‘Millets in diet: A key to disease-free life’

 

In the realm of nutrition and dietetics, one name stands out as a visionary - Padma Shri Dr Khader Vali, a nutritionist and dietician with a profound passion for the transformative power of food. Dr Vali champions idea that embracing a millet based diet could be the key to unlocking a disease-free life. Through his studies, he has demonstrated that regular consumption of millets can effectively heal modern-day diseases within a span of 3-6 months. The remarkable ability of millets to release glucose and maintain bodily homeostasis (self-regulating process by which an organism maintains stability while adjusting to conditions best for its survival) leads to a complete transformation of the body, rendering it capable of overcoming any challenge. Born in a financially underprivileged family, Dr Vali’s mother worked as a farm labourer and father was a tailor. After completing his MSc from Mysore, Dr Vali earned his PhD from the Institute of Science, Bengaluru, specialising in steroids and microbial patterns.

 

To broaden his expertise, he embarked on a Post-Doctorate programme in Portland, Oregon, focusing on biotoxins, dioxins, and pesticides. Talking about the incident which led Dr Vali to try and change the way humans ate, he said, “Once in the US, I saw a girl menstruating at the age of 6. It was surprising and disappointing that the whole scientific world didn’t ask a single question. That’s when I realised that these technologies, the western science processes, the patent cultures, are actually duping people and making money. In the garb of science, they are doing business.” “Through a simple investigation, one can grasp that millets have been a staple in the human diet for ages. To verify this claim, one could venture to any tribal area in states like Chattisgarh, where people live in isolation from the modern world.

 

There, they would observe that these native populations have preserved their age-old tradition of consuming millets as a significant part of their diet,” Dr Vali added When asked about why millet procurement for a common man is costly, Dr Vali said, “That can be attributed to the systematic sabotage they have faced. The root cause of this problem lies in the corporatisation of the food industry. Deliberate actions of food corporations have strategically altered our dietary patterns, leading to eradication of millets from common man’s diet in recent years. Regrettably, there is a lack of research and discussion on this issue.” Dr Vali has been a strong critic of milk consumption. When asked why, he stated, “The artificial milk we have developed contains a significantly higher concentration of steroids as compared to mother’s milk. As a result of its consumption, there is a disruption in the balance of hormone homeostasis, leading to adverse effects on the human race. Discontinuing the consumption of milk would also eradicate most auto-immune diseases. Talking about modern day agriculture, Dr Vali said, “Modern-day agriculture is taking a toll on natural resources and contributing significantly to carbon dioxide emissions. About 15% of India’s agricultural land has become barren in the last 15 years due to the use of such unsustainable methods. However, by transitioning to millet-based agriculture, we can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The cultivation of millets has proven to be beneficial for the soil.”

 

On being asked if he is satisfied with the Government’s approach towards millets, he said, “It’s too early to comment on that. We’ll have to wait and see what their approach is in the long term. But I am glad that our Prime Minister has worked hard to get this year declared as the ‘International Millet Year’ from the UN. People have at least started talking about millets.” When asked about Shree Dhanya, the name he has given to millets, he answered, “Shree Dhanya translates to ‘God’s grain.’ The term Shree refers to Goddess Lakshmi, who is the embodiment of all energies. Energy follows a cyclical path akin to a Parikrama, and eventually, it returns to us. When that time comes, people will gravitate back to incorporating millet into their diet.” Dr Vali considers himself fortunate to have been born in India, where profound teachings of ‘Sanatan Dharma’ exposed him to principle of ‘Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaha, Sarve Santu Niramaya,’ (May all be healthy and happy). It was this very philosophy that inspired him to embark on challenging endeavor of transforming human eating habits and reintroducing consumption of Millets.