Zarinabanu Zarinabanu
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Part of Physician Anesthesiologist
Start writing... Role of the Physician Anesthesiologist.If you’re preparing for surgery, you’ve probably given a lot of thought to the education, training and experience of the surgeon performing the procedure. But you may not have thought much about the physician anesthesiologist or the importance of his or her medical expertise in your procedure — before, during and after — to keep you safe and comfortable.Physician anesthesiologists meet with you and your surgeon before surgery to assess your health and make decisions to ensure your anesthesia care is as safe and effective as possible. They monitor your vital signs during surgery, including how well your heart and lungs are working while you’re unconscious, and they take care of you after surgery to make sure you’re as comfortable as possible while you recover.Physician anesthesiologists also play a key role in taking care of patients who are having minor surgery or who may not require general anesthesia, such as women in labor who need to be awake and alert but require effective pain management. They also help patients who have serious pain from an injury, or chronic or recurring pain such as migraines or ongoing back problems.What is a physician anesthesiologist?Physician anesthesiologists are medical doctors just like your primary care physician and surgeon. They specialize in anesthesia care, pain management and critical care medicine, and have the necessary knowledge to understand and treat the entire human body. Physician anesthesiologists have 12 to 14 years of education, including medical school, and 12,000 to 16,000 hours of clinical training.Physician anesthesiologists evaluate, monitor and supervise patient care before, during and after surgery, delivering anesthesia, leading the Anesthesia Care Team and ensuring optimal patient safety.Physician anesthesiologists specialize in anesthesia care, pain management and critical care medicine.What types of anesthesia do physician anesthesiologists provide?Physician anesthesiologists are usually in charge of providing the following types of anesthesia care:General anesthesia. This type of anesthesia is provided through an anesthesia mask or IV and makes you lose consciousness. It is used for major operations, such as a knee replacement or open-heart surgery.Monitored anesthesia or IV sedation. IV sedation causes you to feel relaxed and can result in various levels of consciousness. Depending on the procedure, the level of sedation may range from minimal (making you drowsy but able to talk) to deep (meaning you won’t remember the procedure). This type of anesthesia often is used for minimally invasive procedures such as colonoscopies. IV sedation is sometimes combined with local or regional anesthesia.Regional anesthesia. Pain medication to numb a large part of the body, such as from the waist down, is given through an injection or through a small tube called a catheter. You will be awake but unable to feel the area that is numbed. This type of anesthesia, including spinal blocks and epidurals, often is used during childbirth and for surgeries of the arm, leg or abdomen.Local anaesthetic. This is an injection that numbs a small area of the body where the procedure is being performed. You will be awake and alert but feel no pain. This is often used for procedures such as removing a mole, stitching a deep cut, or setting a broken bone.How does the physician anesthesiologist care for you during surgery?Physician anesthesiologists guide you throughout your entire surgical experience:Before surgery – In the days or weeks before your surgery, your physician anesthesiologist will be sure you are fit for surgery and prepare you for the procedure by asking detailed questions about your health, examining you and reviewing tests. Your physician anesthesiologist will answer your questions about the surgery and anesthesia. Be sure to let your physician anesthesiologist know about any medical problems you have, such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma, what medications you are taking (prescription, over-the-counter and herbal supplements) and whether you’ve had problems or concerns with anesthesia in the past. Use this time to ask questions. Understanding your care will make you feel more comfortable and confident as you prepare for surgery. Your physician anesthesiologist will create an anesthesia plan developed specifically for you to ensure a safe and successful procedure.During surgery – The physician anesthesiologist manages your pain control and closely monitors your anesthesia and vital body functions during the procedure, working alone or with an Anesthesia Care Team. Your physician anesthesiologist will manage medical problems if they occur during surgery, as well as any chronic conditions you have such as asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems.After surgery – In the recovery room, the physician anesthesiologist supervises others who will care for you and monitor your recovery — your breathing, circulation, consciousness and level of oxygen — and is immediately available if there are questions or concerns. The physician anesthesiologist typically is the person who decides when you have recovered from the effects of anesthesia and are ready to go home or be moved to a regular room in the hospital or the intensive care unit. The physician anesthesiologist also creates a plan for your recovery and may be involved in pain management after you go home.How are physician anesthesiologists involved in treating chronic pain?Physician anesthesiologists specialize in pain control, and some focus their practices on treating patients with chronic pain. If you suffer from pain that won’t go away, such as migraine headaches, back pain or pain caused by a condition such as fibromyalgia, ask your doctor about a referral to a physician anesthesiologist who specializes in treating chronic pain.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Journal
MGR history
Start writing... “IT IS NOT enough if you are a good man,” he said, “You must also appear to be so… You put forward an image of yourself if you want to get anywhere.” No one followed his words as assiduously as he himself did, though unaware, it seems, of the risks of getting ‘trapped’ in his own image. MG Ramachandran (1917-1987), a Malayalee born in Sri Lanka, matinee idol and the heart-throb of millions of adoring fans who became Tamil Nadu’s most popular mass leader, reworked the narrative of a state that had witnessed a resurgence of Tamil pride.Tamils elected him as Chief Minister of the state for two terms and more, and he was in power from 1977 until his demise in 1987. They voted him to power even when he was ailing and far away, being treated across the seas in the US. They worshipped him as a god and even built a temple with an enshrined image of him in his trademarks fur cap, dark glasses and gold watch. It was under him that Tamil Nadu shifted from its fiery Dravidian ideology of self-respect to a poster cult. The rest of the nation was baffled by the ‘MGR phenomenon’, but this made no difference to his followers.How much of MGR’s mystique was engineered? How meticulous was the strategy drawn out to win over the masses? How much political thinking was behind the myth? Once a reporter asked him, “When you fight your enemies in films, you beat up ten to twenty of them single handedly and come out victorious. Can anyone believe this?” MGR answered, “In the Mahabharata, the young Abhimanyu fights experienced warriors. He breaks complex strategies and defeats enemies. If Abhimanyu can do that, film heroes like me can also do the same.” But if MGR’s approach was as sharp as that of Abhimanyu in breaking through to enter the chakravyuh in the battlefield of Kurukshetra, his was even better in working out the aftermath: for he knew how to successfully come out of it, something poor Abhimanyu did not.The phenomenal rise and success of MGR as an actor and later as a politician, and the waves of emotion that his name continues to evoke among the state’s common people 30 years after his death, is something of an enigma.Marudur Gopalamenon Ramachandran (MGR) was born on January 17th, 1917, in Kandy, Sri Lanka. His father Gopala Menon died when he was barely a child and left the family penniless. Ramachandran’s mother Sathya moved to India with her children and settled in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu. Hunger claimed the lives of his two sisters and an elder brother. Driven by extreme poverty, he embarked on an acting career as a child theatre artist at the age of seven, and joined the Madhurai Original Boys.Company, owned by M Kandasamy Pillai. Ramachandran was fair complexioned and was given female roles initially. It was after a long struggle that he got a break in cinema, doing small parts in mythological films. He then took to action films, which were to become his forte. Critics never thought much of his talent as a performer, though his films broke records at the box office. He also won a National Award for his role in Rickshaw Karan, a 1971 vigilante film.Despite amassing great wealth and becoming the most powerful man in the state for a long spell, his identification and empathy with the poor was legendary. In his essay on the leader, ‘The Image Trap’, the social scientist MSS Pandian argues that MGR carefully created a screen image that corresponded to ‘the cultural presuppositions’ of Tamil Nadu’s subaltern classes as manifested in the state’s folk-hero ballads. The typical MGR hero is a low-status underdog who acquires the power to dispense justice, uses education as a tool of struggle, and defends the honour of women. All this held a tremendous appeal for the poor. The ‘common sense’ of ordinary people, writes Pandian, was something that ‘MGR effectively manipulated to his own political advantage’. Whether it was a deliberate strategy or not, the range of roles MGR played onscreen elicited the empathy of many who saw real-life situations reflected in his films. His cinema dealt with a variety of popular demands, including the provision of land to live on, food and clothing, education, freedom from usury, higher wages, lower prices and an end to violence against women and the poor.He had no strong political beliefs. The regional thrust of Dravidian politics had taken a beating with MGR distancing himself from opposition parties demanding more power for the states.The extraordinary appeal of MGR rested on the fact that his film and political careers were closely intertwined ‘in a remarkably symbiotic manner’ that gave him an unbeatable image as a folk hero. His involvement with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) started in 1953 and he was made a member of the party’s General Council in 1956. That he was so closely identified with the DMK, and the DMK with him, was important in its impact. When people watched him onscreen, the party’s message became his message.The importance of MGR’s association with the DMK can hardly be underestimated. The reason for his success cannot be attributed to his star status and convincing portrayals of the invincible good guy alone. Several film stars have tried their luck in politics—Shivaji Ganesan, for instance who was a greater actor and just as popular—but none has been even remotely as successful as MGR was. The story of Rajinikant, who achieved superstar status as bewildering as that of MGR, again falls short in the sense that his appeal is narrower. Rajini’s anti- hero image, the irreverent, smoking, drinking woman-basher, appealed only to the disaffected male in search of an identity, and definitely not the female audience.Moreover, Rajini lacks the mass base provided by a cadre of committed party workers that MGR enjoyed. Also, MGR’s close associates worked hard on his image, keen to project the positive side of him in contrast with the negative propaganda they spread against M Karunanidhi, the rival DMK leader who became Chief Minister after the party’s first leader to occupy the position, CN Anna Durai, passed away in 1969.It was MGR who convinced his party colleagues that Karunanidhi ought to assume leadership. Yet, it was Karunanidhi who had the ‘audacity’ to expel MGR from the party when the latter, as DMK treasurer, openly demanded an explanation of discrepancies in the party’s accounts and challenged ministers and legislators to declare their assets. One week after his expulsion in 1972, MGR announced the formation of his new party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The rest is history. People voted him to power for two successive terms and Karunanidhi could not challenge MGR as long as he was alive.MGR’S ASSOCIATES WERE,understandably, worried about his fascination with Jayalalithaa, a convent- educated, English-speaking Brahmin woman 30 years younger than him who had been his co-star in a number of films. They were anxious about how their closeness could hurt the impeccable image they had helped him craft. They tried their best— with part success—to keep her away from him, little realising that it was she who would assume his political legacy upon his death and rule Tamil Nadu for even longer than her mentor.It was the acceptance of MGR’s fan base that Jayalalithaa was relying on when she projected herself as the de facto leader of the AIADMK. The Chief Minister had made her the party’s propaganda secretary and the cadres never doubted her claim that she was his chosen heir. If MGR was their annan (elder brother), she was accepted as their anni (sister-in-law). They were not aware that their hero had left her in limbo when he died this no position or title to fend for herself, betrayed by the man who had brought her into politics with promises of a great future.The magic spelt by MGR was such that Jayalalithaa would invoke his name at every election campaign. Never mind if it became just lip service once she was sure her own name had achieved the same.The political edifice that MGR built, however, was formidable. His heroic image was strengthened by acts of charity off screen. He earned fame for his generosity and helpfulness. He was always the first to donate large sums for disaster relief. He was constantly in the news as one aiding orphanages and schools. After a spell of torrential rains in Madras, he once had raincoats emblazoned with the party insignia distributed to some 6,000 rickshaw waalaa. To be sure, his generosity was well advertised. Poor and old women would be planted by roadsides for him to stop his car and hug them for the cameras, asking an assistant to shove some currency notes in their outstretched palms.People trusted him and voted for him in droves. Yet, he had no strong political beliefs, not even an ideological sense of mission. The regional thrust of Dravidian politics had taken a beating with MGR distancing himself from opposition parties of the time that were demanding more power for the states. He was smart enough to realise that so long as the state depended on the Centre for funds, an anti-Centre stance made no sense. The anti-Brahmin plank of Periyar, whose ideas had inspired the Dravidian movement, carried little conviction for the AIADMK; the party’s propaganda secretary, Jayalalithaa, and a cabinet minister, HV Hande, were both Brahmins. MGR also soft-pedalled the issue of opposing north India’s imposition of Hindi on the south, and was not as vociferous as Karunanidhi in espousing the cause of Sir Lanka’s Tamils. MGR’s desire to water down the regional character of his politics was clear when he renamed his Anna DMK as ‘All India’ Anna DMK. Atheism as an ideological tenet took a back seat too. MGR was a believer and made no secret of it. Gods were resurrected and money doled out for the renovation of temples.MGR will nevertheless go down in history as the leader who introduced the most far-sighted welfare measure that any state had: free midday meals for 8 million school children in Tamil Nadu. “I have suffered hunger and poverty in my life,” he would often say, “I know the suffering of my mother, who could not give us a ball of rice when we returned from school. Till my last breath, I will work for the people so that no mother in Tamil Nadu will suffer the way my mother did.” The message was laden with emotion and the scheme endeared him to the poor. The programme is reported to have increased the enrolment of pupils, improved children’s health and given employment to 200,000 people, mostly women.The meal scheme apart, MGR had little else to brag about. In 1977, he had led the AIADMK to triumph in the state Assembly elections by campaigning on an anti-corruption platform. At a time when numerous charges of graft were being laid at the door of Karunanidhi’s DMK government, it went down well. The matinee idol turned politician would repeat the formula in the next polls, but towards the end of his tenure in office, he himself faced a raft of such allegations. MGR’s administration was generally seen as inefficient. Government decision-making was overly centralised in his hands, with the result that files moved slowly, if at all. The Chief Minister had an obsessive concern with secrecy, the administrative machinery was demoralised, police repression in the state was growing, and the use of the intelligence apparatus for political eavesdropping led to an air of suspicion and fear that also pointed to the government’s poor record on civil rights. An anti-press law put journalists in the dock. It made ‘scurrilous and indecent’ writing a cognisable offence punishable by a prison term varying from two to five years. The MGR government also passed a bill to curb the screening of films critical of legislators and ministers. This legislation was provoked by the success of Neethikku Thanda Nai, a 1987 film scripted by Karunanidhi that was critical of MGR’s rule. The state gained notoriety for police atrocities.the officially sanctioned killing of 22 young men in North Arcot and Dharmapuri in the guise of encounters, for example and custodial deaths. The number of people detained without FIRs was shockingly high, and the harassment of students, journalists and publishers too severe to escape notice.The regime’s prohibition policy, brought in with much fanfare to wipe the tears of ‘Motherland’ (community of mothers), had become a farce with vast multitudes drinking openly even though the consumption of alcohol without a permit was punishable by law. Industry was no happier and the state’s economic performance was lacklustre. The matinee idol had no clear-cut agenda. And yet, the MGR magic stayed on, despite ill health and periodic absences from India for medical treatment in the US. For the last three years of his rule, his speech was so impaired as to render him voiceless.None of MGR’s shortcomings diminished the adoration that the masses specially women voters and the poor had for him because of his welfare schemes. While these were freebies at the cost of economic growth, they became a success mantra that even rivals had to adopt. Karunanidhi, for example, followed a similar strategy to win the 2006 Assembly elections.The magic spelt by MGR was such that Jayalalithaa would invoke his name at every election campaign. Never mind if it became just lip service once she was sure her own name had achieved the same. If she outdid her mentor on handouts for the masses, she also went further in instilling fear among dissenters. From anni, she was to become Amma, the Universal mother. Yet, she never failed to end her speeches with ‘MGR ’ (long live MGR’s name). It will be difficult for Tamil politics to extricate itself from such an image trap.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Humans
Back Pain
Start writing... What causes back pain?Back pain can be triggered by an accident, heavy lifting, other strenuous activity, age-related changes to the spine or certain medical conditions. These are some of the more common sources of back pain:Sprains and strains. Sprains are caused by overstretching or tearing ligaments, and strains are tears in tendons or muscles.Intervertebral disk degeneration. The normal process of aging causes the usually rubbery disks to lose their cushioning ability.Herniated or ruptured disks. Intervertebral disks become compressed. Herniation is when this compression causes the disks to bulge outward.Radiculopathy, including sciatica. A spinal nerve route is compressed, inflamed or injured. Pressure on the nerve root results in pain, numbness or a tingling sensation that radiates to other areas of the body that are served by that nerve.Spondylosis. Normal wear and tear in the joints, disks and bones causes general degeneration of the spine.Spondylolisthesis. A vertebra of the lower spine slips out of place, pinching the nerves exiting the spinal column.Spinal stenosis. Narrowing of the spinal column puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.Skeletal irregularities. Scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, does not usually cause pain until middle age. Lordosis is an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back.Why should I see a pain management specialist? Pain management specialists work with patients to diagnose pain and treat it safely and effectively with as few side effects as possible. These treatments do not have to involve medications. In fact, pain management is usually more successful when a comprehensive approach is used. Pain management specialists understand the full range of pain relief options, including how to use them in combination to achieve a successful outcome.How is the cause of back pain diagnosed?Your doctor will consider information that includes the following:Patient characteristics. For example, advanced age is linked to arthritis. Obesity puts stress on the back and increases the likelihood of disk degeneration. Weightlifting or participation in other activities could be a factor.Patient history. The physician asks questions to determine if there was an accident or other specific trigger for an injury that is causing the pain. The physician will also ask where and when you feel the pain and how long you have been experiencing it.Results of a physical examination. The examination focuses on the pain’s location. This includes determining whether the pain is axial (confined to the lower back) or radiating (travels to the buttocks, legs and feet).Results of imaging and other tests. Options include X-ray, magnetic resource imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT), ultrasound and bone scans.What are the special considerations for sciatica?Sciatica is caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that travels through the buttocks and extends down the back of the leg. Symptoms include pain that travels down this nerve from your back through the buttocks and down one leg, sometimes even to your foot.Sciatica usually stems from compression in the spine. But your doctor should also consider whether it might be caused by a tiny muscle called the piriformis, located in the buttocks near the top of the hip joint. The piriformis is right under the sciatic nerve and can cause similar problems if it spasms. A pain management specialist can diagnose this issue and relieve the muscle tension with an injection.What treatments can provide pain relief?It is best to consider and use multiple treatments for back pain, including promising new approaches such as high-frequency spinal cord stimulation and dorsal root ganglion stimulation. The options below are based on information from ASA pain management specialists, ASA-associated studies, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ().Physical therapy. Exercises and stretches can strengthen core muscle groups that support the lower back, improve mobility and flexibility and promote proper posture.Behavior modification. Learning how to move your body properly during daily activities — especially those involving heavy lifting, pushing or pulling — can help relieve and prevent back pain. Adopting healthy habits, such as exercise, relaxation, regular sleep and proper diet, can also help.Complementary approaches. Yoga, acupuncture and massage are among the approaches that have shown some benefit.Spinal manipulation and mobilization. Chiropractors administer these techniques, which have been shown to provide small to moderate short-term benefits, according to NINDS.Epidural spinal injections. A steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is injected into a spinal region called the epidural space. While the relief is short-term, multiple injections can enable you to function well over a long period of time.Nerve block injections. An anesthetic and a steroid are injected into a specific nerve root of the spine.Radiofrequency ablation. A pain medicine specialist inserts a needle into the nerve responsible for the pain and zaps it using an electric current created by radio waves. This short-circuits the pain signals.Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. These treatments send low-voltage electric signals from a small device to the painful area through pads attached to your skin. This may provide short-term relief, whether by interrupting pain signals to the brain or by stimulating the production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.Intrathecal pumps. This implanted pump lets you push a button to deliver local anaesthetics, narcotics and other pain medications to your spinal cord. This can bring relief while avoiding the side effects that often come with taking these drugs by mouth.Low-frequency spinal cord stimulation. A small pacemaker-like device is implanted under the skin to deliver electric pulses to the spinal cord. This produces a sensation often perceived as tingling or buzzing, which masks your perception of pain.High-frequency spinal cord stimulation. Early data are promising on the effectiveness of higher-frequency pulses to provide pain relief without the tingling or buzzing sensation experienced with low-frequency stimulation. Higher-frequency pulses may also provide more effective pain relief.Dorsal root ganglion stimulation. This alternative to spinal cord stimulation disrupts pain signals by specifically targeting the nerves responsible for the pain. In a study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2018 annual meeting, researchers reported promising results.Medications. Muscle relaxants, analgesics such as acetaminophen and aspirin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can help. Researchers are exploring the effectiveness of neuropathic drugs such as gabapentin. Opioids usually are not effective for managing chronic back pain; in most cases, their use should be confined to treating severe pain for a few days after an injury, if necessary.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Longevity
Naval Indian History
India has a rich maritime heritage and the earliest reference to maritime activities is contained in the Rig Veda. Indian mythology has numerous episodes pertaining to the ocean, the sea and the rivers, with belief that mankind has benefitted from the wealth of seas and ocean. There is plenty of evidence derived from Indian literature, art, sculptures, painting and archeology to establish existence of Indian maritime traditions.A study of the country's maritime history reveals that the Indian sub-continent exercised supremacy over the Indian Ocean from very early times up to the 13th century. Indians took to the sea for trade and commerce rather than for political ends. Thus, the period up to about 16th century witnessed peaceful sea-borne commerce, cultural and traditional exchange between countries. The Indian Ocean has always been regarded as an area of great significance and India is central to this Ocean.THE EARLY DAYS (3000 – 2000 BC).The beginning of India's maritime history dates back to 3000 BC. During this time, the inhabitants of Indus Valley Civilisation had maritime trade link with Mesopotamia. The excavation at Mohe John-Daro and Harappa has revealed ample evidence that maritime activities flourished during this period.The discovery of a dry-dock at Lothal (about 400 km Southwest of Ahmedabad) gives an insight into the knowledge of tides, winds and other nautical factors that existed during that period. The dry-dock at Lothal dates back to 2400 BC and is regarded as the first such facility, anywhere in the world, equipped to berth and service ships.VEDIC AGE (2000 – 500 BC).Vedic literature has numerous references to boats, ships and sea voyages. The Rig Veda is the oldest evidence on record that refers to Varuna, the Lord of the Sea, and credits him with the knowledge of the ocean routes which were used by ships. The Rig Veda mentions merchants sailing ships across the oceans to foreign countries in quest of trade and wealth. The epics Ramayana and Mahabharata have references to ships and sea travels. Even the Puranas have several stories of sea voyages.AGE OF THE NANDAS AND MAURYAS (500 – 200 BC).The age of the Nandas and Mauryas saw an extensive maritime trading activities that brought many nations closer to India. This resulted in spread of India's culture and religious beliefs to other countries. The maritime activities of Mauryas paved the way for Indian immigration to Indonesia and other surrounding islands. During this period, India witnessed an invasion by Alexander. The Greek and Roman literary records give sufficient evidence about maritime trade during days of Nanda and Maurya empires. Megasthe Estate, the Greek ethnographer and Macedonian ambassador to Chandragupta Maurya, has described the administration of armed forces in Pataliputra during that period, and described the presence of a special group that looked after different aspects of naval war-fighting. The navy of the Magadh kingdom, therefore, is considered to be the first ever recorded instance of a navy, anywhere in the world. It was during this period that Chandragupta's minister, Chanakya, wrote the Arthashastra, which has details of the department of waterways under a Navadhyaksha (Superintendent of the ships). It also has details of an admiralty division established as part of the 'war office', which was responsible for navigation on the oceans, lakes and seas. Details of different types of boats maintained during the Mauryan rule and their purpose have also been included in the book.EMPEROR ASHOKA.During the rule of Ashoka the Great, the Mauryan Empire covered almost the entire Indian subcontinent, and trade relationships existed with Sri Lanka, Egypt, Syria and Macedonia. One of the endearing legacies of Ashoka remains the spread of Buddhism. There is evidence that Ashoka's son, Mahendra, and daughter, Sanghamitra, had sailed from Tamralipti in West Bengal to Ceylon carrying a sapling of the holy Banyan tree as a gift, for spread of Buddhism. Ashoka also sent envoys to various kingdoms in Southeast Asia using the sea route.SATAVAHANA DYNASTY (200 BC-220 AD).The Satavahanas (200 BC – 220 AD) ruled the Deccan region and their kingdom spread over parts of present day Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Saurashtra in Gujarat. They controlled the East coast of India, along the Bay of Bengal and had healthy trade with the Roman Empire. The Satavahanas were the first native Indian rulers to issue their own coins with inscription of ships. Evidence also exists of spread of culture, language and Hinduism to various parts of Southeast Asia through the sea route.GUPTA DYNASTY (320-500 AD) - THE GOLDEN AGE.The Gupta Empire stretched across northern, central and parts of southern India between 320 to 550 AD. This period has been called the ‘Golden Age of India’. Chandra Gupta I, Samudra Gupta and Chandra Gupta II were the most notable rulers of the Gupta dynasty. Fa-Hien, the Chinese monk, who came to India in 399 CE to study Buddhism at Bodhgaya, Sarnath and Varanasi, had given an eyewitness account of the Gupta Empire. With the expansion of overseas commerce, the Gupta period witnessed an era of general prosperity, economic progress, cultural extension, artistic attainment and architectural advancement. Fa-Hien on his way back to his homeland, in 413 CE, sailed from Tamralipti in Bengal and 14 days later reached Ceylon where he embarked for Java and passed through Nicobars and the Strait of Malacca to reach the Pacific. The oceanic navigation which was well advanced during the earlier centuries of the Christian era is borne out from Fa-Hien's writings. Another Chinese traveller Huein Tsang, who visited India between 633-645 AD had given eyewitness accounts of the vast overseas trade during the Gupta period. Remarkable progress in astronomy was also achieved during this period. Aryabhata and Varahamihira, known in history as great astronomers, belonged to this period. The celestial bodies began to be accurately mapped and the art of oceanic navigation by rough and ready computation of position from known stars was established. During this period, several ports in the east and west were opened which greatly revived maritime trade with European and African countries.THE SOUTHERN DYNASTIES.The Cholas, Cheras and Pandas were major powers of peninsular India. These rulers had established strong maritime trade links with the local rulers of Sumatra, Java, Malay Peninsula, Thailand and China. The knowledge of the monsoon winds was also developed during sea voyages. During the Chola dynasty (3rd-13thCentury) extensive sea trade existed and new harbours with quarters, warehouses and workshops where established. Ship repair yards, wharfs and light houses where build along the Indian coast to support the powerful navy which protected their merchant ships. Hinduism and Indian culture spread during the 5 to 12 centuries during the Sri Vijaya Empire which extended between India's eastern seaboard and the Far East. The Sri Vijayaa' cultural and trading expeditions took them to far-flung areas such as Sumatra, Burma, the Malay Peninsula, Java, Thailand and Indo-China. They attracted Indian, Arab and Chinese merchants to ports where excellent harbour facilities were available. As a result of ‘difference’ between the Cholas, the Tamil kings and the Sri Vijayaa, a series of sea battles were fought between their navies towards the end of the 10thCentury AD resulting in the weakening of these empires and opening the way for Arab supremacy in the region. In 1007 AD, the Cholas defeated the Sri Vijayaa and then ruled the Malay Peninsula, Java, Sumatra and some neighbouring islands. The Pandya dynasty (6th – 16thCentury) were eminent sailors and sea traders, with links extending from the Roman empire and Egypt in the West to China in the East. They controlled pearl farming that took place along the India's southern coastline, producing some of the finest pearls of those times.The Cheras (12thCentury) had a flourishing trade with the Greeks and the Romans. They navigated through various rivers which opened into the Arabian Sea. They used monsoon winds to sail their ships directly from the Indian ports of Ty District (present day Periyapatta Un, near Kochi) and (present day , also near Kochi), to ports in Arabia.The Vijaynagar (1336–1646 AD) empire established strong links with various parts of Southeast Asia, spread India's culture and traditions. This influence is visible even today in Southeast Asia, as names of many places and people are of Indian origin. These kingdoms also helped spread both Hinduism and Buddhism, cultures and architectures in this region.VIJAYNAGAR EMPIRE.Between the 13th and the 15th centuries, while most of northern India was dominated by the Delhi sultanate, most parts of southern India were controlled by the Vijaynagar Empire.ARRIVAL OF THE ARABS.By the 8thCentury AD, Arabs began to come to India by sea in great numbers as traders. Over the time, many parts of the modern day West Asia became nodal points for business between Europe, Southeast Asia and India. Soon the Arabs began controlling the trade routes, and acted as middlemen between the West and the East. The period from 900 to 1300 AD is considered the Early Age of maritime commerce in Southeast Asia.MARITIME INDIA AND THE EUROPEANS.The Mughal dynasty ruled over most of the northern India from 1526-1707 AD. Having found sufficient revenue from land resources, they did not pay much attention to the affairs of the sea. This enabled the Arabs to establish a monopoly over trade in the Indian Ocean. Hearing about the rich land called 'Hindustan' in the East, many European countries felt the need to find a direct sea route for trade. The Portuguese took the lead and were the first Europeans to arrive on Indian shores.ARRIVAL OF THE PORTUGUESE.The 16thCentury is considered as an important landmark. Prior to this century, the calm and peaceful waters of the Indian Ocean were characterised by a brisk and prosperous commercial trade in which most of the coastal and seafaring communities from East Africa To Malaysia and Indonesian Islands participated actively. Vasco da Gama (1460 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer who discovered an oceanic route from Portugal to India. Sailing from Portugal, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope in Africa to arrive at Calicut in Kerala in May 1498. His arrival began a new chapter in India's maritime history. The calm and peaceful scene of trade was disturbed with the arrival of the Portuguese merchantmen, who set a strategy for control of the entire Indian Ocean.They set up factories at Calicut, Cochin, Goa, Surat and at other west coast ports. They also took control of all important Ports namely Hormuz, Socotra, Aden and Malacca to effectively seize the Indian Ocean trade flow, thereby displaying the Arab monopoly over trade in the Indian Ocean Region.The Zamori See, with their capital at Calicut, a major trading port had flourishing trade over land and through seas. On Vasco da Gama’s arrival at Calicut, the ruler granted permission to the Portuguese for trade. This was not liked by the large settlements of Arab traders who were already trading with the Zamori See. When asked by the king to pay the usual customs tariff, Vasco da Gama refused to pay it and sailed back from Calicut to return to Europe. Thereafter, the Portuguese became friendly with the kings of Kochi and Can Amore and launched multiple assaults on the ports. The Zamori See resisted the Portuguese for over a century. During this period of resistance, Kundali Marammata, the Naval commanders of that time, proved their tactical acumen and valour on many occasions. Kundali Marammat was the title given to the naval chief of the king. There were four major Kunjal Is who played their part in the Zamorin’s naval wars with the Portuguese between 1502 and 1600. Of the four Marammata, Kundali Marammat II is the most famous. The Kundali Marammata are credited with organising the first naval defence of the Indian coast. The word Kundali is derived from “Kunj – Ali”, which in Malayalam means ‘Dear Ali’. Even though the Kundali Marammata lacked the fire power and hardware of the large Portuguese vessels, they prevented the Portuguese from establishing a foothold on the Malabar Coast for more than 90 years.In 1509, Alfonso de Albuquerque was appointed Portuguese Governor in Kochi. Having failed to defeat the , Albuquerque seized Goa and its surrounding areas by defeating the Sultan of Bijapur (present day Karnataka) in 1510. Thereafter, Goa became the headquarters of Portuguese India and the seat of the Portuguese Viceroy.THE DUTCH.The Dutch East India Company, established in 1592 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, sailed their first merchant fleet that reached India in 1595. The first Dutch base in the Indian Ocean Region was established at Batavia (present day Jakarta, Indonesia). They did not challenge the Portugese and were given permission to set up a trading facility at Publication in 1608 which led to the formation of Dutch Coromandel. Subsequently, Dutch Surat and Dutch Bengal were established in 1616 and 1627 respectively. The Dutch conquered the forts on the Malabar Coast (present day Kerala) around 1661 and established Dutch Malabar to protect Ceylon from Portuguese invasion. Apart from textiles, the Dutch traded precious stones, indigo, silk, opium, cinnamon and pepper.THE BRITISH.The East India Company was founded in England on 31 December 1600. A ship of the company, Hector, under the command of Captain William Hawkins arrived at Surat. Captain William Hawkins brought with him a letter for Emperor Jahangir, seeking permission to trade with the Mughal dominions. The emperor granted permission for trade and also promised other trading facilities. At that time, the Portuguese were the dominant European power in India, so they did not appreciate the British arriving in India and affecting their trade.THE FRENCH.The French arrived in the Indian Ocean Region in 1740 and established a strong base in Mauritius. Eventually, they also arrived at Surat and Pondicherry where they set up their trading posts. In later years, French establishments came up in Karaikal, Yangon, Mahe and Chander Nagore (present day Chandannagar in Bengal). During the 18th century, the French were the primary challengers to the British supremacy in the Indian Ocean. Between 1744 and 1766, the British and French repeatedly attacked each other to conquer forts and towns along the east coast of South India and Bengal. After a few initial French successes, the British decisively defeated the French in the Battle of Wandiwash in Tamil Nadu (1760).The British knew the importance of the seas. In addition to taking over provinces over land, they also established a naval force which protected their sea trade and also kept adversaries at bay. Thus, a strong naval force also aided the British in ruling over India.MARITIME PROWESS OF THE MARATHAS.The Marathas gave the strongest resistance to the British from gaining control along the Indian coasts. The Marathas, who were under constant attacks from the Mughals, initially had no navy. Shivaji was the first to realise the importance of a strong navy. Fighting the Siddik (who had their base at Murud Janjira) and observing the Portuguese naval power along the Konkan coast, Shivaji realised the importance of having an efficient system of ports and strong navy. Shivaji believed in forts and built many coastal forts such as at Vijay Durg, Sindhudurg and many others along the Konkan coast. He ensured sound defence of the forts by constructing them on hillocks overlooking the coast.The Maratha navy soon became stronger and established strongholds in the forts at Kolaba, Sindhudurg, Vijay Durg and Ratnagiri. For more than 40 years, the Marathas held both the Portuguese and the British at bay single-handedly. Under Shivaji, the Maratha navy developed into a ferocious force with more than 500 ships. But after the death of Shivaji in 1680, the Maratha navy became weak.THE LEGEND OF Kanojia ANGRE.Kanhoji Angre took over as the Sarkhej (Admiral) of the Maratha fleet in 1699. Kanojia initially remained focused on building his fleet from just ten ships to about 50 Galbraith and 10 ghuraba. These increments made his fleet a sizeable naval force. He recaptured all the forts that had been lost by the Maratha navy to the Siddik. After decisively defeating the Siddik, he turned his attention to the Portuguese.Kanhoji began to attack and capture Portuguese merchant ships that refused to purchase his passports. The Portuguese retaliated but were outnumbered and defeated by the Marathas. Eventually, the Portuguese signed a peace treaty with the Marathas. Having settled the Portuguese front in his favour, Kanojia shifted his attention to the British. The British port in Mumbai was very close to Kolaba fort. The British regarded him as a threat and wooed all his enemies to their side. The British Governor Charles Boone and the legendary Sarkhej Kanojia fought many battles over a decade and both suffered heavy losses. Finally in 1724, the Sarkhej Kanojia wrote to the British Governor William Phipps proposing peace. While there was no formal agreement of any kind, both refrained from indulging in any activity that threatened to break the truce. Kanojia thus remained undefeated at sea. A few years after Kanojia Angie's death, the British finally captured the Maratha stronghold, Fort Cherish (Vijay Durg) in 1756, and thus began the decline of the Marathas.MARITIME INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH RAJ.The East India Company came under the British Crown on 01 May 1830 and acquired combatant status. The service was then named the Indian Navy. It was renamed as Her Majesty's Indian Navy in 1858. In 1863, it was reorganised into two branches; one at Bombay and the other at Calcutta, as the Bombay Marine and the Bengal Marine. The protection of Indian waters were then taken over by the Royal Navy.The Royal Indian Marine (RIM) was constituted in 1892. During World War I, RIM was assigned tasks such as marine survey, maintenance of lighthouses and transportation of troops. Soon after the end of the World War I in 1918, the strength of the Royal Indian Marine was reduced by the British government in India. On 02 October 1934, this Service was renamed Royal Indian Navy (RIN), with its headquarters at Bombay.When World War II began in 1939, the strength of the RIN on 01 October 1939 was 114 officers and 1,732 sailors with only 16 officers manning the Naval Headquarters which was located inside the Naval Dockyard at Bombay. Since New Delhi was the focal point of command and control during the war, a Naval Liaison officer was positioned at New Delhi in October 1939 to reduce the time taken in processing important papers. But, since this also proved unsatisfactory, the Naval Headquarters was transferred from Bombay to New Delhi in March 1941.During the initial phase of World War II, Royal Indian Navy maintained a sea going squadron of six escort vessels to co-operate with the Royal Navy and undertook the responsibility of local naval defence. Merchant ships were armed and new types of vessels added to the fleet for protection of the Indian ports and the sea routes leading to them. The Eastern Fleet of the Royal Navy was there in the background, but the local naval defence was the responsibility of the RIN. The RIN undertook combat duties and rendered commendable service in the Middle East and the Bay of Bengal. Its vessels operated in the European waters also, both in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Perhaps the most important and earliest combat assignment was in the Red Sea and the Indian ships took an active share in the capture of Massages from the Italians and fighting the Italian Navy on the coast off Somaliland. They operate with success in the Persian Gulf, where their duties related largely to patrolling the coast and escorting the supply ships. In the period after the entry of Japan into the war, Burmese waters became the primary field of activity of the RIN. It took part in patrolling, and cooperated effectively in combined operations, magnificently displaying bravery and skill.MARITIME INDIA POST INDEPENDENCE.With the partition of India, post-independence, the Royal Indian Navy was divided into the Royal Indian Navy and the Royal Pakistan Navy. On 22 April 1958, Vice Admiral R D Katari, become the first Indian Naval Officer to take over as the Chief of the Naval Staff of Indian Navy. Two-thirds of the Royal Indian Navy's asset remained with India and balance went to Pakistan Navy. On 15 August 1947, Rear Admiral JTS Hall, RIN, was appointed as India's first Flag Officer Commanding Royal Indian Navy.With India becoming a Republic on 26 January 1950, the prefix 'Royal' was dropped and it was rechristened as the Indian Navy. On 26 January 1950, the Crown of the Royal Indian Navy's Crest was replaced by Ashoka Lion Motif for Indian Navy's Emblem. The invocation to Lord Varuna (The Sea God) in the Vedas was adopted by Indian Navy for its emblem, with the Motto: “Sam no Varuna Happy”, meaning: “Be auspicious unto us Oh Varuna”. The inscription of “Satyamev Jayate” below the State Emblem was included in the Indian Navy's Crest.In Great Britain, the monarch used to present ‘Colours’ to the Navy, Army and Air Force as well as to the Commanders-in-Chief of the forces. This ‘King's Colour’ was paraded ashore on every special ceremonial occasion. In 1924, King George presented his colours to the British Navy. In 1935, the ‘King's Colours’ was presented to the Royal Indian Navy. India became a Republic on 26 January 1950. One day earlier, on 25 January, all 33 of the King’s Colours which had been presented to the Royal Indian Navy, Royal Indian Army and Royal Indian Air Force and their respective Commands were ‘laid up’ at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun.Colours were presented to Indian Navy, by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad on 27 May 1951. On 21 October 1944, Navy Day was celebrated for the first time. This met with considerable success and aroused enthusiasm. Seeing its success, similar functions were organised every year on a larger scale and later in the season when the weather was cooler. Since 1972, Navy Day is being celebrated on 04 December to commemorate the very successful naval actions in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and the missile attack on Karachi harbour during the India-Pakistan war of 1971 and to pay homage to all the martyrs of the war. During this time the Indian Naval Ships, aircraft and establishments are open to visitors and school children.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in FYI
Diet, disease, and the microbiome
Start writing... There is growing interest in the human body’s microbiome and its connection to chronic disease. A new study examines that connection, along with how the foods we eat influence the composition of our microbiome.Microbiome protects host and plays role in disease risk.The microbiome consists of the genes of tiny organisms (bacteria, viruses, and other microbes) found in the gastrointestinal tract, primarily in the small and large intestine. The normal gut flora — another term for the microbiome — protects its human host. For the microbiome to flourish, the right balance must exist, with the healthy species dominating the less healthy.Scientists do not fully understand how the microbiome factors into the risk of developing chronic diseases, such as heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Many factors, including differences between individuals and individual diets, have made this a difficult area to investigate.Study investigates relationships between diet, microbiome, and disease risk.But a new study, published in Nature Medicine, accounts for these factors and sheds light on how our diets shape our microbiome and how our microbiome, in turn, influences our disease risk.The researchers studied more than 1,100 individuals enrolled in PREDICT 1, a large trial looking at individual responses to food. They used a technique called metate omicron sequencing to identify, classify, measure, and analyse genetic material from the study participants’ microbiomes. They also collected detailed, long-term dietary intake information from all of these individuals, so they could analyse their dietary patterns, including their intake of different food groups, foods, and nutrients. In addition, they collected information from the study participants on a variety of factors that are known to influence metabolism and disease risk, including pre- and post-meal measures of blood sugar (glucose), cholesterol, and inflammation. Finally, they measured personal health attributes of the study participants, including age, weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat, and blood pressure.Diet influences microbiome and microbiome influences disease risk.The study found that the health of the microbiome is influenced by diet, and that the composition of the microbiome influences the risk of health outcomes. The results showed that specific gut microbes were associated with specific nutrients, foods, food groups, and overall diet composition. Health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and general inflammation appeared to be most impacted by diet-influenced changes to the microbiome.For example, less healthy dietary patterns (dairy desserts, unhealthy meats, processed foods) supported gut species that were associated with measures of blood sugar, cholesterol, and inflammation that are significantly associated with higher risk of cardiac events, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.In contrast, a more diverse gut microbiome was tied to healthy dietary patterns (high-fiber vegetables like spinach and broccoli, nuts, and, heathy animal foods such as fish and eggs) and was linked to measurements tied to lower risk of certain chronic diseases. In addition, the study found that polyunsaturated fats (found in fish, walnuts, pumpkin, flax and chia seeds, sunflower, safflower, and un hydrogenated soybean oils) produce healthy gut species linked to a reduced risk of chronic disease.Minimally processed, plant-based diet is good for the microbiome and for reducing disease risk.Don’t replace saturated fat with sugar. Many of us replace saturated fat such as whole milk dairy with refined carbs, thinking we’re making a healthier choice. Low-fat doesn’t mean healthy when the fat has been replaced by added sugar.Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened iced tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal, for example, and add sweetener (or fruit) yourself. You’ll likely add far less sugar than the manufacturer.Check labels and opt for low sugar products and use fresh or frozen ingredients instead of canned goods. Be especially aware of the sugar content of cereals and sugary drinks.Avoid processed or packaged foods like canned soups, frozen dinners, or low-fat meals that often contain hidden sugar. Prepare more meals at home.Reduce the amount of sugar in recipes by ¼ to ⅓. You can boost sweetness with mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract instead of sugar.Find healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Instead of ice cream, blend up frozen bananas for a creamy, frozen treat. Or enjoy a small chunk of dark chocolate, rather than a milk chocolate bar.Start with half of the dessert you normally eat, and replace the other half with fruit.Be careful about alcohol.It’s easy to underestimate the calories and carbs in alcoholic drinks, including beer and wine. And cocktails mixed with soda and juice can be loaded with sugar. Choose calorie-free mixers, drink only with food, and monitor your blood glucose as alcohol can interfere with diabetes medication and insulin.Spot hidden sugar.Being smart about sweets is only part of the battle. Sugar is also hidden in many packaged foods, fast food meals, and grocery store staples such as bread, cereals, canned goods, pasta sauce, margarine, instant mashed potatoes, frozen dinners, low-fat meals, and ketchup. The first step is to spot hidden sugar on food labels, which can take some sleuthing:Manufacturers provide the total amount of sugar on their labels but do not have to differentiate between added sugar and sugar that is naturally in the food.Added sugars are listed in the ingredients but aren’t always easily recognizable as such. While sugar, honey, or molasses are easy enough to spot, added sugar could also be listed as corn sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, agave nectar, cane crystals, invert sugar, or any kind of fructose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, or syrup.While you’d expect sugary foods to have sugar listed near the top of their list of ingredients, manufacturers often use different types of added sugars which then appear scattered down the list. But all these little doses of different sweeteners can add up to a lot of extra sugar and empty calories!Choose fats wisely.Some fats are unhealthy and others have enormous health benefits, so it’s important to choose fats wisely.Unhealthy (saturated) fats. Found mainly in tropical oils, red meat, and dairy, there’s no need to completely eliminate saturated fat from your diet—but rather, enjoy in moderation. The American Diabetes Association recommends consuming no more than 10% of your daily calories from saturated fat.Healthy (unsaturated) fats. The healthiest fats are unsaturated fats, which come from fish and plant sources such as olive oil, nuts, and avocados. Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation and support brain and heart health. Good sources include salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds.Ways to reduce unhealthy fats and add healthy fats:Instead of chips or crackers, snack on nuts or seeds or add them to your morning cereal. Nut butters are also very satisfying.Instead of frying, choose to broil, bake, or stir-fry.Avoid saturated fat from processed meats, packaged meals, and takeout food.Instead of just red meat, vary your diet with skinless chicken, eggs, fish, and vegetarian sources of protein.Use extra-virgin olive oil to dress salads, cooked vegetables, or pasta dishes.Commercial salad dressings are often high in calories so create your own with olive oil, flaxseed oil, or sesame oil.Add avocados to sandwiches and salads or make guacamole. Along with being loaded with healthy fats, they make for a filling and satisfying meal.Enjoy dairy in moderation.Eat regularly and keep a food diary.It’s encouraging to know that you only have to lose 7% of your body weight to cut your risk of diabetes in half. And you don’t have to obsessively count calories or starve yourself to do it. Two of the most helpful strategies involve following a regular eating schedule and recording what you eat.Eat at regularly set times.Your body is better able to regulate blood sugar levels—and your weight—when you maintain a regular meal schedule. Aim for moderate and consistent portion sizes for each meal.Start your day off with a good breakfast. It will provide energy as well as steady blood sugar levels.Eat regular small meals—up to 6 per day. Eating regularly will help you keep your portions in check.Keep calorie intake the same. To regulate blood sugar levels, try to eat roughly the same amount every day, rather than overeating one day or at one meal, and then skimping the next.Keep calorie intake the same. To regulate blood sugar levels, try to eat roughly the same amount every day, rather than overeating one day or at one meal, and then skimping the next.Keep a food diary.A recent study found that people who kept a food diary lost twice as much weight as those who didn’t. Why? A written record helps you identify problem areas—such as your afternoon snack or your morning latte—where you’re getting more calories than you realised. It also increases your awareness of what, why, and how much you’re eating, which helps you cut back on mindless snacking. Keep a notebook handy or use an app to track your eating.Get more active.Exercise can help you manage your weight and may improve your insulin sensitivity. An easy way to start exercising is to walk for 30 minutes a day (or for three 10-minute sessions if that’s easier). You can also try swimming, biking, or any other moderate-intensity activity that has you working up a light sweat and breathing harder.Learn how to lose weight and keep it off. If your last diet attempt wasn’t a success, or life events have caused you to gain weight, don’t be discouraged. The key is to find a plan that works with your body’s individual needs so that you can avoid common diet pitfalls and find long-term, weight loss success.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in FYI
The Diabetes Diet
Start writing... What’s the best diet for diabetes?Whether you’re trying to prevent or control diabetes, your nutritional needs are virtually the same as everyone else, so no special foods are necessary. But you do need to pay attention to some of your food choices—most notably the carbohydrates you eat. While following a Mediterranean or other heart-healthy diet can help with this, the most important thing you can do is to lose a little weight.Losing just 5% to 10% of your total weight can help you lower your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Losing weight and eating healthier can also have a profound effect on your mood, energy, and sense of wellbeing. People with diabetes have nearly double the risk of heart disease and are at a greater risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression.But most cases of type 2 diabetes are preventable and some can even be reversed. Even if you’ve already developed diabetes, it’s not too late to make a positive change. By eating healthier, being more physically active, and losing weight, you can reduce your symptoms. Taking steps to prevent or control diabetes doesn’t mean living in deprivation; it means eating a tasty, balanced diet that will also boost your energy and improve your mood. You don’t have to give up sweets entirely or resign yourself to a lifetime of bland food.The biggest risk for diabetes: belly fat.Being overweight or obese is the biggest risk factor for type 2 diabetes. However, your risk is higher if you tend to carry your weight around your abdomen as opposed to your hips and thighs. A lot of belly fat surrounds the abdominal organs and liver and is closely linked to insulin resistance. You are at an increased risk of developing diabetes if you are:Calories obtained from fructose (found in sugary beverages such as soda, energy and sports drinks, coffee drinks, and processed foods like doughnuts, muffins, cereal, candy and granola bars) are more likely to add weight around your abdomen. Cutting back on sugary foods can mean a slimmer waistline as well as a lower risk of diabetes.You can enjoy your favorite treats as long as you plan properly and limit hidden sugars. Dessert doesn’t have to be off limits, as long as it’s a part of a healthy meal plan.The type of carbohydrates you eat as well as serving size is key. Focus on whole grain carbs instead of starchy carbs since they’re high in fiber and digested slowly, keeping blood sugar levels more even.The principles of healthy eating are the same—whether or not you’re diabetic. Expensive diabetic foods generally offer no special benefit.Studies have shown that eating too much protein, especially animal protein, may actually cause insulin resistance, a key factor in diabetes. A healthy diet includes protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Our bodies need all three to function properly. The key is a balanced diet.As with any healthy eating program, a diabetic diet is more about your overall dietary pattern rather than obsessing over specific foods. Aim to eat more natural, unprocessed food and less packaged and convenience foods.Eat more.Healthy fats from nuts, olive oil, fish oils, flax seeds, or avocados.Fruits and vegetables—ideally fresh, the more colorful the better; whole fruit rather than juices.High-fiber cereals and breads made from whole grains.Fish and shellfish, organic chicken or turkey.High-quality protein such as eggs, beans, low-fat dairy, and unsweetened yogurt.Eat less.Packaged and fast foods, especially those high in sugar, baked goods, sweets, chips, desserts.White bread, sugary cereals, refined pastas or rice.Processed meat and red meat.Low-fat products that have replaced fat with added sugar, such as fat-free yogurt.Choose high-fiber, slow-release carbs.Carbohydrates have a big impact on your blood sugar levels—more so than fats and proteins—so you need to be smart about what types of carbs you eat. Limit refined carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, and rice, as well as soda, candy, packaged meals, and snack foods. Focus on high-fiber complex carbohydrates—also known as slow-release carbs. They are digested more slowly, thus preventing your body from producing too much insulin.What about the glycemic index?High glycemic index (GI) foods spike your blood sugar rapidly, while low GI foods have the least effect on blood sugar. While the GI has long been promoted as a tool to help manage blood sugar, there are some notable drawbacks.The true health benefits of using the GI remain unclear.Having to refer to GI tables makes eating unnecessarily complicated.The GI is not a measure of a food’s healthfulness.Research suggests that by simply following the guidelines of the Mediterranean or other heart-healthy diets, you’ll not only lower your glycemic load but also improve the quality of your diet.Be smart about sweets.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Longevity
Living the Dream with No Regrets
Start writing... Regret. One tiny little word with so much influence, it can cause you to alter your entire life in a heartbeat. No one wants to live a life of regret, so each day we set out to make the most of life. Our story revolves around that little word and how we navigate the waters of avoiding the impact it can have on you when you don’t reach for the things you want in life.As a kid I dreamed of two things, far off places and horses. Up until now I have made horses my life with a side of travel. Of course it wouldn’t be right to not mention the handsome husband, fancy car, country house and career. I have been living the American Dream. So in pursuit of these dreams I have spent most of the past 12 years juggling my passions of advancing my career, showing my horses and seeing as much of the World as my PTO time allowed each year. It has been exhausting.I first learned about backpacking in 2007 and quickly took to the freedom of travel with only the pack on your back. I planned a trip to Italy with my sister and best friend and away we went to stay in hostels, travel on the train and live out of our backpacks! What I didn’t prepare for was the love I would acquire for this type of travel. I was hooked and the years that followed involved many more backpacking adventures and as my ‘need’ for travel grew, so did the research of how to make more time for it. Of course, coming home from Italy led to many conversations about taking a summer off to travel Europe for 3 months. This never did become a reality, but my research opened the door to an even bigger idea, Round the World travel. But it wasn’t really until David and I spent 3 weeks backpacking around SE Asia on our honeymoon in 2010, for us to start talking about the possibility of making that a reality. At that point in time we found ourselves in jobs that we enjoyed and we were pretty well settled with life in general but something on that Asia trip changed me and once I was home I pretty much obsessed over how we could incorporate more travel into our lives. We both wanted to explore more of the World, but weren’t ready to take the leap into making that a reality. So we spent the next 3 years traveling as often as we could and squeezing every last minute out of our PTO time to juggle travel, horses and hunting. It seemed like the perfect solution for us at the time and we have been lucky enough to have many adventures visiting 31 countries and 35 states all while working full time jobs and living the American Dream. The one thing that didn’t stand out at first but is now very obvious, is as the 3 years lapsed we began spending less PTO time on horses and hunting and devoted all of our precious hours to travel only. This was the wakeup call for us. We sat down one day with the intentions of discussing some upgrades to our house and horse facilities. This snow balled into a discussion of what we wanted to accomplish in 3 years and where we wanted to be at the end of those years. I couldn’t help but bring up World travel. It was at that moment that we decided if we didn’t take a good hard look at this dream, that we may miss the chance to do it and in time, regret that we hadn’t. Fast forward to today. We are 195 days into planning the next ‘phase’ of our life. Our house is for sale; we have been selling all of our possessions, padding our bank accounts and are planning to embark on our dream of World travel in January 2014. Yes, we are forgoing the American dream and living a dream of our own. I won’t sugar coat it for you, this decision was one of the most difficult we have ever made. Leaving this current life means selling our self built house and horse farm, giving up our jobs we have worked so hard to advance in, putting the hunting trips on hold and selling our beloved horses. Why you ask? Because life is what you make it and if you have a desire to do something you should reach out and grab it, before it’s too late because there is never a right time to make a big life change. As hard as it will be to leave these things behind, we are beyond excited to have the chance to make a life change, seize the moment and live our dream of exploring the World. The way we see it is there will always be another house, another car, another job, another chance to show horses and another time to hunt. But it isn’t every day that you get the chance to watch your stars align and offer you a chance to make a change to your life that will eliminate that tiny little word from your future. There won’t be any regret here.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Motivation
Food Trends Come and Go, but Nigella Lawson Is Forever
Start writing... Nigella Lawson still knows best.The beloved British cookbook author has graced our bookshelves and television screens for more than two decades now, and her charmingly aloof yet unpretentious approach to cooking, food, and life has never resonated with home cooks more. Lawson—much like the rest of the world—couldn't have predicted a global pandemic would upend restaurant culture and send us back to our kitchens for the bulk of a year. But the fact that her latest literary offering, Cook, Eat, Repeat, is filled with recipes that could easily be adapted through this unprecedented period of time? Well, that's just the magic of Lawson herself: She always knows what we'll need, far before we know we'll need it.Though Lawson's cookbooks always tend to have a theme (i.e., a fresh focus on Italian fare in Nigellissima or baked confections in How to Be a Domestic Goddess) Cook, Eat, Repeat is much less a cookbook and more so a curated ode to Lawson's favorite comfort foods, sensations, and kitchen-inspired memories. Chapters like "A Is for Anchovy" celebrate the gloriously salty sensation of the fish, and "A Loving Defense of Brown Food" highlights dishes such as stews, dips, and meaty sauces. The book itself, which Lawson started right before the beginning of the pandemic and finished as she quarantined alone throughout the height of it, kept the author focused and comforted within the safety and privacy of her home."I didn't want the book to be dominated by [the reality of the pandemic], but I couldn't ignore these times," Lawson tells BAZAAR.com over the phone from London. "It made me redo one chapter entirely—I did have a chapter that was called 'How to Invite Friends for Dinner Without Hating Them or Yourself' and that obviously wasn't appropriate, because I didn't know how long [co-19] would be going on for. But it also didn't even seem right being in a time when you couldn't even have friends over. It seems so absurd you'd start getting anxious about what you were cooking.She continues, "It wasn't that hard for me to redo it, because when I have people over, I cook food that is also the sort of food I eat when I'm at home by myself. Maybe there are more courses, but it's essentially the same, so I recast that much more as just for thinking of families, having to think about what to eat for supper day in, day out. I also already had quite a few single-portion foods for cooking for one, but it seems so apparent that so many people were having to do that then—I was. I was alone in lockdown, so I either found more ways of saying in a recipe, 'Well, this is for four, but this is how I'd cook it if I were cooking it for one,' and exactly the best ways of making the adjustment summary."Lawson viewed putting together Cook, Eat, Repeat as a therapeutic process but ultimately as a practice of gratitude as well. Every day, she would wake up and taste-test—while simultaneously reflecting on the memories that fuel her recipes—in between moments of connecting with fans on social media who were also revisiting and reimagining their kitchens like never before. The routine reminded Lawson of why she dedicated her life to the pleasure of food in the first place."You can't write a book without feeling very intimately connected, but there's something about this book because it kept me company during lockdown and I felt very fortunate to have work," says Lawson. "My concentration was a bit shot, like everyone's at the beginning, so it took a bit longer [to finish]. But in those shapeless days, it was wonderful to get up and know what I had to do and be really focused. I had the memories of all the meals I eat, because every recipe I write has so many,memories of all the meals I eat, because every recipe I write has so many memories attached to it. It felt, really, like a reinforcement of what I felt—how important food is to our emotional well-being as well as our physical well-being. That seemed in a way quite pronounced, because no one had any news—the only news anyone had to share [through lockdown] was what they'd been eating and cooking."Like so many of us, Lawson took pleasure in comfort recipes like lasagna, fried chicken sandwiches, and salty, chewy chocolate cookies. She isn't here to shame anyone for their personal cravings—in or out of quarantine. In fact, she has an entire chapter of the book to simply titled "Pleasures," followed by a persuasive essay on why no one should feel guilty for merely enjoying a meal."For a lot of people, but particularly for women, there's so much policing over what they should eat, how they should approach themselves, and persecuting yourself for eating something you like. Because if you say, 'It's my guilty pleasure,' to me, it implies that you feel I don't deserve that or I shouldn't be doing that," says Lawson. "Food is such a pure pleasure, and I feel life offers pleasure, then it offers difficulties. You need to try and make the most of those pleasures. I just think that's no way to live [in denying yourself]. I think it plays with your head as well as with your health.She adds, "It sounds so straightforward, but so many people, and women in particular, have such a tortured relationship with food and their body. It seems to me to add greatly to your life if you can resist that, and I do think cooking is part of that."While the pandemic eliminated the chance for Lawson to have friends over and host dinner parties, she found cooking for herself to be just as meaningful a ritual, especially amid the unavoidable uncertainty and stress of quarantine."I feel that if you don't cook ... it's hard to think of how you'd have got by in the last year. I get pleasure from looking at the ingredients, they're like a still life in your house. A bowl of lemons or some leeks, and when you fry them, that tender green that arrives as a result. I get pleasure all the time," quips Lawson. "The smells of the spices and the pottering about looking after myself. ... I don't like the term self-care, in a way, because I think it's become slightly acrid, and it speaks of that sort of seriousness similar to an incense stick. Not that I've got anything against incense sticks, I like them—but I just feel it's about seizing the day and seizing the pleasures that are available, because that's how you can just feel more joy. It wasn't really here when there was the capacity or the option, the possibility for enormous amounts of joy. Why wouldn't you take it where you can?"Lawson's life mantras often intersect with her approach to food; one could argue that's the secret to her success. When it comes to her relationship with the kitchen, womanhood, and style, Lawson is synonymous with laissez-faire. Her personal image and cooking methods have remained refreshingly consistent in her decades-long career. Relatable, reliable, and genuine—a feat few of her food world colleagues have been able to replicate. How the world views Lawson doesn't mean it's how she views herself, though. When asked to reflect on her impact in the food world, Lawson plays it cool."If I think deeply about it, it still feels a bit odd. It wasn't what I thought I would do when I started in the working world, but I think that so many important things in life happen by accident," says Lawson. "Although, initially I felt, and I still feel it very strongly, that I'm a home cook. I don't have training. I'm a complete klutz, but you don't need dexterity or professional skill to cook food that tastes good. I thought that it seemed so important to really show people that you don't need to cook like a restaurant at home. You can be freer at home, and all that really matters is, does it taste good, and does this make my home feel happy?"
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Feast
Horse Breeds
Do you know your Suffolk Punch from your Clydesdale, and can you tell a Cleveland Bay from a Thoroughbred? To the untrained eye, many horses can look quite alike. But, while all domestic horses and ponies belong to the same species — Equus ferus caballus — there are many hundreds of different breeds, all of which have their own unique physical characteristics and temperaments.The sheer number of different kinds of horses and ponies can be overwhelming, even for equestrian enthusiasts. So, to help you brush up on your knowledge, we’ve put together a list of common horse breeds that you’re likely to come across in the UK, along with some facts about the size, traits, origins, and common uses of each type. We’ll cover:Horse breeds by region.English horse breeds,Scottish horse breeds,Welsh horse breeds,Irish horse breeds,Endangered and rare horse breeds,How many horse breeds are there?There are thought to well be over 350 breeds of horse in existence around the globe today. However, given that there’s no scientifically accepted definition for what formally constitutes a horse breed, there isn’t an exact number. Plus, new types of horse are always being bred, meaning that the overall total continues to increase by the day.While the definition is somewhat vague, it’s generally accepted that a breed is a type of horse that displays distinct true-breeding characteristics over several generations. There are a number of societies that protect and promote each one, to help ensure that standards for each type of horse remain consistent. The bloodlines of certain horse breeds are also recorded in General Stud Books, which help breeders ensure that their animals are of true purebred heritage.Some breeds have stricter rules about what does and doesn’t constitute a purebred. For example, certain breeds — including Thoroughbred horses — can only be considered a true example if they possess a very narrow set of characteristics. However, for other types of breeds where the pedigree is less important, the definition of what constitutes a purebred can be much broader and more variable.The reason there are so many breeds is all to do with the history of horses as working animals. Over thousands of years, people have selectively bred horses and ponies to emphasise traits that make them well-suited to different kinds of work, from farming and industry, to sport and leisure. Many breeds are also deeply rooted in the area where they are bred, with characteristics that help them to thrive in certain landscapes and weather conditions — you can learn more about this in our horse breeds by region section.As a result of years selective breeding, horses are quite a unique animal in terms of the sheer variety between different breeds. For instance, how many other animal subspecies boast a size difference quite like that between a Shire horse and a Shetland pony? The incredible versatility and variety of horses is one of the many reasons that these creatures have remained our constant companions throughout the centuries.Horse breeds by region.While many horses and ponies are selectively bred with the intention of making them more suitable for a particular kind of work or sport, the landscape and climate that they are bred in can also greatly influence their physical characteristics. As a result, horse breeds are often closely tied to the place where they first originated. Many are even named after the place where the breed was first established.In this guide, you’ll find information about a number of the most popular and well-known horse breeds from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Given the huge number of different horse breeds out there, it’s important to note that this guide is by no means exhaustive. However, you will find most of the most common horse breeds that you’re likely to encounter in the UK and Ireland.If you’re looking to buy a horse or pony of your own, then this guide is a great place to begin your research, especially if you’re still making up your mind about what size horse you will need, and which type will best suit your needs and lifestyle.Cleveland Bay Horse.Physical appearance: The Cleveland Bay has a large head with a convex face, a long strong neck, sloping shoulders, clean legs, and powerful hindquarters. They have a very handsome, noble appearance.Permitted colours: A rich bay colour (hence the name). Some Cleveland Bays also have a white marking on the forehead.Characteristics and uses: The Cleveland Bay is one of the oldest known English horse breeds, and was originally used for agriculture and pulling coaches. Over the years, Thoroughbred blood was introduced to the breed, and the Cleveland Bay became a competitive sport horse. They’re now quite a popular horse for all kinds of sports, especially showjumping and hunting.Cleveland Bays are also sometimes used at state occasions and royal celebrations, no doubt thanks to their powerful, handsome appearance and beautiful bay colouring. They generally have a calm, sensible disposition.Dale Pony.Physical appearance: The Dale pony is small in stature with a strong neck, broad chest, long sloping shoulders, and strong hindquarters and legs. They usually possess silky feathered legs and thick, shaggy manes and tails that make them hardy enough to stand the unforgiving climate of the Dales. They are closely related to the Fell pony, which is a little more pony-like in terms of build.Permitted colours: Black and brown are common, but bay, brown, and sometimes even grey or roan may be permitted.Characteristics and uses: These plucky ponies are brave, docile, calm, and hard-working, all characteristics that make them very suitable as family ponies. They possess enough stamina and power to excel at trekking and long-distance riding, but can also make fine jumpers, too.Dartmoor Pony.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Petlife
Minari movie review
Start writing... Stitched together in an effortlessly organic manner, Minari unfolds as a series of beautifully observed vignettes of a Korean immigrant family trying to stake their claim for a piece of the American dream.Minari is writer-director Lee Isaac-Chung's distilled version of his own childhood growing up in rural Arkansas in the 1980s. Fittingly, the film feels like flipping through a scrapbook of episodic memories and formative experiences. Stitched together in an effortlessly organic manner, it unfolds as a series of beautifully observed vignettes of a Korean immigrant family trying to stake their claim for a piece of the American dream.Hoping to run his own farm, Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun) moves his wife Monica (Yeri Han) and two children, Anne (Noel Kate Cho) and David (Alan Kim), to a plot of land in Arkansas. Monica isn't too happy about living in a trailer in the middle of nowhere and makes her feelings known right away. This marital tension simmers throughout the film, and is realised in the occasional conflict.Gloating “Korean people use their heads” to his son, Jacob ploughs his own furrows. Dispensing abstract belief in God for the American Dream, he digs his own well, takes out a loan to buy a tractor, and grows Korean vegetables to sell them to the expanding Korean population in nearby cities. But as he finds himself over his head, not to mention his family's budget, Monica must take matters into her own hand to ensure the family comes before the farm. For Jacob to be a dreamer, Monica must be a realist.The family dynamics change instantly on the arrival of Monica's mother Soon-ja (Youn Yuh-jung). The veteran Youn is a delight to watch, especially when paired with newbie Kim, whose performance is unstudied but no less affecting. In the beginning, David's relationship with his grandma is testy in an endearing way, but it inevitably softens over their shared love for pro-wrestling, “mountain water” (Mountain Dew) and card games. Chung frames their clashes like comedic interludes, but without losing any of the film's emotional hold over us.Authenticity is built on achingly intimate details. When Soon-ja arrives all the way from South Korea, she brings with her bags packed with Korean chili flakes and dried anchovies. Overcome with emotion, Monica tears up. There is a familiarity to this routine that will resonate with anyone who has ever moved to a new city or country, and can't find the grocery essentials from back home. For Monica, it is an emotional moment because, for once, someone thought of her. The invisible workload of being a supportive wife to Jacob and mother to Anne and David has relegated her own dreams and desires to second-class status, like in most traditional Asian families. Her mother bringing her anchovies is someone recognising her existence, and thus her needs. Yeun, Youn and Kim may have attracted everyone’s attention this awards season, but it's Han's performance which lingers longer because it’s impossible to watch her and not weigh our own relationships with our mothers.Serving as the central metaphor is the herb which gives the film its title. Soon-ja takes David to plant some minari seeds near a creek on the edge of their homestead. Minari is a perennial herb known to grow on all terrains. More importantly, after it dies in the first season, it returns stronger in the second, revitalising the water and soil around it. It perfectly sums up the immigrant experience, the sacrifices made by the first generation to ensure the second thrives. As the metaphor takes root in the narrative, the Yi family too slowly find the strength and resilience to carve out their place in America.Motifs are drawn from classical elements. Fire, water and earth are a disruptive as well as productive influence, symbolising the challenges of acclimating to a new country. Jacob's plants wither without water, and the family turns to the creek, where the minari is planted, for water to run their own home. Fire destroys their barn, but also helps the Yi family hit the reset button. And what is Minari about if not taming the land to reap its rewards?David lashes out at Soon-ja for not acting like “a real grandma.” His conception is entirely American: one who bakes cookies, not one who feeds him yucky potions for his weak heart. Most certainly, not one who wears men's underwear and swears during card games. When Jacob and Monica get into a heated argument, the children fling paper planes with “Don't fight” written on them. When Soon-ja reminds David and Monica of their favourite ballad, both appear to have forgotten it entirely. It's an example of how their American future is slowly supplanting their Korean past.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Families
Love and Monsters movie review
Start writing... Joel Dawson is an unlikely hero for a dystopian flick. He is lovelorn, unsure of himself in nearly every aspect, he has hardly any survival skills for post-apocalyptic life, can barely handle a crossbow and to top it all, he freezes in the face of danger. When such a person decides to undertake a week-long journey in a world full of murderous monsters, things are bound to get interesting, albeit somewhat predictable.But, lead actor Dylan O’ Brien has just the right amount of charm to keep the audience invested in Joel’s story. He fumbles, stumbles, literally falls into ditches but doesn’t lose heart and picks up a few lessons along the way – such as “not to settle, even if it’s the end of the world” and that good instincts come from making mistakes.South African director Michael Mathews’s Love And Monsters is perhaps the most lovable creature feature to have come out in a while, and that’s what makes it refreshing. There are enough monsters on the prowl, but there is no cloud of somberness hanging over this story. Joel was 17 and enjoying a beautiful summer date with his high school sweetheart Aimee (Jessica Henwick) when the world as he knew it came to an end, in one fell sweep.An asteroid came hurtling towards earth and humans tried to fire a rocket to destroy it. But while they managed to blow up the asteroid, the chemicals which emanated from the missiles turned insects and birds and sea creatures into enormous murderous mutants that wiped off 95 percent of the population, including his parents. Survivors like Joel were left to retreat into underground bunkers called “colonies”.Seven years into this holed up existence, everyone’s life seems to have fallen into a pattern, with some even managing to find romantic partners in their locked-down existence. But Joel remains a heart-broken loner, who keeps himself busy maintaining a ledger of sketches of the monsters he hears of, and notes down their strengths and witnesses. His other pass-time is trying to connect with Aimee’s colony on radio. After numerous failed attempts, he finds success one fine day, and hears her voice after seven years. Not long after, Joel makes an uncharacteristic resolve to undertake a journey of 85 miles to go see her.With no survivor skills, zero sense of direction – he doesn’t even know which way is west – he sets off, fueled by nothing but romantic naivete. The journey, needless to say, is eventful. A lot happens – many close shaves with drooling monsters, and a couple of friendly ones too; whimsical survivor friends Clyde (Michael Rooker) and Minnow (Ariana Greenblatt) who take him under their wings until they must part ways; an empathetic robot Mav1s who lends him a patient ear in the last 15 minutes of her battery life; and a friendly dog he names Boy, who becomes his loyal sidekick.Besides the monsters, there is one thing that ties them all – loss. Among the quieter and tender sequences in the film is one where he shares his vulnerabilities with Mav1s, sitting outside a ghost street surrounded by glow-in-the-dark jellyfish floating in thin air – Mav1s calls them ‘sky jellies’. The gift of the moment isn’t lost on Joel. “It’s kinda nice when nothing is trying to kill you”, he says. The director uses humour well in the film and particularly so in this scene, especially when the robot lists down the possible outcomes of Joel’s journey, from best to worst, with the exact amount of cheerful optimism.Even as the film is set in an imaginary world, Mathews looks at romance from a realistic lens. Love does not conquer all and grand gestures can be grand only in your head – these are messages the film appears to carry. In planning his lofty move to sweep Aimee off her feet, Joel forgets to account for the powers of time that can change circumstances and people, to the point of no return. And in the last act of the film we also learn that while mutant monsters cannot help themselves, it’s the humans that ought to be feared the most.At one hour, forty-nine minutes, Love and Monsters is crisp, witty, sensitive, and self-aware storytelling, that’s not typical of creatures-features. Thanks to an earnest and lovable performance by lead actor Dylan O’ Brien, the film manages to remain light-hearted without turning frivolous. Jessica Henwick as Aimee delivers an impressive performance as a strong-minded girl on whom her colony depends for sustenance, and who cares for her ex but isn’t in love with him anymore. She brings out Aimee’s complexities in a few short scenes. Michael Rooker as Clyde carries the gravitas of a wise old man while Ariana Greenblatt’s Minnow is chirpy and entertaining. Shot in the dense forests of Queensland, Australia, the film’s cinematography is lush, and the CGI smoothly blends in, making it a well-crafted product. The monsters may be slimy and drooling but none too grotesque to watch.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Horror
Movie review
Start writing... The characters of In the Earth are living through a pandemic that may or may not be our own. Some aspects of it are familiar, while others aren’t at all. When scientist Martin Lowery (Joel Fry) arrives at Gantalow Lodge, he is greeted by two men wearing face masks and a figure in full protective gear who, with routine efficiency, sprays him down next to a spot labeled “Disinfection Point.” The building is a vacation site that has been requisitioned during lockdown as a base for some research projects being conducted in the surrounding woods, and the unsettling emptiness of this usually bustling space is recognizable even as the barrage of medical tests Martin is immediately subjected to is not. But what really resonates is the skittishness of the characters, the way their conversations have a rustiness to them and the rhythms of their interactions are a little off. They aren’t just out of practice after a stretch of isolation — they’ve learned to instinctively distrust the proximity of other people.In the Earth is the latest contribution to the small questionable canon of COVID cinema, having been shot by writer-director Ben Wheatley quietly over 15 days in August of last year. Movies so far have struggled with how to tell stories about life lived under the shadow of a virus, but one thing In the Earth is unusually good at is summoning a sense of shared but unevenly distributed trauma across its small set of characters. Martin, we learn, has suffered significant personal losses because of the pandemic and comes across as someone whose personality has been eroded by long stretches of grieving in solitude.He’s bumbling, a city-boy scientist who reluctantly embarks on a two-day hike to a research site in the company of the far more competent park ranger Alma (Ellora Torchia). But his unassuming oafishness feels as much like the result of his having gone numb as it does any of his innate inexperience in the field — he lumbers like someone whose limbs are still asleep after they have been slept on awkwardly. It doesn’t take long for circumstances to demand that he snap to attention, as the pair encounter an ominous abandoned campsite, get attacked in their tents at night and then encounter a man named Zach (Reece Shearsmith), who provides a reminder that contagion isn’t the only reason one might have to be wary of strangers.Wheatley is one of those filmmakers whose reputations have outstripped their bodies of work. His sophomore breakout, Kill List, about a soldier turned soldier of fortune who takes a job with occult elements, is still the only one of his films that is wholly successful. In the Earth is positioned to be a return to form after the disaster that was his adaptation of Rebecca for Netflix last year — a scrappy production made while the world was on pause. But after its evocative introduction, In the Earth ends up in comfortable, disappointingly underdeveloped territory for the director, incorporating some of Kill List’s folk-horror undercurrents and A Field in England’s psychedelia while borrowing freely from The Blair Witch Project. Both Zach and Olivia Wendle (Hayley Squires), the out-of-contact colleague Martin has been trying to locate, turn out to have been in the woods too long. The two are trying to communicate with what they are convinced is a spirit in the forest, maybe related to the mycorrhizal network connecting the plant life underground, or maybe related to a man in the past who was accused of necromancy and used his mystical knowledge to transfer himself into a stone that has a hole bored through it.
By Zarinabanu Zarinabanu3 years ago in Horror