Lounge for 30 July 2011 by HT Media

www.livemint.com

New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Vol. 5 No. 31

LOUNGE THE HEALTH ISSUE

THE WEEKEND MAGAZINE

THE BEAUTY OF WAITING IN TEST CRICKET >Page 4

ALL YOUR HEALTH WORRIES SOLVED

ETERNAL SOUL

We’re told white rice is harmful, that we should go the ‘brown’ route. But there is nothing better than the staple we’ve been used to eating >Page 15

Why a glutenfree diet is not a weightloss tool, how to recover from intense workouts, what nutritional drinks really do for your children, and other truths >Pages 1014

IS IT OK TO COMBINE SCHOOLS OF YOGA?

CAN YOU BE FIT WITH NO TIME FOR WORKOUTS?

DRESSED FOR THE DRILL

Hit the playground or gym in style with the season’s trendiest sportswear and accessories >Pages 1619

SHOULD YOU DO AWAY WITH FAT IN YOUR DIET?

DECODING SHOE SCIENCE

We look at the technology behind five new shoes to make sense of superspecialized designs >Page 21

HOW DO YOU PREVENT LOWER BACK PAIN?

HOME PAGE L3

LOUNGE First published in February 2007 to serve as an unbiased and clear-minded chronicler of the Indian Dream. LOUNGE EDITOR

PRIYA RAMANI DEPUTY EDITORS

SEEMA CHOWDHRY SANJUKTA SHARMA MINT EDITORIAL LEADERSHIP TEAM

R. SUKUMAR (EDITOR)

NIRANJAN RAJADHYAKSHA (EXECUTIVE EDITOR)

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

LOUNGE REVIEW | PHILIPS QG3030

LOUNGE PREVIEW | NEEL, MUMBAI ABHIJIT BHATLEKAR/MINT

ess than two years since it opened up its seemingly limitless space to diners, Tote on the Turf’s dining area has undergone a culinary makeover. The sprawling bar-banquet-dining combination at the Mahalaxmi Race Course grounds in Mumbai has a new restaurant, Neel, with an Indian menu. While the popular banquet space remains the same, the ground-level restaurant has undergone a subtle physical transformation. The open kitchen has been covered, the walls hold paintings predominantly in shades of indigo, the outdoor patio section has some welcome addition of greenery—and will become more usable as the season changes. The cuisine at Neel, with Awadhi, Kashmiri and Hyderabadi influences, has been put together by chef Mukhtar Qureshi in a way that a Nawabi Baingan Tikka (grilled baby aubergine with brown onion and cashew paste) can co-exist with a Nadru ke Shami Kebab (minced lotus root patty). “NawabiMuslim cuisine,” sums up Rahul Akerkar, managing director and corporate executive chef, deGustibus Hospitality Pvt. Ltd, the company that owns the Tote on the Turf, Indigo and Indigo Deli restaurants. Anurag Katriar, the company’s chief operating officer, says the success of their banquets gave them the idea of starting an Indian restaurant. “We do over 600 parties with Moveable Feast—deGustibus’ catering venture—with mostly Indian food and people always ask us why we don’t open a restaurant,” says Katriar. “We realized Tote was competing with our own Indigo in food concept, so we decided to convert this into an Indian restaurant.” The menu will have a choice of about 75 items initially, including about 50 kebabs, such as Sofiyani Paneer Tikka (flavoured with anise), Jai-

41 MULTIGROOMER

New avatar: (above) The restaurant space before it became Neel; and Jaituni Murg Tikka.

tuni Kumbh Tikka (stuffed grilled mushrooms with a green olive chutney that has a tapenade-like consistency), Adrak ke Panje (New Zealand lamb chops in a spicy ginger marinade) and Bhatti ki Kareli (tandoor-cooked lamb shank in a Lahori masala). My favourite in the limited menu tasting organized by the restaurant was the Basnu aur Singhada ka Kabab (bamboo shoot and water chestnut patty, tawa seared), which was unusual for me because I have never been too impressed by water chestnut as a food entity. Another interesting variant was the Kali Mirch aur Dhaniye ka Salmon Tikka (black pepper and coriander-seasoned Norwegian

salmon), which may not appeal to those inclined towards strong flavours. “We have tried to keep to the integrity of traditional cooking techniques, albeit with some innovation and creativity,” says Akerkar. Some fruity options include Kashmiri Seb ki Sabzi (a curry made of Kashmiri apples) and Subz Santre ka Shorba (root vegetables and orange soup). The number of options on the menu may increase once the restaurant settles down. Neel opens to the public only for dinner from today.

ere’s a confession: I don’t like shaving. It’s a chore for me, and I try and limit it to once a week, usually in the good hands of my neighbourhood barber. So, do I qualify to test the latest grooming product for men released by Philips? An all-in-one combination electric shaver that apparently lets you carve out works of art with your facial hair and turn you into John Abraham? Well, why not? You need to start somewhere. The QG3030 4-1 multigroomer comes with a full-size trimmer blade, a comb attachment with nine settings that lets you choose the length to which you want to crop your beard or moustache, a precision trimmer to define your beard, a mini-foil shaver for a close shave, and a glossy and highly entertaining “style guide” which begins with the ominous question: “Who you gonna be today?” A quick perusal of the guide before getting on to the real thing revealed more gems. I learnt that a “balbo” is a “moustache made along with goatee. There is no connection between both of them”. That the “Fu Manchu”, a ridiculous downward drooping moustache usually sported by cheap sidekicks of Bollywood villains, “epitomises valour”. But the real delight is the definition of a goatee: “It is a tuft of hair grown on the chin much like that of an adult goat. Tuft can be thick or mild but the authenticity of the style comes with heavy tuft.”

The good If you’ve got a full-length beard, the beard trimming comb, which attaches itself to the trimmer, is great for sizing and shaping it—by far the best use of the grooming kit. It does give you a nice stubble as well, though it’s time-consuming—why not shave the night before and let the stubble come out naturally next morning? The foil shaver was up next to turn the stubble around the goatee and the moustache into a shadow beard. No surprises here—it was smooth, comfortable and got the job done.

The notsogood The full-size trimmer is efficient, comfortable and easy to handle, and creates a nice stubble, but using it with precision to outline an angular beard and moustache is difficult, and takes considerable practice. The precision trimmer was brought into action to get more definition and angularity, but it pinched every time it came anywhere close to the beard, and I had to stop using it.

Tote on the Turf, Mahalaxmi Race Course, just before The Mini Club House, opposite Gate Nos. 4 and 5, Keshavrao Khadye Marg, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai. For reservations, call 022-61577777.

Specifications

Arun Janardhan

ON THE COVER: PHOTOGRAPH: IMAGEMORE CO. LTD/GETTY IMAGES

2W, 100-240V, 50-60 Hz. The machine works only on a rechargeable battery. A 10-hour charge will give you about 30 minutes of battery time. Priced at `1,995. Rudraneil Sengupta

L4 COLUMNS

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

ROHIT BRIJNATH GAME THEORY ALASTAIR GRANT/AP

Wall solid: Rahul Dravid was the highest scorer in India’s first innings at Lord’s.

The beauty of waiting in Test cricket

ey, Mr Dravid, get a move on.” Mr Dravid hears this down the phone and I think he’s wearing the beginnings of a smile. This is not new, this “chal yaar, bat faster” stuff, he’s heard it before. But I

want to know if he ever thinks this during an innings, that people are out there, waiting for him to take a run. Waiting for him to do something other than examine the ball and leave it as if it’s unworthy of contact, or bring every bit of his concentration and technique to bear on the ball with a stroke of immaculately designed non-violence. Does he think of us waiting as he’s waiting for the right ball to hit? Or does he just think of what needs to be done? This conversation, oddly enough, happens two days before the first Test. Five days before he does his waiting, his watching, his imitation of a Zen monk, his Horatius-on-the-bridge act (it fails, India lost the Test despite his first-innings 103). He’s a whiteflannelled Samuel Coleridge, writing cricket’s version of the endless

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, believing that batsmanship is akin to a literary text. As the 2,000th Test unfolded, as Test cricket’s glories were being serenaded, I had picked waiting as a favourite if dying virtue. Now life is immediate, downloaded in a second. But waiting has its own poetry, as much as the very act of sport, it is the unhurried anticipation of that act which is lovely. I always went to stadiums early, I loved the waiting, the nets being strung at Wimbledon, players giving strokes a last coat of polish, people ambling in till the silence turned into a low growl at Eden Gardens. Waiting is Test cricket’s separation point. Waiting for openers to settle in, the shine to wear off and Warney to come in. Waiting for tea when Laxman the fencer might walk in, waiting for the

pitch to turn and Tendulkar to elevate on tiptoe and drive straight. Waiting as a partnership drones on for eventually a wicket or many will fall. All this I cherish. But I am only a spectator, I need a player to understand the viscera of waiting, so I call Dravid because no one waits like Dravid. He fits Test cricket so well you think God was the tailor here, though some days, in method and manners, he feels like an anachronism. He waits, of course he does, he waits just for Test matches to commence. And he changes as he waits. “I become a bit quieter and (wife) Vijeta notices it. I’m more lost, I’m getting into a more emotional frame of mind. It is beautiful, this anticipation of a series. It’s like a clean slate, nothing painted yet on the canvas.” Then he waits in the pavilion, they all do. He used to be contaminated by a nervous energy, but time has calmed him. “There’s nothing like the first day of a first Test, no buzz like it, you’ve prepared and now a journey begins. You never get the same feeling at the beginning of a one-day game.” He waits with his pads on, he has to, he’s in next. Laxman is sleeping somewhere, headphones on. Some players don’t watch. Dravid will watch,

but he won’t “sit next to someone who talks a lot”. It’s a strange wait, wanting the team to score balanced against a keenness to play. When he’s finally in, stance arranged, he’s waiting again. This is a nice wait. Sometimes it isn’t, sometimes it’s a first-over dismissal and then you wait, impotently, as the team compiles 600. But now, apprehension and excitement simmer. “You’re at the crease and the fast bowler is coming in and you’re waiting for the ball to be released.” Athletes want silence in their head, a beautiful nothingness, and only in the zone will they find it. But tension brings its own chatter. “Is he fast? Is it a bouncer? Some people’s first instinct is to hit a four, I never think of that. I watch, I react, I don’t predetermine.” Waiting is its own art. It requires deafness to fans, it warrants courage for sometimes it is too easy to take a careless swipe, it depends even on where you are. In India, Dravid says, you can’t wait too long, “you have to cash in early for it’s tougher when the ball gets older”. On another pitch, another day, you might linger longer. Waiting is the struggle, with self and rival. Sometimes, he says, the wicket misbehaves, bowlers on either end

compose an aggressive duet, over after over after over, and you have no choice, you have to survive this contest, play through it, wait for another bowler and better times. It is precisely when I ask him about his cautious batting. During this waiting, does he ever think people are thinking this is tedious? “Ahhh,” he says, “Sometimes I do when I am at the non-striker’s end. I think ‘this is tough’. I know there’s not a lot of entertainment happening, but then it depends on how you view entertainment. But people know it’s a tough spell.” “But some,” he laughs, “might think, damn, bring on Sehwag, bring on Tendulkar”. Some, yes. Some are also happy to have him come on. There are people, you see, who wait for Dravid too. Rohit Brijnath is a senior correspondent with The Straits Times, Singapore. Write to Rohit at gametheory@livemint.com www.livemint.com Read Rohit’s previous Lounge columns at www.livemint.com/rohitbrijnath

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

EAT, PLAY,

LIVE

Always had a zillion questions about fitness, diet and wellness, but somehow found it tough to find the right solutions? We have compiled detailed answers to 16 common queries that hound the healthconscious. We also tell you how to handle a young fussy eater, why you should stick to staple foods instead of adopting fads, how to upgrade your sportswear even as you work up a sweat, and what all chefs secretly do when they order out. Here’s to your health. Seema Chowdhry, Issue editor

CLASSICAL MOVES How to combine Indian classical dance with yoga and martial arts for a unique workout

Fusion fitness: Padmini Ravi says there isn’t a posture in yoga that cannot be found in dance.

B Y P AVITRA J AYARAMAN pavitra.j@livemint.com

··································· angalore-based Bharatanatyam dancer Padmini Ravi has developed a new integrated workout she calls “Yogercise”. It draws its strength from three disciplines—Bharatanatyam, yoga and Kalaripayattu. “A dancer requires fitness levels that are way higher than any normal person. If you need to be on stage with a smile on your face for hours, you had better be very fit,” says Ravi, explaining why she thought about this workout. Suffering a variety of aches after rigorous Bharatanatyam practice sessions, Ravi began to formulate an exercise routine that included yoga and dance to maintain her own fitness. A practitioner

of the B.K.S. Iyengar school of yoga, Ravi says there isn’t a posture in yoga that cannot be found in dance. “This synergy that I created will give you a complete workout that will definitely result in weight loss,” she claims, adding that having practised it herself for more than 15 years, she is confident the combination will result in ultimate fitness levels. “For cardio exercises, I have added some basic dance moves, while the yoga will take care of strength building,” she says. The class will play out to Indian music and is not restricted to dancers. “Instead it will serve to break away from the monotony of a gym workout,” says Ravi. Yogercise comprises hourlong workouts where movements are synchronized with breathing. The session starts with body stretches and goes on to cardio exercises, abdomen exercises and Surya Namaskars, ending with relaxation techniques and meditation. Samprati, No. 16, 18th Cross (between 6th and 8th Main), Malleswaram, Bangalore. Charges, `1,500 per month. For details, call 9482502814.

GIREESH GV/MINT

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

LEARNING CURVE

GOURI DANGE

THE FUSSY EATER SYNDROME My son will be 5 in August; he is active, has good weight and height. However, he just eats four-five types of food. He refuses to taste anything new. This means we can only feed him ‘roti’, ‘parantha’, ‘puri’, toast, ‘dosa’, French fries, pancakes, milk and some vegetables and fruits. I mix the ‘dal’ and other vegetables (and sometimes mutton ‘keema’ or chicken, etc.) into the ‘atta’ (along with the spices) and feed him a power-packed ‘roti’. Whenever I have tried to feed the ‘dal’ and ‘subzi’ or rice and ‘dal’ separately, he has refused. We have let him go without meals for several hours (as per the paediatrician’s advice) and even then he has stuck to his guns. We have never tried to force-feed him, hoping he’d come around to eating everything on his own. We hoped he’d look at other children in school and

come around. But while the rest of his class relishes ‘sheera’, ‘idli’ or ‘pav bhaji’, he comes home hungry and worse still, irritable and tired. I do give him a tiffin now, but I feel I am reinforcing his eating habits. At parties and other social dos people make me feel I have missed some important step in parenting. I feel defeated and the food wars between us put a huge strain on our otherwise good relationship. So many little kinks develop in the process of child rearing, and to carry around a burden of guilt and regret can only cripple you as a parent. Moreover, some of us need to get off the “feeding equals good parenting” assumption. What you describe is not an eating disorder really. I believe some children simply do not open up their minds/tastebuds for a long time, often well into young adulthood. From what

you describe, he does get his nutrition and has not taken the junk food route. Sometimes, though parents may be on the right track in terms of what they offer, try to induce and entice etc., children steadfastly remain in this kind of narrow bandwidth of food choices. You really seem to have tried everything—daam, saam, dand, bhed—enticements, rewards, punishments, stratagems. Yet it has become, as it usually does, your problem, and not your son’s. Hence the constant and self-defeating negotiations that you are drawn into with him. This can only turn the whole current eating topic into a lifelong issue, with the added negative bonus of spoiling your otherwise fun relationship with him. Since you are happy with his energy levels, except for when he actually starves, I suggest you simply drop the topic. Don’t drop it in an angry, saddened or with-

drawing-from-him way. Just make it go away, the whole discussion, negotiation, and attempts at introducing a more varied diet. Stick with the things he likes and let the whole matter just drop for now. Even when you go for parties that may not have food acceptable to him, you don’t necessarily have to carry his stuff with you—just perhaps keep a fruit or two with you. Right now, don’t even try and spell out the connect between his not eating and his sulky moods. The whole topic is going into the psycho-dynamics realm and that’s why you need to just let it go for now. He is perhaps not manipulating you with his food choices, but it will get there if he thinks you are so invested in his eating differently and in tune with other children. It’s good that he does follow certain ground rules; just stick with those he has already accepted, and don’t discuss the

VALENTYN VOLKOV/THINKSTOCK

7 WAYS TO TRIM THE FAT

A little here, a little there, reining it is so much more sensible and sustainable than dieting cold turkey. Here are tiny ways to cut back on the kilos

Graze, don’t gorge:

Eat small, mini meals. When you give your system too much or too little work to do during the day, it makes it sluggish. It’s best to eat six-eight times a day. A meal can even be half an apple and yogurt, but it’s important to keep the system functioning consistently.

Carry options: Plan your day and carry your meal options with you. It prevents you from reaching out for whatever’s available. If you can’t carry a meal, identify healthy vendors; opt for less oil, no cheese, and brown bread. Make the effort to think about what you will eat when hunger strikes.

Chew your food:

More than 60-70% of people suffer from acidity because they don’t chew their food. The digestion process begins in the mouth. Food is meant to be broken down before it reaches the stomach. Don’t skip it; eat with awareness.

Make dinner the most impor Watch your drinking: One gram tant meal of the day: You tend of alcohol is equal to 7 kcal, on a par not to watch what you eat at night because you’re not wary of feeling sleepy like you are at lunch, when you have meetings to attend. You are in comfortable clothes and want to

with fat. Many exercise regularly and ask why they still have a belly. You can do everything else right, but if you are drinking, you are not counting the calories alcohol has, and you

Write to Gouri at learningcurve @livemint.com

seema.c@livemint.com

lose count of the snacks that go with it.

Don’t cut fat out:

Fat—the ghee on your roti or butter on your bread—has essential vitamins D, K and A. It affects your hormones. Do not subscribe to a completely no-fat diet. But stick to a quota—half a teaspoon of fat per meal—and distribute it as you choose.

····························· personal trainer is an accessory many people seem to be acquiring lately. But how many of you actually know what to ask an instructor who costs you an arm and a leg, and who you hope will whip you into shape without any injuries? “The ultimate goal of getting a personal trainer should be that after a stipulated time period, he or she has managed to convert you into a mini-trainer for your own body,” says Sumaya Dalmia, who runs Crème: Beauty & Bodyworks, a six-month-old personal training studio in South Extension, New Delhi. Her suggestions on how to test your trainer:

Is the trainer certified? If so, by whom? It is very important to ask this and you should not hesitate to verify the claims either. A certified trainer would have undergone fitness exams and is less likely to suggest exercises that can injure you. The two institutions that most Indian trainers seek certification from are ACE (American Council on Exercise) or ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). And if

Cut down on selfprescription: Whether it is protein supplements, energy drinks or vitamin pills, excess can be toxic. Whey has a high protein content, so it must supplement the lack of it in your meals, else it just adds to your weight. Excess nutrients can also stress the kidney. Namita Jain is a clinical fitness specialist with Bombay Hospital, a nutritionist with over 20 years experience and the author of books such as The Four-Week Countdown Diet. As told to Gayatri Jayaraman. gayatri.j@livemint.com

Back off: Don’t force your child to eat what he does not relish.

BE YOUR OWN MINITRAINER B Y S EEMA C HOWDHRY

Dos and don’ts: (above) Keep a check on how much wine you’re drinking; and carry meal options to your workplace.

be nurtured. It’s easy to eat heavy and sleep. Have a four-course dinner that is light, cleansing and filling too.

Gouri Dange is the author of ABCs of Parenting.

Hiring a personal trainer may be the first step towards getting in shape. But do you know what to ask the person who will train you?

B Y N AMITA J AIN ······························ ’ve spent 20 years studying the various diets people subscribe to and have found that diets often fail because they are not balanced. Instead, work on making small alterations that will last a lifetime and cut back. Once you know what to cut out, and can see how it makes a difference, it’s easy to sustain your everyday eating habits. Here are seven small ways to make a difference:

food issue with him or, within his earshot, with anyone. Give this a try for 30-40 days, and tell his teacher too that you are not discussing the issue for now. If you need to at all, then say a few good things about what he is eating and how he is eating it well. But don’t sound like your life and well-being depend on his eating. You continue eating different foods with appreciation, but don’t make it seem you’re trying to draw him into tasting any of it.

Do your research: Sumaya Dalmia says you should ask your trainer tough questions.

a trainer says he or she is certified from any of these two bodies, you can verify this online. Is your trainer interested in your goals? Sure, every trainer must assess your fitness levels and diet, and know about any pre-existing medical conditions. But is he or she also interested in knowing what your short-term and long-term goals for your body are? Do you want to tone up, just lose weight, build stamina— what is your priority? A good instructor tailors the plan to your immediate requirements. The trainer must seek to educate you and enable you to handle at least 95% of your own fitness issues. Is your trainer giving you a time-bound schedule? A good trainer should give you a timeline within which you will be able to see a difference in fitness levels and your body. Any timeline that promises great results within a month is suspect. Also, a training plan set by the trainer should have enough rest days, and the workout plan must vary for maximum benefits with minimum injury. Is your trainer suggesting supplements and diet changes? It is not enough for a trainer to suggest changes in diet. He or she must insist you check the plan with a nutritionist or dietitian. Also, as far as supplementation goes, the trainer must recommend these only in consultation with a doctor. Sumaya Dalmia charges `15,000 per month for consultation. For details, visit Cremewellness.com

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

THE RIGHT FIT Reebok’s new range of sportswear for women uses tensile clothing to create resistance and keep the body’s shape B Y G OPAL S ATHE gopal.s@livemint.com

···························· eebok promises its customers clothes to make them healthier and tone their bodies without added effort. But does its latest product actually work? And if does, how? Reebok’s newly launched EasyTone apparel for women uses a technology the company calls ResisTone. According to the company, “EasyTone Apparel uses Reebok’s ResisTone bands to create resistance with every move by helping to tone and strengthen key muscles and to encourage better posture and body alignment.” ResisTone technology is based on the compression technology used by Olympic athletes such as swimmers, cyclists and skiers. Such fabrics,

Stretched: Reebok’s new range for women helps create resistance with every move.

when used in performance garments, reduce vibrations and fatigue while improving blood flow by providing pressure against the muscles. The highly tensile clothing will also keep its shape, which, according to the manufacturer, means that it will improve posture and help people exercise for longer with less soreness and muscle stress. “It’s highly unlikely that these clothes can improve your posture,” says Bangalore based physiotherapist and marathon runner Preeti Ashok. “How can clothing correct muscle imbalance? Even muscle compression technologies are only really meant for Olympic level athletes were every millisecond counts. They make no difference to the regular person.” The verdict? Don’t focus on technology, focus on the workout. EasyTone pants are available for `3,999 and tops for `2,999.

Merry mix: 136.1 offers many forms of yoga, including training in Yoga Nidra for stressed individuals.

INTEGRATED YOGA A yoga studio that offers several disciplines of yoga under one roof

BY P A V I T R A J A Y A R A M A N pavitra.j@livemint.com

·························· he six-month-old integrated yoga studio136.1, named after the frequency of the sound Om, has opened its second branch in Alwarpet, Chennai. Like the first studio located on Nungambakkam High Road, this new 4,000 sq. ft space will offer over 200 hours of classes a week. The studio has on its menu a variety of schools of yoga, including Mysore Ashtanga, Satyananda yoga and Sivananda yoga. “Different people are looking for different things, so depending on their body type,

age and inclination, we guide them on the kind of yoga they should pursue,” says Yashwant Saran, managing director of the studio. For busy, stressed professionals, the studio suggests Yoga Nidra (a half-hour session every day), a unique deepsleep-relaxation technique developed by the Bihar School of Yoga. In addition to the traditional disciplines, the studio also offers new-age interpretations such as power yoga, prenatal and post-natal yoga, and a yoga module for children. “We have 14 full-time teachers from various disciplines and eight part-time teachers,” says Saran, adding that members who tire of one discipline can walk into the class of another discipline for a trial and rid their body of the monotony of the same workout.

A quarterly membership gives members unlimited access to all the classes that take place between 6am and 8.30pm on all days of the week. In addition to regular classes, one can also register for therapy classes that are taken for individuals with specific problems. “If somebody has diabetes or a problem with their back, we can train them in that particular area,” says Saran. Yoga for body sculpting and weight loss, and other special therapy packages that have to be custom-made, differ in price from the regular membership and vary according to the requirement of the person. A quarterly membership comes for `9,000 and a half-yearly membership for `12,000. For details, visit www.136point1.com

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

WELLNESS ON THE MENU With lifestyle diseases rising to alarming levels in India, fivestar hotels are the new health destinations B Y A MRITA R OY amrita.r@livemint.com

···························· ith a pandemic of lifestyle diseases sweeping India—the country accounts for 60% of global cardiac illnesses and has over 50 million diabetics—hotels are offering special menus and fitness programmes. And far from being bland, lowcal, zero-fun versions of their standard menus, the new oeuvre packs a decadent punch. The Westin Gurgaon has tied up with US-based SuperFoods Partners Llc, a diet and nutrition company. On the menu are dishes that pair approved “superfoods”—fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts and seafood that are naturally rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients (which aid in disease prevention) and are known for their health-enhancing qualities. The Westin Signature Breakfast is based on the principles formulated in a series of SuperFoodsRx books, published by SuperFoods Partners. “The breakfast buffet as well as the a la carte menus are not diets, but for the health-conscious. They feature superfoods like apples, broccoli, soy beans, wild salmons, walnuts, avocado, turkey and, believe it or not, chocolates,” says executive chef David Watson. So on offer are dishes

such as banana oatmeal brulé, green tea-infused salmon and molten dark chocolate cake. Key to the SuperFoodsRx philosophy is “food synergy”—certain foods when paired together are even more nutritious than when they are eaten separately. For example, avocados increase the absorption of antioxidants in other superfoods such as spinach and tomatoes. Sprinkling black pepper on superfoods like spinach, beans, berries, green tea and broccoli can increase the absorption of the nutrients. Cinnamon and whole grains such as oats work together to control blood sugar, honey supplies “fuel” for the healthy bacteria found in low-fat and nonfat yogurt. The Superfood dishes are available as part of the Westin Signature buffet at no extra cost. At The Leela group the focus is on a total fitness package, rather than just healthy food. At various Leela properties, Meta Wellness, a New York-based healthcare company, will soon offer intensive lifestyle-changing programmes led by physicians for those affected with lifestyle diseases such as cardiac problems and diabetes. According to Jyotsna Changrani, director, healthcare services, Meta Wellness, an alarming 70% of those with heart disease in India are below 50, and 10% of heart attacks occur in Indians in their 20s and 30s. “Seven out of 10 attacks happen in people with much less blockage than those who require surgery. For them, the only option is medical manage-

ment and lifestyle changes,” she says. The Meta Wellness programmes will offer medical management and guide participants through lifestyle changes. The first such 90-day programme, re:verse, designed specifically for cardiovascular patients, will launch in October at The Leela Mumbai. Before the guidance programme actually begins, participants will be examined by eminent specialists to evaluate their specific needs. Changrani explains that re:verse can effect as much as a 45% drop in the levels of C-reactive protein (a potential risk factor for cardiovascular diseases), a 20-25% drop in low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and help alleviate angina. It will include hand-holding the participants on lifestyle changes such as nutrition and exercise regimens tailored to individual needs. Once the course begins, the patients will have to report back every six days. They will be monitored remotely on the other days. The programme will culminate in a six-night residential course at The Leela properties in Mumbai or Kovalam.

A shorter, preventive programme, called re:tune, will be launched at The Leela Kovalam during the Christmas vacation. The week-long residential programme will focus on those at risk from heart disease. At both the residencies, participants will also be observed for sleep apnea and undergo continuous glucose monitoring—sufferers of both are at increased risk, says Changrani—and treated to gourmet health cuisine. The Westin Signature breakfast buffet is priced at `1,250 plus taxes. The Meta Wellness re:verse programme will be priced at `1.5 lakh, plus taxes. The re:tune programme will cost `1.5-2 lakh. To register and for details, call 09619177783 or mail info@metawellness.in Dig in: (above) The Meta Wellness programme at The Leela will include gourmet health cuisine; and the breakfast menu at The Westin is packed with superfoods.

COLDPROOF COMFORT

For your next trek or just a leisurely trip to the mountains, pick up these formidable jackets B Y R UDRANEIL S ENGUPTA rudraneil.s@livemint.com

······························

Wedze Stratermic Doon Doon Jacket Robodoc: Asia’s most advanced surgical robot, the da Vinci Si.

ROBOCALYPSE NOW Medical, surgical assistants and simulators: robots are stealthily making an entry to treatment facilities in the country B Y G AYATRI J AYARAMAN gayatri.j@livemint.com

···························· he robocalypse is here. While Steven Spielberg’s production based on the best-selling novel by Daniel H. Wilson will only be released in 2013, India has finally opened its doors to a revolution, at least in the field of health. The Asian Heart Institute launched the Asian Vattikuti Institute of Robotic Surgery at its Bandra-Kurla complex centre, Mumbai, in June, introducing Asia’s most advanced robotic health system—the da Vinci Si surgical robot. This robot operates effectively as the hands of the surgeon, offering him a magnified 3D view of his subject, with features such as the ability to weed

out hand tremors, effectively making any surgeon ambidextrous. This technological advance has long been overdue in India. Countries like Japan have popularized advanced systems for surgery and even the care of the elderly and disabled, such as Secom’s “My Spoon”, which feeds elderly people. Manufacturer Health Robotics’ medication-dispensing robots, aimed at minimizing medical error, are now available on rent for pharmacies in the US. While there are already 1,171 da Vinci Si systems worldwide, according to a paper by M.B. Hiremath of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, the acquisition of robots in India was sparked off at government initiative, with two recent installations at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Raj Vattikuti, founder of the Vattikuti Foundation which has associated with the Asian Heart Institute to start the Asian Vattikuti Institute of Robotic Surgery, says his involvement is motivated by a desire to bring down the costs of this prohibitive system (the da

Vinci Si costs `8 crore per system)—he believes that however late, robotics is the future. Vijay D’Silva, medical director of the Asian Heart Institute, agrees: “Robot-assisted surgery is the future of surgical treatment. Laparoscopic/minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is an advancement over the open surgeries. It has the advantage of faster recovery and surgery through small incisions of 1-2cm as compared with 8-10 inches in the open surgery. “Robot-assisted surgery will replace open surgeries in the next decade or so. Considering the advantages, more and more surgeons are now switching to robotassisted surgery as compared with open surgeries.” While the advantages over laparoscopic surgery are the magnified views and the freedom of hand movement, as well as quick patient recovery time, where do instinct, personal involvement and “the healing touch” come in? Johns Hopkins University conducted an experiment at its Maryland, US, hospital, recruiting 60

patients in recovery to receive visits by a newly invented robo-doc through which their own surgeons would communicate with them via in-built screens. An overwhelming 80% felt a robo-doc was infinitely preferable to a visit by another available doctor. But what new skills will already highly skilled Indian doctors have to acquire to deal with these advances, especially since the World Health Organization states that India will be producing more than 36% of the world’s medical manpower by 2015? R. Panda, cardiac specialist at the Asian Heart Institute, points out that learning comes quick and it’s a matter of trusting your doctor. “When I was in medical college in the 1960s, my professor had to go to Chicago for an angioplasty. Today it’s available at every street corner. There is always a resistance period to change,” he says. Vattikuti laughs: “The robot does not have a mind of its own. It only assists the surgeon. It’s just a tool. The skill is still that of the man who uses it.”

A perfect combination of lightweight carrying comfort (it weighs just 590g for size L) and the superior warmth provided by goose down, this French-made Alpine jacket is meant for skiers, snowboarders and high-altitude trekkers looking for great thermal insulation without the burden of multiple layers of PHOTOGRAPHS BY PRADEEP GAUR/MINT heavy clothing, and freedom of movement. Specs: 50% down, 50% feather wadding, water repellent, snow abrasion resistant, comfortable up to -3 degrees Celsius, attached hood, `3,000. Available at Adventure 18, Satya Niketan, New Delhi (www.adventure18.com).

Pureland Waterproof Outer Shell A multi-utility jacket that can be used in a wide range of conditions, the Pureland outer shell is perfect for urban winters or bike trips as well as trekking and hiking. Like any well-designed mountain product, all seams are hot-welded with waterproof tape to make the jacket impervious to rain. Specs: Nylon with polyester lining, windproof, waterproof, concealed hood, threadless pockets, ventilation zips on the sides, comfortable from 20 degrees Celsius, till 6 degrees Celsius, `5,500. Available at Trekkers Point, Plaza Building, Connaught Place, New Delhi (www.trekkerspoint.com).

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

PRIYANKA PARASHAR/MINT

‘THE HANDICAPPED AREN’T A VOTE BANK’ In his 26th book, Arun Shourie talks about pain firsthand and then examines religious scriptures, only to find that no religion can explain suffering

Does He Know a Mother’s Heart? How Suffering Refutes Religions: HarperCollins, 435 pages, `599.

B Y S HREYA R AY shreya.r@livemint.com

···························· s there any religion in the world that can provide an explanation for suffering? No, finds writer, former editor and minister Arun Shourie, cutting through religious scriptures like a sword in his latest book, Does He Know a Mother’s Heart? How Suffering Refutes Religions. Shourie, who begins the book with a chapter about his son Aditya, who has cerebral palsy, talks to Lounge about issues of access for the differently abled, infrastructure and how small things can change the life of a differently abled person. Edited excerpts:

What is particularly difficult to write in such a personal book? The personal parts weren’t difficult at all, I’ve written about our son earlier as well, and we’re open about it. What was difficult to write was some of the other chapters, one on Mahatma Gandhi, which includes his explanation for the Bihar earthquake and the persecution of Jews by Hitler; one on Ramakrishna Paramhansa and one on Ramana Maharshi. These are three persons I venerate and for me to write critically about them was difficult. What are your comments on the state of infrastructure available in the country and the lack of access for the differently abled? Certainly, a lot more should be

available. There are simple things that can be done. American and British book stores, for example, have audio books for adults with visual disabilities. The best actors devote time and their skills in reading such books, thereby enabling a blind person to enjoy a book. But in India, go to an institution for the blind and it’s so depressing. Every one of us can help; not just the government. Would you say we’re culturally more insensitive when it comes to addressing the needs of the handicapped? I don’t think it’s fair to make generalizations about culture. If you look at mythology, persons with handicaps are venerated—like the saint who wrote Ashtavakra Gita had eight deformities, and there are also cases of villains being portrayed as someone with handicaps. But yes, we can do more. We are a major force in information technology in the world, we can have better Braille typewriters. We can devote R&D (research and development) facilities to text-tovoice, voice-to-text technology. Visually impaired persons can go to the Internet and the computer and read out the content of the page. When I was looking after the (telecom and disinvestment) ministry, a company in West Bengal was developing a Braille reader which was tiny, the size of a pen. The smallest difference in design can make the hugest difference. A student from NID

An issue of priorities: Arun Shourie says the greatest skills are devoted to highincome individuals. (National Institute of Design) came to work at The Spastics Society of Northern India here in Delhi and he effected great changes. My child cannot hold a pen, but he can hold material. That material becomes semisolid, a pencil is inserted into it and he can use it and draw. Such a simple idea but it changed the working life of a little boy. The problem is that the greatest skills are devoted to high-income individuals. Few will design a better low-cost house like Laurie Baker would. There will be many skilled people for designing an even fancier car, but not a wheelchair. What kind of constraints does the government face when it comes to providing better facilities for the differently abled? The constraints are the quality of persons in public life. What are

the government’s constraints for a dismal public distribution system? Or a dismal public health system? Why do railway accidents keep happening? It is the same problem, the persons in public life. Our electoral system is not a good way to select rulers of a billion people, handicap or non-handicap. Secondly, the poor and handicapped are not a vote bank, they are not a caste, or a linguistic group. They can’t further their advancement or give them money. You’ve been drawn to Buddhism. How did Buddha’s doctrines help? The Buddha says I’m only providing you a map which I’ve drawn because I traversed this path. Do not mistake this map for the path itself, and do not accept what I’ve said because I’ve said it. Put it to

test by your own experience and your own effort, believe only that which you can verify by your own experience. The Buddha also says “don’t look for explanations. I can’t do anything about your primary cause of suffering. Your child has brain injury, I can’t do anything about it, for that there are doctors. But you have built a seven-storeyed structure around that issue—why did it have to be my child? Why does it happen to children? What will happen when my wife and I are not around, who will look after him? He says, I will help dismantle your structure, I will help you control your mind.” Focus on the present. www.livemint.com To see a related video, visit www.livemint.com/shourie.htm

L10

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

ALL YOUR HEALTH WORRIES SOLVED

PHOTOGRAPHS

g Is sugar and carbohydrate consumption

THINKSTOCK

the primary reason for people developing Type 2 (typically lifestyleinduced) diabetes?

Doctors, dietitians and fitness experts answer your most pressing everyday questions

B Y R UDRANEIL S ENGUPTA, V ISESHIKA S HARMA & P AVITRA J AYARAMAN ·························································· ow do you remain fit if you don’t even have an hour every day to exercise? Do you need fat in your body? How do you prevent back pain if you have a desk-bound job? Do health drinks for children really work? Is sugar the main cause of diabetes? All of us grapple with a multitude of health, diet and fitness questions. Questions that don’t warrant a doctor’s appointment or an expensive fitness consultation, but the answers to which can have a significant impact on our daily lives. We compiled a list of the most basic, yet commonly misunderstood health issues that plague us, and asked experts to give us comprehensive answers that will keep your body in perfect running order.

Type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial disease, so you can’t blame just one trigger. It is influenced by genes, physical activity, stress, alcohol, obesity and many components of your diet. While overconsumption of refined carbohydrates (like maida) and sugar can definitely lead to diabetes, trans-fatty acids are even worse. As are saturated fatty acids. On the other hand, lack of omega 3 and omega 6 fats in diets can lead to diabetes too. So it is essential to cut out bad fats and include good fats such as monounsaturated fats in the diet. Lifestyle changes are most important in Type 2 diabetes, and these are always a part of the treatment. If someone is morbidly obese and has diabetes, getting him back to a healthy lifestyle and bringing the weight down will usually reverse the condition. But most often, there is intrinsic failure of insulin secretion, and there is no option but to medicate the patient.

rudraneil.s@livemint.com

Anoop Misra, much time should a person g How spend exercising every week and when do you know you are overdoing it?

Including warm-up and cool-down periods, exercising for an hour daily is more than enough for people who are non-athletes. Remember to take a day of rest every week. So effectively no more than 6 hours of exercise in a week. More than 45 minutes of intense workout makes no sense because after such time the body starts producing cortisol. Cortisol is a muscle-burning hormone so it would just undo the hard work you have been putting in. Recuperation and stretching are the most important parts of the workout and you need to make sure you are getting enough rest. Insomnia, constant tiredness, constant thirst and restlessness are signs that you are overdoing it, and that you need to cut back. The biggest indication of overdoing it is when you don’t feel like going to the gym at all.

k Leena Mogre, Director, Leena Mogre’s Fitness, Mumbai

More than 45 minutes of intense workout starts burning muscles instead of fat

it good to follow a highprotein g Is and lowcarbohydrate diet to

Chairman, Centre of Excellence in Diabetes, Obesity, Metabolic Diseases and Endocrinology, Fortis, New Delhi

maintain ideal body weight? Eating a well-balanced meal is key to maintaining ideal body weight. Historically, Indian meals have always been well balanced, with rice, roti, dal, vegetables and yogurt constituting a full plate. They have always been heavy on carbohydrates and asking a regular person to cut down on carbs is just impossible. They just don’t like it. Weight issues are usually created by dietary imbalance, when someone indulges in one food group more than in others. We recommend low-carbohydrate diets only when people are trying hard to lose weight, because they tend to overindulge in carbs. High-protein diets are for maintaining lean body mass.

Veena Shahani,

Chief dietitian, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai

Go the lowcarb way only if weight loss is proving difficult

Trans fats and saturated fatty acids are as bad for diabetics as sugar

much harder is it for g How women to lose weight after

they’ve hit 30, when the metabolism starts slowing down?

4 k

Vidisha Parekh,

Chief dietitian, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute, Mumbai

While it is true that metabolism does slow down once you hit your 30s, it’s not really difficult for women to lose weight once they hit that age. If the basic diet and exercise principles are followed, it should not be difficult at all. If hereditary health issues are present, or if a person leads a mainly sedentary lifestyle, then we could look at modifying the diet, but only when required. It can usually be sorted out by getting the basal metabolic rate (BMR) up in the mornings. BMR is the amount of energy expended daily when the body is in a state of rest, so raising it through exercise in the morning ensures you burn more energy through the day.

Exercise in the morning to burn more energy through the day

TURN TO PAGE 12 ®

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

L12

LOUNGE

L12

THE HEALTH ISSUE

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

L13

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

FROM PAGE 10 ®

Ishi Khosla,

Clinical nutritionist and director, Whole Foods, New Delhi

A gluten-free diet is now being hailed as the thing that transformed Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic’s rise to fame by improving his fitness and strength. People think it’s fashionable to get on a gluten-free diet, either to lose weight or to improve their Ishi Khosla, game. But gluten-free diets cannot be treated as weight-loss diets; Clinical nutritionist they are only for people who are sensitive or allergic to it, that is, and director, Wholethat people with Celiac disease. Gluten is a protein in wheat Foods, New Delhicauses the Celiac patients are allergic to and this reaction is what malabsorption in the intestines. The only cure to Celiac is to keep gluten out of your diet. Djokovic has benefited from this diet because he is allergic to the protein, and staying off it naturally boosted his health. Gluten is present in wheat and wheat products (such as barley, semolina, cornflour, etc.), which means that any regular bread, roti, cake or bakery products are a no-no for a Celiac patient. To keep away from gluten, therefore, is no mean feat. It requires that all gluten products have substitutes (which isn’t easy because it is gluten, incidentally, that makes bread soft and spongy) and all food packaging is clearly labelled gluten-free, or not, accordingly.

Sports rehabilitation specialist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai

How should one recover from an intense workout?

g How should one recover from an intense workout?

Clinical nutri tionist and diet consultant, m Bangalore

CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES

Stretching is crucial to recovery after exercising, Preeti Ashok, and Physiotherapist and helps marathon prevent runner, Bangalore injuries and pain m

Food enters the alkaline mouth and proceeds towards the stomach, which produces mild hydrochloric acid to help in digestion. The presence of acidity or heartburn indicates that one is not eating on a regular basis, and that the acid is being produced at a faster pace than the stomach is being given food. Eat foods with high-soluble Anju Sood, fibre such as oat bran or whole Coats, which tend to LIVE B RUNSKILL/G ETTY I MAGES nutri remain in the stomach longer. Ideally, you should eat Clinical a tionist and diet little bit every hour so that acid cannot collect consultant, in the stomach. But that is difficult. So drink a Bangalore neutralizing drink like cucumber juice, also known as a blocker. Cucumber juice or lauki juice, with their high water content, help flush acid from the stomach. Eating heavy, salty and/or oily food at night goes against the principles of a balanced diet, so loading your stomach when acidic is only worsening the situation.

m ‘Lauki’ juice has high water content that helps flush acid from the stomach

Mustard oil has the perfect balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids

Wellness consultant, New Delhi

Nutritional drinks for Stretching is children are a crucial to good way to recovery after get your child exercising, Preeti Ashok, and Physiotherapist and to drink milk helps prevent marathon runner, Bangalore injuries and pain m

Nutritional drinks for children are a good way to get your child to drink milk

j Shikha Sharma,

Wellness consultant, New Delhi

Veena Shahani,

Chief dietitian, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai

m What really is the nutritional value of health drinks for children and do they really help them grow taller?

These claims are mostly marketing gimmicks. Most of these drinks basically constitute the ingredients of a balanced diet. From what I have seen, speciality paediatric drinks satisfy that to a certain extent, but I wouldn’t recommend depending on these drinks. For parents who are concerned about their children’s height, the best advice I can give is a balanced diet fortified with protein and calcium. Additional calcium and vitamin supplements can also be given. The recommended dosage of these drinks, combined with milk, delivers around 600 calories per glass, and that’s almost an entire meal. The downside is that children will be too full to eat anything else. However, if this is a good way to get your child to drink some milk, then it should surely be given.

Preeti Ashok,

Physiotherapist and marathon runner, Bangalore

Nutritional drinks for children are a good way to get your child to drink milk

can I remain fit if I don’t have even g How an hour to spare on a daily basis for exercise?

9 9 10 10 10

If you are not fit already, then it is difficult to do this. If you are If you are not fit already, then it is difficult to do this. If you are more or less fit, it is possible to maintain your fitness level if you more or less fit, it is possible to maintain your fitness level if you have just 20 minutes free at any time of the day. If you have access have just 20 minutes free at any time of the day. If you have access to a swimming pool, you could do hard laps for 20 minutes three to a swimming pool, you could do hard laps for 20 minutes three times a week and it will be enough to give your entire system a times a week and it will be enough to give your entire system a thorough other three days, do basic, but highly What kind ofthorough foods should avoid workout. one On the other three days, do basic, but highly What kind of foods workout. should On onetheavoid effective, full-body exercises such as push-ups and squats. Do these effective, full-body exercises such as push-ups and squats. Do to prevent heartburn at night? to these prevent heartburn at night? till muscle fatigue, it won’ttowards take more than 15 minutes per sestill muscle fatigue, so it won’t take more than 15 minutes perenters ses- the alkaline Food enters the alkaline mouth and proceeds towards Food mouth and so proceeds If youmild havehydrochloric very little time, cycling sion. If you have very little time, is not a goodthe ideastomach, because which sion. the stomach, which produces mild hydrochloric acidcycling to produces acid to is not a good idea because it ispresence a low-impact exercise. Do interval runs instead—do a light jog it is a low-impact exercise. Do interval runs instead—do light jog help in digestion. The presence of acidity or heartburn helpa in digestion. The of acidity or heartburn 3 minutes, a higher-paced run for a minute, a full sprint for minutes, a higher-paced a full sprint forone isfor indicates that one is for not3 eating onthen a regular basis, andrun for a minute, indicates that not eating onthen a regular basis, and seconds, come a light jog for 3 minutes, and seconds, a light jog for 3 minutes, and that the acid is being20-30 produced at a then fastercome paceback thanto the that the acid is being20-30 produced at athen faster paceback thantothe repeat this cycle forwith 20 minutes. If you are seriously fit, you could repeat 20 high-soluble minutes. If you are seriously fit, you could stomach is being given food.this Eatcycle foodsfor with stomach is being given food. Eat foods high-soluble Sood,exercises get away with doing get away with doing intense tend core and full-body 10 as oat bran fibre such as oat bran or whole oats, which toAnju fibreforsuch or whole oats, intense which core tendand to full-body exercises for 10 Clinical nutri minutes a day threeyou times a week, with a long, easy-paced minutes a day threeyou times a week, with a long, easy-paced remain in the stomach longer. Ideally, should eat acoupled remain in the stomach longer. Ideally, should eatcoupled a tionist diet board once a week. Forcollect example, stand on a wobble board and throw run once a week. example, stand on aand wobble little bit every hour so that acid cannotFor collect littleand bit throw every hour run so that acid cannot consultant, ballisatdifficult. a wall and a ballis at a wall and catch ait quickly—as quickly as youincan—for 10 in the stomach. But that difficult. So drink the stomach. But athat So catch drink ita quickly—as quickly as you can—for 10 Bangalore minutes. Mix it up by standing on one leg for some time while minutes. Mix it juice, up by standing on one leg for some time while neutralizing drink like cucumber also neutralizing drink like cucumber juice, also this. You willor getlauki an intense, full-body workout. this. You willorget an intense, full-body workout.known as a blocker.doing known as a blocker. doing Cucumber juice lauki Cucumber juice juice, with their high water content, help flush juice, with their high water content, help flush acid from the stomach. Eating heavy, salty acid from the stomach. Eating heavy, salty and/or oily food at night goes against the prinand/or oily food at night goes against the principles of a balanced diet, so loading your ciples of a balanced diet, so loading your stomach when acidic is only worsening stomach when acidic is only worsening the situation. the situation.

can I remain fit if I don’t have even g How an hour to spare on a daily basis for exercise?

What kind of foods should one avoid to prevent heartburn at night?

Ideally, I would suggest using both mustard oil and olive oil every day for cooking. For example, make your breakfast and dinner with olive oil, and lunch with mustard oil. The rest of your daily recommended fat consumption should come in the form of natural nuts such as almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc. Most of us use refined oils such as sunflower oil for our day-to-day cooking, but I don’t recommend refined products because these oils go through several levels of cleansing (first, the extraction from the seeds, then the process of making them look prettier, as raw oil is darker than the ones we see), and this takes away their nutritional qualities. Both mustard and olive are cold-pressed oils (they are refined just once). Mustard oil is a great oil, especially in winters, as it has the perfect ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Olive oil mainly consists of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are considered to be good dietary fats and essential to staying healthy.

Shikha Sharma,

How should one recover from an intense workout?

What is the best kind of oil for healthy cooking?

Veena Veena Shahani, Intense physical activityShahani, puts a lot of stress on the body and also Intense physical activity puts a lot of stress on the body and also Intense physical activity puts a lot of stress on the body and also Chief dietitian, Jaslok Chief Jaslok and tissue, so it’s important to of dietitian, bones, muscle causes wear and tear of bones, muscle and tissue, so it’s important to causes wear and tear of bones, muscle and tissue, so it’s important to causes wear and tear Hospital and Research Hospital and Research practices. It will maximize the effects of the workfollow good recovery practices. It will maximize the effects of the work-follow good recovery practices. It will maximize the effects of the workfollow good recovery Centre, Mumbai Centre, soreness, Mumbai make you feel more energetic and out, lessen post-workout soreness, make you feel more energetic and out, lessen post-workout soreness, make you feel more energetic and out, lessen post-workout prevent workout-related injuries. The most important thing is to stretch.prevent workout-related injuries. The most important thing is to stretch. prevent workout-related injuries. The most important thing is to stretch. Most people skip this or do it half-heartedly. You need to do at least 10Most people skip this or do it half-heartedly. You need to do at least 10 Most people skip this or do it half-heartedly. You need to do at least 10 different stretches after working out. For example, if you are running, different stretches after working out. For example, if you are running, different stretches after working out. For example, if you are running, you need to stretch your hamstrings, glutes, calves, quads, back, etc., you need to stretch your hamstrings, glutes, calves, quads, back, etc., you need to stretch your hamstrings, glutes, calves, quads, back, etc., the run. Eating a high-protein meal within 45 minutes of training isafter the run. Eating a high-protein meal within 45 minutes of training is after the run. Eating a high-protein meal within 45 minutes of training after is is the nutritional of really is for thethenutritional value ofrecommended because thisWhat is the best time protein to get highly is thereally best time for the protein to value get highly recommended because this is the best time for the protein to gethighly recommended because thisWhat drinks children and healthand drinks children they in the body, help build health stop for tissue damage.and Eat do absorbed muscle and stopfor tissue damage. Eat do they absorbed in the body, help build muscle and stop tissue damage. Eat absorbed in the body, help build muscle lean meats, eggs, or a good, pure whey protein is also crucial tolean meats, eggs, or a good,really pure whey is also crucial to lean meats, eggs, or a good, pure whey protein shake. It is also crucial to helpprotein them shake. grow Ittaller? really help themshake. growIttaller? training. Gatorade and electrol/ replace training. Gatorade and electrol/ replace lost fluids and electrolytes after training. Gatorade and electrol/replace lost fluids and electrolytes These after claims are mostly marketing gimmicks. Most These after claims are mostly marketing gimmicks. Mostlost of fluids and electrolytes aredrinks best for this. Also, drink plenty of oral rehydration solution (ORS) are best for basically this. Also,constitute drink plenty oral rehydration solution (ORS) are best for this. Also, drink plenty of oral rehydration solution (ORS) of these drinks theofingredients these basically constitute the ingredients of a if you have access toIone, amazing water paeafter workouts. An iceofbath, if you have one, Iishave amazing water after workouts. An ice bath, if you have access to one, is amazingwater after workouts. An ice bath, a balanced diet.access Fromtowhat seen, specialbalanced diet. From what haveisseen, speciality for recovery. Immerse yourself in cold water for 5-7 minutes (depending recovery. Immerse yourself cold water for 5-7 minutes for recovery. Immerse yourself in cold water for 5-7 minutes (depending ity in paediatric drinks satisfy that(depending to a certain extent, diatric drinks satisfy that to a certain extent,for but I on how cold the water is) after your training, stay out of the water for 5-7 on howFor cold the water is) after training, stay out of the water foron5-7 on how cold the water is) after your training, stay out of the water for 5-7 but your I wouldn’t recommend depending these wouldn’t recommend depending on these drinks. Repeatwho this are cycle thrice. It stops minutes and then go back in. RepeatFor this cycle thrice. It stops muscleabout their minutes and then go back in. Repeat this cycle thrice. It stops muscle minutes and then go back in.parents drinks. parents who are concerned concerned aboutmuscle their children’s and tissue damage that occurs naturally afteradvice exercising, and diet tissue damage that occurs naturallyheight, after exercising, stops inflammaand tissue damage that occurs naturally after exercising, stops inflammachildren’s the best advice I can give is a height, the best I canstops give isinflammaa balanced tion and makes you pain-free. tioncalcium and makes you pain-free. tion and makes you pain-free. balanced diet fortified with protein and calcium. fortified with protein and calcium. Additional Heath Matthews, Heath Matthews, Additional calcium and vitamin supplements can and vitamin supplements can also be given. The recSports rehabilitation Sportsofrehabilitation also be given. The recommended dosage of these ommended dosage these drinks, combined with specialist, Kokilaben specialist, Kokilaben drinks, combined with milk, delivers around 600 milk, delivers around 600 calories per glass, and that’s Dhirubhai Ambani Hospi Dhirubhai Ambani calories per glass, and that’s almost an entire meal. almost an entire meal. The downside is that children tal and Medical Research Mumbai else. However, if this is The downside is that children will be too full to eat will be too full Hospital, to eat anything Institute, Mumbai anything else. However, if this is a good way to get a good way to get your child to drink some milk, then your child to drink some it should surely be given. milk, then it should surely be given.

Anju Sood,

Mustard oil has the perfect bal ance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids

Mustard oil has j Shikha Sharma, the perfect Wellness consultant, New Delhi A glutenfree diet balance of omega is meant for 3 and omega 6 fatty acids people with gluten allergy, not as a weightloss tool

A glutenfree diet is meant for people with gluten allergy, not as a weightloss tool

Stretching is crucial to recovery after exercising, and helps prevent injuries and pain

CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES

7 Heath Matthews,

Ideally, I would suggest using both mustard oil and olive oil A gluten-free diet is now being hailed as the thing that transA gluten-free diet is now being hailed as the thing that transevery day for cooking. For example, make your breakfast and every day for cooking. For example, make your breakfast and formed Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic’s rise to fame by formed Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic’s rise to fame by dinner with olive oil, and lunch with mustard oil. The rest of olive oil, and lunch with mustard oil. The rest of improving his fitness and strength. People think it’s fashionabledinner to with improving his fitness and strength. People think it’s fashionable to your daily recommended fat consumption should come in your daily recommended fat consumption should come in get on a gluten-free diet, either to lose weight or to improve their get on a gluten-free diet, either to lose weight or to improve their the form of natural nuts such as almonds, sunflower seeds, the form of natural nuts such as almonds, sunflower seeds, Ishi Khosla, game. But gluten-free diets cannot be treated as weight-loss diets; game. But gluten-free diets cannot be treated as weight-loss diets; sesame seeds, etc. Most of us use refined oils such as sunsesame seeds, etc. Most of us use refined oils such as sunClinical nutritionist they are only for people who are sensitive or allergic to it, that is, they are only for people who are sensitive or allergic to it, that is, flower oil for our day-to-day cooking, but I don’t recommend for our day-to-day cooking, but I don’t recommend and director, Whole people with Celiac disease. Gluten is a protein in wheat that flower oil people with Celiac disease. Gluten is a protein in wheat that refined products because these oils go through several levels refined products because these oils go through several levels Foods, New Delhi Celiac patients are allergic to and this reaction is what causes the Celiac patients are allergic to and this reaction is what causes the of cleansing (first, the extraction from the seeds, then the of cleansing (first, the extraction from the seeds, then the malabsorption in the intestines. The only cure to Celiac is to keep malabsorption in the intestines. The only cure to Celiac is to keep process of making them look prettier, as raw oil is darker process of making them look prettier, as raw oil is darker gluten out of your diet. Djokovic has benefited from this diet gluten out of your diet. Djokovic has benefited from this diet than the ones we see), and this takes away their nutritional than the ones we see), and this takes away their nutritional because he is allergic to the protein, and staying off it naturally because he is allergic to the protein, and staying off it naturally qualities. Both mustard and olive are cold-pressed oils (they qualities. Both mustard and olive are cold-pressed oils (they boosted his health. Gluten is present in wheat and wheat products boosted his health. Gluten is present in wheat and wheat products are refined just once). Mustard oil is a great oil, especially in are refined just once). Mustard oil is a great oil, especially in (such as barley, semolina, cornflour, etc.), which means that any (such as barley, semolina, cornflour, etc.), which means that any winters, as it has the perfect ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 winters, as it has the perfect ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 regular bread, roti, cake or bakery products are a no-no for a regular bread, roti, cake or bakery products are a no-no for a fatty acids. Olive oil mainly consists of monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil mainly consists of monounsaturated fatty Celiac patient. To keep away from gluten, therefore, is no mean Celiac patient. To keep away from gluten, therefore, is no mean fatty acids, which are considered to be good dietary fats acids, which are considered to be good dietary fats and feat. It requires that all gluten products have substitutes (which feat. It requires that all gluten products have substitutes (which and essential to staying healthy. essential to staying healthy. isn’t easy because it is gluten, incidentally, that makes bread soft isn’t easy because it is gluten, incidentally, that makes bread soft and spongy) and all food packaging is clearly labelled gluten-free, and spongy) and all food packaging is clearly labelled gluten-free, or not, accordingly. or not, accordingly.

A glutenfree diet is meant for people with gluten allergy, not as a weightloss tool

is the best kind of oil for healthy g What cooking?

What is Can the anyone best kind of oila for healthy diet like adopt glutenfree g the one cooking? Novak Djokovic is on? Ideally, I would suggest using both mustard oil and olive oil

anyone adopt a glutenfree diet like g Can the one Novak Djokovic is on?

Can anyone adopt a glutenfree diet like the one Novak Djokovic is on?

Cucumber mjuice has high water content Short bursts of intensethat helps exercise can be moreflush effective thanacid longfrom hoursthe stomach of moderate workout

PHOTOGRAPHS

THINKSTOCK

‘Lauki’ juice has high water Short bursts ofcontent intensethat exercise can behelps moreflush effective than acid long from hoursthe stomach of moderate workout

If you are not fit already, then it is difficult to do this. If you are more or less fit, it is possible to maintain your fitness level if you have just 20 minutes free at any time of the day. If you have access to a swimming pool, you could do hard laps for 20 minutes three times a week and it will be enough to give your entire system a thorough workout. On the other three days, do basic, but highly effective, full-body exercises such as push-ups and squats. Do these till muscle fatigue, so it won’t take more than 15 minutes per session. If you have very little time, cycling is not a good idea because it is a low-impact exercise. Do interval runs instead—do a light jog for 3 minutes, then a higher-paced run for a minute, a full sprint for 20-30 seconds, then come back to a light jog for 3 minutes, and repeat this cycle for 20 minutes. If you are seriously fit, you could get away with doing intense core and full-body exercises for 10 minutes a day three times a week, coupled with a long, easy-paced run once a week. For example, stand on a wobble board and throw a ball at a wall and catch it quickly—as quickly as you can—for 10 minutes. Mix it up by standing on one leg for some time while doing this. You will get an intense, full-body workout.

TURN TO PAGE 14 ®

Short bursts of intense exercise can be more effective than long hours of moderate workout

PHOTOGRAPHS

THINKSTOCK

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

L12

LOUNGE

L12

THE HEALTH ISSUE

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

L13

LOUNGE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

FROM PAGE 10 ®

Ishi Khosla,

Clinical nutritionist and director, Whole Foods, New Delhi

Sports rehabilitation specialist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai

How should one recover from an intense workout?

g How should one recover from an intense workout?

Clinical nutri tionist and diet consultant, m Bangalore

CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES

Stretching is crucial to recovery after exercising, Preeti Ashok, and Physiotherapist and helps marathon prevent runner, Bangalore injuries and pain m

m ‘Lauki’ juice has high water content that helps flush acid from the stomach

Mustard oil has the perfect balance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids

Wellness consultant, New Delhi

Nutritional drinks for children are a good way to get your child to drink milk

j Shikha Sharma,

Wellness consultant, New Delhi

Veena Shahani,

Chief dietitian, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai

m What really is the nutritional value of health drinks for children and do they really help them grow taller?

Preeti Ashok,

Physiotherapist and marathon runner, Bangalore

Nutritional drinks for children are a good way to get your child to drink milk

can I remain fit if I don’t have even g How an hour to spare on a daily basis for exercise?

9 9 10 10 10

can I remain fit if I don’t have even g How an hour to spare on a daily basis for exercise?

What kind of foods should one avoid to prevent heartburn at night?

Shikha Sharma,

How should one recover from an intense workout?

What is the best kind of oil for healthy cooking?

Anju Sood,

Mustard oil has the perfect bal ance of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids

A glutenfree diet is meant for people with gluten allergy, not as a weightloss tool

Stretching is crucial to recovery after exercising, and helps prevent injuries and pain

CLIVE BRUNSKILL/GETTY IMAGES

7 Heath Matthews,

A glutenfree diet is meant for people with gluten allergy, not as a weightloss tool

is the best kind of oil for healthy g What cooking?

What is Can the anyone best kind of oila for healthy diet like adopt glutenfree g the one cooking? Novak Djokovic is on? Ideally, I would suggest using both mustard oil and olive oil

anyone adopt a glutenfree diet like g Can the one Novak Djokovic is on?

Can anyone adopt a glutenfree diet like the one Novak Djokovic is on?

Cucumber mjuice has high water content Short bursts of intensethat helps exercise can be moreflush effective thanacid longfrom hoursthe stomach of moderate workout

PHOTOGRAPHS

THINKSTOCK

‘Lauki’ juice has high water Short bursts ofcontent intensethat exercise can behelps moreflush effective than acid long from hoursthe stomach of moderate workout

TURN TO PAGE 14 ®

Short bursts of intense exercise can be more effective than long hours of moderate workout

PHOTOGRAPHS

THINKSTOCK

L14

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

FROM PAGE 13 ®

you avoid cardio exercises g Should like running or cycling if you are trying to build muscle?

Building muscle like a bodybuilder is not fitness. A fit person is more like a sportsperson—good cardiovascular endurance, good muscle definition and good flexibility. So for fitness purposes, you need cardiovascular training. Having said that, hard cardio training does stimulate a reduction in muscle bulk. If you are skinny and trying to put on bulk, do heavy weights with low repetitions. Ten minutes of light jogging to warm up, then about 20 minutes of weights or resistance training and then 10 minutes of light jogging to cool down is a good way to do it. A 75% weight training to 25% cardio ratio is great for building more muscle. Generally, it is recommended that everyone does at least 20 minutes of challenging cardio three times a week.

Heath Matthews,

Sanjay Hegde,

Sports rehabilitation specialist, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical l Research Institute, Mumbai

Orthopaedic surgeon, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore

g How do you prevent lower back

pain if you have a deskbound job?

Cardiovascular endurance is the key to fitness

For prevention, one should not sit for more than half an hour at a stretch, and take a walk often. When seated, ensure that your lower back is well supported, use the whole seating area in the chair by sitting back and straight. If there are no standardized chairs, sit in one that suits your comfort. The back of the chair can tilt back, but that should be firm. If suffering from lower back pain, rest it for two days by avoiding sitting. Lie down and walk around a bit. Sitting is 11 times more stressful than standing, so be sure to take off the stress at regular intervals.

Sitting is 11 times more stressful than standing

Anju Sood,

Clinical nutritionist and diet consultant, Bangalore

l cutting down on fat, even if the person g Is is not obese, necessary to remain healthy? You should not cut fat entirely from the diet. A balanced diet requires around 60-70% carbohydrates, around 15% protein and 10-15% fat. If a person has normal weight, there is no reason to cut it out. Fat can be classified into visible fat, that is cooking oil or cream, etc., and invisible fat, which exists in meat or other food products. For vegetarians, invisible fat comes mostly from conversion to fat from simple carbohydrates and for non-vegetarians, directly from sources like red meat. So in order to control this, it is advisable that vegetarians eat more complex carbohydrates like wheat or any pulses that come with the outer husk, while non-vegetarians should eat leaner meats like chicken that are lower on fat content. In addition to this, there is also good fat in the form of food high in omega 3 and omega 6, like certain types of fish, flaxseed and walnuts. These serve as the building blocks for hormones that control the immune function, blood clotting and cell growth, as well as components of cell membranes. Visible fat, like cooking oil, can be more easily controlled by following some rules. Indian women see the first dip in their metabolism rate at around 30. So if you consume around 4-5 tsp of cooking oil, then cut down a teaspoon post-30 and another post-45.

Payal Gidwani Tiwari, Founder and CEO of Cosmic Fusion, Mumbai

it advisable to combine practices g Is from different schools of yoga

in one workout?

While there is nothing wrong with combining techniques from different schools of yoga, what you go for depends on your comfort level. However, I wouldn’t advise practising yoga on your own unless you have been learning some form of yoga for fivesix years, ideally, and are confident about your own ability. Yoga is a vast science and cannot be learnt instantly. It takes at least a year of practice for the body to adapt to yoga and it is impossible to perfect it in a month. Trying to go too fast will just end in you hurting yourself one way or the other.

Don’t do yoga on your own unless you have experience of fivesix years

g What causes adult acne? What can be done to prevent or cure it?

Adult acne can be caused by any of these—genetic history, hormonal stress, overactive sebaceous glands, accumulation of dead skin cells that block the pores, bacteria on the skin, use of steroids, use of medication like anticonvulsants and antidepressants, cosmetics like anti-ageing creams that have a high oil content, even consumption of chocolates and excessive carbohydrates. Products to treat adult acne range from simple cleansers and prescriptions to actual laser devices and procedures like chemical peels and microdermabrasion. While topical antibiotics and oral antibiotics treat acne at a causative level, it is advisable to follow a regimen that includes cleansing and moisturizing. It is important to find a cleanser that is gentle and void of scrubbing beads and exfoliators, depending on the skin type. Laser treatment is another option; laser or intense light treatment can target and kill acne-causing bacteria.

Over 60% of adults suffer from adult acne at least once in their lives

Mukta Sachdev, Head of department

dermatology, l ofManipal Hospital, Bangalore

Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are the building blocks of the immune system and crucial for cell growth

Rajeeva Moger, Consultant physi cian, Apollo Hospi tals, Bangalore

is the first thing you should do g What before going to a doctor if you have a deep cut or a painful muscle or bone injury?

If you have a deep cut, first tie up both the ends of the cut so as to decrease the blood flow in the area and, as a result, prevent loss of blood. g Applying an ice pack will also decrease the circulation in the area. If possible, and without disturbing the area of the wound, place the area at a level above the head, so that the blood flows back towards the head. In the event of a bone injury, the area must be immediately immobilized to prevent further injury. This can be done by tying two wooden strips on either side with a cloth so that the facture is not further displaced. For a painful muscle, a little bit of stretching or a light massage or a hot pack should help. This should be done gently so as to prevent further damage.

To stop bleeding from a cut, apply an ice pack to decrease the blood flow to the area Shreya Ray contributed to this story.

LOUNGE

L15

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

ETERNAL SOUL We’re told white rice is harmful, that we should go the ‘brown’ route. In reality, there’s nothing better than the staple we’ve been used to eating

B Y R UJUTA D IWEKAR ············································ n Hinduism, after death, the crow, which is said to contain the soul, is fed rice. This is because it is soul food. Today people are constantly in search of brown rice, red rice, black rice. Anything but the rice they’ve been eating for generations. It’s a quest which is perverted. They tell you Japanese sticky rice has a high glycaemic index, or that a certain low glycaemic index variety of rice is good for you. What they’re not telling you is that it is not possible to measure the glycaemic index of every variety of rice. For all you know, the rice grown in Karjat could be the healthiest but no one has

great substitution con rice paranoia g The g The Everyone is on a substitution drive. We’ve made a big deal out of rice. We’ve turned it into this one thing we should not eat to magically be slim. Truth is, we are all fat essentially because we have stopped eating our traditional dal and rice. Diets are based on the concept that if you give up what you are accustomed to eating, you will lose weight. India is largely rice-eating. Hence “give up rice and eat chapattis” came to be. Follow this and you will end up frustrated. Your grandparents were not obese despite eating rice all the time. Traditional rice-eating cultures such as China, Nepal or south India are not obese cultures. It’s not just what I eat that makes me fat; it’s also what I do, how I work, how I sleep, how much I eat, what state of mind I eat in, that makes the difference. Rice is high neither in calories nor in fat content. Most Ayurvedic diets are ricebased. It’s not only the least allergenic of grains, it is rich in vitamin B, minerals and amino acids that are otherwise limited in our typically vegetarian diet. Over time we have learnt to discount our oral traditions. There may not be a paper published on it, yet experience tells you that when you travel, all you want is to come home to some rice and dal.

We won’t eat chapattis but wholewheat bread is fine. Traditional folklore has images of rice being pounded. This is because the husk is not easily digestible. So you aren’t really doing your stomach any favour by struggling with the husk. Even if you substitute brown-bread pav while eating pav bhaji, your bhaji has lost its nutritional value by being mashed and overcooked. How is brown pav going to help increase its nutrient absorption? Be clear that you are eating for the excitement of your senses, then enjoy it fully once in a while. If you start eating it on a daily basis, your tongue and stomach will revolt. The tongue is capable of recognizing what is good for it and what is not. But the weight-loss industry tells us the tongue is the culprit. People even substitute dairy now. Honey, milk, yogurt, sugar, ghee are all part of our cultural diet; together they are called panchamrit. But panchamrit also implies they must be eaten in the right quantity. When you substitute sugar with an artificial sweetener, the tongue is not even able to recognize the molecule as sugar. So the craving is postponed, not dealt with. The tongue’s six tastes—bit-

Misunderstood: Rice is high neither in calories nor in fat content.

published a paper on it. Because there is no money to be made in telling you that what you eat every day is the healthiest thing to eat. We want to complicate being healthy. We have been conditioned to believe that it just can’t be as simple as to eat what you usually do and sleep right. People have told me, “I have achieved everything in my life except losing weight.” That’s because even if you apply all the principles you have used to achieve success in the world, to your body, you will turn out to be a loser. The body needs to be nurtured. It requires compassion, it requires attention.

ter, sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent—have to be nourished in proportion. They will only be nourished when sugar is used. So, a teaspoon of sugar in coffee will do less harm than munching biscuits to satisfy a postponed craving. Every meal should contain each of the six tastes in part to optimize nutrient absorption, assimilation and excretion. When the tongue senses balance, the body has also received optimal nutrition. This kitchen wisdom is not sold to us.

exotic will do g Anything According to media reports, the cereal industry has grown. This is because it is now fashionable to say, “Oh, I really don’t have the time to make upma.” We’re virtuously eating cereal because it is sold to us as though it is the healthiest thing to do. Yet packaged foods bring up so many other health issues. The rhododendron is a Himalayan flower found to have high antioxidant and heart-protecting properties. It’s not marketed because nobody knows about it. And yet, ask anyone about the Acai berry and they will tell you how wonderful it is. Just because it’s marketed well and is exotic, we all aspire to

have it, even though it’s easier to find the rhododendron on an average middle-class holiday to Shimla and Manali. When you eat at a temple, they will always serve you the salads and chutneys on the left, vegetables on the right and the main carbohydrates in the centre. According to the yogic system, we must eat less of what is on the left, more of what is on the right, and stay centred on what is in the centre of the plate. The concept of eating salads separately is foreign to us. Salads are to be consumed in small quantities, and never without the other components of your meal. We don’t even know if the West culturally ate salads or if it is part of the weight-loss culture. In China, for instance, every vegetable is cooked, as in India.

back to basics g Go Ideally, if you eat organic, grow the grains yourself. If you cannot grow them, buy them from a source where you know the field and farmer. We have to be far more involved in food than we currently are. There is no way around it. We need to eat seasonal food, but first, we need to know what is seasonal. A mango in winter does not have the same

effect on the body that a mango in summer has. By not understanding this, urban India is getting fatter and fatter. The world over, those who can afford to eat fresh, nutritiously balanced food every day are those who live in luxury. We want a dietitian to define the quantity of food we eat. In fact, the highest wisdom is knowing when to stop eating, and for that, your senses must be channelized towards the act of eating. Food is not a culprit; it is what nourishes us and helps us stay thin. Food does not get in the way of our weight loss, our bad eating habits get in the way of food helping us stay healthy. Rujuta Diwekar is a Mumbai-based nutritionist who has written the bestsellers Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight and Women and the Weight-loss Tamasha. As told to Gayatri Jayaraman. gayatri.j@livemint.com

L16

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

DRESSED FOR THE DRILL Hit the playground or gym in style with the season’s trendiest sportswear and accessories

PHOTOGRAPHS BY YASHASVI SHARMA STYLING BY VASUDHA RAI & SEEMA CHOWDHRY/MINT LOCATION THE AMAN, LODHI ROAD, NEW DELHI MODELS ANKIT GUPTA &D NARENDER SIHAG/ ELITE MODEL MANAGEMENT INDIA PVT. LTD, NEW DELHI MAKEUP DEEPAK ZOHRI/MINT

g On Ankit:

Tshirt, Lacoste, `3,100; shoes (Premier Verona), Reebok, `7,999; drifit shorts, `2,795, and Swoosh bandana, `495, both Nike; watch, Polo Forty Five Automatic Chronograph Open Work, Piaget, `12 lakh; tennis kitbag, `4,299, and tennis racket, `5,495, both Wilson at Planet Sports.

Ó On Narender:

Tshirt, Zara, `1,390; shorts, Puma, `1,499; Faas 500 Shoes, Puma, `5,999; kitbag, Lacoste, `7,750; visor, `499, and wristbands, `399, both Adidas.

LOUNGE

L17

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

Pilates Studio at The Aman, New Delhi: In consultation with Ivana Daniell, an internationally recognized instructor with over 20 years experience in Pilates, Pilates Studio at The Aman is run by a multidisciplinary and dynamic team. It offers stateoftheart equipment with the highest standards of instruction in Pilates. It has a wide variety of programmes in clinical exercise, fitness and sportspecific training and studio instruction (individual and group coaching).

Ñ On Narender:

Tshirt, Reebok, `999; drifit tracks, Nike, `2,395; shoes, Skechers at Planet Sports, `4,699; bag, Gucci, `1.39 lakh; and sipper, Puma, `349.

L18

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

Ô On Ankit:

Autograph Collection towels, Marks & Spencer, medium, `595, and extra large, `995; and bag, Paul Smith, `6,900.

Ñ On Narender:

Goggles, Speedo, at Planet Sports, `1,799; and surfer’s trunks, Quiksilver, `2,590.

LOUNGE

L19

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

SHOPPING GUIDE u Adidas: All stores nationwide

Palladium mall, Phoenix Mills, Mumbai

Point, and Oberoi Shopping Arcade, The Oberoi, Mumbai

u Callaway: Golf Studio, Pro Shop, Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida; and Golfworx, Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

u Emporio Armani: DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

u Lacoste: All stores nationwide

u Diesel: Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi; UB City mall, Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore; Express Avenue mall, Royapettah, Chennai; and

u Ferragamo: DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

u Marks & Spencer: All stores nationwide u Nike: All stores nationwide

u Gucci: DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi; The Galleria, Trident Hotel, Nariman

u Paul Smith: DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

u Piaget: Piaget boutique, DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi; and The Oberoi, Nariman Point, Mumbai

u Quiksilver: Ambience Mall, Gurgaon

u Planet Sports: Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

u TaylorMade: DLF Promenade mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

u Porsche: DLF Emporio mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

u Zara: DLF Promenade mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi; Palladium mall, Phoenix Mills, and Atria mall, Worli, Mumbai.

u Puma: All stores nationwide

u Reebok: All stores nationwide

Ñ On Narender:

Tshirt, Ashworth at TaylorMade, `2,399; straw hat, Wilson at Planet Sports, `1,099; trousers, `1,099, and Golflite shoes, `4,499, both Adidas; watch, Emporio Armani Black Strap Sportivo Watch AR5916, `24,495; golf kit, Callaway, `1.31 lakh; belt, Zara, `1,790; and sunglasses, Ferragamo, `13,300.

Ò On Ankit: Watch, Frankenwatch DZ1419, Diesel, `12,995; cap, TaylorMade, `690; Tshirt, Porsche, `8,000; golf shoes, Adidas, `5,999; shorts, Ashworth at TaylorMade, `2,199; braided belt, `1,990, and canvas bag, `3,590, both Zara; and sunglasses, Ferragamo, `13,300.

L20

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

CONFESSIONS OF A MOMINWAITING

We hear about fertility treatments when they’re successful. But for millions of women, they mean regret, heartbreak, shame and silence

B Y H OLLY F INN ···························· sually it’s only the people who come out beaming on the other side, with a baby on one hip, who speak up about in-vitro fertilization (IVF). We never hear from those whom IVF has failed—it’s too crushing to talk about. We don’t hear from men and women in the middle of treatment either. Our culture doesn’t seem to know how to deal with people before we’ve figured out if they’re successful or not. People like me. In November 2008, I had my first IVF work-up. In 2009, I had a laparoscopy, two egg retrievals and a cancelled cycle. In 2010, three retrievals, two embryo transfers and a hysteroscopy. In 2011, two retrievals, and a transfer to come. That’s eight times under general anaesthesia in two and a half years. What next? Either a baby, or not. For the IVF drugs to have a chance of working, I have to administer them at the same time each day. I’ve shot up furtively in my office, in restaurants and in my car. It makes me feel like a badly behaved chauffeur. More than two years into IVF treatments, I’ve grown accustomed to this stealth. It’s become a fact of my life. Here’s another fact: I’m a single woman in my early 40s. The odds of getting pregnant are conspicuously slim. For a woman my age, according to the American Pregnancy Association, the chance of having a baby via IVF is between

Little hope: Women in their late 30s can find it tough to have children naturally. THINKSTOCK

6-10%. That number decreases with every failed attempt, so now my odds are even lower. In the US, infertility affects about 12% of the reproductiveage population. This includes 7.3 million women and their partners, or one in every seven or eight couples in the country. A third of infertility cases are related to the male, a third to the female, and another third to both partners (or unexplained). Some four million babies have been born thanks to IVF since the first “test tube baby” was born on 25 July 1978. Many more have not. The overall IVF success rate sits at around 30% today. When we were young, we were taught again and again that we shouldn’t get pregnant. Now we can’t. I’m not that woman from the Roy Lichtenstein print who forgot to have children. I was never so wrapped up in my career that I didn’t think about starting a family. But I’m not over 40 and childless for no reason. I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that makes it hard, sometimes impossible, to conceive. I gave too much time to the wrong men. I smoked in my 20s. I preferred red wine to sparkling water. I ate too much milk chocolate. I liked limericks. I know all the wrong that I’ve done. I was 39 when I started treatment; I am 42 now. And still I feel lucky. Unlike many infertile people, I have the resources, though they’re not endless, to keep at it. Choosing to have children is not like choosing a pair of shoes. Most people know how serious a decision it is. But women who rely on reproductive medicine are still often seen as privileged procrastinators. Our supposedly arrogant delay—we’ll get around to having children when we’re good and ready—has put us in a

pickle, and now we’re buying our way out. That may be true for some. But in my case, there’s never been a time when I was “not ready” for children. At 6, I loved my Baby Alive doll like a real child and wanted to be a “baby nurse” when I grew up. By 26, not much had changed. I was in business school but could have cared less about derivatives class. I was too busy dating and taking care of my digital egg, the Tamagotchi. Telling toys. But here’s the guilty glitch: In my early 30s, I took the morningafter pill. My then-boyfriend, the hunky one, said with a sweet smile that he wouldn’t mind a baby. I wish I had listened, really listened, to him. But I was still piecing myself back together after a bruising former relationship and broken engagement, and something stopped me from saying the truth: I wouldn’t mind a baby either. I believe in soul mates. So how did I end up cruising a cryobank? Is this the punishment for romanticism: having to do the least romantic thing in the world? Like many, I trusted that marriage and children—my family—would happen. In the meantime, I lived my life. I fell in with some fascinating men, up close and unvarnished, and had conversations I can still quote. I didn’t want to settle at 25. When Doc S told me I’d need IVF to have even a shot at motherhood, I had just begun seeing someone new—I’ll call him X. The first year we were together, I froze eggs rather than going through with full-on fertilization and embryo transfer, to give us some unpressured time. But I knew enough to keep making plans. And I thought about that talk on the beach. If you buy sperm at $565 (around `25,090) a vial, plus $170 shipping, doesn’t that mean you can’t get it—in my case, a husband and family—for free? In January last year, I planned to go ahead with fertilization for the first time and was telling X about the donor when he said, “I think I’d like to be involved.” He seemed lit by some competition with the man in the vial. But perhaps he’d gotten serious? I started to consider him instead of my PhD donor. Attitudes about infertility haven’t entirely evolved since the Dark Ages. And infertile women still feel the stigma. A few days after a failed embryo transfer, I said yes to a dinner party because I knew I needed to get out. I dreaded it, as one of the women who would be there had just had her fourth child. I sat next to her and smiled as others joked about her being a “baby machine”. Over dessert, she asked what I’d been up to, and I said I’d just come back from IVF. In a whisper, she told me that was how, after a number of tries, she’d had her son. There’s a reason women flock online for solace. The trouble is, every woman’s experience is subtly different, and IVF success often

I believe in soul mates. So how did I end up cruising a cryobank?

lies in the devilish details. Beyond empathy, online message boards and autobiographical books tend to offer few useful facts. And even anonymously, not everyone is honest. Online forums are a good start, but if the conversation is contained among those already in hell, myths will continue to be told outside it. The fertile also can be unthinkingly callous. I’ve had friends suggest that my experience could be a great lesson: This is the first time I haven’t gotten something that I wanted (I promise, it’s not). Others imply that IVF is a prideful attempt to outmanoeuvre nature, which may be true. But that’s hard to hear from people who used contraception for years, then timed sex according to an ovulation kit, scheduled their C-sections around work and dye their hair. To help those with children understand IVF on their own terms, I’ve started to quantify my progress the way they do their children’s ages, by overweeningly counting the months. My IVF is now 32 months old. Sometimes, when they hear of a couple’s IVF attempts, people with children knee-jerkily suggest adoption—which is no less miraculous, but a very different path. They mean well: Here’s a home wanting a child, and here are children wanting a home—neat trade. But perhaps these parents are forgetting the deep biological desire that they themselves felt. Certainly they’re giving advice they’re unlikely to take. Many women are still listening to their bosses instead of their gynaecologists and their guts. They still trust that their mid- to late-30s is a fine time to start trying for children. True, they could get lucky. But the question should be asked: Would you prefer to have children earlier and naturally or later, by dosing yourself up with drugs, submitting to surgery and paying tens of thousands of dollars? In the first scenario, you’ll probably have as many children as you’d like, and they’ll be healthy. In the second, you may be able to have only one or two kids—maybe none—with a higher risk of defects and disorders. In 2006, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported that about one of every 12 births in the US was to firsttime mothers older than 35, compared with one of every 100 in 1970. In 2008, it reported some of the ramifications: Babies conceived with IVF had a slightly increased risk of several birth defects, including a hole in the heart, cleft palate, improperly developed esophagus and malformed rectum. Down the line, there may be risks to the woman’s health too. There is a proven connection between certain cancers, including breast cancer, and childlessness, but no research yet links cancer to IVF. It’s too soon to tell. We are the generation from whose bodies researchers will learn about the ongoing effect of

major hormone dosages. We know the odds may not be ideal, but we still take them. We want children that much. People buy houses practically on top of the San Andreas Fault; I’ve done multiple IVF cycles. Sometimes, being reckless seems reasonable. The first thing I’d like to tell women ages 26-34 is: Start having babies. I know it’s not polite or funny. But I don’t want others to go through what I’m going through now. I recently mentioned to an old friend how nobody talked to me in my early 30s about children. Earthquake kits? Sure. Fertility preparedness? Nope. She said she and her married friends had gabbed about it all the time. Their presumption, it seems, was that if you weren’t married, you weren’t maternal. I’m guilty of that kind of conventional thinking as well. For too long, I believed that having a husband was what made you ready for a child. But as a test for potential motherhood, I now think there’s something better than marrying someone: IVF. IVF brings you to your knees and dares you to stagger to your feet again. After a recent procedure failed—we got just two eggs, and neither was fertilized—I revisited decisions and doctors. I went back to Doc S and asked straight out: Would a sane person bother trying again? He said, “I don’t think there’s anything insane about what you’re doing.” But he gives me a less than 5% chance of a cycle working, down from 10% to 15% when I started, and he brings up the possibility of donor eggs. That’s code for “time’s up”. Our 40s, I realize, are the beginning of “nevers”. It is the decade when doors close, never to reopen, not even if you push. We wrestle with this in different ways, women and men both. Perhaps that’s why IVF is so hard. It might be my chance to have the baby I’ve always wanted. Or it might well be my first real “never”, and possibly the worst: never having a child. A tiny cream cashmere sweater comes with me to the clinic in Colorado every time I go, folded carefully in a sheer gold bag and cozied in with my workout shirts. I bought it years ago, in London, when I was choosing baby presents for fertile friends. I kept this one little thing for myself, hoping. Now when I imagine I might always have the sweater and never have a child, I have to sit down. For whatever mistakes I have made, this feels too brutal a price to pay.

The first thing I’d tell women ages 2634 is: Start having babies

Holly Finn is communications director for the Skoll Foundation, which supports social entrepreneurs worldwide. This essay is excerpted from the Byliner Original The Baby Chase: An Adventure in Fertility by Holly Finn, published by Byliner.com and available as an Amazon Kindle Single. Write to wsj@livemint.com

LOUNGE

L21

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

DECODING SHOE SCIENCE B Y G OPAL S ATHE gopal.s@livemint.com

······················································· he science behind shoes is on a par with any other industry’s today, using space-age materials and spending billions on research and development. But does it really matter? Ali Irani, president of the Indian Association of Physiotherapists and former physiotherapist to the Indian cricket team, says the right shoes can correct bad walking posture, prevent flat feet and help avoid damage to the knees

We take a look at the technology behind five new shoes to make sense of spaceage materials and superspecialized designs and ankles. “But there are a lot of things to consider before picking a shoe,” he adds. “For example, the surface you are walking on will change what you need from a shoe. The softness of the ground is the biggest factor—if you’re walking on hard roads all the time, then a well-padded shoe is important. If you’re walking on soft ground, then a thinner shoe is better. A cushioned sole is very important, as 90% of the weight goes to the knee and ankle every time you take a step.” Since choosing the right shoe is now as complicated as buying a computer, we decode the technology behind five of the latest options from the biggest brands:

Price

`3,4995,999

Price

`2,899

Designed for speed The best at badminton Price

`6,699

No more sweat

Price

`9,999

The perfect fit

Puma India managing director Rajiv Mehta says there are no universally perfect running shoes. Different running styles require different padding and flexibility, so Puma has released the Faas range of shoes that are graded from 100 to 1,000 depending on the amount of cushioning. There are three shoes in the Faas line now—the 250, 300 and 500—but the brand will release more variants. The lower numbers have less cushioning and are lightweight, fast-paced running shoes, while the higher numbers have more cushioning for longer stretches of hard running. The trademarked BioRide technology was developed by observing the fastest athletes associated with the brand, such as Usain Bolt, and studying their movement and foot placement. These elements were translated into three categories, according to Mehta. “The Faas collection incorporates a continuous, rocker-shaped outsole which provides smooth touchdown and effortless transition. The 360-degree flex grooves throughout the soles respond to the runner’s foot. Last, the Faas shoes have a horizontal groove that runs the lateral side of the shoe, to provide stability,” says Mehta. He adds that these designs are based on studies of how worldrenowned athletes run, and provide a natural ride, with less time on the ground (because the shoe is lighter and less cushioned, each footstrike is shorter, so that runners can move faster) and natural stability.

Comfort and free movement Price

`7,495 for men, and `6,995 for women

g PUMA FAAS

g CONVERSE JACK PUR

CELL RACEAROUND OX

g REEBOK TEMPO

UFORM

g ADIDAS KING OF COOL

The Adidas King of Cool line focuses on its patented climatecontrol technology, ClimaCool (CC), which improves performance by minimizing sweat and discomfort. Tushar Goculdas, director, marketing and sales, Adidas India, explains: “The CC Ride is not just about bright colours and funky designs, but like all Adidas sports performance products, is a fusion of style and performance. With CC Ride comes the introduction of 360-degree ventilation.” In essence, the design of the shoe, combined with Adidas’ patented ClimaCool material, opens up new air channels with every move of the foot so that the runner’s shoes are breathable at all times. The open mesh and ventilation channels cool the entire foot and prevent sweat from forming. Goculdas adds: “The King of Cool is a jazzed-up version of the CC Ride and part of the ClimaCool family. It is unique because of its bright colour variants and refined design. The cool colours, design and technology make this family a must-have collection for the ones who live to run.”

g NIKE LUNARGLIDE + 3

Nike’s latest shoes are for anyone looking to improve their running. Robert Dolan, Nike running footwear design director, explains on email: “Fit was a huge priority in the LunarGlide + 3. The mid-foot strap was one of the most significant changes or features we brought in. When you pull on this, you’re actually pulling under your foot, supporting it, instead of from the side only. “In the Nike LunarGlide + 3, we’ve incorporated the longitudinal flex groove and then we’ve brought in more of these cuts or swipes through the forefoot that really allow the shoe to kind of flex and...move with your body. It’s light, breathable and offers a really smooth transition and ride,” he adds. The company also uses a foam developed especially for this purpose, called Lunarlon, which reacts to the shape of the foot to provide flexible cushioning. Sanjay Gangopadhyay, marketing director, Nike India, says the material takes the shape of the foot “so every shoe is a custom fit, whenever it’s worn”. The shoe also has a two-part mid-sole—made of opposing wedges of foam that shift to provide better fit and comfort as the person is running.

Reebok’s latest U-Form shoes are all about the perfect fit—moulding the shoe to your foot. Premium Reebok stores have special ovens, and the shoe is heated before being placed on the buyer’s foot to take its shape perfectly. Sajid Shamim, brand director, Reebok India, explains: “The perfect fit is essential to train harder and better. The U-Form, when heated in a special oven, gives a perfect fit, making the shoe unique to an individual.” The whole body of the shoe is moulded, and not just the sole. Shamim says: “The purpose of the upper body of a shoe is to keep your foot aligned on the bottom; U-form technology helps to do that more effectively and, therefore, will allow you to better maximize the performance of that shoe. It also helps to lock down the heel, which is a crucial element in performing at your best.” Once heated and laced up, the shoe locks down around the foot and heel. Aside from this, the U-Form also utilizes Moving Air Technology, which uses balance-ball-inspired toning pods that create a feeling of running on sand and strengthen leg muscles—similar to the earlier EasyTone shoes.

Converse recently introduced its Jack Purcell range of footwear, starting with the Racearound OX—a specialized badminton shoe. The shoe has a vulcanized rubber sole and is made with canvas, so it is breathable and flexible. Because it is a badminton shoe, it comes with far less cushioning than running shoes. The result, says Ravdeep Singh, CEO, sports division, Pantaloon Retail India—which handles Converse’s business in India—is a shoe that is lightweight, with a sole that prevents skidding and provides a good grip on the court surface, along with great comfort and a unique look. He adds: “In this shoe, twill is used in the upper part to allow the foot to breathe, and reduce sweating. This sneaker also has an exposed shank on the outsole that gives the shoe its flexible structure.” The shoe also uses a technique called seam sealing, which is also used to make tents waterproof, to strengthen the unique shape. The terrycloth lining also fights sweat, while sipes (thin slits along the sole) give greater grip, and moulded socks provide cushioning and comfort during the game. According to Singh, Jack Purcell shoes have been in use since the 1930s, and were designed in association with Purcell, who was a badminton champion at the time. He adds, “There is global research every season, and after that we carry out testing in India as well before introducing the shoes to the market.”

L22

LOUNGE

THE HEALTH ISSUE

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 ° WWW.LIVEMINT.COM

EAT OUT THE RIGHT WAY A meal in a restaurant does not necessarily mean eating unhealthily. With our food guide, there is no room for excuses

PHOTOGRAPHS

THINKSTOCK

BY V A S U D H A R A I ······································ f hitting the kitchen is nothing short of torture and your busy lifestyle hardly leaves any time to plan a wholesome meal, eating out need no longer be a guilt-ridden exercise. We explore how you can order healthy. And all this advice comes from chefs who prepare the finger-licking, yummilicious dishes and from two Mumbaibased nutritionists, Suman Agarwal and Vishakha Shivdasani:

Write to lounge@livemint.com

THAI CHEF’S TABLE: Govind Maji, Tamnak Thai, g Mumbai Authentic Thai cuisine is extremely healthy since it includes a lot of fresh, medicinal and low-calorie condiments. For instance, there’s turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, galangal, which is beneficial for abdominal cramps and indigestion. There are also coriander, coconut milk and coconut oil and lemon grass—they are all beneficial. Starters: Papaya salad is a classic that’s tasty, low-fat and chockfull of nutrients, with shredded green papaya, chopped green beans, tomato, dried prawns, unsalted roasted peanuts, chillies, garlic and lime juice. Papaya contains enzymes that are healthy for the skin and stomach while being a good source of dietary fibre. Another great option for a starter is stir-fried vegetables with baby corn, mushrooms, bamboo shoot and carrots, all cooked with little oil. Tom yum soup is a clear soup which is light and helps clear the sinuses with its combination of lemon grass, lime leaves and galangal. Mains: Thai Green Curry can be served with vegetables, chicken or seafood and it’s a tasty way to eat your greens. It contains galangal, lemon grass, coriander, green curry paste and fresh basil. Keep it light by combining it with a bowl of steamed rice. Thai noodles—Phat Thai—made of rice flour are healthier than the ones made out of refined wheat flour, along with beansprouts, unsalted peanuts, chicken and other Thai greens. You can also enjoy the popular dish, Stir-Fried Morning Glory, which is made out of morning glory or water spinach, a green that grows abundantly in Thailand and is packed with vitamins and minerals. Desserts: The Thai dessert Woon Kathi is ideal for those with a sweet tooth. It’s a steamed coconut cusExpert addons: Agarwal says tard that, unlike raw papaya and raw mango salother custards ads are both great options, and the (made with eggs water chestnut in coconut milk a n d h e a v y preparation is better than any other creams), is made dessert. Red and green curries have with tender cocoa lot of coconut, which can be high nut water, in nutrition but also high in calocooked coconut ries, so reduce portion size. Shivcream and sugar. dasani’s favourites include moong dal noodles (made of moong dal) and grilled chicken in pandora leaves.

Garden salad with feta cheese.

CONTINENTAL g

Tandoori chicken.

INDIAN g CHEF’S TABLE: Ramesh Sharma, Punjabi By Nature, New Delhi

THE STREET FOOD FACEOFF Identify a hygienic vendor, then opt for the healthier street foods: • ‘Idli sambar’ over ‘medu vada’ • ‘Khaman dhokla’ over ‘samosa’ • ‘Chana chaat’ is better than ‘bhelpuri’ • ‘Pani puri’ with ‘chana’ and ‘moong’ is better than ‘pani puri’ with ‘aloo’ • ‘Rasgullas’ are healthier than ‘gulab jamuns’ • ‘Gola’ or ‘chuski’ from a hygienic place is better than ice cream. Suman Agarwal

Expert addons: Agarwal suggests that you steer clear of kaali dal—it is extremely fattening in a restaurant preparation. Half a cup of kaali dal can have as much as 5 tsp of oil and ghee. Opt for yellow dal with tadka instead. Order palak chole instead of palak paneer. Shivdasani suggests staying away from kebabs cooked in milk or yogurt, since they use full-fat milk in these marinades. For the same reason, avoid paneer because it could have been made from full-fat milk.

soups such as lemon and coriander that are made without any starches and cornflour. Mains: The popular Chinese cooking techniques are sautéing, steaming, frying and roasting. Stirfrying is the most common method of cooking. It is similar to sautéing but it is done on intense heat. The heat seals the juices and preserves colStirfried our and texture. vegetables. Therefore stirfried dishes are packed with Expert addons: Agarwal connutrition and siders steamed dim sums good you can with kimchi salad and clear soups. choose any Avoid Manchurian, hakka noodles CHEF’S TABLE: from the and fried rice. Shivdasani suggests Nitin Pal, The m e n u . you avoid Chinese cuisine if you have Yum Yum Tree, Look for high blood pressure, asthma, are New Delhi traditional pregnant or suffer from migraines. In China, certain foods Chinese Salt-ridden soya sauce is not good are thought to have yin or ingredients for hypertension while MSG, which cooling properties, while such as tofu is still widely used, triggers others have warm, or yang, that’s made out asthma and migraines. properties. The challenge is to of soy, black consume a diet that contains a mushrooms and healthy balance between the two. bok choy in soups, stirFor example, yin cooking methods are fries and braised dishes. boiling, poaching and steaming, while Skip the noodles and go for steamed rice yang qualities are deep-frying, roasting and instead. You will also find a huge variety of stir-frying. steamed and grilled dishes, especially fish, Starters: These days, some restaurants have on the menu, which is always healthy. You started serving steamed dumplings made can also go for a broth that combines with wholewheat, which are great if you’re meats, vegetables and some noodles into healthy eating. However, even dump- cooked with hardly any oil for a dish that is lings made with refined flour are not that filling and healthy. unhealthy since they are steamed, stuffed Desserts: Traditionally, in Hong Kong, a with meat and vegetables, and if done meal is digested over a pot of jasmine tea properly, have just a thin layer of flour on and fresh watermelon. You can go for any the outside. You can also take advantage of fruit you like. Hot water is known to help the many soups on offer, especially clear digest food faster and better.

Indian cuisines use dry-heat cooking, aka tandoor, which requires less oil. Natural ingredients such as yogurt, turmeric, lime juice, ginger, mint and coriander are used in marinades instead of artificial additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG). Starters: If you’re looking for something healthy, go the kebab way. Cooked in a tandoor with less oil or ghee than gravies use, kebabs are good sources of protein. Many Indian restaurants also grill vegetables in the tandoor these days, which makes them a better option than heavy gravy-laden dishes. Mains: Fish in general is healthy, but when it comes to Indian food it should be avoided except for a grilled or tandoor format because it is fried before it’s put into the gravy. Chicken is a better choice. However, steer clear of butter chicken and go for a chicken masala instead. Most masala dishes avoid deep-frying the vegetables and meats since the spices are enough to add flavour. Even chicken do pyaaza is better than other gravy dishes since the onions and tomatoes are not deep-fried. Chole in themselves are healthy but become unhealthy when combined with puri or bhature. The strength of Indian cooking lies in the vast variety of healthy breads such as missi roti (made of gram flour), makki roti (whole cornflour) and khameeri roti (yeast and wholewheat flour). Opt for those rather than naans, which are made from refined flour. Desserts: While Indian desserts are never fatfree, milk desserts are comparatively healthier since extra oil or ghee is not added for the purpose of roasting, as is done in, say, a gulab jamun or halwa. Phirni, made of milk and broken rice with pistachios and almonds added, is a good option. So is rasmalai.

h Raw papaya salad.

and check if dips are using olive oils rather than hydrogenated vegetable oils. Mains: Anything which is braised is CHEF’S TABLE: Manu Chandra, always a good idea. This is because it is Olive Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai cooked in a liquid and is covered, Continental food has healthier dishes thereby preserving all the nutrients. It is than Indian gravies. And vegetables and also easier to digest because during this greens are cooked delicately, so they method of cooking the proteins, fats, retain their nutritional content. etc., are all broken down, which means Starters: Eating fried food is not always half your work is done. During summer harmful, if it’s fried correctly. If you fry a avoid a heavy, meaty stew and go for batter-coated item in cold oil, it will grilled foods. Seafood is always a good s o a k u p m o r e o i l , w h i c h m a k e s i t choice. While prawns are high in choextremely unhealthy. Alternatively, if lesterol, eating them once in a while is you fry it in hot oil, the batter forms a not a bad idea, especially since they sealant, which means that the meat contain a trace mineral called seleinside is getting steamed nium. Finally, if you’re eating and cooking in its own bread go for wholemeal, muljuices, with little oil tigrain bread instead of Expert addons: Agarfrom outside. In white and try not to butwal suggests you avoid summers, salads ter it. Instead, moisten it creamy soups—these prepaare great meal with a few drops of rations have too much heavy options too but olive oil. cream. Shivdasani advocates ask the staff not to Desserts: Skip the sticking to tomato-based sauces dress the salad at creamy fondant or instead of creamy ones. In all. Ask for the tiramisu and go for addition, opt for grilled and dressing on the sorbet or a tiny scoop of roasted meats. And don’t side so that you can ice cream with fresh eat garlic bread. control the fat that fruits. Of course, sharing goes in it. Try to go your dessert always cuts for dips and crackers, down the calories by half.

CHINESE g