What are you eating?

Many a times we notice the quality of what we eat. It takes lot of effort to probably understand that "We are what we eat". Most such discussions on this topic quickly ends up in a debate over Vegetarianism Vs. non-Veg foods with every dimension of morality, spirituality, mercy and livelihood questions cropping up.

I don't want to tread into any of the topics and wanted to just highlight a simple classification of how we can be conscious of what we are eating and leave it to the individual to carry on with his eating habits.

In fact it is much easier for parents to use this classification and monitor what their kid's eating preferences are and should be.

The classification looks at just 2 parameters:

1. How nutritious your food is?

2. How satiating / filling your food is?

Since most of us are slaves to our taste buds in different degrees it is important that we derive a sense of fullness / fulfillment after we eat. In the absence of it we tend to eat more leading to multiple associated complications.

The discussion on nutrition is more complicated than the fullness discussion. I don't think there is any conclusion among nutritionists / health care experts as to what is nutritious and what is not. I am going to take some liberty to define this in this article and explain it over next few blogs. Should i add a disclaimer that this is not written from a position of authority but this article should help you explore the truth and nudge you towards that thinking mode.

While there is a minimum requirement of nutrition that is demanded by our body below which may lose it natural ability to maintain its functioning which could be termed as "malnutrition".

To my knowledge there are set of generic parameters decide whether the food is nutritious are not and the generic set are as follows:

1. Food does not contain allergens or carcinogenic substances - this includes inorganic foods which are grown with high level of pesticides, the ones which has preservatives, artificial colors. If you complain that we may have to eliminate most of the packaged foods under this category, I can understand but please read on.

2. Food that are easily digestible by an individual's constitution. For example if you have allergy to any items then it cannot be considered as nutritious. Hence an individual's constitution plays an important role.

3. Foods that are enzyme rich. This makes the food easily digestible and not dependent on body to produce enzymes.

4. Foods that maintain an anti-acidic / alkaline environment in our body. Please note that the nett effect of food should be alkaline and enzyme rich and this need not be considered for every item we eat. If i can define it with an example: Wheat has gluten which results in acidic environment post digestion in our body but if wheat is mixed with enough food grains that neutralizes the effect then that nett effect has to be considered.

5. Food that are well balanced. Balanced with nutrition and taste.

• Nutritional balance is primarily with proteins, vitamins, minerals, fibre, Carbs and Fat.
• Ayurveda says that every meal should have all the 6 tastes which influences our physical and mental health.

6. Foods that are rich with anti-oxidants, less Glycemic Index and less of saturated and trans-fats.

7. Finally "Excess of anything is bad" and the nature thrives in the delicate balance of constituents and hence avoid taking foods that increase a specific component like Omega 3 etc.

             

I shall stop this blog with my favorite quote from Sage Adhi Shankara "Food is the medicine for the disease called hunger" which highlights that we need to take food just like medicines which are need based, in moderate doses, timely and not consume for the sake of taste buds. 

Its very easy to understand this but it takes a life time to follow this. :)

Article written by Rags Gopalan...