Author: Anil Malik

CHRONIC PAIN is a common issue among elderly people. However, they often ignore and deal with it in their ways till the matter worsens. For those suffering from arthritis, diabetes, neurological diseases, cancer, or even cardiovascular issues, this is common. Back pain is the most common among seniors. Also, vertebral compression and osteoporosis, because of ageing are the cause of pain in post-menopausal women. Even Vitamin D deficiency emerged as a significant cause of back pain in women. Most of the seniors learn to live with pain and describe it differently than young people. They use words such as discomfort and aches and may visit doctors for options to reduce pain through prescription drugs. Few explore alternative therapies for pain management. However, some special challenges exist for effective pain management in seniors, especially when they are on regular medications. Physiological Changes The physiological changes come into play and should be…

Some happenings in the country during the last few days caught my attention, and I would like to share the same with you. 1 After the Congress party won the Karnataka state elections, one thing which has come out in the open is that Congress is really a party for Muslims. During the election campaign, to please the Muslim voters they announced in their manifesto that after coming to power they will ban the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu outfit. But when there was widespread agitation against this they had to backtrack this banning. After the election results were announced and the Congress party was busy deciding about who will become CM, that time a Karnataka Muslim leader’s video went viral on social media where he openly said the Muslim voters of Karnataka are instrumental in the Congress’ victory. More than 70 seats were won by Congress because in those constituencies…

You must have heard of common tips to manage high blood pressure: exercising regularly, avoiding stress, controlling the intake of salt, and the like. However, most advice ends up being in general without specific to-dos. This is where the DASH eating plan offers a practical useful, and sustainable way for everyone to manage hypertension without requiring any special foods. It provides daily/weekly goals which can be easily followed by all. Multiple studies have found that the DASH eating plan helps reduce blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, two risk factors for heart disease. What is DASH? DASH stands for Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet includes foods that are rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium, the nutrients, which help control blood pressure. This diet limits foods that are high in sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. It also restricts sodium intake to 2300 mg daily, which is approximately the…

As per the statement issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19th May 2023, the government has decided to withdraw Rs 2000 CURRENCY NOTE from circulation, and the last date of exchange for the Rs 2000 currency note is 30th September 2023. The notes can be exchanged from any bank but at one time you can exchange for only Rs 20,000, ie one can exchange only ten Rs 2000 currency notes at one time. Alternatively one can deposit the available currency notes with you in your bank account, while depositing in your bank account there is no limit. Post this announcement, social media is abuzz with speculations about the nature of this move with many comparing it with the 2016 mega demonetisation drive. It is fundamentally wrong to compare the withdrawal of Rs 2000 notes with the 2016 demonetisation move. Here are five reasons for this: 1 Unlike…

The mother has a glorified place in Bollywood films. Women cast in the roles of mothers have shaped our understanding of what mothers are- the provider, the nurturer, and the glue that binds the family together. From Mother India to ‘Mere Paas Maa Hai’ in Dewar, the Bollywood mother has often been a pivotal character, enduring hardships to raise children, admonishing her wayward son for the larger good,  and placating irate daughters-in-law. The mother is an all-weather source of wisdom, energy, and hope. But like any rule whose best proof lies in exceptions, Bollywood films have a fair share of BAD MOTHERS, in the mould of Kaikeyi from Ramayana and Kunti from Mahabharata. Here are some bad mother characters in Bollywood films: 1 Mrs Gupta (Achla Sachdev) in Kora Kagaz 1974 The truth is that every mother loves to see her daughter lead a materially comfortable married life. But in…

Hair has always been considered a symbol of youth and vitality. So, when those first few strands of grey or white make an early appearance, it can be surprising and unsettling to experience PREMATURE GREYING, or the loss of hair colour at a younger age than expected, is phenomenon affects many people around the world. Premature greying is a common problem faced by people of all ages. It can be quite disheartening to see grey hair appearing in your 20s or 30s when you least expect it. While greying is a natural process, the onset of grey hair before age of 30 is considered premature in Asians. What is Premature Greying? It refers to the condition where an individual’s hair begins to turn grey before the typical age of greying, which depends on race and ethnicity. In Indians, greying of hair before the age of 25-30 years is usually considered…

When we talk about the love memorial, the first memorial which comes to our mind is the Taj Mahal. This has been taught to us from childhood that this is the greatest love memorial in the world, which emperor Shah Jahan built in memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal. Actually, the fact is, how this can be considered a love memorial when Shah Jahan was not Mumtaz Mahal’s first husband, and secondly, after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, Shah Jahan married her younger sister? There is another fact floating in the history books is that Shah Jahan ordered the hands of the workers who were involved in the building of Taj Mahal to be amputated after the monument was complete. What kind of love is this? Some Indian historians, now are saying that if you go by ancient history then there is one more love memorial that stands out against…

Friends, recently while browsing the internet I came across an article on a different kind of healing therapy, which is known as GROUNDING THERAPY. When the human body connects with the surface of the earth which provides us energy and re-balances our body system, this therapeutic technique is known as grounding or earthing. Have you ever felt the sensation of warmth while walking barefoot on the grass or at the beach? It is the natural energy flowing from earth subtle through the soul of your feet. These are the movement of earth’s free electrons into your body which reduces inflammation, and chronic pain making your sleep better, improves circulation, and more. Grounding is to make an electrical connection to the earth’s energy which involves the simplest form of walking barefoot in the grass, dirt, or sand. It can also be done indoors by more technical approaches by using grounding mats…

Last weekend, two important things happened in the country. First was the judgment by the Supreme Court (SC) in the case of the feud between the factions of Shiv Sena ie Uddhav Thackeray group and Eknath Shinde group, and the second was the result of the Karnataka state assembly elections. Both these may have heavy repercussions on the Indian polity in the future.  SC and Shiv Sena case Friends, you all will recall that Eknath Shinde of erstwhile Shiv Sena, who was a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, along with 39 other MLAs left the Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray, and formed separate group claiming to be real Shiv Sena. This breakaway group got the support of the BJP, and then CM Uddhav Thackeray fearing the loss of the majority resigned as the CM. The new government was formed with Eknath Shinde as CM, in…

Some Bollywood movie facts that will make every 2000s kid will say ‘Hey I never knew about it’. 1 Shah Rukh Khan’s kids have apparently never seen the actual ending of the film ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’. Karan Johar, the director, was kind enough to make special edit of the film for them where the story ends before Aman (played by Shah Rukh Khan ) dies. 2 Farah Khan, director of ‘Om Shanti OM’ thought that Deepika Padukone gave a terrible screen test for the film. In fact, the production team thought her diction was so bad they had to turn the sound off. But Farah was so taken by Deepika’s beauty, that she decided to cast her anyway and dub her voice in selected scenes. 3 Karan Johar was so stressed during the shooting of the song “ Bole Chudiyan” (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham) that he fainted due to…