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Nehru's support for Lakshmi!

                  Just a beauty business !         If you had landed here expecting some secret political alliance or a cheesy affair, I am sorry. This post is about the history of a brand that has made its mark. That has indeed helped cover the marks of many.  In the 1950s, though we were politically free to govern, we were unable to free ourselves from the comforts of what the westerners had left behind. The craze for foreign  cosmetic products among the Indian upper class women had huge impact on the foreign -exchange reserve. Nehru, the then Prime Minister was forced to reflect on this issue. Also there was a discontent among the middle class women about the affordability of such products. These demands pressurized Nehru to invite the visionary, the leader of free market, JRD Tata to come up with a cosmetic brand that would satisfy the upper-class women with a modishness, motivate middle-class wome...
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The Second Brain

                                You are what you EAT!🍕😋🍝

               You must take care of the colour, consistency and the components for a perfect.........?A perfect what? If you think I am upto sharing a mouth-watering recipe then you must be one of those who had become an instant quarantine-cook. Fill up the first line with 'faeces'.Yes, you read it right.It is ofcourse a curse of the society that the most important processes for sustenance of life have fallen under taboo topics.Even today most of us don't find it so comfortable to talk about our gut as much as we discuss sex.But I bet the most liberating feeling on earth is to have a smooth and satisfactory defecation. 'Gut' book by Giulia Enders is a great piece of writing that acknowledges the work of our body's most underrated organ.

The second brain:

           Most of our understanding about the superiority of humankind is brain-centred which has made us remain oblivious of this second brain-the gut. The nervous system of the gut is quite complex and is revolutionizing our understanding of digestion and even the mental health.Scientists call it the enteric nervous system(ENS).This has made our gut an autonomous organ that can function even if it is disconnected from brain. Though it cannot do critical functions like composing a literary piece it is capable of influencing our decisions to an extent. The ENS takes care of abundance of hormones and digestive juices.The brain not only responds based on the external stimuli but also takes guidance from the gut signals.I bet all of us would have had that 'gut feeling', a ballet of butterflies in the stomach.The memory of the gut is so fascinating that is remembers the sensation caused by the same food earlier and signals the brain.

The masterly performance of the sphincters:

         How do we excrete?Most of us are aware only of the external sphincters which we can control but there is an internal sphincter.Both coordinate to get this process done perfectly. Imagine the situation when you feel the urge to poop when you are in a get-together or a meeting. But everytime your dignity is saved.Thanks to the brain-gut axis. Everytime the gut signals the brain for stock clearance, the brain senses the external environment through its senses and warns the gut that it is not the right time to finish the job as you will be labelled with a disgusting tag by your co-members.The external sphincter quietly obeys and pauses the job.The internal sphincter senses whether it is solid or gas and does the job accordingly. You could not witness such a wonderfully coordinated decent process in any of the animals.

You are not only what you think but also what you eat!

         If not totally, atleast a part of the emotions are influenced by gut signals. The vagus nerve which connects the gut and the brain plays an important role in deciding our mental health. Our bad moods often may not be due to an irritating friend but due to the previous midnight's fridge haul.Yes, any discomfort of the gut will be conveyed to the brain.The signals from the gut are interestingly stored in the regions of the brain that influence emotions,morality.May be that is why people advise us to follow our gut feeling,Your eating behaviour modifies the gut microbe composition which is unique to every person.Prospects of faecal transplantations to correct certain disorders of obesity and even autism are evident.

The real cleanliness:

       Talking about pooping may sound gross but most of us are unaware that our small intestine is a stickler of cleanliness.Whenever you give a good break between two meal then it readily starts cleaning up the left overs through peristaltic waves which we hear it as a weird grumbling and we often mistake it as a call of hunger.
         
       There are not many wise men like my English professor who advises to 'empty the bowels in a single stroke'.Now I have replaced my disgust with a great respect for his wisdom. Following your heart may kickstart a relationship but un-compliance with your gut may end one!So the next time when someone insists following one's heart, ask them to follow the gut too!!

Suggested books: Gut-The Inside Story of Our Body's most underrated Organ


              

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