As we commemorate Stress Awareness Month, let’s make a pledge to step away from health fads, and overly marketed weight loss plans that may not truly serve our bodies. With so many celebrity nutritionists advocating for various diet trends, it’s easy to fall into the trap of misinformation. Instead, let’s turn our attention to the wisdom of authentic Indian everyday foods and customs, which hold numerous benefits that we may not even realize. In the enlightening podcasts ‘Indian Food Wisdom‘ and ‘Superfoods ke Super Rahasya‘ on Audible, renowned nutritionists Rujuta Diwekar, Dr. Dimple Jain, and Vijayta Saran debunk common food myths and shed light on the incredible nutritional value of superfoods, simple Indian home-cooked meals, seasonal fruits, vegetables, and spices. Let’s take a closer look at these expert tips and embrace the power of Indian food wisdom for improved health and well-being.
- Optimize Your Nutrition with Thoughtful Food Combinations and Nutrient Balances
“If you eat food that appeals to your taste buds and look after all of those 6 different tastes and eat food in quantities that keep all of your taste buds interesting, food really does turn into medicine. Rasa or the sense of food forms the Ojas (sense of food) and Tejas (intelligence of the mind and body). We think of dal as protein, roti as carbohydrate, and ghee as fat because we learned this concept in school. When we learn the food pyramid we learn to categorize everything that we eat as a carbohydrate, protein, or fat. Our poha, upma, idli, dosa, chapati, rice is much more than carbs, it’s amino acids, minerals, fat, fibre, vitmains and many undiscovered phyto nutrients. Our food combinations make up for each other’s missing factors. When you eat Dal with the rice, or the roti with your sabzi (vegetables) you work at getting the complete amino acid profile and make the proteins accessible to your body’ saysRujuta Diwekar in her 8 – episode podcast titled ‘Indian Food Wisdom’ on Audible.
- Eat Local, Think Global
“The fewer the food miles, the smaller the size of your dress. When food comes from far, there is more preservatives than the amount of nutrients in it. This leads to a dull digestion and makes your overweight. Food that grows in soil next to you is much richer in nutrients that you need to fight all the environmental challenges and it improves your immune system. You get the local food only when it’s in season, for example, the mangoes in summer – just the right time when you need it. The carotenes in the mango help you prevent sun damage, the sweet taste will help you improve an otherwise dull appetite and the fibre helps prevent constipation. Nature is really so kind that she will provide the most effective and nurturing therapy in the form of food.”, elaborates Rujuta as she advices listeners to incorporate local and seasonal fruits and vegetables in their diets.
- Embrace the Nutritional Power of Ghee for Optimal Health
Rujuta says, “Our yogic philosophy thinks of our body as the Anamaya Kosha, so Anna is food and Maya is what it appears to be. You could think of it as the food body. Whatever goes into our body, is what everything depends on. Take one spoonful of cow ghee every day – it can reduce every one of these things, cholesterol can be reduced, triglycerides, LDL can be reduced and HDL can be decreased. Ghee is rich in anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. It is saturated fat, yes, but it is a very unique kind of saturated fat. This kind of fat helps you protect all of your tissues and protect your immune system.”
- Harness the Power of Ragi – The Ultimate Superfood!
“Ragi is indeed a superfood. First of all iska cost bahut kam hai, ameer aur gareeb dono ragi ka sevan kar sakte hai. Ye asani se available hai all over the country and all over the world in fact.” (Ragi is a superfood. It is very reasonably priced and therefore, can be consumed by everyone. Additionally, it is available across the country and the world). According to Dr. Dimple Jain, ragi has the highest amount of nutrients and protein, and minerals compared to any other millet family. Nowadays, people are troubled because gluten and gluten intolerances cause bloating, indigestion, pain in the abdomen etc. But ragi is gluten-free and consuming it helps mitigate health issues related to gluten. “Haemoglobin levels ko maintain karne mai bahut faidemand hai ragi. Infact aurato mein haemoglobin levels bahut kam hone se gynaecological disorders, skin issues, hairfall bahut hota hai. Aurato ko ragi ka sevan roz karna chahiye, aur ragi jo hai amino acids ka main source hai.” (Haemoglobin is beneficial to maintain haemoglobin levels in one’s body, In fact, due to a drop in haemoglobin levels many women suffer from gynecological disorders, skin problems, and hairfall issues. Therefore, women must incorporate ragi in their diets since it is the main source of amino acids).
- Boost your health with Mighty Moringa!
Dr. Dimple says, “Kuch vegetables aur fruits ke health benefits itne hai ki unhe superfood kehna galat nahi hoga. 100 gms Moringa ke ek serving mein 8 grams se adhik protein hoti hai, 400 mgs miligram se adhik potassium, lagbhag 450 mgs calcium hoti hai, 107 mgs Vitamin C, 730 grams Vitamin A bhi hota hai. Moringa ke ped mein 92 se adhik poshak tatva aur 46 antioxidants hote hai jo optimal brain function ke liye avashyak hai. Moringa protein ka ek powerhouse hai aur apko pata hai Moringa apke bache ke memory power bhi badane ka madat karta hai. ” (Some vegetables and fruits are packed with high nutritional value and therefore, referring to them as superfoods wouldn’t be wrong. 100 grams of Moringa consists of more than 8 grams of protein, over 400 mg of potassium, approximately 450 grams of calcium, nearly 107 mg of Vitamin C and 730 g of Vitamin A. A single tree of moringa has 92 nutrients and 46 antioxidants which are essential for optimal brain function. Overall, moringa is a powerhouse of protein and helps in improving the memory of kids).
