Travel

I have been a biker riding various commuter bikes for about 15 years now. These bikes were a mix of Indo-Jap commuter bikes, totally trouble free best for point to point travel  but they all lacked something... something that would strike a chord within... something that would light up the day... sigh.. sadly these commuter bikes came with a complete lack of  attitude. Attitude... well.. that department was reserved for one name in the Indian two wheeler market... Royal Enfield.

Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twin-spark 

 Royal Enfield.. the name brings goose bumps, its a name synonymous with style, royalty, passion, love, poetry and of course The THUMP! yes the thump, that sweet exhaust note which few affectionately call it the beat as in the heart beat of the bike, the same beat which makes many heads turn as it passes by on the road breaking a few hearts, I was one of those aching hearts until that September of 2009 when I bought my dream machine The Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twin spark.

Its been over two years and more than 23000 kms of sheer joy. The experience has been a pleasant surprise.... Yeah because many people had advised me against buying this machine citing various mechanical problems related with Royal Enfield bikes.

People said that you may spend more time at the mechanic shops than riding, and that you become friends with the mechanic than with your bike and so on....
I studied a lot about these bikes and the people who ride these machines through various forums... understood their views and their reasons for choosing their Royal Enfields

Also read a lot about the reliability of the new generation twin spark engines and how modern engineering merged with vintage passion gave birth to today's Royal Enfields.

 I then understood that the people who advised me against buying the bike were so naive about these beasts, they  knew so little yet they proclaimed to be ohh so knowledgeable. I decided buy the Thunderbird twin spark and today after more than two years of ownership I am glad I made that decision.

Today I leave you with few of the pictures I clicked on its second year with me...  Feast!

curvy

The legendary name

An apt picture for the name a Thunderbird under the Thundering clouds!

Wine & Good Health -1

Better red than dead is affectionately said by many wine lovers.  Drinking wine has long been considered a healthier option compared to consumption of other alcoholic beverages primarily because of the way it is prepared. In its simplest form it is just a fermented juice of freshly gathered grapes.

People have been drinking wines since the birth of civilization itself, they always knew about the good qualities of wine, especially red wine, it is only recently that science has been able to pin point these qualities and bring out the results for everyone. 

In this two part series  I have tried to bring out the good effects of wine consumption on our health and to support my statements I have given references of the studies conducted all over the world. 

The Red wine & Heart Disease: According to the University Of Bourgogne researchers, People who drink up to four glasses of wine daily have higher levels of HDL (good cholesterol that escorts the bad cholesterol away from artery walls). 

The famous French paradox study revealed that in spite of having rich, creamy, cheesy & starchy food, The French Gallic wine drinkers were found to be having healthier hearts than their teetotaller counterparts.

Today in many hospitals around the world heart attack victims are advised Red wine consumption during their recovery.

 Red wine & Healthy blood:   At a 2001 conference at the University Victor Segalen in Bordeaux France, a discussion raised the possibility that the 200 phenolic compounds used in the red wine maybe effective against a number of ailments ranging from heart diseases to cancer.

 Many of these compounds come from skins and seeds of the grapes that are used in the making of red wine.

Red wine & Blood pressure:   Red wine helps in calming the blood pressure British journal of Pharmacology associated the relaxation of blood vessels and reduced blood pressure with red wine consumption.

 A study done by the same journal exhibited the positive effects on people with high blood pressure.

White wine & healthy lungs:  White wine also enjoys some of the healing benefits enjoyed by its colored cousin. In the early 2002 a survey of more than 1500 New Yorkers done by the University of Buffalo uncovered that Anti-oxidants in the wine prevent the creation of free radicals, harmful molecules that damage lung tissues.

Wine & Food Poisoning:  Wine of both colours help against constipation and diarrhoea, while white wine in particular stimulates the urinary functions. An Oregon study that was also reported in the Journal of Food Science suggested that wine combats both salmonella and E. Coli. It also kills cholera bacteria and combats typhoid.

In the next part: 

* Looking at a few more ailments that can be reversed/ controlled/avoided by the consumption of wines.

* What quantity is exactly good and if you are to start then how much is too much.

Cheers!