Plants to the rescue

Since last year Dr Suketu Shah CEO BCJ Hospital amp Asha Parekh Research Centre was desperate to rid himself of diabetes hypertension and obesity The three lifestyle diseases were preventing him from visiting Kailash Mansarovar a highaltitude journey he wanted to make along with Morari Bapu a popular spiritual leader He had been on medication since 2007 to keep these diseases in check but was keen on finding a permanent solution Nutritionists at BCJ Hospital amp Asha Parekh Research Centre Dr Rashmi Bhanushali and Dr Mahek Makhija guide the cooks at the hospital kitchen as they make the special whole plant based diet food PicsSunil Tiwari ldquoLast year my friend Dr Nandita Shah introduced me to Dr Neal Barnardrsquos book on reversing diabetes I tried it The results were amazing In about four months I had reversed my diabetes hypertension and obesity For the first time in five years my body index sugar Hb1Ac cholesterol triglycerides and blood pressure levels were in the normal range without medication I felt very energetic I could successfully accomplish my dream of going to Kailash Even a year later now my reports are still normal I have also lost 22 kgrdquo reveals Dr Shah So impressed was he with the results that he decided to introduce it to patients at the hospitalrsquos Lifestyle Medical Centre which was set up in June 2012 The programme is a combination of a whole plantbased diet and routine exercise especially walking ldquoIt was cheap easy and beneficial and could either eliminate medication entirely or keep its requirement low so I decided to introduce people to it at the centre through various ways such as cooking classes seminars and a tiffin servicerdquo he explains The centre began recommending the diet to patients in June this year While the patients admitted at the hospital are offered the diet food they are not forced he adds Red rice idlis are served for breakfast at BCJ Hospital amp Asha Parekh Research Centre More than vegan Nutritionists Dr Mahek Makhija and Dr Rashmi Bhanushali armed with books that Dr Shah passed on to them had the tough task of Indianising the recipes for the centre and its patients The diet similar to the vegan diet allows no animal products mdash so no milk cheese or curd and obviously no meat ldquoThis is because Insulin like Growth Factor IGF is found in dairy products which is similar in structure to insulin that takes the place of insulin on the receptors According to Dr Neal Barnard fat is the cause of all diseases which is why all fat is eliminated from the meal No oil is used while cooking and no animal fat is consumedrdquo explains Dr Makhija ldquoThere are a lot of alternatives and once you get used to this way of eating you donrsquot miss these ingredients For instance instead of milk we recommend soy milk or peanut milkrdquo says Dr Makhija while Dr Bhanushali nods in agreement Both doctors have introduced their families to this diet too ldquoAlthough our children are young and donrsquot suffer from lifestyle diseases yet following this diet will prevent them from getting diabetes or hypertension when theyrsquore olderrdquo explains Dr Makhija Who said diet food was boring The doctors have been working closely with the cooks in the hospital kitchen Together they cook up some pretty creative dishes From red rice idlis for breakfast to idli open sandwiches as a starter at lunch the diet food seems far from boring The doctors have also managed to find a replacement for chhaas mdash peanut milk chaas ldquoFor the recipe yoursquoll have to come visit our clinicrdquo laughs Dr Bhanushali ldquoWe donrsquot just tell our patients what to eat we also tell them how they can cook these foods We give them recipesrdquo she adds The doctors also plan to start cooking classes for diabetics in September ldquoIdeally wersquod like couples to attend so the spouse will know how to care for his her diabetic partnerrdquo says Dr Makhija While deciding on a menu the doctors are careful to create a balanced meal ldquoThe body requires a certain amount of oil and we ensure we provide that amount For instance we use whole peanuts or suggest the use of olives instead of olive oilrdquo informs Dr Makhija They also suggest eating fruits and veggies whole mdash without peeling them ldquoAn advantage of the diet is that diabetics donrsquot have to restrict their intake of fruits We can eat as much whole carbohydrates as we wish and diabetes will still be reversedrdquo adds Dr Bhanushali Takeaway tiffins For the convenience of patients who are too busy to cook the centre has also started a tiffin service The food which is prepared in the hospital canteenrsquos kitchen is doled out in plastic bags for the moment and has to be picked up from the hospital ldquoWe will start a delivery service once we have 100 customersrdquo says Dr Makhija The service isnrsquot limited to patients of the hospital mdash anyone can buy the tiffin However each patientrsquos diet has to be tailormade the doctors explain ldquoWe need to know a personrsquos medical history before we start giving them a tiffin For instance we wouldnrsquot give a patient suffering from thyroid soy milk because it is harmful for himrdquo says Dr Makhija The doctors offer the tiffin service which is currently lunchonly once the relevant tests are conducted for Rs 150 per meal Although they recommend it primarily to diabetics the diet also helps patients with other lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity Missing milk For 53 yearold Sapna Sabani a patient at BCJ Hospital amp Asha Parekh Research Centre sticking to the diet was quite a challenge for the first month ldquoI was a milk lover and enjoyed drinking chai I used to miss it a lot but now Irsquove become a green tea drinkerrdquo says Sabani who has been suffering from diabetes for the past 15 years ldquoAnother challenge has been to cook vegetables without using oil Veggies like bhindi and cauliflower just donrsquot taste the same so I avoid thoserdquo she adds But it is worth it she insists because for the first time in all these years her sugar levels have fallen ldquoIrsquom still on medication and take insulin injections but it has only been three months and I am hoping to get betterrdquo Good but challenging Keen on getting another perspective we met Dr Hira Mahajan an independent nutritionist to ask for her opinion We took her a tiffin prepared at the centre comprising palakcorn bhaji missal sprouts salad chapatti red rice pulao and soya tikkis and she enjoyed the food ldquoNot only is it delicious it is also a very wellbalanced mealrdquo said Dr Mahajan Although she was impressed by the diet she understood that most people might find it difficult to turn vegan and not use oil She sees no harm in milk products and suggests a katori of curd with every meal u00a0