JAINA Convention 2005 07 JCNC

Author(s): Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA

Page 61

2005
are outstanding books on recipes that any person, vegetarian or not, would enjoy. The most effective place to start, though, is also the area that most individuals are missing out on: the beautiful world of green-leafy vegetables. The alkalizing and energizing properties of raw, green-leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, romaine lettuce, watercress, spinach and chard can do magnificent wonders for any diet. Whether juiced or eaten in a salad, daily intake of green-leafy vegetables is known to rebalance pH levels, clear the lymphatic system, build hydrochloric acid levels in the stomach (digestive fire), and provide an abundance of minerals and nutrients that combat habits of overeating.
Culturally Jains have had some challenges with incorporating raw-plant food into their diet. Traditionally Jains have abstained from eating green-leafy vegetables during the monsoon season, because of the proliferation of insect life on plant life. During this time one can feel free to increase intake of other raw-plant food to give the body an opportunity to rest through fasting. Another challenge has been the destruction of bacteria. Jains believe that cooking food will allow the bacteria to be destroyed in the cooking process and prevent their atma from conducting additional himsa. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, one may also consider that over consumption of cooked and processed foods causes acidic environments in the body that attract and encourage bacteria to proliferate. Eating raw-plant food will prevent the attraction of bacteria by creating an oxygen rich environment of nutrients and minerals.
the return back
to a diet abundant in raw-plant food not only has
health benefits, but environmental and spiritual ones as well.
"You are what you eat," may sound a bit cliché; however the energy we take in can't help but to become a part of the energy we represent. We no longer live in the age of kalpavrikshas (wish-giving trees), however the legacy of abundance that these trees left behind is still very present. Enjoy the abundance with every bite you take.
(Dhrumil Purohit is founding principal of Dharmaboost, Inc, editor of the rawfood weblog, welikeitraw.com, and has been eating a diet of 100% raw-organic, fruits, nuts, vegetables and seeds for four and a half years.)
lain Heritage in Western
Estending Jain Herit
estern Environment