Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Sunrise
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Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by Sunrise »

Are you like me and want to ditch the junk food and ready to eat fresh, healthy, real food?

I'm planning on doing a Sattvic (Yogic) diet challenge for the month of May and invite anyone from Dharma Wheel to join me. It would be fun to have a group to share our experiences and maybe some recipes!

Here's a little background on a Sattvic diet. In Yogic philosophy, foods are believed to have an effect on both body and mind. Foods are categorized according to their effect on body and mind as: Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic. To be healthy and more successful in meditation, meditators aim to eat more Sattvic (pure, calming) foods and reduce Rajasic (over stimulating) and Tamasic (static, lethargic) foods.

In practice, a Sattvic diet means plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, beans/legumes, whole grains, nuts/seeds, gentle spices, natural sweeteners like honey or jaggery. Some people also consume humanely produced dairy products. The emphasis is on fresh foods, and minimizing highly processed and old foods.

There's a lot of information online about Sattvic diets if you're interested. Here's one video that's a good introduction:


As with any diet, please check with your doctor before starting. I'm looking forward to a month of healthy, Sattvic eating with you!!
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Grigoris
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by Grigoris »

The type of diet you need depends on the mental/physical condition you are trying influence.

Some people need stimulation, some need calming. It is not a "one size fits all".

A Sattvic diet is more than just eating fresh fruits and vegetables, there are some fresh fruits and vegetables that need to be avoided too.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
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Sunrise
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by Sunrise »

Yes, those are good points. A person's ideal diet has many factors, like their constitution, where they live, what season it is, etc. Some fruits and vegetables are avoided too. For example, garlic and onions are typically avoided.

For me, I just want to get the garbage out of my diet (chips, fast foods, junky sweets) and eat more freshly prepared, high prana (energy) foods.

There was a good article by Gary Gran on the Sattvic diet where he advised people to keep a journal and record what they ate and how it made them feel. He advised developing a "personal vision of a Sattvic diet" based on what the individual needs. Fascinating stuff!
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by WesleyP »

(I think We get those through Vitamins.)
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Grigoris
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Sunrise wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:26 pmThere was a good article by Gary Gran on the Sattvic diet where he advised people to keep a journal and record what they ate and how it made them feel. He advised developing a "personal vision of a Sattvic diet" based on what the individual needs. Fascinating stuff!
So if I need pizza and I eat pizza, I will be eating a Sattvic diet?

If I need meat and I eat meat, I will be eating a Sattvic diet?
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Sunrise
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Grigoris wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:26 am
Sunrise wrote: Mon Apr 13, 2020 7:26 pmThere was a good article by Gary Gran on the Sattvic diet where he advised people to keep a journal and record what they ate and how it made them feel. He advised developing a "personal vision of a Sattvic diet" based on what the individual needs. Fascinating stuff!
So if I need pizza and I eat pizza, I will be eating a Sattvic diet?

If I need meat and I eat meat, I will be eating a Sattvic diet?
I highly recommend having pizza experiments! :twothumbsup: I'm being silly, but actually it's helpful to observe how you feel after eating various foods. Do you feel light and energetic, or heavy and dull? Did the food digest well or not so much? Did it affect your sleep, and so on.

The author did mention Tibetan yogis who, because of the harsh cold, would eat meat for its warming effect on the body.

From my personal experience, there's been periods of time when I've eaten very healthily and then decided to go out to dinner and eat whatever looks appealing. I felt a strong difference afterwards, almost like a food-induced hang over. Other times I've had healthy things like fresh vegetable juice, and felt a little zing of energy.

Over time we learn what serves and doesn't serve our bodies.
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Grigoris
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Sunrise wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:33 pmOver time we learn what serves and doesn't serve our bodies.
Anything can serve our bodies (even poison) if taken when it is needed and in the quantity needed. That does not make it Sattvic.

These diets are based on specific philosophical and medical notions, they are not just some BS New Age terms that can be slapped onto anything that satisfies our ego.

A Sattvic diet may be a struggle to apply and involve renouncing food that we really like (or may even may make us feel good temporarily).

A Sattvic (or Tamasic, or...) diet is not just a diet of things that make us feel good. Actually, after a diet high in sugars, fats and meats we may feel totally awful after changing to a Sattvic diet as our body starts to try to readjust.

It is not about personal visions (ego), it is about specific systems.

So instead of being (mis)informed from BS New Age sites, why not go seriously study some Ayurveda from proper sources and gain a real understanding of what this all means?
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
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Sunrise
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Grigoris wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:31 pm
So instead of being (mis)informed from BS New Age sites, why not go seriously study some Ayurveda from proper sources and gain a real understanding of what this all means?
What do you mean by "BS New Age sites"? Are you referring to the article I mentioned? I don't see what's wrong because the author seems reputable, being a yoga teacher and practitioner of Ayurveda. Here's a longer quote that might more fully explained what was referred to:

"A beginning practice in both ayurveda and yoga is to simply observe the effect of each food choice we make. From our experience and awareness we can begin to make small changes. As we progress in this practice we can recognize three broad categories called the gunas. Some foods leave us feeling tired and sluggish. This is called the tamasic effect. Other foods leave us feeling agitated or over-stimulated. This is the rajasic effect. The third category belongs to foods that leave us feeling calm, alert, and refreshed. This is the sattvic effect and the basis of the sattvic diet.

If we persist in this practice we will arrive at our personal version of the sattvic diet. The Bhagavad Gita describes the sattvic diet as “promoting life, virtue, strength, health, happiness and satisfaction.” (Bhagavad Gita XVII:8) Sattvic foods are “savory, smooth, firm, and pleasant to the stomach.” (BG XVII:8). By contrast the Gita describes the rajasic diet as “excessively pungent, sour, salty, hot, harsh, astringent, and burnt,” leading to “pain, misery, and sickness.” (BG XVII:9) The tamasic foods are described as “stale, tasteless, smelly, left-over, rotten, and foul.” (BG XVII:10)

The true test of our foods comes when we meditate. All meditators know that there are two main problems. One is falling asleep. This is the tamasic effect. The other is an over-active mind. This is the rajasic effect. If we want to be able to quiet the mind and maintain our alertness to explore our subtle nature, we need to follow the sattvic diet. “When sattva predominates, the light of wisdom shines through every gate of the body.” (BG XIV: 11)".

Here's a link to the full article if you'd like: http://ayurvedalessons.blogspot.com/2010/03/

I've read about a Sattvic diet from several different sources, and they're all pretty similar.
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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The Ayurvedic Institute: https://www.ayurveda.com/

Food list depending on constitutions: https://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/food-guide ... EYKqI6NowE

This site was recommended to me by a Tibetan Doctor.
"My religion is not deceiving myself."
Jetsun Milarepa 1052-1135 CE

"Butchers, prostitutes, those guilty of the five most heinous crimes, outcasts, the underprivileged: all are utterly the substance of existence and nothing other than total bliss."
The Supreme Source - The Kunjed Gyalpo
The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde
Vasana
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by Vasana »

Grigoris wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:07 am The Ayurvedic Institute: https://www.ayurveda.com/

Food list depending on constitutions: https://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/food-guide ... EYKqI6NowE

This site was recommended to me by a Tibetan Doctor.
food lists can also be fairly provisional and aren't always that useful on their own since the qualities and effects of foods are altered by method of cooking, seasoning, quantity, combinations with other foods etc.

But yes, learning this stuff a bit more systematically is a good idea.

I alternate between a very satvic diet and the my afflictions take over and I binge on junk . Sometimes the more I try to force a clean diet, the bigger the boomerang to impulsive eating of junk. So as part of the ongoing process, recognizing the limits of your mind is important.

Ayurvedic recipe books can be a more gentle way of learning as you go.
'When thoughts arise, recognise them clearly as your teacher'— Gampopa
'When alone, examine your mind, when among others, examine your speech'.— Atisha
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Sunrise
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by Sunrise »

Grigoris wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:07 am The Ayurvedic Institute: https://www.ayurveda.com/

Food list depending on constitutions: https://www.ayurveda.com/pdf/food-guide ... EYKqI6NowE

This site was recommended to me by a Tibetan Doctor.
Thanks for the links Grigoris!
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Sunrise
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Vasana wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:41 pm
I alternate between a very satvic diet and the my afflictions take over and I binge on junk . Sometimes the more I try to force a clean diet, the bigger the boomerang to impulsive eating of junk. So as part of the ongoing process, recognizing the limits of your mind is important.

Ayurvedic recipe books can be a more gentle way of learning as you go.
I can relate! There's been periods when I've eaten mostly Sattvic foods and felt wonderful, and other times when old habits creep back in. Especially if I'm working too much and stressed, I start reaching for the convenience foods. Then I feel lousy. But, I think it's all a learning experience. For example, if I eat junk and feel bad later, my body is clearly letting me know it's not liking it and that's a good thing. Exactly as you say, it's an ongoing process. For me, it's about making a continual effort over time it eat a better diet, and not trying to be perfect.
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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The three main Gunas in diet being given such importance seems to be an more recent addition to Ayurveda, no?

As long as you’re aware of the Doshas and identify your main Dosha, and, pay attention to not eating incompatible or bad food combinations (for example meat and milk should not be consumed together, i.e. separate them by at least a couple hours) the Gunas don’t matter as much do they? That is according to more ‘old school’ Ayurveda?
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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I'm not an expert, but from what I've read the Sattvic diet's purpose is to lead to higher consciousness and make meditation easier. It's a diet designed to aid meditators by cultivating more sattva quality. Ayurveda is more medicinal, and looks at an individual's constitution and tries to correct imbalances. It's more focused on an individual's needs.
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Sādhaka wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 5:02 pm The three main Gunas in diet being given such importance seems to be an more recent addition to Ayurveda, no?
No. Actually, the earliest Ayurvedic text we have, the Carakasamhita, is also the earliest source for Samkhya philosophy that we have.
Last edited by Malcolm on Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Sunrise wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:00 pm I'm not an expert, but from what I've read the Sattvic diet's purpose is to lead to higher consciousness and make meditation easier. It's a diet designed to aid meditators by cultivating more sattva quality. Ayurveda is more medicinal, and looks at an individual's constitution and tries to correct imbalances. It's more focused on an individual's needs.
Speaking as someone who has trained extensively in Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda, one has to be very careful with sattvic diets. Most people cannot do a pure sattvic diet, because in many cases it will lead to vatta aggravation. Also recall, that milk, ghee, honey, and so on, are also part of a sattvic diet. Many people try to a vegan version of this and really damage their health. Seen it with my own eyes, more than once. In general, most people need to have also a little tamasic food, for grounding, and rajasic food for energy.
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Malcolm wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:09 pmNo. Actually, the earliest Ayurvedic text we have, the Carakasamhita, is also the earliest source for Samkhya philosophy that we have.

Implying then that the Three Gunas in regard to diet, are considered in the Caraka-Samhita to be very important?

Anyhow, you could almost live on grass-fed milk alone for a 100% Sattvic diet.

The issue you would run into after some weeks though, would possibly be an iron deficiency and folate deficiency (and as Malcolm said, maybe an vatta imbalance).

The best milk according to Ayurveda, is grass-fed straight from the udder before it even cools down.

If milk gets refrigerated, then from what I understand Ayurveda says that you should bring it to a boil before you drink it; otherwise it won’t digest well, and bad digestion is one of the worst things against health.

I was drinking raw grass-fed milk for quite awhile from the grocery store refrigerator, not knowing that; but then I recently tried bringing it to a boil, and it does digest better. Also when I’d drink half a gallon of raw milk without bringing it to a boil, there would shortly after be frequent micturition. Now after trying bringing it to a boil, there isn’t.

But pasteurized milk is trash. That is because it has already been heated and then cooled; so it’s basically been ruined. You’ll want to buy raw milk, then when you’re ready to drink it, bring it to a boil and drink it (don’t put the boiled milk in the refrigerator again).
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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https://foodfacts.mercola.com/raw-milk.html

As you can see in the nutrition chart provided there^, not-previously-pasteurized grass-fed milk has–as far as I can tell–every nutrient you need in abundance, except for iron & folate (and maybe Vitamin D3 depending on how much sun you get and the complexion of your skin).

The premise of the article is that you’ll want to drink milk raw, and that is true according to Ayurveda, that is if you can like I said drink it pretty much straight from the udder while it’s fresh. But like I also explained above, Ayurveda says that you want to bring milk to a boil if it has been refrigerated (and should never be reheated/refrigerated after it has been heated, which relegates pasteurized milk from the grocery store to being nearly worthless).

I’d also noticed that drinking raw milk that has been refrigerated, led to constipation. When I started bringing it to a boil, that also disappeared.

I also have a theory that bringing raw milk to a boil reduces the nutrient content only a little, but that that is made up for by our bodies digesting & absorbing it better when it is drunk shortly after boiling it.

Important side-note:

Make sure your grass-fed raw milk is from A2 herd cows, like the classic breeds from Europe & India :idea:
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

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Malcolm wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:13 pm
Speaking as someone who has trained extensively in Tibetan Medicine and Ayurveda, one has to be very careful with sattvic diets. Most people cannot do a pure sattvic diet, because in many cases it will lead to vatta aggravation. Also recall, that milk, ghee, honey, and so on, are also part of a sattvic diet. Many people try to a vegan version of this and really damage their health. Seen it with my own eyes, more than once. In general, most people need to have also a little tamasic food, for grounding, and rajasic food for energy.
Thanks for the insight, Malcolm. I've heard that pure sattvic diets are for really for ascetics, while people who are busy in the world benefit from a little rajasic food in their diet.

Personally I've found emphasizing sattvic food, moderating rajasic food and avoiding tamasic foods to be helpful mentally and physically, but I'm far from perfect. There's always dinners out, holidays, birthday parties, etc. There's also times when there's little time to cook. But, it's just part of being in the world, I think.
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Re: Sattvic/Yogic Diet Challenge

Post by Sunrise »

Sādhaka wrote: Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:30 pm

The best milk according to Ayurveda, is grass-fed straight from the udder before it even cools down.
I used to think I didn't like drinking milk. I was drinking it cold in the morning with cereal, and found it unpleasant. Now I drink it hot at night with turmeric powder, and sometimes add honey. It's delicious! And I sleep like a baby.

I don't have my own cows, so I have to settle for store bought. The best I can find is organic, pasture-raised, and pasteurized.
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