God made man and then gave him all the rights to eat whatever he likes; only the apple tree was subject to exceptions, to terms and conditions. Believe it or not, we are on this earth for and due to this mere food, the apple. It all started with food, and even today the second cry of the baby is for it. “An Apple a day keeps the doctor away!” could be well better phrased as “A good cook keeps the doctor away.” Food is its own master – doesn’t matter if you want the body of a wrestler or just crave the ‘size zero’ tag. It can spice up your life or grill you out.
We do not perceive food as healthy or unhealthy, when the word “FOOD” pops up, it is the ecstatic untamed feelings that come to one’s mind, the family dinner or the first date or the long chats with friends. For once, you might forget the fat defining your tummy but you will never forget the “Midnight moment,” and hot afternoons with the cold coffee. Sometimes the best way to pass time is to ‘eat’, “I eat not because I am hungry but, because I am getting bored.” That isn’t a thought that only applies to me. Ask yourself, “What do I do when I get a free lecture?” For most, thoughts like studying in the library and finishing work come much later! The immediate reaction to such a situation is going to our canteen, ‘Jai Bhavani,’ and ordering Chinese or the ‘Vadapav’ watching the butter hit the pan and letting the aroma attract you like a magnet.
Now let’s put aside the feeling that food can stir up and come to the greedy human brain. The human mind has left nothing alone in terms of catering to our needs – not even food. Vegetables and fruits are known to grow larger by injecting hormones and talks of exposing the food chromosome to UV rays have also been doing the rounds. Little things like changing the Chinese food to cater to our Indian taste are widespread.
Nonetheless, questions like ‘What should we eat?’ and ‘How much we should eat?’ are most common. Well, it all depends on what you believe in. Your gym instructor prescribes food with low or negligible fat. If you consider religion to be your science, it asks you to eat less than what will satisfy your hunger and avoid wastage of food.
Lord Shiva had recommended bathing thrice and eating once a day and we managed to do the exact opposite. Should we be rectifying our mistake?
