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EATING YOUR FOOD AS PER
aayuARveD
aayuARveD which is a
sNskRUt language word meaning
SCIENCE OF LIFE stipulates daily wholesome and
natural food as a must requirement for sustaining life as was designed by
creator bRH`m and to be maintained
with HIS shktio (powers) which makes
all functions and systems which makes the functions operative....The following
are some of the vital knowledge facts aayuARveD
states have to be lived by humans for longevity and healty lifestyle:
- Eat meats, vegetables, fruits, cereals, milk products, spices in adequate
quantity and appropriate cooking and/or uncooked daily, weekly, monthly and
yearly.
- Eat appropriate quantity of all of the above as per the requirements of
each of the six seasons a year.
- Eat foods so that all the six tastes are served regularly.
- Eat food in type and quantity to suit your age and one of the
4 aaSRm you are in.
- Eat food in type and quantity that suits your current state of health and
health needs for fighting diseases.
- Eat food in type and quantity that suits your current life activities
including physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
- Eat regularly and at regular hours.
- Eat food combinations which does not cause injury due to their
interactions of all of their physical and chemical properties.....
- Eat food with the knowledge of what you are eating, why you are eating,
how you should eat and when you are eating.........
-
Eat your food so that not only it nourishes your body but it
also nourishes your aatmaa (soul),
mns (mind) and
inNDRRiyo ( 10 sense organs),
raag (one's inherent likes and
dislikes and your vaasnaa (one's
latent tendencies and potentialities to perform kARm which are derived from
kARm performed in previous lifetimes)
(The preceding knowledge sharing is from the
veD library of
SRii chmpklaal Daajibhaai misTRii of Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada....)
To understand the above science of aayuARveD
in context with the current understanding of diet science please click on
the next line to read a very good research article on eating wholesome food
rather than vitamin pills in the Canadian
Globe and Mail newspaper or you can read on
the newspaper's web site by clicking on the preceding red highlite of the
name....
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Get your antioxidants from
food not vitamins,
for best results
By LESLIE BECK
Canadian
Globe and Mail: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 - Page
A19
If you're popping extra vitamin C and E to help ward off heart disease and
cancer, you might want to take a closer look at your dinner plate. While these
two antioxidants are important for our health, a new study shows that whole
foods pack a powerful punch.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a list of the
best food sources of antioxidants. It came from the largest and most
comprehensive study to date evaluating the antioxidant capacity of more than 100
commonly consumed foods. While many fruits and vegetables held top spots on the
list, certain beans, nuts and spices also scored high.
Antioxidants protect our cells from the harmful effects of free radicals. Every
day, our bodies create free radicals from oxygen as a consequence of normal
metabolism. Pollution and cigarette smoke increase the number of free radicals
our bodies are exposed to.
Antioxidants act as scavengers, neutralizing free radicals before they do harm.
If left unchecked, free radicals damage cells. Such damage is thought to play a
role in the development of heart disease, cancer, cataracts, macular
degeneration, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease.
Antioxidants in foods exist as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium and
natural plant chemicals such as flavonoids (tea), lycopene (tomatoes) and
anthocyanins (berries).
Studies show that a diet high in fruit and vegetables can help reduce the risk
of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and cancer, and may even preserve
our eyesight. Extensive reviews have concluded that eating at least five daily
servings of fruit and vegetables could lower cancer rates by 20 per cent,
coronary heart disease by 20 to 40 per cent and stroke by 25 per cent.
Yet, clinical trials using supplements of vitamin C, vitamin E or beta-carotene
have yielded inconsistent results.
The highest concentrations of antioxidants are found in the most deeply or
brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. Blueberries, cranberries, plums, dried
prunes, blackberries, apples and cherries came out winners as top fruits for
antioxidant levels. Melons scored the lowest.
Among the vegetables, artichokes and russet potatoes ranked the highest and
cucumber had the lowest value. Honourable mentions go to apricots, red grapes,
navel oranges, asparagus, red cabbage, rapini and sweet potatoes.
Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios were top performers among the nuts
tested. Even spices, although generally consumed in small amounts, can add
antioxidant powers to your dinner. On the basis of antioxidant concentration,
ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano were the highest among the spices
studied.
The bottom line remains the same: Boost your intake of fruit and vegetables.
According to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, 70 per cent of
Canadians are well aware of the protective effects of fruit and vegetables, yet
only 36 per cent eat the minimum five servings each day.
Getting your daily five to 10 servings is easier than you might think.
A serving size isn't that large. Basically, if it fits
in your hand, you're getting one serving. A medium-sized fruit, a
quarter-cup of dried fruit, 125 millilitres of unsweetened juice, and one cup of
salad are all considered one serving.
The key is planning. If you forgo eating fruit and vegetables until the end of
the day, you won't come close to meeting your target. Start by including a
serving of fruit at breakfast -- berries or dried fruit on cereal, a small glass
of citrus juice, a fruit smoothie or a bowl of fruit salad.
Next, plan to have at least one vegetable serving at lunch. A handful of baby
carrots, a glass of tomato juice, a cup of vegetable soup and sliced vegetables
in your sandwich are all easy choices.
Snack on fresh or dried fruit between meals. Add a small handful of pecans or
walnuts to boost your antioxidant intake.
Serve at least two different vegetables at dinner, fresh or frozen. Increase
your portion size to bump up the number of servings.
That's all it takes to get a minimum of five servings each day. Not so tough,
really.
Finally, choose your fruits and vegetables by colour to get a wide variety of
antioxidants. Think green, orange, red and blue.
Antioxidant foods
Top 20 free radical fighters:
1) dried small red beans, cooked, one-half cup
2) wild blueberries, one cup
3) red kidney beans, cooked, one-half cup
4) pinto beans, cooked, one-half cup
5) cultivated blueberries, one cup
6) cranberries, one cup
7) artichoke hearts, one-half cup
8) blackberries, one cup
9) prunes, one-half cup
10) raspberries, one cup
11) strawberries, one cup
12) red delicious apple, one
13) Granny Smith apple, one
14) pecans, 28 grams
15) sweet cherries, one cup
16) black plums, one
17) russet potato, cooked, one
18) black beans, cooked, one-half cup
19) other plums, one
20) Gala apple, oneThe American Chemical Society
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's
Canada AM every Wednesday. Contact her at http://www.lesliebeck.com.
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