You may have heard this popular saying “We are what we eat. How do we eat? When do we eat?” But you might miss out to consider one main health key followed by these three factors and that is “how we cook the food we eat?” The answer lies in the Ancient Vedas which mention the benefits of Clay pot Cooking or handmade Earthenware. It plays such a vital role in Balancing the five chakras or five elements in the body.
As per Ayurveda and traditional Health Values, Food preparation needs the balance of Mind, Body, and Soul. Hereby, the Mind means to keep the thoughts healthy while cooking the Food, By the Body, it means the metal of cookware you are using to cook the Food, and by soul, means the Vibrations and energy you are putting in the food while preparing it.
“All Disease Begins in The Gut.” – Hippocrates the father of medicine. The disease in the body arises from the stomach and your stomach is directly related to the food that you have in your daily life. When you face any health issue, you start keeping a check on what food you are having but you ignore the main factor “how the food is being cooked”?
According to Ayurveda food and water absorb the Vibrations around them. In ancient times or if you go a few years back, the food was used to prepare and keep in Clay pots or Earthenware only. And besides that, the peaceful environment with humming prayers side by side while cooking was as important a ritual as salt in the food.
Why do you need to cook the food?
The micronutrients present in some of the major foods which are not useful in their raw state to the body get converted into a useful form on being cooked.
What is a Clay pot?
Clay pot also known as Earthenware is a range of Cooking Vessels that are made up by combining two kinds of Mud Clay. The first kind of clay is taken from the uppermost layer of the ground and the second kind is derived from 10 feet down by digging into the earth. Afterward, a mud dough is made by mixing the water in these two-mud clay. Subsequently, this mud dough is put on the pottery wheel to get it in the desired pot shape. Once it gets in shape, the potter then does the finishing & polishing part and lets the pot dry naturally. Later the pot is put into a kiln to be baked for at least 5 days to make it hard and ready to use.
Benefits of Clay Pot Cooking that leads to Healthy Gut and Boost the Immunity
Get Rid of your Stomach problems with one small change in your Lifestyle. It is an important yet simple change that you can adapt to lead a Healthy Lifestyle. The Clay Pot is made up of Mud clay. The capacity of micronutrients present in the Mud makes it Pure in nature. The clay absorbs moisture due to its porous nature. When the food gets cooked in a clay pot, the heat circulates slowly and gradually travels through the food which not only makes the food aromatically rich but also retains the micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, etc. which are vital for healthy functioning of the body. Clay pot Cooking is Nectar for Life.
The magic is that it is not just your body that is made up of five elements Earth, Fire, Water, Ether, Air known as Panchmahabhootas but the earthenware or handmade clay pots are also made with the same five elements. And more than that, the food prepared in Earthenware or Clay pot also works with the same five elements. Now you wondering how? Earthenware cooking vessels are potted with mud and water containing earth and water element that seeps into food in the cooking process. And, while preparing healthy food you need heat, air, and sun touch that covers the rest three elements (heat as fire, sun as ether, and air). Isn’t it magical? Let’s have a look at the 13 health benefits of Earthenware or Claypot Cooking.
1. Completes 18 vital nutrition
According to research led by Mr. Rajiv Dixit, the famous social activist claimed the fact that the food cooked and kept in Earthenware completes 18 Vital Nutrition (also termed as micro Nutrients like Iron/sulfur/magnesium/silicon/calcium/cobalt/gypsum, etc.) that your body needs for day to day functioning. In Clay pot cooking, when the food comes in touch with the mud surface, it releases all the essential micronutrients which are present in the mud clay into the food that is being cooked.
2. Keep the Micronutrients of food Undamaged and 100% safe while Cooking
Do you know that your body does not produce any Vitamins and minerals? You need to complete this essential nutrition from food and plants only. The micronutrients present in the mud travel through the Roots to the Sapling Branches Stem to Flower and to the fruit at the end. When you cook food in a Clay pot, the micronutrients which are not useful to the body in their raw state get converted into a useful form of state.
Rajiv Dixit a Social Activist, visited the CSIR laboratory, Puri, to Bhubaneshwar, and then to Delhi for analysis of food (Legumes) cooked in various metals. After 6-8 months of good research, the percentage of analysis came out that all the 18 micronutrients present in the food that is cooked in a Clay pot remained 100% natural and intact. Moreover, did not result in the loss of even a single nutrient compared to the food cooked in other vessels and metals like aluminum, non-stick, and pressure cookers.
3. Easy to Digest
When the food is digested it helps the essential nutrients to reach their specific parts in the body. The Clay pot being alkaline in nature neutralizes the acidity of food and balances the alkalinity of the food which makes the food cooked in Earthenware easy to digest. However, Clay pot cooking leads to good digestion coupled with a No Disease Zone.
4. Boost the Flavour and Taste
Obviously! if all the nutrients remain intact in the food, give me one single reason for food not being Nutritious and Delicious in taste. The food cooked and kept in a Clay pot preserve the nutrients that are already present in the food by nature and at the same time, the Micronutrients present in the mud clay get released in the food after coming into direct touch with the clay pot which results in Magical Flavor and taste of the food. Thus, the food prepared in Clay pot vessels is banged on in taste with the boom of Nutrients and Proteins!
5. It Allows Sunlight and Air Touch
Do not let the food business Industry play with your brain. “Your Stomach is your Second Brain“.
Any living or non-living thing that does not get the touch of Air and Sunlight gets oxidized the same thing happens with food if it does not come in touch with air and sunlight, it gets poisoned.
The food cooked and kept in Earthenware or clay pots not just cook the food completely but even converts those micronutrients into a useful form which sadly is not beneficial in its raw state. When the food is cooked in Earthenware, it allows the touch of Sunlight and air to reach the food which maintains the nutrients and purity of the food in its natural form.
Like pressure cookers, clay pot cooking does not break the food out of pressure and steam rather it literally allows the food to be cooked completely from within. Your body does not produce 18 essential micronutrients so you need to complete them from the plants and food that you eat. But the irony is that when you cook the food in vessels other than the Earthenware handmade clay pots, almost all the micronutrients get destroyed in the cooking process.
Dal, lentils beans, or any food cooked in a pressure cooker without the air and sunlight touch 87% of micronutrients get destroyed and only 13 % remain intact. The reason is due to the pressure on food in the cooker, which does not allow it to cook rather it breaks the molecules present in it which makes it look cooked and soft but in reality, it is always undercooked.
So, food made in clay pots is fully cooked, healthier, delightful, and nutritious in comparison to pressure cookers and other cookware.
6. Boost the Immunity
Do you know each one of us is always surrounded by germs? Germs are not about standing near dustbins, washrooms, or some dirty place only. The shocking thing is that you are breathing in germs only. It’s all about the immunity of your body that serves as your shield.
Wondering in spite of surrounding by these viruses you are sustained, because you are provided with a safeguard from nature which is known as Immunity. Immunity act as a shield and protects your body system from external harmful factors like free radicals, Viruses, harmful bacteria, etc.
According to a very famous author, an International Medical Nutritionist with the Guinness book of world records Dr. Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury says that in totality you are surrounded by three lacs twenty thousand different viruses out of which only 291 are named by humans, and rest of the viruses are still unnamed.
The immunity of the body gets strong when you have balanced and nutritionally enriched food cooked in a Clay pot. The food cooked and kept in Earthenware does not let the loss of nutrition happen thus the food in Earthenware is enriched with essential nutrition which results in strengthening the Immune system of your body.
If your body is getting all the nutritional vitamins and minerals then there is not a single reason that remains left that the body will catch any infection, flu, or disease by any means. Cooking in a clay pot boosts immunity by 70 % completing all the deficiencies in your body. Clay pot cooking is a blend of essential nutrients and its resistance to heat enhances immunity in a drastic way.
7. Dairy products get more Beneficial
Dairy products are full of benefits if you make them in Earthenware. When you boil the milk or make kheer or any dairy dish in the clay pot, extra water in the milk is soaked by the clay pot which results in the thickening of milk, tastes more delightful, and gets more nutritious with each passing minute.
The second benefit to using Earthenware for dairy products is micronutrients like phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, magnesium, etc present in the clay pot which makes your body strong and healthy in addition to the benefits you derive from the Dairy products.
The Dairy products cooked in a clay pot come to room temperature quickly letting the food or milk gets cold in lesser time. The clay pot cooking protects the food for a long time from getting spoiled. You can keep it out of the fridge for an extended period to save toxification.
8. Relieves Constipation
The excretory system of the body should function properly in order to keep a Healthy Body. The excretory system involves the process of detoxification of the body which is extremely important for a Living being to live a healthy life.
The detoxification process includes the excretion of waste, and excess and unnecessary fluids from the body with the help of excretory organs like the large intestine, kidneys, and skin in the form of stool, Urine, and sweat. If the body is not excreting the waste and toxins on a regular basis it leads to Constipation and other chronic diseases.
The food is cooked in a Clay pot on a low flame in order to save the cookware from cracking, allowing the heat to travel slowly and gradually through the food which results in proper cooking of food which makes it easy for digestion and the digested food leads to easy excretion. Clay pot cooking keeps the digestive system healthy and helps in the easy release of toxins from the body.
It does not just soften the food with heat or steam to make it look cooked but actually lets it get cooked completely with the touch of Air and Sunlight. The essential nutrients are easily absorbed from the properly digested food and moreover, the waste, leftover, excess fluids, and toxins are excreted easily from the body.
9. Gas / Acidity
When your body feels incapable of digesting the food or excreting the waste or undigested food due to any reason, the undigested food rotten inside your stomach which produces Gas and acidity and starts traveling towards the upper parts creating discomfort in the body.
The two main reasons for Gas / Acidity are Undigested Food and the Imbalance between Acid and alkalinity i.e., the PH level of the body.
The food cooked in Earthenware or Clay pot is digested easily which does not let the food remain undigested in the stomach in the very first place. Furthermore, the clay pots help in preserving the alkalinity of the food and reduce the acidity in the food, in addition, to balancing the PH level due to its own alkaline nature.
10. Keeps the Doctor Away
In contrast to Earthenware, the metals like aluminum, non-stick, and other cookware when coming in touch with the heat directly, the paint or metal on the vessels starts melting and gets mixed into the food. No doubt it does not affect the body instantly but acts as a slow poison. It starts getting into your body through food and travels to your blood which leads to chronic diseases like cancer over a period of time.
As per Rajiv Dixit, after 18 years of a research study conducted by CDIR scientists, it is concluded that the food cooked in a Clay pot saves you from 48 leading chronic diseases like TB, Tuberculosis, asthma, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, etc. You have heard many people saying that how is it possible that a person who was following absolute healthy food and lifestyle got caught in the web of chronic diseases like Cancer.
It is not only about what you are eating and what exercises you are doing but it definitely includes the other factors also like which metals or containers you are using to cook and keep the food in your daily life routine. The worst metal to keep and cook food is Aluminium.
The fast lifestyle and technology like refrigerators and microwave ovens etc are definitely saving a bit of your time and effort now but definitely shortening your life span. The Clay pot cooking no doubt is a bit time-consuming but definitely provides you with an increased healthy life span.
11. Forever Young
In addition to a face with a smile, a beautiful mind, and peaceful thoughts there is one more strong factor and that is “Good Health” which makes you young forever.
The clay pot food does not create toxins in your body and helps in detoxification of the body which is visible as youthful health that reflects in your skin, energy, and body in the form of glow, hydration, and radiance.
Unlike the aluminum and other metals that make the food toxic by getting dissolved into the food, the earthenware adds purity to the food by coming into direct touch with clay which is by default pure in nature. The food prepared in a Clay pot enables the nutrition to reach every single cell of the body which increases the oxygen level. It leads to an increase in energy levels, nurtures the body, and makes the excretory system healthy which helps in the excretion of toxins easier and more effectively.
Toxin-free food is directly linked to Clay pot cooking which is right linked to Good Health and Good health to Youthfulness.
12. Economic, Less Expensive, and Way Cheaper
In comparison to other vessels, metals, and containers Clay pots are much cheaper and more economical. The sad thing is that you are buying cookware like Aluminum, plastic, non-stick cookware, etc. coated with harmful chemicals that produce toxins, and that too at a much higher cost. Rather the clay pots produce essential micronutrients and leach nutrients into the food at a much cheaper cost.
You have a belief that good health comes at a high cost but the fact is simple things come at a simple cost and make life simpler and healthy. The good thing is Health is actually affordable if you go sensible about it.
13. Eco-Friendly and Reusable
There is nothing that cannot be cooked in clay pots. You can make Tea, food, soups, Kul had tea, Herbal Tea (How to make healthy tea), Vegetables, Deserts, etc in Earthenware.
The great thing about Clay pot cooking is that it is environment-friendly and does not pollute the atmosphere even after getting completely used. After dismantling or once it gets cracked and of no use, this Earthen cookware gets mixed into mud only and becomes mud again to be reformed. Just like Earthenware, other metals like Iron utensils, glass containers, stainless steel, Kansa, copper, etc these too do not contribute to toxic pollution at all.
Knowing How to use Earthenware or Clay pot and selecting the right and original Earthenware is as important as making food in it. To make it a little less time-consuming for you the best Earthen wares are picked out and linked here.
Disadvantages of Cooking in Clay pot
Like every coin has two sides there are always two ways of seeing a thing one is positive and the other is negative. Have look at the second side also:
1. Breakable: Yes, with the fact that it is made up of mud clay that is pure in nature, it may crack while put on stove/gas. But if you know the right way of using earthenware or clay pot, you can save it from cracking. You need to follow a few steps when the clay pot is to be used for the first time. Afterward, you can use it without any fear of cracking and breakage. The first time the user needs to be a bit careful with the Clay pot.
2. Time-Consuming: Good things take time! The clay pot cooking no doubt takes a bit of time and patience as compared to others. But if you try to understand that investing a little more time in cooking saves a lot of time to be wasted in hospitals and being unhealthy. Not a Deficit Deal for Sure!
Conclusion: Now as you have read all the magical benefits of Clay pot cooking, Will you adopt this small, simple, and easy change in your kitchen? If yes replace the metal cookware now with Earthenware and spread Health and happiness in your family!
Good Article Dear
Thank you, Pooja! Shine always
Yes I agree. I started using clay vessels 6 months back and it brought amazing change in my son’s stomach health. Explained so well.
Stay Happy ! Keep shining