Food for Thought

We live to eat or we eat to live, either ways food is the center element. Science has come a long way and medicines for every ailment and many diseases are now available. Yet all doctors, dieticians and old wives tales will tell you that popping a pill is not the only cure.

Indeed green tea can make a headache disappear; fenugreek seeds make an upset tummy better so and so forth. A pinch of turmeric in a glass of milk can take care of that cold. What we eat determines how we feel, look and behave.

Food is something we can delve into endlessly, for it is our very existence. Food, however is merely a tool; how we use it is what makes it good or bad.

Food represents the following components -

Energy/Nutrition: With a poor diet or lack of discipline in meal times, we basically alter our energy levels and nourishment quotient.

If we can get our basics right, then food is a playground and we can have tons of fun with our various toys. For example, our body needs a certain amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, calcium etc. Protein can be had from meats.  For instance, a fried fish has a reduced amount of protein then say a grilled fish. Because when we fry, we kill its nutritional value with all the excess oil and over-heating but when we grill, lesser oil and controlled heat will allow the fish to cook in its natural juices,therefore, retaining all its core essentials. So by having grilled fish we have maximized the benefits of that particular food group. Similarly with nuts, if eaten in the raw form, they create high energy but if we fry them as we might on festive occasion(Diwali, holi or even with a drink), then typically it has lost its nutritional worth, so all it's doing is making us gain weight and the more we eat, the more prone to acidity we get.

Vitamins: are a part of what nutrition is supposed to do in our bodies. Other than having a healing effect, vitamins are essential links which are needed to process the food we consume. This means starting from digestion to the absorption of the food, till it breaks down into being bones, hair, skin etc. It's these vitamins that are key to this transformation. Vitamins are sort of like good bacteria, they are suppose to reach our insides alive, if they don't, they loose their significance. For instance, leaving orange juice exposed to air, will oxidize the vitamin c in it, hence losing its consumption value.

Minerals: Food comprises of minerals and the lack of them in our body, creates us to have food cravings. It could mean when our muscles ache then our body is craving calcium and if our bones hurt then we could be craving a mix of calcium and magnesium.

Biochemicals: There are certain hormones in our bodies which sometimes don't do their jobs due to various imbalances. Biochemicals derived from food sources can then help us recreate that balance. For instance, Soya is considered a complete protein that contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body's inability to synthesize them. Soya has been known to help in the control of menopausal symptoms as well as women with polycystic ovaries.

Enzymes: Enzymes in food are nothing but biomolecules that catalyze (i.e. increase the rate of chemical reactions). Most of our digestive  ailments  stem  from  the fact  that  we  eat  foods  whose enzymes  are  killed  by  processing or over cooking.  Therefore  we  are unable  to  digest  food adequately  as  we  overburden  our  digestive enzymes.

MEDICINAL FOOD TRADITIONS

The term Adaptogens is used by herbalists to refer to a natural herb product that is proposed to increase the body's resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. India has been using these for centuries and goes by the name of Ayurveda. It's catching on fast in the west and is a growing phenomenon all over the world today.

Some examples of these foods are as follows.

Turmeric (Haldi): In Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric is thought to have many medicinal properties and many in India use it as a readily available antiseptic for cuts, burns and bruises etc.Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine say it has fluoride which is thought to be essential for teeth. It is also used as an antibacterial agent.

Indian Goose berry (Amla): Indian gooseberry has undergone preliminary research, demonstrating antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Experimental preparations of leaves, bark or fruit have shown potential efficacy against laboratory models of disease, such as for inflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes

Food is fun and without it we are not much. But before you go popping a pill for any aches and pains why not rummage through your pantry, put what your grandmother said to the test.