Every day, we wonder what to eat. The different diets advocating the intake of so many different types of food thoroughly confuse us. Dr Sangeeta Soman suggests being in sync with nature and its bounty of food that nurtures and heals as it keeps us in optimum health
The universe and its living elements are based on the five attributes of nature (panchtatva): food, water, air, soil and sunlight. Our every routine action is for living or nurturing our bodies and minds. Eating is one such activity. We don’t always eat only when we are hungry. Many times, we eat just for the taste and pleasure. With a little awareness about the foods we consume, nurturing ourselves will not be so perplexing.
The good food
- It’s a dual switch for the human body, working on it like medicine as well as toxin/poison.
- The best form of food is either raw or cooked with minimum process.
- A large part of the diet should include vegetables and fruits because that’s the only source of vitamins and minerals in natural form.
- Food that is cooked or kept for a longer period in contact with heat has lesser nutrition value.
- Refrigerated food or cooked food that is more than 24 hours old is dead food.
Why we eat
Never go on crash diets or starve yourself for long periods. Our body works the whole day; it’s like a machine. The way different machines need different fuels, our body needs food. Food works as fuel for our body. The human body needs growth, cleansing, repairing and nurturing on a day-to-day basis. We can take care of all these bodily needs by consuming the right type of food in the right quantity, and at the right time.
A robust individual can consume any kind of food without impairing his health but in morbid conditions like an illness or some other disposition, we need a special diet.
The nutrition we need
The vital elements that we get from consuming food to carry out the daily tasks of the body
— growth, cleansing, repairing and nurturing—are called nutrition. Nutrition is in hidden form in food items. It is in micro and macro sizes, in different tastes (even bitter taste) and in skins/rinds of vegetables, fruits and grains. The mantra of good nutrition is ‘Eat to Live’ and not ‘Live to Eat’.
Know your food
The food we eat falls under two major groups: natural food and unnatural or animal food.
Natural food: It is grown on nature’s elements of air, water, soil and sunlight. Wholegrains and cereals, pulses/legumes, nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruits, herbs and spices (in the form of flowers, barks, seeds, roots) constitute natural food.
Unnatural/animal food:
This is food that is sourced from animals like milk, eggs, meat and fish.
Go natural and be healthy
Each type of food is meant to nourish our body for different functions. Here are the benefits of natural food:
Wholegrains and cereals
These are carbohydrate-rich foods with good quality protein.
Benefits: They pack you with energy, build and repair the body, and promote muscle growth and strength. This combination of complex carbohydrates and protein provides a balanced diet. These foods are also a rich source of iron, calcium, vitamins A, B and C and soluble fibres.
Foods to include in your diet: wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, ragi, oats, barley, chavali, matki, channa,
rajma, etc.
Pulses and legumes
These foods are a rich source of protein that is low in sulphur and rich in amino acids.
Benefits: A balanced combination of grains and pulses provides animal protein nourishment for vegetarians. Protein supply from this food group helps in muscle building, repairing health after illness and improving blood health.
Foods to include in your diet: Black gram (urad dal), green gram (moong dal), Bengal gram (channa dal), lentil (masoor), etc.
Nuts and seeds
This is a concentrated food of high nutritive value. Hence, it should be consumed in controlled quantity (20 gm per day of an assorted mix or a single type). These foods are a rich source of potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B12, F, and essential oils.
Benefits: Nuts and seeds increase resistance to diseases, prevent premature ageing and support all-round activity.
Foods to include in your diet: groundnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios, walnut, etc.
Vegetables
There is a large variety of vegetables available: roots, fruits, leaves, stems and seeds.
Root vegetables
These are high in starch content, rich in B12 vitamin and high energy (kcal).
Foods to include in your diet: yam, violet kand, turnip, potato, sweet potato etc.
Stems, green leafy and fruit vegetables
These are an excellent source of water, vitamins, minerals and soluble/insoluble fibres.
Foods to include in your diet: all green leafy vegetables, all gourds, all beans, capsicum, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
Seed vegetables
These are rich in carbohydrates and proteins.
Foods to include in your diet: green peas, green beans, broad beans, corn, etc.
Benefits: Vegetables are a protective food. They maintain the body’s alkaline reserves, eliminate excess saturated fat, clean bowels and repair cells and tissues.
Fruits
There are two types of fruits: fresh fruits and dry fruits. The different families of fresh fruits available are: citrus, melon, berry, rich pulp, etc. All types and families of fruits are a rich source of water, vitamins, mineral and natural salt.
Citrus fruits
These are a particularly rich source of vitamin C and alkaline salts.
Foods to include in your diet: oranges, sweet limes, pineapples, kiwis, etc.
Melon fruits
These have a very high content of water with vitamins A and C, and natural salt.
Foods to include in your diet: water melon, musk melon, etc.
Berry fruits
These are a good source of vitamin A and flavones.
Foods to include in your diet: Strawberries, green/black grapes, cranberries, jamuns (violet berries), etc.
Rich pulpy fruits
These supply a good amount of iron, calcium, potassium and B group vitamins.
Foods to include in your diet: Banana, chikoo, apple, pear, mango, jackfruits, etc.
Benefits: Fruits are excellent tonisc. They have a hydrating, diuretic, alkalinising, mineralising and laxative effect on our body. Thus, they work on our body to build immunity, regulate acid secretion, hydrate and clean vital organs like the skin, kidney, liver, etc., clean the digestive track and improve bowel movement.
Herbs and spices
These foods have micro nutrients and essential oils. Approximately, 1,500 Indian and 1,000 Chinese herbs and spices are used in food preparation. Use herbs and spices in small quantities in cooking for taste enhancement.
Benefits: They work on our body to repair damages caused by food processing and excessive medication. They interact quickly and directly with our body chemistry. They are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and work on damaged areas. Apart from foods, they are used in cosmetics, teas and alternative medicines in the form of powders, pastes, extracts and decoctions.
Herbs and spices are as reactive as modern medicines hence their usage should be made strictly under experts’ guidance.
Foods to include in your diet: cinnamon, mustard, fennel, fenugreek, mace, star anise, bay leaf, coriander leaves, mint leaves, curry leaves, lime, parsley, ginger, etc.
Go natural
Nature understands what we need in what season and provides the same in abundance. So, both sun-cooked and uncooked (raw) foods have a high pranic value. Seasonal foods are the best – they are high in nutrients. Fresh foods are rich in natural enzymes. If you can’t have a diet of only natural foods, eat a practical but balanced diet of raw and cooked foods. Combine it with daily exercise and you’ll be raring to go.
Nutrition is best achieved from food if it is consumed considering the item, quantity and time of consumption. This is the only therapy that builds, grows, maintains and repairs our body on a day-to-day basis. This element of naturopathy helps prevent/delay, treat, maintain and manage any medical condition of one’s health.
