Re: SAttvic AhAr : Indian Cuisine Basics
Vannakam Eastern Mind
Your post is a wonderful summary of a warning, and a must for this thread
I completely agree. Since none of these 4 points are a part of my lifestyle i tend to forget what it can be like.
Also, that was the very idea of this 'basics' thread, so that people do not start out on the wrong foot with festive menus of puris , pulav and pakoras on the internet.
White rice , we do eat , and pasta, but i try to use wheat bulgar , whole wheat, and in rare cases - barley/millet. Have to try quinoa.
Deep frying and use of coconut : frequency zero, although fried snacks from stores are bad. I have a small kadhai lying around, which is hardly ever used.
Sweets : mostly fruit. I thought sweets on a regular basis were supposed to be "for kids only" . As it is , do children stop eating cookies ,cakes or candy because we tell them to ? Otherwise that would be a question of frequency of desserts - same as in any other cuisine.
Indian Food can be definitely quite rAjasic, but there is a lot of scope for sattva. It can be either misused, or turned healthy - just as any other. Mediterranean and other diets are quite healthful, and there are many good things in healthy American diet.
In Goa , the south-west coast , and south, rice and coconut seems the staple. Those who grew up with it seem to be OK, may be they are used to it and other good things in the diet offsets the bad. Coconut is supposed to help with Ph Balancing, acid-base, and perhaps that takes care of some of its vices.
In the north its heavy cream - malai, paneer and deep frying, however whole wheat is a staple.
I don't see people deep frying and eating mithAi everyday in today's world. It probably worked/works when a lot of physical work was/is required - before inventions were made.
Also, some people who say they like Indian Food, do so based on the tasty but not-always healthy restaurant food.
praNAm
|| Shri KRshNArpaNamastu ||
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