This diet helps increase metabolism, immunity, and identify any underlying allergy
Humans have been eating a variety of local and seasonal foods for centuries. This, say experts, could have been a significant reason for the long and healthy life of our ancestors. “Yes, we are not meant to be eating cauliflower only in summer, or apples every day. We must, instead, consume various grains, fruits, and vegetables that have been locally produced and are seasonally available in our region. In short, humans should consume a rotation diet,” said Preeti Singh, diet and nutrition expert at Toneop. But is the diet the key to a healthy and long life?
What is it?
It is a diet typically followed to understand and identify any underlying allergy that is, otherwise, difficult to analyse. “Such a diet usually follows a pattern of three-five days of rotation, in which, each day, different foods are consumed,” said Singh. But does a rotation diet limit us to only recognising allergies? “No; there are many other health benefits linked to this diet pattern, like adding a new spark to one’s eating habits and having a nutritious diet while working on weight loss or health goals,” said Singh.
A typical rotation diet plan is followed so that repetition of food is avoided for the next four days. “While reintroducing the food after the fourth day, if you see any allergic symptoms, it is a sign your body is allergic or intolerant to the proteins in that food; hence, the intake needs to be monitored,” she mentioned.
Your diet should be balanced and healthy and must contain nutrients. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
Singh advised following the rotation diet daily, “as it’ll add more variety in fruits and vegetables (which we Indians typically do) and make us change the grains we eat”. “Indians, primarily, are wheat and white rice eaters (a few of us like to have oats and brown rice daily too because of its many health benefits). Still, we have forgotten that alternate grains like jowar, bajra, ragi, rajgira, kuttu, etc., are more nutritious than packaged oats,” she said.
We focus so much on proteins in our diet, that we often miss out on the fact that most essential protein sources come filled with different nutrients along with proteins:
*Eggs are rich in vitamin A and omega 3
*Chicken is good in iron, and
*Sprouts are good in B vitamins and fibre.
Similarly, changing the cooking oil is also very necessary.
Such a diet helps increase metabolism, immunity, and reduce inflammation in the body by eliminating preserved and packaged foods. Our diets should always focus on having whole and seasonal fruits, vegetables, grains, good fats in the form of nuts and seeds (and not just olive oil), and various protein sources.
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Things to avoid
– Including the foods you are allergic to or suspect might be allergic to.
– Avoid any processed foods. While shopping, opt for unprocessed raw and fresh foods. A glass of fresh fruit juice is far better than packaged juices.
Things to include
– Pre-plan your meals for day 1 to day 4; keep in mind to include different foods from grains, fruits, vegetables, and various protein sources like meat, eggs, milk products, and legumes.
– Include nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, etc.
– For example, on the first day, if your chart says apple, then don’t have an apple for the next four days. You can include mangoes, jamuns, papaya, banana, etc. as per season and availability.
Note: Before making any dietary changes, kindly take guidance from health experts.
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