Hola! You are what you eat!

Author – Dr Bhavya Vikas, Associate Professor, MBA, BNMIT

In the pursuit of earning more money, power and fame we often neglect our eating habits. ‘Snackification’ has become the key to fight stress, boredom and anxiety. It is very alarming to hear from people that they ‘live to eat’ and blaming on the eyes to be bigger than the stomach! There is a need to revolutionize the way people perceive their food pattern.

Go Sattvic!

A sattvic diet is meant to include foods and eating pattern that are “pure, essential, natural, vital, energy-containing, clean and wise”. It consists of seasonal fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains etc. that are rich in proteins. We often hear the idiom “Eat what your grandparents ate” for a long and healthy life. This means eating what grows on trees and not processed or packed food which is lifeless. It will definitely help us feel light and set our mood right!

Be guilt-free!

Having a balanced diet will help us to be guilt-free. Proper combination of protein and fibre rich food is a healthy way to reset our immune system. This will in turn reduce our dependence on supplements. We should make our plate look as colourful as possible by adding more salads and  avoiding over cooking, as all the nutrients would be lost. Say no to the poisonous 5 whites- refined sugar, Maida, white rice, salt and pasteurized milk which dampens our health.

Power of intermittent fasting!

Just like how we would like to finish up all the remaining work towards the end of the day, our digestive system would also like to finish up its work. But we hardly give it the time it requires to finish its work by sticking on to our regime of ‘three square meals’. Intermittent fasting could be done by taking early dinner and having early lunch the next day, ensuring at least 16 hours gap between meals. It has lot of health benefits and leads to increased endurance and improves our sleeping habits. It also helps to increase our white blood cells which are the key players of our immune system. Fasting produces antibodies to fight common ailments like cold and cough. As a child, whenever I was really hungry, the first thing my father would say is to have water. I used to get really angry for his statement but now I realize that it is very important to cleanse, hydrate and regulate our digestive track.

Prevention is better than cure!

It is high time we stop being careless about what we eat. The onus of good health is on each one of us. Snackification can be good if we opt for the right kind of snacks like fruits, salads over chips and biscuits! Treating ourselves once in a way is alright provided we make up for it by cleansing our system later. Mini meals could replace our three square meals. Bon appétit to all the food lovers, eat wise and enjoy the zen-like bliss!