Anuradha Sridharan

 If I had to review "The Big Switch" by John Thomas in 2 words, I would say “totally relatable”. Right from the first chapter, the protagonist Keith is someone who would come across every day if you work for a software company. Or he might even be you. Coming from a humble background, wanting to prove himself, struggling to say NO to a horrible manager who dumps all work on him, leaving him with no time for anything else, colleagues who frown upon and make a big issue if he tries to leave office by 6PM - he faces all the struggles and challenges of working in a high pressure IT job. He figures out in 2 years that this is not what he wants to do for the rest of his life. He meets a mentor who inspires him through positivity, passion and a sense of purpose. As Keith identifies his passion and tries to make the big switch, he faces numerous obstacles along the way. With help and support from friends, he moves ahead in his life and becomes a better person. It was an ...

 A few years back, I used to watch this show “mummy ka magic” on FoodFood TV channel. The anchor/chef would make lunch box recipes for small kids. As part of her final presentation, she would ALWAYS keep a pack of Real fruit juice tetra pack along with whatever she had prepared for the lunch box. The programme was sponsored by Real fruit juice brand.  Yesterday, I came across an ad for Real fruit juice in Disney Channel and it was quite disturbing. The celebrity who was promoting it was yet another yesteryear actress, Sonali Bendre.  Here’s that ridiculous ad if you want to check it out. The kid brings back his tiffin box without finishing it and gives some lame excuses to his mom everyday. So the mom says, “to make sure my kid finishes his box, I pack Real juice everyday along with tiffin and water”. She even goes on to say that a pack of Real juice gives nutrition equivalent to that of a fruit bowl (the tagline says “2X fruit requirement”). Does the...

I believe in eating balanced, wholesome meals. I don't pick a certain ingredient, just because it is low in carbs, high in protein, high in calcium etc.  A typical Indian vegan meal is complete, with all the essential macro and micro-nutrients. But off late, the nutrition discussion topics have shifted to specific nutrients, due to which the packaged food industry is thriving with the help of fortified vitamins and tags like #lowfat, #highprotein, #highcalcium etc. Plant-based sources have all the nutrients that we need and we don't need to look elsewhere to get our vitamins and minerals. This project of understanding various nutrients is my sincere attempt to put an end to the expensive imports, packaged food claims and fad diets that tend to put certain nutrients on a high pedestal and bring down others. Here's a compilation of the list of plant-based sources of various macro and micro-nutrients. Will keep this list updated as I add more. Macro-nutrients: Protein ...

Zinc is one of the important minerals required by the human body. It is required for several physiological processes, responsible for growth and maintenance of the body and helps in the efficient functioning of our immune system. It is usually prescribed as a supplement to young kids who frequently suffer from cold, cough and ear infections. It is also prescribed to people suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, ADHD and asthma.  The typical symptoms of zinc deficiency include frequent colds, coughs, hair fall, dry skin, loss of appetite and slow wound healing. Zinc is an “essential trace element” and is required in very small amounts. The recommended dietary allowance for zinc is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women per day .  For children, 1-3 years => 3 mg 4-8 years => 5 mg 9-13 years => 8 mg   Here’s a list of plant-based sources of zinc I have compiled from IFCT-2017 tables.     1) Most of...