The synonym for “Hello” in Nepali is “Khana khanu bho?” The fact that asking people whether they have eaten is a form of greeting in our society indicates the importance of food in our daily lives.
As a doctor, I have seen Nepal transition from having a burden of communicable diseases to one where lifestyle-related ailments are becoming more common. Till two decades ago, Nepal’s main health problems were diarrhoeal dehydration, acute respiratory infections and vaccine preventable diseases. Today, they are cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
The reasons are: a sedentary lifestyle, high intakes of salt and sugar and a diet of mostly junk food. Awareness about nutrition is the first step in combating these non-communicable diseases.
My knowledge about nutrition is derived from being with my grandmother and my mother in the kitchen as they prepared meals, using fresh ingredients and healthy traditional recipes. I can proudly claim that the family kitchen was my university for nutrition studies.
Supposedly educated people in Kathmandu pop Vitamin D pills thinking it will make them healthier, when all they need to do is spend more time in the sun. Just as the government has banned cigarette and alcohol advertising, it is time to phase out commercials for food products that addict Nepalis to junk foods.
Moringa and mint
Moringa and mint are useful plants that can help us get better micro-nutrition. The Food and Agriculture Organisation describes moringa as a very useful plant with a lot of health benefits. Some research articles have shown that moringa is a plant that can help in reducing malnutrition among children and women.
Along with moringa, the health benefits of mint are also yet to be exploited fully in Nepal. Mint is also a very nutritious plant. We have been using mint at our homes to make chutney for generations. Its leaves can be used fresh or they can be dried to make powder. Mint oil is often used in toothpaste, gum, candy and beauty products. Mint has both antibacterial as well as anti-viral property.
By Doctor Uprety’s facebook post
