Happy Independence Day: Top health learnings for an independent Indian

A few days ago while driving back home, I tuned into one of my favourite radio channels. Everything seemed fine until a radio jockey talked about the current heat wave ravaging the north of India in particular Delhi. It was apparently a whopping 56 degree Celsius there. Whoah!! Born and raised in the southern city of Bangalore this temperature is almost unheard of here. Everyone walks around with a long face here if the temperature even touches 34 degrees and above. Delhi is our capital city and according to the last estimate there are around 19 million people there and I was wondering what was their countenance was right now. I reached home and I quickly did my research just like every one else does now, I googled! The temperature ‘felt like 56 degrees’ was the title. For an instant I had really fallen for it. This got me thinking. Have you ever played the Chinese whisper challenge? How truth from one person to another person gets twisted and turned until it means something totally different once it reaches the last person! What it teaches us is that what we hear is not necessarily true. The numbers we see on television or hear on the radio is not what’s real. Read on to understand more about top health learnings and its importance in the current world.

When doing my post graduation in Community Medicine if there was one thing my Professors stressed about it was that numbers are not to be believed on face value. “Question the numbers. What is the denominator?-I was often asked”. Don’t believe everything you hear or see, there might be a different explanation or reason for it.

I very recently had a hilarious encounter with a lady who came up to me after I had just concluded a public talk on COVID to ask me about ‘white.…..’ the rest of it was drowned in the noise around so assuming that she was asking about “white discharge” a very common gynaecological issue among women I ranted on and on about what it is, how to prevent it and what are the various options. Finally when she asked me with a puzzled look as to how an anti fungal treatment can help her gain weight? This is when I realised to my horror that she was actually asking about tips for weight gain and not white discharge!! Yikes!! I don’t really remember how I excused myself that day but that is just one example of how the Chinese whisper works.

It is prudent for us to do sufficient research especially regarding things that concern our health. There are so many of us who will not trust what our doctors prescribe us. They matter of factly question ‘if these medicine will cause any side effects?’. But the same folks will not bat an eyelid while taking some new probiotic or health tonic or even stop their anti-diabetic medications. Instead they start eating herbs and roots in the hope that this “natural product” will cure their disease! Just yesterday I met an elderly gentleman in a health camp who despite having a blood sugar value as high as a one day cricket score was convinced the medicines doctors prescribe will cause “kidney failure”. The Chinese whispers had held him in its firm grip and it took us a while to make him comprehend his folly!

From person to person information can spread fast and so can false information! This Indian Independence Day let us all develop one thing that most of us lack collectively-‘the ability to think independently!’

While there are many instances where we should think and act after thorough research and deliberation, here are a few instances related to your health learnings where the ‘mind matters the most’:

Some key examples

1. Instagram diets- everyday there are multiple posts and numerous videos talking about the benefits of the latest diet- be it keto, vegan, pegan (yes that’s a word!), intermittent fasting or any of the numerous detox diets. What are the credential of the people endorsing them? Several studies have proven that these calorie restricted diets often lead to several nutrient deficiencies and are almost impractical in the long run. Why run behind these magical diets yearning for a body that almost 95% of those around us do not have?

2. The supplement saga- COVID-19 saw an unprecedented increase in consumption of multivitamins and micronutrients- Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin C all suddenly were thrust into the spotlight and became overnight celebrities. Tall claims about them being protective against COVID-19 and fool proof immunity boosters were made. Alas what happened was that it sent these drug manufacturers laughing happily to the bank. Several pharmaceutical companies recorded almost a 60% rise in the sales of these so called “immunity boosters” and many of them had stockouts of zinc. For the first time it replaced even the life saving ‘insulin’ as the most sold drug in India!

3. Workout woes- A positive outcome of health promotion in social media is the rising popularity of gyming and home workouts. While on one side this has finally made people realise the importance of physical activity however on the flip side some of these workouts are too intensive. The HIT movement where a high intensity workout is performed for a very short time can make the heart rate go through the roof. Such crazy cardio workouts, heavy weight lifting or intense cycling sessions can increase risk of bone and muscle injuries, heart attacks and even sometimes kidney failure. Remember the tortoise and hare story? Point is “go slow and steady” when it comes to exercise.

4. Myths about vaccination- Most vaccines are viewed suspiciously by many- questions had been earlier raised about the polio vaccine- if they were the governments’ way of promoting family planning and even controlling the population explosion! The same is now seen with the COVID vaccination. Some negative media reports about certain side effects and deaths have convinced a vast majority of the population that the vaccine is dangerous. The government reports that only a small percentage of the target population have received their booster dose of the COVID vaccine when time and again studies have conclusively proven that vaccination alone can truly save lives!

5. Trending home deliveries- No it’s not about food delivery that concerns me! I have recently come across several instances of You tubers opting for alternative modes of delivery. The magic mantra to avoid the lights and chaos of the hospital and instead deliver at “birthing centres” with the help of trained mid wives in a supposedly calm and peaceful surrounding. Some daring ones even opt to do it all alone at their own homes in their bathtubs”! Thankfully this trend has not caught on in India but we did hear about a couple who tried this here and the result was catastrophic. Anything can go wrong in a split second during labour and that’s why the presence of trained professionals and quality healthcare is very important both for the mother and baby.Please read here my blog regarding the myths about breastfeeding.

Top health learnings

As the most advanced species on this planet it’s high time we utilise this ability of ours to think before we act. Here I outline some situations where we need to put on our “thinking caps”:

1. Do not believe in all that you hear or see. Do diligent research before you commit and no ‘Google’ is not a good reference!

2. Refrain from forwarding mindless posts about the wonders of one ingredient or another. Garlic, ginger or turmeric cannot be the cure for cancer or COVID!

3. Everything organic is not healthy. It’s pricy yes, but not necessarily healthy! A through wash of the veggies and fruits in running water is enough to remove all the fertilisers if any.

4. Be wary of diets which call for extreme calorie restrictions. The fallout of this is extreme hair loss after 3 months, menstrual irregularities and severely compromised mental health! Trust me you will be worse off than before.

5. Go slow on the supplements- you do not need to pop on pills for every illness. Instead eating a balanced diet with lots of veggies and fruits will take care of all your nutrient deficiencies.

6. Get vaxxed- before the next COVID wave runs amoc in the country be responsible and get yourself and family vaccinated. The vaccine is available free of cost at all the government health centres near you!

7. Unsubscribe from content which sets unrealistic body image goals and targets. We don’t want a world where everyone looks the same way and eats the same things. Instead embrace your uniqueness!

8. Moderation is key when it comes to exercise. Extreme sports and extreme exercises are not meant for all. We have lately heard about actors and sportsperson who succumbed early due to such extreme makeovers. So when it comes to exercise take adequate rest in between and take it slow and steady.

This Independence Day as we celebrate our country’s 75th independence from the British let us take a step back and contemplate if we have truly become independent when it comes to healthy living! Let us break free from the shackles of misinformation surrounding us! It is only then that we can truly enjoy this freedom that has been gifted to us by our brave forefathers. Jai Hind!