1. Food
2. Food combining
3. Children's diet
4. Water
5. Eyes
6. Joint hair


1._Food
In every object of the universe, one of three attributes – sattva (subtle), rajah (active) and tamah (crude) - will always be predominant. So food is also divided into three categories according to the dominancy of the attributes.

A. Sa'ttvika foods - all foods that are beneficial to both body and mind are considered sa'ttvika:
___- all grains such as rice, wheat and barley;
___- all pulses except masu'r (orange-coloured lentil) and khesa'ri;
___- all fruits and roots;
___- all vegetables except violet-coloured carrots, white brinjals/ eggplants, red puni ___leaves, mustard leaves, onions, garlic and mushrooms;
___- milk and milk products;
___- all spices except cinnamon and
___- all kinds of sweets.

B. Ra'jasika foods - any food that is beneficial to the body but is neutral to the mind, or vice versa, is called ra'jasika. Foods that do not fall into the sa'ttvika or ta'masika categories are of ra'jasika nature. In certain countries where there is heavy snowfall, ra'jasika food can be treated as sa'ttvika and ta'masika food as ra'jasika.
___Small amounts of tea, cocoa and similar drinks which do not excite a person to the point of losing his/her senses are ra'jasika.

C. Ta'masika foods - all kinds of foods which are harmful to either the body or mind and may or may not be harmful to the other are called ta'masika.
___Stale and rotten food, the flesh of large animals such as cows and buffaloes and all types of intoxicants are categorised as ta'masika.
___The milk of a cow who has just given birth, white brinjals, khesa'rii da'l, red puni leaves and mustard leaves are ta'masika. Masu'r da'l cooked for one meal will become ta'masika by the next meal.

It is better to eat in company than to eat alone. Do not sit down to eat if you are in an angry mood or in a debased frame of mind.
___For proper digestion, fill the stomach halfway with food, one quarter with water and leave one quarter full of air.
___After finishing the evening meal, take a short walk. This is very beneficial to health.

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2._Food combining
There are six taste elements of food. They are: bitter, pungent, astringent, salty, sour and sweet. The order in which they should be eaten is: bitter, pungent, astringent, salty, sour and sweet. Bitter comes first as it induces salivation. This saliva helps in the digestion of the items that follow. A sour dish has to follow a salty dish as salt neutralizes the acidity of sour food. The last item should be something sweet as sweets do not cause salivation at all. So, if any food is taken after sweets, its digestion may be hampered.
___Some examples of incompatible eating:
___a. Taking fish, meat or eggs just before or after drinking milk.
___b. A mixed dish of milk and fish, condensed milk and fish or condensed milk
___and meat.
___c. Drinking liquor immediately after eating sweetened rice-porridge.
___d. Taking honey just before or after eggs.
___e. Taking a bitter vegetable dish after sweets.
___f. Drinking water after eating fruits but imbibing fruits after drinking water,
___though incompatible, is only mildly harmful. If between eating fruits and drinking
___water, rice, chapati or sweets are taken, it is not incompatible eating.

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3._Children's diet
The staple food for babies and children less than five years of age is milk and fruits. The less starch, sugars and fat are given, the better for them, for these food items weaken the liver and other digestive organs of young children as they are not fully developed yet.
___Under no circumstances should a child be given non-vegetarian food before s/he attains the age of five years. After that age, s/he may be given gradually increasing amounts of starches, sugars and fats. Alkaline food is the best food for a child.
___If a child less than five years of age refuses to take adequate quantities of milk or fruits, s/he may, after attaining two and a half or three years of age, be given small quantities of soft rice, light soup of pulse and broth of alkaline and easily digestible green vegetables.

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4._Water
Drink a sufficient quantity of water every day, but do not drink too much at any one time. Do not drink while standing.
___The most beneficial water for drinking and bathing is water at body temperature. It is better not to bathe standing.

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5._Eyes
The following practice will ameliorate all types of eye disorders: splash water in the eyes at least 12 times while keeping some water in the mouth. Do this a few times a day.

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6._Joint hair
In human beings the thyroid and parathyroid glands are more developed than the lymphatic glands. Previously, the lymphatic glands were more developed than they are today but, as human beings evolved, the thyroid and parathyroid glands became more active and the role of the lymphatic glands diminished.
___In monkeys, the opposite is the case: the lymphatic glands are more developed than the thyroid and parathyroid glands. The thyroid and parathyroid glands influence psychic development and intellectual elevation while the lymphatic glands influence physical activity; hence, monkeys can jump higher and swing further than human beings. One of the reasons why human beings are more evolved than monkeys is that their thyroid and parathyroid glands are more active.
___Joint hair grows near the lymphatic glands in the armpits and leg joints. If this hair is removed, then the lymphatic glands tend to overheat, causing over-secretion, and this in turn decreases the function of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. There is an inverse relation between the lymphatic glands and the thyroid and parathyroid glands: if one is more active, then the other is less developed and it becomes weak. For this reason, joint hair should not be removed.

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Acknowledgement
The information on this page was obtained from the following books by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti: Carya Carya Part 3, Natural Remedies and Yoga Psychology.


Information on this site is for eductional purposes only. It is not intended for purposes of self-diagnosis, self-treatment or replacing the services of a health professional.

© 2007-2010 Chua Ching Yee, Classical Homeopathy Centre

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