LEVERAGING FOOD AS A TOOL FOR HEALTH AND RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY TO ACCOMPLISH SDG-3

Abstract

In 2015, the 191 member states of the United Nations embraced 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a global pledge to eradicate poverty, safeguard the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all the people. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals with 169 targets are to be achieved by the year 2030. All 16 goals are directly or indirectly related to health. (Hossain, 2024). As all the goals pivot around Health hence every individual or citizen of India should be accountable for his health for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (Koehring, 2019). For a nation like India to be self-sufficient and to be ranked as one of the developed Nation, having healthy and happy citizens is imperative. For Thousands of years food consumed was considered therapeutic and was the essence of Ancient India practices. In India food is not just consumed; it is experienced as a divine “Sanskara” a tradition passed down from generations, nourishing Mind, body and soul. This article emphasizes the role of food as medicine for keeping inhabitants healthy to achieve Sustainable Development Goal-3 of Health and Well – being for all.  Ancient Indian practices incorporated Food as Medicine, many ancient Indians had knowledge of herbs, spices, food nutrition even though they were illiterate per se the global literate standards. The knowledge was passed verbally or shruti to the subsequent generation’s example parent to daughter and son. With the advent of globalization and influence of Western culture of fast and packed food Indians for the past 5-6 decades are losing the importance of Food Culture that involved including Nutritive food, season, time of Food consumption, ritual of consumption and family meals. This article highlights the importance that every individual citizen of India should feel from within Healthy Me and Healthy family will lead to Healthy Nation. Every person must consume food as medicine for maintaining Good physical and mental state.