As the "tradwife" trend gains traction on social media—encouraging a return to traditional gender roles with women as homemakers and men as breadwinners—many are romanticizing the 1950s. A recent nationwide survey found that nearly half of Americans believe life was better back then, with cultural shifts often cited as a point of concern, particularly among conservatives.

While social structures have evolved dramatically since the postwar era, public health has seen remarkable improvements. Advances in medical technology, diagnostics, and treatment have led to longer life expectancies and better disease prevention. There's greater awareness around the risks of smoking, excess sugar, alcohol, and the importance of nutrition, sleep, and physical activity.

Still, not all health trends have improved. Chronic conditions like obesity and diabetes are more widespread than ever before. According to Josephine Connolly-Schoonen, executive director of the nutrition division at Stony Brook Medicine, there are five key lifestyle habits from the 1950s that could offer valuable lessons today.

1. Cook More At Home

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2. Cut Down On Ultra-Processed Foods

3. Watch Your Portions

Portion sizes have ballooned since the ’50s. A typical hamburger has tripled in size, and soft drink servings have more than doubled. Larger portions may feel like a better deal, especially in tough economic times, but they often come at the cost of long-term health. Connolly-Schoonen urges people to see value in nutrient-rich foods rather than just bigger servings.

4. Move More, Sit Less

In 1960, nearly half of private-sector jobs required moderate physical activity. Today, that number has dropped below 20%, as desk jobs and virtual meetings dominate. Physical inactivity is now a major risk factor for several chronic conditions. Whether through regular breaks or walking meetings, incorporating movement into the workday is crucial.

5. Limit Screen Time

Children in the 1950s played outdoors and were more physically active. Today, screen time dominates leisure and even mealtimes. Excessive exposure to blue light from phones and tablets disrupts sleep patterns and raises stress hormone levels, contributing to obesity. Screen-free meals and outdoor play can help re-establish healthier habits.

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Diwali season is here, which brings with it the joy of celebrations, endless sweets, and festive food, all of which make this time of year so special. But to enjoy it fully without health worries, it is important to keep a check on your wellbeing with a few basic tests.

As the festivities begin, it is natural to get carried away with indulgent meals, late nights, and social gatherings. However, a few simple blood tests before Diwali can help you stay active, balanced, and ready to celebrate without any setbacks.

Why You Should Get Tested Before Diwali

Surrounded by all the happiness and excitement, many people tend to overlook their health during the festive season. This often leads to avoidable health issues that can interrupt the joy of celebrations and take away from the festive mood.

These problems usually stem from a few common habits that creep in during festivals, overeating, irregular sleep schedules, eating too many fried or sugary foods, skipping workouts, or changing usual meal times. They can also worsen any chronic health condition you already have.

You might now be wondering what these health problems are and whether they should be taken seriously. Mostly, they begin with stomach-related troubles that interfere with digestion, causing discomforts like acidity, gas, tiredness, constipation, diarrhoea, or irregular bowel movements. We got in touch with Dr Ranjeet Singh, Professor and HOD General Medicine- NIIMS Medical College And Hospital.

Do These Health Tests Before Diwali For A Festive Free Season

HbA1c and Blood Sugar Test

People living with diabetes should check their sugar levels before the festive season. An HbA1c test shows your average blood sugar over the last three months and helps your doctor adjust your diet or medicines accordingly. Even if you don’t have diabetes, a simple fasting or random blood sugar test can help you track early signs of imbalance, especially if you plan to indulge in sweets and rich foods.

Blood Pressure Check

Irregular blood pressure is common during festivals due to stress, erratic sleep, and heavy food intake. Both high and low BP can cause headaches, dizziness, or even heart complications. Checking your blood pressure and basic heart health markers before Diwali ensures you celebrate safely without fatigue or uneasiness.

Liver Function Test (LFT)

Festive feasts are often loaded with fried, oily, and sugary items that can strain your liver. The Liver Function Test helps assess how well your liver is processing toxins and nutrients. If you already have liver concerns or a history of fatty liver, this test becomes even more essential before you begin your festive indulgence.

Kidney Function Test (KFT)

The Kidney Function Test checks how efficiently your kidneys are filtering waste and maintaining fluid balance. Overeating, dehydration, or excess salt and sweets can put pressure on your kidneys. Getting this test done before the festivities helps detect any early signs of kidney stress or damage.

Thyroid Function Test

Thyroid hormones control your metabolism, mood, and energy levels but when they get imbalanced, they can lead to fatigue, mood swings, or sudden weight changes, issues that tend to worsen during the festive rush. A Thyroid Function Test ensures your hormone levels are stable, helping you feel active and positive throughout the season.

Lipid Profile (Cholesterol Test)

During Diwali, fried snacks and sweets can cause a spike in cholesterol levels. A Lipid Profile Test helps measure good and bad cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. If you get your Lipid profile done before Diwali, it can make you make better decisions when you are gorging on all the diwali sweets and make smarter food choices through the festive week.

To enjoy Diwali while reducing the risk of health problems, it’s a good idea to get these essential tests done in advance. Keeping your health in check will help you make the most of the celebrations without worry.

You can also encourage your family and friends to do the same. Remind them to take simple preventive steps and schedule their checkups so that everyone can enjoy a safe Diwali.

It was 1846, when a young man lay on an operating table as doctors were ready to perform a surgery to remove a tumor from his neck. Then came a strange-smelling vapor. It was mix of ether and oil, and it filled the room. The man lying on the operation table did not flinch or cry out, there was no pain. When he woke up, it was as if nothing had happened.

This was the day that marked the dawn of general anesthesia. It was on this day today in 1846, that surgical anesthetic WTG Morton conducted the first successful demonstration of ether. Thus, this day is observed as the World Anesthesia Day.

Nearly two centuries later, scientists are still trying to figure out what actually happens to the brain when we under go anesthesia?

The Mind Under Anesthesia

Anesthesia doesn’t simply make a person “fall asleep.” It creates a state where the brain disconnects from conscious awareness while vital body functions remain stable.

When the drug enters your bloodstream, it alters how the nerve cells in the brain communicate. Usually, a billion of neurons send and receive signals rapidly, and forms networks responsible for thinking, feeling, and awareness. However, when anesthesia enters the body, these signals slow down or stop and it disrupts the communication between key regions, such as the cortex, which is responsible for handling thought and sensory perception, and the thalamus, which is responsible for processing information from the body.

Furthermore, the brainwave pattern, which usually looks fast and varied on an EEG, shift into slower and larger waves. The mind actually "tunes out" losing its ability to form memories, sense time, or even to process pain.

While anesthesia is designed to create total unconsciousness, it’s a delicate balance. Too little, and traces of awareness can slip through, a phenomenon known as accidental awareness, where patients recall sounds, sensations, or pressure during surgery. It’s rare but can be distressing.

However, too much can make the brain enter a state of extreme suppression. In such cases, EEG readings show almost flat patterns, indicating that neurons have gone quiet. This can also raise the risk of confusion or cognitive issues after surgery, especially among older adults.

In most people, the fog clears within hours, but some experience short-term problems with memory or focus, known as post-operative cognitive dysfunction. In older patients, this sometimes extends into delirium — temporary disorientation or hallucinations caused by lingering changes in brain activity.

How Does The Mind Wake Up?

You do not immediately wake up, but the mind reboots in layers. High-order functions like reasoning and self-awareness are the first to recover, then attention, coordination, and reaction time.

Studies show that as the anesthetic wears off, brain activity gradually reconnects across different regions. Certain rhythms that dominate during unconsciousness fade, replaced by faster, more complex patterns as the brain resumes its normal communication. It’s as though the mind is reassembling itself, piece by piece.

Anesthesia does not just turn the brain off, but reshapes consciousness, suspending awareness, while also preserving life.

The air quality in Delhi before Delhi has already reached beyond the 200 mark. The threshold is considered as 'poor'. The real-time Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 5.30am today was 233. Multiple areas in Delhi already recorded AQI above 300, categorizing it into 'very poor'.

How Is AQI Read?

• 0 to 50 - Good
• 51 to 100 - Satisfactory
• 101 to 200 - Moderately Polluted
• 201 to 300 - Poor
• 301 to 400 - Very Poor
• 401 to 500 - Severe

Anand Vihar recorded 399 at AQI, while Dwarka Sector 8 was at 338, and Mathura Road at 311.

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The air quality is already worsening even before Diwali, this poses a risk for anyone who steps out. So, is there any right time to step out?

Dr Vivek Nangia, a Gurugram-based pulmonologist and a member of DocTube says that pollution levels tend to be slightly lower in the afternoon.

PM2.5 air pollution is highest in the morning and lowest in the afternoon. As per a 2023 study by an air filter brand, Delhi's air pollution peaked at 9AM and gradually improved as the day progressed.

On an average, Delhi sees roughly as half as much PM2.5 by 5PM. Similarly, in Kolkata, the pollution peaks at 8am and is lowered by 4PM. In Mumbai, the peak comes at 9am and is improved by 4pm. In the case of Chennai and Hyderabad, the peak comes at 8am with Pm2.5 at the lowest at 3pm or by noon.

"However, it is vital to wear well-fitted masks," says the doctor.

Can You Step Out In The Evening?

Noon is when the sun is at its peak, it heats the ground and causes warm air to rise and mix with the atmosphere. This helps to disperse pollutants. However, at night, the ground cools down and leads to a temperature inversion. This means that air neat ground becomes colder than the air above it, trapping pollutants close to the surface.

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How Can You Protect Yourself When You Step Out?

Choose the correct mask, experts suggest that we go with N99 and N100 masks, which provide higher filtration. They are more efficient than N95 masks. Dr Sandeep Nayar, Principal Director and HOD, Chest & Respiratory Diseases at BLK-Max Super Speciality Hospital explains that preferably N95 should be considered as normal surgical masks do not prevent you from getting exposed to smaller pollutants including PM2.5 particles which may directly enter your airways and may diffuse into the blood and affect all organs of body.

If you must step out, choose the afternoon time, as it is when the pollution is at its lowest.

To protect your eyes, wear sunglasses, use lubricating eye drops, stay indoors and keep the windows closed, practice eye hygiene and invest in an air purifier.

For your skin, cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting it with sunscreen. You must include antioxidants in your diet and may consider detoxifying treatments.

Continue to check AQI forecasts near your area and keep a note of it to know when to avoid going out. Unless it is absolutely necessary, only then step out.

You can naturally cleanse your nasal passage and lungs by taking a steam, practicing control coughing, drinking green tea, consuming anti-inflammatory food items, and by consuming honey. You can also try Yoga to improve your breathing and cleanse your lungs.