Maintaining a perfect balance - Concept of healthy eating

The saying 'you are what you eat' is one of the principles of the Indian spa resort's famed rejuvenation cuisine, where individual diets are determined by body type and a healthy balance of the three main food groups

For those whose lives are a constant battle with dietary restrictions, the philosophy at Ananda is refreshingly simple: balance the six major taste categories with the three macronutrients of protein, fat and carbohydrates, and never eliminate any food ... since it will become the object of craving.

On arrival, guests are questioned on their lifestyle and dietary habits, and then categorised in to one of three body types - Vatta, Pita and Kapha - according to their level of activity and medicalcondition.

This knowledge is then combined with the six fundamental Ayurvedic food categories of sweet,sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent, all of which provide certain nutritional factors key to good health.

Add in a proportioned balance of protein (20-25 per cent); carbohydrates (55-60 per cent) and fats (15-20 per cent), and guests can be guaranteed the perfect match of food to their body for health, fitness and optimum weight - while the hotel chefs will double that satisfaction daily with innovative dishes, catering to both Western and Indian tastes.

Initially a complex formula, in fact the Ayurvedic approach to food is a combination of logic and science: starting with the fact that the body is only capable of absorbing 21,000 calories at one time and any excess is diverted to fat to be used laster - hence the dictum that food should be consumed in six daily meals rather than the normal three.

"The same number of calories spread over six meals can induce weight loss without a proportional increase in activity," said Ananda's Executive Chef, Anup Gupta. "Regular intake of food through the day keeps the digestive system in constant use, evening out the flow of insulin and preventing peaks and troughs of activity - the trough being that feel of hunger than induces the snack attack."

Other tips in the Ananda regime include cutting down on salt to reduce fat intake; eating at a moderate pace and stopping before completely full; allowing full digestion to take place before eating again; and boosting consumption of fibrous foods, leafy green vegetables and light proteins.

A final tip from Gupta, "We believe in varying cooking methods according to body type," she said. "For instance, Kapha profiles prefer roasting with pungent and