NejroN Photo/Bigstock.com
MAKE ROOM FOR VEGGIES by Himanshu Bharadwaj
V
egan cafes, meatless meals and healthy organic foods are trendy these days. Awareness is growing around issues like organic farming, side effects of modern medicine, climate change, healthy living, animal welfare, moral issues of eating meat, industrial agriculture and pollution. Many unhealthy eating behaviors are a direct result of advertising, which fosters a false desire to keep up with others or to achieve supermodel ideals. A tribal mentality to follow the illusionary standards promoted by profit-seeking corporations has created misunderstanding and bad judgement towards healthy eating. According to Ayurveda—a 5000-yearold health protocol from India—the digestive system is the root cause of the majority of the body’s ailments. Digestive problems also are good early indicators of the onset of disease. Thus, curing digestive problems can help us avoid or heal many diseases. Ayurveda prescribes how and when one should eat and how to combine foods for maximum benefit. Correcting the diet can eliminate the fun24
New Haven/Middlesex
damental causes of both physical and mental diseases. Further, living in harmony with nature’s elements and balancing their flow helps maintain health and well-being. It’s easy to incorporate some basic Ayuvedic principles into your eating habits to boost your wellness level. Eat a plant-based diet. Plants carry the highest amount of life force in them, and eating living plans rather than boxed, processed foods helps us ingest more life energies, connect with the earth and achieve a higher state of consciousness. Non-vegetarian foods are difficult to assimilate and process within the body. Meats overwork the digestive system and lead to bloating and tiredness. Instead, create a well-rounded plant-based diet that contains a variety of plants to create a full spectrum of macro and micronutrients for the body. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day—there is always room for vegetables and fruits in every dish! Try eating apples, pears and bananas in the morning, or have some berries, papaya, and melon as an afternoon snack.
NaturalNewHaven.com
Keep it whole and simple. Focusing on a vegetarian lifestyle also simplifies the diet. “Simple” and whole foods help with weight loss. Processed foods lack sufficient fiber, vitamins and minerals and also can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer. The majority of food products sold today contain genetically modified or synthetic ingredients. Many foods contain traces of pesticides or use artificial preservatives. It is time to switch to organic and unprocessed foods. Toxins in foods and unhealthy lifestyles are creating a society suffering from diseases and stressing the health care system. Pay special attention to food preparation. Try to cook food instead of eating in the raw. Cooking is like a pre-digestion process that breaks down fiber to take the load off the digestive system. Use spices like cumin, coriander, hing, salt, ajwain, black salt and more to avoid gas and bloating of the stomach. Presoaking lentils and grains before cooking helps reduce cooking time and promotes better digestion.
