Healthy eating, and some myth-busters

5 min read


What is healthy eating?

Eating in the traditional way your ancestors used to eat is healthy eating. As simple as that! Our ancestors were never scared of eating any natural food. When you eat the right food, you don’t have hunger pangs or cravings anymore – the reason being natural foods contain all the nutrients for proper body functioning or metabolism, in the required quantities. Therefore, the right amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat, fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals should be included in your daily diet.  

But, with the advent of refined (junk) food and so much information floating around, some amount of impropriety is expected. Thus, we see so much being talked about — what is right and what is not — that we are overwhelmed to the point of being lost.   

Let us look at some myths, debunk them with facts, and give you all some general trivia.

MythFact
#1
Must eat raw veggies. 
We do not have to always eat raw veggies – cooked/steamed are healthy as well. Just that raw veggies, in the form of salads, tend to be more beneficial by providing fiber and antioxidants.
#2
Tasteless food (E.g. Sprouts, veggies).
Food isn’t tasteless; healthy food can be tasty as well, with a proper recipe.
#3
Eating dried fruits makes you fat.
Daily consumption of dried fruits provides you the good fats (Omega-3), and vital minerals such as magnesium (which is good for the health of your brain and heart). One can eat 4 each of all dried fruits daily (about one handful of all varieties put together).
#4
Eating ghee makes you fat and increases cholesterol.
Eating ghee increases your good cholesterol (HDL) while reducing bad cholesterol (triglycerides). So, have 2-4 tsp of ghee daily – with no guilt or regret whatsoever!
#5
Eating rice makes you fat.
Eating rice does not make you fat. In fact, the rice-dal combination provides you with vital Amino acids (protein). One can have 2-2.5 cups of rice daily (along with dal).
#6
Only vegetables all day.
You don’t have to eat just vegetables all day. What you need to do is eat the right amount of vegetables combined with meals. That is 1.5 cup of vegetable curry with one cup of raw salad during meals.
#7
Egg yolk makes you fat, so eat only the egg-white that gives you protein.
Egg yolk does not make you fat: rather, it provides Omega-3 fats (good fat). One can have 2 egg-whites and 4 yolks daily. Further, when making an omelette, you can use 2 yolks and one egg-white. 
#8
Eating chapathi/paratha that is applied with oil/ghee makes you fat.
No, it doesn’t. In fact, doing so ensures that the lack of good fats in our body is well supplemented. You can have 4-5 tsp ghee daily. 
#9
Eating pickle is not healthy as it has more of salt and oil.
Home-made pickles are healthy to eat as it is a fermented food, and contains natural preservatives and salt. It is also devoid of coloring, artificial fermenting agents, and preservatives, or MSG (monosodium glutamate) a chemical form of salt, which are the most common causes of today’s health issues such as migraine, anxiety, depression, and other ailments. You can have 1-2 tsp of home-made pickle daily.
#10
Eating curd at night is not advisable as it may lead to one having cold and/or cough.
Eating curd at night or at any time of the day provides probiotics and improves gut health. You can have 4-5 cups of curd daily.
#11
Eating spices causes acidity.
Eating spices is not the cause of acidity – a weak gut is. Your daily diet (food) can have a moderate amount of spices such as chilly powder (5-6 tsp). Other spices such as pepper, cloves, etc., can be consumed occasionally like once in a week.

Trivia:

Some people eat healthy, home-made food but restrict the quantity without knowing the requirement of their body. They end up eating just one chapati or two phulkas, or half-cup rice with dal. They think they had had enough for their bodies besides also having the false notion that they’ve done a great job by restricted eating which, according to them, is healthy eating.  

But that’s not correct, as it may lead to unhealthy cravings which, inadvertently, make us resort to junk foods (chips, pizzas, outside food, etc.). When we get addicted to eating unhealthy food (refined, junk), our body’s neurotransmitters signal us to have those foods again. We all know how difficult it is to control such urges. Actually, when we’re addicted to a type of food, both of our brains (the gut is known as the second brain) crave for it. If you have noticed, when you crave sweets, your mind thinks of artificial sweets, confectioneries, candies chocolates, and such – but it never thinks of eating any fruits (they taste sweet as well, don’t they?). 

Same goes with spicy food – when we crave that, we think of noodles, pizza, samosa, kachori, and farsan, etc., but never of dal-chawal or sabzi-roti, or making a vegetable salad by adding pepper and lemon to make it spicy.

We’d love to hear from you about your experience of our site, as indeed any suggestions or comments that you may have. Share your thoughts with us via the comments section (given below).


Author

Dt. Anjali Khandale (M.Sc., Nutrition & Dietetics)


 *Disclaimer: The diet plans, remedies, and other health-related suggestions published on this website are a collation of information on directions and advice from experts (dietitians and others) provided by the respective expert mentioned as the author of an article and, as such, are sourced from reliable and competent sources. However, both the experts themselves as well as the site owners/promoters request readers to consult their family doctor/physician before using the information on this site and also to exercise caution as necessary. By visiting this site and, by virtue of accessing any information from the site, site users indemnify, by default, the site owners/promoters, dietitians, experts, and affiliates, of any potential damage caused (in any form whatsoever). 

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  1. I had a wonderful experience with Anjali.
    I was too lazy to follow a particular diet plan but after taking her dietary advice – I started losing weight & also understood the calory intake aspect. She is very supportive & motivates you to follow a regular diet routine. The diet plans are easy to follow & flexible. I have lost 3 kgs and 1 inch, and my headache problem (when I woke up from sleep) has also subsided well enough, have regular periods (no hormonal issues), acne and spots on my face seem to be vanishing, feeling energetic throughout the day. One of the best nutritionists. Thank you
    All the best ❤️