India is the midst of
an epidemic of lifestyle diseases or noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as
type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity, the genesis of which
lies in an unhealthy lifestyle.
All the major
lifestyle disorders or NCDs share common lifestyle-related risk factors like
physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, tobacco and excess alcohol intake, which
are modifiable. Hence, patients should be advised a common lifestyle that will
prevent all lifestyle disorders and not just one.
I have devised a
‘Formula of 80’, which I teach all my patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
I have chosen the number 80 as common to all risk factors - as most
recommendations are to keep the values below 90 - so that it is easy for
patients to remember.
Here is my Formula of
80 to live up to the age of 80.
· Keep lower BP, LDL
‘bad’ cholesterol levels, resting heart rate, fasting sugar and abdominal girth
levels all less than
80.
· Walk 80 minutes a day,
brisk walk 80 min a week with a speed of 80 steps (at least) per minute
· Eat less and not more
than 80 gm or ml of caloric food each meal.
· Observe cereal fast 80
days in a year.
· Do not smoke or be
ready to shell out Rs. 80,000/- for treatment.
· Do not drink alcohol;
if you do, do not consume more than 80 ml per day for men (50% for women) or 80
grams per week. Ten grams of alcohol is present in 30 ml or 1 oz of 80 proof
liquor.
· If you are a heart
patient, consider 80 mg aspirin and 80 mg atorvastatin a day.
· Keep kidney and lung
functions more than 80%.
· Avoid exposure to PM
2.5 and PM 10 levels < 90 mcg/m3.
· Avoid exposure to
>80 dB of noise.
· Take vitamin D through
sunlight 80 days in a year.
· Do 80 cycles of
pranayama (parasympathetic breathing) in a day with a speed of 4 per minute.
· Spend 80 minutes with
yourself every day (relaxation, meditation, helping others etc.).
Health has been
defined by the WHO as “not just the absence of disease, but a state of
complete physical, mental and social well-being”.
This means that “the
social contexts of health and disease” including socioeconomic status also
influence our health.
Stress is one such
factor that has an adverse impact on health and well-being. Excessive stress
can interfere with your productivity and performance, impact your physical and
emotional health and also affect relationships and domestic life.
Financial insecurity
can be stressful for the body and the mind.
It physically hurts to
be economically insecure, concluded a study published in April 2016 in the
journal Psychological Science (Psychol Sci. 2016 Apr;27(4):443-54). Those who reported extremely stressful money or
work-related events were at greater risk of metabolic syndrome (Diabetes
Care. 2010 Feb;33(2):378-84)
Yet another study
published in August 2013 in the journal Social Science & Medicine
observed that “high financial debt relative to available assets is associated
with higher perceived stress and depression, worse self-reported general
health, and higher diastolic blood pressure” (Soc Sci Med. 2013 Aug; 91:
94–100).
People often try to
cope with stress by adopting unhealthy behaviors such as overeating or eating
unhealthy food, substance or alcohol abuse, tobacco use, social withdrawal;
they skip exercise. All these behaviours are linked to lifestyle diseases.
Hence, stress is recognized as a risk factor for NCDs.
But, this is not the
right way to deal with stress.
Management of stress
involves either removing the known situation or changing one’s interpretation
or preparing the body in such a way that the stress does not affect mind and
the body. Our needs and wants are not synonymous; it’s important to
understand the difference between the two.
Section 80 of the
Income Tax Act is most commonly used to save income tax legally. By
choosing to invest in certain tax-saving options, the tax burden can be
reduced.
Here is a summary of
various provisions under section 80.
|
Section
|
Deduction on
|
Allowed Limit
(maximum) FY 2018-19
|
|
80C
|
Investment in PPF
– Employee’s share of PF contribution – NSCs – Life Insurance Premium payment – Children’s Tuition Fee – Principal Repayment of home loan – Investment in Sukanya Samridhi Account – ULIPS – ELSS – Sum paid to purchase deferred annuity – Five year deposit scheme – Senior Citizens savings scheme – Subscription to notified securities/notified deposits scheme – Contribution to notified Pension Fund set up by Mutual Fund or UTI. – Subscription to Home Loan Account scheme of the National Housing Bank – Subscription to deposit scheme of a public sector or company engaged in providing housing finance – Contribution to notified annuity Plan of LIC – Subscription to equity shares/ debentures of an approved eligible issue – Subscription to notified bonds of NABARD |
Rs. 1,50,000
|
|
80CCC
|
For amount deposited
in annuity plan of LIC or any other insurer for a pension from a fund
referred to in Section 10(23AAB)
|
-
|
|
80CCD(1)
|
Employee’s
contribution to NPS account (maximum up to Rs 1,50,000)
|
-
|
|
80CCD(2)
|
Employer’s
contribution to NPS account
|
Maximum up to 10% of
salary
|
|
80CCD(1B)
|
Additional
contribution to NPS
|
Rs. 50,000
|
|
80TTA(1)
|
Interest Income from
Savings account
|
Maximum up to 10,000
|
|
80TTB
|
Exemption of
interest from banks, post office, etc. Applicable only to senior citizens
|
Maximum up to 50,000
|
|
80GG
|
For rent paid when
HRA is not received from employer
|
Least of :
– Rent paid minus 10% of total income – Rs. 5000/- per month – 25% of total income |
|
80E
|
Interest on
education loan
|
Interest paid for a
period of 8 years
|
|
80EE
|
Interest on home
loan for first time home owners
|
Rs 50,000
|
|
80CCG
|
Rajiv Gandhi Equity
Scheme for investments in Equities
|
Lower of
– 50% of amount invested in equity shares; or – Rs 25,000 |
|
80D
|
Medical Insurance –
Self, spouse, children
Medical Insurance – Parents more than 60 years old or (from FY 2015-16) uninsured parents more than 80 years old |
– Rs. 25,000
– Rs. 50,000 |
|
80DD
|
Medical treatment
for handicapped dependent or payment to specified scheme for maintenance of
handicapped dependent
– Disability is 40% or more but less than 80% – Disability is 80% or more |
– Rs. 75,000
– Rs. 1,25,000 |
|
80DDB
|
Medical Expenditure
on Self or Dependent Relative for diseases specified in Rule 11DD
– For less than 60 years old – For more than 60 years old |
– Lower of Rs 40,000
or the amount actually paid
– Lower of Rs 1,00,000 or the amount actually paid |
|
80U
|
Self-suffering from
disability :
– An individual suffering from a physical disability (including blindness) or mental retardation. – An individual suffering from severe disability |
– Rs. 75,000
– Rs. 1,25,000 |
|
80GGB
|
Contribution by
companies to political parties
|
Amount contributed
(not allowed if paid in cash)
|
|
80GGC
|
Contribution by
individuals to political parties
|
Amount contributed
(not allowed if paid in cash)
|
|
80RRB
|
Deductions on Income
by way of Royalty of a Patent
|
Lower of Rs 3,00,000
or income received
|
(Source: https://cleartax.in/s/80c-80-deductions)
Lifestyle changes
should start right in childhood. Similarly, a person should start planning for
a secure financial future, the day he or she starts working.
Invest wisely...from
Formula of 80 to Section 80 for healthy finances and a healthy you...
Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri Awardee
President Elect Confederation of
Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania
(CMAAO)
Group Editor-in-Chief IJCP Publications
President Heart Care Foundation of
India
Past National President
IMA
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