Avoid the White poison...

Hello readers,

     What is your favourite colour? Mine happens to be white. I love to wear white. I love pristine white clothes, pearls and of course diamonds. But, there is only one thing that I do not like in white - Food that is  white. There are two white ingredients which we consume commonly and quite often, in excess. Yes, I refer to white sugar and white salt. They are considered as slow poisons. Today, let's see why white table salt is considered so.

     Sodium chloride or white table salt is very dangerous to our health. Some of us know this, but still cannot reduce it, while others are not aware of this fact. We do need the natural sodium mineral, but from other sources. Most of the packed foods that we get contain excess of salt. Certain brands of potato chips and certain very popular brands of cornflakes and other cereals contain excess salt that they are detrimental to the health of our children. How about the salted popcorn(very expensive) popcorn which our children eat in the multiplexes and malls?

    We can actually model our eating habits from animals. Animals like cow or goat do not eat salt separately. They get the various salts(minerals) from the leaves and food that they eat. Similarly, we, humans, too need to get our salt requirements from the vegetables and other food that we eat and not by adding table salt.

    If you're overweight, do try to eliminate salt from your diet. You will lose a lot of weight and maintain your ideal weight.

    Salt causes damage to blood vessels. If you have high blood pressure, reduce salt in your diet. You will do your heart a favour.

    And the ladies out there, excess salt can cause osteoporosis!

   So, how do you actually cut down on your salt intake?

• Everytime you add salt to your food, reduce just a pinch of it in the first month. You will barely notice the difference. In the next month, reduce another pinch and keep doing this until you just cannot reduce it any further.
• You do not need salt to be added to your curd rice. Fresh curd and rice is palatable without the salt. It is a matter of conditioning your taste buds to it.
• Don't add salt to your salads. Infact, they taste better that way.
• Totally, yes TOTALLY AVOID the salted chips/wafers and other forms of the same junk food that we getting in packed form in the market. Substitute it with other healthy snacks. 
• Even, if you cannot reduce or avoid salt, you can train your children to. A 6-month old baby  can eat the mashed food that you give without salt. Do not add salt just because you find it tasty.
• If you must use salt, switch over to the crystal salt or sea salt, which are easily available. If possible, use natural mineral salt, if it is available in health stores you have access  to.

Have a poison-free day!

Alternatives...

Hi readers,

        Hope  you had a nice and healthy week-end! A week-end sans health issues! Okay, when you have a health issue, what do you do? Say, a cold or a head-ache! Do you pop in some medicines on your own? Do you immediately fix  an appointment with the doctor? 

     Well, I would advise neither. A cold or a head-ache usually doesn't last long. A head-ache is usually an indication of some other problem - indigestion or mounting tension or lack of sleep. So just take rest and relax.  Or opt for some home-remedies. 

     A cold can be countered with so many small home remedies. Take a steam inhalation twice a day. Take hot water with  honey a few times a day. Take lots of fluids and avoid  milk. And take lots of rest. The cold disappears in a day or two.

     Now, if the issue is of a larger magnitude, say, a chronic  illness and you're taking medications, do stop and check what medications you're taking. Sometimes, the medications  can be so strong (steroids, hormonal tablets etc.) that the side effects are harmful in the long  run. Try not to take any medicine for a long period of time. And what else can you do?

     This is the time when alternative medicines come to your aid. Some of you may not believe in alternative therapies. I've heard  people refer to alternative therapies as placebo effect. I don't blame them. I used to  hold the same opinion several years back. Our knowledge of science makes us distrust traditional wisdom.  Our knowledge is limited and what  is not obvious or what cannot be explained easily is very difficult to believe in. It takes a personal experience to start believing that alternative medicines can do wonders. Just like any field of healing, find a good practitioner and try out therapies like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Acupressure/Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Naturopathy or Reiki. You never know who can produce a miracle. 

    I need  to personally vouch for Naturopathy and Homeopathy for the healing that they  caused in me in two different instances of two different illnesses spaced more than ten years apart. In fact, my recent experience with Homeopathy has caused a miraculous cure. I shall write a detailed post on it just for the benefit of our readers.

    What I want to say is that, you don't have to take in strong, potentially harmful medicine without exploring alternatives. If alternatives do not work for you, then you may resign yourself to these medicines. But, more often that not, something works. Do explore with an open mind! Usually, it is the mind that is resistant to healing by alternative therapy.

So, dear readers, explore and get rid  of your illnesses...

Can you crack a nut?

Today, let's focus on our minds. You are what you think ( I shall keep reiterating this point. Let's call it the Mantra 1). So, you have to control what you think. Do away with negative thoughts. Reinforce positive thoughts. 

     The first negative thought that we shall try to get rid of is lack of confidence. Substitute it with a sense of self-esteem. Have a good self-esteem of yourself. List out all your abilities and inabilities honestly and you'll see  that you, like any other person in this world, have a decent list of abilities and a similar list of inabilities. Never let a feeling of low self-esteem caused by some inability bog you for long. If you cannot do one thing well, you can do something else much better. And, if you put in sufficient time and energy into it, you can also do the first thing well. This poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson is for you to think about.

 The mountain and the squirrel

The mountain and the squirrel

Had a quarrel,

And the former called the latter "Little Prig";

Bun replied,

"You are doubtless very big;

But all sorts of things and weather

Must be taken in together,

To make up a year

And a sphere.

And I think it no disgrace

To occupy my place.

If I'm not so large as you,

You are not so small as I,

And not half so spry.

I'll not deny you make

A very pretty squirrel track;

Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;

If I cannot carry forests on my back,

Neither can you crack a nut."

      So, dear readers, are you the mountain or the squirrel? Whatever the case may be, you have a place in this world. So, build your self-worth and feel free from inferiority complexes and insecurities.

If you think you can, YOU CERTAINLY CAN. - Mantra 2

Have an insecurity-free day!

The six enemies of good health

Remember the six enemies of good health.

1. Poor Diet
2. Addiction to stimulants
3. Mental Stress
4. Pollution
5. Impure drinking water
6. Sedentary lifestyle

     If these enemies are encountered actively, and overpowered, then you're on the path to good health. 

Poor Diet: What can you do about it? Simple - Avoid all unhealthy food and eat healthy food only! Aaahaaa! Easier said that done. No change can be brought overnight. Set a timeline and make changes in baby steps. First start including good and healthy food in your diet. And slowly work towards eliminating junk food from your diet.

Addiction to stimulants: This is a more difficult demon to overpower. We shall see in future posts how to tackle these addictions.

Mental stress: Most of the lifestyle diseases that we come across today are largely attributed to mental stress. Do do doooooooo cut down on stress  by following relaxing techniques like meditation or yoga or listening to music. Stress is the greatest killer of recent times.

Pollution: Pollution in the environment cannot be totally avoided, particularly if we stay in an urban area. And it is not entirely in our hands to change it. If you have an option, move to an unpolluted area  or less polluted area. Make small changes by not contributing to the pollution. If we  cannot have a pollution-free environment, let us at least give our children a pollution-free environment.

Impure drinking water: Getting safe drinking water, again, especially in urban areas, has become a dream. We do get canned water, but it is not really pure. The safest drinking water would be filtered and boiled water. If your drinking water is far from safe and if you have an option, do make the decision to move out of the place to a better area. This is one of the most important decisions in your life. Or look for alternatives to get good drinking water.

Sedentary life style: Get active! Be on the move.!Exercise! Walk briskly! Or jog! Or Cycle! Or Cycle to work! Or swim! Or hit the gym! Or climb stairs! Or practise martial arts! Or do yoga! Or play with the neighbourhood children! Just don't sit there on the couch and vegetate! It also helps  to relieve stress!

So my dear readers! Remember these six enemies and beware of them!

Have an enemy-free day!

Hands on... Veggie Salad

     You are what you think. And you are what you eat. So, eat well. It is recommended that one eats about 3 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. A tall order  in today's circumstances. Do try to eat a vegetable salad at least once a week. Here's a simple recipe for a vegetable salad.

Here  are the ingredients. Feel free to vary the amounts as you like it. You can add or drop an ingredient depending on your preference.

Finely chopped Big Onion - 1

Finely chopped Tomatoes - 1 or 2

Boiled, cooled (preferably refrigerated for a few hours) and cubed (small) Potatoes - 1 big

Finely chopped / Grated Cabbage - a small piece. (Here I've used purple cabbage)

Grated carrots - 1 or 2

Finely chopped coriander leaves - a few sprigs

F

One spoon each of Olive oil and Flaxseed oil. Do not skip the flaxseed oil because it is an excellent source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Add the juice of one lime to the oils. Pour over the other ingredients.

Add 1 teaspoon each of salt, red chilli powder and chat masala powder, if you like. Or you  can add any other spices according to your preference. Mix well.

Add some corn flakes just before serving.

A healthy veggie salad to relish. Anybody can make this. Whether you're a bachelor or stay in PG accommodation or in hostel, you can fix this up (plus or minus a couple of ingredients) in a matter of 15 minutes.

Tips:

• Potatoes are an excellent source of carbohydrates and  they are healthy (if they're not deep fried). So, do boil one or two potatoes in the morning so that you can use them in dishes through the day. 
• Any cabbage can be used, but use purple cabbage if you can get it. The more colourful your salad is, the healthier it is.
• I personally prefer to use more carrots because I like their taste. You can also add a beetroot. Both are good for your skin. 
• Adding sprouts to the salad will make it more nutritious.
• You can skip the olive oil if you don't want it, but try not to skip the flaxseed oil.
• Adding chat masala and corn flakes gives a taste similar to bhel puri. Do not substitute corn flakes with sev or puri. We do not want anything deep fried in our healthy salad. You could add puffed rice, if you like it.
• Try to use a wooden cutting board (more on this in a later post). Avoid plastic/fibre cutting boards.

 Happy Salad time! Have a healthy day!

As a man/woman thinketh...

     Today, I stress upon the most mosT moST mOST MOST important fact of good health. It is the ultimate way to good health. Think and believe that you're healthy. The timeless classic "As a man thinketh" by James Allen is worth reading. But, don't just read it. Think that you're hale and healthy.
    I am what I think I am. You are what you think you are.  Most illnesses have psychosomatic (originating in the mind) causes.
    So friends, please keep your mind free of all negative emotions - anger, jealousy, hatred, shame etc... 
    Think positive. That is the first step to good health. Make a big bundle of all negative emotions towards anyone and everyone, especially the near and dear ones and throw it into the ocean. Atleast imagine yourself doing so...

Let's start...

Let me start with the disclaimer: All ideas expressed in this blog are my opinions and beliefs as of the day of the post. It is subject to change as and when I update myself with new information. 

     This blog is primarily dedicated to information on ways to attain Good/Better Health. Apart from the aspect of nutrition and food, I shall also cover topics on leading toxin-free lives. Since I strive for an eco-friendly lifestyle in the urban surroundings in which I  live, "go-green" topics will also find a place here. Occassionally, I shall probably meander on peripheral topics, as and when the situation permits it. 

    So, what am I going to offer new amidst the numerous such blogs that already exist? Well, I hope to do all this in the Indian context. If we can make small changes in each of our homes, we can pave the way to big changes globally. Here we go.... Join me in my journey of exploration, experiments and findings!