BENGALURU: All of us have heard enough about various diets – paleo, keto, atkins, low carb, vegan, gluten-free, and the list is a long one. We read and hear about many types of diets and its miraculous effect on diabetes, weight loss, hair growth, fertility, brain and our overall health. Sadly, we need western studies to prove that our traditional thali meal is beneficial to our overall health by reducing inflammation, improving gut health and also may help in prevention of colon cancer.
A balanced diet containing different food groups is part of the traditional Indian meal or thali for ages. We need westerners to validate our age old practices for us to realise that our ancestors made food habits as a ‘way of life’, with indigenous locally-grown produce based on changing seasons and also made it perfectly balanced to get the optimum nutrition for perfect health.
A recent study published in a reputed journal about the Thali meal has found that this Indian custom of eating promotes consumption of bioactive compounds which reduce inflammation and promotes gut health. It keeps our gut healthy daily with the intake of adequate fibre.
Consuming different food groups like grains, and cereals, in the form of rice, ragi, jowar, wheat, dal or lentil, that are rich in protein, along with two or three types of vegetables - either raw or cooked - has been the daily meal for most Indians. Be it north, south, east or the western pat of the country, the dishes may be different but the principle behind eating a variety of vegetables and grains have been the same in all parts of the country. The author is a consultant nutritionist and clinical dietician, Brains Hospital
The advantages of a Thali include
■ It is nutritionally “balanced”.
■ Promotes portion control as you end up eating more variety of dishes rich in fibre and phytonutrients, which promotes satiety or a feeling of fullness. (You naturally end up eating less of carbs).
■ A variety of flavours and textures which makes you satisfied.
■ Eating a meal in sequence (the different courses) also has health benefits.
■ Every thali meal has a dish either made out of curd or the meal is finished with a curd, chaas or lassi which is rich in probiotic that promotes gut health.
Our ancestors were right in realising that ‘food is medicine’, and thus they designed meals in such a way that was not only beneficial for our overall health but also aided in preventing diseases