Ayurveda is the system of traditional medicine dating back over three millennia ago in India. Based on ancient texts, it relies on a holistic approach to both mental and physical health and defines health as a state of equilibrium.
Ancient Indian texts have referred to “water will be served in packets” which is today’s bottled water. Similarly, while there were no packaged foods thousands of years ago, Ayurveda has references to food stored for a long time and sold in packets.
Packaged food can be curry powders, readymade sauces, canned food and frozen fruits and vegetables. Biscuits, chips and other snacks sold in packets for today’s busy lifestyles can also be classified as packaged food.
Ayurveda practitioner Khushdil Chokshi told SBS Gujarati “According to Ayurveda, anything that has been put through a cooking process once and has a portion of water in it should be consumed within three hours. After which it breeds bacteria.”
"Today's packaged food passes through a lot of different type of processing. It is also advised to prepare these stored items at a temperature lower than 5 degrees centigrade for frozen foods and above 60 degrees centigrade for cooked foods.
"Even Science says bacteria start growing in the 5 to 60-degree centigrade temperature range. So if for any reason these temperatures are not strictly followed during the processing the packet, tin or box already have bacteria when you buy it," said Ayurvedacharya Khushdil Chokshi,
Talking about frozen food Khushdil says freezers are meant for storing dead bodies so things stored in freezers like frozen fruits, vegetables and ready-made meals should be avoided as per the recommendation in Ayurveda.
“If avoiding packaged food is not completely avoidable in your lifestyle we should at least not buy anything packed in plastic bags or plastic containers. Both Ayurveda and modern science advises against the use of plastics for health and environmental purposes. And if you are buying tinned or canned tomatoes you should check the ingredients to see if has 100% tomatoes of other powdered content to replace tomatoes.”
Khushdil also says packaged food plays a big role in childhood obesity. There are many autoimmune diseases and other ailments that science is trying to find the cause and treatment for. In these circumstances it is advisable to follow a healthy lifestyle and diet that is as close to nature as possible, he says.
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Ayurveda's advice on food
