Sudhir Ahluwalia's Blog, page 24
March 21, 2022
How do I start a health and wellness business?
The US health and wellness industry is over $52billion. It is growing at a CAGR of 5.8 percent. These simple statistics show an industry full of promise and opportunity. The demand is there. Customers seek these services, and providers offer these and profit from them.
The question then is how to leverage the opportunity. If you look at challenges, it will be difficult for you to make headway.
Study the customer demand for these services in your local area.
Just like Sam Walton of Walmart did when he was in the process of building a retail business, go and visit the establishments offering health and wellness services. Please speak to the staff, study the customers’ behavior, understand the nature of provided services. Make friends with the team, watch, explore and learn.
You will understand what services are in the highest demand, the most profitable, and what skills are required to provide good quality services.
Identifying the right location to open your first store is another important part of a startup. Let me continue with the example of Sam Walton. He opened his stores in small towns and rural America. Competition for the service was low, and so was purchasing power. It is here he came with the concept of everyday low price.
Learn from one of the greatest entrepreneurs in America, and you will achieve your dream of setting up your first outlet. Just like Walton, you will find your first staff during these visits. Take them on, and give them an attractive deal that works for you and the employee.
I have deliberately kept the management jargon out of this response and tried to keep it simple.
Good luck.
Business strategy professional
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March 20, 2022
Do Ayurveda formulations stand scientific scrutiny?
I spent several years studying herbs and natural solutions, speaking to experts in Tibetan, Ayurveda, modern medicine, and scientists. Let me summarise the understanding that I developed.
A majority of modern medicines available to us are of plant origin. Post discovery, to produce on a scale and maintain consistency, most of these medicines started getting manufactured using chemicals.There are standard globally accepted protocols before any drug can be permitted to enter the market. The regulatory approvals worldwide are robust. All modern drugs have to go through repeated trials efficacy trials, and all medicines are required to mention side effects.Ayurveda education and training stands on the foundation of Charkha and Sushruta Samhita, written by ancient scholars 2500 years ago.Medical formulations available and prescribed are still largely based on these ancient recommendations.Clinical trials on Ayurveda formulations are not robust and universally accepted for their efficacy.Ayurveda medicines do not provide details of the analysis of chemical combinations found in the formulations, and there are no safety and efficacy trials available for the consumers.Most Ayurveda practitioners have little or no understanding of constituent herbs of the formulations that they prescribe. The botany, collection methods, processing, medicine formulation processes, quality control are not part of the training curriculum.It is fallacious to believe that herbal medicine has no side effects.Ayurveda is wrapped in cultural nationalism. It is time it is unshackled from this wrap and put on a purely scientific basis.Additional reading:
Natural Solutions for Cancer, obesity, and diabetes (tri-series)
Holy Herbs: Modern Connections to ancient plants
Asian herbs – and their wondrous health-giving properties Similar Posts:
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March 17, 2022
Which is healthier, oatmeal or cornmeal?
Corn is the most produced cereal with 1099.61 million metric tons, followed by wheat (734.74 Million metric tons), rice (495.87 million metric tons), and oats with a production of 144.26MMT. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/263977/world-grain-production-by-type/)
Corn, like all cereal grains, is primarily composed of carbohydrates. Starch is the main carbohydrate in corn. It ranges from 28 to 80% of dry weight varying with varieties and local conditions.
Sweet corn is low starch (28%) variety but with a higher sugar content of 18%. Sugar is primarily in the form of sucrose.
Corn is somewhere in the center of the glycemic index. It, therefore, does not lead to an unhealthy spike in blood sugar. A limited amount of corn can therefore be consumed by people with diabetes.
Oats nutrient profile is as under:
Carbohydrates 20%
Dietary Fiber 29%
Total fat 7% of which saturated fat is 4%
Protein 22%
Iron 19%
Calcium 3%
Potassium 6%
Based on the nutritional profile, oats are better. However, the body requires a combination of nutrients, and these are best provided to the body when we consume a variety of foods.
Additional reading:
Nutrition Facts- a guide to good health
Natural Solutions for Obesity Similar Posts:
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March 16, 2022
Where can blockchain have the biggest impact in food processing?
Food processing begins with ingredient sourcing, logistics, segregation, sorting, and quality control of raw material at the food processing unit entry, placing the raw material on the manufacturing conveyor unit, processing, packaging, labeling, storage, logistics, warehousing, and distribution.
Automation of each of these processes is today uses ERP solutions or bespoke solutions specific to a unit. These have limitations: they are inherently not cybersecure and require additional solutions to protect them from hacking. Some of the processes, especially those related to sensitive data like sourcing, distribution, and even accounting, need multiple additional security layers to provide them with a reasonable degree of security cover.
Deployment of blockchain technology in ERP solutions should help make the entire process more secure and robust.
In time ERP and other solution products will transition to blockchain. The software product development industry is in for a disruption.
Business strategy professional
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March 15, 2022
What is the main difference between a government and a corporate organization?
I happened to have a career in both the corporate and government. What are the major differences that I observed?
Government organizations are full of checks and balances. All actions are taken within the parameters of rules and laws defined by the State. Innovation is given the back seat. The focus is on stability and continuity. Powers and responsibilities are clearly outlined, and opportunities of using your discretion are limited. There is a huge emphasis on public and national good in government organizations.
Corporate entities are driven by profit. Innovation is welcomed, and change is integral to the corporate entity. The focus is on growth, and managers have a lot of discretion to achieve business objectives. Loyalty to the corporation is transient, and you abandon it as soon as you change the corporation. Decision-making is quick. Even in process-driven corporate entities, there is an emphasis on getting results, and you have a lot of elbow room to get results.
In government, an individual is rarely permitted to become indispensable to the organization. In the corporation, the role of the individual is substantial. Risk-taking is rare and not encouraged in government. In the corporate world, risk is integral to corporate functioning. Winning and losing both are taken into stride in the corporate world.Similar Posts:
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March 14, 2022
What are the key features of sustainable development?
UN agencies will describe sustainable development as a state of nirvana where social justice, equity, and environmental balance prevail.
Climate change experts would want the world to achieve net-zero emissions today and not by 2050.
Companies look at sustainable development where costs, revenues, organization systems, and processes are in harmony, and a company continues to grow steadily.
If you look at the above three states, we will note that they all describe an ideal end state. It is a state which we are unlikely to achieve in the real world.
I regard sustainable development as more of a philosophical concept in which we live in a world where there are no poor; humans live in harmony with nature. It is a goal that we will continue to strive to achieve. It is a good goal to have; it makes us feel good about ourselves.
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March 13, 2022
Where did the idea that turmeric is the cure for everything come from?
Turmeric spice has been in use in India since the earliest of times, as we know from the analysis of pots from the Indus Valley Civilization (c 2200 BC to 1800 BC). (Weber et al., 2011).
Since the Indus Valley Civilization, there was extensive trade with India between the Assyrians, Mesopotamians, and Persians. Ancient tablets of Ashurbanipal (7th century BC) have listed large numbers of aromatic spices that were in use in the region, one that includes turmeric. Turmeric was probably used both in cuisine and as medicine. King Merodach-baladan II (721-710 BC) kept records of the different species of plants, including herbs and spices that were cultivated in his garden (Tapsell, 2006).
It finds mention in the Ebers Papyrus (c. 1500 BC) from Egypt where, as in India, in cleaning wounds and as an anti-septic. The spice is mixed with honey to prepare an external ointment. In India, turmeric and clarified butter are heated, and cream is used to treat wounds. Turmeric enhances circulation in the affected region and aids the healing process.
Hindus regard turmeric as highly auspicious. The Mahabharata refers to the application of turmeric to purify the body. The tradition of applying turmeric paste on the groom and the bride in Hindu weddings in certain parts of India.
Dioscorides, too, lists turmeric as a medicinal remedy. He refers to it as a yellow spice. He relates the spice to ginger. Theophrastus (317-287 BC), in his writings, calls it an aromatic spice, “khroma,” meaning “color” in Greek. The Roman Emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD) mentions what he refers to as the Arabian saffron, probably because turmeric was supplied to the Roman army by Arabian merchants. Arabian traders brought turmeric to the region from India.
Araujo et al. (2001) and Aggarwal et al. (2007 and 2009) have noted curcumin’s anti-cancer, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, and gastrointestinal actions. Curcumin is the bioactive compound found in turmeric. It is also helpful in treating liver and other ailments. Curcumin is said to prevent Alzheimer’s disease (Balasubramanian, 2006; Yanagisawa et al., 2010; Yang et al., 2004; Lee 2002; and Tomiyama, 2010).
It is an extensively researched species. The medicinal properties of curcumin have been subjected to human clinical trials, and it is close to getting inducted as a modern drug.
Additional reading:
Asian herbs and their wondrous health-giving properties
Books on natural remedies Similar Posts:
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March 10, 2022
I want to start a vegetarian food business in Bangalore; how do I go about making it a success?
Supplying vegetarian food to various segments is an idea. It is a starting point. Begin by testing the feasibility of the concept. How do you do that is the next question?
Undertake a Bangalore vegetarian food industry analysis. How large is the industry? Collect as many facts on the industry as possible. Talk to customers, small and large suppliers. Understand the challenges, strengths, the processes that they follow, the production, supply, and delivery models.
This industry analysis will give you an idea of what sells, how it sells, its challenges, and what succeeds and fail.
The next is a follow on step is to do competition analysis. Map your competitors in the space. Undertake a SWOT analysis for each competitor. Check on the regulatory challenges and how the competitors are overcoming these.
Look at the business models. See which model will work best for you.
With all this information with you, now begin a field test. You will find out your idea’s what, where, and how. You will have a strategy in place.
The implementation then will become easier and less frustrating.
All the best.
Credentials:
Business model Innovation professional
Strategy planning professional Similar Posts:
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March 9, 2022
What food choices enhance diabetes risk?
Multiple factors increase diabetes risk. Diet is only one of them. Here below is evidence-based information:
Numerous risk factors like overweight or obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, enhanced cholesterol levels, smoking, gene dysfunction can cause diabetes. Racial factors also have been found to strengthen risk. (Feskens et al., 1989; Choi et al., 2001; Salman. I et al., 2013; Knowler et al.,1990)
Other risk factors identified are – strong family history of diabetes, age, obesity, and physical inactivity. (Fletcher et al., 2002)
Obesity and body fat distribution are risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Disturbed liver function and increased levels of lactate are prime risk factors. These serve as indicators of the body’s impaired ability to metabolize glucose. (Ohlson et al., 1988)
Diet management is central to diabetes treatment. The best diet for people with diabetes is an extensively studied subject. (Elhayany et al., 2010)
A meal that has been subject to high heat is a factor that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Steam cook food is better than high heat-treated foods. (Birloez-Aragon et al., 2010)
A complex set of factors triggers diabetes, and I would caution simplistic explanations.
Additional reading:
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March 8, 2022
How good are mushrooms for our health?
Mushrooms are an excellent food for weight loss. They are low in calories, contain nearly zero fat, and are generally rich in protein and minerals. They provide minerals and trace elements such as potassium, copper, vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, and folates. Mushrooms are widely used in Chinese medicine. (Cheung, 2010) There is a wide variation in nutritional properties in mushrooms.
Shiitake has the highest macronutrients, sugars, tocopherols, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and saturated fats.
White and brown mushrooms have similar macronutrient compositions. Oyster and king oyster mushrooms contained the highest monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and other nutrients. Chemical compositions vary between cultivated and wild samples. (Reis et al., 2012)
Variations in the quantity of dietary fiber from species to species of mushrooms exist. A 100-gram serving of mushrooms provides anything from 9 to 40 percent of dietary fiber’s daily recommendation. (Manzi et al., 2001)
White or brown mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), Lentinus edodes (shiitake), and Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushrooms) are the first, second, and third most cultivated mushrooms. White mushrooms are of lesser nutritional and medicinal value than other mushrooms grown mainly in Asia. Variations in the bioactive properties of each of the three mushrooms have been noted and recorded. (Beelman et al., 2003)
The most common cultivated mushroom is the white button mushroom – Agaricus bisporus. It is grown on composted cereal straw and animal manure. Europe, North America, China, and Australasia are the major cultivating regions. This species accounts for 38% of the total cultivated mushroom production of the world. A reduction in blood sugar and lipids in rats fed with Agaricus bisporus mushroom is observed. (Jeong et al., 2010)
Additional reading:
Nutrition Facts – a guide to good health Similar Posts:
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