South Asian food is the heart of India, or at least for South India. Living in South Asia welcomes dishes such as fish curry, chapatti, pongal, appam, and rice. But with so many delicious dishes also comes the cost of maintaining the so-called body stigma and idealised beauty standards. How would you describe a South Asian woman? Long, curly black hair, tanned skin, a V-shaped face, and a tall thin body. Women are idealised this way, so it stands for the South Asian culture's beauty. But can women challenge their genetics or achieve this ideal appearance?  

Now that they have the carry the weight of “ideal women” on their shoulders, with food exhibiting nutrients such as carbohydrates, dairy, protein, and vegetables on top of the food chart table. What can be changed to lose weight and become slender? Beyond doubt, not through fasting, strict dieting, or a toxic language towards body.

How Is It Affecting Mental Health?

Planting a quote, “Good food heals the soul”, in that case, if we aren't following a healthy dietary practice, it will inflict suffering on the soul. When you are denied or do not eat your favourite meal for an extensive period, what happens to your mood? You become frustrated, moody, and sad. So, when restricting certain foods like staple foods affects negatively on mood resulting in low dopamine levels and risks to the development of disoriented eating behaviour. The line to sustain a “slim body” crosses when these restrictions cause counterintuitive results such as binging, disoriented eating, and vulnerability. Then, when you realize that you are in a loop of ups and downs of mood or engagement of destructive behaviour, you should courageously reach out to seek help. 

What Diet Is Best for South Asians? 

Photo by  Diana Polekhina Team  on  Unsplash

Although one cannot entirely reject the cultural food that they grew up with, they can choose to make healthier choices and more positive approaches to beat this trend of toxic slim idealization of the body. When I did research on how we can be healthy with Indian food, it was recommended to limit rice and not entirely cut it off. Dairy products are rich foods for supporting gut health, and instead of consuming white sugar, you can switch to a more natural and traditional sugar substitute called jaggery. There could be inexhaustible diets to follow, but what's more important is to accept food with warmth and positivity. Also, we shall keep in mind not to be dictated by weight stigma or toxic body positivity but rather to accept and be proud of being unique and complex. 

For professional support, talk to a mental health professional who can help you understand the impact of your diet. Check us out at Heart It Out today!