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 This article highlights two related studies on “biological ageing” — one about diet and telomeres, and another about arts engagement and epigenetic ageing. Here’s the evidence-based takeaway.

What the diet study found

Researchers at the University of Navarra followed 1,709 adults in Spain for nearly a decade and measured telomere length over eight years.

Telomeres, in simple terms

Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. They naturally shorten as cells divide and age.

\text{Telomere length} \downarrow \text{ with age}

Shorter telomeres are associated with ageing and increased risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, though they are only one marker among many.

Foods linked with slower biological ageing

The strongest associations were seen with:

• Olive oil
• Berries and other fruits
• Vegetables
• Coffee
• Cocoa
• Herbs and spices

These foods are rich in polyphenols, plant compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Participants with the highest fruit intake had:

• a 29% lower likelihood of short telomeres
• coffee drinkers had about a 26% lower risk versus non-drinkers

The article also quotes Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, who notes that polyphenols are already linked to lower risks of heart disease and cognitive decline.

Important caveat

This was an observational study. That means:

• it found associations, not proof of cause and effect
• people eating more polyphenol-rich foods may also have healthier lifestyles overall
• telomere length is not the same thing as “stopping ageing”

So “olive oil prevents wrinkles” would be an overstatement. The evidence is better interpreted as:

Long-term dietary patterns rich in plant foods are associated with healthier ageing markers.

Practical diet changes with the strongest scientific support

The advice in the piece broadly aligns with the well-studied Nutrition Science literature:

• Use extra virgin olive oil instead of butter or highly processed fats
• Eat berries and colourful fruit regularly
• Increase vegetables and legumes
• Include nuts and seeds
• Drink coffee in moderation if tolerated
• Reduce ultra-processed foods
• Maintain adequate protein intake

A Mediterranean-style eating pattern has substantially stronger evidence than any single “anti-ageing food.”

The arts-and-ageing study

Researchers from University College London found that people engaging weekly in arts and cultural activities appeared biologically younger according to epigenetic ageing measures.

Activities included:

• singing
• dancing
• painting
• museum visits
• cultural events

The association remained after adjusting for factors such as smoking, BMI, education, and income.

Again, this does not prove the arts directly slow ageing. But it supports a broader idea that:

• social connection
• mental stimulation
• physical activity
• stress reduction

may all contribute to healthier ageing.

Bottom line

The article is directionally consistent with mainstream evidence:

• diets rich in plant foods and olive oil are associated with healthier ageing
• staying socially and mentally engaged also appears beneficial

But the real message is not a miracle food. It’s the cumulative effect of long-term habits:

• nutrition
• exercise
• sleep
• stress management
• social and cultural engagement
• avoiding smoking

all working together over decades.

BG 13.30

 Bhagavad Gita

Sanskrit (13.30):
प्रकृत्यैव च कर्माणि क्रियमाणानि सर्वशः ।
यः पश्यति तथात्मानमकर्तारं स पश्यति ॥

Transliteration:
prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi kriyamāṇāni sarvaśaḥ
yaḥ paśyati tathātmānam akartāraṁ sa paśyati

Translation:
“One who sees that all actions are performed entirely by material nature (prakriti), and that the Self (Atman) is not the doer — truly sees.”

Meaning

This verse distinguishes between:

• Prakriti (material nature): the body, mind, senses, emotions, instincts, and all activity.
• Atman (the true Self): pure consciousness, the witnessing awareness.

Krishna says that actions happen through nature’s qualities and mechanisms, while the deeper Self remains untouched and non-acting. Real wisdom is recognizing this difference.

Practical interpretation

The verse does not mean avoiding responsibility. Instead, it points toward:

• freedom from ego (“I alone am the doer”),
• less attachment to success and failure,
• inner calm while still acting fully in life.

It’s a central idea in several Indian philosophical traditions, especially Vedanta and Samkhya.

A

In the framework of Bhagavad Gita, “you” has two layers:

1. The everyday person — body, mind, personality, memories, desires, habits.
2. The deeper Self (Atman) — pure awareness, the witness.

The Gita says choices and actions happen through the first layer: the mind-body system operating within prakriti (nature), influenced by:

• conditioning,
• desires,
• emotions,
• upbringing,
• biology,
• attention,
• habits,
• reasoning.

So when you decide “I’ll study,” “I’ll speak,” or “I’ll help someone,” the decision arises in the mind-intellect system. The verse says the deeper Self is the conscious presence aware of all this, not the mechanism producing the action.

A common analogy:

• The car moves, turns, brakes.
• The driver directs.
• But the light that makes everything visible simply illuminates; it doesn’t steer.

In many interpretations of the Gita:

• the mind/intellect/ego are the instruments of action,
• the Self is the witnessing consciousness,
• and confusion comes when awareness identifies completely with the instrument and says “I alone am doing everything.”

Later verses still insist on disciplined action, ethics, and responsibility. So the teaching is not “nothing matters” or “I can do anything because I’m not the doer.” It’s more:

Act fully, but without the egoic claim that your deepest identity is limited to the actor.

Different schools explain this differently:

• Advaita Vedanta: ultimately only consciousness is real; individuality is provisional.
• Samkhya: nature acts, consciousness witnesses.
• Bhakti: actions are offered to God, reducing ego-identification.

The verse is trying to shift identity from “I am only the bundle of thoughts and actions” toward “I am the awareness in which thoughts and actions appear.”

SRM

Realization is not a new discovery. It is only the removal of all useless and unnecessary add-ons.

- Ramana Maharshi

A profound quote by Ramana Maharshi.
It means enlightenment or self-realization is not about becoming something new — it is about removing ego, fears, conditioning, and all the unnecessary layers that hide our true nature.

Fight but remember K

 Bhagavad Gita 8.7 reads:

tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mām anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mām evaiṣyasy asaṁśayaḥ

A common English translation:

“Therefore, at all times remember Me and fight.
With mind and intellect fixed on Me, you shall surely come to Me, without doubt.”

— often translated by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and other commentators in similar form.

Key idea of the verse:

• Spiritual remembrance is not separate from action.
• Krishna does not tell Arjuna to withdraw from life, but to engage fully while remaining inwardly anchored in the Divine.
• “Remember Me and fight” becomes a synthesis of contemplation and duty.

The verse sits in Chapter 8, where Krishna explains how one’s consciousness at all times—not only at death—shapes spiritual realization.

PC

 One of the deepest habitual patterns that we have is the feeling that the present moment is not good enough

Pema Chodron

A

That quote by Pema Chödrön points to a core idea in Buddhist practice: much of human suffering comes not from the moment itself, but from resistance to it.

A fuller version often quoted is:

“One of the deepest habitual patterns that we have is to feel that now is not good enough.”

The idea is that the mind continually leans toward:

• wanting a different past,
• anticipating a better future,
• or trying to improve, fix, escape, or replace the present.

According to Pema Chödrön’s teaching, this constant “elsewhere” orientation creates dissatisfaction even when nothing is fundamentally wrong.

Rather than passive resignation, she’s describing:

• awareness of discomfort without immediately fleeing it,
• learning to stay present with uncertainty,
• and recognizing that peace is often blocked by habitual judgment of the present moment.

This theme appears throughout her books such as When Things Fall Apart and The Wisdom of No Escape.

Lactatn related anaphlxs

 The article “A rare case of lactation-associated anaphylaxis” by James P. Senter and Kris G. McGrath describes an exceptionally uncommon condition in which breastfeeding or milk let-down triggers episodes of anaphylaxis in the postpartum period.

Key points from the medical literature on lactation anaphylaxis include:

• Symptoms can include:
• urticaria (hives)
• itching
• wheezing or shortness of breath
• throat tightness
• hypotension
• gastrointestinal symptoms
• Reactions typically occur shortly after breastfeeding or milk expression.
• The condition is believed to be related to rapid postpartum hormonal changes leading to mast-cell degranulation and histamine release rather than a classic food allergy.  
• Diagnosis is clinical and often delayed because the condition is extremely rare.
• Elevated serum tryptase during episodes may help confirm true anaphylaxis.  
• Management may include:
• epinephrine for acute episodes
• antihistamines
• corticosteroids
• avoidance or suppression of lactation in severe recurrent cases (sometimes with bromocriptine).  

The syndrome itself has only been reported in a very small number of cases worldwide.