இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது சைவ மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004
DIET PRINCIPLE IN HINDUISM
FOR HEALTHY LIVING
Dr. S. Gnanachelvan, MBBS, LRCP, MRCS, DRCOG, MRCOG(UK)
General Practitioner & Tutor,
Bromley, London.
In current times, people always talk about
diet. "Prevention is better than cure" and "Health is
Wealth" are golden sayings. Health and Happiness
go hand in hand. In this small article I would like to
share my views about diet for a healthy life. Most
diseases are caused by an incorrect way of living
and eating. The current habits of eating make man
ill and weak, shorten his lifespan and form an
impediment to his spiritual progress. According to
the Vedas, in a life span of 116 years man has to
attain liberation (moksha) from slavery to his body.
Food plays a crucial role in determining one's
thoughts, feelings, words and actions.
In our Hindu religion food is divided into three
categories. Satvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Tamasic
food is the worst of all food. This includes left over
food that is stale and contaminated, which can
cause upset of the digestive system and should be
avoided from human consumption.
The second group, called Rajasic food,
includes food of animal origin and food which are
too salty, spicy, bitter, sweet and sour and we must
try to avoid such types of food too.
Third is Satvic food, which mainly consists of
fruits, pulses, nuts and vegetables. Man can resist
most diseases with fair success gaining good
physical and mental strength, calmness, nobility
among human beings for longevity of life.
Hindu religion advocated these types of food
for healthy life, well before the modern world
realized it.
A Satvic quality does not mean simply the food
we take through our mouth but also means the pure
air we breathe, the pure vision we see, the pure
sounds we listen to and the pure thoughts and
perceptions.
Even though the body is transient, we should
take good care of it because it is the temple of God
(Atma). A sound mind needs a healthy body. Health
is the essential pre requisite for success in all
aspects of life. In Hindu scriptures, it is said "Moral
conduct, good habits, spiritual effort all depend upon
the quality of the food. Diseases, mental weakness
and spiritual slackness are all produced by wrong
foods."
Avoid Alcohol For Health
We must eat only if we are hungry and in
moderation. Fasting in our religion for certain
festivals and occasions is a good way of giving rest
to our digestive system. Our ancient sages used to
eat only once a day. The man who eats only once
a day is a Yogi. The man who eats twice a day is
a bhogi (enjoyer) and he who eats three or more
times a day in large quantities is a rogi (sick)
In addition to the diet for healthy life you must
avoid the consumption of alcohol and tobacco and
practice regular exercise to the body. According to
the Vedic scriptures, there is a holy fire burning in
the human body. To maintain this fire of human life
(Yagna), we have to continue to supply this with
good food.
In this day and age, we rely greatly on medical
advancements to help cure our never ending list of
illness and problems, many of which can be traced
back to improper consumption of food. We must
take heed of a basic principle of life that is, "we must
eat to live, and not live to eat."
The answer to many of our self-made problems
should not always depend on remedying it with
medicines. Prevention of these problems is the best
cure and much of the evidence for this is not only
written and dictated today but has been since the
time of Vedic scriptures.
Old is Gold and we should adapt "our religion"
as "our way of life."
151
7
வது
சைவ
மாநாடு
இலண்டன்
2004
DIET
PRINCIPLE
IN
HINDUISM
FOR
HEALTHY
LIVING
Dr.
S.
Gnanachelvan
MBBS
LRCP
MRCS
DRCOG
MRCOG
(
UK
)
General
Practitioner
&
Tutor
Bromley
London
.
In
current
times
people
always
talk
about
diet
.
Prevention
is
better
than
cure
and
Health
is
Wealth
are
golden
sayings
.
Health
and
Happiness
go
hand
in
hand
.
In
this
small
article
I
would
like
to
share
my
views
about
diet
for
a
healthy
life
.
Most
diseases
are
caused
by
an
incorrect
way
of
living
and
eating
.
The
current
habits
of
eating
make
man
ill
and
weak
shorten
his
lifespan
and
form
an
impediment
to
his
spiritual
progress
.
According
to
the
Vedas
in
a
life
span
of
116
years
man
has
to
attain
liberation
(
moksha
)
from
slavery
to
his
body
.
Food
plays
a
crucial
role
in
determining
one's
thoughts
feelings
words
and
actions
.
In
our
Hindu
religion
food
is
divided
into
three
categories
.
Satvic
Rajasic
and
Tamasic
.
Tamasic
food
is
the
worst
of
all
food
.
This
includes
left
over
food
that
is
stale
and
contaminated
which
can
cause
upset
of
the
digestive
system
and
should
be
avoided
from
human
consumption
.
The
second
group
called
Rajasic
food
includes
food
of
animal
origin
and
food
which
are
too
salty
spicy
bitter
sweet
and
sour
and
we
must
try
to
avoid
such
types
of
food
too
.
Third
is
Satvic
food
which
mainly
consists
of
fruits
pulses
nuts
and
vegetables
.
Man
can
resist
most
diseases
with
fair
success
gaining
good
physical
and
mental
strength
calmness
nobility
among
human
beings
for
longevity
of
life
.
Hindu
religion
advocated
these
types
of
food
for
healthy
life
well
before
the
modern
world
realized
it
.
A
Satvic
quality
does
not
mean
simply
the
food
we
take
through
our
mouth
but
also
means
the
pure
air
we
breathe
the
pure
vision
we
see
the
pure
sounds
we
listen
to
and
the
pure
thoughts
and
perceptions
.
Even
though
the
body
is
transient
we
should
take
good
care
of
it
because
it
is
the
temple
of
God
(
Atma
)
.
A
sound
mind
needs
a
healthy
body
.
Health
is
the
essential
pre
requisite
for
success
in
all
aspects
of
life
.
In
Hindu
scriptures
it
is
said
Moral
conduct
good
habits
spiritual
effort
all
depend
upon
the
quality
of
the
food
.
Diseases
mental
weakness
and
spiritual
slackness
are
all
produced
by
wrong
foods
.
Avoid
Alcohol
For
Health
We
must
eat
only
if
we
are
hungry
and
in
moderation
.
Fasting
in
our
religion
for
certain
festivals
and
occasions
is
a
good
way
of
giving
rest
to
our
digestive
system
.
Our
ancient
sages
used
to
eat
only
once
a
day
.
The
man
who
eats
only
once
a
day
is
a
Yogi
.
The
man
who
eats
twice
a
day
is
a
bhogi
(
enjoyer
)
and
he
who
eats
three
or
more
times
a
day
in
large
quantities
is
a
rogi
(
sick
)
In
addition
to
the
diet
for
healthy
life
you
must
avoid
the
consumption
of
alcohol
and
tobacco
and
practice
regular
exercise
to
the
body
.
According
to
the
Vedic
scriptures
there
is
a
holy
fire
burning
in
the
human
body
.
To
maintain
this
fire
of
human
life
(
Yagna
)
we
have
to
continue
to
supply
this
with
good
food
.
In
this
day
and
age
we
rely
greatly
on
medical
advancements
to
help
cure
our
never
ending
list
of
illness
and
problems
many
of
which
can
be
traced
back
to
improper
consumption
of
food
.
We
must
take
heed
of
a
basic
principle
of
life
that
is
we
must
eat
to
live
and
not
live
to
eat
.
The
answer
to
many
of
our
self
-
made
problems
should
not
always
depend
on
remedying
it
with
medicines
.
Prevention
of
these
problems
is
the
best
cure
and
much
of
the
evidence
for
this
is
not
only
written
and
dictated
today
but
has
been
since
the
time
of
Vedic
scriptures
.
Old
is
Gold
and
we
should
adapt
our
religion
as
our
way
of
life
.
151