly formed Ad department in the company and started acting as well. He also got an opportunity to direct many tv serials under the BR Films banner.the-burning-trainLife did change when the time came to cast for the role of Shakuni in Mahabharat. Gufi was already the casting director of the serial and would show the auditions of several people who were to be introduced one after the other in the show to enable the team led by BR Chopra, which included Ravi Chopra, Dr Rahi Masoom Raza, Satish Bhatnagar, Hasan Kamal and Mahavir Adhikari pick out each character.

It was only when the scene to be shot was that of the wedding of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari when Gufi realised that they had not cast an important character of Shakuni. He was already serving as the production designer, casting director and an associate director of the film when he reminded BR Chopra that Shakuni had not been cast and that is when he was told that he was playing the said role and they had kept it a secret because “Choprasaab felt that only Gufi could play the role.”

Gufi had given them a shortlist of three actors, but Chopra was impressed by his role of Thomas Metcalfe in the project – The Last Emperor: Bahadur Shah Zafar.  “It was luck that I got the role on a silver platter,” Gufi had mentioned.

Gufi’s slight limp as the scheming Shakuni Mama is forever etched in our minds.

But his acting career was not that easy. My first role was when he had to kidnap Leena Chandavarkar in the Atmaram film Qaid when Vinod Khanna and his friends thrash him and take away the heroine. Gufi went on to direct Vinod Khanna later in the TV serial Maharana Pratap.

Dimple

Another tale of a desperate attempt to act came in Bhagyashree’s father Vinjay Singhrao Patwardhan directed film Dimple when he had to again kidnap the heroine in the film starring Rita Bhaduri and Satish Kaul. It was in December when Gufi had to enact another kidnap scene with the heroine in a boat in a chilly evening at a lake in Mahabaleshwar. The hero, who was in another boat, rescued the girl and sank his boat, now knowing that Gufi could not swim. After shouting “bachao bachao,” Gufi disappeared into the water. They realized his goofy act was for real when he didn’t come up and then he was saved and the water pumped out from his body. Only then did he reveal that he did not say that he could not swim because he didn’t want to lose the role!

The same Shakuni Mama went to rock the Pandavas’ boat in Mahabharat and etched the character in Indian television history.

Dr S Ramachandran is a veteran film journalist and filmmaker

World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

By
Seniors Today Network
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World Elder Abuse day

Elders

Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Older Age Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses

In the context of last year’s commemoration of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), the World Health Organization in partnership with Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN WOMEN and with support from the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), published Tackling abuse of older people: five priorities for the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021–2030. The resource outlined key priorities to prevent and respond to abuse of older persons and, hence, contribute to improving their health, well-being and dignity. This year, the commemoration will provide an update on the implementation of the priorities.

Ahead of the milestone of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), this year’s commemoration of WEAAD will also connect with the year-long campaign to promote and recognise the 75th anniversary. As the month of June of the campaign will focus on showcasing the UDHR by raising awareness on its legacy, relevance and activism as relates to women’s rights, the theme of the 2023 WEAAD commemoration in the United Nations Headquarters in New York is entitled Closing the Circle: Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Older Age – Policy, Law and Evidence-based Responses.

Addressing Elder Abuse

Between 2019 and 2030, the number of persons aged 60 years or over is projected to grow by 38%, from 1 billion to 1.4 billion, globally outnumbering youth, and this increase will be the greatest and the most rapid in the developing world, and recognizing that greater attention needs to be paid to the specific challenges affecting older persons, including in the field of human rights.

Elder abuse is a problem that exists in both developing and developed countries yet is typically underreported globally. Prevalence rates or estimates exist only in selected developed countries — ranging from 1% to 10%. Although the extent of elder mistreatment is unknown, its social and moral significance is obvious. As such, it demands a global multifaceted response, one which focuses on protecting the rights of older persons.

Approaches to define, detect and address elder abuse need to be placed within a cultural context and considered alongside culturally specific risk factors. For example, in some traditional societies, older widows are subjected to forced marriages while in others, isolated older women are accused of witchcraft. From a health and social perspectives, unless both primary health care and social service sectors are well equipped to identify and deal with the problem, elder abuse will continue to be underdiagnosed and overlooked.

Thursday, 15 June 2023, 1:15pm – 2:30pm (EDT) New York, UNHQ

An expert panel will present overall trends of violence against older persons, highlight gaps and challenges of implementing the objectives in Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. Expert panelists will also present five priorities to combat violence against older persons in the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030).

Click below for more details:

UNITED NATIONS – 2023 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

How to Find Wisdom in Food Cravings

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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Tempting-food

All my life I have said that dessert is my main course at every meal, I never (well almost!) take a second helping of food, to compensate for the double helping of dessert. Not the best habit to cultivate. But this is a secret I have to share with all of you, that I have had such a sweet tooth all my life, and my body got used to so much sugar, that if it did not get its handsome quota on a daily basis, I was left feeling low, sad and empty in my stomach.

Raise your hand if you have an addiction or a constant craving for any food!

It’s heart-warming to know that its only human to have these food cravings, it only measures-up differently for each person — sweet, salty, fried, crispy, crunchy, fruity, you name it and we all got one of these food cravings. Blame it on your taste buds, nutritional value or lack of it or emotional roots.

And yes, a food craving can drive you up the wall, find you rummaging through your kitchen pantry and refrigerator looking for something to hit the spot and the oddest of times.

It’s time we start looking at food cravings as insights into our body and emotions rather than something to avoid and resist altogether.

The more you resist something, the more it will haunt you.

 In this article we are going to discover how to navigate food cravings and have a healthy relationship with food.

Understanding cravings — Why food cravings aren’t the enemy?

First things first, it’s important to know the difference between hunger and food cravings.

Hunger is a physiological need for food to survive, get nutrients and fuel to perform daily tasks. Your body lets you know it’s hungry by a growling stomach, lightheadedness and discomfort. Cravings, on the other hand, are emotionally and psychologically driven. They are triggers of stimuli and can occur even when you’re not hungry. Food cravings are intense desires to eat certain foods. This can be when we are hungry or not. It’s a common phenomenon that affects almost everyone due to hormonal changes, emotional stress, boredom, the sight or smell of food or even something as simple as hunger.

Oftentimes food cravings mask deep and repressed feelings, for which food is not the answer. The root of food cravings lies in the subconscious mind. It can be the fear of something—not being lovable, fear of not being worthy or good enough, fear of not being in control, fear of not being perfect, to name a few.  To understand the cause and root of your desires it’s important to be curious and listen to what your body is trying to tell you.

If diet culture is considered to be the Gospel truth, we should stamp out cravings and resist them as much as possible.

But is this a sustainable approach?

 There are three things you can do when you have a craving —

  1. Sit with the craving.
  2. Explore whether the craving can be met.
  3. If the desire or craving is still there, then go for it.
  4. Sit with the craving —

It’s completely normal and natural for cravings to crop up from time to time. Instead of repressing, instantly gratifying or ignoring these cravings, try sitting with the craving for sometime. Listen to the message your body is trying to send you. Is your body hungry? Are you trying to avoid something with the help of food? Use the time you’re sitting with the craving to listen to the cues your body is sending you. The more you practice sitting with cravings, the more you’ll learn about your body and be able to interpret its cues. Food cravings are like tantrums toddlers throw. Your body is basically asking for your attention.

  1. Explore whether the craving can be met —

These are some of the ways you can see if your craving is temporary and can be met with an alternative solution.

  • Drink a glass of water
  • Take a nap
  • Go for a walk or exercise
  • Call a friend
  • Hop in the shower or take a relaxing bath

After you try a few ways to satisfy your craving, your craving will either be met or still persist.

  1. If the desire or craving is still there, then go for it —

Once you’ve taken the time to experience and explore the craving, you can decide whether you want to give into it or opt for something else. This method is not about willpower and deprivation but about exploration and understanding.  Its about whether you decide to eat the food you’re craving or not.

What is intuitive eating?

Intuitive eating has been connected to several positive outcomes. It’s a non-diet approach to changing your unhealthy eating habits into healthy ones. Intuitive eating is considered an adaptive mental health strategy that basically refers to your body guiding about what to eat.

So much of our eating is based on routine, social pressures, boredom, anxiety and emotions that what your body really needs gets lost in translation.

The beauty of intuitive eating is simply listening to your body. Food deprivation increases cravings so if your body wants something, give it to yourself, but in moderation.

When you practice intuitive eating, you let go of the rigidity that surrounds food and allow yourself to eat in a way that feels good for your body.

Intuitive eating offers us a few wisdoms-

  1. It allows us to celebrate your cravings instead of feeling scared of them. Once the fear is out of the way, food doesn’t control you.
  2. Intuitive eating throws out the taboo surrounding cravings.

You can eat whatever you want (in moderation)and cravings simply disappear.

  1. You eat in tune with your body.

Your body becomes your guide and allows you to use and burn the fuel (food) you give it efficiently and sustainably.

  1. You eat slowly with awareness and gratitude.

Every morsel of food that goes into your body does not go unnoticed. You register what you are eating and your food gives you satisfaction.

  1. You learn to respect, take care of and love your body just the way it is.

 Conclusion —

Diet culture is all about aesthetics. Learning about your body cues is very important to know what it needs and wants rather than what the world is telling you to give it.

Eating a little bit of what you desire from time to time, makes cravings vanish and not seem special anymore.

Enjoy your food, eat when you are hungry and eat what your body wants (unless you are not allowed to eat it for health reasons.)

Tip-1— Instead of restricting yourself and letting the craving desire simmer in your body, intuitive eating and eating in moderation might be your better option.

Tip-2 —Instead of forcing superficial change, like swapping a piece of cake for a fruit, its time to look for the reason for the food craving. Is it a source of comfort? Once you realize the root cause, the power food has over you weakens.

It all starts with recognising that — food will fix anything is a lie.

Cancer care for the head and neck

By
Dr Noor Gill
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Dr-Anil-D'cruz

On 10 June, 2023, Seniors Today hosted their weekly Health Live webinar with Dr Anil K D’Cruz who spoke on and answered questions about Head and Neck Cancer. 

About Dr Anil K D’Cruz – Dr Anil K D’Cruz, MS, DNB, FRCS (Hon), is Director, Oncology Apollo Cancer Centres. He is well-recognised as a global leader, clinician, researcher and teacher in Head and Neck Oncology. He was Director of Tata Memorial Hospital and Chief of Head Neck Services with over 33 years experience in the field of cancer. Dr D’Cruz is currently President, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). Headquartered in Geneva, the UICC is the largest cancer organisation globally committed to the cause of cancer control comprising 1121 member organisations across 171 countries. Established in 1933, he is the first Indian to hold this position. In recognition of his professional standing in the field, he was awarded the Honorary FRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons London.

 Dr D’Cruz has held leadership positions and is on the board of numerous professional organisations, universities, research organisations and cancer institutions across the country and abroad. He is an avid researcher and his landmark contribution in management of neck nodes in oral cancers awarded the plenary at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2015 and subsequently published in the New England journal of Medicine, the first from the Tata Memorial Hospital in this prestigious journal. He worked on research in the use of curcumin and was part of a project to develop and validate molecular cytogenetic studies/Proteomics in oral cancers, results of which were filed for a patent.

Dr D’Cruz has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and chapters to his name and is a member of the Editorial Board of many reputed national and international journals.

He has delivered more than 500 invited lectures and nearly a 100 named lectures, keynotes and orations both nationally and internationally. He has also been a special invitee to over 100 conferences nationally and internationally to demonstrate head and neck, thyroid surgery. Dr D’Cruz’s special areas of interest are oral/laryngeal cancers, thyroid, parathyroid, salivary glands and neck diseases. He is also specially trained for head and neck surgery at Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, Laser Surgery at Vanderbilt University, USA and speech rehabilitation at Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Thyroid cancer is an area of special interest.

Cancer is a disease that is increasing. We had 12 million cases in 2012, 18 million in 2018 and 19.3 million in 2020 globally. 

1 in 5 men and 1 in 6 women will develop cancer in their lifetime, globally.

1 in 8 men and 1 in 11 women will die of cancer, globally. 

The incidence of cancer is predicted to rise to double the numbers by 2040, in our country. And it is going to be one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in our country. 

Worldwide, lung cancer is the most common cancer contributing 11% of all cancers and 18% of all deaths. 

In our country, 25% of all our cancers are head and neck cancers. Contrast this to the west where its incidence is only 4-5%. 

This is so, because tobacco is a socially accepted custom in our country. 

It is not only tobacco, alcohol in excess, sharp teeth, ill fitting dentures, poor dental hygiene are also responsible for head and neck cancer. Predominantly this will happen in the oral cavity. 

In the west, an infection of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is also known to cause cancer in the younger population, non- smokers, it is predominantly a sexually transmitted disease. 

Head and neck cancers include cancers involving everything from and between your brain up to your collar bones/ clavicle. 

Of all these cancers, oral cavity includes 40% of all these head and neck cancers. These are also occasionally called cancers of the upper aero- digestive tract.

Apart from oral cavity cancers, we also have cancers of the pharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, oropharynx, nasopharynx. In head and neck cancers we also have tumours of thyroid gland, salivary glands, tumours of the neck. 

The implications of head and neck cancers are function and cosmetics with poor outcomes. This is because the patients usually present at a later stage of the disease. 

Only 10% of the patients present in stage 1 and 2. The delay is often caused by the patients themselves. This is because they either go to non medical personnel for treatment, alternative/ traditional modes of treatments or are just in denial. 

The average delay seen is 7-8 months and in this time the disease has progressed to stage 4.

Stage 1 has a 90% cure rate, function morbidity and cosmetic implications are mild. Cost of treatment is also less. 

In stage 4, we can help less than 40% of our patients, functional and morbidity treatment implications are severe. Cost of treatment is severe. 

This is why we should visit the doctors at the earliest.

Risk factors for head and neck cancers:

  • The mucosa of the oral cavity is pink in colour, the colour of this lining turns white or red in colour- which in case you’re a tobacco user is called a pure malignant lesion. 
  • White patch is called leukoplakia 
  • Red patch is called erythroplakia
  • Blockage of 1 side of the nose or bleeding from one side of the nose
  • Hoarseness of voice 
  • Pain while eating 
  • Foreign body sensation at the back of your throat 
  • Dysphasia- difficulty in swallowing 
  • Lumps in your neck 
  • Referred pain in your neck 

If you have any of these symptoms and they persist for 4 or more weeks, you need to go and see a specialist. 

The only modality of treatment in these cancers is surgery and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy cannot treat the disease by themselves. 

For locally advanced disease, we need to use multiple modalities for treatment and the whole treatment is prolonged for more than four months. 

The health benefits of Brazil nuts

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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Brazil Nuts

Have you ever received a gift hamper of assorted nuts and in it seen these long oval shaped nuts and wondered what these unusual looking nuts are?

These oblong nuts are called Brazil nuts.

They hail from the Bertholletia excelsa tree which grows in the Amazon rainforest. Brazil nuts have become increasingly popular in recent times.

When you crack open the tough, triangular shells of the Brazil nut,  a smooth texture and a light, buttery, nutty flavour hits you instantly as you begin to crunch on it.

Brazil nuts are typically enjoyed raw or blanched.

Highly nutritious and beneficial it is touted as one of the best sources of selenium.

Here are some proven health and nutrition benefits of Brazil nuts —

 Packed with nutrients: Brazil nuts are nutritious dense, loaded with protein, healthy fats, selenium, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium and phosphorus.

  1. Rich in selenium: Brazil nuts are a rich source of selenium containing more selenium than any other nut. Selenium is a trace element that is vital for the proper functioning of your body, thyroid and it even influences your immune system and cell growth. Eating just two Brazil nuts a day is as effective as taking a selenium supplement to raise your selenium levels.
  2. Supports thyroid function: This small butterfly shaped gland at the back of your throat is the powerhouse of most of your hormones that control your growth, metabolism, body temperature etc. The tissue in your thyroid has the highest concentration of selenium in your body. Selenium is required for the production of the thyroid hormone T3 and proteins that protect your thyroid from damage.                        Enter Brazil nuts, just two a day deliver enough selenium to maintain proper    thyroid    function and prevent thyroid disorders.
  3. Reduces inflammation in the body: Brazil nuts are rich in antioxidants, which combat free radicals. The anti-inflammatory effects of Brazil nuts can be achieved from eating just a single nut.
  4. Lowering blood sugar: Foods rich in selenium may help improve people’s blood sugar levels making Brazil nuts a great candidate for diabetics. The selenium and antioxidants in Brazil nuts help to lower insulin levels and boost insulin sensitivity thus improving blood sugar levels.
  5. Support mood balance: Low selenium levels have been linked to several mood related disorders like anxiety and depression. Brazil nuts are deemed as mood lifters because of its selenium and serotonin content. The lower the selenium and serotonin levels, the more pangs of anxiety and depression. Brazil nuts not only help regulate your mood, but also have positive effects on sleep and appetite.
  6. Good for your heart health: Brazil nuts fatty acids that are magnificent for your heart-health. They improve blood vessel functioning and even reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Consumption of Brazil nuts is known to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks among people as well as those living with diabetes. Brazil nuts’ effects on heart health are truly promising.
  7. Boosting immune system: The antioxidants and other healthy, organic compounds found in Brazil nuts help the overall immunity of the body. Brazil nuts contain a plethora of nutrients that boost the immune system, fight off diseases and infections, boost your energy levels and even help you carry out your day-to-day activities with ease.
  8. Brazil nuts are good for your brain: Brazil nuts contain ellagic acid and selenium, both of which are brain boosting compounds. Eating Brazil nuts daily is said to improve your verbal skills, mental function and even prevent or delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
  9. Antioxidant effects: The selenium in Brazil nuts boost the body’s antioxidant system and prevent oxidative stress. Eating Brazil nuts does great things for your body’s health.
  10.  Prevents hair loss and treats acne: Brazil nuts surely make a difference when it comes to skin and hair. Selenium deficiency often leads to heavy hair loss so regularly eating Brazil nuts make sure that your hair not only stops shedding but also grows beautifully and denser than ever before. If you suffer from the occasional breakout, marks and imperfections, Brazil nuts will be a godsend for you. It improves the skin’s elasticity and gets rid of any redness, inflammation, ageing skin, fine lines and wrinkles.
  11. Brazil nuts nourish the hair from root to tip thus leaving you with a healthy and thick mane and give you glazed donut skin.
  12. Brazil nuts aid in digestion and even help you lose weight: Even though Brazil nuts have plenty of calories and fats, they are great for your digestive system. Making you feel fuller, boosting your body’s fat-burning capabilities and aiding digestion is every Brazil nuts forte.
  13. Improves sex life: Another facet where selenium levels play a major role is your libido. Eating Brazil nuts effectively make your sex life better.
  14. Boosts testosterone levels in men: Research has shown that men with lower levels of selenium often suffer from infertility because of the effect it has on their testosterone levels. Regularly eating Brazil nuts surely has a positive effect on testosterone levels and in turn boosting male fertility.

Side effects and risks of Brazil nuts —

  • Consuming too many Brazil nuts a day can cause selenium toxicity, a consequence of which is brittle nails and hair.
  • Excess consumption of Brazil nuts also leads to nausea, fatigue, diarrhoea, irritability and garlic-like breath.

How many Brazil nuts can I have in a day?

Brazil nuts offer some impressive health benefits, but eating too many could be harmful. It’s important to limit your intake. Brazil nuts, like any other food, should be eaten in moderation. A healthy and wholesome quantity of Brazil nuts given the number of calories and the nutritional content should not exceed more than three a day.

A Brazil nut a day doesn’t keep the selenium at bay!

Weekly Predictions – 12th to 18th June By Chirag Daruwalla – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

By
Chirag Daruwalla
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Zodiac Signs

ariesAries

Ganesha says this week, you will emerge as a very popular leader in political and social life inside and outside the country. At the same time, there will be opportunities for desired growth in the fields of management, arts, medicine, research, and interesting careers. If you are an employee and officer associated with the government and administration. So will be engaged in the redressal of public grievances. In the context of capital investment and abroad, there will be an increase in the initial days of this week. However, again in the middle of the week, the movement of stars will give auspicious and positive results. That is, you can firmly present the outline of the expansion of work and business. There are chances of promotion in job sectors. That is, this week’s stars will carry a lot of good news in themselves. Love relations will be exciting again. If there is any disease and pain in the past. So you will be able to remove them. This week’s stars are pointing toward child happiness.

TaurusTaurus

Ganesha says this week, there will be a need to intensify efforts in the areas of livelihood. Whether it is the talk of competitive fields or the field of production and sales, this week’s stars will be going to give a long run. Whether it is a political platform or aspects related to social life, there will be a need to run continuously for progress. There will be opportunities for profit in capital investment. In the beginning and middle part of this week, you will be expected to make sudden monetary gains. This means the business you are irrigating. Or the company you are setting up. There will be a need to be more active in that direction. In a love relationship, there can be deep tensions between the partners on some issues. Health will be weak this week. In the last days of this week, you can get involved in the works of any religion and charity.

GeminiGemini

Ganesha says this week, the movement of the stars will be largely pleasant and wonderful for you. As a result, there will be opportunities for continuous progress in related fields. If you are a politician and a social worker, then the movement of stars will help you reach a platform. That means your efforts will make you proud. If you are associated with any production and sales areas. So the movement of the stars will continue to give pleasant and wonderful results. This week, however, are engaged in pursuing a career in the fields related to film, art, music, and sports. So this week you will be able to achieve a special status. There will be opportunities for capital investment profit. But there will be a need to avoid carelessness in health. The dedication of the partner in love relations will be somewhat weak towards you. So don’t weaken your understanding. That means the movement of the stars will continue to give you comfort and facilities.

CancerCancer

Ganesha says this week will be engaged in completing the work related to livelihood. There will be opportunities for significant growth in political and social life. Very possible, this week you can participate in any special and important religious programs. On the other hand, from an economic point of view, the movement of the stars will be pleasant and spectacular. As a result, this week there will be opportunities for success in related fields more than expected. There are signs of child happiness in married life. This week’s stars will be very important and pleasant for the students. However, in the second part of the week, you may have to move in a special relationship. If there are any cases. So your side will be stronger in them. In the courtyard of married life, tension can deepen in some matters. But again in the last days of this week, the movement of stars will give auspicious and positive results in relationships.

leoLeo

Ganesha says this week, there will be moments of laughter and happiness in the courtyard of married life. If you are a participant in sports, management, medical research, and sports. If and are engaged in achieving a special milestone in your career, then the movement of the stars will give important results this week. This month will be very pleasant and wonderful for the students. There will be moments of love between the partner in love relations. But in the middle of the week, the movement of the stars will send you somewhere to travel and migrate. At the same time, there will be opportunities for significant progress in dealing with the economic context. However, there will be chances of some softening in terms of health. In such a situation, there will be chances of weakening of the immunity capabilities. Therefore, pay full attention to food and drink. If there are any court cases. So suddenly they may have to run around. That is, the movement of the stars will give mixed results in the respective areas this week.

virgoVirgo

Ganesha says this week’s stars will be giving pleasant dialogues in the context of related land and buildings. As a result, significant progress will be expected in the aspects related to livelihood. If you are engaged in upgrading material comforts. So the movement of the stars will continue to give pleasant and wonderful results. At the same time, there will be opportunities for continuous progress in completing the work related to studies and teaching. Therefore, avoid laziness in continuing the efforts at your level. If you are looking to make a capital investment, then the movement of stars will give pleasant results. Therefore, do not be lazy in continuing the efforts at your level. There will be good news from son and daughter in the middle of the week. However, there may be some difficulties in earning and raising money this week. But there will be a beginning of partial success. But will have to travel and stay in far-flung areas in related areas.

libraLibra

Ganesha says the stars of this week will be the ones who will increase their physical strength and abilities. If there is any disease and pain in the past, then we will be able to remove it. There will be a pleasant feeling of pleasant and luxurious atmosphere in the family. So don’t hesitate to continue the efforts. Although you will be able to give the final touches to any historical and religious work. Very possible, can participate in any political and religious programs. Dividends will remain increased in capital investment. There will be moments of love between siblings. Will be able to buy a building and vehicle in the middle of this week. As a result, try to be positive. However, there may be some opposite environment in the areas of this work and business.

scorpioScorpio

Ganesha says will be able to buy desired and valuable clothes and ornaments this week. This week, you will be ready to travel somewhere with your close and trustworthy person. On the other hand, this week will be very important for business life. If you are looking to make capital investments, then the movement of the stars will be favorable and give great results. There will be opportunities for dividends in capital investment. But this week’s stars will remain somewhat weak in terms of health. Therefore, if you do not deviate from the regular routine, then it will be good. In the middle of this week, there will be moments of love among the relatives. Therefore, do not hesitate to continue the efforts. In the last days of this week, there will be an emphasis on upgrading material comforts. But the opposition parties will be involved in creating an atmosphere against you. Overall, this week will mostly give good results.

SagittariusSagittarius

Ganesha says this week there will be opportunities to make household life pleasant and luxurious. As a result, there will be moments of love between wife and children. As a result, there will be moments of laughter and happiness in the courtyard of household life. If you are eligible for marriage. So the favorable life partner will be the one to indicate to join you. In the middle of the week, you will be able to purchase immovable property and collect documents related to it. Therefore, do not hesitate to continue the efforts. Although there will be a need to be more ready for dividends in capital investment. In terms of health, this week’s stars will be weak in the middle part. But again in the last days of the week, the movement of stars will give pleasant and wonderful results. Therefore, do not hesitate to continue the efforts at your level. So it will be good.

CapricornCapricorn

Ganesha says this week, in connection with work and business, you will have to travel and migrate to far-flung areas. If you are associated with the areas of production and sales. So the movement of the stars will continue to give important results. There will be chances of profit in capital investment. Therefore, do not weaken your understanding at your level. From the beginning of this week, the opposition parties will try to trouble you. However, this week’s stars will give moderate results in terms of health. However, in the second part of the week, the movement of stars will increase physical strength and help in removing diseases and pains. In the last days of the week, again there will be opportunities for extensive progress in terms of real estate. If you are preparing for any competitive exams then you will get success. But do not weaken the hard efforts.

AquariusAquarius

Ganesha says this week, there will be opportunities for progress in social and political life. As a result, the level of your respect and prestige will remain increased in the related fields. If you are engaged in earning an edge in the fields of music, art, medicine, and film industry, then the movement of stars will give pleasant results. This week there will be moments of love between siblings. In personal relations, there will be sweetness with the life partner. However, in the middle of the week, the movement of stars will give expenditure in terms of money. That is, there will be pleasant opportunities to make capital investment easy and make it worthwhile. Therefore, do not hesitate to continue the efforts at your level. So it will be good. In the last days of this week, the movement of stars will increase physical strength. On the other hand, there will be moments of laughter and happiness in household life. But the opposition will keep trying to trouble you.

PiscesPisces

Ganesha says this week, there will be opportunities for desired growth in the related job profession. That is, you can be nominated for promotion by the concerned department. If you are looking for employment. So you will be successful. But review your preparations at your level. If you are an entrepreneur. So the movement of the stars will be very helpful in establishing necessary dialogues with a special and reached person. In the middle of this week, sweetness will start in love relationships. If there are any previous disputes. So you will be able to remove them. This week’s stars will be pleasant and wonderful for students. As a result, you will be able to prepare subjects. There will be chances of significant progress in earning and raising money in the middle part of this week. So avoid laziness in continuing the efforts. So it will be good. However, on the last days of the week, some will be worried due to the increasing expenditure in terms of money. Therefore, do not weaken your understanding at your level.

Birthday Predictions – 12th to 18th June By Chirag Daruwalla – Son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla

By
Chirag Daruwalla
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Birthday

12th June

Ganesha says today is a day to celebrate love and affection with friends and family. It’s possible that you’ll feel more passionate and impetuous than normal, so make sure to give some thought to what you’re going to do before you do it. Spend some quality time demonstrating to your significant other how much you value the connection you share. Be willing to explore new possibilities for a romantic relationship if you are currently unattached.

13th June

Ganesha says today is an excellent day for you, to concentrate on your own requirements and concerns. Spend some time caring for yourself and indulging in the pursuits that bring you the most pleasure. You might also consider devoting some time to contemplating the objectives and concerns you have towards the future.

14th June

Ganesha says in today’s world, communication is essential. You can find yourself in circumstances that require you to articulate your thoughts in a way that is unequivocal and confident. Be sure to listen to what other people have to say, and look for areas of agreement to help you avoid arguments.

15th June

Ganesha says today is a day is a day for getting in touch with your feelings and expressing them. It’s possible that you’ll feel more sensitive and intuitive than usual, in which case, it’s important that you pay heed to the voice of your intuition. You should probably also spend some time with the people you care about and be as honest as possible about your emotions.

16th June

Ganesha says today is a good day to focus on your personal growth, trust your instincts, and make choices that align with your values and long-term goals. Today is a good day to focus on your personal growth and trust your instincts. Your ability to be realistic and your attention to detail will be of great assistance to you as you manage these issues.

17th June

Ganesha says you might experience feelings of restlessness or a need for change. Take advantage of new possibilities, and push yourself to do things that take you out of your comfort zone. You will be able to overcome any challenges that come your way because of your flexibility and resourcefulness.

18th June

Ganesha says today may find you concentrating on the personal relationships you have and the connections you have with other people. Maintain the friendships you already have while still being open to making new ones. It may be simpler for you to connect with others as a result of your charisma and other people abilities, which may be highlighted. Nevertheless, it is imperative that you establish positive limits and make time for your own self-care.

Spot the difference #76

By
Seniors Today Network
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0
Spot cover

Spot the difference

 

Solution for the – Spot the difference #76

Solution for Spot the difference #76

By
Seniors Today Network
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0
Differences are:
1. Flower plants
2. Tree/Plant is missing
3. Sunglasses missing
4. Dustbin
5. Shoe missing
6. Extra cloud
Spot the difference

Entertainment Review: Never Have I Ever Season 4

By
Deepa Gahlot
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Never have I ever review Seniors today

Watch any show from the US or UK now, and there will be at least one Indian character in an important role; it’s not just a result of inclusivity contracts, but because Indians have integrated into Western society, without losing a sense of their own culture. When Never Have I Ever was greenlit by Netflix in 2020, it was among the first American web series that had an Indian teen as the lead, and the Indian way of life – the poojas, rituals, dancing to Bollywood songs, blingy costumes and nasty Aunties, effortlessly built into it.

The show created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher, loosely based on the former’s own growing up years in the US, has the bright, nerdy and rebellious Devi Vishwakumar (played by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) as the lead, with Poorna Jagganathan playing her strict mother, Nalini, and Sendhil Ramamurthy as her father, who died young, but still plays an important role in her life. For some reason, tennis star John McEnroe is the narrator of Never Have I Ever, a role he performs with dry humour that is built into the script.

Born in the US, Devi is not the typical American-Born Confused Desi, the ABCDs who were one the objects of scorn; she sees herself as American, and hates the occasions when she has to dress in itchy saris and be taken to an Indian function. But she is also Indian enough to have great academic aspirations, and dreams of going to Princeton.

Season 4 of the show has just dropped, in which Devi is a bit more settled, less emotionally or sexually chaotic and on the way to finishing high school, which means leaving the safety of home to go to college. Her two besties, Fabiola Torres (Lee Rodriguez) and Eleanor Wong (Ramona Young) have also grown with her, after much bickering and making up. In the first season they were given the horrid nickname UN, not because of their racial diversity—the UN stood for unf***able nerds. Devi lusted after Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet), the leader of the good looking boys called Hot Pockets, while her nemesis in the classroom was the supersmart Ben Gross (Jaren Lewison).

Over the last three seasons, Devi and her pals had a lot of boyfriend troubles, hooking up and breaking up with a succession of dudes. At home, Devi’s mother is appalled when her niece Kamala (Richa Moorjani) who lives with them while completing her PhD studies, first accepts the Indian tradition of the arranged marriage and then rebels against it. But when Nalini herself meets a suitable mate, and what’s more, her mother-in-law Nirmala (Ranjita Chakravarty) finds herself a partner, Devi’s romantic see-sawing does not look too problematic.

The series has been praised for its non-stereotypical depiction of Indian-Americans, but it is also too treacly and cutesy, while Devi’s is always excessively hyper. But at a time when so many people of Indian origin are in positions of political and economic power in the West, it was about time the community was properly represented in popular culture. Never Have I Ever may not be the ideal medium, but it’s a start.

Never Have I Ever Season 4
Created by Mindy Kaling & Lang Fisher
Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan  Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Jaren Lewison and others
On Netflix

Foods for arthritis

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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Food for Arthritis

When you think of arthritis, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

Is it joint pain?

Well, if it is then you’re not wrong.

Arthritis is a health condition that causes chronic inflammation, pain and damage in your joints, bones and other body parts, depending on the type of arthritis you have.

 There are several types of arthritis. All cause pain, swelling, inflammation and stiffness in the joints.

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
  • Psoriatic Arthritis
  • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
  • Gout
  • Lupus
  • Ankylosing Spondylitis

Did you know that dietary intervention can help relieve the severity of arthritic symptoms and even improve your quality of life?

This article is all about foods to avoid if you suffer from arthritis pain and symptoms.

People with arthritis should avoid inflammatory foods. The best way to identify foods that trigger inflammation is by following an elimination diet. Add foods methodically to your diet so it is easier to identify what is causing you pain.

A few simple modifications to your diet can go a long way. Here are some foods to avoid if you have arthritis or arthritic symptoms-

Sugars

It’s best to limit your sugar intake in general. But if you suffer from arthritis, consider this all the more reason to. Foods with added sugar and high sugar foods like candy, soda, breakfast cereals, ice cream, packaged sauces, fruit juices or baked goods should be avoided at all costs. Always check food labels for added sugars, you’ll be surprised at how much is added. Other ingredients to watch out for include corn syrup, sucrose, fructose or maltose, sugar alternatives like aspartame and sucralose as well.

Nightshades

Nightshades is a group of vegetables that contain the compound solanine and small amounts of alkaloids. While some alkaloids have positive effects on human health. Unfortunately, nightshades tend to aggravate arthritis symptoms. Hence, it is best to exclude them from your diet. Nightshade vegetables include tomatoes, bell peppers, chilli peppers, eggplants and potatoes.

Processed meats and red meats

Research has linked red meat and processed meat to inflammation. This obviously means that if you suffer from arthritis its time to cut down or avoid these foods. Plant-based diets have shown to relieve arthritis symptoms and reduce inflammation in the body.

Foods high in purines

A low-purine diet is often advised if you suffer from arthritis. Purines are substances in foods that get converted to uric acid in the body. If uric acid builds up in the bloodstream it can cause a lot of problems. Organ meat like liver, beer, alcohol, cured meats, mussels, scallops, cauliflower, mushrooms and beans have high amounts of purine. Try to eliminate these foods from your meal plan. .

 Gluten

Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, barley and rye which can increase inflammation in your body. Try going gluten-free if you suffer from arthritis symptoms and see if they improve.

Foods high in salt

Cutting back on salt is a good idea if you suffer from arthritis. Excessive salt and sodium can cause you to develop arthritis symptoms or other conditions. A low in sodium or no salt diet is recommended. You can add flavour to your food using spices like ground pepper, oregano, cumin, minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder or chilli flakes

Refined carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates include added sugars. The grains are thoroughly processed which removes the fibre and nutrients present in them. Diets high in refined carbohydrates are known to increase inflammation in arthritis patients. Examples of refined carbs are white bread, white rice, baked goods, desserts, packaged pasta and noodles. Try to eat more complex carbohydrates, like brown rice, quinoa and whole grains.

Highly processed foods

Fast food, breakfast cereal and baked goods are ultra processed typically high in refined grains, added sugar, preservatives, vegetable oils and additives which are all inflammatory ingredients. Avoid eating processed foods as much as possible.

Fried food

Fried food is a big trigger for arthritis. They contain trans fats which trigger inflammation in your body. Opt for air frying or baking your food instead of pan frying or deep frying.

Dairy products

The protein in milk and dairy products can irritate the tissue around joints and cause inflammation. If you suffer from arthritis, it’s best to avoid dairy products as much as possible. Now with dairy alternative products available in the market, it’s much easier to find a suitable substitute. Mayonnaise, margarine, cream cheese, butter, milk, yogurt and cheese.

Alcohol and tobacco

Alcohol causes inflammation in your body. Arthritis is due to inflammation in the body. Restrict or avoid alcohol as much as possible. Tobacco is another product that can increase your risk of developing arthritis or worsen your symptoms. Stay away from it, in every and all forms.

Eggs

Although eggs are protein rich and very healthy for most people, if you suffer from arthritis,  regularly eating eggs can increase swelling and joint pain. The yolks contain arachidonic acid and saturated fats which triggers inflammation in the body.

Omega-6 fatty acids and certain vegetable oils

Healthy fats are necessary for the body but certain vegetable oils and foods have omega-6 fatty acids in it which may worsen arthritis symptoms. Corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut and soy oils have omega-6 fatty acids in it. Avoid these oils whenever possible and cook with olive oil instead. Some other common sources of omega-6 fats include soybeans, corn, certain nuts and meats. Opt for foods with omega3 fats instead.

Foods high in AGEs

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are molecules created when sugar and protein or fat reacts with one another. They exist naturally in uncooked animal products and are also formed through certain cooking methods. High protein, high fat animal foods that are fried, roasted, grilled or seared are the richest sources of AGEs.Some other sources of high AGEs are french fries, processed cheese, margarine and store bought mayonnaise.When high amounts of AGEs accumulate in your body, it leads to oxidative stress and inflammation which can progress arthritis.  Replacing high AGE foods with nutritious and whole foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, lean proteins like fish can reduce the total amount of AGEs in your body.

Additives

Packaged food is convenient especially if you live a hectic life and are always on the go. But after a point, the additives present in packaged foods will take a toll on your body. Things like monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, added sugar and added salt cause  increased inflammation in your body. So avoid packaged foods as far as possible if you suffer from arthritis.

Winding up…

If you have arthritis, a healthy diet and lifestyle is one of the main ingredients to help improve your symptoms.

Consult a dietician or health professional to figure out what foods are best for you to eat. Simple diet changes can make a huge difference in managing your symptoms.

 Tip- Keep a food diary to track any reactions you have to foods, what foods suit you and what foods should be eliminated from your diet.

Does turmeric really work?

By
Duane Mellor
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Turmeric
Most of turmeric’s reported health benefits are linked to compounds called curcuminoids. tarapong srichaiyos/ Shutterstock

Turmeric has been used by humans for more than 4,000 years. As well as cooking and cosmetics, it’s been a staple of the traditional medicine practice of Ayurveda, used to treat a variety of conditions from arthritis to wind.

Even today turmeric remains a popular health supplement. There are plenty of articles and social media posts claiming the benefits of this spice for everything from brain function to reducing pain and inflammation.

But while some of these claims are linked to evidence, most of this research is in cells and animals, making the actual effects on humans less clear.

While turmeric is reported to contain over 100 different compounds, most of its reported health benefits are linked to specific compounds called curcuminoids (the most abundant being curcumin).

Curcuminoids are phenolic compounds, which are molecules that plants often make as pigments or to discourage animals eating them. This is what gives turmeric its distinctive colour, but it can also change how cells function.

Many of the potential health effects of turmeric have been linked to these phenolic compounds which, in the lab, have been shown to have an antioxidant effect.

Antioxidants are substances which prevent or slow damage caused by free radicals – a harmful type of molecule that can cause inflammation, and has also been linked to heart disease and cancer.

But while turmeric does indeed act as an anti-inflammatory, many of the health benefits caused by this effect have only been proven in the lab (using cells) or in animals.

For example, one study fed obese mice one gram of curcumin per kilogram of body weight. After 12 weeks, they found that the mice given curcumin had similar improvements in brain function and lower levels of inflammation in their liver as the mice who had been on a weight loss diet.

So while this may have translated to healthier mice, it’s unclear whether the same would be true in humans. Not to mention that had this study been conducted in humans, an average 70kg person would have needed to consume over 2kg of turmeric daily during the trial – which would be impossible.

Since no similar studies have yet been conducted on humans, we still don’t understand whether turmeric reduces inflammation in a similar way.

Effect on pain

Yet despite the lack of research showing benefits in humans, turmeric (and curcumin) are widely marketed as anti-inflammatory supplements for a range of conditions – including joint pain and arthritis.

According to the results of one review, it does seem that in human trials turmeric supplements may have a modest benefit on pain compared to a placebo – and in some cases as as beneficial as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

turmeric1
Some participants taking supplements reported less pain. Pixel-Shot/ Shutterstock

But the studies included in this review appear to be of variable quality. Many were conducted using a very small population (ten people or fewer) and had a wide variation in the amount of turmeric participants were given. This means it’s hard to make a clear recommendation that turmeric is effective for pain.

Turmeric has also been suggested to have anti-cancer properties due to its anti-oxidant effect. In the lab, curcumin has been shown to reverse DNA changes in cells which cause breast cancer. But it’s less clear whether turmeric reduces the risk of cancer or supports treatment in humans.

Some research has shown that using a turmeric gargle could reduce the side effects of radiotherapy in people with head and neck cancers, however.

It may also help people with a rare genetic condition called familiar adenomatous polyposis, with one clinical trial finding that consuming 120mg curcumin (about the same as a teaspoon of turmeric) was linked with fewer cancer-causing polyps for people with this condition – which can be a sign of the early stages of cancer.

With inflammation being linked to many cognitive health conditions such as dementia, some research has sought to understand whether turmeric can benefit brain function. So far, it’s unclear whether turmeric has any effect.

The trials that have been conducted in humans have generally been very small, with a lack of consistency in study design, dosage and how they measured cognitive effects. Again, this makes it difficult to see whether turmeric really does have an effect, or whether any cognitive improvements are due to other factors.

Does turmeric really work?

A major challenge in getting turmeric to work in our bodies is getting it from our gut into our bloodstream. Curcumin is quite a large compound – and as such can be hard for the body to absorb into the bloodstream because it isn’t very soluble in water.

But other research suggests that turmeric works by acting on the bacteria in our guts. Although more data is needed on whether this is true in humans, it could suggest that turmeric doesn’t need to be absorbed into the bloodstream in order to provide health benefits because it’s already absorbed through our gut.

Another challenge is the amount of turmeric needed to see benefits. In many studies only the curcumin extract is used – which makes up only about 3% of turmeric powder itself. With many studies giving greater than 1g of curcumin per kilogram for a mouse or rat, the equivalent amount for these effects to be seen in a human would be difficult to achieve – even in supplement form.

Turmeric is a great spice, giving a pleasant earthy flavour and vibrant natural yellow colour to food. But it’s far from clear how its reported benefits translate to human health. So, enjoy turmeric as a spice and a colour in food, but don’t rely on it to deliver major health benefits or to treat or cure disease.

Alert mind, youthful body

By
Vinita Alvares Fernandes
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0
Happy-family

Ever wonder why some people live to 90 or 100 with utmost grace and happiness?

Getting older is inevitable. It’s a process that brings with it a lot of emotions- for individuals themselves, for caregivers and for loved ones. While you can’t control Mother Nature, you can do things to slow down the physical and mental ageing process. From the foods you eat, to the people you interact with- everything about your life has an effect on how your body ages.  After all, these years are called the  “golden years” for a reason.

Of course, good genes and health are vital but your outlook to life matters the most. Do not take life too seriously, taking everything with a pinch of salt (except your food) might just be the answer to blowing out those 95 candles on your birthday cake.

Ageism “the silent epidemic” – Ageism comes with prejudice, discrimination and stereotyping based on age. It happens at work, to celebrities (especially women), in the healthcare industry and even in movies.

What does it mean to age gracefully?

While ageing gracefully is very relative and can mean something different to everyone, whether it’s letting the greys kick in or finally being able to say “I am a senior citizen”, it all boils down to one thing —

Do what makes you feel good.

Like a bottle of wine, you can get better with age with the right care.

Tips for ageing gracefully —

  1. Exercise and stay as physically active as you can- Noone is asking you to run marathons or swim across the ocean but staying physically active or engaging in some form of exercise on a regular basis can slow down ageing. A simple walk around your neighbourhood, a swim or even group exercise classes. Whatever suits you as long as you’re moving your body. Regular exercise significantly lowers your risk of diseases, helps you retain your mobility, lowers stress and even improves sleep.
  2. Mind your diet- Healthy foods are the way to go when it comes to ageing. Load up on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and low-fat like yogurt or cheese. Avoid using solid fats for cooking and use oils instead. Most importantly try to stay away from processed foods, refined sugar, alcohol and unhealthy fats. Last but not least, you should keep your salt intake to the bare minimum to keep your blood pressure down.
  3. Drink plenty of water- Stay hydrated. It’s as simple as that. Your brain, skin, vital organs and energy levels will thank you. Fill a large water bottle in the morning and take it with you wherever you go. This way you remember to drink water and can monitor your liquid intake.
  4. Be kind to your skin- If you treat your skin with care (inside and out), protect it from the elements and be gentle on it- it will reflect on your skin.
  5. Mental health matters- the health of your mind matters a lot more than you think. Keeping your stress levels low and staying mentally healthy will help you age well. Do things that will elevate your mood like spending time with friends and loved ones, going for an outing, exercising, meditating, doing yoga, joining a class, reading a book. Do things that make you happy that ignites joy deep within your core. Mental health is linked to your physical health. If your mind is happy it will reflect on your body and vice versa.
  6. Live in the moment and practise mindfulness- Mindfulness is all about acceptance and living in the moment. Focus on the present and let everything just wash past you. Practising mindfulness can help you age better,mentally and physically. You can predict life, so try to make the most of every moment. Enjoy how you turned out after all, you’re currently the person you couldn’t wait to grow up to be.
  7. Get enough sleep- Good sleep is important for your physical and mental health. Sleep helps your body reset, heal and rejuvenate. As we get older our body needs longer to reset, so make sure you give yourself enough time to rest and sleep.
  8. Take care of your mouth- this might sound odd but take care of your teeth. Bad oral hygiene ages your teeth, smile and overall self. Brush your teeth twice a day, flossing is a must and don’t forget the mouth wash.
  9. See a doctor regularly- Seeing a doctor regularly can help make sure everything is running smoothly and on track. See a doctor anytime you feel like something isn’t right. Do regular tests, screenings and do not forget to take your medicines.
  10. Be grateful- Learn to appreciate the life you have lived and the life you are living. Find easy ways to cultivate gratitude, have a gratitude journal or recount everything you’re grateful for before you sleep. Try to stay positive and look at this chapter of your life through a hopeful and grateful lens.
  11. Accept your age- Ageing gracefully isn’t about trying to look like a 20 year old when you are well above 60, it’s about living your life while having the physical and mental health to enjoy it and the secret ingredient is acceptance. Acceptance of your age, embracing it and knowing its your strength and not your weakness.

 Takeaway —

Ageing gracefully does not require ‘going under the knife’ or to get boat loads of plastic surgery. Ageing gracefully is more about being healthy and happy than hiding your wrinkles and lines. Maintain a healthy lifestyle at a pace that suits you. It’s natural to have challenges at every stage of life. Don’t be afraid to speak to someone about your concerns.

“Your face is marked with lines, put there by love and laughter, suffering and tears. It’s beautiful.” – Lindsay Sands

Piles and Colon Care for Seniors

By
Dr Noor Gill
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0
Dr-Pravin-Gore

On 03 June, 2023 Seniors Today hosted their weekly Health Live Webinar with Dr Pravin Gore, a Senior Proctologist, specialist in colorectal surgery who spoke on and answered questions about Piles and Colon Care for Seniors. 

About Dr Pravin Gore

Dr Pravin Gore has done his MBBS and DNB in General Surgery. He did his Fellowship in Colorectal Surgery from Madhurai and an Advanced Colorectal Surgery Fellowship from Birmingham and a Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Training in Rome University. He has been pursuing his practice for over two decades in Mumbai. He is attached to elite hospitals such as the Wockhardt Hospitals and other hospitals. He is also an honorary member of the Department of Proctology at the GT Hospitals. He has received the prestigious Dr Abdul Kalam Azaad award for his excellence in Colorectal Surgery from the former Chief Minister of Telangana state. 

Dr Gore is arguably the only surgeon in India to offer botulinum toxin as a treatment for anal fissure surgery. He has pioneered the technique of BUSH. He has been a faculty at the national and international levels and has delivered several lectures, has many publications and text book chapters in his name. He is one of the only 3 proctology specialists in Mumbai. And one among the 46 surgeons who focus on colorectal surgery. 

Anorectal problems/ issues are the kinds of problems where the patients suffer behind the closed doors of their bathroom and they do not want anybody else to know about it. These patients keep silently suffering due to embarrassment and lack of knowledge of what to do and whom to consult. 

Just like all fevers are not malaria and all coughs are not tuberculosis, just like that, all bottom- problems are not piles. 

Piles, also known as haemorrhoids are often confused with 27 other bottom problems which can present with similar symptoms. 

There are normal blood vessels that supply blood to and around the anus and are attached to the wall of the anus. Because of hard stools, constipation and forced passage of stools, there can be a tear in the walls of the anus leading to bleeding and this can also lead to loosening of the elasticity of the vessels, walls and their support. 

If a patient visits his physician at an early stage, the 1st and 2nd stage of haemorrhoids, diet and lifestyle changes are enough to take care of the hemorrhoidal issues in addition to oral medication and local applicant ointments that can help with the concern. 

However, if the precipitating factors such as constipation, hard stools, forceful passage of stools persists, the haemorrhoids can either return and also progress in grade and severity. 

Grade 3 and grade 4 piles- which is when the haemorrhoids come out of the anus and can be reduced with a finger and sometimes they become non- reducible, is when the patient requires surgery. This is where colorectal surgery comes into play. There are bloodless ultrascopic scalpel, lasers and staplers available. 

Thus, not all bottom problems are piles and not all piles require surgery. And even if you require surgery, multiple modalities are available which are tailor made for the patient and his requirements. 

A balanced diet is advised as a preventable measure for haemorrhoids. Along with diet, a healthy lifestyle with a calm and stress free life, healthy sleeping habits, eating habits also play an important role. 

Avoid junk food and a sedentary lifestyle. 

All of this can also precipitate constipation which can further lead to haemorrhoids. 

No urge to pass motions is constipation. 

Incomplete passing of stools is constipation. 

Hard, rocky stools are also constipation. 

As age advances, the moment of our intestines also slows down. Thus, for a senior it is okay if you pass stools every 30- 32 hours instead of every 24 hours, as long as the stools are not rocky hard, or you have not passed stools in over 2 days.

Be aware of the movements of your intestines. Your stools are formed and pushed from the rectum and are passed through the anus which in coordination with the rectum opens simultaneously. 

Forcing or straining is detrimental in case of a patient of constipation. 

Contributory factors for constipation include:

  • Age 
  • Diet 
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Less intake of water 
  • Different postures 

The cause of constipation needs to be located. Is it in the intestine, rectum or at the anus. Depending on this, we treat the patient.

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