Keep Your Platter LOCAL AND FRESH
While you may be tempted to think that ‘imported’ foods
are great for you, being familiar with local foods can benefit both your health
and pocket in a big way.
The confusion over which foods are
good for us never seems to end, thanks to widening choices and information
deluge. If one health website claims a certain food is the cure for all
diseases, your family doctor may not agree and ask you to avoid it at all cost.
While we’re a generation that’s
becoming more health-conscious by the day, most of the information available to
us in this regard is based on Western diets. So, what’s really better for us?
Traditional foods that our grandparents swear by or the ‘imported’ superfoods
that have taken the health industry by storm?
LOCAL CONNECT
IS KEY
According to Dr Partap Chauhan,
director of Jiva Ayurveda, staying healthy is all about connecting with nature.
“So, desh (location) and kaal
(time) are important. Our traditions are reflections of the knowledge that has
been passed on to us through generations. So, the traditional diet of a person
inhabiting the coastal regions will be different from the diet of a person who
resides in drier, desert-like climates of the north-west (of our country).
Through centuries of observation, our ancestors have included foods that suit
us better. Traditions are more than unexplainable practices; they are grounded
in the science of nature,” he said.
Dr Anukalp Prakash, senior
consultant (gastroenterology) at Gurugram-based Paras Hospitals, said that
Indian food is diverse and forms an ideal balanced diet.
“The variety of foods, spices and
dishes that are native to India makes Indian food one of the most wholesome in
the world. The staple Indian diet consists of roti, rice, dal, vegetables,
meat, fish and chicken, which forms an ideal balanced diet, he said.
WHAT ABOUT
'IMPORTED' FOODS?
Dieticians, mostly based in the
West, conduct researches on the action of certain foods on a specific
demography and publish their findings; the operative word here being
'demography', Chauhan said.
“These findings may or may not
include enough Southeast Asian subjects. As consumers of such research
findings, we are not technically inclined to find out if the demography was
skewed or balanced. These recommendations then start cascading through the
dietician community. If nature had intended that you eat something, it would
have provided it to you within your reach,” he said.
So, while the recommendations of
Western superfoods could be perfectly valid, we need to make more educated
decisions regarding our health, Chauhan said.
Ritika Samaddar, regional head
(department of clinical nutrition and dietetics) at Max Healthcare Super
Speciality Hospital, Delhi, said that industrialisation and urbanisation have
led to a drastic change in our diet.
“The increase in intake of
processed and refined foods are leading to various lifestyle disorders. Hence,
dieticians are recommending healthier options of fibre-rich foods such as
quinoa, hemp seeds and chia seeds, but one must also note that their local
equivalents like dahlia, ragi or barley have similar health benefits and can be
much cheaper.”
Chauhan said, “Hemp seeds are what
is traditionally known as ‘bhaang ke beej’ — it has psychotropic properties
that can alter your mental state or cause mild diarrhoea in some people. Chia
seeds have very similar properties to sweet basil (tulsi) seeds. Ayurveda has
been recommending people to chew basil leaves every morning since ages.”
Sometimes, dieticians may advise
people to eat exotic foods such as hemp seeds or chia seeds instead of their
local equivalents as patients “think” the exotic foods will affect their health
in a more positive way, said Tanu Arora, HoD (clinical nutrition and dietetics)
at Delhi-based Aakash Healthcare Super Specialty Hospital. “For example, if you
take a generic medicine and a branded medicine with the same composition,
people believe that taking the branded medicine will make them better faster.
It’s a similar mindset here as well,” Arora said.
DON’T JUMP
INTO FAD DIETS
“The goal of fad diets such as
keto is to achieve ketosis — a state in which the body is using fat as its
primary fuel, rather than carbs. When your body enters ketosis, it goes into
fat-burning mode, which supports weight loss. Cutting carbs also causes your
body to retain less water, which can lead to weight loss. It is not the
recommended method of weight loss as it may cause increase in your blood sugar
levels. The ideal way of losing weight is to do regular exercise and take a
balanced diet, which includes carbs/fats and protein in optimum proportions,”
said Prakash.
“Just try to stick to regular,
consistent meal times and avoid large meals at one go,” he said. Instead of
following fad diets such as keto and paleo, a balanced diet with exercise will
help with weight loss, Prakash said. “If you are not sure of what you should
eat, please speak to a doctor before consuming it.”
IF YOU ARE
TRAVELLING TO A DIFFERENT COUNTRY...
According to Prakash, “When you
are miles away from home, sticking to your normally healthy diet of fruits,
veggies, whole grains and lean proteins isn't always a priority, or even a
possibility. But when you're more focused on filling your belly quickly, rather
than carefully, you may experience unwanted consequences. A healthy diet is a
diet that helps maintain or improve overall health. A healthy diet provides the
body with essential nutrition: fluids, macronutrients, micronutrients and
adequate calories.”
Chauhan said it may be necessary
to make small changes in our diet according to the geography. “We all have a
unique body type, that is, prakriti (a unique proportion of vata, pitta and
kapha in every individual), which must be kept in balance to prevent diseases.
A simple way to deal with that is to find foods that match your prakriti. Also,
every food in the world has a dosha type (vata, pitta or kapha), just like we
humans have a dosha type. Know your dosha type and eat less of foods in the
similar dosha group. For example, if your dominant dosha is pitta, eat less of
astringent, sour and spicy things. Eat foods in the other two dosha types —
this keeps your prakriti in its natural balance and you will be healthy.
Consult an Ayurvedic professional to know your prakriti and the food groups.”
WHAT IS THE
THUMB RULE FOR EATING?
According to Chauhan, the ideal
food is one that keeps your prakriti balanced, makes you feel energetic and
satisfies your hunger as well as your mind.
“Ayurveda recommends a few things
on eating healthy. First, eat according to your prakriti. Second, always prefer
local produce — consuming things that are in our immediate reach keeps us
healthy. Third, eat fresh. Fresh vegetables and fruits have prana energy, which
starts reducing after they are harvested. So, when you eat fresh, you nourish
yourself with prana energy. Food that is kept in cold storage for extended
periods of time, or processed with chemicals, have low prana energy. Fourth, be
regular about your meal timings. Everything in nature has a specific schedule,
so does your body. It expects nourishment on time, so do not miss your meal
timings,” he said.
Prakash said it is advisable to
avoid uncooked fruits and vegetables, not eat peeled fruits and vegetables
unless you are the one who peels them, never consume unpasteurised food and
beverages and make sure that all meat is completely cooked and steaming hot
when served to you.
Rashmi.Ramesh@timesgroup.com
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