SAVE YOUR HEART

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.

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, sedentary 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.

PARADOX OF OUR TIME IN HISTORY

The Paradox of our time in history is that


We have taller buildings;
but shorter tempers;


wider freeways;
but narrower view points;


we spend more;
but have less;


buy more;
enjoy it less;


bigger houses;
but smaller families;


more conveniences;
but less time;


more degree;
but less sense;


more knowledge;
less judgement;


more experts;
more problems;


more medicines;
less wellness !

Rama Navami - The birthday of Lord Shri Rama

In honour of this occasion pls read the article by Sri Swami Sivanandaji at:
http://www.dlshq.org/religions/rama2.htm


May Lord Rama bestow His choicest blessings on you all!

May you all live drowned in the ocean of divine ecstasy through constant repetition of Lord Rama's name.



With due acknowledgment to Shri G. Arun, (arungg97@rediffmail.com) who has sent me this information.

HEALTH HAZARDS IN THE USE OF COMPUTERS

Introduction of Computers have raised a lot of misconceptions among the users about the ill effects. Prolong sitting in one posture, handling keyboard, monitor and mouse with a stiff grip force are the root cause of various musculoskeletal disorders.


Static muscular contractions as well as prolonged maintenance of awkward posture leads to excessive production of blood lactic acid. This in turn will act on various physiological systems.


Overuse or physiological system will cause inflammation of various tendons, ligaments and joints. Repetitive motion and strain in using keyboard and mouse also lead to overuse of physiological system.


This will cause poor health profile of the working population.


Timely action needs to initiated to overcome these shortcomings.

WHAT ARE VEDAS?

The Vedas are the recording of sages to whom the mantras were revealed. They proclaim the transcendental TRUTH, which is not changed by time of place. They indicate the means to prosperity and security for the denizens of the three worlds. Veda is derived from the root "Vida" which means "to know".

The Vedas have been declared to be infinite and hence beyond the comprehension of common people. Out of the countless number of hymns, Vyasa gathered some Rig and compiled them the RIG Veda, collected some yajur to form the YAJUR veda and some samans to make up the SAMA veda.

The RIG Veda is is mainly devoted to hymns in praise of various deities. The Yajur Veda consists of mantras for workshipping the deities. The mantras of the Yajur Veda are ued in the performance of yagas and yajnas and in doing acts of charity. Each Veda has three sections, Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads.

The Vedic mantras were utilized in yagas and yajanas (Ritual Sacrifices) for promoting the well being of the society and the world. They were intended to secure timely rains so that the crops may be good and there may be prosperity all round. the mantras, which form part of the Karma Kanda (the path of rituals) were regarded as conducive to the promotion of general well being and happiness.

Each of the Vedas had several SAAKHAS (Branches) and UPASAAKHAS (Sub-branches). Out of the 20 branches of the RIG Vedha, only three have survived today. Likewise out of the 96 branches of Yajur Veda only two have survived the ravages of time. Sama Veda which has 1000 branches, retains today only three branches.

If this is the case, is not the duty of every Indian to protect and preserve our vedic literature.?