Mahatma Gandhi, on his 150th birth anniversary today, is being remembered across the country with various events, by the government and private organisations. However, for most members of the younger generation, Gandhi Jayanthi is just a holiday to relax and rejoice. With vague memories of what they studied about the Father of the Nation during their school days, their only encounter with Gandhi is when they spend the currency notes that feature his smiling face.Mohandas Karamchand has many faces and gen-next don’t know that he was India’s first nutritionist and diet guru. In fact, even many seniors are not aware of this fact. In a book titled ‘Diet and Diet Reform’, Gandhi narrates his experiments with diet and says, ‘I take generally: 8 tolas of germinating wheat, 8 tolas of sweet almonds reduced to a paste, 8 tolas of green leaves pounded, 6 sour lemons, and 2 ounces of honey. The food is divided into two parts, the first meal is taken at 11 a.m. the second at 6.15 p.m. The only thing touched by fire is water. I take in the morning and once more during the day boiling water, lemon and honey.’
He further states: ‘Six years of experiment have showed me that the brahmachari’s ideal food is fresh fruits and nuts. The immunity from passion that I enjoyed when I lived on this food was unknown to me after I changed that diet.’ Gandhi advocated raw vegetables, curd, fruits, fresh organically grown food, unpolished rice and coarse grains, millets, leafy vegetables, soya beans, neem seeds, jaggery, guava seeds, tamarind, groundnut cake and boiled vegetables. And all these things are now being recommended by modern-day dietitians, as if these were new inventions. Like this, Gandhi has many faces and his experiments were not with truth alone. And those who run this country and the party after him should take efforts to take his messages to youngsters.