Yoga & Diet
"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" ~Hippocrates. 5
You are what you eat. Our intake of food determines how healthy we are and as a part of your yoga practice, eating food that is healthy, nourishing and energising will help you not only with your yoga and meditation practice but will also help you stay in optimum health.
According to the yogic texts, there exist three different yogic diets - Rajasik, Tamasik and Sattavik. According to the old Indian texts, it is believed that what you eat not only nourishes your body but physically manifests and forms our mental state as well as our personalities and thus affects our day to day lives. Of the three kinds of diets, yogic sages believe that it's best to eat food that incorporates the sattvic diet.
Tamasic Food
Tamasic food includes food that are overcooked, overly processed and food that is prepared with artificial ingredients or additives and colours. Tamasic food are also ones that have been excessively spiced, overly salted, and food that are deep fried. Due to its method of cooking, tamasic food would have lost its nutrients. These food do not provide the body with any prana (energy). Funnily enough, mushrooms which do not need sunlight to grow are considered tamasic food. Since the sun is the largest source of prana – things that do not require sunlight to grow are considered food that are tamasic. Tamsik food make the body dull, lazy and drowsy. Tamasic foods include alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic and fermented foods such as vinegar. This type of food is undesirable and is not recommended for yoga practitioners.
Rajasic Food
Rajasic food comprises of food that are very 'rich' in preparation. Food that are highly spiced, roasted, curried with additions such as ghee, butter or cream as well as rich desserts, wines and drinks are considered rajasic. Rajasic food is considered to 'excite' the palette and intern quickens the mind and makes it restless and uncontrollable which can have a direct effect in the practice of yoga and meditation. Additionally, these food, due to its richness can make your 'stomach full' and cause inertia as well as result in obesity.
Sattvic Food
Sattvic food are food that are prepared with moderate amounts of seasoning and spices. Food that are sourced fresh, not overly refrigerated and cooked to the right amount or eaten raw are considered Sattic. Sattvic food are also food that according to ayurveda are not overly cooling or overly heaty. It is food that will maintain the balance of your body. This type of food is highly recommended for yoga practitioners as it maintains the balance in both the body and the mind of person consuming it.
To optimise your yogic practice and achieve your goals, be it to lose weight, control your anger, de-stress or start your spiritual journey, your intake of food is going to have a major impact. Yogic diet encourages the practitioner to consume food in moderation with self discipline. Listed are some of things you can follow to make sure that your food consumption remains yogic:
1. Consumer food that is natural – you know that saying about eating food that only your great grandmother would recognize as food? Follow it! Do not eat overly processed food and always source food that are natural. Include plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and nuts.
2. Balanced Diet – enrich you meals with fresh salads, plenty of vegetables and leafy greens as well as fruit and dried nuts.
3. Vegetables & Salads – with modernization and technology, the way we eat has altered through the years. Sometimes, we freeze prepared food or slice fruits and freeze them for later use. These are very negative practices though they are convenient. Food should whenever possible be consumed freshly prepared. When that is not possible, try as much as possible to consume food that are raw. Raw salads, even local variations (especially!) are good options, palette friendly and tasty.
4. Quantity Of Food - Try not over eat. It can take 15-20 minutes for you to realise that you have eaten enough so as a practice, control the amount that you eat. By over eating, you feel inert and sluggish. It also makes an impact on your digestion system as well as causes ailments such as cholesterol as well as obesity. So control the quantity of food you eat to a healthy size.
5. Water - Drink enough water a day to stay hydrated. Avoid fizzy drinks and caffeinated drinks. What your body requires is pure water to hydrate it properly. Drink water half an hour before meals. Avoid drinking water with food. Drinking of one or two glasses of water when you wake up is ideal for health. It is recommended that you do not consume any tea or coffee. If you find it terribly difficult to eliminate it completely, try other alternatives such as herbal non caffeinated drinks as well as slowly cutting back on your intake. Consumption of caffeine causes the heart rate to rise and this in turn makes it difficult to control and slower the breath which is required during the practice of yoga as well as during meditation practice.
6. Alcoholic Drinks – It's recommended that you completely eliminate alcoholic drinks from your diet. In addition to the fact that they destroy the nutrients available in your system, it further excites the sense and makes it difficult to control the mind.
7. Method of Eating - Eat slowly and chew your food properly. Eating fast does not allow the time for satiating signals to reach your brain from your abdomen resulting in overeating. By chewing the food properly, saliva can better mix with food and make it easily digestible. Body is able to make full use of food you eat and helps you to maintain better health. Principles of yoga diet are time tested and very easy to follow. To lead a healthy life one has to establish a dietary pattern that will sustain good health. Yoga and diet are essential components of good health and happiness. Eat to live and not live to eat.
8. Vegetarian Vs non Vegetarian Diet – if you are new to the practice of yoga, it is not a 100% necessary for you to make a lifestyle change and become a vegetarian. Nevertheless, depending on your goal of practicing yoga it can be quite advantageous to practice ahimsa in your intake of food. You will know when the right time is for you, so take your time and try it out when you are ready.
To conclude, here is a yogic recipe that you can try out that is both tasty and will be an excellent source of energy. It's a firm favourite in our household for breakfast and we hope it'll be in yours
Mung Dal Kitchari - Makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
1 cup of mung beans
1 cup of basmati rice
1 piece of ginger root
2 tablespoons of coconut shreds
1 bunch of cilantro
1/2 cup of water
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
5 whole black peppercorns
3 whole curry leaves
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. Wash mung beans and rice until water is clear. In a blender, put ginger, coconut, cilantro and 1/2 cup of water and blend till liquefied.
2. Heat saucepan on medium heat, add oil, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns and curry leaves. Stir for a moment, add blended items to spices, then turmeric and salt, stir until lightly browned.
3. Stir in mung dal and rice and mix well, pour 6 cups of water, cover, bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes. Then turn heat down low and cook, lightly covered, until mung and rice are soft (25-30 minutes)
Source: Yoga & Diet
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