“Bas Ek Spoon” — The Most Expensive Spoon of Your Life

You know what’s funny? People will lock their house with three padlocks, but when it comes to their body, they’ll happily leave the front door wide open for disease — “Bas ek spoon le liya…. Ek spoon se kya hojaega?!”

And it’s never just sugar. I’ve heard it for gluten, for dairy, and for alcohol too. The “little wine is good for the skin” myth is still alive and well — some even have a glass every night with dinner. Absolute rubbish. Your liver cries every single time alcohol enters your system. Every drop counts. Same with gluten — every chain of that protein your gut can’t digest still triggers an immune alarm. Same with dairy — every molecule of lactose you can’t break down still causes a reaction. And sugar? Every crystal is still a macro hit for your body at the micro level.

Your body isn’t measuring indulgence in cups, spoons, or glasses. It’s counting molecules, chemicals, and triggers. And whether you give it one drop or ten, the chemical chain reaction still starts — every single time. Your body is not a sabzi mandi where you can bargain with the rules. It’s more like a super-sensitive control room where every button press sets off a chain of chemical reactions. Even one spoon is enough to push the wrong button — especially if that button is being pushed often.

Take sugar. You think your taste buds are enjoying it, but within seconds, your gut has already dissolved it into glucose, sent it racing into your blood, and your pancreas is scrambling to release insulin. Insulin’s job? To quickly move that sugar into your cells before it becomes toxic in your bloodstream. If your body is already struggling with insulin resistance, that “one spoon” is like pouring a bucket of water into an already flooded kitchen — chaos everywhere.

Gluten? Imagine your small intestine as a beautiful velvet carpet. For most people, the fibres stay smooth. But if you’re sensitive, even a tiny wheat crumb signals your immune system to bring out the jackhammers. Inflammation starts chewing at the carpet, making it harder for your gut to absorb nutrients.

Dairy? In lactose intolerance, the enzyme lactase — your dairy digestion tool — is missing or low. So, that milk molecule sits there like an uninvited guest, fermenting, creating gas, bloating, and discomfort.

Now, am I saying you must forever renounce every treat? No. I understand cravings, and I’m human too. If you want to indulge, make it intentional — pick one or two days in the month and enjoy yourself. When you eat clean the rest of the time, your body’s repair crew is strong, well-rested, and ready to handle that one day of indulgence. There’s a world of difference between a cheat day and a cheat lifestyle. A cheat day is like inviting your naughty cousin over once in a while — the house gets messy, but you can clean it up. A cheat lifestyle is giving that cousin a spare key — and suddenly your fridge is empty, your sofa smells funny, and your sanity is gone.

I’ve had close friends, relatives, even house guests tell me, “Eat some roti, I’ve made puri, at least have a bite. Don’t be so fussy, how will you travel if you can’t eat everything?” Or my personal favourite, “You should eat laal mirch regularly so your body gets used to it and will stop triggering your pitta.” No. Absolutely not. That’s not how resilience works. By eating clean, you build a deep relationship with your body — it talks to you, it tells you what it needs. The same khichdi or rasam rice you make every day tastes different because you tweak it to what your body is asking for that day. And when you do end up in a situation — like a trip — where you can’t get your ideal food, your body will cooperate. It will have your back. It won’t throw you into stomach infections or inflammation at the first unfamiliar bite.

But if you keep tossing in “bas ek spoon” of your triggers every day thinking you’re training your body to tolerate them, you’re not building resilience — you’re just weakening the system. On an emergency day, that same body will collapse, and so will you. That “one spoon” sneaking in daily, is not cheating — It is slow poisoning with good lighting.