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Interpretation of maladies
Watch a tiny ripple, in turn create so many ripples; what goes around, comes around; as you sow, so shall you reap. Hasn’t the human race always fantasised fatalism? Triumph of good over bad, saint over sinner, virtues over vice? Today, as we feel great about all that stands for evil being reduced to ashes, here’s asking the young and the breathless, what according to them is the ultimate evil that needs to be made as historical as the occasion we commemorate. Love thy nation
I wish I could... “ I really wish I could banish the ignorance and indifference in people. Sadly, while working for our NGO, we realised that half the teens don’t even know the difference between the National Song and the National Anthem, let alone who wrote them and what is their essence. Patriotism is not just about cheering during India-Pakistan cricket match. It’s also about knowing your culture, your nation, what it stands for and taking pride in it.” Jitesh Wadhawan Greed-less
We need to rid of... “One thing that we certainly can do without is greed. Greed for money, power or anything, which is insatiable. It is certainly something that we, as individuals in society, can shed. It’s greed that makes people stray from their path, from the goodness and in turn leads to so many other ills and flaws of society. We see so many greedy politicians also around us. One evil, I wish we could eliminate from society.” Avneet Sethi Core issue
We can do without... “One ill that I feel we need to eradicate is corruption. The all-pervasive corruption weakening and eating onto the fabric of healthy system. It’s because of corruption that there’s no equality. So much so that even at various places of worship, I’ve seen people bribing priests and cutting the queues. It’s because of corruption that so many laws have not been effective and remain practically not enforced. Child labour is just a case in point. So, I think we need to get rid of corruption immediately.” Ritika Nainta I, me and myself
If I had my way... “I hate the indifference in people around. One negative attitude everybody needs to shed. Apathy, indifference towards others is something we need to get rid of. All the time we’re bothered about us, our lives. So much so that we lose track of being good human beings. And, during the course of the day, there are a million ways in which we show apathy. For example, on roads by not following rules, the attitude ‘oh let me just wriggle my way out, others can remain’. I wish we became more proactive.” Pancham Prashar Word of difference
Time to put an end to... “Illiteracy. Take a look at so many of our leaders; half of them won’t even be proper graduates. For people, who are leading the country at least they should confirm to some education standards. Subsequently, it should be mandatory for every citizen of a country to be tenth pass. There are endless people exploited because they are illiterate. Plus knowledge and education also help in developing yourself as a person.” Sumedha Sachdeva Quoted trouble
Put a full stop to ... “To the reservation in our education system. So many inefficient candidates get through each year just because they have certain surnames and background. Reservation is fine until school level; if at all people need to be put on a level playing field. Beyond that it’s a vice that we need to get rid of immediately. Someone needs to do something about it.” Sushant Sharma Human touch I can’t stand... “Cruelty to animals. Otherwise we pretend to be very ethical and considerate but when it comes to animals, all our virtues go for a toss. Aren’t they creatures, just like us? Don’t they have feelings? It’s heart rending to see animal pulling loads five times his weight. Cruelty to animals needs to be weeded out immediately.” Sonika Mann Vice-president, Wildlife Conservation Society, Nawanshahar
I don’t want to see... “Ragging. In any form, in anyway, anywhere. I have personal experience of my juniors getting caught in it, The parents, the harassment, the police, it’s all so messy for everyone involved. Not to forget the so many promising and precious lives we’ve lost to this menace.” Hardik Trehan
One evil that needs to be history… “I think evils society is facing today are drug abuse and alcoholism. There’s a tavern every few kilometers and there are not just youngsters, rather people from all age groups, are hooked. Imagine the number of lives and families being ruined because of addiction or the drunken driving accidents. This is one evil that we need to overcome first and foremost. Once we are in our senses, only then can we take on other ills plaguing the society.” Karan Chhabra
Let’s all eradicate... “Dishonesty in every which way in our lives. Everywhere around, this vice is depicted through selfish outlook, through unconcern. If only we could be more dutiful, honest and dedicated in our lives and to everybody around. Each individual in society needs to be honest about his work, towards his nation, towards the society around. Only then we’ll be a progressive society.” Tushar Sofat
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Theory of frivolity
How would you define research? Something that Albert Einstein, Alfred Noble, James Watt and others in the same league carried out to enrich the world with their break-through inventions or something our present-day researchers doing to find cures for AIDS, cancer or even the H1NI? Besides these, there is another breed these days who work hard on anything, literally ‘just anything’. And that ‘just anything’ justifies itself pretty well, when we came across a study by University of Mainz, Germany, that claims that men with long ring fingers are likely to drive faster, overtake on dangerous roads and park illegally. Lest we forget, they are far more fertile than those who have small ring fingers. Another ‘very interesting study’ recently conducted by AA Insurance in London has found out that seven out of every 10 males met with an accident when a beautiful woman distracted them. Women are the obvious culprits again! “People conducting such studies are probably too fascinated by the word ‘researcher’. Earlier, research work had a serious connotation, results of which would affect the masses. Now, I wonder if the researchers themselves are able to make sense out of what they are doing,” says Sudha Khurana, a city-based dietician. We wonder too! What reaction do you expect when Professor Brian D'Onofrio of Indiana University comes out with a study that says, “Women, who take alcohol in pregnancy period end up having naughty kids. The definition of being naughty has also been elaborated, which is ‘kids of such mothers fight, bully, kick and are disrespectful to people around’.” It’s so convenient to put the blame on women again! Rajesh Gill, city-based sociologist, detests such frivolous studies, “Any research or experiment need to be done in a controlled environment, without letting the subjectivities affect it.” She talks about another vital clause of undertaking human behaviour studies, “How drinking alcohol can affect a child inside the womb will be different in almost every case. You can’t make generalisations or derive conclusions based on one study. Authenticity of results of social science studies can be determined after repeated experiments.” In a similar weird study, Cleo Cresswell, a senior lecturer in the School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sydney, claims, “The chances of divorce is generally high unless singles date at least a dozen times before they get hitched.” We absolutely fail to understand how after a grand history of 12 partners, a smooth married life is assured. And, Adarsh Kohli, city-based psychologist, has the same reaction as well, “There is no hard and fast rule as to how many partners you should date before entering an alliance. Even if you don’t date any, you can have a successful marriage.” The bizarre results, as Adarsh Kohli says, are usually the outcome of studies that have been heavily funded by influential corporate or political lobbies. “Such studies are usually opinionated. The results are in fact decided upon prior to undertaking the research.” Wish it wasn’t so! ashima@tribunemail.com
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Clinically speaking The signs
Take care
If you have to get up several times in the middle of the night to pass urine, get yourself checked because you may have prostate problems like inflammation of these glands, enlargement of the gland or even prostate cancer. Dr S.K. Singh, professor in Urology department of PGI says, “About 30 per cent of the population between the age of 45 to 80 years suffer from prostate problems. And almost 20-25 per cent would require treatment.” With age, as the gland enlarges, it presses on to the urethra thus partly blocking the flow of urine from the bladder. These problems are pretty common. “People accept prostate problems as they come. But every old individual may not need treatment,” comforts Dr Singh.
He says, researchers will take several years yet to uncover the exact cause of these problems and, while it is almost certainly the result of hormonal changes resulting from the aging process, the precise nature of these changes and the effects, which they trigger, remain something of a mystery today. Moreover, the acute infection can evolve into a persistent infection called chronic prostatitis. “We prescribe stronger antibiotics (injections) to treat this. Alpha blockers and anti-inflammatory drugs are also given,” says Dr Singh. Antibiotics help clear the infection and painkillers will help get relief. When the infection persists, it is called chronic prostatitis, says Dr Singh. The symptoms are similar to the acute infection and are milder in form but will last longer. The condition - Benign (non-cancerous) Prostatic Hyperplasia/ Hypertrophy (BPH) occurs due to an enlarged prostate, more common in older men. Dr Singh says, “A man with BPH can have simultaneous prostate cancer.” As the gland gets bigger, it interferes with the flow of urine out of the bladder. It may even cause dribbling following urination, frequent urge to urinate, especially in the night. Some men with enlarged prostates may not show any symptoms, there are others in whom the obstruction and irritation are mild and they never develop more serious problems. However, about one-third of men with enlarged prostates have symptoms that continue to worsen, and require treatment.
Treatment of BPH
Medical: Alpha-blockers help relax the muscles of the bladder and help in urination. “For large glands, we advice drugs which can shrink the size of the prostate and increase the flow of urine,” says Dr Singh. Almost 70 per cent of men feel better within a few weeks following the medication. Surgical: “In case there is urine retention and the collection of urine goes up to about 100 mm or there are other complications, do not waste time, get the surgery done. “Laser-assisted surgery is the in thing now. The procedure may reduce the need for blood transfusions due to lesser blood loss,” adds Dr Singh. The procedures in general aim at either excising a part of the prostate, burning off a part of the gland or widening the urethra or use a laser beam to excise the overgrown prostate tissue. Open surgery is performed in case of other complications. |
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BODY WISE
What exactly is protein? Proteins, like fats and carbohydrates, contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. However, proteins are unique because they also contain about 16 per cent nitrogen, an essential element for all living beings. Its fundamental use is as a building block for our whole body — muscles, tissues, hair, nails, etc - all are made up of protein. Also, if you do not have enough protein in your body you cannot build muscle mass. The body needs to break protein down to amino acids to build muscles. So, no matter how much you work out — if you don't have protein - you will not gain muscle mass. Why is protein such an important part of my diet? Protein is required for the formation of enzymes and hormones that regulate body processes. Certain proteins transport oxygen, while others facilitate muscle contraction. As antibodies, they are involved in the function of the immune system. Protein is also necessary for blood clotting and fluid balance. How much protein do we need every day? Depending on several factors, proteins should account for anywhere from 10 per cent to 30 per cent of your daily caloric intake. These factors include your activity level, your lean body mass, the type of protein you typically eat (vegetable or animal), your age, and your health status. A minimum daily protein requirement is 0.8 grams per 2.2 pounds body. What types of foods have protein? Protein is found in common foods such as pulses, fish, chicken, milk, eggs and cheese. Here are some common foods and their levels of protein: 1 large boiled egg 6 grams, 1 cup of Milk 8 grams, 150g lean meat or poultry 40 grams, 150g fish 33 grams, 150g soy beans 21grams, 150g tofu, lentils, kidney beans 12 grams, 135g baked beans 10 grams, 30g cheddar cheese 8 grams. Do we get enough protein from our diet? Many people, such as vegetarians, children, the elderly, those who exercise regularly, those who frequently diet, or those too busy to regularly eat a healthy diet, may find it difficult to consume adequate levels of high quality protein. For those who do have adequate protein in their diet, a great deal may come from high-fat sources such as red meat or cheese. Is there anything that would increase my protein requirement? There are many stresses to the body that can greatly increase your daily protein requirement, such as an infection or other illness, physical injury, or surgical trauma. Even emotional stress can increase your protein requirement, which is compounded by the fact that when under stress we tend to make poor food choices. In addition, if you exercise a great deal, or are an athlete, you will likely need greater amounts of protein. What if I don’t get enough protein? The body makes adjustments for low protein intake depending on the quality of the protein ingested and the level of energy intake. Beyond a critical point, however, the body can no longer adapt. Protein deficiency can also result in impaired growth in infants and children. Women tend to be more protein deficient than men and therefore start to lose lean muscle mass earlier than men. Who can benefit from a high quality protein supplement? Individuals who have trouble meeting their protein needs can benefit from a high quality, convenient source of protein. For vegetarians, supplementing the diet with a high quality whey protein concentrate is an excellent way to ensure that protein needs are met. What is whey protein? And what are the advantages of consuming a high quality whey protein concentrate? Whey proteins are complete proteins, supplying the body with essential amino acids required for good health. This is why whey proteins provide excellent nutrition for active teens, healthy adults and the elderly. Whey protein, once thought to be a useless by-product of cheese production, has recently become one of the most popular protein supplements. It is reported that whey Proteins are digested much faster than less advanced proteins. When is the best time to take a protein supplement? This depends on your diet and when you are eating foods rich in protein. Here are a few points when it is best to take a protein supplement: Right after a workout in the morning - Before you go to sleep - this helps prevent the protein breakdown that naturally occurs when we sleep. If you are not trying to build muscle mass then this protein breakdown is fine. Are there any dangers of taking too much protein? Yes. As with basically anything - too much of a good thing can be bad. If you take too much protein, say you weigh 150 pounds and take 300 grams of protein a day - your body will not be able to process all the protein into amino acids. What your body can not use will have to be excreted as a waste product. This means your kidney and liver will be doing a lot of work just to get the excess protein out of your body. That being said - protein supplementation is very safe if you stay within the dosage guidelines. kalrasachin@hotmail.com
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Mystic wisdom
Having emerged from nowhere and found at a pond near Benaras, the grace of God, called Kabir, illumined even the humanity by practicing the impersonal aspect (Nirguna) of the Lord and denounced the beliefs of orthodoxy, rituals and unethical ceremonies. Besides exponents of Kabir vani maestros, Prahalad Singh Tipanya, Sukhdev Singh and Santa Singh, the foremost film maker on Kabir, Bangalore-based Shabnam Virmani was in the city for ongoing Kabir festival organised by the Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi and Indian National Theatre at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan. Holding a degree on Masters of Professional Studies in Development and Communication from Cornell University, USA, Shabnam excelled as a journalist, author, artist, scholar and above all, a proponent of mystic wisdom of the 15th century literary saint Kabir. We ask her why Kabir? “The saint remains an enigma for those who attempt to explore the mystic persona of a saint without transcending their intellectual concept. In no way I claim to be one but as per the general belief only few blessed ones are chosen by God to explore, realise and propagate the ideals, philosophy and teachings of their saints or preceptor. As an Artist in Residence and teaching resource at Bangalore and also as director of the Kabir Project, I have attempted to capture the essence of Kabir bani through audio-visual, multimedia web-museum of Kabir music and poetry besides dynamic coordination with community and folk singers so that the message reaches to the masses. On a question as how she relate Kabir with his contemporary spiritual patriarchs from all religions, especially contextual to her research work in Pakistan, she says, “Having traveled in India and Pakistan to document the feelings, reactions about the gospel of love and social equality preached by Kabir, I feel Kabir undeniably remains the only reformer saint whom Hindus and Muslims adore as their preceptor. He is worshipped in spirits because of his remarkable spiritual earnestness and a profound proponent of humanism, communal harmony and brotherhood . To follow his philosophical ideals are the only answer in the moments of moral conflict like the Godhara carnage, Sikh riots, Babri mosque or say every ill motif of the social enemy. Kabir vani is the elixir of life.” |
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Holiday on the couch
Star TV leading the pack, and sticking to its tradition of dedication to festivals, brings special episodes of its primetime soaps with Dussehra celebrations. If you are not the television soap types then catch some Hollywood masala with your favourite and latest blockbusters on Star Movies. The week-long Dussehra special is packed with movies for all moods. Where you have 27 Dresses to hook you up there is P.S. I Love You, Jumper, Hot Shots and many more to glue you to the idiot box.
For the kids, don’t loose heart there’s a world waiting here too. Cartoon Network presents special episodes of popular shows. Watch Ben 10 fight Alien forces and join Anakin Skywalker in Jedi’s struggle to fight evil Dark Vader in Star Wars: the war of the Clones. The housewives and bahus of the family have their hands full too, with their favorite serials celebrating Dussehra by dishing out one hour specials. Sony Entertainment has one hour Dussehra combo episode of Bhaskar Bharti and Ladies Special on Monday, September 28. So, enjoy the action at home if you are not game for outdoor festivities. — TNS
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FANatics
As soon as Khan entered Md Sporting Club grounds, a huge crowd lunged towards him, forcing the organisers to cancel the event which was organised to promote his latest release Wanted. "The organisers should have been more careful in the security part. Police personnel are already busy with the Durga Puja here. It was looking dangerous and so we decided to return," said film producer Boney Kapoor, who accompanied the actor to the city. The 43-year-old actor, who has volunteered to become the brand ambassador of Indian football to promote the game, was also scheduled to inaugurate a tent at the club premises. His film Wanted was released last week to packed cinema houses. — PTI
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Look who’s hiding!
To avoid being mobbed, Bollywood actor Mallika Sherawat wore a burqa during her visit to this city on Friday. Minutes after alighting from a plane at Devi Ahiliya Bai Airport, Sherawat put on a burqa to hide her identity. "I repeatedly requested her to remove the burqa for a while and pose for a photograph, but she did not. So I took her snap in the burqa itself ," a press photographer, who had waited for a long near the airport to take her photograph said. The actor had come to take part in a function here. According to press photographers, this was not for the first time that Sherawat had sported the burqa to avoid being mobbed. — PTI
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In the fitness of things
Parul
Bakshi,
Anita
Jaswal,
Nishtha
Malhotra, Readers’s write
Do you believe in counting your calories during festival season or you don’t mind going on a binge? |
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Rag-marole
Evil spirit
Honest confession
Explaining the acute prostatitis — an infection caused by bacteria that get into the prostate by travelling up through the urethra, he says, “If a person suffers from fever, chills or pain in the lower back and between the legs, or pain while urinate, it might be the case of acute prostatitis.” 
Protein is essential to our body. It helps in the growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues. It acts as the energy source while we do any physical work. Here are answers to some of the most commonly sought questions regarding proteins.
Pothi pad pad jag mua pandit bhyo na koye/ Dhai akshar prem ke padde so pandit hoye. (None found enlightenment reading big tomes. Those realising the essence of love got emancipation). Such wisdom incarnate utterances of the divine philosopher and literary saint Kabir had been influencing the mindset of humanity for over six centuries and his teachings hold all-time relevance for society and culture.
The best possible thing one can do on a holiday is sit, relax, and watch television. That is after the exhaustive shopping, pujas and cleaning the house. And getting cue from this leisure viewership, the channelwallahs are ready to dish out their dose of festive bonanza. Cash in on movies, specials and surprises in the week-long affair.
Zee Studio is also not behind, they have their stock full with Barbershop 2, Goal, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, The View From The Top and Gross Point Blank. 
A friendly football match, in which Bollywood actor Salman Khan was scheduled to play, was cancelled today after the star was mobbed by an unruly crowd at a local football club ground in Kolkata.
I will not bring in any changes in my lifestyle following the published studies. All one needs to keep fit is have healthy diet which comprises green vegetables, pulses and milk products. Some exercises and yoga can help anyone keep fit and you certainly don’t need any study to establish this fact.
It is very wise to alter the diet chart and life style according to published health studies. So many times we come to know about treatments of problems like from Baba Ram Dev health books that we have not heard ever and are very helpful and beneficial. Moreover these are free of cost and saves time as compared to consulting Doctor for health tips. 
All the studies published in any newsletter are the result of an extensive survey by an individual or a group who are expert in their respective fields. In such studies, complete data is also mentioned that lends authenticity to any
experiment. Thus, I would surely not hesitate to alter my diet chart and lifestyle if it benefits my health and fitness.