Some Benefits of 'Not Eating After Noon'
"Not eating after noon" (wuzhuo bushi) is a Buddhist tradition. Ever since the Buddha taught "one meal at midday, one night beneath the tree, and never more" (in the Sutra of Forty-two Sections), "eating at the wrong time" has been a Buddhist precept. If a Buddhist monk wants an evening meal, he may only treat it as "medicine."
My digestive function has never been very good; eating too much leaves me bloated. Since the age of thirty I have often lived the life of "not eating after noon," and especially over the last two years, the time spent "not eating after noon" has grown longer and longer.
But I am not a Buddhist, much less a monk, so I do not treat this as one of the commandments I must observe in life.
Nor do I, like a monk who has left home, eat nothing at all after noon; I will eat a small amount of fruit in the afternoon or at dinnertime.
I also try to keep breakfast and lunch very light. Although I am not a vegetarian, at least eighty percent of my food is vegetarian.
For someone who does little physical labor, the greatest benefit of this eating habit is that it makes the body light, the mind clear, and the energy abundant.
Of course, this eating habit does not suit everyone. From a medical point of view, the calories a person takes in should match the calories he burns in a day to be healthy. If those who do physical labor ate the way I do, they certainly could not stand it.
But in our age, the great majority of people take in more calories than they need, which is why modern people tend toward obesity. Though there are all sorts of secrets to longevity, the only longevity factor currently verified by medicine is in fact just one: a low-calorie diet.
So a person should "eat according to his means"—however much effort he expends, that is how many calories he should take in. Someone like me, who does little physical work, should eat a little less and eat a little lighter to be healthier.
The benefits I have reaped over the last two years from the habit of "not eating after noon" include at least the following:
First, the phenomenon of "middle-age spread" has reversed, and my obese belly grows flatter by the day. Of course I have also done some abdominal exercises, such as using an ab roller and doing push-ups. But I feel that what played the key role in shrinking my belly was "not eating after noon." As long as I still eat dinner, my belly stays fat.
Abdominal obesity is the chief culprit behind many major diseases—such as some cancers, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and diabetes. And carrying a "general's belly" or a "beer belly" is, frankly, not very dignified.
My weight is slowly falling; last year I lost about 5 kg. If I lose another 5 kg or so, I should reach my standard weight. This too benefits from not eating after noon. Now, unless I have eaten lunch in too much of a rush because of busy work, I do not eat dinner.
"Not eating after noon" has also clearly improved my sleep quality. Our ancestors said "when the stomach is unharmonious, the rest is uneasy"; accumulated food is a major cause of insomnia. Ever since "not eating after noon," my sleep quality has been much better.
Many people are always talking about eating heartily and sleeping soundly; in fact, those who eat very heartily sleep very poorly.
In addition, "not eating after noon" has clearly reduced my "internal heat" (shanghuo). By heaven's arrangement, my constitution is prone to internal heat; I easily develop mouth ulcers and easily break out in pimples—this fellow fights for every inch of ground, refusing to spare any part of my body.
Ever since "not eating after noon," it can no longer run wild. If I indulge my taste for a while and eat a little more, and they start up again, I go hungry for a few nights, and their arrogance at once stops swelling.
Obviously, so-called "internal heat," for me personally, is caused by accumulated food. Skip a meal, and no need for the doctor's medicine!
And of course, the most crucial benefit of all: not eating after noon saves money!