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)

Chat on cell and eat better

Know all those hours you spend chatting on your cell? It seems they might do you some good after all.

Supportive phone conversations help people stick to a diet better.

The Phone Helps

In a study, overweight people who had lost about 18 pounds each as part of a weight loss program were followed to see how long they kept the weight off. And people who spent time each month talking on the phone with a supportive pal did the best job. Regularly logging on to a web-based diet and exercise program can help you stay on track, too.

More Gone-for-Good Approaches

Keeping lost weight off is a very challenging part of any weight loss program. Here are a few more tricks to make lost pounds stay gone:

Eat breakfast: Besides giving you energy, a morning meal gets your metabolism going. So gorge on a healthy breakfast in the morning.

Choose foods with healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, and fish: You must know that healthy fats help you eat less overall.

Stay off the couch: People who have lost weight may need to exercise more than the average person to stay slim. But it doesn’t have to be very hard exercises. Try to stay active as much as possible.

The nutritious sweet potato may help lower insulin resistance

Not all potatoes are the same — especially when it comes to controlling blood sugar. So what’s the best choice for people hoping to keep their blood sugar stable? It’s the nutritious sweet potato, according to researchers. This potato may actually help stabilise blood sugar and lower insulin resistance.

Quite Sweet

Unsteady blood sugar is a big-time risk factor for diseases. And, because of their high glycemic index, white potatoes can send blood sugar levels soaring and then crashing. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. And the carotenoids in sweet potatoes may help your body use insulin better — although further study is needed to confirm this piece of news.

Balance it Out

Your choice of potato is only one small factor in the big picture of blood sugar control. Try these additional tips for keeping it in check:
Get moving — a little everyday. Exercise benefits blood glucose. Gorge on carbs with a bit of vinegar. Sour stuff steadies blood sugar. Eat more fibre. Both your waistline and your blood sugar will thank you.

6 minutes to a better memory

To quickly boost your brainpower, pull down the shades, close your eyes, and catch some winks. It’s found that people who take daytime naps outperform non-nappers on memory exercises. And, surprisingly, a mere six minutes of shuteye is enough to refresh the mind.

Shut your eyes

How does a quick catnap power up your thinker? It seems the mere act of falling asleep triggers a brainboosting neurobiological process that remains effective regardless of how long you snooze.

More ways to sharpen your memory

Go ahead. Be like a battery and recharge. And while you’re at it, here are a few more ways to sharpen your wit:
Flex it: You’ve got to use your brain to make it stronger. Try a fun memory-strengthening exercise like a crossword or puzzle.
Feed it: These folate-rich foods may protect your brain just like a bike helmet does. Good sources of folate include orange juice, fortified whole-grain breads and cereals, and black-eyed peas.
Socialise it: Staying in touch with friends fires up your neurons. Interacting with friends and loved ones could slow the pace at which your memory dwindles with age.

Here’s how long the mind-boosting powers of a nap can last: Napping it Smart

Becoming older and wiser may be especially easy for people who nap regularly. A recent study of men between the ages of 55 and 85 revealed that taking an afternoon nap enhanced cognitive function not only immediately after the nap, but throughout the next day as well. Naps can be especially healthy for people who are not able to get the required amount of sleep at night. Many people experience a dip in energy levels in the afternoon and find it difficult to concentrate. Some of that dip may be due to a lack of quality, restful sleep. Many older people do not get the requisite six to eight hours of sleep per night to maintain optimal health. Poor sleep habits are sometimes to blame. To get the most out of your snooze time, keep a regular sleep schedule; strictly avoid stimulants, such as caffeine close to bedtime; perform strenuous activities, such as exercise, during early day hours; and designate a cool, dark, quiet room as your regular sleep area. Often, an underlying medical condition is the root of sleep problems, so it’s important to see your healthcare provider if you suffer from chronic daytime sleepiness.

Curb your cravings to lose weight

Being on a diet seems to be the in-thing today. At any social gathering, the conversation will turn to fitness or weight loss at least once through the evening. It’s good to be health conscious and being careful about shedding those extra kilos.

But we also need to be careful about what we are doing about it. Most of these pills, diets and equipment available to help us reduce can have adverse effects on your body. The biggest damage that can be done is to lose weight and ruin one’s body composition. The normal body is composed of 30 per cent bone and fluid, 15 per cent fat mass and 55 per cent muscle mass. The 30 per cent bone and fluid is constant in an adult body. When you are over weight or obese the fat mass may become 30-40 per cent and reducing the muscle mass to 30-40 per cent only. The ideal weight loss procedure is to bring down or reduce the fat mass while trying to preserve and build up the muscle mass.

In order to do so, one must be aware of the composition of food, the fat content of food and the importance of exercise in building up your muscle mass. If you decide to eat only boiled vegetables and chapatti for a month but occasionally indulge in a spicy dish or a cream pastry, by the end of the month you may lose 6 kg. However, along with your weight loss, you may start losing hair and your skin may begin to sag. The reason for this could be that there is not enough protein in your diet and you have lost a lot of muscle mass too.

Vegetables and chapattis are only rich in carbohydrates but you need protein too which is available in milk, curd, dal/pulses, egg or non-veg food. These will help in building up your muscles and necessary in hair growth as well.

Every day, the body requires a balanced amount of carbohydrate food — bread, rice, cereal, chapatti, vegetables, fruits etc. plus protein food as mentioned above and 2-4 tsp unsaturated oil which is used for seasoning of vegetables, dal, etc. Even while losing weight, this basic carbohydrate, protein and little fat requirement of the body must be met on a daily basis. If you are on a diet, even for a day, without this basic nutrients of food, the body’s composition will be disturbed and it’ll lead to vitamin, mineral deficiency.

The correct method of weight reduction is healthy balanced diet and cutting out on fatty food completely.