Sunday, February 27, 2011

Food Glorious Food

ARAYES CHICKEN
It is a Lebanese food - bread filled with tender chicken, garlic, onions, paprika served with a ground chickpea and olive oil paste.


CHOLE BHATURE
It is a primarily North Indian Dish which is a combination of spicy chickpeas and thin, crispy fried bread.


TANDOORI CHICKEN
Another Indian dish - it is chicken marinated in yogurt and tandoori masala (a mixture of various spices) and then grilled.


DOSA
A major South Indian dish. The dosa is made from a rice batter and once transformed onto its crispy texture, a stuffing of cooked/ boiled potatoes is put inside, then served with sambar, a preparation of spicy lentils and 3 chutneys.


DARK CHOCOLATE

This is my favorite dark chocolate, chocolat noir avec citron et poivre, as it contains the zing from lemon zest and juice and a mild burst of spice from the pepper!




RAJMA RICE
A simple preparation of rice served with a simple yet tasty preparation of kidney beans


INDIAN SWEETS

 
I like every single Indian sweet that possibly exists (there are millions!!!), aand they are soooo awesome!




COFFEE CAKE
My favorite cake!!!!! YUMM YUMM YUMM!!!!!

PANI PURI!!!!
The best of all!!!!!!!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Stress-Self Esteem-Coping-Depression-Suicide

In the 21st century, children, or better stated as teenagers are very vulnerable to suicidal thoughts due to the "going through too much with very little experience." However, many such teenagers have committed SUICIDE. Most teenagers go through too much STRESS in these years, relating to various issues such as peer pressure, appearance, school work load, time management, relationship issues and much more than accounted for, too much these young adults can COPE with; and slowly these issues result ultimately in low SELF-ESTEEM issues which over time lead to DEPRESSION.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Stressors: The Inventors of Traffic Jams Of Life

There are numerous things/ people/ situations that stress me out - results in a unfocused, frustrated me.


STRESSORS

  • Bad Grades or an overall bad GPA
  • Unstable friendships
  • Fights with really close friends
  • Fights between my parents
  • Studying for massive massive tests
  • When I realize that I have done something wrong
  • Parents getting mad at me
  • In general when I am not able to live up to certain expectation bars
  • Deadlines for massive 20-page lab reports
  • Comparing myself to the "image" the world respects
  • Thinking about what my future would/ could be
  • Deciding on what field to major in
  • Decide on where to go for university, and thus plan the last 2 years of schooling accordingly
COPING WITH THE STRESS
  • Listen to good music
  • Watch TV/ movie
  • Talk on the phone to my closest friends
  • Play with my brother
  • Go to bed
  • Moderate Work outs
  • Go walking with my family to a nice place (KLCC park)
  • Read a novel
  • Just forget about everything and chill

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Stress, Depression and Suicide: IN THE NEWS

Loneliness is "hidden killer of elderly

By: Sean Coughlan, a BBC news education and family correspondent
BBC News Website
1 February 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12324231

SUMMARY
A recent study has found out that loneliness amongst the elderly is a catalyst for depression, bad diets and lack of exercise. This causes various cardio-vascular problems for these elderly people and the lack of social interaction, "a tenth of elderly people see their friends or families less than once a month" is directly linked with the prominence of Alzheimer's disease. A group of charities have lauched a campaign - Campaign to End Loneliness, which is advocating for loneliness to be recognized as a public health problem that not only mentally makes one a weaker person but physically weakens our immune systems along with the other life-threatening diseases listed above, overall killing the elderly earlier.

THE BIGGER PICTURE
Like many other ageing problems, isolation needs to addressed to the mass public as we all perceive loneliness as something without any substantial affect on us, a mere state of mind which would pass away, but through his research we can clearly see that is not the case. We need to recognize the serious ills that are caused  - depression, heart attack, Alzheimer's, and realize how life-threatening they are, basically killing us earlier. Everybody needs to make a conscious choice, I believe, in deciding their lifestyle - is leaving your mom/dad, grandpa/grandma, in home, or better stated as mere 4 walls, worth their health? Worth their life?

PERSONAL CONNECTION
I feel really strongly about this article as my grandparents live away from me, and this research makes me realize that while I am in Malaysia, hoping to go to college and all my future plans, back "home" my grandparents are suffocating to death - not seeing their families for months. This article makes me realize what affect loneliness is having on their health other than the "sadness." It makes me wonder, is this the right thing to do?


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Stress: The Portrait Of A Killer

Science has developed a kaleidoscope of different fields of research which in some way or the other have shaped who human beings are today. The study of the effects of stress by neurologists is one that could be a society changing research. Stress is something that we all suffer from. Exams, graduation, peer pressure, constant nagging from our parents to excel, giving performances, public speaking, yelling and shouting bosses in companies, the overall stress of leading a good life, form a core part of being human. Since childhood through school, or sports or mere leisure we basically learn that “Life is a race, If you don’t run fast enough, Others will crush you,” which then becomes the motto of our life – to be the best, leading to a life-long traffic jam in which everyone is trying their level best to beat the others. Whether distress or eustress, one must agree that the world without stress would be utopia, a lofty goal, unachievable.
The two main reasons that were mentioned in this video was the hierarchical and occupational connection to stress. And the research was conducted on mammals, much like us in habits, who are definitely easier to study than a bunch of humans – BABOONS! While this may not yet be applicable to us students, the results of stress were just dumbfounding – people who have a high position with a lot of control tend to have less stress than lower ranked people who seemingly have no control in their hands. This results in low esteem and many other psychological effects but physically other than cardiovascular diseases, high BP and heart rate; it also adds fat in our abdomen, which the most harmful type of fat possible and IT KILLS OUR HIPPOCAMPUS, DECREASING OUR WONDERFUL POWER TO REMEMBER THINGS!! The results of these arduous 30 year research warn us that stress isn’t a part of our life that will extinguish as we move along, leaving us unscathed. The biggest evidence of this was provided by the “children of the Dutch Hunger.” In 1944, when the cruel, malicious strategy was made to starve the country to death, the foetuses inside the mother’s womb had already been exposed to stress as the mother starved and starved, managed an entire day on a bowl of gruel. The kids born during the Hunger or soon after it were known as the Dutch Hunger kids. Having kept all these babies in meticulous records, scientists have tracked that these children, now grown-ups, are more susceptible to cardiovascular attacks, have a high BP and Heart rate as their nervous systems had been altered when they were mere foetuses! And while the Hippocampus incident was an astounding shock, it might be a heart attack for some people to realise that STRESS FRAZZLES OUR CHAROMOSOMES AWAY!! Stress takes away the things that we are coded with – killing us! But there is a beacon of light shining – less stress, happiness, peace can also heal these chromosomes and repair them.
So what is the antidote to saving our lives? Finding a place where YOU have control, where YOU don’t feel overpowered by YOUR surroundings, somewhere where YOU are just YOU, enjoying the beauty of life!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Health Interview with Mamma!

For this health assignment, I chose to interview my mother who has always been my role model in maintaining a healthy lifestyle while coping with her busy schedule. :)

1. Have you always been as healthy as you are now?

Yes. When I was young, I used to play sports like football or used to go cycling along with friends every evening, and I also used to attend weekly yoga classes. Now, managing the entire household and your 1 year old brother that is obviously not possible. But I go for walk once every 2 days at the KLCC Park and meditate for 30 minutes in the morning when your brother is dozing off.

2. What particular health habits in the following areas do you practice, that contribute to your level of health?

Nutritional Habits – I think this is my strongest aspect as I eat very healthily. I refrain eating outside, basically I don’t eat outside at all, maybe once a month! This means I rely on my cooking food, and I use as little oil, butter, ghee or other fatty food in the food in order to feed myself and my family healthily. I also eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and maintain the strict routine of 3 meals a day at about the same time everyday, however I eat in between as well.

Fitness Habits – As I said earlier, considering my duties, I think what I do is satisfactory doing for walks once in 2 days and meditating everyday for 30 mins.

Coping with Stress – I am really bad in this as I am very short tempered! *laughs* But ignoring that fact, I try to stay calm and think things through before acting, even though that rarely happens! :P


Dealing with Conflicts – I believe that stress and conflicts go side by side. So if I’m bad at one, I surely can’t be good in the other one! But I indeed try to relax and calm down, as I know my hotheadedness could lead to something terribly wrong, and this works at times.

Keeping a Positive Attitude – Regardless of whatever happens, I firmly believe there is more good in this world than bad. Therefore I keep a positive attitude and maintain it my keeping my spiritual side relaxed which I often do with the help of yoga or listening to simple orchestral music or classic symphonies.

Any Additional Healthy Habits – “Early to sleep, early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise!”

3. How did you develop these habits?
With time. I learnt all this as I went along with life and it guided me as to how to live a healthy life as one is not in the same position and responsibilities throughout their life.

4. What motivates you to practice a healthy lifestyle?

To be there by my family’s side forever ,I know I need to be a healthy person. To keep them happy I know I need to be a healthy person and so I try to be one.


5. What advice would you give me for being healthy as a teenager?


Keeping in mind that you are in Grade 10 and soon would go into IB, it would be very lofty to say that you should exercise for 2 hours everyday, as that would conflict with your studies, which are your main concern right now. However, I think for these 2 ½ years, you should at least exercise 30 minutes a day, which could comprise of anything, aerobics, your dance classes, your occasional playing of football or badminton, jogging, brisk walking, playing with your brother, or anything else. This would not only keep you a healthy person, taking care of your physical aspect but would also help you perform better as a student as you will have greater peace of mind.
 
1. Have you always been as healthy as you are now?

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

How Healthy Am I??

Having learnt the 6 components of the Wellness Wheel,Physical, Intellectual, Occupational, Emotional, Spiritual and Social, it is time for me to evaluate my wellness. I however, would like to say that this is sheerly based on time, as many of the categories such as emotional and social wellness change with time, and thus I would keep this post updated as much as possible.
1) Physical: 3.5 
I am fit, and play occasional sports, maybe once or twice workout in the gym, but I feel that I can improve my physical wellness by exercising regularly, and thus, I give myself a score of 3.5
2) Intellectual: 4
I would give myself a score of 4 as I believe that I have dealt considerably well in handling the highs and the lows, as in any teenager's life. I feel that I have made mostly right choices while dealing with my peers through tough times, though one does make mistakes at times, and I have learnt from them!
3) Occupational: 5
I am greatly elated with my life as a student!! It is the place where I want to be forever, even though I can't...I dream of life in university, which would also count as being a student!
4) Emotional: 1
I try to be a better person with an optimistic look towards the world, if in normal circumstances. But when people surrounding my life bog down my life in a mess, I cannot find that optimistic look towards the world. I would like to keep that hope alive, but simply give up to the circumstances. 
5) Spiritual: 2
I seriously do not know the purpose of my existence, what I am to do with my life, and I do not think I will have the answer to this anytime in the near future. I, however, to believe in spirituality and have firm belief in finding the 'inner self.' Maybe I could find my spiritual wellness when I have time for it (which surely I don't right now)???
6) Social: 4
I have some great friends, on whom I can rely on anything, but I do miss my friends in India, and wish that I could have them back!
Total wellness: 19.5