Mindful Eating Tips from an East Indian Doctor: How, What, and How Much to Eat

In today’s world of fad diets and food rules, it’s easy to forget that how you eat can matter just as much as what you eat. As a doctor trained in Western medicine and raised with East Indian traditions, I understand how healthy eating goes beyond counting calories or cutting carbs — it’s about eating with intention.

Eating habits also play a significant role in the relatively high risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes, for everyone but especially among South Asian men. 

Here are simple yet powerful ways to approach eating differently, inspired by science and cultural wisdom.

How You Eat: For Good Gut Health

How you eat is vitally important to your health because it affects the bacteria, viruses, and fungi living in your digestive system. 

As well as helping to digest food, the gut microbiota crowds out and kills potentially harmful bacteria, strengthens your immune system, and even plays a role in keeping you mentally sharp and reducing the risk of mental illness. 

Here are three easy ways to keep those healthy microorganisms happy: 

1 – Chew your food thoroughly

Digestion starts in the mouth. By chewing your food until it’s small enough to swallow easily, you save your stomach from working hard and becoming irritated or inflamed. At the same time, by keeping food in your mouth longer, you increase its exposure to amylase, the enzyme in saliva that helps break down food. 

Rather than counting how many times you chew, try putting your food or utensils down between mouthfuls. Then, when you’ve finished chewing and swallowing, pick up your naan, chapati or cutlery and take another bite. 

2 – Have good oral hygiene

Healthy eating starts with good oral hygiene. Poor oral health is associated with chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, so be sure to follow the recommendations of the Canadian Dental Association and brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day. 

As well as removing the plaque that causes gum disease and tooth decay, this prevents the growth of unhealthy bacteria at the start of your digestive system. It’s estimated that as much as 20% – 30% of the causes of chronic diseases might be related to oral hygiene, and the mouth is a big part of bacteria and inflammation.

3 – Pay attention when eating

Instead of eating just for the sake of it, focus on savouring the experience: the aromas, the flavours, the textures, the company, all of it. Remove cellphones and other distractions from the table, sit down with your co-workers, friends or family, and let your natural appetite take care of the rest. Chatting, for instance, will slow down your food intake.

What You Eat: Keep It Simple and Whole

A healthy diet is all about balance. I’m not telling you to stop eating naan, roti, chapati or paratha. For a South Asian diet, I think the biggest imbalance is that we eat a lot of carbohydrates, so we need to try to reduce that amount. 

 Choosing foods that are as close to their natural state as possible — the kinds of things your great-grandparents would recognize.

You don’t have to be perfect. Just aim for balance. Eat real food, and cook when you can.

• Swap white rice and white flour for long-grain rice and other whole grains such as barley, quinoa, oats and millet. 
• Meat is the hardest protein to digest, and Beef is one of the hardest meats to digest. So, you may want to spread it out, not eat it seven days in a row, and reduce your portion size. Try some alternatives like lighter meats or even better vegetarian options like beans, lentils, peas, and tofu. 
• Eat more fibre, like fruit and vegetables.

How Much You Eat: Stop Before You’re Full

While buffets and banquets make it all-too-easy to pile your plate high and go back for more, and with South Asian meals tending to include calorie-rich rice, grains and potatoes, portion control is the key to eating a healthy amount of food each day. 

An average South Asian male, who isn’t very physically active, should consume around 1500 to 1800 calories broken down over three or four meals during the day. 

How much is healthy? The daily diet of an adult male should consist of:

• 7 to 10 servings of vegetables and fruit;
• 7 to 8 servings of grain products such as whole-grain bread and brown rice;
• 5 to 6 servings of protein foods like meat, nuts and dairy. 

How much is a serving? 

• This handy guide shows you how to measure food portions with your hand. 
• One serving of rice, for instance, is half the size of your fist. 
• Put your thumbs together, and that’s the size of a peanut butter serving.

Other helpful ways to avoid overeating:

1. Use a smaller plate! You’ll eat less and feel just as satisfied. 
2. Drink a glass of water before a meal. This fills up your stomach, which makes you feel less hungry. Studies have also shown that drinking water reduces our intake of sugary soda pop, fatty coffees and gut-busting beer. At the same time, your body actually burns calories as it processes the zero-calorie water you drink. 

If you happen to be dining on phaal curry, you may want to keep another glass of water handy. That’s some spicy stuff!

Have you made any changes to your diet that have helped you? Share them with us in the comments below

About CINS: 
Canada India Network Society is a not-for-profit society registered in the province of British Columbia. Founded in 2009 with a vision of lowering the burden of chronic diseases and building a healthy society through engagement, collaboration and technology. The society is a virtual, project focused organization, and it organizes major international conferences (CINI) and round tables to explore, network and facilitate health and health care.