What should you eat and when? There is a whole lot of facts and fiction floating around simultaneously on the subject. All of us do have our share of myths that we blindly believe in. We ask Shachi Sohal, Nutrition Expert at Dr. BLK Memorial Hospital and Dr. S.V. Tripathi, Consultant Ayurveda at Moolchand Ayurveda Hospital on the subject to get a clear-cut picture. Read what experts have to say.
1. CLAIM: Eating yoghurt at night can cause cold, arthritic pains.
Nutrition Expert: To set the facts right common cold is caused by virus which travels through hand-to-hand contact. Yoghurt is an excellent food for your stomach, bones and overall health because of the presence of probiotic bacteria or lactic acids in it. Thank Turks thousand times who invented it. In fact, yoghurt introduces healthy bacteria in your gut and improves your immunity which can stave off cold and flu. You can safely eat yoghurt anytime, during day or night, only thing to watch out for is that you shouldn’t mix it with meat products, especially pork or beef, because these two can’t be processed by the stomach when we have it in the same meal. Having yoghurt at night along with wheat-germ, granola or a bit of fruit will induce sound sleep. However, if the person is suffering from allergies, pneumonia or bronchitis it is advisable to avoid yoghurt.
Ayurveda Expert: Ayurveda identifies three predominant doshas in each individual: vata, kapha and pitta. While traditional healing gives thumbs up to yoghurt, it recommends it in the day time. If eaten in the evening or at night, yoghurt creates digestive toxins--ama--and clogs the channels of the body. But for arthritis patients yoghurt is off the limits even during the daytime, because of its acidic nature it can increase swelling of the tissues.
Status: If you are a healthy individual you can eat yoghurt any time, but you should try to have your last meal by 7.30 pm so that your body gets the time to digest food. Avoid frozen yoghurt and stay away from it, if you’ve arthritis.
2. CLAIM: Warm water with lemon helps lose weight, keep constipation at bay and improves complexion.
Nutrition Expert: Lemon juice has vitamin C in it and when you have it with a warm glass of water in the morning you have hydrated your system and it makes your bowels move. Lemon is not only a vitamin C rich citrus fruit and an immune system booster; it also acts as blood purifier and improves the body’s ability to get rid of toxins. When taken regularly it acts as a tonic to the liver and stimulates it to fulfill its daily digestive and cleansing functions. Linking it with weight loss is stretching the idea too far and vitamin C is good for the complexion.
Ayurveda Expert: Lemon water is considered to be one of the best alkalizing drinks available. While lemon is very acidic, it turns to alkaline ash in the body, making the entire body system more alkaline. This is considered to be a more favorable state for better health. Many alternative health experts claim that an alkaline body is healthier and that most disease happens when the body is acidic. For this reason, drinking lemon water is attributed to better overall health.
Status: Continue doing, you’re not going to lose anything and certainly your body will benefit with 8 ounces of warm water and lemon juice.
3. CLAIM: Eat fruits for dessert if you wish to lose weight
Nutrition Expert: You too solemnly cut an apple post lunch and dinner and have it feeling virtuous that you’ve restrained yourself from the calorie laden sweet or pastry. Folks, the verdict is out. To get the maximum advantage of the fruit, you should have it immediately after waking up, because it helps to raise your blood sugar levels gently, thereby starting your day on a gentle mode. Do not eat fruits along with other foods and avoid fruits as dessert.
Ayurveda Expert: Fruits should be consumed before the meals. As fruits are considered good appetizers; they are lighter and easy to digest, are an energetic source of energy and gives immediate energy.
Status: Avoid it. Have fruits on an empty stomach and your bowels will move. Eat it in between meals and you get excellent low calorie snack.
4. CLAIM: Rice is fattening and it’s a cold food. Hence avoid it if you catch cold.
Nutrition Expert: A cup of cooked rice contains 200 calories. Rice is eaten in many countries throughout the world. Rice is great for energy. It's an excellent source of starchy carbohydrate, which we need to give us energy. Low glycemic index in rice results in release of the energy into your body slowly and in even way. When you choose brown rice you increase your fibre intake thrice. Whole grain rice contains all the grain’s nutrients. White rice, however, has been processed.
Ayurveda Expert: Ayurveda considers rice good for balancing pitta and vata. Ayurveda recommends rice for people suffering from high blood pressure and it holds basmati rice in high esteem. Soft boiled rice is particularly useful if you suffer from gastro disturbances.
Status: Like all good things in life, you can have rice in moderation if you enjoy good health. Diabetics need to seek their doctor’s approval.
5. CLAIM: Avoid sour foods during your menstrual cycle.
Nutrition Expert: Eating sour foods can inhibit the flow of menstrual blood. Eating certain potent bitter roots, which are used for medicinal purposes (and not consumed as food) and are considered to be "hot," induces menstruation. Thus, they can be used t o regulate menstruation, especially for women with severe dysmenorrhea.
Ayurveda Expert: Ayurveda considers periods as ‘rekta moksha’ or blood letting, a process which purifies the body of the impure blood. Irritant foods like sour (pickles), chilly (mirch based food), curd, cold drinks, fast foods are not recommended during that period by Ayurveda. A minimum rest of 1-2 days is recommended in this period and, running and extreme walking in this period is contraindicated. It may cause uterine tumor, follicular cysts, PCOD and excessive bleeding. Sour and pungent food irritate the tissue thus increases menstrual bleeding.
Status: Since many women feel bloated and get runs at the start of their periods, it makes sense to avoid acidic foods and fast foods that will be hard to digest. Stick to normal home cooked meals and try to be a bit relaxed during those two days.
6. CLAIM: Eating ice cream or sour foods at night will give you cold.
Nutrition Expert: Cold virus is present in the nasal secretion of the infected person and it travels through hand-to-hand contact. The infected person is most likely to spread infection during the first three days of cold, say experts. There is no scientific evidence that eating ice cream will give your child a cold by itself, though it may aggravate a condition. However, eating ice cream may aggravate asthma.
Ayurveda Expert: This is a very common problem and is caused by aggravation of Kapha. It is also caused by weak digestion. When the food we eat is not fully digested it changes into ama. This mucus or ama reaches the respiratory system and causes cold or cough. All sour foods, ice creams, chilled drink can create allergen and swelling in throat.
Status: While there is no clear cut answer to it, you should avoid cold foods if you are prone to cold and cough at night.
