There’s good news—children today are reading more than ever. But there’s a flip side. They are increasingly glued to e-books and video games, all of which demand prolonged near-eye focus. Add to that long hours indoors and reduced exposure to natural light, and the result is a surge in early myopia. On Mukul Deora’s The Secret Sauce podcast, eye specialist Dr Ritika Dalal calls it nothing short of an epidemic. In a clear, accessible conversation, she breaks down what causes early myopia, why lens hygiene matters, and whether procedures like LASIK are worth considering, revealing that she herself opted for the surgery. The episode is practical without being alarmist, balancing medical insight with lived experience.
This balance is what largely defines the podcast. Deora’s questions are straightforward, even obvious at times, but they open up spaces that mainstream media often skims over. In his conversation with Dr Aditi Govitrikar, actor and Harvard-trained psychologist, the focus shifts to conscious parenting. Govitrikar argues that labelling children as good or bad can stunt emotional growth. “Label the behaviour, not the child,” she advises. The discussion extends to modern female burnout, fuelled by social media perfectionism, multitasking, guilt and fragile boundaries.
There are episodes that tackle environmental and lifestyle anxieties. Barun Aggarwal, founder of BreathEasy Labs, points to a surprising culprit behind chronic fatigue: indoor air. New buildings, he argues, may have worse air quality than older ones because of chemical off-gassing from furniture and materials. The takeaway is simple but urgent: ventilation is not optional. Similarly, functional medicine coach Niki Gomez addresses brain fog, gluten intolerance and India’s rising diabetes burden. She links modern dietary shifts and increased pesticide use to changing health patterns, advocating for reduced processed food, regulated sleep and consistent exercise.
As a host, Deora keeps the tone conversational and unhurried. The podcast’s strength lies in accessibility: complex ideas are distilled into actionable advice without overwhelming jargon. Ultimately, the podcast thrives on relevance. It taps into contemporary urban anxieties and packages them into digestible, solution-oriented conversations. Not every answer is definitive, but the show succeeds in prompting listeners to ask better questions about their bodies, homes and habits. In that sense, its “secret sauce” may simply be attentiveness: the willingness to pause, listen and reconsider the everyday.