Chamomile tea, chia seeds & almonds: Sidhu's prison diet sets tongue wagging

For mere mortals, jail may be all about dingy cells and substandard food, but if you are a politician, then life even behind bars is good.

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment in a 1998 road rage case that resulted in the death of an elderly man, seems to be having a gala time, if one goes by his diet, that could easily be rated as five-star stuff.

Sample this: Rosemary tea in the morning and chamomile tea at night. For the elaborate menu, please scroll down.

The five-star spread has triggered a lot of talk, but people close to the cricketer-turned-politician say the special diet is necessary, considering his medical condition.

His friends say the former Rajya Sabha MP suffers from medical conditions like embolism and has a liver ailment. In 2015, he underwent treatment for acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) at a hospital in Delhi.

He cannot consume wheat, sugar, ‘maida’ (flour) and other food items, according to his lawyer HPS Verma.

Also read: Congress leader Sidhu in ‘high spirits’ in Patiala jail; skips dinner on first day

A medical board, comprising a doctor of medicine, cardiologist, and dietician, reportedly decided on the “special diet” after conducting various examinations.

Morning: Soon after waking up, Sidhu will be given rosemary tea, white petha juice or coconut water. For breakfast, he will have a cup of lactose-free milk; one tablespoon of flax, sunflower, melon or chia seeds; five or six almonds, one walnut, and two pecan nuts.

Mid-morning: One glass of beetroot or ghia (bottle gourd) or cucumber or mausambi (sweet lemon) or Tulsi and mint leaves or amla (gooseberry) or celery leaves or fresh haldi (turmeric) or carrot or aloe vera juice. Alternatively, one fruit  – among watermelon, melon, kiwi, strawberry, guava, apple, and wood apple. He can also opt for sprouted black chana (25 gm) plus green gram dal (25gm) plus kheera (cucumber)/tomato/half lemon/avocado.

Lunch: One chappati of 30 gm comprising sorghum, singhara and ragi flour in equal quantity with one bowl each of seasonal green vegetable and of cucumber and ghia raita or one bowl of beetroot raita, a green salad bowl of cucumber, tomato, kakri, lettuce leaves and half lemon, and one glass of lassi.

Evening: A cup of 100 ml tea with low-fat milk and no sugar, and 25 gm of paneer slice or 25 gm Tofu with half lemon.

Dinner: A bowl of mixed vegetable and dal soup/black chana soup with a 200 gm bowl sprinkled with black pepper powder and consisting of sauteed vegetables (carrot, beans, broccoli, mushroom, bell pepper).

Bedtime: A cup of Chamomile tea and one tablespoon Psyllium husk with half glass warm water

Also read: A road rage episode that caught up with Navjot Singh Sidhu

According to experts, such a diet is highly nutritious and balanced, and takes care of Sidhu’s health considering his medical condition. While not heavy, it has the right mix that helps improve digestion and promotes good heart health.

Inside jail, Sidhu has also been assigned a clerical job, for which he will be trained for three months, after which he will start getting paid around ₹40 per day.