Indigenous Diet

First and foremost, it gives you better health. That’s probably the entire agenda of coming across a food-oriented blog, right? Considering that you are a supporter of science, you likely believe in evolution. Evolution dictates that any living thing evolves to better adapt to the environment around it. So it makes sense that your body has adapted to whatever food has been available to your local community for generations.

Now, take a hint and guess what ‘eating something that suits your body’ does to your health—it improves it. An indigenous diet is bound to be easier for your body to digest, readily available, and provides immunity that guards you against regional illnesses.

The idea of an individualistic approach towards diet—which indigenous diets innately advocate—was emphasized by Eran Segal in a TEDx talk focusing on a detailed study with surprising results favoring a diverse, individually catered diet that prevents and even treats dietary ailments.

The environmental repercussions around food are, if not entirely, then at least majorly overlooked by food trend followers looking for the next revolutionary change in their diet. Let’s try and understand this through two points:

• Growth: Let’s take the example of rice. Rice is a crop that requires substantial irrigation. When someone starts growing rice in an area that does not receive ample rainfall to feed this water demand, they create a need for artificial irrigation, which in turn requires more fuel to transport water. Not only is rice unsuited to that local ecosystem, but its forced production places a major burden on local resources. We can instead switch to grains readily available nearby.
• Transportation: You read about Quinoa and its miraculous weight-loss, high-protein properties and decide to consume it. The trend takes years to settle in, but the massive environmental impact is paid for from your pocket while staying in the ecosystem regardless. Transporting Ragi from Maharashtra to Gujarat, by contrast, generates a much smaller carbon footprint.

As mentioned above, when transportation costs are low and growth is favored by the local ecosystem, climate, and rainfall, sellers have far less reason to raise costs. Even if an individual supplier raises prices, you can easily find dozens of alternative local sources.

There are just three keywords you need to remember here: local, seasonal, and diversified. Explore your local market, understand the pricing of different vegetables, fruits, and crops, figure out what grows in your nearby states, identify when produce is at its lowest seasonal price, and maintain a balance. You can easily find most of this information online.

Once you figure this out, do not stick to one permanent diet; rather, keep improvising. Food is science, and science only works through experimentation.

If you plan on going even further, the book Ikigai appreciates a lifestyle from Japan that includes cultivating most or at least some of what you consume. This can be a gradual way of discovering what is supported by the ecosystem where you reside.

It instills a sense of autonomy and cognizance toward a dietary aspect often unexplored in modern urban lifestyles, allowing you to truly understand the food you eat.

Now that you understand the how, why, and what of indigenous diets, let’s see how Farm Didi helps you in the process. As a social enterprise, Farm Didi works with targeted local communities of farmers, enhances their operations, and distributes their authentic produce pan-India.

Our delicious offerings include wholesome flours, traditional pickles, and guilt-free sweets crafted with authentic recipes and strict hygiene standards. We help you access local, seasonal, and diversified items with the added bonus of supporting local rural communities to thrive.