Indian Superfoods

I'll start by saying that I recommend this book to every Indian. Eat local, support agriculture, and live a long and healthy life. That's the gist of the book. If I made a list of the books that have changed my life for the better, this book would be on it. It's that good.Rujuta writes with a healthy blend of sarcasm, story-telling, and bharpoor gyaan. She delivers homilies without sounding preachy or holier-than-thou, making it easy for us to digest what she says. She writes just as if she were having a casual conversation with us. Her language is peppered with hindi words and phrases, but it all meshes so flawlessly and flows so smoothly. Her "oh boy!" and "come on!" and "man" lend the narrative a delightful flavor.If you dread reading 176 pages of text, you don't have to worry. Each chapter has a neat table that separates fact from fiction. And there are several boxed inserts as well that provide interesting information. Rujuta also references quotes and sayings from Indian mythology, Ayurvedic scripts, and culture. It is fascinating to see how she draws a parallel to what our grandmothers used to say and the source of this common knowledge in Ayurveda or our mythology.Rujuta talks about 10 Indian superfoods: ghee, kokum, banana, kaju, ambadi, rice, coconut, aliv, jackfruit, and sugar. Yes, you read the list right. I was as surprised as you probably are now after reading the table of contents. The first thought that entered my head: how can sugar be a superfood?!Instead of reading the chapters sequentially, I chose to read the ones that mystified me the most. I'd always considered sugar to be sweet poison. Why is Rujuta calling it an anti-ageing secret? That's when I learnt the difference between high fructose corn syrup, beet sugar, and cane sugar. I can now stop fearing sugar and have my cup of masala chai in peace.I always knew that ghee, banana, and coconut were good for health. But just how good is what I came to know after reading the book. Do note that ghee here refers to desi ghee, the one that we make at home. Rujuta helpfully shares the procedure to make ghee at home from desi milk.I eat kaju, rice, and jackfruit as part of my regular diet. But I had never considered them to be superfoods. This book taught me that many of the food theories that I have harbored so far in the name of food science are not true. If I just eat what my forefathers have traditionally eaten for generations, I will be strong, healthy, thin, and so on. Just think about it: there's a reason why our grandparents or even parents are much more robust than we are.Kokum, ambadi, and aliv—I had barely heard of these foods before. Rujuta provides a list of regional names for these foods at the end of the book. But I couldn't recognize them even in my native language—Bengali.Says a lot about our generation, doesn't it?

Indian SuperfoodsQotd:- What’s your Indian superfood?Is it something that makes a dish more tempting and delicious or is it the quick perfect solution to all your illnesses?🤔🤔🤔Is this superfood available in supermarkets or is hidden out there with a hyperlocal bhajiwala in your area?🤔🤔🤔🤔Well, dietician @rujutadiwekar urges to rummage your kitchens and backyards to find your own Indian Superfoods!In this book, she lists down 10 Indian superfoods (P.S. read the book to know what is the meaning of a superfood 🤭). These 10 secret foods for good health, vitality and weight loss are none other than ghee, rice, sugar, banana and many more....😌😉Rujuta askes you to revive your relationship with your kitchen just like your mothers and grandmothers did in the past. She firmly believes that your Aaji/Dadi/Nani/Granny knows the best for you! Rujuta urges you to inculcate the invaluable Indian food habits as your forefathers rather run behind the Western culture leaving behind the Indian treasure.Rujuta has dedicated a separate chapter for each superfood where she lists the amazing benefits and also the versatile uses of the superfoods along with anecdotes of her personal life. The chapters range from discussing about ‘ghee’ as a fat burner 😲😲😲 to the underrated ‘aliv’ being used as a beauty pill!Dive into this book soon and discover that kaccha ghana coconut oil is superior to extra virgin olive oil, kale is more nutritious than banana and aliv seeds work wonders than gooji berries!

This book is really helpful for understanding the reality of food and it also helps to understand the misleading ads you see on TV and on billboards . For me the most surprising chapter was on rice and sugar. The most important lesson which i have learnt from this book and other books like these 'DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU SEE IN ADS

Rujuta Diwekar's book: Indian Superfoods. PM says make in India. Re food, RD says it's already made india, recognise and eat it. Indian Superfoods includes ghee, sugar, rice and even sugar cane juice. She has supported her advice to eat Indian superfoods with good reasons, scientific analysis, its vitamins and health improving features. All well supported by reasons. The book will be still better if she adds photos of food. For example, Aliv recommended by her. I asked two persons. Not able to tell me what it is. I showed the Alive chapter in the book at the Nature Basket by Godrej. Sales person could not hep me. Adding photos will help. For drinking Sugarcane juice, she has given many many good reasons. But passages at p 147 and 147 like invoking God Vishnu or Tripurasundri to praise sugarcane are pure mythology and bunkum reasons to support that sugarcane juice is a good food. Also reference to Siddharth (Buddha) breaking fast by taking sugarcane juice is no good reason to prove that sugarcane is a good food. Such passages reduce the worth of otherwise good reasoning process, she adopts in her book. Such passages do not enhance her reputation as a consultant or as an expert on the subject. She is an expert consultant of with very high reputation and very high integrity-- a rare virtue in india. Most of her recommendations are different and contrary to the recommendations of doctors or other nutritionists and experts. I am no expert and cannot say who is right. But what Rujuta recommends is certainly more enjoyable and appeals to my heart much more.