Rayees Ahmad Kumar
Food is most essential requirement for sustenance of human life. Even if a human being doesn’t have a shelter over his head or clothes over his body, he would still survive if he gets wholesome nutrition. That is why all over human history we have been motivated to search and seek food. Throughout human history food has acted as a catalyst for societal transformation, societal organisation, development, conflict and expansion. A food is something that provides nutrients. Nutrients provide energy for activity, growth and all functions of body such as breathing, digesting food, keeping body warm, materials for the growth and repair of the body and keeping the immune system healthy. Food is the third most important thing for living beings to provide energy and development maintain life or stimulate growth after air and water. In fact it is the most complicated set of chemicals. World food safety day is observed in order to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage food borne risks, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. The theme of the world food safety day 2020 is ” Food Safety, Every one’s business “, the action oriented campaign will promote global food safety awareness and call upon countries and decision makers, the private sector, civil society, United nations organisations and the general public to take action. From the earliest caveman who survived on hunting to the more advanced civilizations which used agriculture, food transformed human life by giving it structure. It paved way to the path of the modern civilization we know. We moved from caves to fertile lands near water. The political, economic, religious structure was based solely on food production and distribution. The development of irrigation and food surplus storage leads to political centralization. Food became a median of payment and taxation. Feasts became a means to demonstrate status and garner influence. Throughout the ancient history before the invention of money, food was wealth and control of food was power. In the modern civilizations food has served as the biggest pleasure aid for human beings. Most of our celebrations are centered on good food. It has been scientifically proven that food can lift a person’s mood by producing endorphins.
Poor nutrition can impair our daily health and wellbeing and reduce our ability to lead an enjoyable and active life. In short, poor nutrition can contribute to stress, tiredness and our capacity to work and over time it can contribute to the risk of developing some illnesses and other health problems.
With the globalization of the world there is a plethora of ingredients which are available everywhere and the advances in science which have made incredible equipment to cook the food in , there are innumerable ways that food can be cooked and presented. The importance of food is obvious and essential. Healthy food provides us the nutrients and energy to develop and grow, be active and healthy, to move, play, work, think and learn. Foods are directly related to our body, mental and social health because each food or liquid contains particular nutrition such as carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fats etc which are very necessary for our physical and mental growth. On the contrary sometimes we eat foods which are devoid of nutritional values. They lead health problems such as diabetes and heart diseases. Therefore we should choose healthy and balanced foods that can provide enough nutritional values for the body. Poor nutrition can impair our daily health and wellbeing and reduce our ability to lead an enjoyable and active life. In short, poor nutrition can contribute to stress, tiredness and our capacity to work and over time it can contribute to the risk of developing some illnesses and other health problems – Being overweight/ obsess, Tooth decay, High blood pressure, High cholesterol, Heart diseases, Diabetes , Depression. Etc.
(The author a resident of Berigam Qazigund teaches at Govt BHS Anderwan Ganderbal. Views are his own)
