Protein: Need of the hour for senior citizens

In this Issue, we shall deliberate on ‘why’ and ‘how’ of protein intake by the senior citizens. This article is prompted by the frequent queries we receive from our members who after having undergone bi-annual medical check-up are often found wanting in protein intake.

Why is protein important?

Protein is essential for healing, building and repairing cells and body tissue resulting in:

• healing from injuries

• keeping fluid levels in balance

• recovering from surgery, or illness

• maintaining healthy vision and

• balancing hormones and digestive enzymes

Without protein our body starts to break down muscle mass and bone strength. Seniors are not able to use protein as easily as younger people, so their bodies may need more protein to meet its needs. As we age, it is normal to lose muscle mass but the loss of strength can also cause one to fall. Strong bones and muscles allow one to get out of a chair, walk to the para’r dokan, or even play with grandchildren. Even simple tasks like flowering plants and performing daily puja at home are made easier by healthy and strong muscles.

How should seniors consume protein?

Seniors can start taking protein as part of breakfast, lunch and dinner through:

• machh, eggs and chicken

• nuts, seeds, cereals and beans

• If seniors find it difficult to chew, protein drinks for the elderly made of soy can be given.

• Dining may include milk, yogurt or doi as part of a meal plan for seniors.

We hope our readers will find this short article beneficial unlike the previous one which was a bit serious stuff.

Entropy – Its relevance for our economy

In one of the recent articles published by Porosh it was highlighted how lockdown impacted us in more than one way. With all the shopping malls, restaurants and other places of entertainment having been closed, we were left with no choice but get accustomed to simple living not necessarily translating to high thinking. Now, one may wonder what has it to do with entropy, the Second Law of Thermodynamics!

Entropy as a term was first coined by German physicist Rudolf Clausius in 1868. It is a measure of the amount of energy no longer capable of conversion into work. This impliesan increase in entropy will lead to decrease of “available” energy. Hence, low-entropy economy is one of ‘necessities’ and not of ‘luxuries’. Lockdown has taught us to distinguish between the two. Do we thereby imply lockdown to continue till the economy is bled white? Certainly not.

We sincerely believe in building a sustainable eco system keeping in mind the future generations while serving the current generation including the senior citizens. Jeremy Rifkin in his path-breaking book Entropy: A New World View had observed,”… the Entropy Law tells us that a society’s energy flow must be reduced to as low a point as possible in order to sustain the unfolding of all of life as far as into the future as possible.” Hence, the economic activities should be geared to prioritize meeting the ‘necessities’ of the masses than ‘luxuries’ of a few which in any case accentuates entropy. As a corollary this involve deployment of a larger workforce and hence, bolstering our economy. After all, the law is infallible and we can only reduce its rate.

Let us quote Rifkin once again, “… ‘growth’ is really a decrease in the world’s wealth, nothing more than a process to take usable energy and transform it into an unusable state. … the more an economy grows, the more it digs itself into a hole.”

Hope our readers have enjoyed reading the blog. Porosh, as you know, does not shy away from sharing unconventional thoughts and ideas on this platform which need not always be in sync with mainstream thinking. We usually provide the ‘other view’.

Health benefits of sunlight

In some way, this way this week’s blog may be considered an extension of our previous week’s article which highlighted the importance for vitamin D in our lives.

During the recent few decades, it has been ingrained in our psyche that exposure to sunlight is bad for our health due to the UV rays. It is but partially correct. Actually a lot depends on at what time of the day we expose ourselves to sunlight. It is generally accepted that the early morning rays of the Sun is indeed beneficial for our health.

In this connection, we shall share with you the five benefits of sunlight.

Sunlight can improve mood

There is little doubt that a bit of sunshine can make a world of difference in our mood. When it is dreary and dark, we can feel depressed and lethargic; when it is a beautiful sunlit day, we are happier and more energetic. This mood change is not only in our imagination. When light enters the eye, it stimulates neurons in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that influences mood. These nerve impulses travel to the pineal gland, which regulates serotonin, the so-called feel-good hormone that is linked to mood.

Sunshine may prevent us from eating too much

The same part of the brain responsible for mood is also responsible for appetite. A recent study published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences showed that eating in a dimly lit or dark environment may trigger us to eat more. “Darkness provides a high-risk environment for binge-eating for certain people,” says study author Joseph Kasof, who adds that those people who eat in a darkened room may find they lose their inhibitions against eating.

Sunlight helps stimulate the body’s production of vitamin D

When skin is exposed to the Sun’s UV rays, a cholesterol compound in the skin is transformed into a precursor of vitamin D. This fat-soluble vitamin is required for the absorption of calcium by the body. It’s also necessary for growth and protects against muscle weakness. But that doesn’t mean you should sit out in the sun all day; exposing your face and arms to the sun for fifteen minutes, three days a week is an effective way to ensure adequate amounts of vitamin D in the body.

Sun can help clear up skin conditions like psoriasis

The itchy, scaly, raised patches of skin that characterize psoriasis can be cleared up by the UV light. That is why, in general, exposing the skin to sunlight for about thirty minutes a day is recommended for those with psoriasis. (This treatment is effective for about eighty percent of people with this skin condition, who typically notice improvement within three to six weeks of starting sunlight therapy.)

Sunshine may help maintain the efficiency of the human eye

According to R. S. Agarwal, author of Yoga of Perfect Sight, “The human eye needs light in order to maintain its efficiency. Sunlight is as necessary to the normal eye as are rest and relaxation.” Agarwal’s suggestion: Start the day by exposing the eyes to the sun for just a few minutes with this treatment: sit comfortably facing the sun (morning or evening when the sun isn’t as strong) with closed eyes, and sway the body from side to side gently. Continue for five to ten minutes. Then come into the shade and wash the eyes with cold water.

We hope our readers have enjoyed reading the article and shall from now onwards resolve not to shun sunlight altogether from our lives.

(Insights are drawn from www.yogainternational.com)