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Today’s topic is illness and health, and what we can do about it. Our discussion will be divided into three parts: practice, theoretical background, and questions. I will begin with a personal reflection. About twenty-six years ago, we held our first seminar on vegetarianism. At that time, under communism, even ordinary lentils were not always available in stores. Yet, many people were beginning to explore this path. I have five children, and I decided to feed them vegetarian meals even though I had no examples or guidelines, and I did not yet know Svāmījī. My greatest support was my mother, born in 1919. With her sincere approach as a mother who cooked daily and prepared snacks for the children, she was my anchor. When I compare that to today, there is now abundant information on healthy eating and ingredients are readily available. Yet, I observe fewer mothers who cook daily and prepare daily snacks for their children. I often think about where to direct my strength, and I believe it is precisely in supporting mothers and wives—to empower them to return to that role which was common fifty years ago. Therein lies a foundation for health. My father was born in 1908 and passed away at 92, remaining very sharp until the end. My mother cooked for him, and they thrived greatly until the moment she fell ill and could no longer cook regularly; then her health deteriorated significantly. This is a personal moment from my life. Another point supports this view. About three years ago, we were invited to give a lecture and practical training at the Faculty of Education of Olomouc University for doctors and teachers. They highlighted various problems with children—drug addiction, aggression, issues we know from the press—and were given instructions on how to address them. When I reviewed the seminar outline, I saw that essentially the entire training was focused on such problems. However, there was no voice on how to prevent them, on what to do so children would not fall into these troubles. My answer was that we need institutional support for mothers: to give them strength, financial support, and social appreciation for being at home, for taking care of children, for cooking for their husbands daily. It is important that a wife feels her work for the family has purpose, unlike today when a woman often comes home from work tired, only to begin more work. I addressed this with the leadership, but I feel that in the circles where I move, there are not good enough ears, or I wonder how to speak these words so the right ears hear them. Another moment: when I had small children, I could not easily attend seminars with Svāmījī. So I received a cassette recording. In it, Svāmījī says that an Indian mother never lets her child go to school without a snack. Even if the child cannot return home for lunch, she gives him food for the whole day. She is very careful to ensure the child leaves the house with her snack. Svāmījī says no Indian mother would send her child to school without food, knowing the child could not eat for the day; she would ensure the child is never without nourishment from home. I can tell you, I was also tired; it was not always easy. But I must have played that lecture a hundred times, especially when I lacked strength. Today, my youngest daughter is nineteen, and I still prepare her snacks. I am very grateful for that inspiration, which gave me strength all those years. Often, those snacks are very simple: dry toasted bread with a bit of butter and a piece of vegetable. It also happened that my children exchanged this simple snack for gingerbread or sweets from someone who no longer received a snack from their mother. I believe that if we want our children to remain vegetarian for life, it is extremely important that they eat at home. These can be simple meals, just as our mothers and grandmothers cooked, so they experience that vitality, freshness, and zest. Later, in the world, they may desire to taste pizza or other foods, but after a time, they always return to the experience that home-cooked food brought them energy and well-being. It creates a return to the home kitchen. My children come back and say, "We tasted this and that," but then they cook for themselves when I am not home. They have learned to prepare small meals without me. Lastly, I want to share an experience. I once spoke with a young woman, about thirty, who had started going for medical check-ups. I asked what was wrong. It never seemed unnatural to her not to eat at least one warm meal a day. My advice was simple: prepare one warm meal daily. Also, to ensure balance, do not eat sweet and salty foods together, nor fruit and vegetables at the same time. We did not address the question of food quantities at all. After about fourteen days, her digestive problems stopped. She no longer needed further recommendations; she needed so very little. I think, to return to the beginning, that by cooking at home—simple, ordinary meals, but fresh and prepared according to our customs—we develop a sense for what we should eat and what we desire. We learn to honor that desire, which is the best guide to staying healthy. If problems arise, Svāmījī’s Falahārī diet is truly excellent advice. Later, in the practical part, I will share a delicious porridge I cooked for my children for about eight years. Now, I hand over to my husband, who can support this scientifically and is skilled in discussion. Good morning. I want to first point out an important aspect when discussing health and healing. A fairly accurate definition of health, according to the World Health Organization, is that health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease. From this, we understand that an important part of whether we will be healthy depends not only on food but also on our mental condition. Today, health psychology is convinced that every illness is connected to the psyche; that is, it is psychosomatic. Through food, we can support and improve what we have induced through the psyche. But if we do not change in that area, if we do not address the root cause in the realm of psyche and spirituality, food alone will not truly help. Conversely, if we give nutritional recommendations while also addressing the mental and spiritual realm, healing will be very rapid and successful. If we consider healing with herbs, I would first recommend sowing and utilizing the help nature offers us daily. According to the teachings of Zaraduštra, today known as Mazdayasna, and also according to Āyurveda, there are distinctions in the daily and yearly cycles. There are building phases, when it is good to eat abundantly, and eliminating phases, when it is good to fast. When we make use of the elimination period, when nature helps us rid ourselves of certain excesses and metabolic byproducts, nature itself heals us. Conversely, we can ruin that. In the yearly cycle, this is what we call the spring fasting season. This period is calculated from the first full moon after March 21st. That full moon marks the end of the fasting period, and forty days before is the beginning. Similarly, in autumn, around September, the first full moon after the autumnal equinox (around September 23rd) marks the end, and forty days earlier is the beginning. In the daily cycle, the elimination period is until about 10 a.m. Central European Time, and then from around 1:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. We are now before the autumn fasting period. If you take advantage of it, you can, for example, eat only grapes for three weeks, or watermelons. Eat nothing else. Try it; you will be freed from many minor ailments. You can follow this diet at any time, but now it is most beneficial. During the spring fasting period, it was advised not to eat meat and to avoid fats. It was a time of great purification. As vegetarians, we should also avoid dairy products at this time, as the cows undergo the same process, and waste products can enter the milk. During the daily elimination period, it is good to eat nothing until ten o’clock, or only fruit and vegetables. You should definitely avoid heavy, concentrated foods like tofu, seitan, and similar products at this time. Another insight concerns obesity. The fundamental realization is that obesity is not from excess, but from deficiency—not a lack of food, but a lack of nutrients the organism should receive. The main cause, as mentioned, is usually in the psyche. At a conference, Dr. Fogeltanz, who specializes in ethicotherapy (healing of injustices), said regarding obesity: "Obesity is a lack of love." Usually, when we have health problems and want to improve through nutrition, we need to ensure our diet contains all necessary nutrients. The second principle, from the elimination period, is that we should eat foods that allow the organism to rid itself of overload so it can heal itself. That is roughly the introduction I wanted to share. Now, I would be glad if my wife could tell you what she has prepared. Thank you. Whenever I do these samplings, I always think about how to refresh everyone. Today’s preparation is a message for babies, the ill, the elderly, and women after childbirth. The preparation is simple: spelt wheat is soaked and then slowly simmered. I drew from my mother’s experience; they used to have huge stoves where a pot with grains would cook slowly. This gentle cooking is very important because the wheat breaks down beautifully. If it overcooks, you can strain it through a sieve. Then it is mixed with milk according to the child’s age. I always fed my children like this for about two years, until they had a full set of teeth. Of course, I added fruits and vegetables. These cereal porridges formed the main part of the meal plan. I helped myself by soaking the grain, then placing the pot in the oven or wrapping it in a blanket. We lived a normal life without stoves that cooked all day. I recommend this as a healthier alternative to commercial porridges. I would emphasize that the wheat must be slowly cooked to be delicious. If cooked quickly, it becomes like rubber pellets. If you are in a hurry, a trick is to boil the water with the grains in the morning, then put the pot into blankets. When you return home, it is deliciously cooked. You have to try it yourself, because if heavy lumps form, no one would want it. For older people, adults, or during convalescence, we can season it with salt, a bit of dill, chives, or mushrooms. It is very easily digestible and good for digestion. I would like to touch on one more topic regarding melon. Eating a whole melon can be difficult because it makes one feel very full. A helpful tip for digestion is to drizzle a slice of melon with lemon juice or lightly sprinkle it with nutmeg, or both. Similarly, you can try adding a little nutmeg, cinnamon, or coriander spice when consuming fruit to see if it improves digestion. I have prepared stewed apples or a fruit salad here for inspiration. Now there is time for questions. Question: Young people often visit fitness centers. Could you please tell us more about a vegetarian diet for bodybuilders? Answer: First, I recommend visiting our organization’s website, csvv.cz. There, in one video, you will see a showcase of very successful vegetarian and vegan athletes, including bodybuilders. There is also footage with the world champion in super heavyweight Thai boxing, Honza Miller. He has been a vegetarian for 20 years, has practiced this sport for 8 years, and has won 406 out of 50 matches. He says the vegetarian diet helps him be efficient and enduring. Historically, there is information suggesting gladiators in ancient Rome were vegetarians, receiving barley, grains, and legumes for strength and endurance. The Roman legions marched great distances carrying grains, mostly wheat, which they chewed on the way. This diet enabled them to overcome distance and triumph in battle. The most powerful performances and greatest endurance can be achieved on a vegetarian diet. The only problem today is that some bodybuilders consume large amounts of protein, which can harm their health. Consuming a lot of animal protein significantly endangers health, particularly with issues like osteoporosis. This problem does not occur with plant-based proteins. Therefore, I recommend those wanting to build muscles and consume larger amounts of protein to choose exclusively plant-based sources. Question: Thank you for the inspiration. We invite you to the second vegetarian ball in Martin in February 2011. – Martin Čaňa Answer: We thank you for the invitation and will come only if they provide us with salt there. Question: Could you please recommend a diet for people with poor eyesight to improve their vision, specifically for cataracts? Answer: Vitamin A is known for vision, but I would not recommend something off the shelf. An examination should take place. The organism may have chosen a weakening of eyesight to signal that the person is making some mistakes, that there is a problem. One should address and seek those causes in the spiritual and mental realm, and also have a blood test to find out the overall condition. Then the organism should be supported exactly where deficiencies are found. As they say, the doctor treats, but the body heals itself. It just needs to be given the chance and the necessary nourishment. Request: We have been reflecting on the international name for "Hrašky" (likely a product or concept). We have people from all over the world here. If any of you come up with a name in another language, it would help us resolve this for other countries. Thank you. Thank you for your attention.