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Pradip and Meena Shah share with Rashmi Rawat their view on raw food and its health benefits, as well as some nutritious recipes for a wholesome daily diet

Just as a vehicle necessitates an ideal fuel for its long run, our body too requires nutriments for healthy living. Environmentally, we live in an atmosphere where we inhale toxins and to crown it all, compromise on our health by leading an unhealthy lifestyle. What we put on our plate is one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle. So, eating right, undoubtedly, is a plus factor.

You must have heard it a thousand times: “Eat your fruits and veggies.” But we miss out on these key components of a healthy diet on a regular basis. Mark Twain once said, “Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” So, all we need to do is take a leap from our established ways of eating to fresh eating practices. Going raw is the wholesome and easiest way of being healthy. Raw food is associated with a decreased risk of a slew of health issues, like cardiovascular diseases, and high blood pressure. Need one more reason to up your intake? Research shows that when we get into a healthier routine, we are more likely to do other healthy activities. Filled with nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, and fibres—in a light, uncooked, organic, plant-based, and unprocessed way—raw food serves to lift our mood and enhance our health. 

Pradip M Shah, aged 60 years, born and brought up in Mumbai, was diagnosed with very high blood pressure and diabetes at the age of 40. He practised yoga, meditation, pranayama, as well as other exercises. These practices helped him to an extent but would not relieve him of his diseases and medicines. However, miraculous results were achieved after he and his wife, Mrs Meena Shah, attended a seminar on ‘New Diet System: Ultimate science for health, happiness, and bliss.’ Immediately, all the health issues of Mr Shah, his wife, and his son got alleviated. 

These phenomenal results inspired him to spread the science of ultimate health to the masses. He is an active and dedicated member of New Diet System and is also a core member of Ahimsa Parmo Dharma Group (APDG).

Mr Shah opposes the inclusion of dairy products in the human diet as he considers  milk as calf’s food and is against the idea of torturing animals to obtain their milk for human consumption. Stating that nature has already cooked fruits, vegetables, and leaves with the heat of the sun and the coolness of the moon, Mr Shah maintains that cooking converts them to dead and deteriorating food. The body has to produce a lot of secretions and enzymes to metabolise this food and more than 20 times the energy is required to digest it and excrete the waste. Accumulated toxic waste in the colon is one of the major root causes of all diseases. Therefore, one should reduce the intake of milk, dairy products, and cooked food.”

Mr and Mrs Shah share wholesome raw food recipes, packed with adequate nutrients, from their daily diet. 

Breakfast
Peas poha and coconut water

Peas poha 
Ingredients

2 large cups soaked poha

1 large cup green peas

½ cup finely chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp peanuts

4 tbsp raisins

½ cup grated cabbage

Green chilli paste as per taste

Lemon juice as per taste

Salt as per taste

Fresh coriander leaves

Method: Take soaked poha in a bowl and add all the ingredients to it and mix well. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.

For coconut water, add coconut cream in coconut water and add coconut milk to make it thick and heavy.

Lunch
Veggie idli, coconut chutney, cucumber raita and buttermilk

Ingredients

2 large cups shredded cabbage

1 small cup shredded cucumber

1 small cup shredded bottle gourd

2 tbsp powdered poha

An inch piece of shredded ginger

4 finely chopped green chillies

Salt as per taste

Lemon juice as per taste

Method: Mix the shredded cabbage, cucumber, bottle gourd, ginger, chopped green chillies, and powdered poha in a bowl. Then add salt and lemon juice as per taste. Make dough and shape it like an idli. Nutritious veggie idli is ready to be served with coconut chutney.

Buttermilk

Ingredients 

1 cup coconut milk 

2 tbsp coriander and mint leaves paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

Pink salt, white salt, cumin powder and asafoetida as per taste (These spices can be replaced with buttermilk masala.)

Method: Take coconut milk in a bowl. Add the coriander and mint paste and all the other ingredients. Sour and spicy buttermilk is ready to be served.

Coconut chutney

Ingredients

1 cup freshly grated coconut

An inch piece of chopped ginger

4 chopped curry leaves

1 to 2 green chillies

1 tbsp lemon juice

Dalia powder

Salt as per taste

Method: Grind all the ingredients together. Add one-fourth cup of water to get a smooth consistency and serve it with veggie idli.

Cucumber raita 

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk

1⁄2 cup corn

1 cup grated cucumber   

Some green chillies and curry leaves

Salt, lemon juice, asafoetida coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder as per taste. 

Method: Blend coconut milk, corn, green chili and curry leaves in a mixer. You will get a thick curd like paste. Add the grated cucumber in the paste. Add to it salt, lemon juice, asafoetida, coriander pwder, cumin pwder and red chilli powder as per taste.
Tip: You can also make banana raita and corn raita in the same way.

Evening snack
Tomato sev puri

Tomato sev puri

Ingredients 

6-8 tomato slices

For Stuffing:

1 cup double boiled corn

Some green chillies and a few curry leaves

A pinch of asafoetida, red chilli and cumin powder

Salt and lemon juice as per taste

Coriander leaves, chopped

Method: Blend the boiled corn, chillies and curry leaves well. Add asafoetida, red chilli, cumin powder, salt, chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice as per taste. Slice a thick tomato, place the prepared stuffing on top of each slice and top them with green chutney.

Dinner
Quinoa salad, crème fruit chaat and dry fruit sweet

Quinoa salad 

Ingredients for Salad:

2 tsp Quinoa,

4 lettuce leaves 

1 Zucchini

1 Bell pepper

6-8 cherry tomato

For dressing: 

2 Tomatoes, 

4 Celery stalks

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

2 tsp sesames seeds

2 tbsp lemon juice

Salt as per taste

Method: Mix the ingredients for dressing in a blender, add few drops of olive oil and blend till it smoothens. Cut the vegetables in small pieces. Add quinoa and garnish with the dressing.

Crème fruit chaat

Ingredients

Orange/apple juice

A combination of sweet and sour fruits

Chia seeds for sprinkling

Black pepper powder, salt, pink salt, lemon juice as per taste

For crème

1 cup coconut milk (kept in fridge overnight)

1 tbsp soaked muskmelon seeds

1 tbsp soaked cashew nuts

Method: Grind soaked cashew nuts and muskmelon seeds to make a smooth paste. Take the thick layer from the coconut milk (also known as coconut butter) and blend it with the above paste. To arrange the crème, place fruit juice at the bottom of a bowl. Deseed the fruits and cut them in mid-size pieces and place them in the bowl. Put all the remaining ingredients on it. Garnish the dish with crème and serve.

Dry fruit sweet

Ingredients 

Handful of cashew nuts, pistachio, almond, walnuts, and deseeded dates, each

1tbsp cardamom

1tbsp watermelon seeds

1tbsp pumpkin seeds

1tbsp muskmelon seeds

1tbsp flax seeds

Method: Grind all the dry ingredients except dates. Mix with finely chopped deseeded dates and make balls. Serve.