Nutrition has been one of the most imperative talking points during the Covid-19 pandemic. With a 360 degree change in lifestyle, working conditions, mental stress and pandmeic woes, nutrition strategy became paramount. Asian Voice spoke exclusively to Azmina Govindji RD, author of Vegan Savvy: The Expert's Guide to Nutrition on a Plant-based Diet.
After her post-graduation in Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College London, Azmina worked in a clinical setting within the NHS and then spent eight years as Chief Dietitian and Head of Diet Information Services to Diabetes UK. She was responsible for policies on national dietary recommendations for people with diabetes, and can still remember debating the latest research with esteemed academics such as the late Professor David Southgate and Dr Mike Lean.
What according to you should Asian women keep in mind while building their nutrition strategy?
Be discerning! You may be lured into a new diet or an amazing way to improve your nutrition but I suggest you check the credentials of the author and the source of your information. Look out for RD or RNutr after the name of the author, and you can trust sources like the BDA, NHS, Diabetes UK, British Heart Foundation and similar authoritative organisations. Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be regulated by law, and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. They will have RD after their name.
Be realistic. It may be tempting to boost your diet with lots of new eating strategies but you're more likely to maintain changes in the long term if they fit with your current lifestyle and food preferences. So take on a small step at a time and build from there.
Focus on your end goal.
What is your aim? Do you want to lose weight? Improve your immunity? Balance your blood glucose or cholesterol levels? Having clarity on your goal can make you better equipped to find solutions that are appropriate to your needs.
In times when people are bound to stay home, do you think we need to adapt to a new way of eating, more importantly, nutrition?
The Covid-19 pandemic has created a significant shift in our circumstances and has undoubtedly meant your lifestyle has changed. Many people are less active, some may have resorted to comfort eating, while others might be doing more home cooking. In my opinion, this situation could present an opportunity for you to create healthy eating habits that benefit you and your family in the long term. You may have been trying to eat better for years and just not had the motivation to put it into practice - now you can take advantage of being at home with the family and give it your full attention! A healthy diet can promote steady blood glucose levels, help support your immune function and keep you energised.
My top tips:
1. No one specific nutrient, food or diet can prevent us catching Covid-19 or any other viral infection. However we do know that a range of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals in the diet can act together to support normal immune function.
2. Keep it varied: If you eat a wide range of healthy foods, you have a better chance of keeping in good physical and mental health. Household dried food staples like rice, pasta, grains, beans and lentils can make simple nutritious meals by providing protein and fibre.
3. Staying at home might have left you feeling tired and lethargic. Foods rich in iron such as lean red meat, quinoa and kidney beans can help you to feel more energised. Eat regular meals and drink plenty of fluids. If you’re feeling low or tired, reach for some water, sugar-free squash, sparkling waters, vegetable smoothie, low fat milk or sugar-free flavoured water.
4. Support your immune system with vitamin D. Your body makes vitamin D when exposed to UVB rays of the sun. In winter months, take a daily supplement of 10micrograms of vitamin D. South Asians with dark skin are less able to make vitamin D than someone with paler skin - speak to your GP about whether you need a higher dose of vitamin D.
If you are at home with children when the schools are closed, try out some simple recipes to make together. If your kids have had a hand in preparing a meal, they may be more likely to eat what's on their plate!
Would you recommend Vegan diet to Asians who are probably more inclined towards dairy products? How can a vegan diet help individuals?
There is no need to swap to a vegan diet unless you choose to. However, there is a wealth of evidence that eating more plant-based foods has a host of nutritional and health benefits. Dairy foods are great providers of nutrients like calcium and iodine so if you're opting to go dairy-free, make sure you check the labels and buy fortified dairy alternatives.
A well-planned vegan diet can provide a wide range of nutrients - using Nutrient bridges from Vegan Savvy can give you easy ways to get balance and taste. These Nutrient Bridges are simple ways to add extra goodness to your meals and you can use them whether you are vegan or not. For example, adding walnuts to your salad gives you heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Choosing tahini paste to thicken curries can add valuable calcium. And having a piece of fruit after a vegetarian meal can enhance your absorption of iron.
Research suggests that it would be better for our health and the environment if we ate more plant-based foods, so pulses like toor dal, mung, chickpeas and so on, are a nutritious and valuable source of protein. Brown basmati is a great way to get a serving of heart-healthy whole grains. Brown rice and dhal have fibre, which you need for a healthy digestion. Foods rich in protein and fibre help you to feel fuller too and dals and rice are naturally low in fat and calories. So enjoying an appropriate portion of dhal with rice can help you keep an eye on your weight, and your risks of diabetes – so long as you’re not smothering it in ghee!
In the age of information explosion where Googling symptoms, and diets can be detrimental to a person's health, how'd you suggest one must gather primary information about nutrition?
Don't believe everything Dr Google tells you. Celebrities have stylists, beauticians, personal instructors - as well as air-brushing - to make them look as good as they do. There are real (sometimes long-term) problems associated with bad food and diet advice. (More on the answer to Q1 above).
As an expert in nutrition, what has been your biggest learning in the evolution of nutrition?
Nutrition is an evolving science and we need to respect the changes in recommendations when new knowledge comes to light. More and more evidence is pointing to the value of eating more plant-based foods. Meat, fish, eggs and dairy are nutritious and important foods, but cutting down our portions sizes of animal-based foods and eating more plant-based foods such as whole grains, beans, lentils, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds has been associated with good long-term health. This is relatively easy for Asian communities where foods like dal and beans are popular staples. A diet rich in whole plant-based foods can help to manage blood glucose levels in diabetes as whole foods like beans, lentils, nuts, and vegetables are typically low in glycaemic index and high in fibre. These foods can also help you to manage blood cholesterol level and help you towards achieving your 5-a-day fruit and vegetable recommendations. Studies have suggested that people on vegan diets tend to have a lower BMI, which can help to reduce your risks of long term conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
