Grand Young Lady

I8217;M a professional student, forever learning and imbibing. Constantly asking questions has its advantages. It kick-starts my motivation...

I8217;M a professional student, forever learning and imbibing. Constantly asking questions has its advantages. It kick-starts my motivation, fuels my inspiration and helps me understand life better.

Let me give you an example. I8217;ve been studying Tanuja over several years. That this gorgeous grannie carries her 61 years with more wallop than a bone dry martini, goes without saying. Her mother, the grand dame of Indian cinema, Shobhana Samarth, was also a riot of fun.

I8217;ve been trying to figure out what it is about these women that makes them pole vault over age and arrive at a zone of, if I may say so, perpetual youth?

Take Tanuja. The lady gurgles with laughter all the time. She laughs easily, laughs at herself, lives life to the hilt and is more active than ever. Her performance in the recent Khakhee is being praised, as also in last year8217;s Saathiya and Bhoot. Many more big projects are in the pipeline.

When she works, she works full gruelling days with ease. How does she do it? 8216;8216;It8217;s all in your thoughts and attitude,8221; says Tanuja.

She has learnt this from watching her mother and grandmother go through adversities of every kind and bearing them with a smile. From living in slums to living in a bungalow, sometimes not even having money to pay for petrol, Tanuja has been through it all. 8216;8216;Our mother taught us the dignity of labour. At the age of 10, I used to wake up at 5 am and water the garden,8217;8217; she says.

Tanuja lives all by herself in Lonavala. She regularly meditates and does yoga. Though a foodie, she is not a big eater. Neither is she fanatical about health food.

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Tanuja looks as lovely as she did when I interviewed her 10 years ago, along with Samarth and Kajol for a television show. What came through after having spent a day with the three generations was the fiery spark they shared. And that spark continues to inspire me.

You Ask, They Answer

TUMMY TROUBLES
8226; Vijay, 24, suffers from piles. He was operated at the age of 19 and still suffers from improper bowel movements. A gastroenterologist said the problem could be because of a stitching mistake after the surgery. Please advise.
His diet has to provide a positive calorific balance. An increase of about 500 calories per day will result in a weight gain of approximately a pound a week. He should consume food items like cheese, butter, oil groundnut oil, soyabean oil and nuts and couple it with protein-rich foods like paneer, legumes, pulses, soya foods, egg-white, lean meats chicken, fish to ensure increase in lean body mass muscle rather than fat. One can undertake a weight training program with high-resistance exercises to improve body strength and muscle mass. A regular brisk walk is also advisable.

Dr Muffazal Lakdawala,
Gastrosurgeon, Mumbai

FOOD FACTS
8226; Vivek Sharma8217;s mom, 49, has a cholesterol level of 225 mg. What is good and bad cholesterol and which food items contain harmful cholesterol?
Most cholesterol in our body is synthesised in the liver. This synthesis is stimulated by foods like butter, ghee, cream, egg yolk, meat and shellfish. The popular reference to 8216;good8217; cholesterol means high density lipoprotein, elevated levels of which are beneficial. 8216;Bad8217; cholesterol means low density lipoprotein, elevated levels of which are injurious to coronary arteries. The process of cholesterol synthesis and removal is genetically determined. Dietary fat aggravates the situation. Watching your diet may lower cholesterol levels, but very high cholesterol levels cannot be normalised by dietary manoeuvres. So drug therapy should be considered.

Sonal Modi,
Chief Nutritionist, Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre , Mumbai