Creating a Healthy & Happy World – Happy World Health Day

April 7^th is World Health Day commemorating the founding of Who (World Health Organization) in 1948. This year the theme is “Our planet, our health”. It is basically stressing on the interdependency of health of the human-beings on that of the planet. As per WHO, 13million deaths occur throughout the world only due to the environmental causes which can be avoided. Climate crisis is creating the health crisis also. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/2022 We pollute the environment and break the ecological balance, environment affects our health badly in return. This vicious cycle continues unless the humankind is well aware of the interdependency and consciously make attempts to convert this vicious cycle into a virtuous cycle.

Today, let us see the extension of the concept told in my previous blog Whose Wealth is Our Health? https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2015/05/whose-wealth-is-our-health.html . In that blog I have discussed the health of the costume (body) giving reference to Bhagawad Gita. Again, we will take the similar analogy that life is a play… we all are actors… our body is the costume to be returned healthy after the play… But what about the stage? World or Planet is the stage on which all the actors (human-beings, animals) perform together. We have no right to damage the stage or harm the other actors. If we turn inwards, it is our internal health. If we turn outwards, it is the external environment. This is how the health of the planet is our health. Thus, Turn Inwards & Outwards - Rethink & Restore the Ecosystems – Happy World Environment Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/06/turn-inwards-outwards-rethink-restore.html

One more important aspect as per WHO is the role of Sustainable Development in Health. The inequalities in economy, resources etc among the different countries in the world is also affecting the health. Recent COVID-19 pandemic is the best example. If some countries are not able to afford the cost of medicines, vaccines and other infrastructure required to handle the pandemic, or the economy was not supporting lockdowns or social distancing etc., we cannot completely end the pandemic. From there it again spreads. That’s how pandemic has taught us that world is a global village not only in terms of IT alone, but also in terms of economy, environment & health also. Thus, the socioeconomic, political factors also have a greater influence of the health. Thus, we should have a holistic view towards health and contribute for Sustainable Development for our own Sustainable Health.

Last year, in my blog (Happy World Health Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/04/happy-world-health-day.html), I brought an analogy of the internal systems of the body to the management systems of the business organization.  In continuation to that concept, this year, I say we are responsible for implementing the changes suggested (medical advice) given by the business consultant (doctor). Business consultant is the expert in business who is hired to help us in implementing policies or bring out changes (eg. Business Process Reengineering/Strategic Planning) to ensure the healthiness & sustainability of the business organization. The health consultant (doctor) helps us in bringing the changes (Life Style changes) required for health & sustainability. Medical advice is the provision of a formal professional opinion regarding what a specific individual should or should not do to restore or preserve health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_advice You can observe “Ädv” (means Advice) written on the doctor’s prescription sheet in which they write the preliminary diagnosis and the medical advice in that.

Ultimately, everything is in our hands to implement as per the advice or not. So, think wisely and act accordingly as per the advice of the experts.

Please go through my previous blogs on Health & Environment and the Mindful Eating for Holistic Health Series on my YouTube channel-

Mindful Eating for Holistic Health / Mindful Eating Series:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL20jZptP_2vD-KRikkFftw6YISQi9BI9f

 

Health

“Test” for the “Best” https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2015/09/test-for-best.html

Know the Numbers and Optimize the Blood Pressure... https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2018/05/knowing-numbers-first-is-themost.html

‘Dynamic’ or ‘Diabetic’? https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2016/04/dynamic-or-diabetic.html

"If not now, When?" - Happy World Diabetes Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/11/if-not-now-when-happy-world-diabetes-day.html

Whose Wealth is Our Health? https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2015/05/whose-wealth-is-our-health.html

Commit to Quit Tobacco – Happy World No Tobacco Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/05/commit-to-quit-tobacco-happy-world-no.html

Happy World Health Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/04/happy-world-health-day.html

Wishing Happy, Safe, Healthy & Eco-friendly New Year… https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/01/wishing-happy-safe-healthy-eco-friendly.html

Everything is in Your Hands https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2020/06/everything-is-in-your-hands.html

 

Environment

Turn Inwards & Outwards - Rethink & Restore the Ecosystems – Happy World Environment Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/06/turn-inwards-outwards-rethink-restore.html

Happy Earth Day https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/04/happy-earth-day.html

Save the Environment & Biodiversity from the “Inhumanity in Humanity” https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2020/06/save-environment-biodiversity-from.html

Happy "World Environment Day" https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2019/06/happy-world-environment-day.html

"Protect the Ozone Layer" to "Get Protected" https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2016/09/ptotect-ozone-layer-to-get-protected.html

Environment & Sustainability https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2015/06/environment-sustainability.html

"If not now, When?" - Happy World Diabetes Day

More than 422Million people have diabetes in the world as of now mostly in low and middle income countries. Though Diabetes is found to be one of the leading causes of deaths, still enough awareness, medication & care is missing. To promote the awareness about Diabetes Mellitus, every year on 14^th November, a global campaign is conducted by International Diabetes federation and World Health Organization (WHO). As the insulin was discovered 100years back, this year the theme is “Access to Diabetic Care: If not now, when?”

This COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of testing. It holds good for Diabetes also. As per WHO, “half of the all the adults with Type-2 diabetes are undiagnosed”. So they think they are perfectly fine. Unless & until tested, we won’t come to know our blood sugar levels. Unless it is known, it can't be controlled by taking suitable medicines or insulin. Testing of diabetes is done by measuring the blood glucose levels at lab or personal monitoring with the help of a glucometer. 

Normal values

Fasting plasma glucose < 110 mg/dl

HbA1C < 6%

2hrs plasma glucose (after ingestion of 75gm oral glucose load) < 140 mg/dl

Diabetes Mellitus

Fasting plasma glucose > 126 mg/dl

HbA1C > 6.5%

2hrs plasma glucose (after ingestion of 75gm oral glucose load) > 200 mg/dl

https://www.nhp.gov.in/disease/digestive/pancreas/diabetes-mellitus

https://www.who.int/diabetes/publications/Definition%20and%20diagnosis%20of%20diabetes_new.pdf

HbA1 is the three month’s average of the sugars in the blood. HbA1 is nothing but Glycated hemoglobin, which is the sugar-hemoglobin linkage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycated_hemoglobin

The access to – awareness, psychological support, healthy diet and physical activity, lab-tests and self- monitoring, oral medicines & insulin are key elements in managing Diabetes.

As it is a life style disease, changes in the life style will being the changes in the level of the disease.

Please go through my previous blogs related to diabetes & health:

https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2016/04/dynamic-or-diabetic.html

http://researchsubbu.blogspot.in/2015/09/test-for-best.html

http://researchsubbu.blogspot.in/2015/05/whose-wealth-is-our-health.html

 

Please go through the following for in-depth understanding about various aspects of diabetes.

References

https://worlddiabetesday.org/resources/wdd-2021/posters/

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-diabetes-day/2021

https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-diabetes-day/2021/key-messages

https://www.who.int/news/item/12-11-2021-new-who-report-maps-barriers-to-insulin-availability-and-suggests-actions-to-promote-universal-access

https://www.who.int/health-topics/diabetes#tab=tab_1

https://ncdc.gov.in/WriteReadData/linkimages/cdalert0616262925183.pdf

https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/ClinicalGuidanceonDiagnosisandManagementofDiabetesatCOVID19PatientManagementfacility.pdf

https://www.nhp.gov.in/disease/digestive/pancreas/diabetes-mellitus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucose_meter

 

Tusk for Task- Learnings from Lord Ganesha

Face is the index of mind. Lord Ganesha’s face also teaches us many important life lessons. let us mindfully learn from it.

Big Head- We should always think big

Small Eyes- We should focus on our Focus & Concentration

Small mouth & large ears- Talk less and listen more

Trunk- Flexibility, adaptability, maximum intake, reachability

Broken Tusk-Commitment- Lord Ganesha has broken his tusk for writing task of Mahabharata when his pen broke.

Replaced Head- It suggests us to be very careful about our head as it can’t be so easily replaced as in the case of Lord Ganesha. So, we should protect our head by wearing a crash helmet while driving. This is being used to promote road safety by several governments & police. Moreover, commitment to duty and integrity are important things which we can learn from that story of Ganesha stopping Lord Shiva to enter Kailasha as the ganesha was instructed by Parvathi not to allow anyone inside.

The other learnings include-

Rat-vehicle- Though he is very Big, He has chosen a very small rat as His vehicle. It tells us that though we grow big in our life, we should always be down to earth.

Ganesha & Karthikeya’s Race- Circling around the parents instead of circling around the world- Importance of parents, importance of identifying one’s own strengths & weaknesses and making strategies based on that.

We can learn a lot many things from the following-

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/religion/hindu-mythology/life-lessons-from-lord-ganesha/articleshow/70670404.cms

https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/family/ganesh-chaturthi-2019-life-lessons-from-ganapati-for-child-5951519/

https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/learning/teachers-day-2019-lord-ganesha-mindful-teacher-5968304/

https://www.indiatoday.in/lifestyle/culture/story/lord-ganesha-life-lessons-ganesha-chaturthi-ganpati-bappa-lifest-1031157-2017-08-24

https://zeenews.india.com/culture/ganesh-chaturthi-2019-here-are-some-lessons-to-learn-from-lord-ganesha-2231056.html

Ganapathi Bappa Morya

Finding action in inACTION & inaction in action

“Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.” – Bhagavad Gita 4.18

This is the translation of the words told by Lord Shri Krishna to Arjuna just before the Action Sequence (Kurukshetra) in Mahabharata.

I feel that it is like a puzzle given to us to see (perceive & interpret) “Action in inaction & inaction in action”. Several people have seen it through their own lenses. I also want to make a conscious attempt to add a little to that spectrum of thoughts. My perspective is –

Acting

In continuation to my previous blogs considering the life as a drama & we all are actors( https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2018/09/be-actor-of-emotions.html, https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/06/be-star-actor.html ), here comes the word “Action”, usually told by the directors in the shooting of a movie… The Supreme Director God himself says about action.

Inaction itself is an action in some scenes where we are not asked to perform. Some scenes may demand no action from some great actors also. So, there is a possibility that Inaction (not doing action) may be the requirement of the script for a particular scene. Thus, unless & until we understand the Bigger Script of God, we should not judge anybody’s action or inaction. Therefore, we can say the action & inaction are purely contextual.

The action of great actors is such that it would appear to be always real. We feel that they are not acting, but they are living in that role. This is inaction in action.

The actor should never feel that he is acting so that he can perform better & looks as if it is real. But at the same time, he should not be carried away by the emotions of the roles he is performing as it is acting only.

Action= life; Inaction=death

Action in Inaction: Even after death also, the thoughts & good deeds of those people will be inspiring others for doing actions. Though they are not alive, their teachings are alive. That is how we can find life in death also.

Inaction in Action: If a person is not doing good things or the things up to his abilities, though he is alive, he is treated as dead. Moreover, nothing is permanent in life. Our life itself is not permanent. Being conscious of this fact is Inaction in Action.

Action=Discharging, Inaction=Charging

Action in inaction may be perceived as the inaction may be the preparation for the action. People take a gap to recharge themselves. They sit back & regain their energies for action. It is like charging the mobile phone.

Inaction in action is like making the unwanted apps inactive to save the power. It will bring down the load or stress.

Action=Body (physical); Inaction=Mind (psychological)

Every work, job, task requires both physical & mental capabilities, but in different proportions. For some jobs, the physical work may be more dominant compared to the mental effort and vice versa. Whereas, usually, as the physical work is visible directly, it is appreciated. Ideally, we should identify the physical & psychological component of any activity or task and appreciate accordingly.

Action=on field; Inaction=reserve

In sports also, we often see the players on the field. But we forget to appreciate the role of the players kept on reserve. Though they are in inaction mode, they are always ready come in action mode as per the requirement. So, the action & inaction roles are as per the strategy/requirement/situation of the game. Therefore, the action & inaction modes are always dynamic in nature & may be interchanged depending on the situations.

Action=equipment in service; Inaction=Standby/breakdown equipment

For every critical equipment or machine, there will be a standby equipment which is available to come in service when the running equipment fails. So, it is important that all the critical equipment should have standby and the standby equipment should always be ready. It is also crucial to bring back the breakdown equipment to the available state. That is how we should focus not only on the Action state but also on the inaction state.

Action= motion; Inaction= rest

Again, we will go back to Newton to understand this concept better. Previously also we have learnt from his apple story. https://researchsubbu.blogspot.com/2021/07/learnings-from-newtons-apple-story.html. Now let us learn from Newton’s Laws of Motion.

Newton’s Laws of Motion

A body continues to be in its state of rest (Inaction) or uniform motion (Action) unless an external force (God or situations created by God) acts on it. It again explains nishkaam kriya. The action & inaction of us are in God’s hands.

Every action (karma) has an equal & opposite reaction (karma). Our present karmas are reflections of previous karmas & will get reflected in future karmas also. So, our actions & inactions are a result of our previous actions & inactions & will lead to our future actions & inactions. So, we should always focus on our present actions & inactions mindfully.

Our actions & inactions may influence the actions & inactions of others & vice versa. Hence, we should be careful about our actions & inactions considering the holistic perspective.

Sportsmanship - The Key to Success - Happy National Sports Day

National Sports Day is celebrated in India on 29^th Aug commemorating the birthday of world famous hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Sports_Day

Life is a game & we all are players. God is the umpire. So, we need to cultivate good sportsmanship qualities in us… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportsmanship. Let us try to learn & practice some of such qualities listed below… Try to identify these qualities in every sport and imbibe these qualities to improve yourself to be a better player every day…

1. Integrity
2. Respect for others
3. Ethics
4. Support
5. Setting & Achieving Goals
6. Will power
7. Determination
8. Patience, Perseverance
9. Communication, Co.ordination, Co.operation, Competition
10. Delegation
11. Convincing power
12. Inspiration
13. Leadership
14. Sthithpragnatha, Nishkaam Karma
15. Endurance
16. Stress management
17. Physical/mental fitness
18. Social, emotional intelligence
19. Adapting change
20. Decision making
21. Taking Responsibility

Beauty & Lucidity of Telugu

Telugu is not only the official language of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana states of India, but also the language spoken by around 82 million speakers. Telugu is the fastest growing language in the USA also and many countries in the world.

Today is the Telugu Language Day… It is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy, who fought for the simplification of the language and access to all…

In Telangana, it is celebrated on Sept 9^th, on the birthday of Kaloji Narayana Rao, a poet & freedom fighter.

Krishnadevaraya has said , “Among the nation's languages, Telugu is the best.”

“తెలుగ దేలయన్న దేశంబు తెలుగేను
తెలుగు వల్లభుండ తెలుగొకండ
ఎల్లవారు వినగ ఎరుగవే బాసాడి
దేశ భాషలందు తెలుగు లెస్స”

—శ్రీ కృష్ణదేవ రాయలు

 

జనని సంస్కృతంబు సకల భాషలకును
దేశ భాషలందు తెలుగు లెస్స
జగతి దల్లికంటె సౌభాగ్య సంపద
మెచ్చు టాడుబిడ్డ మేలు గాదె?”

—వినుకొండ వల్లభరాయుడు

 

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_language

When compared to other languages, Telugu has 56 alphabet which speaks volumes for its precision of expression in both written and spoken forms of languages.

Some special literary & art forms exclusive to Telugu are –

Ø  Telugu padyaalu – verses with grammar called chandhassu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandas_(poetry)

Ø  Padya naatakaalu- Drama https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_theatre

Ø  Harikatha – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harikatha

Ø  Burra Katha – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burra_katha

Ø  Jaana padaalu – Folk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_folk_literature

Ø  Avadhaanam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avadhanam

Paying tribute to such a wonderful language of lucidity, I recall the famous song “మా తెలుగు తల్లికి మల్లెపూదండ” written by Sankarambadi Sundaraachari for the movie Deena Bandhu (1942).

 

“మా తెలుగు తల్లికి మల్లెపూదండ

మా కన్న తల్లికి మంగళారతులు,

కడుపులో బంగారు కనుచూపులో కరుణ,

చిరునవ్వులో సిరులు దొరలించు మాతల్లి.

 

గలగలా గోదారి కదలిపోతుంటేను

బిరాబిరా కృష్ణమ్మ పరుగులిడుతుంటేను

బంగారు పంటలే పండుతాయీ

మురిపాల ముత్యాలు దొరులుతాయి.

 

అమరావతీ గుహల అపురూప శిల్పాలు

త్యాగయ్య గొంతులో తారాడు నాదాలు

తిక్కయ్య కలములో తియ్యందనాలు

నిత్యమై నిఖిలమై నిలచి వుండేదాకా.

 

రుద్రమ్మ భుజశక్తి మల్లమ్మ పతిభక్తి

తిమ్మరసు ధీయుక్తి, కృష్ణరాయని కీర్తి

మా చెవులు రింగుమని మారుమ్రోగేదాక

నీ పాటలే పాడుతాం, నీ ఆటలే ఆడుతాం

జై తెలుగు తల్లి, జై తెలుగు తల్లి”

 

“A garland of Jasmines for our Mother Telugu,

Veneration to the great Mother that birthed us,

With gold in thy belly and grace in thine eyes,

O Mother, from whose smile wealth doth flow!

 

Full of life and vigor, the river Godavari

Flowing excitedly, the river Krishna

Crops like gold shall they yield bountiful

Gems glinting and shining shall roll forth.

 

Until the exotic sculptures of Amaravati

The riveting voice of Tyāgayya in his songs

The wondrous writings of Tikkayya have

Truly and gloriously withstood the test of time.

 

Rudramma's strength and Mallamma's fidelity

Timmarasu's courage and Krishnadevaraya's glory

Until our ears ring with the pleasantries

Thy songs shall we sing, thy games shall we play

Victory to our Mother Telugu, Victory to our Mother Telugu.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maa_Telugu_Thalliki

With this inspiration, let me try to come in future with some motivational songs from Telugu movies with its translation in English to spread the positive vibes throughout the world.

Happy Friendship Day - Best Wishes & Quotes

All over the world, Friendship Day is celebrated on different days... In India, it is celebrated on 1st Sunday of August.  

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendship_Day

Please go through my previous post on friendship...

A Friend in Deed is the Friend in Need now a days...

Today, as all wish their dear friends, I have thought of collecting the best quotes of great people about friendship. Please pick your favourite quote & share it in the comments below... Wish your best friends with the best quote from the following...

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." - Henry Ford

"Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and

constant." - Socrates

"Friendship is love without his wings!" - Lord Byron

"No good friends. No bad friends. Only people you want, need to be with; people who build their houses in your heart." - Stephen King

"Man's best support is a very dear friend." - Cicero

"Friendship makes prosperity more brilliant, and lightens adversity by dividing and sharing it." - Cicero

"Friendship was given by nature to be an assistant to virtue, not a companion in vice." - Cicero

"As in the case of wines that improve with age, the oldest friendships ought to be the most delightful." - Cicero

"Friendship is nothing else than an accord in all things, human and divine, conjoined with mutual goodwill and affection." - Cicero

"A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself." - Jim Morrison

"I love the friends I have gathered together on this thin raft..." - Jim Morrison

"You can make more friends in two months by becoming more interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you" - Dale Carnegie

"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." - Helen Keller

"I'm so happy. Cause today I found my friends.They're in my head." - Kurt Cobain

"If you go out looking for friends, you're going to find they are very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you'll find them everywhere." - Zig Ziglar

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus

"True friends ... face in the same direction, toward common projects, interests, goals." - C. S. Lewis

"Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake." - Aristotle

"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." - Aristotle

"Be slow in choosing a friend, slower in changing." - Benjamin Franklin

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born." - Anais Nin

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things, does the heart find its morning and is refreshed." - Khalil Gibran

"Friendship is always a sweet responsibility, never an opportunity" - Khalil Gibran

"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth." - Chanakya

"The relationship between husband and wife should be one of closest friends." - Bhimrao R. Ambedkar

"Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life." - Pythagoras

"Friends and acquaintances are the surest passport to fortune." - Arthur Schopenhauer

"Books like friends, should be few and well-chosen." - Samuel Johnson

"There is no surer foundation for a beautiful friendship than a mutual taste in literature." - P. G. Wodehouse

I have picked these beautiful quotes from the Brilliant Quotes website & the app given below...

http://www.bquot.es/en/index.php

Access beautiful collection of quotes for free! Download Brilliant Quotes app now: 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=lammar.quotes

Happy Friendship Day... Thank u to be my "Best Friend Forever"...

New Learning from the Old Newton's Apple Story

We all know about the story of Newton’s apple tree - one day he observed the apple falling on the ground from the tree & started thinking why it was falling down only & why not going upwards… That is the starting point of developing his theory of gravity and earth’s gravitational force. Now let us assume if we were there in the garden, we would have happily eaten the apple or we would have waited for a better apple to fall down… If we observe the difference, Newton’s focus was on the process of falling of the fruit, but not on the fruit itself. But, our focus might be on the fruits. Though there is a least possibility that Newton knows the Lord Krishna’s teachings of Bhagavad-Gita, he has followed it. Nishkaama Karma without phalaapeksha (work without thinking about the fruits/results) is an important thing told in Bhagawad Gita. We should concentrate on the process but not on the results. Efforts are in our hands, not the result (fruits).

Observe the analogy as follows-

Apple- Fruit- Result

Falling- Process

Living in the present, Enjoying the present moment with consciousness & mindfulness techniques also advise us to consciously observe the process without thinking of the result.

Please go through the following-

Newton's Apple Incident

Nishkaam Karma

Phalaapeksha