Getting In and Out of Broncho - Part II

And the story starts.....

I am not a great foodie. However, occasionally I have to eat with someone on some or the other occasion. You would be surprised why to talk about food when under the grip of Broncho. Sometimes, there is a need to accommodate a variable and most possibly, a fixed change. I noticed noticeable changes in health when I started having a proper and regular diet of only home-made food. 

In the Indian context, a proper and regular diet usually contains chapatti, spicy oil vegetable recipes, salad, buttermilk, snacks (sometimes) which are followed by dessert. And, frankly, that seems to be wholesome and worthy eating in an Indian environment. However, there lies a catch. Alas, that's how things changed. Diet has a consequent effect on the mind. I believe, if you eat healthy food, you survive healthily. Life is not about tits and bits. Similarly, health is not about tits and bits which you can ignore and overindulge in eating.

The first change was to drink only and ONLY lukewarm water. Thus, mornings and evenings saw water being boiled and stored in warm water flasks. I made sure not to drink in one gulp but at regular intervals of the day. The second change was having meals at least twice a day. I stopped eating in the evenings. There was no breakfast. I decided and scheduled my lunch very much in advance of the day. Laugh it out but, I was done with my first meal in the early hours of dawn. Third, something that helped improve immunity or perhaps helped escape the negative onslaught of medicinal doses was the use of soup in my meals. I started having mixed vegetable soup for the first time and jokes apart, this was my first experiment with my body. I would boil and blend vegetables like carrot, tomato, spinach, and ginger, with a pinch of salt and black pepper; remove the unwanted pulp by straining. It was quite nutritious; in fact, I felt, my blood levels optimized mainly due to the inclusion of mixed vegetable soup in the diet. 

Fourth, salads were made a constant in eating. Variety for each day consisted of cucumber, tomato, carrot and sugar beet which is a rich source of iron. I also made sure to boil and eat sweet potato at least once a week. Next, something that would surprise all is the use of clarified butter and a complete ban on the use of oil while cooking. I found it a bit hard imagining Indian dishes without oil as few can only taste good when prepared in oil.

Surprises are bound to come in every word I write here. I decided that I should not eat junk food. This included my all-time favorite, dry Manchurian. Saying no to outside food was not a difficult decision. I just decided and went ahead. Mornings are really decisive. What I cook might not be liked by my tongue. This is not because cooking will be hampered. The reason could be my tongue might have the hunger to try something else. Next surprise is saying "NO" to snacks in every form. Indian snacks are available in a variety of spices, ingredients, and equally difficult to resist. However, I had to make sure these don’t become part of my meals. 

Next surprise is less believable for all but not for me. I decided to sacrifice my Sweet Tooth (with a catch). I stopped having sugar or sugar-related foodstuff. This means no to sugar in coffee; no sweets, no ice-cream. The catch …. I kept the ground open for jaggery – gud in case it’s really difficult to stop the non-resistant mouth organs. Organic jaggery in solid and liquid form paved its way to my kitchen. I didn’t mind making something sweet as and when required. Let me tell you, I am not diabetic. If I decided not to have sugar, then I also decided to have less salt in meals.

The next best thing I avoided was the use of curd and buttermilk. Curd is not good while suffering from cough and cold, broncho or asthma or any other respiratory problem. Similarly, fruits like banana have a similar impact. At one time, I used to have only bananas. Now, you won’t find on my platter. Other fruits are always present in my diet.

These changes in everyday meals were never drastic or frantically adopted to recuperate. These were intended as an experiment in the initial stage to see how I respond and went on to become an integral part of life as days passed. My cardiologist never advised me to stop eating. He asked me to have everything. This helped me overcome the phobia that I am suffering. I understood the real meaning and logic behind disciplined eating when Broncho decided to stay in my body though I never wished it should. 

Overview:- 

1. Have lukewarm water if possible. 
2. If not possible, have non-cold, non-fridge normal water.
3. If not possible, store water in the earthen pot and drink at regular intervals.
4. Have a proper, wholesome Indian diet. Chapatti is a good option with any vegetable(s) based solid or liquid diet. 
5. Stop having rice if possible. I eat only once a month or not at all, sometimes. 
6. Whether you are diabetic or not, ignore sugar.
7. Refined oil is not good for health. 
8. Eat food at the right time. If opting for 3 meals, make sure to have in the morning, noon and early evening. I have my meals in the mornings and late noon.
9. Have no foodstuff at night. I prefer only liquids – coffee, milk or soup. You might have to sacrifice your parties here. 
10. Eat Salads.
11.  Have a lot of fruits. They are constant suppliers of good nutrition.

 It’s difficult to survive with this schedule. However, what is painful to adopt and make a part of life gives good returns in the form of good health. And, I am a living example. Months have passed ever since I had Broncho. By God’s grace, everything got sorted out and I am least impacted even with the change in climatic conditions.

Thank you for reading.