Productive cycle controlling cycle, know how your body operates and how you should lose weight
Everyone should try and find out the category and type he or she belongs to and avoid as far as possible those items, which will only aggravate their problems. They should consume food that will suit their type. It may be noted that each and every person is different from the other.
So are their tendencies and problems of health. But with proper changes in the diet good health can be maintained. The cerebro spinal fluid is produced from the blood and so imbalance in blood of these basic elements leads to imbalance even in cerebro spinal fluid. More salt in food for instance increases the sodium chloride in cerebro spinal fluid, which leads to high B.P etc.
Moreover, the climate plays an important role in its effect on the body. In summer and hot climate, for instance, buttermilk will be useful, but not in winter. Therefore in winter buttermilk should be warmed and black pepper and ginger should be added to it before drinking.
Nature grows the required vegetables and fruits etc. suitable for the nourishment of the body in all different areas and season. So wherever possible locally produced seasonal fruits and vegetable should be eaten.
Moreover nature also produces several varieties of fruits resembling the shapes of the organs of our body and they are useful, beneficial to that organ.
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Apricot = Brain
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Mango-Papaya = Stomach
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Almonds = Eyes
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Apple = Heart
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Grapes = Lunges Cashew nuts = Kidney
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Kidney beans (Ripe: Outside skin black)
People belonging to one type or the other type of prakruti(characteristics) can easily find out and eat foods which would do them good and reject foods that will aggravate their problem-tendency.
This practice will also enable us to prevent wasting our energy in digesting and expelling these foods intakes not suitable for our body.
Energy: In order that the body and brain can function properly it is necessary to create energy from the five basic elements. That is why we take food and drinks.
The whole cosmos gets the energy from the sun. All types of natural foods, fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses etc have in them almost equal measure of positive and negative of sun energy. However foods contain positive and negative properties in varying degrees. They can be divided in six tastes of which all foods/drinks are made of:
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Bitter = Air + Space
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Sweet = Earth + Water
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Astringent = Air + Water
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Salty = Earth + Fire
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Pungent = Air + ire
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Sour = Water + Fire
(hot) (as per Charak Samhitha)
In our daily diet it is necessary to maintain a proper balance in all these six tastes. Surprisingly, aurveda- Indian medical science has made elaborate research in all kinds of fruits, vegetables and minerals and has established their after effect on the human system.
When we take foods more of negative types or more of positive types, we create imbalances, leading to diseases. The body tries to balance the positive and negative excesses in the system and such efforts are called disease.
Surprisingly China has made in depth research for energy derived from food and has come to the conclusion that one should take 65% foods in cereals and pulses like wheat rice millets, grams etc and the balance 35% in milk-milk products, vegetables, dry fruits, oils etc, these would be the ideal contents of a balanced diet.
I am of the opinion that after the body is fully developed one must eat and drink only those things which are suitable to ones body and only when one feels hungry. The fruits and vegetables have in them a natural storage of the suns energy and if we make a daily practice of having one glass of fruit juice and two or three cups of green juice of vegetables, our requirement for food will be reduced to a minimum and we will have enough energy to maintain the body in a healthy condition.
Please note that care of our digestive system should start from the mouth. Nature has given us teeth to chew. Therefore we should form a habit of chewing all food including liquid food and soft food like sweets, ice-creams, etc. at least 8 to 12 times.
This is necessary to add saliva to the food, for it is only in saliva that the sugar is digested. That is why people eating hastily without chewing and eating more sugar invite diabetes and fat. . Chewing less means double work for the stomach. And over-exertion of stomach will invite many diseases and even fat.
Proper chewing gives better taste and satisfaction. Moreover, it enables you to listen to natures signal that your stomach is full. This in turn enables you to stop eating further. Therefore discussions at the dining table should be avoided as far as possible. Instead, soft music may be played. We should always remember that it is not more quantity or heavy food but the food that is digested gives us energy.
Diet: The aim of eating and drinking should be to produce enough blood, produce sufficient heat and energy in the body and satisfy the taste.
There are six types of tastes :
1) Sweet
2) Salty
3) Sour4) Hot (Chilly)
5) Astringent
6) Bitter
It has been observed that we are avoiding more and more the last two types of taste with the result that it upsets the digestive system and balance in our blood, thereby leading to a number of diseases, including cancer. These tastes nullify the effect of sweets and purify the blood. These two tastes increase the digestive power the fire- and are like a starter in a car and therefore should be included in our diet.
We take great care about the quality and quantity of coal or wood we put in the cooking furnace or fireplace. We should also give it enough air to burn properly. This enables the fire to give maximum of heat and reduce smoke and ashes to a minimum.
We should not forget that there is a similar fireplace in our stomach. We must think of the after-effects of the food and drink we take. The difference in the proportion of three basic elements of water, fire and wood in our body depends upon the food we eat.
As laymen, we should see that the fire in the stomach is well maintained and should be knowledgeable on the type of food that does not agree with us. We should, therefore, avoid such unsuitable foods. We must know that a particular food which may be good for certain people may not be suitable to others eg, curd/yoghurt, buttermilk, suitable to people having more elements of fire, would not be suitable to people having more elements of water in them.
Recent experiments by nutrition experts in the U.S.A. have confirmed the findings of the Indian philosophy, that eating late and taking heavy foods after sunset, tends to slow down digestion and produces more fat and problems of stomach.
In Ayurveda, the Indian medical system, a detailed description of the after-effects of the different types of cereals, vegetables, spices, fruits, milk, curd, buttermilk, herbs, minerals, etc. is given. This shows a deep study and research over hundreds of years. Ayurveda describes minutely what food to eat, how to eat and when to eat.
To maintain a good digestive system we should see that:
1) The food is well-cooked and eaten warm/hot.2) The use of whole wheat and rice is adequate.
3) Reduce or avoid use of fine flour and polished rice.4) Use of fried things should be reduced.
5) Enough buttermilk and curd should be included in the diet.
6) Enough vegetables, raw and cooked and seasonal fruits should be taken.
7) The food should be properly chewed.
8) A time gap of 5 to 7 hours must be kept between two meals.9) The habit of eating or drinking liquids except water or buttermilk between the meals should be stringently controlled.
10) The stomach is also a machine and so it should be given rest of atleast one or two meals a week. At that time, only fruits or fruit juices or boiled water may be taken.
To satisfy our palate is one of the greatest enjoyments of life. Eat anything you like once in a while, but respect natures signal, which is given in the form of belching. Thats natures way of saying Im full.
You should stop eating further at that point. It is an yellow signal like the one at the traffic lights. If that cannot be done, you must stop at the second signal, which is like a red light. If you continue eating even after the second signal, please note that you are inviting trouble. Necessary changes in the food, diet, should be made according to the changes in seasons.
Please observe the motto that the fire in the stomach should be well preserved and should remain capable of digesting the food you eat.
A liberal use of ginger, pepper, eatables of bitter taste, Sunbath, regular exercise etc. helps this fire. While cold water, cold drinks, ice cream etc. reduce the fire and increase the burden on the digestive system. Please note that Heat is Life while Cold is Death. Eat or drink accordingly.
Sprouted Pulses: This may be taken by all people uncooked, but mixed with sesame, groundnut, raw, cabbage, dates, dried grapes or a little jaggery are also good for them. Sprouted pulses are also very good for reducing weight. In that case the use of dates, dried grapes or jaggery should be avoided as far as possible.
Test of proper digestive power and proper eating: After the meals, you should feel energetic, light in body and capable of work even running if necessary. If you feel heavy, sleepy or dull, it indicates overeating or fast eating or a weakened digestive system.