Harder. Better. Faster. Stronger.

So I ended my last post about Indian breakfasts saying that the current Indian breakfast…

• is grain dominant and grain dependent (rice and wheat being the staples) and hence is (unnecessarily) very high in carb content.
• is lacking in protein.
• contains too much oxidizable vegetable oils and provides no good fats.
• is almost completely devoid of vegetables.
• is possibly high in gluten and/or other anti-nutrients (depending on choice of breakfast).

In this post I will discuss…

• Why grain dominance and grain dependence are bad.
• The changes that need to be made to the current Indian breakfast.
• How to make these changes without giving up Indian food.

Why dethrone the grain?

Grain dominance (and dependence) is not healthy because…

1. Almost all grains contain anti-nutrients which irritate/damage/puncture the gut which, in the best case, inhibits nutrient absorption and, in the worst case, causes autoimmune diseases. Gluten, one such anti-nutrient, is pretty well-known today. Read this to understand why grains are not the healthiest food choices.
2. From a micro-nutrient (vitamins and minerals) standpoint, grains contain little to no nutritional value compared to vegetables and fruits. If your body had to choose between a 200 calories of grains and 200 calories of vegetables (or fruits or meat), your body will choose the vegetables (or fruits or meat) in a heart beat because they have a lot more to offer than grains which are, relatively speaking, empty calories. I highly recommend checking out these graphs which compare the nutritional value of grains and vegetables/beans/fruits.
3. From a macro-nutrient standpoint, grains offer predominantly carbohydrates with negligible amounts of protein and fat. For those of you who believe brown rice or whole wheat contains tonnes of fiber please do a simple google search and compare the amount of fiber per hundred calories of grains, vegetables and berries. Or check the graphs in the above link.
4. All grains (processed or whole) are converted into sugar in the blood stream resulting in insulin secretion. When activity is minimal (as in sitting at work or home) and carb intake is high the released insulin will result in storing excess calories as fat. Read this post to understand how and why this happens.

To summarize, grains, though they are a source of calories, are B-grade foods at best when compared to the other available sources of nutrients/calories and hence should not be the corner stone of one’s meal/diet.

The concept of change is good

Now that we have established that grain dominance is not healthy, let’s look at the changes/modifications that need to be made to the current Indian breakfast to make it healthful and wholesome.

1. Though carbohydrates need not be shunned, they need to be reduced (especially from the current levels).
2. Carbohydrate sources need to be changed from grains to vegetables, fruits and (limited quantities of) presoaked beans/lentils.
3. Best case: Grains need to avoided. Worst case: Grains need to be fermented before preparation and consumed in very small quantities i.e. as a side.
4. A good source of (complete) protein needs to be included in every breakfast.
5. Good fats need to be consumed in abundance to ensure absorption of vitamins (especially A,D,E &K) and minerals. Here is an amazing article on how adding fat to your vegetables increases the all important micro-nutrient absorption.
6. Full fat unprocessed dairy should be a included since it is a complete protein and offers a considerable amount of calcium and fat.

Realize that these are only “modifications” that need to be made to the Indian breakfast. There are some amazing benefits to the Indian diet and the ingredients which provide these benefits (mostly spices) should be preserved while making these changes. These benefits include, but are not limited to, the following.

• The curcumin in turmeric is known to help prevent heart failure, Alzheimer’s, cancer and more.
• Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, the active ingredients in chili pepper, have been shown to help reduce blood glucose in diabetics. In addition to this, it has been associated with everything from pain relief, reduced congestion and stomach ulcer prevention to weight loss and increased cardiovascular health.
• Cumin has been praised as an iron source and for its potential, like mustard seeds, to prevent cancer and aid in digestion.
• Coriander is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and studied in the United States for its possible connection to cholesterol reduction.

The act of changing is even better

We now have the knowledge. Let’s move on to the most critical step: the action step. We can talk/debate without end about the benefits/drawbacks of any food/diet, but nothing is accomplished unless and until we give it a true attempt.

Note: I know some (Indian) people are downright opposed to such recommendations because they’re certain (for whatever reason) that I will recommend foods from other cuisines that are not available in India. Well, that’s clearly BS and if these people took the time to read a little they’d benefit a lot more.

That said, here are some options for breakfast that focus on removing the negative points I discussed last week but are very Indian at the same time.

• Firstly, avoid using any vegetable oils for cooking. All cooking should be done with ghee or coconut oil since both contain stable and non-oxidizable saturated fats. If you’re concerned about saturated fat and heart disease, trust me when I say such a relation never existed or read this to learn for yourself.
• Drop the cereal/muesli/granola/oatmeal in an attempt to eat healthy (cos they’re not healthy by any means!). Have a handful (15-20) of nuts (cashews/almonds/walnuts/pistachios) + 50-75 grams of full fat cheese + a cup of berries instead.
• Quit buying dosa/roti/pav bhaji from the canteen/restaurant. I think we can all safely say that restaurant/canteen/store bought items are made with the lowest quality ingredients and rancid oxidizable oils. Have one of these instead – (a) Protein shake: Blend – 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, 1 cup whole milk, 1 medium fruits/1 cup mixed fruits, 1/4 cup nuts or (b) Mix 2 whole eggs, 25-30 grams of full fat cheese, 1/2 tbls coconut oil/butter, 1 cup chopped vegetables, salt, pepper and seasonings of choice. Microwave on high for 2-3 mins or until fully done.
• Instead of downing 6 dosas have 1-2 dosas topped with 1 whole egg, 25-30 grams of full fat cheese and 1 cup of vegetables each (south indian pizza anyone?). Super nutritious, rice in protein and fats and extremely satiating.

Top this with cheese and add a side of vegetables and salt lassi

• Instead of destroying that plate of pongal every saturday, have 1 cup presoaked and cooked beans (garbanzo/kidney etc.), 5-10 cashews, chili and garlic sauteed in coconut oil. Finish it off with 1 cup full fat yogurt with salt/spices.
• Drop the roti and have lots of Daal (1.5-2 cups presoaked and cooked lentils + 1-2 cups mixed vegetables + 1 tbls butter/coconut oil). Finish it off with 1 cup full fat yogurt with salt/spices.
• A 3 egg omelet with lots of vegetables and 25-30 grams of full fat cheese with a cup of fruit on the side instead of poori masala and coffee will do you good.
• If you’re a meat eater, add in chicken/fish/beef/lamb to your breakfast. Animal proteins are complete proteins and fats from grass fed/free range animals are very healthy.
• Skip breakfast every once in a while. Fasting has been extensively researched and proven to be extremely healthy (ever wonder why almost all cultures have some form of fasting?). Read this if you’re interested in finding out how periodic fasting and calorie restriction can add 40-50 (healthy) years to your lifespan. So next time when your mom fasts for religious reasons, you join her for health reasons!

These are not hard changes and can be made almost immediately. Incorporating these changes to your breakfast is a first step towards…

• removing grain dominance and dependence.
• reducing carbohydrate load.
• adding a good chunk of protein to your diet.
• saving you from the toxic byproducts of heating vegetable oils.
• adding good fats (nuts, coconut oil, ghee, dairy) to your diet.
• controlling systemic inflammation which is the source of everything bad from obesity to diabetes to cardiovascular diseases.
• saving yourself from insulin resistance (and hence diabetes).

I know these recommendations are not typical and may even be considered blasphemous in a world where fat is evil and marketing overshadows real science. But remember – just because everyone does it a certain way doesn’t make it right.

Data doesn’t lie. Question everything.

Peace out.