Learn to recognize the time when you are hungry and decide to eat. Allow your hunger to persist for a while, till you begin to have hunger pangs. It is at this point that your digestive juices are at their best in terms of flow and volume. This is the time when you should sit down to eat.

If for some reason you have missed your meal on time, do not eat after a while; at such times skipping a meal would be ideal. Learn to stop eating as soon as you are satiated. You must learn to avoid excess intake of food.

Regulating your biological clock

By following these habits you will allow your biological clock to regulate itself. The regulation of the complete digestive process thus follows gradually. A glassful of water 15 minutes before a meal is an ideal practice.

Do not drink water during a meal, and at least one hour after a meal. We have a normal habit of washing down the food we eat with water. Discontinue this habit as soon as possible.

It is good to have whole wheat based cereal for breakfast. You can boil it in plain milk. Avoid salt and sugar as much as possible. You can also cook the cereal in water. Home-baked whole-wheat bread too is fine. Avoid preserves such as marmalade, jams, salted butter as much as possible.

You can have bread with boiled or raw green vegetables for salad. You can also use a dash of white cooking butter. Another option is a spoonful of honey with the bread. Make green vegetables a staple in your meals.

Raw vegetables are preferred

Try eating the vegetables unpeeled as much as you can. You can also have sprouts as often as possible, but only during the day time. Avoid having polished rice. You can eat unpolished rice if it is available. Include black pepper, ginger and cardamom in your diet.

Have fruits at least 10 minutes before the main meal. Avoid eating fruits during and after the meal. Fruits have carbohydrates which interfere with the digestion of proteins and fats.

Try not to have snacks between meals. Once you finish a meal, the next time you eat should only be your next meal, when you are hungry again.

A walk 10 minutes after your dinner can save you from any flatulence that may follow during the digestive process in your sleep. If possible, try to walk around five kilometers every day; this will provide you enough physical activity to keep your digestive tract in order.

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