Change to Yoga Diet

Legend has it that the yogis of yore subsisted on air and prana alone.



Remember that good ol’ catchphrase ‘love and fresh air’? But, believe it or not, it is actually possible for lesser mortals to thrive on water, a little fruit, milk and clarified butter (ghee).

The Yoga diet aims at development of all the 5 elements in the body – earth, fire, wind, air, and ether. Naturally, it is ideally suited not just for physical detoxification but also for widening the parameters of your mind. According to both Yoga and Ayurveda, the mind is basically composed of the wind (vata) element. It is for precisely this reason that die-hard Yogis recommend raw foods accompanied by occasional fasts.



The logic behind this is that a reduction in gross matter ultimately results in expansion and development of mental faculties.

Yoga’s healthy motto is: "Eat to live, not live to eat". It is important to understand the purpose of eating. It is to supply ourselves with Prana, life force or vital life energy. Hence, the greatest nutritional plan for a Yoga student is the simple diet of fresh nutritional food. Then again, a true Yogic diet goes even further; it is more selective than this.



The Yogi, being concerned with the subtle effect of food on the mind and astral body, avoids foodstuffs that are overly stimulating. He prefers foods, which render the mind calm and the intellect sharp. If you seriously take to the path of Yoga, you too would avoid meat, fish, eggs, alcohol, coffee, tea (except herbal teas) and drugs.

All of our nutritional requirements come under 5 categories: protein, carbohydrates, minerals, fats and vitamins. Hence, it is imperative that we have certain knowledge of dietetics if we wish to balance our food. Having first-hand foods, directly from nature, that are grown in fertile soil (preferably organic, free of chemicals and pesticides) will definitely ensure a better supply of our nutritional needs – particularly the all-important Prana. Conversely, processing, refining and overcooking destroy a lot of the food value.

A lot of people wonder whether they are getting adequate proteins but, sadly, neglect other important factors. Little do they know that the quality of the protein is more important than the quantity alone. High protein requirement still being used by many Health Departments is, primarily, based on archaic, outdated information and statistics. Unfortunately, much of it has been scientifically disproved times and time again, in laboratories.

The basis of a Yoga diet is ideally Sattva. It is of the attitude of ahimsa or nonviolence. To understand this you have to accept that a Sattvic diet is, predominantly, vegetarian, eschewing all such methods that involve killing or harming animals. Further, much emphasis is laid on natural foods, i.e., foods grown in harmony with nature, good soils, natural ripening, cooking correctly and with the right attitude.

Partaking of a Yoga diet like this helps in the development of Prana or vital energy and spiritual consciousness. Before you know it, you'll be joining the ranks of thousands of nouveau vegetarians, most of whom have altered their diets for health reasons, especially now that flesh foods have been linked to cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, so on. And so forth.

Finally, the matter of food combination that has been the subject of much attention in the West in recent years. It is also very important, for the best foods had in wrong combination can result in problems. Without going too much into detail, suffice it to say that some foods combine well, while others don’t. This is, because of the difference in the digestive process they call for and, hence, shouldn’t be mixed. For instance, strong proteins should never be had in combination with carbohydrates. For safety’s sake, avoid mixing too many different types of foods in a meal.