The key to a healthy diet is to follow the scientific evidence, not the frights and myths that linger in our kitchens.

Author Krish Ashok speaks at the Happiest Health’s The Edge of Nutrition Summit on 12 July. Goutham V

Musician, software engineer, and, since 2021, a combater of myths regarding everything nutritional, Krish Ashok laughs at what he sees regularly.

“For many people, microwave equals cancer,” he says with a smile.

His speech at Happy Health’s The Edge of Nutrition Summit on 12 July focuses on the necessity for scientific information in everyday life, especially when confronting the mass of erroneous information on nutrition and food that circulates constantly.

“We have developed a toxic relationship with food,” the author says while addressing the abundance of digital content that shames people for eating or avoiding this particular food.

For him, the Indian kitchen is an intriguing laboratory to teach high science subjects like biology, chemistry, and Physics.

In the past, Krish saw a distinct absence of science in the writings of a niche writer on Indian cooking. The result was the book Masala Lab, which is the Science of Indian Cooking.

“[Cookingfood is basically chemical engineering, with the exception that your laboratory is actually your kitchen. It’s a better laboratory to teach your children high science, biology and chemistry, as opposed to the boring labs that they go to in schools and colleges. It’s a great place to learn about the pH value and thermodynamics, convection heat transfer, radiation and fundamental biology,” He says.

On the internet, scientific information gets lost to non-science. Krish insists it is essential to dispel misinformation about nutrition and science in the kitchen.

Millet and microwave misperceptions

He dispels, for instance, the idea that microwave ovens release cancer-causing radiation. He also assures us that the non-ionizing radiation they generate is not powerful enough to alter our DNA.

He discusses the fallacy of accepting snacks made from jaggery, millet, and cow ghee just by their ingredients. According to him, the method of preparation can be the deciding factor.

Also, read Nutrition – it boils down to the way we cook.

Krish warns against “distorted” notions of nutrition and health. Some of them include the ones he calls “zombie values,” including the belief that returning to the lifestyle and eating habits that were prevalent in the past solves contemporary problems.

The blind distrust of government, corporations, and physicians is, according to him, something that must be replaced with an informed and rational approach to decision-making. Willpower and discipline on their own will not guarantee a person’s health, but one must develop a more nuanced knowledge of nutrition and lifestyle, as he suggests.

Begin to influence others to counter myths.

What can one do to combat the misconceptions and misinformation that are prevalent across the globe? Individuals must become influencers based on evidence such as Krish. In challenging conventional beliefs and encouraging critical thinking, Krish is determined to enhance the public’s knowledge of health and food.

In front of a room filled with health professionals, Krish urges the audience to be influencers based on evidence.

His suggestion: “Everyone needs to become an influencer based on evidence regarding health and nutrition. On your phone and take a video of yourself talking about something useful or scientific regarding some of the nonsense you’ve seen through social networks. Create a database of 10-20 minutes. Once you’ve got the courage to share it, you can post it. You should then stop worrying about your audience or the outcome for one year.”

Krish’s presentation highlights the significance of science-based knowledge in the kitchen and food preparation. Here are some of his advice:

• Make sure you are focusing on ideas rather than people.
• Engage with those who genuinely are seeking clarification.
• Kitchens should be practical and efficient.

However, alongside this, he encourages us to take advantage of the latest advances in food technology to make the way we cook – and live significantly better.