How Bollywood Has Distorted Our Ideas of Sexuality and Body Image

Written By: Sindhu Kambam

April 13, 2021

Highlights

Bollywood’s idea of sexuality has far-reaching consequences on India’s social fabric.

The impression of sexuality and body image as shown in Bollywood films tend to implant wrong ideas in their minds and mislead them.

Not only women but men too have become the victims of these notions of appealing body image and sexuality.

An international study finds that women in Indian movies are made to emphasize their sex appeal but are unlikely to have professions.

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We all love Bollywood and most of us even dream of becoming a Bollywood actor or actress. Everything in our daily lives from the way we dress, speak, behave, the style we choose to the way we think has been impacted by the cinemas.

We even see little kids dancing to the songs such as Chikni Chameli from Agneepath and Sheila Ki Jawaani from Tees Maar Khan. This shows the intensity of the impact created by Bollywood on young Indians and our society.

Cinema has far-reaching consequences on the young minds of Indians and Bollywood’s portrayal of women has been stereotypical for way too long.

The depiction of misogyny in Bollywood is hardly a new problem and is deeply rooted in the industry. Kabir Singh, for instance, though criticized for the way it portrayed an abusive relationship as a form of love was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2019.

These movies have made some people fear that it would inspire or even drive people to unacceptable behavior and may promote the dangerous idea that sexual harassment is acceptable.

Most of the youth have forgotten to embrace their bodies. Not everyone’s body type is the same nor has the same skin tone all over their body. It is important to remember that it is their professional necessity that makes the actors take special care to maintain even skin tone and look beautiful to attract the audience.

It’s time for all of us to take the responsibility to inculcate realistic cultural values among the young minds so that at least the next generation would know the reality and show respect towards others as well as themselves.

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Since its inception in the 1930s, Bollywood has been the go-to place for entertainment for a large fraction of the Indians.

Do these kids know the meaning of those songs?

The lyrics of some of these songs go from bad to worse. Have you ever realized that most Bollywood songs that you rocked to so happily as a child were disgustingly sexist?

How do these kinds of songs and movies influence millions of young and old minds, across urban and rural India?

Bollywood films have a great impact on one’s perception of sexuality and body image. Bollywood films are indeed sold on women for they focus on objectifying women, but these methods adopted to portray women are not only limited to the screen but have a social impact too.

Misogyny is not a new thing in Bollywood

Cinema has far-reaching consequences on the young minds of Indians and Bollywood’s portrayal of women has been stereotypical for way too long.

For a long time, Bollywood romances have solely been an expression of male desire with women having no say. They are portrayed as eye-candy and hyper-sexualized in most of the advertising posters to attract the audience and added to the fuel are the item songs where a female in revealing and modern clothes dances amid a pack of men.

It is very common in commercial films that female characters are objectified as mere sexual objects without intellectual capability, while men are portrayed as strong, professional, and intellectual, and heroic.

“An international study finds that women in Indian movies are made to emphasize their sex appeal but are unlikely to have professions.”

Women are usually portrayed as sexual objects in Indian films and are mostly used for supportive and decorative roles as is evident in Kabir Singh and most Indian films.

Are Bollywood makers fully aware of glorifying and promoting misogyny in relationships?

These movies have made some people fear that it would inspire or even drive people to unacceptable behavior and may promote the dangerous idea that sexual harassment is acceptable. The success of this kind of movie which glorifies misogyny shows that there is still a long way to go to bring a change in the perception of sexuality among young Indians.

Showcase of Body Image

Movies have always been a very effective means of communication and the impression of sexuality and body image as shown in Bollywood films tend to implant wrong ideas in their minds and mislead them.

The female actor is shown beautiful and attractive with a light skin tone and a perfect body which makes the hero get attracted towards her. This portrayal of the women in Bollywood films has led many young girls to achieve the unrealistic beauty standards of the female actors going through the painful process of waxing and other beauty care with the desire to look attractive in the eyes of their partner.

Not only women but men too are the victims of these notions. Bollywood hero is objectified as a tall person with a chiseling physique and without body hair and fat. Most of the men are under hidden pressure to feel good about their bodies and attract their partners.

While some filmmakers are trying to change the depiction of sexuality in Indian films, yet there is much to be done to have empathy and sensibility towards real women and the problems they face.

Bollywood’s idea of sexuality has far-reaching consequences on India’s social fabric. The actors need to realize that overemphasis of sexual scenes can have a huge impact on the young girls and boys and should have the courage to turn down the characters that objectify women with negative body image.

Body Image bollywood Bollywood actors Bollywood films cinema misogyny Sex appeal sexuality

Sindhu Kambam

A content writer by profession with a passion in art and science. Being a nature and technology lover, she loves to solve real problems that makes life easier.

Three Things This Holistic Lifestyle Coach Wants Women To Know

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin

July 21, 2021 | 02:51 PM |

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Highlights

Luke Coutinho’s treatments work towards identifying the root cause of a particular health condition and helps people suffering from lifestyle-driven illnesses to reduce their pain and improve their quality of life.
He uses nutrition, medication, changes in lifestyle, and improvements in emotional wellness, sometimes alternative medicine like Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Yoga with conventional medicine.
Three things Luke Coutino advises for women’s health.

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“I am neither a God nor a Guru. I am not a healer or a doctor or a cult leader. I am Luke Coutinho and I practice in the field of Integrative Lifestyle Medicine and Life Coaching”, reads Luke Coutinho’s website. But we have all at some time or the other, heard success stories of his wellness tips, listened to his lives or read up his many advice. “When one hears the word “medicine”, one immediately thinks of the pharmaceutical world, allopathy, chemotherapy, radiation, antibiotics, and other drugs used by conventional doctors and medicine. I am not a practitioner of Alternative Medicine either”. So who is Luke Coutinho and what does he do that people rave about so much?

Luke Coutinho’s Holistic Healing focuses on integrative and preventive medicine, disease, and coaching. His team of professionals from various fields of health, medicine, and alternative medicine practice together as a team in a holistic way. Designed on the foundation of integrative and preventative health care using lifestyle, the ecosystem consists of medical doctors, nutritionists, clinical dietetics, emotional counselors, lifestyle experts, yoga therapists, and elite trainers.

Luke’s treatments work towards identifying the root cause of a particular health condition and helps people suffering from lifestyle-driven illnesses to reduce their pain and improve their quality of life. He uses nutrition, medication, changes in lifestyle, and improvements in emotional wellness, sometimes alternative medicine like Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Yoga with conventional medicine. The team has a holistic way of working with the patient and focuses on the individual as a whole rather than a disease in isolation.

Here are three things Luke Coutinho advises for women’s health

Nutrition for Vaginal Health

It is usual for girls or women to notice changes in their vagina, be it physical changes like developing pubic hair, the occurrence of UTIs, painful periods, dryness or problems with incontinence after menopause or childbirth. Many healthy lifestyle changes can help address this problem and make your life much more pleasant and comfortable.
One thing is for sure; the taboo surrounding vaginal health must be addressed, so let’s talk about it!
The vagina is an elastic, muscular canal with a soft, flexible lining that provides lubrication and sensation. It connects the uterus to the outside world and is a vital organ, as it plays a role in sexual pleasure and is capable of bringing forth life. But, with age comes vaginal changes.

Foods play an essential role in maintaining the pH balance, and some of the best foods for vaginal health are:

Cranberries: Cranberries are rich in PACs (proanthocyanidins), a type of plant compound that makes the bladder slippery (and therefore more resistant) to coli, the bacteria that are linked to the most common type of urinary tract infection.
Avocados: Avocados are ample in healthy fats, vitamin B-6, and potassium, all of which have positive effects on the libido. This fruit can enhance lubrication, strengthen vaginal walls, and may even increase the chances of IVF due to its good fat content. You can include this creamy fruit in your salad, sandwiches or smoothie!
Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes have vitamin A, which helps in building stronger, healthier vaginal walls, reducing the risk of miscarriage during pregnancies. They are also a good source of magnesium, which reduces inflammation in blood vessels, improving blood circulation and reducing bodily stress.
Soy and Soy Products: Soy can be a bit of a controversial topic, but the phytoestrogens (compounds that mimic estrogen in the body) found in soy are good news for vaginal health, especially in people with reduced estrogen levels.

A balanced vaginal pH needs to stay in the range of 3.8 – 4.5, which is acidic. The moment it strays out of balance for too long, bacteria have a chance to thrive and cause discomfort or Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs).

Seed Cycling for PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

With the increasing number of cases of PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in young girls, menopausal symptoms in women and increasing issues of infertility due to Hormonal imbalance, women have started trying all sorts of diets and exercises. Seed cycling is one of the processes tried by many women to help with hormonal correction, regularize periods and alleviate menopausal symptoms.

When you try to find research on the benefits of seed cycling, there are not many scientific papers available. Although in my practice, I have seen many cases where seed cycling has actually worked in improving the condition of my patients. But of course, it’s always an integrated approach when it comes to lifestyle along with adding superfoods.

So what exactly is seed cycling and how does it work?

Seed cycling is a naturopathic approach of having 4 seeds – Flaxseeds, Sesame seeds, Pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds on a rotational basis during the period cycle. The seeds are divided into two groups. Flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds are to be had in-ground form during the follicular phase. Sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are to be had in ground form during the luteal phase.

For women with irregular periods, in order to keep a track of cycle days, it’s advised to follow the phases of the moon with the first day of the cycle on the new moon day. The reason being our body was in sync with the Lunar cycle before the artificial light surrounded us. Women are supposed to be highly fertile around the full moon and the fertility is less around the new moon.

Apart from balancing the hormones in PCOS, research has shown that flaxseeds help to reduce androgen levels (male hormone) which are the causative factor of hirsutism (facial hair) in some females. For post-menopausal women, seed cycling helps to reduce the symptoms of hot flashes and vaginal dryness.

Factors To Help With Natural Conception

Today IVF has become something that is just sold to women. In my practice, I have come across cases where they haven’t even given the woman a chance and time of 2-3 months to work on her health and try for natural conception. Fear is put inside their mind – you are getting older, it’s going to get more and more difficult, so here is IVF.

That needs to stop at some point. We should be giving a fair chance to women like there should be a checklist that you do x, y, z and if you still cannot get pregnant, then IVF is definitely an option. Here are pointers for your checklist which you need to work upon to help you with natural conception:

Vitamin D – there is enough research that shows the correlation of vitamin D3 with infertility. Today one in three men and women have low levels of vitamin D3. It’s important for bone health and calcium absorption but there are vitamin D3 receptors in your uterus, in your ovaries, testes, in the placenta. Vitamin D3 has a role in turning genes on and off. If the levels are low, this can be one reason why you are not able to get pregnant. Start looking at Vitamin D3 levels 3-6 months before you start thinking about having a baby. You need to make sure your Vitamin D3 levels are on track. Don’t overdo it because it can cause toxicity, follow moderation. Levels should not go above 100 ng/ml. Check Vitamin D3 levels and take necessary action. Sunlight helps with Vitamin D3 production in the body. If you cannot get it via sunlight, can include some fortified foods. If not, then can take a supplement but that is on your doctor to decide for you. But remember low vitamin D3 levels can be a reason you are not able to conceive.
Hormonal Balance – An imbalance of hormones also decreases your chances to conceive. Today most women have high prolactin levels because of stress. Higher the prolactin levels, the more infertile you will be. You need to get the hormones checked and work on them naturally. Stress also causes an increase in cortisol which leads to a decrease in testosterone levels in men which affects the sperm count. The beauty of the human body is when the hormones are in sync, there is an increased chance for you to conceive.
Stress – There is a direct connection between stress and your ability to conceive. When the body is chronically stressed, it will not allow you to conceive the right Nurturing of a child within you is the last thing your body wants to do as it perceives any kind of stress. You can see that in your hormones fluctuating all over. Women will have high prolactin levels. Men will have low testosterone levels which will cause low sex drive or erectile dysfunction. One of the best ways to reduce the high levels of prolactin is by reducing stress. Deep breathing, meditation, yoga, exercise, eating the right way, and getting the right amount of sleep. When you bring down the prolactin levels, you allow the other hormones in the body to operate the right way.
Nutrition – Women are given folic acid supplements 3-6 months prior to pregnancy as it is an important vitamin for child growth and for conception. Good quality protein, zinc, iron, calcium, dietary fiber are few more nutrients of importance for natural conception. Include whole grains, pulses, and legumes, green leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, nuts, and seeds in your daily diet.

The above are excerpts from Luke Coutinho’s Blogs. To read the full article, you can click here.

luke coutinho nutrtion PCOS seed cycling Vaginal Health

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.