A yogic diet is not for me
May 18, 2007
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My Aunties preparing an oddly sattvic picnic for our family in Paris’ Jardin de Luxembourg
It’s slightly troubling to learn that my ancestral diet and a yogic or sattvic diet have little in common. I’m a lover of leafy greens, an initator of a sprout restaurant and I’ve been known to be inordinantly open-minded about experimenting with ways of eating - including not eating animals whilst ample assed middle-aged sheep scamper happily on the thyme scented hills surrounding the Occitanian kitchen garden. But a diet low in fermented foods? That’s just treading on Gawd’s own work…
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And the ritual is complete!
This text has been lifted from Yoga Diet, the Three Gunas by Jennifer Bagus not exactly a primary source, but not necessarily a bad point of departure - if you want to get yer ire up or feel holier than moi.
Sattvic foods
The Sattvic Diet is the purest diet, the most suitable one for any serious student of Yoga. It nourishes the body and maintains it in a peaceful state. And it calms and purifies the mind, enabling it to function at its maximum potential. A Sattvic diet thus leads to true health; a peaceful mind in control of a fit body, with a balanced flow of energy between them.
Sattvic foods include:
- cereals
- wholemeal bread
- fresh fruit and vegetables
- pure fruit juices
- milk
- butter and cheese
- legumes
- nuts
- seeds
- sprouted seeds
- honey and herb teas
Rajastic foods
Foods that are very hot, bitter, sour, dry or salty are Rajastic. They destroy the mind-body equilibrium, feeding the body at the expense of the mind. Too much Rajastic food will over-stimulate the body and excite the passions, making the mind restless and uncontrollable.
Rajastic foods include:
- hot substances, such as sharp spices or strong herbs
- stimulants such as coffee and teas
- fish
- eggs
- salt and chocolate
Eating in a hurry is also considered rajastic!
Tamastic foods
A Tamastic diet benefits neither the mind nor the body. Prana, or energy is withdrawn, powers of reasoning become clouded and a sense of inertia sets in. The body’s resistance to disease is destroyed and the mind filled with dark emotions, such as anger and greed
Tamastic foods include:
- meat
- alchohol
- tobacco
- onions
- garlic
- fermented foods such as vinegar
- stale overripe substances
Overeating is also considered tamastic, as are leftovers!
debra at 19:17 | | post to del.icio.us
Oh my… I’m obviously on my way to yoga hell. Pretty hard core to have rules against taste.
Comment by adam p adam — May 30, 2007 @ 23:50