Thoughts and food influences and affects every cell in the body thereby influencing the mood of a person. The effect of thoughts is instantaneous through the nervous and hormone systems whereas there is a delayed response with food. Positive thoughts enhances the body functions creating harmony and balance whereas negative thoughts can upset the harmonious relationships of the endocrine system creating an imbalance in the hormone system where some of the glands can withdraw their enthusiasm to cooperate and become dormant. Negative thoughts are the root cause of stress or psychosomatic illnesses.
In the case of food, an imbalance in diet in terms of quality as well as quantity will also cause an upset and can create confusion and abnormal rates of metabolism causing the body to malfunction. Grace before and after meals is considered as a religious act of a civilized society, but it is rooted in very subtle spiritual injunctions in terms of the method of acquisition, preparation, cooking, serving and consumption of meals that can have a debilitating effect on the mind and body.
What the Gita says about Food
C17v7: Food, sacrifice, penance and charity are of three kinds, very pure (sattvic), for sense gratification only (rajasic) and impure and unblessed (tamasic).
C17v8: Food which promotes longevity, intelligence, strength, health, happiness and delight, which are sweet, bland, nourishing and agreeable, are dear to spiritually pure people (sattvic).
C17v9: Foods which are bitter, acid, salted, very hot, pungent, dry, burning, and giving rise to pain, grief and illness are sensual (rajasic) in nature.
C17 v10: Food which is half-cooked, insipid, putrid, stale and polluted are impure and tamasic.
C3v13: The virtuous who partake of what is left after sacrifice, are absolved of all sins. Those sinful ones, who cook for the sake of nourishing their body alone, eat only sin.
C6v16:Arjuna, this Yoga is not for him who eats too much, not for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who is given to too much sleep or for him who is ceaselessly awake.
C13v14: All beings are evolved from food; production of food is dependent on rain; rain ensues from sacrifice and sacrifice is rooted in action…
C17v13: That sacrifice is said to be tamasic, which is without sanction of the scriptures, in which no food is distributed, no sacred formula, is chanted, and without the offer of gifts to the priest (dakshina) and which is devoid of faith.
Tamoguni (impure and unblessed) Food.
Food, which excites the passions and sensual biological urges, are intoxicating, stale, pungent or decayed and are hard to digest and which induce sleep, lethargy and excites the baser senses are called tamoguni foods, the most impure category of food. Meat, fish, garlic, onion, cigarettes, wines and alcohol are included in this class of depraving foods. They are serious impediments to aspirants who want to practice meditation and yoga as it creates imbalance in the quality of thoughts of the mind. It is more of living to eat rather than eating to live by providing balanced nutrients for the body.
Rajoguni (sensual) food.
Food that is cooked to simply make them highly palatable only for sense satisfaction and sensual enjoyment are rajoguni in nature. Here taste is more important than nourishment and body needs.
Satoguni (pure and blessed) food.
Fruits and vegetables cooked in the remembrance of God with the awareness that the food is provided by God are considered as Satoguni food. Satoguni food is quite satisfying and there always seems to be enough (barakaat) even for the unexpected visitor(s) similar to the story of the two loaves and five fishes.
The Effect of Food on the Mind.
The method of acquisition of food also contributes to the nature of the food. If the basic ingredients are acquired by unclean wealth or by unlawful means, the food prepared would not be considered as sattvic although it may be prepared under sattvic rites. To illustrate this to its the sublime, it is said that a holyman (Sannaysis) did not accept the sattvic food offered by a farmer simply because his oxen that ploughed the field to grow his crops ate the grass from another field without the permission of the owner. Therefore, unclean wealth used for the upkeep of one’s family is considered rajoguni. Wealth obtained by the use of confidential, privileged or proprietary information is considered unclean. Raising a family on rajoguni or unclean wealth is like raising a family of criminals on the sorrow of those who were rightfully denied the opportunity to earn and feed their dependents.
Purchasing Groceries or Cooking when Hungry
Avoid purchasing groceries or cooking when you are hungry, as you tend to buy or cook more that you require. This is because the hunger tends to make you think of yourself and in such a case, there will be vibrations of greed created. This encourages you to over-eat as well as to partake of leftovers or stale food, which affects the ability to meditate and have remembrance of God. When one is very hungry, the body get very restless through the sense organs and there is the tendency to gobble down be it water or food without offering a prayer. There is a saying that “empty bag cannot stand up and full bag cannot bend”. It means that when hungry, it is difficult to meditate and when stuffed with food it is difficult to stay awake. We must create balance and eat slowly.
Cleanliness, State of Mind and Blessing Food
Cleanliness before cooking is important. Walking off the street into the kitchen can affect the vibrations of the food. Therefore, observe personal hygiene as well as the hygiene of the surroundings before preparation of meals. Develop a positive attitude towards cooking. Do not cook in anger as the negative vibrations affect the food. Cook in silence and the remembrance of God. This includes the time from preparing the articles of foodstuff, cooking, serving as well as eating in silence. After cooking, take out a small sample in special offering containers and offer same to God. Then return samples offered and blessed to main dish. Any impurities will have been removed and there will be spiritual power in the food.
Blessing Food in Special Circumstances
In very special circumstances where you may have to eat food prepared by others, bless the food by sitting in remembrance and giving dristi or pure vibrations to the food. In today’s environment, there are many who do not have the facilities, capabilities or wherewithal to provide and prepare their own meals and receive meals in schools and institutions. In this case, the teachers can say a prayer over all the food when it arrives and then supervise the children by saying grace before and after meals as well as encouraging the children to eat in silent remembrance of God.
Developing Golden-Aged Food Attributes
Golden-aged or deity attributes or habits (sanskars) are acquired in the confluence age together with the complete array of sanskars (attributes) to become a deity. Therefore, it is very important that one follow all the requirements from preparation of the raw materials through cooking, serving, eating according to sattvic methods as laid out in the Gita. The practice of eating little with variety and at fixed times are attributes of the golden-aged deities.
Part 2
Vegetarian vs. Non-Vegetarian and Digestion
The anatomy and physiology of carnivorous and herbivorous animals and human beings are very different. Carnivorous animals have smaller intestines compared to the herbivores species. The digestive enzymes secreted by herbivores are meant for digestion of vegetarian diet. Moreover, the food that herbivorous animals eat stays for a longer period in the intestine than in carnivorous animals. The food starts putrefying after about five hours, releasing toxins and chemicals. The intestines absorb all these toxins.
When an animal is butchered, the cells in the body stop metabolizing. They decay and release toxins. Before death, the animals secrete a lot of hormones (amines) due to fear and anxiety, which are deposited in the muscles that are consumed by meat eaters. The human body is not ideal for digesting non-vegetarian food and secondly it cannot handle the removal of toxins effectively. The human body has to work at least fifteen times harder to get rid of all these toxins. Although the body has the capability to be flexible, like everything else, it is then subjected to breakdown and reduced longevity. Not all the toxins are removed and so some accumulate in each and every cell.One simple way to get all the required vitamins is to eat food in different combinations of colors of green, yellow, brown, orange and others. Vegetarian diet also contains very little fat. The body requires some essential fatty acids for proper digestion that can be found in sesame, soya bean and some vegetable oils.
Ethical Reasons by Great Personalities
Mahatma Gandhi said, vegetarianism is not a religious issue, but it is an ethical and health issue. Human beings are highly evolved and if we are to maintain our dignity, then it is our duty to be non-violent and protect the lower species such as animals and reptiles. Human values are those that distinguish man from other animals.
Biblically, both Man and Animals were Herbivorous
On the question of food, the Bible says “And the Lord God said, Behold, I give you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which the first of a tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for meat”. 13 “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given herb for meat. This clearly states that not only did man not eat flesh, but also even the beasts were given herbs to live upon. "Meat" in biblical terms refers to food.
Benefits of Pure Vegetarian Food.
Pure vegetarian food assists in concentration power to the mind and intellect. It helps to control the mind and make the intellect sharp. This is because both thoughts and food affect the body and the soul. If we eat impure food, then what the body cannot use accumulates as toxins and fat and after a time can create an imbalance in the various functions of the body that can lead to many illnesses. Impure thoughts have the same effect on every cell and the nervous system of the body. This induces stress and stress-related diseases from depression to those cancerous in nature.
Reasons for Violence in Schools and Home
One of the reasons that there is so much anger and violence in the schools or even at home is the propensity that we have acquired for eating "outside" or what we call "fast food". We are silently feeding our children and family the negative vibrations of food cooked without love and cooked under questionable hygienic conditions. We pay huge sums of hard earned money consciously to expose our families to violence and promiscuity from the television screen. The effects of these negative vibrations reduce power of discrimination from the intellect, making the faculty to reason dull and rendering the conscience comatose. This is the major cause that people are committing the most heinous crimes even to their loved ones.
Chemistry, Nutrition & Body Compatibility
Proteins: Of the three main sources of proteins found in animals, grains, legumes and vegetables, it was generally believed that proteins from animals were first class whereas proteins from vegetables were third class. Updated research from publications originating from the World Health Organization has shown a reversal of that trend placing protein from vegetables to be the best. Animal proteins are rich in amino acids and low in water content whereas vegetable proteins consist of a lower concentration of amino acids and contain a higher percentage of water. Amino acids are important in the building blocks of life. The animal proteins when digested generate toxic byproducts such as nitrogen, ammonia, urea and uric acids.
Toxins. From cytology studies, it has been established that these toxins overload the cells and have adverse effects on the heart, kidneys and brains. Toxins promote heaviness, laziness and sleepiness. Therefore, it is suggested that if you are required to work for long hours and especially in high-risk environments or if you have to perform delicate surgical operations, then you required to be mentally alert. Proteins from the vegetable source such as watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydew, lentils and beans are best suited for alert situations or working long hours.
Calcium is possibly the most important of the minerals needed to ensure healthy hair, skin, eyes, bones, tendons and the joints. However, the excess acids from surplus animal proteins find their way to the calcium banks in the bones and lower the calcium content as well as depositing the acid in other complex minerals as waste.
Recommended Optimum Diet
Perhaps the best available diet is a balance between a healthy physical vegetarian diet and a positive mental diet. The World Health Organization defines "health" as one with a healthy mind and a healthy body. When both diets are complementary to each other, there is contentment in life and happiness abounds. Where there is happiness, success becomes your birthright. Prepared by Raj Yogi B.K.Khem Jokhoo, a student and Teacher of Yoga and Meditation. Tringen@tstt.net. www.geocities.com/athens/ithaca/3736. April 2004.