first week

THURSDAY December 20^th

            Today, I got a hold of one of life’s most intriguing secrets. It might sound like what you have been seeing or hearing, but I promise you this is different. You know there are days when you just feel like reading anything that crosses your eye. Today was one of such days for me and I came across a most unusual phenomenon.

            I read a book by Christian H. Godefroy. A book on the Hunzaas. I’ve never heard of the Hunzas. The real name of this amazing group of people is unknown to the public at large. All that is generally known is that they inhabit some remote mountain range, and that they are reported to live for an exceptionally long time.

            It is believed that among these people centenarians are common currency, and that it is not unusual for elderly persons to reach the venerable age of 130. It has even been reported that a significant number have survived to the incredible age of 145!

These people are neither the product of legend, nor is the country they inhabit a mythical utopia. They call themselves the Hunzas (pronounced Hoonzas) and live in what has come to be known as the roof of the world - the mountain peaks of the Himalayas. To be more precise, the Hunza country, with a population of only 30,000, is situated at the extreme northern point of India, where the borders of Kashmir, China, India and Afghanistan converge.

            It is said that this tiny group of people, residing in an inaccessible valley about 3000 meters (9000 feet) above sea level, are more or less completely cut off from the outside world. It is also said that they are the happiest people on earth.

            The first westerner to discover these mysterious people was an audacious Scottish physician, Dr. MacCarrisson. An adventurer by nature, MacCarrisson had no qualms about embarking on a perilous journey to the Himalayas between the two World Wars. He was fortunate enough to spend a total of seven amazing years among the Hunzas.The Hunzas appeared to be completely immune to all so-called modern diseases, notably cancer and heart disease which, as you probably know, are the two primary causes of death in western countries.

            In addition, Dr. MacCarrisson did not encounter a single case of arthritis, varicosity, constipation, stomach ulcers or appendicitis during the entire seven years he spent among the Hunzas. Perhaps even more surprising was the fact that childhood afflictions were also nonexistent. None of the Hunza children developed any of the diseases common to their western peers: mumps, measles and chicken pox were unheard of, and infant mortality was an extremely rare occurrence.

            This bring us to the secrets I claimed to have.

Hunzas secret 1:

            The food you eat is your best medicine. There’s a modern saying, coined in the sixties: ‘You are what you eat.’ This is something the Hunzas understood a long time ago. Dr. MacCarrisson, who spent seven years with the Hunzas, realized that their amazing health was largely due to their diet which, is rather unusual. Fortunately though, it can be easily adapted to our western way of life. To confirm his theory that the Hunza diet played an important role in maintaining health and longevity, Dr. MacCarrisson devised the following simple experiment. Using three groups of mice, he fed each group a different diet.

The first group, nourished exclusively on Hunza food, flourished, enjoying spectacular health. The second group was fed a diet similar to that of the people of Kashmir, a neighboring country. They developed a number of diseases. The third group received a typical British diet, and quickly developed all the symptoms of a condition called neurasthenia

So what do the Hunzas eat?

           Well, the basis of the Hunza diet, can be summed up in one word: frugality.

Hunzas eat only two meals a day. The first meal is served at twelve noon, although the Hunzas are up every morning at five a.m. This may sound surprising, since most nutrition experts here in the west stress the importance of a hearty breakfast, even though our life-style is relatively sedentary compared to that of the Hunzas, who engage in demanding physical labor all morning long on an empty stomachIn addition, Hunza food is completely natural, containing no chemical additives whatsoever.

But what exactly do they eat?

            Well, a large part of their diet is composed of grains: barley, millet, buckwheat and wheat. They also eat fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. For the

 most part, these are consumed fresh and raw, although some vegetables are cooked for a short time. Their preferred fruits and vegetables include potatoes, string beans, peas, carrots, turnip, squash, spinach, lettuce, apples, pears, peaches, apricots, cherries

and blackberries. They also have a particular fondness for apricot pits. Almonds are eaten whole, or used to make oil through a process that has been transmitted from generation to generation. Milk and cheese are important sources of animal protein. Meat, although not completely eliminated, is consumed only very rarely,

reserved for special occasions like marriages or festivals.

            No discussion of the Hunza diet would be complete without mentioning their special bread, called ‘chapatti,’ which is eaten along with every meal. Since it is used so often, it would be logical to conclude that it is a determining factor - or at least a very important one - in causing their amazing longevity.

Daily Physical Exercise

            Another great Hunza health secret concerns the considerable amount of time each day devoted to physical exercise. Most exercise is done outdoors in order to take advantage of the pure mountain air, which in itself has a beneficial effect on health.

Although a large part of their day is spent outdoors, working the fields, the Hunzas do a lot more than that. For one thing, they take regular walks - a 15 or 20 kilometer hike is considered quite normal. Of course they don’t walk that distance every day, but doing so does not require any special effort. You should also keep in mind that hiking along mountain trails is a lot more demanding than walking over flat terrain. In addition to daily physical exercise, the Hunzas practice certain basic yoga techniques, notably yogic breathing, which is slow, deep and rhythmic, and which makes use of the entire thoracic cavity. This is not the place to get into a detailed discussion of the ancient practice of yoga. You can, however, buy a good book on yoga in almost any bookstore. In addition to working slowly, the Hunzas take short but regular breaks, during which they practice various meditation and relaxation techniques.finally, a positive mental attitude also helps.

WEDNESDAY, December 19^th.

            Most of the time, we watch movies just for the pleasure we derive from it. I’ve discovered something that I always ignored while watching a movie: Learning. It is a continuous process. It never ends. Try this, the next time you settle down to watch a movie, get a pen and tablet for writing each new thing you see. You’ll discover that you’ve learnt much more than you thought you had.

            Now what brought me to this issue? Yes! Right! I watched an Indian movie today. Kudos to Indian movie producers. They are really good at producing inspirational movies (and love stories too). I saw an Indian movie titled ‘Robot’. A scientist was so engulfed in his construction of a robot, that he didn’t even have time for his girl friend. He successfully produced a Robot that looked exactly like him and could do everything it is asked to do, but it had no feelings. This was pointed out as a reason why his Robot could not be approved. He embarked on another phase of researches and study until he finally succeeded in giving his robot feelings. Too bad for him his robot fell in love with his girl friend and all went awry.

            What I want to point out of this story is how something we give our entire energy, could end up ruining us. Let’s all look into our lives, is there something that you’ve attached yourself so much to? There could be a robot that we spend so much time with. It could be an addiction. I will tell you mine.  I’m in love with someone or rather something. It is writing. I love writing. If I get an inspiration, I start writing away. At that moment I don’t give my grades a second thought. Just like that Robot, writing has gulped a chunk of my grades and it’s like distraction. But what can I do? I thought of something. If I get an inspiration during the week, I write it down. I get to write only during weekends. That way I would be able to concentrate more on improving my grades by studying.

            Try to find out that robot in your life and how to deal with it. who knows, like in the picture above, its hands might be stretched out to gnaw at an important part of your life.  Also try to learn something new when you watch your next movie.

TUESDAY, December 18^th.

Fear: A crippling serpent

            It is not strange that we fall victim to the pangs of this serpent known as fear, neither is it wrong.  It is actually natural to be afraid once in a while. I am a victim of fear myself; even the most trivial things scare me. I was chatting with a friend this morning and he told me a story. I bet he didn’t know I was learning from him.

            There were three young men, I’ll call them mike, Paul and mark. They sure sound biblical. These young men decided to journey by road from Nigeria to the United States. When all the preparations were ready, they bid their relatives goodbye and began their journey. They travelled by bus, going through the African countries that bordered Nigeria, until they arrived at Tunisia. Now I can imagine how long it took them to arrive there, probably 3months. How many times their money ran out, how difficult it must have been communicating with people they couldn’t understand.

            When they arrived at the border of Tunisia, they came upon the Atlantic Ocean. They were told they had to cross it by sailing across. Some of the locals told the tales of people crossing and never returning and a tale of a goddess who devours unsuspecting travellers. After listening to this kind of tale, I’ll surely chicken out.

            Mark got scared and decided to return home, while Paul and mike went ahead. They successfully crossed the ocean. They joined a camp of refugees. Gradually, they gained citizenship and became prosperous. After listening to this story, I envisioned Mark biting his fingers in regret. But considering it, you will agree with me that it’s not so easy to overcome your fears. That brings us to the first question that comes to my mind when ever the issue of fear is broached.how to combat fear.

          

            The easiest way to combat fear is by not using excuses. Instead, you need to look for positive approaches to accomplish your goal. If you really want to do something you will always find a way.  But if you don't want to do it, you will find excuses.

             FEAR is always your enemy. Look at it this way: If you never try, FEAR wins by 100%. However, if you do try, FEAR only has a chance of winning by 50%. If you needed a place to live and only had $10 to your name would you allow FEAR to win and make you homeless? No, most of us would find a job or borrow the money to have a roof over our heads! FEAR is the root of failure, depression and lifelong problems. Are you going to let FEAR ruin your life?

            Is FEAR holding you back from a lot of things? Are you afraid to confront people and tell them how you really feel? Do you smile in their face and talk about them behind their back? What's so hard about being truthful but using tact? Doesn't it get rid of FEAR and solve many problems?

            Complaining is also an act that emotionally drains you and goes hand-in-hand with FEAR. In fact, FEAR is normally the root of any complaint.

People don't want to admit their FEAR so they will complain to release some tension. This is a crazy merry-go-round! Instead of complaining, try to find ways to solve the problem.