May 28, 2023Ok, it’s been exactly a year since I gave up Alcohol and everything in life that comes with it. Going off alcohol has been a transformative journey that extends beyond the realm of sobriety. Its benefits for the body and mind are innumerable, including the joy and fun it takes away in exchange for hangovers. As a bonus, I can go on a holiday to Saudi Arabia and not feel a thing is missing anymore.
Receptors in the brain connected to the opioid (or reward) system can be triggered by the consumption of alcohol. The same receptors can be activated when people eat spicy food. Both alcohol and spicy food work on the same region of the brain, releasing pleasure-sensing endorphins, according to a study conducted by a South Korean University. They would know!
After a year of an alcohol-free life l, I have seen a remarkable drop in my tolerance and preference for spicy food (Im referring to Very Spicy. burns-your-tongue kind of food from now onwards when I say spicy food). The only other time I remember feeling this way was when working onboard Danish container ships in my early 20s, nearly a decade and a half ago. The company had a zero alcohol policy and a zero spice policy, judging from the staple of boiled potatoes, Boiled meat, mostly pork and Gravy, which we used to call Brown Sauce. Ohh, that Brown Sauce makes everything ok. It is made from the juices of meats and thickened with cornstarch. It has more flavour, colour and taste than the dishes it accompanies; hence, it shines through.
I have also seen a drop and a Stop since I stopped drinking – late-night orders from McDonald’s, Pizza chains, and greasy Pakistani food such as Karahi chicken with Roghani naan. I now find these foods mostly repelling because they’re unhealthy and don’t taste as good anymore. And because I’m usually fast asleep late at night.
So what’s the big deal with getting off spicy food?
Well, for a start, I’m Indian with a historically high tolerance for spicy food, even by liberal Indian spiciness standards. The kind that would be bordering on Dangerous and mouth ulcers. Growing up in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, we tend to eat spicy food as much as anyone else on the planet, with Koreans and maybe Sri Lankans being an exception.
When we eat home-cooked food at home, we don’t Ask for the food to be made spicy. It is already meant to burn the titillate the taste buds and eventually numb them. We usually decide to further spice it up with pickles or chillies. Imagine having a Chilled, refreshing pint of beer to wash down this spice; I would do it. And as a result, I would want more sauce and beer, proving the South Koreans right! After an hour or two, the burnt and numbed taste buds will only be satisfied with Sweeter than dessert kind of tea consumed 2-3 times daily. Yes, we Indians are the world’s largest per capita sugar consumers. When we ask for a cup of chai tea, it is a socially acceptable way of asking for the cocaine-like sugar addiction to be fueled by this cup consisting of 15 grams of White Sugar, which pretends to be Tea. I blame this sugary tea for Insulin resistance, diabetes and other diseases. And for making our mithai (sweets) an unbearable level of sweetness.
Fast forward to the present day. I eat food with less spice, which means I eat less Indian food. Eating Indian food without or with less seasoning is like when I had sparkling apple juice. It looked good and had a promising fizz, but its magic was lost after it went down the throat.
Eating less of my culture’s food does not mean I prefer cuisines of other cultures more than mine. Rather than enjoying food for what it is, I’ve always wanted the food of various regions, which continues to be the case.
Rice is rice, and bread is bread. And they taste just the way civilised man cultivated food to be. Water also tastes better, especially at a Ph of 7.5 and 18C. My continued coffee-making hobby/passion has improved as I enjoy coffee beyond the thick, strong espressos, such as filtered or brewed.
Growing up, I believed food had to be spicy and have a burn factor to taste good. And I believed from my early 20s that Alcohol is required to have a good time. Over time, these Beliefs became Habits, and the Habits Become Addictions. I’ve also believed in counting my calories, so I often had my Hendricks Gin with Club Soda. That’s the strongest drink I could create with the least calories. The closest comparison I can think of is Mining Coal from the Earth, Burning it to Generate Power and Charging an Electric Car. To save the world from Pollution!
I still enjoy the occasional Mc Donalds value meal, pizza, and greasy Desi food. But not as much as I wanted before, and they don’t give me the same pleasure and satisfaction they once did 365 days ago.
Today is a Sunday, and I feel like an indulgent meal. Time to bring on the Boiled Potatoes and Hit it with the Brown Sauce.
