TEN RULES FOR FOOD INTAKE – (Charaka Viman sthana chapter 1)

• Intake of food should be warm. It is delicious after intake and it helps digestive fire to digest the food properly.
• Intake of food should be unctuous because slightly oily food gets disintegrated quickly and hence gets digested. This also helps in the downward movement of Vata. It increases oiliness of the body, strengthens the sense faculties, promotes strength and brings out the brightness of complexion.
• Intake of the food in proper quantity promotes longevity without affecting Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Food with proper quantity easily passes downwards and gets digested without any difficulty.
• Intake after digestion of previous meal because if the food is taken after the digestion of previous food at a time when doshas are at their proper places and Agni is provoked, there is good appetite, the entrances of the channels of circulation are open, there is unimpaired cardiac function, downward passage of Vata and proper manifestation of the urges for voiding flatus, urine and stool, then such food promotes longevity. So one should take food only when the previous one is digested.
• Intake of food having no contradictory potencies, as diseases caused by the intake of food having mutually contradictory potencies are kushtha (skin diseases) etc. to avoid this one should take food having no contradictories.
• Intake of food in proper place because if the food is taken at improper places and without the required accessories emotional strain will occur which may cause passion, anger, confusion, anxiety etc. this will naturally disturb the digestion. Hence it should be consumed at proper place.
• Intake of food without hurries and worries because if is taken too hurriedly, it is not digested properly. In this situation, one can never determine the taste of food articles and foreign bodies like hair etc. can get mixed up with food, which, can lead to bad consequences. Hence one should not take food too hurriedly.
• Intake of food, not too slow because this will not give satisfaction to the individual and he would take more than what is required. The food would become cold and there will be irregularity in digestion.
• One should take food while not talking or laughing and with concentration.
• One should eat after due consideration to himself.

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