“Doc, my son eats a lotta junk! What should I do???” – a very common dialogue with an
alarmed mother… The advice differs from patient to patient so let’s not go into that but it always
makes me think deeper about this word ‘junk’!
Junk is useless, worthless, trash…!
“अन्न हे पूर्णब्रह्म” means “food is sacred & equal to ultimate truth”! is what our Hindu philosophy
teaches and this is what we grew up believing in. Since when did we start replacing the
sacredness in food by junkiness of our minds???
The term junk food dates back at least to the early 1950s, although its coinage has been credited
to Michael F. Jacobson of the Center for Science in the ‘Public Interest’, in 1972. “Junk food” is
a term used to describe food that is high in calories from macronutrients such as sugar and fat,
and often also high in sodium, making it hyperpalatable, and low in dietary fiber, protein, or
micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
Junk food is so called because it doesn’t play any role in healthy eating, especially if it is eaten
to excess. It is also known as optional food.
Now the question is ‘Is eating healthy a responsibility of the food or us???’ Does the so called
junk food comes into our mouth voluntarily and make us consume it??? No!!! It is us who order
it, pay for it, hog it with a drink full of sugar in no time and then call the same food ‘junk’! How
is this fair??? Also if it is an optional food by definition, whose responsibility it is to eat it as an
option and not as a regular meal?
Food is food! It is sacred! And it is going to be converted into your body in few hours after
consumption. The wellness of your body depends on many things including the food you eat and
the condition you are eating it in. Food carries the suggestions inside your body. What kind of
body do you expect to be formed if you keep calling its raw material ‘junk’? Certainly not a
healthy one!
According to Indian culture, food is….
Prasad
Food is often offered to deities during poojas & rituals. Once sanctified, it is
blessed with divine energy & so carries that divine energy within it. Eating such food is
considered necessary not only for physical nourishment, but also for spiritual growth.
Anna is Brahma
Taittiriya Upanishads describe anna (food) as brahma (ultimate
reality). It emphasizes that food is not to be wasted, disrespected as it carries the very
essence of life!
Ritual of purity & gratitude
Followers of many religions across the world offer prayers
to the food to express their gratitude. Many do so to offer gratitude to the Almighty &
pancha mahabhootas (5 elements) for making the meal possible.
Anna daan
Sharing and donating food is considered to be the highest form of service in
India. Offering food to needy humans, animals & birds is seen as an act of service to the
God. That makes the food a carrier of compassion and connection. Giving food is
considered to be a way of creating positive karma.
Annaprashan
It is a term used for ‘grain initiation’ of a kid. It is a sanskar performed
when the kid is considered old enough to start eating solid food. It is a sacred ritual for
his or her initiation into eating solid foods.
Annapurna
Indians worship the goddess Annapurna (goddess of nourishment).
In yogic traditions
food is not just for body, but it carries ‘prana’, the life energy and thus
affects the consciousness & spiritual growth.
My question is why are we moving away from such sacred path???
If you expect a healthy body, first and foremost thing you should do is to eat healthy, but at the
same time be mindful of what you are calling food! The so called junk food if eaten once in a
while is not going to cause any harm. But if you eat it regularly, this habit of yours is definitely
going to cause you a trouble. Hence, let’s take the responsibility of our habits and let the food be
acquitted of all the charges we have placed on it.
Enough of cursing food… Instead, bless it with love & positivity, say ‘I love you’ & ‘thank you’
to each and every morsel you are eating and see how it will bless you with eternal health. The
mere task of eating will become a profound experience of spiritual connection with the very
material you and I are made up of… food!
वदनि कवळ घेता नाम घ्या श्रीहरीचे ।
सहज हवन होते नाम घेता फुकाचे ।
जिवन करि जिवित्वा अन्न हे पूर्णब्रह्म ।
उदरभरण नोहे जाणिजे यज्ञकर्म ॥१॥
जनीं भोजनी नाम वाचे वदावे ।
अती आदरे गद्यघोषे म्हणावे ।
हरीचिंतने अन्न सेवित जावे ।
तरी श्रीहरी पाविजेतो स्वभावे ॥२॥
|| जय जय रघुवीर समर्थ ||
may we heal fully & completely…
© Dr. Sonal Wagh Varma
Homoeopath | Pain Relief Consultant | Reiki Healer | EFT Practitioner | Akashic Healer
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