The ancient Indian rituals listed several ways to include daily habits that allowed us to offer gratitude to mother nature so that we could continually be nourished by her. Radhika Iyer Talati, Founder of Food by Anahata, an Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Mountaineer & Yogini, explains few ancient Indian food practices that are the need of the hour now.
India is a country with an overwhelming cultural diversity that is layered with unique traditions. Food is considered ‘Prana’, sacred energy and every meal we consume, an offering to the Supreme Divine.
The ancient Indian traditions systematically laid down rules about what to eat, when to eat, and most importantly, how much to eat. They suggested cultivating eating habits according to our ‘Prakriti’ or humor from a very early age. It was insisted that one must include all 6 tastes in a meal (sour, pungent, bitter, salty, sweet, and astringent) so as to maintain a disease-free body. It was also mandatory to include whole grains, millets, legumes, vegetables, nuts, spices, and berries to every meal. In fact, the earliest recorded evidence from several Ayurvedic texts mentions popular lentils and their therapeutic use for the body. For example, the Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam emphasise the importance of spices like black pepper, cinnamon, turmeric etc. in the everyday diet.
Listed are a few ancient Indian food practices that are appropriate even today:
Drinking warm water, preferably out of an iron or copper pot as soon as we wake up. Water stored overnight in these metal containers increases the alkaline content in the body. The Oligodynamic effect produced in these vessels is known to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and antioxidant properties, assisting in the formation of hemoglobin as well as increasing cell regeneration.
Sitting down on the floor and eating in silence is an age-old tradition of our country. It is said that sitting on the floor while eating food is a yogic posture called Sukhasana, which is said to massage the abdominal muscles, boosting blood circulation in the abdomen thus increasing digestion.
Having an after-mint or mouth freshener after meals enhances blood circulation in the body. A variety of spices, nuts, flowers, and berries are prepared as Mukhwas that contain several vitamins and minerals needed for maintaining bone health. Betel leaf is also consumed post mess as it is rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B-6, and so many phytonutrients.
Eating your dessert either before your meal or as a snack between your meal, will do wonders for your gut health. That’s simply because sweet food takes a longer time to digest.
Consuming seasonal fruits alone once a week does wonder for the digestive system. That was the reason our country is full of fasting traditions. Modern research suggests that weekly 24-hour fasting improves not only cardiovascular health but also helps fight certain kinds of cancer and even helps protect brain health.
Consuming milk infused with medicinal herbs an hour before bedtime is considered very therapeutic for the body. Not only does it increase the amount of melatonin in the body induce good sleep, but herbs like turmeric, ashwagandha, and mulethi balance the Prakriti on the body increasing immunity and better blood circulation.
Our ancient rituals reiterate engaging with your food with a positive intention and that in return will definitely improve digestion.
Practicing these simple ancient Indic sciences will increase immunity, aid metabolism, and increase the functioning of the digestive system. These habits, if practiced regularly can impact our overall health, bringing a holistic approach to both our mind and body.
