In 2007, Bangkok Hospital in collaboration with the National Office of Buddhism and the Royal Household Bureau initiated the “Save the Heart Worship” project to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great on the occasion of His Majesty’s 80th Birthday on December 5, 2007. Health examinations were conducted for monks from 82 temples, involving blood pressure, blood tests, and health checks. The results revealed that out of 1,994 monks, 108 nuns, and 142 laypeople, 25% had high blood pressure, 36% had high blood sugar levels, and 50% had high cholesterol levels. Additionally, it was found that the monks had a very high risk of developing coronary artery disease within the next 10 years, with 19% (370 out of 1,994 monks) at risk. Following these findings, Bangkok Heart Hospital launched an ongoing project called “Save the Heart Offering” based on the concept by Dr. Kiti Patanapant, former Director of Bangkok Heart Hospital, in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in her 80th celebration year in 2012. The proceeds from this project are used for continued care for the monks. “Save the Heart Offering” is a book that guides the proper way of making merit through alms-giving, offering food that meets nutritional standards to monks, and providing knowledge on food to change the behavior of laypeople in making merit, keeping their health in mind. This book is a guide to making merit through alms-giving correctly, without jeopardizing the health of monks. Making merit in the past: When making merit, whether for birthdays, weddings, opening businesses, or for those who have passed away, we intend to offer the best, delicious, and rare foods to the monks. Especially for those who have passed, we think of offering food that they liked. For well-off individuals, desired offerings might include fried goose liver, Peking duck, and desserts full of cream, milk, butter, and eggs, believing that the deceased will also receive merit. Dr. Kiti Patanapant, having conducted health checks for monks at 82 temples in Bangkok, found that monks did not have the opportunity to choose their food. Despite warnings about prohibited foods, the desire to offer tasty food led to deteriorated health among the monks. Therefore, those making offerings should be mindful of the types of food offered and avoid unhealthy foods.

Prohibited foods for monks:

When making merit and offering food, consider the types that do not harm the monks’ health. There are 3 types to be cautious about: very salty, very sweet, and very fatty foods. 1) Very salty: Leads to high blood pressure.
This condition is at risk of leading to heart disease later on. Thais, including monks, often eat very flavorful food – sour, salty, and sweet. Excessive consumption can lead to various diseases. When cooking for monks, consider not making the food too salty and include more fiber, meaning whole grains, vegetables, and fruits should be included in every meal without solely focusing on taste or worrying that the monks might not find the food delicious, as this could harm their health. 2) Very sweet: Leads to diabetes.
Eating too much sugar makes the pancreas work harder, eventually leading to insufficient insulin production and diabetes. For rice or carbohydrates, brown rice is the best choice because it contains minerals, vitamins, and has a high fiber content, aiding digestion and bowel movement. Fruits should be offered instead of sweet pastries like cakes and pies, which are high in flour, sugar, and fat. For Thai desserts, offer in small amounts, and for diabetics, do not add sugar, helping monks control their blood sugar levels. 3) Very fatty: Leads to high blood cholesterol.
The main cause is consuming fried foods, as fried food must be paired with flavorful sauces to be delicious, leading to excessive consumption. When offering food, serve a balanced diet avoiding deep-fried foods using a lot of oil, avoid proteins or meats with high fat like pork belly, and choose other cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, stir-frying, or grilling. Healthy food offerings include a lot of vegetables and proteins or meats that are not too fatty. Shrimp, squid, and shellfish have very high cholesterol and should be avoided, especially river prawn Penang curry, which is very adversarial to those concerned about high blood cholesterol.

Foods to prevent heart disease and high blood cholesterol

Choose foods to prevent heart disease and high blood cholesterol:

• Choose         Eat lean meats, fish, egg whites, alternating with tofu in appropriate amounts.
• Avoid          Foods high in cholesterol such as egg yolks, organ meats, seafood, ice cream, and desserts containing coconut milk.
• Choose         Whole grain bread, whole grain cookies, boiled taro, boiled potatoes, boiled corn.
• Avoid          Foods high in fat such as Khanom Krok, sticky rice with durian, and desserts containing coconut milk or deeply fried foods like Patongko, Tod Mun, fried chicken, fried bananas.
• Choose         Use vegetable oil in moderation or not at all in cooking.
• Avoid          Using butter instead of oil, as butter is very high in cholesterol.
• Choose         Eat fresh or blanched vegetables regularly at every meal.
• Avoid          Sweet fruits, very sweet desserts such as durian, pineapple, rambutan, grape, preserved or candied fruits, and various sweet desserts.

Foods to avoid to prevent high blood pressure

• Every kind of salty pickled food including pickled fish, pickled eggs, pickled crab, Chi Po eggplant, pickled vegetables, and fruits.
• Foods high in salt such as shrimp paste, soybean paste, fish maw, fish sauce, fermented tofu.
• Seasoning agents like broth cubes MSG, various flavoring powders, and avoiding seasoning with salt, fish sauce, or any salty sauces.

 

Making merit with alms-giving for the health of monks

Choosing food for alms-giving that follows nutritional principles is beneficial to the monks’ health. Good and nutritious food includes vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, which are abundant in fiber that helps absorb toxins and contain minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, acting both as food and medicine in preventing diseases. Therefore, food for alms-giving should mainly come from whole grains, foods with minerals, vegetables, and fruits.

1) Foods primarily from whole grains

Whole grains are grass-plants cultivated for their edible seeds, including different types of rice, whole wheat, rice bran, black sesame, Job’s tears, mushrooms, and legumes. Unpolished whole grains are nutritionally valuable and complex, high in fiber, have B and E vitamins, and provide complete nutrients, aiding in vascular health and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke, for example,

• Brown rice/Hand-pounded rice provides energy, prevents numbness, cramps, fiber-rich aiding in preventing colon cancer, and preventing anemia.
• Soybeans contain protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, stimulating bone growth, increasing calcium, reducing fat and cholesterol.
• Black sesame contains protein, fat, vitamins, zinc, etc., nourishes the brain nervous system, reduces cholesterol, prevents heart disease, and has antioxidants preventing cancer.
• Job’s tears contain protein, fat, vitamins, and dietary fiber, nourishing the spleen, lungs, inhibiting tumor growth.
• Lotus seeds contain protein, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins, nourishing the nervous system, kidneys, joints, reducing blood pressure, improving heart contraction.
• Shiitake mushrooms have protein, fat, vitamins, dietary fiber aiding in brain nourishment, reducing the risk of heart disease, reducing blood fat, and cholesterol.

2) Foods with minerals

Mostly are green leafy vegetables high in vitamins and minerals, and fiber aiding in normal bowel movements. Foods high in minerals benefit in preventing serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, blood clotting in vessels, reducing cholesterol. Important minerals in food include

• Calcium helps make bones and teeth strong, with other minerals working together, such as phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, fluoride. Body’s absorption of calcium requires vitamin D. Lack of calcium can lead to rickets, poor blood clotting. Foods high in calcium include water spinach, kale, mustard greens, fresh milk, eggs, butter, dried shrimp, dried shrimp powder, mackerel.
• Phosphorus works together with calcium. Foods high in phosphorus usually have high calcium, especially in green leafy vegetables, milk, eggs, beans, meats.
• Magnesium controls muscle and nerve functions, protein creation, using sulfur and phosphorus in the body, found in green plants, seed coats like rice bran. Lack of magnesium causes muscle twitching.
• Iron is a blood component. Eating foods high in vitamin C helps absorb iron better, such as liver, animal organs, meats, egg yolk, chives. Lack of iron can lead to anemia, fatigue, affecting the brain.
• Sodium works with potassium to control body fluids and nerve signals. Lack of sodium can lead to cramps, seizures, fainting, or death. But excessive sodium intake may cause high blood pressure. Found in salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, milk, meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, and fruits.
• Potassium relates to muscle contraction and nerve transmission, heart rhythm, and fluid balance in cells, mostly in meats, milk, bananas, green leafy vegetables.
• Vitamins don’t provide energy but are essential for the body, categorized into fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble vitamins (various B vitamins and vitamin C), mostly in citrus fruits.
• Folic Acid is crucial in DNA creation, red blood cells, brain, and spinal cord development in fetuses, found in liver, meat, milk, mushrooms, various beans, corn, broccoli, avocado.

 

3) Vegetables for health

Vegetables for cooking should be chosen correctly according to the season to get fresh, beautiful, and cheaper vegetables, especially those labeled “Sanitary Vegetables” or from non-toxic vegetable projects, ensuring they are free from residual poisons. Rinse several times with clean water, gently rub on the leaves to help remove residual toxins. Once assured, consider the medical properties of each vegetable type and how it benefits the body.

• Garlic treats heart disease, tuberculosis, typhoid, lung disease, asthma, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Holy basil has beta-carotene, preventing cancer and ischemic heart disease, calcium, and phosphorus strengthen bones and teeth.
• Chives have vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, phosphorus, iron aiding in red blood cell formation, high dietary fiber prevents hemorrhoids and colon cancer.
• Turmeric contains curcumin preventing cancer, treats gallbladder stones, stomach diseases, and skin inflammation.
• Ginger/Galangal similar medicinal properties, relieve stomach bloating, gaseous distention, and indigestion.
• Banana blossom high in dietary fiber aiding normal digestion, contains iron nourishing blood, improving skin health.
• Spinach high in dietary fiber reduces the risk of stomach cancer, a source of beta-carotene aiding in eye health.
• Water spinach rich in vitamin A, prevents cancer, nourishes eyesight, contains iron for blood nourishment, reduces blood sugar for diabetics. Water spinach with red shoots has the highest medicinal properties.
• Bitter melon has vitamin C, beta-carotene, juice reduces blood sugar levels.
• Seaweed rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, folic acid, reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
• Coriander high in vitamin C, boosts immunity, contains toxins that dilate blood vessels, helps lower blood pressure.
• Kale source of vitamins and minerals, high calcium, reduces the risk of stomach, intestine, throat, lung cancer.
• Carrot rich in beta-carotene, prevents lung cancer, respiratory diseases, skin diseases, and eyesight.
• Centella rich in vitamin B1, beta-carotene, iron, phosphorus, calcium, treats bruises, nourishes the heart, reduces blood pressure, prevents ischemic heart disease, strengthens the brain and memory.