Running away from butter, ghee and all things fattening is one of the first steps that people take in order to be fit. What if these items could benefit your body? Shikha Kumar meets Aloka Gambhir, blogger and follower of the primal lifestyle to understand the dynamics of this way of life

Living life the primal way

Running away from butter, ghee and all things fattening is one of the first steps that people take in order to be fit. What if these items could benefit your body? Shikha Kumar meets Aloka Gambhir, blogger and follower of the primal lifestyle to understand the dynamics of this way of life

I bite into the inviting brownie that Aloka Gambhir serves me, straight out of the oven. It does not taste like a conventional brownie; it's less sweet but equally gooey and the consistency is near-perfect. She tells me that the brownie is devoid of white flour. I wonder if that's possible. How can one bake without using flour? The secret ingredient is walnut flour. The brownie is baked using eggs, honey, chocolate and walnut flour. Aloka has been a Primal dieter since three years and shuns any kind of processed food. The philosophy behind her way of life is simple — live like our ancestors, who hunted for their food, and survived on raw fruits and vegetables. “Agriculture was invented in the last 10,000 years. Before that, humans thrived without the consumption of grains. That is the basis of a primal lifestyle,” she tells me. Primal lifestyle followers adopt quite a different approach to their diet. They believe that saturated fats are healthy and generously incorporate butter, ghee, cheese and other dairy products in their diet. They abstain from all kinds of processed foods like rice, chapattis, bread, vegetable oils and any other grains. Little attention is paid to calorie intake. The body, thus, generates energy through the fat consumed, as opposed to carbohydrates. Aloka was introduced to this lifestyle by her brother, who recommended it to her for her migraine attacks and hormonal problems. “Even then, I was particular about working out and what I ate. But I still suffered from those problems,” she says. The very thought of giving up grains seemed impossible to her. However, one month into the diet and she became a convert. “The effects were instant: I lost weight and my migraine was gone.” Following this lifestyle does not mean abstaining from your favourite foods, she tells me. She eats pav bhaji — something that is laden with butter — but substitutes the pav for bread that is made out of almond or coconut flour. “I make chocolate cookies too, using almond flour instead of maida,” she says. Aloka's husband is a restaurateur, which makes eating out inevitable. She solves the dodgy dilemma by filling up on starters. “Kebabs or tandoori chicken is always a good idea. It's very filling,” she says. For dessert, she swaps cake with ice creams or cheesecake. Exercise is also a part of the lifestyle. However, it's not hardcore gym workouts or running. Primal living calls for being active all through, whether it's through housework, standing rather than sitting whenever possible, or light exercises like sprinting, squats and lunges. The journey, however, has not been easy. The switch requires a huge mindset change, she says. “For decades, Indians have consumed chapattis and rice. To convince them that there is an alternative is very difficult.” People also hold certain misconceptions about food, like pure coconut oil is artery-clogging. It's actually much healthier than vegetable oil which undergoes so many processes, Aloka says. The lifestyle, however, has its pitfalls. Substitute ingredients like walnut and almond flour, often cost more, which may not make it affordable for everybody. “Also, incorporating the diet in Indian cuisine poses a challenge because of our heavy dependency on carbohydrates. You need to be innovative,” she says. The diet is not very suitable for vegetarians as that limits the options. Last year, Aloka took to blogging as she wanted to share the benefits of the lifestyle with others. “I didn't know anybody in India who followed this way of life; even now there isn't much awareness,” she says. On her blog www.primalgirlinbombay.blogspot.in, she writes about her experiences, posts her recipes and solves queries of curious readers. Her advice to people wanting to adopt this lifestyle is to read up in detail and be mentally convinced. “It is challenging to make the switch, but once done, the benefits are life-changing,” she says. Disclaimer: Switching to any drastic diet can be risky.