The Indian diet can kill you!
Indians have endless misconceptions about what a healthy diet is, and much of these misconceptions come from illogical prejudices and religious rules. Muslims are anti-pork, and Hindus are anti-meat in general, although those from meat eating castes seem to think that chicken and lamb are okay. Just don’t say the word beef around Hindu people — that is a forbidden food, and even having a milligram of beef can send you hurdling to hell forever according to many Hindus.
Hindu’s who follow Brahman and Vyshya eating restrictions consider themselves to be “Vegetarian”. But, if you look a little more carefully at the Indian diet, veg, or non-veg, people are eating rice, potatoes, and wheat for 90% of their calories. There is an abundance of fried foods too which lead to deteriorization of the arteries.
Indians have an astoundingly high rate of heart problems, diabetes, and other health problems, which stem partly to genetics and partly to diet. I have noticed that fatigue is a huge problem, especially in Tamil Nadu due to the diet, and the weather. Part of the problem is the lack of diversity in what people are eating, the other problem is what people are not eating.
Here are some miracle foods which Indians should consider whether lord Krishna approves or not… I’m sure he will understand if it is good for your health! If in doubt, just call him up for a personalized opinion!
Salmon – sure it is expensive, but you might live 20 years longer if you eat this regularly. The omegas in Salmon clean up your blood’s triglicerides, and the healthy fats in salmon can soften blood vessels. You might complain about spending a little more money, but how much money does it cost to be in the hospital having a heart attack. Please compare the two financial estimates when you are at your local fish market. Please look up the content of Omega-3 in Salmon, Tuna, and other fish on the internet, and look up what the benefits of Omegas are as well.
Red Wine – sure, it is forbidden for Brahmans to drink, but would you rather die of a heart attack? You might get outcasted by your family for having an occassional drink of red wine, but it won’t matter — because they will all be dead soon, and you will live a lot longer as a result of wine. Red wine has been reported to stimulate a gene which promotes long life. It reduces stress as well, cleans the blood of cholesterol, improves circulation, has many antioxidants, and reduces the chance of heart disease. Look up the health benefits of red wine on the internet. The benefits come from chemicals in the skin of the grape, especially when it is fermented. Drinking too much is damaging to the liver, but a half a glass of red wine per day can do miracles for your circulation and health.
Vegetables? rice, potatoes, and wheat have their place in a diet, but eating REAL vegetables like spinach, broccoli, kale, dandelion greens, cabbage, and other high fiber, low calorie vegetables, can do wonders for your health. Each different species has it’s own health benefits, so it is good to have lots of different types of vegetables. High fiber vegetables increase regularity which cleanses the body of toxins and can lower cholesterol as well! Do you eat your vegetables, particularly your greens?
Tomatoes – Tomatoes are good for the heart, but cooked tomatoes have a much better quality anti-oxidant quality. Punjabi dishes usually have a tomato based sauce. Sambar has some tomato in it too. It is good to have some sort of cooked tomatoes several times a week to enhance the energy flow to your heart meridian according to Chinese medicine. A healthy heart can make you feel more energetic and happier!
Beef – My acupuncturist says that having a rare steak from time to time helps your body boost the red blood cell count. A diet that prohibits certain types of foods, also prevents you from having certain critical types of nutrition. There is more to nutrition than merely counting how many vitamins a particular food has. Food has metaphysical properties which the Chinese have been studying for 3000 years. People who don’t ever eat meat often seem very fatigued and have a grey color to them. On the other hand, too much meat can give you a heart attack from the cholesterol. A rare steak that is red in the middle (not raw unless you want to get food poisoning), is wonderful for your health from time to time. Perhaps an 8 ounce steak is perfect. I have not seen any steak places in India, but a balanced diet should include a little meat.
Oats – You can have Cherios or oatmeal. This magical grain can lower your cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, help you lose weight, and give you a lot of energy for the whole day. Oatmeal is common for europeans and americans, but not common in India. This food could save your life and revolutionize your health. It should be consumed in the MORNING for ideal health results.
Chocolate – this is a health food, especially dark chocolate which is extremely high in antioxidants (look this up online). Additionally, it is good for the heart, and has phytochemicals that can make you happy! Eat in moderation and enjoy your new secret to happiness!
There are many other power foods. As a general rule, fruits, vegetables, and fish are good for your health. Farmed fish might be higher in toxins which is a real danger. When eating fish, use the internet to look up the toxic levels in certain species of fish as the toxic level of Swordfish is roughly 100x the toxic level of salmon for instance!
Things to avoid
(1) Deep fried foods – these will deteriorate your arteries leaving you vulnerable to premature death, liver toxicity, obesity and heart attacks.
(2) Beer and hard liquor – these are horrible for your health and harden your arteries. Your liver can also become very toxic and disturbed if there is too much alcohol consumption.
(3) Processed carbohydrates. White flour and white sugar are particularly bad. It is better to have whole wheat rotis or other whole wheat bread products.
(4) Ice cream