For many of us, brain and mind are synonymous words, words that are interchangeable in common parlance. Brain is the gross aspect-a part of our anatomy which governs or regulates our sense as well as various bodily functions such as breathing, circulation, hormone balance, etc. Mind on the other hand is a subtle aspect, something that you know is there, but is not visible per se. Countless thoughts, decisions, judgements, resentment, ideas, invention all arise from this realm. Both of these work non-stop in order for us to get through our day and eventually our entire life. What we eat is essentially fuel for these two to work smoothly in harmony. We wouldn’t put bad fuel in our cars, would we? Then why don’t we think twice before putting in all that junk for our body, a machine that’s going to last life-long and moreover, is the very reason of our existence today?
There is no doubt that the kind of food we eat impacts both our body and mind. Almost all of us have experienced this to some extent, depending on how attentive we are towards our body and mind. But, we have simply never realized that it’s the food’s doing because we were so busy devouring it with our bias towards our taste buds. Have you not noticed that at times after eating a meal you have felt groggy, dull, lethargic or edgy and restless? In turn, our state of mind also affects how we eat and what we eat. Comfort eating, anorexia and bulimia are all proof of exactly that.
Certain foods like nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, etc.), seeds (flax, sunflower, pumpkin, etc.), berries, bananas, oats, whole grains, beans and lentils help in directly or indirectly increasing the feel-good chemicals in our body such as serotonin and dopamine. While other foods such as processed foods, extremely spicy or pungent foods, sugary foods can make one feel lethargic or irritable. “Dieting” is often only understood as mere calorie watching to lose or gain weight, but in reality, the composition of the diet is equally, if not more important in terms of overall health.
Finally, supplementing the right foods with meditation brings multiplied effect on our mental well-being, and is considered food for the soul.
Not sure about how to incorporate the right foods and/or learn meditation? We have got you covered for both!!
Contributed by: Beena Mamania
