As Indian politicians huddle together to understand the reason behind their perfomances, they should be wise to what they put in their mouths.
The votes have been counted. The winners announced. As Indian politicians analyse the results of the Lok Sabha polls, they will do so while consuming endless cups of tea and coffee. And the snack that is served with these beverages are either biscuits or, fried, cholestrol-laden samosas and pakoras.
Each teaspoon of regular granulated sugar has about 16 calories. Most Indians like their tea and coffee sweet with at least two heaped teaspoons per cup. Five cups a day would be 160 calories consumed. And during this period, when politicians are always closeted in meetings, five cups would be an underestimate.
The other danger of excessive tea and coffee consumption is caffeine. One of the few pyshoactive substances which is legal, caffeine, according to several studies, if consumed in large quantities is known to be harmful. According to some studies, caffeine can interfere with a person’s memory. Not the best thing to happen for a bargaining politician.
If the combined effect of excessive consumption of sugar and caffeine isn’t bad enough, cookies and mithais served alongwith the beverages aren’t good for health either. Each sweet biscuit can have as much as 103 calories. It would take 20 minutes of mopping the floor to shave off those calories. Removing the sugar from cookies doesn’t help either. Using artifical sweetners in biscuits helps only marginally as other ingredients used have high and empty calories.
Samosas, a favourite Indian snack and one that is often served, is even less healthy. Deep fried, often twice before it is served, the samosa can also be carciogenic. Most halwais in India, and probably where samosas are ordered from, are fried in oil that has reached its burning point, making it harmful.
As Indian politicians start to understand the reasons behind their defeat or victory, they should pay some attention to what they eat. There is no point in winning, only to keel over with ill-health due to unwise eating habits.