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Showing posts from November, 2024

Food as Medicine: And the Memories We Eat

Every day, my mother watches YouTube videos about traditional medicine, nutrition, and staying fit. Almost every day, she discovers something new. Sometimes it is a new ingredient. Sometimes it is a new way to prepare something we have eaten all our lives. And sometimes, it is an instruction that finds its way straight into my kitchen. Recently, it was moringa. We had to mix moringa into the flour before kneading. Other times, it was jowar. The form might change, but the message stayed the same: we could always add something more to our food to make it healthier. She then wonders why her grandparents and parents never told them about the nutritional value of what they ate. Perhaps they did not know these things in the language we use today. Or perhaps they understood food differently. Today, YouTube has become her teacher. It tells her what to eat, what to avoid, what to add to our flour, and what our bodies might be missing. Every new video seems to reveal another secret to good healt...

Bollywood’s Iconic Medical Archetypes and the Wild World of Healthcare

Archetypes are universal, inborn models of distinct aspects of identity and personality that influence human behavior. Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung's theory suggested that these archetypes are archaic forms passed down from our ancestors. Over the decades, the portrayal of doctors in cinema has evolved from saintly, selfless figures to flawed, outlawed characters. Films reflect societal changes in the expectations placed on medical professionals. Bollywood has served us many unforgettable characters, and its doctors are no exception. From noble heroes fighting for justice to eccentric figures caught in bizarre predicaments, Bollywood's doctors bring drama, romance, and humor to the medical profession. Here's a look at some iconic archetypes Carl Jung may have documented for doctors in movies, with a wink and a nudge to the real-life medical heroes who might find these portrayals more fact than fiction. (spoilers ahead) 1. The Rustic Healer One of the earliest and most groun...