THE HEALTHY COMBO

There are various ways to combine different foods based on the nutrients they provide. While iron and Vitamin C click,combining iron with calcium fails the absorption of both,says Dr Sandeep Chhatwal,director,Omni Hospital,Chandigarh. “Instead of the usual palak with paneer dish (palak or spinach has iron; paneer has calcium),combine palak with corn. Also,don’t swallow an iron pill with a glass of calcium-rich milk,’’ he says.

Team up your chicken curry with salads. Non-vegetarian dishes,when cooked,have zero fibre left in them to get pushed down the intestinal tract. Portions of vegetables and salads will correct this. More than that,they make the meal wholesome,bringing in phytonutrients that will assist in absorbing the protein present in the chicken better.

Lucknow-based nutritionist Dr Amitabh Pandit suggests we avoid drinking water with our meals,as it dilutes the digestive juices,leading to gas formation and acidity. Having desserts soon after lunch or dinner also decays the food before it gets absorbed thus leading to premature ageing over the years,he warns. Desserts cannot be digested after the carbohydrate and protein intake,they create fermented alcohols,vinegars and acetic acids.

It is important to consume at least 60 per cent alkaline-producing foods in our diet,for good health. A high-protein diet (rich in lentils and meat) causes acidity and thus we need alkaline food (vegetables) to balance our Ph. Our gastric juices are able to digest and absorb only one type of food at a time and so we need to eat only one category of food at a time be it protein or carbs for aiding digestion. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables (alkaline-producing) to balance your intake of lentils and meat (acid-producing).

Mehrotra advises eating carbohydrate foods and protein foods at separate meals. The protein-based foods excite acids in the stomach while the starch or carbs will start the alkalis flowing and the two will instantly neutralise each other,forming a watery solution,digesting neither. This causes digestive stress,including gas,heartburn,cramps,bloating,constipation,foul stools and so on. “It is virtually not possible to eat meals in a sequential format where one eats only milk and then only cereal and then only dal. We must strive to follow at least a few do-able,’’ says Mehrotra.