The increasing prevalence of lifestyle diseases today has started to bring people back to their roots, with one of the most important aspects of lifestyle being the food we consume. We all have wondered what the diet of Yogis is like, so let us dive deep into the Sattvic Yogic diet.
Yoga and Ayurveda believe that everything that exists, including the food we consume, constitutes three ‘Gunas’ or primal energies. These are Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. They all coexist, but one of these Gunas may be more dominant than the other two. Our diet, as well, can be divided into these three Gunas.
These include pure, wholesome, freshly cooked vegetarian foods that provide the body nourishment. This is a micronutrient-rich, balanced diet and contains foods that digest easily, such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and dairy products. It helps find equilibrium within and helps remove the impurities within our mind as well as our body.
These include all the foods that excite the senses and overstimulate the body and mind. These items include coffee, tea, chocolate, salt, eggs, all strong spices, and fast foods. These foods are recommended in very little quantities, if at all, as they provide the energy and excitement that an individual may sometimes require. However, Yogis avoid them as these foods may cause distractions in the path toward meditation.
These include old, stale, rich, and heavy foods, uncooked, frozen, or processed foods, such as meat, alcohol, junk food, overly ripe, or sugary foods. These foods take a very long time to digest and cause laziness, lethargy, and disturbance in the mind and body. Overconsumption of these foods may cause diseases. Hence, Yogis avoid these foods because, after all, we are what we eat.
Along with the Sattvic diet, there are a few other conditions that Yogis follow with their diet.
● Yoga is mindfulness and awareness, and being present in the now. So even when you eat, you have to be completely aware of the nature of the food you eat, the amount of food you eat, and the emotion with which the food was prepared and consumed. Cooking the food is an activity that requires complete awareness of the body and mind, as the thoughts and emotions going through the person cooking are poured into the food.
● One should completely concentrate on chewing the food until it is broken down into a liquid form – it is often said that you should drink your food and chew your drink. This means that no other activity should be done when eating food, including talking, texting, surfing, etc. Even after consuming the food, dedicate a few minutes of silence to observe digestion.
● Yogis eat meals only if and when they are hungry. At the same time, householders are recommended to eat three to four times a day with a gap of 3-4 hours – breakfast, lunch, snack (usually a fruit), and dinner, as food should be consumed as per our age and the activity we do during the day.
● Yoga and Ayurveda believe in Mitahar – one should not fill the stomach fully. Half of the stomach should be filled with solid food, one-fourth of it should be filled with liquid that is not pure water (it can be dal, soup, buttermilk, etc.), and one-fourth of the stomach should be left empty. This will allow the stomach to digest the food properly.
● Hatha Yoga describes a Yogic Sattvic Diet as fit to be offered to Lord Shiva as prasad prior to consumption. It should be naturally sweet and nourishing and should be able to sustain all the basic body constituents (dhatus).
● Yogis pray in gratitude for the food they eat before they begin. This will help you gauge your hunger and will also affect the emotion in which the food is consumed.
● Yogis do not drink water 1 hour prior to or after meals. Water is to be avoided during meals as well, as it weakens the digestive fire (Jatharagni) required for digestion.
● Yogis do not have cold foods and drinks, even water, as they weaken the digestive fire.
● Bathing after having food is not recommended as the blood flow is diverted away from the process of digestion.
● Yogis observe fasts once a week for 12-24 hours as a way of detoxing the system. This can either mean a complete fast, a fast with light sattvic food, or a fruit diet.
● Yogis eat local and seasonal food. Seasonal food provides the body what it needs during that season. Foods that produce heat, such as sesame and bajra, are consumed only during winter. However, due to global warming, the seasons are not what they used to be. So it is recommended to eat heat-producing food during cold weather and cool foods such as watermelon during hot weather.
● Yogis practice Asanas, Pranayama, and Meditation regularly. These aid in the health of the body. Yogendra Sukhasana or the Pleasant pose and Yogendra Vajrasana or the Thunderbolt pose are recommended when having food as they aid digestion. However, other Asanas and Pranayamas should not be practiced for 1 hour before and 3 hours after a meal.
Following this diet of Yogis, we can get in touch with our bodies and understand the science of food as prescribed by our scriptures for a balanced body and mind.