Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands

2th September 2017

Food

“Quickly and Slowly”

 

Food has been growing on earth ever since the presence of earth. The growing food is either processed or not processed. Foods that are grown or processed release glucose in the body as an end-product.

Processed foods are sugar, cereals, cheese, tinned vegetables, bread, savoury snacks, such as crisps, etc.; meat products, such as bacon, sausage, ham, etc.; "convenience’’ foods, such as microwave meals or ready meals, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, cookies, sweets, soft drinks etc., are processed food as well.

Even rice and wheat are processed. Processing rice and wheat removes the husk covering rice and wheat. This makes rice white and wheat polished. This is appealing to the consumer.  Sugar in processed food, especially in soft drinks and chocolate, makes them tasty. Advertising of processed food further encourages addiction to processed food. 

Food that enters the human body is transformed into glucose slowly after a series of evolutionary, biochemical processes. Sugar in particular is transformed into glucose immediately, while processed food is transformed into glucose quickly after a few steps.

The importance of glucose is that it is transformed as energy inside the cells by the intelligence in life. The energy thus produced inside the cells is utilised for every activity of the body, as well as for cellular functions.

Slow production of glucose is sensed by insulin, which conveys the glucose into cells where glucose is transformed into energy. Immediate production of glucose by sugar or quick production of glucose by processed food after few steps is also sensed by insulin and transformed as energy in the cells.

At a certain point in life for every individual the energy production that is required for daily activities and cellular functions becomes saturated. If there is excess of glucose available, more than is necessary, it is transformed into glycogen in the liver, which is a storehouse of glucose for use, if needed.

Similarly, when glycogen storage is saturated, glucose is transformed as excess cholesterol and fatty acids. The excess is deposited in different parts of the body leading to ill-health, such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis etc.

Before processed food happened a hundred years ago, production of glucose slowly by foods after a series of steps was sufficient for the daily activities of man. Man was free of ill-health such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis etc., a hundred years ago. 

This is evident as humans in the Amazon forests of Brazil, who do not eat processed food, are free of ill-health. Humans in Sierra Leone, who pick cacao beans for chocolate and do not consume chocolates, are free of these different forms of ill-health.

Modern man’s daily activities are minimal. His daily activities do not need the amount of quick glucose that he daily gets through processed food. A woman’s daily activities are much more than a man’s. Therefore, a modern woman is less prone to ill-health than is a modern man. 

Therefore, modern man and woman need food that releases glucose slowly rather than quickly. The foods that release glucose slowly not only supply energy that is needed, but they also clean the body of excessive cholesterol and fatty acids, which lead to ill-health.

These foods correct ill-health and also maintain good health. Man needs to understand what these foods are.

The foods that correct ill-health and maintain good health as well are known as millets. Millets are found everywhere in the world. They have whatever humans need concerning good health and curing ill-health. They have been growing on earth for three thousand years.

These are millets and they are many. The major and most important millets are: foxtail millet, brown top millet, barnyard millet, little millet and kodo millet. The intake of food is not made by intellect as knowledge in the mind. The intelligence in life manifests intellect as wisdom and the intake of food as well.

Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2017

Editor’s Note:
The adjectives ‘fast’ and ‘convenient’ may aptly be used to describe the condition of living that is common for a modern man or woman. ‘What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?’, as the poet once observed. The recipe for maintaining this tempo is the gift of convenience.
The intelligence of this article poignantly reveals how modern man and woman’s pursuit of a healthy life is thwarted. Understanding this is the gift of wisdom.
Julian Capper, UK.

German Translator’s Note: 
Wisdom is not a prescription of what to do or not to do, what to say and not to say, what to think and not to think. It is also not about what to eat and what not to eat. Wisdom, as presented here by Dr. Shankar, is simply a description of the evolution of man. In the state of evolution when obsessed with the mind and taking the mind for real in life, eating happens fast and unhealthy more likely compared to the state of evolution of the wise, being aware of life and the preciousness of its quality and care. 
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany. 

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