Hyderabad: Over the years, Indians have managed to balance their food habits. Indians suffering from problems like indigestion and constipation are less when compared to western countries, and the reason is stated to be local habits. Though Indians consume lot of spicy foods, it is balanced out with curd and ginger.
Dr Anand, a gastroenterologist, said, “In the last 10 to 15 years, we are coming across more cases of vitamin deficiency because of the influence of westernised foods like junk food and because of which people are avoiding fibre and organic food.”
He said that people had now started realising the dangers of consuming such foods. “Curd has a definite role in controlling acidity. It is a natural antacid like milk and buttermilk. It has been proved time and again that gastric problems are healed through natural means,” Dr Anand said.
He said natural spices like ginger, turmeric, lemon and honey help in reducing acidity. “Whatever dead cells are present in the body will be cleaned up. If you consume them early in the morning, they help in preventing bloating and acidity,” Dr Anand said.
Nutritionist Sujata Stephen said, “Indian cuisine consists of products with medicinal value like turmeric and ginger among others. These help in digestion and metabolic activities."
She said the people used to be very healthy and energetic while consuming traditional foods like porridge, ragi java, ragi sangati. “At present, we are not consuming the same,” she said.
Eating on time is extremely important, she said. "The standard practice should be breakfast at 6 am, lunch at 1 pm and dinner at 6 pm which will aid digestion."
Medical experts stated it is important to consume homegrown vegetables but the practice has now been largely lost. The fresh vegetables ensure that the diet is healthy and there is no chemical intake.
