Background
I am also grateful towards Asuka for her help throughout this article. And me personally after writing this article have realized how diet is misunderstood among people. I am so grateful for having inputs from experienced professionals as:
Warning
Diet is dynamic and subjective to each person and as per their metabolism/sleep cycle/lifestyle and many more. This article contains only the COMMON diet mistakes found among people where being mindful while reading this article and consulting a professional is important before implementing any big changes.
Introduction
Where the diet of kathmandu has changed a lot over time. In recent decades, Kathmandu has experienced rapid economic growth, and this has had a significant impact on the city's food culture. Western fast food chains have opened their doors, and a growing middle class has developed a taste for international cuisine. Overnight growth of fast food restaurants are observed promoting a culture of eating out unnaturally among Kathmandu residents.
Where due to this rapid change in lifestyle and unmanaged eating practices. Health problems have grown significantly along with time but awareness among people for the possibility of preventing and even curing these problems through proper eating habits remains lost. Whereas a proper diet is not only curative in nature but also a lot more preventive too. Awareness among medical professionals and people is needed to take this practice for better health inaction among people. So, here we have discussed about 5 Common Diet Mistakes Kathmandu Residents Make along with common methods to fix them.
Myth: Diet is also commonly used to symbolize following strict eating plans for some specific goals and for a short period of time. As said by people: “I am on a diet” but diet refers to the habit of consumption rather than a practice of strict eating for a short time.
Terms
Dietician:
Dietician is generally a health professional qualified for suggesting supplements and preparing diet plans for patients/clients. He/She is backed by a degree and has to be registered in a governing body.
In Nepal
Nepal lacks a governing body for registering dieticians/nutritionists. Where Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics is provided by T.U and MSc in Nutrition & Dietetics at CAFODAT, Kumaripati, Lalitpur, Nepal (affiliated with PU) and professionals have been working as dieticians in both community and medical settings.
Nutritionist:
Nutritionist is generally a health professional who may or mayn’t have formal certification and training and works in a community setting.
Where the phrase: “All Dieticians are Nutritionist but all Nutritionist aren’t Dietician” is used to differentiate between these professions.
Shortcuts
Diet Mistakes:
Fad diet
Fad diet refers to following a diet pattern for a short period of time without having a standard professional recommendation, and often making unreasonable/impossible claims for fast weight loss/gain or health improvements. This is one of the most common diet mistakes followed where people believe every information about diet posted online or said by people around them. In which a diet working for one person mayn’t work for another person and following generalized information can harm the person’s health. In which mindful eating and consulting a professional is important before following any strict diet.
Low-Fiber Diet
Low-Fiber Diet is another common diet mistake in people residing in Kathmandu. Fiber helps to regulate blood sugar levels and cholesterol. But as fast food contains less fiber along with the habit of eating out and an unbalanced diet has caused for less fiber consumption. This leads to constipation and irregular bowel movements along with higher risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes. For which a balanced diet along with mindful eating and a healthy sleep cycle should be followed as sleep deprivation leads to hormonal imbalance causing craving for high-calorie and unhealthy food.
Irregular Eating
The lifestyle of Kathmandu for workers and students has been restless. Work loads, unmanaged lunch time along with excessive dieting have caused Irregular eating practices. This can lead to extreme hunger causing people to overeat, depend on fast/junk food or on liquid calories.It can cause various digestive problems including gastritis, indigestion and even Hormonal Imbalance especially in females. The habit of carrying foods and snacks from home can be followed. Institutions should prioritize healthy eating and proper systems for meals in colleges/schools and workplaces.
Eating Out
There has been rapid growth in restaurants and fast foods in Kathmandu. In which the habit of eating out especially among youngsters and working adults has been heavily noted. Eating out is compelling due to their availability and addictive nature. If hygiene standards are not maintained it can expose individuals to foodborne illnesses and can lead to gastrointestinal issues, including gastritis and food poisoning. Eating out can lead to obesity,GERD diseases and many more.Instead balanced food can be consumed and healthy, tasty options should be explored.
Unbalanced diet
Unbalanced diet is very common among people due to busy lifestyles and lack of awareness about balanced diet. A complete diet consisting of all the necessary nutritions isn’t consumed among people. Consuming excessive rice or other components of food while ignoring other components such as salads and tarkari leads to weakness and diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases etc..
Takeaway
Diet is surely an important factor for health. Residents of Kathmandu from children to elders have been facing various health problems due to unhealthy diet practices. These practices can be changed with healthy habits through slow and steady change in lifestyle. Consulting a diet expert is important along with doctors for better and sustainable eradication of the health problems. Mindful eating and knowing one’s own body’s requirements is important. This article provides you with a glimpse of the common diet mistakes among people in Kathmandu valley. We encourage you to take your first steps towards a mindful diet for a better lifestyle.
References
The list made was based on the experiences and clients/patients faced by the following professionals. We are really grateful for their health and wish them even better days in the future in their lives.
Dt.Praniti Singh praniti05@gmail.com Nutrition_by_praniti
Ms. Praniti Singh is a Clinical Nutritionist and the 1st Bariatric Nutritionist of Nepal. With over 10 years of experience in the field of Nutrition. She is currently working at Norvic International Hospital .Through the years she has been involved in giving various training in Critical Care Nutrition, has presented on Eating Healthy for a Healthy Menopause and Nutrition for Women at the MESON Conference, Nutrition for Cancer Patients at Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital, Childhood Obesity at Nepal Pediatric Society etc..
Nutritionist Supriya Bhattarai supriyab@mitaharaliving.com supriyabhattarai
Supriya Bhattarai is a Clinical and sports nutritionist and a strong advocate for 'moderate eating'. She is co-founder of Mitahara (mitaharaliving.com/), an enterprise that aims to change eating habits in the country by promoting sustainable and healthy food choices. She holds MSc in Clinical Nutrition from Symbiosis International University with specialization in sports. She has worked as a Clinical nutritionist at Hams hospital and Arogin care home for about two years. Supriya has keen interest in gut health, nutritional biodiversity, human behaviorism, and genetics. Supriya has had media appearances in Ntv, BBC, News 24 and the good health podcast.
Dt.Madan Pandey Madan Pandey is a Dietitian and a Nutrition Specialist with over 5 years of experience. He has worked as a Nutrition Officer at Rapti Academy of Health Sciences, Ghorahi, Dang. He is now working as a Dietitian at Metro Kathmandu Hospital,providing personalized nutritional guidance to both in-patients and out-patients. He also lends his expertise part-time at Naman Care Home.
Dt.Dipesh Khanal dipesh-khanal-957163233
Dipesh Khanal is Dietitian currently working as a Teaching Assistant at EduDIET, contributing to academic and practical knowledge to support student learning. His experience includes community level research,focusing on health and nutrition. He has gained practical experience through internships,including working with the NGO Baliyo Nepal Nutrition Initiative and Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj . Additionally, He has volunteered with various organizations dedicated to serving communities and promoting better health and nutrition outcomes.
Dt.Nikisha Bajracharya_bajracharyanikki nikisha.bajracharya nikisha-bajracharya-099087247
Nikisha Bajracharya has worked as a dietitian intern in Nepal Mediciti hospital, HAMS hospital and as a pediatric dietitian in Kanti children hospital. She has also started her own online consultation service @Nutriआहार where people can get nutrition information, food recipes and can book for diet consultation.
Dt.Namita Bhattarai+977 981-7373467 gethealthywithnamita
Namita Bhattarai is a Clinical Dietician. She has worked 2 years in Hospital setting as a Clinical Dietitian.
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