Processed food -the reality.
“What should be.” A land of vain.
Life is difficult if a person complains “what should be”, but all sorrows melts away when they come towards “what is”.
We are doomed as long as we human beings complain about “how could this happen to me” “why is god doing this to me? He shouldn’t have done it this way.” “She shouldn’t have done that or he shouldn’t have done that to me” amongst all the “should be” we humans entertain, these are more common. There can be more like “I should have been born in another place and time” or “the government should be like this and that” or parents should be this, friend should do this, our mind knows no boundaries, the list goes on and on.
But then there is another way of looking and observing. The way of the aesthetics and the wise. The way of J.Krishnamurti and many other humans with superhuman thinking ability. The buddhas and the many saints have seen this. This method of acceptance. A method of understanding “what is” .
My wife left me, so if my head is in the loop, “I shouldnt have don’t that, that’s why she left”, or “she shouldn’t have done this to me” but rather, if I can see this way “due to misunderstandings my wife left me, we both love each other but circumstances led us apart” you will feel sad, but the burden of sorrow that one carries becomes lighter.
Another example to tackle thoughts like I should be earning more, I should get a raise, promotion, I should have been able to accomplish this much by now, look how anxious these “should be” thoughts lead us to. Instead if one can change the perspective and just accept I am earning enough though it is little, I haven’t conquered the world yet but I have become kinder to myself, I haven’t achieved a lot but I have my done things however I could in my own pace and in my own time.
This perspective, the one where acceptance and appreciation are the eyes through which we look at the world and at ourself, takes us to a peaceful, and relaxed place where sorrow ends and love begins. You become kinder to yourself, and the world. You relax, you’re at peace. You become a Buddha.
Stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety happens usually when a person’s mind is active and not his body. It happens when the mind displaces you from your present moment from your body to the past or the future or to your workplace or your spouse’s location. But stress does not happen when you come back to your present, wherever and whenever you are. So exercise, breathing exercises they bring us back to ourselves. Other things we enjoy doing, like cooking or playing football or serving your aging parents, the needy will relieve the mind off the stressful thoughts and anxieties we start developing in our lives. Even when it comes to our goals and ambitions, if we are too attached with it and think a lot about it, we will never find the initiative and the energy for that venture. We need to do more and think less.
So it’s never too late to enjoy your life because however young or however old, all we have is the present. But if you start travelling in your mind to the past or future or some place else you will loose your prescious time.
Few methods suggested for reducing stress and anxiety:-
-Exercise and yoga
-Improve nutrition
-Spending time with nature
-Spending time doing things you love (hobby)
-Spending time with loved ones
Choosing our cooking oil.
-Dr. Sashi Acharya
Today, even in the 21st century we still are debating about the cooking oil we should use for our wellbeing. There have been many opposing ideas put to the front by various nutritionists and scientists, but still a definite conclusion doesn’t seem to be clear. To be honest, me, being a doctor I was in the dark about the oil we use for cooking. As I consumed less quantity of oil in my day-to-day life, I was least bothered about what oil I used, thinking “how much could little amounts of oil damage my health”. But as I started exploring the subject, I figured out what important role the consumption of fat plays in our well-being. We need to know what we are consuming. We need to know how to select our cooking oil.
First of all, we need to make sure that the oil is free from oxygen free radicals and trans-fat. These are the most harmful compounds found in oil that can harm our health. So where do these harmful compounds come from? We know that our oil is sourced from the seeds of various vegetables by pressing them using different techniques. If the oil is processed without using high temperatures and harmful chemicals in the extraction process, the so-called product is known as a cold-pressed oil. These types of oil retain most of the vitamins like A, D, E, K, unsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega3, omega6) and are free from the harmful oxygen free radicals and trans-fat. Then there are these refined oils, which use temperatures more than 200 degree Celsius and hexane, a petroleum product, for extracting the oil. When using refining techniques, they lose a lot of the vitamins and minerals they possess which degrade to oxygen-free radicals and trans-fat which are the harmful elements that damage our body in different ways.
These toxic metabolites not only increase our LDL cholesterol levels but oxidize them and then contribute to plaque formation inside the blood vessels, including those of the heart and brain. The disruption of this plaque may cause obstruction to these vessels and lead to heart attacks and strokes. Trans-fat has also been shown to be a carcinogen. When consumed for a prolonged period of time it may contribute in the formation of various forms of cancer. On top of all these metabolites, further damage is contributed by hexane, which is used for the refining process. I don’t mean to say that all of the refined oils are bad but at the present moment the way we refine our edible oils I would suggest waiting for a better refining process or consuming a cold-pressed oil.
Now I would like to discuss about overheating these oils. They all have a smoke point, a temperature above which these oils release smoke and form trans-fat and oxygen free radicals. Sadly, whichever oil we choose, they all have a smoke point beyond which they become unhealthy for consumption. The oils which have a smoke point of less than 120C, should be used only as dressings and toppings since they can go bad easily when heated. For normal cooking, oil with smoke point of 120-160C is advisable but for frying we require oil with a smoke point more than that. Refined oils have a higher smoke point than cold-pressed oil but we cannot judge them solely on this factor.
We need to choose a cooking oil which has anti-oxidant properties which neutralizes the harmful molecules. The ones rich in Omega-3 and Omega-9 fall into this category. Opposite to this good fat, we have Omega-6 which are inflammatory, so we need to consume these in moderation as our body requires them in small amounts for normal functioning, but consuming them in larger quantities can cause harm. Ideally, we need to consume Omega3 and omega6 in 1:1 ratio. But few have a ratio close to this, so the ones with a higher omega 3 content is preferred.
We now have understood that trans-fat is a unhealthy unsaturated fatty acid. Food products should have less than 2% of it. But Food industries partially hydrogenates Omega fatty acids to make trans-fat which increases the shelf life of their food products. Most packaged foods, canned foods, chips, ice-cream, pastries and other junk and fast food all use trans-fats. These days growing children, teenagers and adults alike are very fond of these kinds of food products. We all have to learn to avoid them so that we can prevent many chronic diseases which has its root cause in the diet of an individual. The youth of today has faced an unprecedented amount of heart attacks, the incidence of which has increased along with the increase in consumption of refined vegetable oil in our society.
Now we shall discuss few of the cooking oil popular in our part of the world.
• Mustard oil. (yellow mustard/black mustard)
It has been used as the main cooking oil in Nepal, India and also in other Asian countries since ages ago. It is rich in Omega-9 (oleic acid), and the ratio of Omega6: Omega3 ratio is 6:5, and contains 13% saturated fat and has been promoted as one of the best cooking oils by scientists and doctors from India. Due to high content of Omega-9 and Vitamin E a powerful antioxidant, it has been linked to healthier heart and hence it is beneficial for people with heart diseases and diabetes. It has been a subject of controversy as it contains high amount of erucic acid, but experts have concluded after many studies that consumption in moderation has no ill effects on the health of the consumer. Cold pressed mustard oil has a smoke point of 250C hence it is very useful for frying and cooking at high temperatures without being degraded to unhealthy products. In a country like ours, where we grow our own mustard, we can access this oil at reasonable prices and buy it from a reliable source.
• Sunflower oil
It is rich in Omega-9 and vitamin E, but also contains a high amount of omega-6. Cold pressed sunflower oil has a smoke point of only 107C hence it is not used for cooking purposes. Refined sunflower oil has a high smoke point of 232C hence it can be use to fry and cook at high temperatures. But when we consider other factors, like being refined and containing high amount of Omega-6, we have other better alternatives.
• Corn oil and soyabean oil
These oils contain high amount of Omega6; hence they are not suitable for everyday consumption.
• Rice bran oil
This oil is rich in Omega6 but also contains lots of Omega3, Omega9, Vitamin E, and oryzanol-like antioxidants so many people are preferring the use of this cooking oil. Smoke point is 232C hence can be used for frying and high heat cooking methods. Only refined rice bran oil is used because cold pressed oil spoil easily. Refining rice bran oil requires a lower temperature hence it seems comparatively better amongst other refined cooking oil. • Olive oil
• Olive oil
It is available mainly as virgin and extra-virgin (cold pressed) oil. It has a low amount of omega6 and saturated fats, but is rich in omega9. Smoke point of virgin oil is 210C and extra-virgin is 190C and hence they can be used for salad dressings, cooking, but should be avoided for high temperature frying. It is grown as Jaitun in the hilly areas of Nepal (Bajhang, Bajura, Mugu, Dolopa, Rukum). Experts have suggested these hilly areas to be ideal for the farming of olives. If we could promote this it would benefit the local population in both in terms of health and economy. Today we consume only imported olive oil in our country. Due to high cost of this imported product few people have the resources to consume this. Hope in a few years’ times we can see more of home-grown products in our marketplace so we all can buy it for a more reasonable price.
• Coconut oil
It is a widely used cooking oil in southern India. This oil had been debated about due to its 90% content of saturated fats. Even though it contains a large amount of saturated fats, these do not disintegrate easily while cooking. It has been shown to have many health benefits for the consumers. Cold pressed coconut oil has a smoke point of 177C. It contains lauric acid that may increase the good HDL which is beneficial for heart health. It can be used for cooking and frying but usage of high amount is not suggested.
• Avocado oil
Rare to find and expensive to purchase, this oil is seldom seen when we go for grocery shopping in our country. It has a high content of Omega9. Its cold pressed version has a smoke point of 250C and can be used as salad dressing or for cooking and frying purposes. Compared to other edible oil, it has less amount of omega6 and a good ratio of Omega 6 and omega 3. It is growing in popularity amongst health-conscious people.
According to my understanding of these vegetable oils, I suggest the use of cold-pressed cooking oil. However good the oil may be promoted as; we should consume in moderation and not exceed 4-6 teaspoon of oil per day. Reusing the heated oil again can prove to be very costly as it may cause unprecedented damage to our body as they will have a high amount of the inflammatory trans-fats. In the United States of America, FDA has banned oils with a trans-fat content of more than 2%. Our country’s health sector should also look into these matters and control the food industry so as to preserve the health of the people in the long run. Restaurants should be informed and restricted to reuse these heated cooking oil. Before we purchase our oil any other food product from the market, we should make a habit of reading the labels and then make an informed decision.
Everest
An instrumental music piece inspired by the mightiest mountain in the world.
Perspectives
Walking past these familiar streets, I notice the noisy irritated traffic, people hurrying to get to work, a big patch of red stain on the road, remnant left by the guthkha and pan chewers, cigarette butts and food wrappers thrown all around, frustrated buisinessmen trying their best to sell their goods to the skeptic customer who always doubts if he is getting worth what he is paying for and all sort of sights but all were worthy of a complaint or two. But I remember enjoying the very sights in the street a few days
back. What has changed? Has everyone really changed in a matter of couple of days? Or is it me?
Yes. Of course it was me. I was having a sort of a bad day. I was woken up by phone calls of pending work, argument with a colleague at work, coffee machine was out of order, and was getting hardly any work done despite a long tedious day of dedication and effort. Yes one thing lead to another but I was in
this mood that not just changed my face but also the way I was thinking and functioning.
A few days back when I was in a better mood I looked ate the same streets and my heart was ravelling at the work of nature in its subtle tweaks, how it has created such beauty, full of life, full of vigour. A sight to marvel, the universe’s magic beaming with energy in the hustle and bustle of the streets, people
driving, walking, talking, shopping and enjoying the universe with all our five senses.
And I realize that we are born from the universe’s womb. All of reality, are the children, but how special this blue patch of earth is, where the universe has given birth to life and we humans have the ability to
understand it.
Illusion
Watch “Gosaikunda.” An instrumental piece from the Himalayas.
Gokyo
Being a Nepali citizen we are all proud of many things but one thing we do boast about is the highest peak in the world, the Sagarmatha, but few of us actually have had the opportunity to view this mountain up close. We too were amongst the unfortunate to not have witnessed the beauty of the Khumbu region up until the autumn of 2020 when one of our friends suggested we plan a trip to the gokyo lakes in the Everest region. The sound of that itself raised many questions as a couple of our friends involved had never been on a trek, and their first would be to the highest region in the world. WOW! Recalling this trip all I think about is to visit there again. No place in Nepal has such huge ice capped peaks at any direction you look. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Cho-yu, Kongde, and amongst many more, the most picturesque of them all Amadablam.
We took the road route from kathmandu to Salleri from where we switched to a local jeep that took us upto Kamedada. From there we began our trek as we walked on through the lush green forests stopping at villages for water, food and lodging. It is a total different experience once you start walking into the lap of the himalayas leaving the hustle bustle of the cities and go into the quiet, peaceful, and naturality of mother nature. While we usually walked during the day time through the hills, uphill and downhill, along the rivers we were able to see different landscapes, snowcapped peaks, waterfalls, some of which were frozen, and valleys and gorges. We even saw few birds we couldnt identify and different indegenous animals as well. During the evenings we would settle down at a hotel, listening to the local myths of yetis and other folklore, ther unique culture and traditions passed down generations in time shared by our caring hosts as we spent time warming ourselves in the cosy heated dining rooms.
Up until Namche we saw few peaks like Kongde amongst others but then as we walked towards HEV we got our first up close glimpse of Everest. Ama dablam looked beautiful, even more so than in the pictures I’d seen of it before. We identified Nuptse, Lhotse, Cho-yu amongst others as we were surrounded on all sides by the largest mountains in the world. We found this grassland and we took a break capturing in the moment as well as taking few pictures. A herd of Himalayan Thar happened to pass us by while we were there as they mesmerized us with their huge horns and mane.
The air kept growing thinner, smaller flowing streams and waterfalls started to freeze as we ascended towards the Gokyo lakes. It was evening when we made it to the lake, it was all cloudy and visibility was limited but still the three gokyo lakes had not lost its charm. We were excited to see the edges of the lakes frozen and there we even saw a couple of ducks swimming on the opposite edge of the cold gokyo waters. We were supposed to climb the gokyo ri the next morning so we had early dinner and tried to get some sleep. It was difficult to sleep in the thin air and the extreme cold but we were none the less excited to get to our summit and climb the gokyo ri.
We woke up early, couple of hours before dawn so that we could try and reach our destination at sunrise. But soon we found out as we began walking that steep uphill mountain with a tired body and thin air, it would take us more than 3 hours. We settled watching the sunrise as we took breaks while ascending the final climb. It took quite a toll on us but we were determined to get to the top. When we finally made it to the top it was all ecstatic and pure joy. Cold wind blowing, standing on the summit of the mountain, peaks on all sides, Cho-yu looking beautiful, Everest standing tall behing Nuptse, a wide Ngzongpa glacier running across the valley, the three Gokyo lakes in perfect blend with the mountains behind it which looked like a throne of the Gods. It was heavenly.
Mortal world
ankit 