Though we are extremely particular about the flavour and aroma of our favourite dishes, we have cared the least about how we eat them! Lets look at where we need to improvise for an enhanced culinary experience!
We get immensely motivated when we hear words like ‘I am in total control of my life’ or ‘my life my rules’. But ‘life’ does not happen if our bodies fail to function. And talking about bodies, we yet again target just the external self and keep the best foot forward.
Most often we tend to ignore what happens inside our bodies, or maybe we do not get enough time for it. But right now when ‘time’ is all we’ve got, we might as well direct our energies to what goes inside and how.
Just as the ayurvedic concepts of ‘Bala’ and ‘Ojas’ relates to the immunological concepts, the food and dietary regulations play a key role in building the body’s natural resistance. The modern world can relate these principles to areas like biomedicine and its allied branches.
The food we eat is what builds the body. Thus it can be built in a bad way or a good way based on what we eat and most importantly how we eat. The nutritive indices of all sorts of food are widely accessible so that ‘what we eat’ needs no elaboration.
In Ayurveda, the ‘how we eat’ is as important as the content of the food. And for that, we just need to listen to our bodies. Most often we ignore this step and dive right in. When was the last time in your working schedule that you had the time to quietly eat and enjoy the food? We casually skip this mindful eating out of ignorance or by just being too busy!
Lots of studies have been made on the gut-mind relationship, but this was a concept followed and practiced in Ayurveda since ages. The hasty eating habit of ours creates a gradual build-up of disharmony in our gut called ‘Ama’ which is the root pathology of most diseases in Ayurveda. Eating your food while being sad, angry, irritated, or stressed does not help in proper digestion.
Most of us are glued to ‘screens’ while we eat. Distracted eating also takes our mind off from the amount of food we end up eating. Because all the body functions are ultimately originated from the ‘brain center’. Healthy gut = healthier body is the ultimate motto of Ayurveda!
Not just the ‘quiet eating’, we have evolved to develop our culinary interests to burnt, overcooked, heavy, dry, and extremely spicy food on a regular basis. So right now our gut is on a ROLL! These qualities in the food we take also accelerate the ‘Ama ‘ production. The processing of ingredients, the strange food combinations is way beyond what our guts can handle.
Below are some strict NO NOs in Ayurveda
Even though some of us might have been accustomed to these food combinations, it does take a toll on our gut in the long run in the forms of tiny gastro-intestinal disturbances that we miss to notice.
Apart from these, eating patterns have also become bizarre. Binge eating is now officially a thing more than a disease. During quarantine days we tend to snack more, but we should be able to draw that line!
Since we have a lot of time in hand make sure the food you eat gets to your body. A calm mind, clean hands, a body free from natural urges, a well-digested previous meal, and the right amount of hunger — this should be a checklist every time you think of eating a meal! Even if you want to indulge in some unwholesome and unhealthy food, make sure you balance it out with healthy inclusions. Make sure you appreciate the food you eat, the odor, the flavor, and everything about it so that it becomes an enjoyable experience. Also, know when to stop! This could be hard but over time we can develop the skill to listen to our gut’s satiety. Because we don’t want the feeling of fullness or bloating take over the pleasant feeling after a meal!
Take a look at some healthy inclusions suitable for regular use for a happy gut and body!
So make sure you become the officer in charge of your body. Eat to impress than dress to impress, because good food and a happy gut gives you a natural flush and glow which is irreplacable!
HAPPY EATING!
“The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.” -Mark Twain
