“Good food is not just about taste. It is nourishment, experiential, and above all, it is care,” said Dr Lekha Sreedharan, a paediatric dietitian at Apollo Children’s Hospitals, as a summarising thought of the event held at Park Hyatt Chennai on Wednesday.
Speaking at the launch of My Food My Health, a book that showcases the collective effort of the Apollo Hospital Group’s dietitian fraternity, Dr Lekha emphasised the importance of a well-balanced plate — one filled with nutritious food, rainbow colours (seven colours, seven dishes), and prepared with love. She stressed that a meal should be guided by scientific rigour, practical insights, and heartfelt sincerity.
The book is an authoritative and comprehensive guide to Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), because “nutrition starts with a life cycle,” she noted, and added, “My Food My Health is a book that goes beyond recipes and nutritional guidance; it is a testament to our preventive healthcare. It is to improve our well-being through the transformational power of nutrition. To believe in the strength of collective dieticians pan India equals wonders.”
Curated by Dr Anita Jatana, consultant dietetics at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, the book is designed to equip individuals with scientifically-validated nutritional guidance, applicable from childhood through advanced age. “This book is truly unique in the way it translates complex nutrition science into simple, doable solutions, offering nutritional solutions, right from paediatrics to geriatrics. Each chapter addresses common myths and replaces them with facts grounded in science. It also includes easy-to-follow recipes complete with the nutritional values, and vivid images,” explained Dr Anita. The culinary team at Park Hyatt worked with the hospital group and has come out with the recipes given in the book.
Eating right, healthy living
At its heart, the book is more about food first. The book encourages us to always embrace the right food. Dr Suneeta Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals, echoed this thought. She added, “More than a book, I think My Food My Health is a guide to how to eat right.” As food is not a part but one’s life in itself.
Two thousand years ago, in the Charaka Samhita, a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda, it was stated that ‘Annam hi jeevanam’ (food is life itself). Quoting this at the event was Dr Anupam Sibal, group medical director, Apollo Hospitals. He shared, “Food is not just sustenance, it is the very sense of health, of energy, of consciousness, and life.”
Additionally, the book, published by Penguin Random House India, addresses some of the most urgent health challenges of our time — obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular imbalances, cancers, and metabolic disorders that are arising at an alarming rate in the country. Because “Eating healthy is not just about fitness, getting into a size smaller, building a stronger immune system, but it is also about preventing cancer, sharpening your mind, sleeping well, ageing gracefully, and handling stress better,” Dr Anupam pointed out.
With the book’s launch, the group believes it to be the beginning of a larger movement, one that leads to healthier choices and a better-nourished nation.