As surveys present contradictory statements, what stops you from listening to your own body for reliable advice?
YOU
should never mix your fruits, you know,” suggested a well-meaning
friend as I helped myself to watermelon, muskmelon and grapes at a
party. Ignoring him, I carried on with the juicy after-meal treat.
“Actually, you shouldn’t be eating fruits at all after a meal,” he said,
unrelenting.
I moved across to join another group of friends.
Mr Well-Meaning didn’t take the hint; he tagged along. “Haven’t you
heard that fruits are best eaten on an empty stomach? Fruits get
digested pretty fast and when you combine them with food that digests
slower, you are holding it up longer than necessary in the stomach,
leading to fermentation.”
I gagged, and was tempted to empty my
plate on his head. I somehow managed a more polite equivalent — gave him
a loaded gaze and banged my plate on a table.
To my
astonishment, he started helping himself to the fruit on my discarded
plate, continuing his food homily. Ah ha, I thought viciously, so it was
easier to preach than follow. “Of course, you know that high amounts of
carbohydrates should never be mixed with proteins, though you can take a
small amount
–– that doesn’t confuse the stomach,” he smiled through a mouthful.
“Carbohydrates compromise the digestion of proteins, leading to bacteria
in the stomach and high cholesterol.”
I smirked, looking at his
ruddy cheeks and protruding belly, on which rested a melon seed now,
which moved up and down precariously with each laboured breath as he
held forth. By now, he had got himself a second helping.
“And of
course you must take vegetables with proteins always. Now,” he said,
grabbing a Coke from a waiter, “never drink cold water
during or after your meal. It solidifies the oils you have eaten and
slows digestion.” I wondered how he could eat so heartily despite the
health information overload he carried. He let out a satisfied belch. I
wrinkled my nose, but there was no longer any question of my turning
away from this mountainous fount of knowledge, so fascinated was I by
the visible contradiction in what he said and did, without an iota of
regret or guilt.
Aren’t we all a bit like him? We know what is
good or bad for us, and yet quite often we can’t discipline ourselves.
Contradictory messages from scientific surveys don’t seem to help
either. We are told one day to avoid desi ghee like the plague, while
another survey extols its virtues; one article quotes experts as saying
the best way to start your morning is with fruits, while other experts
tell you that the
body is in its acidic state early morning to help kick start the day,
and fruits tend to push it to its alkaline state. Drink six litres of
water a day, exhorts one dietician. Nonsense, says another, drink as much as you comfortably can. Who do you believe?
Frankly
with this, as with any other freely available advice, I have realised
the best bet is to follow your own instincts. The wisdom handed down by
mothers and grandmothers is equally reliable since that comes from their
instinct and experience. What’s the big deal? Experiment intelligently
and your body will give you all the answers to every fitness or dietary
query.
If carbs and proteins together are bad, your bodily discomfort will let you know; if a cup of warm
water or tea after a meal is good, your own feeling of well-being will
tell you. Whether you feel sluggish or energetic after a few days of
eating fruits on an empty stomach will tell you whether it is good or
bad. If eating early helps you sleep well, do you need to ask anyone?
The
idea after all is to feel and look fit. As for weight, I like to
believe a friend, who years ago told me, “We all have a median weight;
try as hard as you like; the moment you stop trying, just as water finds
its own level, your weight too will come back to its comfort level.”
True or not, it gives me great comfort to believe that.
No comments:
Post a Comment