10 Surprising Foods You Are Eating the Wrong Way: Right Way Of Eating

Introduction:

In this article, I am going to share with you 10 daily foods that you are eating the wrong way, which is why, even after having such a good Indian diet, most of us face health problems. We will also clearly discuss when and how you should eat these foods so that you can get the maximum benefit. So, without any further delay, let’s get started.

Right Way Of Eating Food & Fruits List

List of Foods You Are Eating the Wrong Way

1. Dal: The Mistakes You Make While Eating This Superfood

Hello Friends! Welcome to Fit Tuber. Starting with on the list is dal. Indian food is incomplete without dal and rightly so. Rich in protein, iron, folate, fiber, and many other essential micronutrients, they not only give strength to the body but are also a natural multivitamin food. Studies have shown that eating dals keeps your blood sugars low and your digestive system robust.

However, often people experience gas and bloating after eating a bowl of dal. The reason lies in three mistakes that we make while preparing dal.

1. Mistake Not Soaking the Dal:We don’t soak split lentils because their cooking time is shorter. This is a mistake. Any lentil, whole or split, should invariably be soaked. Modern studies have shown that soaking lentils makes them easier to digest and improves nutrient absorption. Whole lentils require a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of soaking, while split ones can be soaked for at least 2 to 3 hours.
2. Mistake Throwing Away Soaking Water: People mistakenly throw away the water in which the dal was soaked and use fresh water to cook it. Never make this mistake. When dal is soaked, it releases nutrients into the water. Draining that water means you are throwing out nutrition. This is one reason why people in India face nutritional deficiencies even after eating dal almost daily.
3. Eating Only 1 or 2 Varieties of Lentils: The more variety of dals we eat, the lesser the chances of nutritional deficiencies. Also, if dals make you feel gassy, you are probably missing out on adding carminative spices like hing, ginger, and bay leaf while tempering the dals. The beauty of dal is that if you combine it with rice or roti, the overall meal becomes a complete source of protein having all the 9 essential amino acids.

2. Cashews: Are You Missing Out on Their Benefits?

If cashews are your go-to choice when offered a dry fruit tray, then don’t think twice. Studies have proven that people who regularly eat cashews have lower cholesterol and lower blood sugar. But unknowingly, a majority of people eat cashews the wrong way.

1. Mistake Eating Raw Cashews: Cashews are nutritionally dense, but if you eat them raw, you will miss out on their amazing benefits. That’s because cashews have the highest antinutrients among nuts. Antinutrients bind with other vital nutrients and prevent their absorption.
2. How to Eat Cashews the Right Way: There are two ways to get these antinutrients out: soaking and roasting. When cashews are soaked in water, they release antinutrients, so you should discard the water. Modern studies have shown that roasted cashews have nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body, and their antioxidants increase. Cashews should be eaten in moderation, about 7-8 cashews per serving.

3. Mixed Fruit Chaat: Why It’s Not as Healthy as You Think

Mixed fruit chaat seems like a healthy snack. It’s tasty and gives you diverse nutrition. However, it’s just not right. Our body secretes different enzymes for the digestion of different varieties of fruits. Mixing fruits with different enzymes can confuse the digestive system.

• The Problem with Mixed Fruits: For example, bananas are sweet and starchy, while oranges are citric and tangy. Both not only require different enzymes, but their digestion rates are not the same. This is one reason people feel gassy after eating mixed fruit chaat. Ayurveda recommends eating melons like watermelon and muskmelon alone, as they digest rapidly compared to other fruits.

4. Mixed Fruit Chaat: Why It’s Not as Healthy as You Think

50% of the Indian population eats rice daily. Rice is light on the system, gluten-free, and has many essential micronutrients. But often, people make one mistake while cooking rice which deprives them of rice’s benefits.

• Mistake: Draining Excess Water: They cook the rice in extra water and then drain off the excess water. The extra water that was drained off is the most nutrient-dense part of rice, known as Rice Maand in Ayurveda. It is used as medicine for various health problems.

5. Seeds: The Powerhouses You Might Be Eating Wrong

The seeds of flax, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, and chia are all excellent sources of healthy fats. They are rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. Studies suggest that seeds, if taken the right way, are medicine for your liver.

1. Mistake Eating Raw Seeds: Do you open a packet of seeds and hop on them directly? Never do that. Seeds, if eaten raw, are a waste for the body. You should either roast them or soak them. Discard the water in which they were soaked.
2. Mistake Overeating Seeds: The recommended dose of seeds is not more than 25 grams per day, which is roughly two tablespoons. If you eat too many seeds, it can cause severe allergic reactions in the body.

6. Roti: The Right Way to Cook and Eat

Not a day goes by without eating a roti for many of us. It is filling, nutritious, and a staple in Indian cuisine. However, frequently people complain about digestive disorders after consuming roti. A prime reason for this is the way it is prepared nowadays.

• Mistake: Cooking Roti on an Open Flame: Blame it on our fast lifestyle, but often we cook it on a tawa for a while and then quickly transfer it directly on flame until it is said to be done. This gives it an inflated look and also saves time. However, in this process, while the outer part of the roti gets properly done, it remains half-cooked from the inside.

Imagine roasting potatoes this way where the outside part looks cooked, even burnt, but when you delve into it, you realize it’s undercooked. Preparing roti in this way tends to cause bloating and flatulence. This isn’t the traditional way either. Ask your grandmother, and she will tell you that roti was solely prepared on the tawa. No doubt, it takes 2 minutes longer, but then it will not only be evenly cooked but also tastier and easier to digest.

Pro Tips for Perfect Roti:

• Use a cloth to press on the sides and watch it blow up.
• Knead the dough properly and let it rest for softer, lighter rotis.
• Avoid kneading the dough with milk if having it with a savory dish.
• Skip the ghee on roti if your goal is to lose weight; add it to the curry instead.

7. Red Chilli Powder: Avoid Overheating Your Body

Spices are the soul of Indian cooking as they not just add flavor but dissociate their therapeutic elements into the food. However, if you often suffer from body heat issues like excessive sweating, hair fall, premature greying of hair, and pigmentation of the skin, you should keep red chili powder at bay.

• Mistake: Overusing Red Chili Powder: Being a strong stimulant and highly inflammatory, if used indiscriminately, it can cause inflammatory problems, including peptic ulcers and piles. Red chilies are generously used in the coastal regions of India like Andhra, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, but that’s actually a smart way to beat the excess moisture that results from the temperate weather conditions.

To replicate the same in the plains is like using a heater in the summer. So does that mean we start eating bland food? Of course not.

Smart Replacements for Red Chilli Powder:

• Replace red chilies with green chilies for less heat.
• Use black pepper instead of red chili powder in recipes.
• Try Ayurvedic Trikatu churan, a blend of black pepper, long pepper, and dry ginger.

8. Banana: Choose the Right Ripeness

Bananas are easy on the pocket, always available, and have an impressive nutrient profile. However, when I say banana, I mean the ripened banana and not the one which sells like hot cakes in the markets these days.

1. Mistake: Eating Unripe Bananas: A ripened banana is not solid yellow in color but invariably has small black spots on it. The stem of a ripened banana is almost black in color and not greenish. Another indicator is that an unripened banana won’t be very sweet. Rather, it may be unpalatably starchy and bitter. The body has a hard time dealing with an unripened raw banana and fails to assimilate the vital nutrients from it.

How to Choose and Eat Bananas Correctly:

• Prefer bananas with black spots; let them ripen if needed.
• Scratch out the fibers inside the banana peel for extra calcium.
• For weight loss, have a banana with black pepper sprinkled on it 30 minutes before breakfast.
• For weight gain, try banana with ghee and jaggery powder.

9. Onion: Use Moderately for Maximum Benefit

Onion has a long list of curative benefits attributed to its name, but have you wondered why it is never consumed during fasting? That’s because of its Tamasic nature, promoting lethargy.

• Mistake: Overeating Onions: As an experiment, on a given day consume gobhi parantha and then the next day have onion parantha, you will significantly feel your energy levels dropping in the latter case. However, be sure that it is significantly less stimulating than garlic.

Tips for Using Onions:

• Use onions in moderation to avoid reduced concentration and increased agitation.
• Fry onions mildly instead of browning them to avoid oil absorption and weight gain.
• Consume onions as a salad in small quantities for benefits in hair and thyroid issues.

10. Honey: Avoid Heating for Health

Since honey’s composition is similar to human blood, it gets readily assimilated by our body. However, utmost care should be taken while consuming honey, or else it can even harm your body.

• Mistake: Heating Honey: Often we mix it with boiling hot water, herbal teas, or sometimes directly on flame while preparing certain dishes like honey chili potato or baking cakes. This is a mistake as honey should never be heated. Heat alters its natural composition, turning it into a glue-like substance.

Proper Ways to Use Honey:

• Mix honey with lukewarm water, not boiling hot water, for weight loss.
• Avoid combining honey with ghee in equal quantities.
• Use honey as a sweetener in warm milk for a healthy option.

Conclusion: Right Way of Eating Food

So these were the 10 foods which I felt a majority of us are eating the wrong way daily. Knowing the benefits of a food is one thing, but eating it the way it is meant to be eaten is a different story altogether. This is one thing Ayurveda emphasizes.

If you think this article was helpful, do give it a like. So friends, that’s all for this video. You can now support my work by clicking on the join button below. Please do remember to subscribe to my channel and hit that bell icon so that you never miss a video from me. You can also follow me on Instagram. My name is Vivek, and I thank you so much for watching.

For more information on proper nutrition and cooking techniques, check out these resources:

• Ayurvedic Cooking Techniques
• Nutritional Value of Rice
• Health Risks of Red Chilli Powder

Right Way of Eating Food: 5 Daily Foods You are Eating the Wrong Way: