Residents of Payamanti Housing Co-operative Society in Kasba at the talk show; (below) Dr Suvro Banerjee fielding questions

The GoodLife Talk Show had taken a serious turn on December 4, 2005, at Payamanti Housing Co-operative Society, Kasba.

The complex was established in 1989 and now boasts 224 flats. The guest for the morning was Dr Suvro Banerjee, MD, MRCP (UK), FICC, eminent cardiologist, associated with Apollo Gleneagles Hospital. The topic was heart-related problems and diseases, their prevention and cure.

Dr Banerjee focused on four factors for prevention of heart-related problems ? diet, exercise, lifestyle modification, and risk elements like diabetes, high BP, high cholesterol and weight problems.

Dilip Mitra: What should we eat ? or not eat ? as we grow older?

A balanced diet contains 50 per cent carbohydrates, 30 per cent fat and 20 per cent proteins, along with minerals and vitamins. According to the Diet Pyramid, food items in the lower rungs should be eaten more, and those in the top rungs should be avoided. The lowest rung comprises rice, chapati, bread ? all rich in carbohydrates. Then come fruits and vegetables, followed by fish.

Big fish contain fat below the skin, while small fish have less of fat. The highest rung comprises chicken, eggs, red meat, sugar and salt. Too much intake of eggs is not advisable. Sugar gives instant calories and if those calories are not burnt in time, then it turns to fat, adding to the body weight.

Red meat should not be taken more than once a month by those above the age of 30. Milk also falls in the top level of the Pyramid, and it should be taken in minimal quantities after a certain age.

After 40, it is best to avoid cheese and butter. Fat accumulation starts from 12 years, leading to the heart’s arteries becoming thinner, causing a heart attack and other ailments. The ill-effects start to show from age 40. It is imperative that we maintain a diet discipline from an early age, so that it develops into a healthy habit.

Tarun Kr Kar: My head reels and I see darkness after the slightest exertion?

Sushil Roy: What oil should we have?

J.P. Sengupta: Which is healthier, tea or coffee?

Jiben Bhowmick: What exercise is good for heart patients?

A.K.Chatterjee: Is animal protein good?

Arijit Roy Choudhury: What is the health solution for young executives who don’t have the time for exercise, who don’t get enough sleep and who are prone to smoking and an irregular diet?

P.K. Mitra: What kind of chest pain is related to a heart problem?

If the chest pain persists for 20 minutes or more, it is advisable to call the doctor or to go straight to the hospital. Any delay results in the muscles growing weaker, adding to the risk factor. During the 20 minutes of chest pain, it is advisable to take a Sorbitrate kind of medicine, which should be kept under the tongue for five minutes. After that, every five minutes, half a tablet should be taken, three times.

Aspirin is advisable during a heart attack or angina, but NOT during gastric pain or acidity.

B.N. Bhattacharya: What about alcohol intake?

As for wine, red wine is preferred over white wine as it contains anti-oxidants.