When it comes to food, there can only be 2 types of people in the world - 1) who eat to live and 2) who live to eat. And when they get to the dinner table, the twain shall never meet.
All religious teachings, health books and yoga and the like will ask you to control your senses and get into category 1. That being a human you should never eat to indulge but to provide energy for your body. But being in Category 2, I find my little joys in eating good food.
Everybody has their own little indulgences. My husband's first love is TV (yes, not me). Some go crazy about people, gossip, page 3, music, movies, news, politics or sports. I love being able to choose the food on my plate.
I cannot and seriously cannot eat the same food everyday. Whatever it may be. There has to be variety, there has to be taste. And I really don't understand how people can eat bread, eggs, buns or even idli-dosa, chawal-dal every single day.
Maybe these foods they have eaten since childhood and they find reassurance and fullness in these foods. Not for me. I like my occasional Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Italian or even Gujrati farsaan, Bengali sweets and Malwani gravies for that matter.
And when I eat heart warming food like that, I simply eat. I might share a word or two with fellow diners. But am not staring at the TV, checking my phone or worrying about how many calories it has. Am only eating, communicating with my food at this ethereal level, and telling it how awesome, wholesome it is. I call it being in love with food. It is when you plunge your spoon into an out of this world moong daal halwa and put it into your mouth where it so beautifully melts and breaks down into all these lovely flavors that make you close your eyes and enjoy the heaven that it is. Bliss! Nirvana!
And I really don't understand how people can be otherwise, not appreciating the food choices we have. It is love of a different kind, a kind of meditation. And it happens only when the tummy is happy. Its like the traveller's soul. The traveller can stay at one place all life, it's possible to do so. But the heart will always wander towards the places it wants to visit. And be happy in the travelling.
