Muscle loss, or sarcopenia, was once considered a condition affecting only the elderly — but new research shows it's now showing up in adults as young as their 30s and 40s. In this episode, host Kamini Mathai, coordinating editor with TOI, speaks with Dr Nitin Kapoor, Professor and Head of the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at Christian Medical College and Hospital Vellore, about why sarcopenia is on the rise in India and what can be done about it.

Dr Kapoor shares findings from a decade-long Kerala cohort study showing sarcopenia prevalence jumping from 4% to nearly 35% in younger adults, explains the surprising link between diabetes, insulin resistance and muscle breakdown, and discusses how weight-loss drugs like GLP-1s can accelerate muscle loss. The conversation covers practical, at-home ways to assess your muscle health (calf circumference, grip strength, walk speed), the three pillars of sarcopenia prevention (nutrition, exercise, and calcium/vitamin D), and why 10,000 steps a day isn't enough to protect your muscles as you age.

Whether you're managing diabetes, considering weight-loss medication, or simply want to age with strength and independence, this episode offers science-backed, actionable guidance from one of India's leading experts in metabolic health.

Before you tune out, do listen to the nutrition power tip of the week by nutritionist Pooja Makhija (https://www.nourishgenie.com/)

Chapters:

01:20 – What Is Sarcopenia? Defining Muscle Weakness, Mass & Function

02:23 – The Kerala Cohort Study: Sarcopenia Jumps from 4% to 35%

04:35 – Is Sarcopenia Rising Globally or Just in India?

05:02 – The Diabetes–Muscle Loss Connection Explained

07:57 – GLP-1 & Anti-Obesity Drugs: The Hidden Muscle Loss Risk

09:36 – Why Women Lose More Muscle Than Men on These Drugs

11:02 – The 3 Pillars of Sarcopenia Prevention

14:31 – Managing Lactose Intolerance & Calcium Supplementation

15:56 – Secondary Causes of Sarcopenia & Emerging Medications

16:23 – Dr. Kapoor's Personal Routine: Swimming for Muscle Health

17:47 – "But I Walk 10,000 Steps a Day!" — Why Aerobic Isn't Enough

20:34 – How Much Muscle Do We Lose Per Decade?

21:34 – Starting Strength Training Safely in Your 50s & 60s

23:19 – At-Home Tests: Grip Strength, Body Composition, Walk Speed

25:35 – Closing Thoughts: "A Stitch in Time Saves Nine"

Photographs are memories but clicking too many can impair the very experience they are trying to preserve. In this episode, Anuradha Vellat, Assistant Editor with TOI, speaks to two experts — cognitive scientist and IIT professor Jaison Manjaly, and clinical psychologist Nupur Dhakephalkar — about what scientists call the 'photo-taking impairment effect', a phenomenon where we are distracted from the experience of that perfect sunset because we are trying to capture its essence on our cameras and phones.

Manjaly explains how memory is inseparable from attention. Zooming in, staying curious about a subject, and revisiting images later all strengthen recall, while mindless, rapid-fire clicking, now enabled by smartphones, floods our galleries with photos we never really encoded in the first place. Dhakephalkar unpacks how social media compounds this, turning presence into performance. We start photographing not to remember an experience, but to be seen, chasing likes and 'aura' over lived, felt experience. Her fix is simple — an 80-20 ratio, eyes first, lens second, favouring fewer, more deliberate and intentional photographs of what is meaningful to us, rather than merely what looks beautiful.

Before you put your phone down, tune in to hear why the most photographed moments are often the ones we remember the least.

And before you tune out, do check out the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/) in the end.

Chapters

00:00 - Photos That Steal The Sunset

01:37 - How The Brain Decides What's Worth Remembering

03:11 - Photo-Taking Impairment Effect, Explained

04:14 - Sight Over Sound: Why Visual Memory Gets Priority

06:22 - Smartphones Didn't Invent This, They Amplified It

09:52 - Is Outsourcing Memory Actually Irrational?

11:12 - Clicking to Remember Recipes — So Why Do We Still Forget?

13:45 - Volume Vs Retrieval: Why Bigger Camera Rolls Mean Fewer Memories

16:08 - When Forgetting Signals Something More Than Photos

17:15 - Videos And The Concert You Never Quite Experienced

20:06 - Zoom-In Effect: Attention As The Key to Memory

28:17 - FOMO, Aura Farming & Turning Experience Into Performance

29:47 - Eyes First, Lens Second: 80:20 Rule For Mindful Memory

31:52 - Photos As Storytelling: Final Takeaways

Heart disease is no longer a condition associated only with older adults. Across India, cardiologists are seeing an increasing number of younger patients with heart attacks, raising important questions about early detection, prevention and the latest advances in diagnosis and treatment.

In this episode, Anuja Jaiswal, a Senior Assistant Editor with TOI, speaks with Dr Ambuj Roy, professor of cardiology at AIIMS, New Delhi, about how heart care has evolved over the past two decades, and what patients need to know in order to protect themselves.

Dr Roy explains the difference between a calcium score and a CT coronary angiography, when a heart CT scan is actually needed, and why routine CT screening for everyone above 40 is not recommended despite the growing burden of heart disease. He discusses how doctors decide between ECG, echocardiography, CT angiography and cardiac MRI, depending on the patient’s symptoms and clinical suspicion.

The conversation also explores why heart attacks are becoming more common among young Indians, highlighting the role of unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, stress and air pollution. Dr Roy explains how managing these risk factors can substantially reduce the risk of heart disease.

The episode examines the growing role of artificial intelligence in interpreting ECGs, echocardiograms and CT scans, and whether AI can improve access to quality cardiac diagnosis in resource-constrained settings. It also addresses one of the biggest debates in cardiology: are stents being overused? Dr Roy explains when stents are lifesaving, when medicines may be enough, and why patients with stable heart disease should make informed decisions.

The episode concludes with practical advice on recognising heart attack symptoms, immediate first aid, understanding blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol targets, and adopting healthier lifestyles to reduce cardiovascular risk.

Last but not the least, there’s a nutrition tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/). Do Listen!

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Why heart disease is rising in young Indians

01:03 – What is a Heart CT Scan? Calcium Score vs CT Angiography

03:05 – ECG, Echo, CT Scan or MRI: Which Heart Test Do You Need?

05:34 – Should Everyone Above 40 Get a Heart CT Scan?

09:24 – Why Are More Young Indians Suffering Heart Attacks?

11:19 – Major Heart Attack Risk Factors You Should Never Ignore

12:32 – How Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Heart Diagnosis

14:38 – Are Stents Overused? When They Save Lives and When They Don't

18:24 – Can Patients Tell If They Really Need a Stent?

19:11 – Three Essential Tips to Keep Your Heart Healthy

21:06 – First Aid During a Heart Attack: What Should You Do?

22:05 – Why an ECG in the First Hour Can Save Your Heart

23:20 – Final Takeaways from Dr Ambuj Roy

Don’t frequent small bites actually boost your metabolism and keep steady energy levels? Well, that’s the myth that needs busting. In this episode, host Srirupa Ray, Assistant Editor with TOI, sits down with Delhi-based clinical nutritionist, biohacking coach, and nutrigenomics researcher Tanya Malik Chawla to understand how our modern grazing habits are driving a quiet crisis of overfed but malnourished individuals, contributing heavily to India’s diabetes burden.

Unlike cows or goats, humans are not built to graze continuously. Chawla uses the analogy of a lion — an animal meant to eat a substantial, nutrient-dense meal and then give its system prolonged rest. Instead, modern culture, supercharged by instant quick-commerce apps, has turned eating into a continuous emotional response to stress, boredom, and celebration. Every time we reach for a quick bite, we trigger a glucose spike and a subsequent hit of dopamine. This instant, unearned reward makes sugar as addictive as any drug. Over time, the brain becomes insensitive to these spikes, trapping us in a vicious cycle of chasing the next dopamine hit.

A staggering trend Chawla notes in her functional medicine practice is that people struggling with weight gain are often severely malnourished. While calorie intake is high, blood markers consistently show critical deficiencies, such as chronically low vitamin D, tanked ferritin levels, and a severe lack of protein. Referencing the landmark ICMR-Lancet study, Chawla highlights that the modern Indian diet is overwhelmingly glucose-heavy. Nibbling on traditional or packaged snacks — from namkeens and biscuits to upma and poha — floods the bloodstream with carbohydrates while offering virtually no amino acids or micronutrients.

When we constantly snack on carbs, the pancreas continuously pumps out insulin to ferry glucose to our cells. When the cells have no energetic demand, they eventually block the door, leading to insulin resistance. Furthermore, the liver can only store a limited amount of glycogen. The excess glucose is converted into triglycerides, ultimately resulting in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, even in individuals who do not drink alcohol or consider themselves overweight.

Constant digestion is incredibly energy-expensive, leaving the body no time for cellular cleanup. Snacking late at night is particularly damaging because insulin acts as an antagonist to the human growth hormone. To counter this, Chawla advocates for functional time-restricted eating rather than extreme fasting. A strict three-hour gap between your last meal and sleep allows insulin to drop and growth hormones to surge, she says. Meals should ideally follow a balanced macro split of 30% protein, 30% healthy fats, and 40% complex carbohydrates. By shifting away from the mindless munchies and giving the gut a dedicated break, we allow the body to activate longevity pathways like autophagy, proving that true wellness isn’t about eating less, but nourishing right.

Before tuning out, do check out the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/) in the end.

Chapters

00:01 - Mindless Munchies & The Metabolism Myth

01:12 - The Biology of Comfort: Food as an Emotional Language

02:17 - The Grazing Analogy: Why We Aren’t Goats or Cows

03:22 - Habit vs. Discipline: The Quick Commerce Trap

04:29 -The Paradox of the Modern Diet: Overfed but Malnourished

05:11 - Reading the Markers: Hidden Deficiencies in Weight Loss

06:40 - Today’s Indian Diet: The Glucose-Heavy Reality

08:55 - The Ancestral Shift: Physical Labour vs. Sedentary Snacking

10:26 - Designing the Ideal Plate: The 30-30-40 Macro Rule

14:36 - The Cellular View: Insulin Resistance & Fatty Liver Explained

19:36 - Hormones & Habits: The Antagonism of Insulin and Growth Hormone

23:58 - Curating the Kitchen: Re-defining ‘Good’ vs. ‘Bad’ Snacks

27:05 - Epigenetics & Longevity: The Perimenopause Case Study

Is your child spending too much time on screens? Does endless scrolling, binge-watching and short-form content really affect children’s brains, or is the viral term ‘brain rot’ more hype than science?

In this episode, host Kritika Sharma, an Assistant Editor with The Times of India, explores one of the biggest parenting concerns of the digital age with developmental therapist and play practitioner Lavina Nanda, who heads the developmental centre at Children First, a mental health institute in Delhi.

Joining the conversation are two parents with different experiences — lawyer and reading advocate Richa Pandey, and architect Susmita — who share practical strategies that have helped their children develop a healthier relationship with screens.

The discussion examines why screens are so addictive for children and adults alike, what ‘brain rot’ actually means from a psychological perspective, and whether excessive screen use affects attention span, emotional regulation, sleep and learning. The guests also explain why it is so essential for kids to get bored, because this way they spend some time just figuring out what to do next instead of just picking up the screen. They talk about why play is essential for healthy brain development, and how parents can cultivate a home environment that naturally encourages reading, creativity and curiosity instead of constant digital stimulation.

The panel also addresses common parenting dilemmas: Should screens be banned altogether? Can educational content be beneficial? Why can children spend hours watching videos but struggle to focus in a classroom? And most important, how can families build healthier digital habits without turning every conversation into a battle over screen time?

Packed with evidence-based insights, relatable parenting experiences and practical takeaways, this episode offers a balanced perspective on raising children in a technology-driven world. Whether you’re a parent, educator or caregiver, you’ll leave with simple, actionable ideas to help children build healthier relationships with technology while nurturing their emotional, cognitive and social development.

Do check out the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/) in the end.

Chapters:

00:19 Introduction: What is brain rot?

01:04 Why do kids get addicted to screens?

05:15 Can the Brain Recover from Excessive Screen Time?

05:51 Parents Join the Conversation

07:21 Are Parents Responsible for Screen Addiction?

09:27 Why Children Need to Be Bored

12:05 Can Reading Replace Scrolling?

13:07 Creating a Culture of Reading at Home

17:08 Play Is a Child's Occupation

19:16 Parenting a Six-Year-Old in the Digital Age

24:21 Why Can Kids Focus on Screens but Not School?

29:24 Screens Are Here to Stay — Now What?

32:45 One-Line Definition of Brain Rot

38:10 Final Takeaways

From step counts and sleep scores to heart rate alerts and daily streaks, wearable devices and wellness apps have become part of everyday life. But when does healthy tracking become an unhealthy obsession?

In this episode, host Jahnavi, a senior digital content creator with TOI, speaks with Dr Naveen Chandra GS, interventional cardiologist, and Neha Cadabam, mental health expert, both from Bengaluru, about the growing phenomenon of health app burnout. They explain why so many people become fixated on numbers, how wearables can trigger unnecessary anxiety, and where these devices genuinely improve healthcare.

The conversation also explores the psychology behind streaks and dopamine, why smart watches can sometimes do more harm than good, and practical ways to use technology without letting it take over your well-being.

Don’t tune out before listening to the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/).

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Are Health Apps Making Us Healthier?

01:45 – Are We Tracking Too Much?

04:16 – The Psychology of Streaks, Guilt & Notifications

06:21 – When Wearables Trigger Health Anxiety

10:03 – Who Is Most Vulnerable to Overtracking?

11:49 – Why Wellness Apps Become Exhausting

16:04 – What Health Metrics Actually Matter?

21:02 – Finding a Healthy Balance with Technology

23:12 – Rapid Fire: Health Tech Myths & Habits

25:19 – Closing Thoughts & Takeaways

We have enough and more sunlight in India, then why do we lack in the one vitamin that sunlight provides — vitamin D? Is it because of our modern indoor lifestyle, or the rising pollution levels?

In this episode, host Anuja Jaiswal, a Senior Assistant Editor with TOI, has a candid chat with Dr Ravinder Goswami, AIIMS professor and a Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize-winning endocrinologist. Together, they unpack the ‘sunshine vitamin’ paradox: why vitamin D deficiency remains widespread in sunny India.

Dr Goswami breaks down the vital, interconnected roles that vitamin D and calcium play in maintaining a healthy skeletal system and supporting functional biology. The conversation highlights the mechanism behind natural UVB absorption through the skin, the limitations of food fortification, and why common modern lifestyles — like working long hours indoors behind glass windows — hinder natural vitamin D production.

Listeners will also gain crucial, practical insights into safe supplementation practices, navigating seasonal variations, and managing deficiency risks associated with aging, obesity, and specific medications.

Before you tune out, be sure to listen to the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/).

Chapters

01:01 - Skeletal and Functional Role of Vitamin D

01:51 - Natural Synthesis of Cholecalciferol in Skin

02:48 - Sunshine Requirements: UVB Rays and the Optimal Time of Day

03:37 - Sun Exposure Myths vs. Realities (The Surya Namaskar Distinction)

04:17 - Why Window Glass Blocks Vitamin D Synthesis

04:48 - Nature’s Safety Valve Against Vitamin D Toxicity

05:15 - Impact of Winter Weather and Urban Pollution

06:19 The Limitations of Dietary Sources (Fish, Eggs, and Mushrooms)

08:15 - Food Fortification Strategies in India

10:03 - High-Risk Groups: Medical Conditions and Drug Interactions

13:57 - Lessons from History: The AIIMS Groundbreaking Studies (1998)

19:13 - Supplementation Schedules and the Danger of Injectables

26:13 - Understanding Biological Feedback Loop (PTH & Hypercalcemia)

Jonty Rhodes’ eyes just light up when he sees a red cricket ball. You throw one at him, he catches it cleanly and then pretends to throw it back, startling the daylights out of you. This is Jonty that world’s top cricketers had come to fear in the 90s and early 2000s. He was lightening quick in the outfield, could pluck impossible catches out of thin air and hit the stumps from any angle.

At the centre of the terror he created on the field was his incredible fitness – a facet of cricketing discipline not many players then appreciated. Those were the years of pot-bellied Ranatungas and lazy geniuses like Inzamam-ul-Haq. Fielding, and thus top-notch fitness, was not counted as a core requirement for a cricketer. Jonty changed that forever.

At 56, now long retired from international cricket, Jonty is still incredibly fit. He now spends a lot of lot of time in India, mostly by the sea in a Goa fishing village. In this podcast, we ask him about his fitness secrets, why the Rhodes don't stock sugar in their kitchen, and why he prides himself in being the best sleeper in the family.

Don’t forget to listen to the nutrition power tip in the end, by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/)

Chapters

0:48 - My fitness is functional…it’s about mobility

2:10 - There is no sugar is our house

5:10 - Movement for my family is exercise

7:02 - Jonty’s three mantras to keep fit

9:00 - Your food is your medicine

12:00 - Some supplements are necessary

13:24 - Recovery is just as important as exercising

14:30 - I am not biohacking to live to be 150