The Great Indian Diet

by Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Luke Coutinho

Why run after the West when we already have the best?
Join Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Luke Coutinho as they tell you just how nutritious your locally grown and sourced ingredients are and that there’s no need to look beyond borders to tailor the perfect diet. The book touches upon various food categories and not only tells you how to take care of your nutritional intake but also how to burn fat in the process. The combined experience of a professional nutritionist and an uber-fit celebrity who swears by the diet will open your eyes to why Indian food is the best in the world.

Genres: Health, Diets, Nonfiction, Food

198 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 24, 2015

Reviews

[Manpreet Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading this book totally expecting that the book was juts over hyped. Isn't that so with all celebrity books? They're usually shallow pieces which do no justice to writing. Saying that from my experience with books by bollywood celebrities.
What's it about?
But this was different. The book is a non-fiction that highlights the richness of Indian diet. It talks of how Indians are more inclined towards foreign cuisines and how such things are affecting their health. It talks of how one can adopt a healthy lifestyle simply by understanding the importance of each ingredient of Indian cuisine and opting for Indian food.
Was it good?
The book discusses a lot of scientific facts and figures. It has been written in an easy and nice manner. It's quite interesting and even though it was a non-fiction, I didn't feel uninterested or bored anywhere in the book. It felt like I was engrossed in a story... not so usual with a non-fiction.
Although the facts mentioned in the books are quite known to many Indians but this book is a great compilation that compels you to keep those facts in mind and live your life based on those.
Why should you read it?
Read it if you want to get inspired to lead a healthy life and want to know how!

[Sowmya's book world · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it too hard to be fit ?

How many of us have tried different kinds of diet, exercise regime or whatsoever which tells you loose "YOu can now lose 7 pounds in a week" as Luke Coutinho tells When you search for a best diet for weight loss you get 100,000,000 results . So much information that you don't know which is the one you should be following. In great indian diet shilpa and Luke Coutinho says how indian diet is best suited healthy diet. How can one make a small changes in the habit of eating and make so much improvements in their health .

like many people , even i struggled with my weight issue. It's not about looking good or bad. Extra fat which you accumulate is never healthier. It makes you sick, reduce your stamina and i was feeling like i was in someone else body. I had a hard time to choose and follow the regime which i set as my target and promised myself to achieve and i now believe a healthy food and exercise can give you a true live to your life.

so when i read this book, i realised that they were telling me lot of things which even i had discovered in my own weight loss journey in a hard way :/(i wish the book was released bit early ). book did tell me lot of new things too which surely going to help me further to keep the healthy habits .You will understand how any food effects your body and how can you create a simple healthy habits with our own indian food. They have gathered most of the information in one book and presented in a easy way for layman to understand how calories, carbohydrate and proteins work. It can help you to understand your body better.

It's not about the number that matters, it's the feeling of being healthy and fit . It's not necessary a size 0 figure is a fittest in world. It's about being in your own skin and feel healthy , happy and content.

No book can make you thin in a day. it's a dedication and effort one put to achieve any goal for that matter. This book can help you to take one step ahead in the journey of Fit for life.

[Ashwyn Mittal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much useful

Review
I have bought the Kindle Edition

Pros
1. You will feel proud of being Indian and know the greatness of Indian diet.
2. You will definitely gain something from this book. It may be knowledge of Indian food or change in mental attitude.
3. In a nutshell this book advises you to give up processed foods and aerated drinks. And tells you to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Cons
1. Indian vegetarian food & Spices are praised too much without giving its downside.
2. The book is concerned about Cancer disease a little too much.
3. Can't find out which part Shilpa has contributed and which part is written by Luke Coutinho.
4. Very less real life cases or examples given in book. It is real life examples that motivate you. Book Don't lose your mind LOSE YOUR WEIGHT by Rujuta Diwekar is good in Real Life Examples.
5. Milk and Soyabean are critcised.
6. It is written in the book that Fructose doesn't increase blood sugar level. It is false you can search on net.
7. Coffee is praised as helpful in burning fats but harmful effects of coffee are not told.
8. Many Pages are wasted in Photographs of Food Items, Recipes and Acknowledgements.
9. There is very little to follow after reading this book if you are already eating fruits and vegetables.

[Varshini Kaithapuram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our stereotypical brains have taught us that Indian food is rich in fats , and that it doesn't let you be fit. Many people mistake diet for forgoing the regular food and changing their eating habits drastically, which usually builds tension in them.
Inorder to be fit,all you need to be is calculative about calorie intake and fat burning calories. Learn various food types and atleast a little about what nutrition it gives to human body before eating. This gives you a proper analysis of what you eat and lets you track your diet.

"The great indian diet" helped me understand various foods and its nutrition we eat everyday. Author has explained every indian food , with its nutrition content, the diseases it works on, and how it helps in being fit. Various myths which we still consider are busted in this book , making me gain confidence over Indian food. All that we need for being fit is little bit of discipline and analysis of what we eat, which is clearly demonstrated in this book.

This book is a lucid read and very informative. So, Every Indian out there! Wanna be fit? Grab this book to understand how you can achieve it. Happy Reading!

[Charmaine Desouza]

My husband bought a copy of the book since he knows the co-author. I personally like to steer clear from reading anything "diet" related coz I love that "occasional" sugar rush. I'm still reading this book and all I can say is... so far so good but then I'm only on page 7.

[Kavitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a well researched book by Luke Coutinho and Shilpa Shetty Kundra. Shilpa includes few pictures of her meal plans. She has also included some very interesting recipes and provides genuine insight into Indian diet.

I cannot help but compare this to Rujuta Diwekar's works. I love Rujuta Diwekar's books and regularly follow all her blogs and seminars. Shilpa and Rujuta Diwekar basically share the same info. But I appreciate both , as it helps one understand how to assert mindful eating also encourages one to shift from junk to healthy food.

Both of them promote eating home-made food, local produce & seasonal fruits.

[Diksha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is so patriotic. Manoj Kumar could make a movid about this. It praises Indian foodstuffs so much that I felt Pakistani for a while.
Jokes aside, it has some sound advice. However, it doesn't live up to its claim of incorporating "all the food" you want to eat in your diet. It is dead set against junk food. I know it's bad but I want it!
Anyway, the book has motivated me enough to give those first two weeks a try. I am quite confident I won't relapse. You should read this book if you are looking to make some real healthy changes in your life.

[Anish Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books is indeed a good one in terms of indian context. I've started following what this book preaches hopefully i'll able to shed few kilos. Though i'm a regular jogger but there comes a point where no matter how hard you try , how intense your workout is , your body would just not loose those extra pounds. I'm quite hopeful after reading this book and I'm gonna make some changes in my lifestyle and eating habits.

[Ajit Bohra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't get fooled by the name and photo of Shilpa Shetty. Seems like entire should be credited to luke ;) though found book bit patriotic about Indian diet it was informative. Got the good list of items I can incorporate into my diet without being too restrictive and boring. Info on various items and recipes were like icing on the cake looking forward to making few of them. Will soon recommend this to my friends and also ask my sister in law who will help me with cooking and diet scheduling ;)

[Vaishnavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book mostly represents more about what to eat and what not to eat. Every spice is important and how to use it. Diet is nothing but eating the right amount of food at the right time.

It's a short book about 200 pages you can complete in 3-4 days easily.

[Shivani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives insight into greatness of Indian foods which we didnot know and reiterates lots of bad eating habits which need to be given up!

[Swati · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why would I give less rating to this hyped book..
There is no reference, nothing about the mentioned facts.. e.g.. 70% of blah blah blah.. where is the reference, who confirmed it? Some parts really depicts the fact that its written by a naive/curious writer.Without any valid references, its hard for me to believe anything written on it, even though when its correct!

I like how she breaks the food category and explains about the active component and how the later helps.

[Shrinidhi Venkat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall gave me information on Indian food, most of which we already know. It's a nice book but strictly an one time read.

[Saloni Gupta · Rating 2 out of 5]

It motivated me to eat healthier but I did not get anything useful other than that

[Gopalakrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Great Indian Diet written by Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Luke Coutinho is a pretty good book. I was pretty apprehensive while buying the book as mostly the books by celebrities has its own way of deviating from the focus of communicating the idea to self-advertising vehicle. Thankfully this was not a complete one such book.

Luke is one important person I personally follow and was pretty much eager to know what has he brought to the table. The book starts with giving great inputs about certain indigenous foods and how to take it. Sometimes we do take foods in a wrong manner which defeats the purpose of the food on the first hand. The authors have slowly introduced the foods and methods to take those foods. This in a way gives you a good idea of living healthily with just Indian foods. In the age of westernisation books like these gives a glimmer of hope for local sustainability. On a holistic point of view, these books can help in striking a balance in food consumption.

Having said all that, I find this book to have a little slower pace and I am unable to agree with all the points mentioned in the book. The first thing that came to my mind when reading this book is the work of Rujuta Diwekar. Although many of the thoughts of both the nutritionists align they do differ at certain points drastically. Rujuta's books on similar subjects can hold your interest with many real-life examples while this struggles a bit on that account. Secondly, few foods are said to be healthy while the facts about that a not elaborately explained. Also saying Fructose cause no harm or helps in diabetes is not making any sense. And also suggesting fruits as a dessert too is a bit harmful.

What makes this book readable and likeable is bringing people back to their roots. Also, This is a good book for beginners to get an idea about the diet with Indian foods. The key points discussed in this book are cut out processed foods, eat locally grown foods and differentiate good and bad fats. Opt for local oils and use in moderation. Also above all keep your calorie intake in your mind. Despite the title being Great Indian Diet, the authors have included a few foreign names such as Stevia, Oats and so on into the diets along with the regular Indian staples.

A good read and you can know a bit more about the Indian Staple foods along with some recipes and a model diet chart.

[DALIP · Rating 1 out of 5]

When 30 Pages Are Dedicated To A *ry Foreword, A Preface To Author SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA, An Introduction By The Secondary Author LUKE COUTINHO..Not To Forget The Flowery Acknowledgments & Note On Both The Authors Eating Into The 182 Pages Book Then You Can Well Evaluate How Slim The Book Actually Is & How Little The Authors Have To Say.
The Irony Of It All Is That What SHILPA SHETTY Has Never Practised (Her Honest Confession Not My Assumption) Before She Became Mrs Kundra Is Exactly What She Is Preaching To The Indian Masses At Large..Quite Apparently What’s Good For The Gander Was Not So Good Enough For The Exotic Goose Just A Few Years Back.
Absolutely No Offence Meant But Had This Book Been Written By LUKE COUTINHO Solo Minus The Shilpa Shetty Net To Absorb The Fall, One Would Seriously Doubt If Even SHILPA SHETTY Would Have Had The Time To Spare To Launch This Same Book & Would ANIL KAPOOR Have Done The Starry Foreword Unless He Could Cough Up Their Appearance Fees For The Launch & Endorsement?
It Does Not Require 🚀 Science Skills To Assume That Minus The “SSK” Banner, It Would Have Been An Uphill Task To Get Any Decent Response Across India & The Globe To This Handbook.
Even Though LUKE COUTINHO Has Dirtied His Hands Doing The Errands To Complete This Book With His Meaningful & Well Intended Notes, The Glamour & The Glitz Of SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA Has Raised The Curiosity To Inject A Positive Hype For The Book To Sell-Atleast In It’s First Edition.
One Simply Fails To Figure Out What Or Who The Target Audience For This Book Was Aimed At? Was It Meant For The Professional Nutritionists & Dieticians, Which If It Were The Case-They Would Already Know All This & Lots More...Surely They Did Not Need A SHILPA SHETTY To Teach Them About The Great Indian Diet?
Alternatively, If It Was Written For The Common People, Then Certainly They Could Have Toned Down The Language To Make It Slightly More Simple To Grasp..In It’s Present Form Most Of It Flies Over The Cuckoo’s Nest..More Than Reading This School Textbook They Got To Refer To A Dictionary To Make Sense Of The Jargon.
Apart From The Preface & A Few Housewife Tips That SHILPA SHETTY Has Shared It Is Hard To Pinpoint Which Part Of The Great Indian Diet Is Authored By LUKE COUTINHO & Which Part Of The Big Busted Myth Belongs To SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA Since Neither Wants To Lay Claims To It!!!

[Apurva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I wanted to lose weight without involving anything that said 'gluten free, paleo keto' etc. If you google weight loss or diet you will find so much information that it is actually overwhelming. Every article will tell you something totally different. You will find everything from a banana only diet to a green juice diet for 'amazing' results. I found all this very confusing especially because everyone was raving about things like avocado on multigrain toast and I've never even seen an avocado in my life.

Then I saw this book and was delighted. It is written in simple, easy to understand language which basically tells you that everything your grandma told you was right. Ghee, jaggery ,mangoes, pickles are all great. Most Indian spices like turmeric, cumin, flaxseed (alsi) are even better. In other words, a simple home cooked desi meal is much better for your health than eating imported fruits or low-fat yogurt. So go forth fellow Indians and eat everything your mom makes to your heart's content. However do all this in MODERATION, otherwise just like me, you'll end up gaining more weight instead of losing it.

All those planning to shed some pounds or those who are already on weightloss journey can give this one a try.

[Gunjan Khaitan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Great Indian diet, published in 2015, holds more merit today as world is turning to the magic of Indian spices to boost their immunity amidst Covid 19 pandemic. Shilpa Shetty Kundra, the one Bollywood actor who never lost her curves and Luke Coutinho, a star nutrionist and holistic healer, came up with this factual non-fiction that shines light on the great Indian recipes that have evolved with time and foreign influences and the plethora of home-grown fruits, vegetables, spices and grains that best suit us. They have put in extensive research in the book and through it they want to inspire people that the best diet is the Indian diet when it comes to losing or gaining weight, preventing or curing diseases or building immunity and stamina. The book not only explains the healing property of every spice in the Indian kitchen, gives substitutes of evil foods that we should eliminate but also serves us top fat-burning and metabolism-booster food in the Indian diet. From stories of weight loss to science behind every food, the book has it all. At the end, there’s bonus in the form of meal plans and tasteful recipes.

[Naina Borneo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very fact I picked up this book and it was my choice of reading was to know how should I eat healthy and bring in a change in my life without side effects of harmful chemicals.

And the very first page grabbed my attention to know why Indian food is the most healthy and hygienic food compared to other parts of the world.

After reading the first half I did feel I'm blessed to be born in a country with so much richness and uniqueness. I also learnt how Eating healthy is so affordable and straight from our Indian kitchen.

The book is all about how Indians should utilize what is there in our garden's than focusing on pharmacy and pills for cure from different disease's.
Also one can fall back on the diet plans mentioned in the book, so you eat healthy without spending money and time on consultations and all.
I suggest you can do your daily research after reading the recipe and diet chart's.

And I want to Thank the authors of the book to bring out useful information and helping us to know how easy eating healthy is and Saving our handful of money and time.

Keep reading, stay healthy 🍹

[DEYA CHAKRABORTY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike the previous book on food and nutrition I read, this one is completely different. Shilpa and Luke's concept of eating local might not be new to the readers but the way they present it in five segments is absolutely wonderful. The book has all the basics a person needs to know about how to lead a healthy lifestyle with locally available and affordable foods. Plus, the fourth chapter has some sample diet charts that would help the readers whip up their own. The book does mention adjusting macro and micro nutrients in everyday's foods, however it is not mentioned in the sample charts though. Apart from this, I like the whole arrangement of the book as well as the flawless language. This book surely has the power to draw international readers who want to change their food habits to lead a better life.

[Ayush · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book feels like a long-form blog post. At points, it was difficult to differentiate between reading about nutrition or reading an 8th standard chemistry book. It doesn't choose a storytelling mode, rather than goes about throwing facts at you, also with poorly use references. The actual practical guide comes late in the book and wasn't impactful.

I also found the book to be obsessed with cancer. If you do a ctrl + F about Cancer, I'll bet there would be more than 100 instances.

There are a couple of good points though, I liked how the book focuses on holistic health and not just weight as a goal. In the end, it speaks about how your psychology impacts your health so much.

[Kishan Suthar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a myth burner.Building a fitness and a healthy diet is the central idea of this book not with artificial items but with easily accessible home items and specially natural.

Author Shilpa Shetty is known for her yoga regime and acting career but once you read this book surely you will know her as a fitness instructor. Book contains many real images of her life and associated story to strengthen her cases.

Highlight of this book is recipes at the end of the book. All of them can be made easily, are tasty and health conscious. Don't forget to try some of by your own.

[Kumar Satyam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book on diets and I can say confidently that I have learned a lot from this book. I have come to understand a lot about my daily diet and what should i eat to be energetic and healthy all the time and what food should I avoid. This book is complete guide on Indian cuisine nutritional value. The writing was also interesting and page turner. I would have read 100 more page if there would have been any.

[Kritika Gupta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I am in nutrition majors from last 5 years, this book emphasizes on basic Indian foods and food habits. I would have rated it with more stars, had they cited the scientific rationale with the concepts. Also, regarding the milk thing - no milk (almond, soya etc etc etc) can replace the 'milk'. Others are not milk, but the extracts. Yes the highlighted importance of whole grains and Indian spices is noteworthy. Additionally, the 'impressive' words should have been from Registered Dietitians and not from self-claimed dietitians, may be that could add explain more of scientific attitude of the book, because these days everyone is aware. Overall, this is just a basic book, which can provide/ re-gain interest of Indians in the Indian food.

[Shruthi Mudireddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible. No structure. No clarity on what needs to be said. The first couple of chapters are mere fluff for filling in pages. There’s outdated concepts like eat 5 meals a day - not eating often will put the body in panic mode to store more fat etc.,
There was minor mention of insulin’s play in weight gain, but not much. Way too much importance given to discipline as the key to weight which has been disproven multiple times. And Shilpa’s name was added in just for the publicity.

[RituCreations · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello,

Congratulations ...
For writing such a informative book about Indian food.
We eat each day , all raw material like aata, rice, spices etc . But didn't give attention about
the role of these in our daily life. This is very important to know how u r eating. Why u r eating etc. At last but not least.
What I expected , was in the book .
Thanks allot to provide knowledge to the society 😜.
Regards Shantanu Shreshtha.

[Rajesh Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

सेहत के बारे में चिंतित लोगो के लिए अच्छा विकल्प है यह किताब।

द ग्रेट इंडियन डाइट एक पूर्ण किताब हैं जो भारतीय पाक कला तथा इनमे पाए जाने वाले पोषक तत्वों के गुण व् अवगुण के बारे में सटीक जानकारी देता है। यह किताब वजन कम करने के लिए सिर्फ आश्वासन ही नही देती बल्कि पूरा भरोसा भी दिलाती है। और उसका प्रमाण यह है की किताब की आखिर में डायट प्लान भी दिया गया है। सब ei एक बार अवश्य इस किताब को पढ़े।

[Janardan Misra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good insights

The author has been an role model for this book and also experimented her diet herself and her family members. The glow and the health she exhibits makes her book truthfully and scientifically authentic. Must read for the ones who are health conscious and more for the unawares.

[Amit · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seemed to have practical tips and insights for not only weight loss but overall healthy food. I will certainly try to follow the indian food and hope that others benefit from it as well. Processed junk food and it's harmful effects will certainly make readers avoid it and turn to indian traditional food.

[Sangeeta Mhatre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

The book gives an insight into nutritious Indian food, calorie balance of proteins, vitamins and carbs, knowledge of ancient grains like millets, brown rice and kitchen treasure trove of spices. Indian food is certainly the best food when cooked the right way. Thank you Shilpa.