It’s a choice we make,
sometimes we have to cancel one event to attend another event and eventually
might disappoint somebody during such decisions. But I have wonderful friends
who understand me and did not crib when I cancelled my weekend trip to Pune
with my group of friends and decided to attend this #wellness conference
organised by FBAI at JWMarriot-Juhu.
It was worth it.
Really. There is always something new to learn. I agree, most of the things you
hear in any conferences, are mere repetitions, you have heard them many times, but
still, you read between lines and there is always one thin layer of knowledge
that clings to you.
So here I was, early in
the morning (shooing away my maid to finish her chores quickly so that I could
step out. Registration, coffee and meeting everyone with brief hello (I am listener, I talk very little , i am more of an observer and I am boring too) so it was best to walk into Yamuna room. The session started with exercises and Yoga - thus the group
of foodies and bloggers were charged with wellness #FBAIdialogues.
The session started
with Vicky Ratnani, who took us to
Sasson docks through his short film and gave us the experience of shopping for
fish early in the morning. His message was clear, “Eat fresh, eat local” He gave the example of eating tomatoes, which
when cut fresh, you just add lime, salt, pepper and olive oil and it tastes so
good but if you store it in fridge for a week and then eat, the same tomato
will taste different. The nutrient are much higher when fresh. He stressed the
need to buy local seasonal food and support farmers. Indians have always been
eating turmeric and other spices, they have always used coconut oil in cooking
but its western culture who are now discovering the nutrient value of Indian
way of cooking. “Its better you pay the farmers than you paying the doctor” he
said.
This was followed by
the conversation with Fitness blogger – Anandita
De, Founder of Risqueby. The discussion was on (What else?) fitness
ofcourse. How to stay fit by eating right kind of food. She stressed the need
to be aware of what you eat. “Avoid white color food, avoid oil, and in short
eat in moderation.”she said
Mr CSNageshwaran of Vikroli Cucina spoke about Godrej
food trends 2018 and made us
aware that people are moving towards healthier food habits.
Trupti Gupta spoke about including Walnuts in our
daily diet and how it can take us to healthy lifestyle. There are hundred types
of diet and there is no formula for following it in a particular way, we have
to eat in moderation and understand what are our body’s need. Including nuts in
our daily diet is very important. “Walnuts are good for brain. They are
lightest in digestion and they help us fight stress and pollution” she
said.
Naina Setalvad gave her real life example telling
us what to eat to keep healthy. Today’s food promote gluttony, increasing
illness, violence and creates criminal minds. You are what you eat. You become
selfish and irritable when you eat wrong kind of food. She stressed the need to
go back to traditional way of eating, to avoid junk food, processed foods and
fat. “No spices can be absorbed by fat” she said.
A short break for
brunch was very satisfying with well thought out spread of nutritious food. There were salads, soup, desserts and fruits. Loved the Goan Fish curry..Yummmmmmm!! loved it..I am still drooling...want to go back for more....
Post lunch, a session
with Sameera Reddy who spoke about
magical Mom’s diet.
In a panel discussion
of well balanced meal, moderated by Sameer
Malkani, there was interesting discussion with participants Payal Kothari, Tara Mahadevan, Mira Manek
and Kunal Vijaykar. We all are born with hunger instinct. We have conscious
and sub-conscious mind. When we understand all kinds of cravings and make our
diet to suit our body’s needs, twisting the traditional food with healthy diet,
we can make a proper decision about what is good for us. We all are conditioned
to eat certain kind of food, we have to journal our activities and write about
our craving and what we have to avoid. “Ask yourself if you are healthy, what and
how you should eat.” Said Kunal who has lost weight by adopting the
right kind of diet.
Tanushree Mukerjee in conversation with Saloni Malkani spoke about mind,soul and body
transformation. Everything is in our mind. You have to make a decision to stay healthy and you
can achieve a goal. She does everything: yoga, exercises, weight lifting. While
travelling she carries fruits. "You have a choice to choose right kind of food. Feed your body, not your emotion” she
said.
Aditi Dugar, the owner of the beautiful
restaurant Masque spoke about power of regional cooking. Food is about personal
story. Every household have their own signature garam masala. Culinary journey
is to know what food is all about. Many are retelling their story in a modern
way. If the story is based on culture of Kashmir, for example, their
techniques, their seasonal food , their spices, makes all the differences.
She has travelled widely to understand the different culture and she employs
modern concept to the regional cooking at her restaurant.
I am very sleepy now...can't write more..zzzzzzzzzzzz.....
I am very sleepy now...can't write more..zzzzzzzzzzzz.....
To be continued……… stay tuned.... for Part two HERE
