HOW TO EAT FOOD – AYURVEDIC VIEW -AHARA VIDHI

All living beings in the universe require food, whichsustains the life. The food in the form of diets and drinks whose colour,smell, taste arid touch are pleasing to the senses and conducive to the health,if taken in accordance with the rules, in fact represents the very life ofliving beings.
They promote
1. Mental as well asphysical strength
2. Strength of tissueelements (dhatus)
3. Pleasure of thesenses
4. Complexion
5. Good voice
6. Longevity
7. Happiness
8. Satisfaction
9. Intellect
10. Enthusiasm
11. Memory

1. Sukadhanya (cornswith bristles): Sail, Sashtlka, Yava, Godhuma etc. belong to this group.
2. Samidhanya(pulses): Mudga, Masha, Adhaki, Charaka, Tila etc.
3. Mamsa (meat)
4. Saka (vegetables)consisting of leaves, tubers etc.
5. Phala (ripefruits)
6. Harita (Salads)
7. Madya (wines).
8. Jala (water)
9. Gorasa (milk andmilk products).
10.Ikshuvikara (products of sugar cant): jaggary, sugar etc.
11. Kritanna (food preparations): Peya (gruel), vilepi(thick gruel), manda, saktu etc. 12. Aharayogi (assessary food articles): oils,condiments, spices, salts etc.

Proper time for taking food:
It is stated that one should take food twice a day (within24 hours) i. e. beforenoon and at night,and food should not be taken in between. This stipulation is only for adults but children who are in the state of growthmay take more than two times, wheneverthey feel hungry.
1. The proper timefor taking food is.
2. When there isnormal movement of stool and urine.
3. The eructationsare free of any taste.
4. When the body andsense organs are light and free.
5. When he is hungry.
6. When there isrelish for food. 7. Whenthe belly becomes light.

The digestion of the ingested food is considered to becompleted by the following symptoms:
1. Clarity of thebelching (erection). It should not possess any particular taste either acid or that of any component of thefood taken.
2. Enthusiasm: Theperson should be active.
3. Normal regulationof natural urges.
4. Lightness of thebody.
5. Proper hunger andthirst.

The food should not be taken within the yama (3 hours) after the previous meals,because during this period, the rasa dhatu is still in the process ofdevelopment. It should not be taken after the second yama because it causesdepletion of the strength. Therefore food should be taken after 3 hours of theprevious meals and before the completion of 6 hours. It is stated earlier that the previous mealshould be completely digested before another meal is taken. But according tocharaka, taking the evening meal even though the morning meal has not beencompletely digested is not injurious. The hridaya is awakened (active) due tothe sun in the daytime like a lotus and therefore the srotases of the body arefully opened. The srotases are also open due to the exertion, movement andmental activity of the daytime. Hencethe dhatus in these srotases do not get softened (kleda) in the day. When newfood is mixed with the old, which is not softened, it does not get spoilt. Butin the night when the hridaya is in a
state of diminishedaction, the srotases including the koshtha are inactive and the dhatus getsoftened. Therefore when the food consumed in the night is not fully digested,the wise man, desiring to protect his strength and life, should not take anyfood.
Other stipulations about time:
A meal should not be eaten before the appointed time, norbefore the appetite has fully developed. Similarly, over or insufficient eatingshould be equally refrained from. Eating at an improper time and before thelightness of the body is felt, brings on a large number of diseases and mayultimately lead to death. A meal eaten long after appropriate time tends toaggravate Vata, which affects the digestive fire and causes serious obstaclesin the digestion. The food thus digested with difficulty destroys all desirefor a second meal.

Regimen before meals:
One should wash his feet and mouth before meals. One shouldsleep with dry feet. Eating with wet feet increases longevity. One who had hisbath, worn soft, beautiful, clean and white dress and flowers and just washedhis feet, should enter the dining chamber with lucid mind along with his dearchildren and friends with the intent of taking meals which is good for him.

Description of seat:
One should sit on a seat which is sufficiency high,beautiful, softly covered, comfortable and wide. While taking meals he shouldface either east or north. He should sit during his meal in an easy posture ona high seat and partake at the right time, with his body erect and his mindengaged in the act of eating.

Vessels for cooking:
Earthern pots cleaned with water are good for cooking food.The food cooked in such pots will be tasteful and of good qualities. If potsare not available, iron vessels may be used. Vessels made of bronze or bellmetal are also good. But the food prepared in copper vessels cause anorexia andgastritis. The best are the vessels made of gold and silver because they removeall faults. Serving different dishes
The mode of serving out the different dishes should be asfollows:
1. Ghrita should beserved in a vessel of steel (kantaloha).
2. Peya in a silverbowl.
3. Fruit andconfectionary on leaves and baskets.
4. Differentpreparations which are dry and fried in golden plates.
5. Fluid edibles andmeat essences in silver bowls.
6. Preserved chutniesin stone utensils.
7. Cool boiled milkin copper vessels.
8. Other drinks,wines and cordials in earthern pots.
9. Raga-shadavas andsattakas in cool, pure glass bowls or in vessels made of crystals.
Qualities of different vessels
1. Goldvessels/plates are auspicious and alleviate all doshas, good for the eyesight,stimulate the digestive fire, alleviates pitta and cordial.
2. Silver vessels:alleviate anorexia, according to Bhoja aggravate vata and pitta, and accordingto Bhavamisra aggravate vatha and kapha; good for the eyesight.
3. Bronze vessels:cordial, alleviate eye diseases and raktapitta. Food will be tasteful andincrease intellect.
4. Brass vessels:cause aggravation of vata, heat and roughness but alleviate kapha and destroykrimi.
5. Iron or glassvessel: improve strength, alleviate oedema and anemia and jaundice.
6. Vessels made ofstone or earth should not be used because they are inauspicious.
7. Vessel made ofwody alleviate kapha, and increase relish.
8. Plantain leaf:alleviates vata and kapha; best for meals because of cleanliness; bestowsstrength, health, complexion, sexual desire, hunger
9. Plate made ofpalasa leaves: destroys gulma, vata diseases, colic, diseases due toaggravation, of kapha and pitta.
10. Plate made of banyan leaves: heals ulcers and alleviatespitta.
11. Lotus leaf; acts as vishahara.

Varieties of food:
According to Charaka, food is 4 varieties

1. Asitam - wholesome eatables
2. Peetam - beverages
3. Leedham - linctus
4. Khaditam - masticables
Bhavamisra divided into six varieties
1. Chooshyam - Anyarticle of food to be sucked like sugar cane, pomagranate etc.
2. Peyem - Beverage,fit to be drunk.
3. Lehyam - Articlesto be eaten by licking a lambative.
4. Bhojyam - Wholesome eatables.
5. Bhakshyam - Anything eatable, confectionaries etc.
6. Oharvyam - Masticable articles.

Regimen while eating
At the time of eating, one should look at auspicious things;such act increases longevity. Abuse of food is prohibited at the time of eatingbut should be praised. One should pleasantly describe the food after looking atit, tasting and eating.

Practice regarding taking diet
One should not take food:
1. Without recitingthanks to almighty god
2. Without rememberof almighty gog
3. Without makingofferings to the departed ancestors, teachers, guests and dependents.
4. Without wearingprecious atones in hand.
5. Without takingbath.
6. Wearing a tornapparel.
7. Without applyingsacred scents or garlands.
8. Without washinghands, feet and face.
9. Without cleaningthe mouth.
10. With face turned towards the north.
11. With disturbed mind, or contemptuous disposition towardsfood.
12. Surrounded by the insincere, uncultured, dirty or hungrypersons.
13. In unclean dishes.
14. At improper place and time, or in a place surrounded bymany persons.
15. Which is dirty.
16. Served by the opponents.
Except in the case of meat, rhizomes, dry vegetables, fruitsand sweets, one should not take stale food. One should not consume the entirefood except in the cases of curd, honey, salt, Saktu and ghee. One should nottake curd at night. One should not takeSaktu without mixing it up with ghee and sugar or in the night or after mealsor in large quantity or twice daily or "interrupted with water intake, norone should eat by tearing with teeth.

Aharavidhi Vishesha :
There are eight factors of diet and dietetics
1. Prakriti (Naturalqualities).
2. Karana (Samskara,preparation).
3. Samyoga(combination).
4. Rasi (Quantum).
5. Desa (Habitat).
6. Kala (Time).
7. Upayoga samstha(Rules of use).
8. Upayokta (user).
1. Prakriti:
Natural qualities are the innate properties of substances.The presence of qualities like heaviness etc., if the natural property ofsubstances used as diet or drug. Thus heaviness is the nature of black gram andpork and lightness of green gram and venison.
2. Karana:
Preparation is the process performed to modify the naturalproperties of substances. That which modifies radically the properties ofsubstances is transformation. This modification is brought about by applicationof water or heat, cleaning, churning, storing, maturing, flavouring,impregnation, preservation and the material of receptacle.
Examples:
1. The property ofrice is heaviness. This property is lost by washing with water and cooking andthe rice acquires the property of lightness.
2. Curd causes sopha.-But after churning, buttermilk destroys sopha.
3. Samyoga:
Combination is the combining together of two or moresubstances. This combination exhibitsspecial properties which none of the constituents ever possessed separately.
Example:
The combination of honey and ghee. Honey and ghee takenalone is wholesome to the body but combined in equal quantities, they becometoxic. Similarly the combination of honey, fish and milk has a toxic effect.
4. Rasi:
The quantum is 2 varieties:
1. Sarvagraha—totalmeasurement of the entire meal as a whole i. e. the combined quantity of therice, meat, pulse, condiments etc.
2. Parigraha—detailedmeasurement of each article of diet separately. This determines the effects ofthe right and wrong doses.
5. Desha :
Habitat is a geographic region. It indicates variations inthe qualities of substances, due to difference in soil, use and climate.Substance grown in the region of Himalayas are heavy in property while thosegrown in desert or sandy region are light. Similarly the living beings whoconsume light articles of food, or live in desert or sandy regions or indulge inmany activities are also light in nature.
Deshasatmya is that having opposite qualities to those ofthe region. Substances having the qualities of ushna, rooksha etc. arehomologous to the watery or marshy region, and the substances having thequalities of seeta, snigdha etc. for the desert or sandy regions.
6. Kala:
Time is used in two senses, time in the general sense i.e.NiTYAGA and time in the sense of a stage i.e. AVASTHIKA. Time in the generalsense is used in relation to seasonal wholesomeness. The stage is used inrelation to disease.
7. Upayoga Samstha :
The procedure in diet consists of the dietetic rules. Theyare determined by the strength of digestion.
8. Upayokta:
The user is he who makes use of food. These eight differentfactors give rise to good and evil effects and are helpful fco one another. Thephysician should try to know them, and having known them he should make use ofthe wholesome only. Either out of ignorance or negligence he should not makeuse of any article of diet or any other thing which is pleasant but unwholesomeand fraught with unhappy consequences.

Most wholesome dietetic regulations:
These are the dietetic rules and procedure for the healthyas well as for' certain types of patients, concerning the intake of food thatis most wholesome.
One should eat food which is:
1. Hot
2. Unctuous
3. In due measure
4. After fulldigestion of the previous meal
5. Non-antagonisticin potency
6. In the congenialplace
7. Provided with allthe favourite accessories
8. Neither toohurriedly not too leisurely
9. Without talking orlaughing
10. With full concentration
11. Having proper regard to oneself
1. One should eat hot. The food eaten hot is relished and onbeing consumed excites the gastric fire, digested soon, and stimulates theperistaltic movement. It alleviates the kapha. Therefore one should eat foodthat is hot.
2. One should eat unctuous food. This gives relish and onbeing consumed excites the inactive gastric fire, is rapidly digested, stimulatesthe peristaltic movement, makes the body plump, strengthens the sense organs,increases the vigor and brightens the complexion. Therefore one should eatunctuous food.

3. One should eat in requisite measure. The food eaten inrequisite measure does not disturb the balance of the doshas, but exclusivelypromotes life, is easily assimilated. Therefore one must eat in measure.

Quantity of food and digestion:
The amount of food which, without disturbing the equilibriumof dhatus and doshas of .the body, gets digested as well as metabolished inproper time, is to be regarded as the proper quantity. This measurement withcertainly vary from individual to individual. No standard measurement can beprescribed for all Individuals. In fact, the power of digestion even of asingle individual varies from time to time and so there is bound to be somevariation in the standard measurement of food to be taken by him.
Quantity of food relation with Quality of food:
The light food articles are predominant in the qualities ofvayu and agni and heavy one in Prithvi and Ap mahabhutas. Therefore accordingto their qualities, the light articles of food, being stimulants of appetiteand by nature are considered to be less harmful even if taken in excess of theprescribed quantity. On the other hand, heavy articles of food, being bynature, suppressors of appetite are extremely harmful if taken in excess unlessthere is a strong power of digestion and metabolism achieved by physicalexercise.
If the food article is heavy only three—fourth or half ofthe stomach capacity is to be filled up. Even in the case of light foodarricles, excessive intake is not conducive to the maintenance of the power ofdigestion and metabolism. The stipulation is meant to maintain the equilibrium,of the power of digestion.

The lightness or heaviness of a food affects the idle, theunhealthy, the luxurious and men of delicate constitution and impairedappetite. Such discernment of the properties of food is not obligatory onstrong, healthy men of active habits and good healthy digestion, who arehabituated to hard and solid foods.
Three divisions of the stomach capacity:
One, about to eat a meal, ought to dispose the stomachcapacity into three parts. He should use one third for solid food, one thirdfor liquids and the remaining one third for the free movement of the threedoshas. Eating in confirmity to this rule, one is not liable to any of theill-effects resulting from eating without measure.
Effects of measured diet:
The following are the signs of food eaten in measure:
1. Freedom fromdistress in the stomach as the result of the quantity taken.
2. Freedom from theexcessive heaviness of the stomach.
3. Absence of anycardiac discomfort.
4. The non-distensionof the sides.
5. Gratification ofthe senses.
6. Subsidence ofhunger and thirst.
7. Sense of each instanding, sitting, lying down, walking exhaling and inhaling, repartee andconservation.
8. Easeful digestionand assimilation of food in the evening and morning.
9. Imparting ofstrength, complexion and plumpness.

Evils of inadequate diet:
The diet which is deficient measure is seen to result in:
1. The impairment ofstrength, complexion and plumpness.
2. Want of satisfaction.
3. Misperistalsiscausing Udavarta.
4. Impairment of thefunctions of life, virility and vitality.
5. Impairment of thefunctions of the body, mind understanding and five senses.
6. Disturbance of theeight saras.
7. Induction ofinauspicious conditions.
8. Incidence of theeighty kinds of vata disorders.
Evils of excessive diet:
The diet which is excessive in measure causes thefollowing
1. Provocation of themorbidity of all the 3 doshas.
2. These vitiateddoshas lay hold of the indigested food mass and getting localised in thestomach of man who has over-eaten and make their resort in thefood-mass.
3. They eitherobstruct or dispose of the stomach contents violently' through the upper orlower routes of the alimentary tract giving rise to many disorders.
4. One should eatafter the digestion of the previous meal. The food that is 'eaten while theprevious meal islying undigested, getting mixed with the semidigestedahararasaof the previous meal, immediately provokes the three doshas.

The food taken when the previous meal has bees fullydigested is the cause of the following:
1. Doshas return totheir normal places.
2. Gastric fire iskindled.
3. Hunger isstimulated.
4. Srotases are clearand open.
5. Clear eructations.
6. Stomach is clear.
7. The peristalticmovement is normal.
8. Natural urges arenormal.
9. Does not vitiatedhatus.
10. Promotes life.
Therefore one should eat on an empty stomach after thedigestion of the previous meal.
5. One should not eatwhat is antagonistic inpotency. By eating the food that is not antagonistic inpotency, one is not afflicted with disorders born of incompatible dietary (likeimpotency blindness, kushtha (skin diseases) etc. (The food which are antagonisticto the body are many varieties.
6. One should eat ina congenial place provided with all the necessary appurtenances, and then onedoes not get depressed in the mind by the emotions produced in unpleasantenvironment; similarly with the appurtenances. Therefore one should eat in acongenial place and circumstance

7. One should not eathurriedly. By eating hurriedly, thefood is likely to pass in the wrong way, or injure the health or it is notproperly placed.There is no appreciation of either the good or bad qualities ofthe food taken .
8. One should not eatvery leisurely. By eating too leisurely,one is not satisfied even if he eats much. The food gets cold and is digestedirregularly .
9. One should nottalk or laugh while eating. One who talks and laughs and is preoccupied whileeating, is liable to suffer the same disorders as the one who eats too hastily.Therefore one should not talk or laugh while eating, but should eat with dueattention to one self.
10. One should eat rightly considering one's constitution."This food will agree with me, this will not agree", such knowledgemakes for the determination of what is wholesome for each individual. Thisknowledge is known as 'Atmasatmya'.

Method of taking meals:
One first should pertake of the madhura dravya of the meals,then of the Amla andlavana dravyas and of the katu and other dravyas at theclose of the meals. The taste of the madhura dravyas eaten at the outset subduethe vata located in the stomach, amia and lavana dravyas partaken of at themiddle of the meal would rouse up the digestive fire located in the Agnashaya,while the katu taste enjoyed at its close tend to subdue the kapha. At thebeginning of the meal, one should eat a mixture of saindhava lavana and ginger.This mixture stimulates the digestive fire, taste, and appetite and clears the tongueand throat .It is also stated that at the end of the meal, articles of sweettaste have to be eaten, to counteract the evil effects of the consumption of saltish, sour(acid), pungent and hot articles of food. Therefore curd which is sweet orsweetened by sugar only has to be consumed at the end of the meal, or if suchcurd is not available milk has to be taken.

Evil effects of insufficient and excessive food :
The digestive fire is always kindled by the sufficient food(fuel). Therefore both insufficient and excessive intake of food destroy thedigestive fire Insufficient food gives inadequate satisfaction, and causesweakness, emaciation and vata disorders. Over eating, on the contrary, produceslaziness, heaviness of ,the body, distension of the abdomen accompanied byrumbling in the intestines and indigestion . A judicious mixture of wholesomeand unwholesome diet is known as samasana. A diet which is taken eitherexcessive or scanty or eaten either too late is known as, Vishamasana(irregular diet). The Adhyasana is a meal taken before the previous meal hasbeen digested . The irregular meal is the main cause of indigestion and causeof all diseases. Therefore destruction of the irregular habit of meals destroysthe diseases.

Food to be discarded :
The following varieties of food was to be discarded
1. Which is impureand dirty.
2. Infested withinsects, poison, pebbles, dust, weeds etc
3. Out of whichanother has eaten a portion.
4. Whichinstinctively repels the mind.
5. Cooked on aprevious day or long ago, or kept standing overnight.
6. Which is insipid.
7. Emits fetid smell.
8. Cold and hard.
9. Which is rewarmed,imperfectly strained or burnt.
10. Food prepared out of articles which are incompatible toeach other (virudhahara)
11. Foods containing excessive leaf vegetables, black grametc., or salk or very hot . Only a single taste should not be enjoyed in thecourse of a meal. Cooked pot herbs, boiled rice of inferior quality and a dietwith excessive Amia taste should be avoided.

Use of certain dietary articles:
Choice of grains :
Corns and grains, one year after their harvesting, arewholesome, old corns and grains are mostly ununctuous <ruksha) and freshones heavy. Corns and grains which take a shorter time for cultivation as wellas harvesting are lighter than those taking longer time. . Rice, will cleaned,washed and cooked with filtering of excess water is light when taken hot .After cooking, rice should be taken when it is still hot. Heating it for the secondtime is not considered wholesome. Food prepared out of fried rice is also verylight. Rice cooked with milk or meat etc., is heavy.
Choice of animal food :
The meat of theanimals which are in prime youth and killed and cleaned afresh is the best.
The meat of the following- type is unwholecome :
1. Of animals died anatural death
2. Emaciated (or driedup after death)
3. Fatty
4. Old or too young
5. Killed bypoisonous arrows
6. Of animals whograze in a land not commensurate with their natural habitat.
7. bitten by snakes,tigers etc.
The meat which is otherwise, is wholesome, nourishing andstrength promoting. Meat soup is refreshing for all living beings. If those whohabitually indulge in exercise, sex and wine take meat soup regularly, they neither succumb to disease not losetheir strength ,No other food excels meat in producing nourishing effect.

Milk:
The milk, milched in the morning, is heavy, cold and takes along time to be digested. Woman's milk is wholesome in its natural or un-boiledstate. Freshly milked warm milk should be regarded as extremely wholesome,which, being cooled down, loses its efficacious virtues and becomesunwholesome.
Milk acts as nectar for the following:
1. emaciated due to-a) disease b) drug c) travel d) speaking e) sex indulgence f) fasting g) exposure of sun h) physical exertion
2. Old
3. Children
The following varieties of milk is unwholesome andinjurious
1. Emiting fetidsmell
2. Discoloured andinsipid
3. Acquired an acidtaste
4. Looks shreddy andcurdled
5. Tastes saline.
Evil effects of consuming unwholesome milk :
The following diseases are caused :
1. Indigestion
2. Diarrhoea
3. Vomiting
4. Flatulance
5. Stomatitis and
6. The contagiousdisease like cholera, yakshma, fever etc.
Curd:
Curd should not be consumed at night. It should not to betaken
1. Heated state
2. During vasanta,Greeshma and Sarat rifcus
3. Without combiningwith Mudga, honey, ghee, sugar or Amalaka
4. Every day
5. Which has notsolidified properly.
If the above rules are contravened, one may suffer from 1. Jwara 2. Raktapitta 3. Visarpa 4.Kushtha 5. Pandu 6. Kamala 7. Bhrama Curdmay be taken in Hemanta, Sisira and Varsha ritus.
Butter Milk:
One who regularly takes butter milk never suffers from anydisease and the diseases subdued by the use of butter milk, will never recur. .
Use of butter milkaccording to the dosha Dosha
Variety of buttermilk
Vata Sour buttermilk with ginger and
Pitta Sweet buttermilk with sugar
Kapha Buttermilk with-Trikatu and
Butter:
Fresh butter is digestive, stimulant and cardiotonic. It isuseful in grahani, arsas, ardita and arochaka. It is very good to children andold people.
Ghee: It is the best of all unctuous substances. It iscooling; prevents old age. When administeredaccording to theprescribed procedure, it increases thousand times in potencyand develops manifold utilities.

Unwholesome vegetable preparations:
Vegetables infested with insects, exposed to wind, the sunfor a long time, dried up, old and unseasonal are unwholesome. Fruits, whichare old, unripe, afflicted by insects and serpents, exposed to snow or sun forlong, growing in the land and season other than the normal habitat and time andput rifled, are unwholesome.
Accessory food articles:
For the maintenance of health one should use pepper, cuminseed, asafoetida, mustard seeds, oils etc., in the small requisite quantitiesto enhance the taste and flavor.
Honey:
Honey should be taken in small quantity because it isheavy,- ununctous, astringent in taste and cold in potency. Honey should beused in heated condition, by person suffering from heat, in hot region orseason or with hot foods.
Liquors:

As per isalmic law any kind of liquors is haram-should not eat-for the ayurvedic knowlege purpose-we know-may allah forgive my sin for publishing this

Liquor is taken observing all the rules, acts as an elixin;otherwise as a poison. Fresh wine is heavy, and aggravates all doshas. Old winealleviates three doshas clarifies channels of the body; it is digestive, lightand palatable.
The following kinds of wine should always be rejected.
1. Thick
2. Bad smelling
3. Insipid
4. Full of worms
5. Heavy and acid indigestion
6. Unpleasant, newand strong
7. Hot in potency
8. Preserved in animproper vessel
9. Prepared with acomparatively lesser number of ingredients
10. Decanted over night or left unused
11. Extremely slimy or transparent
The following should not indulge in liquors
1. Who consumed hotfoods or hot treatments
2. Who had purgation 3. Hungry

Anupanam:
Generally anupana should have the properties opposite tothose of the food taken. But at the same time, it should not be harmful to thedhatus of the body. By anupana is meant by the drinks which are taken duringmeals or after meals. Of all kinds of anupanas, clear heavenly water, kept in apure vessel should be deemed the best, in as much as such water contributes inevery way to the welfare of a person throughout his life and all the sixdifferent tastes are inherent in that heavenly fluid. During the meal and afterfinishing a meal water should be drunk in a quantity which would be beneficial.Anupana drinks in general bring about refreshment, pleasure, energy,nourishment, satisfaction and steediness in the food eaten. It helps inbreakdown, softening, digesting, proper assimilation and instant diffusion ofthe food taken. An excessively heavy meal and the one which usually tends toderange the doshas, may be easily and speedily digested with the help of asuitable after drink.
A properafter-drink brings on:
1. A fresh relish forfood.
2. Increases the bulkof the body
3. Acts as aspermatopoietic beverage
4. Disintegrates thecombination or. Accumulation of the dranged doshas
5. Subdues orpacifies the deranged doshas
6. Soothes theorganism
7. Increases thesoftness of the body
8. Removes the senseof fatigue and exhaustion
9. Brings onpleasurable sensations
10. Stimulates the appetite
11. Allays the thirst
12. Improves the complexion
13. Imparts tone and vigor to the system

Water:
Water is the life of all animals, and the life is dependenton water. Therefore water should not be prohibited. A thirsty man becomes unconscious leading todeath. So a thirsty man should be supplied with water.
Since it is stated that water is the best anupana, oneshould take water during meals. Intake of water before meals destroys thedigestive fire and leads to emaciation and derangement of doshas. Intake ofwater during a meal stimulates the digestion and it is the best habit. Intakeof water after meals causes aggravation of kapha and obesity. Hence drinking atmeals should be most judiciously determined and taken with great forethought and discretion. A hungryperson should not drink water, because such act causes jalogens (Ascitis). Athristy person should not take meal, because such act causes Gulmaroga. Bothexcessive intake of water or obstaining from it prevents the proper digestionof food. Therefore for the kindling of the digestive fire, one should takesmall quantities of water during meal. Evilsof excessive intake of water A personwho is excessively thirsty should not drink too much of cool water; such actaggravates pitta and kapha. It may cause :
1. Amavastha 2. Thirst 3. Sleep 4. Drowsiness 5. flatulence 6. heaviness of the body 7. indigestion 8. Cough 9. Nausea10. dyspnoea 11. coryza.
Contraindications of anupana:
Persons suffering from the following diseases should avoidanupana
1. Dyspnoea
2. Cough
3. Diseases of thepart above the clavicles
4. Ptyalism
5. Urahkshata
6. Swarabhang

Homologation (Satmya)
Homologation or habituation is that which agrees with one'ssystem. It is of three kinds: Pravara (best), Avara (poor), and Madhya(moderate). It is again of seven kinds: agreeability to each or one of the sixtastes and seventh by agreeability to all of them combined. Among these thelast is the best type of homologation. The poorest type is the agreeabilityonly to a single taste, while the medium type of agreeability is the meanbetween the best and the poorest. So, from the poorest and the mediumagreeability’s one should develop the homologation of the best type that isagreeability to all the tastes. After acquiring homologation to all the tastes,one should resort to what is wholesome.
Most unwholesome articles
Categories Most unwholesome ones
Paddy havingbristles Yavaka (wild barley)
Pulses Black gram
Various types of drinking water River water in rainy season
Salts Salt collected/Prepared from saline soil
Pot herbs Mustard
Meat of animals Beef
Meat of birds Young dove
Meat of animals living in holes Frog
Fish Chilichima fish
Ghee Ghee ofsheep milk
Milk Sheepmilk
Vegetable fats Safflower oil
Fats of marshy animals Fat ofbuffalo
Fats of aquatic animals Fat of shark/crocodile
Fats of aquatic birds Fat of water fowl
Fats of gallinaceous types of Fat of sparrow birds
Fats of branch eating animals Fat of elephant
Fruits Wild jack fruit
Rhizomes and roots Aluka
Preparations of sugarcane Treacle(Phanita)

Schedule for giving up the addictions
A wise person should give up by and by unwholesome practicesto which he is addicted and he should correspondingly adopt ones which arewholesome
The schedule for the same is given below:
On the first day one should give up a quarter of theunwholesome practice (still maintaining 3/4 of it) and correspondingly adopt aquarter of wholesome. On the second day half of the unwholesome practice is tobe given up and half of the wholesome one is to be adopted; This is to becontinued for the third day also. On the fourth day ¾ of the unwholesomepractice is to be given up and ¾ of the wholesome one is to be adopted. Thisprocess is to be continued on the 5th and 6th day also. The process of givingup of the unwholesome practice and adoption of the wholesome practice iscompleted fully on the seventh day Byslowly and gradually giving up the unwholesome practices and by increasing thewholesome practices correspondingly, the unwholesome practices are eradicatedfor ever and the wholesome practices are fully adopted). One should not be in ahurry to give up and to adopt the unwholesome and wholesome practicesrespectively. A sudden change in habitsis likely to cause immense harm to the body. Only a slow and steady process asindicated above can absolutely eradicate the effects of unwholesome practicesand stabilize the effects of wholesome ones.

Incompatibility in articles of food (Viruddhahara):
Such of the drugs and diets as are unwholesome or incompatiblefor the normal dhatus and doshas of the body (viruddhahara), are in factopposed to the proper growth of such dhatus and doshas
1. Some act due totheir mutually contradictory qualities (Gunaviruddha).
2. Some bycombination (Samyoga Viruddha).
3. Some by the method of preparation (SamskaraViruddha).
4. Some by virtue ofthe place, time and dose (Deshakalamatra Viruddha).
5. Some others bytheir inherent nature (Swabhava viruddha).
I. Examples ofmutually contradictory qualities:
Fish should not be taken together with milk, both of themhave sweet taste, but due to the contradiction in their potency (fish is hotand milk is cool), they vitiate the blood and obstruct the srotases.
Diet articleIncompatible
Effect combination
1. Fishparticularly Obstruction to srotases,Diseases of blood, Amavisha or evendeath. chilichima Milk
2.Meat of domestic marshyand acquatic animals Honey, milk,sesamum seeds, jaggery, black gram,radish, Deafness, blindness, trembling,loss of intelligence, loss of voiceor causing nasal voice, vendeath
lotus stalk or germinated grains
3.Leaves of pushkara moola or katurohini or meat ofdovefried in mustard oil Honey ormilk bstruction to srotases, dilata-tion of blood vessels, epilepsy, acutepain in temporal region scrofula,rohiniroga diphtheria) or death
4. After intake of raddish, garlic,leaves ofdrumstickvarieties of Tulasi milk Skin diseases including leprosy
5.Leaves of bamboo wild jack fruit Loss of strength, complexion,and semen;sterility and other serious types of diseases leading to death.
Honey/milk
Contradictorycombinations (Samyoga Vimddha)
Diet article Contradictory combination
Effect
1. Ripe wild jack fruit Soup of black gram, ghee and jaggery
2. Solid or liquid materials Milk which are sour in taste like mango, tamarind, lemon, jujube fruit, jamun, wood apple, jack fruit, pomegranate,gooseberry etc. and coconut, blackgram, horsegram etc.
3. Safflower, sugarwine Honey Aggravation of vatha (sarkaramadya) Maireya
4. Pushkara seeds Honey
5. Bhallataka Hotwater
6. Honey Hot water
III. Contradictory methods of preparation(Samkara viruddha):

Diet article Contradictory Effectpreparation
Flesh of parakeet Fried in mustard oil Aggravation of pitta Payasa (Milk preparation) withmanta (thin gruel) Aggravation of doshas specially kapha Upodika Paste of tila, or fried in til Diarrhoea oil Meat of crane with Varuni wineor instantaneous death kulmasa Meat ofpeacock with castor oil death Meat of Haridraka contact with turmeric Death wood Long pepper with fish oil orvessel in Death which fish is fried Kakamachi Honey Death HoneyHeating or used by one affected with heat Death Kampillaka cooked with butter milk Meat of bear roasting on open fire
Evils of incompatible diet (Viruddhahara):
Intake of incompatible diet is responsible for the causationof:
1. Sterility/impotency
2. Blindness
3. Visarpa
4. Ascitis
5. Eruptions
6. Insanity
7. Fistula
8. Fainting
9. Intoxication
10. Tympanitis
11. Spasmodic obstruction in throat
12. Anemia
13. Poisoning due to Ama
14. Kilasa type of skin disease
15. Obstinate skin diseases including leprosy
16. Sprue
17. Edema
18. Acid dyspepsia
19. Fever
20. Rhinitis
21. Fetal diseases
22. Death
Treatment of such evils:
Diseases caused by the intake of viruddhahara can be curedby emesis, purgation or administration of antidotes and by taking prophylacticmeasures or by rasayana chikitsa.
The viruddhahara and dravya do not have any effect in thefollowing
1. Who is habituatedto the intake of viruddbahara.
2. If they are takenin smaller quantity
3. If the digestivepower is very strong
4. Taken by ayouthful person
5. Who has undergoneoleation therapy
6. Who is of strongphysique due to physical exercise.
Upavasa (fasting):
Upavasa belongs to the Samana group of Langhana treatment(Reducing therapy)
The following are the benefits of fasting:
1. Stimulation/kindling of digestive fire
2. Digestion of Ama
3. Lightness of thebody
4. Normal functioningof sense organs
A youthful person desirous of maintaining the health shouldindulge in fasting according to the laid down rules.
Varieties of fasting:
Fasting is of two varieties:
1. Nirahara (withoutdiet) and
2. Phalahara (withintake of fruits).
The former is thebest and it is of two varieties.
1. Sajala (withintake of water) and
2. Nirjala(abstaining from intake of water)
Sajala variety is recommended to the persons with vata andpitta temparaments and Nirjala for persons of kapha temparament.

In phalahara variety,the person should eat the fruits which do not cause constipation, only once ina day. A person intending to go on fasting a day, should eat a very light mealon the previous night and go on fasting for 24 hours. On the fasting day heshould not indulge in day-sleep and sexual union. On the next morning, aftercompleting the requisite ablutions, he should eat a meal which is well cooked,light, unctuous, soft and sweet in taste.
Contraindications of fasting:
One who regularly offers oblations to the fire (Ahitagni),wrestler and bachelor should not go on fast. Prohibition of addictions:
One should not get addicted to different varieties ofalcoholic drinks, opium, tobacco, Datura seeds, cannabis, nux-vomica, cocaine,aconite, arecanuts etc. These are intoxicants; destroy the functions of thebrain and heart. Therefore one who wishes to live healthfully should not usethese either as drinks, smoking or eating.