The Judgment Day

Frustrated with Accenture I have decided to look out for a job and quit. My entire friends circle is earning more than me. Damn what a shame! Finally I went to an interview last week in a software company. I went to the reception to register myself and oh my god! Never seen such hot chicks you know. And the HR girl is mind-blowing (Interesting enough the guys are also very handsome. Look like six pack freaks). I have decided that I will join this company atleast for this girl’s sake. Screw the hike and screw the career. I don’t care. Finally I have reached the manager’s room who is supposed to take interview. She is so hot that I thought I will shift my work station infront of the room provided I get the job. I entered the room and settled down. She said you are rejected. What the@#$%??

Big jolt on my head! I couldn’t control tears as my dreams shattered. Few seconds later I asked why the hell did I got rejected.

Int: We thought you are handsome. But you don’t look like that.

Me: How does it matter? I am well qualified and well experienced?

Int: See buddy. We hire the people who are beautiful / handsome. Policy says that. No matter what you are.

Me: maam! I am a finance guy. I have numbers on my finger tips. I can do the job really well.

Int: Doesn’t matter. You are not handsome.

Me: you are screwing your company. How will it last if it doesn’t have talented resources?

Int: It’s ok. We don’t want our company to survive more than 5 years.

Me: why? Its insane. What about your employees and their families?

Int: This is how we operate and don’t talk about family. You are infringing into our personal space.

Me: What if the company screws its balance sheet. You will need to retrench employees when you get into losses. What happens to the share holders?

Int: See we will run the company as long as we can. Believe me it doesn’t fail until then. We will shut shop one fine day. I am not answerable to you boss. Can you please leave now?

Me: Are you sure? You talk like insane. You are losing talent.

Int: What life without beauty around. Beauty is the essence of life.

Me: How can you say that I am not handsome? I am handsome madam.

Int: you are not appealing to my eyes sir. Now can you please make a move?

I wanted to slap her and come. But I am helpless.

****

J This is the way we judge our food as well. This is not tasty. That is not tasty. What life without taste. I don’t want to live more than 50 years. I don’t care. Insurance company will take care of me. I can’t control myself. It is such a horrible food not going inside. It doesn’t look good I can’t have it. It doesn’t smell good so I can’t take it. It is our tradition to eat this, I can’t break the tradition. Except me nobody eats if I cook like that. And what not!

****

Very often we judge food by saying this is good, this is not good etc. Wonder basis what? Is it based on the smell, looks, taste or the nutrition it has. Ideally it should be based on the nutrition if you look at the worth of an employee based on intelligence rather than the beauty.

Watch out while being judgmental before children. Children’s mind is unidirectional. For example you went to a restaurant and ordered many items. One of them is not tasty and all of you left it saying it is not tasty. Child takes a cue and forms a rule that if it is not tasty, it shouldn’t be eaten. Next time when you offer something which isn’t appealing to him, he will obviously say “Yuck! it is not good. I won’t eat it”. You taught him a biased judgment. If you know nutrition based judgment, then do it else stop being judgmental.

We have 5 senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin) to perceive the situations or circumstances we are in. Use them only for that purpose and do not do slavery to them. Didn’t get it right? All senses cheat you unknowingly. Like a drunkard never accepts that he is wrong. People in extra marital relationship never accept that it is wrong. Likewise the prostitutes, wicked politicians and so on. Tongue is just supposed to tell you the taste whether it is sweet, salty, sour or spicy. That’s it! And Judgment part of it to be done by rational mind, not by tongue. Beware! Don’t do slavery of senses. Indian philosophy always says those who win over senses, can win anything in the world.

Food has to be consumed only for nourishment and not for entertainment. Purpose of food is to provide energy, reconstruct the body and keep it in good state to achieve the objectives in life. Food taken for entertainment will lead to a disaster only. Remember you are building the body with the food we take. So quality matter more than quantity.

यद् भावं तद भवती [what you give is what you get]

I am damn hungry!!!

Hunger!!! Hunger runs the world. Hunger rules the world. Hunger ruins the world. Many types of hunger like Hunger for wealth, hunger for land, hunger for resources, hunger for name, hunger for happiness, hunger for knowledge…. What not. But there is one type which can satisfy everybody. You guessed it right i.e., hunger for food!

What is it being hungry? Is it deprivation of energy? Is it a hollow space in stomach? Is it because of delicious food? Is it a scheduled activity? Or is it just a feeling? What is it?

Hunger is really a feeling. Body when deprived of energy source i.e., glucose in the blood, sends signals to the nervous system. Nervous system creates a feeling like fire in the stomach. And hunger subsides the moment you give enough glucose to the body. Here are some of the facts –

·         Hunger has no correlation with the quantity of food one eats. Suppose when hungry, if you eat a couple of sweets or a chocolate bar, you don’t feel hungry for next 3-4 hours. Sweets have high glucose levels which will easily increase the glucose levels in the body and the hunger subsides. Simple math. Cup of rice + water + heat= Bowl full of white rice. How does it matter if you eat a cup of rice or a bowl full of cooked rice when the energy is same in both of them?

·         While we eat the food, body prepares itself for digestion with the help of external stimulus. Body decides the amount of gastric juice required, the amount of saliva required, the amount of insulin required. The stimulus is provided by the sense organs like eyes (quantity), smell (composition), and skin (hot/cold), Tongue (taste). Mind is the super processor that processes these stimuli and decides the digestion process in the system. Think what happens when you see/smell a food, saliva start flowing in the mouth.

·         Unless the body is prepared to consume the food, it will not get digested. Food in the absence of hunger is like poison. Either you vomit or it comes out undigested. This is one of the causes for acidity, gastric trouble, worms in the intestines etc. Simple yar if your body doesn’t consume the food, other parasites will consume.

·         You can get satisfied with the food only if you have hunger. World best recipe cooked by world’s best chef cannot satisfy you if you lack hunger. Contrary to that when you have hunger anything that is available will satisfy you like nectar.

·         It is not a scheduled activity. No need to feed when you are not hungry. Because if just turns into fat and piles up in the body. It is of no use.

Many a times, infatuation (मोह) is misinterpreted as hunger. Upon sighting a chocolate or a sweet or a favorite dish people say that I feel like having it. Your stomach is full but you feel like eating it. You will feel saliva flowing in your mouth but the stomach is not prepared for it. This is not hunger it is just infatuation. You are overloading the body with calories which it doesn’t want. Hunger starts from inside not from outside. If you eat only because the tongue wants it, it is pure infatuation. Body suffers because of your temptations. Beware!!!

·         If one feels hunger after seeing his/her favorite food, then it is just infatuation and not hunger. I will tell you what happens in these cases. After eating a couple of morsels, the satisfaction levels fall by 50%. Another 4-5 morsels of food, satisfaction is completely down. Another couple of morsels, the food become unpalatable and you will throw it away. This is pure infatuation not hunger.

·         When there is no hunger, one doesn’t feel like eating anything. But we have to feed something to survive. So to force something into stomach you will search for the tastiest food and eat it. This is just like covering the face with veil and admiring the beauty. Whom are you cheating by the way, it is yourself.

·         The people, who have the habit of eating or munching every now and then, will never have the satisfaction of a full meal. They just fulfil their temporary fascinations. Coffee/tea, softdrinks, juices in between meals will just suppress the hunger and doesn’t satisfy it.

·         Today many mothers complain that their kids don’t eat anything. That’s true because they don’t feel that fire. Every one hour if they are eating chocolates, buns, ice creams when will the body get deprived of energy to feel hunger. These junk food supply enough of plain calories (no nutrition), that the body will not feel hungry at al. They often compare their kids to roadside kids. Roadside kids are really blessed. You know why, they have that divine happiness in whatever they eat.

·         Many adults say that we eat on time even if we don’t feel hungry. But what is the point eating when there is no hunger. It piles up as fat anyway. Try to get rid of the problem that is causing lack of appetite instead.

·         Exercise plays a major role in burning the calories. That means body needs energy, Need of energy mean hunger. Hunger means happiness.

·         When the body is sick we don’t feel hungry. That means body doesn’t want to do digestion. It is not in a position to do that strenuous job. Respect the body and don’t eat. For example, when we encounter the gastric pain we don’t feel hungry. Body wants the gas and the waste material to go out. But instead, we feed some more saying body needs something na. Trust me it leads to more gas and more pain.

I heard from someone that “I get fresh baked buns at my home and my kid loves them”. What is fresh and what is love. Satisfaction comes from satisfying the hunger and not the tongue. Real hunger doesn’t look for taste. Real hunger is not time bound. I mean satisfaction from food remains same from beginning to the end.

Eating food is a religious activity. That is why Indian spirituality says satisfying hunger is like devotion of god.

Perennial rivers

Fridays are very funny. I never feel like working on Friday. I think most of us spend time in cafeteria than at work. Everybody was sipping the coffee and I noticed that someone is missing. I asked where is kirti. Pramod said she is on leave. Ritesh took over and said she has a bad cold and her nose is flowing like a perennial river. I sympathized and said “cold is horrible. And it doesn’t end like that. Sneezing and after that cough, fever. Oh my god! Minimum 7 days of torture. Poor kirti! Can’t control her urge for ice creams”. Deepa added saying, now-a-days climate is not good. I think our bodies are weak. Someone added saying I take bath only with hot water otherwise I get cold. One more comment – my mother has asthma, she can’t breathe without inhaler. One more – my kid has a bad throat, wheezing. Poor chap! I can feel his pain and I couldn’t sleep the entire night.

Madhu added saying “I suggested her to take antibiotic. You never know right. It can turn into a viral attack”. Hmm…. time to go back to work….

****

Somehow with much difficulty, I dragged myself till 6 and packed up to go home. It was a memorable evening. We went out to a restaurant and had a romantic candle light dinner. Reached home at 11 and fell asleep. Tak..tak…tak…. someone is knocking the door. I think it was about 1am and I woke up with half eyes opened and my wife is sleeping unaware of the sounds. I opened the door and saw a samosa hanging there …@#$%.

For a moment I froze and horrified. It said hi! I wanted to shout but my voice is dead.

It wished again. I closed my eyes and my heart was beating 200 times a minute. I was shivering top to bottom. After a minute I opened my eyes and looked closely, it has two small holes to it. Little closer… it is not samosa but a nose. Can’t believe my eyes and I just collapsed in the chair. Couple of mins later it spoke to me. “Hi buddy! I am a human nose. I represent the respiratory system. I want to let you know about our team. Sorry to disturb you at midnight but spare me few mins of your sleep”.

With much difficulty, I said ok (what else I can do at that moment). It projected some slides on a dark sky.

****

 

·         Nostrils inhale the air into nasal cavity.

·         From nasal cavity, the air moves down to pharynx (common passage for food and air, like an intersection point for mouth and nose, Because of this we can breath through mouth also. Believe it or not it is possible to eat through nose).

·         Epiglottis (act like a gate into lungs) opens the gate to pass the air into trachea (wind pipe) after crossing larynx(sound box).

·         Trachea splits into 2 pipes called bronchus and each one of them leads the passage to lungs.

·         In the lungs air moves into smaller tubes called bronchioles.

·         Finally the air reaches alveoli. Alveoli are like a small bag which co-ordinates with blood stream to exchange O₂ with CO₂. Human lungs will have 300-400 million such airbags exchanging gases. Alveoli are the only part doing respiration, rest of the parts are just passages for air.

It asked me a question btw. Breathing is a pull system or a push system? I am still speechless. The answer is it is a pull system. Air inhaled into the lungs by the contraction of diaphragm (a muscle below the lung cavity. Remember syringe. How its knob pulls the air into it) and exhalation happens when it relaxes. Hmm I never know this!! It went on to the next slide.

·         Nose has hair. It stops and catches the dust particles and prevents them from entering into our body. God help those who get them shaved in the beauty parlors.

·         Air flows into nasal cavity. Here it gets heated and moistened. This heating process kills the germs, viruses, bacteria to a large extent. Moistening process maintain the temperature until it goes into lungs. You know why you experience the irritation in the nose when you don’t drink water. Lack of sufficient fluid in the body causes infection in the nasal cavity.

·         Nasal cavity and nasal passages are prone to virus/ bacteria attack when they are weak. Cold is an act of cleaning the infection with water by our immune system. If you take tablets to suppress the cold, it just stops the cleaning process temporarily but the problem remains. And you get cold again.

·         Here is the best. Sneezing… the most embarrassing thing right. It is an act to through away the dust/phlegm out of nasal passages. Never divert the sneeze through mouth or suppress it within.

·         After nasal cavity, the respiratory tubes produce mucus, a sticky material which catches the dust and germs which crossed the nasal cavity. What a purification system! Isn’t it? The phlegm that you spit out through mouth and through nose is a collection of mucus produced in the bronchial tubes and lungs.

·         Throat infection happens when the germs cross the nasal tubes and enter into pharynx. Obvious why doesn’t it itch when there is an attack.

·         You people complain about coughing. How else the phlegm produced in the lungs go out without coughing. I am trying to throw it away, but you suppress it with chemicals.

·         I do block nose. I don’t want the infection to go down to the lungs. I know the protection comes down if you breathe through mouth, but we have no choice.

·         My colleagues’ lungs and bronchioles don’t want you to smoke. We get choked and filled with lot of ash and dirt. But you don’t care. We cough more and become weak.

·         Whenever you eat those sweets, the immunity system goes down and my friend throat gets infected. Why don’t you care for us?

·         When you eat ice cream or drink chilled water, the temperature in the throat comes down. We try hard to keep temperature but how much can we do. Obviously we get infected.

·         You use deodorants, perfumes, and inhale lot of chemicals, pollution, and carbon monoxide. I can clean it provided I get time. Do you want me to protect you from freaky foods or from harmful chemicals? I pile them up and the infection grows into asthma. You make us helpless buddy.

·         I want some sort of physical activity to be active and to be up to my full capacity. It increases blood circulation to us and keeps us strong. It also gives me a force to push all toxins out of lungs. But……. You know what you do.

·         Today I hear about AC’s to purify the air. Can’t understand how?

·         You keep on eating throughout the day. We end up supplying oxygen to the stomach 24X7. When will we take care of ourselves? I get time only early in the morning. That’s the time the stomach is free. That is why I cough up. The moment you get up again coffee, tea….. Give us a break man!

·         Kids don’t know what to eat. What’s wrong with you man. Don’t you have a responsibility to tell what is right and what is wrong?

·         You complain on winter, rainy season, summer. I can take care of any atmosphere provided I have that energy. But you don’t have time for me.

·         Cold water bath gives me lot of energy to push the phlegm out. But you take hot water bath because you don’t like me cleaning the nasal passages.

My dear friend! I am not complaining on you. But this is a feedback from me and my fellow colleagues. Take care of us and we will take care of you. Bye…..

****

I am so touched and waving my hand. Ouch!!! Slap on my face. Guess what could have happened…..

Anyway woke up as usual in the morning at 10AM. Had coffee and sat down watching a masala movie! I know for a fact that life will change if I change. But……

Money circulation is the key for economic growth

Yeh Yeh Yeh!!!!

It doesn’t feel like summer in Bangalore from past 15 days because of rains. I think rainy season has set in already. Its cool but one thing bothers me in this season. Thanks to the dismal performance of BWSSB (Bangalore water supply and sewerage board) we have to live with contaminated drinking water, overflowing drains. Pathetic roads and erratic power supply are pouring salt on the wound.

Enough of cribbing, lets see what are we doing?

You know what! The water is drawn from the river, pumped for 200 kms to Bangalore, purified in treatment plants, and then supplied to our door step. How much of energy put into processing, pumping the water through big big pipelines and narrowing it down to reach to our house in small pipes. We use it irresponsibly to wash our cars, clean the houses, rain dances, tub baths, showers, clean hazardous chemicals and what not. How much of water is wasted and put into drains.

Drains have capacity to carry the waste water. But we litter them with plastic bags, tea cups, shopping bags, thermocol sheets, cigarette buds, coke tins, dump solid waste which will hinder the free flow of water. No wonder it overflows and contaminates ground water and stink the roads. We often complain about stink. But who creates it. I and you isn’t it? The drainage water is pumped back out of city and hazardous chemicals are removed in sewage treatment plants. Thankfully we have enough water resources today so that we don’t need to use the treated water. God knows what will happen with the generations to come.

Very simple steps conserving water, using it for right purposes, reducing the use of chemicals, disposing waste in dustbins, not littering the drains will help keep the environment clean. Think of people working in water treatment plants, cleaning the drains etc. At least appreciate their efforts.

****

Circulatory system is a very key system in our body. Blood carries the nutrients, enzymes, hormones and oxygen to each and every cell in our body for producing energy. It also brings out C0₂ and waste produced in the cells. Blood also regulates the body temperature. Heart, lungs, Blood vessels constitutes the circulatory system.

Arteries – carries oxygen rich blood, nutrients from heart to all parts of the body(the red pipes in the pic)

Veins – carries C0₂ and other waste material from body to the heart. (the blue ones in the pic)

Heart – A pump house which pumps the blood to and fro from the body.

Lungs – An excreting organ which receives the blood from heart, omits C0₂ and enriches the blood with oxygen, sends it back to heart.

It is a very complex system. Arteries carry the nutrients, oxygen to each cell à Upon consumption, cells release waste materials and C0₂ into the bloodà Veins carry this contaminated blood to heartà Heart pumps the blood to lungsà Lungs remove the C0₂ and adds oxygenà Blood travels back to heartà Heart pumps the blood into arteries again. Liver stores the nutrients and release in small quantities into the veins. Similarly kidneys filter the toxins and release the blood into veins. After adding oxygen these nutrients travel to the entire body.

This is a perennial process. Body cannot survive without blood supply. The moment heart stops pumping that’s the end of life.

****

Keeping the circulatory system healthy and energetic is very simple.

Exercise every day. Physical work induces utilization of oxygen and forces the lungs to take long deep breaths. More and more oxygen gets absorbed in the blood. Heart grows strong and pumps the blood with ease.

No smoking. Smoking induces blockages in lungs hindering in exchange of gases. Thus less oxygen is absorbed and puts undue pressure on lungs and heart to work more.

Drink lot of water. People say that drinking more water puts pressure on kidneys. You want it or not blood has to be routed through them. Water helps kidneys to release the wastes effectively and keeps the blood clean. Problems like uric acid in the blood, burning sensation in heart, kidney stones won’t crop up.

Stay away from cholesterol foods. All animal foods have bad cholesterol (LDL). Milk, ghee, Egg or fish is no exception. LDL tends to pile up in the arteries hindering the blood circulation. Lack of blood means lack of life to that particular organ. I mean paralysis. It is like algae in the pipeline hindering water flow. Vegetarian foods don’t have LDL at all. I know your next question will be about oil. Oil is a vegetarian food but in an unnatural concentrated form. No matter what brand of oil or type of oil, it produces LDL.

Shed that extra weight. Let me tell you a fact. 1 kg of extra weight will add 1 lakh kilometers of veins and arteries. Imagine the load on the heart to pump blood.

Strengthen muscles. Heart pumps the blood to the body. Fine….. but how will it come back. Heart is not sucking it…..then how??? Our muscles expand and contract to push the blood back to heart. Keep your muscles strong. Numbness in legs, swelling of ankles after journey, varicose veins are a result of weak muscle movements.

Avoid excess salt. Salt helps the body to maintain the fluid required in the body. Salt that is excess creates havoc in our body. It hinders metabolism, thickens blood and also result in hardening of arteries. Hardening restricts the movement of blood vessels and increases the blood pressure.

Control the emotions. One bad/sad thought is enough to release the toxins in our body. This will increase the heart beat and blood pressure. Always stay calm and positive.

Avoid junk food. I often hear that we don’t eat outside, cook everything at home only. How does it matter when junk is prepared at a hotel or at home? Junk includes Idli/dosa, puri, appam, fried rice, tomato bath, kara bath, pani puri, chat masala, Sweets made from sugar or jaggery also included. Take food in its natural form like fruits, vegetables, sprouts, raw rice, whole grain rotis, brown bread etc. It will nourish the body. Fiber rich foods provide soluble fiber to the blood which inturn clean the blood vessels and keep it smooth.

Avoid food after 6pm. Have a very light meal before 6pm and avoid eating after that. This will provide rest to digestive system. Less work in digestive system means less work to heart and lungs. Heart and lungs will relax completely and rejuvenate themselves in the night.

Systematic and rhythmic breathing through yoga techniques help lungs and heart function better. Our age (ayush) is measured interms of number of breaths we take. Less number of breaths, more life span. More number of breaths, early ticket to the heaven.