Food is survival. Over the years, as we have evolved, so have our eating patterns. We all have our own choice of food we love. Some of us like our morning cup of coffee or some tea. Some of us love a bowl of ramen (noodles) or some warm khichadi. Many of us love a freshly prepared Dosai served with hot sambar, chutney, and crispy vada and or a full hot English breakfast served with freshly squeezed juice.

Last time, when you were down or when you got excited, what was it that you craved? Was it ‘Fried Chicken or Fried Rice? Was it Manchurian, Chowmein, Chilli chicken or was it Manchow soup? It could have been Pizza or Pasta. Let me guess, Chicken Tandoori and Paneer Butter Masala. Right! Karimeen Polichathu or Fish Moiley, a hot plate of ChickenBiryani or Parotta and Beef…..Whatever our choice is, comfort food does influence our emotions. Oh! The guilt of calories consumed is not a topic we will discuss right now.

Food is comfort. Period. Many find solace in food. Don’t we all indulge ourselves at times with food? A breakup or a promotion, we just find relief when we have the food of our liking. Comfort foods unleash the hormone that aids in stress relief and feelings of contentment and delight.

Consuming healthy food and maintaining balance in what we eat in a day do a lot of good to our overall well-being. Eating fruits and vegetables and including healthy intervals between meals also do positive things to our body and mind. Home-cooked meals are always better than meals prepared in restaurants or large quantities. Packaged foods that contain preservatives must be avoided and fresh poultry, meat, fish, and greens must be included in our daily food intake. Health is wealth. Only if we have good health are we mentally sane and physically strong. This, as a result, helps aid in focusing, concentrating, and building a successful lifestyle.

Everything starts within… Being positive, feeling good, experiencing good health, being physically active, and loving ourselves; everything starts from within. It is each one of our responsibility to take care of our health and body. Loving ourselves includes maintaining good eating habits and being considerate about what is good for us.

Comfort food is magic. Comforting ourselves with food is alright as long as we follow healthy habits regularly. We can and must at times give in to sweet cravings and junk foods. However, there must be a check on how often we indulge in food that can in the long run prove not so good for our systems.

Choose healthy comfort food. If possible. Choose healthily, eat healthily, and stay healthy! Having said that, the power of comfort food is different. And it is okay to fall of the wagon every now and then. We are human after all. The point is, make sure not to get addicted to the convenience of comfort food.

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