My experiments & experiences with a Wonderfood
As the list of super-foods and the interest in them continues to grow at the consumer and at the media level, i am increasingly getting drawn to an older yet relatively under hyped ingredient that we as indians have known for long. Unfortunately, an entire generation of consumers like me have spent a lot more time admiring, experimenting with and promoting ingredients of foreign origin than we have on such relatively humble and locally available ingredients.
One of such ingredients that i am specifically referring to here is the Indian gooseberry, or "Amla" more colloquially.
My most recent fascination with Amla began after i reluctantly started off on amla juice shots a couple of months ago. The trigger for this tryst was my continuously and embarrassingly receding hairline which i would always try and camouflage, sometimes unsuccessfully so. Almost everyday i would notice hair strands on the pillow when i woke up, on the bathroom floor and on my shirt as well. This was inspite of my ongoing and unflinching belief in assorted shampoos. In the process, i believed in the charms of Kareena and Saif, fell for the advocacy of Shilpa Shetty and her promises for a hair free - hair brush; the almost arrogant appeal of Aishwarya for her brand being the only solution and finally our desi Doctor, Baba Ramdev's brand as well. Only to discover to my horror that shampoos seemed to have zero co-relation and effect in controlling hair-fall. I even started oiling my hair more often listening to the screaming voices in my head that un-oiled hair was rough and under-nourished and therefore prone to fall. (this has been my mom's constant refrain). The only issue was that everytime i oiled, i lost nearly twice the daily quantum and i am not quite sure whether it helped hair become any stronger at all.
The problem seemed to be compounded by the fact that i had also been coloring my hair, for the last couple of years. I could vouch for the inadequacy of each hair colour brand in effectively addressing this hair fall issue irrespective of their origin, brand name, celebrity endorser or not. One had been warned by friends and well-wishers galore of the intense damage the chemicals in these colors could cause. But the decision to give up coloring and maintaining a natural salt n pepper mop or living with a heavily receded hairline was literally like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. My desire was more in line with the "yeh dil maange more" anthem.
It is in this context and the desire to protect my hair, that i took the advice of having amla shots - the freshly squeezed juice of 3-4 amlas every morning. Honestly, i didn't find it half as unpalatable as i had imagined. In fact, with a wee bit of black salt, it was surprisingly good.
One shot every morning along with my breakfast started working wonders within the first 7-10 days. i noticed a significant reduction in hairfall within about a month or so, and now a couple of months later i am actually surprised if i actually see a fallen hair strand at all. Given that i had suffered this condition for the last 5 years, the quickness of impact of the new treatment surprised me as much as it provided relief that finally someone up there does listen! If I still continue with my morning amla juice shot ritual, many months later, it is as much to ensure that the hair avalanche is not triggered all over again as it is to maintain good health in general. Additionally, my wife tells me that my morning shot is great for tighter, younger looking skin !! I know it sounds vain, but when you are on the wrong side of 40's, this promise of eternal youth is indeed fancifully utopian. Whether or not this will happen, time will tell but i am surely onto that journey as well!!
...looking back, i also recalled a few incidences from my childhood. I had had a history of poor digestion and something that caused intestinal malfunctioning, causing intense bouts of pain. I recalled that my mom would give me a spoonful of some coarse, dried flakes to chew to help alleviate my condition. ..and it unfailingly worked. I understood much later that this was nothing but coarsely grated and sun-dried amla with no other adulteration. It has ever since remained a faithful companion not just at home but also an important part of my travelkit. The fact that it lasts for ever and doesn't spoil easily helps. I somehow trust it infinitely more as a digestive than all those sweet n yummy amla based products (sold by local grocery stores) that are perhaps better as meal enders and mouth fresheners.
It is also said to have multiple other benefits ranging from improving metabolism to helping control diabetes to being the elixir of youth. Given that exotic berries, avacadoes, chia seeds, kale leaves and goji berries etc seem to be generating great curiosity and attention in india currently, bringing in amla into the equation seems quite un-appetising and un-glamorous in comparison. If you were to look at its rich anti-oxidants, nutrients, fibre and vitamin c contents etc at one level, its easy local availability and affordably low prices at another level and the sheer width of its benefits, you will recognise that it is perhaps more handy and more effective in comparison. Now only if the social elite and the media could talk about it in the same breath as all those exotic imports, amla could certainly benefit with an added aura of greatness. Also its relatively under marketed status, provides a wonderful opportunity to national marketeers and retailers to introduce an amla-centric, do good brand that is packaged well and offers the convenience of use and promise of aid in improving basic medical and lifestyle issues through assorted variants targeted at different conditions.
As the list of super-foods and the interest in them continues to grow at the consumer and at the media level, i am increasingly getting drawn to an older yet relatively under hyped ingredient that we as indians have known for long. Unfortunately, an entire generation of consumers like me have spent a lot more time admiring, experimenting with and promoting ingredients of foreign origin than we have on such relatively humble and locally available ingredients.
One of such ingredients that i am specifically referring to here is the Indian gooseberry, or "Amla" more colloquially.
My most recent fascination with Amla began after i reluctantly started off on amla juice shots a couple of months ago. The trigger for this tryst was my continuously and embarrassingly receding hairline which i would always try and camouflage, sometimes unsuccessfully so. Almost everyday i would notice hair strands on the pillow when i woke up, on the bathroom floor and on my shirt as well. This was inspite of my ongoing and unflinching belief in assorted shampoos. In the process, i believed in the charms of Kareena and Saif, fell for the advocacy of Shilpa Shetty and her promises for a hair free - hair brush; the almost arrogant appeal of Aishwarya for her brand being the only solution and finally our desi Doctor, Baba Ramdev's brand as well. Only to discover to my horror that shampoos seemed to have zero co-relation and effect in controlling hair-fall. I even started oiling my hair more often listening to the screaming voices in my head that un-oiled hair was rough and under-nourished and therefore prone to fall. (this has been my mom's constant refrain). The only issue was that everytime i oiled, i lost nearly twice the daily quantum and i am not quite sure whether it helped hair become any stronger at all.
The problem seemed to be compounded by the fact that i had also been coloring my hair, for the last couple of years. I could vouch for the inadequacy of each hair colour brand in effectively addressing this hair fall issue irrespective of their origin, brand name, celebrity endorser or not. One had been warned by friends and well-wishers galore of the intense damage the chemicals in these colors could cause. But the decision to give up coloring and maintaining a natural salt n pepper mop or living with a heavily receded hairline was literally like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. My desire was more in line with the "yeh dil maange more" anthem.
It is in this context and the desire to protect my hair, that i took the advice of having amla shots - the freshly squeezed juice of 3-4 amlas every morning. Honestly, i didn't find it half as unpalatable as i had imagined. In fact, with a wee bit of black salt, it was surprisingly good.
One shot every morning along with my breakfast started working wonders within the first 7-10 days. i noticed a significant reduction in hairfall within about a month or so, and now a couple of months later i am actually surprised if i actually see a fallen hair strand at all. Given that i had suffered this condition for the last 5 years, the quickness of impact of the new treatment surprised me as much as it provided relief that finally someone up there does listen! If I still continue with my morning amla juice shot ritual, many months later, it is as much to ensure that the hair avalanche is not triggered all over again as it is to maintain good health in general. Additionally, my wife tells me that my morning shot is great for tighter, younger looking skin !! I know it sounds vain, but when you are on the wrong side of 40's, this promise of eternal youth is indeed fancifully utopian. Whether or not this will happen, time will tell but i am surely onto that journey as well!!
...looking back, i also recalled a few incidences from my childhood. I had had a history of poor digestion and something that caused intestinal malfunctioning, causing intense bouts of pain. I recalled that my mom would give me a spoonful of some coarse, dried flakes to chew to help alleviate my condition. ..and it unfailingly worked. I understood much later that this was nothing but coarsely grated and sun-dried amla with no other adulteration. It has ever since remained a faithful companion not just at home but also an important part of my travelkit. The fact that it lasts for ever and doesn't spoil easily helps. I somehow trust it infinitely more as a digestive than all those sweet n yummy amla based products (sold by local grocery stores) that are perhaps better as meal enders and mouth fresheners.
It is also said to have multiple other benefits ranging from improving metabolism to helping control diabetes to being the elixir of youth. Given that exotic berries, avacadoes, chia seeds, kale leaves and goji berries etc seem to be generating great curiosity and attention in india currently, bringing in amla into the equation seems quite un-appetising and un-glamorous in comparison. If you were to look at its rich anti-oxidants, nutrients, fibre and vitamin c contents etc at one level, its easy local availability and affordably low prices at another level and the sheer width of its benefits, you will recognise that it is perhaps more handy and more effective in comparison. Now only if the social elite and the media could talk about it in the same breath as all those exotic imports, amla could certainly benefit with an added aura of greatness. Also its relatively under marketed status, provides a wonderful opportunity to national marketeers and retailers to introduce an amla-centric, do good brand that is packaged well and offers the convenience of use and promise of aid in improving basic medical and lifestyle issues through assorted variants targeted at different conditions.
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