The Mediterranean diet gets a lot of credit for its brain boosting power, but it isn't the only cuisine that comes with major health benefits.
"When it comes to the South Asian diet, common benefits are the high fibre we get from a diet rich in legumes (beans, peas and lentils)... Additionally, we can get quite creative and use chickpea and soy flour in our cooking, which are good sources of protein," says Alberta-based registered dietitian Robin Arora-Desilet.
"There won’t ever be one 'superfood' that cures all our ailments," she says. "Rather that choosing a specific 'diet,' including a variety of multicultural beneficial foods high in fibre, lean protein, complex carbohydrates and lower in processed foods and refined sugar is what I’d recommend most often."
Of course, there are many South Asian dishes that are ultra indulgent. Arora-Desilet refers to these fatty foods as "grandma style cooking" and says that while it is okay to enjoy them occasionally, eating fried foods on a regular basis can have a major impact on blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation, blood sugar, and weight.
In the slideshow below, Arora-Desile shares nine delicious and nutritious foods that are commonly found in South Asian cuisine. These foods are not only associated with health benefits like reduced inflammation, nausea and immunity, some classic dishes can also be re-created with nutrition in mind.