Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is headed to Chennai for a culinary masterclass this weekend. But as we fast approach the halfway point of 2023, with New Year resolutions around fitness fallen by the wayside for a lot of folks, we are more keen on a masterclass on his Good Gut Program. Accessible to anyone around the world, the programme was launched earlier this year in collaboration with integrative health and lifestyle expert Luke Coutinho. With two powerhouse personas coming together to help people change the game with their food choices, you might want to get out your highlighter because this interview is packed with actionable nuggets of wisdom.
What inspired the idea to collaborate with each other?
Luke: It is easy to talk about food and gut health, but the challenge lies in making good food tasty. How to combine ingredients to come up with preparations that are great for the gut, how to make the dishes tasty for people to enjoy eating food and obtain good gut health: This is our focus and the reason why we have collaborated with the best, Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor.
Sanjeev: We both believe in sharing the goodness of life. We decided to come together to offer our expertise to help others live a healthy lifestyle. Like Luke says, “I am not a doctor, healer or a guru. I am for integrative medicine, where doctors do what they have to do and the medicine I use is lifestyle.”
In week 1, we teach about the science of gut health. In week 2, we focus on managing daily gut health to deal with acidity. In week 3, our emphasis is on cleansing your gut and reducing bloating; and in week 4, which is very important, it is about improving gut health to reduce constipation — Sanjeev Kapoor
We know the course is four weeks long. How is it structured — can you break it down for us?
Sanjeev: In week 1, we teach about the science of gut health. In week 2, we focus on managing daily gut health to deal with acidity. In week 3, our emphasis is on cleansing your gut and reducing bloating; and in week 4, which is very important, is about improving gut health to reduce constipation. Each of these modules starts with what causes the specific digestive problem one is facing, how cleansing the gut will positively impact the medical condition and, of course, there are meal plans that specifically target the issue.
Luke: The programme takes you through the science of gut health, helps you manage your daily gut health to reduce acidity, cleanses your gut to reduce bloating, and does away with constipation — the three common gut issues. We start with discovering the vital connection between food and gut health, building a sustainable routine through great recipes to strengthen the gut. Then we begin working on the reasons behind your recurrent acidity, planning dietary inclusions to resolve this problem. The natural lowering of inflammation and bloating follows as we structure meal plans and recipes for gut cleansing. The last week is a roundup of the routine intake of fibrous foods and ways to promote easy bowel movement. You benefit from the spin-off effects of glowing skin and great hair.
Tell us about the connection between the gut and the brain.
Luke: Call it the food-mood connect. The term ‘gut feeling’ is related to the communication between the gut and the brain through the vagus nerve — one of the largest nerves in the body, originating in the brain and extending down through the neck and into the abdomen. It transmits signals between the gut and the brain. Your gut has a high concentration of nerve endings and neurotransmitters, like serotonin, that regulate your moods. Gastrointestinal disorders, depression, anxiety, palpitation, chronic inflammation, and bronchial disorders are related to the malfunctioning of the vagus nerve that regulates your breathing, heartbeat, blood pressure, blood circulation and reflexes. We can stimulate this nerve through yoga, deep breathing, humming, chanting, good gut health, smart fasting, meditation, and even singing and laughing.
What are the most common mistakes you see people with digestive issues making?
Luke: People usually look for a quick-fix approach, popping supplements, and antibiotics, and pursuing erratic sleep patterns, with no daily exercise. Your gut health is a composite result of your lifestyle. People refuse to make changes to their lifestyles. You need to devise a long-term, sustainable, healthy plan specific to your bio-individuality. Every person has a unique biology. Remember, everything begins with the gut. You are what you eat. Crazy diets and stop-gap solutions do not work. You must take a holistic approach. It heals you in more ways than one. Everyone’s gut is different, and what works for one person may not work for another. Listen to your body and make changes that work for you and your unique gut health needs.
What are some good sources of dietary fibre?
Luke: Fruits like pomegranates, and bananas carry soluble fibres. Choose whole fruits over juice. Legumes like beans, soybeans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils are fibre rich, just like nuts and seeds, including almonds, peanuts, chia, flax, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Millets, oats, and barley are super sources of fibre too.
Sanjeev: Dietary fibres are also called roughage or bulk. They are the parts of plant foods that your body cannot absorb or digest. It is required in the body to normalise bowel movements and maintain bowel health. The first thing that comes to mind is millets. It’s the International Year of Millets, you see. They are a rich source of dietary fibre. There are nuts and seeds such as raisins, pistachios, chia seeds, and flax seeds that are good sources too. Fruits such as bananas, guavas, dates, and amla. Then you have oats, red rice, sweet potatoes, broad beans, and zucchini. Dals/legumes such as toor/toovar/arhar
and masoor dals are good sources of dietary fibre.
It is easy to talk about food and gut health, but the challenge lies in making good food tasty. How to combine ingredients to come up with preparations that are great for the gut, how to make the dishes tasty for people to enjoy eating food and obtain good gut health: This is our focus and the reason why we have collaborated with the best, in Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor
— Luke Coutinho
Give us five actionable tips anyone can put into practice for a healthy gut, even for folks who don’t know how to cook.
Sanjeev: Interesting question. For those who do not know how to cook or do not have time to cook, they can do the following:
The most basic thing one can do is to stay hydrated. Plain water is good enough. Six to eight glasses of water a day is known to work well.
Have curd/raitas, lemonade, apple cider vinegar-based preparations, chaas and kombucha which are good probiotics, meaning, bacteria good for the gut.
To help the growth of this beneficial bacteria, have onions, spinach, beans, oats, berries, bananas and apples. These are prebiotics.
Have fermented kanjis, made from carrots, or even the simple rice kanji, fermented coconut water.
Mind your sleep patterns, and eating schedules, enjoy food in moderation, exercise and most importantly, be disciplined in all that you do.
In a world that celebrates healthy smoothies, what are some food combinations to avoid and why?
Luke: Incorrect food combinations tax our digestive system heavily and create gut problems. Never combine fruits with milk, yoghurt, or grains. You can team milk with dry fruits or nut milk with fruits. Avoid a combination of fruits and vegetables in a smoothie. You can toss in vegetables with dry fruits, or yoghurt to make a smoothie.
Luke, you’ve talked about how playing with mud can build up your gut. Tell us how to incorporate this into our everyday life and why this works.
Good microbes stuck in your nails enter your system and feed your gut microbiome with perfect nutrition. This is why it is important for children too, to play in pure, organic mud. If you have a green thumb, try gardening. Tending to your potted plants on the window sill helps too. Playing with organic mud (available easily through local vendors) is important It is great if you have access to a garden, else simply sit down in the evening to play with organic mud. Let it run through your fingers, it is therapeutic, and beneficial because of the microbes. This is why children need to play in nature.
This course was launched a few months ago. Any success stories/transformations so far?
Luke: People have made simple changes in their lifestyles based on The Good Gut Programme and have been experiencing visible changes in their immune systems, gut health, moods and overall well-being.
Meal plans for The Good Gut Program are curated after taking into account your body constitution and your specific health complaint. All course material is available and accessible post-commencement
for a year. INR 4,999. On sanjeevkapooracademy.com