Our generation is in denial about this particular subject. Does our addiction to Social Media and Technology lead to insomnia and affect our health?

Jane introduces her 2 guests, Dr. S. Mohanraj, a Consultant Psychiatrist, and Pradeep, who runs a Social Media Marketing frim.

It is quickly established that a social media addiction could cause insomnia because When you stare into the screen, your eyes adjust to the screen light after which even if you want to sleep, you cannot, and this leads to insomnia.

A Second adverse effect of Social Media addiction is on the relationships that people have, as it decreases real physical and social interactions, and people isolate themselves in real life.

Pradeep is of the opinion that it’s unfair to blame social media as it is a tool designed to communicate, not cause insomnia.
Jane points out that Social Media Marketing itself is aimed at pushing your content and though you can turn of the TV, you cant turn of Social Media.

Pradeep responds that TV is just as much to blame as social media. People are generally curious by nature and want to always be aware of what’s happening in the world around them and Social Media is a real-time update of that.

Dr. Mohanraj agrees. He says that Social Media is not the only reason insomnia is on the rise, but just one of the newer reasons. A lot of students stay up all night on Social Media, or gaming all night n sleep through the day skipping college, while others find themselves unproductive through the day. That kids spend up to 16-17 hours online or gaming a day.
His advice to these people is to limit social media to desktops or laptops, and keep it off their mobile phones. He also says that Social Media has good uses too and good trends that come up because of it. It is a tool that can be good or degenerative.

Pradeep points out that even those who go off the grid for a couple of days but come back more addicted than before. Social Media is programmed to make you want to use it. He says that the problem is that people are plugged into their online lives and reality at the same time, there’s some white noise in between. If Social Media is in the back of your mind even when you’re not on it and you’re not able to tune out of it and tune into reality, that’s a real problem.

At this point they acknowledge the uniting quality of social media with the kind of solidarity and support pouring in from across the world during violent incidences such as the Australia hostage situation, the Peshawar attack and most recently, the Paris terrorist attack.

On the negative side, it would seem that Virtual reality has taken over reality.

Pradeep acknowledges that although brands on facebook are eager to force loads of content on users, it is up to Social Media agencies like his to remind them that they are trying to build relationships and are not just doing one way marketing here.

A caller also highlights the latest health condition called “Text-Neck” that’s a result of youngsters constantly looking down at their phones, therefore straining their necks.

Pradeep jokes that soon this won’t be a problem if gadgets like Google Glasses get popular.

Dr. Mohanraj still insists that Social Media must be used responsibly and that at some point of the evening or before bed, we must turn off wifi or our phones and ensure we get 7-8 hours of sleep at the very least. Facebook does not control us, and there is a real life outside.

Pradeep highlights a useful tool on smartphones where you can put yourself on a “do not disturb” or DND mode, where only a small list of people would be able to reach you. This might be handy for people trying to disconnect after a long day as it gives you more control on who reaches you and what you see even on Social Media updates.

There are youngsters who have thousands of friends on facebook but no friends in real life, and therefore are extremely uncomfortable with social interactions.

In conclusion they all agreed that Social Media is a great tool to connect with real friends, even those across the globe. There is a thin line between the good and the bad. We should know where that line is, and know when to tune out. We must disconnect and concentrate on our offline lives as that is what is real. We must know our limits and take control of our virtual lives.

Today, RJ Jane’s special guest was Vasundra Aggarwal, a Bangalore based Nutrition & lifestyle consultant who’s been an expert in the field for the last 6 years. In keeping with the New Year spirit, the discussion was largely about how do you stick to your resolutions for a healthy & happy 2015.

First off, Jane asked Vasundra to give us 5 basic tips that, if followed, will lead to a much healthier 2015. Vasundra gave some basic tips such as

1. Do not leave too long a gap between meals. Eat frequent meals in small portions around 8 times a day.
2. Drink a lot of water. Not just when you’re thirsty.
3. Tea or coffee shouldn’t be the first thing you have in the morning. You can first drink some warm water with lemon and honey, and then coffee or tea and breakfast.
4. 30-40 mins of physical activity daily, even if one is not overweight.
5. Limit processed and packaged carbohydrates rather than fats. Include healthy oils like sesame, mustard, bran & olive oil. Include nuts in diet, and avoid packaged & processed food.

Jane and Vasundra were joined by another special guest, Ammachi. When asked what she thinks will lead to a happier and healthier 2015, Ammachi points out that lifestyles keep on changing with the times, and suggests that the secret to health and happiness is to eat at least one meal a day at home with your family. Also resolve to always find something to laugh about at all times, as after all, laughter is the best medicine. People have so many stressors and pressure, they forget to laugh and truly enjoy life. Materialistic values are not as important. Live naturally and healthy. Stick to family recipes rather than fast food.

Vasundra agrees completely. She adds that family recipes are usually healthier, even if they can be rich. She says to limit fried food but not to avoid ghee. In limited amounts ghee has a lot of anti-carcinogenic properties that are beneficial, so we can allow ourselves that small indulgence!

Jane notes that there has been a bug going around and a lot of people are down with the flu. Ammachi gives some Home remedies for the flu such as to Stay hydrated through the day, Gargle with salt & turmeric. drink warm water with lemon, honey and dry ginger, avoid street food and carry your own water bottle as a preventive measure.

Vasundra suggests that to kick start a great lifestyle, start your day with a cup of green tea with lemon, cardamom and nutmeg. it provides antioxidants that will keep you fresh and healthy through the day.

So there we have it. Some simple, and easy to keep, resolutions for 2015! We wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year!

Guests on the show today were – Chef Kaushik – known as the Mad Chef and Agnel, a popular fitness trainer in the city. Chef Kaushik says tongue in cheek; don’t look down at your belly! Agnel says – eat more protein than carbs, and some fat is good too. The traditional Christmas turkey is basted with the turkey dripping says the Chef, but Agnel says that he does not encourage consumption of animal fat as it is harder to break down. Saying that, it’s Christmas, a little indulgence does no harm! Food needs to be healthy and tasty says Agnel, it needs to be balanced. Chef K says this is possible and that more and more people want to lead a healthy lifestyle. Jane asks, how can one deal with this continuous flurry of festival days and the good food associated. Agnel and Chef K agreed saying you are allowed to cheat just for those days, but between the celebrations one must work out in a disciplined manner. Quick tip from Chef Kaushik – Coffee, Rose and Peppermint are a wild combination he says! A Christmas favourite for Chef K is egg-nog and a traditional lunch that he had with friends in the US has stuck in his mind forever. For Agnel, his grandmother’s chicken, vegetable and homemade casatta are his favourite. If your will power is good, you can have those cheat meals more often if you can keep the portions small. But if you are the kind that pigs out when you see good food, then it’s better that you have a few cheat days across the season. Love rice and crave for it often, Chef K gives us a cheat version. He says to steam cauliflower and grate it and treat it the same way you would with rice. Cauliflower has negative calories so it’s a more than good alternate to rice. If you’re going out for Christmas dinner tonight, eat a lot of meat, vegetables, cut down on the rice, potato and other carbs. Then you can actually feel less guilty when you get to the dessert and can taste a little of all of them. Merry Christmas and tell us what you did to celebrate!

Today’s guest was Ms. Ravina Jain, an image consultant and nutrition expert.  The discussion revolved around the topic of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, their causes, complications and ways to overcome them.

It was discussed that more often than not, what causes eating disorders are the unrealistic standards of beauty that we see in the media. This “size zero” culture has had an unfortunate and lasting effect on society and has fed the insecurities of young people who unwittingly aspire to achieve this status. What they do not realise is that in pursuing this goal, they compromise their health to a great extent.

The guest made the comparison of the “size zero” culture to the fairness cream industry. It is a culture that says a person’s appearance, be it colour, or size, has a direct effect on their success in life. It says that being fair and waif thin is something to aspire to. This has had a lasting and damaging effect on the youth, and society in general.

While the RJ spoke about a friend who had lost 20kg on a diet of just water, honey and chilli powder, Ravina recounted a story of a girl who went on a fast, drinking only water for weeks, which resulted in complications with her intestines. Her diet turned out to be fatal.  They stressed on the fact that there are no short cuts to fitness or weight loss. It is important to stay fit and healthy, but the best way to achieve this is to consult a fitness expert and nutritionist, who will be able to create a tailor-made plan.

It was also discussed that there are some body types, which even while healthy, may not be able to achieve the desired look because they are built a certain way. The advice given to these people is to accept themselves as they are, and to work on their confidence. There are few people who are able to achieve this, and carry themselves off with grace and style at any size, and still stay healthy.

Ravina concluded that the most important part of staying healthy, was staying happy and confident. It is not a matter of achieving a certain weight, but achieving a certain state of complete health.

Bald is the new sexy!!!! 

In case you missed the Slice of Health  show on 9th of October about Food & Nutrition on Big FM, You can listen now listen to excerpts of some of shows here.

Mangalore – https://soundcloud.com/chola-insurance/sets/slice-of-health-mangalore

Guwahati –  https://soundcloud.com/chola-insurance/sets/slice-of-health-guwahati