FOOD FOR THOUGHT

-"Recipes for a healthy body, mind and soul with timeless concepts and tested practices."

Bhagvad Gita ( Chp: 3:verse 14 )

annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ

yajñād bhavati parjanyo yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ

Translation: All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.

Eating: A Universal Ritual:

We are eating! We are eating! What it really means?

In a Yagya (yaj~na) when a fire ritual is performed, there is the performer, the fire, the offering (ghee), and the ladle used to offer (the ghee). Now think of the act of eating. there is: the eater( human), the digestive fire, the food, and the hand used to put the food in the 'fire'. it is similar to the act of Yagya (yaj~na).

What is the Driving force for Digestion?

Bhagvad Gita( Chp: 15:verse 14 )

ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā

prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ

prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ

pacāmy annaṁ catur-vidham

Translation: I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of foodstuff.

Vedic mantras (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 5.9.1) confirm that the Supreme Lord or Brahman is situated in the form of fire within the stomach and is digesting all kinds of foodstuff (Ayam agnir vaiśvānaro yo 'yam antaḥ puruṣe yenedam annaṁ pacyate). Therefore since He is helping the digestion of all kinds of foodstuff, the living entity is not independent in the eating process. Unless the Supreme Lord helps him in digesting, there is no possibility of eating. He thus produces and digests foodstuff, and by His grace, we are enjoying life. In the Vedānta-sūtra (1.2.27) It is also confirmed: Śabdādibhyo 'ntaḥ pratiṣṭhānāc ca: the Lord is situated within sound and within the body, within the air and even within the stomach as the digestive force.

Why eating is important?

Eating is a specific example of consumption. where we don't create, but consume. we take away from the system. we may do this with a sense of pride/e/ enjoyment - 'see, I am eating at a 7-star hotel, 12-course meal, I am so great and powerful and successful.' or we could be eating a simple loaf of bread with no milk, just water to push it down!

What do we eat?

Food, A composite material of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and minerals. It is not only the basic substance for an organism to grow and survive but also the vital force which nurtures the mind, and intelligence, and impacts our mood and behavior. Bhagavad Gita classifies food into 3 types and clearly distinguishes its relevance on how the diet plays the root cause for many sufferings.

Why do we eat?

The primary reason is to get energy and maintain the life force, but over time, and with our ever-wandering minds, we have devised delicious cuisines, that are the subject of the tongue, but, in the end, we all have a small stomach that needs nutrients to sustain the life force. Scriptural texts like Vedas, Upanishad, and Sutras gave significant importance to the food we intake. At the basic level of eating, we should be guided by the stomach (nutrition) than by the tongue (taste). Intelligent humans, on a trial and experiment basis, create food habits, depending upon the outcomes, they classify Food as healthy / junk/ nutritious/ tasty, etc.

The purity of what we eat follows the purity of mind:

The constitution of a man's mind is determined by the kind of food he takes. We should always be careful while taking a meal on our plates. The health of the mind and the body are intimately linked to each other. The body works after receiving instructions from the mind; all good and bad attributes are instilled in the mind, affecting the well-being of the body. However, it should be noted that a healthy body essentially affects the mind and its behavior.

Therefore, the foods and materials, which build the mind and the body, should be wholesome, nutritious, and spiritualized. The nature of food shapes virtues in man.

From, [Chandogya Upanishad]

Ahara suddhau sattva-suddhih

Sattva-suddhau dhruva smrtihi dhruva

smrti-lambhe Sarva-granthinam

vipra-moksah"

Translation: From the purity of food comes the purity of mind; from the purity of mind comes constant remembrance of God, and from constant remembrance of God one becomes free from all bondage - one becomes liberated.".

• Food bites:

The Spiritualised food (called Prasadam) in itself is the aushadham(Medicine), It is the one which nourishes us, the one which provides us existence and ultimately connects our soul with the Supreme.