I for Indian Habits : 7 ways the ancient Indian way of life is still relevant

"If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India."

- Max Mueller (German Scholar)

When I first began my journey into the world of holistic healthcare, one of the the most fascinating facets was discovering how so much of what we do in India as part of “mundane, everyday house-rituals” is so beneficial for the body as well as nature.

Today there a lot of brands, small businesses in and around the world that are taking notice of it - much needed!

So let’s dive right into what we can learn from ancient Indian practices to add to our lives today.

1. Eat your Rice : How and when rice got a bad rep is beyond me. It is what I and so many of us have grown up with. Looking back I’m genuinely baffled at when and where this trend caught on - this fear that rice is bad for you, that rice can’t be had for dinner, that rice fattens you.

   “Annaprashan” - is the ceremony where a baby is first shifted from "baby food” to solid, whole food. And the first grain it is fed is rice. Not brown rice, not bran rice, not any other fancy variety of rice - pure white, locally grown, boiled rice. That’s how gentle it is, how good it is for the body. When you fall ill, it is white rice and moong dal soup or khichdi that is served - that’s how therapeutic it is.

   Now for a moment, you might say that babies have a different digestive system than a grown adult - even to that I must point you to the 3000 year old school of medicine that has stood the test of time and has recommended rice since time immemorial - Ayurveda.

   The amount of marketing that goes into positioning one ingredient and “cool” and the other as “fattening” is gimmicky to say the least, but is a long story for another day. For now, know that rice is an excellent gut healer, energy booster, aid for sleep, full of fibre and a host of other benefits.

2. Include Gur (Jaggery) : If you travel to the villages in central India, you will see small squares of jaggery placed in pots, along with cool water in earthen jars outside huts and homes. It is meant for anyone entering the house during the scorching summer heat. Having these two together balances electrolytes in hot months, cools the body and is what I like to call the OG Glucon D only many times better - why? Because gur is an unprocessed, mineral rich, fibre-intact form of sugar a.k.a the best kind of sugar you can possibly consume. It is eaten by the farmers of India, used generously by grand-moms in their laddoos, and is used in medicinal preparation of Ayurveda. Those are three more-than-great reasons to include it in your diet. But then, do it well - recipe below FYR :)

3. Ghee : Okay, if you’ve been in tune with lifestyle advice and fitness bandwagon, you must already be aware of the rising message of having ghee. For the uninitiated, let me just point out that your hormones, neurotransmitters and even your neurons are made up of fat. You NEED good quality fat in substantial amount to support your brain function, sleep, energy and overall health. So how should you have it?

   Please don’t have standalone ghee or fat randomly at odd hours of the day. Bulletproof coffee is a terrible idea FYI - more on this later. But, having is as part of your meals is brilliant. Why? because macro-balance. A great way to have fat is also via coconut, cashews and avocado. They don’t make you fat, they burn fat.

4. Having a Tulsi plant at home : Having Tulsi has many benefits and we know that because of the myriad products and companies that call themselves healthy because of having this ingredient. But I want to highlight today that the way to get the benefits of Tulsi for your home and family is by planting it and maintaining it in your house. It is an excellent air purifier, repels mosquitoes, when freshly plucked and added it is replete with anti-inflammatory and cleansing properties.

   Here is a way to have it with ZERO cooking - pluck a few leaves and soak it in water overnight. Cover the glass with a lid. Have the cool water in the morning - detox water for your system packed with immune boosting properties.

5. Sitting Cross-legged when eating : I know quite a few clients who find this odd and awkward to do in social settings. And, it used to be the “right thing to do socially” at one point. Growing up my uncle would chastise us for choosing to sit on a dining table saying “your food will not know what to do with itself if you don’t sit in Sukhasana”.

   Sukhasana helps to increase blood flow to your abdomen area, opens the hip up for digestion and involves the whole upper body while eating, thus kickstarting digestion. Now, agreed it might not be for all occasions given the times, but doing this in the privacy of your home will have more benefits than you can imagine. Go ahead, give it a try!

6. Prayer : So this is my favourite - Elaborate prayer rituals in the morning are an important part of every household. It helps align energies and is a regular 5 min exercise in focus, attention and mindfulness via rituals - an integral zen concept. Some of the biggest and most successful names in the world today call it “positive affirmations” lighting incense and chanting or saying gratitude and it stands as record for a powerful morning practice. It is a baby step for anyone looking to be more mindful and start meditating as well.

7. Regular Foot Massage : No, I’m not asking you to go to a spa whatsoever. In ancient India, the health of your feet was the biggest indication of the health of your mind and body. For example cracked heels didn’t mean you walked barefoot a lot, which so many commercials have us believe. We are meant to walk barefoot in fact. Cracked heals are a sign of poor blood circulation, excessive stress, and less movement amongst other things.

   In fact the health of your scalp and soles of your feet are said to be connected via blood flow. In the west, feet are the “dirty part” of your body that needs to be covered up, are stinky and never to be revealed in public as it is rude. But in India, they are indulged on so many occasions - we touch the feet of the elderly as respect, we massage the feet of the elderly as a ritual and wash our feet before entering a place of worship.

   Today I want to take a moment of your time to explain why : So, feet are seen as the most used part of the body. It is in direct contact with the earth and surroundings at all times. If not maintained well i.e; cleaned, preened and regularly massaged, they would be carriers of germs, and the muscles will be unable to relax and limited blood flow will make your body feel more tired and the skin of your feet will become cracked, boils will begin to occur and patches appear.

   So how to take care of them? Wash them when you come in from anywhere outside. Wash them in the morning and before bed. And most importantly, rub the soles of your feet with some sesame oil or ghee and a kansa bowl. It increases blood flow, induces sleep, and reduces dandruff. Yes, reduces dandruff :) try it - it will benefit you a lifetime.

Recipe for Unniyappam or Neyiappam :

Unniappam is a traditional Indian sweet served in the temples of Kerala as an offering and given to devotees. It is a delicious combination of rice, jaggery, banana and ghee - basically all things Indian and yummy of course!

Ingredients :

• 2 cups Raw Rice /Rice flour Lightly roasted

• 3-4 Nos Ripe Small Bananas

• 1/250 cup/ml Jaggery / Molasses  : 150 gms

• 1/4 tsp Black Sesame Seeds /Ellu

• 1/4 cup Coconut bits

• 3-4 pods Cardamom

• 2 tbsp Ghee for frying Coconut bits & Sesame Seeds

• Coconut oil for cooking

• 2 rice Pappad - soaked in water for 10 mins

• Water As needed for grinding the batter and for Jaggery Syrup

Method :

1. Soak the raw rice in water for about 3-4 hours, Prepare and keep all above listed Ingredient and keep it aside.

2. In the meanwhile, melt jaggery with 1/4 cup of hot water.

3. Make a thick syrup out of it, Strain to take out any impurities and cool the syrup.

4. Soak the papad in water for 10 to 15 mins 

5. Drain the water from the rice and grind the rice to a smooth paste along chopped ripe banana into 3 or 4 pieces, and add them along with the seeds from the cardamom pods; drain the water from the soaked papad and add the soaked papad and grind everything together to a smooth nice batter.

6. Fry the coconut bits and sesame seeds in 2 tsp of ghee till it becomes light brown in color.

7. Add the Jaggery syrup to grounded batter, mix well and add fried coconut bits and sesame seeds.

8. Mix everything well and Keep the batter for 1-2 hours minimum and 6-8 hrs maximum in an air tight container.

9. Place the appa kaaral (cast iron mold pan) /Unniyappam pan on the stove and pour equal amounts of ghee and coconut oil into each rounds. Each round should be half full.

10. Once the Unniyappam is browned both on the bottoms and tops, remove them from the pan using a metal skewer or with a pair of forks/ tongs. 

Enjoy!