whole and powdered spices sourced from various roots, barks, seeds, and leaves. Whole spices such as cloves, bay leaves or cinnamon sticks are not to be eaten as part of culturally accepted dining practice, just separated and set aside by the diner usually on their plate. Eating is usually with family and friends, with the homemaker keeping an eye on the table, bringing and offering more food. However, naan is not generally shared amongst diners. In larger group meals or celebrations, volunteers or attendants may not eat with the group, and dedicate themselves to bringing meal courses, feeding and serving the group. Asking for more and helping oneself to items is accepted and cheered. Special requests such as less or more heat, yogurt, and other items are usually welcomed. Sometimes the group may eat silently, but asking questions to a loved one, catching up about one's day or discussing various topics of society and life and conversations in general is encouraged. Regionally, the tradition varies from not wasting food on one's plate, to only eating what one feels like and leaving the rest. However, in some regions, leaving food as an offering is common; some consider this as a method of only wishing to consume pure spirits of the food and the discarded food will represent the evil spirits of the past. Washing one's hands after the meal and drying them with a provided towel is a norm. Meal structure For many communities, Ayurvedic beliefs and customs influenced their meal structures and practice. The typical injunction is to "Breakfast moderately, lunch well and eat dinner very sparingly". Ayurveda tells us that each day is divided into 4-hour dayparts. Each of these dayparts is connected to the slow rise, peaking, and then falling of a particular dosha in our body. The strength of the surge in the dosha depends upon the movement of the Sun. Ideally, the correct time for our heaviest meal should be at noon, because that is when Pitta dosha (which helps cover various digestive activities, e.g. kindling an appetite, producing saliva and gastric enzymes, digesting and absorbing nutrients, and separating the food into useful and non-useful by-products that eventually leave the body), which is strongly influenced by the Sun, as agni (fire) is one of the two pancha mahabhutas that make up the pitta dosha, reaches its peak. Therefore, traditionally for most of these communities, lunch was