Our bodies are our very own unique and beautiful temples. It is our duty to worship and nourish these temples with the very best we can offer. One of the greatest ways to do so is by paying attention to the food that we consume day in and day out.
As we all know, good food leads to good health and also a happy body, mind and soul. But we must question ourselves and ponder on the fact that we may not be eating the best sustenance available. Have you ever taken note of how much produce consumed by you is actually local? Does your diet consist of staples grown in your area? If not, it’s time to make a small change.
We are creatures of nature. The closest thing that we resonate with is nature. Yet we believe that we can control this god-like force. We lock ourselves in these concrete jungles of our own creation and believe that we are the ones in charge. This disconnect from nature has made our physical disease rates go higher and our mental health go lower. That is why having direct contact with the environment is so important. We feel so much better when we’re surrounded by luscious green trees and plants, and we feel good when we walk barefoot on the sand or on grass. It provides us with that instant pick me up that we all need from time to time because the elements of nature are the same elements that we are made up of.
Since we are all, in a manner of speaking, intertwined with mother earth, you will notice that she takes care of us. Nature provides exactly what we need to combat, survive and thrive during different seasons. Fruits like apples and oranges are now available 12 months a year, but once upon a time they were only found during certain seasons. Every plant and fruit is seasonal, why? Because they provide us with the exact vitamins and minerals that our body needs in order to survive.
Eating natural and eating seasonal connects us back to the similar energies that we are made up of. Consuming that which is closest to you benefits your body because that produce is inherently made specifically for you. Nature provides the exact input your body needs for a particular type of weather. Eating local and then seasonal will greatly help you improve your health and wellbeing.
Nature provides us with fruits like mangoes during our sweltering summers so that we may quench our thirst with its juice and re-energise ourselves with the natural sugars and fibres present. We receive oranges and other citrus fruits during December because we require the Vitamin C present to help us through the months of winter. So, you see, the reason why we get different fruits and vegetables in different parts of the world during different seasons is because each of our requirements are different.
Did you know that consuming honey that’s farmed in your neighbourhood gives you added benefits in comparison to regular commercial honey? Why? Because it contains traces of pollen from your surroundings, thereby building up your immunity and providing you with nourishment.
Unfortunately, because we as a country have moved away from local and seasonal eating, our farmers today are suffering. Our soil has suffered trying to grow crops that aren’t suitable for it. We have pushed commercial farming so much that we have lost the health of our soil and thereby lost the vital nutrients it provides the crops growing there. This is one of the reasons why a variety of my Gouri’s Goodies ready-to-eat products are created using native grains such as ragi and millets.
Diving into a seasonal diet can be difficult, especially now that we are spoilt with numerous options all year round. It is important to find a proper balance so that you are content with the food that you are consuming. Do not deprive yourself of something that you are craving, instead enjoy it every once in a while.
Nature is all giving and all providing, it is up to us to accept it with gratitude. Retrospect into what you want for yourself. Do you want a healthy and happy body and a prospering environment? Shifting to a natural, local and seasonal diet might not be the easiest at the start, but find the correct balance will make you happier and your body healthier.
Written by Gouri Gupta
Week 28 July, 2021
