Healthy Vegetarian - Softcover

Satchidananda, Sri Swami

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0932040322 ISBN 13: 9780932040329

Publisher: Integral Yoga Publications, 2002

Synopsis

The Healthy Vegetarian discusses, in clear simple terms,the contribution that a vegetarian diet can make to one's physical, mental and spiritual well-being. Both new and long-time vegetarians can benefit from information on matters such as when and when not to eat, how to eat, the properties of food, handling compulsive eating, the effects of food on the mind, and healing through diet. A seven-day selection of menus and recipes for delicious vegetarian meals is included. The book also contains a forward by Dean Ornish, M. D. (author of Reversing Heart Disease).

About this title

About the Author

Sri Swami SAtchidanandais a beautiful example of dynamic health. He is a lifelong vegetarian, and a world-renowned spiritual teacher and ecumenical leader. Now in his seventies, he continues to travel around the glove in response to invitations from individuals, groups and organizations of all background and beliefs.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The following is taken from Part One of The Healthy Vegetarian by Sri Swami Satchidananda.

Let us first consider the question, "What is the natural diet for human beings?" When we look at the diet of mammals, we find two major groups: the flesh-eating animals, such as dogs, cats, tigers and lions; and the vegetarian animals, such as cows, bulls, horses, camels, monkeys - and even the largest land animal, the elephant. Comparing their physical features, the flesh-eating animals have long teeth to tear the raw animal flesh from the bones, while the vegetarian animals all have flat teeth for grinding vegetable food. Meat-eating animals have rough tongues to lick the flesh from the bone and sharp, strong claws to catch and kill their prey, while vegetarian animals do not. The meat eaters also have excellent night vision for hunting, while the vegetarians have more trouble seeing after dusk.

These are just the external features that can be seen. There are others, which we cannot see. The intestines of meat-eating animals are only about two to three times their body length. That means that the meat they eat can pass through their systems quickly before it putrefies. Vegetarian animals' intestines are about six or seven times their bodies' length, because their systems need not push the food through so rapidly. The vegetarians have a different pH in their saliva and their stomachs than the meat-eaters; vegetarians also have digestive enzymes in their saliva, and begin digesting while the food is still in the mouth, while meat-eaters gulp their food without much chewing.

Now let us look at the human animal. Human beings have flat, grinding teeth - like the vegetarians. They do not have the rough tongues or sharp claws of the meat eaters. Humans also have more difficulty seeing after dusk. Their intestines are about 26 feet long - six or seven times their body's length - like the vegetarians. The pH of their saliva is similar to vegetarians, and it contains digestive enzymes. So the evidence seems indisputable: by physical design, we are certainly vegetarian animals.

Edition details

• Publisher: Integral Yoga Publications
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0932040322
• ISBN 13: 9780932040329
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 128