YOGA AND DIET

Diet the Yogic Concept:

It has been proved that diet plays a vital role in determining the qualities of man,
and a yogi has to carefully analyse the diet which he consumes in his day to day life. He
can select his food by understanding the basic concept about the effect of the various
kinds of food on our system.
Our concept of diet is based on our knowledge about the world around us. The
matter based approach has only looked at the gross material! content of the food that
we eat proteins, carbohydrates, fats, iron, calcium, vitamins ", #, #$, %iacin and
&itamin '. The modern urban palate has become so tempted to a variety of tastes that it
is no longer satisfied by the more subtle flavors of the traditional cuisine. In this, there
are more empty calories of total fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, refined sugar and salt.
The result is the ratio of nutrients to calories reducing, leading to obesity, diabetes, etc.
The yogic concept of food takes into consideration the total dimension of human
e(istence. "part from the atoms and molecules with which our gross physical body is
made of, we all possess )rana, *ind, Intellect, +motions and the ,piritual -imension
features by .reedom. /oga is that process by which we bring an integration of the entire
personality at all levels. The stamina of the body is developed, the )rana should be
brought to a balance, the mind calmed down, the emotion stabili0ed and the intellect
under total control. " #"1"%'+- -I+T! therefore, according to /oga, is that diet
which restores balance at all levels. ,uch diets could aid in a Holistic 2ay of 1iving.
#ut, how can we choose a balanced diet in the right way3
CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS:
/oga classifies food into 4 categories, similar to the classification of human
beings into predominantly,
5. Tamasic
$. 6a7asic, and
4. ,attvic
TAMASIC FOOD:
It is stale, more or less spoiled food, containing foul odor, artificial additives, and
which is not at all useful to nourish either body or mind. They make the body dull, la0y,
and drowsy and reduce our immune power, filling the mind with dark emotion such as
anger and greed. Tamasic food items include alcohol, tobacco, onions, garlic and
fermented food such as vinegar.
One yaama is 4 hours. .ood that gets cold is stale. In these days of canned food,
preserved fruits, stored vegetables and refrigeration facilities, almost a substantial
ma7ority of us have come to love stale food. "ncient Indian writings on diet did not
include taking a diet containing preservatives, insecticides, emulsifiers, artificial
colorings and other chemicals. *en of inertia have a natural liking for stinking food that
has intolerable smell for others. .ood cooked overnight or that has been kept for days
together comes under this category. 2e can include all the fermented drinks, which the
Tamasic people love to drink. That which is leftover refuse, is again liked by the
Tamasic. Impure and filthy food, that which is not fit for human consumption.
Those foods which are dead!, partially spoiled, which have lost their essence,
which have been processed a great deal, which have been preserved in some way or
which lack the vitality of food that is alive, are the ones liked by the Tamasics.
The innate personality structure of the Tamasics is reflected in their liking for
such foods. Hence, all such foods are classified as Tamasic .oods. The busy schedule
and attractive advertisements makes even a ,atvic man resort to Tamasic food like
preserved, canned food, and his taste also slowly changes and he becomes Tamasic.
+nergy and vitality are almost absent in such foods and hence he becomes sluggish and
diseases of degeneration and accumulation of e(cessive matter are likely to occur
8obesity, arthritis, hardening of the arteries, etc.9
2hen food is spoiled, its chemical structure breaks down, and because of the
acidity that results, some nutrients are destroyed. 6ather than being useful, they may
break down into products which cannot be used by the body, but must be e(creted. In the
mean time, they are under circulation and act as irritants to the nervous system as well as
to the other cells, tissues and organs. +ating Tamasic food makes one less alert.
.ermentation is a process of decomposition, especially when it is poorly
controlled and overdone. "lcoholic drinks of poorer quality and meat which is not fresh
are Tamasic. *ost meat marketed is not freshly slaughtered and in some cases must be
cured to destroy the to(ic components or to improve the taste. :nless this process is
carried our carefully with a total knowledge of what is happening, the result is likely to
be Tamasic. Once the animal cells die, the process of degeneration and decay begins.
"nimals that are sluggish, heavy and unhealthy are more likely to yield a Tamasic effect.
2ild game a fish freshly killed and properly done were not considered as
detrimental. The effect of such fresh, wholesome meat were said to be 6a7asic.
RAJASIC FOOD
It is very hot natured, spicy, bitter, sour, pungent, dry and e(cessively salty. ,uch
food items are real enemy of mind body equilibrium. They function as body stimulants
and e(it the passions, making the mind restless and uncontrollable. .ood which is
cooked a great deal to increase its taste appeal, that which stimulates and activates the
nervous system, speeds up metabolism, e.g. coffee, tea, tobacco, green chilies and pepper
are considered 6a7asic but dried red chilies tend to be more Tamasic. High quality wines
are 6a7asic.
-iet and its Importance in 'ure of certain -isorders
Obesity is a consequence of disorder. -isorder is the outcome of indiscipline.
2hen discipline goes, disorder and misery with all its weight follows. *ost of us do not
eat to live, but live to eat. The human body like nature cannot tolerate undue e(ternal
interference. %ature cure with /oga and proper diet is the only method, which corrects
imbalance of weight caused by e(cessive indulgence, thus restoring inner harmony
without the aid of e(ternal agents.
%aturopathy through yoga and proper diet is the proper way, to cure obesity and
diseases which follow mankind due to problems of e(cessive weight. .ollowing healthy
habits, good nutrition and performing e(ercises can cure obesity.
"ccumulation of waste products in the body by eating wrong types of food and
overeating is considered as the ma7or causes of obesity and co;related diseases like
indigestion, high cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis, insomnia, migraines, ulcers,
flatulence etc. %othing eliminates these waste products more effectively than fasting and
enema together with yogic e(ercises.
To get success in search of health and well being one has to establish a dietary
pattern that will sustain and promotes the endeavor. ,uch a dietary pattern may be
termed as yogic diet, which may be an effective tool to move ahead in that direction. It is
indeed an established fact that diet has a profound effect on both body and mind, and one
cannot attain complete physical and mental well being without adequate diet. .or
practicing yoga, and to maintain the state of clarity of thought in decision making, and
intellectual and contemplative thinking and to increase the body mind vitality, one should
adopt and eat sattvic food. One should eat to live, not live to eat.
IMPORTANCE OF FASTING IN DIET:
.asting does not mean starvation. 2e should have fruit 7uices, coconut water,
lemon water with honey or without it, at a regular interval of $ hours. In between we can
drink lots of water.
2hen birds and animals fall ill, they give up eating until they show signs of
recovery. This shows that fasting is healing. It is strange that human beings do not have
enough control over the mind or palate, as the animals have. .asting is the quickest,
simplest and the most efficient method of relieving the body of over loaded food and
preventing it from poisoning the system. It is the cheapest of all remedies and the
quickest way for losing weight and shedding the e(tra fat in the body, which is definitely
not required. It has come to knowledge that only small quantity of food is required to
keep the body in good condition. )eople who think they are eating moderately are in fact
taking e(cess food. )eople do not die of fasting but definitely they are liable to die of
over indulgence of 7unk food and the so;called delicious food.
.asting is not starvation. .asting is constructive and deto(ifying. Through
fasting, all the important organs, such as the stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas,
besides the kidneys and lungs are given rest. .asting is a real cleansing device and an
overhauling or purifying process. )eriodical fasting is very essential for weight loss and
to keep the body healthy. .asting enables quick and safe loss, reduces high blood
pressure, lessens fat content of the blood and improves the condition of stomach and the
intestinal passage. The resulting loss of weight alleviates pain in the spine and 7oints of
the body. )eople, who are overweight usually have orthopedic disorders and hence,
fasting is beneficial for them.
-uring a fast, the following symptoms may occur< tastelessness, bad odor in the
mouth, coated tongue, e(haustion, etc. "ll these symptoms occur because of the process
of elimination of morbid matter from the body. #ut the symptoms will disappear in a
couple of days.
YOGA AND VEGETARIANISM:
,everal factors go in favour of vegetarianism as per -r. #rena, the author of the
book, /oga and *edicine 8)ub< The =ulian )ress, Inc., %ewyork, 5>?$9.
5. *an is not a carnivore structurally. In a genuine carnivore, the canine teeth are
very long to enable the animal to sink into its prey and immobili0e it@ the molar
teeth are pointed so that the animal can separate and chew the various .iber of the
meat much better@ the intestine is about 4 to A times longer than the body. *an!s
set of teeth with developed incisors, reduced canine teeth and flatter molar teeth,
with the intestine barely double the length of the body, man is more herbivore.
$. 2hen man feeds on vegetables, fruits, etc., he gets the deposits of energy directly.
2hen he feeds on meat, the vital energy is picked second hand and he essentially
swallows dead! food.
4. " /ogi likes to cause least disorder and least destruction possible. .ruits,
vegetables, nuts, milk, etc., involve least destruction of living creatures.
B. " /ogi learns the art of using the least for himself. :nnecessary and useless
waste of energy is cut down. .or better efficiency, he changes his body structure,
breathing pattern, mental and emotional imbalances from high calorie meat diet
to low calorie vegetarian diet and to hardly any diet and that is the progress.