Nuances of nutrition

In today’s age where lifestyle diseases are the norm, fifty-seven-year-old Kavita Mukhi proudly states that she has no health issues whatsoever. For her, nutrition is not just a passion but a way of life. “I’d love to see the people of my country make healthier choices, so they can achieve their dreams,” is her vision for the future. We caught up with Kavita during her Ask Barramama session.

Introduction to nutrition
Born in Mumbai, Kavita has lived in different parts of the world like the Middle East, England, Indonesia, US and India. Due to marital problems, she lived with her parents in the US, and that’s where she studied about nutrition. She became a mother at the age of 23. Her son was a cranky colicky child and it was her infant son’s digestive problems that prompted her to study nutrition and she did several courses in Florida and Texas. Around 1987, she moved back to Mumbai and decided to teach about nutrition along with renowned nutritionist Dr Vijaya Venkat and together they formed The Bombay College of Health and Nutrition. They ran it for two years. When people who studied about eating healthy began looking for nutritious food, Kavita  stopped teaching and started Kavita Mukhi’s Health Shop in 1990 in the city, which sold products like brown rice, whole wheat bread and noodles, healthy cookies, raw honey.

Going organic
Fukuoka, a Japanese natural farmer, was invited to India by Kavita and Vijaya, who were a part of a group called Prakriti. Fukuoka introduced them to the world of organic food and since then, there has been no looking back for Kavita. She got in touch with organic farmers and began selling organic food and changed her shop brand name to Conscious Food in 2000. 

The Farmer’s Market
In 2001, she sold Conscious Food but she continued working with them till 2010, and that’s when Kavita started the Farmer’s Market in the city, with the help of her son Omar and health coach Megha Rawal. While Conscious Food sold all kinds of dry organic products like cereals, oils, sugar, biscuits, etc. the Farmer’s Market made fresh organic produce of fruits and vegetables available in the city. The purpose of the Farmer’s Market (which runs for six months a year, every Sunday from October to March) was not only buying and selling of fresh organic produce but also recognition and appreciation of the organic farmers. Initially, it took place in Bandra but now takes place the Maharashtra Nature Park in Dharavi. The Farmer’s Market brings together organic farmers, organic business houses like cosmetic, t-shirts, food grains, an organic cafeteria where chefs serve delicious organic food and will witness it’s seventh edition this year. The market is not only about purchasing all things organic but also a fun-filled event where there’s live music, people celebrate their birthdays and have meetings, art workshops for children, etc. 

Why go organic?
“I got into nutrition because of personal reasons. Then it became about helping others and community. Then it became about organic food. Then about the earth, the environment. The future generations need the earth, so let’s not kill it by dousing chemicals. Then it became about protecting the poor farmers who were committing suicide. In the end, it boils down to the survival of farming as an occupation and keeping its knowledge alive. If doesn’t happen, there will be industrialised farming by big companies who will spray chemicals, use GM seeds, etc. It’s a scary scenario what it can do to the crops, the land, our health. It’s not just about food security but also farmers’ security and human security,” informs Kavita.

Busting myths
“One myth is that organic food is expensive. When you eat whole foods, you need lesser quantity of food. For eg. like when choosing brown rice instead of white rice, you need a smaller quantity of food to satiate hunger. It saves you on doctor’s bills as you’re living a healthy life. Secondly, that it’s a fad. If it’s a fad, the organic business  wouldn’t be growing. How can it be a fad if you feel good leading an organic lifestyle? Another myth is that organic food is boring like eating boiled vegetables. Organic food is interesting delicious and has much more variety. Also, one doesn’t have to be a puritan and a vegetarian to go organic,” reasons out Kavita. 

Ask Barramama
This is a Q&A session that Kavita conducts at her residence in Breach Candy, to impart her valuable knowledge on nutrition and healthy living. Her spiritual guru Maharishika Maiyaa once told her that it’s her moral responsibility to impart the knowledge and experience she’s gained with others. Thus, the idea of Ask Barramama was born. The name Barramama is inspired from her grandmom. The Ask Barramama session has Kavita addressing the various queries of the participants on nutrition, organic foods, healthy cooking and lots more. It’s an exchange of highly informative conversations across the group, attended by individuals from various walks of life. Topics like how to cook food in the best way possible, recipes, natural remedies for ailments, and so on are imparted by Kavita. There was also an organic food spread prepared by Chef Amit Pamnani, a corporate chef and who also offers organic catering and tiffins, along with his wife Muskaan. The menu included Gazpacho, Beetroot salad with feta, Sprouts crostini, Wild mushroom pilaf, Ragi tacos, Ginger drink and dessert. A delicious end to the session.

Kavita’s tips
Do not buy out of season foods. 
Do not buy things that come from far away (far away countries) as it costs too much.
Eat things that are produced locally. Eat Indian.
And buy organic hygienic, unadulterated, chemical-free food.

 You can contact her at: kavitamukhi@gmail.com