(Do not) Listen to your body 

By:

Dr. Madan M Vasandani

 

I am sure all of you reading this article are wondering what’s with the title. When it comes to illness and limitations, all of us know when our body is not in prime condition. When we are jogging, and our calvesstarts to hurt, we all know that we need to stop. The only time when we should NOT listen to our body is at times of hunger. Many individuals age 30 and above have reached a stage when they are constantly hungry. It’s a funny feeling because it is present most of the time. I had my lunch at 12 30 pm and now it is 1 30 and my tummy is grumbling and I am asking myself “Didn’t I just have a heavy lunch?” The question “why do we feel hungry?” seems to be very obvious to answer. It is because we need to get nutrients to survive. Hunger is the motivation for us to be able to know what we need to get the nutrients in our body. But how do we really know that we are hungry? The answer can be analyzed by three different components: biological, learned, and cognitive.

     1.    Biology – Some of the theories that are under this category includes gastric contraction – we feel hungry when our stomach contracts. Well how does this theory explain hunger in those individuals who have had a gastrectomy. Glucose theory states that hunger is due to low glucose levels in the blood. When glucose was infused into a hungry person’s blood, stomach contractions decreases but hunger persists.

      2.    Learned – As human beings, we cannot ignore our psychological part, the learned and cognitive components of hunger. We humans use an external clock in our daily routine, including when to sleep and when to eat. This external time triggers our hunger. You are your own judge of whether this theory works for you. In addition to external clock, smell, taste or texture of food also triggers hunger. Think of the last time you said “I am hungry for something sweet” People keep feeling hungry until the four tastes – sweet, sour, bitter, and salty – are satisfied.

    3.    Cognition - Colors also contribute to hunger. Looking at a yellow banana makes one to want to eat it, but a red banana does not. Similarly, red or green can trigger hunger for an apple, but not blue. It is hard to find natural food with blue color, because Mother Nature does not produce blue food. Blue is said to be an appetite suppressant. Color greatly affects our hunger.

Hunger is a primary motivation. Despite strong beliefs that hunger is caused biologically, this motivation is controlled not just by physiology, but also psychology as well. There are two kinds of hungers; one is caused physiologically, and the other is caused psychologically. What makes human beings different from animals is we eat not only to feed our bodies to satiate physiological hunger, but also to feed our minds to satiate psychological hunger as well. Although these two kinds of hunger interchangeably cause hunger by affecting one another, putting some food in our mouth is not necessarily the right way to feed our psychological hunger.

The reason why Obesity is rapidly becoming a pandemic is because it is in our nature to eat. We eat satisfy our biological needs and also our psychological need. This is the reason why the approach to management of Obesity is not only by diet or exercise but also psychological support.

Call 5706208 to book an appointment with our doctors at Centrepoint Healthcare. Remember, your health is our Centre Point.

Dancing in the rain

By:
Dr Madan M Vasandani

 

 

 The day had ended, the kids are asleep and it was time for me to unwind. I seated myself on my sofa and turned on the TV flipping through the channels. I reached an Indian channel and one of my favorite movies was playing. Like all Indian movies, this one had an outdoor scene with a beautiful Indian actress singing her lungs out while dancing in the rain with minimum clothing. The first thing that flickered in my mind (remember I am a doctor) was “Wouldn’t she catch a cold?” Well, believe it or not, that beautiful actress dancing in the rain was my inspiration to write this article. With the rainy season just at the horizon, we should all be prepared to ensure that we do not become sick. Here are some tips to prevent you and your family from acquiring common illnesses during the rainy season

 1.    Ensure your vaccinations are up-to-date– The common vaccine preventable illnesses that surfaces during the rainy season are Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Influenza. The belief that vaccines weaken the immunity is a false one; on the contrary, it enhances your immunity. Bacteria and viruses tend to proliferate in damp and dark situations. Because of this our body is exposed to higher numbers of these organisms during the rainy season. Getting vaccinated adds on to our already present natural defense mechanism. Hence, to ensure that you experience a cozy and comfortable rainy season without interruptions of infections ensure you get vaccinated.

2.    Keep your surroundings clean and DRY – If you have lived in Indonesia for a long time then you would’ve realized that Indonesian mosquitoes have become extremely sophisticated in developing strategies to sink their blood sucking needle into human flesh. So much so, that no Hollywood vampire movie could ever hope to relive it. In Indonesia, Dengue fever is most common during the end of summer and the beginning of the rainy season. After reading this article make sure you go around your house and look for places where rainwater can collect. Get rid of these potential “water dams”. Remember mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus breed in “stagnant clean water”. Keep the mosquito population in check by keeping your house clean and ensuring that all windows are protected with mosquito nets. The Dengue mosquito tends to bite between dusk and dawn.  Hence ensure that you close your windows and doors at around 5 pm and keep it closed till about 7 am. This is one of the best strategies to bring down the mosquito population in your house.  Buy the ever useful ‘electrocution’ racket and make sure it’s fully charged to give you the pleasure of electrocuting mosquitoes.

3.    Be as tough as old BOOTS– How many times have you heard or experienced a fall due to a slippery surface? Statistics prove that the number of fractures is highest during the rainy season. Ensure you wear proper footwear when you decide to walk down the treacherous sidewalks of Jakarta. Make sure you dry slippery surfaces, especially areas near doors where water tends to collect after a rainy day. Your house should also be equipped with non-slip mats. All this will minimize the risk of accidents during the rainy season.

  4.    Wash, washandwash – One of the most common diseases that the rainy season delivers is Gastroenteritis (more commonly referred to as the stomach flu). The reason for this is compromised hygiene which commonly happens at this time. Be especially careful of the vegetables that you buy. Ensure you purchase your vegetables from a reliable clean source. Wash the vegetables thoroughly under running warm water before cooking it. Wash your hands regularly as your hands can be a source of disease. Make sure you encourage your children and house staff to always wash their hands. Maintaining hygiene is of utmost importance especially during the rainy season.

5.    Go HERBAL!!– An excellent home remedy to stay healthy during the entire rainy season is to drink herbal tea. Include a number of body warming contents in this tea like pepper, cloves, ginger, mint, basil and other traditional ingredients. In a recent study, Japanese scientists found mixing a half a teaspoon of salt into 8 ounces of warm water, then gargling for at least 10 seconds twice daily reduces a person’s risk of viral infections as much as 34 percent. Consume half a cup of broccoli three to four times weekly to boost your white blood cell function. A clove of garlic a day can boost your ability to fight off flu viruses in as little as two weeks.
Personally, I love the rainy season. The thought of sitting at home sipping on a cup of mint tea with my family gives that warm sensation that the rainy season usually brings. The traffic in Jakarta will be bad, work may pile up and the floods may finally arrive but all this should not disturb this wonderful season. Stay warm and keep healthy to ensure a joyous rainy season.

Call 5706208 to book an appointment with our doctors at Centrepoint Healthcare. Remember, your health is our Centre Point.