An ancient Siddha medicine dictum ‘Unave marundhu, marundhe unavu’ which means food as medicine, medicine as food, well reinforces the importance of diet for disease-free living. This ancient wisdom of our country seems to be lost in the folds of history with the adoption of western medical system as the more superior health care provider for most of our populace. An ever increasing craze for anything western – consumer items, lifestyle and even food choices have resulted not only in loss of cultural and traditional values, but also in the abandonment of traditional diet patterns meticulously developed over the ages.

The wheel of time having gone a full circle, today the important role of diet in disease prevention is being increasingly realized in current scientific thinking. This is partly triggered by a global pandemic of lifestyle disorders, chiefly linked to excess/improper/reckless eating patterns in addition to other factors such as sedentary lifestyle and stress-filled work habits.