Monday, October 14, 2019

"Added Sugars: The Slow Poison" by Srividya Bhaskara


Welcome to today's post. Today's book, "Added Sugars: The Slow Poison" and the author, Srividya Bhaskara, have a significant impact on me because last summer, about three months ago, I had emergency surgery -- my gallbladder turned to mush and was making me very ill. During the recovery process, I had to change my eating and exercise habits. Combined with a healthier lifestyle and a mindset to stay healthy to live longer, I have lost twenty-two pounds. One of the things that I had to eliminate from my diet was sugars, especially added sugars. So, when I came across today's book, I felt it was a must-read. I hope you get as much from it as I did. Meet Srividya Bhaskara.


  1. Srividya Bhaskara

    Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
    I am an Indian and I live in Hyderabad. I was born in a small hill station called Tirupathi, my upbringing and my schooling & education have been completely done in the city environment of Hyderabad.

    My education details are:

    1. Schooling from St. Augustine high school, Hyderabad.

    2. Under graduation (Maths, physics, chemistry) from St. Ann’s Junior college for girls, Hyderabad.

    3. Graduation in Electronics and Communication Engineering, from JNTU, Hyderabad.

    Though I am a science graduate, my first love has always been literature. Listening to good music, cooking delicious food, gardening, playing badminton are my favorite hobbies.


  2. What inspired you to author this book?
    Initially, I wrote just a small article but as I proceeded to in-depth research on added sugars, I felt it was high time and absolutely necessary to spread awareness about how different types of sugars are silently added in almost every processed food item that we consume on daily basis. According to a recent survey, there has been a huge rise (30%) in obesity, insulin resistance, Type-2 diabetes, Non -Alcoholic Fatty liver, especially in children.

    I felt a strong sense of social responsibility to spread awareness so that these refined sugars/ added sugars do not corrupt or damage the health of our children and future generations


  3. Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
    I am a very creative person, so I wanted to make sure that my Ebook cover is bright, colorful, attractive &contextual. I have chosen unique colors for each product so, that my Ebook cover leaves a lasting impression on its readers. My love for Nature, beautiful shades of colors has been my silent inspiration to create this lovely book cover.
  4. Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
    Our personality is greatly influenced & shaped by the books we read, the environment we grow, the friends we spend time. I have taken positive, enthusiastic, good qualities from every possible corner of my life.

    As far as my personality development is concerned, I have been largely influenced by people like Robin Sharma, Marisa Peer (Britain ‘s best psychologist) & my school teachers.

    I have been a voracious reader right from childhood, I cannot pick one single person or book which has influenced my writing /personality. My writing style is quite simple and I have been largely influenced by writers like Ravindranath Tagore, Robert Frost, Robin Sharma, Marisa Peer, R. K Narayanan.
  5. What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
    In the beginning days of my writing, I had 2 main obstacles in the process of writing my eBook.

    1.Noisy surroundings: As I live in a city environment, with too much traffic, With no quiet secluded corner. I found concentrating on my work a little difficult. But as I have finished writing my first eBook I have matured and learned to cope and write. I take the early hours of my day, wake up early in the morning when the external environment is calm. Regular practice helped me learn concentration& commitment to the process of learning and writing a book.

    2. Formatting the chapters: Ebook formatting needs a specific technique and a lot of patience. Flow charts, paragraph spacing, paragraph diagrams, pictures need to be correctly done. Improper formatting of an Ebook leads to the bad orientation of the content and gives a lot of discomfort to the e-readers.

    As I started writing my first book, I was flooded with lots of information, sometimes I used to get perplexed about the arrangement, flow of information and chapters. But once I obtained clarity about what I want to give to the readers, I got to know how to put that information correctly in order.

    Book writing is wonderful art and Just like any art, Book writing also requires patience, experience, love and time.
  6. Tell your readers about your book.
    This book is a simple yet insightful guide to gain information about all aspects of ADDED SUGARS AND THEIR DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS TO SOCIETY.

    BY READING THIS BOOK YOU WILL GET TO KNOW :

    · How to shop smartly by eliminating the 60 different names of added sugars used in processed foods from your shopping cart to read a healthy family life.

    · How Artificial Sweeteners (Sucralose & Aspartame) added in diabetic diets & diet cokes can cause neurotoxic effects and cancers after prolonged use.

    · Role of added sugars in tremendous rise of Obesity, Insulin Resistance, Fatty liver, Type-2 diabetes especially in children

    And many more useful facts which will transform your life in a healthy way.


  7. Who is your target audience, and why?
    My book “ Added sugars the slow poison “ is quite simple, can be read by everyone including children. Except for the  2nd chapter which is scientific and technical, all other chapters provide lots of information which can be understood very easily by everyone. I have provided beautiful pictures, simple flow charts which can help people of all ages to grasp basic concepts very easily. I have not chosen a specific target audience hence it is open for children, teenagers, adults.

    My intention is to spread awareness about added sugars/ refined sugars which are causing major health problems & chronic metabolic disorders like Obesity, Insulin resistance, Type-2 diabetes across all sections of the society.
  8. What do you consider your greatest success in life?
    I was quite a bright student in my studies, so I didn’t have to struggle a lot in academics. But recently I suffered a major health crisis, I suffered a mild stroke, my right eye &legs got effected, I Got bedridden. It was the toughest time of my life, but I was determined to lead an independent life. I did physiotherapy (2 years), read good books, saw inspirational videos. Today by god’s grace& positive attitude. My right eye got corrected, now I can walk without any wheelchair/support. I have become totally independent in my walking and personal life.

    I think this is my greatest success as a person. I just want to spread this message to my readers that by self- belief, determination, positive attitude, hard work & hope, we can definitely overcome our fears and misfortunes with ease.
  9. What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
    As I am a beginner and it is my first book, it will be too early for me to compare myself with other writers. All I can say about my book “ Added sugars the slow poison “ is that it is simple, informative, a very helpful guide to avoiding all the harmful effects of added sugars found in many processed food items.