Two most common Upanishads sayings have been “You are what you eat” and “You are what your deep rooted desires are”. Food has been considered as Brahman (the one that leads you towards spiritual well-being). While eating food one should respect the laws of nature. Here are a few of them:
1. Eat seasonal fruits and vegetables. If nature wanted you to eat mangoes in winter it would have grown them in winter. Mangoes are a treatment of summer related disorders
2. Eat and drink locally grown foods. If nature wanted you to drink coconut water in non-coastal areas it would not have grown them in coastal areas. Coconut water is the treatment for coastal areas' induced humidity
3. Food of plant in origin has no cholesterol with no exceptions
4. Fats liquids at room temperature are unsaturated and are heart friendly in moderation
5. Fats solid at room temperature are saturated and are harmful to the heart if consumed in excess
6. Foods are available in all seven colours of the nature. Each colour signifies a vitamin or anti-oxidant. Consume all seven colours in the diet.
7. Food can be of any of the six tastes. Sweet, sour and salt taste promotes body build. Astringent, pungent and bitter taste maintain the balance by reducing the weight.
8. Any food, which is green in colour, has anti-diabetic properties. Few examples are karela, neem, methi etc.
9. Eat in moderation and have a variety of edibles
10. Artificially white foods are refines and bad for the health, examples are white sugar, white rice, white maida and white bread
11. Milk is a complete food by itself. Drink it alone or leave it alone
{{/usCountry}}11. Milk is a complete food by itself. Drink it alone or leave it alone
{{/usCountry}}12. Fruits are also complete food by themselves. Eat them alone or leave them alone. Complete foods means one can live on them if eaten alone
13. Creeper vegetables have diuretic properties and are good for the kidneys. For example: ghia, tori, tinda etc.
14. Foods that can be split equally in two halves produce gas in the body. For example: chana, pulses, almonds, walnuts, beans etc. They should be soaked in water for a few hours or slow boiled before use
15. Do not combine two milk products together (milk with curd, milk with paneer, curd with paneer)
16. Eat dinner lighter than lunch
17. Do not skip the breakfast
18. During dinner time the digestive fire is weak. Do not eat or combine foods at night which are at different levels of digestion. Avoid fermented food in the night meal including curd
19. Stomach has no teeth, chew your food thoroughly. One bite of food should be chewed at least 15 times
20. Upper portion of the plants (leaves, flowers and fruits) are satvik fruits. They are easily digestible and can be eaten without any preparations
21. Foods grown under the ground are tamsik in nature and require processing before eating. They cannot be eaten in abundance. Soak them in water before use for a few hours or slow boil them for having maximum health benefits
22. Vegetables can be combined with any food
23. Chinese medicine prohibits eating meat with milk
24. One should avoid a regular use of maida cheese combined foods. They can cause insulin resistance
25. The less you eat the longer you live
26. One should take adequate water every day (30 ml/kg body weight)
27. Do not fill your stomach with food while eating
28. Do not also fill your stomach with water while eating food
29. Tea in moderation is good for the health. Adding milk may destroy the health benefits
30. High fiber diet is good for the heart. Eating 10 grams of high fiber (six rotis made of whole wheat flour) can reduce the chances of heart disease by 27 per cent
31. One should eat atleast five servings of fruits and vegetables every day
32. While travelling, eat food which adheres to the following “Peel it, heat it, cook it, boil it or forget it”
33. Do not eat unwashed cut or uncut fruits and vegetables
34. Eat salt less than six grams per day per person
35. Do not eat more than half litre of oil, ghee and butter combined per person per month
36. Consume a variety of oils. Do not buy the same oil again in that year
37. Do not eat left over food of more than two hours at room temperature
38. Traditional pulses and rice combination provides all essential amino acids
39. Any food item that ends with “ose” is sugar. Glucose, fructose, galactose etc.
40. Na is salt. Both common salt and baking soda have Na as its ingredients
41. Combine one sweet item with one bitter item. Aloo methi or aloo palak comibination is better than a combination of Aloo matar (potatos pea)
42. Achaar, papad and chatni are high in salt and bad for the heart and blood pressure
43. Pungent, sour and salt taste foods produce acidity, pimples and heart disease
44. Sweet, bitter and astringent foods are heart friendly
45. Last meal of the day should be atlest 2-3 hours before sleep.
46. The best time to take lunch is between 10 to 32 pm
47. The best time to take dinner is between 6 to 10 PM
48. Do not go for a long walk after foods. Light walk is ok.
49. Carbohydrates are sleep promoters and proteins are sleep deprivers. Do not take heavy protein rich diet before sleep
50. Eat a high fiber traditional food 12/14 times a week. Break the law and eat junk food not more than two times a week. Fast food is not same as junk food. Milk, dry fruits and fruits are examples of fast foods.
(Dr Aggarwal is Sr Consultant, Moolchand Hospital, President of Delhi Medical Association and President, Heart Care Foundation of India)