Sai on heart health

Many people suffer heart attacks. Some seemingly strike without any warning. Often the victim looked in good health one day, the next he was dead.

The Embodiment of Love, Sathya Sai Baba, early on in his mission on earth, warned his devotees that food was not just to satisfy hunger, it was a natural medicine.

He said, “It is the primary responsibility of individuals to prevent becoming victims of heart disease by regulating their intake of food, as well as their other habits. Prevention is better than cure.”

Victims of heart attack deaths are getting younger. Not long ago, I heard from a father that his 10-year-old son had a serious heart blockage due to eating too much fat. These included meats, fried foods, cheese, butter, potato chips and curds. What was once considered a rare treat: cakes, pastries, ice creams, sweets and savouries had now become a part of the daily diet of the boy. The father was berating himself for not knowing how damaging such foods are.

More than 20 years ago, Prasanthi Nilayam Sai warned his devotees, “It is the primary responsibility of individuals to prevent becoming victims of heart disease by regulating their intake of food, as well as their other habits. Prevention is better than cure. There would be no room for cardiac ailments if the eating habits of individuals was properly controlled and regulated.”

We could educate children not only about history, math and science; but we could teach early on the importance of food intake. According to Sathya Sai, the children will flourish academically if sathwic food is cooked and served with love.

“He noted, “Research has revealed that nonvgetarians and alcoholics are more prone to heart ailments than vegetarians. If the vegetarian food consumed is balanced and wholesome, it should contain liberal amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E, which are available in vegetables like carrots, etc. The presence of these vitamins prevents heart ailments in large measure.

“Every effort should be made to keep the human body healthy. Health is wealth. The acquisition of wealth cannot be enjoyed by a person with poor health. Health is more important because it gives physical and mental strength.”

The heart is a special organ in the human system. It is pulsating ceaselessly unlike the other organs. Heart surgery is a highly complex operation, as the surgery has to be performed without arresting the heartbeat. At the same time, the functioning of the lungs has also to be kept up. Medical men of genius invented the heart-lung machine in 1956 to carry on the activities of the heart as well as the lung during cardiac operations. Yet, more than half a century later, most members of society are unaware of what is causing this seemingly endless stream of heart attacks: Bad food.

Our Beloved Avatar says, “Worry causes hurry, and both of them together bring about ill health. So, worry, hurry and curry (fatty foods) are the root causes of cardiac ailments.”