Write Tribe 2nd day of Festival of words # Food

Balanced Food

                 

Every living being, whether a human being or an animal, requires food for survival. Even a new born baby, who is born without teeth, requires nourishment for growth and survival.  The health and well being of a nation depends on the kind of food that they consume.

                        In olden days women spent all most the whole day in the kitchen, preparing food for the family. Though illiterate, the food that they cooked had all the essential elements, which are beneficial for health. The ingredients used were diverse, containing proteins, carbohydrates, iron, calcium, potassium and much more. Green vegetables had a place of prestige in the food. The family, therefore ate food which was wholesome as well as tasty.

With changing times, women acquired literacy. They started studying in all fields, like engineering, medical, administration etc, They stepped out of their homes and entered the portals of offices, to supplement family income and to assert themselves. This was a turning point in the eating habits of the families. Where as they previously they ate three meals a day, they now had only one full meal.   Breakfast and lunch became the causalities. Packed food became popular.  With the passage of time even packed food lost its clientele. It was the turn of pizzas, noodles, burgers, and pastas which caught the fancy of not only the youngsters but also the not so old, office goers. These fast foods contain salt and saturated fat items. They cause several diseases, if taken for a long period.

                        A question arises why we eat food. Wikipedia lists three main reasons why do we consume food. They are (1) physiological,(2) psychological and (3) social.

The main need is to keep our body healthy. The saying “a healthy mind lives in a healthy body” is true. If our body is healthy, we will have a healthy disposition, we will perform better. All food passes through a complex process of digestion, absorption, assimilation and excretion. Food provides us with calories, which are metabolised in the body to provide energy. Energy is required for all the functions of the body including heart beat, functioning of the brain and other vital organs the body. 

We must take balanced food. This is the physiological function.

The psychological need is important to be presentable in society. A person who is lean, unhealthy and sickly can never face others with confidence. He lacks the ability to face others with a high spirit of self esteem.

 The social need is to  share food with others in a gathering or functions like parties, marriages and social functions.

 Scientists today are aware of the adverse effects of fast food on the community. Their aim is to highlight the problems that can arise due to unrestricted consumption of fast foods and how to develop good eating habits. Let us hope that’ Kitchen Literacy ‘will successfully bring about a change.

 2nd day of  Festival of Words sponsored by Write Tribe. The topic is # 'Food'.

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