This Pune Woman Natasha Diddee Doesn't Have a Stomach. Yet She Is One of India's Top 'Foodgrammers'!
After completing her training as a chef, Natasha worked in the kitchens of several prominent hotels, restaurants and organisations in Mumbai. However, her hectic work hours and erratic eating habits had started taking a toll on her body.
About five years ago, when Natasha consulted doctors about a constant pain in her stomach, she was shocked to be told that it was due to perforated ulcers in her stomach. A laproscopy further revealed the presence of a growing tumour in her stomach. By this time, the condition had become life-threatening and Natasha had to undergo total gastrectomy (removal of the entire stomach) immediately.
"Dr. Suryabhan Bhalerao of Pune's KEM hospital saved my life by performing this very intricate eight-hour surgery. I owe him my life," says Natasha gratefully.
Natasha's life had been saved but it had also changed forever. Since she literally doesn't have a stomach, the food that she eats just 'drops down' her body and is excreted within an hour. As a result, she has to eat approximately 8 to 10 strictly-monitored mini meals every day to provide the required nutrition for her body.
Also, since Vitamin B is produced in the stomach, Natasha's body is deficient in it and suffers from a reduced memory retention power (as this nutrient directly affects the memory). As such, she has to get monthly shots of Vitamin B. Interestingly, the absence of a stomach means that the die-hard foodie never feels hungry, a fact that she finds pretty scary!
Natasha says that though there are days when her health begins to deteriorates, for the rest, she is on no medication and continues to heal herself through good food.
"Before my surgery, I was just existing like many of us do. Post surgery, I realised that I had been was gifted a second shot at life. That's when I decided that I was going to live, not just exist.
Soon, Natasha set up a Facebook group (named The Gutless Foodie for obvious reasons!) where she would regularly post pictures of her prettily-plated creations, along with the recipe and interesting back-stories. Fellow foodies, who joined the group, were also encouraged to share little-known recipes that had slipped from the popular memory.
In 2014, thanks to a friend who created an account for her, @thegutlessfoodie made its debut on Instagram and quickly became popular. For Natasha, there was no looking back after that.
Today, the popular 'foodgrammer' is known for her simple and super healthy recipes. From yam chutneys to dragon's breath baked chicken, each dish on her Insta-page looks spectacularly scrumptious yet has features that health-conscious people would appreciate.
Full article in the link below
https://www.thebetterindia.com  | The Instagram star behind The Gutless Foodie, 40-year-old Natasha Diddee didn't let a life-threatening health condition stop her from following her passion. | |
Posted by: Ravi Narasimhan <ravi.narasimhan.in@gmail.com>
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