Many of you may have heard a recent item on the radio which reported that some men get so upset if their football team loses a game, they suffer a heart attack.

Such extreme feelings of disappointment, despair, shock or anger cause a sudden surge of adrenaline and other hormones in the body which can cause a spasm of the coronary arteries.

In their superb, well-researched book Living With Stress, Cary and Rachel Cooper and Lynn Eaker write: "One way or the other, we all have to learn to live with stress, yet people who can avoid constant competition at work, endless conflict at home and a driven, coronary-inducing (Type A) lifestyle will be far better placed to deal with it."

In our brave, new world, stress often leads to more stress until most of us get trapped in a situation where no escape route is in sight.

Then, when people cannot take any more, they either fall ill with serious disease or lose everything they have worked so hard to achieve.

This is absurd. Yet do we stop and think?

Do we take a step back and review the energy balance in our spiritual and emotional bank?

When I suffered from stress burnout in 1998, my spiritual background rescued me and gave me the motivation to change from Type A to Type B behaviour, with great rewards.

I believe healthy living, Asmita's Ayurvedic food and spiritual living has prevented us from falling ill or prey to addiction.

Healthy, holistic living is what I wish to share with others now.

Research has shown the most important factor which determines whether we swim or sink is our individual personality type.

In the mid-Sixties, a study of 3,600 American men confirmed that Type A personality men between the ages of 39 and 49 had a six-and-a-half times greater incidence of coronary heart disease compared to Type B personalities.

Type A people had other risk factors, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. In my own practice, treating patients with stress, I have identified the same pattern.

So how do you identify Type A and Type B lifestyle behaviour?

Type A personalities are highly driven, aggressive, ambitious, fiery, demanding, often impatient, and always working at two or three things at once. They feel guilty if they attempt to relax.

Ayurvedic medicine describes this as vatapitta (air and fire type).

Type B behaviour is the opposite. Such personalities are free of all the habits and traits of the Type A personality, are not constantly time conscious or impatient. They don't exhibit hostility to others or show off about their achievements. They are able to relax and have fun without feeling guilty and to work without agitation.

In order to make the most of life, one needs to be at peace with oneself and learn adaptive behaviour rather than maladaptive behaviour. Learn to be and not to do.

For classes on relaxation techniques and philosophy, contact Dr Jani at his practice.

Dr Milind Jani works as a conventional and holistic GP and Dr Asmita Jani as Ayurvedic Consultant from 3 Eaton Gardens, Hove. Call them on: 01273 777448 or email: milind.jani@ntlworld.com