Since Yoga is a complete wellness system, it is thought to base itself on various aspects of life such as aahaar (diet or food habits), achar (lifestyle, habits, routines and overall behavior), vihaar (relaxation, recreation and interpersonal relationships) and vichaar (positive thoughts). Today we look at one of those complementary aspects of Yoga, aahaar or diet, which can help to maximize the beneficial impacts of Yoga on the body.
Why diet is important
It is obvious that what you put inside your body is vitally important for health and wellbeing. It isn’t just what you eat but also how much you eat of it, when and how you eat it that is important. You can literally eat to support your Yoga practice so that you reap all the benefits of your effort. Many yogis recommend a ‘saatvik’ diet or an ethical diet that does no harm to others and which is in harmony with nature and all sentient beings. Rather than cutting out or adding specific items to your diet, it is more important to follow certain principles, such as these:
Don’t eat your belly full
Eating too much is one of the problems of modern living. Since food of all sorts is available conveniently and in plenty, we tend to overeat. It is recommended that you fill only about half your stomach with solids and about a quarter with liquids; so you need to eat only up to about 75% of your stomach’s potential.
Eat food as close to its natural state as possible
Another problem that our fast paced modern lives throw us is the lack of time for proper food preparation. We no longer eat and cook the way our ancestors used to. Much of what we eat today comes from a packet or the cold storage. Much of what we eat contains additives such as salt, refined starch and sugar, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors; none of which the body needs. Eating naturally sweet fruit instead of sugary desserts, whole grains and sprouts, eating seasonal vegetables, nuts and seeds and beneficial spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, mint, tulsi, ginger, fennel etc are all recommended.
To the extent possible, avoid animal based foods and fats, processed foods, fried foods, refined foods and so on. Alcohol and other stimulants, food high in sugar, spices and salt are also not recommended. Stale food is high in bacteria and low in nutrition and should also be avoided. Avoid all the things that seem to disagree with you: things that cause gas, indigestion, constipation and so on. Each of us has a different system; it is important to tune into yours and do what is good for you.
How to eat
How you eat is also very important. Make sure that you don’t eat in a rushed, stressed environment. You may not know how much you eat and you don’t achieve the satisfaction that eating should bring. Rather eating should be a mindful activity. Savor food and appreciate the flavors and textures in your mouth and enjoy the satiety that eating brings. Chewing well and eating slowly in a relaxed environment is recommended.
Some of us benefit from eating small, more frequent meals while others seem to do better on the three square meals formula. While many of the ancients seemed to suggest that it is important to have your first meal at dawn and then your last meal with the setting rays of the sun (with nothing in between), this may not be possible or even ideal with our lifestyles and the many demands there are on our time. Again it is a question of seeing what suits your physiology and also your lifestyle and modifying it to follow the principles of yogic aahaar to the extent possible.
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