STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART...FOR THE HEART.

(Posting it as it may be useful/kr)

 A chat with Dr.Devi Shetty, Narayana Hrudayalaya (Heart Specialist) Bangalore was arranged by WIPRO for its employees .
The transcript of the chat is given below. Useful for everyone.


Qn: What are the thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart?

Ans:
1. Diet - Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil
2. Exercise - Half an hour's walk, at least five days a week; avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a longtime
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar

Qn: Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?

Ans: No

Qn: It's still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person  
gets a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?   

Ans: This is called silent attack; that is why we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health checkups.

Qn: Are heart diseases hereditary?  

Ans: Yes  

Qn: What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?


Ans: Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Qn: Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?

Ans: Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints  

Qn: You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?

Ans: Mother Theresa , who was my patient

Qn: Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?

Ans: Extremely rare

Qn: Does cholesterol accumulates right from an early age
(I'm currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?

Ans: Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Qn: How do irregular eating habits affect the heart ?

Ans: You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body's enzyme release for digestion gets confused.

Qn: How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?

Ans: Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Qn: Can yoga prevent heart ailments?

Ans: Yoga helps.

Qn: Which is the best and worst food for the heart?  

Ans: Fruits and vegetables are the best and the worst is oil.

Qn: Which oil is better - groundnut, sunflower, olive?

Ans: All oils are bad .

Qn: What is the routine checkup one should go through? Is there any specific test?  

Ans: Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Qn: What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack?

Ans: Help the person into a sleeping position , place an aspirin tablet under the tongue with a sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to a coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Qn: How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that caused due to gastric trouble?

Ans: Extremely difficult without ECG.

Qn: What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 yrs of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.

Ans: Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, edentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Qn: Is it possible for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet be perfectly healthy?

Ans: Yes.

Qn: Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?

Ans : Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child

Qn: Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a times we have to stay late nights in office. Does this affect our heart ? What precautions would you recommend?

Ans : When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Qn: Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short / long term)?

Ans : Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Qn: Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Are asthma patients more prone to heart disease?

Ans : No.

Qn: How would you define junk food?

Ans : Fried food like Kentucky , McDonalds , samosas, and even masala dosas.

Qn: You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food?

Ans: Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately, Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Qn: Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?

Ans : No.

Qn: Can a person help himself during a heart attack (Because we see a lot of forwarded emails on this)?

Ans : Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary care unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Qn: Do, in any way, low white blood cells and low hemoglobin count lead to heart problems?

Ans : No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Qn: Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?  

Ans : Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Qn: Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?

Ans: Yes. A strong relationship since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Qn: What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart operation?

Ans : Diet, exercise, drugs on time , Control cholesterol, BP, weight..

Qn: Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?  

Ans : No.

Qn: What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?  

Ans : There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem, but my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to
reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyles.

Qn: Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?

Ans : No.

Qn: Why is the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?

Ans : Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Qn: How can one keep the heart in a good condition?

Ans : Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise everyday, do not smoke and, go for health checkup s if you are past the age of 30 ( once in six months recommended) ...

WAS IT MODI KA MAGIC..?

So Narendra Modi has finally won with a thumping majority despite a “section of the English journalism press” (Mr Arun Jaitely, that inimitable master of impressive turn of phrase had used it) and virtually an army of Mody-basherss all around. This man has something, whether you call it leadership quality or charisma or his administrative or organizational skills. He knows how to fight his way particularly when he is pushed to the wall. This time there was no wave as such, but he was not perturbed. He succinctly summed up that absence of wave meant people were interested in maintaining the status-quo. At no point of time he looked fazed by turn of events and instead, exuded supreme confidence. All through he kept maintaining that his party would win with an impressive margin. Even his sworn foes concede that this man has something: whether you like him or dislike him, you ignore him at your peril.

With my limited knowledge of politics and elections, I somehow feel that it is not possible to win elections merely on strength of your oratorical skills alone  (Modi is an orator par excellence..and even Vir Sanghvi acknowdged it). One can’t also expect to woo the voters just by indulging in communal or political rhetoric. Voters in our country are far more astute to be taken in by that…they can easily see through the trap they are expected to walk over into.

Then what is it..?

Let it be left to our erudite columnists or suave debaters who will now use reams of papers and hours of TV time for their analysis and dissection. ( at this juncture I find it difficult to resist mentioning here that in our country knowledge of English language wrongly presupposes one's intelligence. It is time we got rid of this myth. In another context, Amitabh Bachchan had once said that being a good actor did not mean that he was qualified or intelligent enough to comment on everything)

Anyway, for the moment, the fact remains that Mody ka magic chal gaya…!! And that is undeniable..!!

Our Lady’s juggler

Paulo Coelho has penned the following Christmas tale for the columns he writes in many newspapers around the world. Hope you will like it. And yes, Merry Christmas to you all...

A medieval legend tells us that in the country we know today as Austria the Burkhard family – a man, a woman and a child – used to amuse people at Christmas parties by reciting poetry, singing ancient troubadour ballads, and juggling.  Of course, there was never any money left over to buy presents, but the man always told his son:

“Do you know why Santa Claus’s bag never gets empty, although there are so many children in the world?  Because it may be full of toys, but sometimes there are more important things to be delivered, what we call “invisible gifts”.  In a broken home, he tries to bring harmony and peace on the holiest night in Christianity.  Where love is lacking, he deposits a seed of faith in children’s hearts.  Where the future seems black and uncertain, he brings hope.  In our case, the day after Father Christmas comes to visit us, we are happy to be still alive and doing our work, which is to make people happy.  Never forget that.”

Time passed, the boy grew up, and one day the family passed in front of the impressive Melk Abbey, which had just been built.

“Father, do you remember many years ago you told me the story of Santa Claus and his invisible gifts?  I think that I received one of those gifts once: the vocation to become a priest.  Would you mind if now I took my first step towards what I have always dreamed of?”

Although they really needed their son’s company, the family understood and respected the boy’s wish.  They knocked at the door of the monastery and were given a loving, generous welcome by the monks, who accepted the young Buckhard as a novice.

Christmas Eve came around.  And precisely on that day, a special miracle happened in Melk: Our Lady, carrying the baby Jesus in her arms, decided to descend to Earth to visit the monastery.

All the priests lined up and each of them stood proudly before the Virgin trying to pay homage to the Madonna and her Son.  One of them displayed the beautiful paintings that decorated the place, another showed a copy of a Bible that had taken a hundred years to be written and illustrated, while a third recited the names of all the saints.

At the very end of the line, young Buckhard anxiously waited his turn.  His parents were simple people, and all that they had taught him was to toss balls up in the air and do some juggling.

When it came his turn, the other priests wanted to put an end to all the homage that had been paid, since the ex-juggler had nothing important to add and might even mar the image of the abbey. 

Nevertheless, deep in his heart he also felt a great need to give something of himself to Jesus and the Virgin.  Feeling very ashamed before the reproachful gaze of his brothers, he took some oranges from his pocket and began to toss them in the air and catch them in his hands, creating a beautiful circle in the air just as he used to do when he and his family traveled to all the fairs in the region. 

At that instant, the baby Jesus, lying in Our Lady’s lap, began to clap his hands with joy.  And it was to young Buckhard that the Virgin held out her arms to let him hold the smiling child for a few moments.

The legend ends by saying that on account of this miracle, every two hundred years a new Buckhard knocks on the door of Melk Abbey, is welcomed in, and for the whole time he remains there he warms the hearts of all who meet him.

It is just one of those 'forwards' usually sent by my good friend Kishan Thakker. You might have read it elsewhere and if so my apologies. But I loved it essentially for the excellent message it conveyes. Somehow you tend to identify yourself with the mouse (at least I did). And was I feeling sadistically happy for the mouse? Perhaps I was...       A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. What food might this contain?" The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning : There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, " Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!" The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr.Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers." The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house!There is a mousetrap in the house!" The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone. That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital , and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

Hi, I need your advice.

How does one cope with all the blogs that are being posted and manage to read and give comments as well?

This is a genuine dilemma as I know how I jump when I see any intimation of comment posted and rush to read the comment. I had read in one article on blogging that I am not the only who mimics an ape while sighting a comment. Other bloggers also are known to eagerly wait for comments.

But I feel bad that I cannot reciprocate and manage to read all the blogs that are posted day in and day out. Some of them are so wonderful that you feel like commenting upon them at your leisure after giving a proper thought to it. Some may be listless but posted with as much passion and ardour that they compel you to make comments. Some are purely religious that are beyond any comment. While bloggers' conviction in this case is very touching, these posts are well-meant and certainly inspiring and therefore they deserve thanks and appreciation. 

some posts are like soulful call of a person who has fallen in love and would not like to or are in no mood to see the world beyond love. Honestly, I confess that I have to make an effort to suppress that cynical urge (entirely my fault) within me and instead, I buy more time so that I can make some palatable comments. Interestingly some have made it their crusade to join the current political bandwagon.  But they too have a point of view that needs to be acknowledged.  

Nonetheless, subjects do not matter. What matters is the honesty and sincerity with which they write and post their blogs. This is very fascinating.

So my apologies my friends if I am late in giving my comments (not that they matter but let me delude into believing that they do). Read I will, for the simple reason that, albeit belatedly, I have got addicted to this beautiful world. (Sorry if it sounds condescending but believe me it is not meant to be so. Having written it I feel my sense of guilt a bit eased)

And the other reason is simpler: I love you all

Wishes

This is something interesting that I recently came across

Read the paragraph below,and try to understand the meaning.

'Two individuals proceeded towards the apex of a natural geologic
protuberance, the purpose of their expedition being the procurement
of a sample of fluid hydride of oxygen in a large vessel, the exact
size of which was unspecified.

'One member of the team precipitously descended, sustaining severe
damage to the upper cranial portion of his anatomical structure;
subsequently, the second member of the team performed
self-rotational translation, orientated in the same direction taken by the
first team member.'



ANY GUESSES WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT???

Jack and Jill went up the hill

To fetch a pail of water

Jack fell down and broke his crown

And Jill came tumbling after!'

CLUB RULES

IT IS GOOD TO BE NICE, BUT NICER TO  BE SUCCESSFUL…!!! (I had written it earlier somewhere, but somehow felt like posting it here, perhaps because I have come across a number of young bloggers here, who are very enthusiastic and full of energies. But a streak of confusion is often evident and they are also transperent enough not to make any bones about it. I know it is easier preached than done....but one thing I have realized that the only thing we keep losing every minute...is time, so precious but so elusive. If you can't grab it right now, it will grab you by throat for your failures and will never release you. Go dear and get it...Sorry to repeat the much-hated cliche but it is true also: yes nothing is impossible...provided you are honest in your efforts...All the best younger ones....you people have one important thing on your side that we oldies do not have.....age. So go ahead and win..!!)

You must have heard during your school/college days that what is important is taking part in the race rather than winning it. By now you must have grown sick of people condescendingly patting your back in consolation, mumbling something like: don’t lose heart, participating is more important than achieving success. Cool, I have nothing against those who believe in encouraging others. At least their intentions, more often than not, are genuine. But while we intend to console the losers, we do unwittingly take away credit from the winners who may have put in extraordinary efforts to achieve what they have achieved. And also our empty encouraging words at times undermine the importance of success and dilute the significance of achievement. No, in a race-in any contest for that matter- there are no options. Victory is the only choice. Failure is a dirty word. It might sound a bit harsh but let me tell you that failure is neither condoned nor consoled. The world is already overflowing with mediocrity and it can do without our contribution. This does not mean you have to always come first. This is a physical impossibility, as all of us can not come first. But the point to underscore here is that the second position should not give you the satisfaction of having participated in the contest. It should rather propel you to beat the winner and overtake him in the next race. Humility does not mean allowing the winner to overtake you; it means retaining your sanity and balance of mind when you vanquish the winner. No decency, no mercy, no humility and no sympathy. All these qualities look good on the successful man only. For one who has failed, they are regarded as their weaknesses, if not reasons for their failures. And remember, for those coming second in any contest, there may be an extra motivation to come first. More importantly, they have nothing more to lose, as they have already lost their first rank. But those coming first are usually under extreme pressure to maintain their slot, as they have a lot at stake. So brace up yourself. And target the bull’s eye. With Arjun-like focus. It may mean hurting your girlfriend at times. It may often mean sidelining your dear ones. It may mean infrequent meetings with friends. It may even mean relegating your family to the background. It may mean less blogging. No problems. Success has an amazing magnetic power to draw back all. Success can wipe off all your past failings and will give you that rare can-do-no- wrong veneer. Dear friends, it is a success power. Go get it. Yes, I am giving a very powerful quotation hereunder. It has become a mantra in my life..and believe me it is true...very true

When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it

PAULO COELHO

The Alchemist

(Does this quotation ring a bell in your mind? Remember Om Shanti Om where this line was used as an underlying thread? Poor Paulo would never know what OSO is...)

ONE WORD BLOG

I wonder if I could write one word blog. My perception of blog (I could be wrong but it is subjective so I should be forgiven) is that it should spurr us into thinking, it should trigger some kind of chain reactions and open up floodgates of reactions stored within. Say for instance I am to say: Amitabh Bachchan. The very name will generate waves of memories, feelings, reactions, feedback etc. It may also bring back nostalgic feelings for some. If I say Mahatma Gandhi, a whole new world opens up before us and what follows is something not easily describable by lesser mortals like us.

Not so profound, but today I am going to give you one name to elicit your reactions, be it of anger, frustration, disappointment, pent up fury, warmth, friendship, love....whatever. You are free to give your reactions. It may sound like a game, yes it is one but on a little serious plane. I just want to gauge whether one word can succeed in churning out whole lot of emotions within us.

I am sorry I promised that it would be a one-word-blog and now it has run into hundreds. Sorry for being carried away. You all are though unseen but so nice that I tend to believe that it is one family where people with different names stay in one big house. They cannot see one but can feel for one another

So guys brace up for this game. My word is

ORKUT

Come on....let it flow..good, bad or ugly whatever....Will await your feedback

Wishes