An Ode to remember

A few years ago, I discovered my passion to write. Taking the blog world as my stage, I began to scribble. Regardless of the issue, argument, whatever it may be, I just kept writing. From a mindless rambling in the younger years to certain sensible discussions, I am proud that I kept it going for all these years. Growing up, everyone transforms. Life's experiences and the mind's decisions will tell you if its for better or worse. A chronology of this transformation is evident in my blogs. Nobody is perfect, but I am on my way to it.
PS: Today, my blog turns 7 :)

A brand new offshoot!

I am relatively new to the fun world of culinary experiments. After trying my hand out at haphazard recipes for sometime in my past, I can safely say that now I am a good cook who loves to use fresh ingredients and is very passionate about food. I felt the urge to chronicle my culinary adventures, whether phenomenal or disastrous! with this thought in mind, I release my most recent baby, an offshoot of the elder one, my very own food blog, www.dishingentertainment.blogspot.com . That is right yàll, I might be no Paula Dean in the kitchen, but while I continue to experiment new recipes I master the ones I already know. Hence forth, I will be sharing not only my culinary adventures but also reviews on some of the restaurants I visit. Hoping to provide a lick and slurp reaction to my audience :)


 

Oniomania- Compulsive Shopping Disorder

When you notice that you find way too many clothes, shoes and bags that still have the price tags on them, It is far more complex than a financial disorganization or irresponsibility. Compulsive buying disorder or Oniomania is a little-studied addiction that could consume the person's life.

What triggers it?

The reasons for the behavior are varied but the essence of the problem stems from low self-esteem, insecurity and inadequacy. There are also people who do these things because they don't know how to get what they need emotionally or in any other way.

Are you a compulsive shopper?

A lot of us spend money in cheering ourselves up. A relaxing day at the spa or an occasional shopping for an evening gown without spending away your fortune does not make you a compulsive shopper. Do you want to know if you belong to this category? just answer the simple questions found below. These are questions from the psychotherapist Olivia Mellan who is also a compulsive shopper herself. Answer them with 'often', 'sometimes', 'rarely' or 'never'.

1.	Do you buy things you want, whether or not you can afford them at the moment?
2.	Do you have trouble saving money? If you have a little extra available to save or invest, do you tend to think of something you'd rather spend it on?
3.	Do you buy things to cheer yourself up or to reward yourself?
4.	Does more than a third of your income, not including rent or mortgage payments, go to pay bills?
5.	Do you juggle bill paying because you always seem to be living on the edge, financially?
6.	Do you tend to keep buying more of your favorite things even if you don't have a specific need for them?
7.	If you have to deny yourself or put off buying something you really want, do you feel intensely deprived, angry or upset?

If you answered "often" or "sometimes" to four or more questions, you're probably a compulsive spender, especially if you answered "often" or "sometimes" to the last question, Mellan says.

How should we deal with it?

OK, you've figured out that you are a compulsive shopper, now what? well, first of all, CONGRATULATIONS!! the first step to improve any situation is to acknowledge its presence, the process that follows this is comparatively easy. Retail therapy is a widely used term for a very good reason. The excitement of making a new purchase, teamed with the adrenaline of doing so on impulse, can be an addictive form of escapism from whatever has been getting you down. Figure out what bogs you down and work on improving it.

Low self esteem is one of the most commonly found characteristics in the studies of a shopaholic. Shopping is a way of trying to improve self esteem, particularly when the desired object is associated with the image of what the shopper wants to be. Hence, building self esteem would curb your impulses.

Shopping addicts often suffer from anxiety or depression. Hence, effectively managing the emotional pain would do good to them.

Now don't get me wrong here, there is nothing wrong with shopping and having nice material possessions if you can afford the luxury, but if there is an underlying issue that needs addressing, your purchases are never going to cover that up. Why in the world would you want to let an addiction get the better of you?

How would you categorize yourself in terms of 'Shopping'?

When you're done with it, pass it on- Recycling life with Organ Donation

Most of us are blessed with a life that is complete in every sense. While some choose to make a mess out of the almost perfect life laid in front of them, there are those less fortunate souls who wait to be given a second chance to continue to live. To be told one fine day that you will not live unless you are donated a heart, a liver, or a kidney is an unforeseen tragedy. We have all heard this in movies,but to witness it is a whole new experience. Nobody expects to live short, but by giving a second chance, you will help them see life in dimensions they've never wondered before.

Organ shortages are a global problem, but Asia lags behind much of the rest of the world. Reader's Digest did an Asia-wide study of organ donations, and found that India lags far behind other countries in this regard.In 1994, the Government of India passed the Transplantation of Human Act that legalized the concept of organ brain death and, for the first time, facilitated organ procurement from heart beating, brain dead donors. However, this concept has not caught on well in India for want of public education and awareness.

The process leading from donation to transplant is complex and is influenced by many factors, such as legislation, training, public attitude, and cost. These factors also influence organ donation. The worldwide shortage of donated organs is the major challenge currently facing transplant programs around the world. In some cases, transplanted organs present the only means to treating the end stage of a disease. Should we allow individuals to die because of our lack of awareness?

Think of it this way, when a loved one passes away it doesn't just end there, he continues to live through the people to whom he has given the ultimate gift of his organs. Donating an organ doesn't cost you a thing, yet the ability to do so gives you the power of giving a life to someone. There are everyday heroes who save lives, and, you have the chance to save upto 8 lives. When you're done with it, pass it on.

There are organ donor cards that you can fill out and carry in your wallets. The proof of willingness on your part makes it easier for you to be a donor if--God forbid--something should happen to you. When you care enough to give a life to someone or to keep a part of you alive through someone else, click here to pledge your organs.

PS: The video found in this blog is an advertisement for Eye Donation by the Sri Lankan Eye Donation Society. The director's expression of the visually challenged little boy's yearn to see the world touched me.

Beating Back Aches and Pains

Do you like a cushy lifestyle? a job where you sit in an air conditioned office and go home to slumber sweetly on a soft foam mattress. Do you find yourself to wake up with back aches and sleep with back aches? Do you pop a pain killer everyday to cope with the excruciating back pain? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the right time for you to take precautions and get back right onto the 'Healthy' track.

Most people suffering from neck, mid back and lower back pain are of the belief that the pain stems from bad posture, being overweight, wearing high heels, having a sedentary lifestyle with no exercise, too much exercise, dancing, pregnancy, stress etc. While all these could be true, most of the times the root cause to back aches/pains is having a WEAK BACK.At some point in our lives, we all have experienced the pain. It is better to be aware and know how to handle one than be caught off guard.

What is the difference between back ache and back pain?
A usual assumption is that aches are less severe than pain, which is true, you also need to know that aches, when not paid attention to, could lead to pain. Any ache in your back is an early sign of impending back pain, and hence now is the best time to take action. Relieving back pain now is simple and quick, all you need to do is target the muscles that are tiring and ease their tension.

So how would you ease the tension?
For starters, you need to improve the blood supply to the concerned area.This can be temporarily helped by going for a gentle walk, which helps improve circulation and allows you to change position and ease muscle tension. Rubbing the area in a circular motion for about 15 seconds can stimulate the nerve and blood supply to a few lower back muscles. Doing this once or twice a day can help relieve ache/pain, there are many kinds of ointments that help alleviating the pain, warm water compresses could also help you, but again these are only temporary measures. In case you find that these techniques don't work and aggravate the pain you feel, an immediate consultation with your physician is recommended.

How to pick up heavy stuff without hurting your back
No matter how hard you try, avoiding all the situations that may be stressful to your back is impossible. Sometimes you have to lift heavy objects. Of course, as the weight of the object increases, so does the risk of injuring your back. However, the actual stress on your back is also related to the position of your body when you lift the object. Understanding how body positioning affects your activities is called body mechanics. You can decrease your chance of a back strain or injury by using good body mechanics. Here are some tips that you could follow when you lift heavy objects (the image below helps you picture them):

Keep your feet shoulder width apart. A solid base of support is important while lifting. Holding your feet too close together will be unstable, too far apart will hinder movement. Keep the feet about shoulder width apart and take short steps.

Lift close to your body. You will be a stronger, and a more stable lifter if the object is held close to your body rather than at the end of your reach. Make sure you have a firm hold on the object you are lifting, and keep it balanced close to your body.


Bend your knees and keep your back straight. Practice the lifting motion before you lift the object, and think about your motion before you lift. Focus on keeping your spine straight; raise and lower to the ground by bending your knees. Never bend your back while lifting things (most of us tend to bend our spine, thus letting it bear most of the weight that is being lifted)

Tighten your stomach muscles. Tightening your abdominal muscles will hold your back in a good lifting position and will help prevent excessive force on the spine.

Lift with your legs. Your legs are many times stronger than your back muscles--let your strength work in your favor. Again, lower to the ground by bending your knees, not your back. Keeping your eyes focused upwards helps to keep your back straight.

If you're straining, get help. If an object is too heavy, or awkward in shape, make sure you have someone around who can help you lift.

Measures to be taken to have a stronger back

Remember, however old (or young) you are, it is never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips that would help you have a stronger back.

• Front Plank Exercise- Facing the floor, support your body up on your lower arms and your toes, and try to hold it for a minute, eventually progressing to a minute 15 seconds, a minute and a half, etc. To create more instability, raise the right leg, then the left leg, holding for 10 seconds. That move strengthens the overall core. The plank helps people begin to increase the weight they lift because they have a stronger back.
  
• Superman Stretch- Lie on your stomach, with hands and legs outstretched. Lift the arms and legs at the same time, hold for 10 seconds, come back down and do it again. Work up to doing sets of those 10-second intervals for a minute. To add more resistance, do this while holding water bottles or cans of soup. This especially targets the lower back.
• Don't sleep on a mattress that is too soft or mushy (its better to have one on the firmer end that supports your back well)
• If your job mandates you to have a sedentary lifestyle, take a few minutes to get away from your desk for a quick stroll. This helps ease your back muscles and relaxes them.
  
• Have a balanced diet- Overweight people tend to exert a lot of pressure on their spine. So make sure you eat right.
• Exercise right - Do not be a couch potato. Push yourself to have some amount of physical activity everyday. A 30 minute aerobic walk at the park would do you a lot of good.
  
• Have a stress free life- Spend time to figure out ways to keep yourself free of stress. Yoga can be a good way to De-stress for those with a hectic lifestyle; It will help you stay in control of those stress hormones.

For those of you who have an already injured back, please discuss with your physician before following the tips mentioned.

If you know of other ways to have a stronger back, feel free to pitch in with your suggestions. If you have a back breaking incident that you'd like to share, let me know how you coped with it.

Unsung Heroes, we salute you

In a world where you find people executing mindlessly insane activities only to get some publicity to eventually become a celebrity, a world where we have people who would loose their head over achieving fame and ultimately end up being known for all the wrong reasons, it is heartening to see that there are those handful of heroes to whom we owe more than we can possibly know. Here is an ode to those unsung heroes who don't often make it to the headlines. the doctors who sacrifice their personal lives to enable the sick to be around their loved ones, soldiers who serve our country with patriotism, the care takers of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant (Japan) who were trying to stifle the imminent explosions by working around the Plant that might have blown up anytime, social reformers who have dedicated their lives to dissuade female trafficking ; to mention just a few who risk their lives so the rest of the world wouldn't get affected adversely.

These are people who do not have a lot of money, who do not have access to power, and some are not even liked by the leaders of their communities. They live a simple life of humility. Yet, they achieve the unthinkable and conquer the unimaginable with the richness of their minds. Each one woke up one day and decided it was up to them to start filling a need, these are truly extraordinary people. How many of us spend a few minutes to think of someone else much less the underprivileged?

To the Devout- God exists through these great individuals
To the atheist- Benevolence does prevail amongst some corporeal beings

Thanks to the media, these unsung heroes are now being appreciated for their selfless acts. Hollywood award shows come with glamorous stars, popular bands and tearful acceptance speeches, and laurels from CNN offered all of that along with a rare humanitarian twist. A celebration of regular people who toil against the odds to improve the lives of others.

If you know of any unsung hero that you think deserves more recognition and support, click here and fill out the form. If he or she qualifies to be a CNN Hero, they would not only be well known for their altruism, but also supported financially for their benevolence. If not anything else, nominating a hero is the least we can do to support our society.

Whats the Purpose?

"A goal in life is the only fortune worth finding"

At work I often used to be a witness to interminable cribs from some of my colleagues. I find it intriguing since these are some of those who have a good career and a good family life, then why the cribbing??I know an ace student who has been successful in all her endeavors till date. Yet, she feels that she isn't doing something that is keeping her happy. To her, work has just been completely devoid of passion. Its OK to vent it out when you are frustrated, but if this has become a habit then I think that the way of life needs to be reinvented.

Everyone of us wants to ultimately achieve satisfaction and contentment, the ways in which we go about it sets us apart from the rest of the world. Sometimes we follow a path, a well established one, that was already laid down. This path lodges hordes of followers who believe they are running the race to achieve their goals in a relatively easier way and, occasionally, we are also met with the brave ones who define their own routes to success. Aping others' aspirations, although might prove to be serendipitous for some, is abortive to most. Until you find your goal, you will continue to feel lost.

Many of us view life in a myopic sense. We know what makes us happy now and just go with the moment. In certain ways, I've been that way too. But sometimes I wonder, What really is the purpose of our life? how do you find out what it ultimately means to you? some say that it is to be 'successful and happy', the meaning of which is very subjective. What is success and happiness? is it attributed to pecuniary rewards? is it to die with a clear conscience? is it to be an altruist who is known for his benevolence? or may be just leading a life of fulfilled duties/obligations (filial or otherwise).

Unless you are a part of the lucky few, you might not necessarily know the purpose of life. Whatever said and done, until you have carved your unique path to contentment, you will continue to be bemused and lost. This might seem overwhelming owing to the obscurity, but taking that chance and finding that goal is half the battle won. In the meantime you live, laugh and be merry.. at the end of the day, the question always comes back to you. I'm still figuring out my purpose. For those of you who have won half the battle, what do you think is yours?