Natural ways to boost immunity.. other than any drinks and kadhas

The pandemic has changed the world in all ways. People have started realising that they were taking their body for granted. I've seen lot of people making different type of kadhas and drinking different types of waters to boost immunity. But have we  really changed our lifestyle that actually helps in boosting the immunity and being healthy? The answer isn't positive for sure.

The lockdowns have given rise to different types of anxieties. Poeple have found their own ways to kill the abundantly available time. Lot of new recipes are being tried.  But almost all of them are not very healthy. 

Being a doctor's kid, I have always been taught to have a healthy lifestyle since my childhood. Simple things such as balanced diet, enough sleep, moderate exercise and overall balanced mind help in boosting the immunity. So I'm enlisting few things which would help not just in short term but long term in leading a healthy life. I'm not against any kadhas, but according to me these thing matter more.

1. Diet

Having a healthy and balanced diet. Having all the vitamins, minerals, proteins and enough fats and carbs in your diet is necessary. I'm not a very big fan of fad diets such as keto or a total no carb diet. Eating green leafy vegetables atleast once in a week is(twice in a week ideally) preferred. A fresh fruit a day keeps the doctor away. I would always prefer fruits over fruit juices 😬. A variety of fruits with different vitamins would make more sense. 

Balancing the fats and proteins in the diet is the key too. I would suggest to keep the fried items in the diet for cheat days. I myself prefer shallow fried over deep fried items. Proteins can be balanced by sprouts, lentils and eggs and meats for non vegetarians. Although I'm a non vegetarian, I eat it very occasionally. Addition of lemons, guavas, goosberries to your diet will work wonders in all senses. Curd is also a magical item for me for the natural probiotics it gives. A handful of black raisins and almonds soaked overnight can be eaten in the morning 😃.

Junk and readymade foods are to be avoided as far as possible.

2. Moderate exercise is the second thing which I feel is absolutely necessary. A brisk walk for 30-45 mins a day or some floor exercises for 25-30 minutes will help in keeping the body fit. I'm again not a fan of too heavy exercises. I believe in balance for all aspects of my life.

3. Getting enough and sound sleep is very important. Reducing the screen time in the night is very important for this. 

4. Mental peace and well being is equally important for a healthy body. Everyone has their own way of achieving mental peace. Meditation, pooja or even a call with a loved one can bring the much needed peace sometimes. Spending time with your family and friends always helps.😃

5. Spending half an hour per day for yourself doing the activity you love is extremely important. It can be anything, from watching your favourite series to reading your favourite book. It can add a happy half an hour to your day full of work otherwise 😃.

I hope these tips will help everyone in these difficult times 🙏

Survival of the fittest... How fit are the Indian unicorns?

When the world is trying to come in terms with the unexpected pandemic, another quite expected challenge awaits all of us, the economic crisis! Nobody knows the depth of this crisis but everyone is trying to ready themselves to face this crisis! 

All the new statistics and future predictions about the economic crisis are confusing and scary at the same time! The most affected businesses would be the MSMEs and startups who are yet to establish a strong base! 

From what I have studied about the investments perspective of Indian startups, they are mostly dependent upon the cash flow from VC firms, PE funds and to some extent angel networks! The huge investment coming from a South Asian giant is critical for almost all the Indian unicorns. But lately that particular South Asian enterprise has landed in trouble with its few investments. 

It would be really interesting to know how these unicorns keep themselves floating amid this crisis. It's being said that, survival is all the more important than anything else. The cash left with most of these unicorns is only sufficient for a couple of months. They have to plan their strategy quickly yet effectively to stay in the business.

When we try to think logically, what alternatives do we think of? The usual answers would be, business diversification, a possible pivot or effective marketing gimmics which won't cost the company much but would fetch more customer base. But don't you think all these are extremely risky especially in the time of this severe crisis? It would be extremely critical for a startup to decide their business strategy for the near future. It's a do or die game! 

Talking about some of the best unicorns, who were an integral part of the lives of people in most of the Indian metros are now diversifying into totally new lines of business. Food delivery giants like Swiggy and Zomato have ventured into online grocery delivery. Swiggy particularly has been preparing itself to be a last mile delivery game changer. It recently acquired Suprdaily, for the daily delivery of milk, bakery and other essentials. But Dunzo is giving a tough competition to Swiggy already. The fittest of them would survive and eventually win this last mile delivery war. 

Swiggy is few steps ahead, trying to venture into online alcohol delivery. On the other hand, it has closed its cloud kitchen business recently with the aim of saving on the expenses. A diversification along with a closure, what does their startegy really indicate? Would it be purely demand based in future?

Amazon is currently piloting food delivery in India, it would be a huge competition for the food delivery unicorns if Amazon is successful. And one of them might want to get acquired by Amazon, let's see what future has in store for these last mile delivery companies.

Zomato on the other hand has recently acquired UberEats, India. Without much of diversification, what would be Zomato's change of startegy? Would significant changes be coming up in their subscriptions and memberships in future? It is being predicted that, dining in restaurants is going to pick up pace very slowly in the post Covid 19 era. Where do Zomato subscriptions stand in then in post Covid 19 era? 

On the other hand, ride sharing services such as Ola and Uber offered their services for emergency and essential travel during the first few phases of the lockdown. That temporary pivot helped them in atleast keeping the moral of their drivers high. It would be really commendable of them if they decide some employee centric business model to sustain this crisis.

When all the other startups were struggling for survival, the grocery ecommerce companies have struck gold. Apart from struggles of manpower management, companies like bigbasket and grofers have been doing extremely well. Does this mean, that essential service companies would definitely survive the crisis? Customer panic buying is definitely responsible for this sudden surge in demand. 

Consumer behaviour and psychology need to be very carefully studied before formulating any critical business decisions and strategies in the coming times. Taking calculated risks might be the success mantra. Time can only answer which startups would survive this crisis and how? But till then, it would be fun to see and analyse their new business strategies...

P.S. A unicorn is a startup with a valuation more than  or equal to $1B.

To do or not.. A doctor's dilemma...

Doctors are considered equal to god! They care for your health! But they have to go through biggest dilemmas and emotional turmoil while making some decisions where human emotions are involved! I'll be presenting to you few of the unique medical experiences through a series of blogs. Few of them are actual experiences of Dr Rajeev Joshi and Dr Mrs Padmaja Joshi while others are experiences of world famous doctors! 

Here in my first blog, a heart touching experience of a world famous plastic surgeon is presented. A doctor is also a human. This story is a perfect example of a doctor's dilemma. The plastic surgeon was practising in Europe at that time. The war atmosphere made it quite difficult for the doctors to practice.

One fine morning, a young girl in her early twenties came to him as a patient. For him she was one of his patients. But she had come to him with a great hope.

"Doctor, please help me. I'm getting married next month. But I'm not a virgin. It is compulsory for a would be bride to be a virgin. It is also checked by the groom's family before marriage. I want to get a hymenoplasty done. You are my last hope in this regard. If you say no, my marriage will break! Please help me", the startled girl requested the doctor.

The doctor was in a fix. Being the world famous plastic surgeon, he had his own set of ethics. He told the girl, "But this is against my ethics. It is like betraying your would be husband and in laws. Sorry but I can't help you!".

The girl was very intelligent. "But doctor, it is mandatory to ask the history to the patient. You didn't ask me my history before saying no to me." she exclaimed! 

"You're very brave and intelligent. I accept my mistake. So how did you lose your virginity? Please tell me." said the embarassed doctor.

"My luck was not in my favour doctor! A soldier from other country raped me during the war time!" She broke into tears! 

The doctor unfortunately belonged to the winning group of countries! What was the fault of the girl? Nothing! So the doctor had to stand for her! The soldier from his own country had done this crime to this innocent girl. Was it her fault that, her country belonged to the group of losing countries ? Absolutely not! The doctor operated her for hymenoplasty the next day!

Don't you think, he did the correct thing! Humanity came much before for him than his ethics!

A praiseworthy cleanup drive by Silver County Road Residents, Harlur, Let us create the Change

Bangalore has become synonymous with polluted lakes, dirty surroundings, roads full of trash and potholes. The citizens are bearing the burnt. But here is something which every citizen should do and take inspiration from. This would set an example of being a proactive, socially responsible citizen actively contributing to the betterment of the environment.

I am myself a resident of the silver county road, Harlur, south Bangalore. The silver county road residents group( Silver County Live Wire) took up a really inspiring cleanup drive of the silver county road recently. This area consists of 4-5 small to medium sized lakes. The road was a nightmare for motorists and bikers in the rainy season. The absence of street lights would add to the inconvenience of the residents and commuters of this area.
But the residents' group acted very promptly. The cleanup drive took meticulous planning. Hats off to the people leading the group for the efforts and perfect planning!

We are good at planning, budgeting and execution :D

It began from raising funds for the cause. The total cost of lifting the garbage and dumping was about 25000( total of 15 trucks and 1 JCB was required each day and the cost of dumping each truckload was around 700). The campaign was planned on every Sunday and would require sufficient funds.
The team planned a social media campaign for raising funds and every resident contributed a small but considerable amount to it.

Inspiration from Genext: :)

The kids of Sobha Cinnamon Saffron were the real inspiration for all the elders. They showed the utmost dedication and honesty. They collected around 22000 by selling lemonade and actually visiting people door to door. Kudos to their efforts.

Leaders make the difference :D

The group leaders were busy spreading the word about the cleanup drive on social media to get more volunteers. They also made accessories like gloves, masks available for the volunteers.
The cleanup drive took place for total 4 Sundays. Those 4 Sunday mornings were mornings full of inspiration, dedication, collaboration and team efforts.

Work for the community by the community

This drive was organised by the community for the community. The best thing about living in a community is that you get to learn and share really great things. This cleanup drive was a classic example of dedicated team efforts working selflessly for the community.
The efforts are bearing fruits. The surroundings are clean. The people want to maintain that cleanliness because they have cleaned the surroundings themselves. They are creating awareness about it too.

Let us smile bright with the new lights :D

The area is getting street lights too. The poles are already in place. We are looking forward to a well lit Silver County Road :)

Nothing stops us!

On 19th May 2019, BBMP didn't do arrangements for sending the tractors. But when people were determined nothing could stop them. The tractors were arranged by the people.
These kinds of group activities need to attract more attention. The silver county lives wire group is seeking support for creating a better surrounding and neighbourhood for the residents. Their efforts are also for making the commute safe for everyone. They are driven by passion, social responsibility to protect the nature around. Many people supported them directly or indirectly. But they need more support.

Let us do it ourselves before telling others:
They are an inspiration for all Bangaloreans. It takes courage to come on roads for actually cleaning the roads. They have begun. Now it is everyone's responsibility to take this forward. They need more support in all respects for future work.
Let's do our share...

The link for the fundraising page is as follows

https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/silver-county?utm_source=campaigner&utm_medium=whatsappShare&utm_campaign=silver-county&utm

The great work is illustrated in a creative video on YouTube. Do have a look

https://youtu.be/cpcZC0Ar24M

Let us do our bit for livable and green surroundings. After all, it is for our greener future where we would breathe fresh air, enjoy the clean neighbouring lakes.

Lessons learnt are:

Being together for such a noble is the biggest strength of this activity. The site is very soothing and satisfying for the volunteers. This is the foundation for many such successful drives in future.
Let us strive for better results in the future. Let us collaborate, cooperate and achieve greener and cleaner environment. 

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Humanity... The most noble religion

The idea of this post came to my mind after reading an article.
I'm personally being brought up in very liberal religious environment and hence my thoughts are in sync with my upbringing. But as a educated, alert and well aware individual I seriously started thinking about the world around and the religions complications involved.
The most threatening 'Terrorism' is probably an outcome of religious differences and extremism. The lives lost because of terrorism cannot be brought back. In my opinion nothing is more precious than a life , no religion is big enough than a life.

Some people might think that I'm only considering extreme cases. But giving it a serious thought, on what basis a  person's religion is decided? Probably by birth, which is not really in control of the person. People differentiate and make groups based on religions and caste. But then the question comes, why do we want to be a part of a community if we want to be a part of all these differences. I live in a gated community in a cosmopolitan city for last 6 months. I consider last six months of my life really very fruitful in this regard. I learnt a lot from people of different castes, communities and religions who are a part of this community. I never differentiated on the basis of caste, religion etc but I adapted myself to mingle with such people in last 6 months. And I can say it is a pleasure to know them and be with them.
People are ready to get married in different faiths and religions. But still some of them are not flexible enough to go beyond these boundaries on personal level. These boundaries are probably created by our older generations but it is a high time we break them.
A person is more defined by his own virtues and good deeds than his religion or caste.
There are examples of people of different religions helping each other in crisis even during communal riots. Those should be the highlights and examples for other people. Humanity is way above any religion. Helping an individual irrespective of his religion is something that should be praised here.
The question is when would the people grow up and stop being Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Jew or Christians? We are humans above all and everyone has all rights to live a life on their own terms.
So are you with me on this? What do you appreciate more. Humanity and acceptance or maintaining differences based on religion, caste and such things?

Marketing... An art of being an opportunist

The recent online sensation... Ola's this year April fool campaign catches everyone's attention. Though it is Ola's trend to launch a similar campaign every year, they are still able to create a curiosity in minds of Indian internet fraternity.. Ola got some sarcastic tweets and retweets but in my opinion the desired impact was achieved.

What is the success factor of online marketing campaigns? In my opinion, the campaign which correctly identifies the audience psychology and in turn catches the most attention is the most successful marketing campaign. This will in turn help in achieving better business eventually. So in short, the most viral marketing campaign is the most successful marketing campaign.
Psychology is taught as the basic subject in all the business schools. Studying the psychology of the audience minutely is the key to successful marketing.
In turn, effective communication leads to desired consumer behaviour. Ola's campaign was carefully designed after identifying Indian psychology. India lacks the proper and hygienic public washrooms. The main problem, even in urban india is a very poor infrastructure in this regard.
Ola identified this at the correct point of time. It is said that a problem or need creates the biggest business opportunity. Ola just tried to cash on the indian psychology of believing such things instantly. And I would say, it was a success. Apart from the intellectuals and industry experts, all the ordinary citizens of india believed in them.
The campaign created the required buzz. And the next step from Ola was to take correct advantage of this created buzz.
Ola launched, 'My ride, My cause' campaign through their app. They launched a crowd funding campaign to build 20000 toilets for the underprivileged in partnership with Gramalaya. The ola users would be able to participate in the campaign from April-October by donating Re 1/ride.

This social initiative will in turn catch the audience's attention again. I would definitely like to understand the brain behind this marketing campaign. A marketing genius.. what do you think?

References: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/how-olas-april-fools-prank-video-turned-real/article26704210.ece

Let her independence win over her insecurities

Today is women's day. It is being celebrated everywhere. I personally don't believe in celebration but I want to take this opportunity to express my thoughts regarding one issue.
Recently I have been interacting with many people because of my work and other reasons. I always make it a point to observe people and learn from them.
Few women I met were forced because of unavoidable circumstances to be financially independent. The need of the time taught them to be on their own, but the change I saw in them after this was remarkable. The transformation was really commendable.
I also met some women, who were balancing their career with their family life. They made some compromises in their career but still managed to be independent. Their efforts were an example for me..
On the other hand, I met few women in the same age group, trying to create an identity. The circumstances were favorable but their insecurities were speaking louder than their confidence.
Then the question came to my mind, what does independence really mean for a women? Is it doing everything on their own?
I am financially independent since I was 22 years old. Then I asked myself what drives me to work harder and remain financially independent for nearly 10 years after I first started working. Is it really money? The answer was different...
I had made plans for spending my first salary and I was really excited about it. I never wanted to miss this joy and excitement. I had bought small gifts for all my family members and friends. That joy was worth experiencing. I was confident after I started working that I am capable of helping anyone financially on my own. This confidence was a result of my independence. I would have never achieved it otherwise. I have always believed that one should create memories and experience everything to have an enriching life. My financial independence gave me an opportunity to experience these joys and moments. And I'm grateful for all these. I was able to keep my insecurities aside and enjoy my  independence. I was able to win over my insecurities with my independence.
I again thought of the women I met who were trying hard to deal with their insecurities. And just realised immediately that if supported and encouraged they will be able to easily win over their insecurities. If encouraged by the people around they will be definitely able to create these moments of joy and confidence for themselves. So would you encourage women around you to be independent and win over their insecurities?