For gastroenterologist (gut health expert) Rabia de Latour, and assistant professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine, the journey with food began with her family, “It has come full circle as a gastroenterologist who realises the value of the food you eat in determining health outcomes. Food as medicine has long been touted in Eastern Medicine,” she says. In her practice as a therapeutic endoscopist and gut specialist, she has been treating people with bile duct and pancreas cancers, as well as performing weight loss endoscopy among other endoscopic interventions. What we eat and how it affects our gut health plays a big role in her life.
“Your gut microbiome is partially determined by the food you ingest,” she says, “processed foods, red meats and high fructose corn syrup can all result in detrimental health outcomes if eaten regularly.”
In order to protect the gut microbiome—the group of organisms living in our gut who play a vital role in the body’s many functions like digestion, immunity, cell growth, hormonal regulation and more—you’ve got to eat foods that won’t harm it. “Protecting these bugs keeps our gut happy and disruptions are thought to be linked to not only gut issues but also potentially larger health issues,” adds Latour. She advises eating lots of fibre and avoiding all kinds of processed food in order to maintain good gut health. Ahead, Latour shares her diet for a healthy and strong gut that leads to overall well being.
Latour starts her day with a glass of water. This simple ritual helps rehydrate the body after a long fast and balances the lymphatic system by flushing out toxins among other benefits. She follows it with a cup of coffee and a bowl of blueberries for breakfast, “The blueberries are healthy antioxidants in addition to being great for my microbiome,” she says.
Latour tries to avoid meat whenever she can and usually has a wholesome, simple lunch consisting of fibre-rich dal and rice, and yoghurt, which is full of vitamins and minerals and great fodder for the good bacteria in our gut.
It’s important to be mindful while snacking, and that doesn’t mean curbing your hunger or starving. Latour generally inches towards grapes or nuts like cashews or almonds. “Grapes are wonderful because they have a very low caloric density. They have a lot of water so you can eat a bowl of them and feel very full, but the calories are not very high. They have decent fibre content as well,” she says. Cashews, she mentions, are a source of plant protein, healthy fats and fibre—a great energy source if you’re on the go.
For dinner, Latour likes to eat a large salad, or aloo with rice and yoghurt. “For salad I’m a bit lazy and tend to buy a Mediterranean salad with olive oil so I get some extra virgin olive oil in my diet for the day,” she says. “EVOO is so good for you and the Mediterranean diet is known to be excellent for heart health,” she adds.
As simple as it started: two glasses of water.
How to cook brown rice like a pro
Indian chefs exchanging black books is a step towards building sustainable restaurants
What chef and food writer Julie Sahni taught me