Lesson 9: From Diet to Health

In the figure : In the figure food gives energy, helps growth and builds immunity.

Rule 1: Why we need food — Food gives energy, repairs wear and tear, supports growth and gives immunity. A nourished body is healthy, strong and active.

• Easy : Energy: needed for games and activities.
• Medium : Repair: a wound heals with the help of food.
• Exam-type : Immunity: a well-fed child fights diseases better.

Rule 2: Regional diet — Crops differ from region to region because of climate, rainfall and soil. North India uses more wheat, butter, ghee and potato; south India uses rice, idli, dosa and sambar.

• Easy : Rice grows well in a rainy region, so rice dishes are common there.
• Medium : Jowar and wheat are not grown in south India, so they are less used there.
• Exam-type : Variety comes from seasonal foodstuff, spices and cooking methods like roasting, cooking and frying.

Spot the difference

In the figure : In the figure the diet should change with the season.

Rule 1: Diet in each season — Summer: buttermilk, lemon juice, coconut water to avoid dehydration. Winter: energy-rich bajra and jowar bhakari, tilgul, eggs, meat, butter, ghee. Monsoon: digestion slows, so light and boiled food.

• Easy : Summer: a glass of coconut water.
• Medium : Winter: a bhakari with ghee gives more energy.
• Exam-type : Monsoon: boiled vegetable soup suits the slower digestion.

Rule 2: Natural balance — The Rigveda, written about 3,500 years ago, describes the balance between nature and human life. The change from one season to the next takes about fifteen days; then digestion slows, skin gets dry and immunity decreases.

• Easy : Seasonal fruits and vegetables are nutritious and raise immunity.
• Medium : A season change takes about 15 days; the book has three seasons (summer, monsoon, winter), so in a year there are 3 changes: 3 × 15 = 45 days of care.
• Exam-type : Take extra care of food and health at the time of seasonal change.

Spot the difference

In the figure : In the figure each nutrient has its own work in the body.

Rule 1: Energy and growth nutrients — Carbohydrates (rice, wheat, jowar, bajra) and fats (oil, ghee, butter) give energy. Proteins (pulses, milk, eggs, soybean, meat) help growth and repair.

• Easy : Chapati gives carbohydrates, so energy.
• Medium : Dal and milk give proteins for growth.
• Exam-type : A meal with chapati, dal, vegetable and a little ghee has carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins/fibres and fats together.

Rule 2: Protective nutrients — Vitamins (fruits, vegetables) raise immunity. Minerals such as iron and calcium make bones and teeth strong. Water removes waste, controls body temperature, keeps the skin fresh and helps blood flow. Fibres (green leafy vegetables, fruits) are not digested but keep the digestive system healthy.

• Easy : Orange has vitamins.
• Medium : Milk has calcium for strong bones and teeth.
• Exam-type : Fibres do not get digested, yet they help the digestive system.

Rule 3: Millets — Jowar, bajra, ragi and varai have been part of the human diet for 7,000 years. They need little processing and contain proteins and vitamins. Ragi gives bhakari and kanji; rajgira gives chikki, ladoo and khir.

• Easy : Ragi gives bhakari and kanji.
• Medium : Rajgira gives chikki, ladoo and khir.
• Exam-type : Millets need little processing, so more of their nutrients remain.

Spot the difference

In the figure : In the figure deficiency diseases and the nutrient that is lacking are shown.

Rule 1: Diseases and missing nutrients — Goitre – iodine; rickets – vitamin D; scurvy – vitamin C; night blindness – vitamin A; beriberi – vitamin B; anaemia – iron; weak bones – calcium and phosphorus.

• Easy : Goitre: swollen thyroid; use iodized salt.
• Medium : Night blindness: poor vision in dim light; eat carrot, spinach, papaya.
• Exam-type : Rickets: weak bones, from lack of vitamin D; get morning sunlight and drink milk.

Rule 2: More diseases and remedies — Scurvy – bleeding gums; lemon, orange, amla. Beriberi – tiredness. Anaemia – looking pale and tired; dates, spinach. Rock salt used by tribal people in the hills lacks iodine, so goitre is common there.

• Easy : Amla and lemon prevent scurvy.
• Medium : Dates and spinach help against anaemia.
• Exam-type : Iodized salt instead of rock salt prevents goitre.

Rule 3: Nutrition scientists — Dr Coluthur Gopalan, the father of Indian nutrition science, set up the National Institute of Nutrition. Dr Kamala Sohonie was the first Indian woman to get a Ph.D. in biochemistry; she wrote Ahargatha and showed that fresh neera is highly nutritious.

• Easy : Gopalan: father of Indian nutrition science.
• Medium : Sohonie: first Indian woman Ph.D. in biochemistry.
• Exam-type : She became the first woman director of the Institute of Science, Mumbai.

Spot the difference

In the figure : In the figure three easy tests tell us which nutrient a food has.

Rule 1: Three tests — Starch test: iodine drops turn the food blue. Fat test: food pressed on paper leaves an oily or translucent stain. Protein test: sodium hydroxide and a little copper sulphate give dark purple or blue colour.

• Easy : Boiled potato + iodine → blue; so it has starch.
• Medium : Groundnut pressed on paper → oily stain; so it has fat.
• Exam-type : Dal + sodium hydroxide + copper sulphate → purple/blue; so it has protein.

Rule 2: Cooking and food culture — To save nutrients: wash vegetables before cutting, cook potatoes without peeling, cook cut vegetables immediately, and do not use excess water. Food culture is the daily diet, festival food and food habits of a place.

• Easy : Wash vegetables first, then cut them.
• Medium : Do not leave cut vegetables lying; cook them at once.
• Exam-type : Today outside food of unknown quality, artificial colours and low-nutrition food like pizza cause problems; also, food reaches us through farmers, workers, sellers and cooks, so value it.

Spot the difference