Coloured sunglasses are hot this summer
Ambika Kumar

"GORE gore mukhre pe kala kala chashma." Summer is here and all one needs is a good pair of sunglasses. This season the market is flooded with a variety of sunshades—different frames and coloured lenses. While some prefer the broad frames, the others are opting for the frameless or rimless ones. The lens colours are not only confined to blacks or browns. Instead, trendy colours like blue, red, pink, yellow and green are in.

One can choose from a number of brands like Nike, Benetton, Ray-Ban, Giorgio-Armani, Ralph Lauren, Guess, Versace and the local or Chinese makes. The range varies, depending on how much you are willing to spend. The cost starts from Rs 75 for the purely utilitarian goggles and goes up to a whopping Rs 3500 plus for designer sunglasses.

Of course, the quality differs according to the plastic and metal used. The UV and glare-protection lenses are better. It is, in fact, important that the quality of the lens used is superior .

Youngsters are extremely choosy about sunglasses. "I need to wear a smart pair of goggles which suit my face. The brand is important even if they are expensive . One needs to move with the times", comments Shruti, a plus two student.

The trend has changed. "The broader frames are slowly coming into vogue but the thin-framed ones are still in. Though the ultimate choice depends on the customer," asserts a dealer in sunglasses, Mr Gurpreet Singh.

The girls are going in for sleek and coloured ones, while the boys are opting for the big -framed goggles. "I am fond of the plastic-framed shades as they are lighter and more comfortable. The coloured lenses are happening and different", says a graduate, Nakul Mehra.

There is a segment for the kids as well which is available in bright flowery colours and designs. They cost anywhere between Rs 25 and Rs 150. But again the lens is not safe enough to be worn for long hours. Do not compromise on the quality .

So wear a good and smart pair of sunglasses which not only protect your delicate eyes but also make you look hot this summer.

Curing with 'food therapy'
Shveta Pathak

The Goindis

SOME seek fame and appreciation as the rewards for their hard work. There are others who keep working towards their mission, keeping a low profile. Dr S.S. Goindi and his wife, Mrs Gurkirpal Kaur Goindi , belong to the second category.

The couple, who have developed their own "food therapy " based on principles of natural diet, claim to have cured people suffering from diabetes, arthritis, heart ailments , thyroid , even cancer and several other diseases. The Goindis, who have been doing this for the past 30 years or so, have also prepared their own fat-free recipes. These are given to patients as part of their treatment.

Apart from this, Mrs Gurkirpal provides guidance for remedial exercises, while Mr Goindi , who earlier had his own sports business, pays free visits to senior citizens . They do not charge any fee from senior citizens whereas for the food they provide, only the amount equal to the cost is charged.

It all started when Mrs Gurkirpal's osteo-arthritis problem became serious . She had this problem from the age of 15. “After the doctors at AIIMS told us that it could not be cured, we went to Hyderabad for naturopathy,” says Dr Goindi. That was the time when they got first-hand knowledge about naturopathy and even read many books related to it. However, she developed an even more serious problem and started passing blood from both lungs. "The doctors had said that she would not live for more than 4-5 days ", Mr Goindi says.

It was then that Mrs Gurkirpal asked her husband to treat her using naturotherapy. He started giving her unboiled , unsweetened , slightly warm milk, 4 kg to 5 kg each day, and this worked wonders. In merely 12 days, she was all right. The treatment continued for 80 days, leaving her hale and hearty.

The next several years were spent experimenting and working on remedial nutritional diet. This included her ‘mono diets’ of oranges for several days, and she even fasted for 14 days, having only water. “I was working as a physical education teacher and life had been very active. After getting cured, however, I did not feel as active as I had been earlier and so followed the diets , which, of course, gave favourable results,” says she. And today, she not only manages her work, her house , but also has a perfect eyesight and prefers going on foot for several kilometres.

Their recipes from germinated foods and cereals include delicious laddoos, biscuits, dosas, pizzas and porridges. The couple also offers home-processed frozen foods from soya bean (pizzas) to replace heavier meal preparations. The patient being treated is either given these “instant good foods” which are also prepared on demand and sold. Their ready-to-make foods include a beverage developed by them, named kafita , which is prepared from wheat and has the aroma, colour and taste of coffee, without the ill-effects of caffeine. Then there is a dosa prepared from germinated wheat, bajra, cornflour and spinach .

Other special dishes include sambar made of germinated gram , pinnis of moong dal, groundnuts. They also make cakes using non-stick pans . Biscuits using sesame are another preparation.

The Goindis and their family, too, have this oil-free food, like koftas made from kabuli chanas , dahi vadas, palak pakoras , potato chips and other dishes, which many think cannot be prepared without oil . Since the couple does not charge from senior citizens and works on a no-profit basis, they are managing through donations only.

Regarding their plans, they say , “ We have an ambitious plan to establish a food therapy ashram and hospital as our aim is to provide health and nutritional service to people.” Their charitable project, however, will start only after there is enough money for it.

(For appointment, call 775032).