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Watermelons, paneer and chamomile tea: Navjot Sidhu's special diet in jail
The medical board has advised a high fibre, low carbohydrate and low fat diet — primarily comprising fruits and vegetables and avoiding desi ghee and butter — for Navjot Sidhu
The court of chief judicial magistrate has directed the Patiala Central Jail superintendent to consider and act according to the medical board report on special diet for Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was last week imprisoned for one year in a 1988 road rage case. A three-member medical board of Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, had examined Sidhu on Monday, following which it had submitted its recommendations to the jail superintendent. The report was presented before the local court on Tuesday.
"After going through the medical examination report, the court has directed the jail department to provide the diet as recommended by the medical board," said Sidhu’s counsel advocate HPS Verma, who had moved an application demanding special diet for the former Punjab Congress chief owing to his medical conditions.
According to the report, which has been accessed by Hindustan Times, the board has diagnosed that Sidhu is suffering from pulmonary embolism and left-leg deep vein thrombosis, hyperhomocysteinemia, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and obesity.
A high fibre, low carbohydrate and low fat diet — primarily comprising fruits and vegetables and avoiding desi ghee, butter or any other saturated fatty oils — has been advised, as per recommendations of the dietician who was part of the board that also included a doctor of medicine and cardiologist.
READ: Sidhu skips jail dinner first night, only takes medicine - official
The meal plan
In the early morning, the board has recommended Rosemary tea, white gourd juice or coconut water, while in the breakfast it has asked for a cup of lactose-free milk with one tablespoon of flax, sunflower, melon and chia seeds mixture. It has recommended five to six almonds, one walnut and two pecan nuts daily.
In the mid-morning meal, it has made three recommendations: a glass of juice (beetroot, bottle gourd, cucumber, mosambi, tulsi and mint leaves, amla, carrot and aloe vera), or any of fruit like watermelon, kiwi, strawberry, guava, apple and bale, or sprouted black chana (25 grams), green gram dal (25) with cucumber/tomatoes with half lemon and avocado.
In lunch, the board has suggested one bowl of cucumber or bottle gourd and one bowl of seasonal vegetables with one chapati that has to be prepared with a mixture of sorghum flour, singhara and ragi flours. On alternate day, he can have beetroot raita and green salad with lassi.
In the evening, a cup of low-fat milk tea with 25 grams of paneer slice or tofu with half lemon has been suggested. In the dinner, Sidhu has been given the option for mixed vegetables and dal soup or black chana soup, followed by sauteed green vegetables (200 grams). At bed time, Sidhu can have chamomile tea, one tablespoon of psyllium husk with half glass of warm water.
READ: 1988 road rage case - SC sends Navjot Singh Sidhu to 1 year in prison
The board has asked Sidhu to drink 10 to 12 glasses of water daily, avoid processed food, saturated fats like desi ghee, butter and white butter, and not to sprinkle table salt on salad. It has asked for use of olive oil, mustard oil and cold pressed sunflower oil for preparing meals. The cricketer-turned-politician has also been asked to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes daily.
“Primarily, the board has recommended the diet that Sidhu is already taking for the past one year,” said a doctor privy to the development.
The Supreme Court last Thursday sentenced Sidhu to one-year rigorous imprisonment in the 34-year-old case.
READ: Sidhu, lodged in barrack No.10 of Patiala jail, is prisoner No 1,37,683
Sidhu had surrendered in a local court the following day and was sent to jail. According to jail officials, he skipped the dinner the first day, and had only boiled vegetables purchased from the jail canteen the following day.
