May order a probe if need arises: DC

Srinagar, September 08:

Salamabad Trade Union Sunday decided to resume the LoC trade for two weeks to make the pend-ing transactions between traders across the border. The Union decided to meet after two weeks to chalk out the ‘future strategy.’The decision was taken by the executive body of Union in a meeting held at Baramullah. Sources privy to meeting, told KNS that the trade will resume on September 17. “Various issues of traders and their demands were thoroughly discussed. The members of Union expressed resent-

ment over the delay caused by government in redress-ing their grievances,” said sources. Confirming that the Union would resume trade from September 17, Union Pres-ident Nazir Ahmad Lone told KNS that Govern-ments of both countries should show positive ap-proach towards to LoC trade.He said that the Union has apprised government about the grievances, is-sues and demands of it ear-lier “but no step has been taken to look into those and redress them.”He said that the union wel-comes the ‘invitation for

participation’ in Pugwash conference which was sent to its Chairman Asif Lone.General secretary Tajamul Massoqi, Iqbal Lone, Javid Maqroo and others were present in the meeting.Pertinently, Salamabad-Chakoti LoC Traders’ Union on August 31 had decided to suspend trade indefinitely to protest against the Customs Department “creating hurdles at the Salamabad check post”. “They don’t allow us to carry smooth trade. We took the deci-sion after a meeting of all the traders at Salamabad, Uri on Friday,” president

See Trade on Pg. 7

NC drags its feet back, hints of revoking Nominations to please Congress

Srinagar, Sep 08:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this morn-ing visited Mazar of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at Dargah Hazratbal, offered fateh and prayed for peace and prosperity of the State. The Chief Minister also interacted with the people who had come today to pay tributes to Sheikh Mohammad Abdul-lah on his death an-

niversary being ob-served in the State on 8th September.Omar Abdullah re-ferred to the great sacrifice and service rendered by Sheikh Mohammad Abdul-lah throughout his life for empowerment of people, inclusive development of the State and strengthen-ing of communal har-mony and traditional brotherhood between various sections of the society.

Srinagar, September 08:

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Sunday dis-pelled all speculations re-garding early Assembly Elections in the State add-ing that the people have voted NC-Congress coali-tion Government to power and it will complete its full term of six years. “Some people spread speculations about early

Assembly Elections in the State. People have voted us to power which we are not going to relinquish before the due date”, he said and maintained that Govern-ment will complete its full term of six year s.Addressing a large pub-lic gathering after laying foundation of Rs. 3113 crore Baglihar-II project in the State Sector, the Chief Minister related financial

autonomy of the State with the indigenous generation of surplus power and its export to the neighbour-ing States. “We have 20,000 MW capacity of generating hydro electric power in the State and the coalition gov-ernment has already pre-pared a roadmap of pro-ducing 9,000 MWs within next some years”, he said elaborating that this

See Omar on Pg. 7

Srinagar, September 08:

Kashmir observed a complete shutdown against the killing of four youth in South Kashmir’s Shopian Dis-trict. The call for strike was given by different separatist groups includ-ing Syed Ali Shah Gee-lani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. After Shopian, authorities also brought Kulgam and Qaimoh un-der curfew on Sunday morning when the news of killing of third youth

belonging to Kulgam spread like a wild fire.Amid strict restrictions and curfew, hundreds of people including women assembled in front of Gagrin CRPF camp in Shopian and raised anti-India slogans. People used Public Address Sys-tem and demanded im-mediate shifting of the CRPF camp. Protestors defying cur-few and did not heed to the repeated announce-ments by the police that the town is under cur-

few. They also made a sit-in and continuously protested against the killing of four youth. “We are not going to end the protest till this Camp is shifted from the area. We demand an impartial probe into the incident and police should book all the CRPF men in-volved in the killing of our youths,” an elderly person Ghulam Qadir told CNS.Deputy Inspector Gen-eral of Police, South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar

visited the spot. How-ever, the protestors were unmoved.Pertinently, four youth were killed on Sunday at Gagrin Shopian in CRPF firing. Reports said that at Baba Mohalla Shop-ian, youth resorted to stone pelting after the CRPF personnel re-stricted the movement of mourners and did not allow them to visit the house of slain youth Towseef Ahmed. People, especially

See Bandh on Pg. 7

Srinagar, September 08:

A day after State Congress sought AICC president and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s interven-tion into the controver-sial “nominations’’ in the newly elected Kargil Autonomous Hill Devel-opment Council by Chief Minister Omar Abdul-lah, National Conference on Sunday decided not to claim for the formation of the council and hinted of revoking the nominations of the two of its members to allow congress to stake

the claim for the forma-tion of the council. Earlier the oath ceremony of the council was postponed on Saturday due to the differ-ences between the two al-lies over the nominations made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah National Conference Patron and Union Minster Dr. Farooq Abdullah while express-ing his displeasure over the developments said that the internal rift in the Na-tional Conference allowed congress to take lead in the KAHDC polls, but insisted that his party would not

become an impediment for its ally to stake the claim for the chairmanship of the council.“We must accept the ver-dict of people and should not create problems for our ally to form the new coun-cil.” Dr. Farooq Abdullah said in his address at Nas-eem Bagh Srinagar on the occasion of the death an-niversary of his father and founder of National Con-ference Sheikh Moham-mad Abdullah.Without naming anyone, senior Abdullah warned his party colleagues of cre-

ating ‘wedge’ in the party and said that the internal bickering was harming the party.“There are people in Delhi and in the state who are conspiring against Nation-al Conference, and now the internal differences are also harming the party. We must stand together to fight these elements who are working against Na-tional Conference” Abdul-lah said.While appreciating his Son and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s stint

See NC on Pg. 7

Srinagar, September 08:

Expressing deep shock over the killing of four youth in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, Mem-ber Parliament and Na-tional President Janta Dal (United), Sharad Yadav Sunday said that there is not an iota of doubt in the fact that people of Kashmir have been and are being immensely harassed and suppressed.Addressing a public meet-ing in Srinagar, Yadav said that the situation in Kashmir is turbulent and people are suffering to a

great extent. “Who are the people responsible for disturbances he asked? He further alleged that the promises made by New

Delhi were not fulfilled. Former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru had promised Kashmiri people

that they would lead a re-spectable life but those promises have all been broken, he said. Even In-dira-Abdullah Accord was not implemented in true spirit,” he added.He said that it is a fact that Elections have never been fair in Kashmir. “Rigging takes place at ease and those people get elected whom people reject and dislike. In such conditions, how we can expect that peace would prevail in Kashmir,” Yadav said add-ing that he would launch an agitation if next

See Rigging on Pg. 7

Srinagar, Sep. 08:

Chairman Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Geelani has strongly condemned Shopian firing incident and de-manded a impartial inquiry into the grue-some incident to book the culprits. In a state-ment Syed Ali Geelani denied any investiga-tion by state agencies, said that ‘’we won’t ac-cept any investigation by state nor they can deliver justice’’. Syed Ali Geelani while com-menting over Zubin Mehta’s musical con-cert said that amidst musical concert, un-provoked and unjusti-

fied’ firing in Shopian in which four persons lost their lives. has proved that situation in Kashmir is grim and added it is better for German ambassa-dor and Zubin Mehta ,to apologize and carry message to world that people in Kashmir are being brutally massa-cred by Indian forces. Strongly criticizing Umer Abdullah and the authorities for their inhuman and callous approach, said that they were still en-joying the music show in Shalimar Bagh when in Shopian peo-ple were mourning

See Geelani on Pg. 7

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

MONDAY September 09 | 2013 | 02 Zeeqad 1434 AH | PAGES 8 | VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 224 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)Pen For JusticeLargely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

Bandh observed across Kashmir Valley

Srinagar, September 08:

National Conference pa-tron, Dr Farooq Abdul-lah Sunday said that free-dom struggle started by some disgruntled youth brought misery to the people of Kashmir. He castigated India and Pak-istan for playing with the emotions of Kashmiri people.Faroooq Abdullah was addressing a gathering at SKICC where an Autobi-ography of Sher-i-Kash-mir Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah ‘The Blazing Chinar was released on Sunday. He said that the personality of Shiekh Abdullah was very

complex and a common Kashmiri could not un-derstand it. “There is di-version of opinions about the personality of Shiekh

Mohammad Abdullah. It is my firm belief that people of Kashmir would never understand the

ideology that was pur-sued by my father,” he said.“People of India wanted him to be their leader, but he chose Kashmir as he wished to serve people of Kashmir day in and day out. Shiekh was an epitome who showed the right path to the people of Kashmir. People of Kash-mir were living miser-ably and it was Shiekh Abdullah who showed them light and helped them to lead a respect-able life,” Farooq Abdul-lah said.He said Sher-i-Kashmir Shiekh Mohammad Abdullah once predicted

See Militancy on Pg. 7

http://www.zabarwantimes.com

Srinagar, September 08:

Feeling ‘cheated’ in the KAHDC controversy, Con-gress on Sunday said that it was considering a legal ac-tion against its ally Nation-al Conference if the latter did not revoke the nomina-tion of its four members to the council. State president of the party Prof. Saif ud din Soz told KNS that his party would be satisfied only when the order of the nomi-nations was revoked.While reacting to National Conference Patron Dr. Fa-rooq Abdullah’s statement that NC would not become an impediment for congress

in forming the council, Soz said, they have not been of-ficially conveyed about the decision.” If NC has really realized they must revoke the order and convey it of-ficially to congress.” Soz told KNS, adding that his party was looking for a le-gal discourse if the differ-ences were not ironed out through negotiations.“we are considering of re-sorting to legal discourse if they don’t revoke the or-der.” Soz told KNS.Meanwhile senior Congress leader and a probable candi-date for the chairmanship of the KAHDC Asgar

See Congress on Pg. 7

Rigging gave birth to militancy

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(MONDAY)SUNRISE ON (TUESDAY)

06:48 pm06:12 am

17.4 0C29.5 0C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Light To Modrate Rain/ Thundershowers would occur at Isolated places over Kashmir division.

Light Rain and Thundershowers. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 28°C & 16°C respectively.

Likely to meet Sharief in September end

Enters US open final

1 5 4

Congress Considering legal action against NC

Why chew food thoroughly

Coalition to complete full term of 6 years: Omar

Omar visits Mazar-e-Sheikh at Hazatbal, pays homage

Kashmiri people are an oppressed lot: Sharad Yadav

KAHDC, Nomination Row

LoC trade to resume from Sep 17

Militancy created havoc in Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

Shopian killings proved situation grim: Geelani

Curfew continues in Shopian

Eye witnesses contradict CRPF claim

Dispels all speculations regarding early Assembly Polls

Farooq expresses displeasure says NC won’t stake claim

5 gamblers arrested in SrinagarSrinagar, September 08: Srinagar police arrested five gamblers from a public place at Reeke Chowk, Batamaloo and recovered a stake money of Rs.55000 from them.A police party of Batmaloo police raided a gambling site at a public place at Reeke Chowk , Batamaloo, this afternoon. Five gamblers who were later identi-fied as Nazir Ahmad Matta resi-dent of Natipora, Ali Moham-mad resident of Reeke Chowk , Hilal Ahamd Matta resident of SDA colony Batamaloo, Nazir Ahmad Matta resident of SDA Colony and Manzoor Ahmad Phapoo resident of Natipora were arrested and Rs. 55000 stake money was recovered from them.A case FIR number 81/2013 was registered in this regard. Public has hailed the police action.

Girl consumes poison in KulgamSrinagar, September 08: A 16 years old girl (name with held) resident of Yamrach, Kulgam consumed some poisonous substance. She was shifted to District Hospital Kulgam for treatment, where from she has been referred to SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar. A case has been registered in this regard and investigation has been started.

JCB driver dies in AwantiporaSrinagar, September 08: A JCB driver died while operating a JCB excavator at a stone quarry in Awantipora.JCB driver Vijay Kumar son of Mahinder Singh resident of H.P died while operating a JCB Machine in a stone quarry at Shalawani, Awantipora. Awantipora police has started an investigation to ascertain the cause of the death. The body has been kept in Sub District Hospital, Pampore for conduct-ing legal formalities.

3 Injured in road mishapsSrinagar, September 08: Three persons including a minor girl was injured in different road accidents in Valley.A Motorcycle bearing regis-tration number JK01P/3614 driven by Parvaiz Ahmad Shergojri son of Abdul Gani resident of Quilmuqam, hit a road side rock at Lalmode Pethkote, Bandipora. Two pil-lion riders Ishfaq Ahmad Sher-gojri son of Abdul Gani and Mohammad Ashraf Shergojri son of Abdul Gaffar resident of Quilmuqam were injured in the mishap. The injured have been shifted to Sub District Hospital, Bandipora for treat-ment. A case has been regis-tered in this regard.A Sumo bearing registration number JK03D/1917 hit and injured a 6 years old girl Sami Jan daughter of Abdul Hamid Dar at Chowgam, Kulgam near check post, in the jurisdiction of police station Qazigund. The injured was shifted to hospital for treatment. A case has been registered in this regard.

Monday | 09 SepteMber 20135

Is binge eating a Mental disorder?

According to the latest draft of the Diagnostic and Sta-tistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (DSM) in the American Psychiatric Association (APA), binge eating is a mental disorder. Health professionals refer to this document to conclude whether an individual is suffering from a men-tal disorder or not. In the manual, binge eating shares place with grave medical conditions such as

substance-related disorders, sleep disorders and anxiety disorders. But does this mean that if you chug cheese burgers, you are suf-fering from a clinical eating disor-der? Let's find out...

Binge eating depicts a lack of control over one’s eating habits, a feeling where one has no con-trol over how much or how many times one is eating.

The top characteristics which distinguish binge eating from nor-mal eating are:

•Eating food much more quickly than normal.

•Eating food until feeling awk-wardly full.

•Consuming large amounts of food when not feeling hungry.

•Consuming food in a separate room, or in isolation so as not to feel embarrassed by the quantity or style

of eating.•A binge eater tends to feel very

appalled with oneself. A deep feeling

of depression or guilt lingers on after the completion of an eating spree.

Here are a few tried and tested ways to avoid binge eating:

•Distract yourself from the food and indulge in an activity you love. Rush for a warm water bath when you think food is overpow-ering you. Go for a nice chocolate pedicure session or may be light some nice scented candles in your room and play some light music rather than eating.

•In other times, you might find this a tad bit boring, but sip small amounts of water whenever you feel you are in the mood to in-dulge.

•Always choose healthy food and drink. Ensure that something healthy is always available to you, like a glass of milk, whole grain pasta, reduced fat cheddar cheese, eggs, lean meats, fruits and veg-etables. These good foods will en-courage fullness by keeping you

energized all throughout the day. •Trick your mind into eat-

ing something that is healthy in the middle of your binge. For ex-ample, if you start by munching on a handful of cookies, gather the strength to add a pear and nut but-ter in between your cookie eating act. This will switch things in your mind for a bit and will ultimately keep binge eating at bay.

•In the end, have a backup plan. Binge eating is normal. We all do it sometimes. Once a binge begins, it is difficult to control it, so stay away from triggers and avoid that in-between compulsive bite.

If your top four weaknesses in food are pizza, ice cream, deep fried snacks and chocolates, here's how to deal with them in a healthy way:

•Pizza: Go for healthy topping pizza such as healthy eggplant piz-za recipe and healthy mushroom and gouda pizza recipe.

•Ice cream: Who doesn’t love ice cream? Made from dairy prod-ucts, artificial preservatives and white sugar, they only wreck your weight loss plans. Go for healthy probiotic varieties which are made using skimmed milk and light sug-ar substitutes.

•Deep fried snacks: Replace deep friend evening or mid-morn-ing deep fried snack temptations by eating roasted vegetables, roasted moong dal, roasted or boiled tangy channa, plain murmura.

•Chocolates: Often considered healthy, too much of this deadly sin is sure to show on the luxury of your waistline. Go for dark variet-ies of chocolate if you want to eat one as it helps in lowering blood pressure by improving your con-centration levels. Replace sweet temptations with healthy yogurt recipes, which are not only healthy but will satisfy your sweet tooth too.

If you think you are too young to be afflicted by cancer of the colon and rectum, here's some expert advice - Colon cancer can strike anyone. A check-up to detect colorectal cancer can diagnose early symptom-less cancers - or even pre-cancers when they are in highly curable stages.

Here's a list of risk fac-torsEnvironment : The inci-dence of the disease is much greater in industrialized countries.

Family History : The risk of developing colorectal cancer is greater if there is a history of cancer incidence in close relatives (parents, children or siblings)

Age : Beginning at age 50.Preventive measures

Early-detection test : Don't delay getting the screening test.

Estrogen Replacement

Therapy (ERT): Women who take ERT to alleviate symptoms of menopause may have a significantly low-er risk of fatal colon cancer. Take your physician's advice before getting it done.

Aspirin : People taking an aspirin every other day for 20 years may cut the risk of colon cancer almost in half, according to a study published in The New Eng-land Journal of Medicine. However, consult a doctor before taking any medica-tion.

Exercise and Weight Control : The risk of devel-oping colon cancer may be lower inwomen who enjoy regular physical activity and avoid obesity.Eating Hab-its : Research suggests that eating low-fat, high-fiber foods would help lower the chances of developing colon cancer.

early cancer detection is the key

diabetics, watch out this summer!The season can give diabetics, skin and foot infections, bad breath and excessive sweating. Here’s how they can avoid these and breeze through

the monthsThe heat wave is damaging enough

for anybody, but if you’re diabetic then you need to be twice as cautious. Dia-betologist Sonali Patange says, “The metabolic rate among diabetics is high because of which they sweat a lot and feel constantly hungry. This gets aggra-vated in the summer. But if they take a few precautionary measures, they can breeze through the excruciating heat.”

Skincare People suffering from uncon-

trolled diabetes are easily susceptible to various skin infections such as car-buncles, boils, abscesses, furuncles, which range in severity. Patange says, “Also, because of excessive sweating, most diabetic men tend to develop candidiasis around their groin.

Women, on the other hand, are prone to urinary tract infection.”But these skin issues can be nipped in the bud by taking simple precautionary measures. Take a bath twice a day as it

can prevent bacteria from growing on the skin. Avoid synthetic clothing and stick to only lose breathable cotton clothes. “But most importantly, main-tain proper blood glucose level through diet, exercise and correct medication. People with uncontrolled diabetes can even catch respiratory infection very easily,” says Patange.

Foot care Those with long-standing diabetes

mellitus are predisposed to foot injury, ulceration and infection because they have poor glycaemic control, especially in adverse temperatures (extreme cold or heat).

So diabetics must pay special at-tention to their feet and beware of de-veloping interdigital foot infection or cellulite. Patange says, “Air your legs as much as you can and always ensure that you wash your feet, dry and regu-larly examine them.”

Dehydration As diabetes leads to an increase

in the body’s excretion of urine when blood sugar rises, most diabetics fail to maintain adequate level of hydration in hot weather. The humidity also causes the body to sweat. Extreme sweating can result in dehydration. If the con-dition persists, then dehydration can

lead to a dry mouth, reduced sweating, and a decrease in urine output. “If the patients are not taking enough water, this will cause the water composition in the blood to reduce and will produce ketones. This will lead to bad breath and can be aggravated through dehy-dration,” says Patange.

In severe cases, dehydration can result in damage to the brain and other organs. Drinking plenty of water is enough to counterbalance the mild dehydration that occurs when you’re outside in the summer heat. If sodium and other electrolytes are lost through prolonged or heavy exercise, they must be replaced. Staying well-hydrated can help prevent fluctuations in blood glu-cose levels as well as heatrelated com-plications such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

So drink adequate water, but steer clear of aerated drinks, fruit juices, al-cohol and caffeine. Chaas and nimbu paani are safe options. Exercise is an essential part of the management of type 2 diabetes. Most people continue to indulge in outdoor activities even when it’s hot outside, which may again lead to dehydration. In this weather, it’s a good idea to try swimming and yoga.

A new study has provided evidence to explain why some people are

more prone to developing kidney stones than others.

The discovery by scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Lou-is opens the door to finding effective drug treatments and a test that could assess a per-son’s risk of kidney stones.

“Now, we finally have a more complete picture detail-ing why some people develop kidney stones and others do not,” said senior author Jian-ghui Hou, PhD, assistant pro-fessor of medicine.

“With this information, we can begin to think about better treatments and ways to determine a person’s risk of the con-dition, which typically increases with age,” Hou stated.

The research was conducted in mice. Because kidneys function the same way in mice as in humans, the new findings can help scientists under-stand the root causes of kidney stones

in patients.The mouse model used in the

study can also serve as a platform for the preclinical testing of novel treat-ments for the condition, the research-ers noted.

Most kidney stones form when the urine becomes too concentrated,

allowing minerals like calcium to crys-tallize and stick together.

Diet plays a role in the condition - not drinking enough water or eating too much salt (which binds to calcium) also increases the risk of stones.

But genes are partly to blame. A common genetic variation in a gene

called claudin-14 recently has been linked to a substantial increase in risk - roughly 65 per cent - of getting kidney stones. In the new study, the research-ers have shown how alterations in the gene’s activity influence the develop-ment of stones.

Typically, the claudin-14 gene is not active in the kidney.

The new research shows that its expression is dampened by two snippets of RNA, a sister molecule of DNA, that essential-ly silence the gene.

When claudin-14 is idled, the kidney’s filtering system works like it’s supposed to.

Essential minerals in the blood like calcium and mag-nesium pass through the kid-neys and are reabsorbed back into the blood, where they are transported to cells to carry out basic functions of life.

But when people eat a diet high in calcium or salt and don’t drink enough water, the small RNA mol-ecules release their hold on claudin 14.

An increase in the gene’s activity prevents calcium from re-entering the blood, the study showed.

Mystery of kidney stone solved

We Mumbaikars fly through our lives fighting time. Among other compromises, this often translates into limited time for meals, and thereby little or no time for that most overlooked ritual: Chewing. Our fascination or obses-sion with what to eat has drowned out this equally important facet of nutrition.

When Mahatma Gandhi said - Chew your drink and drink your food - he was stressing on the scien-tifically proven benefits of chewing.

How it worksA series of recent studies con-

ducted on chewing have established a few facts beyond an intimate connection between chewing and weight control. Speed eating, gorg-ing and binge eating were found to majorly contribute to unhealthy weight gain. The studies confirmed chewing every mouthful for longer helps you lose weight because it allows your brain more time to re-ceive signals from the stomach that it's full. Therefore, the slower you chew, the lesser you eat. Besides, when you chew thoroughly, your digestive system is told of incom-ing food. This triggers it to produce digestive acids and help the body absorb nutrients.

Inadequately digested food means inadequate absorption of nutrients, which is like paying for gourmet chocolates but getting a toffee. The leptin, ghrelin and cholestokinnen hormones, which are responsible for signaling satia-tion, don't reach their peak until 20 to 40 minutes after food is ingested.

Speed eaters beat their body's sig-nalkeepers by wolfing it down.

To make matters worse, un-chewed food particles are not wel-come in your stomach.

Sloppily chewed food pro-motes intestinal bacteria, causing flatulence, bloating, constipation, stomach ache, cramps and even di-arrhea.

Nutritionist Naini Setalvad, who considers correct chewing as the first mantra of healthy eating, faults parents for inculcating the gulping-down habit. "Mothers keep telling their children to finish what's on their plates fast so to catch the school bus, classes or anything.

The most common refrain is 'Jaldi karo... why are you taking so long to eat?' Our health entirely de-pends on what we eat and how well our body absorbs it. Incomplete chewing ruins the digestion process and leads to irritable bowel syn-drome and flatulence, among other problems." Where it starts

Digestion begins in your mouth. Efficient chewing increases the surface area of foods, affording a thorough breakdown by enzymes.

Saliva also contains lingual lipase, a fat metabolising enzyme, which breaks down fat before it reaches the stomach. If the fat reached the stomach inadequately chewed,

brace yourself for digestion prob-lems. The longer your food stays in touch with your saliva, the better it gets lubricated and lesser the stress on your esophagus. Even digesting carbohydrates starts with chewing right as your saliva detaches chemi-cal bonds that connect the starch-containing simple sugars. When you don't chew well, these enzymes can't break down starches or digest fats, inducing sluggishness and loss of energy.

Setalvad says, "Almost ev-eryone who comes to me does not chew their food properly. The first thing I do to ensure they chew well is to add a salad or raw vegetables to their meals. I know if they aren't chewing properly when they return with constipation or irritable bowel syndrome."

Pleasure principleRushing through a meal bars

you from enjoying it to its maxi-mum, leading to a sense of dissat-isfaction. Mindful eating is about

experiencing food more intensely - especially the pleasure of it - and chewing plays the protagonist in this show. We live to eat, or at least we live because we eat. So good

food assiduously chewed for a good time will ensure that you'll love your food the most it can be loved.

FletcherismaAn American health-

food guru of the late 1800s, Horace Fletcher, was known as 'The Great Masticator'. He recommended chewing food at least once for every tooth or 32 times per mouthful before swallowing. Fletcher, who would chew a morsel 100 times a minute before swallowing, believed that his method held the secret to unlocking hidden strengths. Fletcher's war-cry was 'Na-ture will castigate those who don't masticate' and he ac-quired a legendary status with his set of experiments at the Yale Gymnasium. At

58, he competed with college stu-dents in exacting tests of strength and endurance such as deep-knee bending, holding out arms horizon-tally for a length of time, and calf-raises on an intricate machine - and beat the Yale athletes in all events. Fletcher attributed his feat to studi-ous grinding and gnawing.

- Mash slowly and steadily.- Keep the ambience

relaxed rather than loud or dis-tracting. That means no sitting

in front of the TV.- Eat smaller morsels;

smaller the bites, the better you will chew.

- Stop only when the mouthful is totally liquid and

has lost its texture.- Take another bite only

when you have finished chewing completely and swallowed.

- Drink water or fluids only after your mouth is empty.

Eat purple cabbage for great skin Apart from lending itself to salads and main dishes, purple cabbage with its anti-

oxidant properties also works wonders for the skin

This is a salad lover's delight! Thinly cut strips of purple cabbage with a drizzle of bal-samic vinegar or Greek olive oil can create a fun, healthy dish. Purple cabbage is also pickled and added to stir-fries!

Health benefit: Cabbage is a great store of vitamin C and vitamin K. The rich deep colour of this vegetable is due to a high concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols (strong dietary antioxidants, possessing anti-inflammatory properties), making it have even more phytonu-trients than a green cabbage. A few studies also show that anthocyanins may help reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. It is rich in anti-oxidants which makes skin supple and clear.

How to store: Keep the purple cabbage in a plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

Sweet and Sour CabbageIngredients:Purple cabbage, thinly sliced: About 8 cupsButter: 2 tbspSugar: 3 tbspBalsamic vinegar: 1/4 cupSultanas and pine nuts: A handfulMethod: Take a large saucepan and melt the butter in it. Now, add the cabbage and saute this for

a few minutes. Sprinkle the sugar and add the vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. Take off the heat, season, add the sultanas and nuts. Serve.

Vitamin D: Vital for a heAlthy ChIlDhooD

Vitamin D: Vital for a healthy childhoodLack of vitamin D hinders calcium absorption resulting in poor bone

health and overall development

Does your child shun the sun?Does your child suffer from any milk allergy?Is your family strictly vegetarian?

Well, your child could run the risk of suffering from vitamin D deficiency.Why does your child require vitamin D?

This is an important vitamin for the strong development of bones. Research has re-vealed its importance in protecting the body against several health problems.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin, a group of fat-soluble prohormones, which encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous in the body. In other words, it is an or-ganic compound required as a vital nutrient in tiny amounts by us. It is nicknamed the 'Sunshine Vitamin' because Vitamin D is produced by the body through exposure to sunlight. While this is common knowledge amongst most mothers, as per a survey conducted by reputed market research agency Ipsos Research, what is not known is that it can be obtained from food sources and supplements as well. In fact, there are products in the market now like Cadbury Bournvita that come with Vitamin D specially added to it.Vitamin D is crucial to health as it is essential for the absorption of calcium from plain milk. However, as per the survey conducted by Ipsos, over 50 per cent of the mothers who were spoken to were unaware of this benefit of Vitamin D.

What happens if we have less vitamin D?

In most children and even adults, vitamin D deficiency does not show up for years. It has no initial symptoms. "Difficulty in waking up early, irritability and tooth decay are some of the early signs you should watch out for," says leading physician and dermatologist, Dr Apratim Goel. Apart from these symptoms, if your child is prone to infections, especially respiratory ones and complains of muscle cramps, breathing difficulties and seizures.