Food for Thought 3

 In Pursuit of Perfection :   

“Work hard and Strive for Excellence” has been ingrained in me since my childhood….. 

But, I am not able to exactly pin-point a time in my life when I started equating this to "whatever I do needs to be Perfect!!" Or “ Perfect- is what I need to deliver- Always!!”

After this wrong interpretation took roots , probably Nothing  has ever been good enough….. I was always behind achieving the perfect spot in life, the perfectly manicured home, the perfectly brought up kids, the perfectly straitened bedsheet, trying to be the perfect wife, the perfect daughter, the perfect mother, the perfect host , the perfect This and the perfect That……

Perfectionism, I now feel, may be a negative core belief that has affected my thought process and it surely trickled down to affect my actions.... And on the way, it may have bruised some loved ones around me….

The big difference between Striving and Striving for Perfection is in the effort and the focus of the effort…. 

When Striving, Effort mainly focuses on the work done. But when one is on the Self-inflicted  Pursuit to Perfection, the focus is on the  perfect result. 

So I think, Perfectionism should never be confused with striving for excellence.

I see a lot of people around me (who take pride BTW in) declaring themselves as having OCD.  Working hard and doing their best isnt  achievement enough for them. Achieving is equated to Perfecting - a perfect score card, a perfect home/ wardrobe/ un ruffled hair and life…. for those wrestling with perfectionism, giving their best  shot  just isn’t enough, and they’ll strive to be perfect at the expense of their own health and wellness. 

This kind of  Perfectionism has to be considered a weakness because it actually leads to a number of negative outcomes. And believe me, I have experienced some of them myself!!

There can be a long list of negative outcomes, some of them being Perpetual Stress, Fear or Undue Pressure of Failure, Mental health issues -  Depression, Anxiety disorders, OCD and Eating disorders, and so on.

😔😏Hmmm…. It took me a really long time in life to realize something was wrong with me…. 

After painful muscle spasms in the neck and everlasting Trapezitis,  GERD and Anxiety,  Migraine, Feeling Suffocated and still putting up a smiling face in front of the world,  I think I finally began my journey to recovery.…  probably just after I turned 40 .

I don’t consider myself fully healed but I now have a small, ever evolving, “work in progress” checklist  to correct myself and, trust me, I have to use it very often.  

I am Sharing it here…. Do Feel free to use it….

And  do let me know if you feel something can be added to the list….  

THE RECOVERY LIST:

1) Am I  Setting myself up for disappointment? 

Expecting to Achieve absolute faultlessness will lead to disappointment for sure!!

I now look at a range or a bracket wherein things are still good enough  and can make me happy.

2) Should I Reframe my expectations?

Whenever someone other than me is involved, I do think about reframing  my expectations…. It can be a mutual decision as to what good achievement means… This helps to keep my relationship intactwith the person involved.

3) Is this making me Unapprochable? 

Not everyone is infatuated with the idea of perfection…. And not everyone has the same idea of Perfection as well. 

I try to let go of certain things or actions to maintain my Approchability with others around me.

4)Am I Recognizing the efforts of others? 

I feel the more I appreciate the efforts, the more it makes me happier inside…

The happiness inside is helping me to learn to appreciate others more… this is an upward spiral😊 

5) Practise Self-compassion!   

One Big Realization -  Being kind and Compassionate equates to prioritizing  oneself  AND knowing where to STOP !!

{😄🙏PS : Remember, It is NOT expected to be the Best, Most Comprehensive and the Ultimate Guideline for Recovery… }

But, 

This is my cue to stop for today and a remember that “Pobody is Nerfect!!!”

Food for Thought 2

Starting afresh on the other side of the 50 ….

As I said earlier, 

A few thoughts have been playing on my mind for some time now…

Some thought processes need to change, some things need to move forward and some things need validation to stay put where they are!!

Sharing my 1st thought.... This one took me around in circles till I was dizzy...... 

What is the Purpose of My life :  I have spent numerous moments in the past couple of years pondering over the real purpose of my life… trying to  find something meaningful about this life… finding a tangible reason to do all this, everyday, each day…

I have also spent time thinking about why I am searching for a meaning or purpose only now… when I am on the verge of the Golden number 50.

The funny part is, I even tried to find the dictionary meaning for this😆…. And was unable to find a clear definition. The search  just kept on  leading me back and forth to the same words:  higher purpose, greater good, a more meaningful reason to live, work, etc…

What is this “etc”???

This ETC is a loose term, always left open to interpretation  and exploration… whatever may be of value or priority or significance or Purpose for its reader at that point in time in their life…. 

So, then what should be my "greater purpose" on this side of 50??🤔

Knock knock!!!! 

No Definite Answer from Within...

And yes, does that also mean that what I have done until now had no greater purpose? 

That these children I raised who are now independent and responsible human beings, didn't satisfy a "greater purpose?"

That the relationships I worked hard to cherish and mend and bend myself to keep this family going wasn't a "greater purpose?"

Being aware of the Environment Outside…. Trying to do things to keep my Carbon footprint as low as possible…  wasn’t a "greater purpose”?

Being aware of the Environment Inside me… Trying to keep Equilibrium and adapting new styles of thinking... Wasn't a "greater purpose"?

Counseling clients to make correct food choices for themselves, inspite of what the Ad world tells them… wasn’t a “greater purpose”?

This list just goes on…..

Finally, After doing the circles a couple of times…. I have decided to Course -correct… 

This side of 50, I will continue to be Myself and trust the Flow of Life !! 

The pressure and Façade of having a greater purpose to Life is OVER…  

Green Tea

Green Tea: A boon to Modern Lifestyles

Our Modern lifestyle today has created quiet a few health problems for us and has unbalanced the "Tripod of Health".
With booming industrialization in the last century, the world has really changed and has moved closer too. This has lead to the import and export of foodstuff and availability of newer foods to such an extent that foods are available in the market round the year. No Longer do we get foods which are "Seasonal".
This definitely has influenced our palates and our eating pattern too.
On the other side, this also introduced us to foods from other countries which are now easily available in our markets.

One such wonderful addition is the "Green Tea" and is very easily available on the counters today. Green tea is one thing that should find a place in our kitchens, invariably. Green Tea can help us in getting our lifestyle back on track in this Modern age as it offers loads of health benefits.

Health Benefits of Green tea:

Stress reliever and a Mood Regulator: L-Theanine, an amino acid naturally found in green tea, readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and changes brain chemistry in a way that has been compared to aromatherapy. Studies show that theanine is a non-toxic, highly desirable mood modulator that can be enjoyed by everyone except babies.

As an Effective Cancer blocker: The studies of how green tea affects cancerous cells are still in their infancy, there have been human trials which indicate that it does inhibit cells from developing cancer.

Stabilizes cholesterol levels: Researchers believe that green tea lowers the cholesterol levels by reducing its absorption in your digestive tract and increasing the rate of which it is excreted.

Prevents cardiovascular disease: A Japanese study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed significant reductions in deaths from cardiovascular disease among green tea drinkers.

Can Promote weight loss: Both green tea and green tea extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL cholesterol – both of which ultimately lead to a reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. The polyphenols in green tea are extremely useful for dissolving triglycerides, a substance in the liver and small intestine made up of mostly sugar and fat, and this is thought to be the reason green tea benefits fat loss. EGCG(Methylated epigallocatechin gallate) is also known to stimulate the metabolism and accelerate weight loss. When combined with the caffeine in green tea, this causes your central nervous system to release fat into the bloodstream to be used as fuel which burns your body fat off.

Boosts your immune system: Catechins, the antioxidant polyphenol compounds found in green tea help in improving the immune system. Research conducted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2003 revealed that L-theanine, boosted the activity of the gamma delta T cells that form part of our adaptive and innate immunity. The study followed a group of coffee drinkers and a group of tea drinkers who each drank 600ml of their drink daily. Blood samples taken four weeks later quite clearly showed that production of anti-bacterial proteins were five times higher in those drinking tea.

Helps in Rheumatoid arthritis: Study results reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that polyphenol antioxidants in green tea benefits suffers of arthritis by reducing the incidence and severity of the disease by reducing cartilage destruction and reduces joint swelling and pain.

Can Reduces tooth decay: Antibacterial properties found in green tea are also used by your body to kill the bacteria that causes plaque on your teeth. Research by the Journal of Periodontology has also shown that for every cup of green tea you drink, there is a decrease in indicators for gum disease. Fluoride is also found in green tea which helps to protect against cavities.

Fights the cause of allergies in your body: EGCG has been shown to block a cells receptor involved in producing an allergic response. By blocking the production of histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE), two compounds in the body that are chiefly involved in triggering and sustaining allergic reactions, EGCG could very well be the compound which prevents you from having watery eyes, sneezing and coughing.

Other benefits which are still being studied are :Use of green tea in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Skin and Aging.

Thus, Green Tea deserves an inclusion in our day-to-day routine and can give us a helping hand in coping with our Modern Lifestyles. Cheers!!! to a cup of Health !!!

Stress fighting Wonder drug : Green Tea

We are still talking about stress................. Remember?

I recently came across an article which explained the relationship of alternative therapies like listening to classical music and reflexology/Acupressure in relieving stress. In an experiment conducted in Singapore in 2004, the subjects were given foot reflexology stimulation and were made to listen to classical music in a resting state. Meanwhile, the electrical activity of their brains was measured by EEG. In each subject, the EEG showed that foot reflexology and classical music both increased alpha frequencies in the brain waves associated with relaxation.

The brain emits weak electrical impulses (brain waves) that can be measured on the surface of the head. The predominant frequency of electrical impulses correlates with different types of mental states and activities. Brain waves are classified into four categories (delta, theta, alpha, and beta)—each with an associated mental state.

• Delta is seen only in the deepest stages of sleep.
• Theta is seen in light sleep and drowsiness.
• Beta is seen in highly stressful situations and where there is difficulty in mental concentration and focus.
• Alpha is present in wakefulness where there is a relaxed and effortless alertness. It is well known that alpha brain waves are generated during a relaxed state and therefore alpha waves are used as an index of relaxation.

This information was a sufficient stimuli to start exploring if i could find any food item which could increase or induce alpha brain waves and help us to relax...............



The obvious answer which came forward was GREEN TEA

• Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water.
• Tea is known to be a rich source of flavonoid antioxidants.
• However tea also contains a unique amino acid, L-theanine that may modulate aspects of brain function in humans. L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, produces a pronounced feeling of tranquility in as little as fifteen minutes. L-theanine increases the activity of GABA, a neurotransmitter (i.e. natural messenger in the brain) that promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety. L-theanine also stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for confidence and a sense of well-being.
  
• Evidence from human electroencephalograph (EEG) studies show that it has a direct effect on the brain (Juneja et al. Trends in Food Science & Tech 1999;10;199-204). L-theanine significantly increases activity in the alpha frequency band which indicates that it relaxes the mind without inducing drowsiness.
  
• The calming effect of green tea may can be explained by the action of L-theanine. This amino acid actually acts antagonistically against the stimulatory effects of caffeine on the nervous system.
  

This information was really exciting and I think this will prompt all of us to give " Green Tea" a chance to be a part of our daily diet regime and I am sure that this world famous drink will soon help us to fight stress !!!

Diet Tips to Fight Stress

We have seen before that there are a few key nutrients which can help us in fighting stress and help us to handle it in a better way!

Let us now incorporate it as some diet tips to fight stress.

1) The first and the most important thing to follow is to have an eating routine or pattern. If the body is fed at regular intervals and according to its daily routine, it will automatically cut down the irritation levels and fluctuating sugar levels which almost always bring mood swings with them. The more the balanced blood sugar levels, the lesser the irritation and mood swings, the lesser the chances of one getting into simple pressures and stresses . Plus this also increases your productivity and helps you to stay calm and make better decisions on the work front. All this obviously will add to reducing the pressures and eventually the stress that they will produce.

This will especially help all the "Managers and Professionals" who keep on telling me time and again that they do not find time to eat when they are at work. I will like to tell them that they should regard their food equally important and I am sure this eating routine will help them fare better in stressful situations.

2) We have also mentioned before that at least 30 to 45 minutes of some exercise daily will help the body to have the "feel good " hormone running in our blood streams. This surely helps fighting stress as this will improve our reaction and response to all the stressors.

3) Many people resort to or unknowingly get into a habit of having some or the other addictive drink. This will include all the cola drinks, carbonated drinks, all the cups of tea and coffee that you may consume during the day. The "Caffeine" in all these is habit forming and is also a chemical stimulator to the body. It is seen that people actually have withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking these drinks. So.............. it is in the favor of health that the intake of Caffeine has to be brought to the minimum.

The several cups of tea and coffee and colas can be easily replaced by more healthier drinks like green tea, herbal teas, vegetable juices, thin buttermilk, lemonade , ginger-ale. I find that there are a few work places that actually have started offering these alternatives to their employees. It is up to all of us to make them available at our workplace as well.

4) Replacing the refined flour "phulkas" and white breads with healthy unrefined "rotis" or "rotla's" or "bhakris" traditionally made from native cereal flours like Bajra, Jowar, Nachani etc will help to bring in the necessary fibre, trace minerals and vitamins and of course the variety to the food to fight stress. Many shops also offer a variety of brown rice that can be easily replaced with our regular polished white rice. Adding fine quality wheat bran or rice bran to regular phulkas or rotis can improve the fibre content of the diet.

5) Another important thing is to try and include at least one seasonal fruit in your daily food regime. Using regional and seasonal fruits and vegetables will help in providing many important antioxidants and necessary nutrients to fight stress. An ideal diet should contain 4 to 7 exchanges of fruit and vegetables every day. If we just happen to jot down our last 2 days food intake, I think the obvious answer to better our diet regime would be to include more of fruits and vegetables.

6) Including enough proteins in our daily food like whole and split pulses (daals), dairy products and lean white meat is also very important to balance the food and gives excellent satiety value to food.

7) We just seem to have forgotten eating nuts and oil seeds as an healthy evening snack. These can act as a very very healthy evening snack, easy to carry, will help to fight the evening cravings and thus keep away from the tantalizing junk alternatives. A handful of roasted "chana", some peanuts, 2-4 almonds, handful of pumpkin seeds, 1-2 halves of walnuts can serve as an excellent evening snack, full of antioxidants and nutrients, to fight stress.

Also, traditional peanut, sesame seed, poppy seed, dry coconut and flax seed chutneys with food are excellent adjuncts that can be included to provide the necessary stress busters.

8) The last one on this list but a very important tip would be ........................... It is absolutely alright to include a multivitamin supplement ( Vit B complex plus some important vitamins and minerals) available at the chemist for a few days , if you know that you would be facing stressful times. And they can be anything from an exam, some family crisis, stressful situation at the job, too much travelling ...........or even getting married ;)............ It is always better to be well equipped than running into trouble later..........!!!!!!!

Managing Stress with Diet

Thanks for the valuable comments from the readers of this blog.........
Since we have struck the most talked about subject : "Stress", lets try to see how diet can be of help to ease out this situation.......

Stress is an inevitable truth of today's lifestyle and no one can escape it !!!

Unfortunately, prolonged or long term stress takes its toll on the body and can cause decreased energy levels, decreased resistance power, decreased appetite and heightened irritability. It also works overtime on our stress hormones and further taxes our heart and blood vessels too. It eventually affects all the systems of our body and accelerates the "Breakdown".

The Strategy to combat and manage stress is:

• Identifying the stressors,
• Finding ways to reduce the triggers,
• Learning coping mechanisms or skills,
• Replenishing the nutrients used by the body to fight stress.

Stress causes oxidative load on the body and gives rise to free radicals. These can be eliminated by supplying the body with nutrients which are powerful antioxidants and render the free radicals harmless.Certain nutrients are very useful in fighting stress. Including these in our daily diet can help reduce and fight stress.

Pantothenic acid(Vit. B5) : Plays a major role in making stress hormones and energy production. Food sources of Vit. B5 are, Whole grains, nuts, molasses, organ meats, green leafy vegetables, dairy products.

Vitamin C: It is an excellent antioxidant and abundantly found in AMLA ( Indian Gooseberry). Other sources of this vitamin are Guava, Capsicum, Cabbage, Drumstick leaves, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, All citrus fruits and Kiwi.

Beta Carotene: It is the precursor of Vitamin A and a powerful antioxidant as well. It is found in green leafy vegetables, carrots, apricots, pumpkin, musk melons and papaya.

Zinc: Zinc is required by the body in very small amounts but is very useful in fighting stress. We get zinc from legumes and pulses like Bengal gram, cow pea, Rajmah etc. It is also found in almonds, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, safflower seeds, sesame and poppy seeds, coconut, mushrooms and Soybean. Animal sources of zinc are egg yolks, clamps, oysters and fish.

Magnesium: It is a very important mineral and participates in various biochemical reactions and activates a lot of enzymes in the body. It is important for our bone health, calms the nervous system, regulates heart beat, strengthens digestion and also regulates thyroid function. Natural sources of this mineral are, Green leafy vegetables, Betel leaves, almonds, cow pea(chawli), moth beans(matki), Coconut, Sesame seeds, Walnuts , figs, Apples, Broccoli, Corn.

Chromium: It is an essential micro nutrient and has been shown to fight fatigue and increase energy levels.It is found in Betel leaves, almonds, dry ginger, poppy seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, Raw wheat germ, meat, shell fish and clamps.

Selenium:This is a trace element which works in combination with Vitamin E to produce an important antioxidant enzyme and helps the body to eliminate toxic elements from the body. It promotes energy production, increases immunity and slows down Ageing. It is found in different nuts and oil seeds, wheat germ and onions.

Vitamin B Complex: Includes Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12. This vitamin B complex is vital in energy production and proper nerve function.They have a wide range of effects, from alleviating stress to preventing atherosclerosis.These cannot be replaced by one another and are found in milk and milk products, eggs, fish, Peanuts, sunflower seeds, Walnuts, . Vit. B1 and B3 are also found in unrefined whole grains, rice bran and some green leafy vegetables.

Lifestyle Changes to reduce Stress

• Make sure your diet has enough of above mentioned Antioxidants to fight stress.
• Having an Exercise routine of at least 30 to 45 minutes daily helps to reduce stress. Meditation and Yoga also helps fighting stress.
• Limit intake of refined, processed, convenience foods having excess sugar, salt and artificial preservatives.These actually rob the body of stored nutrients and finally increase the stress on the body.
• Limit intake of Caffeine (teas, coffee, cola drinks). Replace them with herbal teas or vegetable juices if possible.
• Do not resort to Fad diets, Crash diets and Starvation diets. These almost always create nutrient deficiencies, deplete the body and put the body in further stress.