Eat local, be global

Rujuta Diwekar’s latest book “The PCOD Thyroid Book” makes a case for choosing the right food and fitness to fight abnormal hormones

March 30, 2016 11:01 pm | Updated April 11, 2016 09:58 am IST

Rujuta Diwekar at Yellow Brick Road restaurant in New Delhi’s Vivanta by Taj – Ambassador Photo Shanker Chakravarty

Rujuta Diwekar at Yellow Brick Road restaurant in New Delhi’s Vivanta by Taj – Ambassador Photo Shanker Chakravarty

Rujuta Diwekar dismantles complicated matters related to health and fitness with consummate ease. The latest on her radar is polycystic ovary disease/ syndrome which she has dealt with in her latest book “The PCOD Thyroid Book”. We comfortably settle down in the salubrious environs of the courtyard of Vivanta by Taj – Ambassador’s Yellow Brick Road restaurant.

Talking about why the Westland publication on a subject which is of concern to a large section of Indian women, came into being, Rujuta says it was to inform and make them aware. “I wanted to allay their fears about the hormonal imbalance because all they get to hear is how one will not be able to conceive , get diabetes, blood pressure and several other problems.” Besides this, she also suggests in the book as what can be done about food, sleep, exercise and relationship to make one feel good, help in overcoming the conditions of PCOD/S (polycystic ovary disease/syndrome) and hypothyroid and most importantly get off drugs and stay off them for good.

Her earlier book “Women & The Weight Loss Tamasha” had chapters devoted to the two topics eliciting many questions from the people about second and third level information. “Hence, it was decided to bring a book on the two topics not only to provide answers to readers’ but also act as a handy guide to remove their confusion,” she explains. Elaborating Rujuta shares that much has changed since 2011 when the previous book came out. She points out how an increasing number of girls are confronting the hormonal issues, women finding it tougher to manage food and exercise, the drastic change in lifestyle and medicines being prescribed at the drop of a hat. “People do not consider lifestyle correction as a serious intervention to help themselves. Emphasis is laid on cure than prevention . What is lacking is awareness and education and this book addresses them.” What about the will to change? “It comes with the two. If you are educated and aware of zebra crossing, there is good chance that you will use it and not run across the road.”

We pause to place the orders. Rujuta decides on vegetable biryani and raita and I follow suit. She agrees to try palak shami kabab with mint sauce for starters. Approving it, she takes a second helping. I ask her does she follow the diet she recommends in her books? “Of course, I practise what I preach. Belief and conviction cannot come if it is not done by self.” Revealing that her diet is dominated by rice and rice products supplemented by jwari, bajra, nachni and ragi, she adds in jest: “It will break hearts if I was on a diet which is completely opposite of what I talk about.”

The latest slim volume by Rujuta provides an overview on hypothyroid and PCOD/S and moves on to how nutrition, exercise, sleep and relationship strategies can help in overcoming them concluding with a section on things to know and FAQs. The case studies, anecdotes and tables in the book break the monotony making the narrative interesting. All this the writer puts across in a language which is conversational. “My job profile entails making people understand that lifestyle is something worth correcting. I write the way I talk making it more of a conversation between two friends.”

The aroma of biryani served tempts us to start in right earnest. Rujuta relishes it with raita and crisp papad on the sides. How do the readers react to her recommendation to eat food stuff which the world says no to? “More than surprise they are relieved because it is tough eating all those vegetables and drinking juices. They are happy that they are allowed to eat normally without having to calculate the calories involved,” she replies with gusto. She illustrates how fad had dealt a blow to the age-old tradition of consuming ghee. “We have been using it since Vedic times and until 1970s nobody ever thought about it. Post that came ‘ghee nahi khana chahiye, fried nahi khana chahiye’. Finally in April 2015 the US Food and Drug Administration stated that there is no link between consumption of fat and heart diseases. But by then one entire generation has gone. Our grandparents are still eating ghee, our parents are sceptical and have switched to refined vegetable oil and we are using olive oil and are passing that to the next generation,” she laments.

A votary of eating local while thinking global, Rujuta tries local cuisine when travelling within or outside the country. “It gives you a sense of the people, language, culture, history besides revealing many other things.” She tells me how the taste of momos filled with potato dumplings and served with tomatoes and green chillies she had after a 30 kilometre trek in Spiti still lingers on.

“All the ingredients were locally grown. The best part is it was prepared by the husband and served to us right in the kitchen located in the centre of the house with a wide variety of activities going on undertaken around it like the host’s wife bathing her infant granddaughter. It was the most amazing experience.”

Fond of Maharashtrian dishes like varan bhaat, modak, puran polis, chaklis and murrukus, Rujuta says, “One cannot explain as to why they are my favourite. It is like falling in love. If you ask me, can I eat varan bhaat for the rest of my life? I will say yes.” She is equally partial to idlis, sundal and homemade dosas. “I can eat idli with milagai podi and ghee 365 days.” The preference for South Indian fare stems from the extensive use of coconut in their dishes a custom similar to her region. While listing she springs a surprise when she mentions the Bengali panch phoron. “The potato preparation in five spices is extraordinary. It hits your senses.”

Much to my surprise, the dietician spelled out her love for desserts like gur ka sandesh and Mysore pak and Mumbai’s street food including sev puri, vada pav, pav bhajji and bhelpuri. “The best is the Mumbai sandwich with butter, chutney and vegetables stacked in it,” she says with a grin.

At the end of the conversation I ask her how does she react when people tell her that her recommendations are essentially common sense. “When a reader tells me, ‘I always knew how to do it but after reading your book I have started doing it’, I take it as a compliment. So if this book is able to convey the value of eating at home, sleeping on time, exercising regularly and one is able to see how it effects the hormones, what better than that,” she signs off.

Between the lines

On calling herself blunt

I say the way things are without beating about the bush. My natural style is to take things head on.

On connecting with people

You connect when you are open and honest. Everybody appreciates that you are not putting on act and pretending someone you are not.

On advising celebrities

I deal with them in the same way I do with non-celebrity. They are pretty much like us and like my honesty. They do not want to be pampered as is the popular perception. In fact, they do not require cajoling as being successful their priorities are clear in life.

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