Page 50 - NAMAH-Apr-2025

Namah Vol. 33, Issue 1, 24th April 2025

and cerebral aspects of the subject. exertion, etc. This need not be time consuming
to calculate and does not necessarily need to
The Mind: Purpose of Food be an exact science. By simply eating “calmly,
quietly, with concentration…the body will tell
Let’s begin from the purpose of food itself. you absolutely precisely and exactly when it
We so often forget that, although there is has had enough…. (3).”
nothing wrong in enjoying the food we
eat, we should re-equilibrate our minds to Of course, the Mother and Sri Aurobindo
the true purpose that the food serves. It is a never say that although food serves as a
means of “maintenance for the body” (1). Food material tool, it should resemble tasteless
provides the adequate fuel for the body to cement! In fact, they encourage that it be
function in harmony and synchronises the substantial and appetising. It is always

mind, gut and overall physical health (2). A the inner attitude and intention that truly
diet which is predominant in one food group matters. This short writing of the Mother’s
or the other can derange the bodily rhythm envelopes this succinctly:
and requires a conscious input of balance
and vitalisation, adequately assisting the “One can, for example, very well make a very
chemical balance taking place. However, this deep study of taste and have a very detailed
too has unfortunately become a prisoner of the knowledge of the different tastes of things, of
lower nature and a source of pleasure, greed the association between ideas and taste, in order
and gluttony for man. Contrary to popular to acquire a full development — not positively
thought, the determination of exactly what vital, but a development of the senses. There
our body requires does not need to be deemed is a great difference between this and those
through a food weighing-scale, calorie who eat through greediness, who think all the
counting or strict monitoring of the body’s time about food. You see, for them eating is
chemical balance. It can simply come from the most important thing; all their thoughts
few moments of observation and tailoring. are concentrated on it, and they eat not because
A basic understanding and foundation can they need to eat but through desire and greed
be built from simple self-education on the and gluttony.
bodily processes involved corresponding to
each food group. For example, carbohydrates In fact people who work in order to develop
such as rice are predominantly sugar based their taste, to refine it, are rarely very much
and have high potential for not being used
in proportion to its intake. To put it simply,
the more carbohydrates we ingest, the more
glucose circulates in our blood. If the day’s
activities do not suffice to use this glucose,
it has nowhere to go except get stored as fat.
As such, each food group has a very physical
function, a responsibility and a role to play in
the body. How much of each group we need,
should depend on our day’s activity, physical

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