"Why are you afraid of Diabetes"

Yesterday, i started and finished an amazingly simply written medical book on Diabetes. Its name was "Why are you afraid of Diabetes". The author has written it in very lucid language, explaining the whole system and its functioning briefly. I had little idea of Diabetes earlier. But now i think i have a little bit more than average knowledge of Diabetes. Simply putting it up, Diabetes refers to a condition where body can not maintain ideal glucose level in its bloodstream.
When we eat food, it gets converted into glucose which is taken by blood to cells where it is burnt down to form energy. But we do not eat continuosly, we eat in breaks. Therefore, there should be system to avoid excess glucose in bloodstream at one time and a very low level at some other time. This function is done mainly by two harmones namely, insulin and glucagen secreted by pancreas. Insulin stimulates cells to burn glucose and also store glucose at liver and muscle cells to reduced glucose level in blood. When glucose level comes down, glucagen releases the glucose earlier stored by liver and muscles into bloodstream. By this mechanism a constant balance of glucose is kept in bloodstream.
Diabetes means that either body is not producing any insulin (Type 1) or it is producing enough insulin but this insulin can not be used by our body effectively. It results into increase in glucose level of our body.
Due to the fact that direct sugar like pure sugar, jaggery, sweets etc converts itself into glucose very fast and the required insulin is not produced by a person suffering from diabetes, it is recommended that those suffering from diabetes should avoid taking direct sugar.
Taking control of Sugar
Diabetes is a superb servant but a malevalent master. One of the most important and also the easiest thing to control sugar is to increase activity level in your life. The principal is

Why to lay down,when you can sit
Why to sit,when you can stand
Why to stand,when you can walk
Why to walk, when you can run

The author has recommeded some very simple things which can make all the difference.
1) If your office/home is not at ground floor, then always use stairs instead of using lift.
2) Get your bus from next stop and get down at one stop earlier.
3) Walk while talking over a mobile phone.
4) Always do something while watching TV.
5) If you have enough space, give some time to gardening.
like this, always do whatever you can to increase your activity level.

Apart from above, it is advisable to do some exercices also like walking, jogging, swimming or playing table tennis, badminton etc. One should do brisk walking for atleast 20-25 minutes daily.

By following above simple tips, it can be believed that after getting diabetes if a person is doing this then there are chances of him living a healthier as well as longer life than the chances for him before getting diabetes.

Grass is greener on the other side.

It is an age old saying that Grass always looks greener on the other side. But it should not be taken as excuse for non attempting anything new. Otherwise the grass at which one is banking currently would soon become dead and he will be left with no grass at all. The intent of the phrase would be to take steps seriously after weighing all pros and cons.

Extra than ordinary is Extraordinary.

To be extraordinary, a person should always try to do something extra than other people around him. I think that this can take him to next higher level where the work of his other colleagues would be more than his earlier ones. Now again the challenge is to do extra than these persons. The cycle would continue and the base line would be continuosly going up.
A very famous small story is there on this. Once upon a time, two friends were passing through a jungle. Suddenly they heard a lion's roar behind them. Both understood that lion was coming in their direction. One friend started running. His friend commented "Do you think that you can run faster than lion?". In reply he said "I don't have any need to run faster than lion, i have to run faster than just you."

Mumbai vs. Delhi

Today at one of the Blog i find a post on Delhi, our national capital. Somebody has complained to the author that so many people write about their home city but very less has ever been written about Delhi. So Mumbai Girl(blog name) wrote about the things a Delhite would be proud of. The list included education facilities, Delhi haat, bahri sons (a book shop) at khan market, National Museaum, Janpath, Humanyun's tomp, chandni chowk, lajpat nagar, delhi's place in history etc etc.
I did my graduation from Delhi and spent another 2 years there. The only thing i can include in "why to be proud of Delhi" for a delhite would be its superior infrastructure in comparison to other indian cities. It has a network of six lanes, eight lanes roads. There has been a lot of development in respect of building flyovers. One can see amazingly good flyovers at Ring Road especially at AIIMS, Dhaula Kuan, Ashram.
Govt. can build roads, construct sky scrapers, start metro rail but it cannot change the attitude of people living there. People at Delhi can pick a fight over a very petty issue. An issue could be as small as wrong overtaking, conductor asking ticket in Blue Line, Why the bus did not stop at a non designated stop when somebody raised his hand. The crime rate in the city is also very high. Anybody can vouch it from the newspaper there. It would definitely carry some news of murder, rape, dacoity, robbery, theft & cheating. Night hours are not at all safe for women. The problem may lie in the heavy movement of people from border states of U.P, Haryana & Rajasthan.

I have always compared Delhi to somebody who has recently gained some wealth. Novea Riche (correctly spelt ?) can be a better term. Those people who have all the resources to their command but do not have taste. Nobody can develop taste just be earning a fortune. It can only be nurtured.

Mumbai is complete antithesis of Delhi. It has poor infrastructure, not so good educational facilities and not a very marked historical background. But (actually a big BUT) it has culture. People here have good social values. They are enjoying independence but with responsibility. No one unduly intervenes in some body else affair. Forget road fighting, you can not even see a verbal one. It makes this city rocking and it is the spirit, mumbai is known for.

Why people become so arrogant ?

Today i had to accompany somebody to a meeting with an arrogant fool. Fool's behaviour was so much full of arrogance that the whole place seemed to be a stinking gutter. I can't figure out that what makes such mortals to behave like they are holding powers of life and death over somebody. My philosophy in life has been that the biggest service a person can do is to help other people as much as he can. And if it doesn't involve any disadvantage to you than what's the problem man! I can't understand the logic behind refusing to help in such a scenario. It is a godsend oppurtunity that a person is able to help others. People do not become great by occupying high posts they become great when their deeds are great. It is a foolhardiness to think that one has to show off the powers he weilds. The moment somebody bangs his fists on the table and yells " I am the boss here", he ceases to be actually.

How much is too much ?

Money is not everything but it is something whose importance in life, one can not ignore. It brings with it a lot many comforts. We have always felt fascinated to more and more comforts in our life and thatswhy money making becomes our almost sole purpose in life. But the question is that how much money can satisfy a person. The thurst of making money can not be quenched. See the example of Ambani Brothers. Their father created a 1 lac crore empire from the scratch and these buffoons who got around 50 thousand crore worth of empire each are still fighting with each other.
They could have moved the mountain had they remained together with each other. With a grand empire they can create a storm in whichever market they enter into. But now their strengh has been reduced to less that half. Less than half because they have not only lost the synergy effect but they are squandering their energy on fighting with each other.

"Death's going to kiss me"

To my greatest joy, i found interview of Paulo Coelho in today's Indian Express. How come some people get such a good expression. Leave alone his novels, his interview even can fill anybody with a vigour. Such thing, as i feel can come only after one has attained himself. Attaining one's ownself may seem to be an oxymoron but it is true that most of the time what we do or try to do is not for our real self. It is generally for an image of us we have been taught to conjure for us.
I can't help but quoting some of the interview lines. Though i am giving a link to that interview i want these words to be written on my blog.

• Does death fascinate you?
Not fascinate, but I am conscious of dying. Most people think only the neighbour dies, not them, you know. From the moment you know you are going to die, you respect every single moment in your life. We are walking this stretch, you have your questions, I have my answers. But I am not only answering you, I am trying to give my best because I know my responsibility as a human being,
because I know death is there.

Wow!!

"I would say there is only one thing I really treasure in a human being. You can have your fears, you can have your moments of doubt, but you can never be a coward. You have to face your fears, you have to overcome your moments of doubt, you have to believe that if you look for it there is always a solution. If you really want something, the whole universe is going to conspire to help you. But to do that, you have to be brave. Brave enough to fight for things that are meaningful to you. Not meaningful to A, B or C, but to you."

One can get the complete interview at

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=87459
Hat's off to you, Paulo.

A promise

I am making a promise here that i would earnestly try to write atleast one post each day. So for next 23 days (the promise is for Feb only), i am going to write one post daily.

Me started Table Tennis & Jogging

From 20 jan 2006, i am practising TT with a friend. And i think that now it has improved a lot. Yesterday, i was playing against an old hand of our colony. I was beaten but by 18-21. It seems to be great progress in 15 days. Though i am enjoying TT very much these days but it is causing me trouble in my morning walk.
I started jogging also on 30 jan 2005. After first two days, my legs were really very painful. So, i took break for next 3 days and again started going on Saturday but decided to start with brisk walking only. On Sunday also i somehow could not go. Today was the fourth day. I hope that by next week i would be able to make one round of jogging around sunder nagar park.

Welcome February 2005

When i was making my new year resolutions in last december somebody questioned the entire purpose of making resolutions. As per him, why we need to make resolution on new year and he was damn sure that these resolution are more often than not meant to be forgotten. But i and one of my friend persisted. Though i think that my that friend has somewhat lost the resolution, i am still going with some of mine. I made 3 but at this moment can recollect one only. And in this one too, some dilution has taken place. But still i am happy with the progress.
I always loved landmarks. When i was passing out of any class i used to make resolutions for the next class. Usually it was to be the topper next year. But i can shamefully admit that this resolution never contributed in my preparation throughout my school life. Even now, i feel excited at the last day and first day of each month. Something itches me to make resolutions for the next month.
Today is the first day of the smallest month so definitely i would make some resolutions and this time i am going to write them down in some diary and would read them daily and make a checklist also for tracking.