Healthy life by balanced eating

Eating healthily has been fed into my mind by my grandparents and parents. Simple justification being for us descendants to have a better healthy life, try and avoid getting the sickness, illness and health issues that could really be prevented or overcome in our lives. In simple words ‘Prevention better than cure’ was idea here. I remember during my younger days or more precisely until getting married, almost every now and then there will be a topic related to health, food, discussions that also used to lead to a sort of debate where my grandma would say some food tips , method of cooking, way of eating, quantity to be eaten in each portion, style of cooking and even the dish or bowl to be used while cooking certain foods. My sweet granny would have a point that would be more spiritually related as to why she is doing it her way where as my elder brother; my dad and me would try to argue giving our scientific reasoning. But at the end of the discussion my mother would walk in between the conversation to tell us in a more motherly and lovingly balanced way saying both of you have the same idea , but its only the approach or the way the concept is derived or explained is different in its own way. Most common stuff would be like

My Grandma’s version: Early to bed and early rise, morning ablutions, suryanamaskar and prayer followed by the individual’s life style day. ..spiritual start for a healthy day
Our version: Take it for granted to get late as we went bed late, trying to finish school work

My Grandma’s version : Not to mix up eating habits , ie: Banana and milk don’t go together, wheat chapatti and fish don’t go together, non-vegetarians and milk, yoghurt do not go together.

My Grandma says : Diary food is a no no followed by citric juice or food as it gives a stomach cramp. It is true as either don’t get absorbed by our system and leads to indigestion.

The learning and understanding I have gained over years is that each food has its specific vitamins, nutrients, minerals, fibre and many other contents. These contents get absorbed in to human system in the right way only if eaten in the right combination, right time and quantity. Once we get used to this pattern even if the quantity seems minimum every single bit we chew and swallow could be effectively absorbed by our system and there by maintain a balanced healthy life style. Rather than just munch away simply by the taste, look and the craving desire.

This is one simple reason why my friends and relatives have always appreciated dining at my home be it any part of the year or month or day. There is always a balanced food pattern preached and practised by my grandmother that passed on to my mother and now I try the best to keep it up at my home. Whenever we have a guest or visitor there is no major changes we make to the menu as it is our daily food has variety, quality and taste in it self. Once we have gained that understanding cooking becomes a passion rather than a work to get done and dusted for the day. You will be surprised even the wastage is minimum and can avoid dumping things into the kitchen bin. Simple tips for healthy balanced eating and life style

• Introduce variety of foods, tastes and pattern to the family members. Each one is an individual and has their own likes and dislikes in tastes. It is common to have rejects and refuses and equal chances of acceptance too.
• Try out tastes especially with younger ones, they could learn a new quality and variety food rather than load them with same old menu.
• REMEMBER EACH DAY WHAT YOU EAT IS WHAT ADDS UP IN LONG RUN. Have a planned list of item, which ever suits your life and family for a daily / weekly / monthly menu of main meals, snacks, if possible even drinks you purchase or prepared at home. This saves a lot of time in long run and avoids last minute shopping, hasty, distaste and chaotic cooking and kitchen place.
• Preparing a purchase list based on menu you decide for the month saves you loads of time and money. Usually most food shops corner shops or supermarkets or local farmers, all are keen on bulk sale/ purchase and you could get a good bargain.
• Cooking and dining could be converted to a daily, interesting family event where if made with your personal care, touch and involvement. This is very essential in these days as we all work, study and too busy with Television and Computer gadgets that we have lesser time to sit together as a family. To certain extent even the interest to eat out or take-aways will disappear.
• PRACTISE MAKES THINGS PERFECT is very much true in the case of practising healthy life style and healthy eating. As the kids grow if you have involved them in your cooking regime and dining table, they develop a sheer love and interest for food and to stay in good health. They at certain stage start serving others, imparting their knowledge and practise the same.
• Certain individuals have medical intolerance to certain basic foods like wheat, milk, gluten, sea foods, and certain types of meat, certain vegetables, green leaves, food flavours and fruits. Understanding this is very essential, especially with the younger members of family who for no reason could complain of illness after eating certain specific foods. Please do treat this seriously rather than just ignore it.
• Try to grow at least a patch of vegetable, couple of potted plants, fruits and flowers, plant a tree, involve the family into this activity.
• Try to buy or cultivate uncommonly sold or rather tradition vegetables your local shops and super markets do not stock. For example pumpkin, papaya, cassava, certain green leaves and vegetables, Indian yam stem, raw plantains was a real surprise to my friends and relatives. Now that I have introduced and directed them to place of purchase all these are part of their regular menu.
• Time for physical work out, eating out, having a happy time out, family charity work, tours and visits, all are essential. Make sure you have included in you plan chart.

Good food is the resource for energy and life. Healthy balanced eating is the basic need for a healthy life style. Good food and balanced eating goes together, inseparable..! Once this is practised, you gain the confidence of being healthy; you can work efficiently whether you are a physical or mental worker. Each one of us deserves to be happy and lead a quality life. This comes only when we are healthy, confident and practise this for ourselves that can be spread to others around us.

Simple and thoughtful changes and amendments to our daily deeds, food and eating habits, interaction with others, clean and neat surroundings, ample physical activities and of course not forgetting to smile and take a breather is all what makes life healthy, likable and worth living each moment.