The Importance of a Good Lunch

We all do it: skip lunch or rush through it because there’s too much to do. The afternoon slides by in a haze of hard work. Research studies have shown that more than 44 percent of office-workers in America routinely skip lunch so that they can run errands or get work-related stuff out of the way.

Then night rolls in, and the side effects of a missed lunch start to hit. The symptoms: you feel tired, irritable, constipated, and keep tossing and turning in bed.

Guess what: eating a good lunch could rid you of your digestion woes for good.

Why Lunch Matters

By noon, your hard-working body has exhausted its supply of energy, and needs refuelling. If you deny it, or worse, try to compensate with coffee and something sugary, you’re setting yourself up for nutritional disaster. Things worsen when you eat a big dinner to make up for the day’s demands. I used to be among those who preferred to run errands during lunch-time, until I met an ayurvedic physician and learned how unfair I was being to myself.

Timing is Everything

Ancient ayurvedic healers observed that your digestive fire, called agni in Sanskrit, follows the same rhythm as the sun. It ignites in the morning, intensifies at noon, and dims in the evening. When the sun is strongest, our digestive fire is also at its peak. So, reset your meal clock in rhythm with the sun’s energy, and you will never go wrong! Think about it: a satisfied tummy will not urge you to overeat at night. And your ‘agni’ will appreciate the opportunity to wind down and recharge for the next day–just like the sun.

All of nature lives and eats in accordance with this rhythm. It is only us humans who have created artificial lighting, unnecessary stress and pressures that play havoc with our basic nutritional needs. Don’t let that happen to you. Close that file, switch off your computer, and treat yourself to a good, healthful lunch.

In my next post, I will suggest how to put together the ideal ayurvedic lunch.

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