Smart calories and common sense

Around 2020, Dr Anoop Misra began paying closer attention to something he had already heard every day in his clinic—what people were eating and how they thought about food. These were not abstract discussions. Patients would talk about how many mangoes they ate in a week, whether they had stopped rice entirely, how much oil went into their cooking, or how thick their potato-stuffed parathas were at home.

These details varied widely, as did the beliefs surrounding them. The same food would be described as healthy by one patient and harmful by another. Much of this stemmed from advice gathered online or through social circles. Over time, Dr Misra realised that people were not short of information; what they lacked was clarity. That gap is what "Smart Calories and Common Sense" attempts to address.

Dr. Misra is among India’s noted endocrinologists, with decades of experience in diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disorders. Trained at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, he is currently Chairman of Fortis C-DOC Hospital for Diabetes and Allied Sciences. His work has focused on the specific risks and patterns seen in Indian patients, including abdominal obesity and early-onset diabetes. Having published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and contributed to global clinical guidelines for the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation, Dr Misra’s book draws from both this clinical experience and two decades of published research.

A significant portion of the book examines familiar foods—fruits such as mangoes, nuts, staples like rice and millets, and everyday edible oils. Instead of treating these as categories to be strictly accepted or avoided, the text analyses how they are consumed-- the quantity, frequency, and preparation.

This approach extends to broader trends such as intermittent fasting, ketogenic diets, and "diabetes reversal." The book neither dismisses these outright nor endorses them unconditionally. Instead, it presents the available evidence, noting where these approaches may work and where caution is required, particularly for the Indian physiological context.

Practicality is a core feature of the book. Dedicated sections labelled “Easy Reading” address common queries regarding supplements, gluten-free diets, and how to navigate conflicting nutritional advice. These sections are direct and mirror the standard consultations that occur in a clinical setting.

Throughout the work, there is a consistent effort to move away from binary thinking. Foods are not categorised as “good” or “bad.” Instead, the emphasis is placed on balance—portion size, frequency, and preparation. No single food item is judged in isolation, but rather as part of a broader dietary pattern.

By grounding recommendations in published data and clinical observations, the book provides a consistent response to the often-volatile nature of diet trends.

Smart Calories and Common Sense is available on Amazon.in and in bookstores across the country.