Home made vs off-the-shelf food

I wrote this last year during Maggie row....

Let us see following criteria to understand the difference.

Preservatives: It is an open secrete that most of the processed and fast food has some amount of chemicals to preserve the food longer or increase it's shelf life...Some of them are GMO with or without labeling. This includes the regular flour (atta) we buy at store. Do you want to check the quality of flour which is used to make burger or noodles or pizza base or many more items...why it remains unaffected whereas the homemade flour at home doesn't last more than 2-3 weeks...

Salt: The salt content is very high in ready made that is used for flavor, addiction and preserving the food longer. We usually don't use this amount of salt in freshly cooked food.

Oil: Most of the oil we buy are refined or super refined that is bad for heart. The Indian style unrefined oil is not used by anyone (except in rural area) anymore. 

Are you aware that the oil in fast food resultants...most of them change once in a week. The oil once changed is heated for whole day for entire week, restaurant workers just add additional oil when the quantity is reduced. Do you want to check the quality of oil which is over heated several times on continuous basis???

Meat: Ever though of what kind of meat is used and how it is produced and processed? If you ever see the videos how sausages are made, will you be able to consume them?

Pickles and sauces: Pickles (Indian) or sauces in store are overloaded with oil, salt and preservatives. 

Calories: There is huge difference in the calories you consume when you eat food at home or outside. The home food may have average calaries (400-600) per meal considering moderate diet of lentil (dal), rice, vegetables, and salad. However, the same could be twice if you eat meal in the restaurant and unknowing about hygiene and other criteria.

What we can do?

I remember, my grandma and even my mother did for while....used summer vacations to prepare all those papad, pickles, noodles/simaya and many more items for the entire year.

Now, girls will say - it is outdated and time consuming process...but well, NO. Because there are modern equipments available... There are latest technology based grinder, atta makers and other equipments...one don't have to spend so much time in the kitchen.

I was talking to one of my friends in Mumbai. She mentioned about making atta, besan, masala at home using mini-chakki atta...she is doing it once in a week. 10min work. Masala / bensan once in month...why don't we use the latest technology to ease out daily stress instead of giving-in to outside poor quality food...

I make chivada, namkin, mysor pak, kheer (not using MTR), many sweets and namkin at home whenever I get time. I enjoy doing it too...No matter how much you are busy, you can always spend an hour or two in a week for this.

Indian street snacks made by smaller vendors are better as most of them consume what they cook for the day before closing the shop. Next day they start with new preparation like vada pav, samosa, chat kachori. Most of them do not know how to preserve the food longer using chemicals, so, they are cautious about the quantity. Only part you need to check is - water source.

Eating good food is a part of happiness...so enjoy your life with good food not with disease that will bother you and your finances during old age....

In the article - Nestle, PepsiCo and others 'use public funds to develop harmful snacks' Guardian mentioned Tim Lobstein, director of policy at the World Obesity Federation“While there may be good reasons to encourage companies to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, we also urge that the health impact of the products should be the first criterion for giving out public funds,” he said. “Why are we helping multinational corporations to make chocolate and snacks cheaper while obesity and diabetes rates are rocketing?” 

The most shocking part was the article by Dailymail, UK, "As obesity costs Britain £50bn a year and rising companies including Nestle and Pepsi given money to improve products" quoted Professor Philip James, chairman of the charity’s trustees, said: ‘Some of these grants are greater than the amounts spent by local health services tackling overweight in adults and children.’

In the paper - Biased, conflict of interest in Science controversial Industry funding of infant feeding studies by Lorretta Kopelman has alleged that it impacted the research (conducted by Popkin on infant mortality) in way of collecting, interpreting and reporting the work. It was also mentioned that Nestle promoted their baby food-formula during late 80s and early 90s...

Make health at home...with low cost, with less effort and with long lasting one...

‪#‎notomaggie‬ ‪#‎nestle‬ ‪#‎fastfood‬ ‪#‎processedfood‬ ‪#‎MaggieMuddle‬

Sanskrit Shlokas on Mothers Day

Here are few lovely Sanskrit shloka on MOTHER to share with you on Mother's Day! This will help us realize how we treated or expected to be treated 'mother' and 'women' in our society during ancient days.

1. आयु: पुमान् यश: स्वर्ग कीर्ति पुण्यं बलं श्रियं ।
    पशु सुखं धनं धान्यं प्राप्नुयान्मातृ वन्दनात् ।।

A man who serve mother truthfully will be blessed with long life, success, haven, fame, Laxmi, wealth, cattle, food grain, and everything.


2. जननि जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसि 

After Ravana's defeat, lord Rama said to Laxman, "Own Mother and birthplace are beautiful and greater than haven."
When Laxman, younger brother of Rama asked Lord Rama to acquire the kingdom (Sri-Lanka) after they had defeated and killed Ravana in the war, Lord Rama advised him to hand over the kingdom to Bibhishan, Ravana's younger brother, a rightful king as it was his mother land and Bibhishan inherited it after his elder brother's death. We must respect others' land or wealth (or women) without thinking of acquiring it in anyway. 

3. मातृपितृकृताभ्यासो गुणितामेति बालकः । 
    न गर्भच्युतिमात्रेण पुत्रो भवति पण्डितः ।।

Indian mother and father insist on studies so that their child gain adequate knowledge and skill to lead a respectable life. There is a saying - a king is respected within his kingdom, but a knowledgeable person is respected everywhere.

4. मातृवत परदारेषु परद्रव्येषु लोष्टवत्। आत्मवत् सर्वभूतेषु यः पश्यति स पंडितः।। 

A noble people treat and respect all the women (except his own wife) as mothers. They consider others' wealth as dust and have no intention of acquiring it in anyway. In addition, they also treat and love every living-being or creature and cause no harm to them in anyway.

5. माता मित्रं पिता चेति स्वभावात् त्रतयं हितम् |
    कार्यकारणतश्चान्ये भवन्ति हितबुद्धय: ||

Mother, father and friends are the only people who are interested in your well-being in real way. Thinking of 'good' about you is part of their nature and they do it without any condition or expectation or personal gain. So, value them as others in your life may have business/professional relationship based on certain spoken or unspoken terms and condition/benefits.

6. आदौ माता गुरौ पत्नी ब्राह्मणी राजपत्निका
    धेनुर्धात्री तथा प्रथ्वी सप्तैता मातरः स्मृतः

The ancient Indian tradition teaches us to respect our own mother first, then others in following order - teacher's wife (a brahmin lady), a queen, a cow, a foster mother and the mother earth.  We consider them as MOTHER and respect them at par...

7. मातृदेवीम नमस्तुभ्यं मम जन्मदात्रिम त्वम् नमो नमः ।
    बाल्यकाले मां पालन कृत्वा मातृकाभ्यो त्वम् नमाम्यहम ॥

I salute my mother who gave me birth; I also salute my other mothers (women) who added knowledge and wisdom to my actions and life to make me a good human being.

8. मातृ देवो भव् पितृ देवो भव्
    आचार्य देवो भव्, अतिथि देवो भव्

Let you be one who worships mother, father, teachers and guests as 'God'.

When we study our ancient scripture, we realize that there is profound respect given to mother and women in general. So, read the original scripture to know yourself.

Mother's Day

Importance of visiting temple and following rituals.

I have been asked several times by my foreign  friends - Why Hindus visit temples?
After researching and talking to few experts, I found few reasons. Apart from spiritual need, people went to temple for social and scientific reasons.

Darshan: We visit temple for Darshana or see the 'sight' of the supreme lord. This helps the devotee to connect the god mentally and emotionally. It also help in concentrating fully with god and forgetting the rest of the universe around us. This 'Dhyana' or mediation creates vacuum in our continuous flow of thoughts that facilitate to attain peace.

Idol: God is humanized in the form of 'idol' that helps devotee to concentrate on an object. It gives a definite shape or form to our imaginary thoughts. In addition, every god or supreme power has certain characteristic to his/her personality and we ultimately wish to have them or improve in those area.

Rituals: Rituals in Hinduism are in different form. One set of rules are for temples and another for personal life. Temple rituals revolves around "pranpratishtha" or installing the idol of a deity in the temple with proper rituals of invoking god/goddess with sanskrit chanting, bathing the idol with milk, water, honey, clarified butter and yogurt (panchamrut i.e. 5 nectors or liquids), dressing up with cloth, flowers, ornaments, offering food and singing bhajan (devotional songs).

Every ritual invokes human 5 senses - touching(touching the deity), seeing(seeing the deity), tasting (panchamrut), smelling (flowers, camphor, and other things), hearing (the chanting, arti, bhanjan)...bring 'self' the present state or in temple completely.

On daily basis the worshiping is done in smaller scale to invoke and sleep the god in the form of idol. The same process is followed at home in much smaller scale.

There are other rituals in Hinduism are meant for social occasions such as marriage, and death and so on... this signifies the life and meaning we have for every part of the life and the way we accept and respect it. These rituals associated with the special occasions reminds us our duty or role or 'dharma' during that phase. Most of them are beneficial and scientifically  proven. For example, the silver toe rings are part of acupuncture  therapy that regulates uterus function in women and avoid diseases associated with. It also improve a sexual desire in women and therefore forbidden for unmarried  or widows to wear them.

Concept of Brahma: This concept remind us the value of I. I am Brahma. So do others. The temple may have one of more deities whom we worship or devote ourself with the concept of I am one part of the universe. I am also God. The devotion teaches us to let go off "I" that is main cause of stress and conflict in the personal and professional life.

Architecture: Most ancient temples have magnificent architecture that have scientific as well as spiritual significance. The scientific meaning of the temple architecture is associated with the scientific construction that includes the decor, angles, lights, the environment and the other things.

The common features of the temples are:
1. Central sanctum enshrines for the main deity
2. Secondary sanctums are for other deities such as Ganesha, Nandi and so on...
3. The space for the trained priest to perform rituals
4. The space in-front of the main deity is for devotees to stand/sit to worship or attend the Arti
5. The outside areas  either within the temple premises or outside the temple premises meant for public for attending social functions or discourse
6. There is additional space for devotees for pradkshana or parikrama or walk around the garbha graham or main section of the temple, but this is within the premises/external boundaries of the temple.

Pradaksihina or Parikrama: The reasons behind pradkshana is - we consider god is center part of our action, our thought and our world. When we go around, we keep the deity at the center of the gravity and consider it as the main focus of our existence. This concept usually helps devotees to consider to take life as it comes or consider this is devoted to the god /universe and we all are part of it. This is one of the ways to keep our mind balanced and peaceful by removing the focus from 'self' or 'I'.

The role Temples in Society: Temples, in general, played a larger role in the society that provided educational, social support in addition to providing them an emotional, and a spiritual support. Most temples in ancient India were also served as educational institutes or gurukul and the center for social gathering in the evening. The additional space within the temple is provided to people to held social rituals and ceremonies. The spiritual guru used the same space to give the discourse that taught most to stay away from materialistic, physical or emotional vices. The environment also helped to inculcate the basic virtue through friendship, forgiveness, humility, tolerance, courage, guidance and more...thus improving overall improvement.




http://www.hinduismtoday.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=5315

Respecting Women is an old Indian tradition...

Respecting women is always been part of our culture since it's origin...

यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः ।
यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफलाः क्रियाः ॥
he divine are extremely happy where women are respected ;
where they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless.

या श्री: स्वयं सुकृतिनां भवनेषु
Who is the Goddess of Fortune Herself in the families of the meritorious

अलक्ष्मीः पापात्मनां
The Goddess of ill luck in the homes of the sinful

त्वं श्रीस्त्वमीश्वरी त्वं ह्रीः
Thou art the Goddess of Fortune, Thou art the supreme Goddess, Thou art Modesty

या देवी सर्वभूतेषु शक्तिरूपेण संस्थिता
The Goddess who resides in all beings as Power

त्वं स्त्रि त्बं पुमानसि त्वं कुमार उत वा कुमारी
Thou art the woman, Thou art the man, Thou art the boy and the girl as well.
Source: Internet

#Ancient #Hindu #Knowledge #customs #Hindu #Hinduism #India #lifestyle #culture #women #respect #international #women #day

Yoga and Modern life

While many people debate and discuss over Yoga, there is one indisputable truth is - no previous Indian government took effort to preserve or promote yoga in anyway, which is one of the richest Indian legacy and a gift to the world. Actually, yoga should have been a part of our early education to build the correct attitude towards healthy lifestyle. However, prior to late 90s, the knowledge of yoga in India was available to exclusive few. 

Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri's made huge contributions by bringing people from all the backgrounds into yoga fold...they easily made it available to the commoners during last decade. PM Modi took this to the next level and got UN / global recognition creating a bigger appeal among common citizens across the globe, especially developing and poor countries. (pls check out the pictures from Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt and so on)...

Most of us would have been shocked if we new how people in small towns in USA practically knew yoga and made it as a part of their fitness regime decades ago....and today we are still debating over yoga - right or wrong, secular or communal, good or bad....what is wrong with us?

Sharing my personal experience.... My elder sister and I were first introduced to yoga through a proper 20 days yoga camp during our high school days where the Mr Iyangar, the yoga guru taught us following 4 limbs of Yoga (Yamas, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama). 

When we attended the camp, we didn't realise how much impact that camp would make in our lives...but it indirectly kept us away from unhealthy lifestyle, because along with yoga, life-style change was big part of teaching. All that helped us build the attitude towards creating a balanced life.

BTW, the yoga, we learned was much closer to the original form and is different from what we understand from media and modern gurus in a gym as the yoga taught these days is sort of commercial and Americanised, may be for creating a wider appeal.

For example, PM Modi's video on 'Shavasana' had only physical activity (lying down and relax) but missed the mind relaxation process that is integral part of 'Shavasana'.

But, at least, we have started somewhere...Hope we take it to the next level by introducing it into the schools to build the right attitude towards life...

#Yoga #modern #healthy #life #sandhya, #sandhya jane #patanjali yoga sutra #balanced #positive lifestyle #Vedic Knowledge #vedic #gyan