THE VALUE OF FIRST IMPRESSION

 

You never get a second chance to make a first impression. First impressions are crucial. They can make or break an opportunity. Its human nature to make a judgement about someone when you first meet them, but did you know that people can formulate an opinion about you in less than 20 seconds! ... For this reason, it's vital that your first impression is always your best one.

 

We are hard-wired to make snap decisions about others in a quick, non-reflective way that is unconscious. We are all different, we are raised differently, have different values, educations, come from different backgrounds and sometimes even hold our own prejudices. That’s why we make a snap judgment about someone when we first meet them based on their appearance, accent, tone of voice and what they say to us. For this reason, it’s vital that your first impression is always your best one. People can change their opinion of you over time, and of course they will, but if you don't have long to sell yourself or business idea, then you don’t have a second to waste. And while sadly you can’t make everyone like you, there are some simple steps you can take to make sure that your first impression is your best impression. My five step rule of first impression is:

Always dress for the occasion: Whether it's an interview, blind date or business meeting, ensure you put your best foot forward, give it some thought and dress appropriately for the occasion. If you look good you’ll feel good too.

‍Be polite -no matter what: There is no real reason to be rude to someone, even if they don’t treat you with the same respect. Be the best version of yourself and inspire. You can always speak your truth with compassion.

‍Be Authentic and present the real 'you': Whether that’s a formal handshake or a relaxed hug (depending on the person and situation of course), being authentic and making a friendly, positive entrance will leave a lasting impression. You don't need the swag of an athlete or the hair style of a movie star or the accent of news anchor to impress. You need to be the unique 'you'!

‍A smile goes a mile: A smile will always go a long way as it is inviting and approachable. No matter where you are or what you're wearing, a genuine smile is always your best accessory.

‍Tailor your tone: It’s important to be able to read a situation and tailor your tone of voice and language accordingly. Use your experience, intuition and common sense to share your best self for the occasion. You have to be somber in a funeral, enthusiastic in a group discussion, eager in a promotion, attentive in a training session and courteous all the time.

 

‍Digital first impression

A business runs on personal communication as much as it does on money, and if you want to be successful, it is vital that those who have cause to connect with you receive the very best impression from the outset. In today’s digital world, the first time you introduce yourself in person may not be the first time someone engaged with you. The first interaction is highly likely to be through email, social media, landing page, or your website. You can ensure great digital first impressions by creating a professional email signature (learn how to add a signature in G mail), creating a beautiful website, and running tight and informative social media accounts. 

 

Everyone has experienced discomfort when meeting someone for the first time, at some point in life. It could be a job interview that you desperately want to ace, or meeting new acquaintances at a party (remember those pre-Corona days?). While the odd awkward moment in such situations can be forgiven, there are a few mistakes that can truly sour the first impression you give.

1. Oversharing: You may think that offering a plethora of personal information about yourself is a good ice breaker, but etiquette and communication experts explain that the opposite is true. At the end of the day, the conversation is not only about introducing you, but also about getting to know the other person. You wouldn’t want them to leave the interaction feeling like it was a one-sided series of anecdotes about you, while they didn’t get the chance to speak.  Moreover, a social desirability bias may lead you to ascribe positive traits to people you don’t actually know well. That doesn’t mean they actually possess them and that they can be trusted. If you expose very personal details from the get-go, you risk coming off as gullible or immature.

2. Giving a weak handshake: I wouldn’t say you need to crush the other person’s hand with a forceful grip, but when meeting someone for the first time you want to make sure your handshake isn’t too weak either. A weak or limp handshake makes you appear cold and disinterested, whereas a firm handshake conveys confidence and interest.  Also, avoid clasping the other person’s hand with both of your hands, as that’s an action that expresses dominance. Needless to say that Covid appropriate behaviour has put the handshake on the back-burner and we should do with a cordial ‘Namaste’.

3. Speaking badly of someone: Whether you’re at a job interview and are being asked about a previous employer, or just casually meeting someone with whom you have a mutual acquaintance, always avoid speaking badly about others! Criticizing someone else when you don’t know your conversation partner will reflect badly on you. It backfires because it comes off as rude, and you can’t know if your conversation partner is personally connected to the people you’re talking about. When my patients criticize other doctors they have visited before me they instantly lose my respect and my sympathy.

4. Names dropping: Having connections can definitely help you progress at times, but when meeting someone for the first time, avoid trying to ingratiate yourself by mentioning other people’s names too often. Doing so will undercut any confidence you are projecting and will give off the feeling that you need to depend on someone else to succeed.

5. Trying to be ‘memorable’: We all want to stand out, and sometimes when we talk to new people we want to leave them with a lasting impression of us. However, trying too hard to create a ‘memorable’ impression might hinder the relationship. Seeming too different from the average might turn off or confuse the person you are talking to. Be authentic and gently make your audience know the Real You. 

6. Talking too much just to fill silent moments: This is something many people might do out of nervousness, after all, meeting someone new can be awkward. For some people, their instinct would be to fill every quiet moment with a personal anecdote or whatever else comes to mind. But now you are actually oversharing and taking over the conversation. If you feel anxious about long silences, remember that they can be filled by asking the other side questions, too. Try to know the other person or what he/she has to offer.

7. Discussing politics, religion and other sensitive topics: This may be dangerous because you are assuming that the other person will agree with you. When it comes to sensitive topics, it’s best to tread carefully when meeting someone for the first time. Your opinion on religion, politics, LGBTQ rights can be very different. These can be topics for subsequent meetings but not the first one.

8. Don’t assume but explore: It’s easy to slip into making invalid assumptions or imposing your own views without meaning to do so. Just because someone comes from a certain part of the country or has a certain profession doesn’t mean they necessarily fit into what you’d assume. Assuming all bearded men to be Muslims, all Brazilians to be football fanatics and all blonds to be dumb is dangerous stereotyping and this must be avoided. Try to know the other person instead.

 

First impressions are powerful and immensely valuable. In business, personal relationships, or social situations, your first encounter with another person has an enormous impact on how others treat you and sets the trajectory for future interactions. If you come out as amiable, friendly and open to getting to know everyone else you have scored high and if on top of it you are considered really upbeat and likable, and keen to help, it is a bonus!

 

 

CHANGING TRAVEL NORMS IN POST COVID WORLD

 

 

It is a new world out there and I am dying to explore it. During the lockdown the air was fresher. The Year Earth Changed, a documentary narrated by David Attenborough, reported that people in the northern Indian city of Jalandhar caught sight of the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, more than 150 kilometres away, for the first time in decades. According to climate research data, global carbon dioxide emissions fell by seven per cent as a result of lockdowns and the slowdown in business and leisure travel. Fewer travellers, cruises and flights gave mother nature a time out in 2020, and wildlife was quick to take advantage. Wild goats strolled through a quietened village in North Wales, pumas haunted the streets of Chile's capital, Santiago, and wild boars turned dumpster divers in Israel's Haifa. After an absence of decades, sea turtles returned to some beaches in Thailand and Malaysia to lay their eggs in sand burrows. Fewer cruises along Canada's western seaboard meant less propeller noise to interfere with whale communications, and marine scientists picked up whale songs they'd never heard before.

 

The world is slowly opening up as most of us agree that the worst of the COVID 19 pandemic is behind us. We went through enough of lockdowns and self isolation and we have just started breathing easy. Optimism is returning as more and more people and more and more countries are getting vaccinated. But it is not sugar and spice and everything nice yet. But travel in 2021 and 2022 is still not going to be “normal.”

 

Though some countries are still closed and some insisting on negative RT-PCR Covid test reports and then putting travelers through quarantine, others have identified the COVID hot spots of the world and not allowing entry to travelers from these regions. Some have created specific bio-bubble of countries and allowing travel within the bubble only. Let us hope that all this will change as more people get vaccinated, but for tourists from India the world is not exactly welcoming us with open arms yet.

 

The mass rollout of vaccines in the western world has changed the picture: many countries are now opening their doors to travelers and allowing immediate entry for individuals who were vaccinated against the novel corona virus. As long as you have a vaccination passport, the countries of the European Union, Canada, and many island nations are now allowing entry for tourists without a test. 

 

So how has travel changed and how will it change further, and what is expected of habitual tourists? Let me enumerate a few things:

Knowledge of your destination: Still, there are some countries that require a PCR test at points of entry or a period of quarantine, so it’s important to double-check all this information before you travel. It’s crucial to stay up-to-date with current travel guidelines and required documentation to make sure that you will be allowed into your destination and back. Be sure about the travel restrictions and bans prevailing in the countries you choose to visit as it cannot be fun spending your hard earned money for incarceration in a quarantine facility.

Prepare well and plan to perfection: Booking accommodation, getting travel insurance, stocking up on hand sanitizer, bringing plenty of snacks, and keeping all the required documentation near you at all times are just a few examples of things you should think about before your trip. If you’re required to take a PCR test at any point of your journey, know exactly where it can be done and how long it will take. It’s also a good idea to research and make a list of destinations, such as restaurants, museums, national parks, and beaches that will be open and fit all of your standards. After all, the last thing you’d want is to find yourself in a place where you don’t feel safe as you’re trying to relax and enjoy your vacation. Or worse, find out that all the places on your list are still closed.

Face masks: Whether you like them or not face masks are still mandatory on most flights. Another reason to check the guidelines before your departure is related to the sanitary requirements in your destination. Your airline or travel destination may still have a mandate on masks to keep everyone safe and at ease, even if you’re vaccinated. Moreover, certain airlines could ask travelers to wear a specific kind of mask, like the N95, and even a face shield onboard. There’s a chance that you will need to wear a mask if you’re planning to visit any public spaces too – museum, theatre, sports arena. For all of these reasons, make sure to read the airline’s and destination’s mask requirements before you travel and stock up on comfortable face masks.

Be patient and tolerant with airlines staff and fellow travellers: You might think air travellers would be grateful and compliant now that they can again flay, but not everyone feels that way. Instead, the pandemic has added yet another source of grievance to flyers with an elevated sense of entitlement. Some folks object to having their civil rights violated by being told they have to wear a mask when they fly, and they're prepared to go a few rounds with anyone who tells them otherwise. Russian carrier Aeroflot now has a dedicated section at the back of the aircraft for passengers who decline to mask up.

At the other end of the scale, some ultra-cautious travellers insist on flying wearing head-to-toe PPE gear. One germophobe attempting to board an United Airlines flight wearing a Narwall Mask, an airtight full-face covering with a snorkel type air filter.Though such company may not be very enjoyable but respect their choices and bear with them.

Travel by car whenever possible: Traveling long distances by train or by plane isn’t the safest choice. After all, new COVID-19 cases still appear worldwide daily, even in countries in which the majority of people are vaccinated. Public transportation often makes social distancing difficult or impossible, so minimizing its use is good practice. Traveling by car, be it your personal vehicle when you are in India or a rented one when you are overseas. This is still the safest choice.

Prefer nature trips and great outdoors: It is common knowledge that viral particles are prone to disperse more outdoors, which reduces the likelihood of you inhaling or coming into contact with them. So instead of closed spaces like museums, shopping malls and theatres this time enjoy the nature. A walking trail, a biking experience along the mountainside or a day out in the beach should be your choice this time.Taking a relaxed hike in nature, walking in a new city, or basking in the sun away from crowds are all excellent ways to maintain a safe distance from others while also enjoying the change of scenery at the same time. Avoid traveling in peak hours and miss out on the tourist hotspots in your destination to avoid crowds or visit them at night when there aren’t many tourists around.

Avoid city hopping: Slow down; let this be a relaxed vacation. The fewer places every traveler visits, the lesser their chances of getting infected and spreading the virus across country lines. So, it’s best to stay in one place and enjoy what it has to offer. This is the perfect time for you and your travel companions to unwind, connect, and really immerse yourselves in local culture and life. So a 14 day conducted tour of Europe is not the type of travel plan you need this time.

Choose your accommodation wisely: While the luxury of a cruise or a five star hotel is always irresistible during a vacation, but now is not the time for such indulgence. These facilities are packed with people from all over the world that come and go every day, so it’s probably not the best idea to stay at these places just yet. Small guesthouses, secluded cottages, and small rental apartments are a much safer choice this year.If you insist on booking a hotel, it’s important to inquire if they are accepting foreign tourists or business travel only. You can also ask the hotel what efforts they are taking to keep their guests safe. If their standards don’t match yours, it’s best to find out before you book a room rather than when it’s too late.

 

So yes, we, the vaccinated ones,  are ready for travel and tourism but we have to be careful and not let our guards fall at any time. After all what is the fun of coming back with a nasty infection and feel sorry later?

HONEY – NATURAL vs. COMMERCIAL

 

 You must have seen Baba Ramdev selling his Patanjali honey on the television screen “Koi brand honey nahin banata….” It is a war out there. Every company whether it is Dabur or Zandu or Hitkari or Beez or Apis Himalaya or 24 Mantra are trying to sell us Multiflora Honey, Eucalyptus Honey, Ajwain Honey, Sidr Honey, you name it. The Indian honey market reached a value of about INR 17.29 billion in 2020. The market is further expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 10% between 2021 and 2026 to reach a value of nearly INR 30.6 billion by 2026. According to the research study, the global Honey Market was estimated at USD 8,050 Million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 10,840 Million by 2026. The global Honey Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2019 to 2026! Approximately 1.8 million tons of honey was produced in 2016, and more than 25% of this global total was produced by China.

 

Bee farming

The Central African Republic consumes the most honey 9.62 grams/capita followed by New Zealand, Slovenia, Greece, Switzerlan, Austria and Turkey. Honey, alongside beeswax and royal jelly, is one of the main items produced by bees. Beekeeping has been one of the oldest activities in India. This makes it one of the leading honey markets in the world which has created an intense competition in terms of innovation and cost. Additionally, the demand for honey in India is augmenting on account of the growing consumer preference for natural and healthy alternatives of artificial sweeteners, rising awareness regarding the benefits of honey and increasing popularity of various honey flavors. In addition, owing to its proven anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties, honey is projected to gain a momentum in both the food and non-food applications across the country.

 

History

Scientists believe that bees have been making honey for close to 40 million years. The earliest record of human consumption of honey dates back to a cave painting in Valencia, Spain, that was painted more than 60,000 years ago. Several cave paintings in Cuevas de la Araña in Spain depict humans foraging for honey at least 8,000 years ago. Large-scale meliponiculture has been practiced by the Mayans since pre-Columbian times. Ancient civilizations valued honey chiefly for its sweet taste, and it was widely used as a trading commodity. Written history of honey dates back to 2100 B.C. where it was mentioned in Sumerian and Babylonian cuneiform writings, the Hittite code, and the sacred writings of India and Egypt. Its name comes from the English hunig, and it was the first and most widespread sweetener used by man.

 

Benefits and uses

Honey is healthier than any synthetic sweetener and refined sugar, because it contains plant chemicals and antioxidants that protect the body from disease and premature aging. Diverse range of honey products currently available in India which find applications in the food and beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Scientific validation of the medicinal utilization of honey and its growing value as a premium ingredient in nutraceuticals are also acting as strong market drivers.

Honey has antioxidants that reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes and some types of cancer as well. It is also used in vaginal candidiasis because of its anti bacterial and anti-fungal properties. The phytonutrients in honey are responsible for its antioxidant properties, as well as its antibacterial and antifungal power. They’re also thought to be the reason raw honey has shown immune-boosting and anticancer benefits. In Ayurveda it has a proud place in wound healing and topical honey treatment has been used to heal wounds and burns since ancient Egypt and is still common even today. It has remained a grandmother’s remedy for sore throat since time immemorial and has proven to be effective as a treatment for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacteria, though, a common cause of stomach ulcers.

But is the "innocent" honey we buy without hesitation in the supermarket really the most natural and healthy product for us?

 

What is "regular" or commercial honey?

This is what is available in food chains and department stores. You feel relaxed because the product is marked as containing 100% honey without additives. But the truth is that there are many things you aren’t aware of about the process that honey goes through from the moment it’s drawn from the hive. In this same process, which usually begins after the bees have finished storing the nectar and processing it in the hive’s honeycombs, the honey is extracted by centrifugation and decantation which separates it from the bee wax as the latter floats up. Then it is processed and filtered in a way that changes its composition. The honey is pasteurized, which means that it is heated to a high temperature to eliminate the yeast in it, which allows for a longer shelf life and smoother texture. In addition, the honey undergoes advanced filtering processes designed to remove debris and air bubbles, so that the honey that reaches consumers will look clearer, transparent and attractive. These commercial and advanced screening processes have been revealed in various studies as potentially reducing the presence of healthy nutrients in honey, such as pollen, enzymes, and antioxidants.

Manual centrifugation, decantation and filtration process 

In addition, there are manufacturers that operate without supervision and add sugar and other sweeteners at this stage, in order to increase the profitability of its sale. Along with them, there are manufacturers that pass the honey through an even more complex process called ultra-filtration, which also damages the nutrients in it. Although honey may reduce the risk of heart disease resulting from high blood pressure and cholesterol [1], help heal wounds and treat a cough, there is a high probability that these benefits are not as significant in regular honey as in a product called raw honey, which contains a higher amount of antioxidants, enzymes, and nutrients that are responsible for the same health benefits as noted above.

 

What is raw honey?

Raw honey is honey as it is held in the beehive. In other words, it is honey that, during the extraction process, is filtered through a cloth or nylon net to remove residues such as beeswax and dead bees, and then goes directly to packaging and selling. This means that raw honey does not undergo the heating, pasteurization and filtration processes used in industrial processing. Some of the benefits of raw honey are that it contains 2 amino acids, 31 different minerals and a variety of vitamins and enzymes needed by the body, but it should be noted that these advantages are relatively negligible because the amount of these nutrients is minimal in honey. The most significant thing in raw honey is the high content of its bioactive plant compounds, which have not been affected by industrial processing. These compounds are called polyphenols and they act as antioxidants, and have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer[2]. In raw honey, there are, of course, no added sweeteners. Due to the fact that the raw honey does not undergo processing that makes it more smooth, raw honey becomes more rigid, crystallized and granular, which is also a good way to identify it. Additionally, organic honey cannot be heated and therefore, some organic honey is also considered raw. 

A natural bee hive in our farm

 

According to a study comparing the number of antioxidants in regular honey and in raw honey, it was found that raw honey has 4.3 times more antioxidants than regular honey [3]. Further research has found that raw honey and honey with minimal processing, with an emphasis on minimal, have similar amounts of minerals and antioxidants, but raw honey has a higher number of enzymes.

Pollen content: Another essential difference between ordinary honey and raw honey is its pollen content. Bees pass from flower to flower and collect nectar and pollen that are taken back into the hive and reach the honeycomb - which is supposed to be the bee's own source of food. The pollen contains over 250 different nutrients, including amino acids, vitamins, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants [4]. Pollen helps the body fight inflammation, improve liver function and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The substance was considered so nutritious that the Federal Health Ministry recognized pollen as a medicine. Unfortunately, honey processing such as heating and ultra-filtration can reduce the presence of pollen in honey, making it little more than a natural sweetener. In an unofficial study of 60 samples of commercial honey, two-thirds of them did not contain pollen.

Glucose oxidase content: Another important ingredient in honey is an enzyme called Glucose oxidase, which helps in the production of molecules that give honey its antibacterial properties, but this enzyme is also vulnerable to honey processes such as industrial filtration and heating[5].

 

Complications associated with Honey

As is well known, it is forbidden to give honey to any infants under the age of two for fear of exposure to the toxin secreted from the Clostridium botulinum that may be found in honey, and to some extent the ban also holds for pregnant women. The risk of bacteria is present in both normal and raw honey, and therefore it is important that the populations at risk avoid consuming it. If you experience side effects such as nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea after consuming honey, although rare, you should report them to your doctor immediately.

 

Where can you find raw honey?

The unfiltered and unheated honey which is also organic and chemical-free is abundantly available in the villages both in the orchards as well as in the village markets. It's a good idea to take advantage of a day off or a weekend getaway and take a trip to a village where honey is extracted from hives of commercial bee keepers or farmers, just to make sure you're getting the very best. Buy honey from the village haats and encourage our beekeeping farmers.

Pure natural honey

References

 

1. E A Alagwu , J E Okwara, R O Nneli, E E Osim : Effect of honey intake on serum cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein levels in albino rats and potential benefits on risks of coronary heart disease; Niger J Physiol Sci. 2011 Dec 20;26(2):161-5.
2.   Yue Zhou , Jie Zheng , Ya Li , Dong-Ping Xu , Sha Li , Yu-Ming Chen , Hua-Bin Li: Natural Polyphenols for Prevention and Treatment of Cancer; Nutrients 2016 Aug 22;8(8):515.
3.  Manuela Blasa, Manila Candiracci, Augusto Accorsi, Maria Piera Piacentini, Maria Cristina Albertini, Elena Piatti: Raw Millefiori honey is packed full of antioxidants; Food Chemistry, Volume 97, Issue 2, Pages 217-222, 2006.
4. Katarzyna Komosinska-Vassev , Pawel Olczyk, Justyna Kaźmierczak, Lukasz Mencner, Krystyna Olczyk: Bee pollen: chemical composition and therapeutic application: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med . 2015;2015:297425.
5.  https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/#.WnbBQqiWbie