Author: Anil Malik

Kidneys are two small, bean-shaped organs that sit below the ribs on either side of the spine. Roughly the size of a fist, kidneys are in charge of filtering the blood and removing the toxic substances from the food we eat, expelling these toxins out in the form of waste products. They also help in maintaining the delicate balance of fluids in the body. The breakdown of kidneys can lead to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), which is a common term that covers the damage to kidneys. Two main causes of CKD are high blood pressure and diabetes, and the various symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, muscle cramping, swollen feet and ankles, lack of appetite, itchy skin, and the frequent need to urinate. Anyone can be at risk of potential kidney disease, but maintaining a healthy lifestyle can considerably reduce the risk. Here are some safeguards for protecting kidneys: 1 Red Meat–…

In this weekend’s blog, I am back on sports and this time it is Tennis. A few weeks back one of the greatest players in tennis ROGER FEDERER celebrated his 42nd birth anniversary. He may have retired from professional tennis, but there is no reason we can celebrate him turning 42 years young, here’s a stat for each one of his 42 years so far: 1 is for No. 1, where Federer spent 273 straight weeks from 2004 to 2008, the longest streak at No. 1 in either ATP or WTA.Total 310 weeks at No. 1. 2 is for winning two different majors five years in a row each, he is the only player (male or female) to do so, winning 5 Wimbledons in a row from 2003 to 2007, and 5 US Opens in a row from 2004-2008. 3 is for winning 3 majors 5 (or more) times. He…

CABBAGE  does not really figure in the top five favourite vegetables of most people. It is a humble, available throughout all seasons kind of vegetable in India. It is used widely in salads, burgers, and tacos, especially in the West. In India, the Patta Gobi, or cabbage is cooked in various ways to make it into some tasty dishes. Though not a popular one, cabbage is actually one of the healthiest vegetables, coming from a cruciferous family of vegetables. It is loaded with nutrients, that have a lot of health benefits. Consumption of cabbage helps reduce the chances of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. What’s more, it even helps improve your morality, and gives you lots of energy. It is also easy to cook and store and has a longer shelf life than most of other vegetables. It can also be cooked independently, or mixed with some pulses or other…

Friends, while going through today’s newspaper one news item caught my eye. The news was about a court case in the Bombay High Court about SURROGACY, and after reading the news I started browsing the internet about the latest surrogacy laws in India. In reality, surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman (the surrogate) agrees to carry and give birth to a child on behalf of another person or couple, the intended parent(s). When money is paid to the surrogate for her services, it is taken as an act of commercialisation, Indian laws ban commercial surrogacy and make it a non-bailable and non-compoundable offence to undertake commercial surrogacy. Now let us see the Indian laws on surrogacy: 1 Eligibility– the couple who wishes to have a child through surrogacy, has first to approach a government medical board, consisting of obstetricians, pediatricians, and other specialists. The couple should be between…

United Nations (UN) has declared the decade of 2021-2030 as the DECADE OF HEALTHY AGEING. This is part of an agenda for sustainable development, leaving no one behind. One of the identified action items to achieve this is urging governments globally to support healthy ageing. It translates to senior independence with less hospitalization and healthcare expenses. Here are some of the most important aspects of senior independence: Physical independence that guarantees mobility. Emotional independence that aids healthy living. Financial independence that gives freedom of choice. Social independence that gives sense of inclusivity. Let us go into detail of these 1 Physical Independence It is the ability to move freely without depending on others. Being healthy is the best way to retain your mobility. To remain healthy, one must focus on diet. Back it up with regular exercise because it matters. Periodic health check-ups are a must, even if you feel…

A few days back the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued its new regulations, and one of the main regulatory points is that Medical conferences in star hotels with cocktail dinners and cultural programs might become a thing of the past. This new regulation bars doctors’ involvement in any seminar, workshop, or conference which involves direct or indirect sponsorships of pharma companies.  Actually, NMC is the apex regulatory body for medical education and practice in India. What are the NMC’s new guidelines? 1 Social Media Usage Guidelines Doctors can provide information online, ensuring it is verifiable and not misleading. Prohibition on discussing patient treatment specifics or sharing patient scans. Restriction on sharing patient testimonials, images, and videos. Prohibition on soliciting patients directly or indirectly through social media. 2 Right to refuse treatment Doctors may refuse treatment to abusive, unruly, or violent patients or their relatives. Doctors may deny treatment if the…

In today’s weekend blog, I am writing about some interesting trivia about Hindi films. You must have observed that many times the actor/actress has given the best performance of his/her career but yet that work goes unawarded by Bollywood’s popular awards namely Filmfare awards. Here are a few such performances which definitely deserved the award: 1 Aamir Khan for Rangeela The perfectionist had given his best performance in the 1995 film Rangeela. He had played the most memorable role of Munna and focused on his body language and local Mumbaikar accent which in everyone’s opinion was too good. The actor’s hard work and dedication were seen in the film. The critics and masses had highly predicted that he will walk away with the Best Actor award. But instead, the award was given to Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) for Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), which was a SRK’s routine performance, there…

Friends, sometimes I wonder whether the system in which our country is operating,  is it equal for all the citizens? To me, it looks like the polity class, elite class, bureaucracy class, judiciary, and police hold an advantage in day-to-day life, which is not available to the common citizens. It looks like the common laws do not apply to them, and they get away with certain crimes for which the ordinary person will be punished. Secondly, these classes of people use the law to their advantage so that they get maximum benefits out of it. Here are a few examples: 1 You must have noticed whenever a big political leader is arrested for a certain crime, the first thing that will happen is that he/she gets some cardiac problem, and instead of remaining in prison they enjoy the comforts of the hospital. A recent example that happened in Mumbai is…

There is well known saying that  ‘Travelling is one of the best and most important well-being tools’. Travel gives you a new lease of life, helps you make or strengthen friendships, explore new hobbies and much more. Seniors, if they are medically fit, should priortise comfort, convenience, and safety throughout their journeys. Many travel-related issues can be addressed, about when you are planning or travelling and when you are packing for travel. With the availability of many Apps, hotel booking, bus/cab booking, train/air ticket booking etc have become easier. Here are a few suggestions for some must-have things to include in your travel checklist, and if needed change the same slightly every time based on destination, weather conditions, etc. 1 Relevant Documents We generally do not pay much attention to documents unless we go abroad when we need a passport, tickets, ID (it can be your Aadhar card/driving licence), insurance,…

On 11th August 2023, the Government of India introduced three new Bills in the Lok Sabha to repeal and replace the legislation-the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and Indian Evidence Act (IEA). 1 BHARTIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023 The bill has been introduced to repeal and replaces the existing IPC to streamline the provisions related to offences and penalties. The salient features of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, are as follows: The Bill introduces community services as one of the punishments for petty offences. The offences against women and children, murder, and offences against the state have been given precedence. Various offences have been gender-neutral. In order to effectively deal with organized crime and terror activities, new offences have been introduced in the Bill with deterrent punishments. The Bill introduces new offences on acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, or endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of…