Excess Eating

Hello Chandra,

Hope you are keeping fine. Coming to the answers,

Consumption of excess food leads to disease, lethargy, stupor and toxification of 'Nâdis' (astral energy channels). This results in clogged Nâdis thereby hindering the free flow of Prâna (vital energy). As soon as there is a blockade of Prâna, that particular part starts to degenerate and decay leading to disease. In the man who continuously overeats, 'Nâdis' in the weaker parts of his body first start getting clogged leading to reduced functioning of the particular organs connected to those 'Nâdis'. This is gradually accompanied by the toxification of all other 'Nâdis' in course of time leading to degeneration of the entire system.

A man wishing for a healthy and joyous life should abstain from excessive eating and limit his diet to 'Mitâhâra' (moderate diet). One must eat to live and not live to eat! Craving for food as a form of entertainment or means of passing time is the first urge and temptation the Brahmachari Yogi must work at becoming free from. The tongue and the sexual organs are conncected. Through the control of the tongue, one finds it easier to control the sex urge and control of sexual energy invaraibly leads to control of the tongue. A glutton who has made food as his chief passtime or means of relaxation soon gets inundated with deep rooted diseases beyond cure. These effects are not very visible initially but gradually show their ugly heads as man approaches middle age.

The health disorders that we see in society today starting from common cold and fever at the change of every season to serious conditions such as Blood pressure, Diabetis, Hypertension, Heart problems, Osteoporosis and other bone/joint problems are all a result of overeating and lack of Brahmacharya. If each and every person was to follow a disciplined life with a moderate and nutritious diet, regular exercise and limit their sexual indulgence to progeny, the world would have been a healthier and more joyous place free from disease. In Yoga, it has been very rightly said that the chief cause of disease is the presence of toxins within the body and no other mode of life produces more toxins than overeating and sexual excess. A few years of Brahmacharya with a moderate diet (The two go hand in hand and Brahmacharya is impossible if one overeats) makes a person virtually free from all forms of disease and debility. Immunity and strength within the body reach a state where visits to the doctor stop completely.

In the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna says:-
"Success in Yoga is not for him who eats too much or doesn't eat at all" -- "Who sleeps too much or doesn't sleep at all".
" To him who is temperate in eating and in sleeping and in being awake, Yoga becomes the destroyer of misery" - The Bhagavad-Gita Chapter-VI/ Verse 18

In the treatise on Yoga -' Hathayoga Pradeepika" written by the venerable Sage 'Svâtmârâma, it is said:-
Yoga fails by six causes - Overeating, over-exertion, excessive talk, observance of unsuitable disciplines, promiscuous company and unsteadiness in practice.
Chapter-I/ Verse 15.

This reminds us of the dangers or overeating, oversleeping, overfasting, not giving the body enough rest, useless and excessive talk, following a lifestyle that goes against the Yama-Niyama's, constantly being in the company of the opposite sex and those addicted to sexuality and irregularity in practice.

So what then is the measure of a 'moderate diet'? A moderate diet may be defined as that quantity of food which is just right to compensate for the expenditure of energy that occurs during day to day activity and that which does not cause heaviness, lethargy and inertia. If the meal is correct, one will feel content, refreshed, light and comfortable. If one feels heavy, uncomfortable and lethargic further to food, it is a clear indication that one has overeaten.

Contrary to general perception, one does not require much food to stay strong, healthy and active. What is required is a moderate diet that is nutritious, wholesome and that which is taken at the right time. As soon as man starts following a life of Brahmacharya, the conserved semen reduces the quantity of food required by the body. It takes close to 42 Kgs of food taken over a period of a month to produce an ounce of semen. Unlike the normal man who constantly wastes his vital fluid and hence requires much food while trying to recompensate for his lost energy, the Yogi who conserves his semen needs very little food to maintain health, vitality and well being.

In Yoga, a yardstick has been given to know how much food one should eat at each meal. It is said that the stomach is to be assumed to be made of four parts. Two parts are to be filled with food (half the stomach), one part with water and the fourth part is to be left empty to let the free flow of Prâna aid digestion. One who follows such a procedure stays healthy, strong and lives long blessed with vibrant health.

The trick is to stop eating before the stomach is full and never eat 'up to the throat' as most people ignorantly do.

God bless and have a nice day :-)
Dhananjay