What Is A Yogic Diet? — Yoga Kali

✅ Fact Checked

1/7 What are the types of yogic diet?

Yoga tradition classifies foods into three categories: sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic.

The Sattvic diet includes healthy and balanced foods that are believed to energize, increase mental focus and clarity, and induce joy and peace. Sattvic foods should constitute the majority of food on our plates. Some examples of sattvic food are:

• sprouts and whole grains
• nuts and seeds
• legumes
• fresh veggies
• sweet fruit.

The Rajasic diet is believed to have stimulating properties. It is not considered harmful but shouldn’t be eaten every day. When consumed in excess, Rajastic foods can trigger aggression and emotional disbalance. Rajasic foods include:

• onion and garlic
• eggs
• caffeine
• spicy and heavily seasoned dishes.

The Tamasic diet is believed to be very heavy and processed, making you feel slow and bloated. Tamasic foods trigger laziness and lethargy and should be avoided. The Tamasic foods include:

• meat
• mushrooms
• heavily processed or refined grains
• artificial sweeteners or preservatives
• alcohol and drugs.

2/7 What are the benefits of a yogic diet?

A yogic diet consists of mostly sattvic foods – unprocessed grains, plenty of vegetables, fruits, seeds, and cold pressed oils. Eating these pure foods is considered to bring the purity of the body and the mind.

The benefits of the yogic diet include:

• increased energy levels throughout the day without the usual afternoon slumps;
• enhanced focus and mental clarity;
• improved digestion due to high levels of fiber consumed;
• weight loss (if that’s your aim) due to reduced intake of highly-processed foods and added sugar;
• decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes that often go hand-in-hand with an unbalanced diet.

3/7 Can yogis eat meat?

Yes, you don’t have to follow a vegetarian or vegan to do yoga.

That said, the yogic tradition does advise a vegetarian diet high in fiber and unsaturated fats derived from nuts, seeds, and cold-pressed oils.

In the yogic tradition, meat is classified as tamasic food. It is believed to decrease your body’s energy and increase sleepiness.

4/7 Are all yogis vegetarian?

No, not all yogis are vegetarian. The food you put into your body is also not a prerequisite to start practicing yoga.

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, there is a concept of an eight-limbed path to enlightenment. Each limb includes lifestyle guidelines and moral principles that can be applied on and off the yoga mat.

One of the guidelines within the eight-limbed path is Ahimsa – “non-violence” or “compassion.” Ahimsa is often interpreted as taking action.

The action of compassion can take many faces, including nonharming nature and all living beings on the planet. That is exactly why many yogis choose to be vegetarian or vegan and avoid eating meat.

Vegetarian or not, yoga simply offers you an alternative nutrition model. It’s your choice if you decide to follow it or not.

5/7 Do yogis eat yogurt?

Yes, many non-vegan yogis include dairy products into their diet, such as cow’s milk, ghee, and plain full-fat yogurt.

Full-fat yogurt, for example, has lots of essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12, and live bacteria vital for gut health.

That said, dairy high-fat products should be consumed in moderation, especially by people with slight lactose intolerance or high cholesterol issues.

6/7 Do yogis drink alcohol?

According to the yoga tradition and Yogic texts, drinking alcohol should be avoided. Besides, drinking disconnects you from your body, which is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve by practicing yoga.

That said, drinking alcohol is a lifestyle choice. You can drink alcohol and do yoga while still reaping benefits from your practice.

7/7 What do yogis eat for breakfast?

A yogic or Sattvic breakfast can include a variety of whole grains, fruit, and fresh produce.

Here are a few examples of a breakfast following Sattvic principles:

• water, rolled oats, ghee, milk, cinnamon, and almonds
• herbal tea, waffles made with spelt flour, peach, pecans
• lemon and honey-infused water, tofu scramble with tomato, ghee, kale, and fennel stalk
• banana smoothie with coconut water and almond butter.

What do yogis do after eating?

Twisting and bending after the meal is never a great idea. Give your body some time to digest the food.

Once you feel the food has settled, try doing the following poses to aid digestion and prevent bloating:

• Standing and Seated Spinal Twists
• High Lunge with a Side Bend
• Standing Forward Fold
• Pyramid
• Thunderbolt pose.