Weight 038; Watch

Your daily intake of food should contain:

Whole grain brown rice and bread, two servings of pulses, fruits and vegetables8212;half a cup. Opt for skimmed milk instead of whole milk8212; around 200 mls a day 8212; and a handful of nuts and seeds. Try to have soya twice a week.

Non-vegetarians may add one serving of lean meat or poultry, one egg a day with yolk, or fish.

Use cold pressed oil mustard and olive as cooking medium. And stay away from refined food like white flour, white rice and sugar.

Alcohol: No more than two drinks on alternate days.

What8217;s New

Intravascular ultrasound: New method to check arteries

The Virtual Histology Intravascular Ultrasound is an ultrasound a colour coded scan of heart arteries . The process helps doctors know the nature or composition of blockages in the blood vessels. A precise knowledge helps the doctor tell whether a patient needs an angioplasty, or a bypass surgery or whether simple medication will do.

THE PROCESS: A catheter which takes the scan is inserted in the body along with the wire for angiography. The colour on the screen helps tell the nature of the blockage 8212; red means 8220;angry or unstable blocks8221;8212; which are capable of rupturing and causing heart attacks in the near future. This requires angioplasty or surgery. Green denotes 8220;fibrous or silent blocks8221;, which can be controlled by medication.

Myth Buster

Atkins diet is far from healthy: Lancet 8216;s latest report

A report published recently in the Lancet describes the case of a 40-year-old woman from New York, who had to be hospitalised after developing dangerously high level of acids in her blood. She had been on Atkins diet for a long time.

The woman regularly suffered from nausea and shortness of breath and had to be taken to hospital one day after she lost consciousness. The doctors who treated her, said tests confirmed 8220;ketoacidosis8221; 8212; a serious condition that occurs when acids, called ketones, build up to dangerous levels in the bloodstream. Ketones are produced in the liver when insulin levels in the blood fall due to starvation or diabetes. The doctors said the diet was to blame.

Beginning next week, a distinguished panel of doctors will answer your health queries:

8226; Dr K Srinath Reddy HoD, Cardiology, AIIMS

8226; Dr Anoop Misra Professor of Medicine, AIIMS

8226; Dr Anupam Sibal Paediatrician and Medical Director, Indraprastha Apollo

8226; Dr Yash Gulati Senior orthopeadician, Apollo.

8226; Dr Nishith Chandra Senior Cardiologist, Escorts

8226; Dr Jitendra Nagpal Senior Psychiatrist, Vimhans

8226; Dr Aarti Vij Faculty Hospital Administration Hospital related queries and patient rights

Send your queries to express.healthexpressindia.com and watch this space for answers. The doctors, however, will not entertain questions on change of prescription or advise medicine without examining the patients.