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An affordable and rugged SUV for a broad swath of car buyers, the Renault Duster is the car of the moment during chaste economic times when attainability and value becomes more important than the aspirational.

Designed to be comfortable, spacious, convenient, and economical for an SUV-hungry market, the Duster delivers in spades, and even offers genuinely capable, if not outright dedicated, off-road ability, unlike many crossover pretenders. Better still, and with a new model on the horizon for Jordan, the current model’s pricing has been reduced.

Cheeky charm

First launched in 2009, face-lifted in 2014 and set to be replaced with an improved new model — already launched in some markets — that shares the same drive-line and basic platform, the current Duster has a rugged yet inoffensively cheeky charm and design.

With chunky wheel arches, contoured body, longish bonnet, pert rear front and rear skid plates, thick roof rails and big framed headlights and grille, the Duster looks every inch the tough SUV, yet its small size, unpretentious aesthetic and details, make it a more palatable and less overbearing sight on the road.  

Sharing a basic platform with other Renault and sister Dacia brand world cars to keep development, production and customer costs down, the Duster is a smaller SUV than pictures would suggest, but is even more practical. At 4,315mm long and 1,821mm wide the Duster is easily manoeuvrable and will fit in the tightest of garage spots and along the narrowest off-road trails that huge lumbering SUVs can’t. However, efficient packaging and a relatively long wheelbase ratio make it a spacious family vehicle for daily drives and long journeys.

Tried and tested

Powered by a tried and tested driveline for uncomplicated reliability and low running costs, the Duster’s 2-litre naturally-aspirated 16-valve four-cylinder engine is mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox, as tested, and is even carried over to the soon arriving new model. Developing 133BHP at 5,750rpm and 144lb/ft at 4,000rpm, the Duster provides smooth operation and progressive delivery. Capable of 0-100km/h in 11.4-seconds and a 176km/h top speed, the Duster makes perfectly confident progress in town and on highway, rather than being outright quick.

Returns a modest 8.9l/100km combined cycle fuel efficiency, the Duster provided good range even with just a 50-litre fuel tank during test drive from Amman to Aqaba and back through various routes and conditions. On steep inclines and for decisive overtaking at speed, one does need to make use of the Duster’s full power and use third and second gear. All things considered, the five-speed manual version would better economy, performance and flexibility for drivers willing to self-shift, but the four-speed auto nevertheless offers a good compromise between cost, smoothness responsiveness.

Supple and capable

Driving the front wheels in normal conditions, the Duster is surprisingly capable off-road without the need to engage four-wheel-drive. On road, front-drive is all one needs for all most all conditions, owing to the Duster’s reassuring stability and high level of rear grip. However, “4WD Auto” mode is useful for very low traction surfaces, when power is sent to the rear axle as needed. At lower speeds, the Duster can lock four-wheel drive for off-road driving, where its long wheel travel, low 1,359kg weigh 210mm clearance and generous approach, break-over and departure angles make it an unexpectedly formidable performer.

Smooth and supple over heavily rutted, cracked and lumpy sections of highway currently being renovated, the Duster’s suspension well absorbed imperfections in its stride and almost glides over speed bumps. Settled and refined at speed, the Duster is, despite its small size, set up for directional stability. Through winding and sprawling lanes, the Duster is poised, comfortable, fluent, easily manoeuvrable and eager into corners. Crisp and tidy on turn-in, the Duster well manages snaking mountain routes, but through hairpins seems set-up for rear end grip and stability rather than flickable agility and hatchback-like adjustability.

Practical and predictable

Tuned for understeer when pushed too hard, rather than oversteer, the Duster is designed to be predictable and manageable at the limit. Steering initially feels slightly rubbery compared to quicker, more direct yet more artificial feeling systems elsewhere. However, one soon finds the Duster’s hydraulic assistance to be more natural. Through corners, and especially when loaded up, the Duster’s steering feels rewarding in its accuracy, textured feel, weighting and centring resistance. Brakes proved eager, capable, consistent and with good pedal feel, while 215/65R16 tyres provided good grip, durability, steering accuracy and ride compliance.

Spacious, comfortable and well-packaged inside, and especially so without a sunroof, as tested, the Duster is a practical and utilitarian car seating up to five and their week-end luggage in its roomy 475-litre boot, which can expand to 1,636-litre. Rear ingress was especially good with door length not intruding much on the rear wheel-arch and a wide swing angle allowing it to open fully in tight parking spaces. Visibility was good, and was aided by parking sensors and rear view camera.

Built to be tough, affordable and useful, the Duster features hardwearing plastics, fabric upholstery and logical layouts. Driving position is well adjustable for height and steering rake, but if one were to be picky, firmer lumbar support and steering reach adjustment would have been welcome. Otherwise, the Duster is well equipped with important features like A/C, remote central locking, Isofix childseat latches, USB port, ABS brakes and electronic stability control.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2-litre, transverse 4-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 82.7 x 93mm

Compression ratio: 11.05:1

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 4-speed automatic, four-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 132.7 (135) [99] @5,750rpm

Specific power: 66.4BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 143.8 (195) @4,000rpm

Specific torque: 97.6Nm/litre

0-100km/h: 11.4-seconds

Top speed: 176km/h

Fuel consumption,urban/extra-urban/combined: 11.7-/7.3-/8.9-litres/100km

CO2 emissions, combined: 206g/km

Fuel capacity: 50-litres

Length: 4,315mm

Width: 1,821mm

Height: 1,695mm

Wheelbase: 2,674mm

Track, F/R: 1,559/1,560mm

Overhang, F/R: 816/825mm

Minimum ground clearance: 210mm

Approach/break-over/departure angles: 29.3/23/34.9 degrees

Headroom, F/R: 905/894mm

Shoulder room, F/R: 1,387/1,400mm

Cargo volume, min/max: 475-/1,636-litres

Payload: 506kg Kerb weight: 1,359kg

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar/multi-link

Steering: Power-assisted rack and pinion

Lock-to-lock: 3.3-turns

Turning circle: 10.44-metres

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/drums

400-metre stopping distance: 33.1-seconds

Tyres: 215/65R16

Price, on the road without/with insurance: JD18,900/19,500

The Merchant of Syria: A History of Survival

Diana Darke

London: Hurst & Company, 2018

Pp. 340

The term merchant is sometimes used disparagingly, but to British Arabist Diana Darke, commerce is the glue that has held together the Fertile Crescent’s diverse societies over the centuries, added to the unifying factor of Islam. Accordingly, merchants, if ethical, can bring prosperity and cohesion not only to their family, but to their community and country.

So, when the four sons of Mohammad Chaker Chamsi-Pasha, known to all as Abu Chaker, asked her to write the story of his life after his 2013 death, she agreed, based on her friendship with the family but also her knowledge of and concern for Syria.

Darke makes the biography of Abu Chaker more meaningful by putting his life in its political, social and economic context. The book is structured so that alternating chapters tell about his life, while the ones in between trace Syria’s trajectory during the same years. The fact that Abu Chaker was a cloth merchant makes him representative of Syria’s traditional economy as textiles have always accounted for over half of its production.

The fact that he was born in Homs and began his textile trade there makes the book especially interesting since less has been written about Homs than about Damascus and Aleppo. Yet the atmosphere of the Homs souq, so charmingly evoked by Darke’s poignant prose, will remind anyone who has visited Syria of these other cities and their markets. 

The book may evoke nostalgia since many of the places it describes have been damaged or destroyed, but Darke’s aim is forward-looking. Tracing Abu Chaker’s trajectory is meant to inspire Syrians as they begin struggling to rebuild their lives and their country. Abu Chaker himself had to rebuild his business almost from scratch several different times.

At the age of ten, he left school to take over the family shop in Homs after his father’s death and made it a success. In 1959, he relocated to Beirut to avoid anticipated Baathist nationalisations; from there he expanded his business to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, only to depart for London to escape the Lebanese civil war in 1975. In the UK, he was able to buy the failing Hield mill from which he had been importing high-quality broadcloth for years and make it profitable again.

By expanding on the biography project, Darke has actually written a kind of social history of modern Syria, prefaced by chapters on the mercantile tradition from the advent of Islam and the Ottoman legacy, and continuing up to today.

This allows her to explore some of her main ideas, such as that inclusion promotes prosperity. “Over the last fourteen centuries since Islam became the dominant religion in the region… periods of tolerant rule led to increased trade and prosperity, while the periods marked by exclusion and discrimination resulted instead in wars, uprisings and disputes that thwarted commerce, bringing deprivation and hardship to the population”. (p. 12)

Contrary to the French efforts to divide and rule during the Mandate period, “commerce would in fact bond people from different parts of the countryside with each other and with the cities”. (p. 132) 

Abu Chaker exemplified these ideas. Himself a devout Sunni Muslim, he cultivated friendships and business dealings with persons of all faiths. He also maintained links with the countryside which allowed him to diversify his business. For the biographical chapters, Darke’s sources were his sons, his wife and close friends, one of whom called him “a worthy descendant of Syria’s Silk Road trading empire from across the centuries”. (p. 261)

For Syria’s history, she draws on many sources, including her own experience from living there.

Both the historical chapters and those on Abu Chaker’s life are fascinating as Darke traces the socioeconomic and class changes in Syria from the French Mandate, to independence, the rise to power of the Baath Party and up to the current war.

Particularly interesting is the chapter on the war economy which gives insight into how everyday life goes on in wartime, as well as who profits. Darke’s compassion and concern for the welfare of Syria and its people is tangible, but on a few points, she is less than objective.

While repeatedly noting the regime’s foreign backers (Russia, Iran and Hizbollah), she fails to mention the generous financial and weaponry support given by outside powers to Daesh, Jebha Al Nusra and other armed groups. She also fails to mention the long-standing plans of the US and other Western powers to topple the Asad regime, as a factor in the war.

Moreover, she levels charges of sectarianism at the regime but less so at the opposition, although it is known that big parts, if not all, of the armed opposition are driven by sectarian ideology.

Nonetheless, this is definitely a book worth reading. The volume is beautifully rendered and decorated with a spectacular archaeological map of Syria on the inside covers.

By Razan Rousan*

If you are breast feeding

• Start feeding as soon as possible; the earlier the better

• Get in a comfortable position, tummy to tummy

• The more you feed the baby, the more milk there will be

• The best way to hold your breast is like a cup with four fingers under the breast and the thumb on top

• Most of the brown aureole around the nipple should be in your baby’s mouth

• Keep eye contact with you baby while feeding. Eat well before feeding; you just need an extra 500 calories

• To increase your milk, drink a lot of water, fluids, milk and unsalted almonds

• Avoid coffee, fizzy drinks and alcohol

• Avoid spicy food, chocolates, onions, cauliflower, salty food and beans to help your baby not to get gassy

• Freeze your milk; it can remain in the refrigerator up to 24 hours and in the freezer for up to three months. Label the container with the date

• Avoid heating bottles in microwaves

• In the first month, do not worry if you find yourself feeding the baby all the time; that is good for you both

• By the second month, your baby will start feeding regularly every two hours

• You might worry because you cannot see how much your baby is drinking, but if your baby is putting on weight, has wet nappies more than seven times a day and sleeps well, then there is no need to worry 

• Your baby may fall asleep while being fed. Tickle his chin softly and he will start again

• Keep a log of your feeding

• Try to change the nappy before feeding so you baby can be more comfortable and if he or she falls asleep at the end of the feeding, you will not need to wake him for changing

If you’re bottle feeding

• Clean and sanitise all the feeding equipment

• Choose the right formula that suits your baby

• It takes more time to digest milk formula, so your baby will probably be hungry every three hours

• Before feeding your baby, squirt some drops of the milk on your palm to check the temperature

• It is better to burp the baby every 50ml then to continue feeding

• Do not force your baby to finish the bottle

• If your baby stops drinking suddenly, take out the bottle gently from his mouth and make sure it is not blocked 

• Always try to change the nappy before feeding

• Keep eye contact while feeding your baby

Burping your baby

• You can burp your baby in different positions: while she’s sitting or with her head on your shoulder or with her lying on her tummy over your lap

• If you are holding your baby and his head is on your shoulder, gently massage his back to the right (if you are sitting) and to the left if you are standing (this seems to work!) 

• Always use a clean burping towel

• If it is taking too long, just tickle down his back

• Let your baby burp between and after feeding from each breast or after each 50ml of bottle

Colicky baby

Remember it is not your fault and experts estimate that up to 40 per cent of babies become colicky. Here is what can help: 

• Burp your baby well after each feed

• Massage your baby’s tummy using a little olive oil

• Use a colic blanket (available in baby stores)

• If you are breast feeding, watch what you eat, like avoiding spices, chocolate, onions, beans, cabbage and cauliflower

*The content has been adapted for Family Flavours from Razan Rousan’s book “Tiny Tips”.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

Women exposed to secondhand smoke as children may be more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than people who did not breathe cigarette fumes growing up, a French study suggests. 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints. It is less common than osteoarthritis, which happens when cartilage on the ends of bones wears down over time. 

Smoking has long been linked to an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. But the new study suggests that secondhand smoke may also increase this risk. 

Altogether, the study involved 71,248 women, including 371 who eventually developed rheumatoid arthritis. Current and former smokers who were not exposed to smoke as children were 38 per cent more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than those who had never smoked. When current or former smokers were also exposed to secondhand smoke during childhood, they were 67 per cent more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. 

Among women who never smoked at all, exposure to secondhand smoke during childhood was associated with a 43 per cent higher risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis compared with no secondhand smoke exposure growing up, although this difference was not statistically significant, meaning it was too small to rule out the possibility it was due to chance. 

“In adults exposed to active smoking, the mechanism leading to rheumatoid arthritis onset is quite well understood,” said study co-author Marie-Christine Boutron-Ruault of the INSERM epidemiology and population health research centre at Paris-Sud University in Villejuif, France. 

Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the immune system that is supposed to attack invaders like bacteria and viruses mistakenly attacks healthy cells. In adult smokers, changes in some proteins in the air cells of the lungs are thought to trigger this autoimmune activity, leading to rheumatoid arthritis, Boutron-Ruault said by e-mail. 

“It is highly likely that the phenomenon described in adult smokers occurs similarly in passively exposed children,” Boutron-Ruault added. “The triggering of autoimmunity in children might not be restricted to rheumatoid arthritis risk, and could possibly increase the risk of other autoimmune diseases.” 

For the study, researchers examined survey data collected every three years, starting in the 1980s. Participants were 50 years old on average when they joined the study and about 54 per cent of them had never smoked. About 14 per cent were current smokers and 32 per cent were former smokers. 

The study was not designed to prove whether or how secondhand smoke exposure during childhood might cause rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers also relied on women to report their smoking history and tobacco exposure during childhood, and self-reported information may not be as reliable as data from lab tests or medical records. 

It is also possible that secondhand smoke exposure during childhood increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis just because it leads to more cumulative years of smoke exposure among people who smoke as adults, said Jill Norris, a researcher at the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora. 

While it is not clear that avoiding smoke exposure during childhood can prevent rheumatoid arthritis in the future, there are many other good reasons not to expose kids to secondhand smoke, Norris, who was not involved in the study, said by e-mail. 

There may soon be a simple way to identify children at risk for developing obesity later in life.

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University analysed the bacteria in the mouths of 226 2-year-olds and found that a child’s oral microbiota can be used as a tool to predict weight gain during the first two years of life.

The study is part of a project of 300 children at the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Centre that seeks to identify biological and social risks for obesity. The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

“One in three children in the United States is overweight or obese,” said Kateryna Makova, a biology professor at Penn State and senior author of the paper. “If we can find early indicators of obesity in young children, we can help parents and physicians take preventive measures.”

The children, who were from central Pennsylvania, had experienced rapid weight gain as infants, which is a strong indicator for childhood obesity.

Researchers also found that the oral microbiota among these children contained fewer types of bacteria. A larger diversity of bacteria helps protect against inflammation and is important for the stability of digestion.

“A healthy person usually has a lot of different bacteria within their gut microbiota,” said Sarah Craig, a post-doctoral scholar in biology at Penn State and first author of the paper.

While previous studies in adults and adolescents have linked obesity to gut microbes, this is the first time a relationship between the oral microbiota and weight gain in children has been explored, the researchers said.

“The oral microbiota is usually studied in relation to periodontal disease, and periodontal disease has in some cases been linked to obesity,” said Craig.

The researchers did not investigate how diet or environmental changes over time could affect the link between oral bacteria and obesity. Makova said the fact that mothers now spend less time breast-feeding children than they did in the 1960s could be a factor.

Obesity is a complex issue and has many different causes, she said.

“Of course, as a parent you should be watching for the best diet and exercise,” Makova said.

In the beginning, there was e-mail. Then came standard texting. Now WhatsApp and its sophisticated texting mode is changing the rules by taking the whole concept to new extremes.

Each time a new, shorter and faster form of digital communication is introduced, and provided it is widely adopted, it almost unmistakably supersedes the previous, the “longer” one. This is what WhatsApp is doing now. Regardless of its shortcomings, of its few imperfections, one must admit that the advantages of the system are overwhelming.

WhatsApp is free, fast and instant. It can carry with it attachments virtually of all types. More importantly, and unlike any other similar texting system, the feedback it provides by letting you know if the message has been delivered and read, and if you correspondent is online, is precious and makes a big, significant difference, compared to other similar systems.

Moreover, it has proven to be very reliable and safe. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook and it only works on portable platforms. It does not work on regular desktop Windows, for example, unless you have the mobile app installed first.

The only case when using good old e-mail is more convenient is when you need to write longer text, with some page layout formatting. This is more comfortable only if you are writing your email using a full-size computer or a laptop, not a smartphone, obviously! When it comes to writing directly with a smartphone, email is not more practical than WhatsApp.

Some claim that email is still more formal. It may be true. It is certainly true in most cases. But communication between people, overall, is getting less formal — this is the whole point. I have countless examples of business communication where the other side told me: “send it to me with WhatsApp”, or “take a picture and WhatsApp it to me.” My bank does that, and so my insurance company, to name only these two entities. 

The need for speed and simplicity is exceeding, and by far, the need for proper syntax and perfect grammar or sentences. As long as there are not significant mistakes and no room for misunderstanding the meaning of the message, any text goes! Who cares for style then?

Any WhatsApp weaknesses? I see only one, and it is a rather a personal opinion, though perfectly justified and very technical. Pictures sent via WhatsApp, and regardless of how they are taken in the beginning, are heavily compressed and lose a significant part of their viewing quality. Moreover, there is no way in Whatsapp to set the “level of compression” so as to optimise the image quality. The reason is to keep photos size small and to avoid overloading WhatsApp servers and slowing the whole system. This is how WhatsApp wants it to be and this is how it will be — at least until further news.

It is but a minor point and one can live perfectly well with this limitation. Besides, if the idea is to send high definition photos while preserving their original quality, there are several other solutions: saving and sharing in the cloud, e-mailing as attachment, etc.

 It is not clear yet if we have already reached the tipping point where we are using WhatsApp more than e-mail, but the shift, the trend is clear. A little detail that often goes unnoticed and that certainly contributes to the incredible popularity of WhatsApp: You do not need an e-mail address to communicate with you correspondent! All you need is their mobile number, which is practically our main identity today. 

So what after WhatsApp fancy texting? Probably mind reading or some kind of telepathy.

Most men should not get routine prostate cancer screening because the potential benefits are small and there are clear harms, an international panel of experts concludes. 

Some men, including those with a family history of prostate cancer, may have a greater chance of benefit from screening and should discuss the pros and cons with their physician to make an informed decision, medical experts recommend in guidelines published in the BMJ. 

“Most, but not all, well-informed men that fully understand the trade-offs would choose not to undergo screening,” said co-author of the guidelines Philipp Dahm of the University of Minnesota and the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Centre. 

“Only those men who place more value in even a small reduction of prostate cancer mortality — these may be men at higher risk because of a family history or because of African descent, or those simply very concerned about ruling out a cancer diagnosis — may opt for screening,” Dahm said by e-mail. “Shared decision-making is needed to help them arrive at a decision consistent with their own values and preferences.” 

Most men with prostate cancer are diagnosed with low-risk tumours that have not spread to other parts of the body. Often, doctors and patients struggle to choose between active surveillance and treatments like surgery or radiation, because it is hard to tell which tumours will grow fast enough to be life-threatening and which ones might never get big enough to cause problems. 

The prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test is the only widely available test to screen for prostate cancer. It is used in many countries, but it remains controversial because it has increased the number of healthy men diagnosed with and treated unnecessarily for harmless tumours, the guidelines note. 

In drafting the guidelines, experts reviewed research results from studies involving a total of more than 700,000 men. The studies showed that if screening reduces prostate cancer deaths at all, the effect is very small. 

“PSA screening increases the number of men who need further diagnostic tests, such as prostate biopsy [approximately 100 per 1000 men screened], and it increases number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer [18 per 1000 men screened],” said lead author of the guidelines Kari Tikkinen of Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki in Finland. 

“However, many of these men would not have ever experienced any symptoms of the prostate cancer if not diagnosed,” Tikkinen said by e-mail. 

Because of this, it is reasonable for doctors to only bring up the possibility of screening with men who have an increased risk, the guidelines conclude. For most men, who do not have an increased risk, it’s fine for doctors to skip this conversation altogether. 

“Prostate cancer is extremely common in men in their 70s and older and most of these men will die `with their cancer’ rather than developing complications and dying of it, and small prostate cancers do not cause any symptoms,” said David Neal, co-author of an accompanying editorial and a professor at the University of Oxford in the UK.

“If you have a screening programme which diagnoses many of these men with rather slow growing cancers then you make a `well person’ into a patient,” Neal said by e-mail. “Then some of these men will also be offered radical treatments.”

 Because most physicians already think this way about screening, the new guidelines are unlikely to change clinical practice, Neal added.

After fast food and microwaveable food, the latest trend to bombard the consumers with lip-smacking photographs is Instagram food. However, unlike the first two, which can be bought and eaten (if one so wishes to poison oneself with it) the last is, and remains, an illusion.

What is Instagram food? More importantly, what is Instagram? For the uninitiated, it is a social networking service that is owned by Facebook, where users can share photos and videos with one another. Created in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, this app has a feature that can help with editing your pictures using various filters and hash-tags. It encourages users to make tags both specific and relevant, in order to allow the photographs to stand out. In February last year, Instagram announced that users would be able to upload up to ten pictures or videos to one post, with the content appearing as a swipeable carousel.

Right! Hence, here was a chance that permitted everyone’s inner narcissist to finally emerge in the form of self portraits (or selfies as they are popularly called) that were taken with a cellphone or a webcam and shared on Instagram. Which everybody did, instantly and repeatedly — I must confess. 

But amidst all these vain folks materialised a section of tormentors, who started posting tantalising pictures of food, in every glossy way possible. And it was seldom broccoli soups or radish salads that got posted — hotdogs, donuts, burgers, steaks and tacos were among the ten most popular Instagrammed foods — and pizza was on top of this calorie-laden list.

So, why did so many people hover over their plateful of mansaf (Jordanian Biryani), chocolate cake, samosa (Indian snack) or tiramisu, with a smartphone? At restaurants, cafes and even friend’s dinner parties, that is. One was there to eat, not to create a centrefold for a gourmet magazine. Also, did the piping hot food not become cold, while one fidgeted with the dishes and the lighting, for the best shot? 

A mental health expert, Dr Valerie Taylor, who spoke at the Canadian Obesity Summit in Vancouver, reported that such obsession with food had the potential to lead to unhealthy weight problems. She said that when all the focus was put on photographing the food, the meal itself became central in the gathering and the rest (the venue, the company and so on) got relegated to the background. 

On the other hand, a series of experiments published in “Psychological Science”, an online journal, showed that people who performed brief rituals before eating enjoyed the meal more compared to those who simply sat down and consumed it straightaway. A longer delay between the ceremony and the feast worked even better, as it increased the anticipations of pleasure. Therefore, taking a photo of your food was a form of ritualistic behaviour too, as it was similar to praying before meals. 

Recently I was at a fancy new restaurant in Mauritius, where two waiters appeared at our table, in perfect synchrony. They were carrying some dishes on a tray, concealed under dome-like appliances. 

“Voila!” they cried together, uncovering our dinner.

“Wow,” I exclaimed, admiring the handiwork.

“You wish to take a picture?” one of them asked. 

“No, thank you,” I said picking up my cutlery.

“Want us to take a picture?” the other questioned. 

“For Instagram,” he emphasised.

“I don’t have an account,” my husband answered. 

“And don’t intend to open one,” he glowered.

“Bon appetit,” they chorused, retreating immediately.

People who cut back on carbohydrates may end up increasing their risk of premature death if they load their plates with meat and cheese instead of vegetables and nuts, a US study suggests. 

While previous research has linked low-carbohydrate diets to better success with short-term weight loss and improvements in risk factors for premature death like diabetes, less is known about the long-term outcomes of cutting carbs, or what types of foods people should eat instead for optimal health. 

For the current study, researchers followed more than 15,000 adults ages 45 to 65 for about 25 years. During this period, 6,283 died. 

Participants who got 50 to 55 per cent of their calories from carbohydrates had a lower risk of death from all causes during the study period than people, who had much lower or higher carbohydrate intake, researchers report in The Lancet Public Health. 

With lower carb intake, the types of foods people ate instead of carbs were associated with very different types of outcomes. 

 “Low carbohydrate dietary patterns that replaced carbohydrate with animal-derived protein or fat were associated with greater mortality risk, whereas this association was reversed when energy from carbohydrate was replaced with plant-derived protein or fat,” said lead study author Dr Sara Seidelmann of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. 

“The key message from this study is that it is not enough to focus on cutting carbohydrates alone, but instead to focus on the types of food replacing them,” Seidelmann said by e-mail. 

The study wasn’t designed to prove whether or how eating fewer carbohydrates or more vegetables might directly impact longevity. 

But it is possible plant-based proteins help people live longer by reducing inflammation and so-called oxidative stress, Seidelmann said. As the body uses oxygen, it produces by-products called free radicals that can damage cells and tissues. The damage by oxygen free radicals is known as oxidative stress. 

At the same-time, it is possible the reverse may be true for meats, and especially for processed meats. Animal proteins and fats might have negative health effects because they cause inflammation and oxidative stress, Seidelmann said. 

Researchers estimated that from age 50, the average life expectancy was an additional 33 years for people with moderate carbohydrate intake, meaning carbs accounted for 50 to 55 per cent of their calories. 

High carbohydrate intake — representing more than 70 per cent of calories — was associated with average life expectancy of about 32 years. Low carbohydrate intake — representing less than 40 per cent of calories — was associated with life expectancy of 29 years. 

One limitation of the study is that researchers only assessed eating habits twice, at the start of the study and again six years later, and participants’ diets may have shifted over time. 

Even so, the results add to a large and growing body of evidence suggesting that a balanced diet is best, said Andrew Mente, coauthor of an accompanying editorial and a researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. 

“The new study shows that a moderate amount of carbohydrates is optimal, while too low or too high was related to mortality,” Mente said by e-mail. 

“This is not really surprising given that most nutrients or foods have a sweet spot,” Mente added. “A moderate amount of carbohydrates generally translates into a balanced diet that includes fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, dairy and unprocessed meats, all in moderate amounts.” 

Milk was the original “superfood”, believed to be rich in calcium and essential for strong bones and healthy teeth. However, in the last few years, several studies have highlighted the negative side to dairy, be it the sensation of bloating, the carcinogenic hormone content in milk, or weakening of bones caused by it. A study by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health also says that high intake of dairy can increase the risk of prostate cancer and possibly ovarian cancer. So, it is no wonder that some people now advocate a switch from dairy to healthier alternatives like soy or almond milk. 

But should you be rushing to cancel your milkman’s subscription anytime soon? Experts say that milk offers several health benefits, but only when it is consumed in moderation. 

Milk is an excellent source of protein and contains essential amino acids. “It is a good source of calcium, potassium, Vitamin B12, Choline and Vitamin D. It increases bone and teeth strength, improves immunity, controls blood pressure, prevents dehydration and osteoporosis, improves muscle movement, learning and memory,” said Dr Niyati Likhite, dietician at Fortis Hospital, Kalyan.

It is also good for your skin and hair, and acts as an antioxidant. “Milk contains nutrients that boost collagen production, slows down formation of fine lines, and protects the skin from free radicals that cause premature ageing. Vitamin B6 helps in new skin cell formation while Vitamin B12 boosts hair growth,” said Ushakiran Sisodia, a clinical nutritionist at Nanavati Hospital. 

If you are wondering if milk helps in weight loss, the answer is yes. You can opt for skimmed or low-fat milk to lose or maintain your weight, said Likhite. 

How much 

milk is too much?

However, if you consume milk in excess (the recommended portion size is two to three servings of milk and milk products per day or one cup milk+ two servings of milk products), it may be harmful for health. “Milk is a prime source for three important nutrients: calcium, potassium and Vitamin D. Excess of these nutrients are not good for health,” said Likhite, adding that milk contains high levels of lactose and galactose which can increase oxidative stress, which is associated with heart disease, cancer, bone loss and muscle loss. 

“Too much milk can give you abdominal distension, loose motions and increase cholesterol. It may even aggravate certain forms of cancer. And babies who are given excess milk can also suffer from milk worm,” said Sisodia. 

Milk adulteration is also a cause for concern, as is milk produced from hormone-injected cows. “If anyone has lactose intolerance, then it’s best to avoid milk. And in the rainy season, milk may aggravate gastric problems,” said Sisodia.

Alternative mode

For those who do not want to consume dairy, there are alternatives available in the form of soy and almond milk. Likhite says it can be a good option for people who are allergic to milk, but not a good alternative to breast milk or formula feed for infants.

Sisodia recommends groundnut milk and goat milk as healthy, and almond or coconut milk as easy-to-digest alternatives to dairy. 

While replacing milk completely from the diet is not recommended, instead of just drinking milk, you can add nutrient-rich foods like chicken, fish and egg whites, curd, soya and sprouts to your daily diet.