Yoga Shastra treats the food as a gift by the God. Image Courtesy – LinkedIn
The disease has a relationship with every living being on earth. Animals, birds, and other creatures get sick and die. On the other side, God has given language to the human being; he is intelligent and a good thinker. He can explain his pains and search for his treatment through different paths. Due to his dissatisfaction with different paths, he keeps searching the new ways of treatment.
People from different areas have different lifestyles and different food habits. Like the food of people from Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh is incomplete without rice, but the people of Punjab, Haryana, and Western U.P. cannot live without chapattis. It has sentimental, physical, and mental relations in our lives.
The type of food intake, as per the weather conditions, is the basis of life. The thinkers have given deep thought about the type of diet one should have. A conclusion has been reached that the type of it taken during winter should be different from the one in summer. It has even been given a thought as to what type of it should be taken during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was concluded after deep thinking that the food during breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be different from each other. The food intake is related to the observation of “Brahmacharya” also.
During the summer, the liquid intake is beneficial. The right combination of it and liquid intake helps in overcoming the summer problems. The best drink is water. Still, to fulfil the deficiency of minerals and electrolytes, drinks prepared with less sugar are also useful. In summer, food with too many condiments, chocolates, alcohol, tea, coffee, vegetables full of oils and ghee, etc., should be avoided. During this season, at least 15 to 16 glasses of water should be taken.
In addition, lichies (strawberry), water lemon, mango sattoo, lemon drinks, and coconut water should be taken sufficiently. Also, rose drinks, jeera, hing, curd, jamun, and kheera are also useful. By taking these eatables and drinks, the body increases its capacity to fight the disease and a physical balance is maintained. Yoga says that to keep the body fit and healthy, we must follow the system of food intake, sleep, and “Brahmacharya”. This means eating less, taking it as per the weather conditions, taking sufficient sleep and Brahmacharya observation, balanced food, and restricted activities.
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The Indian Yoga Shastra treats food as a gift from God, and disrespect to food is treated as a very mean act by an individual. In every religion, God is thanked for providing proper food, which is necessary for survival and for good health. It is said that we do not take food only to fill the stomach but also to satisfy our senses.
Food intake during summer:
1. Always wash the fruits and vegetables before eating them
2. Do not take food sold in the open
3. Take lemon water regularly
4. Do not take more than a spoonful of oil
5. Eat more fruits to increase fibre in the food
6. Do not eat stale food
7. Observe fast at least once a week
8. Avoid Maida, Sugar, Jam, Coca-Cola, etc
9. Eat food cooked in a natural way
10. Food should be taken with small gaps
During the winter season, there is dryness in the atmosphere and bitterly cold conditions prevail, and due to this, digestive power increases. As a result, the various ailments like Gas and cough gain enough strength. As winter approaches, it brings many diseases like Cold, Cough, and Fever, etc. but by controlling your diet, you can get rid of these diseases.
During winter days, do not consume cold drinks, ice cream, sweets, fried food, milk products, etc. Make use of light and warm food and condiments like long, illaichi dana, dry-ginger, garlic, onion, dal-chine, spice tea, herbal tea, and hot drinks etc. Take oranges, Lemon, Grapes, Carrots, and anwla as these items are full of vitamin C, which will save you from cough, cold, and also from dryness. During this season, taking a sunbath for ten minutes in the morning gives you vitamin D, and those suffering from joint pains also benefit from it. Use of nuts and oilseeds like Akhrot, Almonds, Groundnuts, fale, and white til is also very useful. These are the sources of energy for our body and enable the body to maintain the temperature at the required level.
Therefore, food intake as per the weather conditions and with caution and care, is very beneficial for the body.
