I was at lunch with a group of friends when Tanya said this to Priya.

Priya’s meal had just arrived and she had ordered a cheese pav bhaji. This was after she had wiped off a plate of French fries all by herself while the rest of us waited for our main courses to arrive.

Priya, who had made the apparently “unhealthy” meal choice flushed on hearing the remark. From the change in her expression, one could tell that she was wishing she could disappear into invisibility, just like the dollop of butter that was fast melting to become invisible in her food. Not knowing how else to respond, she looked down at her food and nibbled in silence till the end of our lunch.

Sadly, Tanya was oblivious of the damage she had done and went on to brag about her latest diet changes and why she had banished certain foods from her diet forever. So obsessed was she with driving home her point that our forlorn faces were lost on her. Possibly my other friends were now wondering how Miss ‘Health Freak’ would react when their orders were brought to the table and whether she would approve of their choices. Sigh! There went another potentially fun lunch meeting, thanks to one person’s unhealthy obsession with healthy eating.

Wrong words at the wrong time

Even though Tanya only had Priya’s best interests in mind [like we all have for our loved ones], her timing and tone were both wrong. Very wrong. Her harsh words and insensitivity would have harmed her friend more than any of the ‘unhealthy’ food she thought she was eating.

Let’s first get this out of the way. Sharing our knowledge and experiences is not wrong. In fact, it must be done as that’s what empowers us to make better choices. But we should be conscious of doing it in a sensible and sensitive way.

But don’t we all have that one friend, colleague or relative who goes into nutritionist- or crusader-mode at every opportunity they find and mostly it is during meal times? When I see these people giving advice that is not asked for, I’m left wondering whether they’re still trying to convince their own selves about their choices.

Food does much more than providing us with calories and nutrition. Each of us has a unique relationship with food. For some this relationship is sorted, while for others it’s complicated or still evolving. Add to it the information overload from the field of nutrition and changing trends in the health industry and things can get pretty convoluted.

The least we can do to maintain some sanity in these times of information overload is to keep our meal-times sacred and devoid of nutrition gyaan.

Eat and let others eat

Food is big deal for most of us, yet meal times are the most ignored events, mostly done mindlessly. If you have to discuss the food, let it be about the taste, the flavour, the ingredients, the recipes… but keep all talk of nutrition, calories and food choices out! Once the food is on the table and you have decided you’re going to eat it, just shut up, enjoy your food and let others do the same. Resist the temptation of asking the vegan where he is getting his protein from or snidely reminding the non-vegetarian about the inhuman practices at factory farms. One of the most important thing food does is bringing people together. It gives us a chance to celebrate our similarities and differences. Let’s not use it as an opportunity to convert the other and bring them on “our side”.

The post Don’t correct someone’s diet when they are eating appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

This site reminded me of my experience with veganism five years ago.

After being diagnosed with massive uterine fibroids, I went on an exploration of alternative medicine, which included ayurveda, iridology, reiki, acupuncture, reflexology and many more. Each modality helped me understand the many aspects of holistic health. Then I met a homoeopath in Auroville who also happened to be an ardent vegan. Homoeopathy was a system of medicine I was eager to explore, so I immediately booked a session. However, our session ended up being a spiel about animal cruelty and the need for me to turn vegan. Already an animal-lover and a vegetarian, I felt awfully guilty after this discussion and decided to turn vegan immediately.

It was the worst decision I ever made.

My condition worsened as I immediately lost lots of weight and began experiencing exhaustion and adrenal fatigue. Additionally, I was consuming large amounts of soy products—the main alternative to dairy for all vegans—which is a huge hormone disruptor, if consumed in excess. I learnt much later that soy milk, blocks of tofu, tofu noodles and other processed soy products should be completely avoided by women with fibroids.

What’s right for you may be wrong for another

Since then I’ve coached and conducted workshops for hundreds of women and have arrived at one resounding conclusion: we are all different. The concept that guides my work is called bio-individuality. Bio-individuality is based on the fact that when it comes to food, there is no one-size-fits-all. We are all unique and have highly individualised nutritional requirements.

Here are just some things to consider before deciding on the right diet for a person:

• Anatomy
• Metabolism
• Body composition
• Cellular structure
• Ancestry
• Age
• Gender
• Occupation
• Lifestyle

I have clients whose meal plans include white bread, bone marrow and cheese, and others who thrive on raw vegan fare. But this isn’t something I decide for them: we arrive at these conclusions upon carefully and patiently observing the body’s health and energy after consuming different kinds of food as well as understanding their very unique body/mind/lifestyle composition.

It’s true: One person’s food can be another person’s poison.

Being tolerant of other’s food choices does not make me an animal hater

Let me be clear here that when I propagate bio-individuality, I’m not standing for animal cruelty. I donate to animal shelters, participate in events that raise awareness about factory farming and personally believe that most people on this planet are likely consuming more protein than is needed by their body [especially in America]. But I don’t believe in using guilt, fear or any other scare tactic in changing people’s eating habits. This is akin to religious fundamentalism, whose followers—blindly married to their beliefs—are willing to commit any or all crimes to further their propaganda.

So how do we decide what’s the best food plan for us?

It helps to work with a health coach or nutrition expert who is willing and open to working with your individual nutrition needs. Here are some of my tips:

Trust your body’s intelligence

We try and override our body’s intelligence by intellectually deciding what to eat. Instead, we need to get better at simply listening to and observing our body’s signals. Energy and mood are great markers for whether a certain diet is working or not. Our bones, skin, hair, nails and whites of eyes will indicate the health of our internal organs. Try eliminating certain foods from your diet for a few weeks to see how you feel without them.

Harmonise with the seasons

Spring and summer are seasons when the body naturally detoxifies. It’s the perfect time to embark on a vegan, vegetarian or raw food diet. Nature provides us an abundant bounty of foods that are light, uplifting and cleansing during this time. Similarly, during autumn and winter, our body starts to prepare for the colder months and craves fatty, creamy, heavier foods. This is a good time to eat a high-protein, high-fat diet as these foods are more readily available then.

Always know the source

For most of our settled history, human beings have raised and consumed animals. Our ancestry plays a big role in deciding whether or not a vegan or vegetarian diet is appropriate. There is, however, a stark difference between ancestral and modern-day consumption—and that difference is reverence. Traditional cultures [such as that of the Native Americans] held special rituals during October’s harvest season, thanking their brothers from the animal kingdom that would be hunted down in the months to come. In India, the sacred cow was raised on the farm, fertilising our crops, sharing our labour, providing milk for the family. We have lost this connection with our animal brethren and that is the worrisome part about animal consumption. We don’t know and we don’t care: an attitude that is turning out to be dangerous for our bodies as well as our environment. Pasture-raised animals that are treated humanely will nourish us very differently than commercially-raised animals that have been abused and fed antibiotics and GMO feed.

Like all relationships, our bond with our body becomes deeply rewarding and nourishing when we learn to truly listen: with an open and curious mind and without judgement or pre-conceived notions. When we make space for that communion, we can experience what John Muir explains eloquently: “The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fibre and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.”

The post Going Vegan: The worst decision I ever made appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Here, I present the top 20 common questions I have been often asked, along with their answers. I hope they will help clear many doubts you have regarding what constitutes healthy diet and also help you to improve your health.

Common questions on healthy eating (and their answers)

Question 1 – Are potato, corn, beans, and green peas good for one’s daily vegetable quota?
Answer: Unfortunately, these are starches. You need to add vegetables to your daily meals. The more variety in colour you add, the better the variety of vitamins and minerals. Red bell peppers, yellow squash, purple eggplant, green beans, orange pumpkin—try them all. In a salad, soup, with your meat, in a stew, or even with your rice as a pilaf.

Question 2 – I eat well and sleep for 7 – 8 hours. Why do I still feel tired?
Answer: Eating well is good. But you need to be hydrating well too. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, nausea, headache, and dry skin. Ensure that you are drinking enough water and other healthy fluids, like coconut water, unsweetened juices, soups, lemon juice and herbal teas. The colour of your urine is a fairly reliable marker of your levels of hydration. If it’s darker than pale yellow, you need more fluids.

Question 3 – Will cutting out rice from my diet help me lose weight?
Answer: The bottom line is calories. If your total calorie intake exceeds what your body can burn, then you gain weight. Although calories in rice add up fast [1/3 cup cooked rice has almost 100 calories], omitting rice may not be the only way to cut down on calories. Keep a food diary for a week and consult a nutritionist to help identify the hidden calories in your diet.

Question 4 – Is it okay to skip meals if I have a heavy breakfast?
Answer: “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper” goes the old saying. However, our lifestyles have become much more sedentary since the feudal times. Eating a large breakfast if you are just going to be sitting at your desk the entire day isn’t recommended. It also doesn’t mean skipping lunch if you’ve eaten a lot in the morning. Instead, spread your calorie intake through the day. Large gaps between meals might lead to hyperacidity.

Question 5 – Why should one eat every 2 – 3 hours even if not hungry? Won’t eating so often cause weight gain?
Answer: If you wait until you are hungry, you will eat more than you should be eating. Eating wholesome, balanced meals and snacks every 2 – 3 hours helps keep your metabolism high [which is the key to fat loss], blood sugar levels stable, and energy levels high. It is important to spread your overall calorie intake through the day and include all six food groups [starch, fruits, vegetables, meat/protein, dairy, and fats] in your daily meal plan.

Question 6 – Why do we have to eat banana, chikoo (sapota), and mango in moderation?
Answer: These fruits contain more sugar than some other fruits; so the serving sizes are smaller for these fruits as they contain more calories. Half a medium-size mango and half a banana have the same calories as a tennis-ball size apple. The best time to have a banana, mango, or chikoo is post an aerobic workout such as a run to help replenish energy stores in your muscles.

Question 7 – Besides eating spicy or oily foods, what else could cause acidity?
Answer: More than the food itself, what causes hyperacidity is irregular eating patterns. If your stomach remains empty for long due to large gaps between meals or snacks, the acid in your stomach, which aids in digestion, has nothing to digest. This creates an acidic environment in the stomach—what we call acidity. The best way to prevent hyperacidity is to eat small meals/snacks every 2 – 3 hours. You must also drink enough water to help digestion of foods and avoid drinking excess tea or coffee [two cups of tea/coffee are good enough].

Question 8 – Can beans and lentils alone fulfil my daily protein requirement?
Answer: Beans and lentils are good sources of protein. If you are a vegetarian, there are other sources of protein that you can add to your diet. These include: paneer [cottage cheese], light tofu, low-fat or skim milk and yoghurt, and soy beans. Add grilled paneer to your salad, blend tofu with skim milk into soups to make thicker and creamier soups, and have buttermilk/chaas as an afternoon snack.

Question 9 – I hate milk, can I take a calcium supplement instead?
Answer: Taking a calcium citrate or calcium carbonate supplement is okay. However, your body is better at absorbing minerals from foods than from supplements. If you don’t like milk, you can try other sources of calcium such as broccoli, spinach, sardines, and fortified soy milk. Vitamin D is required for appropriate absorption of calcium too, so ensure you check vitamin D levels in your body if you do not get at least 10 – 15 minutes of exposure to the sun every day.

Question 10 – Can I cook food in vegetable-fat margarines instead of oil or butter?
Answer: Yes, you can use vegetable-fat margarines for cooking. But note that an increased intake of saturated fat [butter, clarified butter/ghee, palm oils] will increase risk of heart disease along with a high fat diet. It is important to know exactly what percentage of your daily calorie intake should come from fat. Different types of cooking oils are fine to use in small amount in conjunction with a low-fat meal plan to reduce the risk of heart disease. The general rule is two teaspoons of oil per day per person. Ask your nutritionist to know exactly what percentage of your total calorie intake should come from fat as per your needs, medical history, and fitness goals.

Question 11 – Is it okay to cook food in extra virgin olive oil?
Answer: Extra virgin olive oil is excellent when added in raw form on salads. However, avoid using it for cooking as it has a low smoke point. This means that when put in a hot pan, it smokes sooner than other oils. When oil smokes, it no longer remains healthy and becomes potentially carcinogenic [cancer-causing].

Question 12 – Which is the healthiest cooking oil?
Answer: All oils, with the exception of palm oils, are healthy when used in small amounts. It is best to use a variety of oils for cooking—rice bran oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, groundnut oil. Keep changing your oil every month; that way you can get both the heart healthy fats—monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—in your diet.

Question 13 – Is it okay to eat something immediately after exercise? If yes, what to eat?
Answer: As per research, consuming a combination of carbohydrates [such as fruit, fruit juice, or a sports drink] and a protein supplement [such as a whey protein isolate powder, which is made from milk] within 20 minutes of your workout allows for best utilisation of the protein by your body. A whey protein supplement could help increase your stamina, strength, and endurance as proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. If you are a vegetarian, your overall protein intake might be low. Protein supplements allow your muscles to recover faster. They also allow you to get a larger amount of protein into your body quickly soon after a workout, which helps your body recover better.

Question 14 – Are biscuits and green tea good in-between meals snack options?
Answer: Green tea is a great source of antioxidants and two cups a day is fine, if you have to drink it. However, liquids move out of your system faster than solids, leaving you hungry again. And if you are having green tea only for the anti-oxidants then there are many other sources for the same. As biscuits are a starch, the calories add up fast if you snack on them. So if you have to eat biscuits, go for the whole wheat, oat, or multi-grain variety. But fruits, nuts and seeds in small amounts, and low-fat cheese are better snacking options than biscuits.

Question 15 – What are some healthy “eat on the go” snack options?
Answer: Home food is the best. Keep at least five small snacks in your office bag that are a combination of protein and carbohydrates. The protein will help keep your stomach full for some time and the carbohydrates act as the main source of energy for the brain. Half a peanut butter sandwich made with one slice of whole wheat bread and half a tablespoon of natural peanut butter, fruit yoghurt made with low-fat yoghurt and half a cup of fruit such as strawberries, pomegranate, or peaches are some examples.

Question 16 – Is it okay to drink water immediately after eating meals?
Answer: As per Ayurveda, drinking water immediately after meals as the water dilutes the digestive juices, thereby slowing down digestion. It is best to drink water 30 minutes before or after a meal. Also, drink room temperature water or warm water, as it helps digestion. Cold water, on the other hand, hampers digestion and is best avoided.

Question 17 – What are good midnight snack food options?
Answer: Foods with protein are best options for midnight snacks. A cup of skim milk, two-thirds cup of probiotic plain yoghurt, and even casein protein, which is a slow release protein supplement are a few good options.

Question 18 – What are some good sources of fibre in foods to help reduce cholesterol levels?
Answer:  Here are some easy ways to add extra fibre into your meal plan:

• One tbsp psyllium husk in one glass warm water pre-bedtime.
• Ground flaxseed; add to dosa or pancake batter.
• Oatmeal; great morning breakfast option post morning walk/cardio.
• About ¾ cup whole wheat bran flakes cereal with 200ml milk for breakfast.
• A bowl of beans and veggie salad with dinner packs in a great amount of fibre.

Fibre without water is of no use; ensure you continue drinking enough water. Also, minimise your intake of processed foods.

Question 19 – Will avoiding eating meals after 7pm help in weight loss?
Answer: Yes, it helps. Most people become less active after 7pm. And also the metabolism is slower towards the end of the day. Hence, the calorie intake should be less as the day comes to a close. So, eating a light snack [ideally an hour before bed time] is okay but skipping meals entirely, especially if you are likely to stay up for several hours past 7pm, might make you hungry as you go to bed, leading you to indulge.

Question 20 – Isn’t peanut butter fattening?
Answer: Peanut butter is mostly fats and protein, most of which are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. If had in small amounts, peanut butter is a good source of fibre. It also contains vitamin B3 [niacin], which helps your body utilise energy out of foods; folate, which helps to form haemoglobin, and many other trace minerals. One serving of peanut butter is half a tablespoon.

Remember, diet is only half the story. A sedentary life will cancel all the benefits of healthy diet. If your activity level is low, include some kind of exercise in your daily routine. This will multiply the goodness of your healthy diet.

The post 20 Common Questions on Healthy Eating appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.