Being ahead today is to have tasted all the famous cuisines leaving behind the traditional regular ways of eating. In fact a conversation today starts with “Did you try this particular cuisine from the famous restaurant? Oh you didn’t? Then you aren’t living a life!”
The social media profiles are incomplete without the attractive colourful lucrative desserts. Relationships are being defined by the number of ice creams and the variety of chocolates one offers. A child is happy just with the attractive colour of strawberries, the longer it lasts in his hands the happier he is.
Imagine the other species of the world doing something similar with their food. It is difficult to imagine a tiger saucing up its prey or a fish seasoning its catch. Apparently they are aware of their evolutionary and bodily requirements to understand how much and what exactly they need to eat. Except for the humanised versions of animals like pet dogs and cats, who are being made to believe that their food should be a certain way, all other animals are aware of the quantity and quality of food their body needs.
Being the most intelligent species on earth, having understood the metabolic and physiological processes of the body, we as humans are deviating away from understanding the ways of healing and growing through food. The application of science to food is restricted to only a few green corners of the cities where health is usually overpriced. Taste is the new test today. The delicacies are in competition with each other. It is becoming the only experience that souls are craving to bag.
The trend definitely needs a change. The awareness around eating needs to focus on our evolutionary understanding. Understanding the present state of the body and eating accordingly is the wisdom that we have earned over centuries. Our evolutionary experiences give us subtle indications of what to eat. Yet we choose to ignore them. A deep dive within and retrospection of food is important to understand if we really are eating right. Asking ourselves the question whether we really need to eat or we just want to eat will help us decide what to eat and in what quantities.
Ayurveda for many centuries has taught us exactly how to understand our digestive fire and metabolism. And accordingly has classified herbs and food suiting each one’s personality that could change with time and place. It is marvelous to see how incorporating small changes in the diet and routine can bring enormous health benefits. Detoxing and fasting were ways of life to boost back that metabolism. Bringing spiritual sanctity to food and keeping a humble approach towards eating along with sharing the extra food were some of the values that were generously practiced. It is high time that we as humans realize the importance of food as medicine to be able to live longer healthier lives. Let us gradually incorporate these values to enhance the health of present and future generations.
Dr. Neelam Bhardwaj, Ayuryoga Mantra