How many times have you heard the cliché “You are what you eat”? I think that when it comes to staying healthy, most clichés originated from Ayurveda. According to this ancient healing science, everything that you eat, and the way you eat it, has a strong effect on your mind and body. So not only the food and herbs that you eat, but the amount you eat, the timing of your meals and snacks, and the combinations of flavors all influence your well being. Ayurvedically speaking, food and cuisine can have a medicinal effect. When you eat well, you maximize your vitality or ojas. Ayurveda recommends whole, nutritious foods and eating patterns that are tailored to balance your mind-body constitution or prakruti (primary dosha).
There are no “bad” foods in Ayurveda—there is only the idea of balance. A harmonious diet balances not only nutritional qualities, but tastes and even the heating or cooling energetic effects of a food after it is digested. It takes into account single raw materials such as fruits, meats and vegetables as well as they meals that they combine into once they are cooked. While there is an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, and many Indians are vegetarian, Ayurveda in itself does not prescribe vegetarianism. In fact, a whole array of meats and fish are emphasized in the ancient texts.
But Ayurvedic doctors do recommend a diet that is pure and close to nature with plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and lean meats, combined with herbs and spices that will purify and balance the mind and body. Moreover, if you are to truly benefit from these foods then it is important that each meal reflect the natural colors and flavors of the ingredients. Poor digestion, stemming from an unbalanced diet, is one of the first signs of ill health. When your diet is out of balance, not only are food nutrients are not easily absorbed, but they can also accumulate as toxins.
Since your digestive tract is the origin for imbalances, ahara or diet is always considered to be the first order of medicine. And since preventative medicine is the only surefire way to ward off disease, eating Ayurvedically as often as you can, will help you to stay healthy for the long term. Although this healing science originated in India, Ayurvedic cooking encompasses so much more than merely Indian food. As long as it is prepared per Ayurvedic principles, it can draw from just about any cuisine. You can have fun mixing and matching your favorite foods with Ayurvedic herbs, ingredients and cooking techniques to yield flavorful cuisine. It is simple to prepare, yet easy for the body to assimilate into the raw building blocks for health and vitality.
If there is one place in Mumbai that reminds me of ‘Cheers’, the famous Boston café immortalized in the American TV show by the same name, it’s Café Mondegar (or Mondy’s as the locals call it) on Colaba Causeway. Most Mumbaikars (i.e. Mumbai locals) frequent the café during their college days and then return to it for a sense of nostalgia, sometime later in life. Invariably it also becomes the Mumbai visitors’ local haunt because this is where they can really get to know the locals. Property deals and business contracts are struck on a regular basis at this Mumbai landmark.
Farshid and Hoshang Yezdegardi, the two brothers who currently run the establishment, form the third generation of an Irani family that has operated it since 1925. True to old Indian values, the Yezdegardis believe that for a business to be successful yet personable, it must remain within the family. Perhaps that is why spending the afternoon at Mondy’s is like lounging at home on the weekend. After all, at Mondy’s everybody knows your name!
Address:
Shahid Bhagat Singh Road
5A Metro House, Colaba, Near Regal Cinema
Mumbai, MH
400 001
Neighborhood: Colaba
Nearest Train: Churchgate/VT
Phone: +91 22 2202 0591
Cuisine:
Eclectic. Ranging from Continental to Chinese cuisine.
Range:
Average INR. 200
Hours of Operation:
Daily 8am-1am
Additional Information:
CD Jukebox, and wall murals by famous Goan cartoonist, Mario Miranda
Comments:
You cannot say that you have been to Mumbai if you have not had a meal at Café Mondegar. Located right next door to Regal Cinema, this restaurant-cum-bar is where you can catch a glimpse of bohemian life in Mumbai. Haunted by locals and visitors alike, Mondy’s friendly wait staff clad in green and yellow t-shirts, serve up draught beer, by the pitcher or glass amidst the loud tunes of a CD jukebox. The wall murals painted by Mario Miranda, a famous Goan cartoonist make for the unique décor that has been the café’s trademark since the 1987.
In 1925, the Yezdegardis, an Irani family, bought the home of a French sailor named called Monsieur Monde. Inspired by its Hindi reference ‘Monde Sahib ka Gar’ (Mr. Monde’s house) the Yezdegardis soon converted it to a café called ‘Monde-Gar’. It started off as a typical teahouse that also sold tobacco, foreign liquor, wine, breads and specialties from Iran like saffron, almonds, and pistachios. In time the Yezdegardis have developed an assorted menu influenced by Irani flavors.
In the seventies, the menu was widened to include keema-pao (minced lamb with bread), soups, puddings and Chinese food. Today, you can choose from a variety of food, everything from kebabs to burgers, bruschetta, chow-mein, grills, and sizzlers. But through the ages, the house favorite has always been the Pepper Steak, or Steak Boti.
Whether you’re looking for a Saturday night scene with great food and loud music, or a quiet Sunday morning spot where you can read the newspaper while you sip your coffee, this is the place to go.
While being green was once identified with Kermit the Frog or St. Patrick’s Day, the term has now become synonymous with eco-friendly values. The health of the planet is directly proportional to our individual health. Ayurvedically speaking, green is considered to be a cool color but in the business world green is hotter than ever. Many businesses are now looking to differentiate themselves by going green in their policy and practices.
On the parent front, the color green has begun to shade many different aspects of our hybrid agenda. While managing somehow to incorporate eco-friendly values into work and home, our greater challenge lies in getting our kids on board. Given that today is Earth Day, it cannot be a better day to talk to your kids about their responsibility towards the planet. While it’s easier to talk with middle and high schoolers, there is no such thing as starting too young. Easier said then done, huh? Not to worry, the media is here to help.
I have been working with a group of highly creative individuals to help give birth to Gorilla in the Greenhouse, an animated web show that encourages kids to take action on environmental issues facing their generation. The pilot episode which addresses the growing heap of plastic trash in the North Pacific Gyre, launched today on Earth Day TV Network and www.greengorilla.com. Both sites include actions that kids can take in their communities as well as a curriculum for teachers. Birthing the process has opened up many interesting insights into the minds of kids and their ever competitive parents.
We recently held a focus group at my home to understand an examine kids’ reactions to the show. Unlike some of the parents, all the kids in the focus group loved the show and seemed to understand both its message and its humor. Many of them wanted to immediately sign up for a green taskforce to take action on the issue of plastic waste, and we are talking about eight to nine year olds. It was very inspiring indeed. So if you are looking for great content to spark your green parenting creativity, then say check out Kijani, the visionary Green Gorilla.
Given the sorry state of the economy, I have been extra vigilant about spending. I also decided recently that this is as good a time as any to extend my kids’ understanding of ‘health’ to understanding the ‘health of the economy.’ So last week embarked on a discussion about dollars, cents and piggy banks which lead to the topic of resources and waste. A noble conversation I thought, at least in its inception.
Last Friday at 11.30 am, my daughter called me from school. I am always on red alert when I see the school’s phone number show up on my cell phone. The paranoia in me tells me instantly that something might be wrong. Luckily, it turned out to be nothing more than an earnest request for permission to go out to lunch with a friend whose parents had decided to give her a birthday treat during the lunch hour. Relieved that the afternoon would not involve any emergency room procedures and distracted by my work project, I granted permission instantly without thinking about the lunch I had packed for her that morning.
I was later told by the rather amused parents who took her out that my daughter had accompanied them to an Italian restaurant with her lunch bag in tow and while they ordered a full fledged Italian meal, she diligently insisted on munching her tomato and cheese sandwich. Apparently later on she conceded to ordering dessert!
“We already talked about low waste lunches Mom, remember?”said my daughter later in a effort to calm me. She could tell that I was mortified by her apparent lack of manners. “I listened to what you said and didn’t want to waste money.”
All weekend I kept thinking how manners reflect on a child’s upbringing. That I really need to reconsider how impressionable my kids are before I start teaching them life’s lessons without thinking about possible repercussions. I had only myself to blame. But then someone reminded me this morning, if teaching your kids value for money were that easy, we might all have fatter bank balances than we do today.
Sacred to the Hindus, people often ask me the reason why tulsi or the holy basil is considered holy. The story goes that the plant was once the devoted wife of a celestial being. Lord Krishna tricked her into committing a sin so she cursed him into becoming a stone. Impressed with her devotion and sense of righteousness, the Lord blessed her saying that she would be the subject of worship from then on.
Although it grows wild just about all over India, this holy plant can be found in many homes and temple gardens. Ayurvedically speaking, it is the medicinal properties of tulsi that make it sacred. Ancient Indian forest-dwellers would apply a poultice made from the paste of the leaf to destroy poison from snake and scorpion bites. While this is less of a problem for urban folks today, its anti-fungal and antiviral properties make it the perfect medicine for those annoying days when you are stuck at home with the flu, or when you are nursing the common cold. The tonic properties of tulsi are believed to enhance longevity and help treat a host of illnesses from asthma and stress.
I have put together a recipe for tulsi and mint sauce. Absolutely delectable, it can be eaten with rice, pasta, vegetables…you name it. Feel free to use the dried form, but if you have access to the fresh herb, I would highly recommend it. The liquorish-sweetness of fresh tulsi leaves will linger on your taste buds just that little bit longer.
It is nice to know that when it comes to respecting the health of the planet, corporations finally seem to be getting their act together. Baby Rain Inc., the owner and operator of BabyChecklist.com and PamperedTot.com, announced today that it is offsetting its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, one of the country’s leading carbon offset organizations.
Baby Rain’s websites sell over 900 of the best and most popular baby products on the market. Carbonfund.org is one of the country’s leading carbon reduction and offset organizations, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact. Carbon offsets enable individuals and businesses to reduce carbon dioxide emissions they are responsible for in their everyday lives by supporting high-quality verified renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects.
So here’s a shopping tip for the Moms-to-be: Baby Rain plans to plant trees in return for business sales. They consider this exercise a way for them to give back and replace what they take from the community. So, every time they sell a stroller, BabyChecklist.com and PamperedTot.com will plant a tree on our customer’s behalf.
