Sunday, February 04, 2018

Food – Important Source of Energy


What are the sources of energy for our body ?
1.     Food
2.     Sleep
3.     Breath
4.     Happy / Meditative State of mind – How many of us meditate ?
How long can we survive without food ? Without water ? Without sleep ? Without breathing ?
Research shows that we can survive without food for 3 weeks, without water for 4 days and without sleep for 1 week, without breath for 7 mins.

Food is a very important source of energy. We eat food everyday, that too multiple times in a day. Which means its impact on our body and energy is very high. Special care needs to be taken to ensure that we get maximum energy from the food we eat. As said in Ayurveda, When Diet is Wrong, Medicine is of no use. When Diet is Right, Medicine is of no need. Food plays an important role in our lives and poor health can spoil all the efforts we have taken in achieving our dreams.

Food can be eaten Raw or in cooked format. For preparation of food for consumption, we follow a simple process of cleaning, cooking and then eating.
To get rid of pesticides n dirt, the food should be soaked for an hour before cooking. Water is a natural cleanser and cleans the aura of the food as well, similar to we taking bath every morning. This will also help us eat the food with the cover.

Once the food is cleaned, we go ahead and cook it. We can cook food by – various methods.
When food is deep fried complex substances called aldehydes are formed which increase risk of cancer and other diseases.
Loss of nutrients happen while Baking at very high temperatures or while pressure cooking.
Sautéing can retain essential nutrients of food similar to solar or steam cooking.

The vessel in which we cook our food should be made of material which supports or builds our body. Utensils of Aluminium, Anodized, Non Stick, material are harmful for use. During the cooking process, when the spatula rubs against the surface of these metals, minute particles rub off and enter the body with food causing ailments in the vital organs of our body. Cooking n storing in Plastic containers leech harmful chemicals into food which can lead to adverse health effects like hormones related diseases in men and women and increase the risk of cancer.

Cooking in Iron, Steel, Stone and Clay are some of the best ways to avoid the harmful effects of particle infiltration and leeching. The food can be eaten in Glass, Steel or wooden ware.

Food has life energy of its own. Any cooked food remains fresh for 3-4 hours after cooking and should be eaten within that time. If we do not get energy from food, we don’t feel full or satisfied even after eating. Re-Heating foods in microwaves destroys all energy from food and should be avoided at all cost. The temperature of the food should be at room temperature while eating.

To get the maximum nutrition and benefits from our food, before we eat, we need to embrace a sense of gratitude. We pray for the happiness of the people who grow our food, those who bring our food to us and those who cook and serve it. This ensures that we always eat food that is full of life energy thus giving us the maximum benefit from consuming it.
Please close your eyes before food and say- Anna Data Sukhi Bhava. Anna Data Sukhi Bhava. Anna Data Sukhi Bhava. Then have a blissful food experience !

A Helping Hand

I had heard from my domestic help about her neighbour, who was facing extreme issues at home. She had told me how her few months old child kept crying all day and how there were loud noises of fights coming from the neighbourhood at night. I used to wonder.
One evening, my domestic help was unwell and I was visiting her to take her to the doctor. I heard the child crying next door. The incessant crying was painful to the ears. I asked my maid as to what was the reason for this. She told me that this girl’s husband used to drink alcohol and beat her up. This guy never gave money for the household expenses and the mother and child, used to go hungry most of the times. I went to see this girl, a very timid looking girl, still recovering from the duel that had happened sometime back. She told me that she was not getting any household work to do because she had a small child with her.
I Saw Suffering.
I Saw a woman being ill treated.
I wanted to do something …
I wanted to call the police !
I was thinking why doesn’t someone do something about it ?
How can a simple person contribute to the society in the most nimble way. The thought didn’t seem to go away from my mind. My friend and I had been making few gifting items at home during Diwali. Items like Diyas and Torans, which we used for gifting to friends and family. The numbers were really small and were primarily executed as a hobby in spare times. The situation brought the idea of making more and selling, to generate revenue, eventually evolving into a micro enterprise. We spoke to the girl, offering her work to learn how to make these items and then we shall market them with all our might.
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
– Chinese Proverb
She Agreed. With her three-month-old child, she initially started coming over to learn for an hour. Her child used to be fed and put to sleep and she could peacefully do her work. Slowly she became more comfortable and the time span started increasing. Once we taught her how to make something, she also had the option to take the raw material home and work at home. This brought in a lot of flexibility. She was dedicated and gave her 100% to work. Thus by Creating opportunities in an agile way, bringing in flexibility in the way of functioning, transformation of one household was happening. Earning to fend for her child gave her the lost self-respect, and she was much more confident to go out into the world.
We put up a stall in our area and she was behind the stall, seeing the impact of her efforts. Apart from the salary that she had received for her efforts, a portion of the profit was shared with her. The happiness on her face, was priceless. With the earnings she received, she fend for her family with self respect. She bought a sari for herself. Happiness to her and Satisfaction for me.
Bringing in flexibility in the way of functioning has brought smiles to those around us. Being sensitive and sensible has helped bring good to the society.
This is how Asar Initiative Started ! Giving is easy, but doing so with Sensitivity and Care is an art!