What you ate during the initial four or five years of your life becomes information to your genes. Staple foods of a specific region are designed in a way that suits geographical aspects such as climate and temperature, according to which seasonal fruits and vegetables are produced. If we try to change our habits, we are sure to face health issues. Most of us grew up eating simple dal and rice.
Now, if one switches to quinoa, thinking that it’s a low carbohydrate grain, it is bound to upset his or her gut health since it is not the kind of food our body had to digest previously. Also, since it is not local to us, we do not have the correct knowledge about the right way of cooking it —ideally, quinoa is soaked and literally rotted before it is cooked because it is a tough grain to digest.
Some of the common staples which we could consume are:
Khichdi: It combines rice and lentil making a complete protein. Various versions of khichdi are made in different states, and it is a meal suitable for kids, elderly, young, sick and healthy individuals. Rasam: It is lentil-based and contains tamarind as the primary ingredient, which is rich in Vitamin C and other nutrients, including folic acid, Vitamin A, B3, zinc, copper, magnesium, selenium, iron and calcium.
Besides tamarind, the dish contains a variety of ingredients such as curry leaves, turmeric, tomatoes and pepper, making it a powerful immunity booster and a sure-fire way to release excess mucous from the body. It also helps in stimulating digestion and can be used as a remedy to fight bloating and flatulence. Sambhar: It’s a lentil and mixed vegetable stew that consists of superfoods like turmeric, black pepper, pumpkin, and drumsticks.
It is a perfect balance of protein, zinc, manganese, folic acid, fibre,
and iron. Fermented rice kanji: Made from cooked rice that’s soaked in water and left overnight in a clay vessel for fermentation, rice kanji makes a perfect source of probiotic. It’s teeming with healthy bacteria that boost gut health and immunity.Idli/Dosa: What makes a staple like idli/dosa so healthy is that it is a complete protein because of the cereal (rice) and pulse (urad dal) combination.
It is fermented and a rich source of probiotics. It is a preferable choice for those who have weaker digestive systems because fermentation helps break down its antinutritional factors like phytic acid and increases the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals. Fermentation also produces Vitamin B12.
Get back to your roots and do not stray away from your staple foods. If you blame your staple foods like rice for putting on weight, then the problem is actually with your lifestyle and the quality and quantity you eat, not rice in itself. It is the exposure to a particular culture that shapes our genetic make-up, gut microbiome, metabolism, thought process and beliefs, and only when our food habits remain in alignment with our cultures, we attain good health.The author is a Mumbai-based holistic lifestyle coach