The Belly Rules the Mind

THE BELLY RULES THE MIND

Gautam Buddha said that when you are very hungry and desperately need food if you give your food to someone else it will make you stronger. 

What is the most important thing which keeps us alive? 

Where do we get the major nutrients that nurture our body?

What is the major driving force for which all living organisms work?

There is a one-word answer. 

FOOD. 

Food is the magic that keeps us alive. 

Food provides all the nutrients which nurture our body. 

Food is the major driving force for which we work. 

A healthy diet is important for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual development. A healthy diet nourishes and nurtures us from the inside. It enhances the positive life force so that we can develop our strength. If we pay attention to what we are eating, and how and when we are eating, we are certainly making the best choice.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

With little awareness of our food, we can enhance the effectiveness of the most vital life force. 

We all agree that food is the most important thing for our survival. Right? 

What do we do when something is important to us? 

Do we put our wholehearted and unwavering attention to that important thing? 

Or do we neglect it? 

You know the answer. 

Here are some facts you may find helpful while eating:

• When you are eating, it is best to pay attention to the food rather than anything else. If you do not focus on the food, you will miss out on its important qualities—its taste and texture, and nutritional value. Food is more important than any other thing in your life. You consume the food and food becomes a part of you. Such a beautiful thing it is.
• We all know it is a bad habit to talk and discuss things when we are eating. 

Often people prefer to discuss important things over lunch or dinner. Is it right? 

Your food certainly deserves your undivided attention. It is better to pay full-fledged attention to the food while eating. 

• Being grateful for the meal before we start eating is a great way to show our gratitude. It creates a unique bond with the food. Gratitude is the highest frequency. It enriches the vibrational quality of the food we eat.
• It is considered healthier to eat while sitting on the floor rather than at a dining table. In a position known as “Indian style,” or in cross-legged positions, one can aid in the digestion of food by eating while sitting on the floor.
• Eating with one’s hand is a healthier alternative to eating with a spoon. This practice improves mindful eating by involving all of the sense organs.

THE VIBRATIONAL ENERGY OF THE FOOD MATTERS

• Remember ma ke hath ka khana… What used to be so special about it? 

Hygiene comes second. The most important ingredient is love. The feeling, the energy with which food is being prepared can make it the most amazing food on earth. The home-cooked meal is infused with the energy of the person who cooked it and the feelings that went into preparing it.

• Reciting mantras while preparing food can be a beneficial practice. It increases the vibrational energy of the food. The mindset with which the food is being prepared plays a very important role. The mantras can enhance the vibrational energy of the food. The energies which the food contains becomes part of our body and vibrations too when we consume it. 

• The human mouth has thirty-two teeth so that we can chew our food thirty-two times before it enters our stomach. Our stomach does not have teeth. It relies on the small intestine to break down food into smaller particles. This is beneficial for digestion because our bodies can absorb nutrients more easily when food particles are broken down into smaller pieces.

• We often tell our kids not to talk while eating. We all know the scientific reason behind it. It’s important to refrain from talking while eating, as food may enter the windpipe. This can lead to choking, which is not a good habit for anyone to develop. The food we eat deserves our undivided attention.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU EAT

Oh no! Why did I eat so much food? 

Sounds familiar? 

These days overeating is so common. The new age mantra is good food is a good mood. People associate and celebrate every occasion with food. 

In this era of mindless eating, are we doing justice to our bodies? 

Is it worth it to be a part of you? 

Think before you put anything in your mouth.

Shouldn’t we consume food when we are hungry, in a real sense? 

Many people today engage in emotional eating or consuming food without thinking about it. Overeating, or eating throughout the day, is detrimental to health. All living organisms need rest—even internal organs require downtime—to function at their best.

Everyone is emphasizing mindful eating for a healthy body as well as weight loss these days. The body’s need for quantity and quality of food changes with age. Your body’s need for food is also dependent on your physical activity level. You must learn to eat only when your body feels real hunger. Often you get confused and fail to identify your own needs; emotions drive you into emotional or stress eating. Many factors influence this behavior besides actual hunger.

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

The quantity and the quality of the food we consume should be based on our bodily requirements and physical activities. Any nibbling or munching in between the meals creates various health anomalies. Our body works like a machine. If the machine keeps on working without any rest, it will lose its efficiency. As there will be no time for maintenance and servicing. Be gentle with your bodies. Mindful eating is the best way to keep our bodies healthy and active. 

Overeating, nibbling, and eating something now and then in between meals adversely affect our digestive system and the execratory system. We need to be cautious about what we are consuming. What goes inside will reflect outside. Our body organs are replaced with what we eat. 

If we keep on eating the whole day can we perform to the best of our ability?

When we eat too much, our bodies use a great deal of energy in the digestion process. Just imagine, all our energy is busy digesting the food in our stomach. Overconsumption of food makes us more lethargic. It also prevents us from performing our best. 

We must not eat before going to bed. Before going to bed our food should digest. After eating, our bodies need time to process the food we have eaten. It is best to wait at least two or three hours before going to sleep after a meal. 

We must avoid eating preserved food as it is full of chemicals and not good for the body at all. It does not provide the body with the nutrients it needs. This lack of nutrients can cause physical problems in the body.

• It is always best to eat fresh food and raw food. Overcooking the food can destroy its nutritional value, which may be essential to your development. It is better to consume a well-balanced diet consisting of both raw and cooked foods is preferable than gorging on junk food.

• If we eat the food as soon as it is cooked, it is a healthier option. If we delay the consumption, it won’t nurture our system in the best possible way. We must eat food that gets easily digested into the system. The more easily the food gets digested more beneficial it is for the system. 

• The duration for which food stays in our body plays a very crucial role in determining our health. The longer the food stays in our system more damage it causes and weakens the system. Easily digestible foods that are eliminated faster help in maintaining an active, healthy body that is well prepared for future challenges.

• It is a good idea to eat locally grown fruits and vegetables. They are more beneficial for our bodies. They are in perfect alignment with nature. They can meet the nutritional requirement of the body. The nutritional requirements of our body change with the geographical location and the seasons. It is best to consume locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables.

• Fasting is one of the well-proven ways to give a break and rest to the internal system. It allows the body to build up its immune function, giving it the ability to fight off disease and stay healthy.

Our bodies are like machines. They function the way we want them to function. Eating the right kinds of foods prepared in the right way and at the right times, helps our system to be in perfect alignment with nature. 

If we follow these guidelines, we will feel energetic and exuberant throughout the day—much more capable of accomplishing tasks.