RULES FOR HEALTHY EATING

• Always respect your food. Begin each meal by giving thanks for it.

• Maintain a peaceful attitude during meals; observe silence if you are alone. When eating with family and friends, try not to argue or discuss unpleasant experiences. Genial conversation can create the balanced, loving environment that enhances digestion and amplifies the body's ability to assimilate food for nourishment.

• Do not eat when you are angry. Rest for a while until the mind becomes calm and then take some food. Poisons are secreted by the glands and thrown back into the bloodstream when you are angry and upset.

• Do not eat food that is too hot, or too cold; this will upset the stomach and produce indigestion.

• Do not force yourself to eat anything that you do not like, but also do not eat only those things that you like the most

• Abandon too many mixtures or combinations of foods. They are difficult for the system to digest. Eat moderately what you find agreeable. A simple diet is best.

• Eat at least one raw dish in each meal to keep your blood alkaline.

• Try to refrain from drinking during a meal as this will dilute the gastric juice, causing indigestion and other stomach complaints.

• Keep the mouth sweet and clean; it is the gatekeeper of the digestive system.

• Eat slowly and savour your food. Chew it thoroughly, remembering that digestion begins in the mouth. Appetizing food and thorough chewing stimulate the flow of saliva and other digestive juices.

• Eat moderately. The secret of being healthy and happy is always to be a little hungry. Don't overload the stomach. Overeating hinders digestion, assimilation and growth, overworking the organs and making them stressed and vulnerable to disease.

• Gluttons and epicureans cannot ever dream of succeeding in yoga. Whoever regulates their diet can become a yogi. Take half a stomachful of food, a quarter of water and allow the remaining quarter for the expansion of gas.

• Try to eat as little processed food as possible.

• Eat at fixed times; try to refrain from eating between meals. If you do not feel hungry at meal time, fast until the next meal. Eat only when you are really hungry. Beware of false hunger. The gastric fire is god. Wait for the appearance of this god within and only then offer some food.

• Foods are best when cooked lightly. Over-cooking robs them of their nutritional value and flavour.

• Try not to eat large meals late at night. Do not eat rice or beans at this time, as they are heavy to digest and you will find it difficult to get up for meditation in the morning. If you are very hungry, eat something light, perhaps some fruit.

• Eat to live, don't live to eat. You need food to maintain body heat, produce new cells, and repair wear and tear. Be simple in your eating habits. The person who practices regular meditation wants very little food.

• Take some lemon and honey in the morning for health and energy, and to purify the blood.

• Do not practice asanas immediately after eating, or when you are hungry. Also it is not advisable to do any strenuous physical or mental work immediately after eating. In the morning when physical and nervous forces are at their most vigorous, the stomach can proceed with its functions if the breakfast is followed by moderate exercise such as a leisurely walk to the bus. After supper there should be no work, but recreation. Bodily vigour is at its lowest and should not be taxed further.

• Try sitting in Vajra asana (sitting on the heels with knees and feet together) for ten minutes after a meal; this will assist digestion.

• Do not become a slave to food and drink. Do not make much fuss about diet. Take simple and natural foods. If you think too much about food this will create more body-consciousness.

• Try fasting one day a week. Fasting eliminates poisons, overhauls the internal mechanism and gives rest to the organs.

• Remember God, the in-dweller of all foods, the bestower of all bounties. Remember God during meals and give thanks to God just before and after eating.