The disease has a relationship with every living being on earth. Animals, birds, and other creatures get sick and die. On the other side, God has given language to the human being, he is intelligent and a good thinker. He can explain his pains and searches for his treatment through different paths. Due to his dissatisfaction with different paths, he keeps on searching the new ways of treatments.
People from different areas have different lifestyles and different food habits. Like the food of people from Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, and Uttar Pradesh are incomplete without rice but the people of Punjab, Haryana, and Western U.P. cannot live without chapattis. Food has sentimental, physical, and mental relations in our lives.
The type of food intake as per the weather conditions is the basis of life. The thinkers have given a deep thought about the type of diet one should have. A conclusion has been reached that the type of food taken during winter should be different from the one in summer. It has even been given a thought as to what type of food should be taken during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was concluded after deep thinking that the food during breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be different from each other. The food intake is related to the observation of “Brahmacharya” also.
During summer the liquid intake is beneficial. The right combination of food and liquid intake helps in overcoming the summer problems. The best drink is water. Still, to fulfill the deficiency of minerals and electrolytes, drinks prepared with less sugar are also useful. In summers, food with too many condiments, chocolates, alcohol, tea, coffee, vegetables full of oils and ghee, etc. should be avoided. During this season at least 15 to 16 glasses of water should be taken.
In addition, lichies (strawberry), water lemon, mango sattoo, lemon drinks, coconut water should be taken sufficiently. Also rose drinks, jeera, hing, curd, jamun, and kheera are also useful. By taking these eatables and drinks, the body increases its capacity of fighting the disease and a physical balance is maintained. Yoga says that to keep the body fit and healthy we must follow the system of food intake, sleep, and “Brahmacharya”. This means eating less, take food as per the weather conditions, and take sufficient sleep and Brahmacharya observation, balanced food, and restricted activities.
Read: Achieve total health with 12 rounds of Sun Salutation
The Indian Yoga Shastra treats the food as a gift by God, and disrespect to food is treated as a very mean act by an individual. In every religion, God is thanked for providing proper food which is necessary for survival and for good health. It is said that we do not take food only to fill the stomach but also to satisfy our sensitivity.
Food intake during summer:
1. Always wash the fruits and vegetable before eating them
2. Do not take food sold in the open
3. Take lemon water regularly
4. Do not take more than a spoon full of oil
5. Eat more fruits to increase fiber in the food
6. Do not eat stale food
7. Observe fast at least once a week
8. Avoid Maida, Sugar, Jam, Coca-Cola etc
9. Eat food cooked in a natural way
10. Food should be taken with small gaps
During the winter season, there is dryness in the atmosphere and bitterly cold conditions prevail, and due to this digestion power increases. As a result, the various ailments like Gas, Cough gain enough strength. As winter approaches, it brings many diseases like Cold, Cough, and Fever, etc. but by controlling your diet you can get rid of these diseases.
During winter days, do not consume cold drinks, ice-cream, sweets, fried food, milk products, etc. Make use of light and worm food and condiments like long, illaichi dana, dry-ginger, garlic, onion, dal-chine, spice tea, herbal tea, and hot drinks, etc. Take oranges, Lemon, Grapes, Carrots, and anwla as these items are full of vitamin C which will save you from cough, cold, and also from dryness. During this season, taking sunbath for ten minutes in the morning gives you ‘vitamin D’, and those suffering from joint pains also get benefited from it. Use of nuts and oilseeds like Akhrot, Almonds, Groundnuts, fale, and white til is also very useful. These are the source of energy for our body and enable the body to maintain the temperature to the required level.
Therefore, food intake as per the weather conditions and with caution and care is very beneficial for the body.
