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CREATING HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS
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How does it matter one way or the other?
Fortunately, Nature is forgiving and our bodies are wonderfully and powerfully created. Unless it has reached a point of no return, the body is capable of regeneration, if given the opportunity. The only sure way of achieving this is by going back to Nature, providing our body with proper nutrients while efficiently eliminating built-up toxins and debris.
The seventh aphorism of health is therefore biochemical balance. Emotional disorder is another reason for biochemical imbalance. When the emotions are stimulated intensely, biochemical secretions become unbalanced, creating several physical disorders. It will not be inappropriate to say that our health mostly depends on our ability to think positively and refine our emotions. There are three glands mainly responsible for maintaining health--pituitary, adrenal and gonads. Their balanced secretions maintain homeostasis in the body and an imbalanced secretion causes disorder in the body, mind and emotions.
There is a life-sustaining force in every human being. In philosophical language, it is called alimentary bio-potential (ahara paryapti). In medical science, it is called metabolism. The alimentary bio-potential involves three actions, namely, taking in (grahana); transformation (parinamana); and excretion or emptying the bowels (utsarjana).
Besides the type of food, the quantity of food we take is also very important. If a person avoids taking food which is in excess of his requirement, he can save himself from many ailments. The primary logic of fasting is restraining the quantity of food (unodari) taken. Ayurveda gives the guideline that one should eat only half of what one's hunger dictates. The formula of intake is given as half space for food, one-quarter space for water and one-quarter space for gases. One of the main causes of negative thoughts is neglect
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