Thursday, 10 February 2022

Beyond Science

 Beyond Science

There was this argument going on between two ladies. “Don’t you ever give my child fish and egg together.  It’s a very harmful combination. I have done a course in ‘Nutrition’. …blah,blah,blah”, a young lady was telling (almost shouting at her) an elderly woman, who was at her wits end. The husband of the young lady too joined in and attacked the poor old lady. He told her to call any doctor to confirm what his wife was saying was true.

That young lady did not have science background, neither did her husband, though she claimed that she had done a course in ‘Nutrition’. My contention is why are these people, who no science background, allowed to science based courses. 

So this is what I wrote to all my doctor friends, doctor cousins and nephews and nieces:


 I am writing this  to all my doctor friends, my cousins and nephews and nieces, who are in Medical profession. Some nutritionist claims that eating fish and eggs together is harmful and they should never be consumed together. What do you say. I don't agree.  My take on the subject is this:.                      

  Both fish and eggs are proteins ( soft) and there can't be any possible chemical adverse reaction taking place in our stomach. In fact, it's the combination of two excellently healthy proteins that makes it work wonders In fact, the amino acids in eggs help the body to metabolise protein so combining protein-rich eggs with protein-rich fish creates a major protein hit. 

Do reply, and correct me if I am wrong,

Many doctors were very kind enough to  send in their prompt replies in spite of their busy schedule and some even called me to have detailed discussion. 

A heading the Cardiology Department in a reputed rubbished it and called it utter nonsense. While talking to me on the subject, he asked me as to why do the so called expert in alternate have approach us, even leading to  medical emergency at times, seeking medical help. Why can't they use their own expertise then?

A niece of mine, who is a doctor in a Super Speciality Hospital, in Mumbai, wrote to me, " Vinay mama, I totally agree with you."

Dr. Ronnie Coutino, my school classmate, who now practices in US, wrote , "My opinion is that eating fish and eggs together is not harmful. Honestly, I haven’t read anything about this combination being harmful"

 My cousin, also a doctor, sent a photo copy of a pamphlet and wrote a foot note  below it, 'Probably, the person read this',

My cousin alsovcalled me and said, " Gglancing at that chart and goingwill find  it very difficultto eat anything with anything. " 

I had drawn that conclusion much before he called.

  I am reproducing the same over here: The pamphlet says the things written in Capital Letters are the most difficult and dangerous to eat with the given combinations.


To make more readable I enlarged the font of the  chart/ The charts shows  what is not to be eaten with what. 


S.No.

Not to eat

With

1

Beans

Fruits, cheese,eggs,fish.milk,meat,yogurt.

2

Eggs

Fruits (melons, ),beans,cheese, fish, kitchari, milk, meat, yogurt.

3

Fruit

Anything, exception certain cooked combinations as well as dates and milk, which have the same rasa avirya  and vipaka.

4

Grains

Fruits, tapioca.

5

Honey

Ghee

6

Hot drinks

Mangoes, cheese, fish, meat, starch, yogurt.

7

Lemon

Cucumber, milk, tomatoes, yogurt.

8

Melons

EVERYTHING

9

Milk

BANANAS, bread containg yeastfish, meat, yogurt, cherries, kitchari.

10.

Nightshades (potato, tomato)

Melon, cucumber, dairy products.

11

Radishes

Bananas, raisins, milk/

12

 Tapioca

Fruit (banana, mango) jaggary, raisins, beans.

13

Yogurt

Fruit,cheeses,, eggs, fish,, milk, as above.


Now item number 9 Milk  combined with BANANA, would be highly difficult and dangerous to eat. My grand mother used to me this very mixture of bananas and milk ( श्रीकरण ) since I was four years old and I loved eating it with chappati (चपाती) and I still do. Now instead of milk I eat curds and banana. Neither combinations (milk with banana or curds with banana) has harmed me anyway. 

Item number 2 Eggs with fish / meat  as staed above In fact, the amino acids in eggs help the body to metabolise protein so combining protein-rich eggs with protein-rich fish creates a major protein hit. We eat them together quite often. It hasn't harmed us in any manner. 

 Item number 7/ 10 Nightshades, especially tomatoes- we have been eating tomatoes with cucumber, with or without  liberal use of lemon juice in various salad recipes (कोशिंबीर)  and a dish we call (खमंग काकडी) made of cucumber, grated coconut aand crushed pea nuts with or without curds. Needless to say, eating these salads harmed us.

Item number 5, no puja will be complete withot पंचामृत or पंचांम्रुत or Panchamrit , which is a mixture of five foods ( 5 Amruts)used in Hindu as well as Jain worships and pujasand Abhishekasand as offerings during puja. It is distrbuted post puja  and even served during wedding dinners and lunches,  The five ingredients, accoding to Ayurveda , should  be sugar, cow milk, ghee , curds and honey. 

I am keeping this write up of mine open as I am expecting a few more responses from medical professionals.

But this unscientific claims by these so called nutritionists is beyond my imagination and certainly Beyod Science!


                                                                        Vinay Trilokekar


Tuesday, 1 February 2022

मृत्यूची चाहूल ?

 मृत्यूची चाहूल ?

 

आयुष्यात  काय वाढून ठेवले आहे हे कोण सांगू शकते का? माझे एक स्नेही म्हणतात की मला मी केंव्हा मरणार हे जर समझले तर माझ्या आर्थिक व्यवहारांचे चांगले नियोजन करून उर्वरित आयुष आनंदाने आणि सुख समाधाने घालवीन, जीवलगांचे निरोप घेईन, ज्यांनी मदत केली त्यांचे आभार मानीन आणि  ज्यांना-ज्यांना कळत-नकळत दुखावले असेन त्या सर्वांची माफी मागेन.

 

पण असे घडत नाही. जीवनातील अनिश्चितता त्यातील गोडवा आहे.  मला एका डॉक्टर- सर्जनने सांगितले की, " १० पैकी पेशंट बाबतीत  खात्रीने सांगू शकतो अमुक एक 'केस' 'होपलेस' आहे आणि त्याला वाचविणे अशक्य आहे. तरीही आमचे प्रयत्न चालूच असतात आणि मनांत एकाच इच्छा असते - आमचे अंदाज चुकीचे ठरोत आणि पेशंट बारा होऊन सुखरूप  घरी जाईल. आणि तसे झालेच तर आम्हाला आनंद होतोच पण यशाचे श्रेय आमचे आहे असे उगाचच मानतो."

 

केंव्हा  आणि कोठे कोणाचा मृत्यू होईल ह्याचा भाकीत कोणीच करू शकत नाही हेच सत्य आहे - डॉक्टर असो, मांत्रिक असो किंवा फलजोतिषी! एक तज्ञ डॉक्टर एका वृद्ध माणसावर उपचार करीत होते. उपचारा वेळी हॉस्पिटलात  त्याच्या बरोबर त्याचा  मुलगा नियमित येत असे. आजार मोठा होता. डॉक्टरने एका वर्षाची मुदत दिली होती. पण वर्षा मागून वर्ष गेली. मुलगा नचुकता प्रत्येक वेळी वडिलां सोबत येत होता. आणि एके दिवशी मुलगा सोबत नव्हता.

 

 डॉक्टरने विचारले, " मिस्टर जोशी, आज अविनाश सोबत नाही?"

 

" गेल्या रविवारी माझा अविनाश अचानक    हृदयविकाराच्या  झटक्याने  निघून गेला. जेमतेम तिशी गाठली होती त्याने आणि साठी उलटून गेलेला म्हातारा अजून जिवंत - मला दिलेली एक वर्षाची मुदत कित्येक वर्षापूर्वीच संपली होती पण मी अजून हयात आणि माझा धड धाकट अविनाश ---"

 

ह्यालाच म्हणतात 'the uncertainties of life' आणि मृत्यू बद्धलचे भाकित कोण पण करू शकत नाही हेच खरे.

 

 डॉक्टर अल्ताफ पटेल आपल्या कॉलम मध्ये लिहितात, ( त्यांच्याच शब्दात )

 

  I remember when my father was ill in his last year of life. There were multiple hospitalisations, and he rallied around to come home  each time well. At some point of time it dawned on me that he was nearing his death. I confided in my friend, who is an astrologer. I explained to him that I was at the height of my career and had several academic conferences and commitments and a large practice to deal with, and every time I travelled I feared he would be dead. My astrologer friend provided me a date of death, which I shared with my siblings well in advance. They did take it as strange that a man of science would bother about astrology. I explained that I had not asked but the astrologer was forthcoming in helping me and I did not want to dishearten him.

 

The date was given of a year hence. My father was actually discharged two days in advance of this date, but I insisted he stay on. It is strange, I thought, how these suggestions without scientific fact could even affect a man of science such as me. On the appointed date, nothing happened till the evening so I left on some urgent property matters that I had to sort out - to learn that he died the next day. So with the most talented doctors declaring him fit to go home, the astrologer was not completely off the mark. He had been uncannily correct on several past occasions on various subjects. He used to argue with me that astrology though a science is not a complete science like medicine; I am inclined to believe that this is correct.

 

आमच्या शेजारील गोल बिल्डिंग मध्ये एक प्रख्यात जोतिषी शर्मा राहात असत. आमच्या आईच्या ते चांगल्या परिचयाचे होते.अनेकदा आई मला सांगे की शर्माजीने मुलाला घेऊन येण्यास सांगितले आहे. जाऊया, जाऊया करून मी जाण्यास  टाळत असे. एकदा मी आई बरोबर असतांना त्यांनी आम्हाला रसत्यातच गाठले.

" नमस्ते अलका बहेन, आप लडकेको लेकरं आये नाही ? यही है वह? क्यो बेटे कैसे हो?"

"हम कल आयेंगे l " आईने सांगितले .

" मेरे पास वक्त की कमी है, आज शाम पांच बाजे ताकही मेरे पास समय है, कल मैं नाही हूँ l”

दुसऱ्या दिवशी त्यांच्या बिल्डिंगला बोर्ड लागला होता. आदल्या दिवशी सायंकाळी बरोबर ५ वाजता त्यांचे निधन झाले होते . त्यांना मृत्यूची चाहूल लागली असेल ?

 

आणि आश्चर्य म्हणजे एका मोठ्या विदेशी विद्यापीठाने एक पेपर सदर केला आहे.  ४० ते ७० वयो गटांतील व्यक्तिंना पुढील वर्षात जीवाला धोका संभवतो. असो. 

 

पण माझा हा "पेपर' सांगतो  - मृत्यूची चाहूल लागत नाही आणि मृत्यू विषयी भाकित अचूक कोणीही करू शकत नाही  - हेच सत्य!

 

आणखी एक सत्य प्रत्येकाला मरणाला सामोरे जावेच लगते. एखादी जवळची व्यक्ती असो किंवा स्वतःची  ढासळलेली  प्रकृती असो,  एकट्याने मृत्यूला सामोरे जाणे फारच कठीण असते.

 

 सुदैवाने , ह्याचा विचार बहुसंख्य लोकांना म्हातारपण गाठल्यावर करावा लागतो. पण दुर्दैवाने काहींना मात्र तो विचार फार लौकर करावा लागतो. हॉली बुच्चर (Holly Butcher) त्या दुर्दैवी लोकांतील एक होय. तिने २६सावे गाठले असेल नसेल आणि ती मृत्यू विषयी विचार करू लागली. तिला असाध्य घातकी कर्क रोगाने (malignant cancer) पछाडलं होतं. जानेवारी २०१८ ला तिने मरणाच्या दारात असताना हे पत्र फेस बुकवर पोस्ट  (तिच्याच शब्दांत ) : “It’s a strange thing to realise and accept your mortality at 26 years young. It’s just one of those things you ignore. The days tick by and you just expect they will keep on coming; Until the unexpected happens. I always imagined myself growing old, wrinkled and grey- most likely caused by the beautiful family (lots of kiddies) I planned on building with the love of my life. I want that so bad it hurts.”

 

 हे हृदय स्पर्शी पत्र पोस्ट करून २४ तास उलटलेही नसतील आणि हॉली हे जग सोडून गेली.

                                                       विनय त्रिलोकेकर

Thursday, 23 December 2021

Habits (सवयी)

 

Habits (सवयी)

There are many kinds of habits. Good habits (चांगली सवय or अच्छी आदत ),  bad habit (वाईट सवय or बुरी   आदत), dirty habit ( खराब सवय  or गंधी आदत) and many more. Some habits are downright funny
or even  crazy!      (चक्क चमत्कारिक आणि  मजेदार !)

One of my cousins had written in his
Facebook story, how he had stopped wearing his wrist watch since the beginning of this pandemic or since the first lockdown , lest he develops that queer habit of turning his wrist from time to time to glance at his watch. You have to read his post to get the exact picture. He paints  the funny situation brilliantly. For that matter, Nrupal Kothare's write - ups  are always interesting and  engrossing.

‌Talking about queer  habits , especially the one he has mentioned , reminds of my cousin, Narayan Dada.
‌He had this  very queer habit of turning his wrist to glance at his watch every minute or so, and hear him exclaim, "साला , इतके वाजले ! निघायला हवे ! "
But he would never leave in a hurry but actually wait till the very end of the party.
And a many times,  someone or other, standing/ sitting opposite him, would yell loud at him in this fashion,, "एनाऱ्या , तुझा पूर्ण ग्लास माझ्या बुटावर उपडा केलास! साला इडियट !!!" Soy my uncles (his friends) would tell me with all the dramatics. Of course, I had witnessed the scene once or twice.

‌Then there was this uncle of mine, Keshav Kaka (माझे चुलत-चुलत काका ).
Very often, day in and day out, he would ask passersby the time,  despite donno a wrist watch. "अहो
वाजले किती'?" And soon he was nick named, 'केशव राव वाजले किती'!

Then there was this professor of ours, who had a strange habit (विचित्र सवय ) .  Neville, do you remember Me Bhagwat, who taught us physics (Inter Science )?
Perhaps, it was not a strange habit, but a genuine medical problem. But during those college days we never thought so. We thought he winked while lecturing us on Physics.  This eye twitching of his (left or right eye, I don't remember) was  great to many of us,  some were , especially the girls not at all happy about it.
The strange habit ( continuation)
We started counting the number times the professor  would ' wink'  during the whole period. Soon the girls too joined in the fun.
But he never tried to seek medical help for this problem.  For saw him, some twenty years after completing  my college. He was playing badminton with my cousin, Uday at Hindi Gymkhana, when I heard  the
shuttle cock asking him," Hey Professor,did you wink' at me?"
Was it my imagination?



Vinay Trilokekar