How right is our Food Karma?
Updated: Sep 9, 2019
दीपो भक्षयते ध्वान्तं कज्जलं च प्रसूयते |
यदन्नं भक्षयेन्नित्यं जायते तादृशी प्रजा ||
dIpo bhakShayate dhvAntam kajjalam cha prasUyate |
yadannam bhakShayennityam jAyate tAdRishI prajA ||
Lamp eats darkness and produces [black] soot!
What food (quality) [one] eats daily, so will [one] produce.
So what does the law of karma state: “Whatever you sow so shall you reap”. What goes around comes around, literally this means that if one wants love- one must give love, if one wants happiness-one must give happiness, if one wants good health-one must feed one’s body with foods which nurture good health.
My recent encounter at a Food Safety Management program intrigued me to dive and explore further, on ways to upkeep and maintain our health and wellness in the most optimum way through dietary regulations and providing our body with balanced and perfect nutrition. My obsession with the subject fueled my desire to further conduct detailed research on nutritional health and ways through which we can bring wellness in our homes and societies and help lay the foundation of a strong and healthy nation.
It’s a high time that we change the traditional food pyramid and replace it with the knowledge drawn from our ancient scriptures on health and wellness of humans.
The data reads, that today a huge number of children in our nation suffer from a physical disorder better known as “obesity crisis”. The growing number of Indian middle-class families whose children and young adults have exceeded the 100 Kgs mark, marks the onset of a new war on morbid obesity. With one in three Indians in urban areas classified as overweight the data is not only disturbing but also alarming as the boom in fast food availability and a middle-class obsession with Western culture has gained pace in the last decade or so.
Right Food Karma is a movement we all must start today in order to treat our bodies with Love and care and restore our health and overall wellness forever. I am sure you all will agree that we never get our expensive car filled with substandard fuel. If we are so cautious with our car fuel quality than how can be so careless with our food-which is the fuel to our priceless body.
Our rich Vedic literature, since times unknown has promoted the importance of food and that food is not only eaten to satisfy one’s hunger rather it sublimates your mind, body and soul. India is the home not only of rich food culture and cuisine but also of the science of healthy living.
Our scripture, popularly known as the Ayurveda, is the oldest known work on biology, hygiene, medicine and nutrition. This branch of the Vedas was revealed thousands of years ago by Sri Bhagavan Danvantri, an incarnation of Krishna.
The Guidelines on food Karma as per Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad-Gita divides foods into three classes:
Those of the quality of goodness
Those of the quality of passion
Those of the quality of ignorance
The most healthful are the Foods of goodness. Foods of the quality of goodness [milk products, grains, fruits, and vegetables] increase the duration of life; purify one’s existence; and give strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Such foods are sweet, juicy, fatty, and palatable.
Foods that are too bitter, sour, salty, pungent, dry or hot, possess the quality of passion and cause distress.
Foods of the quality of ignorance, such as meat, fish, and fowl, described as putrid, decomposed, and unclean, produce only pain, disease, and bad karma. In other words, what you eat affects the quality of your life.
There is much needless suffering in the world today, because most people have no other criterion for choosing food than price and sensual desire.
Our food purchasing habits, its consumption, our relationship with food and our values around food all define the food culture we have imbibed and follow. The analysis of food attitudes and behavior is a fascinating experience and reveals great insights into our food science. Most of us are aware that nutrition is important for our health. Yet amongst all this nutrition noise, we rarely talk about how or why we eat. This is our relationship with food and with our own bodies, and it is just as important as what we eat.
Our whole personality is a reflection of what and how we eat. Food quality and eating behavior defines our grumpy attitude or bloated and lethargic feeling. Good food adds to our vibrant and happy being and prepares us to take on the day with vitality and fervor.
Who will not fall in love with a person bubbling with spark and abundant energy. Your awesome energy can turn a boring meeting session into a sparky one, remain playful with kids in the park, display vibrancy on the dance floor all night long.
It’s no secret that the door to abundant and vibrant life passes through Good Food Karma. I can now say in short that, what you have given comes back to you.
Life is short live it abundantly and sweetly with your Food Karma.
Hare Krishna!!!
About Dr. Gazal Goyal Bansal
Founder and CEO, Life Coach and Speaker, Dr. Gazal Bansal is a
Doctorate in Political Science, UGC (JRF), a Gold Medalist, Certified ISO 22000 Lead Auditor, a Licensed Practitioner of NLP from The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (TM) & a Pranic Healer.
As a spiritual evangelist and a practical thinker, she is a radical enthusiast and a firm believer in the philosophy of conceptual pragmatism, logical reasoning, and the spiritual energy matrix. She is a staunch believer of the fact that before you speak, your energy speaks.