One in four adult Indians has high blood pressure, and it is so common that many of us treat it as a normal part of life. Dr Bibhu Anand’s “Control Matters” gently disagrees. The book says that what you do every day makes a real difference to both your BP numbers and your heart health, through your lifestyle and your food habits. Dr Bibhu Anand, a medicine consultant at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, explains hypertension in plain language and then shows, step by step, how to bring it under control.
Understanding your numbers
The book starts with the basics. What is high blood pressure? Why should you know your numbers? At what point do they put you at risk? It also explains what happens when pressure stays high: the extra strain falls on the heart, blood vessels, brain, kidneys and eyes, and if left uncontrolled it can lead to far more serious problems. The encouraging news, as the book stresses, is that hypertension is one of the most controllable health conditions.
Young hearts under pressure
For years, hypertension was considered a problem for the future. A special section, “Young Hearts Under Pressure”, shows that this perception is no longer true. More people in their 20s and 30s are being diagnosed, and one in nine young Indian adults is affected, often with no warning signs. The book names the familiar causes: obesity, food, alcohol, long screen hours, too little sleep, chronic stress and scrolling before bed.
The DASH diet, made desi
The heart of the book’s food advice is the DASH diet, a well-researched eating pattern that supports long-term cardiovascular health. It sounds technical, but it fits easily into an Indian kitchen. The idea is simple: more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, dal and low-fat dairy, and less salt, sugar and processed food.
In everyday terms, that could mean:
• Roti and grains: whole wheat, jowar, bajra or ragi instead of refined flour, and brown rice or daliya in place of polished white rice.
• Dal and sabzi: a bowl of dal or rajma with seasonal vegetables and a handful of palak, rich in the potassium that helps keep BP in check.
• Curd or chaas: plain, low-fat and lightly salted.
• Fruit and nuts: a banana, guava or papaya, with a few almonds or walnuts as a snack instead of namkeen.
• Less salt, less pickle: cut back on papad, pickles, chips and packaged snacks, where hidden salt adds up fast.
Nothing here needs expensive ingredients or a special diet plan. It is the food most of us already know, just chosen and balanced with more care.
Daily habits that help
The book also explains what to do before a BP check and how to measure correctly so you can trust your readings. It clears up the common myths around blood pressure that often stop people from acting. And there is a lovely touch: a snake-and-ladders-style “pressure path” challenge, in the spirit of Ludo, that turns the first steps of your BP control journey into a game.
Control Matters is friendly rather than frightening and practical rather than preachy. It leaves you with a simple idea: know your numbers, make small changes every day, and keep your heart in your hands.
The book is available at Healing Hands Multispeciality Clinic, run by Dr Bibhu Anand, on Shankar Road, New Delhi.