Ultra-processed foods can slip into our daily diets almost unnoticed. Breakfast cereal in the morning, biscuits alongside tea, a packaged snack during a busy workday and instant noodles for dinner can quickly become routine.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying such foods occasionally. The concern arises when they become everyday staples and begin to crowd out foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and other minimally processed options.The good news is that cutting back does not require a complete dietary overhaul. A more sustainable approach is to look at the foods you eat most frequently and make a few simple substitutions. A culinary nutrition and holistic wellness coach suggests easy changes that can help reduce reliance on ultra-processed foods without making everyday meals complicated.
Give breakfast a simple makeover
Breakfast is an easy place to begin. Packaged cereals may save time, but you can replace them with quick meals made from basic ingredients. Oats with milk, nuts and seeds can be prepared in minutes and provide a filling combination of fibre, protein and healthy fats. Vegetable poha with peanuts is another convenient option that can be prepared quickly. You don’t have to change your entire breakfast menu. Start by replacing one regular packaged item with a simpler alternative. The goal is not to make breakfast elaborate – it is to make a small change that you can comfortably repeat.
Break the tea-and-biscuit routine
For many people, tea automatically comes with biscuits. Over time, it can become more of a habit than a response to hunger. Try keeping easy alternatives available, such as roasted chana, makhana, fresh fruit or a small handful of nuts. Homemade chivda can also satisfy a craving for something crunchy and savoury.
This doesn’t mean biscuits have to disappear from your diet. The idea is to reduce the frequency with which packaged snacks become the default choice.
Make instant noodles more balanced
Instant noodles are a convenient solution when there is little time or energy to cook. Instead of having them on their own, add ingredients that provide more nutrients.
Throw in vegetables, eggs, tofu or paneer to increase the meal’s nutritional value. You can use whatever is already available in your refrigerator.
The aim isn’t to make people feel guilty about eating foods they enjoy. A more practical question is: what can be added to make this meal more balanced?
Swap flavored yoghurt for plain curd
Flavored yoghurt may appear to be a healthy snack, but some products contain added sugar.
Plain curd or unsweetened yoghurt can be a simple everyday alternative. Add fresh fruit for natural sweetness and nuts for crunch, or serve curd alongside your regular meal.
It is a small switch that can reduce your dependence on packaged, sweetened options without requiring a major change to your routine.
5. Eat the fruit instead of drinking it
A glass of packaged fruit juice can seem like an easy way to include fruit in your diet. But when you have the choice, eating whole fruit is generally a better everyday habit. Oranges, guavas, apples, papayas and other seasonal fruits require little preparation and provide fibre that is reduced or absent in many juices.
Whole fruit also tends to be more filling than a glass of juice, making it easier to control how much you consume.
Severe period pain not normal, could signal endometriosis, warn doctors
Doctors have said that severe or persistent period pain should not be dismissed as a normal part of menstruation, warning that it could be a sign of endometriosis, a chronic condition that can affect fertility and significantly reduce a woman’s quality of life. They said growing evidence points to the role of genetic and epigenetic factors in shaping a woman’s susceptibility to the condition, underlining the need for greater awareness, earlier diagnosis and timely medical evaluation.
“Symptoms of period pain are often dismissed as ‘normal’ because many of us lack awareness of a condition called endometriosis. It is a painful condition where tissue like the womb lining grows outside the uterus. It affects 1 in 10 women and girls, often causing severe period pain, pelvic pain, and infertility,” said Dr Priti Arora Dhamija, senior consultant, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and fertility expert at Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research.
In India, most women wait 7-10 years for a diagnosis because doctors often lack simple tools to identify it early, she said, adding that the delay leads to worsening pain, missed school or work and decreased quality of life. Dr Dhamija said epigenetics has emerged over the past decade as a central mechanism in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
“Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and chromatin remodelling, can alter gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence. India’s pluralistic health system and lack of referral systems creates a gap that forces women to navigate multiple providers, including traditional healers and alternative practitioners, increasing complexity and financial burden,” she said.
Dr Jyotsna Suri, Head of the Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, said endometriosis is not simply a genetic disorder but a complex disease resulting from the interaction of genetic, hormonal, immune and environmental factors.
“Women with a close family member affected by endometriosis may have a higher risk, but genes are only one piece of the puzzle. Increasing evidence suggests that genetic susceptibility interacts with hormonal and inflammatory pathways as well as environmental factors to influence whether the disease develops and how severely it manifests,” she said.
She added that epigenetic changes may also play an important role by altering how genes are expressed without changing the underlying DNA sequence.
Source: India Today
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