Healthy Food Habits

There is no arguing that good nutrition, balanced diet and reasonable amount of work out are the key ingredients to a fit and healthy lifestyle. Health consciousness is entrenched in us right from childhood days. My father owned a restaurant when I was growing up; he is now retired. Well the whole family and almost all my relatives are into food business owning numerous bistros and quite a few fine eateries across Karnataka.

You might be wondering if I grew up munching on poori, vada and all those south Indian delicacies. Wish my answer to that was a huge yes but that was not the case. My mother made home made breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner every single day except Sunday’s breakfast. Sunday was the only day in a week when my siblings and I were allowed to order anything we want from the restaurant. I always ordered poori and kurma. Some times we were allowed to order Pulav for lunch on Sundays’. As a child I hated my mother for not giving us the freedom to eat anything at the restaurant. I had the total access to the junk food but unfortunately my mother was guarding me. It’s a horrible feeling when you get to see the food, smell it and not get to eat it. My father sometime would bring sweets and some deep fry like pakodas when he returned home in the night. I guess he felt bad for us or may be mother told him to do. I remember my friends at the school thought I ate restaurant food everyday and of course I didn’t go to correct that perception .

Now as an adult and more importantly as a mother I understand the importance of home made food. It is our duty to impose good eating habits in our kids’ right from their birth. Eating healthy food is cultivated from the childhood days and as a parent we should follow that rule strictly no matter how busy we are and how hard it is. I try to follow my mother’s path but it’s very challenging. To this day she asks me on the phone what did I make for breakfast? If I say we had cereal, her next question will be “why didn’t you made dosa or idly?” Cereal is wholesome but not for her. She tasted it and felt it too sweet. She calls it a dessert than of a breakfast. She still enquires about what I fed my kids. I’m not complaining but I feel so lucky to be her daughter. Rooting proper healthy food habits in our kids will definitely impact their food choices later on in their life. Our kids hopefully will thank us just like the way I am to my mother every single day of my life.

Does food alone keeps one healthy? Well that’s a totally new topic to talk on. I believe complete health is not just achieved by eating right, exercising and sleeping properly. There is no arguing that healthy consumption of food is the most important factor but keeping our self emotionally and spiritually fit is also equally important. Some find health benefit praying, singing, meditation and being among friends. It is said that mingling with friends and spending few hours with them will help you flight cold, cough, boost your immunity and generate happy hormones in you. I also read somewhere that talking keeps our brain cells active. For all those shy talkers, I ask you to come out and start talking. It keeps you healthy ; what other reasons we need.

Elders were not kidding when they said “apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Food consumption matters a lot. Everything we eat and everything we drink has an influence to our body. One needs to make careful choices when it comes to our own body. I hope everyone makes better health choice for them and for their beloveds.