December 23, 2014

 There have always been discussions in literature, at many social gatherings and even amongst philosophers about that age old question: do humans eat to live or live to eat? Strong positions have been taken on one side or the other. Many in the health care profession, especially in this era of more than average obesity in the populace, have warned about overindulgence and wrong eating habits indicating strongly that the focus should be solely on eating to live. On the other hand, some champion the notion of living to eat; one of the most metaphorically eloquent and beautifully rendered expressions of this position that I can recall is Babette’s Feast, a film by Gabriel Axel, where the enjoyment of eating, and all that this implies, is introduced to a group of somewhat repressed individuals in a remote 19th century Danish village. And then there is the position that personal trainer and holistic nutritionist Maral Minassian upholds.

Like probably the majority of us, Maral Minassian is a proponent of eating to live but without sacrificing its pleasurable component (she is, after all, of Armenian origin). In other words, healthy eating is gratifying and can lead to a hale full life. And that was the major thrust of her enlightening and well researched presentation at the AGBU on the evening of Wednesday, December the 10th. Ms. Minassian was not content just promulgating the topic of healthy eating but she literally proved it; her power point presentation was accompanied with a buffet of deliciously prepared healthy foods which the audience munched on while she delivered her talk.

Ms. Minassian went into detail as to the advantages and disadvantages of certain foods and their role in the development of a healthy mind and body. She emphasized the importance of eating regular meals, of eating real foods instead of artificial facsimiles or processed foods and of limiting the intake of sugar. She also suggested a minimum of 7 minutes of rigorous exercise daily to help promote a robust life. And since this is quintessentially the season of overeating, Ms. Minassian had prudent advice as to how to enjoy eating at a party without causing harm to the body, such as loading up on real food before going or taking your own prepared healthy and delicious dish.

The enthusiastic audience had many questions for Ms. Minassian throughout her lecture, which she answered graciously. However, the message of her thesis was quite clear, eating to live and living to eat is not a contradiction. True to her holistic nutritional background, she demonstrated that one can easily integrate healthy foods that can be palatable and bring pleasure which, in the end, will contribute to the development of a healthy well-being.

isa basmajian