Yoga - diet

According to yoga and ayurveda, food is of three types; sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic.

Sattvic foods are the most pure. Eating sattvic foods is considered the most beneficial and is at the heart of a yoga diet.

Sattvic foods are easily digested and leave the body nourished and calm. They also help quieten the mind and maintain equilibrium between the mind and body. Fruit, vegetables, grains, milk and butter are amongst those foods considered sattvic.

Try and move your existing diet more in the direction of sattvic foods. Check out the list of sattvic food to get some ideas for your meals. Eating calmly and with attention is also considered sattvic.

Rajasic, or stimulating, foods are things which are spicy or strong-tasting. Meat, eggs, fish, tea, coffee, and alcohol are considered rajasic. Rajasic foods break down the equilibrium between mind and body, leading to a busy and restless mind. It is said they also overstimulate the body. If you eat quickly this is considered rajasic.

Tamasic foods are considered impure. Examples of this would be meat, alcohol, tobacco, garlic, onions, vinegar and other fermented foods. Anything stale is considered tamasic, as is overeating. Tamasic foods scatter prana (energy) and lead to a sluggish body and a dull mind and emotions such as greed and anger are more likely to be experienced.

7 Practical Steps to a Yoga Diet

If your diet and style of eating is currently something that is not mostly sattvic then you are probably in for a few surprises. Firstly, in how easy it can be to make a few simple changes to get you heading in the right direction, and secondly in how quickly you begin to notice the difference in your health and mental state.

You may also want to consider fasting for health and incorporate that into your weekly routine.

It's better to take the steps as part of an ongoing exploration rather than imposing severe changes upon yourself. Being too strict or austere is not the path of yoga, so get on your program, but cut yourself some slack along the way and enjoy the process. Heck, I love going for an occasional Starbucks as much as any guy.

1. Check out the list of sattvic food and decide what you can add to your diet.

2. Check out the benefits of aloe vera juice and drink it daily.

3. Make a commitment to yourself to eat slowly and with attention (sorry, but that means not watching TV at the same time).

4. Look at where you currently eat meat (particularly red or processed) and see where you can substitute a healthier alternative.

5. Consider adding more raw food to your diet. The book High Raw is a great guide, and it's free.

6. Invest in a good cookbook and build yourself some useful skills in the kitchen. Most of the top chefs are men, so you're in good company. For a nice selection of yoga cookery books visit Yoga Matters They are based in the UK but ship worldwide.

7. Have fun and enjoy the great new tastes and the benefits to your inner and outer health.

List of Sattvic Food

Adzuki beans, Almonds, Amaranth, Aniseed, Apples, Apricots, Artichokes, Arugula (small amounts), Ashwagandha (herb), Aspargus.

Bacopa (herb), Bananas, Barley, Basmati Rice, Bean Sprouts (all kinds,) Beets, Black Beans, Blackberries, Black-Eyed Peas, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Buckwheat, Buttermilk (fresh).

Cabbage (red or green), Calamus (herb,) Cantaloupe, Cardamom, Carob, Carrots, Cashew Nuts, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Cherries (sweet or sour,) Chestnuts, Chinese Cabbage, Cinnamon, Coconut, Coriander, Cornmeal, Cranberries, Cucumbers.

Dates (fresh).

Endive, Escarole.

Fava Beans, Figs (fresh or dried), Filberts, Flax Seeds, Flowers (edible and sweet,) Frish Juices (fresh).

Ghee, Ginger, Gingko (herb,) Gotu Kola (herb), Grapefruits, Grapes (including dried), Green Beans.

Honey (raw), Honeydew Melon.

Jatamansi (herb), Jerusalem Artichokes.

Kale, Kohlrabi.

Lassi, Lentils (black or tan), Lettuce, Lima Beans (small amounts), Loganberries.

Macadamia Nuts, Mangoes, Maple Syrup, Milk (organic, unpasteurised), Millet, Mother's Milk, Mung Beans (whole), Mung Dhal (split), Mustard Seeds.

Nutmeg (herb).

Oats (steel cut or berries), Oranges (sweet).

Papayas, Parsnips, Peaches, Pecans, Pineapple (sweet), Pine Nuts, Pinto Beans, Plums (sweet or sour), Pomegranates, Prunes, Pumpkin, Pumpkin Seeds, Purnarnava (herb).

Quinoa.

Raisins, Raspberries, Rice, Rutabaga.

Saffron (herb), Sesame Seeds, Shankhapushpi (herb), Shatavari (herb), Soybeans, Soymilk (fresh), Spinach, Strawberries, Sugar Cane (raw), Summer Squash, Sunflower Seeds, Sweet Potatoes.

Tangerines (sweet), Tea (herbal), Teff, Tulsi (herb), Turmeric, Turnips.

Walnuts, Watercress, Watermelon, Wheat, Whey, Wild Rice.

Yacon, Yams , Yoghurt (freshly made).

Zucchini.