Man is as he eateth, so George Bernard Shaw was fond of saying. He happened to be a vegetarian on principle, but whether or not he would have lived to his 94 years had his diet included meat no one can say. One thing is certain, how­ever.

His frugal habits, his abstemiousness, his spareness of body doubtless had a great deal to do with his long life and vigorous health.

It is not what we eat that is of paramount importance, but hoiv we eat, when and how much. Always remember that eat­ing really includes not only the intake of food but its digestion and assimilation. In a sense, breathing should be considered part of the process too, since bodily nourishment must of ne­cessity include the intake of oxygen; the more oxygen is in­haled into your lungs, the better fed and cleansed your blood­stream will be.

Keep in mind the fable about the senses: "Without breath there can be no life." It is possible to exist on breath alone for many days while fasting, but the most perfectly balanced diet could not sustain you longer than a few minutes were your supply of oxygen cut off. Consequently our discussion of diet cannot be considered as separate from other aspects of your way of life.

We all know how a large meal, gobbled fast, especially when one is tired or in a state of nervous tension, may and often does produce indigestion or painful gas. So does anger. The ulcers from which high-pressure executives so often suf­fer are the direct result of emotional strain, for when the sys­tem is not at rest the digestive juices fail to flow freely and an acid condition is set up which, literally, corrodes the sensitive mucous lining of stomach and intestines. The habit of gulp­ing food is in itself lethal, for the gulper starves himself even as he overeats.

Here are some of the pertinent facts, which you doubtless already know but are likely to disregard in practice a couple of times a day:

Chewing food slowly and thoroughly serves a double func­tion. First of all it is good for your teeth. Unless you give them a daily workout by chewing solid foods, they will weaken and decay for want of exercise. Secondly, unless you do chew your food properly you do not give the saliva a chance to penetrate it. Saliva is, as you know, an important digestive juice. It con­tains ptyalin, an enzyme which transforms starches into malt­ose, or body sugar. Such foods as potatoes, bread, noodles, cereals, and mealy vegetables—in other words, the carbo­hydrates—must all be saturated with ptyalin if they are to do the body any good. This process must be accomplished be­fore the carbohydrates leave the mouth, for once they have been swallowed, the hydrochloric acid in the stomach prevents any further digestion. That is why fast eaters seldom grow fat regardless of the quantities of food they consume. And while you may argue that nothing could be pleasanter than being able to gorge and still stay thin, in reality this is a fine way of cheating yourself; for the net result is undernourishment and a consequent lack of energy.

Finally, chewing food thoroughly also diminishes the ap­petite or, to put it another way, the more you chew the less you will want or need to eat, for small amounts of food will keep you well-nourished provided, of course, that your diet is a balanced one. Taking time to taste and to savor will also enhance your enjoyment of food. And this will in turn pay added dividends, for pleasure in the tasting helps a free flow of gastric juices, which helps digestion. To put it another way, be glad if a dish that is set before you makes your mouth water.

Is it necessary to adhere to strict diet rules to follow Yoga teachings? The answer depends on each person's personal goals. The highly developed Yogi is a teetotaler and a most fru­gal eater, but contrary to popular misconception there are no strict rules; the Yogis are neither food faddists nor even neces­sarily vegetarians, and their attitude toward eating is not one of asceticism. Their general approach to diet, as to all other as­pects of human behavior, is one of moderation and self-discipline. They do not consider enjoyment of food synony­mous with gluttony and would never advocate robbing you of the pleasures of savoring the taste, smell, texture, even the appearance of the dishes you like. Nor do they believe there is any special virtue in vegetarianism as such—if, by that, one means helping make someone into a better man or woman. But Yoga teaches that certain foods, among them milk, fruit, cereals, butter, cheese and all vegetables (preferably eaten raw) are Sattwic food-stuffs and render the blood-stream and the mind pure; while meat, fish, eggs are Rajasic and excite the passionate nature of man. From this you may readily see how a highly detached philosopher will make a choice of foods.

Possibly the reason why so many people have come to equate vegetarianism with Yoga is that Mahatma Ghandi, that most famous of Gurus, never touched meat. That was his per­sonal choice. The fact is, too, that the Hindee in general are not great meat-eaters. India's hot climate and its low standard of living doubtless have much to do with this, besides which in a country where the cow is a sacred animal meat consump­tion would naturally tend to be lower than in other parts of the world. But these are only contributing factors. Here is how one Yogi Teacher explained his own preference for a diet of fruit, milk, vegetables and nuts: "My tastes have grown sim­pler with the years," he told me in the course of discussion. "As I became more detached, my habits, my very body needs seemed to change. I never force it—it simply happened. To­day I no longer desire meat or other rich foods." But this was a man who had spent twenty years in seclusion in a monastery. He made it clear that he did not expect his disciples to follow his strict regimen.
Since Yoga principles for mental and physical health coin­cide so amazingly with the findings of modern medicine, it is not surprising to find their basic diet rules similar to the health diets advocated by our own up-to-date experts. The accent, as was already mentioned, is on fresh fruit and vegetables, high-protein foods like eggs, cheese, meat in small quantities, nuts, and milk, modest amounts of fats and carbohydrates— and as few condiments as possible. It is important to eat natural, not processed foods, in order to get the full benefit of what the earth can give us.

There are many vitamins, minerals and other elements necessary to human diet, and if you wish to know them in detail any good book on nutrition will list them for you. In a general way, though, all you need to remember is how to cater to the body's three vital vitamin needs—how to supply it with suf­ficient amounts of Vitamins A, B and C and give it enough protein and mineral. A good rule to remember is that few foods are so specialized they give you one thing only. You are more than likely to get adequate amounts of everything your body requires if you make sure that its main demands are cared for through a balanced, common-sense diet.

Vitamin A is what enables the body cells to resist infection. It is contained in green and leafy vegetables, dairy products, fruit and meat, especially liver and lamb. Along with this vitamin you will be absorbing calcium, iron and the much-needed body-building proteins. And if you substitute fish for some of the meat, you will be getting precious iodine with­out recourse to iodized salt, which sometimes makes the skin break out.

The Vitamin B-Complex influences digestion. Whole wheat is one excellent source of this vitamin. Unfortunately, bread made with commercially-prepared flour is hopelessly impov­erished. It is, in fact, almost wholly devitalized, its bran, nat­ural minerals and semolina removed, the living wheat germ isolated and sold separately for good money while the "dead" flour must now be artificially "enriched" or "fortified," an­other process that adds to its cost. Thus white bread is virtually valueless nutrition-wise. Your best available sources of Vita­min B, in this day and age, are dark bread, nuts, peas, beans, lentils, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, soy beans and yeast; also the dairy products and liver already listed under Vitamin A.
Digestion is not the only thing controlled by this Vitamin group. As you probably know, massive doses of the B-Complex, given by injection, have proved effective in the treatment of arthritis and that little-known degenerative dis­ease of the nerve endings, multiple sclerosis. For regenera­tion of tissues and maintaining healthy nerves scientists rec­ognize it as being of paramount importance. And more is being learned about its importance every year.

Vitamin C is the youth-preserver as well as the substance that keeps you from getting colds, and helps combat them if they settle in. The best source of this vitamin is the citrus fruit family—oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit. These should be squeezed fresh and never strained, for the pulp is too precious to throw away. Tomatoes and tomato juice are a second good source. Lacking either, there is some Vitamin C in potato jackets and also in turnip greens and spinach. But remember, this is a volatile vitamin which does not keep, nor can it be stored in the body. Consequently, you need your daily allotment regularly.

Before we leave the subject of vitamins, it is important to point out what processing does to foods in general. Rice, for instance, like wheat, is robbed of half its nutrients while it is elegantly polished, then processed for quick cooking. The canning process, while often unavoidable, destroys much that is valuable. Then the average cook, out of habit or ignorance or because of a desire to serve food that looks pretty, robs her family by discarding the green outside leaves of lettuce and romaine, by peeling potatoes instead of either baking them or cooking them in their jackets, and by overcooking vege­tables and throwing away the water—and half the vitamins and minerals with it. There is also the tendency to buy fresh vegetables in quantity and to store them in the refrigerator, allowing much of their nutritive value to be lost. In fact, we are constantly committing sins against our stomachs simply because we do not stop to think about the right way to eat.

But even before we have a chance to ruin food ourselves, and before it has been processed, part of the job is already done by the grower. Fruit and vegetables out of season, as well as jumbo-size and picture-pretty food, bring high prices. Consequently the grower forces his produce with various chemicals. And these chemical fertilizers result in food that is tasteless (in our family the word for the winter tomato, for instance, is "factory-made," and I know of no better way to describe it!), but, what is far more serious, chemicals are not an adequate source of basic nutrients. That is why so many health authorities continually stress the importance of naturally grown foods—which means foods grown in soil enriched with natural fertilizers—garden compost, manure, bone meal, wood ashes and so forth.
We cannot all have truck gardens and raise our own crops, but it helps to understand the following basic facts about nutrition and at least follow certain simple rules:

1. Fruit and vegetables are best bought in season, and only in quantities which can be utilized fairly fast.

2.  Whenever possible, do not discard peelings. On the other hand it is essential to wash fruit and vegetables carefully, not only because they have been handled but because they may have a residue of some poisonous spray, such as arsenic or DDT, clinging to them. How­ ever, if produce are to be stored, do not wash until ready to serve. This is especially true of berries.

3.  Both fruit and vegetables are best eaten raw, but if you must cook them, cook only until just soft, never to limp­ ness. Bring the water to a boil first, use very little of it to begin with, and if possible, allow this to be re-absorbed. Try to utilize any remaining vegetable water in sauces or soups. An even better method is steaming.

4.  In flavoring, learn to substitute herbs, garlic, lemon juice and onion for heavy quantities of salt, pepper and spices. Monosodium glutamate (sold under the trade name Accent, but much cheaper if bought by weight in the drugstore) which is not a condiment, helps bring out the natural flavor of foods by stimulating our taste buds, which through indiscriminate use of catsup, meat sauces and other sharp flavorings have become jaded. Learn to use it, unless of course you are on a salt-free diet, in which case it will not be permitted.

5.  Finally, learn to enjoy foods prepared simply, without rich sauces which only mask the natural taste and add unnecessary calories. Remember that broiled foods are better for you than fried. And never drown your food by drinking with your meals.

There are certain foods which require special mention here: Garlic is said in some parts of the world to have magic properties. Italian peasant women will carry a head of it in their pocket or wear whole garlands of it like beads to keep epidemics away. Sanskrit writings of 2,500 years ago also mention its therapeutic values. As sometimes happens, old wives' tales and legend turn out to coincide with medical facts. Recent research bears out the claim for garlic as a curative agent in the treatment of stomach, blood and catarrhal com­plaints such as influenza. In fact, pure garlic oil is now avail­able in small, soluble capsules for those who cannot bear its taste and odor. But there is more pleasure in cultivating a lik­ing for it. Olive oil is a fine lubricant for the system as well as a source of easily-digested vegetable fat. People who must worry about the cholesterol content of their blood are advised to substitute peanut or other vegetable oil, both of which are also preferred by some for their neutral taste. However, the calorie content of a spoonful of oil need not worry you if you follow your Yogi routine so that your food is digested properly—and if you do not overeat on such rich foods as cream sauces and rich pastries.
As a general rule, honey is better for sweetening than sugar. In fact, honey is one of the most easily digested of foods, for it is transformed in a matter of minutes into blood-sugar, pro­viding new energy and dissipating fatigue. The secret of honey is known to most athletes. A spoonful of pure honey, swallowed plain if you are a honey fancier or diluted in a glass of warm water, will stimulate you like a glass of whiskey, but without the side effects.

Molasses—not to be confused with the commercially sold black treacle—is another quick source of energy and can be assimilated by the weakest stomach. Pure molasses may gen­erally be obtained in health food stores. It is an especially desirable adjunct to one's diet because it is said to prevent hair from turning gray. Pure maple syrup is another fine source of nourishing sweetening, as is raw sugar. Brown sugar is better than white. And "refined" sugar is at the bottom of the list.

Because adulteration of food is actually inevitable in our urban centers due to problems of transportation, supply and preservation in large quantities, it is a good idea to supplement the diet with wheat germ, soy beans and all manner of whole-grain cereals generally considered exotic. A visit to any repu­table health food store will give you some notion of what is available. You will find the foods there relatively expensive, but not as expensive in the long run as the vitamin pills so many people depend on. Try cultivating a taste for such "peasant" foods as black Russian pumpernickel, buckwheat groats, the near-Eastern couz-couz which is a form of whole-grain cereal, slow-cooking Irish oatmeal and the equally slow brown rice. These are the staples on which millions of people all over the world exist, and they are not undernourished although they may be much poorer in pocket than we are.

You have already been warned against drowning food with drink. Too many people have the habit of drinking water with meals (or soda pop, beer or coffee), thus diluting the digestive juices before these have had a chance to do their work. If the food leaves the stomach only partially digested, it cannot be properly absorbed through the walls of the intestines. Pushing food down with liquid has yet another bad result: it makes us eat more than we need, for after washing one portion down we are ready for a second helping. The same is true of wine taken with a meal. Of course, a small glass taken with dinner on festive occasions does no one harm.
This brings us logically to the question everyone asks sooner or later. What is the Yoga position on alcohol in general? And again the answer, for the Western student, is moderation. There is no prohibition against liquor as such. But it would be inconceivable for a Yogi to get drunk; the advanced Yogis do not touch alcohol, since they become more and more frugal with time, preferring pure water. However, if you enjoy wine, beer and whiskey, by all means continue having them, but in small amounts.

The same may be said of tobacco. An occasional cigarette, cigar or pipe never hurt anyone. Some Hindu Yogis smoke; many Chinese ones do. Unfortunately, it is easier for the aver­age man or woman to regulate the drinking than the smoking habit. Persons who worry about it are generally heavy smokers already and seem powerless to cut down. For them, the only-answer is to cut out smoking altogether, as an alcoholic must cut out liquor, for it becomes an all-or-nothing proposition. Other people do not have the same problem. As for non-smokers, especially young people who have not yet begun using tobacco in earnest, perhaps the best answer would be not to begin at all in order to avoid all danger of becoming enslaved by habit.

Now for the drinking of liquids in general: The best drink of all, the Yogis claim, is pure cool water, of which the body requires six to eight glasses a day. Although not itself a food, water is nevertheless a life-giving substance, and the liquids within our tissues must constantly be replenished. We elimi­nate water constantly, largely through our sweat glands, and this is true even when we are not conscious of sweating. It is a continuous process, like breathing, necessary for the proper, elimination of poisons. Water is also vital for flushing the kid­neys properly, for cleansing the blood, and for proper elimi­nation through the intestines.

The Yogi practice is to have a glass of water immediately upon rising, a final glass before going to bed at night, and sev­eral glasses in between meals. This water is never iced, but merely cool—at room temperature or even a bit warmer. Ice water and all iced drinks are one of civilization's more harm­ful inventions, for they impair digestion, produce stomach cramps and crack the enamel on the teeth.

Other drinks that are highly beneficial are fresh fruit and vegetable juices, which we already mentioned in our discus­sion of vitamins. Frozen and canned juices are not as rich in vitamins, but still valuable. It is a good general rule not to let juice stand more than a day in the refrigerator once it has been squeezed or opened, for some of the vitamins will in­evitably be lost.

Milk is the only liquid which may be taken with a meal, for although it is nine-tenths water, it is the most complete of foods and should be treated as such. A glass of whole milk provides all the protein you need at one meal. It should be sipped slowly, alternating with a few morsels of non-protein food. Modern dietician’s advice that a pint of milk be included in the diet of every adult, and double that amount in the diet of children and pregnant women; but this quantity includes milk derivatives, such as cheese and butter. For persons watch­ing their calorie intake skim milk, buttermilk and yogurt are even better, since all of these have most of the butter at re­moved. Moreover, the culture added to yogurt and buttermilk to promote fermentation is extremely beneficial for the organ­ism, destroying bacteria and seeming to prolong life. In the Near East, where fermented milk has been used for centuries (koumiss, an equivalent of yogurt but made with mare's milk, is a favorite food with Bulgarians and Tartars) people often live to a hale and hearty eighty, ninety or even a hundred, and the claim is that fermented milk is the secret. The East European peasant does equally well on clabber, a similar food.

Before we leave the subject of liquids, a word of warning about tea, coffee and drinks like soda-pop and cola. Americans are a nation of inveterate coffee and cola drinkers, and—this may be hard on some of you—but the fact is that numberless cups of coffee, or tea, in the course of a day are a stimulant which the body is better off without; that sweet drinks are mostly sugar and water which do nothing for you except leave a residue of sugar in your mouth to attack your teeth; and that cola drinks fill your system with harmful, habit-forming nar­cotics. Of course, there is no need to be rigid; a cup of coffee after dinner, or tea for a mid-afternoon pickup, can do little harm. But six or eight cups in the course of a day may leave you feeling sickish, cause gas, nausea and certainly insomnia. Also, unless you like your coffee unsweetened and black, you are likely to fill your stomach with a lot more sugar and cream than you realize, accumulating empty calories and spoiling your appetite for more useful foods.

Many people are curious about the Yoga practice of fasting and want to know how this applies to ourselves. Much has been written, along rather spectacular lines, about how Yogis sometimes go without touching food for days and even weeks. This is true, but it is nothing for the Western student to experi­ment with. Prolonged fasting, unless one has been trained for it, can only be harmful. On the other hand, just as it is advisa­ble to learn to eat a little less at each meal than we think we need, to leave the table always with a slight feeling of "room for a bit more," so it is good occasionally to skip eating for a day. In fact, if you can arrange it without fuss, try making a practice of giving your stomach a day's rest once every month. This automatically will help keep your appetite in check, pro­mote healthy elimination, and will force your body to burn up whatever unneeded reserves it may be accumulating. Nat­urally, however, on fast-days you are free to drink all the fruit juice you want along with plenty of water. Another good plan is to go on a diet of nothing but milk one day out of the month.

Fasting, or cutting down drastically on food, is also often recommended when one is ill. But actually the decision as to whether or not to eat at such times may be left largely to your own instincts. "Feed a cold and starve a fever" is a safe general­ization, but only a generalization at best. A sick animal will not touch food. Neither will you if your system warns you not to. But if you have enough appetite to feel hunger pangs, food is probably just what you need. The main thing is never to eat simply because mealtime has rolled around. Never stuff. Do not be afraid to skip an occasional meal.

All in all, a frugal, balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins, calcium and roughage will soon begin to pay off in improved health and a sense of well-being and will have an effect on your appearance as well. You will find your weight adjusting to the optimum for you, whether you start out too fat or too thin. If you have been suffering from constipation, you will experience relief. Your muscle tone will improve, your skin and eyes will become clear and youthful and the hair will begin to take on new sheen. Naturally part of this will be due to the exercises we hope you will be doing right along. But nutrition itself invariably plays a large role as a beauty aid. Moreover, you will sleep better and feel more relaxed, for your very nerves will be better nourished.

A well, but lightly nourished, body also results in a new alertness of mind, a serenity and a positive attitude toward other people which the average Westerner rarely experiences. Around us, too many persons live to eat. The Yogi, on the con­trary, eats to live—but even while he lets his mind soar above the earth, he does not allow himself to be superior or indiffer­ent to its products, food included. Sama, tranquility or control of thoughts by withdrawing the mind from worldly affairs, is the final aim of Yoga. It need not be the aim of the average student. It is enough for you to remember that food is provided for your benefit, and that it is well to take an intelligent atti­tude toward it. Food, like friends, must be chosen with dis­cretion.

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