Bring a sattvic kitchen home

Shes not sure when eating healthy transformed from being a way of life to a fad but Dr Hansa Yogendra Director of The Yoga Institute in Santa Cruz doesnrsquot mind it too much ldquoTrends are good if they make life simpler and compel you to think before taking action says the author whose second volume on sattvic dietary practices The Sattvic Kitchen Rupa R595 just came out ldquoItrsquos good that people have begun to realise the importance of good healthrdquoWhat troubles her is our thirst for the stamp of approval from the West for the knowledge we already hold for centuries ldquoInstead of living our own culture we are interested in living the Western culturerdquo she says disapproving of our hunger for variety in food demanding something new every time ldquoIndian food is simplemdashdal rice vegetables chapati with variants in preparation Thatrsquos our foundation and it must not be disruptedrdquo she says firmlyYoga guru Dr Hansa Yogendra believes a lavish spread can be had once in a while but one shouldnrsquot overeat or eat wrong every day Simplify your daily meals instead PicAnurag AhireThe book has over 100 recipes detailing the calorie count and nutritional facts along with how each of them benefit our body and mind and what conditions each one of them is favourable to It also delves in detail on cooking hydrating building immunity and healing with ayurveda and on sustainability There are tonnes of cooking tips with each recipe simplified for those who are novices in the kitchenYogendra is disturbed by the fact that most homes these days donrsquot have a working kitchen ldquoPeople bring in takeaways or order inmdashtherersquos no need for a kitchenmdashit is so frighteningrdquo she says ldquoA kitchen is a sacred space with positive emotions where the entire family can come together sit talk help each other cook enjoy various tasks and add ingredients to make food tastier That charm of cooking and eating is getting lost People eat like it is a task they must check off the todo list We must eat with our senses involving our body mind emotions and intellect We must smell see touch eat and enjoy the ingredients that have been used to make the dish knowing fully that these will nourish our body Yoga says you should feel pleasant about the food enjoying every morsel chewing it wellmdashsomething you look forward tordquoMagni dal ni khichdiYogendra feels it is important that food is made by someone in the family who feels for you and knows what your body needs right now For instance if you are suffering from a cold or if your stomach is bad they will cook accordingly She also points out the hazards of eating food that comes from a bottle or packet highlighting nutrition deficiencies imbalanced potassium levels and risk of PCOD etc ldquoAdd to that the nerve stimulantsmdashtea coffee liquor and drugs Food is nutrition for the body and mind alike and these stimulants lead to habit formation and going on wrong pathsrdquo she warnsSo what really went wrong in our lifestyle we ask Yogendra ldquoOur whole approach towards life has become materialisticrdquo is her answer ldquoFood is not important earning money is Our grandmothers spent a good amount of time in kitchens planning and preparing breakfast lunch and snacks With fulltime jobs no one can afford to do that Our greed for more has left us with little or no stability in liferdquoSo how do we fix the problem at hand we ask ldquoThe answers are in simplification Go back to dal rice vegetables and chapati rotate the combos throughout the day and add fruits and dry fruits for snacksrdquo she says ldquoYou canrsquot sit with a plate full of variety every time There is no time nor inclination for it A large spread can be had once in a while Overfeeding someone is not love spend time with them instead Make life meaningful Real happiness is not in eating a lavish mealmdashthat feeling goes away in a few minutesmdashit is when you are useful to others and when you see their life uplifted because of yourdquo she addsSattvic checklist Make food at home eat fresh Donrsquot eat anything that has been cooked more than 24 hours ago Meal preps should be in the form of cutting vegetables soaking and sprouting pulses Condition your mind and plan your day The refrigerator is for raw veggies milkand curd Yoghurt should be freshly made and leftovers used to make kadhi or other dishes