Fat-al attraction: junk fast food

BANGALORE: Sit down and the fat sits down with you on the hips, tummy and bottom. Acidity brings its share of burps and belches. The weighing scales creak under the feet.
If this is what you are going through, the naturopathy mantra and a change in your lifestyle, is what you could seek like many others. Don''t dismiss it off saying fat chance!
In an age of processed and refined fast food, the natural has been weeded out.Turning back to nature and its products is what many people are doing, realising the long-term benefits of such a diet.
"When we eat fibreless food, 70 per cent absorption takes place immediately. But we don''t use these calories," Dr Hima Bindu, chief dietician at the Institute of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, Jindal, said.
And it is these calories that settle comfortably on the midriff. Canned or tinned food and refined food like pizza are zero in fibre, an important nutrient, she says. Our grandmothers didn''t have to battle the bulge because their intake and work output were related.
Unpolished red rice, whole grains, whole pulses and cereals, unprocessed fruits and vegetables that have no chemical additives is what comprises a naturopathic diet. For an in-between meal snack limewater, buttermilk with a dash of lime or fruit juices without sweeteners are ideal. Tea and coffee are acidic in nature, though they are stimulants. Since they are considered ‘medicine'', they are best taken in small quantities, says naturopath Dr Hemalatha Murthy, director of the National Academy of Naturopathy and Yoga.
"A fast once a week with liquids drunk every two hours gives a day of rest to the digestive and metabolic system," says Dr Bindu. And at least one hour of exercise in a week is a must.
"Naturopathy is a drugless therapy and a comprehensive system of treatment where fasting, diet, water, mud and massage therapies are components. People today lead sedentary lives and the type of food consumed for such a life is wrong. People should adapt eating habits — eat less and drink more," says Dr B T Chidananda Murthy, director, National Institute of Naturopathy, Pune.
The tendency to sit after dinner to watch TV or just sit around and chat is another factor that lets the body slow down at night and not burn up the dinner.
Naturopathy therefore suggests that dinner be eaten three hours before you hit the bed. Impossible, you scream?
Then fruits, vegetables and soups are what your dinner should be, at least two hours before sleep. This cuts down on acidity and lets you sleep well.