How can I convince my father to control his food habits?

[Smt. Lakshmi Lavanya K asked: I want to know what should be our behaviour with our family members, i think there is difference between pleasing You and pleasing family members. A plate meal with single curry and curd fills stomach but mind does not satisfy with that, on festival days the whole time will be used for cooking, eating and cleaning. Generally I cook a curry and eat for 3 days for time saving, but I have to prepare different breakfast, different items for each meal for my father daily, I want to give less food because of being health conscious but he is not satisfied with that, i think  our spiritual progress is in implementation only. Please suggest me the correct way which pleases You. Pada namaskaram Swami.]

Swami replied:- You should try to convince your father regarding the importance of well cooked food (Huta bhuk), food of high quality (Hita bhuk) and food of little quantity (Mita bhuk). Food or annam is said by Veda that it is eaten by you if it is eaten in limited quantity and the same food in unlimited quantity will eat you by bringing diseases (Adyate atti ca bhūtāni tasmā dannaṃ pracakṣate). Quantity means not only huge quantity of single item, but also little quantities of several items. Only little food is necessary for our body because very little food digested gives lot of energy. Lot of undigested food remains in the digestive system that generates gas or Vaata roga that gives almost all diseases (Vāto'khilo roga mūlam, Vedo'khilo dharma mūlam). This means that just like the gas of undigested food is the source for all diseases, Veda is the source of all rules of justice! The food not only influences the body, but also influences the mind (feelings) and intelligence (knowledge) as said in Naishadham—Annānurūpāṃ tanurūpabuddhim. In the Gita, a lot of stress is given on various types of food, which are good and bad. Association with people is very very important and that makes the whole life, which is worldly or spiritual. Knowledge is the mighty power, with the help of which you can change anyone to a different person.

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