- As we were growing during our nascent days, one of the most often mentioned topics by our parents, elders, family members, teachers, friends, acquaintances, well-wishers, and experts was to lead a healthy lifestyle. The right amount of exercise, healthy eating habits, a positive mindset unencumbered by negativities, and required hours of sleep were mentioned as non-negotiable to maintain optimal standards of health. It was ingrained in us very early in our lives that any lacuna in the same would result in health upsets that would restrict us from leading a great life resulting in us failing to realize what we truly are capable of. Of course, the fast-paced modern day has completely altered our holistic habits of yore leading to several health-related complications.
PC: Livestrong.com
- One of the disadvantages of the modern-day world is our reliance on unhealthy food habits that have crept into our daily lives leading to long-term challenges to lead life full of verve. As reported in the leading newspapers, India has been bingeing on biryani and pizza with gay abandon. Needless to mention, it makes imminent sense to give a much-needed fillip to encourage people to consume more protein and millet. Unsurprisingly, note that quick commerce and food delivery platforms reported record business on New Year’s Eve. Biryani and pizza predictably ranked among the top orders. More unusually, a user in Bhubaneswar bought Rs. 12,000 worth of protein bars. This is reflective of a larger consumption pattern.
PC: Loyola Medicine
- Reflect how all the sugar India gulps down as sweets, is then topped up with carbohydrates that turn into sugar in the blood. Some of this is a continuation of traditional meals. And a lot of it is a new supply of junk food. In certain pockets, awareness has grown about increasing the protein-to-calorie ratio. But overall, India continues to suffer both a carb super surplus and a protein deficit. Mending this equation is very merry necessary. The household consumption survey released last week shows that urban India now spends well over 10% of its monthly food budget on beverages and processed food, with rural India not too far behind. Other countries show similar trends but are less carb addicted. In the West, protein tends to be the centerpiece of a meal.
PC: FirstCry Parenting
- Worse, our diets have been leaning even more carb-wards with time. The Green Revolution came to be an all-of-society tilt in this direction. And course correction of the same magnitude is needed once again but with the opposite ambition. Research unambiguously links carb overconsumption to insulin resistance and systemic inflammation increasing across India, with the young especially affected. More shockingly, even diabetics consume high levels of carbs here. Thankfully, there is one silver lining. NFHS data shows that the share of Indians who eat meat is rising, and protein consumption generally increases with rising incomes. Protein’s importance in the growth of a body, its muscle upkeep, and tissue repair, makes this a tide that must be supported in every way.
