For years, I obsessed over calories. Like many of us, I was taught that weight management was all about simple math; calories in versus calories out. I tracked everything, from fats to sugars, and convinced myself that if I could just nail the numbers, I would be healthier and feel better. But despite my efforts, something was not adding up. I felt sluggish, bloated, and far from my best. It was not until I started looking at the chemicals in my food that I realized what I was overlooking.
Why Chemicals Matter More Than Calories
As Dr Savita Nagpal, told me, we often fall prey to “health- washing” a marketing gimmick that highlights the healthy attributes of a food product whilst hiding the harmful and noxious ingredients in fine print. The reason for creating “health halos” around processed foods is to lure the unwitting health-conscious consumer. Over 3,000 chemicals are used in the food industry today. These additives and preservatives help make our food taste better and last longer, but they can also play havoc with one’s metabolism, cause water retention, and lead to inflammation and thus sabotage our health. One might think one is eating well by sticking to “low-fat” or “low-calorie” processed foods, but have you ever stopped to read the ingredient list? I was guilty of this too and chose diet-friendly foods with complicated, unpronounceable ingredients, thinking I was on the right track. Common ultra-processed foods include energy drinks, chips, cookies, candy, packaged meals, ice cream, frozen desserts, breakfast cereals and bars, and processed meats such as hotdogs, bacon and sausage. The person who inserted the “s” in “fast food’ was indeed brilliant!
My love for conscious living led me to explore ways to find clean food in our urban life and this culminated in my founding Zemya Farms and encouraging more people to join me on the voyage to better living. After visiting the farm, Dr Savita and her friend Dr Jayanti Seth (D58) willingly jumped onto the bandwagon as have some others too.
I’ve personally experienced how eating clean, chemical-free foods can lead to greater satiety, increased energy levels, and overall better health. It is a reminder that what we put into our bodies is more than just calories. Rather, it’s about nourishing ourselves inside out.
Let’s Grow Healthier Together
At Zemya Farms, we are on a mission to change our perception of food. Instead of obsessing over numbers, we focus on the quality of the food we grow. When you choose fresh, pesticide-free vegetables grown with care, you are not just getting food that is better for your waistline, but you are choosing food that is better for your body, mind, and soul, as well as for the Planet.
The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) coined the acronym “JUNCS”, to cover a wide range of unhealthy foods. So let us all junk the JUNCS!
• J: Junk foods
• U: Ultra-processed foods
• N: Nutritionally inappropriate foods
• C: Caffeinated, coloured, or carbonated foods and beverages
• S: Sugar-sweetened beverages
If you’re ready to adopt a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle, we at Zemya Farms invite you to join us on this transformative journey. Let’s reconnect with nature and grow a better future, together. We’d love to welcome you to our community!
