On Tea, Tannin and Training

As I mentioned in a previous post "On Tumours and Turmeric", I am a big fan of tea. Be it black, white, green or herbal, teas in all forms and flavours are soothing for the soul. Be it hot or cold, the tea can be modified to fit any weather condition. It is your faithful companion during every season.

Recently, I came across a company which offered an intriguing idea: that their tea aids with muscle recovery post workouts. Naturally, being a big fan of tea and working out, I was curious about what they had to offer. It was worth a shot right? What did I have to lose. 

The tea I received completely blew my mind. COMPLETELY. It was one of the most tastiest, flavoursome and healthy teas I have drunk in a long time. Without any addition of sugar, honey or sweeteners, this tea shone through with its charisma.

Oops! In my initial excitement I forgot to tell you guys where I got the tea from! These guys have a new brand of tea which is based in Melbourne, Australia and is blended there using pure organic ingredients. All components (it further served to impress me) were organic and free of nasty chemicals. In today's world, where our diet is full of processed foods and preservatives, it's a blast of fresh air when something so natural tastes so good. 

The company is called the Organic Trainer. For the love of good tea, give their site a visit at http://theorganictrainer.com.au/

I love that they are a Australian based company. I am all for supporting our local businesses and homegrown talent. 

Looking at the ingredients, I could immediately see that the blend was fantastic. Having elements of lemongrass and citrus with tones of peppermint, this taste-gasmic tea was packed with antioxidants and had a great taste to boot. The antioxidants help fight free radical damage, the herbal tea boosts metabolism rates (which I need having the metabolic rate of a sloth) and the anti-inflammatory properties of lemongrass and other other components help with muscle recovery. It's a triple-whammy. Taken with a good protein shake, these two will boost your body's ability to recover after that killer workout.

Having found them through Instagram, I haven't looked back. I proceeded to get the Berry Super 9 post exercise tea. Again, I was not disappointed. The raspberry flavour added a tangy touch to the tea making it perfect served cold in this hot summer weather. After brewing it, I just set it aside in the fridge and after coming back from my daily gym workout, added a few ice-cubes before devouring it. Again, packed full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, with ingredients like lemongrass and ginger root, this tea will make you train harder as it reduces the recovery time for muscle repair.

The tea was just too tasty not to tell you guys about. If you are a tea enthusiast like me, care about your health and need something to aid your gym workouts, give this a company a go. You won't regret it. 

On Fashion, Sex and Culture

I am what they called a "Third Culture Kid". This term is used by psychologists to refer to anyone who was raised in a culture different to their parents culture for a considerable amount of developmental time. Growing up in a Western country, I have often been at odds with the deep traditional values which pin many of the "moral" standards set by the Indian culture. I recently watched a show on an Indian channel and some of the dialogues used in it really perturbed me. Such a usage on Australian media would have caused an uproar and the channel would have been asked to apologise for it. Under the guise of culture, this dialogue went unnoticed. 90% of people watching the show probably did not even register the dialogue as something which could have been offensive. It branded a certain type of relationship as "a mistake" which should have been covered up. I know this is a bit outside the scope of the 4 tenets of my blog, however it does fit in with psychosocial aspects of medicine.

With much bigger problems to deal with like poverty, lack of access to healthcare, education and basic sanitation, the culture as a whole is still stuck on petty issues which prevent it from becoming socially progressive. Here's a list of 10 things which I believe could be worked upon, and I believe they are achievable if everyone opened up their minds just a little bit.

10) Eating habits: some people are vegetarian, some are not. Get over it.Your eating habits should not dictate what others eat, nor should it inconvenience others. Although the atmosphere is toned down in the community in a place like Australia, in India it's followed with almost an apartheid-like regime in many parts of the country.

9) Culture: this one gets to me the most. Elders use this to threaten the young ones to tell them how to lead their lives. The young ones get intimidated and unquestioningly follow what they are told until they are old and the cycle continues. Many of the times, the elders don't even have logical explanations for why they believe what they do. The culture was imbibed in them from an early age and it became gospel. An alternate way of thinking is unimaginable. Celebrating culture and diversity is all well and fine if it does not interfere with social progressiveness. What was relevant 2000 years ago is NOT relevant today.

8) Fashion: what you wear is how you express yourself. It's who you are and how you feel. What a girl or guy wear does not, I repeat, does not equate to how moral they are. Having tattoos and piercings does not mean that they are bad people. These patriarchal and sometimes misogynistic ideas, especially about what a woman should wear to appear "decent" are outdated and are thankfully changing with the newer generation.

7) Sex: there I said it, the word which is taboo to millions. It happens everywhere obviously, we couldn't have 1.2 billion people without it. Somehow though, talking about it or even mentioning it is enough to get you chastised or scolded. There is nothing as natural as sex and yet it has been made one of the most unnatural acts due to this mentality.

6) Arranged marriages: OK I get it, they work for some people. However, personally I have never been able to understand the concept of arranged marriages. Traditionally speaking, the bride-to-be would not even see the groom until their wedding night. He could have been a monstrous troll or had the tiniest penis for all the girl knows. However, now that she's married to him, she's stuck forever (bond for 7 lives and all that jazz). The girl may have even been forbidden to talk to guys or have male-friends before, marriage and suddenly here she is in a room about to have sex with a complete stranger. Logic? There is none. These days, the girl gets to meet the guy a couple of times before they are engaged and even then a lot of the times its under the supervision of family members. I wonder how many unhappy couples are living a life of compromise right now due to this tradition and cannot even escape from their reality. We get one life, one shot at it all. Seventy-odd years until our time is up. Why waste it on things that make you unhappy?

5) Nudity: if you believe in a god, then he/she/it made you and then sent you through your mother's womb. When you came out, you were completely butt naked. You were not sent in a Burberry coat and Hugo Boss shirt (although I would not have complained if we were). Its just the basic human form guys, get used to it! To quote Aamir Khan fom PK: "see that crow over there, what is it wearing? Now it will look weird if it sat there with a tie around its neck". Fashion is great and I, like your next person, loves clothes. After all, retail therapy is effective right? However, the shock and disgust seen on people's faces (saying from my own personal/family experiences) would make it appear like the person's entrails were hanging out.

4) Media and public censorship: two flowers rubbing against each other to signify kissing, are you serious? Thankfully, this has decreased in recent years when people have come to terms with kissing being a natural part of human sexuality and relationships. I am all against excessive PDA, but seriously, if you have a problem with two people holding hands in public but not against the boy from the slum doing a poo on the road, then you need to sort your priorities. Tying in with the culture point, many people would say that showing affection in public is against the "culture". What culture? The same that wrote the kamasutra in detail, or the one which gave rise to the massive sex-carving temples in central India. Our ancestors, it seems, embraced their sexuality openly.

3) What people do with their lives: exactly, its THEIR life. Not yours, not mine. What job they are doing and how much they earn aren't and should not be any of your business. Career choices, it seems, are often pre-written for many Indian children from when they are in school by their parents or other family members. A lot of the times, what the child is talented in or what he/she wants is not even taken into account. Any degree below that of a doctor, engineer, lawyer or accountant is worthy of being sneered at. Oh that guy is a artist? He is never going to get a good job. Oh that person is doing hotel management? They must have been too dumb to get admission to any other course. These and other comments like these are commonplace and really irritate me. Seriously, if everyone became a doctor, who is going to be the patient? Who is going to provide you the relaxing music when you go back from a tiring day at work? On the one hand, people who choose acting or dancing as careers are looked down upon, at the same time, Bollywood actors and actresses are given a demi-god status. Hypocrisy at its best (or worst?)

2) Relationships and sexual orientation: who people choose to spend their life with, who they love, who they like, should NOT be the society's concern. It's between the two people. Leave them at it if they are happy. We are in the 21st century, get with the times. And it is nothing to do with fitting in with Western ideals. Its just basic human rights. Most people still can't marry out of the caste or community, they are not allowed to love anyone from a different religion and if they happen to be biologically inclined to love someone of the same gender, they are nothing but a black spot on the family's name. Its sad to think that many families out there think more about what OTHERS will say rather than the happiness of their own children. Other people have their own lives to get on with, they will talk for a while then move on to some other spicy, trending topic. Your children will be the one stuck with your choices. The concept of extended family does not exist in a lot of places anymore, so I really fail to see why anyone should have a say in two people's lives if they decide to spend it together.

1) Women's Rights and Girl Infanticide: now these problems affect several parts of India and although it does not affect me directly, or personally, I take great insult that such things are happening. Countless cases of female-foetuses aborted or girl-babies killed have been reported. Countless rapes happen everyday to the extent that in some cities, women don't feel safe to walk around the streets by themselves after dark. The idea that rapes happen because the girl invites it in some way is preposterous, patriarchal and misogynistic. No matter what she wears, the girl is not asking to be raped and you do not have any right of raping her. On the one hand, Goddesses are venerated and worshiped in the country be it Durga or Lakshmi. On the other hand, the girl-child is unwanted and in some cases even killed. If anything is to progress, women's rights need to be addressed urgently. Without women's rights, there will be no progress.

The trigger was the unneeded dialogue in a TV show. My response was this post. I am in no way trying to insult the culture or denigrate it, I am part of it. However, as with anything, nothing is perfect. Change and evolution are nature's cornerstones and as with anything else, ideas and concepts will change. We have to change with the times. Be critical, voice your opinion, believe what you want to, but do not force others to abide by what you believe in. As a Third-Culture child, I am conflicted with many traditions and ideals a lot of the times. It has made me grow as a person and made me critical of everything I am presented with. Social and progressive change does not mean we have to abandon the culture, we just have to modify the parts that no longer fit in with our world today.

On Tumours and Turmeric

The humble spice of turmeric has been used for thousands of years in Indian cuisine to flavour curries and give it the rich yellow colour. Research over the last decade has been indicating that turmeric may have a lot more going for it than just spicing up your Saturday night take-out from the local Indian restaurant.

Turmeric, also known as Curcuma longa, botanically belongs to the same family of plants as ginger. Southeast India is its native ground and it was here that the deliciousness of turmeric started being used as flavouring. Ayurveda, or the traditional herbal medicinal system of India, has long prescribed turmeric for conditions ranging from external cuts, diabetes to conjunctivitis. I remember as a child, if I fell down while playing outside (it was a 90's kids thing), then my mum would immediately apply turmeric to the wound and it would stop bleeding pretty quickly. Never having given much thought to that as a 7 year old, looking back on it now with my medical background, its an interesting observation. So I decided to do some research on what exactly it was in this spice found in nearly all Indian households which was so effective at treating wounds. Turns out, healing knee scrapes is the least of the wonders this almost magical plant is capable of.

Turmeric can ward off dementia (including Alzheimer's Disease), reduce the risk of getting several types of cancers, helps lower blood bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and improve liver function.

The World Alzheimer's report in 2009 stated that 3.6% of South Asians over the age of 60 suffer from dementia, compared to 6.4% of Australasians and 7.2% of Western Europeans. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown in their reports that India has lower rates of many cancers than most Western countries. Could the daily consumption of turmeric be partly responsible for these statistics? Let's take a deeper look.

Alzheimer's Disease is caused when aggregates of protein fragments called Amyloid-B accumulate in brain cells, causing increased oxidative stress and inflammation. These aggregates form plaques between the connections of your neurons, causing disruption in normal brain functions such as memory recollection. In a healthy person's brain, these protein fragments are broken down naturally. However due to complex mechanisms that are not completely understood yet, this fails to happen in persons suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

One of the main components of turmeric is called curcumin, which is what gives turmeric its yellow colour. Research has indicated that curcumin has the capacity of crossing the blood-brain barrier and may prevent the protein aggregates from forming. Not only has the research shown that it can dissolve these amyloid deposits, but curcumin also has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, further affording brain cells protection.

Chronic inflammation is what is seen in several diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's Disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Curcumin, as stated previously, is a potent anti-inflammatory and targets several pathways in the inflammatory response including blocking the effects of cytokines IL-2 and NF-KB. Studies have shown that this may help alleviate many symptoms seen in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Glutathione-S-transferase is an enzyme found in the liver which is involved with neutralising toxins in the body as well as curbing free radical damage in liver cells. Studies in mice fed with curcumin in their diet have shown that levels of this enzyme were considerably elevated in mice which were fed the curcumin-diet compared to those who were not. Curcumin is also thought to play the role of a chemical messenger and interacts with liver cells to increase the production of the receptor for LDL (bad cholesterol). In effect, with more receptors, liver cells can clear out more LDL from the bloodstream effectively helping people who suffer from hypercholesterolaemia (high blood cholesterol levels).

Last, but certainly not the least, curcumin has been implicated in helping prevent many types of cancers. Nutritionist Jonny Bowden in his book "150 Healthiest Foods in the World" stated that there have been at least 30 studies conducted which conclusively show that curcumin may have anti-tumour properties. It does this by helping curb angiogenesis (growth of new blood vessels), metastasis (spread) as well as growth in cancerous cells. The antioxidant properties of turmeric also mean that the free radical damage that causes cell injury which can lead to cancer is reduced. Studies has shown that daily consumption of turmeric may help prevent prostate and colon cancers, as well as childhood leukaemia.

What's the bottom line of this whole post? Well, eat turmeric, essentially. In recap, turmeric's main active ingredient curcumin has been shown to have a host of beneficial properties. More research and studies are required to investigate the full extent of benefits offered by turmeric.

But for now, it's just one more reason to love that chicken tikka masala even more. Oh and don't forget the cheese & garlic naan with it! (Garlic itself has a host of other beneficial properties, but that's for another time).

Over and out. Peace to all.

Detox Diets Debugged: Do they really work?

In our health-conscious era, the words "detox", "cleansing" and "diet" are on everybody's lips. There's a multimillion dollar industry revolving around the idea that somehow all these toxins are building up inside us which need to be "flushed" out the system. This pervading theory has aided companies to sign up thousands of customers who do not know the complete medicine behind what exactly they are doing. Ask one of these fad-diet followers what they are doing and you will answers like "this detox diet cleanses my liver". So what are these detox diets and why do people swear by their apparent effectiveness?

Detox in itself is quite a misleading term. Your body does not have a build-up of toxins, unless it is heavy metals like lead or minerals like asbestos, in which case no diet is going to "cleanse your system" of these substances. Biology has provided the human body with two wonderful organs that deal with the toxins for us: kidneys and the liver. Without the enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase found in hepatocytes (Liver cells), the alcohol you consume on a Saturday night could easily kill you. Most toxins are broken down by the liver and the kidneys do the job of filtering them out from the blood and into the urine. You literally pee your toxins out.

Nonetheless, these detox diet fads are gaining momentum. So what exactly is happening?

The basis of all these fad-diets is avoiding overly-processed food, excess salt and sugar and cutting down on saturated fats, caffeine and alcohol. This basis is pretty simple to understand and you don't need to be a nutritionist or doctor to get it. Processed foods contain artificial chemicals and flavours which would otherwise not be found in whole foods. Excess salt can cause hypertension and other cardiovascular problems. While too much sugar can affect your glucose metabolism and the excessive carbohydrates are stored as fat at the end of the day. Saturated fats and alcohol, well in today's world, the bad effects of both of these have been drilled into us by all forms of media. However, on the flipside, as with anything in life: moderation is key.

Yes, too much alcohol is bad for you. Being an chronic alcoholic can predispose you to a host of diseases. Too much saturated fats in your diet can give rise to cardiovascular disease and so can too much salt. But you still need all of the above mentioned in moderation (except maybe alcohol). It has been proven by researchers that drinking a glass or two of red wine per day will actually keep your liver in optimum condition and aid cardiovascular health. The logic behind this? A glass or two of wine has enough alcohol so that the liver is always producing enzymes to break down the alcohol (and other toxins). It's literally like putting your liver on the treadmill for a workout to keep it healthy and functioning well. Cholesterol is an essential part of your cells and without it, you would die. Poor old cholesterol has been demonised so much in today's fad-diets that people have forgotten what it is actually useful for. See those arm muscles? Yeah those guns were formed as a result of the testosterone in your body which was created from cholesterol. Also, having too little salt in your diet can lead to a host of other heart conditions and overall ill-health. In conclusion, what's the moral of the story? MODERATION IS KEY.

So what can you do to achieve the same results as these detox diets at just a fraction of the costs?

• eat whole foods- these include rainbow coloured fruits and vegetables, whole grain
• eat eggs- yes even the yellow bit is good for you (don't consume if you have familial hypercholesteraemia) 
• eat lean meat
• drink plenty of water
• drink tea- yes that's right. Drink tea. Green teas and herbal teas are the best. They contain a lot of essential antioxidants which reduce the effects of free radicals on cells which keeps you healthier. Green tea can also boost your metabolism.
• have alcohol in strict moderation
• make sure you are getting enough vitamins and other micronutrients- in case you may not be getting these through your diet, subscribe to a good vitamin pill
• drink milk- yes, you heard right. Milk has recently been demonised as something that should be avoided at all costs. Drink light/skim milk. Otherwise you are missing out on essential protein and calcium which keeps your bones and teeth strong. Also, drinking milk at night can help you achieve a good night's sleep as milk contains the essential amino acid called tryptophan- this is converted to melatonin in the body which regulates sleeping patterns
• if you are exercising and go to the gym, make sure you have a good protein power- I would suggest whey protein isolate or whey/casein mixtures. These provide essential BCAA's required for muscle regrowth
• instead of snacking on chocolates- try protein bars. Quest protein bars are my favourite and they taste amazing. You won't be craving that Nutella after a Quest bar
• eat carbs- but in moderation. Carbs are the primary source of energy for the body, so cutting them out completely is stupid. Eat slow-releasing carb foods such as oatmeal and wholegrain bread
• EXERCISE- I cannot emphasise this point enough. Exercise is the most overlooked and underutilised anti-depressant. Make sure you are active for at least one hour each day. Every little bit counts
• Last but certainly not the least: BE HAPPY. Surround yourself with positive energy and people

So, at the end of this very long post, let me just reiterate by saying that there are a lot of fad-diets out there and as a future doctor I would advise you all to just keep your minds open and critical when you hear someone purporting about a detox diet which would make you lose kilos in weeks. It's probably that you aren't eating, so you will lose those kilos anyway. 

Happy exercising people! Over and out.

DISCLAIMER: the views reported in this article are my personal opinions. Choose what is the best for your health. These are guidelines only and is not supposed to be a foolproof diet plan

On Selfies and Such

Recently, I came across an article which criticised men who take selfies and even claimed that men who take selfies are narcissistic and may have "psychopathic tendencies". This article got me thinking very hard. Why do we, as a society, generally look down upon people (especially men) who take photos of themselves?

Masculinity. This word has seen many different forms and shapes throughout human history; across cultures, ages and geographic distances. What exactly defines masculinity is still a subject of hot debate that gives rise to as many questions as it solves. For purposes of convenience, let's look at the Western definition of masculinity. To be a man is to be the strong, rough, indifferent, emotionally cold, good at sports and physics and having an interest in fast cars and hot girls. Generally speaking, if you ask any layman off the streets what their definition of a "blokey" bloke would be, it would be somewhere in the vicinity of that. Now how do taking selfies fit in with that image?

Selfies are a recent addition to society, with increasing popularity coming from front-facing smart phone cameras. Taking photos of oneself shows that you care about how you look, present yourself to the world and how you perceive yourself. Lo behold, a man who cares about how he looks? How is that even possible! The conventional definition of masculinity gets challenged, and as with any change, it does not fit into society straight away. Girls get away with posting selfies because in a way, they are almost expected to show themselves off. When men do it, it's called being self-absorbed and narcissistic. 

Your body is your work of art. It's how you look after it and nurture it is how it reflects to the world. Obviously, genetics play a huge part in how you look. But this does not take into account the way you dress, present and carry yourself. If artists can proudly show off their pieces of art to the world, if a ventriloquist can showcase their talent and a pianist can post YouTube videos of their work, why can't a guy who has taken effort to take care of himself showcase that to the world? If by going to the gym or exercising, making the right fashion choices and taking care of yourself has made you confident enough to finally show yourself off, what gives the society any right to criminalise this person and call him a narcissist? 

Growing up, high school was a difficult place for me as it is for a lot of people. It's an age of transition, where you are fumbling along the ropes of life trying to get a grip on who you are as a person. Being overweight and acne-ridden at this stage of your life is that last thing you need, however it is precisely at this age that you get this burden. Having endured taunts at being overweight and "pizza-face", I would avoid swimming carnivals and any events at which I had to expose my greatest shame: my body. When teenagers like me decide to take action about this and change their lives for the better, suddenly they are called narcissistic because they care about how they look. The same society that drives anyone who is overweight (or too skinny) to become healthier with taunts, is the same society that has problems when these people proudly post photos of their new image. These double standards are dangerous and may cause negative impacts on those who are deeply affected by body-image and self esteem issues. 

So my request to these article publishers is, next time you decide to blast men who take selfies as

narcissists and psychopaths, take some effort to understand the background story. Each person has a story for how they are in the present and generalising all men into one category and then publicizing this flawed research on the internet can only cause more harm than good. 

To end this post, I leave you all with a selfie #proud #sorrynotsorry

My journey: blogging and beyond

What is it about writing which is so exhilarating but so intimidating at the same time?  The art of writing stretches back to a few millennia when ancient Sumerians discovered the power of the written word. Fast forward a few thousand years and we have us, the 21st century tech-savvy generation. The written word has been digitalised and blogging has taken over from conventional pen and paper as a means of expression.

With so many thousands of bloggers already on the web-space, I felt intimidated to start my own one although writing has been my passion since primary school. With some encouragement from a very close friend and months of hesitation, I decided that it was time to break this barrier of insecurity and start writing. After all, is that not the point of blogging? To express yourself. To put your imagination and creativity into a written form.

Life has been quite the journey so far. Born in Mumbai during the torrential monsoon rains, brought up in the tranquility of New Zealand and now living in the big smoke of Sydney, life has shown me a fair bit of her ups and downs. Well here I am, in 2015, fully enjoying life and taking every opportunity that comes my way. I know it sounds cliched, but that's the policy I decided to live by. I will do what makes me happy.

As I start this second year of medical school, I will also take my passion for writing seriously. This year is going to be exciting. Big plans, big moves, big changes. Keep an eye on this space and tell me if you guys want to know about anything at all!

For now, it has been intimidating enough writing my first blog post. I will keep this introductory session short. What makes Nik tick? Well, a lot of things. Health, nutrition, medicine and fashion are just the tips of the proverbial ice-berg. Well, here goes nothing as I officially start my blogging adventure!