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Wellness

The best connection with food !

by Roopa November 4, 2022
written by Roopa

Every one connects differently with food ! Here’s a secret ! In the particular way that you connect with food lies your health or ill-health ! For health, happiness and youthfulness, the right connect with food is essential !!

Yes! Food is meant to be enjoyed, savored and relished. Primarily, food provides that essential, nourishing, life-giving, life-sustaining source of energy and nourishment to all living creatures. All creatures need food to survive !

People associate food with many memories. Food and drink play an important role in celebrations all over the world ! Food is also strongly associated with culture, regions, history, traditions and festivals.

Food means different things to different people. For some, food is a source of happiness, a source of comfort, a binding factor that keeps families together. For some it is a reason to live for, they love to eat, and will travel distances to get the kind of food and drink that appeases their taste buds and appetites !

For some, eating food is something they just do to survive. They are not really interested in it. Some are aware of what nutrients their food contains while some are blissfully ignorant of what nutrition is all about. They simply enjoy their food !

Think about how YOU connect with food ! What relationship do you have with it? Do you eat for your health or to satisfy your taste buds? Perhaps you manage to do both!

What are your thoughts when you eat ? What you eat, how you eat, with what attitude, and how much you eat – all these make a difference to the way your body and mind respond to the food.

Food is meant to be consumed and must not consume you !!

Food is Divinity incarnate !

Ancient Indian texts prescribe the best ways to connect with food. They state that food is a form incarnate of the Supreme Divine ! In Samskrit, the ancient language of the sacred texts of India, this is stated as “Annam Parabrahma Swaroopam.”

Food is composed of all the components of Earth. The 5 natural elements – space, air, light (fire), water, and earth – are incorporated in it. Every aspect, every bit of nature is a part of your food.

There’s divinity in food – it is what your body is made up of !

A right attitude towards food goes a long way in keeping you healthy, energetic, active and peaceful in mind and body !!

Here’re 4 simple things to keep in mind whenever you eat! Ensure that you eat :

  1. The RIGHT QUALITY /kind of food – Every inch of you is made up of the food you eat. Would you put into your body the best of food to keep it in top condition OR would you compromise on the quality and settle for a poor quality body ?! Be choosy and pick the best kinds of food to eat !!

Eat fresh, local, balanced, nutritious, vegetarian or vegan food that includes fruits, millets, cereals, lentils, vegetables, greens and nuts.

2.The RIGHT QUANTITY – Greed, over-eating, excessive eating, or too much interest and obsession with food is very harmful, and is the root cause of obesity. Moderation in quantity is the rule…. always better to eat a bit less rather than have a full stomach, is a good mantra !

3. At the RIGHT TIME – Eat when hungry, wait for a good appetite, which by itself is a sign of good health. Learn to say NO to food when you are not hungry (as long as you are a non-diabetic, reasonably healthy person).

4. With the RIGHT CONNECTION/Attitude – Consume/enjoy food with love, devotion, gratitude, respect, reverence, mindfulness and a conscious sense of satisfaction.

Have the best relationship with food !

When you respect and love your body, then your attitude towards food should be, or rather will be, one of love, respect, gratitude, mindfulness, purpose and contentment.

Nutrients in food = Health, energy, vitality, peace, contentment.

Food for appeasement of taste buds only = Ill-health, obesity, diseases, lethargy, unease.

Food comes to your plate because of the effort of many people and should never be wasted. The most noble and essential work is that of the farmer.

7 steps to reconnect in the best way to food !! :

  1. Be conscious, mindful and aware of what you are eating. Enjoy eating good, nutritious food.
  2. Take a really hard look at what is on your plate and ask if your body needs that food or is it on your plate because you just want it?
  3. Learn to choose the right kind of foods every time.
  4. Check – would you feed what you are eating to a small child that is growing up?
  5. Learn to enjoy the feeling of lightness of a partially-filled stomach.
  6. Learn to enjoy some hunger pangs – smile when your mind demands food. Your body will adapt soon enough.
  7. Be conscious of ‘contentment’ while eating. Stop eating when you feel content. Always take small portions and refill with small portions if you feel you need more. You will eat the right quantity this way and not waste any food.

Remember ! In the particular way that you connect to food lies your health or ill-health!

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November 4, 2022 0 comment
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Wellness

Giving and Receiving – both make you smile ! :)

by Roopa September 21, 2022
written by Roopa

To feel like a Ray of Sunshine, you need only to extend your hand and help others with a smile, thankful that they are receiving your help ! 🙂

It’s easier to give than to receive, for most people. However, unless there is a receiver, how can one give? It is the receiver who enables the giver to gift themselves the joy of giving. The two acts are interlinked.

Giving is a sure way to receive joy, satisfaction and gratitude just as by receiving, the receiver gives an opportunity to the giver to feel all these.

We are both receivers and givers, one way or the other.

What I learnt from my trek –

On my Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, something that struck me as amazing was the flow, balance and play between giving and receiving.

A trek lends itself to many simple ways in which one can help others. I can help someone by pulling them up a rock, holding their hand and walking with them if they have a fear of heights. If they run out of water, I can help by giving them water from my bottle. I can help by sharing my snacks if they are low on energy. I can give them a few words of encouragement to boost their mood, and lend an ear when they want to share something…

However, the more humbling and enlightening part is to become a receiver. To receive graciously and gratefully is a skill. Likewise, to ask for help with a smile when one needs it is a skill.

On the ascent to Gadsar Pass, for the first time during the trek, I knew I needed help to make it up the last few hundred meters. I stood there for a few moments, and with a smile, I reached out a hand, “can you hold my hand and help me up a bit?”. It was an interesting conversation Arvind and I had the next 15 minutes as we made it up the Pass together.

Both roles are important and are interlinked –

When the intention behind the receiving and the giving is pure and clear, it becomes a joyful, easy engagement for both. A gracious receiver uses this opportunity to show their appreciation to the giver. Indeed, by being a receiver and receiving help from someone, in whatever form that may be, the giver feels valued, capable and appreciated.

Both roles are positive as they build and strengthen relationships, and are expressions of trust and affection. We are not talking about ‘takers’ here, the ones who exploit someone’s good nature selfishly.

It made me feel happy that I could hold Ajay’s hand and help him on our descent on the last day of our trek. (He is uncomfortable on narrow high trails). Barely an hour later, it was his turn to handhold me down the rest of our descent! This balance and play of giving and receiving felt not the least bit awkward. That day will remain with us for long, making us smile when we recall it.

How blessed is a receiver to be the recipient of care, concern, affection, support and friendship!

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” –Maya Angelou

At the workplace –

The joys and benefits of giving and receiving can be extended to the workplace and other situations as well. We can help our teams achieve goals by offering help, giving guidance and ideas. On the other hand, when we need help at the workplace and do not ask or do not have the openness to receive it, it eats into the quality of work. A balance between the ‘outflow’ and ‘inflow’ of resources is good to have.

Both the acts of giving and receiving need openness of heart and mind. We need to give with an open heart just as we need to be able to receive with an open heart without judging people on their roles, worth or competencies.

This is a ‘thank you’ post to all those who helped me on my trek, and those who received from me as well. 😊

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September 21, 2022 0 comment
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THE ROAD WELL TAKEN
  • Home
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  • Blog
    • Wellness
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    • Book Reviews