How much should one eat ?
One should take the ‘right’ quantity of food always (all meal-times), since it is the quantity which helps maintain proper digestive power and not only the item/quality of food . The quantity of food to be taken depends on the gurutva (heaviness) and laghutva (lightness) properties of the foodstuff.The quantity is dependant on the digestive power of an individual which varies from age , season and other conditions.
Food should neither be over consumed or under consumed.Both are unhealthy habits.In today’s society the former variety is more prevalent.Many adults on ”different strict diet ” regimen harm the vitality and immunity of body by ”fashion dieting”.
How to determine you exceeded ‘right ‘ quantity ?
In clinical practice we have observed 10 easy to relate presentations by which you can be sure you have exceeded the right quantity If you realise the following after food intake
a) the heaviness / pain of abdomen, b) regurgitation of food, c) difficulty in breathing on exertion or rest
d)bloated/ distended abdomen e) post meal lethargy / sleepiness within 2 to 3 hrs, f) delayed evacuation of bowels than normal , g) lack of hunger for the next 8 to 12 hrs h) constipation / vomitting/ diarrhoea
Harm of being on”excess ‘fasting / dieting :
Food when taken in less quantity is not capable of promoting bala (strength), upacaya(nourishment) and ojas (vitality). It also acts as causative factor of all vata rogas (diseases due to vitiation of vata)/ neurological / degenerative.
NB – It would be underestimation statement to describe Vata as ”neurological ” only
3 food habits that are capable of causing death or dreadful diseases
- Taking admixture of compatible/ desirable & incompatible/ undesirable food
- Taking food over and again even before the previous meal is digested
- Food taken untimely which is quantitatively either excess or low
In clinical practice we find that
It is common to find people keeping on munching snacks even before the hunger of next meal time has surfaced.They end up with high levels of cholestrol , fatty liver and uncontrolled diabetes .
Many delay their food timings and demands of hunger and eat food at odd hours in far extra quantity or opposite.They end up with migraines, gastric ulcers, constipation and even short term memory loss due to hypo glycemic status maintained repeatedly due to this BY starving brain of essential sugar supply.
