Your food alone can keep you healthy

 

Food is vital for life. It is the right kind of fuel for all bodily needs. And yet we have managed to interfere with this vital input to an extent that food has become poison and poison has become food. The results are visible. The body has become a burden and medical expenses are the number one impoverishing factor. What can we do?

The solution is simple.

- Eat organic. Organic is ironically expensive. But still it is cheaper than hospital bills. Choose a farmers’ cooperative for your food needs. There are genuine such organizations that do not have the organic label. But they still produce good food and are less expensive.

- The same goes for milk. Milk is the most adulterated food on the planet. Choose a milkman and keep a little eye on him. Encourage him to go in for compassionate care of cattle. The animals can do without hormones, steroids and antibiotics

- Contaminated water is another concern. But the solution is not RO. Water contains a microbial world that is beneficial for us

- Junk food is not food. Even that biscuit contains additives and preservatives that play havoc with the microbiome. It requires a lot of mindfulness and self discipline to steer clear of all kinds of processed and junk food but it is worth it in terms of health gained

- Your food should be according to your culture as the gut microbiome has evolved out of centuries of food habits. What you need is what your ancestors had. Food in India can be divided into North Indian, South Indian, West and East Indian. Choose according to the region you belong to

- Do not forget the value of diversity in food. Have the plate that includes grains, pulses, vegetables, spices, greens, and fermented food. All tastes should be incorporated; sweet, bitter, pungent and astringent. Taste called Rasa in ayurveda is an important pointer towards bodily nourishment

- If you need to reverse chronic disease you need to go on a raw diet. Teach yourselves the basics. Raw food is to be taken before sunset

- Fasting is as important as eating. Fast at least once a month. It should be a complete fast with only water as per your thirst. Fasting for 17 to 18 hours is needed

- There are different kinds of fasting. Dry fasting, juice fasting, intermittent fasting, prolonged fasting. Do read up on their benefits. Fasting for a prolonged period yields the desired result. The famished body scavenges on dead cells. This is called autophagy

- Ensure use of genuine ingredients and oils for cooking. Prepare your own spices. Use cold pressed mustard, coconut, sesame, and ground nut oils. Do not use other oils. Olive oil can be used

- Avoid the white poisons; sugar, salt, and maida (refined fluor). Use jaggery and sea salt

- Read about food combinations, good and bad and follow them

- As far as possible stop eating outside. Even the best of hotels are guilty of using very harmful ingredients. They also store food and serve stale refrigerated items that are best avoided

- Seemingly insignificant tasters like soup and ice cream served in hotels add to the disease burden

- Non vegetarian food is also highly toxic in these days of medically treated animals and birds boosted for milk, meat and egg production

- Eat on time so that the body can effectively digest the food. Chew well. Do not eat to the full. Do not drink cold drinks along with/ after food

- Once you change your eating habits the body gets energized. Then it can go into a detoxification mode and you experience symptoms like cough, cold, fever, diarrhea, dysentery, skin rash etc. They can be mild and not violent. Do not be worried as it is an welcome step

- Stop eating if you experience illness. Respect acute ailments because they are the rectification attempts of the body. Take water and rest in such times

- How to kindle the digestive fire? Hard work, eating mindfully and on time, avoiding binge eating, and paying attention to bowel movements is the key. Yoga asanas are very helpful. Take a glass of lukewarm water the first thing in the morning

- If you want to take supplements I would advise juices and herbal/ green powders. The supplement industry is very poorly regulated

- Good health leads to a good digestive process. A good gut also ensures overall good health. The digestive fire is the most important fire in the body

- Amla, Triphala, Avipattikar Choorna, Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Shatavari, Neem and Manjistha are herbs that address our common problems. The herb Bhuin Nimba, kalmegh or Andrographis Paniculata is a great liver tonic

- The homeopathic mother tinctures of Carica Papaya and Kalmegh sets right lack of appetite

- Take good quality aloe vera and wheatgrass juice regularly. These two super foods supply all the needs of the body and also help in detoxification

- Take care of the food needs of pregnant mothers, children and elderly. A good traditional nutritionist will guide

If you can follow these broad pointers and also teach your kids accordingly your family can stay healthy. Please ask your children to stay away from the trendy multinational eateries and foreign origin fast foods. Peer pressure is very detrimental these days.

Kindly share this note. People have forgotten the basics of health. They need to be reminded. There has been enough emphasis on disease. The trend needs to be reversed.

May all beings be happy and healthy.