Healthy food and Spirituality

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You are what you eat

Welcome to Healthy food and Spirituality! According to the Taittiriya Upanishad, from the uncreated Brahman came akasa - space; from space, vayu - wind; from wind, agni - fire, from fire, apas - water; from water, prithvi - earth; from earth, oshadha - herbs and plants; from plants, anna - food; from food, purusha - human body. All living beings on this earth are born of food, is sustained by food and after physical death returns to the earth which itself is born of food. Of all the material things, food is thus the most superior and whoever worships Brahman in the aspect of food obtains food always.

The material body made up of the nature of food and its anna-maya kosha (sheath) is suffused with prana (vital breath) in the prana-maya kosha, by which all beings live. Distinct from these two, there is a subtler substance - the mind, with which the material body and vital breath are completely suffused in the mano-maya kosha. Distinct from these three, there is a subtler substance - intelligence, with which the material body, vital breath and mind are completely suffused in the vinjanana-maya kosha. Distinct from these four, there is a subtler substance, pure bliss - ananda, with which the material body, vital breath, mind and intelligence are completely suffused in the ananda-maya kosha. Distinct from these five but suffusing them completely is the atman - the Self, which is the same as Brahman and Brahman is the ultimate reality.

Thus according to Taittiriya Upanishad, the material body in the aspect of food is an integral part of the ultimate reality. It does not denote that food is the ultimate reality. It proceeds to show that neither food, nor vital breath, nor mind, nor intelligence, is by itself the ultimate reality, but that each is an inseparable aspect of it.

The Taittiriya Upanishad states:

"Do not denigrate food. Let that be the resolve. Life is because of food. The body consumes food. Life is established in the body. The body is established in life. Thus food is established in food. He who knows this, becomes established in that knowledge. And then he becomes full with food, with offspring, with cattle, with glory and with fame".

"Do not show indifference to food. Let that be the resolve. Water is food. Heat consumes water. Water is established in heat. Thus food is established in food. He who knows this, becomes established in that knowledge. And then he becomes full with food, with offspring, with cattle, with glory and with fame".

"Grow more food. Let that be the resolve. Earth is food. Space is food. Earth is established in space. Space is established in earth. Thus food is established in food. He who knows this, becomes established in that knowledge. And then he becomes full with food, with offspring, with cattle, with glory and with fame".

The Mahabharata states:

"Food is the primary substance. Food is considered as the manifestation of all well-being. It is through food that the life force and its radiance and its strength are nourished".

"The universe with all that lives and moves in it is sustained by food. The Primeval Being has described food as nectar".

"Food is man's life; and it is through food that the living beings are born. The whole world is based on food. And, therefore, food is regarded as the highest"

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The Upanishads

The great Indian Classics

The Upanishads (Classic of Indian Spirituality)

The Upanishads (Classic of Indian Spirituality)

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The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal

The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal

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The Upanishads (Penguin Classics) by Anonymous

The Upanishads (Penguin Classics) by Anonymous

The Upanishads, the earliest of which were compose more...0 points

The Upanishads (Halcyon Classics)

The Upanishads (Halcyon Classics)

This Halcyon Classics ebook contain the Upanishads, more...0 points

The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal by Swami Prabhavananda, Frederick Manchester

The Upanishads: Breath of the Eternal by Swami Prabhavananda, Frederick Manchester

A fresh and highly readable translation of the 12 major more...0 points

Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality (Wisdom of India) by Eknath Easwaran

Essence of the Upanishads: A Key to Indian Spirituality (Wisdom of India) by Eknath Easwaran

Through his interpretation of one important Upanis more...0 points

The Upanishads, 1st US Edition by Sri Aurobindo

The Upanishads, 1st US Edition by Sri Aurobindo

The Upanishads is a collection of Sri Aurobindo's more...0 points

The Principal Upanishads: The Essential Philosophical Foundation of Hinduism (Sacred Wisdom)

The Principal Upanishads: The Essential Philosophical Foundation of Hinduism (Sacred Wisdom)

The Upanishads, the sacred writings of Hinduism, predate more...0 points

The Upanishads, Volume 1 by F. Max Müller

The Upanishads, Volume 1 by F. Max Müller

The Upanishads are Hindu scriptures that constitut more...0 points

Eight Upanishads, with the Commentary of Sankaracarya, Vol. I by Swami Gambhirananda

Eight Upanishads, with the Commentary of Sankaracarya, Vol. I by Swami Gambhirananda

Part 1 of a two-volume set. Volume One covers the more...0 points

The Upanishads (Prentice Hall Advanced Reference Series) by None

The Upanishads (Prentice Hall Advanced Reference Series) by None

'The Upanisads' is the Hindu equivalent of the Chr more...0 points

The Thirteen Principal Upanishads: Translated from the Sanskrit with an Outline of the Philosophy of the Upanishads and an Annotated Bibliography by Robert Ernest Hume

The Thirteen Principal Upanishads: Translated from the Sanskrit with an Outline of the Philosophy of the Upanishads and an Annotated Bibliography by Robert Ernest Hume

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published more...0 points

Upanishads, Vol. 2

Upanishads, Vol. 2

Swami Nikhilananda's English translation of three of more...0 points

Eight Upanishads, with the Commentary of Sankara, Vol. II by Swami Gambhirananda

Eight Upanishads, with the Commentary of Sankara, Vol. II by Swami Gambhirananda

Volume 2 of a two-volume set. Volume Two covers th more...0 points

Sacred Books of the East by Various

Sacred Books of the East by Various

This book was converted from its physical edition more...0 points

THE THIRTEEN PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS - Translated From The Sanskrit With an Outline of The Philosophy of the Upanishads and An Annotated Bibliography by Robert Ernest Hume

THE THIRTEEN PRINCIPAL UPANISHADS - Translated From The Sanskrit With an Outline of The Philosophy of the Upanishads and An Annotated Bibliography by Robert Ernest Hume

An excerpt from the beginning of the PREFACE:In the more...0 points

A Book of Hindu Scriptures: The Bagavad Gita, The Upanishads, The Rig - Veda by William Q. Judge, Swami Paramananda, Ralph T.H. Griffith

A Book of Hindu Scriptures: The Bagavad Gita, The Upanishads, The Rig - Veda by William Q. Judge, Swami Paramananda, Ralph T.H. Griffith

The Bagavad Gita is a conversation between Lord Kr more...0 points

The Dhammapada (Classics of Indian Spirituality)

The Dhammapada (Classics of Indian Spirituality)

Dhammapada means "the path of dharma," t more...0 points

The Principal Upanishads: Edited with Introduction, Text, Translation and Notes by S. Radhakrishnan

The Principal Upanishads: Edited with Introduction, Text, Translation and Notes by S. Radhakrishnan

Major reference work on Hinduism, important Upanis more...0 points

Food and the three gunas

What type of food we consume affects not only the material body, but as said earlier, it leaves an impression on all the koshas (the sheaths or the layers). In other words, the type of food that we consume, not only governs the material body but also the metaphysical layers within.

The inherent nature or svabhava of humans are a mix of the gunas (qualities / virtues) namely: sattva (purity), rajas (passion) and tamas (darkness). All the three gunas combine in various quantities at various points in time in all individuals and govern not inly the inherent nature of the individual but also the changes in the moods and the temperament of the individual. Thus the foods that we consume play a major role in affecting or altering the Freudian ego states as well.

Sattvic food:

Milk, butter, ghee (clarified butter), fresh fruits, almonds, dates, sprouts, barley, wheat, cereals, tomatoes, etc., are sattvic.The spices commonly used in sattvic cooking are turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, fennel (saunf) and cardamom.

Rajasic food:

Meat, fish, eggs, and chicken, all whole pulses and dals (not sprouted), hot spices like chillies, pepper, and all vegetables including onion and garlic. The rajasic diet is also cooked fresh and is nutritious. It may contain a little more oil and spices compared to sattvic food. It benefits those who believe in action and aggression in a positive way such as business persons, politicians, and athletes.

Tamasic food:

Foods that is not fresh, overcooked, stale and processed foods made from refined flour (maida), pastries, pizzas, burgers, soft drinks, tobacco, alcohol, canned and preserved foods like jams, pickles and fermented foods, fried foods, sweets made from sugar, ice creams, puddings and most 'junk foods' are included in this list. All spicy, salty, sweet and fatty foods form part of the tamasic diet. Red meat especially beef and pork, garlic, onions and tobacco are tamasic foods.

The Taittiriya Upanishad



The Upanishads capture the quintessence of Indian Spiritual wisdom - unfolding deep set, highly perceptive reflections on human existence and how it is related to cosmic mystery. The message of the Upanishads portrays a magnificent vision that raises the human consciousness to sublime heights.

The Taittiriya Upanishad (Rediscovering Indian Literary Classics) (English and Sanskrit Edition)

Amazon Price: $4.76 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now



The Taittiriya Upanishad is one of the best among the principal Upanishads. Schematically, it is offered in three chapters for the reader, each revealing superbly, the invisible thread that goes through all of them.

Food for thought

Does food affect our moods and thoughts?

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Definitely no

avorodisa says:

Yes and no. It is our body that tells us to eat what we need at this or that moment. Then we choose the food according to the necessity of the body. I certainly agree that some of the spices do make us more active, but it's more about action. Well, satisfied stomach means good mood, while hungry stomach has no ears! Tasty food makes us happier than tasteless or bad tasting... It's evident for the majority of people. But people who train their spirit do not depend that much on the food))

Most certainly

says:

Yes absolutely it does, I'm a firm believer that if we watch closely what we eat and how we eat it, we can be a whole lot healthier, not only physically but also spiritually too.

Tipi says:

Yes, it most certainly does!

WriterJanis says:

I believe so.

anilsaini says:

yes. A tasty food always on our mood

MaxReily says:

I believe it does.

 
view all 9 comments

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Your Food for Thought:

  • Tipi Dec 28, 2011 @ 12:24 pm | delete
    "We are what we eat," as the old saying goes.
  • WriterJanis Dec 27, 2011 @ 12:21 pm | delete
    Interesting topic with good information.
  • traveller27 Dec 9, 2011 @ 12:37 pm | delete
    Well done - enjoyed this article.
  • MaxReily Jun 24, 2011 @ 2:10 pm | delete
    Wonderful lens! "Food" for thought, definitely!
  • MaxReily Jun 24, 2011 @ 2:09 pm | delete
    I sort of grew up believing that what you ate affected both your health and your spirituality.
  • TeamSTM Jun 9, 2011 @ 2:02 pm | delete
    I like the way you made the connection between Food and Spirituality, I haven't heard many discuss this!!

    Very Nicely Accomplished!
  • sukkran May 17, 2011 @ 2:10 am | delete
    well written article. you are doing great job. keep going.
  • UKGhostwriter May 8, 2011 @ 11:38 am | delete
    Food for thought (pardon the pun)
  • mattseefood Apr 24, 2011 @ 8:20 pm | delete
    Something to ponder upon! Very nice!
  • SereneSea Apr 19, 2011 @ 4:31 am | delete
    Food doesn't completely control our thoughts, mind is supreme, the thoughts and waves are influenced by mind. However, I agree that food has effect on the body and it influences thoughts.

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