Some words about Food and health

Food has been given a very significant place in our lives because it is our primary requirement. It is our basic need because it is the source of mental and physical energy. The food that we eat, not only effects our body and the efficiency of our mind but directly effects our nature and habits. The Knowledge of bala"Balanced diet" has also been discussed in Yoga science. However its reference is not akin to the diet tables provided to us by the modern day dieticians giving daily requirements of fat, proteins and minerals etc. We will discuss briefly the relation between Food and health.nced diet is therefore indispensable to "Good Health".The energy requirements for all our physical and mental activities is derived from the food we eat. The brain requires 20 volts of power for its day to day functioning which is assimilated from glucose and oxygen. Excessive intake of food requires more energy for digestion. Energy is limited, the surplus consumption of energy by the digestive system means less energy for all our mental activities. The excessive temptation towards food is accompanied by our dwindling intellectual activities. Would any sensible man like it ?According to medical science anger, moodiness, immoderacy of temperament, short temperedness are diseases of the human mind. They originate due to an increase in the percentage of uric acid in the body which is caused due to the reduction of enzymes in the body which in turn depend According to Yoga science a balanced diet is important but what is more important is excretion. Food is essential as it is the source of all life activities. The body absorbs the essential ingredients from food and then excretes the waste. But if there is any imbalance in the food intake, it results in disrupting this natural process. The large intestines are not the only place where waste accumulates, it does so even in each and every tiny cell of the body. Modern dieticians believe that good health requires 80% Alkaline acids and 20 % acidic ones. Excessive eating, eating at short intervals and eating without hunger i.e. lacking the appropriate knowledge of food results in increase of the concentration of the acidic ........ acidic... are negative and alkaline. .......are positive elements.. In order to maintain the right proportion between the two a third important aspect comes into picture, which is Anshan( fasting).
According to yoga science human body organs such as kidney, heart and liver are capable of functioning for a span of 300 years. But due to improper food intake their life span decreases. The digestive system is over burdened when there is an excessive acidic elements in the body. Ways have been suggested to excrete the foreign particles in the body, they are-
1) Anshan
2) Restrained eating.
3) Forgoing the desire of the taste buds.upon a balanced diet.It is true that energy is derived through food, but then dullness is also caused due to excessive eating. Eating more than what is needed by the body reduces the benefits of food. To digest food the digestive organs will have to work more, the energy of the body is thus lost on this and the other body organs are thus deprived of this essential body energy. Due to the excessive work load the discretory organs become weak and are unable to perform their functions, and so a lot of toxic waste accumulates in the body. To give rest to the digestive system it is important to fast (Anshan). At least once a week it is important to give the digestive system some rest. Not every body can perform a full day fast, for that purpose restrained eating(unodari) or overcoming the temptations of the taste buds ( Ras Parityag ) can also be a solution. Some other factors that can determine the healthiness of your internal organs are age, seasons, exercises etc. In addition to all this the place and the way the food is taken is also very important. Food should be eaten in healthy, clean surroundings, it should not be eaten under any sort of stress, sorrow, anxiety of any sort, nor should food be eaten in an untimely hour. If any body eats under such circumstances then the food will not get properly digested.
In ancient days people kept a fast on full moon nights. The astrologists believe that human mind gets directly effected by the moon. Curiously enough according to many researches it has been found that the number of crimes committed on full moon nights is much more then ordinary.