Chew
on this thought for a while: the answers to prevent or reduce the chances of
getting many serious diseases — including diabetes, blood pressure and
hypertension — lie in your kitchen. The food you eat works as medicine and can
help contain progressive diseases and reduce the need for pills, and, in fact,
eliminate them completely in due course of time. This is why medical nutrition
therapy has already been introduced in diabetes management, and oncology
nutrition is practiced for cancer treatment, prevention and survivorship. Such
is the power that lies in your home.Eating right is the answer to good health
Dr S Manohar, director and head of Internal Medicine at a city hospital, backs
this up and says that it has been established that a healthy diet complements,
minimises and even eliminates the need for medication. “Even the American
Diabetes Association (ADA) is changing its approach as far as diet is
concerned. We need to look at internal positive health and understand that our
lifestyle plays a big role in healing and enhancing of the body’s wellbeing.
That’s how critical food is,” he says. Mariam Begg, a health and nutrition coach,
stresses on the importance of clean eating. “Clean food is your primary
medicine. It is what builds your immunity, protects you from diseases and
improves your mental wellbeing. What you eat can help with symptomatic relief
and even control the spread of infection and disease,” she says. Inflammation —
the root cause for all diseases According to health experts, any disease
—Type-2 diabetes, mellitus cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis,
auto-immune diseases, inflammatory bowel disease — starts with a rash or
swelling on a tissue, which later progresses and manifests into a serious
disease. “The basic reason for all problems is inflammation — be it vascular or
cardio. Any form of disease is the manifestation or end result of a slow
progressive inflammatory response. Inflammation leads to oxidative stress.
Coronary vessels do not get choked overnight — it all begins with inflammation
at a micro level, which keeps on growing,” explains Dr Manohar. Inflammation
can be curtailed if one checks their food intake. “Various nutrients, foods and
dietary patterns have been shown to reduce inflammatory markers. Keeping the
digestive tract healthy will help balance the immune system, which, in turn,
may reduce inflammation,” says Nishitha Krishnan, a clinical dietician at a
city hospital.
Urging people to
look at food with low glycemic index, high fiber and with anti-inflammatory
properties, Dr Nishitha says, “Cruciferous vegetables, onions, berries, purple
grapes, cherries, citrus fruits, tomatoes and pomegranates reduce inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory herbs and spices, like turmeric, garlic, ginger, fenugreek,
anise, mint, clove, coriander and cinnamon, should be included in your diet.
Nuts and seeds provide a beneficial ratio of polyunsaturated fats (omega-6 and
omega-3) that act as anti-inflammatory compounds. You must consume pumpkin
seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds and flaxseeds.” Less
processed food to stay fit Dr Manohar says that the culture of overcooking and
adding spices to food has to change. And the lesser processed food, the better
your health. “People must consume raw and unprocessed food that is high in
proteins and carbs. Also, there is no need for excessive spices in food. For
e.g., plain dal is way healthier than dal with spices,” says Dr Manohar. Dr
Priyanka Rohatgi, chief nutritionist at a city hospital, advises people to
consume more ‘go foods’ — foods that have fats and carbohydrates and help us
run, jump and play all day. “Eat more fruits and vegetables. Every day, your
diet must include five portions of go foods like apple, bananas, orange,
pumpkin, spinach, cabbage, carrot, beetroot, green bean and lentils.
Mono-saturated fats and oils like olive and canola should be consumed in
moderation,” she says. Fibre-rich diet key to coronary health Studies have
shown that a fibre-rich diet reduces the risk of coronary heart diseases by
40%-50%. “In fact, some studies have shown that adding seafood in one’s diet,
like oily fish, which is high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and
DHA, at least twice a week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease,” says
Dr Priyanka.
Source:
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/not-the-pharmacy-go-to-your-kitchen-for-medicine/articleshowprint/68357450.cms
