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TOO MUCH
CRICKET? Guilt
bites Fitness
mantra |
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TOO MUCH
CRICKET?
IS the Indian team really playing too much cricket? The answer will be different if it were to come from different people. For the players currently touring Sri Lanka, they are definitely playing too much cricket, especially if one were to believe the team's SOS to the board. The powers that run the BCCI, however, are not willing to believe that the Indian cricketers are playing too much cricket and they point to contractual obligations. (It is these contractual obligations which will see India not fielding a team and thereby losing out a medal in the coming Asian Games.) And, as one BCCI official put it, the issue of too much cricket only comes up whenever the Indian team loses a match (the SOS incidentally came immediately after Indian had lost their opening match against New Zealand in the ongoing tri-series in Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 200 runs). For the paying public, the huge number of matches played by the cricketers is not of much consequence since in any case, the large number of cricketing centres in India helps in the rotation of matches from centre to centre and, therefore, the fans can never have too much of cricket or the cricketers. One of the suggestions made by the Indian players was to prune the upcoming three-Test series against the Kiwis in November at home to a two-match affair so that the preparations for the following South African tour can be advanced by a week. In the run-up to the World Cup, however, India play a total of four Tests and 10 ODIs against tough opposition. As much as the team management is dreading the prospect of injuries to one or more of the stars who will play in the World Cup, the possibility of being an under-prepared unit is even scarier. But with the 2011 Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be played in the subcontinent barely six months from now, it is time to assess two things. One, whether the team is indeed playing too much cricket and two, whether the schedule drawn up by the board for the Indian team helps it to reach its full potential by the time the World Cup gets under way. In any case, it must be remembered that too much cricket is bound to have a deep impact on the performance on the Indian team in the World Cup, and that is something nobody would want. Looking at the performance of the Indian team, one wonders why has not the team settled down as yet in spite of so many experimentations by the national selectors and the team management. India's problems are many: Is Ravindra Jadeja good enough to occupy the place he holds in the playing eleven? Is there an in-form all-rounder who can replace Ravinder Jadeja, or should the part-time spinners fill the role of the fifth bowler in the subcontinent? Is Virender Sehwag a specialist batsman who can bowl a little, or has he developed into a full-scale all-rounder? Is medium-pacer Abhimanyu Mithun good enough to hold his place in the Indian team? Should Virat Kohli play in the middle order, or should Rohit Sharma be persisted with? Will Ishant Sharma's form dip further if he is looted for runs in this format? And how long will Dinesh Karthik continue to squander good starts? It is to these problems that the team management should be looking for answers. In the middle order, which is yet to recover fully from the absence of a player like Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma has been having a tug-of-war with Virat Kohli over a spot in the team for some time now. Both batsmen have had their chances to cement their places in the squad, but neither has done so. Rohit has wasted more opportunities but he's made a comeback in recent times. He can bowl spin but Kohli can bowl medium-pace, and both were tagged with attitude problems in the past. Kohli is a better fielder than his Mumbai teammate and in a format, where every run matters. This sometimes has tilted the balance in favour of Virat. The future perhaps belongs to both, but can Rohit grasp his chance now? These two will have to come good if India are hoping to put up a good combination for the World Cup. Is India really playing too much cricket? In the past 12 months, India have played a total of 10 Test matches, 34 ODIs and nine T20 matches. In contrast Australia, who are bound to pose a serious challenge in the coming World Cup, have played a total of 11 Tests, 40 ODIs and 15 T20 ties in the same period. So, where is the question of playing too much cricket? What, in fact, should
cause concern is Australia’s win-loss record in ODIs as compared to
India in the same period. In the 40 matches that Australia have played,
they won 30, lost eight, while there was no result in two games. In
contrast, India won just 17 of their 34 games, lost 15 while there was
no result in two games. This is an area which should cause concern to
the Indian players since they not only play for money but also for
pride. Is the pride missing from the Indian team? One grapples for an
answer. |
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Guilt
bites
They are racked with anxiety as they pop open a bag of crisps or unwrap a chocolate bar. The disturbing trend was highlighted in research suggesting millions of young people have a dysfunctional relationship with food. Retail analysts Mintel says that girls, in particular, are more likely to eat to cope with stressful situations, perhaps copying their mothers. Girls are also more likely to comfort eat than boys when unhappy. When coupled with evidence that teen girls do much less exercise than boys, this points to a greater risk of weight gain and worsening health. Three in every ten children, equivalent to around 3.47million, are now defined as obese or overweight. Some 40 per cent of girls aged 11 to 15 have some guilt about what they eat and are often on diets as a result. The figure for boys was 20 per cent. "Feeling guilty about eating is more common among girls. This perhaps reflects the higher pressure that women put themselves under in terms of weight and appearance, The Daily Mail quoted Michelle Strutton as saying. "Obviously, this starts at a young age and could be "learned" experience from their mothers. Our report found women are more likely than men to eat when stressed," she added. Comfort eating is likely
to lead to feeling guilty for indulging in a treat to cheer you up. The
report was published in the journal, Archives of Internal Medicine.
— ANI |
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Fitness
mantra
Why we need iron Iron is found in every cell in the body. It is essential to the formation of haemoglobin, the component of the red blood cell. Iron plays an important role in transferring oxygen from the lungs to tissues. Our cells use oxygen to make energy from the food we eat. About 80 per cent of the iron in a healthy body is available for carrying oxygen. Sixtyfive per cent of body iron in red blood cells is haemoglobin. Disorders due to deficiency Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies and is particularly prevalent in women and children in most part of the world. In our country, the prevalence of iron deficiency is perhaps the highest in the world. Without adequate iron, red blood cells cannot carry enough oxygen to other cells in the body. Iron inhibitors Phytates from cereals (wheat, rice and maize), oxalates from green leafy vegetables, tannins and polyphenols in tea and coffee and excess calcium as supplements can decrease iron absorption. Our vegetarian diet consisting predominantly cereals and dals high in phytates and low in iron bioavailability. This is further compromised when tea or coffee is drunk with a meal. Mineral enhancers Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a potent enhancer of iron absorption. Studies have shown that addition of one glass of orange/guava juices to a breakfast meal was found to increase iron absorption from 3.7 per cent to 10 per cent. Thus, the best way to increase bioavailability of iron in our vegetarian diet is to consume Vitamin C rich fruits like amla, guava, orange, lemon and vegetables with meals and to reduce phytate content by appropriate home level processes such as germination, fermentations, steaming and avoid tea/coffee with the meals. Further, cooking in iron pots can increase the iron content of foods. Significant transfer occurs during simmering of acidic foods, especially tomatoes. Simple supplements Some people need iron supplements. These people include pregnant women and people with an iron deficiency. People who do not get enough iron from food may choose to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains iron, but only on the advice of your physician.
The writer is a dietician, Department of Dietetics, PGI |
AROUND
four in every 10 young girls feel guilty about what they eat, a research
has found. Many young girls feel guilty about what they eat against a
background of stress, emotional upset and peer pressure to be
stick-thin.
WE
always associate iron with its presence in the blood and its deficiency results
in low haemoglobin levels, hence anaemia. But is iron present only in the blood?
Of course, not. Iron is found naturally in foods. In non-vegetarian sources
called heme-iron, which have higher level of absorption, and vegetarian sources
called non-heme iron having lower level of absorption due to anti-nutritional
effect. The total quantity of iron in the body varies with haemoglobin
concentration, body weight, gender and the amount of iron stored in various
tissues. The average adult man has about 3.8g of body iron and adult woman has
about 2.3g of body iron.
Use
iron utensils for cooking foods.