09 Mar 2025
[Shri PVNM Sarma asked:- Swami! What are the precautions to be taken by us to protect our health regarding the food we take?]
Swami replied:- The Gita says that you shall eat food as soon as it is prepared while the food is hot (Yātayāmaṃ gatarasam, pūti paryuṣitaṃ ca yat). If you prepare the food and allow it to cool for some time, bacteria and virus will enter the food so that our health is damaged. After cooking the food, when it is allowed to exist in the vessel for some time, there are certain chemical changes during the stay of food in the vessel due to which the taste is lost. Some people cut the vegetables long before the cooking and keep the cut-vegetables in vessels. This is also not a scientific procedure. While the vegetable is on the plant, it develops a thick outer skin that has the power of resistance against the entry of bacteria and virus. This is the effort of the plant to protect its stored food from the attacking bacteria and virus present in the atmosphere. You are removing the outer skin and you are allowing the inner food pieces to be exposed to the atmosphere so that bacteria and virus will easily enter the cut pieces.
Some people cook the food in a pressure cooker in the morning and then, reheat it in the afternoon. In this process also, the taste of the food material is changed due to the long stay of the food in the pressure cooker after the first step of cooking. Some people argue that the prepared food or the chopped-vegetables can be stored in the refrigerator so that bacteria and virus cannot enter due to very low temperature. But here also, due to long stay, the taste of the food is changed. Good taste is also good for health than spoiled taste (Gata rasam). If these precautions are taken regarding the cooked food, one’s physical health will be good and naturally, mental health will be also good because body and mind are interrelated. The conclusion is that you should cut the vegetables just before cooking and eat the food immediately as soon as the cooking is over since bacteria and virus cannot enter the food with good taste while it is hot.
Another point is that you should not encourage either flood or drought. Flood means over-eating and drought means not eating anything. Eating little food (eating to fill half the stomach) is always the best for attaining good health. Fasting also means eating little food and not avoiding the complete meal. You should eat little food so that you will not have weakness since energy is required for the worship of God. The actual meaning of Upavaasa or fasting is to forego food due to your immersion in the devotion of God and not avoiding the food by force (Upa = near God, Vāsa = living). Your devotion to God also requires some energy that can be obtained from food only. Hence, eating little food must be finally accepted.
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