Mind Nutrition ‘Backwardness’ Connection

Mind Nutrition ‘Backwardness’ Connection

According to Vedanta the food solids and liquids one eats nourish the body in different ways. The gross part, constituting roughage is rejected by the body as waste products. The less gross but finer parts go to build our physical body system constituting blood, bones, flesh etc. The finest part goes to build our mind and manifests in our faculties of speech and actions. It is also explained that the three constituents making up this system are spoken of as being represented by Earth, Water and Fire. The earth part represents the gross body, the water part the vital life force PRANA, The fire part constitutes our mental make up which motivates our actions in life and ‘fires’ our speech. (Chandogya Upanishad Chapter6.4 and 6.5.) Modern behavior science terms this as having ‘ARTICULATE’ and a “DRIVEN” personality. In Vedic terminology the word used is MANYU. Which means one yolk his mind? He develops the ability to discern, question and be self motivated. And not be having a blind faith in religious teachers, politicians, and media glitterati

It is obvious, that India may be a country with over a billion people but can we say that an average Indian , and that is all Hindus, all castes included, all Muslims and Christians, is endowed with Manyu to be discerning and self propelled? Does this not explain why in a country of over a billion people we are hard put to produce Olympian athletes, Noble Prize winners, original thinkers and path breaking tail blazing individuals, rather than also ran copy cats.
It further says in Chandogya6.4.5 that this was common knowledge obtained from Vedas and known to all the wise people & those who learned it, preached and practiced it. When certain sections of our society chose to confine all ‘knowledge’ and access to that knowledge only to their own families and clans , a large part of our society suffered not only in social skills from this segregation but among other things deprivation of knowledge relating to nutritional aspects directly impacted on the intellectual vitality, physical health and disease resistance of the body, in addition to gross social deprivation and exploitation, to leave us in utter misery. Apart from legislative half hearted tinkering and charitism we have not touched the root of the problem which is to empower the minds of our coming youth.

This mind nutrition analysis is now being fully supported by modern scientific researches.
The Mental Health foundation in UK has in its reports shown specific linkage of the following behavioral conditions as traceable to specific deficiency of fresh green vegetables, dairy products, nuts and oils in the diets. Eating left over and stale food is also considered undesirable.
Inappropriate and malnutrition result in:
1. Anxiety
2. Poor concentration and lack of attention
3. Poor memory
4. Irritability
5. Stress
6. Confusion
7. Insomnia
8. Blank mind
9. Loss of appetite
10. Lack of motivation
All these represent the class of problems faced by us, more in our predominantly in urban poor school children and most of the rural population, transcending all caste barriers, but affecting more the girl child, infants and mothers.

It is well recognized in the academic world that while long term ‘poverty’ affects mental health and social behavior of the children, even children from ‘rich ‘ families suffer from malnutrition but of a different nature which is caused by ‘Junk’ inappropriate food.
To day in the world there happens to be one country which by ‘default’ has hit upon this magical touch stone. USA launched its WIC (women-infant-child) care pragramme very recently in this decade only. But if the United Nation’s reports are studied, it will be found that it was China, which launched the most effective would be mother and child care and nutrition system very effectively more than two decades back.
Any person visiting the China to day will be struck with one very important observation. The Chinese society is not only predominantly young but also highly discerning and self driven. With such a society after the children have gone through their educational institutions, there is very little disciplining and executive authority required to be exercised. One is not likely to see any policemen on the roads, or any beggars or people loitering or crowding on the streets or road side. Bertrand Russell would be shocked to see the loss of the ‘living finery of the east’.
A non resident foreigner is welcomed to start a 100% foreign owned business,
We in India have a long way to go but should have a simultaneous strategy for mother’s to be, infants and child nutrition and health care as a long term strategy. And this is an area not for the Govt to work upon but for working of all voluntary and self help groups.

The traditional Indian food comprised of lots of green leafy and raw vegetables and fresh dairy products, nuts and kernels from pumpkins melons almonds seeds etc. In addition there was the tradition of consuming lot of fermented and preserved vegetables, cereals and dairy products. The modern science now gives those names like Probiotics and Microbial Nutrition. It was also an Indian tradition to avoid stale food as far as possible. This again is fully endorsed by modern nutrition experts.
It is a very modern observation that our women in general are iron deficient. Huge amounts of money and NGO efforts are being made for free distribution of iron tablets. If instead people were just reminded the importance of green leafy vegetables as the best source of dietary iron, the efforts will be far more effective and at no cost.
Recommended Dietary Allowances for Iron for Infants (7 to 12 months), Children, and Adults [1] as per NIH of USA

Age Males
(mg/day) Females
(mg/day) Pregnancy
(mg/day) Lactation
(mg/day)
7 to 12 months 11 11 N/A N/A
1 to 3 years 7 7 N/A N/A
4 to 8 years 10 10 N/A N/A
9 to 13 years 8 8 N/A N/A
14 to 18 years 11 15 27 10
19 to 50 years 8 18 27 9
51+ years 8 8 N/A N/A

Need is appreciated to make affirmative interventions on eating habits, awareness about the food mind linkage and availability of locally grown fresh cheap green leafy vegetables and dairy products.
SNo.Local Name English Name Scientific Name Beta carotene Vitamin-c
Micro gm/100g Mg/100g. 1.Ava akulu Mustard leaves Brassica campestris var 2622 33
2.Avisa Agathi Sesbania grandiflora 5400 169
3.Chama akulu Colocasia leaves Colocasia anti-quorum 10,278 12
4.Chinta aku Tamarind leaves Tamarindus indica 250 3
5.Chukka koora Rumex vesicarius 3660 12
6.gali kura Amaranthes sp. 5520 99
7.Erra bachali Mayalu Baselia rubra 7440 87
8.Gobi gadda Cabbage Brassica oieracea 120 124
9.Karivepaku Curry leaves Murraya koenigii 7560 4
10.Kothimiri Coriander leaves Coriandrum sativum 6918 135
11.Kusuma akulu Safflower leaves thamus tinctorius 3540 15
12.Mentham koora Fenugreek leaves Trigonella foenum 2340 52
13.Munaga akulu Drumstick leaves Moringa oleifera 6780 220
14.Ulli porak Onion stalk Allium cepa 595 17
15.Pala koora Spinach Spinacia oleracea 5580 28
16.Ponnaganti koora - Altermanthera sessilis 1926 17
17.Pudina Mint Mentha spicata 1620 27
18.Pul gobi Cauliflower Brassica oleracea 30 56
19.Pundi – thella Gogu Hibiscus cannabinus 2898 20
20.Pundi – erra Gogu Hibiscus cannabinus 2898 20


At International levels role of ‘School kitchen Gardens’ and involvement of parents in the midday meal schemes of their children in the schools is well recognized.
It is suggested that our NGOs operating particularly in our rural areas may like to consider the possibilities of initiating such programmes. Lack of open land space and irrigation water availability in schools; have been very competently dealt with by introducing HYDROPONICS vegetables growing, and urban agriculture. This is a very interesting and innovative strategy. The children find this a very interesting skill but it also opens up better farming skill opportunities for the masses.
Promotion of rural cattle and its up gradation is also a very cost effective and sustainable activity for this nutritional initiative.