Transcript The Sattvic Diet

What influences our food choices?
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TASTE!!!
Nutrition knowledge
Access
Affordability
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Spirituality
Examples of spiritual dietary rules
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Islam- avoid pork, only eat Halal
meat
Mormon- avoid tea, coffee, alcohol
Hindu- avoid beef, pork, eggs
Judaism- avoid pork, seafood,
meat/poultry, only eat Kosher foods
Examples of spiritual dietary rules
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The Spiritual Path of Siddha Yoga
recommends a Lacto-Vegetarian
Diet within the Ashram. Outside of
the Ashram, the adherents are
encouraged to follow a vegetarian
diet in as much as that is possible
considering their environment.
Source: Correctional Services of Canada
http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/prgrm/chap/diet/diete03_e.shtml
The Yogic/Sattvic Diet
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Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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The Yogic/Sattvic Diet
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Yoga teaches that a vegetarian diet is
best for spiritual life but also for good
overall health
“Various grains, fruits, roots; and for
beverages: milk and pure water openly
exposed to air and sun- are decidedly
the best natural food for man.” –Sri
Yukteswar (the guru of Paramahansa
Yogananda )
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recommendations of Public Health
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More than a Vegetarian diet
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The sattvic diet is a spiritual type of
vegetarianism. Body consciousness,
calming of the mind, increased prana
and spiritual fastings are all a part of this
lifestyle.
For this reason, the sattvic diet is much
more disciplined than a vegetarian diet.
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recommendations of Public Health
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Definitions
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Sattva
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Prana
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The quality of purity and goodness
The life force
Food is seen to be the carrier of prana
Guna
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Type of category of food
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recommendations of Public Health
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Traditional Sattvic Diet
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Consists of organic, whole, natural fruits &
vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds
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Organically grown foods, naturally ripened and
harvested often carry the highest level of prana
Preparation
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The attitude in which food is prepared is just as
important as the quality of the food itself
Foods grown and prepared with care and a
positive feeling will ensure only nourishment is
being absorbed
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Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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Modern Sattvic Diet
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Vegetarian
Does not include
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White flour,
White sugar,
Junk food,
Excessively spicy or salty foods,
Fried food, and
Other forms of food that unnaturally stimulate
your mind and/or blood sugar
It avoids meat, alcohol, garlic and onions.
Some also exclude fish and eggs.
For information purposes only.
Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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Three Gunas of Food
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Sattvic
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Rajastic
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Foods which are considered clean and pure
Savoury, smooth, firm and pleasant to the
stomach
Foods that cause over-stimulation and
agitation
Pungent, sour, harsh or astringent
Tamasic
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Foods that leave us tired and sluggish
Stale, tasteless,
rotten
For information
purposes or
only.foul
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recommendations of Public Health
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Apple Example
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On an apple tree, all 3 energies can
be seen
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Ripe fruit (Sattvic)
Ripening fruit (rajasic)
Overripe (tamasic)
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Sattvic Foods
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Light in nature
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Easy to digest
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Refreshing and not disturbing to the mind
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Eaten in modest portions and chewed
slowly to enjoy taste and texture of the
food itself, not spices or seasonings
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recommendations of Public Health
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Fresh Organic Fruit
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Most fruit are considered sattvic
Examples are apples, grapes,
berries, bananas, apricots, melons,
oranges, peaches and plums
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recommendations of Public Health
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Fresh Organic Vegetables
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Most mild vegetables are sattvic
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Leafy greens, beets, carrots, squash,
celery sweet potatoes and cucumber
Some vegetables are rajastic and
tamasic
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Pungent (rajastic): hot peppers, onions
and garlic
Gas-forming (tamasic): mushrooms
and potatoes
For information purposes only.
Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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Fresh Organic Milk Products
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Milk & dairy can be consumed if the product is
organic and the cows have been treated fair
and raised naturally
It is believed that excess mucous and toxins
are released in badly treated cow’s milk
Milk can be diluted and warmed with mild
spices and served with raw honey to overcome
mucous forming tendencies
*Caution- raw honey may not be safe*
Examples
 Milk, clarified butter, fresh cheese, whey and
fresh yogurt
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recommendations of Public Health
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Nuts, Seeds & Oils
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Small portions of nuts and seeds
(not overly roasted or salted)
Flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts
and pine nuts (peeled and soaked)
Olive, sesame and flax oil (cold
pressed)
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recommendations of Public Health
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Whole grains
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Organic rice, barley, spelt whole wheat
and oatmeal
Yeasted breads are not recommended
unless it is toasted
Lightly roasting grains prior to
preparation will help to remove their
heavy quality
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recommendations of Public Health
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Legumes
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Lentils, split peas, organic tofu and bean
sprouts are all considered sattvic
The general rule is that the smaller the
bean the easier it is to digest
If consumed with whole grains it offers
a complete protein combination
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Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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Spices & Sweeteners
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Mild spices including
 basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander,
cumin, fennel, fresh ginger and turmeric
Spices like black pepper, red pepper and
garlic are generally considered rajastic, but
are sometimes used in small amounts
Raw honey and raw sugar (Caution: raw
honey may not be safe)
For information purposes only.
Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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Supplementary Protein
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Various approaches
 Most Yogis do not eat flesh foods. It is
believed that the anger and killing the
animal is transferred during consumption
 Another approach is to avoid the flesh of
mammals. This allows for consumption of
fish, poultry and eggs. However, they
should not be consumed more than four
times per week
 A more strict approach relies solely on
dairy products for protein, because it is
non-harming and given freely
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Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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Is there any scientific evidence
to support the yogic diet?
Indian study: “Linkage of concepts of
good nutrition in yoga and modern
science” 2007, Current Science
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Study Findings
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Sattvic food found to be high in
micronutrient density (ie. Lots of
nutrition per calorie)
Most Sattvic food found to be low in
fat (only 18% were high fat)
42% of Rajistic foods high in fat
72% of Tamasic foods high in fat
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recommendations of Public Health
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Study Findings
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Significant association between
Tamasic food intake and anxiety
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Supports mind-body principle of yoga
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recommendations of Public Health
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"Food is a dynamic force which interacts
with the human on the physical body
level, the mind emotional level, and also
the energetic and spiritual level. The
study of nutrition is the study of the
interaction with and assimilation of the
dynamic forces of food by the dynamic
forces of our total being.”-- Gabriel
Cousens, M.D., Spiritual Nutrition and The
Rainbow Diet
For information purposes only.
Does not represent the
recommendations of Public Health
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