We are very much familiar with this term, and we believe also that we are modernized upto a certain level. Many of our traditional lifestyle has been erased and is replaced by the methods of modernization; in other words, our lives have been more comfortable than ever before. It's great to see that we still don't leave our traditions on some occasions; for example, we sit on the floor and eat our meals which is a ' traditional way of doing although the food was not cooked by charcoal or firewood but we used a gas stove using ready-made ingredients bought from the grocery store down the street.

Modernization has made huge impacts on our lives and most of them has been to our benefit. Me, sitting in India can sell products in Pakistan or I can attend my classes happening in Singapore sitting in my room 3000 kilometres away. But at what cost are we having a comfortable life from the favor of modernization?

Before that let me tell some facts:

1. Between 2019 and 2020, 43% of the consumers shopped their clothes online.
2. Ecommerce will make up 22% of global retail sales by 2023. To give context to this growth, 14.1% of global retail sales were ecommerce purchases in 2019.
3. The Global Wellness market is expected to grow by 5% to 10% with the current estimate more than $1.5 Trillion. 
4. According to a study conducted by Attentiv, 87% of employees not physically present for a meeting report feeling better engaged with colleagues through video. 

And the list goes on...

One point we gotta understand is that modernization is not restricted to just technology or lifestyle. It expands to any corner; the news we see/read, politics, health/medical, economy, environment etc. For any gain, we have to sacrifice something. Now on that context let us see what all have we sacrificed and we are still sacrificing.

1. Today we have poor nutrition due to the deteriorating quality and quantity of land.
2. Health consequences of increased high density living in cities. 
3. Health consequences due to less body activity. (everything is now at our fingertips)
4. Social isolation. Easy to speak face-to-face with someone from the next continent but hard to speak to someone from the next door.
5. Erosion of cultural values and practices that were instrumental in providing stability to the society.

And like said before, the list is more. I wouldn't advice anyone to be anti-modernization but to be mindful about our resources and how we use them.

Now have smartphones where people say it makes us less smart. Although the statement is true, using it the right way matters; just like you use a knife to cut the vegetables instead of stabbing someone. Smart devices do increase your creativity in it's own style. 

It all comes down to our mindset on how we react to modernization. Now we are at a time where we need the help of gymnasium to stay fit, a ventilator to breath oxygen, a dialysis to clean our blood from toxins getting into. If time machine existed, I’m sure when someone from 100 years back travels to today’s time, he would be shocked and perplexed to see how we humans appear, what we eat, what we do, what all a supermarket has in stock. Thus modernization is great but be mindful about it’s weight!  

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We see a lot of advertisements on various products that mentions “gluten-free”, “sugar-free”, “40 % lesser fat” etc, that makes us buy the product thinking of the fact that it is healthy for our body. These are nothing but just false advertising tricks used by the companies to promote their products. Beside them, we have the influencers who promote almond milk through their social media accounts endorsing the product. Remember they’re paid because money plays the game. Here are some of the facts which we believed to be true but in reality they aren’t. 

1. The healthiest tea: Green Tea 

Green tea reduces weight, fights cancer, is healthier than black tea etc., heard many of these as much as times as you’ve heard. How much of truth does it contain? Well, it’s true that green tea leaves contain the stimulant that improves your metabolism but the quantity is less—which is exactly same as any other black tea. 

In my previous blog, I’ve written about the anti-oxidant properties of both. The catechins from green tea and the theaflavins from the black tea. The fact is that, through the process of oxidation or fermentation, the catechins converts to the theaflavins, which is found in black tea. 

Since green tea leaves contain polyphenols—the kind of anti-oxidants that helps in preventing the DNA damage caused by free radicals, doesn’t mean it can fight cancer. It may stop stop cancer cells growing in the body; but the bodies show variable results. Don’t expect it to fight cancer. If it was, then the cancer researchers would have been sipping green tea all day in their office. 

So can you drink tea? Up to you, but don’t count on it to do miracles on your body. I always prefer the Turkish Black Tea without sugar that is steam boiled. Effects are the same. :)

2. Your fat cracks with healthy ‘snacks’

Healthy snack, vegan; almost all of the healthy snacks described as 40% less fat, gluten free, good source of fibre, less sodium compared to regular potato chips (the biggest and the most cruel lie), and what not? Studies from the experts in the industry has found out that these honest food labels were nothing but pure deception. In fact, these snacks contain more salt than what seawater has, lol. 

A packet of the vegan hummus contained enough salt that you would find in two packs of McDonald’s french fries. Instead of making you healthy, they just shoot your blood pressure up! And what about those sugar-free snacks? The substitute for sugar here is ‘High Fructose Corn Syrup’, sugar alcohols such as maltitol or sorbitol. Pretty healthy, uh?

3. Vitamin water is all we need

Vitamin supplements in the form of water? Seems very easy and super helpful to stay healthy. “Woah, this is all we need!”; mentioning less calories, fake facts stating it is better than soda all makes us believe and pay for it. Well is it really better than soda? A bottle of vitamin water contains 8-10 teaspoons of sugar. 

What about the sugar free ones? I think you already know the answer to it. 

4. A bottle of juice can cure prostrate cancer  

POM Wonderful's claims are so impressive that they helped the company become the top-selling juice in the US in 2009. POM Wonderful pomegranate juice claims to have anti-aging and cancer-fighting properties. According to them, the juice can improve blood flow and treat prostate cancer. A four buck bottle that can do wonders? 

The beverage company paid $35 million to the studies that claimed these. In 2009, the FDA warned about 17 companies for making misleading nutritional claims, and POM Wonderful was one of them.

 

5. “Don’t drink cow milk, it makes you fat.”

Full fat milk contains saturated fats that can make you fat and lead to heart problems. As a substitute drink almond or soya milk or even skimmed milk. This is another myth believed among us. 

Well in the contrary, studies have shown that full fat milk is superior to the alternatives by proteins and nutrition. It’s right to have almond or soya milk if you are lactose intolerant or a vegan but otherwise you are just contributing to the market of these that is expected to reach almost $36 billion by 2025. 

With love

Fehmi

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It was very recent when our breakfast tables changing from home cooked food to cornflakes, cereals or any thing as such. Then came the green tea and things such as oats, quinoa and other ready made food which we are told that they are healthy. But are they really healthy as we think they are? These type of foods have replaced our table and we eat with assuming the fact that they are healthy for our body. Hostelers and any other bachelors find it easy to have these meals during their busy life.

 

“THESE ARE HEALTHY”.  We were told and told and told. 

 

But we have to think of the word ‘Healthy’ is really meaning on being healthy or is it a word used for marketing the products? Many of the products and substitutes we think are helpful in reducing weight or keeping our body lean aren’t really the way we think they’re—where we think that today being healthy means to be thin. That’s how we have been played by the marketing masterminds. A fat man who’s more healthy than a thin woman would be more insecure of himself and would start consuming the products which think would make him thin but what it actually does is different. This sort of mindset is what I believe have bought the Global Wellness and Health market to $4.2 Trillion. 

 

Ever wondered someone who has never smoked a cigarette or never drank a bottle of beer; lived his life consuming all the ‘healthy’ termed products/foods, still diagnosed with cancer? Well, I believe that answer is up in your mind. 

 

And this just doesn’t go with the food but also mental health. We have a lot of self-claimed gurus out there writing books and selling to the tight scheduled people who are on the verge of depression. Well, yes there are qualified trainers and they do the job cleanly but the action of persuasion with words that seem genuine has been very abundant in front of us that has changed our mindset from what it really is supposed to be. 

 

You eat a tablet of Panadol every other week because of your migraine but you are still wondering “How come I get diabetes when I’ve stopped consuming soft drinks?”.

Ever since I’ve been aware of these corrupt marketing, I’ve always sought natural remedy that can be made in any kitchen which has had a lot of changes in my way of living. 

 

My blog is here to share such a lifestyle that can bring you a healthy-mindset in terms of food, mental health and your surroundings. Always remember, green tea won’t reduce your weight; it only increases your metabolism just like any other tea; the anti-oxidant properties of theaflavins from black tea leaves and catechins from green tea leaves are scientifically proven to be the same. 

 

Thus, rather than all these persuading products, our home cooked lentil curry with roti helps. 

 

With love

Fehmi 

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