i am not a food expert. nor do i follow any diet plan. i am not aware how much protein or carbohydrates or vitamins i need to take in a day.
i simply don’t follow any food chart or diet plan. i just follow the signals of my body. because my body knows what is best for me. secondly, i don’t fell pray to advertisement which shows that drinking an aerated drink will make you full of energy.
i follow the traditional food habits which have passed the test of time. our ancestors were not fool. if a particular diet has evolved then probably it was best and suited to the body needs.
traditional eating habits for a healthy body and mind:
1. your body have grown up eating a particular diet and it is used to it. it will always like to have the food which you have grown up eating. moreover this conditioning of food has gone deep into your genes. so don’t change your food habits for quick fix meals.
e.g. on few occasion out of compulsion, i had to eat pizza or pasta or noodles. my experience during those days was that today i didn’t had my complete meal and my body had missed the nutrition. unless i eat chapati or rice, i don’t feel i have eaten my food. this is because thats how my body have been conditioned from childhood. at the same time, an italian person body might prefer pizza over chapati.
2. in indian culture we always prepare fresh food for every meal and generally it is served hot. this is done so that food taste good and it is also easy to digest. moreover freshly cooked food has more prana (life force) and it does not cause ‘vata’ dosha as mentioned in ayurveda. but the latest fashion is to freeze the food and heat it when ever you want to have it. you get ready to eat parathas or curries or what not. i feel this new trend of freezing food is not healthy as well as not respectful to the food. avoid stale or cold food and give preference to freshly prepared food.
3. we need to include lot of fruits in our diet. eating fruits is much better than drinking juices as fibre get lost while making juice. but don’t go for aerated drinks or packaged fruit juices. when you see lot of advertisement for aerated drinks then it looks cool to drink them. but they are not healthy nor do they quench your thirst. its better to have lemon water, coconut water, fresh fruit juices or sugarcane juice. they are healthy for the body and you also end up helping a poor farmer. drinking fruit juices is also good for environment as you don’t create any plastic waste.
4. don’t go for quick fix 5 minute meals or fell prey to advertisements. if you want to have energy for a productive work then have a good meal. at young age you might not care about your health. but as you grow old you will appreciate the fact that you took good care of your body. always include lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, salads in your diet. also drink lot of water.
5. its good to have 3 meals in a day. but the final judge is always your body. listen to the signals which your body gives to you. because one parameter can not be applied to everybody. its a good habit to have breakfast and not to skip it just because you are getting late.
6. good to go for fast once in a week or month as it give rest to your body. you can do it on any auspicious day like ekadashi or any other holy day.
7. always eat your food with a peaceful mind. enjoy the food totally. avoid watching TV or cinema while eating food because they are distraction. the tasty food needs your whole attention. so bring your total attention to food to feel its different flavors and warmth. don’t be in a hurry and chew the food well.
8. eat the food when you are hungry and don’t over stuff yourself no matter how tasty is the food. its best to eat food with hands and also while sitting cross legged. never drink water while standing.
9. avoid maida (all purpose flour) in your diet. instead go for whole wheat flour. also avoid sweets or too much sugar in your diet. wherever possible use jaggery or honey instead of sugar (but never heat the honey as it gets toxic). give preference to shallow frying than pan frying the dishes.
10. last but not the least, when you follow traditional eating habits then you should make sure that you exercise well. because nowadays we do lot of sedentary work than the manual work which our forefathers used to do. traditional eating habits are healthy but your body also needs to do exercises like yoga, jogging, walking or you should take part in sports.