ANYBODY IN A MOOD TO CELEBRATE? Not me!

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Dec 27- Jan 02, 2026, Eating is Fun / Eating is Yuck! - A variety food column, Life & Living December 26, 2025 , by Tara Narayan

IN one of my worst moods I’d gone for a press conference and accepted the box of snacks given out to all media folk – within was a dry white slice bread green chutney sandwich, a greasy samosa, and a bread roll stuffed with mayonnaise-tossed salad, and there was a cup of tea. Junk food, of course, bad food fit for the bin. Normally, I turn away such media people’s snack boxes but, but this time…I ate it all up, don’t ask me why! Paid the price for not having any discipline of course.
Also, lately I’ve been shocked by the growing number of caterers and eateries and distinguished restaurants which want to feed us both thoughtless food, as well as upper crust fancy food from around the world at fancy rates jacked to over 100 percent profit plus, plus. We may of course have made a habit of eating to live or eating to die, up to you, my dears. I plead guilty of this and eat to die most of the time rather than live…don’t laugh. I’m not joking and no longer amuse myself. If my arteries are turning to concrete and there’s not even a whisper of nitric oxide in my capillaries…I deserve it.
Fortunately, for long stretches I’m happy with my ukde chaval-veggie redolent combo — the traditional complex carb-protein food of many Indians at home, remember either dal-chaval or dal-roti are staple foods with an exception down south India where idli-dosa creations rule most homes. The children may be obsessed by the Western food chains offering burgers or pizza or tacos or whatever else and nowadays even the specialty teas and coffees are Rs300 plus. Only the children of the rich may indulge in the growing choice in beers, gins, cocktails, mocktails, etcetera.
AT the just over 10th edition of the Serendipity arts festival from December …. I was shocked to see how much beer, gin and other liquors and liqueurs were offered, that’s because some of them were sponsors of the festival. It was mostly a younger generation festival offering a cornucopia of art, theatre, films, concerts and an assortment of things to stir-fry the senses, entertain the emotions which may be pretty much comatose for many of us around the year…except when Serendipity comes along seeking to engage us to raise public consciousness about the various undoubtedly creative arts and crafts and much else in India which may be quietly dying out and are in need of revival and patronage anew.
Usually, I try to make it to some of the culinary talks esoteric or not so esoteric, about food in the wild, food vis-à-vis genes, food and immune system and so on and so forth. Foodie themes are endless for isn’t food primary along with procreation and entertainment? We know all that. Yet in the last hundred years of agricultural, industrial and technological revolutions the face of civilization has changed phenomenally and as humankind we’ve practically lost touch with ground primary realities – like body beautiful is organic and cannot afford to become a weakling! What we put in our mouth is what makes us fighting fit or mostly sick in hospital as hostages of medical science.
NOBODY wants to go to a hospital now and out of a hospital most seniors seek some kind of a sanitarium or wellbeing place offering some naturopathy and alternative therapies relief to rejuvenate and re-vitalize and feel like living again – unfortunately, we only have hospitals and more hospitals as we degenerate. Healthcare takes away most of our earnings nowadays, we spend more money or medicines and all kinds of other paraphernalia for wellbeing enough to carry on living with stoic courage or any kind of positive joy, preferring to see cups of water variously full instead of empty…

It’s clear what kind of new year 2026 resolutions we must switch over and adhere too to reap the rewards of wellbeing: First of all I say chuck all sweet things loaded with sugar, refined flours, hydrogenated fats. We Indians need to shun carbs majorly. Recently, I realized that beans and especially chickpeas can replace bread and rice pretty well – I just soak overnight and pressure cook the chickpeas with a few pinches of sea salt, even this is not necessary. Cooked chickpeas convert easily into the Labonese “humus” and I like to toss them in a tempering of coconut oil, mustard seeds, asafetida, bunch of curry leaves….I remember this “sundal” chickpeas at a temple down south India one time and loved them so. Can turn a handful of cooked chickpeas into soup too most instantly…add in za’atar herbal mix or chaat masala for flavor. Lemon juice is also the most important vitamin C of them all, not for nothing is vitamin C considered the king of all vitamins. I always helps in all kinds of healing from A to Z.
Food, exercise and being positive are the three things to take care of in 2026, try, try and try again. Give love a chance for don’t we all begin life with love? Don’t turn it hate somewhere along the way of growing up into adults!
RECENTLY, I was reading what the tech genius Elon Musk’s mother Maye Musk (whose book “When A Woman Makes A Plan” is being translated into many languages now) had to say about eating, and take the liberty of reproducing it here for your reading. Life begins when you learn to take care of yourself first, not in the worst ways possible but in the best ways possible.

ELON MUSK’S MOTHER REVEALS WHY SHE BANNED CHIPS AND COOKIES FROM HER HOME – AND WHT HER GRANDKIDS SAY INSTEAD
October9, 2025
I’VE been a dietitian for over 40 years, and if there’s one truth I’ve learned, it’s this: once you start on chips or cookies, you can’t stop. That’s why I never keep them in my home. My grandchildren joke, “Grandma’s got no food,” but they know better. I stock fruits, vegetables yogurt, and whole grains – not ultra-processed snacks. I’ve seen what poor nutrition does – obesity, diabetes, hypertension. I’ve watched patients transform just by changing what’s on their plate. So yes, I’m strict. But I’m also loving. Because real love means protecting the people you care about – even from the pantry.
When I was raising Elon and his siblings, I didn’t have much money, but I had knowledge. I knew that food could heal or harm. I ran a private practice, helping people reverse chronic conditions just by eating better. Now, as a grandmother to 14, I still believe in that power. I don’t compromise. I’ve seen communities struggle with food addiction, and I know how hard it is to pull back once you’ve started. That’s why I support initiatives like “Make America Healthy Again” – because change starts with education, and education starts at the dinner table.
I’ve lived long enough to know that health isn’t just about looking good – it’s about feeling strong, staying sharp, and aging with grace. My flexitarian diet keeps me energized. I walk, do yoga, and lift weights at home. I don’t chase trends – I stick to what works. And I don’t let junk food sneak into my life, because I know how addictive it is. If you start, you can’t stop. So I don’t start. It’s that simple. And if my grandkids want cookies, they’ll have to bake them – with whole wheat flour and a lot of love.
I’m not trying to be the “mean grandma.” I’m trying to be the wise one. Want my family – and my community – to live long, vibrant lives. Chips and cookies may taste good, but they don’t love you back. Real nourishment does. So I’ll keep saying no to the snack aisle, and yes to health. Because when you’ve seen what food can do, you don’t just eat – you choose. And I choose to live well, every single day.
(Courtesy broadcastmediareaders)