Good Health?

Ok! I am Type 2 Diabetic

because of my over-indulgence, real over-indulgence, in chocolates, candy bares, sweetened condensed milk and all things sweet. (You get what you pay for!)

But, in all my 26 years in Finland, I never missed a day at work or never have fallen ill.

My daughter, a doctor in Newcastle has been ill last weekend. She mentioned that as a doctor she had patients coughing at her all day! She went on to comment that "Dad, you are superhuman!"

I replied that I was in no way "superhuman"! :-)

It was my old fashioned bringing up in Bombay, where we were exposed to the real deadly infections all around us that built up my immunity.

I remember those really dirty ice lollies I used to consume after a game of hockey or football on the Oval Maidan. These were made by the old man with a cart, where he crushed the ice onto a stick with his bare hands and poured all sorts of coloured liquids on it.

My daughters would be horrified to allow any of their kids to have any of that!

But it is that and the Polymango and street roasted corn on the cob with chilli powder and salt, Bhel Puri, Chat and Pani Puri in the back streets of Bombay that built up the inbuilt immunity in me that has lasted half a century.

Living in a sterile country, like Finland, only makes us nambi-pambies! I am glad to say that all my kids are only half nambi-pammies! But as time goes on me and they are becoming full fledged nambi-pambies!

An obsession?

My last few entries on this blog have focused on FOOD! (Sambar, Chicken Biriyani,...)

Is this becoming an obsession?

On Friday, my doctor rang to discuss my health.

I quckly handed the phone over to Annikki, who looks after all our dietary issues, as she controls the kitchen. I knew that the bulk of the discussion would centre around my eating, and I detest listening to such advice.

Sure enough, the doctor was emphatic, in that she said I would have to be largely vegetarian in future, and of course, control my intake of sugar (gulab jamuns, barfis, chocolates, Annikki's delicious cakes, etc.).

I promptly went out and bought all the fruits and vegeatbles that I like. Of course, I do like my protein intake as meat, but given a choice, I would certainly prefer to get it through a spicey Indian vegetarian diet.

All the more reason to speed up the process of starting the South Indian Vegetarian Restaurant in Oulu - but the masala dosais, the bondas, vadas, vegetarian samosas, will not be appreciated because of the amount of deep frying involved!

I do accept health is one's Number 1 concern, and I am willing to subject myself to a regimen of control, so long as my taste buds are kept fresh and alive. And that, to me, means plenty of spices!

Now that my diet is in the hands of my wife, let us see how it proceeds. My soon-to-be-doctor dear daughter, Joanna, will be here in a couple of weeks, and I am sure I will also be tropedoed by her once she sees my medical test results.

From Jacob's Blog

1967: Annikki & me

From Online Edits 1984: Annikki and me

From Jacob's Blog

2009: Annikki and me

Am expecting to be shell-shocked into submission soon, but I do hope the outcome is a leaner fitter old man! :-)

Please pray for Dr. Samuel

May I request all of you to say a special prayer for the father of Rana Jacob in Calgary.

Dr. J. Samuel, known to all of us as Sam, is 76, and is not keeping too well in Ernakulam.

Dr. Samuel is the second son of Maliyakal Kurian Jacob, the youngest brother of my grandfather Dewan Bahadur Kuriyan Matthan.

Rana is his eldest son and is married to Beena. They live in Calgary, Canada.

Their daughter Nidhi was recently married.

Dr. Samuel had his 3rd heart attack and was in a bad shape last week.

But, the Grace of God was on him and saved his life.

He was in the Amritamiya Hospital and has now been discharged.

Since Dr. Samuel suffers from high BP and is a diabetic, further invasive treatments have now been kept in suspense.

Please join Annikki and me in praying for our uncle to keep him safe, and also for his children, Rana and Reena, in this hour of their need for comfort.