(2) If you are not hungry, don't eat:

No other animals, except man, would eat without hunger-the main reason why they are not subject to the ailments which man invites by overburdening the digestion. When really hungry, we relish even the most insipid and unappetising foods.

(3) Do not eat when you are under physical or mental tension:

If the body or the mind is exhausted or under tension, the secretion of the digestive juices will not be adequate.

(4) Do not eat or drink anything that is too hot or too cold:

Ideally the temperature of any food should be around 37 C (98.6 F), the temperature of the body. The enzymes in the mouth and the stomach act best at such temperatures.

(5) Chew your food well:

Thorough chewing mixes saliva with the food. Digestion starts off in the mouth itself with the action of the enzymes present in the saliva. Moreover, well-chewed food is easily digested.

(6) Do not drink water with meals:

Water requires only ten minutes to be absorbed from the stomach, and in the process it carries the enzymes away. This reduces the efficiency of the digestive process, which may result in the loss of appetite. There is no objection to drinking water fifteen minutes before a meal, half an hour after taking fruits, and two hours after a full meal.

(7) Do not stuff the belly with food:

Overeating is always harmful. The stomach is a flexible bag made up of muscles. Its rhythmic contractions and expansions are responsible for the efficient mixing of digestive juices and enzymes with food. These movements are hindered if the bag is stuffed up with excessive food. The enzymes are not mixed properly with the food, which begins to decay. Most people fail to exercise discretion in the amount of food they take. They: seem to live for eating, and not to eat for living! Overeating makes one lethargic and dull. There is a constant feeling of thirst. With time the belly gets enlarged, and one falls victim to disorders of the digestive system. In fact, to keep healthy it is necessary at all times to remain slightly hungry.

(8) Rest for a while after meals:

The blood vessels of the stomach dilate just after meals. This stimulates the secretion of enzymes, and thus helps digestion. If work requiring any kind of physical or mental exertion is taken up just after a meal, blood will be diverted from the stomach to other parts of the body like the hand, feet or brain, slowing down digestion.

(9) Do not take any food while suffering from fever or any other ailment:

This is essential. It is a fact that we never do feel hungry when we are indisposed, and actually feel averse to taking any food. During an illness, the secretion of digestive juices is greatly reduced. As a result, the digestive processes are almost at a standstill.

(10) Eat only one meal, or take only fruits, one day every week:

Giving occasional rest to the stomach is as necessary as giving it its usual assignment of digestion, for maintaining its efficiency. Moreover, when the body is not occupied in the task of digestion, it is free to tackle the poisons that have been accumulated in it.