Rujuta Diwekar's Blog, page 2

Summers are here and soon the magazines will be flooded with “summer detox” and similar articles. But then most things we read will either be a rehash of what we read last year or stuff that just doesn’t apply to our climate, temperament and palate. So here’s re-introducing grandma’s wisdom or you could call it just common sense. It’s the stuff that looks after the environment both outside and inside our system, it doesn’t call for Kiwis from NewZealand or Quinoa from South- America. Its about patronising our local farmers, relishing our home-grown recipes and yes eating food that makes you look as yummy as its taste.
Here goes a top 10 list –
1.     Matka water - Bring back the matka, the malmal cloth and khus-khus grass, make it a centre piece, in fact. Add the khus-khus grass to the bottom of the matka, pour water on top and wrap a malmal cloth around it. How does it help you? Well Khus-khus is India’s ancient secret of keeping everything cool, yes our people knew how to make water thanda even before the advent of refrigerators. The porous matka adds a unique taste and keeps water free of any pathogens – lets call it pure and mineral enriched. Lets call the khus-khus a herb and there you have it – pure, mineral rich and herbed water for a complete detox of the system. Well, if you had a business brain, you would be selling this water – anything in the name of detox works;) Khus-khus is also called as Vetiver and you will find it in all high –end soaps and perfumes, not just for its distinct aroma but for its ability to reduce emotional anxiety and bring about a calming effect.
2.     Dahi – For all those who suffer from constipation, gas and acidity in the summers, this one is an absolute must have on a daily basis. The thing though is that you must set the curd at home and with whole milk. This allows the essential fats, the Vit D and the Vit B along with the B12 to be retained. The process of turning milk into dahi naturally enhances the dahi with the “good bacteria”. The growth of this essential bacteria is curtailed in the “probiotic” products available in the market, that’s exactly why they don’t go bad for days together and have a long shelf life. Dahi will help make your intestines strong, reduce acidity attacks and keep the bloating down. For best results have dahi-rice as a meal.
3.     Gulkand – another super food made with rose petals and sugar along with some traditional herbs and spices. Prevents breakouts on the face and keeps skin fresh and glowing all through the summer. Its another hidden gem from the Indian kitchen, rich in phyto-nutrients, polyphenols and probiotics. So tasty that you will have trouble thinking of it as a therapeutic product. Start your day with a teaspoon or have half a tea-spoon with lunch and dinner.
4.     Kokum sherbet – Or Garcinia Indica if you prefer exotic and non-local names. Native to the Western Ghats of India, Kokum has been traditionally used as a fruit, as a part of curry and very popularly as a sherbet. Other than ensuring that no ulcer grows in your mouth or stomach during summers, it also works as an anti-obesity agent and most importantly has properties to prevent cancer. Little wonder then that it is bestowed with the status of ‘amrut’ or nectar in the native regions along the Konkan caost.
5.     Sabja seeds – move over chia seeds. Before the age of internet and the flood of weight loss ads about chia, sabja seeds floated on every falooda, chaas and kheer in Indian homes. Not just a quick detox but an instant cooler and bloating reliever. Even a glass of water with soaked sabja seeds can help you get thinner – try it before you wear your favourite dress or before you step out in style for that party.
6.     Mango -  before you want to strike it off your list, you must know that to look like a queen, you will need to keep good company of this king of fruits. Mango is great to taste, it’s a quick and effective cleanser of the entire system and an under-utilised (infact most times misunderstood) weight loss aid. Do soak it in water for about 20-30 minutes before consumption.
7.     Nariyal pani – The divine nectar from the most divine fruit that India has to offer is not just a thirst quencher but has the perect balance of sodium and potassium required to give your skin a baby fresh look. Yes, it prevents dehydration too and is a well known cramp & migraine reliever during PMS trouble
8.     Jeera – you may not have thought much of this humble Indian spice but it can detox your system, calm your nerves and aid your fat burning efforts this Summer. Roast it a bit and turn it into a powder – add it to your chaas with a pinch of kalanamak and you feel and look cooler than ever.
9.     Cashew apple – It’s the conical fruit out of which the cashew nut sprouts. Five times richer in Vit C than an orange, this one makes for a perfect tangy drink with just a single bite. That’s exactly why even the global food giants are interested in this. Brazilians love this fruit and eat it not just for its detoxing properties but also for its ability to zing up your sex life and burn stubborn fat. Last word – don’t ignore this local but exotic fruit.

10. Jowar – Jowar is one of India’s ancient grain and naturally cooling in nature. So if you really want to overcome that weight loss plateau this summer, then bring Jowar rotis or bhakris back on your plate. You want it to work as a weight loss aid, then be generous with the ghee you add to the Jowar roti. Rich in Vit B1, Iron and fibre it can help you pick up the rate at which the body is burning fat. Its also popular in India as a brain food. You want to look sleek and smart, go get Jowar.
P.S: This is the full text of my article published in India Today women

 Why is ghee important for one’s diet? 

Its one of India's heritage recipes and a therapeutic one at that. The method in which ghee is made gives it a unique colour, consistency, flavour and aroma, along with multiple health benefits. So from good looks to sharp brains, from overcoming constipation to spiritual evolution, ghee is celebrated in India for every reason - gross to subtle, small and big.

What are the health benefits of having ghee?

Great skin, lubricated joints, stronger immune function, better memory, heart health, fertility, ant- carcinogenic and everything in between. Super crucial these days is for assimilation of Vit D, because vit D deficiency is the rich man's new disease.

How much ghee should one have in a day? 

As much as one wants, as much as is required to bring out the best taste, flavour, aroma and texture of food without making it greasy. 

The market is abuzz with many types of ghee. What type of ghee should one have? 

The one that is made at home following all the protocol - being distilled or purified from milk to malai, from malai to butter, and gets churned and heated, is the best one. The important thing to remember here is that the milk should come from the Indian breed of cows, often called as desi cow and the one who walks arounds and grazes on nutritious grass. Not the Jersey cow that you saw in the DDLJ movie, who is fed corn and hormones. The hierarchy here is - Indian cow followed by buffalo and last option is Jersey cow.

What are the things one should keep in mind while buying ghee? 

Answered in previous question, but to put in one line - that it comes from Indian cow milk and that butter has been churned while making it and not just heated or melted. 

There is also an alternative debate that ghee has disadvantages for people who are overweight, and also lead to cardiovascular diseases. How would you respond to that? 

The debate exists because people confuse ghee with any other saturated fat. Just like they have now learnt that all fat is not bad, they will also learn that all saturated fat is not the same. While it makes sense to avoid saturated fat that comes in "fibre rich"  biscuits and "iron enriched" cereals, it is important to understand that the saturated fat in ghee is different from the one that is found in packaged and processed food products. Ghee has a very unique carbon atom structure, much smaller than the usual and commonly found and rightfully feared saturated fat. This unique carbon atom chain is what gives ghee all its therapeutic, almost magical, properties. The "deabte" is a consequence of half information, one that overlooks the basics of chemistry.

How should one include ghee in everyday diet? 

 Ghee is versatile in nature, it can lend itself beautifully to deep frying, tadka or can be added to flavour dals, rotis, parathas, etc. You could even apply it to your toes or head as a relaxant and it works better than a sleeping pill. Its smoking point is high so you can have it cold, warm or hot, depends on individual preference and the type of cuisine involved. 
You can also check out my other column blog on ghee - http://rujutadiwekar.blogspot.in/2013/03/the-goodness-of-ghee.html
And youtube link from the DVD Indian food wisdom and art of eating right - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u9hChQtt6I
P.S: The questions were asked by a leading newspaper, but as happens quite often, the answers were too "boring" for them to carry it. So it makes it to my blog. 

Here is a list of my upcoming open days, wellness holidays, etc in the first quarter of 2014.

Event
Date Register Open day at Chennai lit fest 12th and 13th Jan. Open for all. Check http://www.thehindulfl.com/
Open day – Ahmedabad@ Townhall 18th Jan (4:30 – 6:30 pm)
Open for first 50 registrations. Sms your confirmation to 8080824276.
Open Day – Mumbai (Venue – TBD)
26th Jan Open for all. Call 022-24148111 to register.
2 month unique program – Weight loss fads and facts
25th Jan [email protected]/ 8080824276/ 022-26059221
Darjeeling wellness retreat 6th – 12th April [email protected]/ 9833829240

The festival when women fast, often nirjala, from sunrise to moonrise, as a penance for the husband’s long and healthy life. This is followed by the hoyi mata fast, again a day long penance for the son’s health and wellbeing. Post these two fasts, the women get into the zone of Diwali cleaning and spurring up the house, shopping, standing long hours in the kitchen cooking for the festivities, etc. It is exactly in this month that all my beautiful, sensible women who have been enjoying effortless periods complain of cramps, breakouts and fatigue.

My team and I then tell them that its because of Karva chauth and they laugh it off thinking its probably coming out of my “feminist” view than any real thing. However, the practice of Karva chauth in its current form is a threat to the wellbeing of the entire family, because the belief is that if the woman is sick and down, so is the family. And look around, this is the month when women in your household, especially the ones who follow the Karva chauth, Hovi mata tradition, fall ill from mild fatigue, throat infections to full blown fevers and upset stomachs. From the nutrition point of view, I will tell you what happens starting with karva chauth. For starters I have no idea what text or Purana this practice belongs to, I believe its more of an oral tradition, which means that as women who belong to cultures which follow oral tradition, we must keep the confidence and sensibility to tweak the practice to retain the essence and ease out the ritual to fit into our current lives.  

The practice of basking in the moon light in the month of kartik should be retained as this is the time when the moon emits rays with curative and anti-ageing properties. As a couple (karvachauth), family and friends (Kojagiri), Parent- child (Hovimata) when we bask in this moon light, we ensure that all of us receive the moon’s blessings to live longer and healthier (curative and anti-ageing). This resonates in the ‘Sarve bhavantu sukhinaha’ tradition, the foundation of the Indian culture. The moon also depicts the ‘water’ element of the pancha mahabhut (air, water, earth, space, fire) of the Indian philosophy. And exposure to the Moon allows the body to harmonize its water balance. If you notice, post Diwali is when skins go dry, lips crack and grandmothers complain of weak knees, all of this in Ayurved is linked to loss or imbalance of the water element and increase in the dryness or the ‘Vata’ element. The karva chauth practice is meant as a protection against these too. Since winters are harsher in the North, this practice is prevalent amongst the North Indian communities.

Now what does the doctor tell you when she prescribes you a medicine? Eat something before you take it, right? Why? Because when blood sugars are steady the body can take the drug or the medicine and deliver it to the cells where it will actually carry out its repair or cure work. Without steady blood sugar levels, the drug will not be able to carry out its work optimally and exaggerate its side effects, right? Now simply apply this understanding to the KC fast. How can you possibly use the curative, anti-ageing properties of the moon on a hypoglycemic state? You can’t! So we need to reinvent this practice.Here's what we can do on the karva chauth day to optimize our time in the moon –

·         Avoid waking up before sunrise to eat.
·         Wake up at sunrise or your usual time and start your day with a Banana or a handful of dry fruits
·         Eat Rajgeera or a kuttu roti for breakfast
·         Sweet potato and dahi for lunch
·         Fresh fruit milkshake for an evening snack
·         Enjoy a light dinner or some makhana before moonrise
·         Spend some good time up on the roof/ terrace/ balcony – thank your stars, nature and the moon for the many miracles they silently bestow upon you.
·         Feel grateful for the company you have – spouse, parents, children, family, friends
·         Acknowledge the fact that man must live in harmony with her/ his surroundings
·         Enjoy a delicious meal post moonrise with one and all
If you notice, all except the last meal have options from foods that are “allowed”, actually recommended on a Upavas or a fasting day. KC is probably the only fast where women eat food both before sunrise and sunset that are otherwise “not allowed” on a fast day.We must acknowledge that all of the fasting foods have been recommended in our tradition after thorough research of centuries, after observing the health of women (who maintain delicate hormonal balance) on days that they choose to go without or with little food.  

It is in our interest to follow these rules on days we fast whether it is for the son or the husband or anyone else. Also make sure that husband and son help with all the cleaning, cooking, etc., that follows these two fasts as we enter Diwali. I mean what’s the use of their long, healthy life if they can’t contribute in our daily and Diwali chores?;)

It’s the time of the year when the end of Pitru paksha leads to the beginning of Navratra. Both, in their own way, are a means that use food or anna as a learning tool. Pitru Paksha is about charity and offering food to the ancestors who no longer live in their bodies and in the realm of our world. And Navratra amongst many other things, is about staying disciplined with food to help nurture the creative and the feminine principle in our physical bodies.
Navratra is of special significance to women as they are live expressions of the Divine mother. I believe it is our cultural or the Vedantic way of “feminism”, both fearless and joyful, in harmony with the dance of life.  In a way it teaches us that as women we must celebrate our lives every moment, and in every role we take up.  Whether we choose to express ourselves as forms of Annapurna, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, Kali, we are all beautiful J.  
The food is “restricted” as a method of disciplining the senses. Nutritionally (and will update this soon), it empowers the women with nutrients that make them not just physically stronger but helps bring about a balance at the neuro-transmitter and hormonal level too. It’s a “religious” method of teaching families that good physical health of the women and girls is of paramount importance to the wellbeing of communities and societies. It guides us to look after, nurture and create opportunities for women to express themselves freely versus suffocating them under the guise of “culture”, sabhyata or sanskriti. With the ritual of Kanya Puja, it reinforces the fact that women should be the first ones to acknowledge, express and worship their feminity and not mistake it for inferiority.  
A rough food plan is below but please make alterations to it based on the region you come from and according to what your grandmom approvesJ

Meal Timings
Food/ Menu
Supplements
Meal One-On rising     Fresh fruit/ Handful of dry fruits like almonds, cashews, etc


Meal Two-1 hour
Singhare ke pakode/ Sabudana khichdi/ Sweet potato + dahi/Alu ki kheerOR Chana poori and sheera

Vit B complex, Vitamin C Meal Three-2-3 hours
Lassi/Dahi/Shikhanji


Meal Four-Lunch
Rajgira ki roti or kuttu or singhare atta ki roti + Alu sabzi/ Makhane ki sabzi OR Kuttu ki kadhi + Mordhan (sama ke chaawal) OR upasacha thalipeeth



Meal Five-2- 3 hours
Fresh fruit / Fresh fruit milkshake/ Shakarkandi ki chaat / Saboodana wada with dahi

Meal Six -Dinner
Mordhan pulao + dahi or raita/ Paneer ki sabzi + kuttu  or singhare or rajgira roti or banana ka atta
Antioxidant (with Se, Zn, Cr)
Meal Seven-2 hours
Tava paneer/ Makhana/ Milk


Bedtime

Calcium citrate

It’s the time of the year when the end of Pitru paksha leads to the beginning of Navratra. Both in their own way, are a method of spiritual learning that use food or anna as a learning tool. Pitru Paksha is about charity and offering food to the ancestors who no longer live in their bodies and in the realm of our world. And Navratra amongst many other things, is about staying disciplined with food to help nurture the creative and the feminine principle in our physical bodies.
Navratra is of special significance to women as they are live expressions of the Divine mother. I believe it is our cultural or the Vedantic way of “feminism”, both fearless and joyful, in harmony with the dance of life.  In a way it teaches us that as women we must celebrate our lives every moment, and in every role we take up.  Whether we choose to express ourselves as forms of Annapurna, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Durga, Kali, we are beautiful J.  
The food is “restricted” as a method of disciplining the senses. Nutritionally (and will update this soon), it empowers the women with nutrients that make them not just physically stronger but helps bring about a balance at the neuro-transmitter and hormonal level too. It’s a “religious” method of teaching families that good physical health of the women and girls is of paramount importance to the wellbeing of communities and societies. It guides us to look after, nurture and create opportunities for women to express themselves freely versus suffocating them under the guise of “culture”, sabhyata or sanskriti. With the ritual of Kanya Puja, it reinforces the fact that women should be the first ones to acknowledge, express and worship their feminity and not mistake it for inferiority.  
A rough food plan is below but please make alterations to it based on the region you come from and according to what your grandmom approvesJ



Meal Timings
Food/ Menu
Supplements
Meal OneOn rising     Fresh fruit/Handful of dryfruits like almonds, cashews


Meal Two1 hour
Singhare ke pakode/Sabudana khichdi/Sweet potato + dahi/Alu ki kheerOR Chana poori & sheera
Vit B complex, Vitamin C Meal Three2-3 hours
Lassi/Dahi/Shikhanji

Meal FourLunch
Rajgira ki roti or kuttu or singhare atta ki roti + Alu sabzi/Makhane ki sabzi OR Kuttu ki kadhi + Mordhan(Sama ke chaawal) OR upasacha Thalipeeth


Meal Five2- 3 hours
Fresh fruit /Fresh fruit milkshake/Shakarkandi ki chaat / Saboodana wada with dahi

Meal SixDinner
 Mordhan pulao + dahi or raita/Paneer ki sabzi + kuttu    or singhare or rajgira roti or banana ka atta
Antioxidant (with Se, Zn, Cr)
Meal Seven2 hours
Tava paneer/Makhana/Milk


Bedtime

Calcium citrate

After rice, I feel Ghee occupies the unenviable position as one of the most misunderstood foods in India today. At one time considered the food of Gods, its now a “fattening” ingredient and somehow responsible for the lifestyle diseases of this generation. But is that the truth? Since the 70s and 80s when inspired by the marketing and propaganda of “heart healthy” vegetable oils, an entire country let go off its 5000-year old food wisdom to eat Ghee, has our heart health really improved? Are there fewer cases now of diabetes, high cholesterol, etc? Or did we make a blunder when Ghee was labeled “saturated fat” and pushed in the same category as trans-fats and hydrogenated fats?
Here is the summary of “The goodness of Ghee” series I ran on fb and twitter last week.
Things we don't know or don't bother to know about Ghee Most common myths about Ghee and where you should banish them
Ghee has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Other than helping you recover from sickness, it ensures that you don't fall sick. Ghee is fattening - Ghee by nature is lipolytic, that which breaks down fat. And this is due to its unique short chain fatty acid structure.
The anti-oxidants in Ghee make it the miraculous anti-wrinkling and anti-ageing therapy you were searching for. Ghee is a saturated fat - It's a saturated fat, yes, but with such a unique structure that it actually helps mobilize fats from stubborn fat areas of the body. Not a saturated fat like trans-fats in your biscuits, cakes, pizza, etc.
Ghee is excellent for joint health as it lubricates and oxygenates them. Ghee will increase cholesterol - Ghee reduces cholesterol by increasing contribution of lipids towards metabolism. Liver produces excess cholesterol under stress. Ghee helps you de-stress, sleep better and wake up fresher.
Ghee takes nutrients from your food and deliver them through fat permeable membranes like in the brain. Ghee is harmful for heart - Rich in antioxidants, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and fat soluble vitamins like A, E, D, Ghee has just what you need for a healthy heart.
Ghee improves your satiety signal and ensures you eat the right amount of food. Ok, ok fine, Ghee is good, but must not eat it too much – Traditionally we add Ghee in each meal. The quantity at which the taste of food is best is the right quantity. Only your tongue and stomach can tell you that. 

What does our ancient food wisdom tells us: Runam krutva, ghrutam pibet - take a loan, but drink ghee. Cook in it or add on top of cooked food, it will continue to bless you.
P.S: And yes, the best Ghee is the one made at home from an Indian cow’s milk. The next decent option is Ghee from buffalo milk. The jersey cow milk and Ghee has no benefits that you seek. So that rules out the tetra packed milk unfortunately. What you can do is - support a goshala and help preserve the Indian cow. 
For people outside India - Use the best possible option but start making a demand for Indian cow milk/ butter. Especially if you are in a country where "customer is the king".

And we are getting infected by the “coffee culture”. Hmm.. not quite. The culture-vultures that we are, we only adapt what we think is convenient. And anything that doesn’t require us to move out of our SUVs, couches and basically anything that doesn’t impose walking or any activity upon us is good enough.

So there you go, we drive in chauffeur driven cars and park in a way that blocks the pedestrians but makes it possible for us to walk the shortest possible distance from the car seat to the coffee chain’s chair. Never mind, that on the London High streets and avenues in NYC, people walk in and walk out of coffee shops, not drive in and drive out. More over this coffee gulping breed also has respect for pedestrian rights and pays “congestion tax” for bringing cars into the city. Very unlike you, sitting in the big car, changing bb status to 'I love my cuppa' while waiting for the chauffeur to bring you, your coffee. 
We just copy their coffee shops complete with interiors, staff that asks “to go or have it here” and think we are cool. The cool thing though is to broaden your horizons and brains to understand the concept of pedestrian rights. If not from home/ office to coffee shop at least walk from a marked/ authorised parking area.

Cities get global not because they have coffee chains, take aways and English speaking staff but because they have junta who patronize mass transport and walking, who treat driving and parking as a privilege and not like baap ka maal. Kala ka? Samjha kya? Get it, dude?

And as a PS – the more you adopt this version of coffee culture, walk lesser, drink coffee out of mega cups, eat muffins meant for giants, the weaker your Vit D absorption, bone density and calcium assimilating abilities get. 

Rice is a perfect example of the weight loss industry (with aids of planted "research" and marketing) brain washing entire cultures into believing the food that they have always eaten is somehow harming them. World over, the nutrition bodies have finally recognized this phenomenon as ‘nutrient transition’, where ancient communities are becoming increasingly prone to diabetes, obesity, heart and other lifestyle diseases after switching from their local, seasonal foods to something exotic, non-native. 
Here is the summary of the ‘Rice is nice’ series I ran on FB and Twitter in the last week:
Things we don't know or don't bother to know about Rice
Most common myths about Rice, and where you should banish them It promotes growth of pro-biotic bacteria, eases bowel movement and rids you of bloating.
Rice has starch – a) cooked rice has less than 10% starch and b) starch is a source of energy as it’s converted to glucose in the body, so we need it.
It prevents premature wrinkling.
Rice is high GI and bad for diabetics – Rice, as it is traditionally eaten with dal/sabzi/meat/dahi, etc reduces the GI of the meal and is great for diabetics.
It has essential amino acids like methionine, which when consumed with dal, for example, completes the amino acid profile of the meal. (They are limiting factors of each other). Rice is carbs, so avoid, especially in night – a) No food is just carbs or proteins or fats. b) Rice has crucial amino acids, vitamins and many phytonutrients. c) Carbs are essential for our body and have a calming effect, therefore great as a dinner option.
Has inositol, which has fat burning, anti-anxiety, and irritability reducing properties.
Brown is better than white – a) traditionally we have always eaten hand pounded or single polished rice which is whitish, not brown, b) this kind of rice lets the body assimilate all the nutrients from it, e.g. Vit B6.
It allows for better assimilation of Vitamin D and calcium.
Ok, ok fine, rice is nice, but must not eat it too much – Too much of hawa is also bad, so completely let go off your fear of rice, eat it and trust your tongue and stomach to guide you.

Myths about rice stem from basically two reasons – a) ignorance about the wisdom on food passed down over generations. Not just ignorance, disdain almost. b) knowing little about the science behind food. No one claims to be an expert in fields like CA, engineering, design, medicine, etc etc, but for some reason everyone is one when it comes to Nutrition. So things like carbs are bad, or rice has starch or its fattening, etc are nothing but fantasies of a brain starved of, ironically, carbs/starch and fats.
Eat your rice the way you like it, eat it as often in the day as you want and eat it in quantities which will leave you feeling light and energetic, and enjoy the wonders it will have on your body.

Recently a newspaper headline screamed “South India worst hit by diabetes; rice to be blamed?” Now I would have learnt in a journalism school that it’s exactly this kind of “statement” that makes a headline. (a). It is Clear, you are encouraged to not be clever, (b) It is Relevant to a rice eating nation, something which google results can grab and (c) It Stirs the reader emotionally. ‘Oh no! I should really not eat that thairsadham afterall.’ Chalo toh full marks to the report. Well done!
The truth is that most of us read “news” like this – headlines to headlines. We don’t bother reading the actual report, we are in a rush and we just want to quickly glance through what’s happening world over, it makes us feel smart, intelligent and “with it”.  So the smart, intelligent and cool people that we are, we quickly tell ourselves and everyone around us that rice is bad, fattening and now “research” has “proved” that it’s the “leading cause” of “diabetes”.
And everyone is only too eager to believe all this. Fear sells like hot cakes, common sense is tough to sell. So if you were to read the report in detail, prevalence of diabetes in Kerala (8.83%), Andhra Pradesh (7.24%) is lower than Tamil Nadu (11.76%). The national average is 7.1% and Himachal (6.06%), Uttarakhand (5.91%) and Bihar (4.88%) are much lower than the national average. But here is the thing - these states are predominantly rice-eating states. And what about Maharashtra? Poha, ghavan, pej, dahibhat, waranbhat, masalebhat, modak - we eat rice in every form and in every course of our meal. So we must be high on this list, right? Nope, its 3.56%, second lowest in the country.
So why didn’t the headline read, ‘eating rice is great for diabetes?’ Or that ‘there is no link between rice and diabetes (even within this study design)?’ And as a reader and for all your quest of science, research, GK, you were just (a) clueless that these Himalayan regions and Bihar are indeed rice eating and (b) you have an inherent ignorance about homegrown food wisdom.
You shouldn’t be asking me on twitter/ FB/ Open days whether you can eat Bissebelle, thairsadham, dal-rice, etc. You should ask yourself why would I give up on my rich rice eating culture because of some “eye grabbing” headline. Why should I bother with what a “screening” has to say about rice and diabetes when it doesn’t even consider the figures from other rice eating states? Why do these kind of reports appear on the day or the week when some “diabetes free” or “healthy” rice is being launched?
P.S: This particular “screening” was undertaken by the National programme for prevention and control of Cancer, Diabetes, CVD and Stroke (NPCDCS). There is no mention of how many people they spoke to, what the study design was and what factors they looked at. The study was apparently done on people above 30, pregnant women and TB patients. Even then, was it across age groups, income groups and ethnic groups? Like all such “studies” it is concluded with this line – “The screening report is important but we have to conduct further study and sampling of screening data on the basis of age, socioeconomic conditions and pre-existing health problems to validate rise in Diabetes cases among the South Indians”. 
Coming next - The truth about Coconut :-)