JUST TWO GOOD

EGGS AND ORANGE JUICE

For higher iron absorption
An egg contains almost 50 per cent of an adult’s daily iron requirement. But the human body can absorb only eight per cent of the iron. To improve absorption, wash down your eggs with a glass of orange juice or other Vitamin C-rich foods such as guava or pineapples.

CEREAL AND PULSES

For good quality protein
Protein in pulses is low in amino acids but rich in lysine in which many cereals are deficient. A combination of pulses and cereal proteins has a nutritive value equivalent to animal proteins. Rajma-chawal is a perfect example of vegetarian food providing class 1 proteins.

ALFA-ALFA SPROUTS AND TOMATOES

For higher magnesium absorption
Tomatoes are rich in magnesium. Alfa-alfa sprouts have a small amount of magnesium but are rich in dietary fibre and cholesterol reducing saponins.
Alfa-alfa sprouts are used to garnish salads as one they are too bland to eat in large quantities. But you can double the magnesium absorption by combining the sprouts with juicy tomatoes.

RAJMAH AND TOMATOES

For higher mineral absorption
The phytic acid in beans blocks the absorption of minerals such as zinc and iron. To help your body absorb more minerals, eat rajmah with a Vitamin C-rich food such as tomatoes. Vitamin C counters the ill-effects of phytic acid, thereby increasing your body's absorption of zinc and iron.

MIXED GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES AND OLIVE OIL

Protects you against Alzheimer's
Green leafy vegetables are rich in iron, calcium, and Vitamin A. However Vitamin A needs fat to be adequately utilised by the body. Hence, sprinkle some olive oil on your greens to help your body absorb Vitamin A that protects you against Alzheimer's.

FLAXSEED AND WHEAT GERM

The perfect multivitamin
Flaxseed is high in alphalinolenic acids ( omega 3 fatty acids), anti-oxidants, fibre, good quality proteins, and minerals. Wheat germ is high in Vitamin E and B as also proteins, chromium and manganese. Together they meet your daily requirement of a range of vitamins and are also absorbed a lot faster.

GREEN TEA AND LUNCH/DINNER

Protects against infection
Green tea has the least amount of caffeine of all the teas. Having a cup of green tea after a meal aids digestion as opposed to a glass of water. Green tea is also rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are plant pigments that protect against infection.

You can insure your wedding

IT professionals Rajiv Mehta (29) and Neha Khanna (25) got married in Mumbai on November 29, just three days after the terror attack. The couple was lucky that the wedding went as planned, and that was partly because the function was to be held in Borivili, far from the area that saw the attacks.

But luck may not always be on your side. With the frequency of such attacks, as also other risks and unforeseen accidents growing, a wedding insurance is something you may want to look at if a marriage is being planned in the family.

Event insurance plans like this is still in its nascent stages due to low awareness. “And given the sacred nature of the ritual, nobody wants to discuss or think negative. But as wedding spends and risks grow, it makes sense to cover the potential monetary loss,” says T A Ramalingam, head (underwriting), Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. Such plans are popular in the West.
The policy in those countries even covers the loss of the wedding ring, the wedding gown not reaching on time and even the expenses/loss due to late or non-appearance of the photographer which may mean staging the event once again for the photograph. In India, most insurance companies — including ICICI Lombard General Insurance, Oriental Insurance, Bajaj Allianz and National Insurance — offer wedding insurance.

The policy is tailormade to individual requirements and needs. The sum insured could be of any amount. The policy should be bought 10 to 15 days prior to the event.

“All events related to the wedding — pre and post ceremony — are covered. In addition, a bundled policy which will cover all the eventualities related to the wedding functions can be purchased,” says Rajive Kumaraswami, head (reinsurance) of ICICI Lombard General Insurance.

What it covers
The typical policy provides coverage against cancellation of the wedding due to accident suffered by bride/groom, accident suffered by blood relatives resulting in hospitalisation within seven days prior to the printed/declared wedding date, and damage to property.

If the marriage hall gets flooded or there’s an earthquake, the irreversible cost of the wedding will be reimbursed as per the policy terms and conditions.

Damage to property like stage, sets, seats and wardrobe due to fire, lightning, explosion, riot, strike and malicious damage, impact damage, aircraft damage, storms, flood and inundation, burglary and theft, terrorism or other external accident can be covered. The insurance can also cover anyexpenses related to litigation brought against you by third parties injured in an accident at the event.

Fineprint of the policy
Wealth advisors say if you are opting for the policy it is important to look at all the exclusions clauses of the document. First evaluate what are the possible kinds of risks. “Then one should look at what is the appropriate cover for each of them. It would help to arrive at the sum assured that one can take. Considering it is a customised product, it is likely that the insurance company has sub limits for each of the possible risks,” says Anil Rego, CEO of Right Horizons.

It is also important to incorporate accidental cover and loss of life/disability due to acts of terrorism. Since it is a customised product, one may need to evaluate options from at least 2-3 insurance providers, say wealth managers. There is likely to be a huge variance in premiums as it is not a standard insurance. (Some names have been changed on request)

RATE CALCULATION
The variation in rates would depend on evaluation of individual risks on the following parameters:

Location
Venue (outdoors or indoors)
Type of decoration
Number of days
Number of programmes (mehendi, sangeet, cocktail)
Number of guests.

POCKET MONEY IS A LESSON IN LIFE

Meenakshee, 23, remembers with considerable fondness how, as a sixth-grader, she hoodwinked her mom into doling out money for a Hindi textbook — all of five times. “Of course, I bought the book only once and with the rest of the money, treated myself to a McDonald’s burger,” says Meenakshi with unabashed pride at her ingenuity. Her mom was obviously displeased when she caught on to the trick. Meenakshi, however, simply shrugs her shoulders and says her family anyway didn’t have a concept of pocket money. “We just took money as and when we needed it.” Now if Meenakshi were to be given a lumpsum amount for a particular period and asked to keep an account of what she spent on and how much, her mom would have known exactly what she did in her spare time too.

Pocket money is clearly not just survival and feel-good money; it is a lesson in life. Much like games that prepare children for adulthood, pocket money trains them to manage finances — a worthwhile lesson for the future. That’s how important it is.

“If you want your child to value money, put him under financial pressure,” advises Kartik Jhaveri, director of Transcend Consulting, a wealth management firm. Even if a family is super-wealthy, “don’t shell out ad-hoc money, unless there is a compelling reason to do so. Pocket money should be given like a monthly salary… Where there is no upper limit, the child’s value system gets paralysed”. Certified financial planner D Sundararajan seconds this line of thought. Not verifying where the money is going, he warns, can be disastrous. The child may learn to live off his parents and thus never get a chance to be a person in her or his own right.

Which is why, parents would do well to have a rough idea about how much is required for a child’s expenses such as transport or school canteen. Teens may have extra expenditure for weekend entertainmentand gifting. Parents must sit with their children, explain basic rules of spending and only then hand out an appropriate sum.

Now, what is appropriate? “Give a child 20% over and above what is required,” advises Jhaveri. This will give parents a concrete idea as to what their child does with the surplus. It will thus serve as an insight into a child’s personality. Mira Patel, 60, remembers giving a princely amount of Rs 200 a month each to her three daughters. “The eldest spent and saved some. My second daughter usually managed to save the entire amount. And my third blew the entire sum and never had an idea what she’d spent it on.” Accordingly, parents could tutor a child how to manage money. Here are some ideas: Encourage a child to save by proposing what could be done with a sum accumulated over time. Perhaps, he or she could buy a game of choice? Or, a child could simply be rewarded for saving a target amount with a gift.But, first of all, for sustained success of any enterprise, one requires discipline and accountability. As financial advisor Gaurav Mashruwala says, “It’s funny. We invariably expose kids to spending without being accountable. That irresponsibility lasts through one’s life.” Mashruwala thus insists that the habit of budgeting must be inculcated from the very first time a child is given pocket money. “If there is no budget, all families will struggle without exception. Like, suppose as an adult, you intend to keep aside expenses of three months as contingency fund. Now, how do you decide how much to keep aside if you don't know your expenses in the first place?”

A lot can be achieved with simple bu d g e t i n g . M a s h r u w a l a cites the instance of one Bhushan Deshpande whose father, a retired government servant, earned Rs 3,000 a month, but somehow managed to get his five children educated and married. Bhushan’s mother played no small role in this familial endeavour. She used to regularly take stitching jobs and would meticulously write down the family budget, a habit which Bhushan internalised. They started an agency to sell small-saving schemes and life insurance. In between, the family also traded in saris. Today, at 36, Bhushan holds a diploma in mechanical engineering and works for a multinational.

“You can’t say the child has no responsibility to accounting. Implications of running an account are lifelong. If he doesn’t learn accounting as a child, he never will,” cautions Mashruwala. Rakesh Shah, 10, has been jotting down his spending on a scribble pad and later loading the data on an excel sheet. A habit that has stood him in good stead and he has managed to save quite well.

That pocket money should be controlled and monitored is echoed by the entire spectrum of financial advisors. Zankhana Shah of Moneycare Financial Advisors suggests a sense of responsibility can be cultivated by helping out parents with bank work and paying bills.
But what if your child is too young to know how to write even? How do you instil in him the knowledge that money does not come free?

Seven-year-old Chinman Mehta is awarded a smilie each time he chooses to be good and a frownie whenever he doesn’t. The emoticons are drawn daily on a weekly chart pasted to the refrigerator in the kitchen. “We subtract the frownies from the smilies and the sum is the amount Chinman receives as his pocket money for the week,” says Neelima, his mother. This incentive system has worked wonderfully for the family.

On a con diet?

Some of the so-called health products just leave your wallet light, not your figure.




Christmas and New Year is only a few weeks away, which means you have the freedom to indulge in sinful desserts and spicy, high-cal meat curries. But once the guilt factor sets in, you are back to the supermarket, heading to the ‘health food’ section. With a sigh, you wean yourself from the chocolates and cheeses and fill your trolleys with expensive stuff that you think are lighter, leaner and diet-friendly.


But in reality, you may be actually spending your hard-earned money on nothing. There are plenty of ‘quack’ health foods that promise much, but do little. Unfortunately, many of us are so desperate to be trim that we happily buy into a product’s weight-loss myth. The trick therefore is to steer clear of these ‘quack’ foods and buy the genuine, tried and tested healthy ones. Here is a rundown on some of the worst offenders.

SLIMLINE CEREALS

The trickery:

They claim to have low fat content, obviously endorsed by a super slim model on the packet. You include them in your breakfast menu hoping the pounds will be knocked off.

The truth:

Many such cereals are no better than normal varieties when it comes to fat content, and some are still packed with sugar. Studies show that people who eat cereal for breakfast tend to be slimmer but you don’t need a special “slimline” product to enjoy this benefit.

You’re better off with:

A bowl of oats or nofrills bran flakes with semi-skimmed milk. Both are naturally low-calorie and high in fibre, which helps to keep you fuller for longer.

FITNESS WATERS

The trickery:


The wholesome fruit pictures make it seem ‘natural’, while hour-glass shaped bottles give you an impression of the figure you will achieve after drinking the product.

The truth:

It’s just water with added sweeteners and vitamins — often in negligible amounts — and tiny amounts of fruit or herb extracts. There’s nothing in the product that will make you slimmer or healthier.

You’re better off with:

Drinking plain boiled tap water — it costs nothing and is calorie-free.

DIET CHOCOLATE

The trickery:

They simply play on your guilt, using words such as “light” and “non-fattening”. This basically lulls you into a false sense of security and you tend to go overboard.

The truth:

These bars still contain some fat, plus those without sugar use artificial sweeteners, which some studies show can actually trick your brain into eating more in the long run.

You’re better off with:

A few small pieces of a good quality, dark chocolate to satisfy your craving. Another way to ward off the guilt is to enjoy your chocolate bar before evening.


DIET YOGHURTS

The trickery:

Yoghurt has always been associated with weight-loss, add the word ‘diet’ before it and you think you have the perfect solution in hand. But that’s where you are being misled.

The truth:

Wholemilk and organic varieties are often packed with fat, while “light” versions can sometimes contain more calories than some standard ones, with additives.

You’re better off with:

A small pot of simple, low-fat fruit yoghurt — but check the sugar content. Or just add your own chopped fruit to natural yoghurt.

FRUIT DRINKS

The trickery:

They cover their bottles with beautiful juicy fruit pictures and give tropical sounding names.

The truth:

It’s healthier than a can of cola but some of these drinks have never even seen an orange or strawberry and are made entirely from flavourings. Even the ones that contain real fruit do so in tiny amounts — and often with the addition of plenty of sugar and additives.

You’re better off with:

Pure, unsweetened fruit juice — and you can even dilute it if you're really worried about the calories.

Research links fast food to Alzheimer’s

Mice fed junk food for nine months showed signs of developing the abnormal brain tangles strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a Swedish researcher said on Friday.

“On examining the brains of these mice, we found a chemical change not unlike that found in the Alzheimer brain,” said Susanne Akterin of Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet, who led the study.

“We now suspect that a high intake of fat and cholesterol, in combination with genetic factors, can be a contributory factor in the development of Alzheimer’s.”

Alzheimer’s disease is incurable and is the most common form of dementia among older people. It affects the regions of the brain involving thought, memory and language.

While the most advanced drugs have focused on removing clumps of beta amyloid protein that forms plaques in the brain, researchers are also now looking at therapies to address the toxic tangles caused by an abnormal build-up of the protein tau.

In her research, Akterin focused on a gene variant called apoE4, found in 15 to 20 per cent of people, and which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s.

She studied mice genetically-engineered to mimic the effect of the gene, and which were fed a diet rich in fat, sugar and cholesterol for nine months – meals representing the nutritional content of fast food.

These mice showed chemical changes in their brains, indicating an abnormal build-up of the protein tau, as well as signs that cholesterol in food reduced levels of another protein called Arc involved in memory storage, Akterin said.

“All in all, the results give some indication of how Alzheimer’s can be prevented, but more research in this field needs to be done before proper advice can be passed on to the general public,” she said.

AIDS can be eliminated in a decade

If All At High Risk Are Tested, Model Suggests Disease Could Be History.

The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model.

It is an intriguing solution to end the AIDS epidemic. But it is based on assumptions rather than data, and is riddled with logistical problems. The research was published online on Tuesday in the medical journal, the Lancet.

“It’s quite a startling result,” said Charlie Gilks, an AIDS treatment expert at the World Health Organization and one of the paper’s authors. “In a relatively short amount of time, we could potentially knock the epidemic on its head.”

Gilks and colleagues used data from South Africa and Malawi. In their model, people were voluntarily tested each year and immediately given drugs if they tested positive for HIV, regardless of whether they were sick.

Within 10 years, HIV infections dropped by 95%. Other initiatives like safe sex education and male circumcision were also used.

The strategy would cut the estimated number of AIDS deaths between 2008 and 2050 by about half, from about 8.7 million to 3.9 million, leaving only sporadic HIV cases.

Experts think the strategy’s cost would peak at about $3.4 billion a year, though expenses would fall after an initial investment. “This is certainly beyond the bounds of the current infrastructure for many countries, but that is not a reason not to think big,” said Myron Cohen, of the University of North Carolina, who has done similar research.

Only 3 million people are currently on AIDS drugs. Nearly 7 million people are still awaiting treatment, and about 3 million more people were infected last year. Worldwide, WHO guesses that about 33 million people have HIV. Increasing access to testing and drugs would stretch already weak health systems in Africa, which has most of the world’s HIV cases.

World Health Organization emphasized that the study findings do not signal a policy change. “This is only a theoretical exercise,” said Kevin De Cock, director of WHO’s HIV/AIDS department. He said WHO would hold a meeting next year to study the idea more closely.

Gold need not always glitter

“Borrowers will default. Markets will collapse. Gold will skyrocket.” - Michael Belkin

During apocalyptic times, every investor wants to move his investments to safer options. The emergence of gold in this regard has been remarkable.

Gold - value investing
Gold is considered a preserver of value, making it a good hedge during inflation. Gold is a unique commodity - while it is part of the basket of commodities and broadly moves in line with commodity prices, in periods of uncertainty, it can move in the opposite direction or have a lower impact. Gold is also a depleting commodity, which will continue to thrust the prices higher in the long term. While it is well known that gold is a coveted commodity across the globe, East-Asia, the Indian sub-continent and the Middle-East accounted for 72% of world demand in 2007.

A significant part of the gold demand comes from sales and disposals. With volatility in currencies/financial markets, central banks could end up increasing the composition of gold in their reserves. This is likely to create additional demand for the commodity, thereby pushing the prices further up.

Gold vs other commodities
Like most other markets, commodities also underperformed as an asset class in the third quarter of the calendar year, as investors became increasingly concerned about the strength of spillover effects to the real economy. Gold also saw a dip in prices from record highs. However, the fall has been much lower than in other commodities probably due to the flight to safety.

Interestingly, except lead, all commodities took a battering during the global financial meltdown. Tin, palladium, aluminum, platinum, copper, silver and nickel each fell by over 20% during the quarter. Gold was the second best performing commodity, behind lead, falling by just 5%.

Energy (brent crude), another key indicator of the strength of the economy, also took a strong dip. However, there is limited correlation seen between gold prices and crude prices in the long term. Over the past twenty years, gold and oil have moved in the same direction twelve times; but in opposite directions, eight times.

Bullion and capital markets correlation
It is interesting to see that gold is negatively correlated to equities; this has been the trend over many years. The trend can be related back to September 2005, when the markets slipped below 8,200, intra-day, closed with a loss of 265.50 points at 8,221.64 on September 22, 2005. At the same time, gold was seen to be trading at an all time high of Rs 6,780 per 10 gram. It is no different today, Sensex has dropped from a close of 20,301 on January 1 to 13,802 on June 27 - a whooping 32% drop; in the same period gold prices went up a whopping 18.01% in absolute terms.

A contrarian can take the cue from capital markets and move out of equities into gold, at peaks. One can do it in phases at key resistance and support levels. Gold is likely to rally when the equity market sees a down-trend. Further, gold is a more stable asset class in the long term; therefore, a good stability provider and a unique diversification tool as well.

Investing in Gold
India has an affinity towards jewelry, given their importance on all festive occasions. In ancient India, gold jewelry came into being, because people did not have access to banking and other financial instruments to preserve wealth. Jewelry, at that time, was the most convenient and most efficient medium of storing and preserving family wealth.

Today, however, if one intends to hold gold in physical form, it is best to consider holding it in the form of coins, biscuits, etc. and not in the form of jewels. A more popular form of holding of this asset globally, which has caught the fancy of the Indian investor, is the ETF (exchange traded funds). Gold ETFs are open-ended mutual fund schemes that invest in standard gold bullion (0.995 purity). The investment will be denoted in units, which will be listed on a stock exchange. They can be bought and sold on a real time basis, based on price movement of gold.

Gold Mining Funds launched recently in India are mainly feeder funds - they are funds which conduct investment through another fund which is the master fund, normally which has run successfully around the globe. The master fund invests in precious metal mining companies. Currently, there are only two such Gold Mining Funds AIG World Gold and DSPBR World Gold. Do keep in mind that this is a higher risk/return product since it invests in the stocks of the mining companies. Returns have been significantly better. For instance, the GDM index, an index of gold miners, has moved up 6.5 times since 2000 as compared to gold price which has increased by 3 times during this period. However, the recent fall has been very short on these two funds.

One should keep in mind that gold has also become pretty volatile of late, in line with most other asset classes. While gold and equities are negatively correlated, there are points of time when both move in the same direction. This requires a contrarian investor to make a more careful study before deciding on investing/exiting from gold. One can allocate about 5%- 15% of ones funds into gold - this can be through a mix of physical holding and virtual holding, although one has to keep in mind the costs involved and the risks thereof.

TIPS FOR THE WEEK
Gold is a good diversification tool for an equity investor, due to their inverse correlation.
It is also a good hedge against Inflation - since it is a store of value.
If you prefer holding physical gold - buy coins, biscuits or bars. Jewelry is not considered as an investment due to high transaction costs.
Hold a part in the form of ETFs /Mining funds, which will offer easier liquidity and lower risk of theft.
On an overall basis, have about 5%-15% of your portfolio in gold; do not overdo!
Manage the volatility of gold through phased investments.

It’s labour minus pain as hypnobirthing comes to India

Saloni Zutshi was terrified of labour just like any mother-to-be. But on November 4, she surprised herself when she gave birth to her first baby in a pain-free delivery. She is so thrilled that she wants to “do it all over again”. While this Delhi mother is extraordinary in wanting to repeat labour, she is also the first in the country to use hypnobirthing, a new technique that makes childbirth easier.

‘Hypnobirthing’ may conjure up an image of a hypnotist standing in front of a hapless woman with a swinging pendulum. But it is actually a combination of relaxation, breathing and visualisation methods.

Already popular in the West — celebrities such as Hollywood actress Jessica Alba have opted for it — the technique has just come to India. It is fast gaining ground. “Two of my patients are taking hypnobirthing classes,’’ says Dr Ameet Dhurandhar, a Mumbai-based gynaecologist. Both are expected to deliver at this month’s end at Bandra’s Chrysalis Hospital.

“Hypnobirthing is the use of selfhypnosis to achieve maximum relaxation, comfort and relief during childbirth,” explains Divya Deswal, gynaecologist and hypno-therapist who handled Saloni’s delivery.

But didn’t Saloni and her husband have any reservations about using a method untried in India? Yes, at first, but their desire for a natural birth made them choose hypnobirthing. “Caesareans have become very common now but we wanted Saloni to have a natural birth. So, we attended a hypnobirthing workshop in Mumbai, and learnt about this new technique. But it was only after we were confident that we said yes,” says Vasant Goel, Saloni’s husband and birthing partner.
Deswal, who’s been certified by the Hypnobirthing Institute in New Hampshire, USA, admits that it took some time to convince the couple. “I assured them that there would be a gynaecologist on standby, in case of any emergency.”

When the time came, Saloni stayed calm. “We had dimmed the lights and played soothing music as Vasant whispered the hypno prompts to her. After three hours of labour, she gave birth,” says Deswal.

Success hinges on preparation so that when the time comes, a woman is actually looking forward to giving birth rather than dreading the pain. This is what happened with 28-year-old Saloni, who works as a researcher with the UNDP on HIV/AIDS. “The technique is based on the power of suggestion,” Marie Mongan, founder-director of the Hypno-Birthing Institute, told TOI by e-mail. It is based on English obstetrician Grantly Dick-Read’s 1944 manual ‘Childbirth Without Fear’. Dick-Read said that hypnosis during labour helps women break what he described as the “fear-tensionpain syndrome”. Once contractions start, fear kicks in as a reflex, causing blood to flow away from the uterus to muscles in the legs. The reduced blood flow causes the uterus to cramp, resulting in pain. So, if women could only relax, they would have less pain, more effective contractions and shorter labour. That’s where hypnosis helps. “It allows a woman to enter a state of deep relaxation. The feeling is similar to daydreaming or when one is lost in a book or movie,” explains Mongan. A review of patients who had used hypnobirthing was published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia in 2004. The review suggested that there was evidence of a reduced need for pharmacological analgesia. A controlled trial is currently under way in Australia, which is seeking conclusively to prove that hypnosis can a make a significant difference to women in pregnancy and labour.

“The method has been gaining acceptance in the US, where there is a growing trend of moving towards natural birthing. Of the 1,059 cases that came to us between October 2005 and January 2008, as many as 80% were from the US,” says Kathie Dolce, who works at the Hypnobirthing Institute.

Dr Urvashi Sehgal, whose hospital was used for the hypnobirth, says she had no reservations at all about the procedure. “Doctors should understand that hypnobirthing is not a parallel medical procedure, it simply eases the labour. It also eliminates the use of drugs to hasten labour. If used in combination with water birthing, it gives wonderful results.”

Gynaecologists who use conventional delivery methods don’t disagree. Dr Asha Sharma, senior gynaecological consultant at Delhi’s Rockland Hospital, says, “Such positive techniques can help check the rise in C-sections which more women are choosing over natural births as they get stressed about labour and obstetricians don’t have the time to address those fears.” Hypnobirthing helped Vasant and Saloni tackle those fears and bring baby Anaadyanta into the world without pain. Could it herald the birth of a whole new order for Indian women?

OTHER OPTIONS

Lamaze method:
Lamaze is the oldest and most popular method of childbirth preparation in the US. It originated in the 1960s but gained popularity only in the 1970s. Lamaze involves rhythmic breathing techniques which help women take their mind away from the pain of contractions.

Bradley Method:
Also known as “husband-coached childbirth”, it is the brainchild of Dr Robert A Bradley. Teachers of the Bradley Method believe that — with adequate preparation, education and help from a supportive coach — most women can give birth naturally, without drugs or surgery.

Ensure EMI is below 40% of monthly income

More than half of my salary goes towards paying my monthly EMIs. This is something we hear quite often. Young professionals are finding it tough to handle the pressure of EMIs and credit card payments with high interest rates.

Raghavendra V (28) pays Rs 22,250 towards his housing loan and Rs 8,000 towards his personal loan every month. He works with a cruise liner and earns about Rs 65,000-Rs 70,000 a month.

“My dream was to own a house at an early age. In 2007, I had sufficient funds from my investments in the share market to buy a house. The house was for Rs 32 lakh and I was fortunate to get a home loan of Rs 20 lakh and separately opted for Rs 4 lakh as personal loan. The remaining was from my investment and savings,” he says.

But now, with the economic meltdown, Raghavendra is finding it difficult to manage the loan amount. “I plan to clear the personal loan first and then completely concentrate on the housing loan, since the interest rate on the personal loan is too high,” he says.

When it comes to monthly expenses, the basic rule should be to live within one’s means. “The total of all expenses and loan repayments must not exceed the income,” says Mahadevan, CEO of Wealth Advisors India.

“The amount of loans should be such that the total repayment amount (EMI) is no more than 35%- 40% of the monthly income after tax,” he says.

Anything in excess of this could mean that one may need to borrow funds for normal, everyday expenses, which must be avoided. “Create a reserve fund of liquid investments amounting to about 6 EMIs. This could provide the necessary protection in cases of loss of job or sudden mishaps,” Mahadevan says. Shreyas (26), a PR professional, has taken a car loan of Rs 4.48 lakh for 5 years from HDFC Bank. In the current scenario it has become difficult for her to handle her EMI and other monthly expenses. “I pay a monthly EMI of Rs 10,000 for the car loan. My husband uses his credit card more often than me. On an average, the credit card bill comes to Rs 5,000 a month. At the moment it is tough, as we had to use all our savings for the down payment of the car but is not an extreme situation yet as both of us are working,” says Shreyas, whose yearly package is Rs 4.6 lakh.

Each month the couple keeps a chunk of their salaries aside for clearing loans and other payments. “We are aware of the monthly petrol bills and other expenses like groceries and ensure that we only buy what is required. It helps in cutting down on unnecessary expenditure,” Shreyas says.

Maintain a budget sheet every month and break up your expenses into different categories like committed expenses, personal expenses, luxury spending and savings. “You will know exactly where your money is going and how much money you need if you have a budget. Accordingly, calculate the EMI you can afford. When it comes to credit card spending, it should not go beyond your one-month salary,” says a wealth manager.

If you have already gone overboard and are in a debt trap, it would be most important to find ways and means of getting out of it. Spending will have to be brought down to bare essentials, with a strong focus of repaying as much of the loans as possible. You could search for alternative cheaper sources of finance to pay off more expensive loans. “Sale of some assets may also need to be considered if the situation warrants it. It would be the attitude, the mindset and the willpower that will be severely tested at such times,” says Mahadevan acharya.

A sip of ‘liquid smoking’ to shut out cigarettes

For smokers saying ‘a puff of cigarette’ may not be in vogue anymore. Rather a sip of ‘cigarette drink’ may be the new lingo as a drink promises the same smoking experience, sans nicotine.
Called ‘liquid smoking’ the drink has South African herbal extracts, say its Dutch manufacturers United Drinks and Beauty Corporation.

The drink has already been on sale for one year now in Netherlands and United Drinks hopes the product would be available in the UK before Christmas, The Telegraph reported recently.

“The manufacturers say it does not contain the drug nicotine but rather a mix of roots from South African plants which is said to give ‘a slight energising effect, followed by a euphoric sense of calming and relaxation,” the newspaper said.

‘Liquid smoking’ would cost about £1.50 in the shops and would have less than 21 calories in every 275 ml can.

Meanwhile, the Guardian in a recent report about the drink said, “coming in a can reminiscent of a cigarette packet, it has a box proclaiming ‘no warning needed’ where a health warning would be on a packet of cigarettes”.

Quoting United Drinks chief executive Martin Hartman, The Telegraph said, “the product we (United Drinks) have developed has got similar properties to nicotine, so we are trying to help

people out who are affected by the ban on nicotine.

People might use this instead of a cigarette or tobacco to help the cravings.”

Martin Hartman was further quoted as saying “it will take the edge off of a need for nicotine for

between one to four hours... I think it will help people who feel the need for nicotine in bars, restaurants, long-haul flights and on the train.

Low sex drive? No big deal, say most women

The majority of women who experience low libido, poor arousal or face difficulties in orgasming, don’t seem upset by these problems.

These findings are based on one of the largest ever studies of its kind, which probed 32,000 women aged between 18 and 100 plus years across the US, regarding distress bearing on sex life, including anger, guilt, frustration and worry.

“Sexual problems are common in women, but problems associated with personal distress, those which are truly bothersome and affect a woman’s quality of life, are much less frequent.” said Jan Shifren of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), who led the study. Though women over 65 years faced most of sexual problems, they reported the lowest levels of distress. The most distressed were women aged 45 to 64, according to an MGH press release.

The youngest group, aged between 18 and 44 years, had lower levels of both problems and distress. Depressed women were more than twice as likely to report distress over any kind of sexual problem rather than non depressed women.

About 43% of respondents experienced some degree of sexual problem, with 39%reporting low
desire, 26% problems with arousal and 21% difficulties with orgasm. But distress bearing on any of these problems was restricted only to 12% of the volunteers.

“Although sexual problems were very common in women over age 65, these problems often weren’t associated with distress,” Shifren, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Harvard Medical School, added. “Several factors could be behind the lower levels of distress in the oldest group. If their partners also have low desire, it may not be looked on as a problem, or additional health issues could be of greater concern.”

INTIMACY WOES
Four in ten women experience sexual dysfunction 43% of the women reported having some sort of sexual dysfunction, although only 12% said that these problems affected their day-to-day lives

How to avoid injuries at gym

Gym activities may aggravate some pre-existing ailments, like osteoarthritis, or precipitate cardiac problems like angina in people who are predisposed, says Dr H S Karthick

Aregular workout is a very common and practical way to counter the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle. However, one may suffer from gym related injuries if some simple precautions are not followed. There are two basic categories of such injuries: the sudden injury and the slowly progressing injury, the former being more sinister. Gym activities may also aggravate some pre-existing ailments, like osteoarthritis, or precipitate cardiac problems like angina in people who are predisposed. Proper warm up should be done to prevent such occurrences. Here are some simple tips to prevent such injuries:

Wear appropriate clothing and closed footwear

Get yourself checked by a physician before you start any strength-training program. Some conditions like muscle or joint problems, seizure disorders, heart disease, high blood pressure, previous injuries or any other physical condition with potential for danger may require that you modify your exercise programme.

It is preferable to start gym activities under the supervision of a trainer who can devise a workout programme specific for your needs

Never work out when you are tired or ill

Always warm up first. Muscles that haven't been properly prepared tend to be injured more easily. If there is a significant break in between, start again with gentle exercises.

It is equally important to cool down and stretch for a number of reasons. It flushes out lactic acid from the muscles, reducing post workout soreness. It also allows the heart rate to return to a normal resting level thus avoiding dizziness or light headedness. Stretching while muscles are warm gives the greatest benefit to flexibility and also decreases post workout soreness

Do not lift weight with a jerk

Holding your breath while lifting weights can cause increased abdominal pressure that can lead to hernia.

Hair Growth

Trichologist Dr aravind adiga answers the two most commonly asked questions: the best way to grow hair and whether hair beauty procedures are safe.

Which is the best procedure for hair growth? Medicine, transplant or weaving?

The best procedure varies with the type of hair loss condition and the amount of hair loss. What may be good for one patient may not be equally effective for another. You should find out what the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are and most importantly the long term implications. For example, transplant is a good procedure for hair growth in the frontal areas but few people are aware that post transplant, they have to continue medication almost life long, which if discontinued can negate the benefits of transplant. Similarly, weaving sounds quite attractive since so many film stars do it. But the woven hair piece has to be removed every night and re-worn in the morning. Additionally, every month, you have to visit the salon so that the scalp can be shaved and the hair piece fitted better. Long term wearing of a hair piece also predisposes you to fungal infections. While it is good that we have so many options in cosmetic procedures nowadays, it also means that sometimes, we end up doing something we may not need.

I am getting married in two months and want to straighten my hair. I’ve never done it before, is it safe?

The damage that procedures like straightening and perming do to your scalp is cumulative. This means the hair remembers the previous damage and every subsequent procedure adds to the already existing damage increasing the danger of causing hair breakage. Generally, the danger increases exponentially after the third procedure which means getting it done one or two times should be safe. But ensure that the technician who does the straightening knows what he or she is doing. Applying more than the required amount of chemical and keeping it for longer than the prescribed time are the most common errors which can cause damage even if you are doing it for the first time.

Is your heart ready to take flight?

Let your heart not skip a beat. If you are a heart patient, follow these instructions before boarding a flight.

Most people with a stable heart disease that is monitored and controlled should have no problem travelling; however, travel is not recommended for people with uncontrolled angina, abnormal heart arrhythmia, or uncontrolled congestive heart failure (CHF).

Cardiac incidents occur only in one to two patients per million, during air travel. However, some heart patients need to avoid flying, at least temporarily, because of the increased risk posed by being confined to a high-altitude (and therefore low-oxygen) compartment. (Airplane cabins are pressurised to the equivalent of approximately 10,000 feet above sea level.)

Once you’ve notified your doctor of your travel plans, it is a good idea to document the following medical information:

List of all drugs you are taking. Use generic names, and indicate dosages, as drug formulations vary from country to country.

Copy of a baseline electrocardiogram

Name and contact information of your physician

Brief letter from your doctor (on letterhead, signed and dated) that describes your condition, the need for any supplies or medications, and information on any implanted pacemakers or cardiac defibrillators you may have. Pack and carry more than enough of each of your medications to cover the length of your trip as medication may be difficult to procure once you reach your destination. Keep all medications in their original containers. Pack all of your medical information and medications in your cabin luggage to avoid losing them in misplaced luggage. Patients should not fly if:

They have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction) within the past two weeks

They have had coronary artery stent placement within the past one week

They have had coronary artery bypass surgery within the past two weeks (longer if they have

had complications)

They have unstable angina, poorly controlled heart failure, or uncontrolled arrhythmias On board oxygen (which is separate from the emergency system) should be requested well in advance to ensure an adequacy of supply if there is frequent angina or a reduced oxygen level in the patient at ground level. Cabin staff are trained for emergencies and all airlines carry first aid and medical emergency kits. Most major airline flights are now equipped with a ‘smart’ inflight defibrillator.

The following is a list of symptoms that should prompt you to seek medical attention if they occur during your travel:

Irregular pulse or one unusually fast (faster than 100 beats per minute) or very slow (lower than 50 beats per minute)
Shortness of breath
Light-headedness
Unusual fatigue
Unusual swelling of the legs and/or feet
Chest pain or discomfort
Precautions to take during air travel

Travelers over 50 years or even those under 50 years with one or more risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (obesity, varicose veins, pregnancy, oral contraceptives) should observe the following precautions to prevent DVT

1. Move your legs

Don’t sit with your legs bent for hours on end. Stretch your legs out from time to time. Stretching and moving the legs stops blood stagnating in the deep veins of the calf

2. Don’t get dehydrated

Drink plenty of fluid — water is ideal Avoid excessive alcohol, which tends to cause dehydration
3. Wear compression stockings

Graduated compression stockings reduce the risk of DVT. They also help to prevent ankle swelling

Below knee stockings are the most comfortable kind, and seem just as effective as full length stockings

Compression stockings can be prescribed by a doctor and can be bought at chemists, surgical appliance specialists and also at airports

4. Aspirin

Taking an aspirin tablet (either a 75mg ‘junior aspirin’ or a normal 300mg aspirin tablet) a few hours before a long journey may provide a small amount of extra protection against DVT. Patients with pacemakers and implantable cardiac defibrillators should be rerouted for security clearance with hand held metal detectors and hand searches. The hand held device should be held over the ICD for no more than a few seconds.

Using laughter as a therapy

Laughing can not only cleanse unconscious blocks , but can also give you a higher sense of well-being.

From the schoolroom, where laughter is thought to undermine authority, to the five star hotels, where it is considered to be an embarrassment, humanity is conditioned to suppress its laughter. If we were allowed to laugh without restraint, we would then successfully subvert our conditioning, and save our natural intelligence. Laughter can be a great step to meditation and can cleanse the unconscious blocks and heal traumas, provided people sit silently and meditate after a healthy laugh. Osho has used laughter as a therapy that leads to meditation. Here are some useful tips you can incorporate in your daily schedule.

Involve your whole body in laughter. Let every cell participate in this celebration. Roll on the floor, jump and dance into a total let go.

Laughter brings strength. Now, even medical science says that laughter is one of the deepest medicines nature has provided man with. If you can laugh when you are ill you will get your health back soon. If you cannot laugh, even if you are healthy, sooner or later you will lose your health

It can cure many of your tensions, anxieties, worries; the whole energy can flow into laughter. Learn to laugh for no reason. Laughing at someone is not always pleasant but laughing at oneself reduces your seriousness.

Laughter brings some energy from your inner source to your surface. Energy starts flowing and follows laughter like a shadow. When you really laugh, for those few moments you are in a deep meditative state. Thinking stops. It is impossible to laugh and think together. They are diametrically opposite: either you can laugh or you can think.

You laugh with abandon, suddenly the mind disappears. You can get a glimpse of the no-mind Zen talks about. And if you know a few moments of no-mind, those glimpses will promise you many rewards.

Lighten up this Diwali

Diwali is the festival of lights and a time to decorate your home and give it a new look. Most people paint the house before Diwali, but if you don’t have the time or the money for that, you can still brighten up your home for the occasion. Here’s how:

• A clean home is a beautiful home. First things first, ensure your home is dustfree and clean. Clear away the clutter and make sure everything is in its place. Rearrange the furniture to give the living room a new look.

• A day or two before Diwali, change the curtains, bedclothes, rugs and mats. You need not buy new ones, just use the alternate set, which has been cleaned and ironed. Put embroidered cushion covers on your cushions and use rich colours for your bed sheet to give the room a festive look.

• Run a string (like clothes line) in a corner, which will not be disturbed. On this, hang or clip on all the Diwali greeting cards you have received. This will add cheer to your home.

• Buy diya shaped candles and place them in different spots in your house (including the bathroom). These wax candles are easier to handle and not as expensive or messy as oil-lit lamps. On the day of Diwali you can light these candle diyas.

• Light a dhoop or incense stick in every room. Alternatively, put some fresh flowers or buds like jasmines into a small cup of water or rose water. Your home will smell heavenly. You can also use floral or scented candles

• In a large earthen plate, pour water and arrange flower petals on them. In the middle of the floral arrangement, keep a lamp stand and light a lamp on it.

• Make a big rangoli using colorful powders. For added beauty you can use rock salt for your rangoli. Mix the rock salt with the colourful powders and set them on the rangoli design and watch the handiwork come alive.

• If you have potted plants in your home, decorate them with serial lights.

Mushroom MAGIC

What could be better than mushrooms for those who are looking to eat healthy and not lose out on taste. For these edible fungi yes, that’s what they are are packed with protein, vitamins, minerals and, best of all, very low in calories. Not to mention brimming with flavour. Sounds like a great ingredient? They are. And mankind has known this for a very long time. The ancient Egyptians apparently considered mushrooms to be food for the royals. The French have always enjoyed the fungus and began harvesting them in caves during the seventeenth century.

Mushrooms grown all over the world and each region produces its own unique varieties. Since there are also toxic mushrooms, care has to be exercised while picking or harvesting them. Those of use who get our supplies from a supermarket shelf needn’t be bothered with that over. Here are mushrooms common and exotic which you are likely to find in the markets these days.

Agaricus (White or Button)
These mushrooms are the most common variety which we find in plastic packets supermarkets. Canned ones are also available, but fresh is best. Button mushrooms can be eaten raw in salads or cooked to add flavour to a range of dishes from pasta to pizza topping, soups and bakes.

Chanterelles, or Girolle
These trumpet-shaped fungi are highly regarded mushrooms favoured for their gold to yellow colour, and rich flavour.

Crimini, or Italian Brown
These mushrooms are similar to the button variety, yet they are darker in colour, have a richer flavour, and have a more dense texture.

Enoki, or Enokitake
This fungi takes on a sproutlike appearance with small caps and thin, long, stems. Native to Japan, white in colour, with a light fruity taste, these mushrooms are excellent when served raw in soups and salads.

Morel or Guchchi
These mushrooms are highly priced and highly prized for their intense earthly flavour. They are usually found in the wild, although they are also grown commercially in Kashmir. This conical shaped, honey combed surface fungi is small, with dark brown hues, is suitable for stuffing and is ideal for sauces and stews.

Oyster, or Pleurotus
These mushrooms grow in clusters, and range in colour from offwhite to shades of brown. Subtly tasting like an oyster, its chewy texture is more suited to cooked dishes.

Porcini
Porcini mushrooms are highly prized for their meaty texture and rich flavour. You are most likely to find these Italian mushrooms in dried form. They are expensive, but a little lends a great deal of flavour and they are well worth adding to your mushroom store.

Portobello
These are large cremini-like mushrooms that are sometimes the size of a regular hamburger! These fungi are circular, flat, and long, with a dense, chewy texture. Portobellos are excellent for grilling or roasting.

Shiitake
Shiitake mushrooms were originally cultivated on natural oak logs and only grown in Japan, but are now available domestically. These mushrooms are large, black-brown, and have an earthy rich flavour. This fungi is enjoyed in stir-fries, soups, or even a meat substitute. Dried Shiitakes have more intense flavours and are sometimes preferable to fresh.

Preparing mushrooms:
Do not wash mushrooms as they will turn slimy. Simple wipe clean using a gentle motion with kitchen towels or paper. If you are using dried mushrooms, soak them in warm water till soft and plump. Use the soaking water, but strain because it could be gritty.

How to decorate your Diwali table

Here are some cool ideas to give your feast a festive touch:

• Use a plain white table cloth and get table mats or napkins that have bright, ethnic patterns, like a rangoli design, for instance.

• Put out your best silver or brassware.

• Use diyas instead of candles; you can also candles set in diya holders.

• Flowers are a must; use strands of marigold to edge the table. Or, scatter petals across the table.

• For a centre-piece use a shallow vessel, filled with water. Float on it, flowers and candles.

21 ways to be happy

Paying your EMIs, feeding the family and paying for the odd treat is getting tough as bills soar. You’d think that coping with the credit crunch would have us all sick with worry… But, in fact, we’re doing really well — fitter, stronger, healthier and living longer. “Life expectancy is so good that eliminating all accidents and infectious diseases would only raise it by a further two years,” says Prof Steve Jones, of University College London. Most of us are warm, well-fed and healthy. Still miserable? Try these to be happy...


BOOST YOUR SELF-ESTEEM
Identify what you’re good at and do it. Self-esteem is linked to happiness and surveys show the feeling of success is a common source of joy.

AVOID INFO OVERLOAD
A study found that people who multi-task are likelier to have high blood pressure. So instead of talking on the phone while picking up the kids’ toys, sit down and focus on the conversation.

WASH YOUR HAIR
A century ago, women washed their hair once a month using borax or egg yolks. Enjoy modern haircare products and wash your tresses every day. Clean hair makes you feel good.

MAKE TIME FOR FRIENDS
People with a circle of supportive friends are likelier to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol levels and stress hormone levels than those with two or fewer close friends.

TAKE PART
Feel what you think doesn’t matter? It does. Have your say by voting.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS
Focus on what you’ve got, not what you’re missing. A study found that people who took the time to count their blessings once a week boosted their mood and improved their health and energy levels. And it relieved pain and fatigue, too.

GET RID OF THAT NIGGLING TASK
Visit the doctor, answer a difficult email or buy something you need. Crossing an irritating item off your to-do list will give you a rush of energy.

PAMPER A POOCH
Walking and stroking pets can relieve stress, lower blood pressure and heart rates. One study showed pets are better than spouses at relieving stress.

ENJOY YOUR JOB
In 1908, a typical working day was 14 hours with few breaks. There was no employment regulation and no minimum wage. Still hate your job?

GET ENOUGH SLEEP
Few of us get enough sleep and that makes us grumpy. Getting into bed by 8 pm one night with a book — and turning the light out an hour later — can do more for your mood than any amount of therapy.

SING IN THE SHOWER
Music activates parts of the brain that produce happiness, the same parts activated by sex and food. So in the morning tune the radio to your favourite station and sing along.

VISIT A QUIET PLACE
Museums, parks, libraries and places of worship provide islands of peace in a frantic world. Find a quiet place near your home and make it your secret hideaway.

STOP WORRYING ABOUT YOUR AGE
Celebrate all your birthdays. Remember when you were 10 how 21 seemed ancient? Enjoy your age, because you won’t be this young again.

IGNORE THE STOCK MARKET
Chinese researchers have found a direct link between the daily performance of the stock market and the mental health of those who follow it. If you don’t have money invested, ignore it. If you do, remember time heals financial wounds. Give your investments time — and give yourself a break.

HAVE A GOOD CRY
Bottling up emotions can lead to a build-up of suppressed anxiety and anger. Let your emotion come out when you’re upset and have a good cry.

LIGHT AN OIL BURNER
Getting a good nose-full of lavender aids deep relaxation. Find a scent that soothes you and burn it when you’re relaxing or put a few drops of essential oil into your bath.

SAY “I LOVE YOU”
Tell those close to you that you love them. A little praise never hurts.

GIVE YOURSELF SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO
It may be just a walk in the park or reading a book. Build these treats into your daily life.

VOLUNTEER TO HELP OUT
Helping others less fortunate that yourself puts your own problems into perspective.

CHANGE YOUR THINKING
People who survive a terminal illness, accident or witness a tragedy have a different perspective on life. Many say that they no longer leave anything until later. They travel now, learn a new skill now, contact an old friend the same day the thought pops into their head. Follow their lead - try living for today and not tomorrow.

WATCH IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
This classic 1946 film stars James Stewart as George Bailey who, facing financial troubles, is about to commit suicide when he meets his guardian angel Clarence. It guarantees a smile.

Mind your money

Money is in the mind; a product of maya. Particularly at a time when the world is sinking into the quicksand of recession. So how do you survive? The story of the bankrupt billionaire might hold a clue. To get over his bankruptcy blues he decided to treat himself to a holiday at his favourite luxury resort hotel. However, instead of booking himself into the $12,000-a-night Presidential Suite as he usually did, this time he booked into the Vice-presidential Suite, which was only $8,000 per night. Reassured by his perception that by staying in the ‘cheaper’ suite he was saving $4,000 a night, the thrifty ex-tycoon had a most gratifying holiday.

The Chivas Regal ad which shows a half-full bottle with the line: ‘To the host it’s half empty, to the guest it’s half full’ is even more appropriate to the maya of money than to whisky. The current financial crisis is based not on tangibles but on perceptions. The words used to describe and explain it belong to the vocabulary of sensory perception, of maya: market sentiment, risk-averse climate, asset values; shimmering mirages conjured by the mind.

Barring isolated pockets here and there, the world and almost everyone in it is, today, materially much better off than ever before: we are, generally speaking, better fed, better clothed, better cared for medically, and longer lived than we have ever been. In terms of resource-command (energy, technology, medication) and life expectancy, the daily-wage labourer in Agra today has a far better deal than his counterpart who helped to build the Taj Mahal.

So, in the midst of tangible plenty why this sudden panic of global penury, of a looming Great Depression? The current financial crisis stems from, and is being perpetuated by, perception. In the US, greedy loan sharks, perceived to be bankers, handed out credit, perceived value, in the form of home loans, to subprime, or perceived high-risk, borrowers. The perceived property boom went perceivedly bust, along with banks that had bought into this perceived opportunity for making perceived megabucks which when they didn’t materialise compounded perceived fears of lending money, resulting in a real credit squeeze created by perceptions. As an Indic sage might have said: “Oh what a tangled web we weave/ When first we practise to perceive.”

Perception, of course, also rules the stock markets. With global markets plunging like bungee-jumpers, daily and hourly media reports tally the losses: X trillion dollars, or rupees, or whatever, of investors’ wealth wiped out. But — unless the investors in question actually book their losses, i.e. cash out of the market — that wealth has not really been wiped out but is only perceived as such.

For instance, if you had invested in the market in January this year when the Sensex had touched 21,000, today you’d perceive that your investment had lost almost 50 per cent of its original worth. But unless you sell out, your investment loss will remain only a perceived and not an actual loss. Rather like Schrodinger’s cat in quantum mechanics. A hypothetical cat is locked in a hypothetical box which, upon being opened, might or might not kill it. While the cat remains in the box it is presumed to be in a state of suspended animation, neither alive nor dead. The fate of that unfortunate feline is dependent on our perception of it. Why let the cat out of the box, or the bag?

To ride out the recession you might take a tip from the perceptive ex-billionaire who made a perceived saving by opting for a (slightly) less expensive hotel room. Book a round-the-world cruise and a case of Chateau Petrus at Rs 3 lakh a bottle. Then settle for a Kundu Special four-day Kullu-Manali package and a glass of nimbu-paani. Count the perceived fortune you’ve saved, and effect a further saving by putting suicidal thoughts out of mind. Don’t worry, be happy. And imagine the money you’re saving on rope nooses and rat poison.

Say no to plastic

There is no doubt that plastic does tremendous harm to our bodies and our environment. And the best way to help both is to cut down on its use, says a recent article in Time magazine. But it’s not as simple as it sounds. For there is little available in the market today that does not contain plastic in some form.

“Our food and water come wrapped in plastic. It’s used in our phones and our computers, the cars we drive and the planes we ride in,” says Bryan Walsh. While environmentalists fret about the petroleum needed to make it, and parents worry about the possibility of toxic chemicals making their way from household plastic into children’s bloodstreams, there are a few groups of people who are trying to minimize the use of plastic in daily life.

Walsh gives the example of 28-yearold Jeanne Haegele who, last year, resolved to cut plastics out of her life. And Frederick vom Saal, a biologist at the University of Missouri, who is a member of a group of researchers who have raised questions about the safety of some common types of plastics.

As plastic ages or is exposed to heat or stress, it can release trace amounts of harmful ingredients like bisphenola (BPA) and phthalates. BPA is in everything from baby bottles to can linings, while phthalates are found in toys as well as vinyl shower curtains. These chemicals enter our body through food, water or dust we consume or even by absorption through skin.
Ingredients like BPA and phthalates are endocrine disrupters, which mimic hormones, and can cause vast changes in the body, especially in young children. Animal studies on BPA found that low-dose exposure, particularly during pregnancy, may be associated with serious illnesses, including cancer and reproductive problems. Some human studies on phthalates linked exposure to declining sperm quality in adult males, while others linked it to early puberty in girls.
This is why, avoiding certain kinds of plastics is simply being better safe than sorry. You can avoid plastic bottles and toys labelled with the numbers 3 (vinyl) or 7 (polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources). Steer clear of vinyl shower curtains and canned foods — especially those with acidic contents like tomatoes. You should also avoid heating plastic in microwaves.

It’s tough, however, to get rid of the stuff altogether. Meena uses a plastic toothbrush, though she had made her own toothpaste from baking soda, cinnamon and vodka. She has used vinegar for conditioner. But she is still searching for a decent shampoo that doesn’t come in a plastic bottle, or wrapped in plastic.

The World’s Worst Advisors

Foreign Policy magazine lists a few would-be sages who should have never been listened to

Joseph Made
Former minister of agriculture, Zimbabwe

Worst advice :
When Zimbabwe was offered international food aid in 2004, Made told Mugabe that the country actually had a surplus of maize and had collected 2.4 million tons during the previous harvest.
The effect :
In fact, experts say the number was closer to 700,000 tons. The next winter, Zimbabwe announced that 1.5 million people, some 12 percent of the population, urgently needed food aid.

Chiou I-Jen
Former vice premier of Taiwan

Worst advice :
In an effort to get Papua New Guinea to recognize Taiwan, Chiou recommended the allocation of $30 million to two men whom he believed had influence over officials in Papua New Guinea. The money was paid, but Chiou was conned. The men — one a U.S. passport holder and the other a Singaporean — disappeared with the cash.
The effect :
Chiou has since resigned and now faces possible corruption charges.

Martine Aubry
Former minister of labor, France

Worst advice :
Aubry was the chief architect of the 35-hour workweek in France, a law imposed on large firms in 2000 that decreased the number of hours that an employee could be obligated to work from 39 to 35.
The effect :
The law was intended to stem high unemployment in France. Eight years later, the country's unemployment numbers have barely moved, and what progress has been made isn’t credited to fewer working hours.

Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Health minister, South Africa

Worst advice :
While speaking at an international AIDS conference in Toronto in August 2006, she recommended that HIV/AIDS be treated with lemon, beet root, and garlic.
The effect :
Tshabalala-Msimang’s comments provoked condemnation abroad and embarrassment at home. Local newspapers said that she had “reduced South Africa to an international joke.”

Want to lose weight? Keep a food diary

Writing down everything that you eat daily can greatly help you lose weight, says an article in Time. The story cites the new results of a paper published in the August issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Scientists at several clinical-research centers in the US found that dieters who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t.

The study tracked about 1,700 overweight or obese adults — men and women — across the United States who were at least 25 years old. All participants were encouraged to use weight-loss methods such as calorie restriction, weekly group sessions and moderately intensive exercise as well as to keep a food journal. “Hands down, the most successful weight-loss method was keeping a record of what you eat,” the article quotes the senior investigator, Victor Stevens, as saying. In the six-month study, participants who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost an average of 8 kg, compared with an average of 4 kg lost by non-diary keepers.

Keeping a detailed food diary, which includes even small servings, helps you pick out the eating habits that need to be modified, since you can see where the extra calories are coming from. And to keep the calorie count, the feature suggests a website called the Daily Plate at livestrong.com. It not only lets you accurately count calories but also helps you find people with eating habits similar to your own.

However, keeping a food diary works best in conjunction with regular exercise. Losing just 4.5 kg can help control high blood pressure and reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A drop of a few kilos also helps the movement of knees and other joints. It is also likely to positively affect your sleep and improve your energy levels.

Livni will face Indira, Meir’s challenge

Tzipi Livni, the new leader of Kadima, Israel’s ruling party, is close to joining that very select club of women heads of government, says The Times. Ms Livni, Israel’s Foreign Minister, if she becomes her nation’s second woman prime minister, will face the security dilemmas that are not handled by the women leaders of Scandinavian or Antipodean countries.

Livni’s ascent must be cheered because she does not come from a dynasty like the Gandhi family or the Bhuttos. However, she may have to confront serious challenges in the male-dominated Middle East. “Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran will note her dovish commitment to the peace process with the Palestinians, which they reject in any case,” says Mark Almond, lecturer in History at Oriel College, Oxford, in the article.

Her stint will be watched with particular interest since women prime ministers have come under pressure from foreign enemies and domestic terrorists even before. “Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir all rose to the top in even less female-friendly political environments than Israel today — though Ms Lipni certainly didn’t lack rivals who, during the Kadima leadership campaign, publicly doubted her capacity to direct the Israeli Defence Force,” says the story, adding that though Indira Gandhi owed her power base in the Congress Party to her father, she survived so long in office only because she took hard decisions. Like invading Bangladesh and suppressing the Sikh militants occupying the Golden Temple. “She had the courage to keep her Sikh bodyguards afterwards, but it was foolhardy, as her assassination showed,” says Almond.

In 1973, Israel’s first woman Prime Minister, Golda Meir, resisted her instinct to strike first against Syrzia. Result: she was forced into retirement when Egypt and Syria caught the Israelis napping on Yom Kippur. For Margaret Thatcher, the Falkands War was a risky affair, but she decided to send the task force only after admirals had assured her of the availability of forces.
Women PMs have a very important quality — unpredictability. That’s why foreign leaders should treat Livni with respect and do a cautious appraisal.

Is the world learning to say ‘no’ to debts?

Following the demise of Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch and the giant insurer AIG, we are learning to fear debt—like Japan in the 1990s, says an article in Prospect.

The facts of the Japanese debacle are broadly these: the Nikkei index of leading shares peaked at 38,916 on 29th December 1989 at the end of a five-year long orgy of debt-fuelled speculation, centred largely on the real estate market. During the fat years, banks lent against property in the confident expectation that prices would never fall. For a while, they were amply rewarded: share and real estate values rose fourfold between 1984 and 1989. It took time for the crisis to bite hard, but from 1990 share prices started a 13-year decline, punctuated by sharp rallies. Over that period they gave up all their bull market gains, and by 2002, the stock market was back where it had been in 1984. Property values also crashed. In total, the long decline wiped out ¥1,500 trillion ($14.2 trillion) of national wealth, equivalent to three years of Japanese GDP. It was the largest such loss experienced by a nation in peacetime.

The demon the Japanese confronted during the lost decade was that of “de-leveraging.” This arose initially because banks were reluctant to lend, and then because too many borrowers paid down debt at the same time—a toxic combination that crushed asset prices (they had to sell off property to pay their debts). It is this fear that is now stalking financial markets. A rerun of what happened in Japan is possible, although with luck not in as savage a form.

Rather as in late-1980s Japan, banks today have lent too much money to bad borrowers. Having made big losses, they are concerned about more bad debts coming down the line, eroding their capital. This has made them extremely reluctant to lend—even to one another. The supply of credit to personal and corporate borrowers has all but dried up. Moreover, fear about vast losses—still hidden in the system—has communicated itself to investors, who are openly questioning the value of the collateral banks are holding against the loans they have made. Such doubts were behind the collapses of Lehman and Bear Stearns, as well as Britain’s biggest casualty, Northern Rock.

Recession has many benefits too

Recessions (rather than booms or depressions) might be a blessing in disguise, says The Times, London. During economic crises, people tend to drink less, smoke fewer cigarettes and lose weight. They enrol in higher education, the air is cleaner, the roads are less crowded.

Alice Thomson says in the feature: “During the past 10 years of boom, a small, rather Eeyorish, group of American economists and psychologists has been trying to work out whether people really are better off in what Gordon Brown once called ‘the Golden Years’ and now refers to as the ‘Age of Irresponsibility’.”

Research by Stanford University and the University of North Carolina shows that when times are good, people of all classes tend not to take care of themselves and their families. They drink too much, and eat more fat-laden food. In downturns, people spend more time with their relatives and are more likely to look after their children themselves rather than depending upon after-school activities or creches.

The story quotes Grant Miller, an assistant professor of medicine at Stanford, as saying that in a boom people work longer, harder hours, and are less likely to do things that are good for them. So “cooking at home and exercising are seen as a waste of time”. But when wages drop, and jobs are scarce, the young feel that it makes more economic sense to prolong their education, and the elderly will retire earlier since there is less incentive to keep earning.

Christopher Ruhm, professor of economics at the University of North Carolina, analysed death rates from 1972 to 1991, comparing them to economic shifts. He found that for every 1% increase in unemployment rates, there was a 0.5% decline in the death rate. People not only eat more healthily in recessions but they tend to drive less, either as an economy measure or because they are no longer commuting to their jobs. When unemployment rates rise by a point, the number of fatal car crashes decreases by 2.4%.

“People who are worried about losing their jobs do things that keep them from getting laid off — they drink less and take fewer risks,” says Ralph Catalano, professor of public health at the University of California. Also, in the past six months, councils have reported increased use of libraries and a fall in quantities of household rubbish.

Gourmet goes festive!

THE October sun muses mellow, the drums echoing against its fragrant skyline, pandals stand tall housing the sacred divinities — the auspicious spirits are invoked. It’s time to soak in the revelry of the most opulent festival in the Bengali almanac — Durga Puja. Puja festivities aren’t so much about following scriptural sanctities, as they’re about rejoicing in the extravagant cravings of the soul.

No surprises then that the five-day-long jubilations extol in the pleasures of food, fun and finery. “The commencing of pujas unleashes the glutton in the Bengali who goes all out to explore myriad culinary pastures. ‘Eating out’ forms an integral part of our cultural canvas,” holds restaurateur Anjan Chatterjee. Chatterjee, who owns specialty restaurant Oh! Calcutta, draws attention to the changing palette of the discerning Bong foodie. “He’s moved beyond the usual Chinese-Mughlai-Continental fare, experimenting with more delectable ethnic fodder. Bengalis now recognise the explosive power of their own cultural cuisine. Be it the subtle flavours of Thakurbari cooking or lip-smacking, street food like Kabiraji Cutlet or Mughlai Parantha — there’s a Renaissance in the realm of indigenous Bengali cuisine,” he adds.

Tradition, however, still holds fort. Barun Mallick, scion of the Posta-based Mallick family, whose household puja celebrates its 155th year, informs, “Heritage demands that puja cuisine is completely vegetarian, comprising largely of bhog (prasad) that’s handed out to devotees, daily.”

Yet, with the passage of time, culinary innovations abound in the dietary dictionary. Food consultant Subhankar Dhar, ex partner of the popular Bengali eatery 6, Ballygunje Place (Kolkata and Bangalore) says, “Thakurbari food is resonating back. Known for its refined food habits — from Oriental lunches, Continental dinners to the best French chefs in their kitchen, this family fare revels in items, like Golda Chingrir Cheeni Kabab (jumbo prawn thermidor) and Kakra Chingrir Pathuri (marinated crab meat and prawn wrapped in banana leaf and roasted) are menu musts.”

Even the quintessential vegetarian fare bears the imprint of a glorious past. “Thakurbari cuisine comprises the best of West Bengal’s food tradition — mildly flavoured with a soft texture,” adds Chatterjee, pointing out to all-time favourites, like Dhuni Kichdi, Potol Pathuri and Mochar Govindobhog.

The natural goodness of Bengali food is also blending ceremoniously with occidental traditions. Debashish Saha, senior sous chef, Park Hotel, Kolkata adds, “Fusion food is the latest fad. From Prawn Biryani, Baked Firangi Cauliflower (with Continental, white sauce stuffing), Crumb-fried Gulab jamun served with vanilla ice-cream to Meehedana Tiramisu, it’s tradition with a twist.”

“You can’t imagine pujas without the robust trail of food odours emanating from the holy ground,” claims restaurateur Dhiren Mitter, whose plush South Kolkata eatery, K’s — The Eating Place, is being decked up for the culinary carnival. As food worshippers stream into his den — Chatterjee aptly concludes, “Durga pujas are a ‘peth (stomach) pujo’ above anything else!”

MISTI DOI MOUSSE

INGREDIENTS

Mishti doi 200 gm Whole cream 120 ml Gelatin 4/5tbsp. Crushed cookies 4 no Caramelised sauce 2 tbsp. Green banana 1 no Butterscotch sauce 4 tbsp.

METHOD
Fold mishti doi, with whole cream thoroughly and then add gelatin dissolved in water. Take a round, stainless steel, 3” diametre, both side open cylindrical container, put crushed cookies on the base and pour in the curd mixture on top of the cookies and refrigerate. Cut small chunks of banana and mix with the caramelised sauce and place on top of de-molded sweet curd mousse. Sprinkle butterscotch sauce encircling the mousse. (Courtesy Debashish Saha, senior sous chef, Park Hotel, Kolkata)

CARAMEL SAUCE (makes 550 ml)

INGREDIENTS
Brown sugar 1 1/2 cups Flour 4 tablespoons Water 1 cup boiling Dash of salt Butter 2 tablespoons Cream 2 tablespoons Vanilla to taste

METHOD
Mix sugar with flour in a saucepan; blend well. Add water and salt. Stir while cooking for 6 to 8 minutes. If too thick, add a little more water. Remove from heat; stir in butter, cream, and vanilla to taste.



LAU KAKRA
Four portions

INGREDIENTS
Crab (4) 450-550 gms Bottle gourd 1 kg Mustard oil 150 gms Turmeric 5 gms Green chilli paste 40 gms Panchphoron 3 gms Chopped onion 100 gms Ginger paste 30 gms Crabmeat 100 gms Salt to taste Green chilli 6-8 no Sugar to taste

METHOD
Cut the crab into small portions, apply salt and turmeric. Keep for 10 minutes. Peel and cut the bottle gourd into small dices. Heat 2/3rd mustard oil and saute the prepared crab, remove and keep covered. Temper the oil with panchphoron and add the prepared gourd. Add salt and chilli paste. Cover and cook till the gourd is half done. Add turmeric and saute the crab and crabmeat. Cook till the gourd and crab is done. Heat reserved oil in a separate kadhai, saute the chopped onion and ginger, cook till golden and add to the cooking crab, mix well. Cook till the vegetable is well combined. Serve with rice.


MOCHA O GOBINDOBHOGER GHONTO
Three portions

INGREDIENTS
Boiled banana flower 400 gms Raisins 30 gms Gobindobhog rice 150 gms Cinnamon 2 gms Green cardamom 1 gms Bayleaf 2-3 nos Ginger paste 30 gms Jeera powder 15 gms Turmeric 3 gms Red chilli powder 15 gms Jeera whole 5 gms Salt to taste Sugar to taste Ghee 50 gms Mustard oil 60 gms

METHOD
Pick and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain and dry on absorbent paper. Marinate the rice with ginger, turmeric, red chilli, salt and jeera powder. Keep for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a kadhai, temper with jeera and bayleaf. Lightly crush the hot spices and add to the spluttering spices. Add the rice and saute on high heat, till well fried. Add the boiled mocha and cook well. Add 500 ml of hot water and salt. Add the raisins. Cook till the rice is done. Add sugar and ghee. Stir fry till dry and well combined. Check for seasoning and adjust.


CHINGRI O MOUROLAR PATURI
Two portions

INGREDIENTS
Scampi prawns (30-40) 300 gms Mourola (fish) 200 gms Cucumber 150 gms Coconut paste 150 gms Mustard paste 30 gms Mustard oil 175 gms Green chilli paste 40 gms Banana leaves 2-3 nos Salt to taste Sugar to taste Turmeric 2 gms Curd 20 gms

METHOD
Roughly chop the cleaned prawns, clean the mourola fish, deseed the cucumber and cut into matchsticks. Apply salt and turmeric to the fish and prawn, keep separately. Heat 2/3rd mustard oil and lightly fry the mourola in small batches. In a mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the banana leaves. Add the fried mourola to the prepared mixture, mix with a light hand. Refrigerate for 45 minutes. Prepare the banana leaves and cut into 4 square pieces. Divide the prepared mixture into 4 equal portions, wrap each portion into a prepared banana leaf. Steam the parcels for 8 minutes, remove and pan grill for 6 minutes, serve hot.


BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE (makes 550 ml)

INGREDIENTS
Brown sugar 1 1/2 c. dark Flour 4 tbsp. Boiling water 1 c. Pinch of salt Butter 4 tbsp. Cream 2 tbsp. Vanilla 1/2 tsp.

METHOD
Mix the sugar with the flour. Pour in the boiling water and add salt. Cook in a saucepan, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes. If it seems too thick, add a bit of boiling water. Remove from the range and stir in butter, cream and vanilla.


BILATI MURGIR CURRY
Three portions

INGREDIENTS
Curry cut chicken 9 pcs Malt vinegar 35 ml Garlic paste 40 gms Black pepper powder 30 gms Coconut milk 200 ml Salt to taste Brown onion 25 gms Sugar to taste Refined oil 100 gms

METHOD
Marinate the chicken pieces with vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic paste. Keep for two hours. Heat oil and 200 ml water in a kadhai, add the chicken and the marinade. Bring to a boil, cover and cook till the water has dried out, only the oil remains. In the same oil, saute the chicken till well browned. Add coconut milk and cook till the chicken is well cooked and the gravy is reduced. Add the browned onions and mix. Check for seasoning and adjust. Serve with rice.
(Courtesy Oh! Calcutta)