Little Leaders Contest 2020-21

VALUE

2 STAYING HEALTHY

Exercising is a good way of keeping healthy. It

gives your body a better shape. It reduces your
risk of developing certain diseases. Exercising
makes the body produce hormones called
endorphins that make you feel peaceful and
happy.

If wealth is lost nothing is lost; if health is lost something is lost; If character is lost everything is lost.

A healthy mind lives in a healthy body.

Let’s T H I N K About It

1. Why do we need exercise and yoga?

2. Discuss some healthy food habits.

3. “Man is what he eats.” Discuss.

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Let’s R E A D and Learn

Man Is What He Eats

Having a proper and nutritious diet is a very important part of our life. The great
British playwright and one of the world’s famous vegetarians, Dr. George Benard
Shaw said, “You are what you eat.” We must have discrimination in eating. If we
eat like a human being, then we can develop qualities of a human being and if we
eat like animals, without any discrimination, then we develop animalistic qualities.
For example, the most dirty thing, stool, is food for a certain species, but not for
human beings.

Human beings should prefer food that is in the mode of goodness, which is
nourishing for the body, mind and soul. Wheat, rice, sugar, various milk products,
vegetables, fruits, etc., are foods in the mode of goodness. Such food increases the
quality of goodness in us, promotes us to a higher platform and helps us in God
realization. So, we should be careful about what kind of food we eat. We cannot eat
anything and everything.

Modern man thinks of food in terms of fat, starch, protein etc., and of course taste.
But the Vedas additionally inform us that food has three parts –

FOOD

Gross Part Middle Part Subtle Part

(Fiber & other Solid parts) (Nutrients in the food) (The Consciousness in the food)

Transformed into Transformed into

affects the consciousness

Human Excreta Fat and Flesh of the body
of the eater
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When someone cooks food, his/her consciousness, in

the form of vibrations, enters the food particles and
when these food particles are consumed by us, they
enter our minds and affect our consciousness. Thus,
we get influenced by others.

Do we not find a great difference in the food

cooked at home by our mother and the food we
eat outside, not in terms of taste but in terms
of the love and affection contained in the food.

Food cooked for money and food cooked out of love always taste different. Therefore,
we should be careful which type of food we eat and especially who it is cooked
by. Our devotion to God develops according to what we eat. Similarly, our way of
speaking and dressing also depends on what we eat.

You Are How You Eat

According to nutritional scientists, how you eat is as important as what you
eat. It’s important to appreciate the food we have and eat it with gratitude.
This helps us in staying healthy.

We need to find out what God wants from us because the goal of human life
is to re-establish our lost relationship with Him. In the Bhagavad Gita (9.26),
Lord Krishna instructs us to adopt the principles of spiritual vegetarianism
when He states:

If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.
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The source of food is not actually factories made by humans; food grains, vegetables,
fruits, and milk are all obtained by the grace of the Supreme Lord. It is the duty of the
human being to understand and appreciate this kindness of the Lord. By the law of
karma, a person who does not thank God for the food he eats earns a sinful reaction. On

the contrary, food first offered to the Supreme Lord in sacrifice and then eaten purifies
us of many sinful reactions. So saintly persons accept pure vegetarian food which is first
offered to Lord and later that food is accepted as prasadam, the mercy of God.

Jesus also taught a prayer to his disciples. He instructed them how to pray. When
people say this prayer, they are acknowledging that all sustenance comes from God,
and that we are dependent upon Him to give it to us everyday.

God, give us today our daily bread. — Bible, Mat 6:11

By animal killing, all pity, mercy, love, and devotion to God is lost. Generally, we would
not come across a terrorist who is a vegetarian, because being a vegetarian (goodness)
invokes compassion for all other living entities who are also children of God.

Those who desire to possess good memory, beauty, long life with perfect health,
and physical, moral and spiritual strength should abstain from animal food.

Devotion to the Supreme Lord brings joy and happiness to the heart. By chanting
the holy names of God and by avoiding sinful habits such as intoxication, meat
eating, gambling, and illicit relationships, one can achieve miraculously good in
mental and physical health.
 Little Leaders Contest 2020-21

Story Time
Secret Of Happiness

Once, a passer-by noticed an old lady sitting on

her front step. He asked, “I couldn’t help noticing
how happy you look! What is your secret for
such a long, happy life?” The old
lady replied, “I smoke 4 packs of
cigarettes a day. Before I go to bed,
I smoke a nice big joint. Apart from
that, I drink a whole bottle of Jack
Daniels every week, and eat only
junk food. weekends, I pop a huge
number of pills and do no exercise
at all.”
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“This is absolutely amazing at your age!! How old are you?” asked the
passer-by. “Twenty four,” replied the old lady.

MORAL OF THE STORY

A 24 year old person looks like a 40 year old, if he is
addicted to sinful habits and junk food.

Junk food, cigarette, alcohol are the foods in the

mode of ignorance. They cause bad health, infection,
disease, madness and illusion.

Studying The Effect Of Food On Mind And Health

Let us first study the nature of foods in the mode of goodness, passion and ignorance.

Foods dear to those in the mode of goodness increase

the duration of life, purify one’s existence and give
strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such foods
are juicy, fatty, wholesome, and pleasing to the heart.
Fresh vegetables & fruits
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Foods dear to those in the mode of passion cause

distress, misery and disease. Such foods too bitter,
too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning
Too hot & spicy food

Foods dear to those in the mode of ignorance

consists of untouchable things. Such food is tasteless,
decomposed and is prepared more than three hours
before being eaten.
Flesh & bad smelling food

effect on mind food effect on health

ues
Val life
of

Real knowledge develops Food in goodness Strength, happiness,

and satisfaction

Greed develops Food in passion Distress, misery, and disease

(unlimited desires)

Foolishness, madness, Infection, obesity, and

Food in ignorance
and illusion heart disease
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Health Tips
Dad! Our generation is very Yes, son! I got high BP,
fast compared to yours pain in joints, etc., at an
age of 70 years, but you
developed these at age 30!

Moral: Eating, drinking and sleeping habits are degrading

with time due to substantial increase in greed, envy,
atheism, anger, etc., in the human society.

Drinking (water) habits

a. Drink water while sitting. Do not drink water while standing as
it causes pain in joints and back.

b. Drink water at least 30 to 45 mins before and after taking your meal.

c. Drinking normal or cold water just after the meal is not good for health.

d. Drink water before you go out in the sun.

e. Drink only warm water after any trauma or wound infection.

f. Water intake on daily basis: 7 litres in summers and 4 litres in winters.

g. Soft drinks cause the risk of obesity and bone fractures. Sugar and acid in soft
drinks easily dissolve tooth enamel.
 Little Leaders Contest 2020-21
Eating habits
Simple foodstuff such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables should
be taken and is considered to be in the mode of goodness, whereas animal food (meat)
is a product of violence and fear.
(Animal fat is available in the form of milk which is the most wonderful of all foods.)

a. Eating should be done while sitting only. To eat while standing is not
good for health.
b. Chew the food patiently.
c. Eat only when you develop sufficient hunger. Remember this rule: fill
your stomach 50% with food, 25% with water, and leave 25% empty
for the digestive juices and process.
d. Maintain a happy state of mind and do not talk while eating.
e. Eating yogurt/curd in the evening weakens the brain.
f. Fast at least once in 15 days.
g. Accept the food as the mercy of God with a grateful heart.
h. Home cooked food, which is offered to the Lord, is best for health.
i. One should get rid of the habit of eating again and again. There should
be a gap of at least 3 hours between the two successive meals.

Thank you My Thank you My

Lord for giving us Lord for being so
nice food! kind and merciful!
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Sleeping habits
a. According to expert doctors, sleeping:
i. between 9 pm to 12 pm is equivalent to six hours.
ii. between 12 pm to 3 am is equivalent to three hours.
iii. between 3 am to 6 am is equivalent to one and a half hours.
Thus, early to bed and early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise. According
to Ayurveda, one should sleep when the sun sleeps and one should be awake when
the sun is awake. If one can follow this standard then one will never fall sick.

b. On an average a school-aged children should get 8 to 9 hours sleep daily.

c. Wash your feet and hands before going to sleep in the night.

d. Air enters into our body through the ears. Therefore, our ears should
be covered (with a cloth) while sleeping.

Let’s A N S W E R

1. Based on the lesson, which among the following would you prefer to have dur-
ing your interval recess in school, considering your health and future to be more
important than simply enjoying the taste. Be honest to yourself.

Don’t forget to chant thanks giving prayer to the Lord before you start eating your
meal, else you become a thief by forgetting God who is giving you everything.

q Chapati and sabzi q Potato chips q Chocolate q Soft drinks containing

caffeine
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q French fries q Rice and daal q Fruits q Burger

q Patties q Chicken momos

2. Read about a boy, Rahul, and answer the following questions.

Rahul had just returned after attending the birthday party

of one of his classmates. He had french fries, samosas,
noodles, ice cream, a lot of fried items, and much more. He
had many glasses of soft drinks too! There was no limit for
his eating. He had it all!

Back home, he is suffering from stomach pain, nausea, and

restlessness. To add to this, he had put on a lot of weight in
the last couple of months. He doesn’t know why he is be-
coming so obese!

Please help Rahul to identify the problem. Use the given information to write
your answer.

junk food
Poor nutritional value Reduced energy
& concentration

Mode of ignorance Unhealthy

Causes obesity & other diseases

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3. There are as many as 12 different meaningful english words, which can be formed
using the letters in the word “HEALTH”, for e.g., HEAT, EAT, etc. Complete the
boxes with those words. Take the help of the pictures to guess the correct word.

A E A E E

A E E A E A

e A E A E

A E A E

4. Read the following statements and draw a star in the given space if
you agree. How many stars did you get?

a. I am aware junk food can make me obese.

b. I eat junk food because all my friends do so.

c. Food should be offered to God with love and devotion before eating.
 Little Leaders Contest 2020-21
d. Activities like gardening and cooking with vegetables, fruits, and milk
are good for a natural and healthy life.

e. Animals stand when they eat. However, human beings should sit down
on an asana (seat) and be served by someone whom they know and love.

If you have more than 3 stars, then you are trying to lead
a healthy life! If not, you need to try harder.

5. Study this picture and state yes or no, against each of the following statements.

Most vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, grains like wheat

We eat meat because we need proteins! and soy, lentils, i.e., dal and beans like chickpeas, kidney
From where do you get your proteins? beans, etc. are excellent sources of complete proteins.

a. A vegetarian food (offered to God with love) ensure a balanced diet for good health.
(Yes/No)

b. If I don’t eat meat, I would suffer from lack of proteins. (Yes/No)

c. Elephant is a powerful animal, yet he never eats meat. (Yes/No)

d. Meat contains 14 times more chemicals and pesticides than plant foods. (Yes/No)

e. When the meat arrives at your dining table on a nice plate, you forget the harsh
reality that you are about to eat a dead body, because it is so well presented. (Yes/No)