Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's advice to avoid illness

Zen masters recommend eating in silence, chewing well, feeling the scent of the food, connecting with the surrounding and your own presence.

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh was born in 1926 in Thua Thien - Hue. He was ordained at Tu Hieu temple when he was 16 years old, 40 years old left Vietnam and just returned to his homeland at the end of October, founded the Order of the Next Show and set up many practice and meditation centers around the world. The Zen master wrote more than 100 books. Not only is he knowledgeable about Buddhist philosophy, meditator often shares about balanced living habits , leading to awareness in eating and living.

Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.

According to Healthy Kitchen, in 2010, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and nutritionist Lilian Cheung, wrote a book about eating names Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Living. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the host of the book, the monk said that the number of obese people was higher than the number of hungry people and lack of food, which did not consume enough nutrients. Obesity becomes a major global burden that is rooted in the foods we consume every day.

"Can live slowly, enjoy every meal, happy in the joy of realizing that I am still alive, still healthy, find myself exposed to life on a very deep level" , Zen Master shared .

He preferred to sit and eat in silence and enjoy the chewing, conscious of the existence of the people around, the monks, aware of all the effort and love that was present in the cup of rice. me The monks in the temple often spend lunch together in mindfulness, feel the connection of the whole universe, every drop of sun, rain, air and love in each of the existing dishes in front of them.

The Zen master shares a nutritious vegetarian diet, not using any animal products, including eggs and milk. Breakfast is oatmeal, homemade bread, home-grown beans, fruit and sometimes vermicelli, pho or sticky rice. Lunch with rice, stir-fried vegetables, tofu, soup, vegetables or salad and some sweet dessert. Vietnamese-style desserts with tea with beans and Western style are vegetarian cakes. In the evening, the menu is a light meal with rice, soup and some vegetables.

The monks in Mai village picked fruits in the garden.(Photo: Alluvial).

According to the Zen master, the joy of eating can be practiced at your own home, from the meals the whole family gathers together. It can be started simply by bringing the whole mind and consciousness to the meal, feeling the aroma of the dish and eyes watching the good and fresh food.

The benefit of attention when eating comes from the more you enjoy the meal, the more connected the world is through your senses. Then you become more aware when you are satisfied enough to avoid eating more and give your body time to digest better.

Zen masters share things that can help you pay more attention during meals:

1. Placing a fine dining table, setting up simple meals that are easy to see will help you eat better. You eat with all your senses and your eyesight is extremely important to the quality of your meal.
2. See food, thankful for the fresh taste of the food that will nourish your body and mind.
3. Priests often hear a bell before starting a meal in mindfulness. The bell reminds them to bring their whole mind to the present. You may not need the bell, just remind yourself to eat, leave the phone with wifi connection aside, dismiss worries and concentrate entirely on the meal. Each person will have a way to remind them of their own mindfulness.
4. Smile at the same person and eat before you hold the chopsticks.
5. Chew slowly, thoroughly, about 30 times until you feel the sweetness of food dissolve in the oral cavity.
6. At the end of the meal, stop for a few minutes to feel the hunger that has been soothed and grateful for being nourished from a good source of food.

Wake up when preparing meals:

1. A nutritious meal is indispensable for a wide variety of vegetables. The monks always start their meal with a plate of colorful vegetable salad and cooked vegetables.
2. Protein sources come from beans, tofu and vegetables like cauliflower, spinach.
3. Preferably hydrated foods such as tomatoes, cucumbers, grapefruit, fruit and vitamin C help the body get enough water, full of energy.
4. Be aware of the amount of food put into your body. Eat enough.
5. Note that foods that are high in salt and moderate, reduce salt intake.
6. Choose seasonal food because this is the freshest food, grown locally, not nutritionally wasted by long-distance transportation.
7. Instead of preparing a sweet dessert, you can make a fresh vegetable salad dish. If you crave sweets, you should only eat a few small pieces after the main meal.