A few days ago, a man proudly told me, “Sir, I’ve given up roti and rice. Now, your weight will automatically go down, right?”

I asked, “Okay, and how much do you know about what you’re eating instead?”

He fell silent.

Slowly, I realized that nowadays, people have been sold the fear of overeating.

Some are afraid of roti, some of rice, some of ghee, and some of bananas. Every other day, a new villain emerges on social media, and people thoughtlessly remove centuries-old water from their plates.

The truth is, our eating habits weren’t shaped by any influencer.

They’ve been formed over thousands of decades.

Our purpose has dictated our food choices based on the weather, agriculture, labor, geographical conditions, and physical needs. Rice is eaten in South India not because people love it, but because the climate and agriculture there are conducive to it. Wheat, lentils, milk, and ghee were prominent in Punjab, Haryana, and North India because the lifestyle and energy needs of the people there were different.

Today, we abandon that understanding and want to change our plate just by watching an Instagram Reel.

I always say that counting calories isn’t wrong, but counting calories alone is incomplete.

Where those 100 calories come from is just as important as how many they are. Do you sit all day or do strenuous work?
What are your age?
What are your goals?
How is your sleep pattern?
How much is your physical activity level?

Talking about calories without knowing the answers to all these is like only telling the first page of a book. I feel most saddened when people start cutting back on their vegetables in the name of fitness.

Suddenly, they believe that home-grown dal, roti, rice, buttermilk, lassi, and mustard vegetables are useless, and that health lies in something with a foreign name.

While the truth is quite the opposite.

The most sustainable diet is one that works with your home, your kitchen, your budget, and your culture.

A diet that requires constant struggle to live won’t last long.

This is why when a newcomer is first asked to give up roti and rice, their mind rebels after a few days. Then comes overeating in the evening, guilt, the diet breaks, and the person starts blaming themselves.

The problem wasn’t the roti. The problem was the method. Another big mistake is being made these days: carbs have been made the villain, fat has been declared dangerous, and protein the superhero.

The body isn’t a movie set where the hero can handle everything alone. The body needs carbs for energy.

Carbohydrates are needed for hormones and brain function, and fat is needed.

Protein is needed for repair and muscle maintenance.

All three have their own roles.

All three have their own needs.

And the balance of triangles is what creates health.

I always believe that the purpose of nutrition should be to cultivate understanding, not fear. When people become afraid of food, their relationship with food deteriorates. And when people begin to understand food, their relationship with health improves.

So the next time someone tries to scare you with roti, rice, ghee, dal, or any traditional food, stop and think.

How did the food that kept the subsidized healthy suddenly become the enemy? Before blaming the plate, understand the plate. Because true health is built by connecting with your vegetables, not by running away from them.

And remember… a diet isn’t something that lasts for 15 days. A diet is something you can follow for 15 years.

In the name of diet, they’re selling you fear, not nutrition education that fosters understanding. Because my teaching is that good health doesn’t start with changing your plate, but with changing your thinking.