Prof. Dr. G.G. Gangadharan, Sr. Ayurveda Doctor, Dr. GG Gangadharan Ayurvedic Wellness Center, BENGALURU Muraleedharan Gangadharan

I don't think any other science in the world has understood the way Ayurveda perceives food. If you practice and preach Ayurveda, the food, the dietary practices, the whole world can benefit and save themselves from all the chronic metabolic disorders. Food is a very less understood commodity in modern dietetics. We have been very foolishly defining food in terms of macronutrients, which is very superficial understanding of food by way of  protein, starch and vitamins. Food is something beyond.

There are six tastes. These tastes really demarcates the type of food you are eating. A great combination of very good balanced diet is a six taste combination with the moderate or sweet as the predominant. Sweet is not sugar. Sugar is one another vital taste. Rice is sweet. Sugar cane is sweet. All the pulses are sweet. All the cereals are sweet. So this should be the predominant part of our food intake.

Prof. Dr. K Sasidharan, Medical Director, Sreepadam Ayurveda Chikitsalayam, KERALA

When you take food, there are certain dietary rules. When you take the food you should concentrate on the food. Your attention should be focussed on food and food alone. You're not supposed to view the television. Don't take food unless you have the appetite. Take food on digestion of your previous food. Consider food with all your family members or companions. This receptive mechanism is good for the digestive system. Avoid eating alone in a lonely manner. Both, disease and health is  derieved from food only. So when you respect the food, are respecting the nature.

Prof. Dr. G.G. Gangadharan, Sr. Ayurveda Doctor, Dr. GG Gangadharan Ayurvedic Wellness Center, BENGALURU Prof. Dr. G.G. Gangadharan

Food needs to be taken with great respect. This is not without any reason. The reason behind that food is actually your extension of your consciousness, because food is the one that is going to become your consciousness for a long time.  Today we are going on a fast lane. Now let us discuss the matter over lunch. Let us discuss the matter of dinner. Times have changed but is it for good?  That is how things are being dealt. Decisions are being made because we live in a superficial layer of our life. We don't know the depth of life. the reason for respecting food, that we do not want food to harm you, that is very clear. We want food to 100% help you to develop not only your physical body, but also your psyche and your spirit.  When you do not give attention to food, enzymes will not come out. There are many studies that show how the bile started circulating when they see the food. 

And if you do not give attention to food, you don't see immediate reaction because body is so benevolent, helps you to correct it. It keeps on helping you. It can help you, may be 30 years, 40 years. Then the body starts retaliating. You get all kind of disease. So that is why youngsters may not get the disease out of taking the food wrongly. But you are putting the foundation for him to get disease after ten years by wrongly taking food. 

Dr. Aramya A. R., Senior Research Officer at AVP Research Foundation, TAMIL NADU Dr. Aramya AR

Ahara is always considered to be taken with our whole focused mind. Nowadays, if you see that, food is something that is being eaten by spoon, especially for kids and all. You usually see them with the mobile phone, they will be looking into something while they are being fed. Indian culture has actually shown that the respect for food has always been there. People usually sit down cross legged, which actually is apt position for the proper food to be ingested.

For food to be properly absorbed, we need to concentrate on the food alone. Not only mentally, you will actually have a soulful eating, but at the same time there will be interaction that actually happens from the food to the person who is taking it in, so when it happens, your gut will be really happy about it. Because that established the gut-brain connection. And that connection is what is missing when we are not eating the proper way.