Avoiding excess is one of the keys to success in health

[Guest guest]

> I want to emphasize the word " excess " here. The Chinese concept of a

> balanced diet is one that contains all 5 flavors - sweet, salty,

> sour, bitter, and acrid (spicy) - in the ratios that are correct for

> the individual. Problems are created when there is either too much

> or too little of a particular flavor.

 

The correct foods for human beings are 'sweet' foods. Meaning grains -

vegetables - fruits - and flesh - with small amounts of all of the

other tastes sour - salty - bitter - pungent. All of these tastes

should be in every meal - not just for their nutrative content but

these tastes support each other in digestion. Ancient people of course

knew nothing about the chemical structure of foods they only knew

about the 'tastes' in foods and the 'qualities' in foods. In the great

texts of Ayurveda and Yoga 'sweet' foods were considered the correct

foods for those seeking recovery from disease and the maintance of

health. Sweet foods are considered the proper foods for the Stomach -

they are the easiest to digest and cause the minimum of problems - in

their natural forms - natural foods should not be concentrated and

excess tastes should be avoided. If we eat natural sweet foods simply

prepared with small amounts of all other tastes we will solve the

Stomach/Spleen problems.

 

A few weeks ago we visited a famous Yogi and we took food at his

Ashram. He eats in an ideal way for most modern people who would like

to recover from disease - Kicheree (rice and mung beans cooked

together with extra water - lightly salted) - one side dish of

vegetables simply prepared - one piece of fruit - a cup of boiled milk

with ginger (to reduce the phlegm producing tendancy in milk)- and a

side dish containing ashwaghanda mixed with small amount of honey and

wrapped in paan (betel leaves)we call these little bundles paan and

are used as a digestive - they have a bitter quality. This meal has no

excess qualaties and has all tastes necessary for nourishment. The

members of the Ashram who eat this way glow with health.

 

Anyone who has ever seen a trully healthy person recognizes it

instantly - they have beautiful open smiles with clear skin and eyes -

they seem to radiate with energy. Their voices are soft but strong -

they do not project any negative energy at all. They are full of humor

and an obviuos intelligence and depth of perception bordering on

psychic abilities because of their ability to clearly 'see' the world

as it is - they project nothing so it is easy to 'see' - no

interference from 'ego'. The teacher of this ashram is the highest

realized person there and he has achieved true Yoga - which gives him

absolute serenity and extraordinary wisdom and insight. Thisis the

goal of Yoga.

 

I have seen many people from many traditions achieve these states of

superior health and vibrancy (even in old age). This state of vibrant

health is very common amongst certain classes of people in Japan -

Ihave seen it every time I go there. My family has many such people

including my mother and father - both of whom are 86. Health is not

difficult to achieve in theory (many can not achieve it because of

compulsions and addictions)- it simply takes living intelligently -

the basics have been known for thousands of years - achieving even

partial adherence to health principles will be suffecient to recover

higher levels of wellness. The primary issue in good health is eating

properly and the primary issues in eating are simple natural foods

that suit the constitution of the individual.

 

It is the excessive qualaties in life that cause most disease. Avoid

them and the body will find its own balance.