Dear Friends!
Did I need an excuse to go to my city of birth? Not really.
The simple joy of being in a place we know so well, in which we were born and grew up cannot be described in words but try I will anyway :D
Secunderabad station. Nothing much has changed. The same paan spits on the walls and on the road right under your feet. Some drain water running along the by-lanes. Beggars delving deeper into an already over-flowing garbage bins. Dogs competing with the beggars for leftovers! Some bark at the beggars while some simply wag their tails while they wait their turns out.
The moment we step out of the autorickshaw at my dear cousin's house, a maid servant with a record of 28 years of service smiles and grabs our luggage in a show of sincere welcome. Once inside the house another servant maid comes and gives us a warm hug! This has never happened in all my earlier trips so I am totally at sea how to react to such welcome!! Later I will know as my cousin will narrate something in this connection eventually in the 1.5 days we (Mother and I) are planning to stay. Yes before I forgot she mentioned it was asserting territories that each was out-doing the other in welcoming us both!!
Well the first one offered to give me an oil massage because I looked very tired and worn out after a tiring journey. After a hot coffee I was led into a side room to be given the best spa treatment I have ever had in my life! She pressed oil and massaged with her strong palms. I always had a swelling nerve near my right side of the neck and the pain became worse whenever I travelled - having to lift weights often. The oil used was the Dhanvantri Thailam. Then the heater of 15 litres capacity was switched on. Whether it was the massage, the oil or the hot water, it sure felt so royal. Unfortunately I could not rest as we had to leave soon after on some urgent jobs and shopping due to paucity of time the next day.
My cousin suggested I hire the 'green taxi' this time. There is an 'orange taxi' too. I called one and gave the operator the address to pick us up from. The phones began ringing immediately after - confirming my booking for local travel for 4 hours and a taxi driven by one Mr.Salaam would reach in half hour as scheduled! I was so impressed with the speed and promptness from these taxi services. Then I got organized with lists, money, etc for the local tour of Hyderabad and later when sat down to chat until the fellow arrived. My cousin was all praise for my not forgetting my Urdu-Hindi after so many years. I was brushing up my language with Salaam Saab, you see! Well after an hour, he had not arrived! I doubted whether he was anywhere near our address. He said yes so we went down to wait for him at the entrance. This was another half hour of high drama.
I just called up the operator to cancel the services as it was too late and I could not wait anymore. Some 'alvida' to Salaam Saab, this!!
It was an auto this time for the round trip. Since I knew what needed to be done and where to go, it was so easy planning the route ahead.
We passed through the old Gandhi Hospital lane where the famed Pancha Mukhi Anjaneyar or Hanuman temple still stands. We did our salutations from across the road while catching a fleeing glimpse of the deity.
Then it was Tank Bund or Hussain Sagar. The Bengali seva Ashram brought back memories of my dear aunt whom we used to call 'Baby Athai'. Some other time I shall dedicate a piece on her and this ashram in particular. Then the secretariat. Then Naubat Pahad with the Balaji Mandir atop. Then Nizam College, The Fateh Maidan, the new flyovers, new multi storied buildings, Gunfoundry, All Saints High School, Meena Bazar, G.Pulla Reddy Sweets, Mozamjahi Market, Karachi Bakery, the Lasa Lamsa tea leaves outlet where I picked some chocolate tea powder and some orange tea powder too, stained glass showrooms on the opposite road brought so much joy to the heart.
Had to cut short the trip enroute to Jaambaug to buy those special spread of a variety of fruits, especially mangoes. But managed to pick some jamuns which were jewel voiletish-black. Wow were they tasty with the salt masala that the fellow added. Nothing to beat that taste ever. Also missed going to a music centre called 'Bharat Music' somewhere near Dilhad or Royal talkies to select some DVDs and CDs of Hindi songs and pictures.
On the way back the auto driver took yet another route, Troop Bazar, Koti, Sultan Bazar, Badi Chawdi, Narayanguda, chikkadpalli, Musheerabad, Chilkalguda, Keyes Girls' High School, Sangeet which is no more now, then on to good old East Marredpally to my cousin's nest of an appartment.
Later at night again went shopping at Shefali, near the Secunderbad Clock Tower,
In those 4.5 hours I did all the shopping quickly and these were golden hours as I savoured all the old places we used to visit when were this high.
Well what did I shop for in Hyderabad? Very quickly I will reel it all off! Some special sherwani and kurta pajamas from Meena Bazar, a Timex watch for my dear mom, an assortment of sweets and savories from Pulla Reddy like the jaggery-cashews, peda, bombay halwa, ajmeri kalakand, samosas, savories. Then headed off to buy those famed fruit biscuits, namkeen biscoots, plain puffs (all three were buttery and such melt in the mouths), some orange candies. Those chocolate and orange flavoured Tea leaves from Lasa Lamsa shop. Ordered for some real nice stained glass art pieces from a deco glass shop across, then kaftans from Shefali and some CDs from a shop opposite to the old Paradise talkies.
I am glad I had a day to visit the city as too many days would end up just sitting at home and watching the same old TV serials but in Telugu!
A short trip is a sweet trip for everyone, the guest as well as the host :D
Cheers!
Mahalakshmi
Friday, July 23, 2010
Ulcers
Dear Friends!
Any ailment and its cause is attributed to stress these days. Stress levels have gone up but when was stress absent from anyone’s life right from the ancient past till date? No pain, no gain.
Stress is part of our growing up, of competing in this fast-paced times. So it becomes all the more reason to take care of ourselves in small ways than suffer from big ailments later.
A few days back my sons and I were discussing about ulcers of the stomach. We were reasoning the how and why of it. Being students they have their problems having timely meals. As usual I was talking like a friend than a strict mother but praying the adivce and wisdom will be taken well.
I have myself suffered from severe ulcer, at times even vomiting blood. So I think I am qualified at least a little bit to say something on this subject.
I think it is due to not having a time table for having meals.
If not full meals at least something to eat at particular times of the day could relieve the stomach from not only hunger pangs but also the gnawing pain due to secretion of the digestive juices – acids - which when it finds no food to digest, begins to digest the next available thing which is the stomach lining itself!
Thank God, the acids take a long time to eat up the entire stomach unless we starve ourselves for a very long, long time.
Sipping water does dilute the acids to an extent but only as an immediate relief when it is difficult to find something to eat. Soon we have to find something to appease our hunger even if be an apple or some biscuits and tea.
Not having spicy food done in a lot of oil also helps in not aggravating the situation any further. Oily, spicy food is like adding fuel to a raging fire inside our digestive system. The result is a tendency to throw up ending in burning up our food pipe resulting in heart burns. At times the torn tissues from the stomach comes out and you are alarmed to see the blood while vomitting.
We are used to eating some spice in our various dishes. Even pepper is a spice. Chilly – red or green - needs no special mention as it’s the father of all spices!
My husband would reason that just as wounds need some balm or ointment to heal so also ulcers inside the body need a coat of oil to heal the stomach lining.
I felt this is a good reasoning.
I got into the habit of using a teaspoon or two of oil whenever I had to indulge in the spicy Andhra pickles along with steaming rice.
Clarified butter or ghee tastes really good but again its bad fat and so are all the oils which are processed through some kind of heating before oil is packed and sold.
That leaves us with a few oils which are not heated or processed and comes to us in its pure form like the Gingely oil, coconut oil, olive oil and more of which I may not be aware of yet like oil from some edible seeds or nuts.
How could I ever forget our good old butter? Butter should be better than clarified butter/ghee any day.
Why use butter or oil at all? Because good raw oil will coat the surface of the food pipe as well as the stomach lining cutting the rawness or heat of any spice.
I remember how I used to spoon in some butter, half hour before any meal to avoid too much heart burn during that time when I suffered from ulcers.
Weight watchers may be shocked when I say this.
Come to think of it, our bones, muscles and tissues need a bit of fat to keep fit and in shape. Otherwise there is a danger of it going dry and ultimately quite brittle.
There is an old saying in Tamil which says what you pay to get treated by a doctor can as well be spent on buying oil from the grocer! "Vaidiyarrukku kudukkaratha, vaaniyarrukku kodu". My mother says this could also refer to our using oil externally before having a head and body bath which is also known as an oil bath. To be had every week without fail!
Anything in excess is always bad so minding the quantity of intake matters to keep our bodies functioning properly.
Then having a teaspoon of sugar has also always helped me whenever I felt a burning sensation in the food pipe. Perhaps I should ask my chemist sister who will be able to explain this beautifully, as she does everything else. It could neutralize the acid in our system to an extent just as much as ice cold water helps reduce the pain is what I feel.
Oil or butter offers a shield or defends the stomach lining by being there to get digested first.
I found the worst type of oil was the one which was heated, all spices added, later the vegetables tossed in, while preparing a dish. That oil is really terrible. It could choke the life out of a person if it should by chance enter the wind pipe.
The oil in the deep fried dishes too is bad for health in more ways than one and it gets compounded when the oil has been a recycled one. Usually we have no heart to throw out used oil but never think of the long term ill-effects of using such oil.
Drinking too much water also tends to dilute the digestive acids and as a result could weaken the system, leading to indigestion of the food we eat.
Have food regularly at particular times of the day.
Use oil or butter of the good kind.
Do not rest after a meal or go to sleep immediately after having food.
If possible walk a short distance to aid the digestion process.
These tips come from a person who has suffered with a lot of medication.
How I hated the sight of Gelusil, an antacid for a long, long time. Even now I avoid it like the plague.
By observing, thinking, understanding and following simple changes in our lifestyles, we can heal our bodies quicker than the modern day powerful medicines. However, a word of caution here, these tips are for simple ailments and never for serious health problems for which a doctor should be consulted.
By having healthy food on time and in moderate quantities will certainly help the body function in a normal way.
To our health which is really our wealth.
Mahalakshmi
Any ailment and its cause is attributed to stress these days. Stress levels have gone up but when was stress absent from anyone’s life right from the ancient past till date? No pain, no gain.
Stress is part of our growing up, of competing in this fast-paced times. So it becomes all the more reason to take care of ourselves in small ways than suffer from big ailments later.
A few days back my sons and I were discussing about ulcers of the stomach. We were reasoning the how and why of it. Being students they have their problems having timely meals. As usual I was talking like a friend than a strict mother but praying the adivce and wisdom will be taken well.
I have myself suffered from severe ulcer, at times even vomiting blood. So I think I am qualified at least a little bit to say something on this subject.
I think it is due to not having a time table for having meals.
If not full meals at least something to eat at particular times of the day could relieve the stomach from not only hunger pangs but also the gnawing pain due to secretion of the digestive juices – acids - which when it finds no food to digest, begins to digest the next available thing which is the stomach lining itself!
Thank God, the acids take a long time to eat up the entire stomach unless we starve ourselves for a very long, long time.
Sipping water does dilute the acids to an extent but only as an immediate relief when it is difficult to find something to eat. Soon we have to find something to appease our hunger even if be an apple or some biscuits and tea.
Not having spicy food done in a lot of oil also helps in not aggravating the situation any further. Oily, spicy food is like adding fuel to a raging fire inside our digestive system. The result is a tendency to throw up ending in burning up our food pipe resulting in heart burns. At times the torn tissues from the stomach comes out and you are alarmed to see the blood while vomitting.
We are used to eating some spice in our various dishes. Even pepper is a spice. Chilly – red or green - needs no special mention as it’s the father of all spices!
My husband would reason that just as wounds need some balm or ointment to heal so also ulcers inside the body need a coat of oil to heal the stomach lining.
I felt this is a good reasoning.
I got into the habit of using a teaspoon or two of oil whenever I had to indulge in the spicy Andhra pickles along with steaming rice.
Clarified butter or ghee tastes really good but again its bad fat and so are all the oils which are processed through some kind of heating before oil is packed and sold.
That leaves us with a few oils which are not heated or processed and comes to us in its pure form like the Gingely oil, coconut oil, olive oil and more of which I may not be aware of yet like oil from some edible seeds or nuts.
How could I ever forget our good old butter? Butter should be better than clarified butter/ghee any day.
Why use butter or oil at all? Because good raw oil will coat the surface of the food pipe as well as the stomach lining cutting the rawness or heat of any spice.
I remember how I used to spoon in some butter, half hour before any meal to avoid too much heart burn during that time when I suffered from ulcers.
Weight watchers may be shocked when I say this.
Come to think of it, our bones, muscles and tissues need a bit of fat to keep fit and in shape. Otherwise there is a danger of it going dry and ultimately quite brittle.
There is an old saying in Tamil which says what you pay to get treated by a doctor can as well be spent on buying oil from the grocer! "Vaidiyarrukku kudukkaratha, vaaniyarrukku kodu". My mother says this could also refer to our using oil externally before having a head and body bath which is also known as an oil bath. To be had every week without fail!
Anything in excess is always bad so minding the quantity of intake matters to keep our bodies functioning properly.
Then having a teaspoon of sugar has also always helped me whenever I felt a burning sensation in the food pipe. Perhaps I should ask my chemist sister who will be able to explain this beautifully, as she does everything else. It could neutralize the acid in our system to an extent just as much as ice cold water helps reduce the pain is what I feel.
Oil or butter offers a shield or defends the stomach lining by being there to get digested first.
I found the worst type of oil was the one which was heated, all spices added, later the vegetables tossed in, while preparing a dish. That oil is really terrible. It could choke the life out of a person if it should by chance enter the wind pipe.
The oil in the deep fried dishes too is bad for health in more ways than one and it gets compounded when the oil has been a recycled one. Usually we have no heart to throw out used oil but never think of the long term ill-effects of using such oil.
Drinking too much water also tends to dilute the digestive acids and as a result could weaken the system, leading to indigestion of the food we eat.
Have food regularly at particular times of the day.
Use oil or butter of the good kind.
Do not rest after a meal or go to sleep immediately after having food.
If possible walk a short distance to aid the digestion process.
These tips come from a person who has suffered with a lot of medication.
How I hated the sight of Gelusil, an antacid for a long, long time. Even now I avoid it like the plague.
By observing, thinking, understanding and following simple changes in our lifestyles, we can heal our bodies quicker than the modern day powerful medicines. However, a word of caution here, these tips are for simple ailments and never for serious health problems for which a doctor should be consulted.
By having healthy food on time and in moderate quantities will certainly help the body function in a normal way.
To our health which is really our wealth.
Mahalakshmi
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