19th April 2017 was a day which a lot of Mom's were looking forward to as it was the monthly meeting of GurgaonMoms and the topic for the event was "The Organic Mantra-is it for Real" held at the V-Club-Sohna Road!
Firstly, I would like to thank Upasana Luthra and Neela Kaushik for inviting me to their monthly meet to gain knowledge on this hot topic called "Organic".
Honestly, for me, being a mom of two kids and planning their future is not only about their studies and the lifestyle but most important is our Health. These days all of us, including our kids are deficient in one way or the other. Being deficient in old times were for those people primarily who had food deficiency as they were under nutritioned and were from the low caste society where good nutritional food came at a high cost. These days however, the richer society who have access to expensive and good quality food are deficient primarily in Vitamin D3, Calcium, iron, magnesium and Vitamin B12 and more. This is the case with kids too. Fatigue, body pains, bone pain, headaches amongst elders and kids are the indications of these essential minerals and vitamins being missing.
How do we explain this when we eat well and we eat good quality is the question I had in my mind? Well, a few panelists who were present at the event mentioned that the "so called" healthy food, fruits, dairy products, meat products that we are consuming are all actually not giving us the minerals and vitamins that should be ideally given. Wondering Why na?, so was I.
The panelists at the event highlighted that this is all due to the chemical pesticides, chemical manure, chemical germination and other such irregular and un-natural growing methods used to grow our crops, fruits, etc. This in turn forms a chain in which these unnatural grown crops and fruits are being eaten by cows, then our milk and dairy cycle gets affected, and then all animal products such as chicken, meat, etc, etc, etc. This is one reason why we are not getting the proper nutrition and minerals that we should ideally be getting from our daily consumption of fruits and vegetables.
This is just a gist of what was explained at the Organic Mantra event organized by our very own GurgaonMoms group
To add to this, we had the following who shared their experiences and how they in turn have converted themselves to an Organic Living Lifestyle. I am listing a few details of the panelist and the stall owners who were present there.
Smita Mishra, the founder of NatureHealz
Smita herself was struggling with multiple health issues and turned to Naturopathy as a last resort. Her remarkable recovery instilled her faith in natural healing. She realized not many were aware of the benefits of Naturopathy and the transformational effect it can have on one’s health. She decided to do her bit to help spread the good word. That is how NatureHealz was born in 2013.
She certifies that if your diet is right then medicine is not needed and if the food isn’t right then the medicine is of no use. She says that everything air, water, fruits, vegetables, milk, etc are contaminated, so we must do our best in selecting our food items. Body has the capability to heal itself, it is important to detox oneself she mentioned.
Vandana , the co-founder of Esvasa India
She shared her story of how her daughter got hospitalized eating a simple fruit like strawberries. She believes that growing or buying Organic foods can help you with a healthy lifestyle. Believing in this she set up a venture http://www.esvasa.com/ , along with providing resources on Organic food, the portal also has content on topics ranging from restaurants reviews on food joints serving organic food to recipes for organic food dishes. This ensures that we all have a ready reference guide to all Organic related products.
She mentioned how the simplest of contamination can destroy the property of a food item. She highlighted that pesticides such as DTH powder which are banned around the world are still being used in India. Indian soil is contaminated with poisonous chemicals hence the spread of diseases. She swears by using Organic products for her family as it is safe. It is expensive but it’s worth it.
She also highlighted the importance of buying locally and seasonally grown fruits and vegetables and not to go for what is imported.
Manas Arvind of Grainny’s
He was one of the panelist who shared his story of how he became FIT from being UNFIT and his journey of how he did detailed research on Organic Vs Inorganic and then a Vegan too. Today he has his own little garden where he grows his own vegetables, and he swears by the Organic methodology of staying healthy.
He designed his own diet and made his way in losing weight himself without the consultation of expensive dieticians. He researched about properties of different products throughout his journey of becoming fit. He mentioned that he tried all sorts of fitness food, health bars, protein shakes, etc. to keep him energized but the ladoos which he made at home were of no comparison to them as he chose the right ingredients to give the body the right minerals and vitamins that were required to be in that ladoo.
He also mentioned that the body has the capability of healing itself and we must understand what our body needs. He says that the traditional wisdom that we have lost was the best.
He is also the man behind the Organic Farmers market, a community of non-commercial movement. His insights into becoming organic were very interesting. You can connect with him and other Organic farmers at the Organic Market held every Sunday near Leisure Valley Park.
4. Dr. Tiwari of Organic India
He gave us the true insights of how from olden days’ things have changed due to the chemical addition of pesticides, fertilizers, etc. in our farming methods. He said even Ayurveda has been affected as the medicinal plants are also being grown with chemical pesticides and hence the natural essence of the plant is minimized.
He also stressed on the fact that “Organic India” grows all its medicinal plants in a non-chemical composition making the products “Organic” and hence healthy and safe for consumption with all the nutritional value required.
5. Saahil Parekh ,Co-founder –Khetify
This was indeed an interesting presentation by the one of the founders,Saahil Parekh who is from IIT, Kharagpur. He gave us options of setting up a garden in roof tops and balconies with their setups which uses light soil and wooden boxes to plant. A very interesting concept.
Other than the panelist there were a few stalls at the event.
Amy's
Founded 30 years ago in California, USA, by Andy and Rachel Berliner, today Amy’s remains a privately held, family owned business who create delicious, convenient, e ready-to-eat products made with organic ingredients, that are perfect for today’s busy lifestyles. Amy’s takes pride in crafting their own recipes, sourcing their own high quality ingredients, and making their own products in-house.
They are the perfect Ready-to-eat healthy frozen meals and soups. Available in stores like Modern Bazar, Le Marche, etc.
Slurrp Farm
Founded by two mothers for their own children and then for ours.They are dedicated to make delicious and nutritious cookies and cereals for the young ones.Yummy Organic Cereals and Natural Cookies. Filled with the goodness of whole grain flours, millets, good fats like butter, real fruit and vegetables.Made just the way you would at home with no added artificial colors, flavors, stabilizers or preservatives.Slurrp Farm provides the perfect on-the-go food options for your little ones.
Deepak & Smita of Organic Maati
A very interesting concept of organic clothing for babies from Organic Maati. They also have organic grown wheat. In addition to their own products, they also help you to do farming in your own land.
Organic Root
The mouthwatering and freshness of these Sherbets have no match. They are home made with all natural ingredients and have no preservatives or colors. Organic Root is a venture by mompreneur Neha Goyal .
Divya Sethi of Happy Tummies
As the name suggest Happy Tummys are healthy snacks which come in four exciting flavors without preservatives, chemicals and all natural ingredients made with love by Divya Sethi
Well mom’s this is what I had to share about this event. I am really convinced in taking up Organic food, although expensive but with benefits. It saves the doctors’ fees for sure in the long run.
Hope you all relate to this blog in some way so let’s create a revolution where we all do our own Organic farming or buy organic products. That way we will be able to reduce the consumption of Chinese and other imported food products especially vegetables and fruits.
Thanks for reading!
Pictures Courtsey: Priyanka Kumar
