Food is Empowering!
There is a very important part of our daily life that we quite often take very casually or overlook very conveniently. That is “food”. We are made of what we eat. What we eat and how we eat dictate whether we thrive or survive. When I read about Indus Ladies call for entries to celebrate the International Women’s Day, I thought I have an opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you, because they apply more to women than they apply to men. Even in this age and time food is still predominantly a woman’s domain and only a healthy woman can make a happy family and thus a happy world.
Eating right food in right portions during the day would pave the path for the activities of that day.
I was not able to understand how adversely our eating habits would affect our learning ability in our childhood. Some parents start the day by offering greasy or fried items for breakfast and send their kids to school. As soon as the kids reach school, they would feel sleepy and would not be able to concentrate on what was being taught. I was not an exception; I also had such sleepy days in the class while growing up. I realized the effects of food to some extent by the time I got into college and stopped taking greasy and hard to digest kind of food for breakfast. Children at school age need a light, energetic and easy to digest types of food.
Food is a double edged sword. If you read more, you learn more. If you work more, you earn more and probably save more. This analogy would not apply to food. If you eat more, you spend more, you lose health, lose relationships etc. It’s a hard to digest fact in this convenience is the queen atmosphere but shortcuts in food handling invariably lead to longer stay under hospital care. To gain the benefits of food: 1. Eat moderately. 2. Eat minimally processed or cooked food. 3. Choose from the bottom of the food chain – concentrate on vegetables, fruits and whole grains, etc. – maintain a minimal intake of meat, poultry or dairy. 4. Don’t be afraid to spend few extra minutes in food preparation and always pay attention to what is going into your body.
Eating healthy will also create happy and successful families. Majority of the health problems adults get are due to improper or bad eating habits. Illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems are due to bad eating habits. Of course, our physical activities also play a role but that is secondary. As adults, if we get unhealthy, we would not be able to spend quality time with our kids and these problems show ripple effects even in old age. Parents who eat healthy would have a higher chance of creating a healthy family.
More important than anything, conscious eating and compassionate living will create a sustainable environment for everyone. We should not consume more than needed, just because we have more buying power by virtue of earning more money. The most important organ in our body is the brain. A strong mind needs strong body and strong body needs right portions of nutritious food. Think about it – utilize food as a blessing to empower yourself, your family and your world.
Sometimes food and our eating habits become second nature to us and we stop paying attention to them. I totally agree with you when you said “A strong mind needs strong body and strong body needs right portions of nutritious food.”
Agree 100% about what you said in the last 2 paras. Wish I had realised about it earlier in my life. Last couple of years, I have made some serious changes about we eat as a family. Beter late than never right?
Dear Ms. Indi(r)a :),
This is the foremost reason I visit and revisit and mainly follow your website very religiously. I find it to be more than a food blog. My thoughts find an echo in your words. I’m very much inspired by you be it your gardening, farmer’s market purchases, your thoughts on current issues, your meal combinations or your talks on Kittayya. I feel I know you so personally through your website though I never communicated.
Currently I’m reading Vandana Shiva’s “Earth Democracy” related to sustainable living and I feel you are an activist in your own way. May God give you all the strength and health to keep up this good work!!
I guess I’m a fan of yours for life 🙂
Love,
Lalitha
Very well written. I like this line very much, “We should not consume more than needed, just because we have more buying power by virtue of earning more money.” This applies to wasting the food too. Thanks, very good info!
Love the writeup ,Indira.
Great message for International Womens Day.
thanks for sharing.
I also notice that on the days I eat perfectly (low calorie, healthy yet filling ones, in small portions), I tend to be very active and indulge successfully all kinds of myriad interests! At the end of the day, there is this immense satisfaction of having used a day to its utmost potential! Great message Indira 🙂
Hi Indira
This is sound advice and makes sense. It reminds me of a certain Dr. R.L. Alsaker and his book Maintaining Health which he wrote somewhere at the end of the 18th century. He describes the effects of eating over processed foods, as well as too much and too rich a diet. Basically in a nutshell he says most sicknesses are caused by bad diet.
What a lovely article…
How are you able to balance family and work life? do you have any tips?
well said
nothing more to add and not an iota to delete from what you said
Great post!
You are absolutely right when you say “Choose from the bottom of the food chain – concentrate on vegetables, fruits and whole grains, etc.”
well written Indira, I know first hand how hard it is to give healthy breakfast which is quick and easy to kids and trust me its one challenge, As much as we need to make a smart choice I think food manufactures also have a social responsibility to think and create healthy and nutritious foods and not just profits .Habits are cultivated early on and its a uphill task to imbibe them on kids .
ఇందిరగారు,
చాలా ఉపయుక్తమైన విషయాలు చెప్పారు. అందరూ తప్పక పాటించవలసినవే. ధన్యవాదాలు..
Hi Indira,
U come up with very nice and useful articles. I love u’r website and love u’r recipes.It will be nice if u can put a category of healthy recipes for adults and kids in breakfast, lunch and dinner too which can be quick and easy too. That will motivate more of u’r website readers to get eating healthy stuff too.
A really nice read, Indira. I have become so mindful of what I make and serve, especially for the kids. Its so easy to get take out, but the feeling it leaves you with later on is so NOT worth it. Its better to whip up something healthy at home, like sabji-roti and not feel so blah and guilty after wards. 🙂