Energy:  In order that the body and brain can function properly it is necessary to create energy from the five basic elements.  That is why we take food and drinks.

The whole cosmos gets the energy from the sun. All types of natural foods, fruits, vegetables, cereals, pulses etc have in them almost equal measure of positive and negative of sun energy.  However foods contain positive and negative properties in varying degrees.  They can be divided in six tastes of which all foods/drinks are made of:

Bitter         =      Air      +     Space

Sweet        =      Earth   +    Water

Astringent   =      Air      +     Water

Salty          =      Earth   +     Fire

Pungent      =      Air       +     Fire     

Sour           =      Water  +     Fire

(hot)  (as per Charak Samhitha)

In our daily diet it is necessary to maintain a proper balance in all these six tastes.  Surprisingly, aurveda- Indian medical science has made elaborate research in all kinds of fruits, vegetables and minerals and has established their after effect on the human system. 

When we take foods more of negative types or more of positive types, we create imbalances, leading to diseases. The body tries to balance the positive and negative excesses in the system and such efforts are called disease. 

Surprisingly China has made in depth research for energy derived from food and has come to the conclusion that one should take 65% foods in cereals and pulses like wheat – rice – millets, grams etc and the balance 35% in milk-milk products, vegetables, dry fruits, oils etc, these would be the ideal contents of a balanced diet.

I am of the opinion that after the body is fully developed one must eat and drink only those things which are suitable to one’s body and only when one feels hungry.  The fruits and vegetables have in them a natural storage of the sun’s energy and if we make a daily practice of having one glass of fruit juice and two or three cups of green juice of vegetables, our requirement for food will be reduced to a minimum and we will have enough energy to maintain the body in a healthy condition.

Please note that care of our digestive system should start from the mouth.  Nature has given us teeth to chew.  Therefore we should form a habit of chewing all food including liquid food and soft food like sweets, ice-creams, etc. at least 8 to 12 times.

This is necessary to add saliva to the food, for it is only in saliva that the sugar is digested.  That is why people eating hastily without chewing and eating more sugar invite diabetes and fat.  .  Chewing less means double work for the stomach.  And over-exertion of stomach will invite many diseases and even fat.

Proper chewing gives better taste and satisfaction.  Moreover, it enables you to listen to nature’s signal that your stomach is full.  This in turn enables you to stop eating further.  Therefore discussions at the dining table should be avoided as far as possible.  Instead, soft music may be played.  We should always remember that it is not more quantity or heavy food but the food that is digested gives us energy. 

Diet:  The aim of eating and drinking should be to produce enough blood, produce sufficient heat and energy in the body and satisfy the taste.

There are six types of tastes :

1) Sweet

2) Salty

3) Sour

4) Hot (Chilly)

5) Astringent

6) Bitter

It has been observed that we are avoiding more and more the last two types of taste with the result that it upsets the digestive system and balance in our blood, thereby leading to a number of diseases, including cancer.  These tastes nullify the effect of sweets and purify the blood.  These two tastes increase the digestive power – the fire- and are like a starter in a car and therefore should be included in our diet. 

We take great care about the quality and quantity of coal or wood we put in the cooking furnace or fireplace.  We should also give it enough air to burn properly.  This enables the fire to give maximum of heat and reduce smoke and ashes to a minimum.

We should not forget that there is a similar fireplace in our stomach.  We must think of the after-effects of the food and drink we take.  The difference in the proportion of three basic elements of water, fire and wood in our body depends upon the food we eat.

As laymen, we should see that the fire in the stomach is well maintained and should be knowledgeable on the type of food that does not agree with us.  We should, therefore, avoid such unsuitable foods.  We must know that a particular food which may be good for certain people may not be suitable to others eg, curd/yoghurt, buttermilk, suitable to people having more elements of fire, would not be suitable to people having more elements of water in them.                            

Recent experiments by nutrition experts in the U.S.A. have confirmed the findings of the Indian philosophy, that eating late and taking heavy foods after sunset, tends to slow down digestion and produces more fat and problems of stomach.

In Ayurveda, the Indian medical system, a detailed description of the after-effects of the different types of cereals, vegetables, spices, fruits, milk, curd, buttermilk, herbs, minerals, etc. is given. This shows a deep study and research over hundreds of years. Ayurveda describes minutely what food to eat, how to eat and when to eat.