What is the Meaning of Eating Well?

by P. Rajaram
(Kavali)

It means eating cleverly for your well being, for good health and for preventing diseases. It does not necessarily mean eating rich, expensive, sophisticated-looking or fashion-of-the-day foods.

There is a vast difference between the two types of eating. Of course we all probably want to choose the first way. So, what prevents us from doing so?.. I personally believe it is nothing more than our temptation to the food of the rich variety, and our dietary habits.

We know our organs get used to doing things regularly, once they are disciplined to do so. This is habit forming. Example is physical exercise. So is our digestive tract, which can be disciplined to accept, enjoy and work with only 'good food'. We can certainly form habits of eating well.

Foods containing all the nutrition we want is good food. To be avoided are foods containing harmful (cholesterol causing) fat, excessive simple carbohydrates, and which again get converted to fat, or to harmful and even poisonous stuff.

Yes, we sometimes take poisonous materials in, without even knowing. Stale foods, putrefied foods which do not look so, stored fruit juices, cut fruits stored long after cutting, weekend purchases for week-long consumption like bread, meat etc. are all examples of potential poisons.

Fresh foods, washed well, hygienically prepared, unprocessed or processed little as to be not far from its natural state, foods that are high in fiber (which help with the process of digestion), foods which require a lot of preprocessing in the mouth with our saliva and so are digested easier, are examples of good foods. Green vegetables, for example, contain minerals like iron in the required amount, that is necessary for the human body.

Eating well also refers to the process of eating. The method (chewing well and long), the frequency (not before the food eaten earlier is completely digested), the quantity (eat only to the point where you feel one more mouthful will fully satisfy the hunger), not eating at all occasionally (fasting), etc. are all part of the process.

Treat eating as a life support. Give good and efficient support; not inefficient, irrelevant and complexity-generating support to your life.