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Wellness by Luke Coutinho: Does grandma really know best?
An investigation into the veracity of old wives’ tales. What are some of the popular ones you’ve heard? And maybe, even believed?
How many of you grew up with your grandmothers telling you to soak nuts before eating them, to not drink water while standing up, or avoid eating fish and milk together? We live in a world where simplicity has become a luxury. And while we certainly need to go back to our roots, we must follow or unlearn a practice only after delving into its history or the science behind it. Most of us followed our grandma’s rules without ever questioning the science behind them, but here are some truth bombs that will reveal whether what your grandma told you was a myth or a fact.
“Carrots are good for your eyes. They will help you see in the dark”
Your grandma wasn’t lying! Carrots are rich in lutein and beta carotenes, which are excellent for eye health. Their rich vitamin A content can help prevent night blindness and loss of vision due to age-related degenerative eye diseases. Beyond boosting visual acuity, carrots are loaded with fibre, potassium, and antioxidants which aid weight loss, lower bad cholesterol, and play a role in cancer prevention and management.
“Eat more when you’re sick to feel better”
We disagree. Have you noticed how your appetite falls when you are sick? Even predators fast when they’re unwell. By cutting down on your appetite, your digestive system slows, gradually shuts down and redirects the saved energy towards healing. That’s your immunity working for you. So, avoid stuffing yourself with food in hopes of getting better and pay attention to what your body says. Eat light, comforting, and easily-digestible homemade food when hungry. Fasting can be therapeutic for recovery when done scientifically and under professional supervision.
“Don’t drink water standing up”
Standing up and drinking water throws your body out of sync by activating your fight and flight response. It does not quench your thirst. It also makes water gush through your body rapidly without helping nutrients reach your liver or digestive tract. Impurities and toxins that need to be flushed out may get deposited in the kidneys and the bladder. It also disrupts the flow of oxygen. So, yes, your grandma was right when she said, “Stop chugging water while standing.” Sit down and sip your water slowly. It will help nutrients reach each one of your trillion cells, boost brain activity, improve digestion, eliminate toxins and keep bloating at bay.
“Bless your food”
Blessing your food is nothing but an act of gratitude. Offering thanks before or after a meal can help you change the energy of what you eat. Food is life-giving. So, if you want to experience its true power, start your meals by blessing it to be nourishing, healing, recharging, and healthy. Once done, give thanks for the meal you just ate.
“Eat with your hands”
There is nothing embarrassing or demeaning about eating with your hands. This simple practice rooted in ancient Indian wisdom allows you to connect with your food through all five senses—smell, touch, taste, sound, and sight. It increases mindfulness and makes the entire eating experience wholesome, satisfying, and pleasurable. And guess what? It benefits your health, weight, and digestion by increasing the satiety factor of the meal and reducing the chances of overeating.
“Eat your dinner close to sunset”
In the olden days, our ancestors ate their last meal at sunset and the next at sunrise the following day because of the absence of natural light. They aligned their eating patterns with nature, following the circadian rhythm much before the term was even coined! Your body does not care about your late-night parties or working hours. After sunset, your body moves from ‘feed and breed’ to ‘rest and digest’ mode. Late-night meals put an additional burden on your digestive system to break them down. Your pancreas struggles to secrete digestive enzymes late in the night. You may have noticed how late-night dinners make you feel puffy, bloated, heavy, and acidic because the body was unable to complete the process of digestion. So, listen to your grandma and try to eat dinner early.
Luke Coutinho practices in the space of Holistic Nutrition—Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine and is the founder of You Care-All about You by Luke Coutinho
Catch Luke Coutinho’s column every fortnight in HT Brunch. It will next appear on July 30, 2022.
From HT Brunch, July 16, 2022
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