Ask health guru Ravi Mantha, what to eat for staying fit and healthy and he says, “Eat a rainbow!”. No, the artificial colours but naturally colourful food is what he means. After decades of research, practical experiments and personal experiences on health and well being, Ravi Mantha believes in going back to basics. “Your health depends 80 per cent on what goes into your mouth and 20 per cent on exercise. Your body is 70 per cent water and hence you are a walking pond. You are 90 per cent more bacteria than human and so you are an ecosystem,” he says.
Apart from such in-depth knowledge about the human body, what sets apart Ravi as a sought after wellness coach among celebrities? His passion for a healthy living stems from a life experience. The health guru was once bereft of the fortunes of health and lived on scores of antibiotics which his doctor prescribed for lifetime. “I was living in London and was obese,” says Ravi, who later determined to become what he is today. “I pored over books, worked with nutrition experts and explored my diet plan.”
The result of his extensive research is the book ‘The Baby Elephant Diet’ that talks about staying fit naturally and preventive health care. It details on lifestyle, habits and myths regarding food and fitness. “I wanted to write a book that has a simple message. The book recommends the diet of a baby elephant which is nothing but fibre,” says Ravi. “Elephant is the strongest land animal and is vegetarian. But unfortunately, we as vegetarians hardly eat vegetables and end up with heaps of rice on our plates.” Ravi’s mantra to fitness is eating rice in moderation. “Rice was healthy half-a-century ago but not anymore. The husk and bran are polished off and we eat only the sugar kernel of rice these days. Instead of carbohydrates, the diet should comprise more of fibre. Fibrous food keeps you filled for long.” The health guru doesn’t bat for an exclusive veggie diet. “Humans are omnivorous and we are designed to eat a wide range of food. I am not interested in counting calories or segregating nutrients but my idea is to understand the composition of our daily menu and eat well generally.”
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Ravi’s first book ‘All about bacteria’ lists the varieties of the microbe that live in the human body. “There are over 1,200 species of bacteria living in our belly button, which is more than the species of birds found in India,” he reels out an amazing fact. “Not all bacteria are bad. Indian villages have a healthier ecosystem compared to the cities and that’s primarily because of the usage of cow dung for plastering in mud houses. Cow dung is 25 per cent of good bacteria that keep away the bad ones.” “The best probiotics to have are curd and drinking water,” says Ravi, who is strongly against antibiotics. “Most times, antibiotics are bought without a medical prescription and too much of it can cause obesity. Antibiotic is a brahmastra, use it when you are dying and not for a common cold.”
After dosages of health gyan, if you are curious about what the guru starts his day with; Ravi Mantha has a simple answer. “I look for a Guava in the morning,” he says. “Not just because it’s my favourite fruit but Guava is a super food that’s rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. The skin of the fruit is a good source of anti oxidants.” Upon the new-age diet bars and energy drinks, Ravi says, “I am not a person for supplements, especially for something that stays on shelf for long. Packaged fruit juices which claim to be natural, contain more sugar than aerated drinks.”
Apart from talking healthy food, Ravi is also a passionate organic farmer who cultivates native crop varieties in his 17-acre in Hyderabad and markets the produce among the few hundred closely-knit families of his friends and relatives. “My farm is a space to create awareness among people and initiate them into the organic way of life.”
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