Keto Diet for Diabetic Relief

Based on Keto diet this is an accelerated but temporary(non sustainable) diet which can be adopted for no more than 6 weeks and Ideally 4 weeka
This version of Keto requires 70-80% of calories from Fat, 15-20% from Protein, 5% from Carbs. 

1)    Fat diet (70 grams- 100 grams daily)

a.    Coconut oil

b.    Butter

c.    Olive Oil

d.  Avocado

2)    Water(4 litres daily)

3)    Protein

a.    Meat – 200 Gms for women

b.    Cottage Cheese – 50 to 100 gms

c.    Eggs upto 6 whole eggs

4)    Lemons(3 per day) or Apple Cider Vineger

5)    Salata with nuts and lots of Extra Virgin olive oil. No bread crumbs

6)    Bone Broth whenever feeling weak

7)    Multi vitamin tablets(1 – 2 per day)

Items to be avoided

All insulin spiking foods Wheat Products (Bread, Cakes, Pizza, Pasta), Sugars in all forms,milk, corn, beans, refined oils, rice, fruits, fruit juices, junk food, raw banana, peas, peanut, tubular and root vegetables, potatoes, legumes and beans

Key Thoughts:

The whole idea is to get the body in a state of Ketosis and contain insulin dependency and spikes. 

This is achieved by using minimal carbs in the diet and making the body depend of Carbs to synthesis and generate energy.  Once the body gets into Ketogenic state it relies on using up fats consumed and fats available in the body..

Combing Keto with  Intermittent Fasting and moderate activity will accelerate the weight loss substantially. Intermittent is maximizes autography, where the body actively destroys and replaces the old cells with new ones with greater efficiency. A keto with 16:8 intermittent fasting(16 hours of fasting and 8 hours eating window) is something I highly recommend.

For beginners Keto flu is very common as body adopts to the change in the habits. To counter this one can have bone broth or Mayo to ease into the Ketogenic diet. Keto flu should subside within 2 to 3 weeks.

Paleo Vegetarian: Valeo

The principles of paleo

The Paleo diet is based on the presumed dietary habits of cavemen. In other words, a hunter or gatherer lifestyle in which they are opportunistic and eat whatever they find, while living in harsh and physically demanding conditions.

The diet eliminates dairy and grains but retains meat. Furthermore, there are no starchy foods, alcohol, sugars (except those found naturally in fruit), or convenience foods of any kind. For a Pagen or Valeo diet, I would have to eliminate animal products from my diet.

I've been a vegetarian (eating eggs and dairy) for over 18 years, and transitioning to vegan and grain-free is a huge challenge. The biggest concern is where I'm going to get my protein. I was able to control my protein intake by regularly consuming Whey Protein, Plant Protein shakes, and eggs. So I am a lot nervous.

There were very few paleo resources for vegetarians. Flustered, I began to question whether I had met my match in this challenge. I was also doing 45 minutes of MMA-style cardio workouts. Here's how I managed 6 days per week.

Morning

1 Gallon Water

½ Glass of Warm water with Honey & lime

½ Glass of Water with Apple cider Vinegar

Mid Morning:

Vegetable smoothie with Raw Protein powder and herbs

I cup of sprouted mung bean

4 Dates

6 Soaked Almonds

6 Soaked Walnut Halves

6 Soaked Cashews

6 Soaked Pistachios

Lunch:

Green Salad, with carrots, cherry tomato with Goji Berries and Raspberry with dressing

Boiled Potatoes, Broccoli, Carrots

Post Lunch Snack:

Black Tea

4 Dates

1 scoop of shredded coconut

Dinner:

Any cooked vegetable

Odd Sweet Potatoes chips or Vegetable chips

2 Fruits bowls: Blueberries, Strawberries, Grapes, and Citrus Fruits

Avacado

And sometimes one Rice Dosa / Pancake/Clatite

The start … 

The first week of the diet was a major adjustment period. I've never felt restricted while being vegetarian. However, adding paleo meant learning to live without grains, dairy, and convenience foods. Food suddenly felt very constricting.

With reduced carbohydrate intake, the body learns to burn fat instead of sugar. It's actually a good thing because it allows the body to use fat as fuel instead of glycogen reserves, which are easily depleted.

For the first week of the diet, I dealt with fatigue, incoherent thoughts, and took it easy during my workouts. This fatigue was not as bad as the withdrawal symptoms I experienced when I stopped eating rice in the evening. This was something I could bear and deal with it. It’s just that I felt hungry and stomach growled every few hours.  And then, on the fourth day, I woke up and felt good, never to look back.

The weeks after….

After some time and minimal fatigue, I realized that it wasn't as difficult as I had thought.

Yes, I'm having to adjust to getting enough protein without my usual sources. I was sure I'd miss the homemade rice-based dishes, Roti, and my favorite beans, but it turns out I can be just as satisfied without them. Dates, coconut, smoothies, and fruit salads provided cleaner energy than grain-based foods.

Overall, my consumption was healthier than before. Aside from the occasional lapses, it was a completely clean diet. I thought I did a pretty good job of eating healthy previously, but taking away convenience foods forced me to eat more fruit.  or to snack on vegetables instead of a Luna bar.

The surprising results (19 pounds!?)

I had started this diet for more of a spiritual reason. Being on a Satvik diet helps us being more connected to self, be more aware of self and also be sensitive to our senses, which all help us in the spiritual growth.

I did lose weight, though. Nineteen pounds, to be exact. In 8 weeks My body fat percentage also dropped from 29.5 to 24.9 percent. Neither did I get the six-pack abs.

Vegetarian paleo is still a lot of work. There’s so much planning involved, and my spouse helps me out on this so I have little to worry.

Wait (40 pounds in 35 weeks!?)

I maintained my diet as a full-fledged lifestyle. I took occasional breaks while on vacation. I went off the diet for 2-3 weeks while on vacation. At that point, I was eating eggs, grains, and occasional sweets or desserts. However, the body used the vacation to rest and recover from the shock of workouts and low caloric food. When I restarted my workout and diet routine, things continued to improve from where I left off. I don't think I experienced any weight loss plateaus. However, I would be short of breath during activities that required a lot of energy, such as lifting weights or playing.

Even after coming down to near 160 lbs from 205 lbs I still have some fab, the stubborn muffin top and chest fat persists. May be getting down to 150 lbs would cut that fat out, but at that point I am afraid I am going to be terribly skinny. I am now comfortable into getting Size 30 pants and had to redo the entire wardrobe and tailor fit a lot of my shirts.

So the next time someone tells me vegetarians can’t follow a paleo diet, I’ll be quick to share my eight-week experiment and how I maintained the weight.

Insane with Insanity Max Cardio workouts

What started as scary cautious journey in the last week of February has finally ended in the last week of April. After completion of my 30-week Turbofire journey, I embarked on a much tougher journey of insanity.
Insanity is a home-fitness video program put together by Shaun - Thompson (Shaun T) a trained choregrapher and fitness instructor. His earlier programs including Hip Hop Abs, Rockin Body, Get Real with Shaun T.

Insanity is based on the concept of Maximum interval training / Tabata, where the intervals are typically 3 minutes compared to 30sec of intervals of regular interval training. The program is a 40min duration for the first month and around 60 minutes for the last month.

I was very scared and skeptical of starting this program for its intensity and high-impact workout requiring rigiorous moments and thus risking injuries. Personally, back pain, neck pains and knee pain during the period was surreal. Post workout muscle soreness (POMS) was very high during the initial 2 weeks. I was unable to walk properly for the first two weeks my thighs and especially the calves where aching the entire time; I didn't mind the soreness.

Anyways I made the best of the time, followed a tight diet, I was consuming 200-300 calories more than I was while on Turbofire. At end of turbofire I weighed around 190 lbs (I started at 207 lbs), at the end of insanity I was close to 181 lbs (Loss of 9 lbs at 1lbs per week). The weight loss I feel is a healthy loss, my body fat fell from 26% to 21%, my pant size where definetly shrunk. All my earlier 36" are loose, while at a store the closest fit was 33", bad is I need to buy a whole new wardrobe to accommodate for the shrinkage. But I want to hold on to it so that I can come down further to around 30"-32". I have "Love Handles" or "Muffin Tops" to loose, basically the fat on lower back which look like tires round the stomach.
From what I have been seeing and heard they are hardest to loose. The love handles are still around even after one round of  insanity. May be another 10-15 lbs of weight loss would take it away but it still needs to be done to head towards the ideals I am targeting.
On a side note insanity gave me a lot knee pains. All the plyometrics does have a toll on the joints so maintaining form and having cushioning to minimize impact is important.
After insanity I decided to put an end to all the cardio stress that I have been sustaining and giving my body time to recover and rebuild while I move on to the strength / resistance training. I am currently planning to start with P90x the program of Tony Harton along with Tai Cheng (based on Tai Chi) to aid muscle growth, body alignments.

Body Types: Ayurvedic Prakruti vs Somatypes

Each of us is born with a genetically determined constitution, or prakruti(nature).
According to Ayurveda two conditions influence the development of the prakruti; the balance between the energies of 

• Vata(Space/emptiness & Air)
• Pitta(Fire & Water)
• Kapha(Water & Earth) 

and the prenatal conditions in the womb. The preponderance of one or another dosha(temperament) in our prakrti establishes our natural body type and determines our strengths and weaknesses.
It is said in Ayurveda that the established body types don't change after birth. Any imbalances in these three energies will destabilise the natural state, leading to bodily ailments.

Somatypes Body Types
In the 1940s, an American Physician Dr. William H. Sheldon introduced the theory of Somatypes by putting together the age-old insights of the relationship between body type and temperament on more secure foundations. His theory described three basic human body types:

• Endomorph, characterised by a preponderance of bodyfat;
• Mesomorph, marked by a well-developed musculature;
• Ectomorph, distinguished by a lack of either much fat or muscle tissue.

He also states that most people were a mixture of these types.

Ayurvedic

When Vata is out of balance, the metabolism will be disturbed, resulting in excess catabolism, which is the breakdown or deterioration process in the body. When anabolism is greater than catabolism, there is an increased rate of growth and repair of the organs and tissues. Excess Pitta disturbs metabolism, excess Kapha increases the rate of anabolism and excess Vata creates emaciation (catabolism)

Body Types Compared:

1. Endomorph / Large:
A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle.

 Kapha-Dominant Body

Kapha-dominant individuals have big bodies and big bones, thick hair, strong, big teeth, and large, attractive eyes. They move slowly and gracefully, and exhibit great endurance. They are similarly slow to anger, and their loyalty makes them valued friends. Physically, Kapha-dominant individuals tend toward obesity; mentally, they can be selfish, greedy, and easily offended.

2. Mesomorph / Muscular:

A mesomorph has a large bone structure, large muscles and a naturally athletic physique. Mesomorphs are the best body type for bodybuilding. They find it quite easy to gain and lose weight. They are naturally strong which is the perfect platform for building muscle.

 Pitta-Dominant Body

The Pitta-dominant body type typically manifests itself in a well-proportioned, muscular frame. Pitta-dominant types tend toward lighter, more sensitive skin, often overly sensitive. They are usually active, particularly in sports, where they can be fiercely competitive. They are passionate and dedicated, but can be overly competitive, intolerant, and irritable.

3. Ectomorph / Skinny:

An ectomorph is a typical skinny guy. Ecto’s have a light build with small joints and lean muscle. Usually ectomorph’s have long thin limbs with stringy muscles. Shoulders tend to be thin with little width.
 Vata-dominant Body
Individuals with a Vata-dominant body type tend to be thin and active, but lack the stamina for prolonged activity and therefore often depend on caffeine and sugar for stimulation. The dryness of the Vata constitution and the consequent creakiness of their joints make them seem almost brittle. Restlessness, hyperactivity, curiosity, and creativity mark the Vata-dominant personality, as do rapid, chaotic speech and frequent changes of mind.


Factors influencing the Body Natures / Types

Factors that increase vata (Ecto / Thin)

• Exposure to cold , no routine in life
• Eating to much dry, frozen or leftover food, or food with bitter, pungent or astringents taste.
• Fasting, lots of traveling, too much or inappropriate exercise, suppressing natural urges, abdominal surgery.

Factors that increase pitta (Meso / Muscular)

• Exposure to heat,
• Eating lots of proteins (red meat), salt, spicy or sour foods.
• Indigestion and irregularity of meals. Exercising at midday
• Useof antibiotic, alchol.
• Too much intellectual work/thinking. Fatigue.Anger,Hate fear, emotion.

Factors that increase kapha (Endo / Fat)

• Exposure to cold
• Eating lots of sugars, meat, fats ,cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, fried food, excessive use of salt.
• Excessive intake of water , taking naps after meals.
• Sedatives usage.
• Doubts, greed, and possessiveness. Lack of compasion

Chalene Johnson's Turbofire Workout Review

I have started on a journey on improving my fitness levels in August 2011 with Chalene Johnson's Program called Turbofire. Chalene already had established cardio programs like Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Chalean Extreme, PiYo and Hip Hop Hustle. 

Turbo Fire is a complete body conditioning fitness program whose emphasis on High Intensity Interval Training. The upbeat music will motivate one to work harder and more intense. One will do kickboxing drills and aerobic exercises mixed with some dance moves. .

What's unique to TurboFire is that Chalene managed to incorporate a fusion of aerobic, dance and free flow martial arts forms with the concept of dedicated High Intensity Interval Training on few days for the schedule.

So How does it fair...

• The complexity of the program comes from the choreography of cardiosequences and the pace with which the transition of moves happen. It does take some patience and effort to getting used to. There is a new to class / break-down mode which can be referenced to understand the moves. Having said that, people who expect to master this quickly there is a bad news. It takes a bit of patience and effort to get into the groove.
• The program is a simple one and anyone from a beginner level can get into it. There is a easy-level modifier simplifying the moves for beginners or people with less flexibility. 
• There is an equal emphasis on lower body, upper body and core during this program.
• Muscle multi tasking is not my favourite concept. I believe in muscle focus and isolation to maximise results. But this is not a dedicated strength training program.  
• The time commitment for this program is in a range of 30 to 70 minutes. 45 minutes is a typical average which is a wonderful for time crunched people. 
• While this is positioned as HIIT based Intense Cardio training. I feel its rather a balanced program with equal emphasis on Cardio, Stretch, HIITs and strength for a serobic program.
• The energy of the cast is really high and keeps you to keep pushing without ever having to pause. The Cast are very well prepared and trained and do well in keeping up with everyone else and contribute to the overall energy level.
• Chalene does an excellent job of professional conducting, instructing with no BS. She not only is instructing and running the show but with her working out we get a feel like we are competing with her.

The Break-up
The Cardio's

Fire 30 – Basic and shortest among the Cardio workouts. 5 min of Warmup, 4 min cool down. 2 HIITs

Fire 45 EZ - This is workout one does for max amount of time. Easily the most intense in terms of Heart rate zone and hence calorie burn. Though there are no HIITs in this workout one stays in the upper zone for the max amount of time. This is my favourite among the three

Fire 45 – This is perhaps the most complex in terms of the choreography. Needless to stay I miss my moves and eventually never liked it. Fortunately we don't get to do this many times. Has got 4 HIITs in this 45 minute workout.

Fire 55 EZ – Lasting for about 53 minutes and with 2 HIIT's this is the second longest cardio in the whole program. This is a relatively simple routine in line with 45 EZ and Fire 30

Fire 60 – (in advanced) - This is the longest among all the Turbofire workouts lasting about 57 minutes with 4 HIITs coupled in. The moves are not as complex as Fire 45, but surely will take some time to catching up.

The HIITs

HIIT 15 – The shortest and perhaps the most hippiest HIIT. It has 3, 35 Second Fire Drills which are repeated thrice

HIIT 20 – Perhaps the easiest of all the HIITs. The intensity is the least 7(3 Drills - 2 are repeated twice and last one thrice) Fire Drills of 55 seconds each. Not my favourite for lack of intensity in this moves

HIIT 25 – This HIIT routine has the most Plyo-metric jumps in all of Turbofire. First time I tried I finished with a really really bad back. Each of the 4 70 second HIIT is done twice in this. This is the hardest of HIITs and my favourite.

HIIT 30 – The longest HIIT routine, has 5 drills of around 60 sec each which are repeated twice, while the last one is done thrice.

The Strengths

Apart from the HIIT and Cardio, Turbo fire throws in few strength, stretch and core exercises in the program.

Sculpt 30/Tone 30 – These are two 30 minute sculpting workouts done with bands. Mostly combination moves where upper and lower body worked at the same time - Chalene calls it muscle multi-tasking, and I hated it as focusing on mutliple muscle groups at a time is not something I was able to achieve. I had to take rests and the resistance bands where very uncomfortable pulling the hair and skin. 

Upper 20/Lower 20 - These are part of the advanced workouts basically toning up either the upper body or lower body. I feel this is much better in terms of muscle isolation than the muscle multi-tasking workouts. Lower 20 uses the lower body bands and they give an extreme extreme burn on the bums and outer thighs. 

Stretch 10/Stretch 40 – Stretch workouts which are typically done at the end of every workout during cool

down. Stretch 40 borrows the entire set if Yoga moves (Surya Namaskara / Sun Salutations) and almost a dozen Yoga poses for stretch. I love this day of stretching.

The Core

Core 20 –This workouts is all about the core work, with little or no crunches. This program uses a lot of  normal ab exercises but uses the resistance band to add extra resistance. 

Abs 10 – This 10 minute Ab only workout is one of the toughest 10 minute ab-workout ever. Immense immense muscle activation. You can almost feel the 6-pack underneath the sheath of skin and fat. 

My Results
Started at 207 lbs went on till 213 lbs after completing the workout am at 189 lbs

Health living driven by the 5 Elements

Prelude: "Panchabutala sammohanamee Manava Shareram" - Human body is an manifestation of the five elements. Diseases and ailments are nothing but imbalances in these five elements.
Ok; What are these Five elements(pancha mahabhutas) we are referring to
As per Ayurveda...

• Akasha (ether/Space)
• Vayu (air)
• Teja (fire)
• Aap (water) 
• Prithvi (earth)

The five elements can be seen to exist in the material universe at all scales of life and in both organic and inorganic things.
In biological system, such as humans, elements are coded into three forces, which govern all life processes. These three forces (kapha, pitta and vata) are known as the three doshas or simply the tridosha. Each of the doshas is composed of one or two elements.

• Vata dosha is composed of space and air; It is the impulse principle necessary to mobilize the function of the nervous system. It affects the windy humour, flatulence, gout, rheumatism, etc
• Pitta dosha of fire; It is the energy principle which uses bile to direct digestion and hence metabolism into the venous system
• Kapha of water and earth. It is the body fluid principle which relates to mucous, lubrication and the carrier of nutrients into the arterial system..

The tridosha regulates every physiological and psychological process in the living organism. The interplay among them determines the qualities and conditions of the individual. A harmonious state of the three doshas creates balance and health; an imbalance, which might be an excess (vriddhi) or deficiency (kshaya), manifests as a sign or symptom of disease

Incorporating this balance is everyday living serves two purposes; one to stay healthy and two to treat the ailments by correctly identifying and filling in the gaps.

Importance of these 5 elements in daily life.
1. Need of  Akasha (Space) - We need to create space in the body to allow the body to take-in additional quantities of other elements. If there is no space what happens is we can't supply additional nutrients required to it. Body is filled with toxins that the body either slowly succumbs to it or tries to create more space, but creating more cells and trying to adopt. Thus it stores what it can't dispose off. Thus leading to obesity.
2. Need of Prithvi (Earth / Matter) - A human body required sufficient amount of nutrients supplied in form of solid food. The presence of solid earthly food which is nutritious and  high in fiber helps the body in two-fold; It supplies the necessary nutrients and as well as aids in cleaning the system.
3. Need of Agni (Fire / Energy) - A human body being a warm blooded being requires sufficient amount of calories to produce heat and maintain the energy levels. Any lapses in the body temperature means the bodies vital organs will eventually be unsustainable and collapse. Hence body needs sufficient amount of calories and energy to sustain.
4. Need of Aap (Water) - It's ironic that we resemble to mother nature in terms of water composition. Both the human body and mother earth are composed of 70% of water. Water is a vital part of life for any living being. We can sustain life without eating anything for 7-8 weeks, but without hydration the bodies vital organs will shut down within 4 days if not being hydrated. Blood constitutes of 92% water and is the carrier of oxygen and nutrients to the entire body. No wonder water and water borne diseases are the biggest killers.
5. Need of Vayu(Air) - While food and water are quite necessary for a healthy living, if supply of oxygen is cut off the human body wouldn't even last a few minutes. Such is the importance of air and air quality on longevity and health. Intake of fresh and clean air and distancing ourselves from smoking and pollution is perhaps the most important duty we can ever offer to our body.


In a nut shell. It's our duty to create enough space by proper expulsion and accumulation of other four elements. The body should have a continuous energy source  to sustain vital systems, supplied with vital nutrients and oxygen to be carried through the water-based blood though-out the body. Any shortfalls and imbalances would lead to a bodily trigger of readjustments and leading to ailments.

Credits: http://heymonicab.com/2009/06/seasonal-dosha-chart/

Fatenning lifestyle

Nov 14 in India is remembered as "Children's day" remembering Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of India on his birthday. Nov 14 world wide is also marked for a rather notorious reason, it is the World Diabetes day.
The statistics world over are startling with rising number of cases with ever growing percentage of population being effected by this health condition. Estimated by 2030 1 in 5 in the US would be diabetic. India is not way to far, it has the highest diabetic population in the world. Whats alarming these numbers are set to increase and grow in unmanageable proportions with the current generations failing to realise the simple cause for this an epidermic problem. Our children, the younger generations are more obese than the other age groups.
Obesity is one of the primary causes to diabetes in addition to genetic makeup. People fail to realise that diabetes as condition is a safety mechanism by which the human body is genetically evolved over centuries to survive hardships of mother nature. This bodily condition maintains and controls the blood glucose level to what is required, sustainable and needs to be stored for future needs.
In Indian or African races where the population is geographically and historically exposed to repeated famine and malnutrition the human races here have evolved to adopt the life of famine. The way the body achieves this is by responding to small indication or triggers for starvation. Human body or brain to be precise receives an indication of anxiety, stress and reads it as stress and anxiety driven from fear of lack of food; lack of food was foremost primeval fear of mankind; fear of immediate loss of life drives adrenaline, and energy boost to take evasive action. The anxiety and tensed state of mind drives automatically triggers in the body for the preservation mechanism to kick in and convert as much of energy as possible into fat reserves and slow down the metabolism. There is a human hormone called "Cortisol" which is released into the blood stream during those anxious and stressed out moments. Any amount of "Cortisol" means the self preservation and fat storage mechnism of the body starts. Once the days of anxiety and fear have passed, the human body slowly returns back to higher metabolic rate and lower fat storage. This has been a successful mechanism to sustain life during the difficult days of famines and lack of nutrition which the human race has sustained and conquered during the evolutionary periods and this embedded in the genetic make-up.

What is happening today ?

1. Stress levels are high; why ? Today's world all over has become so competitive that everyone is forced to run fast with time and each and every one is playing an endless catchup with each and everyone. Result is people are stressed out trying to reach the targets set by family, by their schools, by their organization to top it all personal goals and targets if any only make the things worse. Stress, stress and more stress piles up. Anxiety and tension of future goals triggers a brain triggered chemical reaction sensing the need of self preservation against non-existence. Only that non-existence in the present is not driven by hunger. Hence the effect of body stacking up fats and slowing down metabolism. While this continues we are not only high on calories we are loosing control on our calorie intake.


2. Then there is a thinking in the recent generations that you got to enjoy what ever you can today as you have no tomorrow. Result is people are over indulging in Sweet beverages, fried foods , bakery foods and sweet savoury. Add to this the idiot box, the movies, the game boxes, the smart phones implying an addiction and a complete lack of control on physical activity. With people drooling all over these devices and snacking in with all those sodium and fat rich foods exponentially implodes the problem.


3. There is no physical or mental activity. True we are so much used to luxury and things happening on push of a button, that we hardly get to do anything which sustains a healthy living lifestyle. Evolutionarily be it hunter-gatherer or forger, the amount of physical activity which the human body endured during the lifetime today is not equal to what out ancestors might have endured in an year or lesser. We live a complete sedentary life, full of materialistic indulgences, cravings and ever growing desire for more more and more.

What does the body which is already in preservation mode do ?? With all the tension it continues to pile more and more fat for future needs. This is a cycle triggered by the stress around us and uncontrollable appetite of unhealthy foods which follows us. Lack of activity, slower metabolism !!! Recipe for disaster
So how can we reverse this ?
1. Cut down stress levels. Reassess what is that one will finally achieve by going 100 miles an hour. One needs to apply brakes voluntarily or else we will run into huge road bumps.
2. Think positive and be happy. Stop worrying so much of everything and anything. What is the worse that can happen is someone will die. But everything in this world has expiration date isn't it. We either do what we are supposed to do or worry about what can't be done. We have a choice
3. Be active - Both mentally and physically. As long as one is really engaged and occupied with determination and goals, the focus of the body and brain are all on achieving one singular purpose and as long as on is unabated they will tend to have control on what the brain activity is like. Physical activity on the other hand will keep challenging the body physically to improve, keep all of its systems running. If any part of body are not used, the body responds by shutting it down slowly. Ex. Lesser we walk, lesser the challenge on leg muscles, lesser the challenge on sustaining those muscle groups, hence under nourished over a period of time leading to weak lower body.
4. Be conscious of what we eat - This may be the last. Why ? if one is successfully in 1 & 2, the impact is there are no self preservation triggers from the brain. Hence the body is not getting into starvation and self preservation mode. If one is successful on 3, the body metabolism is still relatively high. This combined the body takes in only those which are essential and ejects which are not. This is in the same way the proteins or vitamins are minerals which are excess and not required are rejected by the body. The body has capacity to reject fats and excess calories one consumes if one trains oneself to those levels. This is achieved by a disciplined mind over matter and intelligent eating which prevents any trigger of starvation by the body.
It's my strong view point that one who has control over there brain and followed by positive self talk can achieve and sustain and relatively healthy physical state over a sustained period of time. Any negative thoughts, any stress any anxiety levels has such a negative effect that the impact of the same are beyond our comprehension. Let conquer or minds, tune them, calm them. Meditate slow down the pace and make space for happiness and well being.
Diabetes, obesity and related issues will not bother for a healthier part of life.

Tryst with Fitness

Not that I got time after turning off Travian, which was a big addiction, I got back to concentrating a bit on my own fitness levels. Though I feel am still a kid at heart and mind, it's official am now in my thirty's. Amazing but yes.
sitting in my office I was thinking and recollecting my experiments with fitness and then goals. Hugely inspired my cousin Balaji who started bulking up after an pillage incident on him. Guess for me it was early engineering so 1999-2000 was when I started borrowing a few equipment like weights to start my exercises before hitting the Gym in middle of my 1st year and 2nd year 1st and 2nd term. During this time I used to do my routines at Power Junction Gym in Ashoknagar. I was following the guide and Apprehentice schedule of Bob Paris's "Flawless: The 10-week method fpr transforming your physique" which was to a lot of discomfort of the Gym owner cum coach. When I briefly stopped and came back after my term exercises in the 2nd year, I ended up injuring myself. I had a severe tendon tear in my right shoulder (Rotator Cuff - especially infraspinatus & Supraspinatus). This injury happened on back of heavy bench pressing with low warm-ups after a long break from strength training. The implication where far severe I was immobilised for over 2 years with little to no lifting of weights (not just the regular but household stuff). The resulting injury was so severe that I had problems while breathing and even while writing my exams. Till 2003 I was away and other priorities in life took over.
It was in mid-2002 I joined Art of living classes Level 1. Had a very good enriching experience but after 6-months or so gave it up as well. In 2003-04 while I was preparing for my CAT for a few months I managed 30min early morning jog at Necklace road Naveen accompanied me then. While I was in the IIM I tried sometimes for a Jog and occasional gym or Sudershan Kriya workout but not a regime that I could sustain for long.
Back at home I had a failed attempt of trying to get back the morning Jogs in but it sooned failed after the scooter I used to drive to Necklace road was robbed. This was mid-2006.
Oct 2007 to Dec 2007 while I was on verge of getting married for a breif 3 month period I joined Reign Gym in Nallakunta. But soon dropped out after overwhelming personal pressures.
Thereafter the focus on fitness was more sporadic, after the move to Pune it was more of stepping machine than any thing else. Then Travian and the virtual world and married life took over. By and large during the post 2008 period the focus has been on eating habits inspired by the naturopathy of Manthena Satyanarayana Raju, which even today I follow in some form or other.
In 2011 while I move and relocate in the USA, its been hard struggle to find healthy yet budgetary cheap food options, I seemed to have put on weight and was falling into a pre-hyper tension band. That triggered another emotional burst in the summer of 2011 to restart and rediscover all over.
First it started with small jogs and Manthena's 1 hour yoga in the evening and add some bit of summer sports like volley ball and cricket. These routines where soon replaced by infomercial inspired Turbo Fire workouts. I have been into these for 2 months in the prep schedule. End of this week I want to decide on whats the next step...
choose between
1. Turbo Fire - 20 week workout
2. P90x - 12 week
3. Insanity - 8 week workout

I'm planning to take the fitness tests this Sunday and weigh it against the equipment and weather conditions before I go ahead.

Tubofire - Intense Cardioworkouts

This summer I felt a need to get my body back to recondition. The relocation and eating all the Ready-to-eat high oil, sodium food did impact my health for the bad. Lots of sleeplessness, lack of focus, stamina, seemingly unmotivated lifestyle coupled with pre-hypertension indication with rising Blood pressure levels. I was shocked when I saw the BP meter turn up with 136 - 84 in the walmart.

So that's where I went to my old Manthena's Raw food regime. Being in the USA and now in this particular place am really starved of quality tummy filling lunch, that's where I went Raw food as a first step.

Second I started to fast every Saturday with just Water, honey and lemon. Occasionally Prasadam from temple breaks my fast in the evening.

Thirdly I continued my focus on fluid consumption and started adding vegetable juice(V8) for morning and any non-sugar based fruit juice in the evening. I am mixing some Whey Protein in the morning shake with some lemon and honey for extra energy as well.

Fourth was to include sprouts, dates, lettuce for breakfast; lettuce, boiled egg, sweet corn, carrots with occasional pizza for lunch followed by 200-300gm of soaked dry fuits(Cashews, Almonds, Walnuts, Pista, Apricots and Figs) and fruits as usually before 7pm

Fifth - I started with a 15min jog/run in the park followed by 20min of Pranayama and 40 minutes essential yoga as suggested by Manthena.

After this schedule for a month, I felt I can go up a level. That's where I started looking out for more intense and disciplined workout. That's where I got into Turbofire. It had taken me a few weeks to get started with getting the kit and a mibook for viewing the videos while working out in the park for workouts which would shake the floor below my feet.

My first impression...after a week

They are really intense and well choreographed and am still struggling at times with the moves and calls.

The Camera movements sometimes pan out during the transitions of moves which pains me a lot as I miss the next move.

The first week am left with sore back, sore lat, sore shoulders and knees the left runners knees has worsened because of all the leg kicks and twists around the knee(supposed to be toe).

The disclaimer for all new adopters is " People with lower back pains, Sciatic nerve pains keep out" Lower back pains will intensify given the fact that lots of routine and stretches have forward curls or crunches which involved arching the back forward which is absolutely to be avoided for such people. I suggest relax when any move asks for crunching /arching the back backward. It will only aggravate an already bad case of hunched and sore lower back. My suggestion get back to 40min of Yoga poses especially the ones by Manthena targeting the back/lower back and neck pain, before even touching Turbofire's full range of crunch routines.

Having said that Turbofire does borrow a whole lot of Yoga poses and Suryanamaskaras in their Stretch 40 routines.

Lastly Turbofire and its supporters are bent upon on supporting Shakeology shake powder which is a 120$ worth product exclusively sold by beachbody who also franchise Turbofire. They have done very well marketing this wonder product and being sold through Multi-level marketing mode (aka Amway mode) through consumer/seller franchises called Coaches. My suggestion to stick to as much as natural foods as possible and be as low on the supplements as possible.

Turbofire's diet and exercises routine are amazing but has to be taken with extreme caution by people with lower back pains, knee problems, shoulder problems. Prevent aggravation of any current situation and evaluate and understand the body response to the routines before committing further time and risking a bigger injury.

Nature Cure / Naturopathy

What is Naturopathy ?
Naturopathy is a preventative approach to health care - it aims to balance the body so that illness is less likely to occur in the future.
Naturopathy is built upon the dictum of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who declared "Nature cures; not the physicians". Naturopathy is a combination of different methods of natural healing in addition to it being a way of life. It is known by different names - Nature Cure, the natural methods, the New science of healing and Healing from within.
Approach towards Diseases...
Naturopathy believes that all forms of disease are due to the same cause, which is the accumulation of waste materials and toxins in our bodies that are steadily piling up. The primary cause being an unhealthy lifestyle. As in other treatments its suggests avoidance of a diet high in fat, salt and refined Carbohydrates, smoking , excess consumption of alcohol and high stress levels. Its core focus is to Identify and remove the causes of illness, rather than eliminate or suppress symptoms
Naturopathy advocates a new life style with corrective habits such as exercise, a good diet and a moderate approach towards all things Naturopathic life style should be viewed as a method of disease prevention. In Naturopathy, the fundamental healing force is considered to be nature itself, that is the power of the individual to defeat disease.
Essence of Naturopathy
Naturopathy is a system of medicine aimed to diagnose and treat any human ailment, pain and injury through the use of natural elements, mainly 5 in number - Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth - Also known as Panch Bhootalu.
Naturopathy believes that all the 5 elements combine to form the living form in the world. Similar to any life form man is derived as a combination of these 5 elements in appropriate ratios; an imbalance in these ratio's leads to an eventuality of systematic breakdown of the human body and gradually paving way to diseases. The process of maintaining this healthy internal balance is called homeostasis
Pancha Bhoothalu(The Five Elements) and life
For life to evolve and sustain a symbiotic relation between these elements is quite essential.
Space - The largest of all the 5 elements without which none of the other elements exists. Its only if there is space there is a scope for growth; and scope for replacing old with new/
Air - The air occupies the majority of the living world and is engulfed by space. Air sustains life and the quality of the air reflects the quality of health of the beings in the environment. Air carries the PranaVayu to sustain various organs in the body similar to various life forms on the earth.
Water - Water makes up 70% of the earth and 70% of the human body too. Water is an essential element to awaken life. Water is the only element which triggers growth of new life forms be it plants from the seed or cells in the body. Its also an universal solvent/cleanser which has an ability to wash off any toxins and wastes.
Earth - The carbon form is required to give shape and build anything from a lifeless stone to life form. Life all around the world is carbon-based; Imbalance is of sufficient Earth in the human body also leads to various imbalances in the healthy functioning of the life forms.
Fire - The celestial element is required to convert and utilise the various other elements in a meaning full manner and to sustain life. It is this elements which develops the synchronisation between the elements.
Nature cure starts with trying to understand the deficiencies in these elements and then filling up as required to restore balance. Once the balance is restored and enough of time is give to the body it starts the self healing process.
Basics start with cleansing process involving starving just surving on few essential juices for close to 20 days (detox). The intent is to creat Space in the system which has been filled completely with unwanted toxin giving space to the system to start the self heal. Parallel to this alternative treatments like sunbath, mudbath, steam bath etc are undertaken to induce removal of toxins through the skin. The intestinal system is flushed clean during this 20 day process and then subsequently overhauled with ingestion of raw/steamed vegetables without oil, sugar or salt. If one sustains this process and continues with this lifestyle of nil to near nil consumption of salt, oil based and sugar based products the benfits of the thearpy can be sustained.
Naturopathy is a two stage process

1. The Treatment - (Therapies - Mud, Sun/Chroma, Pranayam(Ozone), Hydrotherapy, Steam, Fasting etc as bare minimals in the course)
2. The Lifestyle - (The lifestyle habits one is supposed to follow for the rest of the life to sustain and enjoy the benefits of Naturopathy)

Benefits

The benefits of a full and dedicated follower of this lifestyle are immense and requires a disciplined approach towards life.

• Diseases are eradicated by attacking the cause of the issue hence preventing the recurrence of the disease. Probably there would never be a need for a doctor.
• Zero dependency on drugs and costly hospital treatments and surgical procedure.
• Severely Reduced risk of major diseases like Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio Vascular, Digestive issues...
• Overall well being of the body

Drawbacks -

• The treatment takes atleast one month to begin from cleansing and detoxification; This makes the treatment unpopular in the current generation where time is money.
• Extreme lifestyle changes, withdrawal in terms of habits keeps people away.
• Sustenance of adapted new life style is difficult to sustain in the current social scenario.
• High amount of will power and determination is required

Big Mac has never been this awful

Today I messed up to drop in at Big Mac. A couple of colleagues from office ventured out of the office beating the sun to have some delicious meal at Tammanna (not the heroine!) restaurant; Thanks to Friday frenzy we found ourself queing up at the guest bench. Guess the hunger had no control which had us drove away a kilometer towards the McDonald in Hinjewadi.
It was as any other eat-out filled upto the brim. 10 minutes into the waiting I got to place my order; Yes full 8-10 minutes of waiting. And what more the guy at the counter doesn't accept credit cards (ahem!!!) I want to offload some amount in the Visa Food card. I found it quite amazing for the fact that a US Multi-National refuses to use credit cards; what a shame for a country which lives on plastic and credit doesn't do the same in its Indian arm. I wondered I should have preferred a Domino's or Smoking Joe's they atleast accept cards.
The food menu is very much Indianised; and only thing American seems to be the Happy Meal though the menus are again customised to meet Indian tastes.
A medium cool drink costs 27/- !!!! Way too high to a retail shelf price. I bought Paneer Wrap with Sandwich Salad. The first one is more of paneer tikka wrapped in a dosa with some sauses and vegetables; while the Sandwich salad was more vegetables sandwiched in a burger bun. Nothing special on these two; but I found the taste quite unlike to my liking and had a gut feel that I was ingesting something which was totally unhealthy and junk. This bothered me even furthering my displeasure towards the taste as I continued to nibble. Once out of the McD I've decided a never to have a things at McD few pointers...
Credit cards not accepted...
Waiting during peak hours...
Unhealthy Junk food culture...
Its nothing American it's more Indian...
Why the hell should I feed an American MNC when I have good Indian options...
Anyways few things I didn't consider were about the Quality of Service, Standardisation, Ambience, Brand, Youth/Yippee factors.
Disclaimers - I have been to McD not more than 4 times earlier. Once in Delhi, thrice in Hyderabad.

Misuse of Pharmaceutical Drugs ???

Typically when Ria took her 7-year-old daughter to a doctor to check on her fever and sore throat, and was prescribed seven drugs, including antibiotics and medicine to prevent febrile seizures.
As experts would say it as another classic, but only too common, case of over-medication, or prescribing drugs patients do not need. Here, the antibiotic was unnecessary, as was the drug to prevent fever-related seizures as the child had no history of such attacks.
Experts warn that driven by profits from selling medicine, many doctors overprescribe medicines, a practice which will be disastrous in the longer term.
Polypharmacy (overmedication) means use of lot of medicines which are unnecessary, like prescribinh many types of antibiotics for a cold.The consumption of multiple drugs triggers drug reaction and unpredictable side effects. Worse, it gives rise to bacterial resistance.
The most recent example of growing resistance involves the drug oseltamivir(Tamiflu), which researchers in the United States found was now ineffective against 98 percent of the H1N1 seasonal human influenza virus strains. (Swine flu and bird flu)
Apart from eventually reducing the effectiveness of drugs, exposing bacteria and viruses to drugs unnecessarily also has other serious consequences.
A general observation is that most parents rush to treat symptoms, not the disease. Doctors may feel pressure to give treatments, even when it is not necessary or in the best interests of the child's health.
It's upto to us to know understand and adopt to the human body needs and support it to build resistances to various microbiotic organisms. Its important to enable such a strenghtning process within out system by means of adopting a few lifestyle changes and taking a positive approach towards moving away from Allopathic treatments which are primarily based on chemical compounds which act on inhibitting the symptoms/giving relief or directly act on behalf of the human immune system to tackle infections.
A traditional form of treatment is a stream called Naturopathy which revolutionary to the contemporary medicine (Allopathy and Homeopathy) and also slightly unadvanced compared to ancient medicines (Ayurvedic, Unani, Accupuncture). The main focus of this form of treatment is more preventive and comprehensive than reactive treatments.

Walnuts and Fish Protect Against Heart Disease

In healthy individuals, walnuts lower cholesterol more than fish, while fatty fish lower triglycerides. Both can reduce the overall risk of coronary heart disease.
Following the qualified health claim issued by the Food and Drug Administration, researchers found that incorporating approximately 40gms of walnuts (a handful of whole nuts or about three tablespoons of chopped nuts) into the daily diet lowered serum total cholesterol by 5.4 percent and LDL (bad) cholesterol by 9.3 percent compared to a control diet based on USDA recommendations. For this study subjects were randomly assigned to each of the three diets for eight weeks over a 24-week schedule. This gave the researchers a chance to compare the effect of each diet on each participant.
Source - Loma Linda University research just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Overhauling Life - Sprouts for Better Health

You know what fascinates me? Life! Life as an individual’s journey on this planet, that begins with birth and ends with death. Hinduism talks about cycle of life and death and says that there is one more life, its life after death!
But think about it, all these beans and lentils usually go though two transformations. First one is when they are young and fresh. All those bouncy and fresh ones jumping and running around with high energy. That’s their first life as child, adolescent and grown-up. And then there is a dried bean, all hard and tough skinned, as if it is dead and can’t feel anything that happens to it. When you soak this same bean in water, it re-hydrates and as a result it’s all round and plumps up. Take these same beans and sprout them and what you see is another life formation! Plant these sprouts in soil and with in few days you will see small plants sprouting and growing and producing new batch of crops. Isn’t it a fascinating process? Give it a thought sometimes and you will know why I said life fascinates me. Now, do you see the connection between my theory and the theory of Life-Death-Life after Death? Sometimes, I could be too philosophical with some random thoughts surfacing on idle days. I don’t want to go too philosophical today.
Why to Sprout
Sprouting boasts off the nutrition values contained within the seeds. On sprouting the seeds undergo a series of changes transforming hard to digest matter (aka enzyme inhibitors) into protein rich easily digestible food. The nutrient content difference between Sprouted and non-sprouted seeds is known to be atleast 3-4 fold.
The protein available in the sprouts is off the purest and most easily digestable form as its converted to pre-digested Amino acids, while fats and Carbs are broken done to simple sugars.
Water-soluble vitamins such as B complex and vitamin C are created. Through the miracle of germination, thiamin increases five-fold and niacin content doubles. Vitamin C, E and carotene increase. In fact, the vitamin C content becomes as rich as tomatoes. Sprouting is accompanied by an intense enzymatic hydrolysis of protein.
How to Consume
Best when consumed Raw, unboiled and without seasoning is the best combination.
For beginners semi-boiled (destroys minerals and micro nutrients) can be prepared. Can seasoned with lemon juice to taste.
How to Sprout Lentils, Seeds & Legumes .
Sprouts provide super nutrition for all, harvest quickly, and can be grown anywhere. Sprouting jars and lids are available at many places and can be made without help of these too.

Sprouting Instructions

• Place whole, untreated, lentils or beans in a clean, wide-mouthed jar and Soak them in purified water overnight.
• Cover the top of the jar with a screen, cheese cloth, or sprouting jar lid.
• Next morning drain the water from the jar. (Note this water is toxic for humans but nutritious for plants; hence can be doubled as fertiliser for plants).
• Distribute the seeds or beans around the walls of the jar evenly. Lay the jar on its site or tilted at an angle to allow the water to drain. Place the sprouting jar in a warm, dark place.
• Once a day Rinse sprouts, draining excess water.
• After the sprouts have grown to their maturation length, put the jar in the sunlight for the sprouts to develop chlorophyll.
• When the sprouts turn green, rinse, Drain and refrigerate.

Good for Sprouting

• Alfalfa Seeds (Lucerne /hindi-razka) - 4 to 5 Days - Rich source of minerals, protein, vitamins A, B-complex, C, D, E and K
• Black-eyed Peas (Lobi/Alsandalu) - 3 to 4 Days - Rich source proteins, minerals, and vitamins A and C
• Chick Peas (Kabuli Channa) - 4 to 5 Days - Rich source of proteins and also contain many minerals.
• Lentils (Red or Yellow) - 3 to 4 Days - Rich source of proteins and also contain many minerals
• Moong Beans - 3 to 4 Days - Rich source of protein, vitamins A and C, along with calcium, phosphorus and iron.
• Soybeans - 3 to 5 days. - Rich source of protein, vitamins A, B - Complex, Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
• Peas (White, Green, Black) - 3-4 days - Rich source of Proteins, minerals
• Sunflower Seeds (hulled) - 5-6 days - Rich source of Proteins, minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamins D and E.
• Wheat - 2 to 3 Days - Rich source of Proteins, Vitamins B, C and E. Alternatively grown for 4 to 7 days to produce wheat grass can be juiced or eaten for its high chlorophyll content. Wheat Grass juice is rich in antioxidants.
• Others - Barley, Corn, Lentils

Precautions on Sprouts

• Remember to dispose of water that has been used for sprouting.
• Indigestion problems/ gastric activity might be high and common due to high fibre content. Consume lots of water and ideally avoid masala's for the remainder of the day.
• Sprouts are more easily assimilated and less gas-forming than dried beans. Digestibility is vastly improved compared to regular beans.
• Ideal time for Sprouts - Morning, Afternoons - Never consume in night as dinner.
• Ideally don't mix Sprouts with cooked food/fruits. Have a gap of minimum of 1 hr if required.
• Soybeans sprouts should be only consumed after semi-boiling. Soya is believed to cause irritants and allergens if consumed directly due to toxicity.

Chocolate Bytes

Tom Hanks puts it best in his 1994 Oscar winning movie Forest Gump "Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get".

Interesting piece of comparison he makes on this front. Life's such a twist and turn of events that every now and then one gets caught up in surprises if not woows or ooouchs. Pleasant or unpleasant, enjoyable or painful..thats life.

Today has been an interesting day, for I had the maximum number of chocolates at a single time compared to any year combined in my life. I had half a dozen Ferrero Rocher, the spherical hazelnut covered in chocolate cream for lunch. Had back to back meetings and reviews with the customer visits and Board visits, only mode of having lunch was a can of diet coke, a few chocolates and friendly doorside Chatwala. Liked the Rocher a bit, tasted the same for the first time a week earlier when my Bro bought along an entire array of chocolates. Interestingly I've be introduced to the brand of chocolates on the day of my birthday where I was to gift the same to my colleagues. I never knew brand beyond a Cadbury dairy milk, or perk or a five star. Limited knowledge, but walk down a hyper-market and look down the various options and quick reference from a Chocoholic things are different. Chocolate selection is an art in itself, never mastered it though but understood that its high an art as tasting wine, and gifting chocolates is supposed to highest form of expression of love for youth, for an adult probably a diamond would suffice. So one interesting lesson learned is way of breaking into your loved ones heart small or big is through a chocolate. Well never a day is one late to offer one and accept one.
Now for some gyan I gathered - Chocolate it seems causes certain endocrine glands to secrete hormones that affect your feelings and behavior by making you happy. Therefore, it counteracts depression, in turn reducing the stress of depression. Your stress-free life helps you maintain a youthful disposition, both physically and mentally. So, eating lots of chocolates makes one happy--- hmm interesting, but I still doubt why children keep crying before having one and after having one, only logical answer is that it increases the craving for more of everything. Well no one can stop at one.

Scientific Answer

Chocolate expecially the dark kind is an excellent source of flavonoids epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardioprotective properties. In small portions it can actually be beneficial, and most obesity is caused by other foods high in calories in fat, most comonly fast foods that contain trans fats.

Chemical-Chemicals- and more Chemicals..

Happy Harmones - Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine, Progesterone (women)

Chemicals - Theobromine, Phenylethylamine (Love chemical), Anandaminde, Magnesium (leading to females craving for Chocolate)

To begin with, Chocolate contains over 300 chemicals and it is not known how all of these affect humans. Chocolate provides a feeling of well being. Serotonin and endorphins are the main reasons for the pleasing feeling. Serotoning is often found in the cnted of exercise, and have obtained its creadet as the “happy hormone” in chocolate. Serotonin is released after the consumption of carbohydreates. Its neurotransitters help send the message of a feeling of calmness and relaxation. In fact, Serotonin is usually given to deppressed patients to help them treat out of depression and generates feelings of live and ecstacy.

Endorphins are another chemical the brings a feeling of euphoria to the brain. Endorphins have also been proven to be an effective painkiller with same effects as morphine. Endorphins block the ‘mesage’ of pain that would be sent to the brain to be translated into pain.

In addition to serotonin and endorphing, chocolate also contains another mood elevating chemical called Theobromine, which is a chemical stimulant that is usually mistaken for caffine due to similar brain activity. When chocolate is consumed, Theobromine, from cocoa, and serotine, from carbohydrates, bind to each other and become a temporary antidepressant. This kind of binding relaeses message from the brain indicating a happy, elevated mood that causes depressed individuals to grab pounds and pounds of chocolate after a rough time.
Contrary to belief, chocolate only contains small amounts of caffine. But eventhough caffine is not present in enough quantaties as in coffee it does contain the same effects but in a lesser concentration.

Another depression reliever found in chocolate is Phenylethylamine or “The love chemical.” Phenylethylamine causes changes in blood pressure and sugar levels in the blood leading to feelings of exitement and alertness. It increases positive moods and decreased depression. Phenylethylamine also causes an increase in the pulse rate which results in a similar feeling when one is in love.
Another physiological chemical in chocolate is anandamide. Anandaminde resmbles THC, a chemical that is also found in marijuna. It activates the same receptors as does THC which causes a greater production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates a feeling of well being associated with a high. Even though Anandaminde is already found in the brain and is broken rapidly, chocolate consumption adds to the amount that acctually gets broken down which casuses the effects of calmness and elevation. But it must be made clear that chocolate is not a drug and it would take very large amount of chocolate to create a high.

Many women report particular chocolate cravings when pre-menstrual. This is possibly because chocolate contains magnesium, a shortage of which can exacerbate pre-menstrual tension. Similar cravings during pregnancy could indicate mild anaemia, which chocolate's iron content may help to cure

May be a bold statement to make after experienced the Power-puff girl's chocolate power Man cannot live on chocolate alone; but woman sure can. Woman are atleast headstrong to focus regather and get along. Men I still doubt, legend talks about a Devadas, not a Devadaasi....

It is because of all these reasons that chocolate is the main component grabbed after a break-up or a seperation. It is a comfort food that elevates the mind and creats happines during chearless situations.
Until next blog chao

I am a White Chocolate Personality

You are White Chocolate You are sweet, caring, and truly very innocent. Whether your naive ways are a bit of act or not, people like to take care of you. You are a quiet flirt, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?