Me time for heart health: Despite his hectic schedule, Dr Vijay Natarajan, Director of Surgical Services, Bharati Hospital and Research Centre, Pune, keeps an hour for himself every day, listening to music, reading or watching an episode of a TV series. “I stay away from my cellphone during this time. If there is any emergency, my wife’s number is available and I reciprocate when my wife takes her ‘me’ time. This year, I hope to play a musical instrument and try my hand at cooking,” he says.
Adherence, he believes, comes easy only when you have a routine to condition yourself to till you slip into auto-pilot mode. His tips:
1) Set a timer: Move around for five minutes after every 30 minutes of inactivity.
2) Check Vitamin D levels: This affects all our organs. Apart from bone health, Vitamin D supports immune health and reduces the risk of heart disease and multiple sclerosis. Most Indians are deficient.
3) Focus on mental health: This applies to all age groups in deadline-driven lives. Neglecting it can worsen health conditions.
4) Ensure cardiac fitness: Get a test clearance before embarking on ambitious weight loss or fitness programmes.
5) Create ‘me’ time: Take out at least an hour in your daily routine and give yourself a break from social media one full day each week. Engage in an alternative pursuit.
JUNK THE PACKET: Dr R M Anjana, president, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, has been exercising regularly and eating a well-balanced meal for years, she now intends giving up packaged food. “Anything that comes out of a packet is processed. Avoiding it is a challenge because we are surrounded by it,” says Dr Anjana, who ensures that her carbohydrate intake never exceeds 50 per cent of her total calorie intake, dances three days a week, weight trains on the other three. She never misses pranayama.
Dr RM Anjana
1) Diet plan: Increase protein consumption. Keep sipping warm water for metabolism.
2) Exercise: Do pranayama every morning. Choose a workout routine you can keep to even while travelling.
3) Follow up with your doctor: Those who are diabetic or at high risk of diabetes should see their doctors twice a year. Those with uncontrolled diabetes must see their doctors every three months. Regular follow-ups keep people disciplined. Studies show regular follow-up alone can improve diabetes control.
4) Nutrient-dense snacks: Most Indians have a sedentary lifestyle but eating habits like high-fat snacking are tipping their scales towards obesity. Try fruits and nuts.
5) Choose the right test: The gold standard Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) can even indicate prediabetes.
TREAT FOOD AS SCIENCE: Although she balances her diet with physical activity, Dr Nancy Sahni, HOD, Dietetics, PGIMER Chandigarh, has smart hacks for busy days. “Control meal portions, stay hydrated with water or clear soups, walk wherever possible and find 10 minutes for breathing exercises,” she says. She suggests individualising one’s diet instead of following portals, apps or self-styled nutritionist tips. “Obesity is a major contributing factor to the increase of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer. Losing 5 to 10 per cent of weight can prevent and delay many of these chronic conditions. So target weight control scientifically,” says Dr Sahni.
Dr Nancy Sahni
1) Change your meal patterns: Include vegetables and legumes, use oils and fats in moderation, restrict salt, drink adequate water, minimise consumption of high-fat, sugar, salt and ultra-processed foods. While scanning food labels, read the ingredients used. A high sodium/fat content in packaged food can’t be ignored under a banner of three stars given for high iron content. Try to choose fortified foods if the food choices are compromised. For instance, golden rice (fortified with vitamin A), and fortified milk (with vitamin A and D). Avoid deep-fried dishes laden with refined ingredients, sauces and monosodium glutamate. Avoid pre-mixed foods.
2) Don’t skip carbohydrates: A high-protein diet, with almost no carbohydrates, can lead to constipation, vitamin B6 and B12, deficiencies, a deranged lipid profile, dull and sagging skin, hair fall and dark circles under the eyes. About 60 to 65 per cent of the total energy comes from healthy carbs, which are a storehouse of macro and micronutrients. Calcium is not absorbed in the body when there is excess protein, and it also changes the levels of uric acid.
3) Go slow on sodium, have more potassium: Avoid salt-rich food, such as canned and packed foods, pickles, sauces, processed cheese, frozen meals and so on. A regular unsalted diet fulfils the requirement of less than 5 gm sodium per day, hence there is no need to use additional salt during cooking. WHO recommends at least 3.50 grams of potassium intake, but many don’t have enough. Nuts, green vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes, yoghurt and fibre-rich fruits like kiwi and banana are the primary sources of potassium.
4) Eat protein: An adequate balance of protein in the diet is essential, and it should be about 1.5 grams per kg of body weight daily. Best sources are milk and milk products, eggs, chicken, fish, pulses, legumes, nuts and oil seeds.
5) A millet menu: Have high-fibre millets once a day. Ragi is versatile with an amino acid that lowers appetite and aids in fat elimination. Bajra has magnesium and prevents migraine attacks, blood pressure, asthma and respiratory issues.
GET A LUNG FUNCTION TEST: Never missing out on his personal fitness, Dr Nikhil Modi, Senior Consultant, Respiratory Critical Care, Apollo Hospital, Delhi, believes everybody should make lung health a priority in times of pollution.
Dr Nikhil Modi
1) Physical activity for lungs: Exercises like brisk walking, swimming and yoga not only improve lung capacity but also strengthen respiratory muscles. Breathing exercises, such as diaphragmatic breathing and pursed-lip breathing, help enhance lung efficiency and manage conditions like asthma.
2) Diet: A diet rich in antioxidants — such as leafy greens, citrus fruits and Omega-3 fatty acids — helps reduce inflammation and protect lung tissues from oxidative stress. Stay hydrated to thin out mucus.
3) Give up smoking: Set a quit date, seek group support and use nicotine replacement therapies but kick the habit.
4) Regular monitoring: A lung function test is crucial, especially among the 40-plus or those exposed to high levels of air pollution. Can help identify asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) early.
5) Protect children: Post-outdoor activity, they should do nasal irrigation with saline solution and change their clothes.
FOCUS ON KNEE, BACK: Dr Yagna Shukla, principal of Government Physiotherapy College, Ahmedabad, believes small changes in daily life can have a compounding impact over the years.
Dr Yagna Shukla
1) Schedule mobile breaks: Take breaks from looking at the mobile phone by setting an alarm every 15 minutes. Remember to straighten your back, have work monitors at eye level, make sure your feet don’t dangle from the chair, avoid lifting weights while bending forward.
2) Get the right measure: Instead of body mass index (BMI), the hip and waist ratio measurement is a good guideline to know about risk factors.
3) Address your knees: Lose weight, choose correct footwear, avoid squatting on the floor and do muscle-strengthening exercises.
4) Avoid neck pain: The neck must be kept in a neutral position while operating mobile phones, take frequent breaks and use one pillow or avoid pillows while sleeping. Frequent shoulder scapular exercises can relieve stress on muscles.
5) Prevent low back pain: Avoid lifting heavy weights, distribute weight between two hands, keep the knee above the hip line and use a firm mattress for sleeping.
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