Happiness is a matter of the mind: Food and happiness

"When someone like me comes from a poor family where the next good meal is an uncertainty, he learns that having any type of food in his stomach is so satisfying."

I have never heard a greater truth than that. Hunger and poverty do not lead one to choice for there is none. When the stomach growls for too long, any type of food is good as it helps to stop the pangs of uncomfartable hunger. Such a person is happy just to get some kind of food into his stomach.

However, there are people who have never experienced hunger; always available to them is the tasty food of their choice. Such people become choosy and would sulk should they find the available food not their favourite. They can only be happy if the food is of the quality or type that is preferred. So, even good food may not be satisfying for some people.

As the above shows, happiness is easily attainable if the attitude towards food is right. And attitude is due to the experience of the persons concerned. Therefore we can safely claim that happiness is the interpretation of an act by the mind. It's thinking that makes the difference.

Since we have started on food, let us continue with food as the main criteria in our thoughts on happiness.

The type of food available to us depends upon our financial status. If we are not so well to do, we can only afford the cheaper types of food while the rich can have more choices.

Does that mean that we will lose out in terms of health, if not happiness? Certainly not! The poor can always have all the nutrients needed by the body. Our body needs proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, vitamins, minerals, fibres and water. Have I missed out on any?

When it comes to proteins, we have cheap fish as well as expensive fish. We have cheap meat as well as expensive meat. We have cheap vegetables as well as expensive vegetables. So, sufficient protein is available, be the consumers rich or poor.

If we buy smaller fish, it ought to be cheaper. not only that, we get more calcium too as with deep frying of smaller fish, such as anchovies, (Of course, with better knowledge on nutrition, even anchovies is rising in demand and price.) even the crispy bones can be consumed.And there is a lot of variety too when it comes to small fish.

If red meat is too expensive, it is better not to have it so often. However, even the price of meat depends upon the cut; depending upon which part of the animal it comes from. Protein from vegetables can also be available in cheaper vegetables. Furthermore, vegetables can be easily grown by the people themselves on small organic plots and even pots.

As for carbohydrates, most of the grains and vegetables are cheap. The cheaper grains, since there is less processes of refining, have more vitamins too. However, less processed grains are becoming more expensive as people realise this and the demand for the 'once-upon-a-time detested, cheap grains' rises.

Fruits and vegetables as well as liquids provide us with minerals and there are lots of free if not cheap vegetables and fruits available.

Fats and oils can be either cheap or expensive too. Coconut oil which is a good saturated oil is cheap. (Look at my posting on coconut oil.) It is cheap because it has been given a bad name through the misunderstanding that all saturated oils are bad. Flaxseeds, even the organic ones, are fairly cheap and when they are pounded the oil from them gives us a good supply of Omega-3, an important essential fatty acid as well as lignans. Groundnuts, which is tasty and cheap is another source of good oil.

So, healthwise, be the food cheap or expensive, it makes no difference where health is concerned.

As for the taste factor, it all depends upon the cook. If the cook is good and knowledgeable, any food can be cooked to taste fantastic. I know it for a fact as I have used both expensive food as well as the very cheap food in some of the meals I had cooked for my family. Yes, I did cook when my wife was still alive. We shared our chores.

So, from the aspect of food, happiness is easily achievable if we wish to be happy. Allow our minds to understand that all kinds of food can be tasty and let it realise the importance of food as a source of nutrients essential for our health. Give our mind the freedom to enjoy food without thinking of price as the indicator of good food.