"If you are eliminating rice, oil, nuts or any food items which give you good nutrients, it becomes very difficult to manage the other nutrients which were supposed to come from that food item," explains Dr Rajeshwari Panda.
Do you replace rice with millet dosas and millet laddoos in order to get more nutrition?
Have you tried using rice bran oil and olive oil for daily cooking instead of butter and ghee?
Guess what, your body only needs about four tablespoons of oil a day!
According to Dr Rajeshwari Panda, head of the dietetics department at Medicover Hospital, Mumbai, "Irrespective of what oil you use for cooking or frying, you should stick to only four teaspoons of oil per day, which equals about half a litre per month per person."
In the second part of her conversation with Divya Nair/Rediff, Dr Panda explains how blindly eliminating certain foods from your diet can deprive you of essential nutrients.
Millets are considered very healthy. What is the right way to consume them?
Millets are a superfood that are being hyped by the government. But we have to understand that variation in food is compulsory.
Sticking to one food item or one food group makes it very difficult for the body to digest, absorb and provide different types of nutrients to the body.
I generally ask my patients to give equal importance to whatever food items or food groups you are considering for the day.
If you are eliminating rice, oil, nuts or any food items which give you good nutrients, it becomes very difficult to manage the other nutrients which were supposed to come from that food item.
What I mean is sticking to millets is not enough.
Of course, it is a good source of nutrients. But yes, you have to give importance to other cereals and pulses as well.
Fruits, veggies, nuts, oilseeds, beverages and other miscellaneous snacks should be distributed proportionately and consumed through the day.
At the same time, they have to be cooked in a healthy way.
Having millet laddoos once in a while is not bad. But, ideally, millets should not be mixed with jaggery because of its high sugar content and the risk of diabetes.
With so many health influencers dishing out contradicting advice, how can people make the right food choices?
Whenever a new fad comes up, as humans, you feel the urge to adapt to it. But if you're not sure whether the information is genuine or packaged as an advertisement, it is best to talk to a specialist or someone knowledgeable about it.
Don't just blindly follow what you see on social media or hear from an influencer without researching the truth.
Reading a single article and making decisions based on it is not correct. It requires years of research to tell whether a product is good or not.
Meanwhile, continue to follow your good habits from childhood.
If you know certain foods you are eating are bad, that's where you should start taking action. Just eliminating bad food is not enough; including good food is equally important.
Sometimes, patients cut down sugar, rice or wheat completely. Even rice and wheat contain healthy carbs. Eliminating them obviously deprives you of the nutrients coming from these foods. And if you don't replace them with the right nutrients, your organs will suffer.
Your organs depend only on the food you provide. If you don't give it the right nutrition, they will not be able to function well and slowly start to deteriorate, leading to diseases. This can easily be prevented by eating well, exercising and avoiding stress.
Dieting doesn't mean eating tasteless food. Controlling your daily oil intake is enough. You don't need to eradicate oil completely, which is never recommended.
You just need to be alert about the quantity of ingredients you use to prepare your food.
Among cooking oils, which is the best and why?
I generally tell my patients -- whatever Nature gives is always a blessing, and whatever man makes can be problematic.
Typically, oil is extracted from oilseeds -- groundnut, flaxseed, sesame, mustard, etc. Since we're already consuming these seeds, their oils are fine. However, the quantity matters.
Irrespective of what oil you use for cooking or frying, you should stick to only four teaspoons of oil per day, which equals about half a litre per month per person.
Since we usually share food in Indian households, check your total monthly household oil use and divide by family size.
Also, focus on consumption per meal.
Isn't ghee healthier than oil or butter?
If you are taking both ghee and oil, the total should still be within for teaspoons per day.
You can decide where to use oil and where to use ghee and balance it throughout the day.
I would recommend using a variety of oils to get different nutrients. Don't stick to just one oil. Using two oils or blended oils is fine.
Avoid deep frying since it uses too much oil. Shallow fry instead.
Extracted foods generally cause more issues. For example, whole turmeric is fine, but curcumin tablets in excess can be problematic. Similarly, whole grains are better than refined flour (like maida).
Processed foods release nutrients faster than the body can handle, causing imbalances. Whole foods are safer and more balanced.
Disclaimer: All content and media herein is written and published online for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. It should not be relied on as your only source for advice.
Please always seek the guidance of your doctor or a qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Do not ever disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read herein.
If you believe you may have a medical or mental health emergency, please call your doctor, go to the nearest hospital, or call emergency services or emergency helplines immediately. If you choose to rely on any information provided herein, you do so solely at your own risk.
Opinions expressed herein cannot necessarily provide advice to fit the exact specifics of the issues of the person requesting advice.