Yoga is a devotion. So, there are certain rules to follow while worshipping yoga. When you are observing an Upvas (or Fast), then what type of food do you eat? There are different types of fast observed in India. Similarly, that type of food is needed when you are doing yoga. It is known as Sattvic Food.

So, now, let’s understand what is Sattvic Food?

In our Vedic texts and Ayurveda, food is divided into three parts: Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Rajasic food was prepared in the house of kings and maharajas, that is, ghee, oil and spices are used more. Tamasic food includes meat-fish, garlic-onion etc., while the simple food of sages and saints is called sattvic food. It is considered the purest and good for the body.

What is Sattvic Food?

According to Ayurveda experts, food is prepared in a pure way without onion-garlic and very little oil and spices are used. It is called sattvic food. It has been called the best and pure in Ayurveda and Hindu scriptures & texts. Sadhus and saints always eat such food. According to yoga experts, it provides complete nutrition and energy to the body and makes the mind calm. Sattvic food is mostly boiled. If you prepare food in a pure way and eat it within 2-3 hours, then it is also a sattvic food. Apart from this, these things can be included in this type of food – whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fruit juices, milk, ghee, butter, nuts, honey, lentils and vegetables without onion-garlic etc.

Basically, sattvic food is a vegetarian diet, in which the food obtained from plants and trees is taken. Cow milk and ghee are an important part of this diet. This food is almost devoid of chilli, spices and oil. Not only is this but special attention also given to the way of eating sattvic food. Quitting all work while eating, focusing on eating, eating slowly and eating while sitting on the ground are some of the rules, which are associated with the sattvic diet.

Taste is very important in sattvic food. Sweet tastes are used to evoke feelings of love and affection, bitter tastes burn fat and protein, and salty and sour tastes repair the body.

A Minimal Sattvic Diet Plan

• Start your day in the morning with a warm glass of nimbu pani or lemon water just after waking up. This detoxifies the body and also aids weight loss.
• Take breakfast between 7:30 am to 8:30 am. For breakfast, you can have moong dal ka cheela, a bowl of curd and mint chutney.
• Have Jamun (Java plum or Indian blackberry), litchi or any seasonal fruit between 10 to 11 am.
• Take Lunch between 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM. For lunch, there should be one bowl of brown masoor dal, one bowl of any green vegetable, one bowl of rice with a quarter spoon of ghee, and one bowl of cucumber raita. Take 2 to 3 slices of mango after lunch.
• Eat roasted makhana with tea or buttermilk at 5 pm.
• Have dinner by 7 pm. For dinner, take two Rotis (multi-grain), one bowl of bottle gourd, one bowl of moong dal and a quarter spoon of ghee.

Benefits of Sattvic Food

According to Yoga & Ayurveda experts, sattvic food is very beneficial for our mind and body. There are many benefits of eating food having Sattvic quality. Some of the important benefits of Sattvic Food are –

• Easy to Digest – Have you ever wondered why the elders of the house recommend a light meal without oil and spices after fasting? Because it is easily digested. According to experts, the specialty of sattvic food is that it relaxes your stomach and by eating it, you feel fresh, the mind also remains calm, because those who eat such food never have stomach related diseases.

• Feeling of peace and happiness- According to Ayurveda, eating sattvic food gives mental peace. This not only removes the fatigue and stress of the body but also gives a feeling of peace and happiness to the person.

• Beauty- Sattvic food is completely healthy and pure, so experts say that eating such food makes your skin and hair beautiful. Simply means, you can opt for Sattvic food even if you are thinking to get a beauty treatment because food directly affects your outer and inner beauty.

• Full of Nutrition’s – Since sattvic food is mostly made by boiling only or fresh fruits and vegetables are consumed in it, they are rich in nutrients. Since the use of oil, spices and sugar is negligible, it is very good for heart patients and diabetic patients.