New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- Two days after his arrival from Australia and a day after he had a stent shoved up into one of his arteries, my friend Roger Galway sat up brightly in bed and watched as a young woman made her way into the hospital room.

She said, "What would you like to have for dinner, sir?" She was the dietician. "What I would like to have," he said, "you can't give me-a biryani." She smiled. "I can't give you a biryani, sir, but perhaps a khichdi?" She felt sorry for him and eventually promised a chicken curry.

Making lifestyle changes after a cardiovascular event can be challenging. I should know. It's been 12 years since the shock to my system. It took two years before I could figure out what was good for my body, as I tried t...