on eating

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This is a mail from my friend Upendra sent earlier this year…

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Here are some of my points on eating.

1. Peoples eating habits Meat/Vegetable/Fruit are more specific to geographical location and the type of work done (ex. People in polar regions do not get anything other than meat).

2. What really matters is how one eats.

3. One can eat a fruit with the same devouring aggression as she/he would eat a raw animal.

4. Eat when hungry not for taste or otherwise

5. Eat only that much which is enough for survival and up keep of the body

6. Eat with love and reverence to the food

I am not recommending any food type, if points 4, 5 and 6 are taken care and point 3 is monitored, automatically our inharent nature would direct us to the right type and quantity of food.

Upendra

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Another post providing food for thought: Suresh Gundappa: if you are not loved well you will eat more… and this is a point that truly touched me…

The poet also eats the same food, it becomes poetry in him. The lover also eats the same food, it becomes love in him. The murderer also eats the same food, it becomes murder and destruction in him. Alexander, Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ and Krishna, they were not eating different kinds of food; the food is the same, more or less. But in Adolf Hitler it becomes destruction, in Jesus Christ and Gautham Buddha it becomes compassion. Food is raw energy; it depends on you how you transform it. You are the transformer; you are really significant, not what you eat.”

A particularly noteworthy comment from that link:

Actually I believe there is a deeper meaning to Savakasha oota madi. Traditionally if you notice when we are eating we don’t pay attention to food in ceremonies. We don’t smell well, we don’t touch well, We don’t taste well before a next bite. When you say swalpa avakasha bittu – I believe leave some space to get all senses – All satvas in you before you go to next bite. once you are aware of all the senses associated with Food- say color, smell, taste, touch – then you will also be aware of signals from your stomach. you will receive definite signal to stop before you over stuff. This is where it is necessary to wait a little before you eat.

Thanks for sharing wonderful sentence. To me another mystic door opened!

Swalpa Avakasha bittu oota madi swamy!

Comments

7 responses to “on eating”

January 2, 2007

Anitha

One of the important things on eating …

Most often we focus on what we should NOT eat . i.e we should not eat too much of oily food, we should not eat too much of sweet , we should not eat fatty food etc ..
This is good , but at the same time what is also important is we should focus on what we SHOULD eat e.g.
we SHOULD eat lot of vegetables (i.e atleast 1/3 of our plate should be with vegetables)
we SHOULD drink lot of water
we SHOULD eat lot of fruits

my 2 cents
– Anitha

Reply
January 6, 2007

Sanjay M

Quite true Anitha, easy to forget… thanks for the useful tips!

Reply
January 6, 2007

bellur ramakrishna

Sanjay,
The last point is really good. My father told me to follow it a quarter century back. Here are a few

Unhealthy eating habits:

Stay away from these bad eating habits to get on the fast track to a healthier life, leaner body, and more satisfying eating experience:

SKIPPING BREAKFAST
EATING BEFORE BED
BINGING
STARVING YOURSELF
EATING WHILE WORKING
EATING TOO FAST
NOT DRINKING ENOUGH WATER

Reply
January 13, 2007

msanjay

good points Bellur, thanks…

Reply
March 2, 2007

Suresh Panje

I remember an adage in Kannada:
Ondu hottu undavanu Yogi – One who eats once a day is an Yogi
Eradu hottu undavany Bhogi – One who eats twice a day is a Bhogi (a sensible gourmet one may say).
Muru hottu undavanu Rogi – One who eats thrice a day is a Rogi (tends to fall sick)
Nalku hottu undavanige hottukondu hogi – One who eats four times a day is destined to depart from the world to mean never be a glutton lest landing up in a coffin.

E adage

Reply
March 4, 2007

msanjay

really cool adage Suresh! Thanks you reminded me to update this post with a link to another post by another Suresh 🙂

Reply
May 27, 2010

kiran adiga

Savakasha oota madi –> Savakasha means swalpa avakasha bittu oota madi that means don’t eat stomach full of food!! If u leave some space in stomach it helps in proper digestion. If u eat stomach full of food it leads to indigestion and later to Gas trouble.

Note: Food differs based on climate and also with the change in season.

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