Proper Attitude towards Food

The following rules are given in the ancient Vedic scripture Manu-Samhita, which is a set of laws of social, religious and moral principles. Knowing and following these rules makes a person happier and healthier.

1. Don’t eat without feeling hungry. Otherwise, the food remains undigested and harms the body.

2. Do not eat when tired, angry, irritable and afraid. Any of these emotions violates agni (fiery energy) and the circulation of prana (vital energy) in the stomach and intestines.

3. Before eating, rinse your mouth and eyes, wash your feet with cold water or take a full bath.

4. Eat food facing east, not north. If we eat food facing north and west, the ojas (life force) in the body decreases.
   
   

5. Cook food with love in a good mood, and the food will be easy to digest. It is best to cook for God and offer food to Him, and then eat yourself. Such food fills the body with strength and clears the mind.
   If you cooked food in a bad mood, in a state of irritation, anger, anxiety and despondency, then you should not offer it to God because the mindset of the person who cooked is transmitted to the food.

6. Eat when the right nostril is active. If it does not work, you need to open it while breathing through it, with the left nostril closed. Ayurveda believes that when the left nostril is active, the digestive fire weakens, so food is poorly digested. Another way for the right nostril to start working is to lie down for a while on your left side.
   
   

7. Pray before you eat. In ancient cultures, eating was considered a sacred process during which people receive strength. Food offered to God is called prasadam. Put only as much prasadam on your plate as you can eat. Prasadam on your plate should not be shared with family members.

8. Before you eat, feed others. In ancient Vedic times, there was a custom of distributing food to the hungry. When the family was preparing prasadam, the head of the family would go outside and ask if anyone was hungry.

9. To improve digestion, chew ginger with a slice of lemon and a pinch of salt before meals. This will signal the stomach to start working the digestive glands.

10. Don’t talk while eating. Idle talk wastes energy and impairs air circulation in the body.

11. Eat calmly and chew your food thoroughly. If you’re in a hurry, it is best to skip your meal.

12. Food should be enjoyable for all five senses. It should please the eye, the tongue, amuse the heart, be beautiful in appearance and exude a pleasant aroma.

13. Do not eat food that smells bad or has been cooked more than 4 hours ago. If the food has been offered to God, then it can be stored much longer.

14. After eating, rinse your mouth, wash your feet and hands and rinse your eyes with cold water.

15. Do not go to bed immediately after eating. This can be done in an hour or an hour and a half. However, Ayurveda does not recommend sleeping during the day, as this leads to a weakening of the processes occurring in the body. The flow of prana (vital energy) in the body slows down, so food is poorly absorbed in sleep. A small sleep of 15-20 minutes is recommended only for people of the Vata constitution because it has the most restless nature. If you are tired, then rest for 15-20 minutes before eating, lying on the left side of the body. This will increase the fire of digestion and open the right nostril.

16. Do not eat sour fruits and do not drink fermented milk products at night.

17. Do not eat before sunrise and after sunset, especially at dusk.

18. Don’t snack between meals and don’t eat while standing.

19. Do not drink water immediately after and before meals. You may drink warm water with meals, but not too much.

20. Teach your body to have a bowel movement before breakfast.

See also: What Plate to Dine with; How to choose Food; How Food Affects the Mind; Cook your Food with Love; Cold Water, Obesity and Disease.

TODAY’S TIP: It is very important to put as much food on the plate as you can eat. One of the karmic laws described in the Vedas says that if you regularly throw away some food, then in your next life you will not have enough of this particular type of food. However, if you are still unable to eat something, give this food to animals. If it has gone bad, then put it under the plants in your backyard or in some park.