It is necessery for a Yoga performar to select a balanced diet in right proportion which would be most suitable as per capacity and work-habbits so as to keep his body healthy and fit.
The food items for balanced diet containng all the vital elements of neutrients are :-
1. Carbohydrates : Wheat, rice, potato, banana, sugar etc.
2. Fats : Butter, Ghee, Oils, Cream, milk etc
3. Protiens : Pulses, milk, cheese, curd, egg, fish, meat etc
4. Vitamins : Milk, Cheese, Fruits, Vegetables, meat etc
5. Minerals : Phosporus iron and calcium in fruits vegtables fish etc
Carbohydarte and Fat contents of food provide heat and energy to the body while protins and vitamins help for its nutrition and growth. Phosphorus and Calcuim contents in Minarels of the Food help for formation of healthy bones and teeth and the iron content is helpful for formation of red cells of the the blood.
Right Selection of Food
It is not enough to select our food items judiciously. We should also know how much to eat and how to eat. Our food, does not change into energy immediately after reaching our stomach. It has to undergo several complicated processes before it is turned into useable form and is assimilated in our system. Food is first chewed and broken into smaller pieces by our teeth; the salivary glands in the mouth at the same time mix saliva with the food. In the stomach, it is churned and its contents are thoroughly mixed. Here also many glands mix digestive juices with the food, so that the food undergoes several chemical changes by the help of enzymes and acids formed in this process. Similarly, food is subjected to further chemical changes by the action of the pancreas and liver, which secrete several enzymes and juices to react on it. Ultimately, it is absorbed by the small intestine.
"One should fill half the stomach with food and leave one-fourth for water and one-fourth for the movement of air".
We can ourselves feel and know how much to eat. It is simply a bad habit to eat one's fill; one must still feel hungry after eating one's meal.
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 foodstuffs 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 or boiled vegetables should be an essential part of our daily diet. For those suffering from constipation, these are a must.
Not only they provide necessary vitamins and salts, but also ruffage which prevents constipation. 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 steaming 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. Sooner it is started, the better.
The best and most ideal food, however, is "natural food". By natural food we mean the food which Mother Nature offers 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.
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 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 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.
Ideal Yogic Foods:
The following types of food items can be included in the yogic diet, which not only help the body to remain strong and active but lead one to high mental and spiritual attainments:
(1) All nuts and fruits, (2) all kinds of vegetables and edible green leaves, (3) all kinds of pulses, (4) milk, curd, buttermilk, (5) dates; honey and jaggery, (6) wheat, rice etc., (7) sprouted pulses and cereals.
Importance Fasting:
Fasting is equally important as a curative and recuperative means. During the process of digestion, all digestive organs have to work for the digestion of the food taken. The glands have also to keep on secreting digestive juices to help in the process of digestion. In fasting, all the digestive organs, i.e., the stomach, the pancreas, the liver, and the small and large intestines get much needed rest. We all know the value of rest, which is a tonic for the exhausted and weary organs.
The following points may be useful for observing a fast:
1. Do not eat any food during the day of fasting. Drink as much as clean water as you can when you feel thirsty. Water cleans the entire system and washes away the impurities which might have accumulated in the system from time to time.
2. If in the beginning you find it difficult to observe complete fast for one full day, you can begin with a partial fast. Do not take anything during the day except water. In the evening, take fruit juice or fruits.
