Eat ledger: Charles Assisi is reframing his narrative with food

He is deleting phrases such as ‘can’t resist’, and aligning himself with the chef Julia Child, who wisely said: Everything in moderation, including moderation.

Even at my fittest, I’ve always been a big guy. And for a while now, I have struggled with my weight.

A still from the film Marie Antoinette (2006). ‘I allow for a little indulgence, if it is measured not wanton, and occasional rather than the start of a regressive slide,’ Assisi says.

It doesn’t help that, growing up in India, food isn’t something one eats; it is an integral part of celebrations, family gatherings, life itself. From buttery parathas to meat-filled biryanis, food is meant to be enjoyed. Or so I thought.

As I struggled with recent blood-test results that showed how my diet was affecting my health, I turned to Dr Ruchira Tendolkar, a sports and fitness coach who is programme director at The Akhaada, the gym I frequent in Mumbai.

She saw the issue immediately: I needed to rethink my relationship with food.

“There’s a difference between eating to pleasure the tongue and eating to nourish the body,” she said. As I heard her out, it got me thinking.

For many people, including me, eating healthily feels like punishment. A salad is boring; grilled fish is bland. We endure these meals only so we can compensate for the “real” food we have eaten too much of, and filled our daily diets with.

But I am beginning to realise that eating healthily doesn’t have to involve giving up the food I love; what it does have to involve is greater balance.

I have started to acknowledge that there is more to food than flavour. I have also begun to acknowledge that the food that makes my body feel good fuels me more effectively, leaves me energised, and helps me stay active.

And I can see that the reason I am struggling with my weight isn’t just metabolism or age; it is also mindset.

Take, for instance, the way I once approached biryani. It was a dish I “couldn’t resist”. That phrase acted as tacit permission: when I saw biryani, I would eat as much of it as I could. I no longer tell myself I cannot resist. The last time I ate biryani, I ate a smaller portion, preceded by a helping of grilled chicken (a source of lean protein that keeps me satiated). The small portion of biryani turned out to be quite enough. The meal still “made me happy”. The formula for moderation, not deprivation, can be that simple.

I have similarly rethought my relationship with milk, and now enjoy the light lassi, buttermilk and tea I make with the skimmed version. Cutting the sugar from tea felt awful initially, but the body adjusts (and so do the tastebuds).

Overall, I feel like I am making reasonable demands of the mind, in order to better care for the body. This is the new narrative and it seems to be working.

I am also embracing that marvellous outlook put forth by the chef Julia Child: “Everything in moderation, including moderation”.

So I allow for a little indulgence, as long as it is measured (not wanton) and occasional (rather than the start of a regressive slide).

It hasn’t been easy, but I believe it is starting to make a difference.

A lot of my favourite indulgences were doing no favours to my gut. I am now burdening it less and nourishing it more, and I feel the effects in energy levels, weight, even self-perception.

I have come to appreciate how the quality of ingredients affects digestion and gut health too. I eat more fresh produce, and more fermented foods such as curd. When it comes to snacks, I have swapped fried foods such as pakoras for baked or roasted versions. These changes haven’t taken much away from the taste, but have made a big difference in how I feel afterwards, both in terms of guilt / remorse and digestion.

While I still love “good food”, I am learning that there is joy in securing the right balance.

At 51, I’m excited about this new chapter in my relationship with food. I will keep you posted as it unfolds.

Meanwhile, I would love to hear from you too. What is a dietary challenge you are overcoming? What’s your culinary kryptonite, and how do you counter it?

(Charles Assisi is co-founder of Founding Fuel. He can be reached on assisi@foundingfuel.com)