Good food, good life

From the moment of birth, we establish a relationship with food—a nourishing link that requires care and attention to stay healthy

- Puja Awasthi

Dr Monal Velangi, senior dietician at K.J. Somaiya Medical College and Research Centre, Mumbai, holds a PhD in foods, nutrition and dietetics from Mumbai University. She has substantial research experience, in India and abroad, in clinical dietetics, community health and the role of nutrition in managing lifestyle diseases and promoting overall wellbeing. She enjoys reading, travelling and cooking.

Nutrition is not one-size-fits-all: Every individual has unique needs based on genetics, body composition, nutritional status, blood parameters, lifestyle and routine. Age, gender and many other factors must be considered to arrive at the optimal nutrition for each person. Individual preferences must also be factored in to improve adherence to dietary recommendations.

Common nutrition myths: Only crash diets or weight-loss pills result in weight loss; healthy eating is expensive; zero-carb diets are best; diabetics should avoid eating fruits; protein supplements are necessary; zero-cholesterol oils are great for heart health.

Celebrities are not nutrition experts: Celebrities are experts at what they do, but they are not authorities on nutrition. A proper diet plan is based on individual factors such as their nutritional status, genetics and routine. Unless the celebrity is also a certified nutritionist, their diet recommendations should be treated with scepticism.

Avoid fad diets: Fad diets, such as ketogenic and intermittent fasting, should not be followed without proper medical advice. Potential consequences include ketosis (raised levels of ketones in the blood stream), hypoglycaemia (unhealthy drop in the blood glucose level), nutritional deficiencies, weakness, fatigue, impairment of neurological functions, mental health issues, poor focus and concentration, kidney issues, drastic muscle loss and yo-yo weight cycling (repeated gain and loss of weight).