BY VEENA RAO*

Atlanta, GA, July 17, 2025: India’s Well being Ministry lately stirred a heated debate when it issued an advisory calling for “oil and sugar consciousness boards” in public establishments. The posters, now showing in cafeterias at hospitals like AIIMS Nagpur, spotlight the excessive sugar and fats content material in meals reminiscent of samosas, jalebis, pakoras, and delicate drinks. The transfer, a part of India’s bigger technique to fight rising life-style illnesses, triggered a flurry of reactions—particularly after some media experiences wrongly steered that the federal government deliberate to slap cigarette-style warning labels on conventional snacks.

The Ministry has since clarified that no such warning labels are within the works. The purpose, officers stated, is to advertise knowledgeable consuming and scale back the rising burden of diabetes, weight problems, and coronary heart illness.

However the controversy raises an necessary query: Ought to related consciousness campaigns be going down within the U.S., particularly amongst South Asian communities who proceed to get pleasure from—and overindulge in—most of the identical conventional meals?

We put the query to Dr. Ok.M. Venkat Narayan, Government Director of the Emory International Diabetes Analysis Middle and a number one voice on non-communicable illnesses. For Dr. Narayan, the reply is a transparent sure.

“Something that will increase consciousness about what we eat is useful,” he stated in a latest interview. “Labeling meals, or no less than realizing what’s in them, is a step in the fitting course. However the challenge is extra nuanced than simply itemizing substances or calorie counts.”

In line with Dr. Narayan, conversations round meals and well being should transcend energy. “Most individuals take a look at calorie depend, which is necessary,” he stated. “However there are three different equally essential elements: the high quality of vitamins, how the meals is cooked, and the sort of carbohydrates used.”

He defined that not all fat are created equal. “We want fat—particularly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat present in vegetable oils like olive oil,” he stated. “These are the ‘good’ fat. However saturated fat—like these present in butter, ghee, coconut oil, and animal fats—are dangerous in extra.”

The way in which meals is ready additionally makes a distinction. “When meals is deep-fried, particularly when oil is reused, it produces dangerous free radicals that may injury blood vessels and organs,” he warned. “So it’s not simply what we eat—it’s the way it’s cooked.”

Dr. Narayan additionally pointed to the hazards of refined carbohydrates and sugars. “Jalebis, as an example, are principally fried flour soaked in sugar syrup. Samosas usually include refined flour and are fried in saturated fat. They’re scrumptious, but when consumed steadily, they could be a metabolic catastrophe—particularly when paired with a sedentary life-style.”

He emphasised that South Asians are particularly weak to life-style illnesses. “We are inclined to develop diabetes and coronary heart illness at youthful ages and decrease physique weights in comparison with different ethnic teams,” he stated. “That is one thing the diaspora must take significantly.”

Labeling alone, nevertheless, shouldn’t be sufficient. It ought to spark a broader dialog—what we eat, how we prepare dinner, how a lot we transfer, how we handle stress and sleep, Dr. Narayan stated.

Altering meals habits, he added, is without doubt one of the hardest issues to do—as a result of meals is deeply linked to tradition, reminiscence, and id. “Earlier generations in India labored within the fields, walked in every single place. They might deal with a high-carb eating regimen. However right now, with air-con, vehicles, and desk jobs, that very same eating regimen may be dangerous.”

Even so, he insists we don’t have to surrender our favourite meals completely.

“We’ve modified our cooking habits in my family,” he stated. “We nonetheless eat Indian meals, however as a substitute of frying with saturated oils, we prepare dinner plain and add olive oil on the finish. We’ve elevated our consumption of greens and soups, switched to brown rice and multigrain chapatis, and we get pleasure from dessert—perhaps as soon as a month.”

Protein is one other space the place South Asian diets usually fall quick, notably for vegetarians. “Sure, that’s a legitimate concern,” he stated. “Many conventional Indian meals are low in protein, and that is problematic as a result of our muscle mass tends to be decrease. I ensure that I embrace Greek yogurt, tofu, beans, dals, and generally eggs. At each meal, I ask: The place is the protein?”

Behavioral psychology additionally performs an enormous position in forming and sustaining more healthy habits. “Data is critical, but it surely’s not sufficient,” Dr. Narayan stated. “What actually works is repetition. It’s like having a shower—you don’t take into consideration making use of cleaning soap anymore. Wholesome consuming can develop into computerized too, however solely after sustained effort.”

His diabetes prevention program, he defined, consists of 18 to 24 weekly periods to construct these habits. “It takes time. You’re not going to vary in a single day. However with consistency, you possibly can rewire the way you eat and stay.”

Bodily exercise can also be important. “The ten,000-step rule is symbolic,” he stated. “What issues extra is consistency. Do one thing that will get your coronary heart price up—strolling, swimming, biking. Additionally, break up lengthy intervals of sitting. And don’t overlook muscle coaching—mild weights, resistance bands, or yoga with energy components.”

He identified that sleep and stress administration are the often-forgotten items of the puzzle. “Sleep is important for metabolic well being. Ideally, seven to eight hours of sleep, in sync with our pure circadian rhythm. And stress—once we’re burdened, we attain for sugary, fatty meals. That’s not simply anecdotal. Even monkeys do it in research.”

Latest findings from the MASALA (Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Residing in America) examine present necessary insights into the well being influence of conventional and trendy dietary patterns amongst South Asian immigrants within the U.S. The examine, which follows a cohort of South Asians over time, discovered that diets wealthy in wholesome plant-based meals—reminiscent of greens, legumes, nuts, and complete grains—had been related to a decrease danger of diabetes and heart problems. In distinction, excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates, sugary meals, and ultra-processed snacks considerably elevated metabolic danger.

So, what’s the takeaway for Indian Individuals?

“Ideally, we should always have dietary data listed on restaurant menus—particularly Indian eating places,” Dr. Narayan stated. “That will be an enormous step ahead.”

And whereas well being advisories about samosas and jalebis could sound excessive to some, Dr. Narayan believes they mirror an necessary reality: consciousness saves lives. This isn’t about banning meals. It’s about making knowledgeable decisions. If which means rethinking how we prepare dinner or decreasing portion sizes, that’s value doing—particularly for our households and future generations, he says.

Ultimately, perhaps the query isn’t whether or not samosas want warning labels. Possibly it’s whether or not we, as a group, are prepared to have a look at our plates extra critically—and with extra care.

As a result of as Dr. Narayan put it, “We don’t have to surrender our meals. We simply need to evolve it.”

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Ideas for Wholesome Consuming, Indian Type

1. Improve your oils

• Keep away from repeated frying and saturated fat like ghee or coconut oil for on a regular basis use.
• As a substitute, prepare dinner meals plain and drizzle olive oil on the finish for taste and wholesome fat.

2. Swap your grains

• Substitute white rice and maida (refined flour) with brown rice, multigrain rotis, or high-fiber breads.
• Search for complete grains that support digestion and blood sugar management.

3. Reimagine desserts

• Get pleasure from sweets like jalebis and kulfi sometimes, not each day.
• Attempt home made variations with much less sugar and more healthy substances.

4. Add protein to each meal

• Embrace Greek yogurt, tofu, dals, beans, egg whites, and even small quantities of nuts.
• South Asian vegetarian diets can usually be low in protein—be careful!

5. Watch the way you eat, not simply what you eat

• Portion management is vital—particularly at buffets and social gatherings.
• Eat mindfully, not simply emotionally or out of behavior.

6. Transfer extra, sit much less

• Intention for 30–60 minutes of cardio exercise a day.
• Break up sitting time by strolling between conferences or doing chores.

7. Strengthen your physique

• Add muscle-building workout routines like mild weights, resistance bands, or yoga.
• This turns into particularly necessary as we age.

8. Prioritize sleep and handle stress

• Goal 7–8 hours of excellent sleep each evening.
• Scale back stress, which might result in cravings for sugar and fats.

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*Veena Rao is the Editor-in-Chief of NRI Pulse.