I ate a lot of these while recovering from Dengue fever. In fact, one of my favorite fruits.
I’m not one for crash dieting or diet fads. And the buzzword right now is ‘post Diwali detox’. Everyone is on one. Except for those who are actually healthy.
Fasting-feasting and binge eating does more harm to your body than you can imagine. Depriving your body and then forcing it to consume more than it needs or can handle is the perfect way to confuse your hormones. That’s when a lot of women start to complain about hair fall, premature greying, wrinkles or other changes in skin tone/quality, and even an irregular period.
Right now everyone is dreading their plate…or looking at it fearfully and suspiciously. Except, I’m happy to report, my students. They have a healthy relationship with food and a holistic outlook to life. Diwali is about celebrating and indulging and now it’s about cleaning up your diet.
Gigantic cucumber. Spotted it in a dhaba at the foothills of Singhagadh Fort. But I would be hesitant to eat it as I feel this size can only be achieved artificially.
Like I said, I don’t follow a ‘diet’. But here are five guidelines that work for me.
- I try and follow an Ayurvedic diet. So use your food as medicine. Use lots of ginger, garlic and spices during the winter and eat lighter food in the summers. Bangalore is neither too cold nor too hot, so I eat a moderate diet.
- Eat a largely clean diet. Adding a lot of vegetables to your Maggie doesn’t count. If you use a good quality oil, use organic veggies and whole wheat pasta – that is clean and healthy.
- No white sugar. No sugar (any kind) in my tea/coffee. There was a time when I used jaggery, but I have a sweet tooth. And when you have a sweet tooth you can go a bit overboard with even jaggery. So I just don’t keep it in my kitchen.
- No dairy. So only black coffee or black/green tea for me. In my experience even small amounts of milk in tea causes a lot of bloating. I notice a difference within just a week of having milk tea. Curd however, behaves differently. And sometimes I allow myself a little bit of curd. But again, sparingly.
- Fruits – in moderation. Sugar contents in fruits is very high. So if you overdo fruit and have the traditional Indian carby diet – then it’s just extra sugar.
I love this picture of tiny mushrooms growing on a tree trunk at Amrapalli Farms about an hour and a half away from Pune. I use a lot of mushrooms in my salads.
Every body is different and what works for me may not work for you. The above list is something that I put together after many years of observing myself. That said, it’s always a good idea to be aware of what others have tried and tested. You might be able to incorporate some of their learnings into your life.
What dietary guidelines work for you? Let me know.
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