Fight lifestyle diseases with good food

There's an ever-increasing list of what the doctors have termed lifestyle diseases - count in diabetes, heart ailments due to rising cholesterol, asthma in most cases, obesity and some more scary names we choose not to mention. To beat these ailments, or better keep them at bay, one needs to make some lifestyle changes, including one's diet. Now, this doesn't mean you give up anything - yes, not even sweetmeats and farsan! It all depends on how they are made, and a range of cookbooks out there provide healthier recipes of the same delicacies. Even exotic recipes have been manicured by medical experts to suit our lifestyle, tackle vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and also help knock of the piling pounds. Acidity se pareshaan? The petite Tarla Dalal may be able to help you do away with the Gelosil and Digene doses you gulp down after a sumptuous dinner. She's come out with 'Acidity Cook Book' that contain recipes based on alkaline foods. A detailed text about ways to ease acidity is also included. Sugar-free, yet sweet Those diagnosed with diabetics may not have to resist delicacies like shrikhand and Jamun smoothie anymore. Popular cookbook authors like Nita Mehta, Kanchan G Kabra and even Dalal have come out with a plethora of books like: 'Diabetes Delicacies', 'Exotic Diabetic Cooking', and 'Diabetic Snacks'. Most of these books are multi-cuisine, and some also contain health notes by diabetologists. Dil ka khayaal Dalal has researched and penned a number of cookbooks that contain recipes that help keep the heart healthy in the form of books like 'Healthy Heart Cookbook' and 'High Blood Pressure Cookbook' (it provides low salt recipes). She says these books are the outcome of her changing priorities with age. "I have suffered arthritis. So I thought why not take care of ailments by food." Cardiologist Dr Dhanashri Chonkar, who has collaborated with Dalal on the 'Healthy Heart Cookbook' feels such recipes, that teach how to cook healthy, yet tasty food are can help prevent heart diseases too. "It's a great idea is to balance palatability without the unhealthy ingredients," she says.