Balance Diet
Different foods contain different amount of elements needed by our body for the above four functions. These vital elements are called nutrients. So the diet which contains all these essential nutrients in right quantity will be balanced diet for us. The essential nutrients required by our body are: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and vitamins.
Carbohydrates and fats mainly provide energy to our body. Wheat, rice, potato, banana, etc. are very rich in carbohydrates. Jaggery or sugar is another source of carbohydrates. Ghee, butter, oils, cream and milk are full of fats.
Proteins help the body to grow. They also help it to replace the dead or worn-out parts and to repair the damaged parts. Children need more proteins because their bodies have to grow rapi lly. Pulses, milk, cheese, curd, egg, fish and meat are rich in proteins.
Vitamins and minerals are present in milk, cheese, fruits, vegetables and meat etc. Vitamins keep our eyes, bones, gums, etc, healthy. Minerals like phosphorus and calcium are necessary for the formation of healthy bones and teeth, while iron compounds are required for the formation of red blood cells.
Our Food Habits
One of the major causes of illness is wrong food habits. Even the best food eaten in a wrong way can cause disorders of the body. So we must know what to eat and how to eat.
(i) Fried vs Natural Food: We usually spoil our food stuffs before eating them. We have come to like fried food. In frying the food not only loses its vitamins and other essential nutrients, but it also becomes hard to digest. We consume too much of carbohydrates when we eat a lot of wheat, rice, potatoes, sugar, etc. Usually green leafy vegetables, fruits, and other raw foods are missing from our diet. Raw o boiled vegetables should be an essential part of our daily diet. For those suffering from constipation, these are a must. Vegetables like tomato, carrot, cucumber, cabbage, onion, salad, ginger and raddish can be eaten raw. Other vegetables, when cooked, should never be fried. They should be first washed then cut in big chunks and cooked in steam or boiled. Butter or cream can be added only after boiling or streaming the vegetables.
We should therefore change our habit of eating fried food. If we regularly eat boiled vegetable, we are sure to develop a taste for them.
The best and most ideal food, however, is “natural food”. By natural food we mean the food which Mother Nature offer us. Nuts, fruits, vegetables, pulses and cereals can be eaten without putting them on fire. While fruits, nuts and vegetables can be eaten without any further processing, cereals and pulses can first be sprouted and then eaten raw.
(ii) Drinking Water with Food: We usually drink water with or immediately after our meals. This is a wrong habit. Actually, there is no need to take at the time of taking our meals. But we feel its need to take water at the time of taking our meals. But we feel its need because we do not chew our food properly. There are some among us who seem to have no time for eating: they therefore do not chew their food, they swallow it. They do not allow the digestive saliva of the mouth to mix with their food. So they throw their food. So they throw their food down their throat with a lot of water.
Water does not help in digestion; it actually hinders the process of digestion. Moreover, because of the pressure of water the intestines are not able to absorb all the digested food and it passes off the intestines. Water should be taken half an hour before or one hour after the meals. We should drink water several times between our lunch and supper Water washes our intestines and rids them of all impurities. We are therefore saved from many intestinal troubles. Water I actually a great purifier and we should make full use of this property of water. There are many yogic purifying practices in which water is used for cleaning the stomach or the intestines. These have described in Chapter on “Six Types of Yogic purification practices”. An early morning dose of water check bile, imparts vitally to all our organs and helpful of honey and a spoonful keep bowels clean. Lemon juice and a spoonful of honey can also be mixed with it according to one’s liking and taste.
Some Other Useful Yoga Aasans
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