Sit and take note of this for it could change the way you look at your food intake. For hypertension, diabetes, obesity, constipation – all results of the fast-paced life of today – might just be banished forever. That’s courtesy the vegan diet, followed by celebrities and health enthusiasts, the world over.
Nandita Shah, homeopath and resident of Auroville, who works for Sharan-India (an organisation that promotes the vegan form of eating), explains: “I believe good health depends on how you live. At least half the diseases in the world can be treated by making lifestyle changes in accordance with nature and the right diet. Our digestive system and anatomy is similar to primates. So eating food not meant for our anatomy causes diseases. That is the premise of being vegan. It means omitting milk and meat from one’s diet and having only fruits, whole grain products and seeds.”
The level of diabetes – said to be linked to over consumption of protein – has also been lowered in individuals following this diet. “I had a 21-year-old patient who had been on three insulin injections a day; he has had no insulin since the past four years now,” she announces.
Think again, folks
Over -processed foods are a strict no-no here. “These foods have preservatives which are acidic. They lose their nutrient content and get transformed into unnatural and harmful forms,” she explains. “Hydrogenating vegetable oil is one of the worst forms of processing. I would advise one to use a cold-pressed organic oil.”
Red meat is banned too. And since the vegan plan does away with milk, will it bring about its deficiency-related diseases like Osteoporosis? “No,” she states. “People who take glasses of milk still have to pop those calcium pills. Did youknow, it is the animal protein that one takes in meat and other forms – that dissolves the calcium content in the body.”
So what’s on the vegan menu?
If you thought this food was boring, think again! If vegans can’t rely on flavourful ingredients like meat and dairy for taste and substance, they replace those ingredients with fresh vegetables, spices and clever combinations.
Example, salads overflowing with greenbeans, sweet oil dressings and other exciting appetisers. People love the wonderful garlicky zing of hummus and do not realise that it’s a distinctly vegan food.
So, why not go vegan for a change? You might just discover a whole new you.
t_ismat@dnaindia.net
