Expert's views about diet
One can even call this a psychiatrist’s fascination for diet. In fact, the ideal diet. It’s hard to believe that a person whose family once had a ranch now says that even milk products do not find a place in the list of ideal food items.President of the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine Neal D. Barnard tells K.V. Prasad that fruits, vegetables and fat-free food will keep one live longer with good health.The author of books such as Eat Right, Live Longer, The Power of Your Plate, Food for Life and Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes, he calls for the Easternisation of diet that contains a wide range of vegetables and fruits. Dr. Barnard has been a principal investigator of many scientific studies, including a major one on diet and diabetes that had been funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. On the alarming rise in the number of diabetics, he says: “There has been way too much focus on carbohydrates when it comes to dealing with diet for diabetics. What we need to also look at are animal fat and vegetable fat.” The fact is that insulin is not able to enter the tiny muscle cells because of the accumulation of fat at the point of access in to the cells. This fat, or intra-myocellular lipid, can be found even in lean or thin persons. So, the weight or size of a person cannot be the determining factor.Delivering lectures across the world on the consequences of Westernisation of diet, Dr. Barnard, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine in the U.S., says a strict vegan diet should help in reversing the alarming trend of diabetes in a country such as India.“We all know that a vegetarian food means one without meat or egg. We now stress a vegan diet that excludes milk and milk products,” he says. Tradition
India has a rich tradition of vegetarian food. But, it has been assaulted by Westernisation of diet. Its predominant vegetarianism should serve as an advantage in the first major step towards checking diabetes – a vegan diet. “We need to clean up the intra-myocellular lipid. But, eat as much vegetables and fruits as you want. Whole grains and pulses add up to constitute a good diet. I will be happy if my patients knew how to cook dal.”
India, China and the U.S. take the first three slots in the number of diabetes cases in the world. India had more than 31 million diabetics in 2000 and this figure is expected to rise to more than 79 million in 2030. China’s will increase from 20 million to 42 million while the U.S. will see a jump from 17 million to 30 million.From a rate of one to five per cent, the figure in Japan has risen to 11 per cent to 12 per cent over the last 10 years. Food is said to be the major reason. Is stress also a major factor? “The blood sugar level does go up because of stress. But, it is not the only factor. If it were to be so, there should have been a huge number of diabetes cases in Japan during World War II.”Pushing vegan diet as a prescription to control diabetes, Dr. Barnard says it is all in the mind. The psychiatrist in him explains: “Diabetes treatment is only half drug therapy. The rest is attitude or behaviour.”
“Actually, people get hooked on to food like a drug or alcohol. You need to work with the entire family for a diet and behaviour change,” he says.Dr. Barnard narrates how he convinced his family members to cook on vegan food for Christmas. The initial rejection had been overcome and the celebrations went on well with vegan food. “The next year, the family members themselves suggested another Christmas with vegan food.The best approach is to try this food twice of thrice a week and gradually make it regular. “But, avoid teasing yourself with food. Do not tell yourself that fatty foods once in a while will not do damage and go ahead eating them.” Dr. Barnard says it had been found that a vegan food helps in ensuring normal average blood glucose level than drugs.But, what about the pizza culture that has taken deep roots even in countries such as India? “Ask for a vegan pizza -- one without cheese,” he says.
Did a free market economy bring into India junk food and thereby introduce Westernisation of diet? “Well, the entire thing is not an accident,” he observes. Instead of exporting meaty diets to India, America should Easternise its diet, with its people learning to eat dal and palak.
