Jain Study Center NC Raleigh 1999 08 Twenty Years

Author(s): Jain Study Center NC Raleigh
Publisher: USA Jain Study Center NC Raleigh

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Next, I'll list some general ideas, on the assumption that the readers of this article are like the people in the Raleigh Jain group that I met when I lived there: well-educated, upper middle class Gujaratis or North Indians.
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Go to the yoga class at the temple: go regularly and practice on your own. Yoga is both exercise and stress relief.
Go for a walk in the park with or without your spouse, friends, kids; go regularly. If you don't like to walk, or have knee or other joint problems, try swimming or water exercise. Doing garba or other kinds of Indian dance also counts as exercise. There are enough forms of exercise around that you can find something you like to do and can stick with. Half an hour of moderate exercise each day or 45 minutes to one hour, 3 times a week, is a good goal. (If you don't like any other kinds of exercise, you can organize more garbas. Don't forget to send me an invitation ).
Cut down on fried foods. Bake your samosas. Use a spoon to see how much oil you are using, rather than pouring it on. Avoid ghee. Be careful with what you eat both in your home, and out. Since you have less control over what is used and how it is prepared when you eat out, try to plan what you can eat at different places. Don't be afraid to ask questions and be careful. Many of us have already developed these habits because of our vegetarianism, but we should extend it to health issues, also.
Avoid concentrated sweets.
Use canola oil. Olive oil is also good, but tends to be more expensive.
Consider using flaxseed oil or meal in the diet. It has "good" fatty acids, the kind that is promoted in fish, which, as Jains, we don't eat.
Also consider using soybeans or soy products, which lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and raise good (HDL) cholesterol. If you can't find them in regular stores, try health food stores, like Wellspring. Soybeans are also good for women after menopause: they contain natural estrogens, which can help protect the bones from osteoporosis and help to prevent heart disease. It is thought that Japanese women's good health is related to their consumption of soybeans. Since the estrogens are mild, there is no harm to men from eating soybeans.
Avoid meat and eggs. Every now and then, you hear information on how certain kinds of meat and eggs are really okay for your heart. In my opinion, this information is quite biased by the money from the meat and dairy industries which backs such research and advertisements.
If you use milk, use skim milk, and the lowest fat milk products you can find. You can avoid milk products altogether and be quite healthy. See Pravin Shah's article My Visit to a Dairy Farm for the effects of veganism on his cholesterol levels. For more information on veganism, talk to him, Surabhi Shah, or me. Calcium and vitamin B12 (the primary nutritional concerns for vegans) are available from non-dairy foods.
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