Food - The pillar of life
Food, Sleep and Celibacy / Non-Celibacy are the three pillars of life which support the well being of an individual. “ A person who knows the rules of eating will not fall prey to diseases”, says a popular quote. Aurveda, The Science of Life, gives elaborate description about the various factors to be considered from selection, preparation to consumption of food.
The right time to take food
Food should be consumed only when the previously taken meal is properly digested. This accounts for easy assimilation by the body. Our body has its own biological clock. A person becomes hungry at a particular time based on his life style. When a person experiences clear belching, proper evacuation of urine & stools, lightness of body appetite to eat food & thirst, it is evident that the previous meal taken by him/her is digested. Now his/her body is ready to take more food.
Eight important factors of food
Foot to be consumed should have pleasing colour, aroma, touch and taste. Au\yurveda highlights eight important factors with regard to food viz. Prakruti, Karana, Samyoga, Rashi, Desha, Kala, Upayogasamstha and Upayogtra.
Prakruti refers to the natural qualities of foot grains. Some food articles are heavy for digeston (Eg: Black gram, Maida, Sugarcane, Milk products, Sesame, meat of animals residing in marshy places & aquatic animals). Some are light (Eg: Green gram, old rice, meat of animals residing in dry lands). While consuming food one should take care and eat less amount of heavy food or avoid heavy food articles when his/her appetite is low.
Karana means preparation. The quality of food article changes when it is cooked. The final outcome of food as to whether it is light or heavy for digestion depends on the method of cooking. The quality of food is also altered by the type of utensils used and the time taken.
Samyoga refers to Combination. While cooking, two or more ingredients are mixed. This combination should always be wholesome to nourish the body. Ayurveda explains 18 varieties of unwholesome combinations which are harmful to health. Eg: Equal quantity of honey & Ghee, Curds with Fish, Milk with Mango (mango Milk Shake) etc. This unwholesome food combination is the cause for various allergic & auto immune disorders in the present era.
Rashi is Quantum. The quantity of food to be consumed plays an important role in maintaining health. Improper quantity impairs digestion and becomes the root cause for various ailments. The quantity is also based on the prakruti of the food.
Desha means Habitat. The quality of food grains depends on the place where they are grown. It is wholesome to the people residing in that area. Eg: Red variety of rice is heavy for digestion for a person residing in hot & dry land while the same can be easily digested by the habitant of cold & masrshy land.
Kaala refers to Time. The time of harvesting the crops has its effect on its nutrition gradient. Hence the food habits of individuals change during various seasons. The food to be consumed at the time of health and ill health differs too.
Upayoga Samstha implies rules of eating. This is definitely not the table manners that the cultured society refers to. The Golden Rules of eating are:
- Food should always be warm as it improves taste, easily digestible, brings down the vitiation of vata dosha and does not allow kapha dosha to increase.
- Food should be unctuous as it improves taste, stimulates digestion, gets digested easily, stabilizes the sense organs, increases strength & imparts luster to skin.
- Food should be consumed in proper quantity (It is advisable to fill 1/3rd stomach with solid food, 1/3rd with liquid and the remaining 1/3rd should be left empty for easy mixing of food).
- Food should be consumed only when the meal taken previously is digested.
- Avoid unwholesome combinations.
- Sit in a calm place with all eatables placed around.
- Eat at a normal pace (neither too fast as it impairs proper digestion, not too slow as the food becomes cold).
- Do not talk or laugh while eating (avoid watching TV, reading books etc) as food may enter into the wind pipe
- Concentrate on the food you are eating
Upayokta implies user. This refers to the individual who is consuming the food. It should be suitable to his/her body construction and in accordance with the season.