Added Sugars–The Slow Poison by Srividya | Book Review

Short Synopsis:

Added sugar/ Refined Sugar is the NUMBER ONE ingredient that is ruining your health. You are now flooded with processed food products with lots of added sugars which are making you sick silently, without your knowledge.

TRUE! Scientific research confirms a vicious relationship between added sugars, High insulin secretion, and Fat storage. The more refined sugar you consume, the more will be your insulin secretion. INSULIN IS THE HORMONE which is responsible for fat storage & weight gain and INSULIN RESISTANCE is the root cause for many chronic diseases in your body.

But there is Good news! You do not have to sacrifice your sweet cravings. You can never eliminate sweetness from your food & life and be happy, but you can easily replace harmful added / refined sugars with healthy sugars and enjoy all the sweet moments of your life.

Yes! ADDED SUGARS -THE SLOW POISON is an incredibly special book because it will not only educate you about all the harmful effects of refined sugars but also provides you a unique list of **14 Healthy sweeteners ** which can be alternatively used to nourish your body & satisfy your sweet tooth.

My Review:

Added sugar is the reality that we have to live with every day. Table sugar is fine and limited up to tea and coffee; however, soda, fizzy drinks, cold drinks, chocolates, biscuit, etc cannot be manufactured without involving added sugar. What is it and how it is made – you will get all answers in this short beautiful book.

From processed foods to frozen and canned food to beverages added sugar is everywhere because it adds taste and increases the shelf life of the products. This book charts out everything about sugars, its effects on metabolism, body organs like brain and liver. People think that alcohol damage our liver, yes it does, but added sugars also do the same by disturbing the pattern of insulin receptors that leads change in hormones. The biggest USP of the book is that it lists out all possible names of added sugars used by the food selling companies.  

The book is descriptive and equips all of us so that we can understand what we are eating and what composition of sugars are being sold in the market. The book is a comprehensive guide on added sugars through its five chapters that affect our body as in the capacity of slow poison. The author tried to present all the information in simple form, however, at times it sounds subjectively technical, but that is ok as long as you got your health lessons. Not all things that are sugar coated are healthy; they might be alluring to eyes and taste buds. I am sure added sugars is a less heard topic by health gurus…I had it first time in my life. What about you? Informative, precise, clear, well-laid out…a huge shout out for Srividya’s Added Sugars – the Slow Poison.

My Rating:

On a scale of 5…it is 5 out of 5!

Time to Awaken by Ora Nadrich | Book Review

Synopsis:

In Ora Nadrich’s bold and compelling book, Time To Awaken: Changing The World With Conscious Awareness, she takes us on an in-depth journey to fully understand what she calls a “Great Awakening” of our times. This spiritual awakening, caused by a global pandemic that catapulted the world into a fear frenzy, created tremendous polarization and dissent, dividing the world into two groups; those who are awake to know the truth behind the fear, and those that are frozen by fear and are in an “unconscious slumber”. Using Mindfulness and emotional intelligence to navigate the extreme changes we are facing, like censorship, government over-reach, global elitism, AI and Transhumanism; Time To Awaken will give you the necessary psychological armor to resist the dangers of our current state of affairs, which are unprecedented.

My Review:

I am sure not many of us are likely to be indulged in a piece of spirituality that is associated with true awakening of one’s self. Awakening is feasible but it is obstructed by fear for humans. But little did they realize that beyond fear lies the greatest freedom that they had been seeking all their life and that is not only true awakening but also a state of being in pure awareness.

Ora Nadrich’s bold and compelling book, Time to Awaken goes against the popular saying: Ignorance is bliss. The author asserts that ignorance is deliberate and it destroys us. Those who are truly awake cannot be in slumber. Awakening means rouse someone from a slumber that keeps one in a state of unconsciousness.

You can tag it as something spiritual or self-improvement, however, the rudimentary temperament of the book is badass. Right since the first chapter, it makes you question the Covid pandemic shots/vaccines that you took, which was compelled by government and science people. The fake urgency that kept us in constant fear during the pandemic has been discussed at length with optimum examples in the book.

The author validates it’s not an ‘awakening’ by someone else; we did what we were told to do. And it can’t be called awakening…how’s that possible with fear imposed upon us? This all comes under the heat of a popular conspiracy theory invented by CIA. The kind of examples that the author presented to prove her points may sound either erratic or offending to some readers. The interpretation is personal.

However, for sure, reading the book opens a different angle of human vista. If you want to be awakened, you need to have your faith, you need to have questions to ask…even when it means labeling you as a traitor.

In the book awakening means ‘the conscious that is open and receptive.’ The urge to be awakened is nothing less than a voice of the soul. The second chapter is all about the same followed by a beautiful quote from Swami Vivekananda.

“The purpose of this book is to awaken us to what we have been through, to make us more aware, conscious human beings. If we don’t look at the deeper themes of human existence, like death, and explore our relationship to this natural occurrence of the life cycle, then we really can’t understand how to handle or navigate extremely demanding situations we find ourselves in.”

The concept of new normal has been trashed like anything by the author. First, Covid vigilance, then Mark Zuckerberg’s VR and Metaverse. Funny, rational, yet sarcastic…the tone of the book reminded me of some TV anchor humorously relaying news of things that are bizarre and unheard.

Such a long book and so full of theories that we before never questioned. If you have scooped an ocean or learnt nowt, the book is thought-provoking, providing food for thoughts. It’s apt to conclude from the book that we can change our self and the world with a clear consciousness, awareness, and awakening. This remarkable book will inspire the seeker of truth and the uninitiated with same gusto. With its cogent arguments, it has something cherishable for everybody who reads it.

My Rating:

4 out of 5

Bloody Dreams by Gopinath Lakshmanan | Book Review

Synopsis:

Rajeev, the protagonist, is determined and has a dream to build his own company, as desired by his friend Aditya. He meets a girl Divya and falls in love. He is a male chauvinist just like his father Rajan, who always dominated his mom Radha throughout her life. Similarly, Rajeev always tries to control Divya’s life. Radha, Rajeev’s mom is an IIT gold medalist in Computer Engineering. She always dreamt of taking over her father’s business empire. But the company was handed over to Rajan after she married him. After marriage, she was never allowed to get out of her home, destroying her dreams, just because she was born as a woman. Divya, a talented classical dancer, teaches dance to dedicated kids for free. She is ambitious and aspires to achieve big in dance. Despite Rajeev’s restrictive approach, whenever possible, she leverages every opportunity to perform in various stages. Even though Rajeev’s relationship is toxic, why she always sticks to him? Rajee is a young beautiful girl, who forms a bridge between Rajeev’s, Divya’s and Radha’s life. Whether she can make Rajeev understand a woman and her dreams?

My Review:

I am always on the lookout for good contemporary/literary family-based fiction by Indian authors, so when I found this book while browsing the shelves at Kindle bookstore, I couldn’t stop myself from buying a copy.

Though this is a debut novel of the author, I couldn’t think of anymore after reading a few pages in the sample file. The story of the book revolves around Rajeev and Rajee – the man first who torments women, and later on in a dream he becomes a woman himself. Rajeev when turned as Rajee, the ill-fated/jinxed woman attempts to break free of her prolonged feminine cloistered existence.

The novel is a typical literary fiction. It is focused on three characters Rajeev, Rajee, and Divya. The plot is not substantial; the author focuses on the theme on suffering of women from male-dominating figures. Funnily, the tormentor becomes victim, in that spell of being a lady who is taken on a toss by her people, he realizes the true pain. He cogitates of the events where he mentally and physically tortured Divya, asked her to give up dancing. The course of the novel is mixed of family drama, ensued with nostalgia, melancholy, and thoughts on relationships.  

The fast pace composes the narration beautifully. I liked how Gopinath shifts his main character between past and present via that bloody dream that helps flesh out his character and experiences as a woman in the Rajee form.

Although well-etched, I could warm up to the overall story. But slightly I found out that female bearers like Divya and Radha were too cold to raise their voice, and that restrained me liking them.

Primary and secondary characters on a pragmatic note aren’t superheroes; they have flaws, pride, likeable, at times transparent and hesitant in their decisions.

The ending is done well. The final countdown days of Rajee when fleeing with Abdul and his woman is intense, and I liked how the author wraps up the story. It is hopeful and thought-provoking.

Mr. Lakshmanan has a fantastic command of the language, and he employs it expertly in the book. The metaphors, similes, and wordplay in general are excellent. The descriptions are vivid and never interfere with the narration.

Overall, despite not being too captivating or too emotional at any time, Bloody Dreams is a decent read.

My Rating:

4 out of 5 stars from my side…

Me No Pause, Me Play by Manoj Kumar Sharma | Book Review

Short Synopsis:

This story revolves around Woman and Womanhood through lenses of Social Kaleidoscope. The essence of this story is overcoming the intricacy and complicacy of Womanhood through innovative measures with calculated risks.

Though since ages wise men never ever denied the unique importance of Women in their lives, but, at the same time couldn’t restrain from autocratic patriarchy and disguised misogyny.

My Review:

Me No Pause, Me Play is a self-explanatory title. The novel covers the story of Dolly who traverses from menopause phase to physically playing mode, setting inspirations for many women who are left uncared and aloof by their husband.

Dolly and Rajat are married for 30 years. With time, a lot has changed. Rajat cares for himself. His children are settled abroad. When Dolly falls sick and admitted in the hospital for a long time, Rajat finds himself in a mess he created by ignoring others emotions over many decades. As a result, he is ignored by his children in the time of difficulty.

Ironically, he loses job, for that he was ignoring everyone, including his wife. He turns a caretaker, nurse, and a friend to accompany his wife in the neediest time. However, the change within him was brought by Jasmona, who works in the hospital. But why did Rajat listen to her is another story in the novel.

The novel lays emphasis that in our society men and women are not burden to each other. They have to support each other. They cannot turn blind eyes. The importance of women in men’s life is imperative. The story builds womanhood of a depressed and trampled woman. Dolly rises and with her wins the womanhood.

The author takes his stance on the stark reality about patriarchy and misogyny. A woman suffers, another woman supports, both rise to generate inspirational paths.

Characterization is carried out brilliantly, the list is short, yet they leave their influence on readers. Rajat’s transformation from a greedy mean man to caring husband is well-captured.

This novel is recommended for modern day ageing woman, they should be acquainted with their rights, and must guide their male partners to behave soberly while we all age gracefully.

My Rating:

4.5 Out of 5!

Mindfulness and Mysticism by Ora Nadrich | Book Review

Short Synopsis:

In author Ora Nadrich’s stunning new book, Mindfulness and Mysticism, she brings together the practice of Mindfulness with a spiritual understanding of becoming one with a higher consciousness, which can be called God, a supreme being, source, unity consciousness, or oneness. Ora takes the reader into a non-religious experience of mysticism by giving them what she calls “sacred truths”, which are universal principles, or divine laws every human being can live by if they choose to be present with the mystery of life.

My Review:

Mindfulness and Mysticism by Ora Nadrich is a wonderful book that makes us realize the difference between our life that we are living and that we intent to live. The scope of the book transcends its genres, as it cannot be summarized in one category. However, I personally feel it’s part spiritual, part philosophical, and of course have elements of behavior/thinking pattern psychology.

The core essence of the book is to bring a pure state of spiritual awakening, and switching to the higher state of consciousness by employing hidden virtues like aware, present, awake, and some more. As I took the book for reading, I had no definition galloping across my mind about mindfulness and mysticism. As I chugged ahead with the book, I begin understanding that what is it like to be living in the “Now” moment, and how does it happen. The book lays emphasis on being truly living in the present moment and being aware of each and every thought and action that is spiraling through our mind and heart.

The ways and patterns of our life are enigmatic. We don’t dig deeper. It’s like sleep-walk through life. We are just living; experiencing happiness and sorrow and other emotions; but the question is are we fully awake or faking to be one.

Mindfulness is all about present state of life with acceptance and non-judgmental. Many people associate mysticism with religious chores and duties, as it can only be attained and experienced by way of devotion, mediation, and worshipping. The author beats all the bets; she is of the opinion that mysticism is a union with the higher power of the creator. One can attain mysticism while doing drugs, or roaming in the park, or travelling through a mesmerizing landscape. The book defines it in its real glory, cutting it off from the religious sanctums.

As the book keeps explaining the significance of mindfulness, it also sheds light on other aspects that work collectively so that one can experience the sacred truths of life underway the mystical journey. Many a time in the book you will stumble upon the power of mindfulness, how to achieve it, and practice it in everyday life. However, a close look reveals that mindfulness doesn’t work as a stand-alone force. It has assistance…of like divine illumination, self-realization, illuminated soul, non-dualism, and much more.

If you are someone that is bogged down by the chaos of life and seeking absolute clarity to lead a meaningful and peaceful life, you should consider mindfulness for your inner awakening and spiritual upliftment. And this book is a must-act start.

Ora Nadrich’s understanding of subject is great, superb, and immaculate. The book is highly readable with its lovely share of quotes, short stories, references from philosophers, professors, etc. She writes with a rich personified language usage. The book is slightly heavy, initial readers of spirituality may feel downward, but for those who are on their way to master their higher state of consciousness will find it a close ally.

My Rating:

4.5 Out of 5!