The
Science of Eating and Good Health
India
is the home not only of vegetarian cooking, but also of the science of
healthful living. The scripture known as the Äyur-veda, is the oldest
known work on biology, hygiene, medicine, and nutrition. This branch of the Vedas
was revealed thousands of years ago by Çré Bhagavän Dhanvantari, an
incarnation of Kåñëa. "Old" is not the same as "primitive",
however, and some of the instructions of the Äyur-veda will remind
today's reader of modern nutritional teachings or just plain common sense.
Other instructions may seem less familiar, but they will bear themselves out if
given the chance.
We
shouldn't be surprised to see bodily health discussed in spiritual writings.
The Vedas consider the human body a divine gift, a chance for the
imprisoned soul to escape from the cycle of birth and death. The importance of
healthful living in spiritual life is also mentioned by Lord Kåñëa in the Bhagavad-gétä
(6.16-17), "There is no possibility of becoming a yogi, O
Arjuna, if one eats too much or eats too little, sleeps too much or does not
sleep enough. One who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working,
and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system."
Proper
eating has a double importance. Besides its role in bodily health-over-eating,
eating in a disturbed or anxious state of mind, or eating unclean foods causes
indigestion, "the parent of all diseases"-proper eating can help the
aspiring transcendentalist attain mastery over his senses. "Of all the
senses, the tongue is the most difficult to control," says the Prasäda-sevayä,
a song composed by Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, one of the spiritual
predecessors of Çréla Prabhupäda, "but Kåñëa has kindly given us this nice
prasäda to help us control the tongue."
Here
are a few guidelines for good eating taken from the Ayurveda and other
scriptures.
Spiritualize
your eating
The
Bhagavad-gétä (17.8-10) divides foods into three classes: those of the
quality of goodness, those of the quality of passion, and those of the quality
of ignorance. The most healthful are the foods of goodness. "Foods of the
quality of goodness [milk products, grains, fruits, and vegetables] increase the
duration of life; purify one's existence; and give strength, health, happiness,
and satisfaction. Such foods are sweet, juicy, fatty, and palatable."
Foods
that are too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, dry or hot, are of the quality of
passion and cause distress. But foods of the quality of ignorance, such as
meat, fish, and fowl, described as "putrid, decomposed, and unclean,"
produce only pain, disease, and bad karma. In other words, what you eat
affects the quality of your life. There is much needless suffering in the world
today, because most people have no other criterion for choosing food than
price, and sensual desire.
The
purpose of food, however, is not only to increase longevity and bodily
strength, but also to purify the mind and consciousness. Therefore the
spiritualist offers his food to the Lord before eating. Such offered food
clears the way for spiritual progress. There are millions of people in India
and around the world who would not consider eating unless their food was
offered first to Lord Kåñëa.
Eat
at fixed times
As
far as possible, take your main meal at the solar midday, when the sun is
highest, because that's when your digestive power is strongest. Wait at least
three hours after a light meal and five after a heavy meal before eating again.
Eating at fixed times without snacking between meals helps make the mind and
tongue peaceful.
Eat
in a pleasant atmosphere
A
cheerful mood helps digestion; a spiritual mood, even more. Eat in pleasant
surroundings and center the conversation around spiritual topics. According to
the Ksema-kutuhala, a Vedic cookbook from the 2nd century A.D., a
pleasant atmosphere and a good mood are as important to proper digestion as the
quality of the food.
Look
upon your food as Kåñëa's mercy. Food is a divine gift, so cook it, serve it,
and eat it in a spirit of joyful reverence.
Combine
foods wisely
Foods
should be combined for taste, and for efficient digestion and assimilation of
nutrients. Rice and other grains go well with vegetables. Milk products such as
cheese, yogurt, and buttermilk go well with grains and vegetables, but fresh
milk does not go well with vegetables.
The
typical Vedic lunch of rice, split-lentil soup, vegetables, and chapatis is a
perfectly balanced meal.
Avoid
combining vegetables with raw fruits. (Fruits are best eaten as a separate meal
or with hot milk). Also avoid mixing acidic fruits with alkaline fruits, or
milk with fermented milk products.
Share
prasäda with others
Çréla
Rüpa Gosvämé explains in the Upadeñämåta, a five-hundred year-old
classic about devotional service, "One of the ways for devotees to express
love is to offer prasäda and accept prasäda from one
another." A gift from God is too good a thing to keep to oneself, so the
scriptures recommend sharing prasäda with others, be they friends or
strangers. In ancient India-and many still follow the practice-the householder
would open his door at mealtime and call out, "Prasäda! prasäda!
prasäda! If anyone is hungry, let him come and eat!" After welcoming
his guests and offering them all the comforts at his disposal, he would feed
them to their full satisfaction before taking his own meal. Even if you can't follow
this practice, look for occasions to offer prasäda to others, and you
will appreciate prasäda more yourself.
Be
clean
Vedic
culture places great emphasis on cleanliness, both internal and external. For
internal cleanliness, we can cleanse the mind and heart of material
contamination by chanting Vedic mantras, particularly the Hare Kåñëa mantra.
External cleanliness includes keeping a high standard of cleanliness when
cooking and eating. Naturally this includes the usual good habits of washing
the hands before eating, and the hands and mouth after.
Eat
moderately
Vitality
and strength depend not on how much we eat, but on how much we are able to
digest and absorb into our system. The stomach needs working space, so instead
of filling it completely, fill it just halfway, by eating only half as much as
you think you can, and leave a fourth of the space for liquids and the other
fourth for air. You'll help your digestion and get more pleasure from eating.
Moderate
eating will also give satisfaction to your mind and harmony to your body.
Overeating makes the mind agétäted or dull and the body heavy and tired.
Don't
pour water on the fire of digestion
Visible
flames and invisible combustion are two aspects of what we call
"fire". Digestion certainly involves combustion. We often speak of
"burning up" fat or calories, and the word "calorie" itself
refers to the heat released when food is burned. The Vedas inform us
that our food is digested by a fire called Jatharagni (the Fire in the
Belly). Therefore, because we often drink with our meals, the effect of liquid
on fire becomes an important consideration in the art of eating.
Drinking
before the meal tempers the appetite and, consequently, the urge to overeat.
Drinking moderately while eating helps the stomach do its job, but drinking
afterwards dilutes the gastric juices and reduces the fire of digestion. Wait
at least an hour after eating before drinking again, and, if need be, you can
drink every hour after that until the next meal.
Don't
waste food
The
scriptures tell us that for every bit of food wasted in times of plenty, an
equal amount will be lacking in times of need. Put on your plate only as much
as you can eat, and save any leftovers for the next meal. (To reheat food it is
usually necessary to add liquid and simmer in a covered pan. Stir well and
frequently).
If
for some reason prasäda has to be discarded, then feed it to animals,
bury it, or put it in a body of water. Prasäda is sacred and should
never be put in the garbage. Whether cooking or eating, be careful about not
wasting food.
Try
an occasional fast
It
may seem unusual for a cookbook to recommend fasting, but according to the Äyur-veda,
fasting strengthens both will power and bodily health. An occasional fast
gives the digestive system a rest and refreshes the senses, mind, and
consciousness.
In
most cases, the Äyur-veda recommends a water fast. Juice fasting is
popular in the West because Western methods encourage long fasts. In Äyur-vedic
treatment, however, most fasts are short-one to three days. While fasting,
one should not drink more water than needed to quench one's thirst. Jatharagni,
the fire of digestion, being freed from the task of digesting food, is busy
incinerating the accumulated wastes in the body, and too much water inhibits
the process.
Devotees
of Kåñëa observe another kind of fast on Ekädaçé, the eleventh day after
the full moon and the eleventh day after the new moon, by abstaining from
grains, peas, and beans. The Brahma-vaivarta scripture says, "One
who observes Ekädaçé is freed from all kinds of reactions to sinful
activities, and thereby advances in pious life."
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