The more we do meditation, the less we require sleep. The more we meditate the less we require food. More food for the consciousness means less food/sleep requirements for the body.
Meditational Energy should be the main source of vitality for the physical body... not food. Meditation is the process of silencing the mind. If a given mind is incessantly wasting its energy, the physical body is depleted of energy and becomes susceptible to attacks... by various bacteria and viruses. The result is a diseased body.