Food As Medicine

Food, forever paramount in its role as sustenance, has another facet to it. It is also seen as the cause of diseases but is also a cure for the same.

Food as medicine is a notion that has been around since time immemorial. Food was considered crucial to balance the four humours that were thought to create discomfort and ailments-- phlegm, melancholy, choler, and blood. While this idea has long since been disproven by modern-day medicine, a good diet is still seen as one of the most critical steps to maintaining good health.

A special focus on food has especially emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic. There was a lot of uproar about whether or not the virus is transmitted through food, something that still remains debated, and therefore, there was and still is a huge push for consuming food made at home, and also food that was specifically thought to improve and bolster one’s immunity to fend off the virus.

And this is where these immunity-boosting comestibles come in. India, with its tradition of Ayurveda, saw an increased push to consume a variety of herbal concoctions which claimed to safeguard against the spread of the disease. Every family adopted to different combinations of these suggested foods in the hope to stay safe, and here are some of the ones that my family adopted:

Chyawanprash- Often marketed as a dietary supplement, this immensely popular Ayurvedic recipe is made and marketed by a lot of Indian brands. Made with a base of sugar, honey, ghee, and Indian gooseberry pulp, this item finds a place in a lot of Indian homes. Often thought to help keep seasonal infections at bay, the pandemic brought Chyawanprash out to the forefront.

Image 1: chawanprash

Indian Gooseberry- A crucial ingredient in the earlier mentioned Chyawanprash, the general instructions issued for safety against the virus placed an importance on the consumption of vitamin C rich food, and the Indian Gooseberry turned out to be a locally available and affordable option. Then came in the whole cascade of recipes which used this fruit. Pickles, chutneys, preserves (both spicy and sweet), and so many more. My family took to making sun-dried sugar-coated candy out of the gooseberry slivers, as well as soaking it in honey and leaving it to ferment to increase the probiotic activity.

Image 2: Indian gooseberries

Turmeric- A spice that is rich in antioxidants, turmeric has already made its presence known in traditional Indian kitchens all to the way to posh cafes which use it to make ‘golden milk’ or ‘golden latte.’ Turmeric comes with a slew of benefits and my family makes it a point to consume at least a teaspoon of it every day, either in milk or water, in addition to the usual amounts we use for our daily meal preparation.

Image 3: Turmeric or Haldi

Tulsi- Tulsi or Holy Basil is a herb that occupies a sacred place in the wide array of cultures that are seen in India. Fresh tulsi is often boiled in water to create a very mildly flavoured drink, or even used in masala tea blends. As my family currently does not have access to fresh tulsi, we have a cup of tulsi tea occasionally, although we will all admit that it comes short of the fresh variant.

Image 4: Tulsi products

Dahamukhti- Ayurveda specifically emphasises the need to drink boiled water, and each state in India has its own preferred combinations of spices that are infused in water. Coming from Kerala, my family prefers to drink a particular mix, Dahamukthi (which is a Malayalam term with roots in Sanskrit that translates to ‘thirst quencher’) that is commonly found there, which includes vetiver root, cinnamon, whole coriander seeds, cardamom, and dry ginger.

Image 5: Drink infusion

Vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables- The emphasis on immunity-building definitely pushed this vitamin to the limelight and now we have a whole market of vitamin C foods, supplements, drink mixes, etc. My family makes it a point to include these vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables in our daily diet.

Image 6: Kiwis and Lemons which are rich in Vitamin C