Nisargopachar Kendra (निसर्गोपचार केन्द्र)

Vinoba Ashram, Gotri, Vadodara 390021 INDIA
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Healthy Diet

युक्त-आहार-विहारस्ययुक्त-चेष्टस्यकर्मसु।
युक्त-स्वप्न-अवबोधस्ययोगःभवतिदुःखहा॥(BG 6:17)
He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all sorrows by practicing the yoga.

Although we all know that our diet is one of the most important determinant of our health and well-being, we are hardly exposed to role of our food in maintaining health during our medical education. We do get exposed to some concepts of nutritional values and balance food, but we all know that it is not enough when it comes to planning our own food and dietary habits. When we think about healthy diet, the idea that generally comes to our mind is nutritious, balanced and hygienic food. Healthy food is much more than just these terminologies.

Modern science has given us great insights in treatment of various diseases. However, our own ancient wisdom detailed in Naturopathy and Ayurveda's a lot to offer when it comes to preventive and promotive lifestyle in general and dietetics in specific.

It will be very much appropriate to quote a paragraph in reference to our diet and chronic diseases. This is copied from annual report of World Health Organisation. Although, it  was written more than two decades ago, it is equally relevant even today.

“Affluent populations today habitually consume a diet that was unknown to the human species a mere ten generations ago. Compared with the diet that fueled human evolution, the so-called “affluent diet” today has twice the amount of fat, a much higher ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids, a third of the former daily fiber intake, much more sugar and sodium, fewer complex carbohydrates and a reduced intake of micro-nutrients.

“Worldwide, the adoption of this diet has been accompanied by a major increase in Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, Various Cancers, Diabetes Mellitus and Other Chronic Diseases. ….”1

The lifestyle we choose has profound impact on our health. Our diet (ahar), vihar (daily routine, exercise, rest etc..),  mind, emotions and the environment are important factors deciding our lifestyle. We need to be aware about each of them and make positive changes for healthy living as well as treatment and prevention of various non-communicable diseases.

We will discuss some basic principles of healthy diet in this article.

Important Components of Healthy Diet
Carbohydrate, Proteins & Fat
We all know the importance of balanced diet. The diet that fulfills our nutritional requirements is must for our health. We need carbohydrates, Proteins, Fat, Minerals, Vitamins and water in adequate quantity. However, we have been hearing about ketogenic diet or High protein diet. To the best of our understanding a diet that provides 60-70% of caloric requirements from Carbohydrates and 10-15 % from Proteins and 20-25% from both visible and invisible fats is better for our health.Diet with excess of proteins or fat has been considered to cause deleterious effect over our health in long run. A healthy adult requires 25-30 gms of fat per day and it has to be equally divided into sources that provide saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Partially hydrogenated fat or Trans fat is responsible for Heart disease, Diabetes, Cancers, Obesity and also affects our immune system negatively. It should be totally avoided. Many of the processed foods and Bakery items contain trans fat. Vanaspati Ghee, Vegetable shortening, some of Margarine contain trans fat.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Fruits and raw vegetables have been good source of minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. They are easy to digest. They are also considered as alkaline food as per naturopathic principles. National Cancer Institute has floated “Five a day” program2 to motivate people to consume at least five (preferably nine) servings of fruits and raw vegetables every day. About 80 – 100 gms of edible portion is considered one serving. One glass of fruit or vegetable juice is also considered one serving. We need to consume 500 - 600 gms of natural fruits or raw vegetables to meet our daily need of anti-oxidants. It is also important that we choose vegetables and fruits of various natural colours so that we get a variety of flavonoids. Some people call it as rainbow diet.

FIBER
We have soluble as well as insoluble fibres in our diet. They help to release glucose slowly into the blood stream and also help relieve constipation. An adult person requires 30-40 gms of fiber everyday.We get fibers from vegetables and outer coating of the grains. Polished rice and items made up of refined flour (maida) such as noodles, white bread and other bakery products lack fibers. It is better to consume whole wheat flour and unpolished rice.

SUGAR, SALT AND REFINED OIL
There has been consistent increase in consumption of refined Sugar over last few decades. Excess sugar has been associated with Heart diseases, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity and depression. Many of packaged juices, drinks and other food articles contain added sugar. It can be labelled as Sucrose, High Fructose corn Syrup (HFCS), Dextrin, Dextrose, Glucose and many other names.

A healthy person requires 6-8 gms of salt per day. Excess of salt is associated with hardening of the arteries and increases risk of cardiovascular diseases. Ayurveda recommends consumption of Rock Salt instead of Sea Salt.
Refining process of Oil requires addition of certain bleaching agents and phosphoric acid like chemicals into the oil. Oil is also exposed to high temperature during the refining process and that changes the chemical structure into trans form. Refining process affects the quality of oil negatively and is harmful for our health. Oil extracted from Kachchi ghani is much better than refined oil.

STIMULANTS IN OUR DIET
Alcohol, caffeine and sugar stimulate our nervous system. They act like a hunter for the tired horse. It interferes with the mind body connection and therefore meditation and relaxation. Caffeine and sugar are present in energy drinks, cold drinks, coffees, teas, chocolates, etc. Avoiding any kind of stimulant is good for health.

NON-VEGETARIAN FOOD
Naturopathy recommends purely vegetarian diet. Non-vegetarian food increase acidic waste products in our body. They are associated with dyslipidemia, heart disease and inflammation. Red meat is categorised as Carcinogenic food by WHO3,4. Many studies have shown beneficial effect of vegetarian diet in reversal of many chronic disorders5.


CHEMICALS IN OUR FOOD
Many pesticides and Chemical fertilizers are used in agriculture nowadays. At some places, water used for irrigation is polluted with heavy metals. People have found residues of pesticides and heavy metals in agriculture produces at many places. In a study conducted by Centre for Science and Environment have found levels of pesticide residues in some of the food articles up to the level of more than 200 times the MRL (Maximum Residue Limit)6. Pesticide residues in food have been linked to various diseases including endocrinal disorders and cancer. One needs to procure organic food for maintaining health.

Food additives are added in packaged food for various functions like artificial colour, flavor, taste, preservation and to change the texture of the food article. Almost all of the packaged foods contain many chemicals in form of food additives. There are many adverse effects of such food additives including various types of immunological reactions and endocrinal disturbances. A study found out that a typical western diet contained nearly 75% food in packaged form and a person consumed about 4 – 5 kg of chemicals in form of food additives annually.

NUTRITION Vs DIGESTION
The modern dietetics focuses more on calories and nutrition, whereas traditional dietetics focuses more on digestion. It believes that the more important issue is digestion of ingested food rather than the nutritional value of food. We get energy only if the ingested food is properly digested and assimilated. Undigested food increases the load of waste products and cause for accumulation of toxins in the body.

Digestion of our food is a complex process and involves many factors including the amount of digestive fire (Jatharagni) andproperty of the food item. Some food items are light to digest and some are heavy to digest. Other factors that affect digestion include whether the food is warm or cold, fresh or stale, quantity and density of food, time of the meal and physical health and mental state of the person at the time of having meals.Generally it is understood that the previous meal was easily digestible, if stomach becomes light within 2-3 hours of having a meal and one feels hungry at the time of the next meal.

GENERAL RULES FOR MAINTAINING GOOD DIGESTION
Here are some basic rules that will help maintain digestive fire and improve digestion.

  1. Quantity of food: Naturopathy emphasises the concept of Mitahara. One should fill only half of the stomach with food, one forth with liquid and the rest one forth should be kept empty for the free flow of air. One should never over-eat. Eating more than the appetite and in excess of digestive capacity is deleterious to health.
  2. State of mind while taking food: One should consume meals with calm and quiet mind. One should relish the food, and not get engaged in any activity of intense thinking activity, especially negative thinking or emotions.
  3. Eat slowly and chew properly. Take adequate time to take food.
  4. One should be regular with the mealtimes. It is preferable to take breakfast at about 8 am, lunch between 11am and 1 pm and dinner at about 6 - 7 pm or before the Sun-set. Keep at least 4 - 5 hours gap between the main meals.
  5. Eat only when hungry. Avoid tit-bits. Restrict the number of cooked meals to a maximum of three a day, even lesser the better! If hungry, eat only fruits in between the meals.
  6. Prefer main meal at Lunch; eat a moderate Breakfast and a light Dinner.
  7. Avoid water immediately before or after the meal. If required, sip water only in small quantity while eating.
  8. Drink enough water during the day, but only when thirsty. Avoid ice-cold or refrigerated water and drinks.
  9. Avoid consuming any cold food directly from the fridge and refrigerator.
  10. Eating home cooked, fresh, warm, and easy to digest food is the best for health.
  11. Observe “regular” Fruit or Water Fasts.

ROLE OF FASTING IN MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH
Fasting is practiced in many religions as a form of sacrifice and self-discipline. Naturopathy and Ayurveda use fasting for therapeutic purposes. Intermittent fasting or low calorie diet reduce cellular oxidative damage and inflammation, optimize energy metabolism, and bolster cellular protection. It has been found useful in many diseases including Type 2 Diabetes, Heart diseases and Alzheimer’s disease. Fasting has potential to delay aging and help prevent and treat many diseases7. Naturopathy recommends fruit or water fast once a week on regular basis.

SUMMARY
Home cooked and fresh traditional Indian food with addition of conscious intake of fruits and raw vegetables is the key for healthy diet. The timings, frequency, regularity of a meal and the environment at the time of consuming food is also quite important. We also need to maintain age old practices of intermittent fasting to maintain health.

References

  1. World Health Report, 1997 : Conquering suffering, enriching humanity, PP: 130
  2. https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/media/en/gs_fv_ppt_lorelei.pdf
  3. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-meat-and-colon-cancer
  4. https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat
  5. Katz DL. Plant-Based Diets for Reversing Disease and Saving the Planet: Past, Present, and Future. AdvNutr. 2019 Nov 1;10(Suppl_4):S304-S307. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmy124. PMID: 31728489; PMCID: PMC6855967
  6. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/pesticiderich-food-32964
  7. Longo VD, Mattson MP. Fasting: molecular mechanisms and clinical applications.Cell Metab. 2014;19(2):181-192. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2013.12.008

- Dr. Bharat Shah
(Dr. Bharat Shah, (MBBS, DCH, ADNY, PGD Clin Hypnosis)is a Paediatrician turned Holistic Health Practitioner. He is presently working as Director, Nisargopachar Kendra, Vinoba Ashram, Gotri, Vadodara. Apart from providing treatments through naturopathy based holistic health care program, the Kendra also conducts regular training programs for Holistic Healthy Living. One can visit the website www.nisargopachar.org for more details about activities of the Kendra.)