Many years back there was a program in Thane by the famous Dr Balaji Tambe. Topic being 'Health and Ayurveda' or something of the sort. Being a person with keen interest in such topics was there listening to wisdom of Ayurveda and practical experience of Tambe ji. When the event was nearly the end the Q & A session started.
The question picked by him was close to my heart and my ears became alert to his discourse. Dr said: First of all we do not believe in these height weight charts published by Western World, although, we all know that optimum weight is good to enjoy life. Now, what should be the optimum weight for an individual is open to discussion and research. Dr further clarified that according to his vast experience and knowledge of Ayurveda an Indian should preferably be within the safety zone of an ideal weight chart which are prepared by American insurance companies. However, we are a poor country and majority of urban as well as rural population gets balanced nutrition. Further, each individual and each family has certain bone and body structure which is impossible to change. Therefore, he concluded that lower weight below prescribed by charts may be dangerous, a 15 to 20% extra weight should be accepted as healthy normal, emphasizing this is very important for women who have additional responsibilities in life. He explained beautifully and asked the audience: Do we keep some money in Fixed Deposit for rainy day? Same way our body also needs some resources to fight the diseases during crisis.
After that I bought book by Dr Shubhangini Joshi on 'Nutrition' which is text book for University students and also took up this topic with various scholars and friends who are experts in this field and the answers were similar. Also, friend gifted me a copy of Rujuta Devekar's book, too.
If we look back 50 years or so this fad for dieting and slim figure did not exist in India. We were so poor that most of us were standing in ration queues to get our minimum quota of wheat and rice. So majority of the population looked malnourished and with my frame of 6' 1" I had weight of 65 kg or so throughout my adult life till I crossed 55. When I visited Dr Anjali Mukherjee for check up they told that my weight should be 75 kg and they had plan for me to increase my weight. Using commonsense never opted for plan but in next five years my weight automatically reached 75 kg and remains in that zone till today. Going up during festival times and coming back to normal later.
My grand mother used to say this story which I heard again on Television through Dr Mrunal Pandey later. Those days the weddings were postponed if the bride was not 'healthy' enough. Because those days of joint family the bride had to milk the cows and cook meals for 50 or more persons and lift heavy vessels etc. Today the situation is exactly reverse.
The question is where this all stupid game started of dieting and slim figure? After the world war in US and after liberalization in India, people became wealthy. The industry is always inventing new ways and means to take that extra cash away from you. So the advertising industry invented this new theory that slim is beautiful. They used every trick in the book and money poured in to tell us that you are inferior and helpless and not attractive unless you are slim. Any basic student of psychology or observer of human behavior will recognize that any weak minded person can go in to depression under this attack.
You must have observed starting 1994-95 suddenly all Indian girls became beautiful and started winning global contests starting with Sushmita and Aishwarya as if our ladies were not beautiful earlier. The beauty industry today looking so prosperous and all global brands reaching even Tier II cities the strategy (conspiracy) of global players was designed 15 years ago in London, Paris and New York. We, Indians are fools who succumbed to it.
Coming to those stupid weight charts, have we ever asked a simple question: Who prepared it? My research shows that an American insurance company called Metlife conducted a long time research checking death records of U S over many years and they found that persons with certain height weight ratio lived longer. How may years longer? No answers. Were they happy? No answers. Were they alcoholics, Vegetarians, Smokers? No Answers. Such is the stupid way insurance companies work and we never ask relevant questions. Next time you visit your Doctor or Gym raise this query and see the response.
I am a guy who always looks for a solution once I figure out the problem and the pattern. Yes, few of us are overweight and would prefer to shed a few kg and feel better. The solution comes from my friend and Ayurvedic Dr Alhad Paranjape. He says: While reducing weight it is important to reduce junk food (means cooked outside home) rather than home cooked meals. He says you can eat as much as you like of your home preparation and rarely put on weight. So our enemy is outside our home. By controlling this we can reduce weight as well as save some money. His solution is as follows:
We are tempted to enjoy Wada Paav or Paav Bhaji or Pizza or any other street food. He says the simple trick is to eat these things with your Lunch or Dinner. He say it works. I have tried it and it works wonderfully. He gives example of a Gujju Thali Meal which includes Farsan items but they go along with your entire meal so do not add to extra fat. So eat only home cooked meals and carry home cooked meals wherever possible.
Next, we need to take a walk of 60 minutes per day to keep fit. You know how to do it. No comments.
Another simple exercise to manage healthy weight to write what you eat. Before going to bed record what you consumed today from morning till now. With mobile phone at your disposal, it is very easy. Three weeks of notes keeping and your will see significant improvement.
Another exercise is eat slowly and only when hungry.Here I am reminded of an exercise which I had done during the E-lab conducted by the famous Swami Sukhabodhananda. The exercise was simple. You take each morsel of food and look at it loving and appreciate it as a foodie and thanking God put in your mouth. Till you have properly enjoyed, masticated and swallowed the first morsel you will touch the food. This is slow eating and it may take three times more time to consume your normal meals. Although bit difficult to practice for a person who is rushed for time, it is possible to do this at least during Dinner. At least during weekends may be?
Finally, to conclude most of our Indian diet changes from region to region and it has evolved over thousands of years and good for us. If we carefully observe that our ancestors have designed even menu's for each festival and they are spread out over 12 months. Our years starts with Makar Sankranti to Padwa to Holi to Shravan and Ganesha and Navaratri and Diwali and Tulasi Vivah and now Christmas and New Year. So just eat anything and everything you like and keep little extra weight like Vidya Balan or Ram Kapoor and feel good about your self and laugh at those stupid persons who have such low self esteem and inferiority complex and are under peer pressure.
Do let me know your comments.
The question picked by him was close to my heart and my ears became alert to his discourse. Dr said: First of all we do not believe in these height weight charts published by Western World, although, we all know that optimum weight is good to enjoy life. Now, what should be the optimum weight for an individual is open to discussion and research. Dr further clarified that according to his vast experience and knowledge of Ayurveda an Indian should preferably be within the safety zone of an ideal weight chart which are prepared by American insurance companies. However, we are a poor country and majority of urban as well as rural population gets balanced nutrition. Further, each individual and each family has certain bone and body structure which is impossible to change. Therefore, he concluded that lower weight below prescribed by charts may be dangerous, a 15 to 20% extra weight should be accepted as healthy normal, emphasizing this is very important for women who have additional responsibilities in life. He explained beautifully and asked the audience: Do we keep some money in Fixed Deposit for rainy day? Same way our body also needs some resources to fight the diseases during crisis.
After that I bought book by Dr Shubhangini Joshi on 'Nutrition' which is text book for University students and also took up this topic with various scholars and friends who are experts in this field and the answers were similar. Also, friend gifted me a copy of Rujuta Devekar's book, too.
If we look back 50 years or so this fad for dieting and slim figure did not exist in India. We were so poor that most of us were standing in ration queues to get our minimum quota of wheat and rice. So majority of the population looked malnourished and with my frame of 6' 1" I had weight of 65 kg or so throughout my adult life till I crossed 55. When I visited Dr Anjali Mukherjee for check up they told that my weight should be 75 kg and they had plan for me to increase my weight. Using commonsense never opted for plan but in next five years my weight automatically reached 75 kg and remains in that zone till today. Going up during festival times and coming back to normal later.
My grand mother used to say this story which I heard again on Television through Dr Mrunal Pandey later. Those days the weddings were postponed if the bride was not 'healthy' enough. Because those days of joint family the bride had to milk the cows and cook meals for 50 or more persons and lift heavy vessels etc. Today the situation is exactly reverse.
The question is where this all stupid game started of dieting and slim figure? After the world war in US and after liberalization in India, people became wealthy. The industry is always inventing new ways and means to take that extra cash away from you. So the advertising industry invented this new theory that slim is beautiful. They used every trick in the book and money poured in to tell us that you are inferior and helpless and not attractive unless you are slim. Any basic student of psychology or observer of human behavior will recognize that any weak minded person can go in to depression under this attack.
You must have observed starting 1994-95 suddenly all Indian girls became beautiful and started winning global contests starting with Sushmita and Aishwarya as if our ladies were not beautiful earlier. The beauty industry today looking so prosperous and all global brands reaching even Tier II cities the strategy (conspiracy) of global players was designed 15 years ago in London, Paris and New York. We, Indians are fools who succumbed to it.
Coming to those stupid weight charts, have we ever asked a simple question: Who prepared it? My research shows that an American insurance company called Metlife conducted a long time research checking death records of U S over many years and they found that persons with certain height weight ratio lived longer. How may years longer? No answers. Were they happy? No answers. Were they alcoholics, Vegetarians, Smokers? No Answers. Such is the stupid way insurance companies work and we never ask relevant questions. Next time you visit your Doctor or Gym raise this query and see the response.
I am a guy who always looks for a solution once I figure out the problem and the pattern. Yes, few of us are overweight and would prefer to shed a few kg and feel better. The solution comes from my friend and Ayurvedic Dr Alhad Paranjape. He says: While reducing weight it is important to reduce junk food (means cooked outside home) rather than home cooked meals. He says you can eat as much as you like of your home preparation and rarely put on weight. So our enemy is outside our home. By controlling this we can reduce weight as well as save some money. His solution is as follows:
We are tempted to enjoy Wada Paav or Paav Bhaji or Pizza or any other street food. He says the simple trick is to eat these things with your Lunch or Dinner. He say it works. I have tried it and it works wonderfully. He gives example of a Gujju Thali Meal which includes Farsan items but they go along with your entire meal so do not add to extra fat. So eat only home cooked meals and carry home cooked meals wherever possible.
Next, we need to take a walk of 60 minutes per day to keep fit. You know how to do it. No comments.
Another simple exercise to manage healthy weight to write what you eat. Before going to bed record what you consumed today from morning till now. With mobile phone at your disposal, it is very easy. Three weeks of notes keeping and your will see significant improvement.
Another exercise is eat slowly and only when hungry.Here I am reminded of an exercise which I had done during the E-lab conducted by the famous Swami Sukhabodhananda. The exercise was simple. You take each morsel of food and look at it loving and appreciate it as a foodie and thanking God put in your mouth. Till you have properly enjoyed, masticated and swallowed the first morsel you will touch the food. This is slow eating and it may take three times more time to consume your normal meals. Although bit difficult to practice for a person who is rushed for time, it is possible to do this at least during Dinner. At least during weekends may be?
Finally, to conclude most of our Indian diet changes from region to region and it has evolved over thousands of years and good for us. If we carefully observe that our ancestors have designed even menu's for each festival and they are spread out over 12 months. Our years starts with Makar Sankranti to Padwa to Holi to Shravan and Ganesha and Navaratri and Diwali and Tulasi Vivah and now Christmas and New Year. So just eat anything and everything you like and keep little extra weight like Vidya Balan or Ram Kapoor and feel good about your self and laugh at those stupid persons who have such low self esteem and inferiority complex and are under peer pressure.
Do let me know your comments.
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