ask nutritionist dr ramesh bijlani 25 years of research makes him the man to go to for answers on how to eat right while researchers across the world bring you grim new data about how modernday eaters are doomed to suffer ill health a gentleman in delhi who has spent a quarter of a century researching nutrition says its lucky if you are indian eating a healthy diet is simple for us claims dr ramesh bijlani because a traditional desi meal meets most nutritional requirements if current research findings are anything to go by moderation not monasticsm is key intolerable dos and donts about foods are impressive but not desirable says the expert who is out with his latest book eating wisely and well rupa publications bijlani takes on four questions most of us are itching to get answeredwhy do you compare carbohydrates with cinderella about 70 per cent of the energy content of an indian diet comes from carbohydrates yet they are often looked down on as if they are a necessary evil affluent indians often declare with an air of superiority i eat no carbs little realising that if thats the case they are following a poor diet the science of nutrition can safely assert that if 70 per cent of ones energy comes from carbohydrates it is an indicator of a healthy diet dietary carbohydrates can either contain starches complex carbohydrates or sugars simple carbohydrates the principal sources of starch are cereals pulses potatoes and bananas cereals and pulses are a package deal they provide not only carbohydrates but protein too a small quantity but an important type of fat some vitamins minerals and so on so eating cereals and pulses automatically ensures a supply of several other nutrients which the body needs in contrast sugar is 100 per cent carbohydrate for once such purity is not desirable it is better to consume carbohydrates contaminated with protein fat vitamins and mineralsnew studies throw up contradicting data each day how does one figure how much water to drink we need just enough water to balance loss through urine and sweat the water requirement of an adult may vary from one to five litres a day there are two indicators to how much water to drink thirst and the colour of urine if we depend only on thirst we might drink just enough water but just enough is not good enough a little more is always better the colour of urine can guide us towards that if we drink enough water to ensure that the urine is colourless not yellow the water intake is just right dilute urine prevents kidney stones and infection stones are born as tiny crystals and this crystallisation is less likely to occur if the urine is diluted germs also need food material to grow on and therefore grow more easily in concentrated urinewhy is reusing heated oil a bad idea heating changes the oil physically and chemically physically the viscosity of the oil