Maintaining good health doesn’t require extreme effort or major sacrifices—it’s the small daily habits that matter most. According to Dr Alok Chopra, founder-director and consultant cardiologist at Aashlok Hospital, the kitchen is the best place to begin building healthier habits. In a recent Instagram post, the cardiologist with over 40 years of experience highlighted five common kitchen ingredients that may harm health and suggested better alternatives.
He pointed out that white sugar, a source of empty calories, is refined, addictive, and can spike insulin levels. Instead, he recommends using jaggery, raw honey, dates, or coconut sugar in moderation. Similarly, white flour (maida) lacks fibre and nutritional value and behaves like sugar in the body; healthier options include millets, whole wheat, oats, besan, and almond flour.
Refined white salt, though widely used, is stripped of minerals and often mixed with chemicals. Dr Chopra suggests switching to rock salt, Himalayan pink salt, or naturally sun-dried sea salt, while still ensuring some intake of iodised salt for thyroid health. He also warned against white refined oils, calling them chemically processed and inflammatory, and advised using cold-pressed mustard oil, groundnut oil, coconut oil, ghee, or extra virgin olive oil instead.
Lastly, polished white rice, though common, has a high glycaemic index and low nutritional value. Healthier alternatives include hand-pounded rice, brown rice, red rice, black rice, and millets. Emphasising mindful eating, Dr Chopra concluded that the more processed and “white” a food is, the more nutrients it has likely lost—so improving what we cook can significantly improve overall health.
