Food

1. Always eat less than the extent of your hunger. If a person takes this into consideration, he will be saved from hundreds of sicknesses.

2. Eat less in spring. Try and fast occasionally as well.

3. Try and eat more "cold" foods such as cucumbers in summer. If you think it good enough, then obtain some medicine that is "cold" in nature and give it to the old and young according to their needs, eg. water-lily juice, lotus juice, or grape juice. Faluda is also very beneficial. By eating it, one is not affected by the "heat" of fresh grain. Popping a few sweet basil flower seeds would also have the same effect. Eat very little "hot" and dry foods such as potatoes, etc.

4. In autumn abstain from foods which cause an increase in black bile. Such foods include: oil, brinjal, beef, etc.

5. If possible, in winter one should eat foods and medicines that give strength so that one may be saved from many sicknesses throughout the year. Such foods include: half-boiled eggs and gaajar halwa (a sweetmeat made with carrots). A half-boiled egg is prepared in the following manner: wrap the egg in a thin cloth and dip it 100 times in boiling water. Alternatively, place it in boiling water for three minutes. Thereafter, place it in cold water for three minutes. Only the yolk of the egg should be eaten. Egg-white does not have much nutritional value.

6. As long as there is no real need, do not be in the habit of taking too many medicines. Try and manage minor sicknesses and ailments by reducing the consumption of food or by changing your diet.

7. These days many changes and lack of caution has crept into the different foods. This has led to many harms. We will therefore list a few beneficial and harmful foods:

Beneficial foods : half-boiled eggs, the meat of young pigeons, the meat of calves, mutton, lamb, quails, partridges, chicken, most wild birds, deer, white antelope, the meat of other hunted animals, fish, wheat bread, grapes, olives, pomegranates, apples, turnips, spinach, parsley, milk, jalebi, head (of animals), trotters. However, it should be noted that head and trotters cause the blood to thicken.

Harmful foods : Brinjal, radish, herbs of black-leaved mustard, the beef of an old cow, carrots, dried meat (biltong will also be included in this), the meat of a duck, beans (this refers to thin and long green beans), black pulse (masoor), oil, molasses or treacle, sour foods.

When we say that such foods are harmful, it does not mean that one should abstain from them totally. If a person is ill, he should abstain from them completely. If he is not sick, he can eat a little depending on his natural inclinations and temperament. There is no harm in eating them if the person is strong and is used to such foods. In certain places it is the habit of giving various types of foods to a woman who is in her confinement. At times they give her a type of pulse, at other times they give her beef, while at times they give her esculent vegetables which are very heavy on the system. This is a bad habit. One has to be extremely cautious during such times (i.e. while in confinement or while ill, etc.). It is for this reason that we have listed the harmful foods.

We will now explain the characteristic of each of the above-mentioned harmful foods:

Brinjal : It has hot and dry properties. It has very little nourishment. It is extremely harmful to people suffering from piles and those who have a melancholic temperament. If a lot of ghee is added to it and it is eaten with vinegar, a balance could be reached.

Radish : It has hot and dry properties. Its leaves have hotter properties. It is harmful to the head, throat and teeth. It takes long to digest. However, other foods are digested through it. It has a certain amount of benefit for those suffering from piles. It has hot properties. However, if a cumin seed marinated in vinegar is added to it, its harms are decreased. It is beneficial to the spleen especially if it has been marinated in vinegar.

Black leaves of the mustard plant : It has hot properties. It is extremely harmful to those who have kidney problems. If it is eaten in pregnancy, there is the possibility of the baby dying.

Water chestnut : It also has hot properties.

Beef of an old cow : It has hot and dry properties. It causes the blood to thicken and results in the formation of weak blood. It causes the formation of black bile. It is harmful to those suffering from scabies, piles, hysteria, spleen problems, and those who have a melancholic temperament. If it is cooked with the peel of musk-melons and black pepper, its harms are reduced. However, it does not cause great harm to those who are very active. In fact, it makes one healthier than what goat meat would do. However, caution is necessary when one is ill.

Duck meat : It has hot and dry properties and takes long to digest. However, its harms are reduced when mint is added to it. Aquatic ducks are not as harmful as domesticated ducks.

Carrots : It has hot and wet properties and takes long to digest. However, it prevents a light fever and provides cheerfulness. It is for this reason that some people say that it has cold properties. By cooking it in meat its harms are reduced. Its jam is very beneficial. It gives strength to the womb. Pregnant women should be extremely cautious in eating it because it causes bleeding.

Beans : They have hot and wet properties. They take very long to digest thereby causing one to have bad dreams. By having them with vinegar and cinnamon, their harms are reduced. However, pregnant women should never eat them.

Black pulse (masoor) : It has dry properties. It is harmful to those who suffer from piles, those who have weak stomachs, and those who have a melancholic temperament. Its harms are reduced by adding extra ghee to it or by mixing it with vinegar.

Oil : It has hot properties. It causes an increase in black bile. It is harmful to those who have a melancholic temperament. Its harms are reduced when it is mixed with esculent vegetables that have cold properties.

Molasses : It has hot properties. It causes an increase in black bile.

Sour foods : Eating excessive sour foods causes harm to the sinews and tendons. They speed up the process of old age. Women should be extremely cautious. This is especially so during pregnancy, confinement and the common cold. If anything sweet is added to sour foods, the harms are decreased.

8. Certain foods are such that if they are eaten individually, there is no harm in them. However, when they are eaten with other foods, they are harmful. In other words, as long as there is only one type of food in the stomach, it will not be harmful. The hakeems (doctors specialising in herbal medicines) say that it is sufficient to allow a gap of three hours (between one food and another). They also say that anything sour or acidic should not be eaten with milk. Similarly, betel leaves should not be eaten after drinking milk. If one does this, the water that is present in the milk separates itself from the milk in the stomach. Milk and fish should not be consumed together as there is the fear of being stricken by paralysis and leprosy. Do not consume milk and rice together with sattoo (finely crushed wheat or barley dish). Water should not be drunk with oily or fatty substances. Do not keep oil or ghee in a non-tinplated utensil. Do not eat food that has been cooked in a bell-metal utensil (aluminium utensils are also not recommended). Food that has been cooked in clay pots is the best. Do not drink water after having eaten guavas, cucumbers, musk-melons, water-melons and other green fruit. Do not eat head and trotters with grapes.

9. Do not eat food that is very hot. Drinking cold water after having eaten hot food is very harmful to the teeth.

10. Un-sifted flour is better than sifted white flour. Food should be thoroughly chewed. At the same time, one should eat quickly. Eating very slowly causes harm to the process of digestion.

11. Do not sleep while you are very hungry. At the same time, do not sleep immediately after eating. Allow at least two hours between eating and sleeping.

12. As long as the food is not digested, do not eat again. If at least two hours pass and you find that you are feeling a bit "light", there will be no harm in eating after this.

Points to remember :

1. If you are constipated at any time, make sure that you treat it. The simplest treatment is that you should not eat any bread. Instead, eat some soup that has been prepared with meat fat. If this does not work, you will have to obtain some medication.

2. If you pass stool that is softer than usual, make sure that you treat this as well. Reduce the consumption of meat fat (and other fatty foods) and eat grilled meat. However, if you experience diarrhoea or severe constipation, make sure that you visit the doctor.

3. Do not go to pass stool immediately after eating. But if there is an urgent need to do so, there will be no harm in this.

4. Don't ever hold yourself when there is a need to relieve yourself. Holding back oneself at such times results in various sicknesses.