Vedic Foods
( The Recommended Diet by Ayurveda, the Science of Life )
The Scientific Aspect
Vedic Foods means high octane fuels like clean water fruits, vegetables, sea vegetables, herbs and their teas, whole grains, seeds, nuts, legumes and plain white yogurt without fruit or sweeteners. Foods not okayed by Ayurveda include low octane fuels – all sugars,excess oils,alcohols, stimulants such as narcotics, tea and coffee, white breads, candies,carbonated soft drinks and sweetened fruit juices.
Modern scientific research has found out the presence of “Phytochemicals” ( “phyto” is a Greek term meaning “plant derived”) that are disease preventing ( cancer preventing ) substances in all fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of coloured fruits & vegetables to get a full range of phytochemicals. One should favour the consumption of less animal protein foods or dairy.
The Solar Ingress into Capricorn and the six months following that Ingress are known as Uttarayana ( The Northern progress of the Sun, Declination North ). This time is known as Adana and we have to eat seasonal fruits like Pomegranate, Water Melon, Orange, Grapes, Tender Coconut and its water, carrot juice etc. The Solar Ingress into Cancer and six months following that are known as Visarga or Dakshinayana ( The Southern progress of the Sun, Declination South ) and we are instructed to eat bittergoud, kovai fruit, guava etc.
Acid-Alkaline Balance – Key Indicator of Health
Foods either leave an acid ash or an alkaline ash. Maximum health is in an alkaline body. The average 20th century diet, stress, pace, lifestyle & environment produce far more acid than is healthy. The human body is alkaline by design & acidic by function, which means that your body’s health is dependent upon it being alkaline.
The original source of stress is known as a stressor. Most of the stressors in todays’ society ( cigarette smoke, alcohol, stress itself, bad diet, coffee, sodas, pharmaceuticals) all produce an acid state in the body. All cancerous states are acid states of long duration.
Research indicates that 90% of our general population is far too acidic, which leads to a variety of negative health effects. Over time, being acidic is the main cause of degenerative diseases & aging. If you have an acidic body, you become energyless, exhausted physically & mentally and you lose the radiance and shine of skin & hair. Grains,sugar, dairy, animal or vegetarian protein & oils yield an acid ash while fruits, sea vegetables, quality water & herbs yield an alkaline ash You should consume 20% of your food daily, by weight from the acid ash-forming foods & 80% , from the alkaline ash-forming foods.
pH ( standing for ‘potential of Hydrogen’ ) is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The scale of pH ranges from 1 to 14. 14 is totally alkaline and zero is acidic. The middle of this line is 7, neutral. Quality water has a Ph of 7 and you should maintain this level.
It is ideal to incorporate 2 glasses of lime juice along with the 8-12 glasses of water which is taken daily . A diet of 80% alkaline ash foods is ideal. We have to maintain this ratio – 80 % alkalinity & 20% acidity for optimum health.
The effects of having an alkaline body
1) we are calm & collected
2) we have high energy level
3) our sleep patterns are deep
4) we have less colds and flus than normal
5) the immune system is fortified
6) the body has good absorption/assimilation/digestion.
One of the Ten Commandments of Hygiea ( the Greek Goddess of Health is that “Thou shalt eat pure, unprocessed, living natural food”. This means we have to eat more natural foods & less processed foods ( which are more or less acidic ). Truly speaking, processed foods,even though they taste well, are robbers as they rob us of our natural, vibrant health. We are, indeed, indebted to Mother Nature for giving us these natural foods or to the Divine Blueprint who created these powerful, natural foods.
The Philosophic aspect
The Vedas averr that the Sun causeth vegetation and from vegetation cometh all food and that the earth is the storehouse of all enery. The food that we consume helps us to tap the negative or positive earth energies. Food influences the mind. We are what we eat. Our present and future are influenced by our thoughts. What you think, you become.
The Vedic food perspective is multi-dimensional.
Cancer, allergies, Alzheimer’s disease,pollution of the blood, Stress & depression are all caused by the consumption of red meat, beef & cow meat. Not only that, it will disturb your electromagnetic energy.
The Seers declared that you can stay with lower consciouness animals till your consciousness grows, if you crave meat. Man is basically a fruitarian.
The Five Scientifc Reasons behind Vegetarianism
The key to good health & happiness is Vegetarianism. The Vedic perspective, which is multidimensional includes the medical, ecological & spiritual viewpoints. These are the major reasons
I) The Ethical Law of Reason
Love in Action is Non-violence & because of this noble passion, ethically one desists from killing animals. Inflciting pain is Sin.
II) The Consequences of the Law of Karma
The Law of Cause & Effect, of Action & Reaction & the Grand Law of Causation is known as the Law of Karma.
Divine Merit & Sin have been defined in transcendental literature thus.
Helping others is divine merit.
Inflicting pain is sin.
All actions have reactions, physical & karmic.By involving in inflicting pain to others ( animals included ), one must in the future, experience an equal measure of the suffering caused.
III) Medical Reason
Fruits and vegetables are alkaline by nature and by consuming them we keep our 80-20 percent ratio of alkalinity & acidity.
Vegetarian diet is easier to digest, imposes fewer toxins on the body & provides a wide range of nutrients. Vegetarians are less susceptible to major diseases ( because they are more alkaline than acidic ) and thus live longer. They have smaller medical bills, fewer physical complaints & less frequent visits to the doctor. Their immune system is stronger, bodies purer & skin more glamorous because of natural foods.
IV) The Spiritual Reason
While the Occidental perspective is to consume food which will bring out aggression & dynamism, the Oriental perspective is to consume food which will bring out the latent divinity in man.
Food is the source of the body’s chemistry & the subtle essence of food becomes the mind. What we ingest, affects our Consciousness, emotions and experiential patterns. One should abstain from meat, fish & eggs if one wants to live in higher states of Consciousness. By ingesting the grosser characteristics of animal foods, one introduces in to the mind lust, greed, anger, jealousy, anxiety, suspicion, fear etc all of which are locked into the flesh of the butchered animals. For these reasons, vegetarians live in higher consciousness & non-vegetarians abide in lower states of Consciousness.
More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be
had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm
V) The Ecological Reason
As our Mother Earth is suffering, we have to understand that Meat is the cause of the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain foreststo create pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoils and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution. Hence by renouncing meat, we save our Planet Earth.
Here we give below foods for the tripod of Body, Mind & Self
Food for Self
Ghee ( Indian Clarified Butter ) & Water energized with Mantra
Food For for Mind
Fruits ( sweet ), Green Vegetables, Coconut, Yogurt, Sugar, Walnuts. Rice ( basmati)
Food For Body
Fruits ( citric ), Vegetables which grow under the earth, Milk, Proteins, Wheat, Corn, Barley etc
Lentils & Spices
Foods to be generally avoided
Eggs ( Can cause ulcers, Heart & kidney problems )
Coffee ( Can cause BP, Arthritis, Nervousness )
Red Meat ( Can cause Cholesterol related diseases )
Old Chocolate ( Can cause Leukemia )
Pound Cakes ( Stagnation of digestive system)
Refrigerated Food.
May I finish my article with a quotation from the Philosopher-King Parikshith ” The animal killer cannot relish the message of Absolute Truth ” !