Food for Life follows the
traditional Vedic diet of India which avoids onion and garlic.
Some people wonder
why, since these products are obviously vegetarian and are proven
to be helpful to health. Food for Life is not disputing
the many health benefits of onion and garlic, however, like many
foods, there is always a
positive and a negative side to these apparent benefits.
The Positive
 Onions, like garlic, are members of the
Allium family, and both are rich in powerful sulfur-containing
compounds that are responsible for their pungent odors and for many of
their health-promoting effects.
Onions contain allyl propyl disulphide, while garlic is rich
in allicin, diallyl disulphide, diallyl trisulfide and others.
In addition, onions
are very rich in chromium, a trace mineral that helps cells
respond
to insulin, plus vitamin C, and numerous flavonoids, most notably,
quercitin.
 Consumption
of onions has, like garlic, been shown to lower high cholesterol
levels and high blood pressure, both
of which help prevent
atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, and reduce the risk
of heart attack or stroke. Of course, vegetarians and
vegans, who practice good eating and work/life habits, do not
have problems with high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
The Negative
 Although onion and
garlic can be beneficial to the physical body when taken
in normal quantities, they are both harmful for the overall mental
condition.
According to India's ancient Vedic scriptures, foods
are characterized in three ways: Goodness (Sattvic), Passion
(Rajasic), and Ignorance (Tamasic). Both onion and garlic are
of the Rajasic category. Such foods disturb the mind and cause
an increase in sensual desires and are therefore detrimental
for performing meditation and raising consciousness.
The influence of foodstuffs on the brain cells,
emotions and passion is remarkable. Garlic, onions, meat,
fish and eggs stimulate passion and directly impact the reproductive
organs.
It is interesting to note how elephants and cows that live
on grass are quiet and peaceful and yet tigers and other
carnivorous animals
that live on meat are turbulent and ferocious.
The purpose of food  The
purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify
the mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose.
It is also
important to understand the role
of pure food in raising consciousness.
All the world's major religious traditions can at least agree
on this one point:
food is a blessing and therefore is traditionally
used in purificatory ceremonies, all of which are meant
to raise consciousness.
Eating the live and not living to eat
With
the chronic rise of obesity throughout
the world, it is becoming very clear how disillusioned modern
society has
become with the act of gluttony. While 20,000 children die
daily of malnutrition, Americans stuff themselves on such
disgusting things as hot dogs, and other dead animal by-products.
Food is meant to help us raise our consciousness
so that we progress spiritually. Spiritual life actually
begins with controlling the
tongue. The tongue has two functions: tasting and vibrating,
both of which can either elevate our consciousness through
prayer and eating pure food; or
degrade us when we use foul language and eat dead
bodies.
 The
simple fact is: What you eat determines the way you think
and behave. This has been proven in many scientific studies.
Readers of this web site should conduct their own
personal experiments to see how by avoiding onion and garlic,
and other horrible things like meat, fish and eggs, one's
mind and senses are more controlled.
The bottom line: onions and garlic should be used
for medicinal purposes, but avoided as a regular dietary
supplement. They are not necessary for healthy vegetarians
and vegans and not conducive to yogic practices.
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