Yogic diet

 YOGIC DIET

A diet that is wholly conducive to the practice of Yoga and spiritual progress is called Yogic diet. Diet has intimate connection with the mind. Mind is formed out of the subtlest portion of food.         

Sattvic foodstuffs 

Diet is of three kinds viz., Sattvic diet, Rajasic diet and Tamasic diet.

SATTVIC FOODSTUFFS :Cow’s milk, Cream, Cheese Butter, Curd, Ghee, Sweet fruits, Apples,
Bananas, Grapes, Papaya, Pomegranates, Mangoes, Oranges, Pears, Pineapples, Guavas, Figs, Vegetables, Coconut, Brinjals, Potatoes, Cabbages, Spinach, honey, almonds and sugar-candy are all Sattvic foodstuffs. They render the mind pure and calm

RAJASIC FOODSTUFFS :Fish, Eggs, Meat, Salt, Chillies, Chutney, Asafoetida, Pickles, Tamarind,
Mustard, Sour things, Hot things, Tea, Coffee, Cocoa, Ovaltine, White sugar, Carrots, Turnips, Spices are Rajasic foodstuffs. They excite passion.

TAMASIC FOODSTUFFS: Beef, pork, wine, garlic, onions and tobacco are Tamasic Tobacco, Rotten things, Stale things, Unclean things, Twice cooked things, All intoxicants, All liquors, All drugs are Tamasic foodstuffs. They fill the mind with anger, darkness and inertia

Rajasic & Tamasic foodstuffs

Food is of four kinds. There are liquids which are drunk; solids which are pulverised by the teeth and eaten; there are semi-solids which are taken in by licking; and there are soft articles that are swallowed without mastication. All articles of food should be thoroughly masticated in the mouth until they are reduced to quite a liquid before being swallowed. Then only they can be readily digested, absorbed and assimilated in the system.

FASTING :Fasting is interdicted for practitioners of Yoga as it produces weakness. But occasional mild

Fasting foods

fasts are highly beneficial. They will overhaul the system thoroughly, give rest to the stomach and the intestines and eliminate uric acid. Yogic students may take one full meal at 11 o’clock, a cup of warm milk in the morning and half a seer of milk and some plantains (or oranges or apples) at night with much advantage. The night meal should be very light. If the stomach is overloaded, sleep will supervene and as too much sleep is injurious to Yogic practices, one cannot make any real headway in the path of Yoga. Therefore a diet consisting of milk and fruits alone is a splendid menu for all practitioners