HamarastationHamarishaan

Colorful Commute

Colourful  Commute

Termed as one of the biggest beautification drives, over 5,000 volunteers symbolically launched Hamara Station Hamari Shaan , a citizen-driven initiative to beautify 36 railway stations of Mumbai. Mumbai First and Making A Difference Foundation (M.A.D) have partnered with the Central and Western Railway for this project. From Churchgate to Dahisar and from Masjid Bunder to Thane, all stations would be beautified during this initiative. On western line there are 21 stations which would be beautified. On the Central line there would be 15 stations taking the total to 36..

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Suresh Prabhu ( minister of railways) and actor Anil Kapoor along with MP Poonam Mahajan picked up the paint brush  and symbolically launched the campaign.

The visual theme of each station between Thane and CST on the Central Line and Dahisar and Churchgate on the Western Line, has been designed to suit the character of the place. While heritage station buildings like Bandra and CST will not be painted, stations like Marine Lines and Charni Road station, owing to their proximity to the sea, will be painted in aqua blue. The murals, vinyl sheet decorations, and the paintings will cover the walls on the platforms, the panels alongside the staircases, ticket windows and the walls on the foot over bridge. Each station has been allocated a budget of between Rs 2-5 lakh, entirely funded by corporate sponsors and volunteers.

Interestingly several other measures were announced ahead of the civic polls to be held in Februray 2017.Fadnavis  announced PM Narendra Modi will launch the elevated corridor between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Panvel and Bandra-Virar fast corridor during his visit to the city next month.

He also announced a single electronic mobile ticket for all public transport, offering respite to Mumbaiites, who spend at least an hour commuting to work.

 “We will launch the construction of CST-Panvel and Bandra-Virar elevated corridor at the hands of PM Modi. Currently, the suburban railway carries 70 lakh passengers. With the elevated corridor and metro network spanning over 117km, we would be able to mobilise another 80 lakh passengers daily,” said Fadnavis.

“The electronic ticketing app will help commuters access all kinds of public transport.

 With more than 1 crore daily passengers (75 lakh on CR and WR, and 30 lakh on BEST buses), the city’s public transport is the biggest platform to reach out to people ahead of civic polls. Moreover, the Andheri-Ghatkopar Metro and Chembur to Bhakti-Park monorail cater to three lakh passengers daily.

Shishir Joshi, the CEO of Mumbai First, announced the ‘Hamara Station, Hamari Shaan,’ project and said the program was planned in such a manner that even the daily passengers would feel these stations belong to them, as they would also take part in these beautification project. He said, “Some stations have already been beautified, but this will be a massive programme to be completed in just six days.”

Anil Kapoor said he loved local train travel and recalled memories of train journeys from Chembur to Bandra. “Recently I travelled by a local train I found stations so clean and trains so efficient and on time.”

Entertainment network Viacom18 in collaboration with NGO Mumbai First has adopted three suburban railway stations for cleanliness and beautification as part of the Central Government’s ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. Under the Viacom18’s flagship CSR programme ‘Chakachak Mumbai’ (clean and shining Mumbai), the company will support beautification of Andheri, Vile Parle and Ghatkopar stations with the help of volunteers throughout the week.

The Middle Eastern Spread that Unites & Divides

The Middle Eastern Spread that Unites & Divides

The word hummus,is an Arabic word meaning “chickpea.” --a Arab dip or spread that is made from chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) that have been cooked and mashed, then blended with tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. It is pronounced in different ways: the Americans say hum-mus,whereas those with roots in Israel pronounce it as "choo-moose", where "ch" is the gutteral  sound we do not  have in English.

Hummus is more than just a dish. When famous American chef, author and TV personality visited  Israel and Palestine it became very clear to him that the  ownership of hummus was vociferously disputed. But we know that chickpeas are known to man almost 10,000 years back, much before there were Israelis or Arabs. The Greeks loved it and the Romans made various dishes with it. .Greece, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon  claim historical ownership to this delicious and nutritious spread. Of all the conficts that plague this region, the fight over hummus  is by far the most  harmless and  absolutely delicious.

Where it truly originated, , no one can say for sure, though the earliest mention of the spread dates back to Egypt during the 13th century. The beige spread stuffed into pitas, used as a  dip and served at every Middle Eastern eatery is also an appetizer.

 No matter where it originated or who makes the best hummus,the truth is it is now recognized as the super supplement for the 21 st Century woman. This ‘ancient meal’ with profuse health benefits, has become so popular that actresses such as Sonam Kapoor and  Natalie Portman today swear by it !

Here’s why:

The main ingredient of hummus, chickpea is admired and consumed all over the world attributing to its high nutritional quality which provides a range of health benefits.
While most women today are facing a number of health issues at an early age, Hummus for them is no less than a super food.

Ideal for Skin and Blood
Made up of large amount of protein, Hummus is essential as a building block of the skin, blood, muscles and bones. It’s an added benefit for vegetarians as they can make up for the proteins that people gain from meat. Being a rich source of protein it helps balance sugar levels in the blood stream and also fights against sugar cravings.
Hummus is also reported to contain iron which boosts the energy levels enabling one to be able to train in the gym therefore losing excess weight.

High in fibre content
Enriched with high content of fibre which helps keep the digestive tract regular having hummus regularly is one of the most effective ways to ensure that fibre is being included in the diet.  A recent study states, “Consumption of fibre-rich hummus has been proven beneficial in the regulation of bowel movements and brings relief from constipation.”

Fights cancer

Hummus has been found to work against the growth of various cancer cells owing to the presence of various healthful components such as phytic acid and saponins in chickpeas. Hummus being a resource of fibre keeps the harmful toxins from binding with the colon lining and flushes them from the body.
Also, beans contain folate (Folic acid, one of the B vitamins that is a key factor in the synthesis (the making) of nucleic acid-DNA and RNA) and this can help in reducing the risk of getting colorectal cancer. This is because folate helps with division and multiplication of healthy cells in the body.

Natural anti-oxidant resulting in leaner muscle and stronger bones

The ingredients of hummus-- tahini and chick peas-- contain calcium and amino acids which help in maintaining the health of bones and muscles. This is important especially for aged women as their bones are fragile and break easily. It also helps with prevention of osteoporosis in aged people by strengthening their bones.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins which are found in chickpeas and the body uses it for physiological processes such as muscular strength, repairing of tissues, functioning of brain and energy production.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease

How Bitter Can Sugar Get ?

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have  revealed some shocking truths. Almost 50 years ago, the sugar industry is reported to have paid Harvard University nutrition scientists to  make a  case against fat and fatty acids/lipids  as primary causes of  heart disease while downplaying the negative health effects of sugary foods and beverages. The Harvard scientists received the equivalent of $50,000 in today's dollars, the investigators said.

As a result, for decades consumers may have been under the wrong notion that only saturated fat harmed the heart, and not sweets.  Not surprisingly, during that time, obesity and associated ills like diabetes reached alarming levels in the United States. The research review by the Harvard scientists was commissioned by a trade group for the sugar industry when the media began highlighting the health risks of sugar. This report appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1967 !

Sugar is an  ingredient adding to a culinary delight, but have you seen the poisonous side of it? Too much of those tablespoons can slowly and gradually result in a heart attack, and that’s a ‘not-so-sweet’ truth

Sakshi Anand  had an innate love for everything sweet since her school days. She was drawn to the taste of sweetness just like a bee to honey. Her mother, an ever-indulgent parent, often gave in to her need for an ice-cream in the market, a cherry muffin on a shopping trip, or candy floss after school. It became the family joke that Sakshi always needed sweets as fuel. Unfortunately, her parents did not realize that it was far from a joke.

After she graduated, Sakshi started working in a BPO. Due to the sedentary nature of  her work, she would eat out of  boredom, to fill the time, or even as fuel during the night hours. Bars of chocolate and packets of cookies were her companions. She did not  gain much weight at all, but when she had palpitations one day, her parents took her to the doctor. She was told that her lifestyle needed a change. While many people worked at night, her poor diet, and lack of exercise were causing this. The truth is that sugar causes inflammation, and Sakshi’s arterial walls were beginning to show this.

Dr. Amar Singhal  Senior Interventional Cardiologist and Head, sheds light on the ‘not-so-sweet’ truths:

The  sugar  overload

Sugar can be found naturally in carbohydrate-rich food such as fresh fruits and milk. These provide essential nutrients to our body, and do not have any adverse effects on the body, if they are consumed in the quantities they are meant to be eaten in. However, additional sugar found in processed foods is ‘additionally’ harmful. This type of sugar can be found in candies, cookies, cakes, pies, soft drinks, fruit drinks, waffles, dairy products including ice cream, yogurt, sweetened milk, and practically anything else you pick off the shelf.

Be it soup or ketchup, sugar makes food more palatable. Even when it comes to fruit drinks, some of these have even more additives and sugar (more than 90 per cent) than soda. Finally, many of us have this habit of adding an extra teaspoon of sugar to our tea or coffee. Also, you may find hidden sugar in certain foods that you buy from the supermarket; it is masked by other names such as high fructose corn syrup, dextrose and so on.

Now, the crucial question here is, do we know how much sugar our body needs? Actually, the body does not need added sugar at all. It can do very well with just natural sugars. The occasional honey or jaggery does have some nutrient value, but even these are the same as table sugar (white sugar we use commonly) in terms of the number of calories and the way the body reacts to it with insulin production.

How is it a menace?

Sugar that is not  bound to fiber, commonly known as free sugar, can lead to instability of  blood sugar. This is because it directly enters the blood, causing insulin to get secreted.

Insulin helps blood sugar levels stay even in the body. So this quick entry of sugar in the blood stream is what lay people call the ‘sugar rush’. Constant sugar rushes can cause an imbalance in the metabolism, because the body may find it hard to keep secreting insulin. Eventually, this may lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. These are risk factors for heart disease. When we consume too much sugar, and our body releases more and more insulin, it may also force our kidneys to hold on to sodium—bad for the heart.

A regular overdose of sugar can alter internal pH levels. This means that you will have a more acidic body which can be breeding ground for many diseases. Certain forms of sugar can also cause further damage to the liver and to structural proteins of our body. Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup can result in production of artery-clogging fats—another heart disease risk factor.

Over a period of time, excess sugar can contribute to hypertension and high blood pressure, especially in those who have a genetic predisposition. These two, combined with your daily stress and anxiety, as well as obesity, can increase the risk of blood pressure variability, heart rate, and contribute to inflammation of arteries and broader metabolic dysfunction.

The Way Out

A guideline report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adults should limit daily intake of free sugars to 10 per cent of total energy intake, and further says that reduction to below 5 per cent per day can reap additional health benefits, besides preventing tooth decay.  Love it or hate it, you cannot  ignore sugar, because it is something that creates a ’high’ for your salivary glands. But one thing is for sure, your ‘sweet tooth’ can create a menace for your vital body organs.

But will power and voluntary resistance may not always work. You will find yourself craving it and finally give  in to your urges. To ensure you do not  eat too much sugar, identify what your weak points are and target those. For instance, if you know you do not consume sweets, but put 2 teaspoons of sugar in your tea, and you have 4 cups of tea through the day, the maths is simple—8 teaspoons is obviously way too much sugar. Rather than going off sugar completely, try the gentle method of easing it out of your life.

If you have children, avoid treating with sweets, thereby associating happy memories with sweets alone. Give them other treats—a family outing to an amusement park, or a game of  badminton together, for instance.

Do read labels. When buying any food, look at the grammage and sugar content. Remember—it shouldn’t be over 10 per cent !. Also know your measures—1 teaspoon is 5 grams of sugar, and each gram has 4 calories. So ideally, in a 1,500 calorie diet (for a woman of 55 kg weight), a person should not be eating more than 7 teaspoons of sugar at the most.

“ In my opinion  though, a person should ideally not be eating over 3 teaspoons, because sugar is addictive and has worse repercussions for the body than even tobacco,”warns Dr.  Singhal.

Asha mesmerizes UK fans

Asha  mesmerizes fans in UK

Early this year at the launch of a popular magazine cover, Asha Bhosle announced her 2016 UK Farewell Tour. The Empress of music who has reigned supreme in Bollywood for over 7 decades is as rebellious,mellifluous  and bubbly even  today, having just turned 83 !

As she prepared for  her “Farewell Tour” of  Britain, Asha Bhosle  revealed for the first time how she immersed herself in the character of a Lucknow courtesan to prepare for the recording sessions of the iconic 1981 film Umrao Jaan.

Bhosle, who recently turned 83 said  it was unlikely she would visit the country  again. Needless to say both her concerts at Birmingham and Wembley ( London) were complete sell-outs!

 She  sang   “all kinds” of songs to entertain fans during her performances in Birmingham on Saturday and London on Sunday. These included hit songs like O mere Sona, Chura liya hai tumne,and the superb compositions of music director Khayyam from the film Umrao Jaan.

Audiences who flocked to both the venues were enthralled with her vast repertoire and clamoured for more!

A 12-piece orchestra and young and versatile singer Javed Ali mesmerized the audience. Asha has often praised Javed Ali  and thinks highly of the young talent.

Asha’s  talented  grand-daughter ,Zanai Bhosle ( daughter of Anand Bhosle also 

was    on-stage belting out popular songs sung  by her grandma.

Earlier at a press conference she reminisced about the first song she had ever recorded in Kolhapur– for a Marathi film Mazza Bach “Chala Chala Dambawala” along with Lata Mangeshkar and Meena. Travelling daily from Borivali to Charni Road she took lessons in classical singing from Navrang Nagpurkar and says she would have been a classical singer but for the fact that she needed the money to take care of her family and children.

 

Referring to her love of cooking since childhood, she said she had restaurants called Asha’s at Birmingham and Manchester in the UK and in Gulf countries.

During her illustrious career, Ashaji has collaborated with artists across the world from Boy George to Michael Stipe, to Australian cricketer, Brett Lee. The track, ‘You’re the One For Me’, is an original love song penned by the fast bowler himself. Bhosle recalls the experience as one of her career highlights.

Asha’s next performance will be in Durban ( S. Africa) on Oct 1 and Johannesburg (Oct 2) This will be Asha Bhosle’s first and final visit to South Africa and her fans can expect nothing less than a remarkable evening filled with the myriad flavours of music through her long and illustrious career. 

Can We Pass the Acid Test?

A Victim, a Survivor & a   Landmark Verdict

Can we pass the acid test?

Alighting at the Bandra train terminus in 2013, a spring in her step and eyes full of dreams of a fulfilling career  Preeti Rathi’ may never have dreamt that in a few seconds the stardust would blow away and herald a horrendous, horrifying and fatal nightmare for her. Her attacker Ankur Panwar stepped off the same train and hurled 2 litres of sulphuric acid  maiming and disfiguring her beautiful visage. She struggled agonizingly for a month before succumbing.

Ankur Panwar was sentenced to death by hanging last week. While delivering the sentence Special Judge A S Shende said, “ "Considering all mitigating and aggravating circumstances, facts of this case, Supreme Court judgements and recent (Madras) High Court judgement on acid attack cases, the court has awarded death sentence.” And how did Panwar react?  Smirking defiantly,attacking members of Rathi’s family and flashing a victory sign he walks out escorted by the police.

Thousands of miles away, at one of the most gala fashion events ,another acid-attack survivor, 19-year-old Reshma Quereshi walked the ramp at the New York Fashion Week,to promote a ban on the sale of corrosive substances. In the summer of 2014,on her way to an exam along with her sister, Reshma was attacked by her brother-in-law while trying to save her sister.They were left to suffer in agony on roadside for several hours after nobody called an ambulance.  

Daughter of a cab-driver in Mumbai, Reshma said,'this walk was important to me because there are so many girls like me who are survivors of acid attacks, and this will give them courage,and it will also go to show people who judge people based on their appearance that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover — you should look at everyone though the same eyes.'  Never did she imagine she would  travel to a far-off land and walk such a famous  ramp to promote her message.

More so since she had lost an eye and  her face was badly disfigured. Aged just 17 at that time she slipped into depression ,even contemplated suicide till she came in contact with Ria Sharma founder of the Delhi-based NGO’ Make Love Not Scars’.

Sharma counseled and helped  Reshma  regain her confidence and courage. Enough confidence and courage to stride down the ramp in designer Archana Kochhar’s collection--A Tale of Two Cities,  inspired by the breathtaking Taj Mahal and the rich, buoyant colors of magnificent India. Dressed in a floor-length white gown with embroidered applique panels, she was greeted with loud claps and cheers.

Fashion week producer FTL Moda reached out to Reshma to take part in NYFW as part of its #TakeBackBeauty campaign. Llaria Niccolini, the president of FTL Moda, the fashion production firm known for whom Quereshi appeared said, “ “My vision was: let’s push boundaries to include diversity in the fashion industry.”

Reshma made her modelling debut in the online campaign #EndAcidSale, which went viral  where she spoke about how finding the right shade of lipstick is harder than buying concentrated acid in the market. The posters and videos of the campaign won a Glass Lion and two Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2016, France.

These two cases have just highlighted the plight of the survivors ---almost every day newspapers report such incidents from  all over India. According to the  Acid Survivors Foundation India (ASFI), 349 people, mostly women, had acid thrown on them --the number is three times higher than what was reported in 2013 and more than four times higher than in 2010. According to the NGO, less than half of these attacks come to light.

Though many have spoken out against the death penalty emphasizing the need instead on reformation, the verdict in the Preeta Rathi case is important and encouraging which was rightly stated as being “worse than rape”. However,is it time to celebrate yet? Acid attacks continue due to lax implementation of the ban  on acid sale by the Centre and the states. India has the highest number of acid attacks in the world, but the poorest conviction rates.

In 2013, the Supreme Court of India ordered the government to limit over-the-counter acid sales to people over 18. Acid can only be sold by licenced shops and owners are  required to maintain a record of the quantity sold and to whom. These details have to be sent to police within three days of the sale. All stocks have to be declared with the sub-divisional magistrate and undeclared stocks can be confiscated and a maximum of Rs 50,000 levied as fine.

All these measures look good on paper  but  fail because most of the establishments that use acid are in the unorganised sector and the States do not implement the laws stringently.. At least 106 such attacks were reported in 2012 and the figure rose to 122 in 2013 and 349 in 2014. In 2015, there were more than 500. The number of these attacks surged from 2014 because better mechanisms to report the crime have been put in place.

 However, once attacked and disfigured, several challenges await victims. Most parts of the country do not have proper facilities to treat an acid burn victim and states drag their feet when it comes to paying compensation. So, how can we effectively fight the scourge? 

 Bangladesh has shown the way.The  country, which had an extremely high number of cases and has been able to combat the problem to a great extent. First, an acid attack cases are tried speedily, investigations must be completed within 30 days-if the investigating officer needs more time, the court has to be notifie and can grant  only two extensions of 15 days. If the officer fails to complete the investigations, or is found to be corrupt, she or he is liable for punishment. The fasttrack court has to decide on the case   within 90 days. Second, Bangladesh has severe punishments for the crime – upto capital punishment. Third, unlicensed production, import, transportation, storage, sale and use of acid can attract a jail term from three to ten years. The stringent laws and their implementation have seen the number of attacks fall from 500 during 2002 to 71 in 2012.

Above all  the mental, physical and financial trauma and ostracization by society that a survivor faces makes these cases “rarest of rare” and  deserving of  nothing less than the noose.

Hummus: The Middle Eastern spread  that  Unites & Divides

The word hummus,is an Arabic word meaning “chickpea.” --a Arab dip or spread that is made from chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) that have been cooked and mashed, then blended with tahini (a paste made from sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. It is pronounced in different ways: the Americans say hum-mus,whereas those with roots in Israel pronounce it as "choo-moose", where "ch" is the gutteral  sound we do not  have in English.

 

Hummus is more than just a dish. When famous American chef, author and TV personality visited  Israel and Palestine it became very clear to him that the  ownership of hummus was vociferously disputed. But we know that chickpeas are known to man almost 10,000 years back, much before there were Israelis or Arabs. The Greeks loved it and the Romans made various dishes with it. .Greece, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon  claim historical ownership to this delicious and nutritious spread. Of all the conficts that plague this region, the fight over hummus  is by far the most  harmless and  absolutely delicious.

Where it truly originated, , no one can say for sure, though the earliest mention of the spread dates back to Egypt during the 13th century. The beige spread stuffed into pitas, used as a  dip and served at every Middle Eastern eatery is also an appetizer.

 No matter where it originated or who makes the best hummus,the truth is it is now recognized as the super supplement for the 21 st Century woman. This ‘ancient meal’ with profuse health benefits, has become so popular that actresses such as Sonam Kapoor and  Natalie Portman today swear by it !

Here’s why:

The main ingredient of hummus, chickpea is admired and consumed all over the world attributing to its high nutritional quality which provides a range of health benefits.
While most women today are facing a number of health issues at an early age, Hummus for them is no less than a super food.

Ideal for Skin and Blood
Made up of large amount of protein, Hummus is essential as a building block of the skin, blood, muscles and bones. It’s an added benefit for vegetarians as they can make up for the proteins that people gain from meat. Being a rich source of protein it helps balance sugar levels in the blood stream and also fights against sugar cravings.
Hummus is also reported to contain iron which boosts the energy levels enabling one to be able to train in the gym therefore losing excess weight. 

High in fibre content
Enriched with high content of fibre which helps keep the digestive tract regular having hummus regularly is one of the most effective ways to ensure that fibre is being included in the diet.  A recent study states, “Consumption of fibre-rich hummus has been proven beneficial in the regulation of bowel movements and brings relief from constipation.”

Fights cancer

Hummus has been found to work against the growth of various cancer cells owing to the presence of various healthful components such as phytic acid and saponins in chickpeas. Hummus being a resource of fibre keeps the harmful toxins from binding with the colon lining and flushes them from the body.
Also, beans contain folate (Folic acid, one of the B vitamins that is a key factor in the synthesis (the making) of nucleic acid-DNA and RNA) and this can help in reducing the risk of getting colorectal cancer. This is because folate helps with division and multiplication of healthy cells in the body.

Natural anti-oxidant resulting in leaner muscle and stronger bones

The ingredients of hummus-- tahini and chick peas-- contain calcium and amino acids which help in maintaining the health of bones and muscles. This is important especially for aged women as their bones are fragile and break easily. It also helps with prevention of osteoporosis in aged people by strengthening their bones.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins which are found in chickpeas and the body uses it for physiological processes such as muscular strength, repairing of tissues, functioning of brain and energy production.

Get Grilling

Ingredients:-
Assorted Bell Peppers
Mushrooms
Potatoes
Corn
Roasted Bell Pepper Hummus

Prepare:-
1) Slice the vegetables long and thin.soak them in water for 5-10 minutes.
2)Heat the grill on medium flame for a few minutes and place the vegetables on it.
3) Sauté the vegetables and take them off from the grill once they are tender.
4) Season with herbs, lime juice or black pepper.
5) Dip into  Roasted Bell Pepper Hummus for scrumptious Mediterranean goodness.

Hummus Devilled Eggs

Ingredients:-
Boiled eggs
Garlic hummus
Black pepper for seasoning

Prepare:-
1) Peel and slice the boiled eggs into two halves.
2) Scoop the yolks out and mash and mix them with Garlic Hummus in a bowl.
3) Spoon the mixture into the egg white.
4) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy eggs like never before!

Cucumber Hummus Stacks:

Ingredients:-
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Olive oill

 Garlic Hummus

Prepare:-
1)Slice fresh cucumbers and layer them with Garlic Hummus.
2)Add a cherry tomato on each slice and place a toothpick to hold  a stack of two cucumbers and cherry tomatoes together.
3) Season with black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy freshness like never before!

Hummus Salad:

Ingredients:-
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Onions
Cherry Tomatoes
Olives
Beetroot Hummus

Prepare:-
1) Chop the vegetables and add them in a bowl.
2) Add Beetroot Hummus to coat the vegetables completely.
3) Drizzle Olive oil and black pepper for seasoning

Relish your crunchy salad!

Recipes by Chef Nandan,Chef’s Basket

40s are the new 20s

Fabulous & Fertile

 40s are the new 20s

Gone are the days of thinking that life ends at 40.  - We have all heard the expression that 40’s are the new 20’s, but there may be something to this entire theory.  For so long, women have had a difficult time with approaching 40.  Now there seems to be a revolution happening as 40 –year- old women are embracing their ageand younger women are looking forward to reaching the milestone--- coming into the full understanding of their value and capable abilities, living life without apologies, without societal stigma’s and doing everything that makes them happy without approval from anyone. 

Today’s celebrity moms are defying the clock both in their fab wrinkle-free faces... and their biological clocks If there is any indication that 40 is the new 20, look at Halle Berry ( mother at 42 and 47), Madonna (42), Jennifer Lopez( twins at 39) , Salma Hayek (41) Uma Thurman (41); Mariaj Carey and Jane Seymour had twins at 52 and 45! Closer home  pop-singer-actress Raageswari Loomba( 40) delivered a baby girl at 40 ! 

 Joining this amazing list is Miss World (1997)Diana Hayden ,42 , who gave birth to beautiful baby Arya early January this year. Diana  married Collin Dick from Las Vegas, in  2013.^[Collin has been working in Mumbai for an international NGO The curious part? The child was born from an egg that Hayden had frozen eight years ago. The actress-model and her doctors-- Dr. Nandita Palshetkar and Dr. Hrishikesh Pai  talk about the latest egg freezing technology and why it is  important for today’s ambitious women to think about it.

When did you first hear about the technique and why did you decide to opt for it?

Being a voracious reader, I happened to come across some material about egg freezing ten years back. It was mainly being used in the US and Australia in cases of cancer, as a way to allow the patient to have a child once they had overcome the disease. The more I read about it, the more I liked the idea of freezing my eggs as that would give me the option to wait for Mr. Right to come in to my life and for me to decide when I wanted to have a child, instead of time or my biological clock dictating the terms of my life.

I had no idea the technique was being pioneered in India by Dr. Nandita Palshetkar and Dr. Hrishikesh Pai until a common friend who I had told about this, introduced me to Dr. Palshetkar. After meetings and all of my questions being answered, I was sure this was definitely what I wanted to do.

Had you decided you would have a late marriage?

Funnily, everyone in my family always thought I would be married with children by the time I was twenty because I love children. I just never met the man I felt I’d like to spend the rest  of my life with, and there was no way I was going to  get married to anyone but Mr. Right.

You started freezing your eggs almost 10 years back? What exactly did you undergo?

 In spite of my maternal instincts, and being a self confessed die-hard romantic, I wasn’t ready for my choices to be dictated to me which is why I loved the idea of egg freezing. It gave me the freedom of choice. I only confided in my close friends about my plans back then. They thought I was completely insane to consider something so outlandish. There was also a sense of fear on their part; fear of an uncommon medical procedure. Introduced to Dr. Palshetkar by a friend, I could not  see why I should not  opt for the procedure to allow me the freedom to choose when I became a mother, age no bar.

Finally fully satisfied, 8 years back when I was 34 years old, I decided to freeze my eggs.

Did you have a smooth pregnancy? Were there many dos and donts?

My pregnancy was pretty smooth. The biggest issue I had was severe acidity as it has  been an issue with me for years. I had no more Do’s and Don’t’s than any other pregnant woman.

Did you need to prepare yourself mentally to be a mother at 42?

I think if you need to prepare yourself for motherhood it would be more when you are  a very young mother than  an older one. Saying that, from the time I was very young I have always wanted, and looked forward, to being a mother.

Would you say it’s safe to plan later motherhood?

A woman is always better off  having her first child before she turns 30, mainly for medical reasons, but I would never advise any woman to get married and have children because they feel the pressure of age or their biological clock ticking.

Now that you are a mother of a beautiful baby girl, what are the major challenges you  face on a day-to-day basis?

Six  weeks into motherhood of my beautiful bundle of joy, and my biggest challenges are: is she feeding enough and is she pooping properly! I had always heard of what a joy becoming a mother was, but I had never expected it to be such a beautiful, wholesome experience where you fall in love with your child every day, a few times a day. I feel truly blessed to be so lucky to have Arya.

Dr.  Nandita Palshetkar & Dr. Hrishikesh Pai

Do you believe that the 40s are now the 20s with more and more women planning late motherhood?

 Women are delaying motherhood but they still face the constraint of their   biological clocks. Although egg freezing has provided various options to a woman to preserve her fertility, before she starts a family when she is ready, the success of egg freezing also depends on the age at which a woman freezes her egg. Women who are 40 and over, are less likely to benefit from egg freezing. So we recommend that they should freeze their egg at an early age. 

When was the egg freezing first introduced in India?

We have started technique of vitrification in 2006. To our knowledge, we were the first to start vitrification in India.

What exactly is the process of vitrification? Is it safe for eggs to be preserved over long periods?

Egg contains a high amount of water. When it is frozen, the ice crystals that form can destroy the integrity of the cell. To prevent this, the egg must be dehydrated prior to freezing. This is done using substances known as Cryoprotectants.

Vitrification is the newer method of oocyte freezing which utilizes very high concentrations of cryoprotectants that solidify without forming ice crystals. It has revolutionized our ability to thaw successfully frozen eggs as rapid cooling rates spare the egg from forming ice crystals within, and as a result, they are less likely to damage upon thawing. Many studies also say that it is a safe technique.

 What is the normal shelf life of frozen eggs?

Eggs are frozen in the same manner as embryos, utilizing a freezing temperature of  -196 degree Celsius. Based on scientific evidence as well as our experience, pregnancies have been achieved successfully with embryos frozen for 5 to 10 years. It is expected with the egg freezing also that, long term storage will not result in any decrease in quality. Our patient, Diana, conceived with eggs frozen 8 yrs ago.

What are the precautions a mother needs to take?

A woman should check her ovarian reserve before going for egg freezing. She should be counseled regarding the success rate as well as risk related to procedure.

As such egg freezing is not related to any risks or side effects. Rarely use of injectable drugs to induce ovulation, can cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, in which your ovaries become swollen and painful soon after ovulation or egg retrieval.

 What are the advantages and disadvantages of opting for this technique?

·        Egg freezing gives opportunity to a woman to preserve her fertility in order to increase her chances of being able to start a family when she is ready.

·        Avoids loss of surplus oocytes in countries, where embryo freezing is not permitted.

·        This is like an insurance policy for a woman, as she can use the eggs later on when wants to conceive.

Disadvantages:

·        Success rates of frozen eggs are now better than previously; still freezing of eggs is not a guarantee for success.

·        Other issue related with oocyte freezing is that patient will need Intracytoplasmic injection of sperms (ICSI) as only procedure for fertilization with frozen oocytes due to hardened egg shell (zona pellucida) in the process of freezing.

How cost effective is the procedure?

The cost of oocyte cryopreservation is similar to the cost of an IVF cycle, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is required to fertilize the thawed oocytes.

It can be said to be  a cost effective procedure as it provides a chance to maintain the reproductive potential for women wishing to delay their reproductive choices. In addition it avoids the cost of oocyte donation, which is the most common option  left if they plan for IVF later, especially after the age of 40.

Is egg freezing now becoming more acceptable or are there misconceptions?

Egg-freezing is the latest development in the field of assisted reproduction, which gives women an opportunity to slow down their biological clock by freezing their eggs. Considering its advantages American Society of Reproductive Medicine removed the "experimental" label from the technique in 2012 and it has since been included in mainstream fertility practice.