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For those who are religious (in this sense, following a certain religion like Hinduism, Buddhism or Christianity), their beliefs are far more than just reading holy books, adhering to religious instructions and living life as their particular religion advises. There is also another very important facet to religion and that’s food; the kind of food we eat, where and when we eat it and what it symbolizes.
Taking some major world religions into account, it’s interesting to see how meat is treated. In Hinduism, the cow is considered sacred and is never eaten. The milk and byproducts, however, are. This is because the byproducts from a sacred being are considered valuable to the soul. Hindus often abstain all meat, preferring a strict vegetarian diet.
Islam prohibits the eating of pork and birds with talons or claws (as well as depending on how they fly – flapping versus gliding) and Roman Catholics abstain from meat on certain Fridays every year (some still abstain every Friday).
Jews eat Kosher foods – meaning they are prepared correctly (no mixing of meat and dairy), they do not eat pork, nor the rear end of an animal. Shell fish is prohibited.
Buddhists are generally vegetarian although some incorporate fish in their diets.
Almost all religions have some sort of fasting periods, particularly Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and certain Christian sects.
Many religions outlaw smoking and drinking – these include Mormons (both smoking, drinking and stimulants like coffee), Islam (alcohol) Hinduism (in this case, alcohol is to be avoided if possible but is not prohibited) and Rastafarianism (no stimulants, including alcohol or coffee although marijuana is promoted extensively for medical and spiritual reasons) .
Many religions have dietary rules for pretty good reasons – alcohol, stimulants and smoking can be just plain bad for our health. Rastafarians are vegetarians and don’t allow added salt or condiments to their foods – probably a very smart move! Some of the dietary laws come from ancient religious instruction and other are based on advocating self-control, sacrifice and physical health.
Of course, it must be noted that many people who follow these religions are not as strict in their adherence to dietary instruction as others.
While so many of these religious "rules" are thousands of years old, it seems like their creators knew a thing or two about nutrition even back then. Avoidance of stimulants and red meats is something advocated today, and a concentration of lean proteins and fresh fruits and vegetables are something that many religions have been touting for millennia. Buddhists have always believed that natural foods grown from the land are the best, and the Rastafarians believe that only organic/natural foods should be eaten. The Mormons state that caffeine and alcohol are addictive and are therefore bad for one’s mental and physical health and that food should only be eaten in moderation. It seems that the creators of all these religions – both ancient and newer, not only knew a thing about practicing their respective faiths, but also a lot about health and nutrition.
A newer program in America, based on Christian principles is called Weigh Down, and uses the bible to teach about nutrition. It also focuses on emotional eating – a chronic problem in America today as well as advocating that "diets" don’t work.
For more information on correlations between religion and diet, click here :
http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Pre-Sma/Religion-and-Dietary-Practices.html
I have been a strict vegetarian for 19 years, for non-religious reasons. Do you have a particular diet you follow? If yes, why?
Add a Comment2 Comments
Very interesting article, Susan! Something many of us don't even consider. I've been fascinated by Ayurveda (in particular) for a long time, and love the ideas you raised in your article. Great job!
July 1, 2010 - 9:17amThis Comment
Generations to come shall discover why certain things they do in Hinduism, the way they do currently. Things such as food practices, is evolved over thousand years (not a few hundreds of years) before they have become an integral part of life.
Excellent Article.
June 17, 2010 - 2:29pmThis Comment