Q: Many people take only one meal a day, some even don't take solid foods like grains, or cooked food like saints, yogis, etc. Some take milk and fruits and some take only water and yet they seem to be very active, keep good health and do not suffer from any disease. How do they get their required nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fats, etc? I wish to reduce gradually food intake to the minimum. Past one year I have been doing so. I have reduced solid food intake to half. I am doing pranayam and yoga little bit. I was 75 Kg eight months back, now I am 65 Kg. Can I further reduce food intake and gradually go to nil solid/cooked food?

A:One can eat as little as one can tolerate provided enough minerals and vitamins are taken - for instance, one multivitamin pill a day. This should also contain iron, selenium, cobalt and magnesium. If all protein and fat are excluded, there could eventually be a danger of damage to several organs including vision and liver function, but this varies with individuals. Obviously, famous dieters such as Gandhi did very well on very restricted diets and on periodic fasts. However, he was not doing this for personal or exaggerated health reasons, whereas many extreme dieters are, and they may lack the psychologic balance to have insight into whether they are going too far in their asceticism.