Cultural Diet Doctor App Backend

A comprehensive backend system for managing cultural dietary preferences, Ayurvedic nutrition, and traditional food practices with local-first operation using SQLite.

🌟 Features

Core Functionality

• User Management: Profile management with cultural and dietary preferences
• Recipe Database: Authentic recipes with cultural and Ayurvedic metadata
• Meal Planning: Smart meal generation based on cultural rules and preferences
• Shopping Lists: Retailer-organized shopping with cultural ingredient mapping
• Product Catalog: Multi-retailer product database with cultural classifications
• Cultural Rules Engine: Comprehensive validation for dietary and cultural compliance

Cultural & Dietary Features

• Hindu Dietary Compliance: No red meat, traditional food practices
• Ayurvedic Dosha Support: Vata, Pitta, Kapha-based meal recommendations
• Multi-Cultural: North Indian, South Indian, Mughlai, Gujarati, and international cuisines
• Retailer Integration: Patel Brothers, Subzi Mandi, Hanuman, Trader Joe's
• Dietary Restrictions: Vegetarian, vegan, medical restrictions, cultural requirements

🏗️ Architecture

Technology Stack

• Backend: Node.js + Express + TypeScript
• Database: SQLite (local-first operation)
• Architecture: Repository pattern with service layer
• Authentication: JWT-based with bcrypt password hashing
• Validation: Joi schema validation with cultural compliance checking

Project Structure

src/
├── controllers/         # API route handlers
├── repositories/        # Data access layer (Repository pattern)
├── services/           # Business logic (Cultural rules engine)
├── middleware/         # Authentication, validation, error handling
├── utils/              # Validation, auth, error utilities
├── types/              # TypeScript type definitions
├── database/           # Database schema, migration, seeding
└── server.ts           # Main application entry point

🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Docker: Docker Desktop (recommended) or Docker Engine + Docker Compose
• OR Node.js: Node.js 18+ and npm (for native development)
• Git

Option 1: Docker deployment (Recommended)

1. Quick Start

git clone <repository-url>
cd cultural-diet-app
./quick-start.sh

2. Or manual Docker setup

# Start development environment
./deploy.sh dev up

# Access the application
# Frontend: http://localhost:3001
# Backend API: http://localhost:3000
# Health Check: http://localhost:3000/health

3. Docker documentation 📖 See DOCKER_SETUP.md for comprehensive Docker documentation

Option 2: Native development

1. Clone and setup

git clone <repository-url>
cd diet_doctor
npm install

2. Environment configuration

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your configuration

3. Database setup

# Run database migration
npm run migrate

# Seed with sample data
npm run seed

4. Start development server

npm run dev

The server will start on http://localhost:3000

Available Scripts

• npm run dev - Development server with auto-reload
• npm run build - Build for production
• npm run start - Start production server
• npm run migrate - Run database migrations
• npm run seed - Seed sample data
• npm run test - Run tests
• npm run lint - Run linting

📚 API Documentation

Base URLs

• Development: http://localhost:3000/api/v1
• Health Check: http://localhost:3000/health

Authentication

All authenticated endpoints require a JWT token in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <your-jwt-token>

Core Endpoints

User Management

• POST /auth/register - User registration
• POST /auth/login - User login
• GET /users/profile - Get user profile
• PUT /users/profile - Update user profile
• POST /users/change-password - Change password
• DELETE /users/account - Delete account

Recipes

• GET /recipes - Search recipes with cultural filters
• GET /recipes/:id - Get recipe details
• GET /recipes/favorites - Get user's favorite recipes
• POST /recipes/:id/favorite - Add to favorites
• POST /recipes/:id/rate - Rate recipe
• POST /recipes - Create new recipe

Meal Planning

• POST /meal-plans/generate - Generate meal plan
• GET /meal-plans - Get user's meal plans
• GET /meal-plans/:date - Get meal plan for specific date
• PUT /meal-plans/:date - Update meal plan
• GET /meal-plans/stats - Get meal planning statistics

Shopping Lists

• POST /shopping-lists - Create shopping list
• GET /shopping-lists - Get user's shopping lists
• GET /shopping-lists/:id - Get shopping list details
• POST /shopping-lists/:id/items - Add item to list
• PATCH /shopping-lists/:id/items/:itemId - Update item status
• POST /shopping-lists/from-meal-plan - Generate from meal plan

Product Catalog

• GET /products - Search products
• GET /products/retailers - Get retailer information
• GET /products/categories - Get product categories
• GET /products/price-comparison - Compare prices across retailers
• GET /products/:retailer/:sku - Get specific product

Cultural Rules

• GET /cultural-rules - Get cultural dietary rules
• POST /cultural-rules/validate-recipe/:recipeId - Validate recipe compliance
• POST /cultural-rules/validate-ingredient - Validate ingredient
• GET /cultural-rules/substitutions - Get ingredient substitutes
• GET /cultural-rules/ayurvedic-recommendations - Get Ayurvedic guidance
• GET /cultural-rules/hindu-dietary-guidance - Get Hindu dietary principles

🧘 Cultural Rules Engine

Supported Dietary Systems

• Hindu Dietary Restrictions: No beef, limited pork, traditional practices
• Ayurvedic Dosha System: Vata/Pitta/Kapha balancing recommendations
• Vegetarian/Vegan: Plant-based dietary preferences
• Medical Restrictions: Gluten-free, lactose-free, allergies
• Cultural Traditions: Jain fasting, Sattvic principles

Validation Features

• Recipe compliance checking with scoring system
• Ingredient validation with substitution suggestions
• Cultural authenticity verification
• Ayurvedic balance analysis

🛒 Retailer Integration

Supported Retailers

• Patel Brothers: Indian grocery specialist
• Subzi Mandi: Fresh produce and Indian ingredients
• Hanuman: Traditional Indian food products
• Trader Joe's: Modern alternatives and organic options

Features

• Price comparison across retailers
• Cultural ingredient mapping
• Shopping list generation by retailer
• Product substitution suggestions

📊 Database Schema

Core Tables

• users - User profiles with cultural preferences
• recipes - Recipe database with cultural metadata
• meal_plans - User meal planning data
• shopping_lists - Shopping lists with retailer grouping
• product_catalog - Multi-retailer product database
• cultural_rules - Dietary and cultural restriction rules

Relationships

• User → Meal Plans (1:N)
• User → Shopping Lists (1:N)
• User → Recipe Favorites (M:N)
• Product → Cultural Tags (M:N)
• Recipes → Ayurvedic Properties (1:1)

🔒 Security Features

• JWT-based authentication with refresh tokens
• Password hashing with bcrypt (12 rounds)
• Input validation with Joi schemas
• CORS configuration for frontend integration
• SQL injection prevention with parameterized queries
• Rate limiting ready (implementation optional)

🌍 Cultural Authenticity

Recipe Standards

• Authentic recipes from cultural sources
• Traditional cooking methods preserved
• Cultural notes and historical context
• Regional cuisine differentiation

Dietary Compliance

• Religious restriction enforcement
• Cultural practice respect and accuracy
• Traditional ingredient mapping
• Modern adaptation guidelines

🧪 Development

Running Tests

npm test

Code Quality

npm run lint          # ESLint checking
npm run typecheck     # TypeScript type checking

Database Management

npm run migrate       # Run migrations
npm run migrate:down  # Rollback migrations
npm run seed         # Seed sample data
npm run seed:reset   # Reset and reseed

📈 Performance

Optimization Features

• SQLite optimization with proper indexing
• Efficient query patterns with repository layer
• Lazy loading for large datasets
• Pagination for resource management
• JSON field optimization for complex data

Local-First Operation

• Offline capability with local SQLite database
• No external database dependencies
• Fast local operation without network latency
• Simple deployment and scaling

🤝 Contributing

Code Standards

• TypeScript strict mode enforced
• Comprehensive test coverage required
• Cultural accuracy and sensitivity mandatory
• Documentation updates for new features

Cultural Sensitivity

• Respect for all dietary traditions required
• Accurate representation of cultural practices
• Community consultation for new cultural additions
• Proper attribution for traditional knowledge

📄 License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Traditional recipe sources and cultural knowledge keepers
• Ayurvedic practitioners and nutritionists
• Community members providing authentic recipes
• Retail partners for product information

Built with ❤️ for cultural preservation and dietary freedom.