“Food must therefore be taken as medicine, under proper restraint.” ~ Gandhi, Ashram Observances, p. 112

Gandhi was firm that food should be prepared to strengthen the body and mind for service, and it should not be taken for self-indulgence. There is already research that can show the connection between sugar intake and one’s ability to concentrate and remain calm. It’s also clear that much that passes for food today has little nurturing value, working unfortunately in tandem with the rise of medical needs and drugs. If our stomach hurts after eating something our bodies want to reject, we can take a pill. Why not question what we are putting into our bodies instead: whether we see for ourselves the connection between our food and our overall well-being? But let’s go further! If you are on the nonviolent path and begin by giving up coffee for example, but have not given up anger or sarcasm, what is the use? If you give up dairy but don’t give up hatred, where’s the power going? How each one of us works this out in our own life requires artistry and determination.

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About Daily Metta

Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence.

Our 2016 Daily Metta continues with Gandhi on weekdays. On weekends, we share videos that complement Michael Nagler’s award-winning book, The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World. To help readers engage with the book more deeply, the Metta Center offers a free PDF study guide.

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