Dr. Vishakha Shivdasani
Dr. Vishakha Shivdasani is a nutrition lifestyle practice and family physician. She has been the Vice - President of The A ward medical association – 2014. Dr. Shivdasani completed her MBBS from Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Karad, 2009. She is also the member of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and General Physician Association.
The meaning of the title ‘Eiyō’ is Nourishment, which our body is tremendously in need of. What do you think of when you think of Steak and Potato or Chicken Curry with Jeera Rice? Yummy right? But what is good for our tongue is not good for our tummy.
RIGHT THE WRONGS
FACT:
Our body requires the highest energy to digest food.
Food combining is the process of promoting gut health and improving digestion. The method helps you to generate and utilize the right amount of fuel & energy and also helps to lose weight. So, the concept of food combining works with a few rules. Certain foods pair well together, while others do not, as different rates require different environments.
- Eating or not eating certain foods together in the same sitting in order to achieve optimal digestion. Here, you make your body aware of knowing how to choose & what to eat in a single meal.
- Acid & Alkaline enzymes are majorly secreted while digestion. Protein requires an acidic digestive enzyme, whereas, Carbohydrates require an Alkaline environment with the enzymes.
- Protein & Starch have opposite digestive requirements. Eating them together cause your body to release both acid and alkaline solutions.
- The acid & alkaline solutions will neutralize each other & slow down the process of digestion. Causing post-meal bloating & sluggishness. Your body is utilizing up more energy digesting than needed.
RULES
- Do not combine Protein with Starch in a meal. Instead, consume protein with non-starchy vegetables. This principle also appeals to plant-based proteins also. (Like chickpeas, red beans, etc.)
TIP: Salmon with Broccoli Carrots
Chicken with Sauteed Kale Mashed Cauliflower
Tofu/Paneer with Sauteed Celery, Bell Peppers & Onions.
- Pair Starch with healthy fats & Non- Starchy Vegetables. Starches such as Brown Rice, Quinoa, Barley, etc. along with starchy vegetables like Sweet Potato, Corn, or Squash need an alkaline environment for digestion.
TIP: Baked Potato (Starch) + Avocado (Healthy fat) + Sauteed Bell Pepper, Cherry Tomatoes, Broccoli, Mushroom.
Quinoa/Pumpkin (starch) + Nuts & Seeds + Cherry Tomatoes, Leafy Green (Non-Starchy Vegetables).
Brown Rice + Coconut Oil + Sauteed Celery, Onions, Cauliflower & Asparagus.
- Leafy Greens & Non-starchy Vegetables go well with everything. Green leafy vegetables have their own enzymes. Hence can be paired with any food. Follow the formula to keep it simple and straight:
PROTEIN/STARCH/HEALTHY FAT + LEAFY GREENS/NON-STARCHY VEGEATBLES
- Eating Fruits alone is as important as having a leafy vegetable in your meal. But must be eaten alone & at the right time. Fruits are sugars that digest very rapidly i.e., in around 20-30 minutes. Whereas proteins like red meat, chicken, beacons can take up to 3-4 hours or more to digest. That’s why proteins and fruit cannot be mixed or eaten together. It could create a disaster in your gastrointestinal (GI) Tract. As it takes different times for different foods, it is best to take fruit alone. Fruits digest faster then any other food. Hence, they have a possibility to ferment inside your stomach. Therefore, the fermentation could make you feel bloated or gassy.
- Avoid drinking water with your meals. Water dilutes the digestive foods which will decrease the speed of digestion.
TIP: Have a glass of lukewarm lemon water 20-30 minutes before any meals. Lemon/Lime contain ascorbic acid which can help stimulate digestion.
NEUTRITION ON ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Our expert Dr. Vishaka Shivdsani, Bollywood’s go-to nutritionist and the family physician has a say on the topic. She says “Of course, diet plays a huge role! I first conduct medical tests to see if there is a rise in cortisol to rule at any medical condition. Studies have shown that omega 3 plays a massive role in neural disorders, it helps decrease the anxiety and even ADHD levels in children. I make sure my patient is consuming enough OMEGA3 in vegetarian and non-vegetarian forms.
Also, strong doses of D 12 are recommended in these cases. Inspire of living in a tropical country, every second person has a vitamin D 3 deficiency. This causes an imbalance in your hormones and also something called a sad syndrome. It has been proven that D3 levels are low in winter. You are prone to episodes of sadness and depression. Also, a good Probiotic is very essential for those dealing with depression, your gut health is directly related to your emotions.
IMPACT OF WEWESTERNOOD CULTURE
Anything excessive could be harmful. A well-known quote applies to our food habits as well. The influence of the western food chain has tremendously increased in India. This means that the conjunction is higher. Food like fried chicken, Burgers, and pizza chains have dominated the food industry. The craze of imported goods or “It has come from Foreign” has an immense impact on Indian kids and youth.
The food items like Pizza, Pasta, burgers and Fries, and Carbonated drinks have a few common enemies like Refined wheat flour (Maida) and sugar (Carbonated Beverages). They are not bad, but like said before are harmful if the limit is exceeded.
“Culture is a happening thing. Nobody can preserve It as it is. It is evolving all the time. There is nothing wrong if it evolves naturally. People making choices of certain changes is perfectly okay. But, when your culture is being engineered by commercial forces, some amount of stoppering & preserving also needs to happen.” -Sadhguru
This same solicits with our food habits. Having fast food and junk occasionally is fine. But that does not keep us healthy. We need to follow a healthy diet, where our body receives all the nutrients and is nourished for a healthy long life.
CORRESPONDENT: MAITHILI BHONSLE