Eknath Kadam > Eating Right

About two years ago, my friend introduced me to a way of better eating. In simple words it can be called as Organic-Raw-Vegan food. Each word here needs a big explanation. I have written in the past about why raw and why vegan. Today lets focus on why Organic.

Only two years ago I heard this word, Organic food. What does this mean? Well, this means a produce grown naturally, meaning, without any kinds of chemical fertilizers, pesticides. The seed itself has to be conventional. Not hybrid (Genetically Modified). But why is so much fuss about being organic? A hybrid fruit looks big and gorgeous and tastes good too. Whats wrong with it?

If you have heard the word green revolution, then you might know that green means nothing but hybrid seeds, new chemical fertilizers and new pesticides. Around 30 to 50 years ago, this new breed of products were thought as God’s blessing. Hybrid seeds produced several times more crops than a conventional or local seed would have yielded. And it was thought of as a miracle. But only until recently the big truth came out.

Whats the truth about Green Revolution?

The truth is that it was great and wicked plan of capitalistic minds to make huge amount of money and to have the biggest power possible, by controlling the most basic need of food and rob humans of their nutrition . These seeds were created in laboratory. The seed’s DNA was altered so that it can yield more crops. While the intentions might be thought as good, they knew it very well that the new seeds have no resistance power against insects and natural diseases. So they wouldn’t survive unless you use the new pesticides. And they wouldn’t yield as advertised unless you use chemical fertilizers. All made in big factories. So far, a farmer would never visit a town to buy something like seed or a fertilizer. All his needs were fulfilled locally. A village was a complete ecosystem in itself. And hence the money rarely went out of village. Instead, when he sold his crops in town, money was flown from town to village.

When for the first time some villagers tries these new hybrid seeds, they thought of it as miracle. Without understanding the deeper consequences. The consequences were  disastrous.

1. Now, farmer has to go to town and pay for this new hybrid seeds. Money goes to big companies like Monsanto who control 90% of the worlds seeds.

2. Since these seeds wont grow without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, they need to be bought from city. They are very expensive. Again money goes to these big companies.

3. Due to these new chemical fertilizers and pesticides the land has become compact and barren. Old wooden or metal plough doesn’t work anymore. They need tractors to do most of the work. A farmer now has to rent a tractor. Money goes to big companies who make these tractors.

4. At the end, even if there is huge crops, farmer can’t decide the price himself. Typically, the produce is auctioned and farmer has to accept the auctioned price.

5. The new produce which is outcome of hybrid seeds and chemical fertilizers has no substance in it, its nutrition-less and contains deadly pesticides.

6. The worst of  consequences is, this entire process has destroyed the village ecosystem. Now and then the farmer has to run to town to buy new seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, rent tractors. The new produce has weakened his immune system and now needs to run to doctors too. All this is very expensive for a poor farmer. The money is constantly flown out of village. A farmer is becoming poorer and poorer.

7. Over the 50 years the farmers have become so poor, now they have to opt for loans to purchase these expensive products, an he always cant pay them back. Over the period he becomes bankrupt and commits suicide.

Since couple of years, things are becoming more clear. The crimes that these companies have committed are coming into light. While a lot remains to be done against this, we can start with ourself.

By beginning to eat organic food.

To understand the whole phenomenon better, I recommend watch this video.

When I was convinced that eating raw and vegan is the only right way to feed yourself, one of the biggest challenge was to stop eating my favorite foods. For example, I loved all milk products. If you are not eating your favorites food once in while, life starts to seem meaningless. Like we need Samosa, Pani-Puri, Bhel or any other chat (चाट) item once in while to stimulate our tongue and to feel alive. There was a time when I stopped eating them completely and started eating them once in while until I found the right alternatives. Gabriel Cousens’ book Conscious Eating was a great help in this matter. There is a raw-vegan alternative to almost every non-raw-vegan item. Lets begin with milk.

Milk is an indispensable food item in every culture. The myth about milk and milk products is that they provide a great amount of protein, calcium, fat and other vitamins. For the truth read this item or google for ‘dairy problems’. Raw vegan eating is more about following the nature’s laws. Unfortunately man has forgotten his nature. Milk is made for calfs, not humans, but unfortunately when milk companies make ads like “दुध दुध दुध दुध दुध हेे वनडरफुल, पि सकते हेे रोज गलासफुल” we get hypnotized by the wonderful ad and dont search for facts. It is sad that our lives are governed by ads and we have no time to research for what is good for us and what is not. I found it interesting that when humans have a great natural choice of foods why do we still eat animal products, who, only eat grass? Almond is a rich food, apple is a rich food, avocado is rich food. Animals do not get to eat them. All vegetables and fruits are rich foods. They contain all nutrition humans require, in natural and digestible form. Man has gone mad, has turned his back on these rich foods and eating only grass.

Coming back to alternatives, there are delicious alternatives to all milk products. Seed and nut milks. An year ago when I discovered almond milk, I immediately fall in love with it. Soak almond overnight, in the morning add some water and blend it till become like milk, add your favorite sweetener a pinch of cardamom powder and you have made Masala Milk for yourself. Same way you can make milk out of cashews, pecans, peanuts and many other nuts and seeds. Soymilk is another great alternative . And you can have soy-curd, soy-cheese, soy-tofu. Curd, tofu and cheese can also be made out of seed and nut milk.

Nowadays I can easily find Almond-cheese, rice-cheese, cashew-butter, peanut-butter and many other butters made from non-dairy products. Kefir is a great alternative to curd. All these alternatives are really delicious and healthier choices over dairy products.

I am excited to share a wonderful way to start your day. Doctors say breakfast is the most important meal. If you want your brain to work at its optimum energy level, you gotta do a heavy breakfast. The digestion power of the stomach is also at its best in the morning and whatever you eat in the morning gets better assimilated in your body than the evening meal. 

Traditionally in India we eat Poha, Upma, Idli, Wada, Sabudana Khichdi etc etc. most of which consist highly processed foods. I have loved preparing and eating these dishes all along these years. But my recent efforts to transition from cooked to raw food has struck with a discovery of starting my day with wonderful, easy and yummy dishes.

Doctors say, if you love fruits, its best to eat them in the morning. Morning breakfast should also have enough amount of proteins. Most of the nuts are rich in proteins. They say, an almond soaked overnight is as rich in protein as an egg. So all my following dishes are prepared from nuts soaked overnight, fruits and natural sweeteners.

Nuts/Seeds:
Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Peanuts, Pine nuts and Brazil nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Macadamia nuts, Sunflower seeds are all rich in protein and can be soaked overnight to multiply their protein content and make them more digest-able.

Fruits:
Banana, Apple, Oranges, Mango, Kiwi, Pear, Papaya, Strawberries are some of the fruits which can be used for these recipes.

Sweetners:
Doctors say using sugar is not healthy, it contains chemicals and its highly processed. Instead, there are far better, healthier and natural alternatives to sugar. And you will love them all. Honey, Maple Syrup, Agave nectar and Stevia are some of the best and natural ways of sweeteners available.

Preparation:

It cant be easier.

1. Soak your favorite nuts overnight. 
2. Choose your favorite fruit(s) and cut it into medium pieces.
3. Transfer nuts and fruits to mixer/blender and add your choice of sweetner
4. Blend till the mixture becomes smooth
5. Your morning delight is ready!!!

Check out recipes section for more yummy delights.

My struggle to be a complete raw-vegan continues. In my language, there is a saying which says its hard to forget the cast you belong to. Same way its really hard to change your food habits. Food tastes which we inherit from our tradition cannot be changed so easily. Like, we in India, typically eat quite a spicy food, and can never-never think of just eating sandwiches and salads as whole diet. Being an indian, its difficult not to include Chapati/Paratha as part of our diet. For indians who live abroad eating a frozen Chapati/Paratha is no more a healthy choice, but still they just cant think of eliminating it from the diet.

So changing eating habits is challenging not just because of the taste phenomenon but the problem is much more complex than what we understand. Food is a complex phenomenon so are eating patterns. We eat even if we are not hungry. We see some delicious food, or just the picture of food and the desire to eat arises. So food is much more than basic need of our body. Food has entered into our psyche and we use food to avoid our psychological problems.

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, a scientist, nutritionist, a doctor, an author and a spiritually awakened person, says in his wonderful book Conscious Eating that for most people “food as their best friend. Food is safe sex. Food is sensual, accessible and easy. Food makes them feel connected to life and the world. Eating takes away thier loneliness, grief, stress and pain. Eating is a convenient way to stuff feelings. Food is addiction.” 

Eating and food is a subject of deep research. My self-research has arrived to a point where I have decided to be a complete raw vegan for so many reasons which I would like to cover in my upcoming posts. Being a cook,  I love to cook , But when you decide to be a raw vegan there is really nothing to cook, but still you can be a cook and prepare wonderful mouth-watering dishes. Eating right section of my website is fully dedicated to such raw vegan recipes. I am discovering exciting raw-vegan recipes on a daily basis. So I will update recipes section almost every day. There are also some steamed recipes for soups and rices. You are invited to visit recipes section of this website, try some of the wonderful recipes for yourself and leave your feedback !

Happy Eating !!!