New Delhi, Oct. 29 -- Ruchira Priyanka Hoon, 45, the New Delhi-based chef and founder of Draavin Kitchen, finishes off her rice-heavy vegetarian lunches with a protein shake. She hasn't joined the pro-protein brigade but says she needs it as she doesn't get enough from her predominantly Indian diet. This is just one example to prove that the "so-called balanced" Indian diet that is carbohydrate-dominated and lacking in protein and healthy fats is, in fact, highly imbalanced.

This observation isn't some influencer propagated "truth bomb" or unpopular opinion but a scientific fact that has emerged from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-India Diabetes study published in the journal Nature Medicine in late September. The national...