God also gave man water, in the mountain spring; and milk to nourish him, in the cow and in the human mother. From the moment of birth man instinctively seeks the natural sources of sustenance. The impulse of hunger stirs the impulse to eat. Had God not given us the hunger-impulse, we would not eat at all.
Man unwisely perverts his natural hunger and sense of taste through misuse. The theory that hunger is the result of the habit of eating is true, at least, of the greedy person. Greed is a mental hunger. If one lives naturally, he has no desire to eat more than a normal diet, and his taste preferences are also normal. The abnormal appetite created by greed kills numbers of men and women. During the era of the Roman Empire great feasts were indulged in by the wealthy. A special room was provided where, after eating, they could go to vomit so that they could continue their feasting. Such is the debasement of greed!
We see all kinds of eccentricities in man whenever he becomes a criminal against his own welfare through misuse of the senses. When man forgets the purpose of an action and clings rather to the action by which the end is to be accomplished, he makes a grave mistake. Hunger and taste were given to man to help him select the proper quantity and right type of food to sustain his body in a healthful way; but wrong habits of living and eating have distorted this natural dietary instinct, creating preferences that are not always best for him. Something that tastes good and fills the stomach doesn’t necessarily satisfy bodily needs. Since food is an important carrier of energy into the body, it is best to ensure a good supply of energy through proper eating. In a boiled dinner most of the vitamins have been destroyed; you will tire easily on such a diet. Fresh raw food is better because the vitamins are still present. Many vitamins are destroyed by the heat of the cooking and canning process. Hence a diet in which such foods predominate is not sufficiently nourishing to fill the needs of the body.
The stomach and digestive tract distill the chemicals from our food and distribute them to the proper types of cells throughout the system. The body is composed of various chemical elements, and you should see that your diet replenishes these elements every day. A good diet should contribute as many of the necessary elements as possible at every meal. Eat sufficient protein, many vitamins and minerals, some fats and oils, and some natural carbohydrates (but few refined starches and sugars).
Extract from the book “Divine Romance” by Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
