| If you are a pure non-vegetarian, you will | | | | Lastly, look at your mental make-up. When you |
| probably raise a hue and cry at the thought of | | | | see a plump goat, do you get that predatory |
| turning vegetarian! But the truth is that meat of | | | | gleam in your eye that makes you stalk and kill it? |
| any kind is tough on your smart cells. If Nature | | | | Or if you've been to a sea-food restaurant which |
| intended you to be a non-vegetarian, she would | | | | has a large aquarium filled with lobsters and are |
| have equipped you with claws, and sharp pointed | | | | asked to pick one for dinner haven't you turned |
| teeth to tear into any flesh; given you acidic saliva | | | | away with a shudder? Okay, you might argue, I |
| to digest the animal protein; a round stomach with | | | | don't see the live specimen when eating it. |
| the capacity to produce plenty of hydrochloric | | | | Of course, you don't. You are just habituated to |
| acid, fewer intestines to shorten the process of | | | | eating meat. But, remember, ultimately meat is |
| digesting the meat so that you could expel it | | | | dangerous to your health. However, if you just |
| before it putrefies inside; a liver that could dispel | | | | cannot do without it, we suggest avoid red meats |
| more uric acid than it does. | | | | - beef, mutton, pork completely and go in |
| Instead, we have hands with moveable fingers | | | | for lean meats like chicken and fish. This way, at |
| that can delicately pluck and peel fruits; blunt | | | | least you won't be overstraining your smart cells |
| teeth and molars that crush and grind; alkaline | | | | while satisfying your taste buds. Even a chicken |
| saliva to digest plant protein; a stomach that | | | | cooked in an oil-less masata, however, has |
| produces small quantities of hydrochloric acid; | | | | enough fat to knock your smart cells out and |
| more intestines that hold on to the food and give | | | | make you put on weight. So, cook your chicken |
| time for your smart cells to extract the required | | | | curry the previous day and refrigerate it |
| nutrients, a liver that can expel small amounts of | | | | overnight. The next afternoon skim the thick |
| uric acid. | | | | layer of fat that has coagulated on the surface |
| Look around at your circle of friends. If you find | | | | and then heat it before serving. This way, at |
| one of them is suffering from gout, you can be | | | | least, you are reducing your fat intake, Along with |
| sure he is a heavy red-meat eater. You can | | | | your non-vegetarian dish, pile your plate with |
| almost bet that he eats salami or sausages for | | | | plenty of vegetables so that you don't gorge on |
| breakfast, a steak for lunch and meat for dinner. | | | | the meat alone. And eggs? They are not really |
| Then, one day, after a leisurely weekend of | | | | worth including in your meals, for the yolk is high |
| imbibing an overdose of scotch-on-the-rocks and | | | | in fat and cholesterol. Which means that eating |
| liberal helpings of cold cuts as hors d' oeuvres, and | | | | only the white albumen is best. In any case, they |
| a plate piled with Mutton Moghlai, he would have | | | | contain enough sulphur to strain your liver and |
| slept feeling well-dined and content. Only to be | | | | kidneys. So, if you must. have an egg only once in |
| jolted awake with his big toe pounding with pain. | | | | ten days so as not to 'eggsasperate' your taste |
| The gout had struck! | | | | buds! |
| What happened? His prolonged meat-eating habit | | | | The culture of eating cooked food is deeply |
| had put an overload on his liver. The excess uric | | | | embedded in us. But we cannot ignore the value |
| acid had no place to go in his system, so it turned | | | | of raw foods. Make sure that your thali has plenty |
| into crystals and settled in the joint of his big toe | | | | of salad and sprouts. For, the time taken by the |
| - and, pow! (What does his doctor recommend? | | | | body to digest and absorb various foods is: |
| To stay off meat and eat only vegetables, at | | | | 13 hours - raw vegetables, fruits, sprouts. |
| least until the inflammation recedes.) | | | | 24 hours - cooked vegetables and pulses. |
| The onset of gout is only one side of the | | | | 72 hours - non-vegetarian and fried food. |
| unhealthy coin. Meat is so high in indigestible fat | | | | Next to the - raw state, steaming is best. So is |
| content that it clogs up your arteries and can lead | | | | boiling, provided you do it in minimum water. Deep |
| to a heart problem. It gives you no energy | | | | frying damages the nutritional value and the oil |
| because though it contains carbohydrates, its also | | | | makes you fat, and raises your blood cholestrol |
| has undigestible animal protein and a high content | | | | level. Finally, the word 'vegetable' springs from the |
| of fat. That's the reason you feel heavy after a | | | | Latin vegetus meaning fresh and full of life. It is |
| meaty meal. In fact, your smart cells sweat | | | | what our scriptures called pranic shakti, meaning |
| working overtime to digest the meat and use up | | | | life-force, depicting strength and energy. |
| all the carbohydrates and energy in knocking the | | | | Do ring in these little changes in your lifestyle. The |
| meat into digestible shape! | | | | two Es - exercising and eating right - will promote |
| Meat also has neither fibre nor healthy plant | | | | more than health. When you feel good about |
| protein. The animal protein is tough on your smart | | | | yourself, you will enjoy healthy relationships, a |
| cells and turns toxic - turning your insides into | | | | richer life. Fine-tune your mental dynamics. Don't |
| mess. You get indigestion, bad breath and a | | | | ask yourself "Will this taste good?" Rather, ask, |
| heartburn. The toxies load your immune system | | | | 'Will this taste good to my body's smart cells?" In |
| and also make you vulnerable to disease. | | | | that question lies your best answer. |