When people in a third-world country start eating like they are in a famine, you realise that maybe we are no longer a developing country. What am I referring to? The new fad, promoted by celebrities and “healthy” people, of starving themselves for 18 hours a day, and then eating three almonds, 1 teaspoon of ghee, and lots of quinoa. I am not exaggerating. Never have I seen people consume as much protein powder as they do in today’s urban India. I can only shudder at the thought of their bowel movements. Given that a war is raging and there is a fear of running out of LPG, this might well be a good diet to follow.. DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.. I shouldn’t wrinkle my nose too much, since—much like Malaika Arora, who is the same age as me but 15 kg lighter—I also begin my day with what she has evocatively termed “water therapy”. I have a glass of warm water in which either fenugreek seeds, fennel or coriander seeds have been soaked overnight and then heated and strained. This is followed by a glass of Green Juice, which is made by blitzing half an apple, half an orange, a stick of celery, an inch of lauki or bottle gourd, half a cucumber, an inch of ginger, mint, and an amla. Sometimes I have a glass of Red Juice instead, made by blitzing half an apple, half an orange, beetroot, ginger, and a carrot. It’s only after this that I have a cup of ginger tea. Which I can just see the celebrities shaking their head at, because I should be drinking ghee instead!. The usual diet I see promoted by various celebrities is to have a spoonful of ghee every morning. Then chew on a tablespoon of flaxseed. Then throw away that lovely white rice, and only eat brown rice. Don’t eat any meat cooked with yoghurt. Don’t eat for 18 hours. Drink only almond milk, which is not milk but almonds pureed with water. Eat only dates, no sugar. Eat cakes with no butter, no sugar, and no flour. Substitute coconut milk for dairy milk, which has a totally different taste profile.. Now I’m all for a healthy diet, and have to admit that having the juices and the warm water (I even have a witch’s brew at night made by boiling a cup of water with bay leaf, cinnamon, fennel, coriander seeds, and other masalas), which does make your skin glow.. But is there truly a science behind shunning all things delicious and eating like a very rich, famine survivor? As Rani Mukherji said in an interview with Faye D’souza, she can’t diet because she’s Bengali and needs her rice and fried fish. I hear you, Rani.. Are we overdoing healthy food? (Photo: AI Generated). According to Delhi nutritionist Shweta Ahuja Arora, there is a method to the madness. Green juice in the morning is actually a way of filling your body with vitamins like A, D, E, and K and folate. It helps in deep hydration during summers for better skin and gut hea
