Productivity Whiz

Learn Not To Keep Commitments i.e. Marc Andreeson’s Productivity Secret

2013-02-01T18:37:00.001-08:00

Want to spend all day writing a research report? Do it!

Want to spend all day coding? Do it!

Want to spend all day at the cafe down the street reading a book on personal productivity? Do it!

By not keeping a schedule, I mean by refusing to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day. As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.

When someone emails or calls to say, "Let's meet on Tuesday at 3", the appropriate response is: "I'm not keeping a schedule for 2007, so I can't commit to that, but give me a call on Tuesday at 2:45 and if I'm available, I'll meet with you." Or, if it's important, say, "You know what, let's meet right now."

Clearly this only works if you can get away with it. If you have a structured job, a structured job environment, or you're a CEO, it will be hard to pull off. But if you can do it, it's really liberating, and will lead to far higher productivity than almost any other tactic you can try.

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Organise your scattered life in 30 days- Learn How

2013-01-13T22:00:00.002-08:00

English: Untidy Desk (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are there papers scattered all over your desk? Do you look for your car keys every day? Do you know, at this moment, where every single thing in your life is?

Your life can be completely organized with one single rule: put everything in its home. It’s a habit I’m trying to teach to my kids, so I don’t have to keep picking up after them all the time, and because it’s one of the most useful habits I’ve ever formed.

Here’s how to do it:

• Have a system. Put all incoming papers in your inbox (at work and home). Process that inbox, either doing the tasks, putting them on a to-do list (and in an action folder), filing them, forwarding them, or trashing them. With this system, there’s never any question as to what to do — you’ve got a limited set of options.

• Find a home: If you’re about to put something down on your countertop, or table, or desk, or toss it on your couch or bed, think about this: is that where it belongs? Where is it’s home? If it doesn’t already have a home, find one. Designate a spot for that item or type of item. Car keys? Have one place where you put the keys, all the time. Dirty clothes? They don’t go on your bed. Handcuffs? Put them in that special box in your closet marked “Taxes”.

• Simple filing system: Once you’ve processed papers out of your inbox, you’ll need a place to put them if you need to reference them later. Don’t have a bunch of files stacked somewhere — create a simple filing system (alphabetical is easiest, although you could sort by hexadecimal instead if you’re a geek). Always have blank labels and folders on hand so you can quickly make a new file if needed, and don’t be afraid to make new files. Never have a Miscellaneous file. You might as well call it the Procrastination file.

• Put it away immediately. Yes, I know, you were going to put it away later. It’s just sitting there until you can get to it. Well, after awhile, “later” creates piles and messes. Don’t wait until later. Do it now!

• Make it a habit. Putting things where they belong is not something that’s going to happen overnight. You’ll forget, or get lazy. To really make it stick, you need to focus on that habit for 30 days. Do a 30-day challenge, concentrating your energy on it until it becomes automatic.

• Pay attention to transitions. The time between when you’re doing one thing and when you’re doing the next thing is a transition. This is the time when you should put stuff away where it belongs and clean up your mess, but it’s also a time when we’re not thinking about that stuff and only thinking about what we’re going to do next (or the next episode of Gilmore Girls). While you’re working on your Everything In Its Place habit, pay close attention to transitions. Awareness of these transitions will make it easier to remember to put things away.

• Keep flat surfaces clear. Never toss something on a countertop, table, desktop, bed, dresser top, coffee table, or the floor. If you do, catch yourself, and find another home for it. In fact, while you’re at it, clear off all these flat surfaces, tossing half the stuff and finding homes for the rest. Ahhh! Isn’t that nice? Who knew there was a desk under there?

Desk (Photo credit: tigerweet)

• Evaluate. Every now and then, it’s good to review your organization of everything. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to have something in one room when you usually use it in another. Sometimes, it’s good to get three pairs of scissors if you use them frequently in three different rooms. Sometimes you need to declutter or re-organize a drawer or closet. Revisiting these things periodically will help keep things together.

If you ever lose a thing again, go back to the above tips, and work on them some more. If you never lose a thing again, think about how much time and money you’ve saved. If that happens, feel free to send me a check.

This post has been adapted from the ebook Zen To Done by Leo Babauta. Leo writes his thoughts on productivity on the famous blog Zen Habits. I’ve benefited a lot from his blog and highly recommend it to you! You can subscribe to the posts here(via RSS or email).

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5 Fantastic Free Programs That Keep My Computer Faster and Secure Everyday

2013-01-13T21:48:00.003-08:00

Computer maintenance isn't exactly something that most people remember to do. When a computer doesn't work, most people call for professional help or ask family members or friends to help fix their slow computer.

Well, in this short and easy five-step guide I will teach you how to maintain your computer problem-free for as long as you wish without depending on others for help! Let's begin:

1. Use CCleaner to Clean Your System’s Junk

CCleaner removes unused files from your system allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history and other embarrassing stuff you were watching online.

Operating Instructions:

After installation, click on the desktop icon to run the program. Look for the brush icon that says Cleaner. Press it once and then click analyse. After analysis click run cleaner.
Now look for the cube icon that says Registry. Press it once and then click analyse. After analysis click run cleaner. Do not be afraid. The software knows what it is doing.
Advanced users can check out the other powerful features as well.
You can install CCleaner Portable on your USB and clean your friends computer as well.

Download CCleaner Portable here

2. Defragment Your Hard Disk Using Defraggler

Most defrag tools only allow you to defrag an entire drive. Defraggler lets you specify one or more files, folders, or the whole drive to defragment. Defraggler rearranges your scattered files into order and helps Windows run faster.

Operating Instructions:

After installation, click on the desktop icon to run the program. You will find all the drives separately listed. Click on any one. Click the analyse button below. After analysis, click defragment.

3. Get Rid of Malware Using Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware

Only the most sophisticated anti-malware techniques can detect and remove malicious programs from your computer. Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free utilizes powerful technology to detect and remove all traces of malware including worms, trojans, rootkits, rogues, dialers, spyware and more with lightning fast rapid scanning. Use this program to scan USB as soon as you insert it into your computer. Use it to complement the security offered by your anti-virus. Updates are available for the free version too.

Download Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Free here

Operating Instructions:

After installation, click on the desktop icon to run the program. First connect to the internet and install the latest malware updates. Then select the drives to scan.

You can select any file or USB stick to scan for malware.

Note: This program can run and complement your existing anti-virus without any problems as this is not technically an anti-virus program.

The free version does not proactively prevent malware or virus attacks. Do not worry. The anti-virus I have mentioned below will more than do that job.

This program is a great additional layer of protection, just in case.

4. Use a new, faster browser instead of Internet Explorer

The main source of trouble for your system is the Internet Explorer (IE) browser that comes along with Windows. Moreover many web services like Google, Gmail etc. do not support IE version 6 or even 7. It’s better to use a faster, feature-rich and secure browser. Here are the best ones categorised according to speed-

Google Chrome- Download Link

(Beware! Chrome silently updates the browser without your permission. Go to Control Panel>Scheduled Tasks and delete the entries related to Google Chrome updates if you too are irritated like me!)

Firefox- Download Link

(Great feature-rich alternative to Internet Explorer. Try out the wide range of free plugins and extensions available.)

Opera- Download Link

(Comes with a Turbo mode that speeds up slow internet connections by upto five times! I use it myself and recommend it!)

If you wish to use Internet Explorer, please update it to IE 8 for Windows XP and IE 9 for Windows Vista and 7 for your own online security. I find all the above mentioned browsers faster than Internet Explorer. Microsoft apparently doesn’t believe in supporting IE 9 for old-fashioned Windows XP users like me, but Opera, Firefox and Google Chrome, much more feature-rich and sophisticated browsers, happily do.

5. Use a free but feature-rich anti-virus like Avast

People are very reluctant to change their anti-virus. Read the latest anti-virus comparison reports from the most trusted source at av-comparatives.org.

Two anti-virus programs cannot run together. If you have an antivirus already installed on your computer, please remove it first before installing Avast.

Antivirus programs can be pretty stubborn and may refuse to go away even after being uninstalled. If you experience a problem, type the name of the old anti-virus you need to remove and search online for a removal tool (a tiny program that can completely uninstall the old anti-virus) as shown below on google-

(Antivirus name) removal tool

For eg. If your old anti-virus name is Kaspersky, do a Google search for-

Kaspersky Removal Tool

Run the program after you download and your previous anti-viruswill be completely removed. Now you are ready to install Avast.

Here is the something you need to do to get Avast Free-

After 30 days you need to register online to get your free license key
Your free license key is sent by email within 24 hours after registration
Enter the license key into the program and continue using the program with free updates for a whole year. Get the free online registration link-

Avast Free Online Registration Link

You can always use a paid anti-virus. But if you’re a normal user like me, you can stick with the free version.

Avast Free will auto-update by default every time you log on to the Internet.

Other equally good anti-virus products with similar features that I can recommend are-

Avira Free-Antivirus (requires at least Windows XP Sp 3. Click on Ccleaner to find out if you do not know). Windows Vista and 7 users need not worry.

Microsoft Security Essentials- If you are sure you own a genuine licensed Windows Operating System, you can try this.

Just remember, two anti-virus programs cannot run together .

Some of the listed programs offer professional or premium versions for a price. I have tried them myself. However I feel the paid versions just provide some additional fancy features and are mostly an attempt to recoup the cost of the free versions. Feel free to buy the paid version. But it’s not necessary or recommended.

For best results, install all the five recommended programs and use them at least once a week to experience the real benefits of a fast, virus-free PC performance.

I’ve been personally using all the above programs for years without any problem.

Try it out and share your views.

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Simple Tricks To Spam-Proof Your Emails

2013-01-12T22:05:00.000-08:00

I recently sent a mass mail highlighting my monthly posts in which I also mentioned I would write about the tax benefits of life and health insurance products. Within 24 hours I get an unsolicited advertisement from an insurance company. How did the insurance company find out what I had written?

Understanding ‘Botnets’ and ways to avoid

Firstly, some background. I sent my mass mail using Gmail. Google does not sell personal information to private parties as its business model depends on inserting relevant text ads alongside the mails we read. Google also has a powerful spam filter and it also allows us to report spam. So how did I get the very relevant advertisement despite that?

This is what I think happened. I sent a mass mailer that contained a lot of email addresses. Even if one of my recipient’s computer was infected with a virus, that computer could have been used as a zombie spam sending machine to automatically send spam to all the listed contacts. Cyber criminals use a network of such zombie computers called a ‘botnet’ in order to scan emails for keywords and send spam. In my case it was an ad related to insurance products.

You might get a travel or horoscope or some other tempting ads based on the keywords of your emails. The good news is that there is no need to be worried about cyber criminals. If we take some simple precautions like updating our anti-virus regularly, the criminals have no way of getting hold of our computers. It’s as simple as locking the door before leaving home!

Importance of a free Anti-virus

Any internet user’s computer, at home or office, is vulnerable if the anti-virus program is not updated regularly. In fact office computers are notorious breeding grounds for ‘botnets’ because companies care more about profits than security and they have a habit of waiting for an unfortunate incident to happen before taking action. More over, our browsing habits also attract a lot of spam especially when we use our emails unnecessarily online. Also, cyber criminals are getting more and more intelligent. I was taken aback by how relevant the spam was to the mail I had sent!

So, as always, prevention is better than cure. And awareness is the key to prevention. Nobody educated me about the origin of spam. I know it because I’m interested in technology generally. I also watch BBC’s technology programme Click which almost a year back demonstrated how cyber criminals get hold of computers that do not have adequate anti-virus protection. The programme became controversial because Click got hold of a botnet of virus-infected computers even though it was for a brief period. It destroyed the botnet later.

There are simple ways of spam-proofing our emails. I encourage you to follow these guidelines for a spam-free email experience:

1. Use a good email service like Gmail.

2. Do not delete suspicious mails and advertisements but use the report spam option. Google automatically moves all such mails to trash. Moreover you also help Google block spam proactively for other users! Advanced users can use filters to block specific emails.

3. You could use a service called boxbe that only allows emails after entering an alphanumeric code. Boxbe is a good trap against machine generated spam but not suitable for users who are expecting a genuine job offer from a company. If the company that sends you a job offer by email does not bother to enter the alphanumeric code as required by boxbe you will not receive your mail!

4. Read my guide on how to protect your computer with a good browser, anti- virus and an anti-malware program using free programs. Read it here.

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How to benefit from low productivity after lunch?

2012-04-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is a first in a new series of posts on increasing productivity.

Do you check emails and facebook updates every five minutes? Are you a ‘crackberry’ addict? Do you needlessly multi-task especially take notes while you surf the net? Do you eat lunch at your desk? Do you make calls while you're driving, and even send the occasional text?

By doing so you split your attention, so that you're partially engaged in multiple activities but rarely fully engaged in any one. In part, it's because when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you're increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 per cent.

Tony Schwartz the well-known authority on productivity says-

I get 2-3 times as much writing accomplished when I focus without interruption for a designated period of time and then take a real break, away from my desk. The best way for an organization to fuel higher productivity and more innovative thinking is to strongly encourage finite periods of absorbed focus, as well as shorter periods of real renewal.

Simply by avoiding technology distractions you can achieve higher productivity. So, this is what I suggest you do.

Image via CrunchBase

Try to check your emails and Facebook during low productive times especially after lunch in the afternoon specifically 2 and 3.
Try scheduling your calls during this time using your mobile voicemail service. Ask your colleagues and manager to co-operate with you if possible.

However, do not make your manager and colleagues an excuse for not trying as much as you can on your own to avoid technological distractions.

Remember, a habit usually takes about three weeks to stick and become routine.

With a little bit of discipline you should be able to accomplish your first task easily.

Good Luck!

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Three ways to send free International SMS Text or MMS reliably

2012-03-08T23:46:00.000-08:00

A lot of services allow you to send free SMS from your desktop or your mobile phone. But how do you make sure that the SMS has reached the recipient for sure? Is it always reliable all the time? I’m going to suggest three options which will allow you to send SMS anywhere in the world for free and you no longer have to worry about whether they reach the recipient or not. I have tested all the services recently and made sure they work before writing this post.

1. Skebby

I recommend Skebby because I have tested it in Libya and India. Once you register online, you will receive a code on your mobile, wherever you are, whatever your mobile number is. Use the code to complete the registration process and enjoy free sms from Skebby. Skebby is not an unlimited free service though. But it allows you to send upto 10 SMS everyday for free to any country or mobile number of your choice along with a delivery report.

Skebby offers a web based free sms service subject to the following conditions:

· 1 Free SMS: every day without registration

· 5 Free SMS: as soon as you sign up and verify your number from web.

· 10+ free SMS: if you invite your friends.

You can use the skebby icon on the right to go to the website.

2. Gmail SMS service

Gmail SMS service is free and unlimited but available only in certain contries and mobile operators. That’s why it is my second option. You can send SMS messages to your contacts’ mobile phones using Gmail Chat.

In order to use this feature you have to enable the SMS (text messaging) in from the Labs feature provided under Gmail settings. More information on sending SMS from Gmail

The following mobile operators are supported.

India-

Aircel
Reliance
Tata DoCoMo
Tata indicom

United States

· All operators

Click here for a full list of supported operators

3. Textmefree

Textmefree is not a international sms service but a directory of free sms providers. There are a lot of great country-specific SMS providers you can find here. This is how you can use the service:

Decide which country you are sending a free SMS to.
Find a free SMS service for that country using the SMS Search box or search by continent.
Choose a service from our directory by reading the reviews and user comments
Top Rated SMS Sites & Messaging Apps- Find out here

Bonus

The Skebby app for your mobile phone lets you send free sms directly from your mobile phone to other Skebby users once you've downloaded it to your mobile using your mobile internet service.

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How To Do Healthy Exercises Anywhere Within 20 Minutes?

2012-02-26T23:21:00.000-08:00

Strapless Heart Rate Monitor

Most of us stay away from doing regular exercises because it is too time-consuming. According to the normal exercise routine, you gain the most benefits when you exercise at 60 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. (See below for more details) Until now, doctors and health specialists advised us not to exercise above 85 percent of our maximum heart rate because it increased both cardiovascular and orthopaedic risk and did not add any extra benefit. This meant a daily exercise routine of about 30-40 minutes for any real benefits to show up.

But a study from McMaster University suggests you can use high intensity interval training in place of regular exercise and get the same benefits in just about 20 minutes. Study subjects who spent just 20 minutes mixing running sprints with jogging lost three times the fat off their legs and butt in 15 weeks, compared to those who jogged steadily for 40 minutes.

High Intensity Interval Training is great news for all of us who have busy lives and cannot spare the required 30-40 minutes. If you do right, you will be able to save time, remain fit and also be able to increase your productivity.

How to Do High Intensity Interval Training?

In simple terms, interval training means: Push yourself almost as hard as you can for a little while, then pull back and rest for a little while, and then repeat. For example, if you're jogging, you push yourself near you maximum for one minute, then turn down and lightly jog for another minute. High intensity means that you increase your heart rate/pulse rate to 90% of your total capacity. But, in order to prevent cardiovascular and orthopaedic risk, you take a one minute break after every one minute of such high intensity workout. Sustaining HIIT for 20 minutes, which in actuality is only 10 minutes of intense exercises with one minute intervals is enough to keep us fit in the long run.

You can apply interval training to nearly any workout activity. Alternating between running and jogging (or jogging and walking) is the easiest, most cost efficient way to start interval training. You can practise this with alternating fast and slow cycling, swimming or just running around in circles in your office itself.

How To Measure Your Pulse Rate Correctly?

Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Pulse rates vary from person to person. Your pulse is lower when you are at rest and increases when you exercise (because more oxygen-rich blood is needed by the body when you exercise).

Knowing how to take your pulse can help you evaluate your exercise program.

How to take your pulse

1. Place the tips of your index, second, and third fingers on the palm side of your other wrist, below the base of the thumb as shown.

2. Press lightly with your fingers until you feel the blood pulsing beneath your fingers. You might need to move your fingers around slightly up or down until you feel the pulsing.

3. Use a watch with a second hand, or look at a clock with a second hand.

4. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this number by six to get your heart rate (pulse) per minute.

Check your pulse: _______________ x 6 = ________________

(beats in 10 seconds) (your pulse)

What is your maximum heart rate and your HIIT target?

The maximum heart rate is the highest your pulse rate can get. To calculate your predicted maximum heart rate, use this formula:

220 - Your Age = Predicted Maximum Heart Rate

Example: a 40-year-old's predicted maximum heart rate is 180.

Age	Target Heart Rate for HIIT (90% 0f Maximum)	Predicted Maximum Heart Rate
20	180	200
25	176	195
30	171	190
35	167	185
40	162	180
45	158	175
50	153	170
55	149	165
60	144	160
65	140	155
70	136	150

Note down your predicted maximum heart rate and your HIIT heart rate based on the chart. (It need not be exactly accurate)

As with any exercise, be careful. If you suffer from any heart conditions talk with your doctor before you start.

Do let me know how well it goes.

Best of Luck!

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Best Solution To Clean Laptop Or Any Electronic Device- Use Wet Tissue

2012-02-26T23:11:00.001-08:00

Yes that’s right. Most cleaning liquids contain dangerous chemicals that can harm the screen or spoil or even destroy the metallic surfaces. So the safest and cheapest way is to-

Take a wet tissue dipped in water preferably bottled water (free of calcium deposits) and gently wipe the surface of your laptop. Within a minute or two your screen should as good as new.
Wipe the tissue particles left on the screen with another dry tissue.
You can do the same for your keyboard or any other electronic surface.
You could also try using non-cotton cloth to wipe the screen regularly.

Note- It is best to switch off the device before you clean them. You should only wet your tissue, not soak it!

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How to successfully negotiate for a raise? Watch these Ramit Sethi Videos

2012-02-25T10:42:00.000-08:00

If you’ve always wondered how some people seem to know exactly what to say when it comes to getting a raise…while the rest of us sit there wondering, “So…how do I do this?” these videos are for you. In these videos, Ramit Sethi, the New York Times best-selling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich teaches you how to successfully negotiate for a raise.

How to get the right picture on India in under 15 minutes?

2012-02-22T11:15:00.001-08:00

Do you have to prepare for an interview? Are you going for a meeting in the morning? How can you contribute better and impress your interviewer or your boss?You need not waste valuable time trying to get the best news on India. Get an edge over the competition simply by spending 15 minutes of your time.

Television news sensationalises too much and whenever there is a breaking news it tends to focus on just one event. Therefore I have listed the four best online newspaper sources to get a quick 360 degree global view on India from a local as well as an international perspective.

The Hindu editorial - Your essential guide to the most pressing issues related to India

Feed- http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/?service=rss

The Guardian on India - India from an unbiased international perspective

Feed - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/india/rss

The Indian Express- Sometimes even better than The Hindu

Feed- http://syndication.indianexpress.com/rss/35/editorials.xml

India Together - India from a developmental and grassroots perspective

Feed- http://www.indiatogether.org/rss/home.xml

Mint- India from a national and international politics and business perspective.

Feed- http://www.livemint.com/StoryRss.aspx?ts=Topstories

Follow the feeds with an RSS reader like Snarfer or subscribe it via Google Reader.
You can use this chrome extension or this firefox extension if you want to receive full feeds within Google Reader itself and save time.
Alternately, you can bookmark the sites in your browser.

The links listed above will be able to give you a snapshot of what is happening in India. It really does not matter what you read or watch apart from the links listed above because you will be able to get a clear picture of India and make an informed judgement about India's most pressing issues.

I recommend that you make a daily habit of reading these online sources instead of merely setting them aside for special occasions like interviews.

More than just preparing for interviews or for meetings I believe it’s the duty of every citizen to be aware of the issues facing their nation. Only when we are clearly aware of the complexity of the issues involved can we take steps to do something to resolve them. Otherwise we are in danger of being swayed by manipulative politicians and influential people instead of resisting their suspicious actions.

P-S-The Hindu also provides Editorial audio translations as a podcast in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu that can be downloaded as an mp3

How To Add Privacy Search Engines To Your Browser?

2012-02-22T00:19:00.000-08:00

Image via CrunchBase

Given below are instructions to integrate privacy search engines like DuckDuckGo and Google Encrypted Search into your browser.

Adding DuckDuckGo Privacy To Your Browser

Firefox Users-

Use the following link

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/duck-duck-go-ssl-search-plugin/

Chrome Users-

Go To https://duckduckgo.com/
Right-click on the search box and select ‘Add as search engine’
Right-click the address bar (where it says duckduckgo.com).and select Edit search engines.
Find and select DuckDuckGo in the list
Click Make Default. And click OK

Opera Users-

Go To https://duckduckgo.com/
Right-click the search box (in the page).
Select Create Search.
Enter d for keyword and check Use as default search engine
Click OK.

Adding Google Encrypted Search To Your Browser

Firefox Users-

Use the following link

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-encrypted/?src=ss

Chrome Users-

Go to- https://encrypted.google.com/
Right-click on the search box and select ‘Add as search engine’
Right-click the address bar (where it says encrypted.google.com) and select ‘Edit search engines’.
Find and select encrypted.google.com in the list.
Click Make Default. And click OK

Opera Users-

1. Go to- https://encrypted.google.com/

2. Right-click on the search box and select create search

3. Give keyword as eg and check Use as default search engine

If you are really keen about privacy searching you need to check out this new, opensource, decentralized, collaborative search engine.

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A Simple Solution to Keep your Health in Check

2012-02-19T02:53:00.000-08:00

What’s the right way to eat food? Eat so that it gets digested easily, right? What happens when there’s an excess or the stomach finds it too heavy to digest? Well, it dutifully stores away the excess food in the form of fat. This means that for a healthy life, the idea is to eat just the right amount so that it gets digested easily. That means smaller portion sizes, four to five or even six times a day at intervals of approximately three hours.

Well, this is how we should be eating. But how do we normally eat? Many of us like to wash down a good meal with a glass or more of chilled coke even though many of us know of its health benefits!

Mostly people have two reasons for doing this. One, you enjoy coke as an accompaniment to your meal – say, as an inexpensive substitute to wine or beer. Two, you drink coke to get rid of the heaviness in your stomach and settle down your food. Well, nothing much can be done if you really enjoy coke except for perhaps limiting it to a small glass. However for those who use coke to settle down their food there is an alternative. Let me explain.

As we all know, any good meal is rich and heavy in calories, fat etc. Coke is bubbly and helps us burp sooner thus making us feel lighter after a heavy meal. The trouble is that we assume that coke also aids in digestion - because we confuse burping with digestion. Well, I’ve to partly agree because it does have phosphoric acid. (Those who are alarmed can check the label! Moreover drinking coke or any other fizzy drink on an empty stomach increases the chances of acidity and stomach ulcers). For all its glitzy marketing, coke is basically a cheap sugared fizzy drink.

Now, most of us may know that sugar is easily digested by the stomach. Since coke essentially supplies a large dose of sugar, in other words, empty calories or junk, to the stomach, it digests the sugars first, quickly releasing energy into the blood stream and saturating it. As a result, the stomach gets a signal to stop digesting and convert the rest of the food as fat, to be used up for a rainy day - ( not to be used up when it rains or when we’re starving for a pizza! The fat is stored away in case we get caught up in a drought or civil war like situation) Get the idea?

Thanks to the modern lifestyle - traveling to our job in cars and easy access to tempting and cheap fast-food, take-aways and home deliveries, we are ensured of the fact that if anything else, we would never go hungry let alone starve, even if we were to suddenly lose our job and get poorer! In fact, fast food is so cheap that it’s the only food the poor in the developed and increasingly in the developing world can afford! See how advanced we have become? Incidentally recession coupled with high inflation has meant great business for the fast food MNC’s like Mc Donald’s as healthy choices are out of reach for many families.

So the next time you have a coke with a heavy meal, keep in mind that you are essentially building up your fat reserves. The faster this cycle continues, the sooner this leads to diabetes or other lifestyle illnesses. For those who like to continue living the ‘good life’ there is hope in weight loss and slimming clinics, diet coke, artificial sugars, liposuction, weight loss pills etc. Incidentally these businesses are growing at an exponential rate to cater to the demands of our overweight citizens making their investors very wealthy, indeed. The only people who seem to be complaining are the airline passengers, apparently! (Vandana Luthra has opened her life-changing VLCC centres in the Middle East after successfully conquering the Indian market thus bringing new hope to the gastronomically challenged Arab population. God bless her!! ……………….and keep her healthy?! )

For those who are serious about their health, I’d like to recommend a small but effective solution in the form of the humble lemon! Specifically, lemon water, without sugar of course! Firstly lemon water settles food with a burp so you no longer need the excuse to have coke! Secondly, lemon is acidic and after a heavy meal, with lots of fat, it arms the stomach with an extra weapon to take on the heavy stuff, thus ensuring that the heavy meal is digested! Finally, lemon is beneficial for the liver! Three benefits, just for opting lemon water over coke. Drink water while having a meal and lemon water after any heavy meal and feel the relief. People who have curd/yoghurt as a salad mixed with chopped onions, tomatoes and cucumber during or after a meal are ensured of a similar benefit provided they opt for water over coke that is!

Just a word of caution – do not drink lemon water on an empty stomach because it’s really acidic. A tea spoonful of lemon juice in a glass of water should do the trick.

Listen to your stomach, especially when you have heavy food. Regulate your portion sizes of ice creams or sweets after a meal or preferably have it after a gap of two to three hours. The idea is not to overburden the stomach so much that it’s forced to store away food as fat instead of immediately digesting it.

I already hear the junk foods and the weight-loss industry screaming foul!! Hope I can count on your support!!

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Libya: Best News Sources, Feeds and Information (Updated)

2012-02-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

(Note: This post is subject to regular updating. Do keep checking once in a while for the latest links)

Libya has just emerged from a revolutionary uprising and successfully celebrated it’s Independence Day on February 17^th, 2012. The Gaddafi era had no credible news sources. After the revolution though, due to the immense business potential Libya holds for the future, a lot of countries and businessmen are seeking information on Libya. They also want to know the latest security updates on Libya. Unfortunately some of the best sources are not showed prominently on Google Search or Google News.

Having been in Libya for over five years now, I have compiled the following list of the best news sources and feeds in English on the Internet. All sources are hyperlinked.

Most authoritative and Credible Sources-