'I am enjoying life'

          [7:58PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: I was pondering over your earlier question...

          [7:58PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: What do u think is enjoying life

          [8:01PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: I think being with friends I love and the man I love...and going for trips and exploring new places...wud be enjoyment for me...

          [8:02PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: Being able to take unplanned leave from work is enjoyment for me...

          [8:02PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: Being able to curl up with a book with nice fried snacks is enjoyment for me...

         [8:05PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: Having couple of drinks and becoming euphoric and dancing a bit wud    be  enjoyment for me...

         [8:13PM, 10/07/2014] Me: Its strange u never mentioned having kids and growing them....

         [8:13PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: How does that come under enjoyment 

         [8:14PM, 10/07/2014] My friend: That wud come under inevitable stress and torture!

Well, I frequently make that above statement in my diary. I want to remember the good times in my life. May be this statement is a sign that I fear that something bad will happen in my life. This is like counterattack thinking. Thinking the opposite possibility of whatever topic. More fruitful would be a lateral thinking. Anyway that is not of my interest now.

The above conversation was made with one of my best friends. I saved it because, it is like an ideal answer to the question. May be later in life I will review this answer. It is fun to see how things, ideas and views change as the years pass by.

 

The value of normalcy

              

Normalcy- It is a difficult term to define. It is a deceptive term. It is as complicated as simple it appears. Actually it took a little time for the mankind to understand the value of normalcy.
Earlier it was the values of king and religion that was considered normal. Then it was the values of general public that was considered normal. Then came the century of enlightment. Philosophers started to think what the meaning of being normal is. The statisticians came with idea of 'curve of normalcy' and standard deviations. So now the modern scientific generation believes anything that is between two standard deviations from median can be considered normal.

                But normal man cannot be satisfied by the normalcy. Everyone aim towards the idealism. The minority. The social elites. Defining normalcy in every realm of life will be a herculean task. So I will like to tell about normalcy which is germane to my field of my interest. WHO could come with a definition for 'health' only after years of brainstorming. The standards of wellbeing varies widely.

For a mechanic with lost little finger, it may not be a problem. But for a craftsman even that tip of little finger may cost much, and for a pianist it is invaluable. For a young man with an amputated leg as a result of an accident, ambulation will be a blessing. But for a diabetic patient, the healing of a chronic ulcer on the foot will be a thing for hope. People with no disease want to have ideal body shape, body that resembles a film star. People become anorexic and bulimic to fit in to that perfect dress.

 For a person with a temporary diverting colostomy, a successful reversal surgery is the day of his life. But a patient with colostomy made as a part of cancer treatment prays his disease never come back. He is totally denied of the dream of colostomy reversal. A good stoma without any complications and discomfort is defined as normal for him. For a person with peripheral vascular disease, pain is a part of life. If his pain is reduced to an affordable level, it is considered normal for him. A woman undergoing mastectomy for cancer, any kind of reconstruction which might feel disastrous, if applied on a healthy woman may be considered normal. Same time a small scar on the neck may be disabling for a teenage girl. A young lady may not feel complete until she gets an augmentation surgery on her perfectly healthy breast.

The values of normalcy can change from one end of a scale to the other end in matter of minutes. A doctor who is rushing to the ED to attend a patient may slip and get a serious head injury. That is fate. It is an inevitable unpredictable issue. And the normalcy is a complement factor of fate.

Two movies back to back

Lol.... this month was awesome. I got to watch two blockbuster action thrillers. Both of them were so good that I want to mention in my notes.

I haven't heard of these guys before, but after watching the movie I became a fan, especially the Rocket. Awesome movie, good screenplay and clarity of action sequences in 3D. The comedy makes the difference. Eagerly waiting for the Tony Stark to join the group.

Oh, Stallone the 68 year old Rocky, Statham...the Transporter, the movie is already a treat for eyes and ears. But Expendables 3 has got all the action heros together in a platter. So much for fun. Loved it. Here is a fan of Expendables series. 

How to cut down your body into what you wish

Having a healthy physique is a result of hard work. Except for some exomorphic persons, maintaining the BMI and waist hip ratio in healthy range is a challenge. Most of us doesn't care much about fitness either due to lack of time or patience. Every person in good shape will have a story of dedication and hard work to share.

Let us breakdown the term ‘overweight’. Whatever we consider as ‘overweight’ is actually the weight of excess fat stored in the body. The pot belly is the result of fat deposition both inside and outside the abdomen with some loosening of muscles. As a surgeon I have seen how much thick the fat layer can be. In obese persons, the fat layer just under the skin may measure half foot in depth.

So why does this happen. It is due to the action of ‘thrifty genes’. These genes are supposed to store available excess energy during the seasons of harvest and good weather, so that this stored energy can be used during the time of famine and food scarcity. These subcutaneous fat act as a long term storage facility for energy. In these modern times we don’t have famines or seasons of food scarcity anymore. So the stored energy in the body does not get an opportunity to get out of the system.

This explains the answer to the question, how to lose a major chunk of weight from the body? Make use of the ‘thrifty genes’. Cut down the calories to minimum or nil for a short period of time. Create an artificial environment of food scarcity. Human body has got a wonderful phenomenon called ‘homeostasis.’ It is like auto weather control in air conditioning system. It will make use of the available resources and maintain the inner supply of energy even if the intake from outside is zero.

The basic method to limit energy intake is restriction of carbohydrate and fat in the diet. Proteins and vitamins along with minerals have to be supplemented. Protein supplement is necessary to compensate for the muscle mass loss. But a little loss in muscle mass can be gained later by having a little excess protein and workouts. Usual carbohydrate in diet comes from the grains and their products. Sugar juices and soft drinks also add to it.

Let us see what is left in diet after removing carbohydrate and fat. Fruits and vegetables. Fruits contain sugar which is fructose and vegetables have very less caloric value. Among fruits itself the ones with more juice are the best, like orange, pomegranate, grape and watermelon. Among vegetables what we like to have is cucumber like things and green leaves. Tubers e.g.: potato, are high energy sources which has to be totally avoided.

So a model diet will go like, one to one and half kilos of orange a day as and when hungry, 2-3 cucumbers with lemon juice, salt and chilli. Watermelon or some other melons, 3-4 pomegranates, one full papaya, 5-6 apples are other choices. Boiled or grilled chicken wings or legs once in a week. Try to avoid banana.

Hydration is the key point in any dieting regime. Drink lots of water. One has to take minimum 3 litres per day. Juicy fruits and vegetables can contribute to hydration. The idea is basically to starve the body. The fruits and vegetables are just to fill up the stomach and keep the digestive system running smoothly. Taste buds will also need to be satisfied while dieting. Also having a fruitarian diet may make one feel cold. So to satisfy the taste buds and to keep the core fire alive, one will have to add some salt and spice of choice to the fruits or vegetables as necessary. 

Workout is also a part of this regimen. Minimum half an hour of aerobic exercise will accentuate the weight loss. Rather it will act as a benchmark for your performance. Normally this dieting regimen will not be a hindrance for the energy level one need for half an hour running or elliptical trainer. But feeling constantly deficient in energy level for minimum workout calls for relook into the dieting regimen and halt if necessary.

A major side effect of having a fruitarian diet depicted in literature is pancreatitis ( usually a self-limited  inflammation of pancreas associated with excruciating mid abdominal pain that may prolong up to one week, but needs hospitalisation for diagnosis and early treatment). Actual incidence is not sure, but not in my experience. Another minor but frequent problem is tooth related issues. The fruits contain lot of acids that can easily cause teeth damage. So mouth washing and brushing will be of utmost importance while following a fruitarian diet.

The results are seen within two days of starting a strict diet plan. Loss of weight can be expected up to 3-4 kilograms in a week. After a rapid fall of 10-12 kilogram, there may be a plateau. But maintaining the course will ensure further loss. Aim for two kilos more than the required target line. Once that is attained gradually change to normal diet. Do not overfeed. The change in your habitus will be pronounced and easily notable, that people start to recognise the difference. The appreciation you receive and the improved confidence about self-image will be sufficient to make sure you don't over feed.  Reading on how your favourite film stars and models maintain their shape can also be motivating.

Binge eating or partying once in a fortnight is also recommended with this regime. It can also be avoided if you think it is a hindrance to the divine course of dieting. But in my opinion this will help to be in control and make sure that you can resist the pressure of over feeding once the target line is touched. Once the excess fat has been churned out of the system, you can start pumping in muscles with some extra protein supplements. Still one has to make sure that the carbohydrate and fat intake is not out of the limit.

This article has contents which may be described as ‘pro-anaemic’ or ‘pro-bulimic’. Most of the film stars and models who maintain a great physique had followed at least a part of this regimen. Nobody is born with muscles defined to each fibre or body shape for size zero. This is a choice to be made, a choice that can change your life. Before I finish I have to remind that having a great body is not a reason for ultimate happiness nor defines a successful life.  It is all about the person and how much good at heart you are.

The phone that never hangs

            Mobile phone has been a sincere companion of human being since the beginning of 21st century. Earlier it could be afforded by billionaires only, later millionaires, middle class people, students and eventually all class of people. This transition took place in a period of 10 years. No other product of modern mankind have percolated so fast through all layers of social strata.

           My first encounter with a real color screen phone was in 2003 when my classmate brought it. My family got a phone within next few months which was a gift from my uncle abroad. Two years later when I joined for Medicine, my brother who was a senior in same college gifted me a phone on my Birthday, My first personal phone. It was a Nokia 1600 with basic  functions.

           I had to wait two more years, the two years which has seen the fastest acceleration in releasing new model phones, development of phone as a multimedia personal companion than just a phone. The 'N series' by Nokia was viral. They got a new model with some new features every fortnight. I requested my Dad and he bought me my second phone and my first smartphone 'N73',with a Symbian software.

            With smartphones came the new issue. The more features it had, the slower it was. Not to mention the added effect of internet viral infections. Although the phone could do magic with its peanut sized brain and memory, gradually it became old. But I loved that phone so much. It is still functional with my Dad while I am writing this. He could not throw away what he got with his hard earned 16 grants.

             After two years came the Android era. It was the solution for the 'Quest for phone that never hangs'. One year later I also changed to the new stream. It was magical. Superfast phones with unbelievable free softwares. A software for anything in the world. And the phone froze at a rate of once a year only. It was the days of Samsung.

          It is now almost three years since I started using Android. It still works fine, but the hanging rate has increased and one has to get a new phone with bigger processor to keep up in the front line. The Nokia is now playing both cards, Windows and Android. Samsung is almost done with innovations except for releasing phones with bigger RAM at a cost of Fifty grands and the Chinese phone companies are now infecting the market virally with their cheaper and 150 percent cost benefit phones.

          What probed me to writing this happened two days back in our OT changing room. The Anaesthetist was telling he is going to get a Windows phone. I asked why. He replied "Thats the only thing that never hang these days"