Kesari, Imam-pasand and Alfonso were sitting in a bar. No, this is not one of those jokes on national integration. These mangoes were actually sitting in my kitchen bar surrounded by pineapple, papaya and palapazham (jackfruit) waiting to enter a fruit custard. As I was about to start cutting, “Noooo…,” screamed my husband. “We are not allowed to eat that anymore,” he said.
You need to know a little bit of background to understand how painful that is.
Our deep love for fruits is one of the metaphorical foundation-stones of our relationship. That juicy mango, meaty jack-fruit or slippery chikoo is not just food, it is a source of great delight, comfort and bonding for us both. When there is a fruit, having a juice is a crime in our household!
Now that you are on board, you can understand how I felt when I was denied that delicious custard. Especially after a long day!
But there is a reason behind it—Anushtaana’s fruit-first challenge. As the name suggests, the challenge was to add a piece of fruit to the beginning of the meal.
For those who are new: Anusthaana is a sacred space for learning and perfecting authentic ayurvedic wellness practices, one practice at a time. This wellness initiative started in public interest is currently led by ayurvedic doctors Dr. Sadhanshree, M.D and Dr. Pragya, M.D. If you are curious, do drop by and check them out in this easy to access WhatsApp space here.
In its 6th challenge with over 275 people, the community took upon the challenge of learning when-howmuch-howto basics of fruits to harness its nutritional benefits. After all, all our nutritional supplements and organic craze are for the sole purpose of making sure that we eat that damn nutrient to feel that elusive “wellness“. Are you with me?
I often wonder how health comes from one isolated ingredient or one super food? How does our stomach digest food complexes (with multiple elements)? How can we learn to label food combinations health/ unhealthy (compatible/incompatible)?
In this challenge, these questions were also answered from the perspective of giving fruits their rightful place in our everyday plate. We learned how to classify fruits based on its effect on the body post-digestion and how to consume it based on our needs. We also understood the category of fruits that are incompatible with milk (milkshake with ripe mangoes is allowed, yay!). Many of us ending our meals with bananas and cold fruit custards felt lighter after stopping the practice and thus, learned to enjoy fruits the right way.
To sum it up, we have entered a new phase of relationship with our tasty fruits, the one that the gut (and Ayurveda) approves of. So remember, my dear friends—Fruit-first! Finish that fruit portion at the beginning of your meal. Drop a note to me if you feel the difference.
As always, keep calm and carry Ayurveda on. ✨
