It was just past 5 p.m., the sun mellowing into a golden hush, when Mrs. Sharada Rao (name changed) walked into my clinic — a retired professor, spirited conversationalist, and an expert in both agriculture and unsolicited nutrition theories. She settled down, adjusting her cotton saree pleats meticulously, and said with an amused twinkle in her eye, “Doctor, why is it that on the days I eat my eggs and moong dosa, I feel like a Zen monk by lunch? But if breakfast is just two Marie biscuits and coffee, by 11 a.m., I’m ready to file a case against the world for existing!”
I laughed because she wasn’t exaggerating. I have observed this pattern not only in my patients but also in myself. There are days when I glide through back-to-back consultations like a yogi, and there are days when every little delay — a patient asking for a second opinion, or Ashwini from the pharmacy popping in to say, “Doctor, that brand is out of stock again” — feels like a cosmic test of my patience. The secret, I realised long ago, is hidden in what I call the “Protein Shield.”
Protein slows down gastric emptying, increases satiety hormones like peptide YY and GLP-1, and reduces ghrelin, the mischievous “hunger hormone.” In simpler terms, when you eat enough protein, your stomach tells your brain, “Boss, all good down here. No need to go into hunting mode yet.” Without it, you’re a ticking time bomb of irritability and craving.
In Ayurveda, hunger (Agni) is sacred — it’s the fire that fuels life. When the Agni is steady, your mood is steady. When it flickers too wildly, emotions go haywire. It’s Kshudhajanya Kopa— anger arising from hunger. When Mrs. Sharada described her biscuit-and-coffee days, I immediately thought of this ancient wisdom. A disturbed Agni disturbs manas (mind), leading to chittodvega (mental agitation).
In Bangalore, where mornings are either a race to beat traffic or a race to beat deadlines, breakfast often becomes an afterthought. One IT professional told me, “Doctor, my breakfast is the Ola cab’s AC air.” Another proudly declared that black coffee was his ‘keto breakfast.’ No wonder his mood swung like a pendulum by noon.
Through trial, error, and years of poking my stomach between appointments, I found a few trusty weapons against hangriness. Eggs, especially soft-boiled or made into a masala omelette with curry leaves and green chillies. Sprouted whole green moong dosa — an underrated superhero. Paneer bhurji with methi. A bowl of homemade curd with ground flaxseeds and a few almonds. Unsweetened A2 milk curd with a touch of honey. A small cup of roasted peanuts with jaggery in winter. These were not just foods — they were mood managers.
One patient, a busy architect, once told me, “Doctor, ever since I started having two boiled eggs and a moong salad for breakfast, my site supervisors have stopped calling me ‘Moody Maharaja’!” We both laughed, but I made him promise to stick to it.
A beautiful Sanskrit quote is — “Yad Bhojyam Tad Bhavyam” — as you eat, so you become. It’s not just poetic. Proteins supply amino acids like tryptophan, which is the precursor to serotonin — the ‘happy hormone.’ Skipping protein is almost like skipping happiness at a biochemical level.
Another fascinating insight is about timing. A protein-rich breakfast between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. is optimal, according to both modern circadian biology and the traditional Ayurvedic dinacharya (daily routine). Later than that, you’re confusing your internal clocks. Early in the morning, when Agni is gentle but waking up, giving it a nourishing yet light protein start helps balance the entire day’s mood and metabolism.
However, the enthusiasm for high-protein diets can be misguided when it leads to the complete exclusion of carbohydrates. I had a young entrepreneur who decided carbs were evil. Breakfast? Just paneer. Lunch? Only chicken. Dinner? Scrambled eggs. Three months later, he walked into my clinic with dark circles, zero patience, and constipation that could have starred in a horror movie. Plant-based foods are also essential to balance Vata. Overdoing protein without balancing it with good carbs, such as red rice, millets, or a small portion of hand-pounded rice, can dry out the system.
Balance, as always, is the secret. For most Bangaloreans, my advice is simple: add a fistful of soaked almonds or walnuts with your breakfast. Throw in a small green gram dosa two or three days a week. Alternate with vegetable upma made with foxtail millet and a side of curd. If you eat eggs, two is a good number — not half a dozen like you’re prepping for Mr. Olympia. And please, avoid gulping down your breakfast like you’re entering an eating competition. Sit, chew, and honour the food.
One patient, a gentle Kannada teacher, once told me after following my advice, “Doctor, my students now say ‘Teacher, you look like you meditated before class!’ Earlier, they used to say, ‘Teacher, why are you scolding before 10 a.m.?'” We both had a hearty laugh, but I told her, it’s not just about protein, it’s about eating mindfully.
Even simple homemade paneer has casein protein, which releases slowly, keeping you fuller for longer. Green moong not only gives you protein but also a dose of prebiotic fibre, which keeps your gut bacteria — your little internal cheerleaders — happy. And when your gut is content, your brain follows suit. This, my dear readers, is not ancient wisdom versus modern science — it’s a beautiful, logical handshake between the two.
Lastly, food is not just fuel; it’s also a mood, an emotion, and a source of resilience. It’s the difference between reacting to a Bangalore traffic jam with philosophical acceptance or with Bollywood-style melodrama. It’s the difference between seeing a demanding boss as a karmic teacher or as an emotional vampire.
Mrs. Sharada Rao, as she left my clinic, laughed and said, “Doctor, I’m going home and making a protein pact with myself!” I thought — if all my patients could understand this one simple truth, half the medicines I prescribe would become unnecessary.
How you start your morning isn’t just about breakfast—it’s about setting the foundation for your entire day. What you feed your body today shapes the person you become tomorrow.
(Note: The patient’s name has been changed to Sharada Rao to maintain privacy.)
